I love books that have links through time, fate mates, and romance. I don't know what it was, this just did not connect with me.

e-ARC & audio-ARC from NetGalley.

They have known each other for a thousand years. They've killed each other before their eighteenth birthdays in every single one of them. They've been in love almost every time.

I think this is perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Immortal existentialism over centuries seems to strike a cord for many, permanently marking the hearts and souls of those who need it.

Unfortunately, I think that the banality of immortality is just not for me. There's a hopelessness to it that makes it impossible for me to root for, to connect with, these stories. It's like the tale is infinite, while my intrigue is not.

The book started strong. The concept is fascinating. But, before long, it became less devastating and more repetitive. I started to wonder why our protagonist was so desperate to stay alive. Arden's secrecy around why he constantly had to kill her felt abusive instead of protective. The flashbacks to past lives felt unnecessary.

Ultimately, the writing was fine, but the story just wasn't for me. (Nor was the narrator's pronunciation.)

Okay! So this was a solid three star read for me and I think generally it’s a very cool story with a very cool premise! Our main characters are 17 (sorta) and sometimes when I read such young characters the story still reads very new adult/adult. In this case, however, the story reads on the lower end of YA. If I was 15 this would be the coolest story ever. Unfortunately it was not complex or nuanced enough for me.

Let me start with what I liked! There were some stunning lines! I enjoyed the imagery and when we got whole sections describing the love Evelyn felt for Arden and/or her families, I was moved! It was pretty cool to have the present day timeline in Wales and then the flashbacks that went progressively further back in time. At first it felt exciting and well-paced! The twist at the end I did not see coming and I was really trying to figure it out! It was also somewhat suspenseful trying to figure out just how and when they would die.

Now on to what was not my favorite. After a bit the past timelines felt super redundant. It was the same formula for those chapters and it didn’t really help me understand why they were so in love with one another. They also weren’t complex enough?? Like they gave you just the bare minimum taste for the different country/culture/language/timeline and then bam. It was over and never revisited. It would’ve been nice to stay in some of those timelines for longer to really feel the emotional impact. My biggest qualm was the ending. It was kinda goofy and rushed. It was so easy to solve it all at the end in like two chapters. Again felt very young for the lack of complexity and nuance. And I feel there were missed opportunities to really have some conversation/discussion on religion, reincarnation, meaning of life, gender, etc.

But all that to say I don’t think that was the authors intention with this story! I think it did what she sought to do. I think the marketing could’ve been wayyyy better though because really this feels like young teen fiction but I feel like it’s trying to be adult. But now I have a new rec for the teens in my life so that’s not bad! (Oh also there is a vague open door scene that is not explicit at all)

Thanks Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for my e-arc!!

This was so good! A reincarnation story is always a favorite for me, but it is hard to pull off well. I'm happy to say this one definitely delivered! The writing was so lush and descriptive without weighing the story down. There are so many good lines from every chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed the back-and-forth between the present day timeline and their past lives and how heartbreaking both were. The entire book I had a pit in my stomach because I was nervous about how it was going to end and I cared so much about Evelyn and Arden. The end of the story got a little bit wild for me, but the book was just so so good overall I can't really be mad about it. I can't wait to read anything else by this author, as I'm sure I'll love it as well.

This book started off really slow for me and I almost DNF'd it, but i'm glad I didn't! It started picking up and then the ending was so unexpected. I think people will love this book.

Everything about this book is extremely my shit. From the moment I saw this plot description I knew I would love this book and I am so happy that I was right. Addie LaRue meets This is How You Lose the Time War? Say less. I've been obsessed with past lives romances since I was a baby on fanfiction.net (yeah I predate AO3 because I am OLD what about it?). Past life lovers fated to kill the other before they can turn 18? Inject it into my veins.

I am so happy this book delivered on its perfect premise and more. Steven is such a beautiful writer and I appreciated every single word she put on the page. The way she sprinkled in information about the past lives and then we got to see the alternating chapters giving us glimpses into all of them? The research and time that must have went into this is so appreciated. I can see all the work that went into every line of this. It was so thoughtful and perfect. I wish I could have entire books dedicated to the lives these characters lived. Evelyn and Arden have my heart and this review definitely falls short of how much I love them and this book.

The present day chapters have such a sense of urgency and I was at the edge of my seat hoping and wondering if Evelyn would be able to save her sister before she turned 18 and the cycle started again. And I thought the "who is Arden" reveal took my breath away. I had no idea how this book would end and I was so here for every part of the journey.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.25

I bumped my rating down a bit from when I first read it. My initial reaction definitely made me rethink how many stars I should give this. I really enjoyed the majority of the book, but the ending was a bit of a letdown, which made me deduct some points.

Evelyn and Arden have been reincarnating every 17 years. As they approach their 18th birthday, one has to kill the other to prevent some horrible thing from happening. Their souls are linked, so when one dies, the other dies as well. Evelyn doesn't remember why Arden continues to kill her because he won't tell her. Despite this, they both love each other deeply and always find each other in the next life.

