This book is quite possibly my favorite read of 2022 so far. It is heartfelt, nuanced, heartbreaking, and altogether the perfect YA contemporary. I have never read a book from the perspective of a child who was born out of assault, and after reading this book my worldview has changed for the better. Love Times Infinity is a much needed reminder that no matter where you come from or what makes up your past, you are good and deserve love. There was so much that I loved about this book!! From the Percy Jackson references, to the too real pain of college applications, to the super adorable romance that was perfectly paced throughout the book, to the group therapy scenes, to the amazing friendship between Michie and JoJo. I flew through this at a rapid pace and it will definitely be a book that I reread. Readers will inevitably finish this book with an increased sense of empathy and love for those around them. I cannot recommend this book enough!!!!

his book was absolutely amazing! Mitchie's journey to self love and accepting the love she deserved was incredible. She had such a supportive group of people around her and they were all so patient and understanding. The romance was super sweet. Derek is a complete cinnamon roll!!

The book also dives into some heavy topics, namely: rape/sexual assault, abortion and depression. So be aware of that going in.

I felt the author did a great job balancing the heavier topics with lighthearted moments, leaving the book overall feeling hopeful.

I'm definitely excited for whatever Lane Clarke publishes next!!

Before I get into this review, please know that this books deals with incredibly difficult topics (child sexual abuse - mentioned & abortion discussions), so check the full content warnings before diving into this one.

I knew going into this book that it would undo me, but I still wasn’t ready for the experience. I won’t be able to do the review justice, but here we go.

Love Times Infinity is a harrowing and poignant coming of age novel that centers the many definitions of love as well as its messy consequences.

Michie is such a complex and compelling character. Michie’s battling with college admissions while trying to grapple what her identity means to her all while trying to understand why she’s been dealt the life cards she has. Throughout the entire story, I felt her pain, her joy, her guilt…her emotions are so incredibly raw, and I couldn’t even imagine trying to process what she’s been through.

Derek was the perfect complement to Michie’s character. Dealing with his own grief and pain, he’s able to relate to Michie in ways that others couldn’t. Their relationship is by no means easy, but I very much enjoyed watching them learn from each other when it comes to grief and healing.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Michie’s support system that she had with both her grandmother and best friend especially with Mitchie trying to understand her mother’s abandonment.

If you’re a crier, get the tissues ready.

A huge thank you to the author and Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It's junior year, and Michie's college essays aren't writing themselves. To be fair, they aren't supposed to, but she can't seem to be able to answer the prompts. These essays want her to dig deep and define who she is, but it's hard to do when she doesn't really know the answer to that question. But along comes Derek de la Rosa, the cute new basketball player that has taken an interest in Michie. Michie believes that love isn't something she's capable of experiencing, but Derek is hellbent to prove her wrong. To add to Michie's stress about college essays, her estranged mother reaches out and wants to see her. She must decide if she's willing to reopen old wounds or close the door on them for good.

This was my most anticipated release for this year, and it certainly did not disappoint. This coming-of-age debut novel had me laughing, crying, and wishing I had a group like Michie, Derek, and JoJo. They're all flawed but oh so realistic. Michie made for an incredible narrator, and I loved being inside of her mind throughout the course of the story. The budding romance between Derek and Michie was very cute, and I found myself rooting for them through the whole book (and cheering when JoJo fulfilled her meddling duties as Michie's best friend).

Despite having an adorable romance, Love Times Infinity does not shy away from difficult topics. Clarke navigates topics such as sexual assault, abortion, guilt, and finding yourself in a difficult world masterfully, and each topic is addressed in a way that is acceptable and educational for both young adults and older readers. Content warnings from the author include: depictions of anxiety and depression, discussions of sexual assault, discussions of abortion, alcohol use, discussions of alcoholism, parental abandonment, grandparent's death (backstory, off page)

Love Times Infinity releases July 26th, so preorder your copy today or save the date and buy one on release day!

Love times Infinity is a romcom, found family, and coming of age YA Novel. And although I enjoy all those things, they aren't what sold me on this novel. No, what I loved the most about this novel is the progression of Mitchie's character. She begins this novel in therapy confronting her trauma and her decision to attempt the past year. And while Mitchie struggles throughout the novel to shoulder her pain alone she also makes two best friends out of Jojo and Derek. I loved watching Mitchie as she decides to trust both of them. This novel has some heavy topics but Love Times Infinitely is a must read!

