I could not and would not put this book down. It is absolute perfection and I am in awe with how much I loved it. No notes. 100/10

Our Infinite Fates, a novel more ambitious in scale than Olivie Blake's short story "The Animation Games" while sharing a core concept, reincarnates its characters not just across space and time, but also race, gender, sexuality, disability, and class. It’s a fascinating premise, but also an immense task that almost feels like it’s set up to fail.

It’s like when a book within a book is introduced to the reader as a stunning revelation, which a reader can stomach easily enough, but then the real book includes quotes from the fake book that immediately show that it is not (something that also happens in Our Infinite Fates with the book of poetry Ten Thousand Years of You written by Arden).

I’m being harsh, so I want to make clear that I admire the scope of what Laura Steven is trying to do. But flashbacks that are set in locations such as the Ottoman Empire or the Song Dynasty can’t help but feel thin when they’re only given a single chapter each. They’re referenced in the present plenty of times to help enhance their impact, but it’s just hard to make them fully realized, and again, I don’t think the quality of writing is what’s holding this book back but the staggering scale of its premise.

Each reincarnation is distilled into only the parts that matter for the connection between Evelyn and Arden. I don’t see how Steven could have done this any other way, but I can’t help but think that Evelyn and Arden could have so much more positive impact on the world, with their experiences living through critical points in time and retaining their abilities/memories in their current reincarnation, rather than wasting their considerable talents to singularly preserving their love. There’s a disconnect between the scale of this story and the selfishness of their fixation on each other. I feel the need to say again that I have no ideas on how to remedy this in a way that doesn’t bring this entire story crashing down. David Levithan's Every Day got away with it because the "reincarnations" each day were constrained to the present day and not throughout history.

Luckily, Steven employs a self-aware tone that tempers the more ridiculous scenarios the premise forces the characters into (one character's entire reaction to Evelyn and Arden lol), and the mystery of why Arden keeps killing them kept me intrigued enough to finish.

I know I’m being incredibly annoying with what is supposed to be a nice YA romance. But if Our Infinite Fates is going to go there and discuss topics such as socioeconomic stratification and homophobia throughout history, I want more out of this book than just a nice YA romance.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC!

This book has been at the top of my list since I first read the blurb, and it delivered!!

I loved the back-and-forth through time aspect of the story, with the reader getting the flashbacks along with Evelyn. I loved the plot twists in the end. I never saw them coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC of this book! I will be adding the special edition to my personal library when it releases!

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I was literally bored to tears. I had to stop the book at 16%. It was like repeating the same thing over in different ways. My heart was hoping this would have been so much more.

4.5 ⭐️

This was an absolutely beautiful story of a love that transcends time, place, gender, and corporeal forms. It’s a love that spans a millennia, with Evelyn and Arden taking all kinds of forms yet always feeling a pull towards each other, recognizing the others’ soul, and falling in love.

I love that they have such a deep love for the other’s truest self, not caring what form they take. I love that the echoes of their past lives follow and haunt them in every subsequent one. I love Evelyn’s unbreakable human spirit, and Arden’s heart-rending passion.

The only thing keeping this book from a full five stars is that there were a couple of corny moments and lines, especially towards the end. And a few elements of the story that felt a little bit overworked and cliche. It was also a bit repetitive but I feel like that is inevitable for this type of story so it didn’t bother me.

Overall it was a gorgeous story that I will definitely be thinking about for a long time

I wavered between 2 and 3 stars with this one but ended on 3. I read it in a single evening which is to its credit, but there was much that distracted me and I wouldn’t read this book again. But I know this is getting rave reviews from others so I would still recommend readers try it for themselves-I wouldn’t want to rob them of a great read just because I personally didn't like it.

What I liked: I loved the premise of two lovers forced to reincarnate over and over, fated to find each other in each life and fated to kill each other before their shared 18th birthday. It’s a mystery to main character Evelyn as to why they must kill each other, and why living past 18 must be avoided at all costs. Lover Arden has refused to tell her for over 1000 years, and by the 21st century Evelyn is Over It™ and desperate to stay alive long enough to save her beloved sister Grace, who is battling leukemia and dependent on Evelyn’s bone marrow.

