This book. THIS. BOOK.

I went into this completely blind, knowing nothing. All vibes, no thoughts. I left this book BEREFT, a changed woman. The writing! It’s so beautiful, I found myself highlighting 80% of the book. For fans of Addie Larue and Divine Rivals, Our Finite Fates is going to stay with me for a long time.

4✨ for Our Infinite Fates. I’ll start by saying I thoroughly enjoyed this and I was hooked in from the start. It started to lag for me around the 70% mark but really ramped back up in the end.

The writing is beautiful with some stunning prose and really lovely poetry as well. I’ve discovered that I’m a big fan of anything with time manipulation such as flashbacks, time travel, and reincarnation. This book hit the mark for me!!

Our two main characters are reincarnated lovers in different lives who are destined to kill each other in every life before their 18th birthday. The frustration and heartache is rampant. The tension of anger and love between the two is wild. We get flashbacks into different lives they’ve lived in different places and different bodies. I appreciated that the story was not confusing at all, despite the quick changes of bodies/names/locations throughout the chapters.

I was satisfied with the twist at the end and even more satisfied with the final conclusion. Overall, it was heart achingly gorgeous. Dark, yet ethereal. It will definitely be a book I recommend to others! Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book had some of the most beautiful writing and a super original plot, however I just felt that some of the pacing was off. The story jumps from "present day" Wales to previous incarnations of Arden and Evelyn. While these were fun to experience, and read about different time periods, some of them seemed like filler and I felt like the plot was dragging in the present time line until pretty far into the book. The ending felt a little rushed and I would have liked some of the mythology to have been fleshed out a little more. Overall, an interesting read with likable characters and plenty of romance and mystery.
Thanks to Netgalley for an arc! All opinions are my own.

Why this book?

1. The book comparisons alone. It’s The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue x This is How You Lose a Time War. I’d also add The City of Glass. All of these books I adored, so it’s no surprise I loved this one. I think my biggest criticism in these big century hopping concepts is it’s hard to land the plane. That being said, sometimes the adventure vs. the destination.
2. My goodness, tension 🤝 pacing. Just perfection. This book was hard to put down. Often I found my breath caught in my throat.
3. “I love you, and I have loved you, and I will love you.” The love quotes in this book made it an awesome February/Valentine month read. 👩‍🍳💋

I want to thank @Netgalley for both the audiobook and kindle ARC’s on this. With this level of devilish yearning, the gluttony of having two mediums to consume this was awesome.

4.5/5

🌟 "Beautiful" is the one word that perfectly captures the essence of "Our Infinite Fates" by Laura Stevens . I'll admit, I'm not usually a fan of non-linear storytelling, but this book made it work 🕰️! Each time jump felt like a fresh start, offering a unique glimpse into the characters' backgrounds and development 🌱.

This book also celebrates the power of love in all its forms ❤️, showing that it can transcend time, space, and societal norms. It's a beautiful reminder that love is love, no matter what 🌈.

I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to read this book 📚. It's a game-changer, and I'll definitely be seeking out more books like it 📖. The writing style and themes reminded me of "The Song of Achilles" 🎶, which is high praise indeed! 🙌

Overall, "Our Infinite Fates" is a stunning, thought-provoking read that will stay with me for a long time 💭. 🌟 This gave me those yummy yummy vibes.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!! One ARC I won’t be forgetting anytime soon!!

Pub Date: Mar 04 2025🎉🎉🎉

“I love you, I have loved you, and I will love you”
It offers such a refreshing take on fate and soulmates, and really makes you think about existence lol. I wanted to love it more, but the pacing threw me off. The back-and-forth between different times and lives was a bit confusing, and I didn’t feel as connected as I hoped to the characters or their journey.

I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if the story had focused on just a few lives and really explored them in depth instead of jumping around to so many. I felt like I didn’t get enough time to invest in the characters before we were moved on to the next chapter, and it left me a little detached from the overall story.