TW: Discussions about sexual assault/rape, abortion, depression, anxiety

How can I wrap this one? Ugh.
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This is so beautifully written. It gave me lessons about life and my heart can't handle it. We have a lot of struggle talking about heavy topics like depression and sexual assault, and the author has written it so carefully, choosing her right words on how things should be handled. She creates Michie, a character who represents every young person, particularly black young people, who faces struggles like Michie. I love how she expressed it through this book.
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Michie is absolutely brilliant, and I love how she grows deeper as a person. She grew up with her grandmother, her own mom rejected her, many things happened at school, she got overwhelmed by everything. At first, it was really difficult to handle, but she's been trying to hold it together and be strong for herself. I love that the author adds inside thoughts for Michie because it helps me more as a reader to understand how she thinks about the situation.
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As for the romance, Michie and Derek are so perfect. I love how understanding Derek is! UGH! Such a gentleman! Lane Clark literally made me fall in love with Derek from the very beginning.
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Overall, this is a strong book with strong black characters. As a debut from Lane Clarke, it's so bold and good to read these kinds of books! I can't wait to read more of her work in the near future!

Woah. Just woah. I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked this book up and it put my emotions through the wringer. Which I am grateful for. LOVE TIMES INFINITY was such a perfect mix of cute, heartbreaking and hopeful. It discusses some really horrid topics, the main of which is being a kid born as a result of rape, the immense trauma that comes with it and how it shapes you as a person. This is a topic I had never read of in a book before and I am so grateful the author wrote about it and shed a light on something that many still consider taboo.

Michie is such a great main character to follow. She's real, breaking and healing at the same time. Her character journey and growth are amazing but not perfect. Because perfection is never the point. I also loved the conversations on identity, economic disparities, family, friendships and first loves. The romance was so wholesome, it warmed my heart. This was just such a well rounded and balanced book. I don't have a single negative thing to say about it. I'm going to be thinking about it for a long long time.

“Loving people is how you get hurt.“

[…]

“You’re damn right,” she says. “You will break every piece of yourself loving someone deeply. But you’ll pull yourself back together too. It’s scary and terrifying and out of control. But you don’t have to be afraid of it. You’re worthy of love, Michie. But it’s on you to figure out who’s worthy in return. You get to decide. Only you. This is your life. “

~

Friends, I was so kindly provided an arc of Love Times Infinity by the author herself, Lane Clarke, and it was a wonderful, thought-provoking read.

High schooler Michie has a lot going on. She’s been estranged from her mother since she was a child, and said relationship(or lack of) has taken an incredibly heavy toll. Not only that, but she’s at that delightful point of life where it’s time to start seriously looking into college. She wants to go to Brown, but she needs a scholarship to do so. And with all of that going on, comes cute as hell Derek de la Rosa. How dare this fine young man appear when Michie is already on such shaky footing? He’s cute, and sweet, and Michie desperately wants to let him in, but she carries a pain so deep that she doesn’t know how. And then, without warning, her mother reaches out. Gone is the tentative balance she’s struggled so hard to maintain.

In Love Times Infinity, we watch Michie navigate an overwhelming hurt that constantly brings to question if she has what it takes. Clarke takes from her own personal experiences what it’s like to live with this hurt, and puts to words so beautifully Michie’s story of falling and getting back up, and how hard it is to keep trying when it seems so rough. In fact, Clarke wrote an article for TIME that you can find on her socials that goes into this book and her own experiences that I encourage you to read for context and further understanding.

While the topics of this were much heavier than I anticipated, it was still lovely to read Michie put one foot in front of the other, even when it hurt. Thanks so much to Lane Clarke for sharing this part of yourself with us!
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Content warnings: depictions of anxiety and depression, discussions of sexual assault, discussions of abortion, alcohol use, discussions of alcoholism, parental abandonment, grandparent death (backstory, off page)

Immediately I loved Michie's internal narration voice. The way we can hear the doubts we keep to ourselves. The fears we voice when no one can hear us. Right afterwards, I fell in love with her friendship with Jojo and the ways in which friends can see us in a way no one else can. They're true friendship goals! Love Times Infinity is a moving story about acceptance. About not predicting our own doom before it happens and about changing the ways we see ourselves.

It can be difficult to filter out what we think others think about ourselves. But ultimately all we have control over is ourselves. The thoughts and perceptions we hold. Love Times Infinity is a story about family and people which choose us. Who make us realize that family is about who is there for us, not necessarily the ones we think we should have. Throughout the book, Michie is struggling with her own feelings. The guilt we feel and choices which began before us.

