Member Reviews

Y’all!!! This book is so beautiful 😭😭😭 - the cover AND the story!!! Frankly, I’m just speechless. Do your heart a favor and read this book.

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

I was hesitant to try this one because everyone is comparing it to Addie LaRue, and while I liked Addie’s story, that book was way too slow for me.

This one however, was perfection. A love story that transcends time, death, and fate. We learn about Evelyn and Arden’s past lives as they keep getting reincarnated…destined to be together, but destined to kill each other, and each life has its own beautiful tale.

In the present timeline, Evelyn is determined to break her curse, and stay alive to save her sister. The revelation of WHY they are cursed is SHOCKING! And I mean JAW DROPPING ! The ending was so satisfying!

This one will definitely be a favorite of the year, and one I will think about often. It’s such a beautifully written story that will touch your soul .

Was this review helpful?

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven is a captivating YA fantasy with decently strong world building and layered characters. The plot is engaging, filled with twists and emotional depth, though at times it feels a bit slow paced. Overall, if you are a YA fan, you will probably like this. Thank you to SMP and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I definitely have some mixed feelings about the book. The concept is SO interesting and the writing was beautiful, but I felt like the pacing was off in parts. The premise is two lovers who are continually reincarnated and destined to kill each other in each life. The story is told in alternating timelines between the present, where they live in Wales, and their previous lives spanning all over the world. I guess I felt like their previous lives began to get a little repetitive, and in the present timeline it took forever (more than halfway) before we started get any information about why they were stuck in this loop. The conclusion was good and we do know everything by the end, but it felt rushed to me.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. This was my first 5 star read this year, and I won't lie, I am skeptical of any book compared to The Invisible Life of Addie Larue because I gave that book a 2/5, so I was extremely caught off guard that I truly loved this book.

ALL the goods:
- First and foremost, ALL questions are answered by the end. I think this might be my favorite fantasy standalone because I felt completely resolved by the end of the book, even if you have to fill in a blank about the after the book moments, but not in a way where there appear to be a million paths.
- I loved how the time hops went and how everything was fluid.
- This book has a twist I didn't see coming at all and I was completely caught off guard and loved every second of it.
- The idea of having a finite amount of time in life is explored thoroughly and I appreciated the author's creativity of how each life was addressed.
- Evelyn and Arden's characters are fully fleshed out by the end. I had a lot of questions, but the pacing was enjoyable enough that i never got bored.
- Lastly ( a 6th point, wow, I don't think I've done that), the family of Evelyn were great additions to the story.


Overall, if youre looking for a fantasy standalone, try this one.

Was this review helpful?

I want to say Thank you for this Arc. The cover is beautiful.

I was drawn in by the premise of fated to fall in love, fated to be killed by love.

I really enjoyed the build up of the story. The back and forth of the timelines to show their stories.

Overall, I didn’t really connect with the story. I felt the end was rushed a bit.

Was this review helpful?

Our Infinate Fates is a story about reincarnation and the love between two souls who find each other in every life they have, only to have to kill one another before their eighteenth birthday. This is a viscous and painful cycle for both Arden and Evelyn.

I found the reincarnation aspect intesersting, that is until it became extremely repetitive to the point where Arden and Evelyn would have to kill one another over and over again with the same outcome. After the first few I feel like the reader can grasp that yes, this kept happening for years and years…let’s move on. Their tie to one another was strong but their bond and connection was so overly explained that it lost its meaningfulness in the story.

I did enjoy the historical aspect of it. The inclusion of different setting and times made the book magical but the cycle of their deaths became redundant that it took away from the story as a whole. It made the book drag for most of the until the last chapters.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC.

Was this review helpful?

I have mixed feelings. I think I went in thinking this was a fantasy book, and it’s more magical realism.. (I’m not sure but it was def not fantasy in the way I thought it would be). I like the premise, but I’m not sure the execution is there.

Arden and Evelyn are bound together by fate, to love each other and cursed to kill each other before they turn 18.

I thought this would be more of an epic, emotional romance, but even with the flashbacks, we don’t really get to know the characters well or see their love story, so it’s hard to fully invest in the characters. The flash back scenes are enjoyable but a bit choppy. My favorite timeline is the present one, where we see Evelyn trying to protect her sister.

Was this review helpful?

4.5 🌟

This book was so so good! The absolute YEARNING that the main characters had was unreal. I have never read something like this, the way their love transcended thousands of years no matter what was truly breathtaking.

I LOVED our FMC, the way she was always putting others before her and not in a bad way, just in the way that she felt everything so deeply and she loved with all her heart knowing she would lose time and time again. I felt very connected to her and could feel the way she was hurting for always loving too much. One of the strongest main characters I have read about.

Also, the writing was so poetic and beautiful. I highlighted so much of this book and could honestly tattoo so many quotes on myself. Truly recommend this book so much!

Was this review helpful?

4.25/5 stars

The concept and intrigue of this book were excellent, but the pacing and resolution could have been executed a little bit better.

