Spoiler-free review: Our Infinite Fates
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Laura Steven is a creative genius and took me on an incredible journey with this novel. I absolutely LOVED this story and every substory within! I highly encourage everyone to read it when released next week. Our Infinite Fates is a stunning tale about the power of love, no matter the length of time, period of history, or bodies inhabited.

The novel follows a couple’s love story through multiple lives, each ending with death before they turn 18. Evelyn doesn’t know why Arden hunts her through every reincarnation, but decides in one life to do whatever she can to prevent this fate…

I absolutely adored reading about the progression of their love through so many different lives in copious locations. Only critique is I wish we’d gotten a little more depth earlier in the novel on *why* they were so in love because it was slightly hard to believe until the big reveal. Steven does an amazing job providing the backstory for their various relationships in all their past lives and I really enjoyed the bouncing between present day and all their pasts. Though certain bits were predictable, I absolutely did not expect a couple of things and was giddy with surprise!

Steven’s prose was beautiful and felt so raw and real. Each chapter was thought provoking and I found myself highlighting quote after quote after quote! The entire message surrounding love and loss and the human experience as a whole was beyond well executed. What is the meaning of life? How much loss can one survive? Is there such thing as a soulmate? This story was hauntingly beautiful and the most welcome reminder to make the most of every joy, no matter how small.

Thank you SO very much to Laura Steven, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the eARC - The opinions in this review are left here honestly & voluntarily.

Was a good easy quick read! I found the characters like able and enjoyed. I would recommend this to a friend and have a couple in mind that I think would enjoy it already

This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful stories I’ve read in a long time, with a uniquely-designed-to-cause-maximum-angst concept, and a deeply poetic execution that will have you sobbing into your own hands over these characters, these lifetimes, and this idea.

Not only is this gorgeously written, interspersed with snippets of poetry that belong in a museum of the most romantic things ever written, the concept alone is enough to cause immense psychological harm (in the best way) — two lovers, over 1000 years, are fated to kill each other in each lifetime. Do they love each other? Indubitably yes. Do they still end every 18 years with one of them dead at the other's hand, intentionally? Also yes.

There are so many layers here that make this a beautiful story, but the prose itself is top tier. The poetry! The history! The quotes that will live in my mind for all of time!! The only thing keeping this from a 5 star for me is that compared to the elegantly painful build up, the climax of the story paled a bit emotionally in comparison, landing a little on the corny side of what was otherwise a timeless classic — but the epilogue may be one of the most bittersweet, lovely endings to a story I’ve read in years.

Pick this up if you’re in the mood to cry, if you love the concept of star-crossed lovers, love a good mystery, can’t resist a beautiful love poem (especially ones that span 1000 years), and are also enough of a history buff to appreciate the sheer depth of this story, despite its brevity.

Beautiful, will haunt you for years to come, and is virtually unputdownable due to the lingering question — why do they keep killing each other?

I HAVE COPIED THIS REVIEW. I RECEIVED BOTH THE ARC AND ALC OF THIS BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR AND NETGALLEY.

What a beautifully tragic story of fated loves.

I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

At the beginning of the book, two young lovers are getting married. and then...BOOM... A MURDER! My heart was so wrecked for Evelyn and Arden from the first chapter. They loved each other so much, literally across time. Immortal and doomed to succumb tragically, their souls will find each other in every reincarnation. However, for some reason, Arden kills Evelyn, and she just wants to love him and live their lives together and raise children and grandchildren together.

This world was so amazingly written that I was invested in the story of Arden and Evelyn! The timeline jumps were made seamlessly and always give the reader a little bit more, opening the story like a flower bloom. THE END!! OMG!! It was not what I expected at all. I really enjoyed this book.

I also had the pleasure of having the audiobook, so the ability to read in tandem enveloped me in this very interesting world. The narrator, Sofia Oxenham, was so moody, and I ate her up! I loved the emotion she brought to the characters. She kept the weight of the book throughout. Great job!

Thank you, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books, and Laura Stevens, for the ARC of this beautiful book.

Our Infinite Fates was one of my most anticipated reads for the year, and I’m so glad it lived up to my expectations. I’m someone that cares more about if a book sounds interesting than the books it’s comped to, but The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue being one of the comps automatically piqued my interest because Addie was everything to me.

This is a book that’s better served by not knowing much going in, and it’s not something I can really dive into without spoiling it. So, I’ll talk more about the aspects of the story that I really loved rather than the story itself.

