3.5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for an eArc and a chance to read this book.

When I saw that this was like The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, I HIGHLY anticipated it as that book is of my favorite reads of 2024. The synopsis alone is one to grab you and make you interested in the story. I enjoyed the book a lot especially with that plot twist reveal.

Now, while I enjoyed the book, there was one big thing that I really didn't like. The flashbacks that occur throughout the story were good at first because they kind of give clues to what's going on. It was also nice to see how different lives influenced them in present day. As the story goes on, however, I feel like they were really randomly placed and made no sense as to why they were there. It really took me out of the current day story line. I kept asking myself "was there a part of the story that I missed?".

I feel like if some parts were taken out and rearranged this would be a phenomenal book. The writing was really beautiful but was distracted by the layout of the story in general.

Laura Steven sells you a promise in “Our Infinite Fates.” She tells you that you’ll fall in love with our two leads who are destined to live infinite lives together, loving but killing one another over and over. However, just like one of our MC finds out when he makes a deal with the devil (it’s cool, the devil is a woman!), the promise comes with a few strings and is more trouble than it’s worth.

That’s where I find myself here, moments after finishing what I can confidently say will be the worst book I read this year. Infinite Fates is pedestrian, confusing, and sold as a lie. Let’s break it down piece by piece!

It’s a YA, so you’re bound to find some of the dialogue childish but Steven has created characters who seem to be modern no matter the time or era they’re in. It’s also rote in some places and overdramatic — our present day character has lost her father, grandparents, and her sister has leukemia. And, the man she loves (?) is lurking around and ready to kill her days before a bone marrow transplant to save her sister. Gee whiz… give these people a break.

The author’s gravest crime, however, is how this book is marketed — you’d think you’d be following two characters falling in love and then having to kill each other, but it’s actually a cat and mouse game with one taking the charge over millennia. Our “girl” character who sometimes is a man in certain lives is almost always the victim of Arden, our second lead. Feminism doesn’t exist in this world. Maybe that was bargained away so these two could live, laugh, love infinitely? You the reader have to do so much work to find any of this interesting, including reading these vignettes of past lives where the same thing happens over and over, expect one time they speak a different language in between speaking English. Also sometimes they’re in cold places and other times in warm. Otherwise the same thing. Yeah, I don’t know!

Sorry, this is a complete wash. Maybe I can bargain with the devil to get my $20 back for buying the book… even though I also received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

Damn, I was supposed to be asleep 6 hours ago but instead it's 4:30 am and I had to stay up to finish reading this. So, you know, one of those books. Would give 10 out of 5 stars if I could, truly. I want to clutch this book to my heart. It's probably one of those that will stick with me forever. Also, lovely LGBT+ rep in its reincarnation plot, as they're always reincarnated in different bodies with no pattern to gender, and have a brief discussion about whether they feel like a girl or a boy that was really well done.

Highly recommend this book if you're a hopeless romantic like me who loves ages-spanning, fated love stories with a queer twist.

Content warnings: death & murder, references to domestic abuse, medical trauma, forced institutionalization, some period-typical homophobia.

I enjoyed Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven! It’s a beautifully written, emotional story about reincarnation, fate, and an eternal love that constantly pulls the characters together, even when they’re destined to tear each other apart. The writing is lyrical and so immersive; I loved how the author described their world—it really drew me in.

I was a little unsure about the repeating reincarnation cycle at first, but as the story went on, I found myself invested in Evelyn and Arden's journey. It definitely got emotional towards the end, and I didn’t see that twist coming, which hit me harder than I expected! It’s a great mix of romance, fantasy, and a bit of heartache. While some parts felt a little slow, overall I thought it was a gorgeous and heartbreaking read. If you love a good love story with a twist and appreciate lyrical writing, this one’s definitely worth checking out! Thanks NetGalley for the early copy!

I absolutely loved and enjoyed this book. Beautifully written, great plot twist, and heart breaking! Some similarities to other books (as many have mentioned) but honestly, I like that sometimes because if I enjoy a certain book and want to read something similar then it's super great to have that option! Not everything needs to be tremendously different. I loved it. Super emotional and lovely. Highly recommend.

Thank you to SMP and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I just finished Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven, and it’s a beautifully written, unforgettable story.

The book follows Evelyn and Arden, two souls trapped in a centuries-long cycle of love and tragedy, where their lives are intertwined with heartbreak and death before they turn eighteen. This time, Evelyn is determined to break the curse and save her sister, making the story as much about family and resilience as it is about love.

