Ruthless Vows

This wasn’t as good as Divine Rivals.

But shit 😭😭 I love all the characters in this book too too much.

This didn’t captivate me as much as Divine Rivals did which was such a bummer.

Kitt and Kitt are so cute 😭😭 I love them a ton. Yes it’s the Kitts now… or well they’ve been for a while.

I just don’t think I’ll ever be able to get over them. I mean it’s impossible to when they’ve taken up every thought of mine through the night.

I woke up desperate to read this book to know how their story ends 🥲

🦇 Ruthless Vows Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What instrument would you want to learn to play?

🦇 Iris Winnow returns how heartbroken, with Roman missing and the war ranging on. When Iris is given a chance to return to the front, she grasps at the opportunity, aware that the conflict is inching closer to Oath. Meanwhile, Roman can no longer remember his past, memory wiped clean to become a correspondent for Dacre as the war rages on. Can the typewriters bring these lovers back together again, or will they remain on opposite sides of the war until the very end?

💜 I didn't reread Divine Rivals before completing the duology, and I didn't need to. The story sweeps you right back into its arms, Ross' prose effortlessly enchanting and enthralling. We're given a second chance at watching Roman and Iris fall in love, and it's just as intense, just as sweet, as the first time. A few secondary characters are given more time in this conclusion, adding to the sense of found family while showing us how the war as impacted different people in different ways.

💙 The problem with duologies is the second book so rarely lives up to the first, after we've already built a standard and expectations. Iris and Roman are kept apart for so long in this book that it becomes exhausting, only granting readers more time to predict the rushed ending. And it's very much predictable; the building blocks were set in place all along. Too much felt repetitive, causing the story to drag, and even once the lovers find themselves again, it's too slow. Perhaps the real issue is the world-building. In my review for Divine Rivals, I noted how weak the world-building was; how we're left to focus on the enchanted typewriters more than the purpose BEHIND the war and the gods themselves. This book is stuffed with mythology from Dacre's point of view--a weak, one-dimensional villain who, for some unspoken reason, decides to trust and confide in the slate-wiped-clean version of Roman. Enva, meanwhile, makes blatant appearances in the story, as if we're supposed to be surprised when the truth of her presence is revealed. As much as I loved Ross' prose, it can't make up for flat, fluffy storytelling.

🦇 Recommended for romantasy fans.

✨ The Vibes ✨
📰 Young Adult Fantasy
📰 Historical Romantasy
📰 Closed Door
📰 Second in a Duology
📰 Dual POV
📰 War / Gods
📰 TW: War, Grief, Violence, Loss of a Loved One, Chronic Pain

💬 Quotes
❝ There is a song a story hiding in my scars. One that whispers to me, even though I have yet to fully capture the words. ❞
❝ Despite our mundane lives, perhaps we make our own magic with words. ❞
❝ I would love to see you burn with splendor. I would love to see your words catch fire with mine. ❞
❝ Write me a story where there is no ending, Kitt. Write to me and fill my empty spaces. ❞
❝ "You may not be a goddess, but nor am I a god. Despite our mundane lives, perhaps we make our own magic with words." ❞

When I heard that Letters of Enchantment was going to be a duology I was over the moon as I fell in love with the characters and setting in Book one and this very much continued and followed through into book 2 and it was amazing to be swept up with them again. This was a beautiful ending to the series, and I have to say that I got everything that I wanted in book 2 and it was amazing to fall back in love once again!

Ruthless Vows starts two weeks after Dacre heals Roman, and the repercussions of this for both Iris & Roman. Book two gives us a better insight into the war between Dacre & Enva, particularly for the soldiers fighting on Dacre's side. Ross switched between POV's flawlessly and always at the perfect moment.

I was worried that I was not going to enjoy this book as much with Roman and Iris being separated, but Ross handles it beautifully. The pure love that these two characters have for each other is so wonderfully written that I could just cry thinking about it. They may be one of my favourite YA couples. Rebecca’s writing message remains focused on hope and love, which is perfectly aligned with the target audience

"Keep writing. You will find the words you need to share. They are already within you, even in the shadows hiding like jewels."

Not as good as the first book. Too long and the story was too focused on Dacre, which just wasn’t interesting. I felt it just really dragged. A shame because i loved divine rivals.

No, just ✨no✨. SPOILERS AHEAD and don’t come at me. Wow, what a disappointment. One of my most anticipated reads was boring af. What just happened? I really don’t get it. Divine Rivals was one of my favorite books of last year but JUST NO. This book lacks everything. How is it possible that Roman and Iris felt like they were secondary characters at their own book???????? Divine Rivals finished with a huge cliffhanger and we had to wait a lot to read this one but I’m laughing not to cry. Where’s the angst and the longing and all of that bullshit? WHERE? This is so plain omg I want to kms. Why are you constantly talking about Dacre nonstop 24/7 when I DON’T CARE ABOUT HIM. The first book lacked all the war/mythology stuff and this one was too much, without considering all the unnecessary info/pages it has. I mean, Forest? He’s like nothing happened; Iris? Your brother just separated you from your husband and you’re okay with him? How’s that? Make it make sense. My brain is not braining I swear. Roman forgot everything but starts to regain his memory on page 1 (????????????), I don’t understand shit😭😭😭. YOU ARE TELLING ME Iris broke in the museum to steal the other magical typewriter for her to write a few letters? That’s it? Really? WHY? My god I’m so disappointed. I was expecting more pain (maybe I like to suffer idk) but I only felt sleepy, even when they spent a little time together. C’mon, Iris seemed like she didn’t care that Roman was with Dacre at all, she just sometimes said stuff like “I wonder if Roman is okay” 🙄🙄🙄🙄 I can feel the love 😒. Enva is just…. SIGH….. why? Just why? She barely appears and it felt like she didn’t even care about all the lives that were lost of all the soldiers that fought for her cause🤷🏻‍♀️. It doesn’t make sense that she waited for everything to go horribly wrong in order to give Iris the magical sword. Attie and Tobias felt forced to me, sorry not sorry. The ending well, no comments. Predictable and booooooooooring. I won’t list all the things that infuriated me, but I think you can have an idea of how angry I am. Why do I always have high expectations to later on be disappointed? I’m done😭. This book shouldn’t even exist, I think Divine Rivals should’ve been longer and that’s because 75% (or more) of this book was so pointless omg. And don’t get me wrong, Rebecca Ross’s writing is fantastic but this wasn’t for me, I’m sorry. I don’t even think I’m going to buy this book, I’m simply going to auto-gaslight myself into thinking it is a standalone and just keep it on my kindle. Two reads of the year and both of them meh, fantastic🙄.

The oerfect sequal and perfect ending. Beautifully written. I love this story and its characters. It pulls you in and makes you feel like your part of it right there with the characters.