The prose was absolutely magnificent and delicious. I had 67 highlights in the book, and if I read it again, I’d probably find even more lines that stood out to me. The way Evelyn reflects on the human condition feels so removed and yet so close. I also had no idea how queer this book was going to be, but Evelyn’s remarks on gender and sexuality were refreshing. And Evelyn and Arden’s connection made me want to rip my own heart out of my chest. The amount of turmoil mixed with their love was both heart-rending and heartwarming. It made every time the story went into the past timeline so worth it to learn more about the way their relationship changed over time.

I won’t lie and say the book didn’t lose me a bit toward the end with the reveal, but the ending itself made up for any of my skepticism or lapse in enthusiasm. Overall, this story had all the hallmarks of why I love soulmate stories and doomed love. Fans of Aida and Hadestown will likely enjoy this one.

Actual Rating: 4.75

"And so, in the absence of any abiding religious convictions, this was the one blind faith i had: that love was a physical force, and it was never wasted. Once it was called out into the universe, it would echo back to us forever."

With lyrical prose, Our Infinite Fates explores love that is heartbreakingly human through a tragedy that transcends time.

Our FMC, Evelyn, is plagued with the knowledge that her soul is hunted by Ardan, our MMC, who is resolute in ending her life before their 18th birthday, just to repeat the cycle with no end in sight. They have lived and died for centuries in different bodies and different parts of the world, but one thing is consistent: Evelyn and Ardan must die.

We follow Evelyn, known as Branwen in modern Wales, intent on saving the life of another, even if she knows she cannot save her own. Time is against her with the clock ticking down to her 18th birthday, and she must find a way to save this life before Ardan takes her own.

"Because that's the thing about humans - we leave traces of our souls everywhere, as unique and identifying as fingerprints."

I adored Our Infinite Fates from the very first page. L. Steven masterfully and carefully crafted a tale as old as time: love. But what stands out is the attention to detail: the interwoven, countless lives our FMC & MMC have lived and died together. The flashes of memories give us insight into their deeply tragic backstory. We see glimpses of history, languages, and various cultures, but I loved looking into Evelyn and Ardan's souls in various times and places the most.

"My soul isn't rooted to any of them. I'm just me. No particular body feels more 'right' than the other, nor more wrong. They're just vessels. And with you . . . it doesn't matter to me how you look, what form you take. You're just you."

L. Stevens approach of these reincarnated souls stripped love down to its very roots: the soul. A love that isn't bound to physical appearance or gender, but rather the very nature of who they are at the root of themselves and what they mean, and have meant to, each other. I deeply love the conversations, both to each other and internally, our MCs have regarding love and attraction over the centuries, having worn various faces, identified as different genders, and their experiences as a result. It is an incredibly refreshing take on reincarnation stories I'm familiar with and allows the reader to fully grasp how innate and intrinsic their lives and love are to each other.

"This was all some cruel mistake. I was just a girl. A girl who wanted to please her Mother. A girl who wanted to let herself love, and to be loved in return. A girl who wanted to live. The most human things of all."

Our Infinite Fates is a mesmerizing story of love that feels both incredibly classic in its haunting and tragedy while simultaneously breathing new life into this tale as old as time.

5☆ overall.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC.

This book had so much potential but it completely flopped. I wish I had dnfed it honestly. The premise and the entire idea behind it is amazing and I thought I would love it especially as it’s compared to the invisible life of Addie larue. There was no connection between the characters in the present which was so frustrating as there was so much potential for a connection between them and for the reader to fall for them and get attached. The entire reasoning for the story was stupid and not well thought out and the ending was also rushed and didn’t have the impact it wanted to have. I wanted to love it but god the last 20% I was hate reading it. I normally try not to leave negative reviews but I just don’t have a lot of nice things to say about this book except the writing at times was very beautiful but unfortunately it couldn’t redeem the plot.

3.5 stars.
Two souls linked indefinitely and destined to kill each other in every lifetime. She only knows pieces of their past lives, but he remembers everything.

In her current lifetime, Evelyn is trying to make it just a few more days before Arden kills her this time - so she can be a bone marrow donor for her dying sister. The transplant is in a few days. In this present timeline, the main characters have played this cat and mouse game hundreds of times. There are a lot of flashback scenes as they find each other in different lifetimes and know death is imminent, which started to bore me halfway into the book since it was somewhat the same.

