Member Reviews
By far one of the best books I have read this year! This beautifully written novel follows two soulmates and their love through the centuries. It takes us all over the world and transports you into every new place perfectly. The slow burn romance was so enthralling and heart-rending. I loved this so much and that last chapter was so hopeful.
I pre-ordered the physical copy of this book a while ago, so when I saw it pop up here I had to request it - and I was excited when I got the approval. So, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for being awesome :)
I loved the summary of the book, it sounded unique and I really enjoy a book that is different. I was unprepared for how much I would actually LOVE this book. So many emotions while reading, this was definitely one that kept me up late (I believe it was almost 4 am actually). This it the first book I've read of Laura Steven's, and her writing style is amazing. It really draws you in and you lose track of everything going on around you because you are invested in the story. I love books like this. The characters were fantastic and I loved the plot. I definitely recommend this book when it comes out and I can't wait to get my physical copy so I have an excuse to read it again.
This has jumped to one of my favourite reads of the year. It’s so different to any of my current fantasy reads and I was completely enchanted. It is so beautifully written and heartbreakingly perfect!
This is a story about Evelyn and Arden who find each other in every lifetime, pulled to one another by an unimaginable tether that also forces them to kill each other by their 18th birthday. They have gone through excruciating suffering and deaths but why?
‘The person I loved most in the world was the person who would ultimately destroy me.’
5/5 stars! Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, this book took me by surprise. I haven’t read anything by this author before but since Addie LaRue is my all time favorite book and this book is pitched as Addie LaRue meets This is How You Lose the Time War, I had to read it and of course I loved it.
It hooks you immediately and you really get to go through all the feelings and emotions with the characters. I love how it was told through present life and past lives, you get to see how these two characters interact over several lifetimes and I think it made the story that much more impactful.
Laura Steven's lasted novel is an entirely new and unique story; it was unlike anything I've ever read before, in all the best of ways. I truly adored the characters in Our Infinite Fates, and I loved how their pasts were woven together throughout the story. The author truly knows how to write beautiful, moving scenes; this is one of those books that will live on inside my head for years to come.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven had a premise I had never encountered before - two lovers bound by their souls and a twisted curse that sees them chase one another through history, one of them killing the other before their shared 18th birthday in every life. But the problem is that Evelyn has landed in a life with a mum and kid sister she loves dearly. To complicate matters further, her beloved sister, Gracie, has been diagnosed with leukemia and Evelyn is the only match to donate marrow to save her life. However, her 18th birthday is approaching and she’s fearful that her lover will show up and end her life before she has the chance to donate her lifesaving marrow.
This was such a unique story and a page turner. We switched perspectives between present day and the lovers’ past lives but I was never bored. The author explored all of the emotional intricacies of the human experience thoughtfully and insightfully. The pacing was a touch slow due to this but not too much. The writing and poetry throughout were beautiful. I really enjoyed it, but there was one thing that didn’t work well for me. I struggled once we got the why, as it felt like a left turn and that part of the story felt under-developed. However, overall, I really enjoyed this story. It had heart and truly lovely writing.
With genre reincarnation, this could be booming. 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.
I am absolutely reeling from this book. I suspect I will take the time to write a better review once I’ve recovered but for now, let me just say this is one of the absolute best books I’ve read in a long time. I truly hope the author keeps this as a standalone because we don’t need to know anything else. It is so perfect the way that it is. I will think about these characters forever, and I’m so so happy that I got to know and love them.
“I love you and I have loved you and I will love you.” Xoxo
Thank you, #NetGalley and St.Martin's Press, for an advanced copy of Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven in exchange for my honest opinion.
Evelyn is not an average, typical teenager. She is not a "teenager" because she has lived for thousands of years. Each time she dies, she is born again in a new life. Right now, her goal is to stay alive past 18 because she must save her sister from cancer. The only problem is that while she is trying to save her sister, her killer is hunting her down without her even knowing it. Her hunter, the same person every year, is named Arden. She and Arden are her enemies, and she has fallen in love with him in past lives. Does she currently feel that way in this life? Evelyn does not know the answer to that, just like she does not know why Arden keeps killing them. To find out why, read Our Infinite Fates today with Evelyn!
Laura Steven artfully crafts beautiful scenes throughout this book. The way she weaves each part of Evelyn and Arden's past is impressive and makes the reader want to know more.
#OurInfiniteFates #NetGalley
We’re following Evelyn & Arden who have met in every lifetime and in every lifetime they kill each other.
However Evelyn doesn’t know why Arden keeps on hunting her down so thats where the mystery comes in.
