ARC review

Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC, I’m so grateful for it! Sorry for my late review, I was on vacation 🙈

I was interested in this book because of the premise: “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.

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

How can you not just be totally into it! I started this book and I was totally hooked in! 😱 Learning about their different life and stories at different centuries! Intrigued by the why and who? Why do they have to die before their eighteenth birthdays 🤔 Who is Arden in this century? Is he the friend or the neighbour or a total stranger? I also really liked the writing of the author! It was smooth and easy to read 💕

The violence… it was so sad to see one or the other kill the other…the different methods to do it… 😞 I was talking of the storyline to a friend and she told me something that I didn’t think of and that maybe could trigger some of you. She said that the fact that he loves her but kills her made her think about domestic abuse… I can see it now so be advised if you want to read this book!

Unfortunately, even with all the positive, I became uninterested at the half mark. Even if the stories were different, it became repetitive. I was still interested in the why but when I learned why, I was disappointed a bit. The book feels really contemporary even with all the supernatural aspects so when you read the end you feel like it doesn’t fit with the rest of the book. 🤷‍♀️

I would totally see people loving this book and this author as great potential. I would totally try another book by her!

Happy reading!

I was so hyped about this book based off the synopsis. If you compare something to Addie LaRue, I'm pretty much guaranteed to be foaming at the mouth while I wait to get my hands on it. And the premise of this sounded SO COOL! And then with a correlation to Taylor Swift's Exile being drawn! Yet for some reason, this just didn't quite live up to the potential for me, which pains me! As I said, this book should have checked my every box.

I love enemies-to-lovers. It's one of my favorite tropes. So a book about enemies/soul mates fated to meet over and over again only to kill each other in each life sounds incredible. But something in the romance just didn't suck me in. I think it's likely because I felt like I was thrown into the middle of this great love and then had to work backwards to understand the great love and I just ultimately didn't feel like my understanding or belief in that love got there. With each flashback, I didn't really feel like I was getting anything new. I maybe got another piece of the puzzle, but I didn't get a new understanding or appreciation of the love story and the emotion behind it. There was no new facet that made this fated love click. It felt like the same love story over and over, which ultimately made it feel simple and shallow.

Along that line, it felt repetitive. They meet, they fall in love, a nugget of the mystery is revealed, then they kill each other. The plot didn't move along expediently, which then made the book drag a bit.

Lastly, I probably should have expected the devil twist, given it's comparison to Addie LaRue, but I didn't expect that and it threw me when it came. It wasn't really a twist that I enjoyed or appreciated. It felt a bit like it came from left field and there were not enough nuggets sprinkled in to the story for me to prepare for this revelation.

Ultimately, it was an amazing premise but I didn't feel like there was enough character development, relationship development, or emotional development to truly do it justice. It was a solid 3 star read for me. It was good, but not great.

Thank you to NetGalley & the Publisher for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was immediately hooked by the description and was excited to dive into it. The beginning was very interesting in concept. I was really liking our time skips and insight into these characters lives. I kept looking for little hints into the deeper lore of their past to figure out what made this current part of their story so "special", warranting the book to be written in this specific time and place. I was a little disappointed, I don't think we ever really got that type of explanation. It was more a discovery had in the last few chapters, which was what I think this book suffered from the most. However, I liked how it was written and had an easy time coming back to it between breaks.

I wouldn't say this book struggles with pacing, maybe just decision making and fully developed characters. They felt a little bland to me despite the author trying to give them certain reoccurring traits. The personalities themselves were the bland part, despite their general interests/quirks. Certain character decision making didn't seem the best but it got us where we were going.

I think I wanted more of a twist? Or at least not the twist we got? It felt a little weird, like the last puzzle piece that seems like the right shape but entirely changed the picture (and not in a good way). And it truly was the last puzzle piece, it came really late in the story. I wish a portion of the middle had more meat to it, or was shortened. But other than those things, it was a really solid story and easy to follow despite all the time jumps. It was intriguing and I always wanted to know more.

Overall, a solid 4 from me!

Evelyn and Arden have loved each other for a thousand years. Yet every 18 years, he murders her, and they both begin life anew. Arden remembers the reason why he must keep doing this, but Evelyn only remembers the last few hundred years of lives and she can't remember why she can't live past age 18. The story skips around between their current reincarnation and their past lives. The glimpses into their past lives is fascinating and really adds an intriguing element to the story. In Evelyn's current life, she is desperate to save the life of her younger sister who needs her bone marrow to survive. The problem is that the procedure is supposed to take place after her 18th birthday. Is this the life where Evelyn survives past 18 or where she discovers why she must die every 18 years? Knowing that Arden will be murdering her never stops her from falling in love with him, although she doesn't always know that she has because they do not immediately recognize each other in their lives. This is a beautiful romantic story with an intriguing premise. How far would you go for someone you love? This story will grab you and not let go until the very end.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early ecopy. My opinion is my own.