Laura Steven’s writing is captivating—lyrical and evocative without ever feeling overdone. She brings such a richness to the settings, blending history, culture, and fantasy seamlessly. There’s a depth to the story that makes you think about fate, free will, and the choices we make in the face of impossible odds.

The characters are what really drew me in. Evelyn and Arden feel real—complex, flawed, and deeply human. Their journey across time is both heartbreaking and hopeful, and the twists kept me turning the pages late into the night.

If you enjoy love stories with a touch of magic and a lot of heart, Our Infinite Fates is well worth picking up. It’s a story that lingers long after the last page.

#BookReview #OurInfiniteFates #LauraSteven #FantasyReads #Bookstagram #ThoughtfulFiction #TimelessRomance

Pros:
The cover is gorgeous
The plot twist I did NOT see coming

Cons:
This felt very slow, very repetitive. I was not a huge fan of the Invisible Life of Addie La Rue and I felt that this did a lot of telling and not as much showing. The plot also took forever to move, constantly going through flashbacks but I never really felt anything for either of the main characters.

thanks for allowing me to read.

Thank you Wednesday Books for the gifted copy.

Our Infinite Fates
Laura Steven
Publishing Date: March 4, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was initially drawn into this book because of the cover, but I stayed for the vibes. This book is beautifully written with poetic and lyrical prose throughout and plenty of impactful lines to tab and highlight.

Evelyn and Arden have lived many lives and have killed each other in every one. This book is romantic and mysterious as we travel the world over many timelines seeing Evelyn and Arden in their many lives. The highlight of this book was the story of love in all its forms and without conditions. As Evelyn and Arden lived a new life, time and time again, their genders were fluid and ever changing and it just didn’t matter. The odds were always stacked against them and their love transcended it all.

This book was on track to be a five star read due to its pure beauty, but towards the end things shifted in a direction that just felt a bit out of left field for me. The pacing throughout was on the slower side and in this end section it felt like everything happened all at once. I’m not sure what I did want from the ending of this book, but what transpired just didn’t hit right for me, personally. Despite this, I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it!

Amazing! Honestly this book is breathtakingly beautiful. Heartbreaking, wonderful and just perfect. I will never recover from this book it’s everything and more!

3.5 stars rounded down to 3

Romance isn't my go-to genre, but this book hooked me. From the beginning, I loved the way the author used similes and metaphors to describe scenes in a simple yet gorgeous and effective manner. Some reviewers disliked the chapters showing glimpses of Evelyn's previous lives, but I really enjoyed them and thought they brought the story and characters to life. However, these chapters could sometimes introduce new information a bit too quickly and resolve points of tension in too much of a hurry, but they were still enjoyable.

The messaging could be a bit heavy-handed and repetitive, the author falling victim to telling instead of showing, and I was a little frustrated at how heteronormative the romance felt. I appreciate the idea of two souls loving each other in reincarnations no matter the sex/gender, but the more masculine character played a more traditionally masculine role and vice versa for the feminine character. Even their names are traditionally gendered. I might be too picky about it, but I just didn't get the point of calling it a queer romance when the only thing queer about them depended on which body they had in a past life.

The twist at the end came out of left field, and not necessarily in a good way. It felt like a TV series randomly introducing aliens after two seasons in a world without them. As things developed further, it all made a bit more sense, but it still left me with a sour taste. And I honestly could not explain the ending to you if I tried, which isn't a great sign.

That being said, I did find it an enjoyable, addictive read with lovable characters and a heart-wrenching story (or multiple stories). I do recommend this book, even if you - like me - don't usually read romance.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved the the different lifetimes and finding out how exactly these two people came to meet again and again. I wanted this book to never end. Seriously amazing twist on the how and lovely ending. Will be reading this author again.

I think I wanted to love this more than I did. The romance felt a bit more telling instead of showing and I wish we learned more about their connection and backstory.

I couldn’t put this book down. The plot balances the characters and mystery plot in such an easy way, creating a steady progression of the story that had me not wanting to stop as we unraveled the history of their lives.

I loved how the story was structured, going back and forth between her current life and past lives - with her past starting with the most recent past life and progressively going backward.

The chapters never lingered too long and the past lives never felt repetitive. Each one was an insight into Evelyn and Arden, while working backward to the why of it all.

I was nervous near the end because I felt I needed just a little something more - and I had to remind myself it was a YA book with the reveal, which honestly wasn't the best - but the last two chapters brought it back for me.

I would love to see some bonus content from Arden’s POV. I don’t think there was any real way to do it without giving anything away, but I would be interested to see some of the lives from their side.

I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to see with the author write in the future!

