Divine Rivals - Rebecca Ross

Everyone has been talking about this book for ages, so I finally thought I'd give it a try. I'm a little torn on my review, as parts I loved, and others felt detached.
Iris is spunky and determined, a heroine that I think many can relate to. She has tragedy thrown at her repeatedly, and while wounded, doesn't let it break her. I feel the situation around her mother could have been brought out more to deepen the impacts on her life and choices, however.
Roman is the quintessential handsome rival, hoity and stiff. But through the letters, you see the other side of him, the soft side with his own tragedies that bind the two together. Again, I think more on page of his family might have built his character a bit more, especially his relationship with his father and certain fall outs.
The war setting was beautifully written, and you felt like you were on those streets, the cities safe far from the front, the small towns torn but determined. It was the whole inclusion of the Gods that felt unnecessary, however. A normal human war would have resulted in the exact same outcomes. The inclusion of Gods felt completely detached from the overall story and provided no actual purpose. 
Overall, it was a beautiful, unique love story. The connection of the typewriters, the rivals to lovers, the setting atmospheric and prose beautiful. 

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