I really liked so many aspects of this book. There is gender fluidity for the characters as they reincarnate over and over. I enjoyed the chapters from their past lives. I liked seeing the characters not limited to the gender roles and often times they ended up as a gay couple. They even talk about their feelings on what genders they are born as and use they/them pronouns. It's very refreshing. The past lives show us the terrible fate they've had to endure and the desperate desire to live past their 18th birthday.

Evelyn's desire to continue living through this life is great, and I think that's why I was a little disappointed in the end. The reason they are stuck reincarnating is well done, and I had no idea what was going to happen with that. I just didn't like the end result. The Wales family just doesn't get the satisfying conclusion.

I enjoyed so much of this story, but the ending was such a letdown. I do love that this was a standalone, and I think many people will enjoy this book. Despite my disappointment, I still think very highly of it.

I genuinely have no idea what I expected going into this book, but I did not actually think I’d come to love it the way I did. This was such a good read, and it even made me enjoy a first person pov. I’m now envious of the me from 10 hours ago who was reading this for the first time.

It reminded me so much of Fallen by Lauren Kate and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue in the best ways. And I’m happy I did give it a go.

I absolutely loved this story. The writing hooked me immediately and the story was so gripping. The writing was so poetic and beautifully captured all the feelings of love and grief and everything in between. I would say the ending twist kind of felt out of nowhere, but the overarching message of love that transcends time, gender, socioeconomic status, race, etc was so beautiful.

I don’t know what to say because I’m honestly broken into a thousand pieces right now. This book was beautiful and one of the best things I’ve read. The poetry of it all is just amazing and there are no words to describe it that give this story justice. I will forever love Evelyn and Arden, the two souls forever intertwined through time and now with me.

God I’m literally just a speechless sobbing mess right now, I don’t have much to say tbh. It was one of the best books I’ve read in my life, but in its own way. Kind of like “this book is so amazing that it’s just in its own category it’s that good” cause like I’ve read absolutely outstanding books but this one is just the best for different reasons. Like it just can’t stand next to any others, it’s on its own level.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!!

3.5 Stars

This writing of this book is beautiful and almost lyrical writing. Because of the different timelines, each chapter did feel like I was stepping into a new world.t be drawn in. The transitions between timelines were really smooth and didn't feel choppy progressing thru each chapter.

One thing I did really appreciate was the way this book played with the different timelines as we way to tell the overall story and bring it all together. It was fascinating to see how events in one timeline would resonate with or affect the others. Watching the story slowly come together across these different threads.

That said, as much as I appreciated the creativity in the structure, I did find myself struggling to stay engaged at times. The story, while still beautifully written, started to feel a little repetitive. What had once felt fresh started to feel familiar, and I began to lose the excitement I had in the beginning. I really loved the comps this book was compared too. Although, it was similar it never really lived up to these favorite books it was compared too. It just didn't quite have that thing that made it special and stand out.

In the end, I thought the writing was beautiful and the author showed a lot promise. The language is beautiful, and the world feels so rich and imaginative. I just didn't quite live up to the expectations I had when I started.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced reader copy. My reiview is voluntarily my own.

Overall, not my cup of tea but maybe someone else’s. Had potential but didn’t live up to my expectations.

I struggled to get through this one. It took way longer to read than I expected it to and I almost dnf’d it a few times.

The story felt redundant/repetitive at some point (although I guess that’s what we signed up for according to the description). I also feel that the story was being told to the reader rather than shown— which is a big one for me— I wanted to feel the yearning these two characters supposedly feel.

At first I liked the flowery writing, but it felt overly lyrical at different points when I began to lose interest in the story.

The ending was just frustrating and didn’t justify pushing through the dnf urges.

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

Synopsis:
They’ve loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They’ve killed each other in every one.

Evelyn can remember all her past lives. She can also remember that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being linked to her soul. The problem is that she’s quite fond of the life she’s in now, and her little sister needs her in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she’ll have to find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life before they find her first, figure out why she’s being hunted and finally break their curse, and try not to fall in love . . . again.

Genre:
Fantasy romance

Fav Quote:
And so, in the absence of any abiding religious convictions, this was the one blind faith I had: that love was a physical force, and it was never wasted. Once it was called out into the universe, it would echo back to us forever.

What I Loved:
* The PROSE, the VOICE. This was beautifully written and captured the depths, complications and variations of love so brilliantly.
* Experiencing Evelyn’s and Arden’s infinite fates alongside them, while also seeing how they weaved together and formed their love story, was exactly what I wanted from this book. I also loved that you could see their characters and convictions throughout their lives, that they were still wholly themselves despite appearing in varying circumstances across the years.
* I usually have a sense of where a book is going but I was (pleasantly) surprised by the ending, especially the hope that lingers there. It felt like the right conclusion to their story.
* While I’m not strictly a romance reader, the romance in this book was beautifully done. I mean, don’t we all want our soulmate to be a supernatural being that chases us through infinite life times? Give me absolute devotion or nothing at all.