In addition to the book’s compelling plot, I completely fell in love with the author’s flowery prose and the powerful romance between Evelyn and Arden. These stronger elements pushed me to continue reading this story even when it dragged on at times. I finished every chapter wanting more, even though some of them nearly lost me, especially the lackluster final reveal surrounding the origins of the curse.

Still, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

THIS BOOK. I could not stop telling everyone about this book as I was reading it. Bran is about to turn 18 and has remembered that someone is coming to kill her before her birthday. This person is her soul mate and love of her lifetime. It’s happened over 1000 years where they have hunted and killed one another and she doesn’t know why. She happens to like this life and wants to try to break the curse but she needs to know what’s causing it first.

This beautiful book retells this love story throughout many locations and decades. The ending was just WOW. I loved this one and couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Was this review helpful?

A friend recommended I check this book out because she knows I am a fan of Taylor Swift. This book was so great and I think even those who aren’t Swifties will enjoy this book so much.

It is such a unique plot and absolutely tragic love story! I am excited to tell everyone about this book!

Was this review helpful?

This book was utter perfection. It gave the atmosphere/vibes of Addie LaRue with a deeply romantic story a la The Hundred Loves of Juliet but with a very dark twist. I loved the way the multiple timelines of Evelyn and Arden’s love story were threaded together and I loved the poetic language and beautiful worldbuilding. It was full of yearning and took us on a true JOURNEY. I loved every second of it.

Truly I don't even know what else to say - this book is a new favorite

Was this review helpful?

A fantasy book about two souls who reincarnate through the centuries, only to love and die by their 18th birthday. Evelyn and Arden love each other in a thousand lifetimes, only to die by each other's hands every time. She remembers each of her past lives and how she and Arden are tethered together in love and survival. This time around, she is not ready to leave, she is the only one who can save her sister's life through a bone marrow transplant. This time, she must break the curse and try not to fall in love.
I found this story to be both mesmerizing and intoxicating. These two souls connected for eternity, destined for love and betrayal. It was beautiful and heart-wrenching at the same time. I was captivated from the beginning and didn't want to put it down. I wish the ending had been little more fleshed out, as it feels like by the time you understand, it's over. This book left me left me wanting more. I adored it, a must-read!
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 Stars - Our Infinite Fates is a time-bending novel that immediately throws readers into its nonlinear structure, reminiscent of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. While the comparison is understandable, this book carves its own path with a different approach to love, fate, and the passage of time.

The story follows Evelyn as she's repeatedly murdered in every lifetime and wakes up in different timelines and locations, with little initial explanation as to why. This fragmented structure can be both intriguing and disorienting, especially in the beginning, as the book relies on its atmospheric writing rather than exposition. Evelyn’s relationship with Arden is central to the narrative, yet it feels more told than shown, making it difficult to fully invest in their connection at first. The repetition of Evelyn’s circumstances also slows the pacing at times.

However, the novel’s strengths lie in its poetic prose and the philosophical undertones woven throughout. The excerpts from the “unknown author” add a lyrical depth to the story, offering thoughtful reflections on existence. The plot twist and later revelations help bring the narrative together, making for a satisfying second half.

Overall I think it’s worth picking up for fans of lyrical, time-spanning stories.

Was this review helpful?

I Loved This

I was SO excited when I was approved for not only an e-ARC, but also an ALC!! This is one of the best things I've immersive read, and the narrator (Sofia Oxenham) had an absolutely gorgeous voice. She is honestly one of the biggest reasons I'm giving this 5 stars. Don't get me wrong - the writing is beautiful as well, and I absolutely love Steven's prose. But Laura's writing with Sofia's narration???? Holy cow was it amazing. I haven't felt this compelled to read in a hot minute and it was refreshing to be this obsessed again.

I loved that we were introduced to Evelyn and Arden in this "modern day" iteration of themselves, and we would have a couple chapters in the present day, then get a chapter flashback of one of their previous lives. Steven did a really good job weaving in just enough information with each flashback to make us fall in love with these characters even more, and really want to root for their romance. I really wanted Evelyn to figure out why they were stuck in these loops, and why they couldn't survive passed 18. I think she also did a really good job setting up their lives in present day (at least Evelyn's) so the reader felt attached to their current selves and it wasn't just another cycle.

My one gripe is I didn't feel as if the twist, or the reason they're stuck in this endless cycle, made sense. It felt very out of left field. While it wrapped up nicely in the end, when it was first introduced it felt very WTF. I wish there were more easter eggs sprinkled throughout the story, so it didn't feel as if it was randomly chosen to be the reason why they were stuck. Besides that, I loved the rest of the story and no other criticisms.

This was beautifully written, and I don't often reread books but I can see myself rereading this one - especially the audiobook.

Thank you to Laura Steven, Wednesday Books for my eARC, Macmillan Audio for my ALC, and to NetGalley for the review copies. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This book was beautiful. The story is a beautiful tale of 2 souls who are destined to kill each other in each life.

What would you do if you were destined to kill your soulmate every year before your 18th birthday for centuries?