That being said, the writing was beautiful, and the ending was unexpected. I’m usually really good at predicting what’s going to happen and what the plot twist is going to be but I definitely didn’t see this one coming.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

I was so excited to read this because the premise is incredibly appealing. Who wouldn’t want to read about soul mates who kill each one another in their past lives? The issue I had with the book was the execution. We’re told that Arden and Evelyn are soulmates and they love each other so much, yet it’s hardly shown. Their past lives and encounters are short chapters that lack depth. This book has so much potential, but as is, it’s underdeveloped. I wanted to know more about their past lives, I wanted to experience their current life and love together. And then when we get to the WHY of their predicament, it’s rushed as well. I didn’t feel satisfied with the solution to their predicament.

This was such a great read!
In this book, the reader slowly unwinds the mystery that is Evelyn and Arden’s entwined fates. Told in alternating chapters between the past and present, we learn that in every life before Evelyn turns eighteen, Arden finds her and murders her. If she manages to kill him first, her death soon follows. The cycle repeats itself as they are reborn through the centuries and only Arden seems to know why. Evelyn can’t stop herself from loving Arden, even though she only remembers snippets of their past lives and doesn’t understand why she has to die in each one.
The premise, characters, and writing of this book were all very well done. The premise felt unique and original. It did give off Invisible Life of Addie La Rue vibes at first, but the author took things in a completely different and unique direction. I loved Evelyn, Arden, and Gracie as characters and felt myself reading faster to learn more about them. As for the writing, I fell into this book immediately and was hooked. Alternating between the past and present was a good way to frame the story and for the reader to slowly figure out answers as Evelyn remembered snippets from her past lives.
However, I kept wanting to learn more about their past lives. Each snippet seemed a little too short to fully understand how their lives intersected each other in each one. I wish we could have better seen how they fell in love with each other so that their everlasting love through the centuries was more believable. I also felt like the ending was rushed. Everything in the book lead up to a final confrontation and I felt like it was over too soon.
Despite my few gripes with it, it was a compelling story and very well done.
4 stars, and looking forward to what Laura Steven writes next!

A beautiful tale that'll have you thinking about fate, destiny, and the immutability of love. It's worth going into as blind as possible - but here are some bullet points:

✨ two lovers who find each other in every lifetime - but they're destined to kill each other in each before their 18th birthday
✨ but this time, one needs to stick around to save a life - can they take charge of their own destiny?
✨ set across multiple lifetimes, multiple countries, and multiple genders
✨ YA romantic fantasy - be prepared for emotions over spice, and remember our characters have never managed to make it past 17

I loved this, ate it right up. It's beautifully written, it's emotional, it's incredibly unique. Tragically beautiful, beautifully tragic, and I can't wait for everyone to get their hands on it.

Thank you to to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I'm surprised by how much this book drew me in. Steven's writing is full of life, and I was impressed by how well-developed the side characters and settings were across the various time periods Evelyn and Arden lived through. The little details, such as the quirks of their loved ones and the richness of different cultures and eras, were very well done and added a ton of depth. Evelyn's complete and utter love for those around her, as well as regret over their fleeting time together, was almost tangible. The story's structure, weaving snapshots of their past lives with the present, kept me engaged and immersed in their journey.

Unfortunately, I was a bit confused since I was under the impression that a huge part of their story is that Evelyn and Arden were in love from the very beginning, as opposed to slowly falling in love with each other through the centuries and with Arden even hating Evelyn in their first few lives for turning them into a devil as well. I don't mind that their relationship took time to build, but I wanted to see the development, rather than simply be told that they were in love.

The events behind their endless cycle of death and reincarnation also felt weak and unconvincing to me. In Ancient Greece, a manifestation of suffering—the Mother—kills Calliope (Arden), and Daphne (Evelyn) makes a deal to reap souls in exchange for Arden’s return. Evelyn and Arden are then doomed to reincarnate, with one needing to kill the other before they turn eighteen, or else they must begin reaping souls themselves. By the end, the story became a bit too convoluted for me, and the last 15% felt pretty disappointing. I wish there had been chapters from Arden’s perspective, not only to add variety and prevent the narrative from feeling stale and repetitive, but also to drop more hints leading up to the reveal.

There are many beautiful quotes, poetic passages, and reflections on love enduring across time, but ultimately, the book left me underwhelmed.

I went into this book with high expectations as it had been advertised as a “romantasy.” After reading this, I can definitely say it was not a romantasy. Although it explored the idea of love, it was necessarily a romance book. I felt as though I could not understand why the characters loved each other, and it was definitely more nuanced than just an “enemies to lovers” scenario. The ending was shocking, but it also fell flat for me. It was a decent read, but not marketed correctly in my personal opinion.

