what did I think of ruthless vows?

Last summer DIVINE RIVALS took the interwebs by storm. It’s a YA fantasy romance about two rivals, warring Gods, and romantic letters. The sequel came out about a month ago and I have some thoughts!

 

First off, I am endlessly inspired by how gorgeous rebecca ross’s writing is. the metaphors. the imagination. the tone. everything about it has this dreamy quality that adds another layer of magic to these books.

 

I adored DIVINE RIVALS and can say the same for RUTHLESS VOWS. the beginning of the sequel was a little slower, but i do think it was setting up lots of important details about dacre and enva. it was so interesting to see their characters on the page, interacting from within the story rather than just outside it (as had been in the first book).

 

the longing between roman and iris was ten-fold. if you thought it was good in book one… you’ll love book two.

 

the letter writing is really what sets these books apart. not only because the letters are so intimate and raw and stunning, but also because then we get to have the best of both worlds— first person POV and third person POV!

 

if you haven’t read these yet, they are 100% worth the hype. if you don’t usually love fantasy, but you love a good love story, then you should try these books. honestly, if you just love storytelling, then you should try these books.

#lemon8partner #lemon8bookclub #lemon8bookchallenge #books

2024/2/16 Edited to

... Read moreRuthless Vows marks a brilliant continuation of the story that started with Divine Rivals, taking readers deeper into the lives and struggles of its characters. With its lush prose and emotionally charged narrative, Rebecca Ross expertly intertwines romance and fantasy, making this series a standout in the YA genre. Set against a backdrop of divine intervention and personal rivalries, the sequel expands on the relationship dynamics established in the first book. The depth of longing between characters—especially Roman and Iris—adds a palpable tension that keeps you invested. Letter writing serves as a unique mechanism that enriches the narrative, providing insight into characters’ innermost thoughts and feelings. This technique allows for a blend of first-person and third-person perspectives, giving readers a well-rounded view of the unfolding drama. Fans of the first book will appreciate the slow burn of the initial chapters in Ruthless Vows which lays the groundwork for significant character growth. This prelude to action enables readers to feel a deeper connection to Dacre and Enva’s evolving relationship. The juxtaposition of the characters’ struggles against their desires showcases Ross's skill in crafting complex emotional landscapes. If you're drawn to stories that transcend typical fantasy tropes and delve into the intricacies of love, longing, and rivalry, Ruthless Vows is a must-read. With its breathtaking prose and engaging plot, this sequel is poised to resonate with both fantasy aficionados and those who appreciate a well-told love story. Whether you’re a returning fan or a newcomer, this book invites you to immerse yourself in its enchanting world.

12 comments

Chloe Palmieri's images
Chloe Palmieri

i need to read these!!! 🥰🥰

KENNEDY ♡'s images
KENNEDY ♡

I liked divine rivals better too but ruthless vows was still a 5 star for me!

Related posts

dos and don’ts of writing your own vows
my husband and i opted for traditional vows are our wedding, but as i mentioned in recent post, i wish we had written our own vows. but still, even after three years of marriage, the thought of writing my own vows feels really intimidating. the point of personalized vows is to let your personal
staci york 💛🍋

staci york 💛🍋

7777 likes

What I Thought Of Ruthless Vows
This is what I thought of the sequel to Divine Rivals, Ruthless Vows ⭐️Overall rating: 9/10 #Lemon8Diary #readingaesthetic #bookaesthetic
Sofia Knuth

Sofia Knuth

7 likes

Ruthless vows ❤️
I’m so in love with the characters it’s not funny! I didn’t think I would love the first book as much as I did and I was sooo ready for the second one. #Lemon8 #books #booktok #readingaesthetic #booksoflemon8 #bookaesthetic #readersoflemon8 #aesthetic #bookrecommendations #ruthl
Laurra Guevara

Laurra Guevara

6 likes

🪻Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross🪻
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross was one of my FAV reads last year!! The dynamic between Iris and Kit is just so good. The story is awesome, and though I loved this sequel too, I WISH it would’ve been a trilogy! I wanted more from this world!! I laughed, I cried… this story is an emotional rollerc
Bai’s Book Nook

