Scan barcode
hailstorm3812's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is a very enjoyable book. For someone who hates You've Got Mail, I feel like the author side stepped a good deal of the ickiness. I think it balanced drama and romcomedy very well. I really liked Addie and Marisol. The ending is kind of a kick in the teeth if you don't realize it is a series but I'm down for another one thought I'm not sure you can capture the charm and fun of this one with where we left off but I look forward to it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Car accident
Minor: Sexism
nebraskanwriter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Alcohol, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Cursing, Death of parent, War, Death, Car accident, Classism, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
lizzye33's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, War, and Blood
Moderate: Vomit, Violence, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Gun violence, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Genocide
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Child death, Confinement, Abandonment, and Car accident
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Vomit, War, Addiction, Classism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Cursing, Gore, Body horror, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Bullying, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
kaitlynnnng's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I enjoyed this book because it blended together romance, history, mythology, and fantasy. There was a little bit of everything!
Like several other reviewers have said, my feelings shifted at some point between the middle and the end. Roman and Iris’s romance went from 0 to 60 slowly (which I enjoyed), but then it seemed like it went from 60 to 100 almost immediately. It got to the point where it felt rushed and unrealistic. I kept trying to tell myself that, in times of war, timelines are very different, but still. I wish it packed a heavier punch.
I enjoyed the writing style!
I will be reading the second book when it comes out, because I am dying to know what happens next!
Like several other reviewers have said, my feelings shifted at some point between the middle and the end. Roman and Iris’s romance went from 0 to 60 slowly (which I enjoyed), but then it seemed like it went from 60 to 100 almost immediately. It got to the point where it felt rushed and unrealistic. I kept trying to tell myself that, in times of war, timelines are very different, but still. I wish it packed a heavier punch.
I enjoyed the writing style!
I will be reading the second book when it comes out, because I am dying to know what happens next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Blood, Death, Abandonment, Alcohol, Murder, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Car accident
frantically's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I don't know if it's the German in me but unless they're really well done, love stories set in a (fake) WWI/WWII setting just leave me with an icky feeling. And this one wasn't well done.
So, what went wrong?
The worldbuilding:
Non-existent. This could've been marketed as a fantasy WWI story and really little would've needed too change. Inventing new mythology is always going to be a challenge and Ross wasn't up for it. I really couldn't have cared less about the gods or their war and that's sad!
A big plot point are the magical typewriters our protagonists use. I'm not that well versed in either typewriter or baseball history but here they exist at the same time. Weird choice. Everything feels like historical fiction, from the description of the clothes to the societal conventions but our protagonists also spend time at a B&B. Make of that what you will.
The relationship:
I beg of you to read one good romance in your life because if you're all that amazed by this cheap-ass rivals-to-lovers story, I promise you, you'll be easily satisfied in the romance genre. I can't even complain about the romance too much, it was just boring. And honestly, it started very weirdly.
Iris is writing countless letters to her brother and they end up with Roman instead. I would've been more fine with this, if Roman had also taken some months to discover Iris' identity but he knows it's her from the first letter! And just let's her keep writing! Soo icky.
They take a pretty big step in their relationship really quickly (...getting married ) without Iris even having said that she loved Roman and it all just progressed so fast that it became completely unrealistic.
The characters:
Our protagonists? Boring and two-dimensional, really nothing the YA-genre hasn't seen before. Poor girl with big plans for her life, rich guy with tragic backstory who needs to figure out who he is without his horrible parents' influence.
All the side characters? Big love for them <3 Only highlight, truly. POC lesbians <33
The plot:
Really weirdly paced. We spent a lot of time pre-war that could've been shortened and when Iris and Roman finally get into a war zone (god, that sounds bad, you know what I mean), it doesn't really feel like a war zone. They're living their best lives, going on runs, having fun and...never doing their supposed jobs of being war correspondents. I did like how invested Iris was in showing the people the true side of war but we didn't get much more journalism from these two, supposedly very skilled, young journalists. All in all, it feels like we're reading about the most boring participants in this war.
Concl.:
I don't know if I somehow read a completely different book to everyone else or if going from YA fantasy to romance has just made my standards for love stories so much higher but this was a complete disappointment for me. As others have stated, I'm also disappointed that it was a Fairyloot pick, as the focus really isn't on a well-developed fantasy world but on a historical-esque love story.
So, what went wrong?