The chapters in the present tense involve Evelyn scheming, somewhat ridiculously, to stay away from Arden long enough to donate her bone marrow. There are frequent flashback chapters that show Evelyn and Arden’s history throughout the centuries, and I loved the different historical settings. There is also some nice poetry throughout the book that I enjoyed.

What I didn’t like: The prose was very descriptive and outright purple at times, but where some will find it evocative I found much of it nonsensical and distracting. This is entirely personal-I’m not calling it bad and it will appeal to many readers; I just don’t care for it. There is also anachronistic dialogue that I found distracting, and anytime Taylor Swift is mentioned in contemporary fiction I cringe. Again…a personal problem but one I will not apologize for!

The biggest problem of the book was that I never felt connected to the love story. We are frequently told with great emotion and flowery detail how much our main couple love each other and why they love each other, but rarely get a chance to actually see it in action. The story is told from Evelyn’s POV, and the Arden we meet in the present is…not the greatest. I would have loved some chapters from Arden showing more of his internal struggle.

Even when we find out why they are cursed, we do not see how or why they fell in love. And while the flashbacks are interesting, they are brief and usually show the same moment over and over again-their death or the moment Evelyn remembers that Arden will eventually show up to kill her. I would have liked to see E and A’s epic infinite love story unfold throughout the flashbacks instead of being dropped at the end of it and told how world-altering it is.

And finally, the ultimate explanation for the curse was a bit anticlimactic; not in theory, necessarily, but in execution. There is a final flashback after the climax that unravels the whole thing even further.

I have saved my pettiest complaint for last. I hated the names Evelyn and Arden. They sound too modern and hipster to have endured for centuries. IT'S PETTY. But I was annoyed by it.

TL;DR: I didn’t love this book but don’t regret reading it and wouldn’t discourage others from doing so. Great premise, 99% angst with an HEA, lots of queer rep.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of Our Infinite Fates. This was an exciting read. While I usually shy away from stories where love sparks instantly (I’m more of a meet-cute or enemies-to-lovers kind of reader), I found myself drawn into Evelyn and Arden’s journey—though I have to admit, I wasn’t always fully invested in their fate—or rather, fates. In fact, I kept hoping for a twist involving Ceri and wished he had played a larger role in the story. That said, the novel is beautiful as it is, even without the kind of gut-wrenching angst that usually pulls me in. I genuinely loved traveling through time and space like that. And the writing—God, the writing—was stunning. Fluid, almost lyrical, and utterly captivating. It was my first time reading this author, but as soon as I finished, I went searching for her other works. I’ll definitely be diving into more of her books soon.

“But our love story was not like that. It was blood and pain and death, an awful cycle doomed always to repeat.”

4.5 Stars ✨

Evelyn and Arden are reincarnated souls that are bound by a mysterious curse, falling in love every lifetime but destined to kill each other before their shared 18th birthday. Arden knows the truth of their curse, but Evelyn spends lifetime after lifetime questioning why. The story alternates between the presents and flashbacks to previous lifetimes, giving us glimpses of their love but also the pain death after death.

Present: Evelyn is almost 18 years old and desperate to save her sister, Gracie. Gracie has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. The only match is Evelyn, but the bone marrow retrieval is scheduled after her 18th birthday. Evelyn is desperate to figure out who Arden is in this lifetime and convince him not to kill her before the retrieval. “I’d loved a lot of siblings in a lot of lives, but Gracie was a firm favourite. Sharp, weird, bright in an entirely unique way. So alive.”

Even with all the heartache, Evelyn and Arden have a never ending love. They are truly soulmates, their souls searching and needing one another. Bond to one another.