This was a highly anticipated release for me, but it left me disappointed. The premise is just so cool with high stakes. While the writing style gave off magical vibes similar to Divine Rivals, it just dragged on too much for me and felt repetitive. Evelyn’s relationship with Arden feels more like codependency or Stockholm syndrome, rather than Romeo and Juliet star-crossed-lovers. I wanted to DNF it, but I also wanted to know the “why” behind their cursed fate. Though that ended up disappointing me in the end.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

SIX STARS I was so lucky to get an arc of these I felt so deeply connected to Evelyn. I am often labeled as “too emotional and attached to people” and Evelyn shows me how that is a gift. This is the ultimate love story but it’s about so much more than that it’s about humanity and how our world is ever-evolving, but how in ways we stay so fundamentally predictable. We are all so connected in so many ways that we can’t even understand. Just one soul’s existence could have the greatest impact. This book really dove into that sense of urgency that comes with being human “to love was to live, and to live was to die”. And THE YEARNING!!! “Together we were sacrilege.” I am in awe of this book it is a gift. Thank you.

This book was highly anticipated for me and it did not disappoint! I loved following the love story across many timelines and seeing how their relationship developed. I also loved the twist at the end, which I did not expect! This author has such a talent for cinematic and lyrical prose. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish.

4.5⭐️3🌶️

YA fantasy Romance
Stand-alone
17yo MCs
Soulmates
Non-linear Storytelling
Hunter/Hunted Romance
🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 Narratives
Poetic
Historical Cultural Glimpses
Unique Plot

**The book covers a true historical timeline with every triggering societal issue you can imagine when it comes to non-cis love. It also has death, forced institutionalism, torture, cancer, attempted suicide/suicide idealism, kidnapping, loss of a loved one, and many more.

**This is on the spicy side when it comes to YA standards. The author notes on social media that while the bodies in the story are 17, the souls are over 1,000 years old.

I have to reiterate that this is a young adult book. The main characters are 17, about to turn 18 in every timeline. Within that context you see this story through the POV of Evelyn, and I think that is intended because they know less of their own back story than Arden. This does not feature the POV of Arden who struggles with knowing their 1,000 year timeline. This keeps the plot from being even darker and deeper than its intended audience.

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

Was this book perfect? No, not by a long shot. The characters, while rich and complex, felt as though there was a lot left unexplored. Their depth was there, but I couldn’t help but wish for more. Still, despite these gaps, it drew me in, and I was hooked.

One of the most powerful themes woven through the narrative is the idea of love transcending physical form—the idea that love is not confined to one body or one lifetime. It’s a notion that feels both timeless and profoundly moving. The thought of being able to recognize your soulmate, even in a completely different vessel, is pure, unadulterated romance to me. It resonates on a deep emotional level, tapping into that universal longing we all have for a love that outlasts time and space. That’s what made this plot so refreshing. It felt like a new perspective on an age-old concept, something I hadn’t seen explored in quite the same way before.

What struck me most was the sheer poetry of it all. And I don’t mean just in the literal sense, though the inclusion of poetry added a beautiful layer to the narrative. But beyond that, the writing itself exuded a kind of lyrical quality, almost like a rhythm that captured the aching, unfulfilled desire between the characters. Their tragic romance, filled with longing, loss, and the hope (and trepidation) of reunion, was so tangible. Every chapter that revisited their backstory was bittersweet. That longing made the entire journey feel profound and deeply emotional.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Our infinite fates was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and I was lucky enough to get an ARC from Netgalley. Unfortunately, I think I expected more. When I heard the plot of a tragic YA romantasy, I was sold. While the writing was beautiful and fully carried the piece, I found myself unable to connect to the characters. I usually love pieces by two categories, complex and lovable characters, and excellent prose. It had the prose, but the characters just didn't really get to me in the way I hoped. Nonetheless, I read the book in three days and was hooked to the plot, and the plot twist thoroughly shocked me. I'm giving this a solid 3.5 ⭐️

This book was a 3.5 for me.

As much as I enjoyed the premise of this book. It was missing that yearning that you would want from two beings who lived and loved each other through thousands of lifetimes.

The present day's chapters draw me more than the chapters that reveal their past lives. For me, the
different lifetimes don't connect well and don't make me feel like the present-day chapters do.

I wish we get more of the present day's chapters, more of their angst and yearning. More of everything that makes Arden and Evelyn who they are in today's time. In those few chapters, I rooted for them and hoped that through everything, their love remained.

The ending was plottin'. I can't say much. You'll need to read it to understand how plottin' it really was lol. I'm not sure if I really did enjoy that route. I wish this book were more than what it was because the premise was so good. It did fall flat for me, but I enjoyed present-day Arden and Evelyn. I wish we had gotten a bit more.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy, all thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed this book and really enjoyed Laura’s writing. It definitely gave me Addie LaRue vibes so if you enjoyed that, I would give this one a try! The plot twist towards the end absolutely caught me off guard and really took the story to the next level.