The worldbuilding:
Non-existent. This could've been marketed as a fantasy WWI story and really little would've needed too change. Inventing new mythology is always going to be a challenge and Ross wasn't up for it. I really couldn't have cared less about the gods or their war and that's sad!
A big plot point are the magical typewriters our protagonists use. I'm not that well versed in either typewriter or baseball history but here they exist at the same time. Weird choice. Everything feels like historical fiction, from the description of the clothes to the societal conventions but our protagonists also spend time at a B&B. Make of that what you will.
The relationship:
I beg of you to read one good romance in your life because if you're all that amazed by this cheap-ass rivals-to-lovers story, I promise you, you'll be easily satisfied in the romance genre. I can't even complain about the romance too much, it was just boring. And honestly, it started very weirdly.
Iris is writing countless letters to her brother and they end up with Roman instead. I would've been more fine with this, if Roman had also taken some months to discover Iris' identity but he knows it's her from the first letter! And just let's her keep writing! Soo icky.
They take a pretty big step in their relationship really quickly (
The characters:
Our protagonists? Boring and two-dimensional, really nothing the YA-genre hasn't seen before. Poor girl with big plans for her life, rich guy with tragic backstory who needs to figure out who he is without his horrible parents' influence.
All the side characters? Big love for them <3 Only highlight, truly. POC lesbians <33
The plot:
Really weirdly paced. We spent a lot of time pre-war that could've been shortened and when Iris and Roman finally get into a war zone (god, that sounds bad, you know what I mean), it doesn't really feel like a war zone. They're living their best lives, going on runs, having fun and...never doing their supposed jobs of being war correspondents. I did like how invested Iris was in showing the people the true side of war but we didn't get much more journalism from these two, supposedly very skilled, young journalists. All in all, it feels like we're reading about the most boring participants in this war.
Concl.:
I don't know if I somehow read a completely different book to everyone else or if going from YA fantasy to romance has just made my standards for love stories so much higher but this was a complete disappointment for me. As others have stated, I'm also disappointed that it was a Fairyloot pick, as the focus really isn't on a well-developed fantasy world but on a historical-esque love story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, War, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Classism, Car accident, Grief, and Death
Minor: Sexual content
giulianalb99's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book… Oh my goddess this book😭😭
I think this is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read in my whole life. The way the author writes, how it captivates you since the very first page… I don’t have words to describe this incredible book, I don’t think this review will give it enough justice.
I loved every character. Iris and Roman have my whole entire heart forever and ever. I’m very new to the romance genre and a good friend of mine <b>(Helen ily and I love reading with you and sharing our thoughts and scream and cry together okbye)</b> told me to give it a try together and that’s what we did. I kinda went into the book without not knowing too much about it, only that it was a rivals to lovers and that mythology was involved. That trope is one of my favorites and I love mythology so I said “why not?” and OH. MY. GODDESS. How it started, how the author makes you feel as if you were Iris yourself (I also felt like in some ways I could identify with her a lot), the banter between her and Roman, how it started as a competition and ended up as one of the most beautiful romances I’ve ever read… so many good things and so many feelings. I actually cried, and I NEVER cry, that’s what you do to me, Rebecca Ross. I loved how they had their own problems and insecurities but loved each other regardless. The letters were each one better than the other, it was so beautiful to see how their relationship kept on progressing with each letter. I think I’m in love with Roman, and I’m not kidding. Every time I picked this book up to read it, he kept on getting better and better and better, and now I’m depressed because he’s the standard and men like him don’t exist so basically I’ll just die alone.
How can Rebecca Ross portray such incredible and deep feelings just with her writing? How she talks about grief, about being insecure, about war (as if she were there herself), about being/feeling alone, about their love that made me cry and laugh, and giggle and smile and about so many things… My heart ached all the time.
As always, unfortunately there’s always a but, and the only “bad” (there’s nothing wrong with this wonderful book) thing I would like to point out is that it barely talks about the main plot (the Gods Enva and Dacre), only at the beginning and at the end. By how it ended (what a huge cliffhanger omfg) it looks like in the next book there will be more of it and I just. can’t. wait.
It is a huge crime that:
1. This book is not that recognized and it’s really underrated.
2. That I have to wait until april of 2024 for the next book to be released.
Everyone needs to read this book, period. Like, there’s no excuse. It has mythology, rivals to lovers, amazing main & side characters, he falls first, etc etc etc ♾️, and it just fulfills your entire being, it makes you feel whole, complete.