This reminded me of Addie Larue
old in many time settings, it was truly remarkable how the author weaved all of them together. The twists gutted me, then fixed me to make me whole again solely to leave me wounded in the next scene.
I am rarely as immersed in a book as I was in this. From the opening page I wanted to know everything. Who are these people, reborn every 18 years and why do they keep killing each other? Why do they seem to fall in love during most of their lives as well? I was enraptured by this mystery and the brutality and obsession between Evelyn and Arden. Evelyn’s voice is so clear and her hazy memories of past lives added to my intrigue.
The main action occurs in modern-day Wales, and Evelyn (in this life Branwen) awaits her 18th birthday with fear. She hasn’t encountered Arden yet, but knows they could appear anywhere at any time for her murder, but her 14yo sister, Gracie, is dying of Leukemia. Once she figures out who Arden is, can she convince them to let her live long enough to offer a bone marrow transplant and save her sister?
The writing in this was lyrical. And I got an especially strong sense of Arden’s artistic and sensitive nature, the prose and poetry, the interest in animals and botany. Evelyn’s continued ability to love and hope despite being murdered for centuries was beautifully heartbreaking. I could feel every bit of their tragic love story.
I was also SHOCKED by the final twist and did not see it coming.
A couple hesitations for me: I looked back at the plot days after reading and wondered what had actually happened. If I rated this simply on vibes alone, this would be a 10/10, but if I analyze it a little closer, I’ll admit I felt slightly distant from Evelyn’s emotions about family while feeling very near the emotions about Arden.
One other aspect that was difficult for me was the mental gymnastics it took for me to readjust to each past life. There are short chapters on the Western Front, in China, Africa, El Salvador, etc. These occur in different moments throughout history and that took some effort as a reader already. On top of this, I was never sure what gender or sexual orientation our two main characters (truly more non-binary immortal beings than humans) would be in each iteration. For some audiences this is a selling point, I know; for me, it felt a little like I got reading whiplash.
Finally, there was one vaguely open door scene and quite a bit of lust throughout the book. It’s marketed and written as teens/YA fantasy, but with that I’d probably recommend it to ages 18+. I’m aware I’m conservative in this regard.
The bottom line: I really loved this, but had a few minor issues that held me back from giving this a bright and shiny five stars.
“I love you, I have loved you, and I will love you.”
Officially me at Laura Steven after reading this book. Well I guess not technically since this is my first book by her, but you get the idea. It definitely won’t be the last though.
I had super high expectations going into this so I was really nervous it wouldn’t live up to them. But from the first chapter, I realized I had nothing to worry about. The book pulled me in effortlessly from start to finish and every time I put it down I was anticipating the next chance I would have to pick it back up.
Reading about Evelyn and Arden’s relationship really felt like someone had found the perfect and most beautiful way to show what soulmates are. And actually, I think it’s a testament to how good of a writer Laura Steven is that I was able to 100% believe in their feelings, even before the whole story of how they fell in love was told.
I also really just enjoyed the writing style. I know it’s something that might not be for everyone and I can just hear some people saying it reads like 2013 Pinterest quotes but I’ll have to politely disagree if that happens. Some of the quotes were so good I literally had to stop to go back and highlight them - which is something I’ve never done on Netgalley. I will say there are some run on sentences here and there that made me thought I missed a period, but I really don’t care about that sort of thing much.
Even the aspects of this story that I did not think would work for me did; specifically flashbacks, which I usually loathe reading. It was hard not to love them when they were written so well though. Not only did each one manage to add layers to Evelyn and Arden’s relationship but even the time periods they were in in each one felt like I was directly transported to that time. The amount of research that went into different time periods and cultures during them definitely shows, and definitely pays off. Even the ways the characters spoke was tailored to fit the time period of each flashback.
AND THE LAST FLASHBACK?? Nearly threw my phone straight across the room and risked waking up my whole house just so I would have someone to tell. Just when I thought we had all the answers we were hit with that and it just added a whole extra layer to an already gorgeous story.
WAIT I THOUGHT I WAS DONE BUT I CANT NOT MENTION THE ENDING!!! The last line specifically - gutted. Gobsmacked. Absolutely perfect.
Overall, I don’t know what to say other than read this. Actually, it was so good you may have to download Netgalley right now just to apply for the arc because I cannot wait until March for people to be talking about how good this was. For now, I’m going to give it a 4.5 but that might go up when I sit with it for a few days.
~🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ . 5~
I received this book as an ARC.
Wow, this book really put you through the emotions. Quite unlike anything I’ve ever read, I devoured this book as followed the journey of the FMC and MMC through time. I found their relationship to be heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time and only made me like them more.