Bai’s Book Nook

9 likes

Finally reading Ruthless Vows
💌
Isabel Beitz

Isabel Beitz

56 likes

Ruthless Vows
"Write me a story where there is no ending, Kitt. Write to me and fill my empty spaces." . . . . Finished Ruthless Vows and I’m both thrilled and devastated at the same time. Let me tell you I was so anxious while reading this book I was terrified it was not going to end how I needed
DreamingOfBooks

DreamingOfBooks

14 likes

Ruthless Vows Book Review
I didn’t love this one like I did Divine Rivals, I felt like she could’ve done more with the plot. Specifically, Roman when he’s with Dacre, and Envas story/ background overall, but either way, this duology will always hold a special place in my heart for getting me into fantasy reads. I do hav
saighey

saighey

13 likes

OT and NT on Vows
Old and New Testament on Vows #oldtestament #newtestament #bible #god #godsword
Lemon8er

Lemon8er

23 likes

If you need help with your wedding vows.
Nadia lang

Nadia lang

83 likes

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross 🩷
I was a much bigger fan of Divine Rivals (the first book) but I still loved it 🥰 #books #bookreview #lemon8bookclub #booktok #bookrecommendations
cassidy valee 🎀

cassidy valee 🎀

11 likes

Why I DNF’D Ruthless Vows
Reasons why I DNF'D Ruthless Vows! -I was not a fan of the main characters AT ALL -chapters were too long for me -Sooo dragged on to me -I just couldn't get into it! Whats a book you've DNF'D #lemon8partner #lemon8bookclub #lemon8bookchallenge #reading #bo
Daniella Marie

Daniella Marie

23 likes

✨Letters of Enchantment✨
“𝒲𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝓂𝑒 𝒶 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓃𝑜 𝑒𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔, 𝒦𝒾𝓉𝓉. 𝒲𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝓎 𝑒𝓂𝓅𝓉𝓎 𝓈𝓅𝒶𝒸𝑒𝓈.” 📚Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross Read if you like: 💜mystical settings 💜magical typewriters 💜romance and a touch of fantasy 💜rivals to lovers 💜closed door spice 📕 This duology is s
Melanie

Melanie

15 likes

I may have gone a little too far…
Some may say I went a little overboard but I mean, should there be a limit on how many books we can buy in a week?? What have you read on this list? What did you like? What didn’t you like? Not listed is Alchemized which I’m on chapter 43 and On Wings Of Blood because they are my “work r
ADeCollo

ADeCollo

6 likes

ruthless vows book review 📚⭐️🤍
📖 name of the book: Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross 📄 plot: “Since waking below in Dacre's realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war.
nicole noelle

nicole noelle

4 likes

books i have high hopes for!
Comment if you’ve read any of these what you think about them!! Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross - this is the second book to divine rivals! Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi Caraval by Stephanie Garber The Cruel Prince by Holly Black - - - - - #booktbr #BookReview #currentlyreading #read
blimmi 🍂🤎📚

blimmi 🍂🤎📚

48 likes

What I’m Reading Next
#ruthlessvows #divinerivals #meanttobe #howlsmovingcastle #studioghibli #strawberryaesthetic #bookishaesthetic
A Court Of Whit

A Court Of Whit

6 likes

Ruthless Vows ✨
#divinerivals #ruthlessvows #books 🫶🏼 #fantasybook #romantasy
Breetwo3

Breetwo3

5 likes

📖CR: Ruthless Vows
I’m only about 10% through and really wish I did a reread of divine rivals before jumping in but so far so good! 💫📚 #booktok #ruthlessvows #lemon8bookcommunity #currentread📚 #bookrec
saraxtoninn

saraxtoninn

0 likes

Ruthless Vows: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I truthfully wanted to like this more than I did — I didn’t feel too connected with the characters but still an enjoyable read nonetheless. #lemon8bookclub #lemon8bookreview #romantasybooks #bookreview #booktok
saraxtoninn