2.75⭐️ spice: barely any
very conflicted with this one because although the authors prose was giving me five star feelings, the story itself really fell flat for me. At first I was really enjoying it but the fact that the characters die before we get to know them and they change bodies, genders, centuries, families etc it really took away from me being able to root for them since they were constantly changing, and the direction the book went at the end caught me off guard. There were so many beautiful quotes in this but the story went from amazing to slightly disappointing which made me bummed. But I am interested to read other books by this author since her writing was beautiful!

Thank you netgalley for a copy of this ARC for review.

For once, the marketing comparisons are accurate - if you liked Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, you'll probably feel similar about this. And if you didn't, this has a lot of the same issues, improved maybe slightly.

The concept is one I love - combining constant fated soul reincarnation with having to kill your fated partner in every life. it's the sort of thing I eat up with a spoon. The problem for me is once you've got that concept, the scope of the execution of it and the reasoning behind why they're stuck in a reincarnation and death loop is just as important to me as however lyrical and painful each life is. The other problem is the more you try to explain it, the more work you have to do to make that explanation work both at the start and all the way through the resolution. Sometimes less is way more. And here, for me, the explanation just isn't at all satisfying compared with both Evelyn and Arden's actions throughout the years.

There's also the issue of trying to balance a global, no-borders sort of reincarnation and not being completely out of your depth when writing those lives. It becomes increasingly obvious that Steven is British in the lives that aren't set in the western world (and even then there are only like...two) and Evelyn and Arden are always on the "right" side of history (from a 21st century perspective, and while both are happy to spout off lines about humanity and ethics with a distinctly modern ring to them, we never examine things like the fact that they've both been in wars and lived so many culturally different lives but were still more than willing to lie about their ages to enlist for WWI). That's not even getting into some flat-out incorrect historical facts (the Song life is rife with them and I can only express my thanks that the "crossbow at Mt. Fuji" life isn't ever actualized), including my favorite that tomatoes weren't in Europe until the 14th century, if the reincarnation cycle started around 1000, they could never have had a life in Pompeii, etc. etc., things like that that are poetic lines, but make no sense if you stop and think for more than a second.

ANYWAY. I actually would have liked less of the other lives, as they don't add all that much (they could have, but they're mostly repetitive themes instead of adding context to their relationship really evolving and changing) and more of Evelyn and Arden talking in this life about what that tipping point in Siberia was, delving more into why Arden's happiness was just watching Evelyn get to live, things that they don't get a chance to talk about in previous lives because of the impending deadline. I did love the fact that as much as this is a book about death, each death is so wrapped up in love and the result of living.

I did also really appreciate that each of them has lives in all sorts of bodies, that their love is of the soul and there is an abundance of queer love (once again there is a...very modern western view on queerness, but if you're here for nuance, uhhh....). There are also so many different explorations of love, familial, friendship, so much found family.

I think this will be a huge hit with its intended audience, and those outside of that will depend on their threshold for teenage characters (despite being immortal souls, both Arden and Evelyn - Evelyn in particular since she only remembers so many lives - are and act like teenagers), since for arbitrary (western) reasons, we've picked 18 as the threshold age (I would have been more forgiving if the number had something more to do with the original starting life, but no, it's just "oh at 18 you're adults" ONLY IN CERTAIN CULTURES??? Anyway.). I did enjoy reading this and it made me want to read so many parts in so many different orders.

If I had to describe this book in two words, they'd be this: tragically beautiful.

I came across this book randomly one day and to say my interest was piqued would be an understatement. The concept of it was so unique, so incredibly interesting and so completely my style.

I loved how this was one big tragic, puzzling mystery. I was attempting to piece history together at the same time the main character was. The writing was lyrical in the best way I could ever imagine, and the characters had this depth to them that I haven't seen before. I just know this is a book that I'll reread for years to come, and fill to the brim with annotations.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Laura, and St. Martin's Press for approving me for this ARC!

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

When I originally heard the concept of this story, I was 100% sold. It seemed to be just the type of book I would get lost in. I did worry for a bit, as I had just read Januaries by Olivie Blake and there was a short story in there that had this same concept. I considered DNFing around 5% because of a concern that these would be too much alike, and if you had the same concern, listen to me when I say that you should absolutely continue.