Swoon, I really loved getting to see Evelyn and Arden come together in so many different ways and in so many lives. I listed to the audiobook and tandem read the book and the audio narrator was perfect. The ending was perfect and the reason for everything came together perfectly. This was just the right about of romance and magical realism. I fell in love with Gracie and was just as obsessed with her story.

Was this review helpful?

This book really surprised me! I thought I would enjoy it, but I didn’t think it would really captivate me as much as it did. For anyone worried about the YA aspect - this book reads more adult. The only thing YA about it is the characters are under 18.

It was beautifully written and really thought provoking. I found myself enjoying the descriptions of past lives and all the adventures the characters had prior to present time. The storytelling was engaging, and easy to follow. I’d recommend this to anyone!

Was this review helpful?

Nope. Addie LaRue this is not. Look, I know it has big shoes to fill, but you sign yourself up for that when you compare yourself to a 6 star book like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, so you can't get upset when it is and it pales in comparison.

When this book first popped up on my radar, I was so excited. I even forgot I received an advanced copy, saw it was a Book of the Month option, and excitedly bought it to realize it has been sitting on my Kindle waiting to be read this entire time.
Also, just so you are aware. I went in fully not expecting it to be as good as Addie LaRue, but I was hoping it would at least help fill the void. Unfortunately, it didn't. I could have stopped reading it and been totally fine not knowing how it ended, but I was curious to see if the ending would redeem itself...and it didn't.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

Was this review helpful?

Our Infinite Fates is a breathtaking, time-bending love story that weaves together romance, destiny, and the haunting weight of reincarnation. Evelyn has lived—and died—many times, always at the hands of Arden, a supernatural being tied to her soul. But in this life, everything changes: Evelyn remembers. She knows Arden will come for her, but this time, she’s determined to break the curse. With her little sister’s survival on the line, Evelyn embarks on a desperate race to uncover the truth, face her fate, and resist the one person she’s doomed to love and lose.

Laura Stevens masterfully blends poetic prose with heart-pounding suspense, crafting a novel that is equal parts intimate and epic. The chemistry between Evelyn and Arden is electric, full of tension, longing, and the aching push-pull of star-crossed lovers. Every past life is a puzzle piece, building to a climax that is as devastating as it is beautiful. I cannot recommend this book enough, it is unforgettable and will linger in your soul long after the last page.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Our Infinite Fates was so unique and beautiful!!! This book covers topics of soulmates, reincarnation, and gender fluidity while incorporating detailed aspects of history.

To start off, the writing was so so lovely. I really loved all the unique words the author used as well as their descriptive writing was very enjoyable to read. Next I absolutely LOVED the plot and overall concept of this book. I’ve always loved period pieces so reading all the past life flashbacks that took place all throughout history was very fun for me. The author also seemed to do adequate research on the time periods, languages, architecture and more, everything felt very realistic. The concept of being reincarnated into other lives was enjoyable and honestly not a huge topic discussed in books. I really loved the aspect of our main characters Arden and Evelyn loving each other but also having to kill each other in every life because it created a sad but romantic read.

On top of the interesting plot, the author also deeply dived into the gender fluidity topics. Both Evelyn and Arden were reincarnated as both boys and girls throughout their many, many lives but still loved each other nonetheless. It really proved the author’s point of loving someone based on their soul and personality not on looks or what not. It was really beautiful seeing how they traversed these different lives and unique conditions (as lgbtq+ relationships were looked down upon/not allowed in a lot of these time periods) but still managed to love each other despite it all.

I liked that throughout the book the reader was left in the dark as we read from Evelyn’s pov and they were also left in the dark about why this whole reincarnation and killing thing was happening. However, I feel like it took awhile to get any sort of answer. It may have been more interesting if little pieces were put together throughout the novel however that just didn’t happen as much as expected. Due to this I felt like it caused a very rushed and sudden ending where everything was revealed at once. However, I still enjoyed the ending and was satisfied with how the book played out. It was definitely a plot twist and not what I expected at all. But it was really sad but still beautiful.

To me this book also had good sized chapters. Never too big or too short. It felt mostly fast paced which helped keep me entertained and made it easy to keep up with and understand the plot

This book was a 4 star read for me mainly because it just felt like something was missing. While I really enjoyed it I just didn’t love it. There was nothing outright wrong with it because I did really like it but I feel like some sort of element should have been added to make it a 5 star. I don’t know what but something needed to be there. I also feel like I wasn’t as connected to the characters as I could have been. I think that probably is due to the constant flashbacks, the changes in lives and names. It was a lot to keep up with at times which made me feel a little disconnected.

I would also like to add that this book is marketed as Young Adult. However, despite the characters only living until 18 in each life they have still technically been around for 1000s of years. This book also does have some sexual scenes and explores heavy topics as well as explicit scenes of war and torture and nudity. So I would market this book more at lower new adult rather than YA. The characters definitely didn’t feel like teenagers due to their constant reincarnation.

Overall though, this book was unique, diverse, beautiful, and very interesting. I really enjoyed the entire process. I definitely recommend if you enjoy unique books and books with historical elements as well as lgbtq+ rep. Excited to read more by this author in the future!

Once again thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital review copy!

Was this review helpful?