saraxtoninn

2 likes

story time: i hated my wedding vows
my husband and i opted to say the traditional wedding vows at our wedding because we were nervous about getting emotional in front of a crowd (we are both pretty private people). looking back, i wish we had written vows to each other that were more personal and read them during our first look.
staci york 💛🍋

staci york 💛🍋

464 likes

📖 Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross ✉️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ✨Sequel to Divine Rivals✨ Literally picks up right where the last book left off. I really cannot give you any information on this one without spoiling the first book 😅 What I will say is that this was a really good continuation of the first. I loved being back in this world and un
mabeljournals

mabeljournals

14 likes

the prettiest books I own 🫶
While I love owning physical books, I don’t collect as many as one might think, but that’s mostly because I don’t have space 😭 That being said, I wanted to show off some of the prettiest books in my collection! 💖 - First up is my copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray from Chiltern Publishing. I got
Maddy

Maddy

28 likes

Ruthless Vows
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ruthless Vows ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I can’t even begins to describe the writing in this. It’s beautiful. ♥️ Rebecca weaves a story together with beautifully written words, bewitching characters, and a splendid plot. I stopped to read entire paragraphs multiple times because they were so elega
Heartfilia

Heartfilia

2 likes

🗡️Ruthless Vows • Rebecca Ross🗝️
"this is a test to ensure the strike bars E and R are in good working condition. ERERERERER EEEEEE RRRRRRRRRRRRR RERERERERERE REEEEEEE?" dipped my little toe into romantasy and i think i have unlocked a new favorite genre. the romance. the angst. the high stakes. it ALL just hit so muc
thatbookgirl 📖🎀

thatbookgirl 📖🎀

7 likes

How to write your vows 💍
#vows #wedding #weddingplanning #bride #bridetobe
Daphne 🎀🍋

Daphne 🎀🍋

29 likes

letters of enchantment duology
NO SPOILERS here This was nowhere near the feels that book one gave me, and Divine Rivals was a 5 star read for me. Divine Rivals was heavily on the romance and Ruthless Vows was more on the fantasy side. I still enjoyed Ruthless Vows, it’s probably my fault for expecting more of that intense
uh lis suh

uh lis suh

22 likes

Boots & Vows | Wedding Ideas
How I would incorporate my Texas roots into my wedding How to Elevate your event: Step 1: Create an event at elevateevent.co Step 2: Make it personal & share your QR code Step 3: Guests upload their POV #wedding #cowboy #texas #weddinginspo #ranchwedding
Elevate

Elevate

67 likes

tips for writing your vows !! (SEE CAPTION)
writing your wedding vows can be a deeply personal and meaningful experience... so here are some tips to help you craft vows that reflect your relationship and your commitment to your partner!! HERE IS THE BEST STRUCTURE (with examples): Introduction: "From the moment I met you, I knew
Belle Grubb

Belle Grubb

133 likes

Ruthless Savage
📚Ruthless Savage by @lilianharrisauthor Pages: 379 Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice:🌶️🌶️ Tropes: •Irish Mob •Bodyguard Romance •Age Gap •Grumpy MMC •Forbidden/Boss’s Daughter My Review: This was such a captivating read. It kept me so engaged and wanting to always be reading it. This was my firs
Charity_04

Charity_04

144 likes

all the books I read in December 🤍🧦
December was such a good reading month!!! I loved most of the books I read, and the highlight was reading the Off-Campus series 🥺🥺 spice info: Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh - I think there was a spicy scene I can’t remember bc I didn’t love this book LOL You, With A View by Jessica Joyce
Bethany 🩷

Bethany 🩷

60 likes

TIPS FOR WRITING YOUR VOWS 💐
Your wedding vows are a promise and commitment to your partner. It’s an opportunity to share your love to each other in front of your loved ones. Here are some tips on writing your vows! 1: reflect on your relationship from the start to where you both are now 2: always be 100% authentic in
Cleo Natalie

Cleo Natalie

790 likes

Ruthless Vows Book Review
When I tell you this book made me cry it did! The romance between Roman and Iris was so beautiful! 😭🤚🏻 At first I didn’t like it because it was so slow but I’m so glad I kept going and finished it! Definitely going to re read Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows again soon! 5 stars over all! ✨✨✨
𐙚 A 𐙚