Thank you very much to Lane Clarke, NetGalley, and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for giving me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When Lane Clark reached out to me to pitch her novel and to ask if I would be interested in reading it, I knew from her email that this was a book I wanted to read. She does a great job writing about tough topics such as rape, abortion, suicidal ideations, and more without making these topics the only thing for readers to focus on when following the journey of the main character Michie.
I would have preferred if the book did not focus on having a romance occur, and to have it be mainly a book about friendship, character development, and relationship building. While Clarke has all of these in significant detail, I felt like the romance was. a little forced even though it took place gradually throughout the book.

Regardless, this was a very heartwarming read with a story to embrace: a high school teenager overcoming adversity and finding her place in the world.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Whew we went through a ride in this book.

Love Times Infinity is a coming of age YA contemporary about high school junior Michie. She has big dreams of being the first in her family to go to college and has her sights set on Brown University. But she still hasn't figured out what to write about in her essays. She also has an undeniable chemistry with the new basketball superstar, Derek de la Rosa. Then her mother unexpectedly reaches out. Michie isn't sure how to navigate all of this and with looming deadlines finds herself even more lost.

This was not always an easy book to read because of the topics discussed. Namely abortion. Michie has personal views about it and I'm not certain if they conflict with mine, but her feelings about the topic are incredibly personal and complicated. Which knowing her circumstances is very understandable. I'm really glad I read this before this SCOTUS decision this week, because I don't think I would've been able to finish this now. Clarke takes a lot of care with the topic and it was treated with respect, but it will nevertheless be hard to read for some.

Now, the whole book isn't about abortion, but it does come up a couple times. So does rape/sexual assault. Please be mindful of the topics this book centers on and whether you can actually handle this material.

Michie was a wonderful narrator. I really felt for her. She has struggled with parental abandonment and what family means for a long time. She is in therapy, but knowing something logically and emotionally are two different things. I really liked the journey she went on in this book. She shows a lot of growth and I think it's only the beginning for her. I kind of wish this would have a sequel where we could see her at college continuing to grow.

I really enjoyed the romance in this one too. Derek was so sweet and I'm here for the soft boys. I want more love interests like Derek!

Rep: Black/biracial cishet female MC with anxiety, Black cishet male side character, various Black side characters, various white side characters, side MLM couple.

CWs: Abortion (as a topic), rape (as a topic), mental illness (anxiety), grief. Moderate: alcoholism, sexual assault, abandonment.

Found in one of the books synopses: Content Warnings: depictions of anxiety and depression, discussions of sexual assault, discussions of abortion, alcohol use, discussions of alcoholism, parental abandonment, grandparent death (backstory, off page).

Such an adorable, no pressure YA read. This quick read did a good job of exploring broken people. Unconditional love is difficult to accept when you are created out of violence. It's like the brokeness is at the mitochondrial level.
I appreciate the author not side stepping mental health. The side characters of the RPE therapy group was a positive.

The cover is nearly spot on with the exception of Derrick not having a head full of curls or his freckles on display.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Young Readers for an early copy! All opinions are my own.

Let me start off with you need to read this book. Okay, onto my review. When Lane Clarke reached out to me on Instagram, I was a little skeptical to read the book as I am transitioning out of YA contemporary books. The book is set in Richmond, VA, which is where I grew up. I did get a few laughs out of the blatant call outs about RVA (you did great research Lane!). The author really did hit the nail on the head about RVA.

I absolutely loved this book. It was about heartbreak, trauma, therapy, and most of all, love. I think I really connected with Michie because I've gone through trauma (and second-hand trauma). My trauma is not the same as hers, but I felt some of the things she felt in the book. I've done therapy. I've done EMDR to process my trauma. Throughout reading Love Times Infinity, I felt like I was heard. I was reading a book that I saw myself in. Honestly, I could probably go on and on about how much I loved the book. I'll leave you with this: the main message of the book is to love yourself and make peace with yourself first before trying to make peace with your trauma.

I went into this book expecting a cute teen romance/ coming of age story and while this book met those expectations it also past them. Lane Clarke manages to write light-hearted fluffy scenes as well as emotional and darker-toned ones. The strongest points of this book are of the relationships the characters form. Michie's friends aren't just side characters but people with their own voices and lives outside of her. The way they support and understand each other made me think of my best friends. It warmed my heart so much! And of course, I have to gush about Michie and Derek. A soft handsome jock with a heart of gold is my weakness and Derek fits that to a T. The way they grow into each other felt so natural and made me kick my feet with giddiness. And the handling of mental health brought tears to my eyes. So rarely do I see books that talk about the helpfulness of therapy and how it feels going through it. And to see it in a book aimed at a teen was inspiring to say the least. It was such a joy to read this book.