I don’t think I can write any quote because I literally underlined the entire book, but here are some of them that I particularly loved🤍:
<i>Grief is a long, difficult process, especially when it is so racked by guilt.</i>
<i>I think we all wear armor. I think those who don’t are fools, risking the pain of being wounded by the sharp edges of the world, over and over again. But if I’ve learned anything from those fools, it’s that to be vulnerable is a strength most of us fear. It takes courage to let down your armor, to welcome people to see you as you are.</i>
<i>But I think there is a magical link between you and me. A bond that not even distance can break.</i>
<i>The world is about to change. The days to come will only grow darker. And when you find something good? You hold on to it. You don’t waste time worrying about things that won’t even matter in the end. Rather, you take a risk for that light.</i>
<i>You are worthy of love. You are worthy to feel joy right now, even in the darkness.</i>
(I’m going to stop with the quotes now because I’ll just end up writing the entire book).
Last but not least, if you’re planning on reading this book, check the trigger warnings before doing so (tw such as: death, war, death of parent, grief, gun violence, alcoholism, medical content, car accident, etc.)
I think this is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read in my whole life. The way the author writes, how it captivates you since the very first page… I don’t have words to describe this incredible book, I don’t think this review will give it enough justice.
I loved every character. Iris and Roman have my whole entire heart forever and ever. I’m very new to the romance genre and a good friend of mine <b>(Helen ily and I love reading with you and sharing our thoughts and scream and cry together okbye)</b> told me to give it a try together and that’s what we did. I kinda went into the book without not knowing too much about it, only that it was a rivals to lovers and that mythology was involved. That trope is one of my favorites and I love mythology so I said “why not?” and OH. MY. GODDESS. How it started, how the author makes you feel as if you were Iris yourself (I also felt like in some ways I could identify with her a lot), the banter between her and Roman, how it started as a competition and ended up as one of the most beautiful romances I’ve ever read… so many good things and so many feelings. I actually cried, and I NEVER cry, that’s what you do to me, Rebecca Ross. I loved how they had their own problems and insecurities but loved each other regardless. The letters were each one better than the other, it was so beautiful to see how their relationship kept on progressing with each letter. I think I’m in love with Roman, and I’m not kidding. Every time I picked this book up to read it, he kept on getting better and better and better, and now I’m depressed because he’s the standard and men like him don’t exist so basically I’ll just die alone.
How can Rebecca Ross portray such incredible and deep feelings just with her writing? How she talks about grief, about being insecure, about war (as if she were there herself), about being/feeling alone, about their love that made me cry and laugh, and giggle and smile and about so many things… My heart ached all the time.
As always, unfortunately there’s always a but, and the only “bad” (there’s nothing wrong with this wonderful book) thing I would like to point out is that it barely talks about the main plot (the Gods Enva and Dacre), only at the beginning and at the end. By how it ended (what a huge cliffhanger omfg) it looks like in the next book there will be more of it and I just. can’t. wait.
It is a huge crime that:
1. This book is not that recognized and it’s really underrated.
2. That I have to wait until april of 2024 for the next book to be released.
Everyone needs to read this book, period. Like, there’s no excuse. It has mythology, rivals to lovers, amazing main & side characters, he falls first, etc etc etc ♾️, and it just fulfills your entire being, it makes you feel whole, complete.
I don’t think I can write any quote because I literally underlined the entire book, but here are some of them that I particularly loved🤍:
<i>Grief is a long, difficult process, especially when it is so racked by guilt.</i>
<i>I think we all wear armor. I think those who don’t are fools, risking the pain of being wounded by the sharp edges of the world, over and over again. But if I’ve learned anything from those fools, it’s that to be vulnerable is a strength most of us fear. It takes courage to let down your armor, to welcome people to see you as you are.</i>
<i>But I think there is a magical link between you and me. A bond that not even distance can break.</i>
<i>The world is about to change. The days to come will only grow darker. And when you find something good? You hold on to it. You don’t waste time worrying about things that won’t even matter in the end. Rather, you take a risk for that light.</i>
<i>You are worthy of love. You are worthy to feel joy right now, even in the darkness.</i>
(I’m going to stop with the quotes now because I’ll just end up writing the entire book).
Last but not least, if you’re planning on reading this book, check the trigger warnings before doing so (tw such as: death, war, death of parent, grief, gun violence, alcoholism, medical content, car accident, etc.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and War
Moderate: Mental illness and Blood
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Vomit, Car accident, Sexual content, and Addiction
shadowspinner's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Blood
Minor: Car accident and Sexual content
More...