For Fans of:
* V.E. Schwab
* Leigh Bardugo
* Alexandra Bracken

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you so much to #netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC! Our Infinite Fates released on 4 March 2025.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the E-ARC!

I am still honestly digesting this book. I love the premise and story and the idea of souls not being bound to genders and time. I feel like that is so profound. However, it was the pacing that will lower my rating.

Evelyn and Arden have been in love for centuries. And they have been murdering each other for centuries. They are soul mates who always find each other when they are reincarnated, only for one of them to kill the other and the process begins again.

We spend a lot of time going back and forth between past and present, and very little time on the WHY this has happened to them. It is all sort of thrown at us in the end, with very minimal lead up to the reveal. I did enjoy the love story and the idea of finding one another as twin souls no matter where or when or who they come back as. I thought that was beautifully done.

I can’t even tell you how many times this book made me cry. This was such an amazing read - and it was written so so beautifully and poetically. Even with the many time jumps and different storylines, I was never confused nor disappointed. The premise of the book is obviously amazing and had me SO excited, but when I actually got to read it - chills. While the book is undoubtedly Arden and Evelyn’s love story - it is also very much a love letter to life/being human. It took the fears many of us have of death, validated them, but all the while showing how beautiful it is to have the chance to live and love.

I absolutely loved this book, even though it wrecked me several times. I would recommend it to anyone!

“In the last thousand years: empires have risen and fallen and I have loved you, plagues have leaped from rat to daughter and I have loved you, humanity has conquered sea and sky and I have loved you, kings have been slain and forests razed and witches burned and gold struck and maps redrawn and fortunes traded and volcanoes erupted and moons landed and cathedrals sculpted and rivers dirtied and masterpieces painted and battlefields bloodied and I love you, and I have loved you, and I will love you."

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review after reading.

YA fantasy of two young lovers, fated to kill each other over and over throughout time (hence, a little repetitive), too murder-y for me but creative plot and well written.

Laura Steven's OUR INFINITE FATES is a marvel. As tightly wrought and beautifully made as the weapons and as powerful as the red thread uniting a couple through eternity, this story captured me and held me fast through the highs and lows, insinuating itself into my dreams and keeping me up way too late reading. I loved Steven's incomparable, lyrical storytelling as much as I trusted her weaving a strange and wonderful story like nothing I've ever read before. I will never forget this book -- and it is one of the very few I will read again and again. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

A uniquely tragic love story that grips you from the first page, I enjoyed every minute spent reading this book.
The author managed to tell dozens of love stories within the same book in a beautifully, unique and cohesive way. Each love story is unique, but each also contains elements from the others and builds upon them. There were unexpected twists and turns and while usually I’m able to predict such things, I didn’t for this book, which was an absolute delight.

Our Infinite Fates was an unbelievable read! The writing is spectacular! The central relationship is compelling and mysterious and heart-wrenching! Every character in every time feels lived-in and real! I could not put this down!

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven is a standalone fantasy romance that spans a thousand years. Evelyn and Arden are two star-crossed souls who have lived multiple lives. In each life, Arden hunts Evelyn and kills her before they reach their eighteenth birthday. Now, in the present, Evelyn has something to live for–her younger sister. Gracie is dying of leukemia, and Evelyn is a perfect match for transplant. She just has to live long enough to go through with the procedure which is two days after her eighteenth birthday. Her goal is to find Arden, convince him to not kill her, and maybe find a way to break their curse.

This was an interesting story from start to finish. It is told exclusively from Evelyn’s perspective across all her multiple lives, alternating between the present and key moments of her past lives. Evelyn herself is clueless. She doesn’t remember the catalyst of what started their doomed love story, but she does know she loves Arden, all the versions of him. Arden is without a doubt hard to like as we only see him from Evelyn’s view point. Sometimes he is brutal, killing her without a second thought, hunting her as if she is his prey. Other times, he falls in love with her, they have a beautiful relationship, and then he still kills her with tears on his face. It’s hard to justify his actions.

I loved how the story unfolds through the different timelines. While Arden is hard to like in the beginning, the reader quickly falls in love with the softer sides of him that Evelyn sees. Evelyn’s love for him transfers to the reader. Their fate is so intertwined that if one dies, the other dies too. They are even born at the same time. The different glimpses of their lives throughout the last thousand years build an interesting picture of loss and love. While Evelyn can only remember the last hundred years or so of her lives, Arden remembers them all, and he isn’t willing to share that knowledge with Evelyn. In the present, she is determined to learn the truth of their curse and share the burden with him.

Overall, I really enjoyed Our Infinite Fates. This is unlike any romance I’ve ever read, but it was thoroughly enjoyed. The mystery surrounding their fate, or curse as Evelyn calls it, is the driving force of the plot, creating tension and a bit of chaos. If you are a fan of romantasy, this one should be on your shelf.