This is definitely a "slice of life story with big feelings" book!

Once I had a moment to sit down and truly read this story, I was quickly invested in Michie’s story, her growing attraction (and returned attention from) to new kid, Derek, her relationships with her best friend Jojo and her grandma (who was in every sense of the word what a mother should be, nurturing and tough love wrapped in one) and her group therapy crew.

This story wasn't without its hard truths and somber moments that brought tears to my eyes, but at the end of it all, there is an underlying message of hope. That we are deserving of love, and in many (most?) cases, that love is there and present even if it doesn’t take the form we think it should or push it to have.

It’s been a while since I’ve fallen in love with a YA novel and it’s been even longer since I’ve got my head out of the clouds with Black romance BUT Love Times Infinity was the perfect read for me to dive back into YA! Thank you @lanewriteswords @netgalley and @liftle for the gifted ARC. This novel publishes 7/26/22 and I truly think you should read it.

While it was much heavier in topic than I bargained for, I quickly appreciated the way Clarke tackled these subjects. I think readers, especially young readers, will take away the positive display of therapy and it’s necessity to assist those in working through trauma. I think young readers will see the need for friendships and having people in your life that see YOU, that can encourage you to be your best and allow you to be vulnerable as well as show compassion through the ugliness of life.

I don’t think I could adore Derek anymore than I did. Slow budding romances are my thing! This young man was something else and such an unapologetic gentle soul with Michie. Derek used his life experience in his approach with her from day one. He matched her tempo, he opened up to her, he respected her boundaries and guided her from his perspective. Our young readers need characters like Derek, especially our young male readers.

Michie’s growth from the beginning warmed my heart. She’s got a long way to go in dealing with her trauma but we see her tackling these things more towards the end of the book head on. She has support, she learns to lean not on her own understanding but that of her therapist, that of her grandmother’s, that of her friend’s. She learns to listen and she learns she is worthy of the love she craves.

I highly recommend this YA novel. It covers some pretty strong topics so I recommend checking out content warnings before starting.

Love Times Infinity is a book about family, friendship, and realizing that you're not just your past experiences.

Michie lives with her grandma. She moved in with her when she was 5 years old and her mom gave her a choice. Michie's mom got pregnant after being raped at 15. She kept the baby, but she also resented her. Michie was a reminder of the worst day of her life and she didn't know how to be a mom. She was smart and had goals for college and her future. Being a mom wasn't a part of that. Because of this, Michie struggles with self worth. She figures that if her mom can't love her, then no one can. She doesn't think she deserves it and pushes people away. JoJo is her best friend (I loved her) and she has been with her through everything, including the previous incident (see warnings below). Michie goes to group therapy and it helps, but she is having a hard time believing that she even deserves to go to the college of her choice. A new boy at school, Derek, starts spending time with her. It's obvious that they both like each other as more than friends, but Michie is afraid to give in to love. Derek and JoJo both have their own family struggles that they're dealing with too. When Michie's mom says she wants to see her, Michie has to figure out if it will be worth the pain. She struggles a lot, but she has her grandma and friends that love her unconditionally. They're her biggest cheerleaders.

I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

Warnings for depression, anxiety, death, parental abandonment, sexual assault, abortion, alcoholism, wanting to die.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

This story is described as "the swoon of Nicola Yoon meets the emotional punch of Elizabeth Acevedo." To me, it leans a lot more towards the emotional punch, and I'm not at all mad at that. I actually really appreciate the themes the author explored. The heaviness of one topic in particular puts the romance on the back burner. It's there and it's cute, but big picture, this is a story about discovering self worth and learning to let go of things that aren't your fault and that you can't control.

What I do really appreciate about the development of the relationship between Michie and Derek is how seamless and natural it was. It didn't feel rushed or unequally yoked like some romantic relationships in other books. I love Michie and Derek together. He was so caring, understanding, encouraging, and didn't push or try to guilt her into being who he wanted her to be. They both helped make each other better. We love to see it!

