Evelyn and Arden have been in love for countless lifetimes. The catch: Arden kills Evelyn each time before they can turn eighteen. And she has no idea why.

This story follows their modern lives, with glimpses to their past lives and the love that they shared. The prose moved me beyond words over and over again. The themes of life, loss, love, and sacrifice are strong throughout the book.

With jumping timelines it can be tricky, but Laura masterfully weaves each iteration into the story. It is so interesting to see what Evelyn and Arden have dealt with in each life, and how their paths cross.

The love that these two share was both so clear and yet so layered. Evelyn is desperate to know why Arden kills her in each life, and the journey to the truth was long and yet rewarding. How all the chips fell in the end was a perfect summation of the characters and their undying devotion to each other.

This was an easy five star review for me, because I was moved in every step of the journey. That is a skill that is undeniable. I know that I am now a lifelong devotee of Laura Steven's work.

A beautiful concept. The struggle with pain, loss, love, and family was felt in every life portrayed. I liked that Evelyn wasn’t aware of the why and it gave myself a curiosity for the why also.

Evelyn waits and hopes with every life Arden won’t find her. But he always does. It’s as if there’s a tether tying them together. Always finding one another no matter what. Always before or on her 18th birthday. This time she has something to fight for. Her sister is sick and needs her, but Arden should be close. This will be the life that won’t end the same. She will live to save her sister.

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and Laura Steven for the advanced reader copy.

QOTD: What would you do if you could live thousands of lives but would be killed before you turned 18?

4.25!

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

I honestly was not expecting it to be this good??? like, I was expecting it to be good, enjoyable but not to this extent because honestly I was so invested in the story, the very idea and the concept of the storyline was so unique and interesting and I truly thing the plot was the aspect of the book that kept me hooked throughout. While I loved the concept, the execution could have been a bit better. The pacing of this book was also very slow. Yeah, yeah, I finished it in 2 days but that's because I pushed through, otherwise the pacing was slow but I found it enjoyable. The writing style was very fun to read. It wasn't like Addie Larue, I would say but it did have a similar vibe which I enjoyed reading and yeah this was heartbreaking!!

"I hope you never lose that bottomless love. I hope you hold onto what makes you human.”

So basically, Evelyn and Arden are cursed. This shit made me feel so claustrophobic because I felt like I was stuck and I wanted to escape but I couldn't so Arden has to kill Evelyn before the age of 18 and if she dies, he dies and they both get reincarnated in another era, in another life and this cycle keeps on going on and we're pretty much like Evelyn because we're not getting any answers and it was so frustrating to read because I wanted answers so bad!! I liked how it was divided into the present perspective and the past perspectives which took us through the journey of some of the eras they were reincarnated in and tbh the way it was written made it so interesting because it gave us glimpses of their relationship and it kind of took our mind of the questions we had and I liked it.

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

Evelyn, Our main character, and uff her story was so frustrating to read because she's the one who's killed in every lifetime by her lover and she's kept with these questions as to why all this is happening and Arden just tells her to trust her and that the outcome of letting her live over 18 would be worse and ahhh I had no idea how she was trusting him because if I was her I would have not but thank god I'm not in fantasy but I felt so bad for her because she was a very loving character and she fell in love with each of her family over the years and she was taken from there and placed into another family and it just hurt to read that. Arden, at first it was very hard to like his character because we didn't really know why he was doing all of the things he was doing but then slowly we learned and it made so much more sense, I loved the dialogues that he dropped, the swoon worthy moments but I also liked how heartbreaking all of this was for him as well. I just don't understand why he didn't tell Evelyn all of this.

"If a hero is someone who will give up love to save the world, then a villain is the reverse. Someone who will give up the world to save love."

The romance, was well written, I really enjoyed reading it, fated mates with slow burn and kind of enemies to lovers and with angst so that was very fun to read, the sad moments blend in here so well and the yearning was one of my favorite parts. I didn't really focus on the romance more because I was way more invested in the plot of the story and the romance as subplot felt good and shaped the story to be better but if romance is supposed to be the main plot than yeah I dont really think it was developed that well for me to be invested in it like that.