I’m so sad that I didn’t enjoy this one’. We never learned how the characters fell in love, we were just told over and over that they loved each other. It was hard to be invested in them since we weren’t shown their love. The writing also felt like it was trying too hard to be poetic while still coming across as juvenile. Most of the time I was annoyed with the characters and their lack of communication. The plot twist/big reveal was ridiculous and I didn’t care for it at all.

After initially hearing about this book after seeing a video on social media of the author describing the book, I IMMEDIATELY ran to NetGalley to put in a request. I knew going into this book, I had high hopes and that I would likely find myself with a new favorite book or possibly a bit disappointed. I'm so happy to say that this book was everything I'd hoped it would be!!

Our Infinite Fates centers around two souls who are repeatedly reincarnated and destined to kill each other in every new life. This book was so creative and so well done that I couldn't put it down. I wasn't sure at first about how everything was coming together, but by the end, it felt like everything was wrapped up in such a satisfying way. This is easily one of my top reads this year--guaranteed.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really love the concept of this book . I was so hooked from the beginning, like the first chapter came out with a bang, and I was so intrigued to find out what happened. The pacing was a little bit slow but it kind of makes sense in terms of building up to the end.

the love these characters had for each-other was so beautiful to read about. they’re the definition of “us in every life”.

unfortunately i didn’t really love the execution of the ending. it felt anticlimactic for this story. we get so invested in evelyn and ardan and there is so much build up in him stressing that she won’t want to know why they have to keep killing each other that the ending felt underwhelming. this is one of those times where i think i enjoyed the journey more than the destination.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

The way I cried when I finished this novel...........reading this book was like being stabbed in the heart repeatedly but loving it the whole time. Incredible five star read that also has some truly fantastic LGBTQIA+ representation and a plot twist that will leave your jaw on the floor. Love, love, loved this book and I know everyone will be talking about it when it releases in 2025!

Beautifully written, poignant, a love that transcends time. Written in the present with glimpses of past lives lived sprinkled throughout. A mystery overall and a quest to save family. A story of loss and hope. Definitely gave The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue vibes. Heart wrenching and devastating poetry throughout the pages. I loved every second of this story.

The concept and premise of the story is incredible that’s the reason I requested on NetGalley but omg the execution is so bad like really bad. I really wanted to love it in the beginning (I was bored) then I started to like it in the middle of the book then I really really don’t like it after that plot twist wanna be weird reason 🙄 Last two chapters kinda saved it from hate read and being 1⭐️ lol

I was provided eARC by publisher through NetGalley and this review is purely my own opinion.

I wanna talk about what I like about it first. I genuinely love the concept of the story and it’s the reason I was so excited for it. Two soulmates destined to love and kill each other in every lifetime 🫠 oh yess baby!

Ps: It might sound crazy but I remember couple of my past lives in detailed way, I am mystic and I believe and practice esoteric science. So for me this book should be everything (but it wasn’t lol) I loved reading about the heaviness and painful interception of remembrance and awareness of it , that was truly beautiful. I genuinely liked Arden as a character and current timeline was little bit interesting. These are all the things made me keep reading. (yea like nothing lol)

Now I am gonna talk about what I didn’t like it. I hated Evelyn character so much omg she was insufferable and has no character depth, very very flat. That plot twist exactly who she was completely opposite to her character and it didn’t make any sense (I hate inconsistent writing) When I read that plot twist I felt strong revulsion toward the story. I hated the main villain called “The Mother” what in the inverted evil shit is going on (as I said I am a mystic)

Moreover the present timeline left open ended in a very abrupt way and we have no idea what happened to Evelyn family 🙄 I still don’t understand why Evelyn and Arden love each other!? I didn’t feel anything of their love, so much more telling and no showing going on. Their past timelines didn’t make any sense in the story and it didn’t add anything to it. Seriously it was such a bad writing, yea author can write cool concept and cool poetic wanna be prose but she can’t write emotional weight of the story and plot. It was giving “I have a concept of the plan” but execution was six feet under and honestly disappointing as hell.

I think the last two chapters saved from 1⭐️ to 2⭐️ I like the conclusion of it.

Yea so much telling happened and nothing felt. I think I am not equipped to be arc reader because I hate every time I do it.

This is a tricky one to rate. The writing is honestly fantastic, (4.5-5*) but the story did not drive into me the same way similar stories have. I feel like this book could have benefited from being longer to flesh out the plot at the end more. Also I wanted to know what happened to Gracie!! That felt kind of unfinished. I think I’d give it a 3.5 overall, but was generally enjoyable and I will be looking forward to the authors next release