Now the meat of the story...wow. I felt for Michie. The way she is written truly had me feeling real life empathy for a fictional character. I don't care. She was real to me. Her pain was real to me. Her struggles were real to me. I felt like I was right there with her cheering her on. Speaking of...I am so glad the author chose to write this story with two incredibly supportive friends. Michie's best friend Jojo and Derek win the fictional award for being the greatest friends. I love that there was no drama amongst them and it was so evident that they wanted to see Michie happy.

Back to the heavy, but important topic explored in this story. I have never read a book with a character who was conceived because of rape. I mean wow I can't even imagine what that would feel like. This book gave me a small glimpse into those feelings, but no amount of empathy can really put me in those shoes. I love the representation of attending therapy. I know so many children are going to feel so seen reading this.

I definitely recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Poppy for the eARC!

*Thank you to Lane Clarke for an eARC of Love Times Infinity*

This book at it’s core is truly about love. It just isn’t exactly in the way you might anticipate or expect.

Love Times Infinity centers around Michie who battles with several demons stemming from a traumatic relationship with her mother. She often feels unworthy of love, and even life. As time goes on we see her go through the hurt and pain in hopes to come out on the other side of it with love and nurturing from her grandma, JoJo, and Derek.

What I loved about this book is that it intertangles romance with grief and heartache without the romance being a saving grace. So many books will have you believe that someone will come into your life and everything will fall into place and will be magically fixed, or that you can conquer anything with just that one person on your side. It isn’t always like that. We see Derek, who has demons of his own, care for and support Michie endlessly without him being the one who fixes her life. Almost everything Michie accomplished was because of her own perserverence and determination. (There was a little scheming from grandma, but it nudged her in the right direction and everything came together from there).

I think Lane Clarke did a wonderful job of showcasing that self doubt, depression, mean thoughts that you can’t easily escape from. This book is actually a lot heavier than I anticipated but I related to Michie heavily. Not only was she struggling so heavily, but we get to see her trying to be a normal teenager. She worries about college, she crushes on a cute boy, she tries balancing her friendship with JoJo, and so much more. It isn’t all or nothing with this book.

What I will say is that this book isn’t for the faint of heart. It isn’t strictly about teen romance with a little mom drama on the side. It deals with hard topics and lots of tragedy with sprinkles of everyday life.

I hesitated from giving a full five stars because two things made me a little uncomfortable. The first was the basketball striptease. I was so not interested in reading about that happening at a high school event between teenagers. So that part had to be skipped. I felt a little better knowing the boys did it behind the coach’s back or without the school’s approval, because otherwise it could have felt quite creepy.

The second one was the discussions around pro-life and pro-choice. There were times I was worried it would be a full-fledged pro life book. Although Michie leans in that direction, I don’t mind it so much because of her situation. Her feelings are absolutely valid. I also like that she has her beliefs and doesn’t force it onto others. That would just be something I couldn’t get behind or support. Instead it is mentioned and gives more insight into the hurt Michie feels without being overwhelming. It only made me uncomfortable because as I kept reading and falling in love with the story, I just wasn’t sure if it would ever come up and become a deal breaker for me. Thankfully that wasn’t the case and I think most pro-choicers like myself can still read this and not feel like an agenda is being pushed, while also providing some insight into an alternative perspective. I’m still firmly pro-choice but it doesn’t seem so definitive now. I can understand why someone in Michie’s situation would feel that way, and I respect her even more for being respectful towards others who disagree.

Overall I really loved this book. Derek was a very sweet guy and I loved his adoration and patience for Michie. I think Michie was wonderful and showed just how difficult it can be to struggle with invasive thoughts. As someone who was raised by their grandma because of having a teen mom, I really appreciated this story. I also loved how it wasn’t an ending you expected. Because things don’t magically work out. And sometimes you don’t get the results or answers you wanted, but it can still bring some peace. That makes this story so honest and real.

Trigger Warnings: mentions of foster homes/group therapy, SA, slurs, poverty, alcoholism, death, depression, mom abandonment, abortion, suicide, and premies.

TW: Depression, Anxiety, SA
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I would like to first thank Lane Clarke for providing me a ARC of her novel. My expectation for this novel was a cute romance novel, but it was more. Not only there a romance, I really enjoyed how there is a deeper meaning in LOVE TIMES INFINITY. We follow Mitchie, as she is trying to figure out her future to go to her dream college, but she's struggling to learn to love herself. There are times where she was relatable, and I just really wanted to give her a big hug. Her growth was a main thing with this novel. There were a bit of romance which was slow burn, and really happened around 80% mark. The conclusion does leave open-ended, which I really did not mind, and just left me hoping that each of the characters find their own happiness.