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

The answers you seek are slow to roll out in this book, why do they have to kill one another by their 18th birthday?? The conclusion is a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book, which is why it isn’t a 5 star read. The highlight of the book is its writing with beautiful poetry and lyrical style. I definitely recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Author and Publisher for an ARC of Our Infinite Fates. This has been one of my top anticipated reads for this year so far. Over all I enjoyed this book. I liked how it alternated between the past and the present time to show the characters pasta and how they ended up in the never ending cycle of love and death between one another. One thing I didn’t like is that you don’t really get a feel for why they love each other. In the flash back chapters you just see them killing each other and I kept asking myself why they were in love even though the MFC would state it. It just didn’t feel genuine.

Wow. Our Infinite Fates is a love story like no other, and I cannot begin to describe how beautiful this novel truly is. The mystery of why the plot took place mixed with flashbacks across time kept me absolutely entranced until the very end. The writing is filled with such beauty that I would pause just to wonder how someone could create a string of words that would evoke such bone-deep emotion in me. Throughout Our Infinite Fates, I thought about mortality and love, and I cried several times thinking about the souls I feel I am intertwined with. If I can convince you to read any book, let it be this one.

Narration by Sofia Oxenham was incredible. 10/10

I received an ARC and ALC from St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5✨
Thank you so much to NetGalley & the publishers for this ARC!🥹

How can I ever read another love story after this one?
This book is a love letter to everyone who loves everyone and everything so deeply 🥺. I feel so seen.

This is a slow story - therefore if you’re looking for something fast and gigantic - it won’t be for you.

It’s the kind of book you read with a cup of coffee & a heated blanket. It feels like a warm hug.

I absolutely loved all the characters this story touched and even if I don’t usually like flashbacks in books - they were handled so well in this one. And the romance? Oh the romance was the most heartbreaking yet loving one I’ve read in a while 😭

I didn’t expect the twists towards the ending and I loved the openness of the ending. I’m jealous of everyone who gets to read this for the first time.

I’ll come back to this when it’s published to add my favourite quotes.

Read if you enjoy:

Poetic and beautifully written books
Timeline jumps split between past and present day
The hunter vs hunted components
Rich culture and historical components
If you were a fan of the Addie Larue book and enjoy similar vibes with a different plot

The plot for “our infinite fates” is definitely a unique one! I absolutely loved the concept and once reading the synopsis I knew this was a book I wanted to try for myself.

This book definitely isn’t perfect by any means however I think if you go in with an open mind and you want to an enjoy an interesting and unusual story written eloquently and allow yourself to be enthralled by the big picture story of the two main characters whilst enjoying the ride and the vibes then you will have a fun and memorable time reading.

This book definitely takes you away from the rinse and repeat tropes we can get within the fantasy and magical realism genres so it was a nice change of pace with an author who had something new to say.

Thank you to the publisher and author the providing me with an EARC!

Publish date: March 4th 2025

Our Infinite Fates was un-put-downable. The story itself pulls you in from the first sentence, the writing itself is so lyrical and beautiful. Our Infinite Fates is one of those books where you get so sucked into reading the book that you forget who you are and where you are and when you finally come up for air you realize that you’re not in the book, you’re reading in your room or in a cafe or your favorite place to read.

Evelyn and Ardan, two souls who have been tethered together for centuries, have killed each other in every lifetime. Before her 18th birthday Ardan, a supernatural being whose life is tied to hers, has hunted her and killed her. In present day Wales, Evelyn, named Bran in this lifetime, has come to love the life she lives, and wants to live past her 18th birthday. She also needs to stay alive to complete a bone marrow transplant for her sister who’s dying. In order to save her sister, Evelyn has to stay alive. And to do that she has to find Ardan before he finds her, try to break their curse, and attempt to not fall in love again.

This book is absolutely perfect for fans of V.E. Swabs book “The Invisible Life of Addie Larue”! If you love heart wrenching books, lyrical writing, and books that stay with you long after you’ve read them, this book is perfect for you! Our Infinite Fates releases on March 4th, 2025!

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

Evelyn and Arden are soulmates. Across hundreds of years, Evelyn and Arden are reincarnated at the same time, and their bond inexplicably draws them to each other without fail. They are destined for each other, however they are fated to die each and every time. A tragedy of epic proportions.