I loved that we got, not only their current situation, but we got to see a quick glimpse of multiple of their lives together going back by each life. Evelyn is hitting her breaking point and is just tired, something that I could understand. Finally having a life she wants to stay in. Arden is someone who caught my attention and while I knew he was there to kill Evelyn, I was curious about the way and knew he was someone I'd enjoy. I do wish we had gotten a glimpse into his head at some point.

I also really enjoyed that they loved each other in their souls, and not for their gender / physical bodies. It was really cool to see the different lives, and to see that they did change genders throughout the years.

thank you to laura steven and st martin press for providing me with an ARC for an honest review!

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

our infinite fates takes us on the millennia long love story between evelyn and arden, our two souls fated to fall and love and kill each other in ever life time. told in the present alongside interwoven tales of their past lives in descending order to the inception of their fated existence, we meet each soul as they are born into different countries, families, social/economic classes and genders all while still remembering their devastating destiny. this was truly the most tragic love story written bleeding with so much raw yearning and devastation that my soul actually ached for these characters.

this book was a 6 star to infinity rating for me. in fact i don’t think i’ve ever read a book that hit me so hard emotionally and i truly was not prepared for how much this book has consumed my thoughts. i’ve had dreams about it every night and found myself daydreaming about it. laura’s writing was absolutely divine, poetic, profound, and hard hitting in this book, and i have a feeling i will keep a piece of it with me forever. i knew from the very first chapter i was going to be a sobbing emotional mess, and was i ever correct.

it was a breath of fresh air to read a story on the human condition so vehemently undisguised in showing the hardship of love, loss, death and heartbreak. then to take these experiences and tie them to the concept of soulmates and reincarnation, forcing the main characters to remember every time they had loved and ultimately betrayed each other? wow. as we got closer to the inception point, the reveals had my head spinning, and the way that it was woven into the framework of their modern story so effortlessly was mesmerizing.

i loved the fact that arden’s poetry from a past life was discovered and published—basically a love letter to evelyn. the connection and love was so palpable that as soon as i read anything he wrote it brought instant tears to my eyes. that kind of tender and unconditional love is so rare and watching it unfold before my eyes had me in a wreck.

spoilers below:

i was noooot expecting the reason for why they were stuck in this cycle to be what it was. i thought it was so well done, unexpected, and put a darker angle on the story. i was actually weeping when the mother took away their love and memories in order to relieve them of their duties as reapers. then in the end when they’re finally allowed to grow up, fulfill their life’s desires of fashion designing and writing, then still find their way back to one another? my heart was ACHING. finishing the book on “excuse me, have we met before?” with no resolve was criminal. i will forever miss these characters and their longing to be in one another’s presence.

Our Infinite Fates is such a creative and emotional read! At first I wasn’t totally sure where it was going and I didn't connect to the story right away- especially in regards to their romance. I couldn't feel this "deep connection" they supposedly had, having not had a chance to get to know the characters yet. I felt like I was kept on the surface, kinda. But as the story progressed and I got to learn their backstory - and especially the "why" of all the killings - I was completely hooked. It’s mostly a love story, but with a really interesting concept that kept me guessing the whole time.

The way the story flips between past and present worked really well, especially with the flashbacks giving us the backstory of their love and everything they went through. It made the eventual emotional moments hit even harder. Each flashback also kept making me all the more curious as to why this was happening to them. I had so many theories about what was really going on, and I was sure at least one of them had to be right—but I was way off. I love it when I still get shocked by the twists (it's actually rare after so many books lol)!

While the book does lean heavily into romance, it’s more than just a love story - it’s a reflection on fate, choices, and the infinite possibilities that shape our lives. Overall, it's an engrossing read, full of twists, heartache, and hope. If you love stories that make you feel deeply while also making you think, Our Infinite Fates is definitely worth picking up!

We have two characters who are tied together. Soul mates, fated mates, soul bonds. They are so deeply in love that even when they die, they find each other in another life.
In case you missed that, it’s not IF they die, but when. When they die, because they will. In every life before their 18th birthday. And always killed by the other soul mate. That’s right. THEY KILL EACH OTHER IN EVERY LIFE.
And that is how the story begins. The start really sucks you in. You need to know why, why would they do this to each other if they love each other?