I found this book to super original which I really appreciated. It was really cool to see the characters in different eras, in different parts of the world, in different bodies. What I loved the most about this book is definitely the writing, it was absolutely beautiful and magical. Some of the quotes in this book left me speechless!! That plotwist had me shocked, I didn't see it coming at all.

Things I enjoyed less is the portrayal of the romance between the characters. There was no doubt that they loved in each other but I do feel that I was more told than showed their love. I wish I saw more of the how they fell in love. Another point is the final chapters of the book. While I loved the twist, I didn't like how it was developed. It didn't really make sense to me and it felt rushed.

PS. the chapter in Siberia will always have my heart <3

It is gorgeously written, heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. It's one of the more original books I've read in a long time.

Our Infinite Fates blends the tension of impending death in every lifetime with the earnest longing of teenage love, and a satisfying dollop of perspective that it really is the simple moments and connections that make life affirming. Set across a thousand years and many lifetimes yet someone how still simple and intimate, this story of Evelyn and Arden manages to be epic & tragic, and simple and hopeful, all at the same time!

Thank you so much to Laura Steven, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

Our Infinite Fates follows two souls that are destined to kill each other in every life. Described as a cross between The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and This is How You Lose The Time War, 'Infinite Fates has a lot to live up to.

Like many people, I was originally drawn to this book due to what I had seen and heard on TikTok. The premise is to die for and is very reminiscent of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue (which is actually the book that got me back into reading). I wanted to love this story so so badly. For a book that relies so heavily on the bonds between two souls, what this novel was really lacking in was its spirit--the soul, or even the guts of the story was utterly missing in my opinion.

Our Infinite Fates and the plot itself is dependent on the love shared between two tragic souls, however, the "love" depicted between the two leads falls flat. I am very particular about "showing, not telling" and in this case, this was a love that was told, rather than shown. Relying heavily on flashback chapters (which, don't get me wrong--were very interesting and enjoyable in their own right!! They were an interesting getaway from the Wales chapters that shed a bit of light on our duo's main past life of the chapter.) it really killed the flow of the characterization when the characters simply tell the reader about just how much they loved each other in ___ era. I do not want to be told that they love each other, I want it to be shown in the way they treat each other, in the way they are written by the author or describe each other. Just something that isn't so blatant and straightforward.

In regards to the writing, there are quite a few memorable lines from this book! The present day storyline is pretty solid, and I love how the writing is distinct between each chapter that takes place in another time period. However, at times, foreshadowing and mentioning of fate can be a bit heavy handed. I do understand that naturally there will be an emphasis on the power of fate, but reading such heavy handed foreshadowing took me out of the reading immersion.

Overall this was a quick and fun read, as we get to know so many characters along the way. For optimal enjoyment, I do suggest readers go in blind, or with the knowledge that it should not be compared to things like Addie Larue or Time War as this will just cause unnecessary comparisons to be made to the detriment of this new story.

I tried with this one, I really did. But after 16 days and I'm only at 21%?? I can't keep going. A total snoozefest. I fell zero connection between the characters. I'd really love to understand their "great love," but there's no context. And every chapter is like word salad; big flowery words are used to describe a whole lot of nothing.

If you've read this, please just tell me what happens bc I'm never going to finish this.

“Maybe that’s all love is, in the end. An endless tempting of fate.” Oh, I loved this. About halfway through I felt like there was no possible way that Laura Steven would be able to wrap it up in a satisfying way, and I’ve never been happier to be wrong.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC of this beautiful book!

3.5 Stars – A Thought-Provoking Premise, but Not for Me

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven has a fascinating premise, and I genuinely enjoyed the author's writing style. It’s lyrical, immersive, and full of potential. The idea of fate and alternate possibilities drew me in.

That said, I quickly realized I wasn’t the target audience for this book. The amount of strong language felt excessive for a YA novel, and I was surprised by how much the story centered around LGBTQ themes. While I don’t mind reading about these elements when they appear as part of a broader narrative, I personally prefer when they’re a subplot rather than the main focus. Given how prominently LGBTQ representation is marketed in many books today, I felt this one should have been more transparent in its description so readers could better gauge if it was the right fit for them.



Beyond that, the pacing became repetitive, and I struggled to connect with the central romance. The idea of star-crossed lovers across timelines is intriguing, but I never fully understood why their love was supposed to be so grand and transcendent. Without that foundation, the emotional weight of their story didn’t hit as hard as I’d hoped. The constant flashbacks also started to feel unnecessary rather than enriching.