I did feel like because we were jumping lives so much, it was hard to feel connected to the FMC & MMC. I was not invested in their romance. I wish we could have gotten to know a few of the lives a bit longer to build that connection with them. I think that would have taken this to a 5 ⭐️ book for me.

Thank you so much to Wednesday books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.75 stars - The ending of this book really redeemed the rest. It has such a solid concept, and I was so excited to jump into this story. Unfortunately, it fell flat in may ways. I loved the chapters that went back in time to explore their previous lives, but I found myself struggling to get through the "present day" chapters. It felt long and drawn out. The ending of **spoilers** love being the answer to ending the Mother felt so cheesy, too. Overall, it was solid, and I can see some people really enjoying this book.

I really liked this book! Special thanks to netgalley for letting me read in advance. I loved how the author did not shy away from romance across different cultures and genders. The author definitely gave justice to all the cultures they were portraying. I also found the romance very heartwarming. It was more refreshing to see. The idea of loving someone for their soul resonated with me deeply. This book kept me wanting to know more about what was going on. The only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars was that somewhere in the middle it was a bit slow.

3.75

Two immortal souls tethered by love, yet destined to kill each other in each life. Evelyn has murdered or been murdered by Arden before they turn eighteen in each life but Evelyn has grown particular fond for her most present life especially since her sister Gracie requires Evelyn's bone marrow to live.

The premise of this was so unique! Each time we were brought back to one of their past lives, the writing really set up picture-by-picture of what life they were living years ago. I was definitely told plenty of times how powerful their love was but I never saw how it really began. If the author would've added that storyline, it would've made this all-powerful romance more believable. I honestly would've preferred to see their beginning love alongside the present day and their past lives since it would've made the read that more enjoyable with Laura's stunning writing.

There a couple of things that bothered me towards the end since all of this suffering seemed to be resolved too easy for how complicated they made it seem for hundreds of years. I think the addition of higher stakes would've bumped up the rating since the this plot line was such an essential point to the story and why all of this even began.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the arc!

I would like to thank NetGally and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC of Our Infinite Fates.

The story is told from the point of view of Evelyn, a soul who reincarnates through the centuries only to be murdered each time by Arden shortly before their 18th birthday. When one of them dies, so does the other. They both begin to remember their previous lives at around age 8. Arden remembers all details of their previous lives. Evelyn remembers pieces of them, but does not know why Arden kills her even though they love each other. Arden refuses to tell her. Evelyn is extremely fond of her current life, and is determined to keep it.

The story alternates between the present day and their past lives, which I really enjoyed. My least favorite part of the book was the origin story. I found it to be kind of confusing. It didn’t really feel like it fit with the rest of the story. It seemed rushed/like the villain was defeated too easily.

3.5 stars, rounded down to 3

When I first read the synopsis for the book, I knew I was going to be hooked. The story of Evelyn and Arden consumed me. The gravitational pull and love they have for each other with each life they endure was epic, tragic, and so romantic. I was not expecting the origin story to turn out the way it did and absolutely loved the shock of the full story being revealed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are entirely my own.

I unfortunately have to give this book a 2.5 star rating.
I wanted to love this book so much. The cover art is so gorgeous and I absolutely love the concept of being soulmates in every lifetime. I just never could completely buy into this book, unfortunately.

We see glimpses throughout the book of the past lives Evelyn and Arden have lived. Some of them contain them falling in love again, some with them being childhood best friends, some of them being mortal enemies. It really felt the format of the story was both too overdone but also lacking critical details I felt were needed to really develop the whole “soulmates” aspect and by the end of the book, I still had a hard time believing in the epic love they said they had. I wanted more backstory of them falling in love and having real conversations that led to this crucial build up.

The ending also took me by surprise too and felt wildly out of place. Throughout the entire book, both the reader and Evelyn are left wondering why Arden is doing what he does and what could possibly have happened to cause the same chain of events after thousands of lifetimes. In the end, it was such a strange turn of events and change of direction that I almost felt it belonged in a separate world other than the one I just had been reading about. Then, it was over and I was still left with too many questions and not enough answers.

Overall, I was just confused. I do definitely feel the book did pick up in the last half of the book and it was enjoyable overall. I absolutely loved this concept and I do look forward to seeing more of Laura Steven’s work in the future!