The Best Candle to Buy When Reading Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Book candles are no longer a novelty item you find at a craft fair next to the friendship bracelets. Bookish scent brands have turned into a real category, and readers pairing a specific candle to a specific book while they read has become its own small ritual. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, with its letters, its journalists, its war torn magic, and its slow burn enemies to lovers ache, is exactly the kind of book that deserves a scent instead of whatever leftover pumpkin candle is sitting on your shelf from October.
We looked at seven candles that fit the mood of this book, from small batch literary brands to a couple of mall staples you already know, and ranked them by scent accuracy, burn quality, and whether they actually smell like something instead of nothing. Two of our picks come from our full beeswax candle collection, because they happen to nail the tone of this book without trying to be a novelty item. We will tell you exactly who each pick is for and what it costs, so you can skip the guessing.
What This Book Actually Needs From a Candle
Divine Rivals is not a cozy fireplace read. It is letters written by lamplight, cheap gin, damp wool, a newsroom that smells like ink and ambition, and a war that keeps creeping into every warm scene. A good pairing candle should lean into that tension. Something too sweet or too generic flattens the whole vibe.
That means we were looking for scents with some warmth and some edge. Spice, brewed drinks, worn paper, a little smoke. Nothing that smells like a candy shop.
The 7 Best Candles for Reading Divine Rivals
1. Retail Therapy Candle (MBur Candle Co.)
Wax: Beeswax | Wick: Wooden | Fragrance: Phthalate free| Dyes: None
This one smells like something is steeping in a dark room you were not invited into. Berries, heavy white florals, and something warm brewing underneath give it the same moody, secretive energy as the letters between Iris and Roman. It is the pick for readers who want the romance and the tension in equal measure, and it is genuinely our top recommendation for this book.
Best for: readers who want the enemies to lovers ache without a candle that smells like a bakery.
2. People Watching Candle (MBur Candle Co.)
Wax: Beeswax | Wick: Wooden | Fragrance: Phthalate free| Dyes: None
Citrus up front, then sweetness, then a wave of warm spice, which is basically what a newsroom cafe scene should smell like if newsrooms had candles. It leans into the journalism thread of the book, the coffee stained desks and the early morning deadlines. If Retail Therapy is the romance side of the book, this one is the ambition side.
Best for: readers who care more about Roman's byline than his love letters.
3. Frostbeard Studio, Reading at the Cafe
Wax: Soy blend | Wick: Cotton| Dyes: Unknown
. Frostbeard is one of the original literary candle brands, and this one is built around melted chocolate, hot coffee, and old book pages. It is a safe, well loved option, though it leans more cozy cafe than war torn epic.
4. Three Cubs Crafts, Enemies to Lovers
Wax: Soy blend | Wick: Cotton| Dyes: Yes, layered colored wax
. Bergamot, lilac, and cedarwood, poured in a three color swirl that is honestly a nice shelf moment. It is a direct trope match by name alone, which will appeal to readers who shop by vibe.
5. Nook & Burrow, Fire & Fury
Wax: Soy blend | Wick: Cotton| Dyes: Unknown
. Cinnamon, clove, and a hint of smoke, built for fantasy epics generally rather than this book specifically. It is the closest thing on this list to the actual war scenes, if you want a candle that smells like conflict instead of romance.
6. Bath and Body Works, Mahogany Teakwood
Wax: Paraffin blend | Wick: Cotton| Dyes: Yes
for the 3 wick size. It is the mall candle everyone already owns, and it leans woodsy and masculine rather than literary, but it is an easy, familiar option if you just want something dark and warm on the desk.
7. Anthropologie, Capri Blue Volcano
Wax: Soy blend | Wick: Cotton| Dyes: Yes
. This one is bright, fruity, and a little sugary, which honestly does not match the book's tone at all, but it is included here because it is the candle half of book Twitter already owns, so it is worth knowing where it falls short.
How They Stack Up
| Pick | Wax | Burn Time | Best For | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Therapy (MBur) | Beeswax | — | Romance and tension | $23 |
| People Watching (MBur) | Beeswax | — | Newsroom, ambition | $23 |
| Frostbeard Reading at the Cafe | Soy blend | — | Cozy cafe readers | |
| Three Cubs Enemies to Lovers | Soy blend | — | Trope shoppers | |
| Nook and Burrow Fire and Fury | Soy blend | — | War and fantasy scenes | |
| Bath and Body Works Mahogany Teakwood | Paraffin blend | — | Familiar mall scent | |
| Anthropologie Capri Blue Volcano | Soy blend | — | Bright, sweet readers |
What Readers Are Saying
We are not going to pretend book candle reviews exist for a book candle that does not exist yet, so instead here is a real MBur customer talking about the exact candle we ranked in our top spot.
"This scent has me in a chokehold. I burn it in my room and my living room and it fills my space SOOOOO nicely. I've tried quite a few scents from them and they all have different vibes and gives you something unique....and they all smell amazing. Theres nothing I hate more than a candle that can't fill the room and baby this is NOT that. This candle permeates every corner of the room. Cant say enough about how impressed I am with this company." Tiffany Gordon, verified buyer, on the Retail Therapy Candle
That is the exact candle we put at number one for this book, and the review lines up with what you would want from a Divine Rivals pairing. Something that fills the whole room, not a candle that quietly gives up after twenty minutes.
FAQ
What candle scent actually matches an enemies to lovers book?
Something with tension in it. Not too sweet, not too clean. Warm florals paired with something dark and brewing tends to work better than a straightforward fruit or bakery scent, which is why the Retail Therapy Candle lands near the top of this list.
Do I need a beeswax candle specifically, or does any candle work?
Any candle will technically work, but beeswax burns longer and cleaner than a soy or paraffin blend, so you are not relighting a candle every hour while you read. You can browse the full range on our beeswax candle collection page.
Are book candles from small brands worth the price versus something like Bath and Body Works?
It depends what you are optimizing for. Mall candles are cheaper and familiar, but small batch candles tend to have more specific, less generic scent profiles, which matters more when you are trying to match a book's actual mood rather than just wanting something that smells nice.
What if I want a candle for the war and magic side of the book instead of the romance?
Lean toward spice and smoke rather than florals. Something like the People Watching Candle works well here too, since the cinnamon and spice notes read more like a newsroom in wartime than a bakery.
How long will one candle actually last me through a reread?
If you are working through a duology, burn time matters more than people think. Our top pick comes in a size rated for approximately 40 hours, and MBur's largest size goes up to 80 hours, which is enough for several full rereads without buying a second candle.
Our Pick
The Retail Therapy Candle is the one we would actually buy for this book. It has the moody, warm, slightly secretive quality that matches the letters and the slow burn tension between Iris and Roman, and it is made from 100% beeswax with a wooden wick and no toxic fragrance, so it burns cleaner and longer than most of the soy and paraffin picks on this list. MBur candles carry an average rating built on customer feedback like Tiffany's above, and the brand makes everything by hand in small batches in Manhattan.
If you want to browse before you commit to one scent, start with our full beeswax candle collection and pick the one that matches your reading mood, not just this book.
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