I think readers who enjoy highly poetic prose and don’t mind a more abstract, magical realism feel might still love this book. But for those with similar reading preferences to mine, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books publishers for providing me with an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review, All opinions are my own.

This... this book. I'm almost at a loss for words. Almost. :)

I've always loved reincarnation stories. Upon discovering this book, I knew I was going to love it, and I'm absolutely thrilled that my instincts were spot on! There just aren’t enough books that explore this fascinating concept, and Steven does it flawlessly. From the moment I opened the book, I was hooked by the intriguing plot and richly developed characters. The mix of suspense, emotion, and wit is perfect, making it impossible to put down.

And the writing, oh, the writing, I have so many quotes highlighted In my kindle. This is beautiful, heart-wrenching work, and I need everyone to start reading this so I can have others to talk to about this!

"Perhaps he was my true homeland; our existence a language only we could speak."

Arden and Evelyn's fates have been entwined for as many lives as Evelyn can remember, but in each life, they die before their 18th birthday. While some lives end in love and yearning for a future, others end in bitter and angry violence. But they always manage to find each other, time and time again, across centuries.

Each time we travel back to see another one of their past lives, it's in a new country with new culture, language, and customs. While some worked more effectively in terms of the narrative, I was in awe at how much research likely went into writing this book. I almost wish there was more time spent in a select few places as I wanted to see how their relationship evolved in nearly the same way on each timeline and explore the conflicted feelings of their connection. I craved this novel to be written in third person, so we could even just see glimpses of Arden's internal struggle. This would have also resolved my need for more foreshadowing about the curse and its origins--I didn't see the reason for the curse coming in this particular way, and while I love a good unexpected twist, this felt a little more like withholding of information rather than misleading me into a few possibilities and arriving at the most surprising likelihood, which felt unsatisfying for me. But overall, reading this story was enjoyable with some romance, some suspense, and a little bit of mystery.

My biggest issue with the story was the conflict in the timeline we spend the most amount of time in. Evelyn is desperate to live long enough to donate her bone marrow to her ailing sister, but the timing coincides with her 18th birthday and another death and resurrection into a new life. I found one of the minor characters that added suspense to this conflict to be unnecessary to the story as a whole, adding a little bit of drama and necessary tension to plot which could have been developed elsewhere. But the main issue with the conflict here was the desperation to stay alive long enough for the doctors to harvest her bone marrow. It was difficult for me to suspend disbelief with her solution to the appointment being two weeks after her death. And I couldn't understand why she didn't just ask Arden to end her life near/in the hospital since it is possible to extract bone marrow after death. Maybe I'm overthinking this or there are rules/laws that don't apply in the US.

Despite all of this, I still found myself crying at the end. The last couple of chapters were devastating, hopeful, and romantic somehow at the same time, and I couldn't help but shedding a few tears for these two protagonists. The tension between the two characters was enough to keep me reading and their ending was perfect.

4.5 ⭐️ Arden and Evelyn’s love story is all at once tragic and beautiful and heartbreaking. Traveling through centuries they find each other in each one and I can’t think of anything more beautiful. Their love transcended time and societal changes and bodies, it was truly about soulmates and I loved it!!

The ending honestly surprised me, I had no idea what was coming at the end but I think I loved it? I was so sad to leave Branwen behind at the end but then the mention of Gracie in the last chapter genuinely made me sob and then Arden and Evelyn found each other again and my heart was bursting with emotion.

I loved the romance and the poetry. I loved the fantasy elements while still being set in the real world with historical elements. This is such a special book!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and can understand why some people love it. Ultimately, I do not think it hit home for me.

Rating:
3.25/5

things I liked that affected my rating:
-Different settings
I loved the different parts of history and time that were shown throughout the book. You could tell that it was well-researched.
-Concept
I liked the concept of two people in love destined to kill each other in every life, and I liked that the book set up a mystery as to why that was.

things I disliked that affected my rating:
-The second half of the book
Once the answer to the question of “Why is this happening to them?” was revealed, the rest of the book fell flat for me.
I think there was a shift in tone that just didn’t quite work for me and I found myself just wanting to get to the end.
-Showing, not telling
I felt like the story didn’t show any scenes of the main characters being in love but instead continuously told me that they were in love. I wasn’t as invested in their story because I felt like I didn’t actually know much about their love story beyond the events of them murdering each other.

This book came out on March 4th, so if it interests you, you can purchase it or see if it’s available to check out at your local library!