Overall, it was a really enjoyable read!

Where do I even start?? Our Infinite Fates weaves the most beautiful, heartbreaking and powerful story of love through millennia I’ve ever read. Two souls who are destined to kill each other in every lifetime, yet are so deeply connected by a thread of love.

Laura Steven does an incredible job keeping the story moving forward, while managing to give us a rich history of these two people’s tragic fates through time. I didn’t see the twist coming as to why Evelyn and Arden were in this endless cycle, which was such a cool way to bring everything to a close. The whole story was set with this magical realism/historical vibe, but the end brought the fantasy element into the world and I absolutely loved that! I was feeling my feels there at the crescendo of their story, almost bringing me to tears.

Seriously, what a gorgeous book that reminds me so much of Addie LaRue, but I think I may have liked this even more! This was shorter and faster paced, which I appreciated.

Please do yourself a favor and read this book asap!!

SOLID 5 STAR READ!

Evelyn and Arden became one of my all time favorite couples! I got to fall in love with them in every life, eighth alongside them. It’s beautifully written, and sometimes their heartbreak became MY heartbreak ; just as much as their happiness became MY happiness. I had the pleasure of receiving this ARC and immediately ordered a physical book, something I only do with books that live special in my heart, and this book definitely does.

This book tore me down and built me back up. Just do it all over again. And again. This book describes a soul deep love surviving over a tortured millennium, reincarnated over and over just to be repeatedly taken away without answers, full of pain, rage and so many questions. One of them remembers it all and the other is stuck fighting for the truth. Fighting for the love they have never been allowed to watch mature. "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." As macabre as their tragedies are, Evelyn is so pure and hopeful. Her strength carries them through it all. I cried many, many times over these pages. This story will live with me for a very long time. "There was always Arden. There would always be Arden.... No matter how twisted and broken, we were the one true constant, our love like a river wending its way through the earth year after year, century after century, growing deeper and wider with every twist and bend."

Thank you so much #netgalley for this ARC opportunity!

Thank you to St. Marten's Press for my copy of OUR INFINITE FATES. This one publishes March 4.

I really really enjoyed this book. It's got love and poetry and heartache and characters you will be obsessed with. If you know me, you know I buy THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE for everyone I know, this one just might get added to that list too! I can't wait to talk about this book with everyone.

This was a good book. Though not my type. I was definitely sold on the blurb saying it has the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue feels, and I can see it, but the feelings were not there for me. I wish I actually read this with my eyes, instead of doing an audio book. The narrator was great, but the story itself was a slow slow burn. And repetitive.

The whole point of the plot is that these two souls are intertwined, and they keep finding each other every lifetime. And then they kill each other. One keeps saying that they are doing it out of love. But no more is told. And that suspense eventually lost its steam. I can imagine having to want the answer for ages.. I couldn't do it. But the fact is, they do love each other, and their love is fated. One of them just can't remember how or why.

The fact is, it just felt like it dragged out for too long. Yes, the writing style is very comfy and lyrical. It's a beautiful flow of actions, and not one of the typical YA drastic quick changes to what everyone is doing. Though that feeling of needing to change everything was there. Kind of an old soul in a young body, In the end the explanation wasn't clear, or the reasoning. And I really didn't care about this love story. It left a bit of a unsatisfyed taste in my mouth. It is what it is.

Still, I can see how the romantic souls would yearn for this kind of love story and how it will be a big hit. I'm just not one of them.

Five stars. Atmospheric. Romantic. Devastating.

Evelyn and Arden love each other in most lifetimes, but they kill each other in every one. Evelyn can’t remember what twist of fate tethers them together, and whether Arden is their greatest love or their greatest enemy. As they reckon with all their past lives, Evelyn is desperate to stay alive in this one to save Branwen’s (their current form’s) sister. Containing sentences and sentiments that will reverberate through lifetimes, this book is a worthy read and a definite recommend.