“There was always Arden. There would always be Arden.”

Their love is woven together over so long. With each life they live, they will always find each other. Told through alternating timelines, Laura is able to explore so many of Evelyn and Arden’s lives together. We see snippets of their life, thei family, their normal, who they are as a person in this life. But we also see what is fated to happen in each of these lives, one killing the other.

A beautiful story that explores love and heartbreak and hope and grief and the torment of not being able to live fully with the one you love. Existential and deep, Our Infinite Fates is a compelling narrative that drew me in so deeply. I connected with Evelyn so much. Arden is even more tortured by the secrets he must keep.

“It’s an unstoppable force, and our love is an immovable object.”

Our Infinite Fates made me feel so much and I fell deeply for Evelyn and Arden’s lives, all of them—the good, the bad.

I’ve had an Addie LaRue sized whole in my heart for some time and Our Infinite Fates may have finally filled that gap. I loved the entire premise of this book. I mean how can you not be captivated when the MCs find love and then death in every timeline. I also enjoyed the blending of past and present timelines. This gives readers another look at the characters and allows us to understand them a little more each time. I found the twist at the end to be interesting although predictable. I do wish we got to spend more time with the villain of the story to make that portion more impactful. So much of this story is on the epic love between the two MCs that it’s easy to forget there’s a villain mixed in. While I think Sofia Oxenham did well with the actual narration of the story, I struggled a bit with the audiobook. This story as a whole is a slower pace, so with that, I had to keep bringing my focus back to the story. The emotion and depth Oxenham brought to the characters was spot on, I just think this one would’ve been a better full eyeball read for me personally.

A snapshot of two souls linked across time and the tragedy that began their cycle of death.

Evelyn knows her days are numbered, but more than in any of her lives before, she's desperate to live to her eighteenth birthday so that she can be a donor for her younger sister, who has leukemia. Her killer, her lover, is coming, and the approaching doom brings to the surface memories and fears of their long history. It's full of questions, and love, and always ends in tragedy. Does Evelyn dare to hope this time won't be the same?

Alright, I've got some bones to pick with the synopsis. First, “Evelyn remembers all her past lives.” Fact check, untrue. Evelyn remembers some of the past (Vermont, the infamous Siberia...) but she knows it's an incomplete picture. Second, “Try not to fall in love.” False again! It doesn't really matter if she does or not, and anyway she and her ill-fated lover are definitionally soulmates. In any place, and form, they have an undeniable spark when they meet that transcends something like ordinary emotions.

This story strikes me as more tragedy than romance. The timeline is rooted in present day, interspersed with moments from past lives unfolding in reverse order. As I said, it's not really about them falling in love, but more that intense moment of recognition and oh-no-this-is-happening-again. Given the minimal present-day plot line, the flashbacks were an easy favorite. The reverse chronology played well with the suspense, and the variety of their reincarnations (across time, geography, social status, and gender) raises interesting thoughts on the nature of love, the connection of body and soul, and whether it is worse to live without love or die while loving (and more - I adore the scene on the western front).

It's a quick read, and while I wish there'd been more time to get to know their different lives, it's a book that grows richer for the pondering once the final page is turned. Unlike Addie LaRue, this isn't a story of journeys, but endings. If I were reading again, I'd approach this as a study in moments.

4.25 ⭐️ Beautifully written mash up of primarily fantasy, a bit of historical fiction, a touch of mystery, and a love story/romantic element interwoven throughout. This is not my usual genre but hearing people compare it to Addie LaRue peaked my interest. I'm so glad I took a chance on this one! Arden and Evelyn are soulmates who find and ultimately kill each other in every reincarnation of their lives before the age of 18. The story alternates back in time to piece together their connection through hundreds of years and across the globe. Despite being considered YA, the writing was excellent and so beautiful in many places, especially the snippets of poems sprinkled throughout the book. I felt most connected to the characters in the present day storyline with Branwen and her sister, since many of the historical chapters just give a brief look at the character's lives. There were some areas where I started to feel the story become repetitive (trying to figure out why they always killed each other by 18) and the story took an unexpected turn towards the end but the final chapter was chef's kiss. Overall, I really enjoyed my reading experience, the characters, and the writing. Fans of Addie Larue, those who like to explore the meaning of life, reincarnation of souls, and our connection to others will especially love this one. I will certainly read more of this author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the eARC of this novel! I was also able to review the audiobook and it was phenomenal!