Easiest five stars I've giving in awhile. I was instantly immersed in the worlds of Evelyn and AArden.i loved the back and forth timelines. I will definitely be recommending.
Absolutely loved this read! What an intriguing and unique plot. The writing was impeccable with wonderful character development. Definitely recommend!
This was the most original romance I've read in a long time. The plotline initially intrigued me and it didn't disappoint as we learned Evelyn and Arden's love story throughout the ages. I laughed, I cried, I screamed (you know at what) but overall, I loved it. There were points where I would have liked the story expanded on a bit (especially when we got to The Underrelm) but as it is YA, I'll forgive it. That ending was bittersweet and honestly a bit gut-wrenching.
How do I start?! The premise of this book, my goodness. They marry and on their wedding day they are forced to kill each other, and repeat this cycle in every life before their 18th birthday. I loved it all, from start to finish. Our Infinite Fates was so beautifully written, I was hooked! You could feel the love these characters had for each other from the very first page and all I wanted was for them to have a happy ending. The story’s progression is slow and as we reach the top, it’s like watching a thriller where if you blink you’ll miss the most important scene! I just loved everything about it!!
Evelyn and Arden have loved each other in every lifetime and in each lifetime, they are fated to kill each other. Evelyn doesn't know why this is their fate, but when her path crosses with Arden yet again she is determined to find a way to change their destiny.
I enjoyed reading Evelyn and Ardens story and particularly enjoyed seeing the chapters that showed their lives in different eras. You see how they are drawn to each other in every lifeline and how they meet their end. When you are in the current lifetime you see, Evelyn is determined to save her sick sister and in doing so she has to find a way to elude her fate. As Evelyn digs deeper you learn about how they ended up with this tragic fate.
This was a quick and enjoyable read.
Devastatingly beautiful, heartbreaking, epic, and yet searing hopeful. What a book! This is going to be an instant classic. I fell in love with Evelyn and Arden and their journey through time and am still thinking about it days later.
OMG I finally was able to read it! This book was my most anticipated books to read! I couldn’t wait for 2025 but I’m so happy that I was able to read the advanced copy of it!
Two souls that reincarnate for a thousand years, love each other, find each other but before they turn eighteen, they have to kill each other.
Arden and Evelyn have been in love with each other for… well, for a very long time, hundreds of lives spent together in all of the parts of the world, they had different bodies, genders, names, backgrounds, stories… even lived apart for a long time before meeting, but in every life, Arden was able to find Evelyn and before their eighteenth birthday, they had to die from each others hand.
Through the book, we have a Present Day, a story about a girl named Bran, she lives a normal life with her mother and little sister Gracie that has cancer. Bran remembers a lot of her past lives and knows that Arden will find her soon and kill her, their eighteenth birthday is around the corner but Bran needs more time in order to save her sisters life by donating bone marrow.
Bran sees Arden in everybody, afraid he’s hiding somewhere close and waits for the perfect time to kill her and reincarnate again and again… but Bran is sick of it, she wants to live, she doesn’t understand why Arden has to do it…
So, who is Arden in the Present Day? Will Bran (Evelyn) get her answers of why he is hunting her? Why he has to kill her while the love they have for each other is bigger than the universe? Did they make a deal with some old gods, witches or maybe with the devil himself? Will she be able to trick him, or maybe convince him to continue living this life?
In the book there are a lot of time jumps into their past lives, we learn who they were, how their love was growing, in each chapter there are small hints of ‘why’s and when’s’ …
The story and the idea of the book is PHENOMENAL!!! I adored each chapter!!! Such a tragic love story, full of hope and trust! Arden was my favorite character in all of their forms.
However, I have to put my two cents because for me, the book wasn’t a complete 5 stars as much as I wanted…
I feel that the ending was rushed! The last few chapters when we finally understand the “Why”, I just didn’t like it, it didn’t click with me… Evelyn’s true Mother, why it was so rushed and short?! Thousand of years, hundreds of reincarnations and just as Arden enlightened Evelyn, so simply and fast they resolved the issue?! (I’m trying to write this review without any spoilers).
No, it was strange to me… and so easily giving up on their Love? I honestly didn’t like it, I expected more, expected the plot to be more complex and unique giving such an amazing story of love and reincarnation !!!
Also, with such a unique, deep and profound love, I expected to have a little spice and it was none! I understand it’s a YA book, but honestly, with such a plot, it NEEDED to be an Adult Book!
<b> <i> Publish Date: March 4, 2025 </b> </i>
<b> Thank you @NetGalley for an eARC of this book! </b>