I want to start off by saying the writing itself is BEAUTIFUL.
STUNNING. GORGEOUS. I want to tattoo the quotes all over my body so that I can read them forever.
However, I do have very mixed feelings about this book as a whole. This is the premise of my dreams, which led me to have very high expectations and it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, but unfortunately I think the execution fell flat. The pacing caused many parts to lull for me to where I was not fully engrossed in the story and kept setting it down. Then the structure of the story jumping back and forth between flashbacks and the current timeline caused it to feel very repetitive.
Despite that though, I still felt ALL the emotions which is a key point for me in liking a book. It was achingly romantic, DEVASTATING, and tender. So many quotes that just gave me goosebumps and stole my breath and it left me with a cavernous hole in my chest. a true testament that LOVE transcends all.

RATING BREAKDOWN
Overall: 3.75 rounded up to 4
———————-
Characters: 4
Setting: 4
Plot: 2.5
Pacing: 2.5
Themes: 5
Romance: 4
Emotional impact: 4
Personal enjoyment: 4

Our Inifnite Fates had so much promise but ultimately this one just wasn't for me. I appreciated all the past lives being told throughout the book as it gave a glimpse into the souls of the tormented characters who had to die each year at 18 but ultimately it just felt sloppy with there being so many stories and details from the past. I also just didn't feel a connection to the characters like I had hoped to and I think this took away from the overall story for me. Emotions are high in this book and I really do think other readers will love it and love the characters and learning about all their past lives.

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

Evelyn and Arden meet in every life no matter who they are or where they are. Every time, in a different body, they are destined to be together but also to kill each other without any exceptions. Evelyn has never seen a day more than her 18th birthday. But in this life her sister has leukemia, and Evelyn is the only donor available. The surgery must happen before her 18th birthday. She has to find a solution before she meets her fate.

I really liked the idea. It’s was so original and amazingly well written. I often felt like I was reading poesy and it was very immersive. I also really liked the background of both characters and saw them in different versions. I liked how the story goes back and forth between the present and the past.
The biggest problem for me was with the story. I didn’t feel like there was one. It was a lot of telling and not much of showing. Beside the chapters in the past and Evelyn taking about her family and the fact that she is gonna be killed by Arden and trying to find a solution, nothing really happened. I feel like the story is missing something. It’s was beautifully written with a lot of emotions, but didn’t really connect with the characters or what happened in the story. I loved the explanation but it happened a bit too late in the story.

Overall, it was a good story and would still recommend to others because of the originality and the way it was written.

Our Infinite Fates is a tragic love story of sorts with a dark twist. I enjoyed the style of alternating between the present and the past as a way of revealing a little bit about the characters and their relationship little by little. However, I did feel like the pacing was a little slow, The writing has a beautiful lyrical quality to it that complements the many lives that the two characters have lived. The story illustrates how important it is to experience things and love to feel like you have truly lived.

"To love was to live, and to live was to die"

Our Infinite Fates is a heartbreaking tale of love and death, and finding each other in every lifetime. The pacing was well balanced with a pretty equal divide between reading about present times and a look into our characters stories in many of their past lives. It was easy to become emotionally invested in their story and overcoming their fates.

The closure at the end was satisfying and I'm excited to read more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for a copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.75 Stars

When I heard about this book's concept of reincarnating soulmates destined to kill each other in each life I was immediately intrigued. I love a good soulmate/fated mates concept and I was so excited to see the love and yearning in this book.

The interwoven past and present timelines were interesting and I think the plot and eventual reveal as to why their lives have ended up the way they did was fascinating and I enjoyed the plot. The concept was something fresh that I hadn't read before, and I could not put this book down. Each chapter left my wanting to read more and get to the end of the story and the writing was beautiful. I do felt like i understood Evelyn and the characters were all very memorable.