While that is the overarching theme of the book, there are these little moments that are incredibly heart breaking. Imagine being born into a family. You build relationships with your family. Your mom, dad, sister, only for you to die and leave them behind to grieve. This pain is not only inflicted on you,but also leaves deep marks on them. And this happens over and over and over again. You will lose the ones you love, you will never grow old, you will never be anything more than a memory.

Because of that you build walls and distance yourself. How do you not lose hope that your life will become more. And isn’t that the crux of it all. How to not lose hope. To be more

The really interesting part to this story is how love transcends bodies. In every life they will find each, but the soul is not tied to a body. They may come back as female or male. Their love is not confined to a body. It is bound by the soul. The deep desire to be known is to be loved on a deeper level than physical descriptions.

Now for as much as I loved this book, I would be remiss to say, the discovery of why this is happening, feels out of character for this book. It felt strange and almost like it didn’t belong.
Regardless of that, as it is only a small part, this book is really good.

Lastly, I think as a reader, if you do not put yourself in the character's shoes, if you don’t have empathy for their short lives and broken relationships, you may not connect and enjoy this book as much. The vulnerability in this book is an important aspect to understanding the story

If you liked The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, you will enjoy this one

Our Infinite Fates is a romantic and lyrical tale from author Laura Steven. This story hooked me from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down! Evelyn and Arden are trapped in an endless cycle- one of them must always kill the other before they turn eighteen. They reincarnate in different bodies and different places throughout the world each time. Whenever a deviation is attempted, they are always thwarted. Evelyn doesn’t know why they are trapped in this cycle, but Arden is keeping secrets. Can Evelyn and Arden break the cycle or are they trapped forever?

This heartbreaking and mysterious story completely took my breath away. The writing itself is stunning, filled with lush sensory details. I love how we travel with Evelyn through memories to long-forgotten lands and experiences as she tries to piece together why this must happen. Arden and Evelyn’s twisted and infinite love is a compelling mystery to unravel. I love the LGBTQ+ rep and how they find each other in any form. Evelyn’s relationship to her family in this world was charming, especially her bond with her sister Gracie. Laura Steven weaves in reflections on grief, the pain of loving, found family, and the idea of fate in a deeply beautiful way.

Our Infinite Fates is a moving and atmospheric read, with certain scenes destined to live in my mind long after the last page. I already can’t wait to reread it! This book would be perfect for readers who loved V.E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I can’t wait to see what Laura Steven writes next!

Thank you to Laura Steven, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Our Infinite Fates had me within the first two chapters and continued to pull me in as we dove deeper into the mystery of Evelyn and Arden’s connection and infinite lifetimes. And though the description promised a love story, I also liked how reflective it was in terms of not only the characters and their many lives, but also humanity’s impact on the world. We revisit these far-flung pockets of time across the globe via memories and, in doing so, witness differing cultures, their norms, and troubles. Whether it be the soul-crushing realities of trench warfare, the apocalyptic image of an island carved up and stripped of its resources, or our FMC’s relatively comfortable but emotionally draining life in modern day Wales, this novel ties together a through line of humanity’s unrelenting sorrows with our reason for persevering—love.

I personally loved the chapters taking place in the past and the nuggets of new information they offered as well as the discussion of gender when it comes to two souls who have inhabited innumerable and different bodies. There were so many little things that kept me invested in the story when, typically, I feel that this number of flashbacks in any other book would have caused the plot to lose momentum (or cause me to lose focus).

Strangely, for a story hinging upon such a fantastical plot point, the revelation near the end was a bit startling despite how the author alluded to it throughout. In hindsight, it makes sense, and, as with most things in life, I found my footing once I just rolled with what was happening on the page. In the end, none of this impacted my reaction to the ending as I finished it in tears.

This isn’t the kind of love story where we witness the fresh blooming of affection. I wasn’t giddy, kicking my feet or blushing. Instead, this is about two souls who have loved each other and continue to choose to love despite their situation and the hurt they have caused one another. It describes a love built on familiarity, hundreds of lifetimes worth of existing, and a bond only the two of them can share or even understand. I quite liked it for that reason.

Thank you Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for an ARC to read and review.