From the first few pages I knew that I had found a new favorite author — Laura Steven’s prose is captivating and her poeticism was one of my favorite aspects of the story. I am someone who loves “flowery” language and I felt that each sentence rolled off the tongue of the narrator so beautifully and filled with such depth.

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

This story was heartbreakingly tender and so intriguing I could not put it down for a moment! The mystery behind why Evelyn and Arden reincarnate, find each her in each life, and have to be each other’s end before 18 was wildly fascinating and unique. It also made me quite anxious (in a good way that stories do!) thinking of where or when Arden would appear to kill Evelyn. There was a sense of urgency in me to find out why these characters were experiencing this fate.

The story follows Evelyn and Arden in present day while also giving us glimpses of themselves in past lives. I loved the idea that their souls gravitated towards one another and that no matter their place, status, body, gender, etc. that they grew to love each other. I really looked forward to these flashbacks to learn more about their past relationships and to glean clues to their present day predicament — saving Evelyn’s younger sister.

I had so many “omg” moments throughout the story as plot twists and reveals occurred and the puzzle pieces started to fit. But nothing could have prepared me for the explanation and ending! I was not expecting it and quite honestly, didn’t like the reasoning at first. Near the end I felt that these threads of fate tangled into a giant red yarn ball mess and didn’t make sense. However, once I finished the book and was able to untangle the threads and look at the big picture of 1,000 years of life, love, and loss — I really enjoyed the turn the story had taken.

There are so many deep layers of wisdom and meaning woven within this story and once it ended I felt a big hole where Evelyn and Arden cleaved into me. I can’t wait for the release of this story and to reread it in its physical form again!

Wow!! What an interesting story! I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like this.

Evelyn is always murdered right before her 18th birthday. She can remember all her past lives. I can’t even imagine how crazy that must feel to remember your past lives. How frustrating to not make it past 18. Who keeps hunting Evelyn? Will she able to find this devil so she can stay alive and help her little sister! The writing in this book is beautiful. I really enjoyed reading it, as well as getting to listen to it!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Laura and St.Martins Press for the E-ARC!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: March 4th 2025

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

thank you so much to netgalley and st. martin’s press for sending me this book early in return for my honest thoughts!

FIVE stars.

i’ve sat down to write this review at least three separate times, only for my words to fail me. i saw a tiktok that said this was a combination of the invisible life of addie larue and this is how you lose the time war and immediately added it to my tbr. and i cannot express how glad i am to have read this.

i’m not one to seek out books that contain philosophical themes of soulmates, fate, and reincarnation…but this moved me in a way few books throughout my life have. there’s just something so poignant about this book. the way arden and evelyn’s love transcended THOUSANDS of years was everything to me. (i do wish we could have seen more details of their past lives, but my imagination will suffice)

this is the type of book you could reread a thousand times and still get something different out of it with each read. i highlighted over six dozen quotes that stuck out to me. i lost count of the number of times i had to stare at the ceiling and let a quote marinate in my brain because they were SO powerful. ohhhh to be an immortal being who loves and has loved and will love things for the rest of their lives.

GAHHHH im never going to be able to properly express this book. i guess the best way of putting it is: if you’re someone who loves and loves and loves even when you know it’ll end one day: this is the book for you. if you’re someone who finds comfort in the reincarnation of any and all things (a sunflower/dandelion having seeds in their middle, creating a perpetual cycle of life, death, life—the sun rising, setting, and rising again): this is the book for you. if you dream of an all-consuming, life-transcending, type of love: this is the book for you.

i WILL be going to barnes and noble come march to get this book in every edition my store has and rereading it over and over and over and over.