Despite all the reasons that I really did enjoy reading this book, I couldn't give it more stars because at it's heart this book is supposed to be about love, and it is, but the foundational relationship between Arden and Evelyn wasn't actually showcased in the novel. We are told again and again that these two characters love each other, have loved each other, and will love each other, but we don't actually see their blossoming relationship or see their romance unfold. In each past timeline we get glimpses into their past relationship, but it usually is at the very end of their current life when one of them is about to kill the other and they have already been in love. I would have loved to actually experience their love and relationship with them, not just hear about how much they love each other right before they die. Even in the present timeline we don't see them fall in love in a new life. I understand it's to move the plot forward with the looming deadline, but I feel like we were robbed as readers from seeing their actual love story unfold over the centuries. And because of this, the ending wasn't as emotional or compelling as it could have been, as the romance holding the story together was more telling than showing.

Thank you to Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book hoping for pain and angst and longing and got all of that and so much more! The two main characters are destined to reincarnate and one will always kill the other in every lifetime. But one has more memories than the other from previous lives. As the reader, you are slowly given trickles of memories through the author bouncing from present day (2022) and continually back further and further in past lives. The way this story revealed itself was phenomenal. The pain and love built itself with these two people over hundreds of years, forcing you as the reader to feel EVERYTHING for them both and want so much more for them than what each life they lived was giving. The reveal late in the book about the "why" of it all was nothing short of jaw-dropping. I literally gasped in the middle of the night reading and dropped the book for a couple minutes to give myself time to process the revelation of it all. I would highly recommend this story for lovers of "The Invisible Life of Addie Larue." The vibes are very similar and this one will not disappoint! Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an ARC to read. All opinions in this review are my own.

I’m not quite the target audience for this book and therefore I feel a bit bad about giving feedback in general—I liked a lot of what this book did; the writing of the past lives is very evocative and it’s easy to lose yourself in them, but at times the book edged a bit too much into melodrama. I did love Evelyn’s family, especially her sister, and the fact that Evelyn & Arden were gay so often was delightful. I think if I were a bit younger and a bit less aromantic I would’ve eaten this shit up, though. Teen readers will love it (and less cynical adults will too).

I much prefer this book to the invisible life of Addie LaRue. Love the concept of their dates intertwined and the mystery of all of it. I wish we had more backstory on their love than just a few pivotal moments. The ending did feel a bit rushed.

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for the Advanced Reader’s Copy.

“[…] to be human was to love and love and love, knowing it could only end in tragedy.”

I really thought I would love this book, but I unfortunately struggled to connect with the characters given the nature of the story. Flipping back and forth between timelines and different stories made it difficult for me to believe in their love. I couldn’t feel their love for each other the way it was intended.

I truly understand what the author tried to convey, I just don’t think that this story was for me. Some of the prose was beautifully written, while some of it fell flat.

The present timeline was probably the hardest for me, with how the events unfolded. Gracie was probably my least favourite character, and I can’t for the life of me understand why Evelyn loved her so.

“for even when a star does perish
its light burns on for millenia”

What if in every lifetime, you're reincarnated with your lover... but you both have to kill each other before you turn 18 for thousands of lifetimes. Evelyn and Arden were lovers, lovers who are now cursed, Arden has to kill Evelyn by her eighteenth birthday every single lifetime and they are reincarnated all over again. In every lifetime, Evelyn forgets Arden but Arden remembers every single lifetime... but she begins to get glimpses and bits of their lifetimes together. He has never told her why, why he has to do it by her eighteenth birthday, why he has to kill her, and why despite it all they still love each other. Yet now in their current lifetime of 2022, Evelyn is determined to end the cycle, she wants to save her current sister and she has to find a way to get Arden to finally reveal the truth... and to finally put an end to it for both of them. Evelyn is determined to save her sister, to save her and Arden, and to finally have the life and love she's always wanted... but prying answers from Arden is like pulling teeth and when she finally learns the truth... it might break her. Oh I absolutely adored this book. It reels you in, the romance is absolutely amazing, and the yearning and angst, it was too good. I loved the twist of it all and I would highly recommend this book!!! It's a beautiful read that calls to the romantic in you.

Release Date: March 4, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*