𐙚 A 𐙚

3 likes

40- ish of my favorite books
Books: Blue sisters Adelaide The wedding people Wisteria Out on a limb Ready or not Anxious people Conversations with friends Check & mate Talking at night Ballad of never after The secret society of irregular witches One dark window Ravenhood series The housemaid The
Larissa 🧺🍃🧚‍♀️

Larissa 🧺🍃🧚‍♀️

151 likes

“People Crying During Our Vows”
we swear it was a happy day! 😩 #gettoknowme #wedding #marriage #crying #lgbtq🌈
Thomas Daniel

Thomas Daniel

431 likes

What I used to help write my vows
When we were planning our wedding, my husband and I made the choice to write our own vows. I sat there for the better part of a few hours trying to figure out what to say. Since my husband and I had started dating I had always written two things when I was writing any card for him whether it wa
Constance Marie

Constance Marie

8 likes

Sacred Vows Spell Jar
Honor and preserve the sanctity of your marriage 🤍💍 #marriage #spelljar
Sacredpetalflame

Sacredpetalflame

1 like

Divine Rivals/Ruthless Vows Art
#divinerivals #ruthlessvows #iris #roman #art #books Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows are some of the best books I have ever read and I just love this art. Not all of it is mine though!
hayliehoefer

hayliehoefer

1 like

Sneak peak of my wedding vows ☺️
These Bible verses I will definitely be saying in my wedding vows to my future hubby instead of “till death do us part”🥰 #vows #godlyhusband #graceinrelationships
Az🪬✝️

Az🪬✝️

62 likes

Blood & Vows
Dark Mafia Romance Must read. Miranda Pierce nailed it!
Samantha Lee

Samantha Lee

7 likes

WHAT I READ IN JANUARY!
These past few months have been slower reading months for me bc I’ve been busy with my last semester of college! That said, I still read 2 great books in January! ALL THE WOMEN IN MY BRAIN BY BETTY GILPIN This one was fun! I rated it 3 because I didn’t FULLY connect with all the actress tal
KENNEDY ♡

KENNEDY ♡

17 likes

Ruthless Vows
These two books complement each other with their dust jackets off. Divine Rivals says Dear Iris and Ruthless Vows says Dear Roman. I can’t wait to dive into this book. I read the first 4 chapters early this morning using the sample download from Amazon because I couldn’t wait. #lemon8bookclub #L
Shay

Shay

3 likes

Book Review - Ruthless Vows
💥💥Spoiler alert💥💥 Do not read this if you have not read Divine Rivals first. 💥 💥 💥 💥 💥 The beginning of this book had me worried that Iris and Roman would not end up together. Each chapter pulled me in more and more. I could not put this down. When I read the line about Forest dying, I wa
Shay

Shay

11 likes

Web of Vows and Vengeance by Aria Ashbrook ⚔️
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Let it be known that this is my first 5-star read of the year! Wow! The trials in a fantasy read isn’t anything new, but the plot of it was so interesting. Stripped of power, fueled by vengeance, and having lost everything because of a lie. Rose is driven to win a deadly competition
uh lis suh

uh lis suh

7 likes

Ruthless Vows
Finally finished reading the duology. The ending broke my heart but still worth the read 🥹
Haley Sides

Haley Sides

0 likes

Broken Vows ( Kindle Unlimited )
Blurb: Madeleine Ricci has spent the past twelve years in her bedroom, allowing the world to believe that she died in an ‘accident’ with her dad. It was for the greater good, it ensured that her remaining family was protected from her dad’s enemies. She lived the same day over and over aga
Mai Rivers

Mai Rivers

9 likes

Making false vows Jesus says not to
Jesus The Almighty God is Love

Jesus The Almighty God is Love

29 likes

Ruthless Vows Book Review
Ruthless Vows picks up immediately after the events in Divine Rivals. Kitt and Winnow managed to survive Avalon Bluff, but the actions of the gods continue to rip fractures in their world and love. Will Roman be able to overcome what has happened to him and the position in which he finds himself? W
Ginasbookreport

Ginasbookreport

9 likes

See more