Steven has revolutionised YA. Not in many years has a book in this genre lingered in my mind like “OIF”. Her prose is spellbinding, encasing the reader in each life of Arden and Evelyn completely, till one is lost in the emotion of the book. It was clear from the first chapter Steven devoted herself fully to the writing, research, and craft that sets “OIF” apart from other books. Every chapter draws the reader in the proffered world, defies any prediction one might have envisioned, and ends with our characters one breath away from disaster or death. Arden and Evelyn defy any preconceived ideas of how main characters are meant to behave, and exist in total disregard for who and how they ought to be. “OIF” is not a light, uncomplicated romance; each twist and turn will leave you reeling till somehow you’ve finished, and are forever altered.

This book was perfect! The unexpected twist on a romance that I didn’t know I needed - it was unlike anything I’ve read before and completely heartwrenching. These characters and their many stories will stay with me for a long time!

What a unique, beautifully written tale of love, betrayal and reincarnation. This one could make you reevaluate your stance on life and death. It did feel longgg winded at times but OVERALL Recommend!

“All I know is that I’d do anything to lie in that bed with you just once without thinking about how I’m going to have to k!ll you soon.”

“If a hero is someone who will give up love to save the world, then a villain is the reverse. Someone who will give up the world to save love.”

“The cruelest fate the gods and stars had ever written: the person I loved most in the world was the person that would ultimately destroy me.”

Imagine living countless lives, only to never reach the age of eighteen because the love of your life keeps killing you in each one. That’s exactly how Our Infinite Fates begins—with a wedding and a murder.

Evelyn has tolerated this brutal cycle for centuries, but this time, things are different. She’s finally living a life she loves—one she wants to keep—especially because her little sister is sick and depends on her for a life-saving medical procedure. Now, Evelyn is desperate to find Arden in this lifetime, to break the cycle, to convince him to hold off on their death, at least until she can save her sister.

I usually avoid reincarnation stories because I hate when the characters don’t remember their past lives. But Evelyn and Arden? They remember everything—every lifetime with every betrayal. And that’s exactly why Evelyn is so determined to rewrite their fate this time. Thankfully, finding Arden isn’t the hard part. No matter the lifetime, there’s always an unshakable pull between them that inevitably draws them back together.

I started this book for the vibes, and somewhere along the way, I thought I’d try to predict the twist. But I got so completely lost in the story that I forgot to figure it out. And when it hit? I literally sat up straight in bed, staring at the page in shock. It was the kind of twist that’s both thrilling and soul-crushing at the same time. Honestly, I require a novella because I need to know more about these two precious, tragic souls who will live in my heart forever.

"You're my family. My homeland. My soulmate."

The writing truly is stunning. Poetic, lyrical, and so beautifully immersive that I kept catching my breath. What I loved most was how the author wove poetry into the story—not just in the prose itself but through one of Arden’s past lives, where he was literally a poet. That extra layer made everything feel so intentional and deeply felt.

"as I gazed upon the first bramble, I thought of how the world reinvents itself year after year, century after century, summer deepening always into autumn, winter brightening always into spring, growing new flowers from old roots, and I thought of how it feels to hold you, each season of you, our love blossoming afresh, year after year, century after century, new flowers from old roots, an eternal seed from which life will always bloom"

While this book is marketed as YA, it reads more like an adult novel. Not because of explicit content, but because of the depth of the writing. If I hadn’t known the publisher, I would have sworn this was adult fantasy. Its rich and elegant prose made it feel more mature in the best way possible.

"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."

This book is pure angst, complete with a love story filled with tragedy, loss, and longing, woven across centuries. One of my favorite things was how the romance focused on who these characters are at their core—their souls—rather than any physical form. Across lifetimes, Evelyn and Arden don’t always return in the same genders. Sometimes they’re both men; sometimes, both women; at others, one of each. But their connection never wavers. And despite the ethereal, star-crossed nature of their relationship, it still felt real, tangible, like something just within reach.

“I love you, I have loved you, and I will love you.”

Despite their constant cycle of finding and losing each other, the romance is a slow burn, making it even more agonizingly beautiful. The we-shouldn’t-but-we-can’t-stop energy had me in a chokehold! If you love books that make your heart ache, keep you flipping pages into the late hours of the night, and that leave you staring at the ceiling when you’re done? Add this one to your TBR immediately. Our Infinite Fates is an enthralling, captivating, heart-clutching fantasy!

Song: exile by Taylor Swift (feat. Bon Iver)

- enemies-to-lovers
- fated mates
- found family
- lgbtq rep
- reincarnation
- soulmates
- starcrossed lovers

Good and overall enjoyed it . Got a little lost with time jumps and character names - 3 stars , I liked the overall plot and there was a goal of helping her sister