A cute love story. A little predictable and got repetitive at times with the past lives. I felt like we were told of how much they loved each other but didn't get to see them fall in love and really establish their original connection.

Loved this book! Perfect lite romantasy for those starting out. Fantastic world building. Highly recommend.

Evelyn has lived many lives over centuries. However, before she turns 18 her soulmate Arden find her & kills her. The story is told in alternating timelines. The present timeline Evelyn wants to stick around long enough to save her sister's life through a bone marrow transplant, but time is running out before Arden finds her again. I was a little skeptical reading this one, because how can you say you love someone so much & continously murder them! I was definitely surprised when the reveal happened & it all made sense. I was hooked with the story & will recommend to those who love following characters through centuries, cat and mouse trope, & light fantasy

What a masterpiece this was. Bridgerton and fates vibes. I loved loved loved this. The pining the romance and all the feels. This was a new to me author and it was so beautifully written. Didn’t feel like YA either. I need more!!!!

Really enjoyed this book, the writing and story flowed beautifully. It was definitely an Age of Adeline style adventure but with a crazy twist that I did not see coming at the end. The juxtoposoition of the story unfolding in present time alternating with past lives going back farther and farther was so well done. Should be on anyone's want to read list. Well done.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a touching, intricately written book. The storyline was very unique and it drew me in from the start.

I hate that The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a comp title for this. That book is a masterpiece. This . . . is a book that thinks it is a masterpiece but that carries no weight beyond some beautifully crafted sentences.

We are told this is a love story for the ages, a love so deep and true that their bond has lasted centuries and mortal life after mortal life. We see little snippets of it. We spend most of our time in the present day where our two main characters spend more time being combative with each other than anything else. We are never given any reason why these two people love each other other than that their love is “fated”. That is simply not enough to get a girl invested in a supposedly infinite romance when I see zero proof of said love on the page.

On a sentence-level, this writing is absolutely gorgeous. As a whole, I turned the last page with the impression that I was supposed to feel joy and rapture and delight at this awe-inspiring love overcoming a disastrous fate to conquer all evil; instead, I was left shaking my head at so many pretty words strung together to create emptiness.

That final twist and those ending scenes gave me a good laugh. The story would have been much more interesting if those plot points were introduced anywhere before the 90% mark.

This book was not for me.

2.5 stars. Such a great premise. The chapters on the past lives of Evelyn and Arden were good and mostly lived up to the mind-bending premise. But there weren't enough clues as to the curse driving the story, so it started to feel like a slog. And I didn't really feel the eternal love thing -- it felt more like resignation. "Oh, it's you again." I did want to find out, so I kept reading, and it was fairly satisfying.

This book was honestly a huge letdown for me. The first 60% was great, but the rest of the book felt so disconnected and the ending came so fast and out of nowhere.

This book immediately gripped me and didn't let go. I loved the beautiful writing and the tragic story. I was engrossed reading about all the different lives Eveleyn and Arden have lived, in different times and places. I definitely didn't see the ending coming, but I thought it was satisfying!

3.75. The premise of this book was so compelling: that the two main characters have loved each other in every lifetime, yet killed each other in all of them. I was also reeled in by the comparisons to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and the author is clearly inspired by V.E. Schwab. While the book ultimately pays off, I was hoping for more of a grand, sweeping, epic tale where I better understood their relationship and why they were drawn to each other. I also occasionally found it difficult to track the narration and what I felt was unnecessary gender switching. It’s a good book, but Addie LaRue is just too hard to live up to. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.

This book gave me Addie LaRue vibes with the time jumping. I almost dnf’d it halfway through due to the repetitive nature of the writing. This tragic love story grabs your heart rips it out, breaks it into a million pieces and places it back into your hands whole. The last 5 chapters slapped me in the face with what the heck just happened? I would definitely recommend if you loved Addie LaRue! Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book as an ARC!

I really really wanted to like this more. It fell a little short of my expectations and I’m not sure why exactly. It was good, but not great for me. I really loved the idea that they were different genders across time. That was very well done. Maybe it was the reveal that Evelyn was a devil that didn’t work for me.

This book had so much potential but ultimately wasn’t what I was expecting. I felt the story to be somewhat repetitive and with the characters consistently switching in each timeline it felt a bit confusing to keep track of. I didn’t feel super connected to the characters. I can see how some would love this book, with its poetic and whimsical writing. It just wasn’t personally a great fit for me.

Poetic / beautiful writing
Love through every life time
Historical vibes (setting)
🎧 great narration on audio

This was an incredibly fun read. I was a big fan of a book with a similar premise a decade ago and this one gave me the nostalgia of that old one while being able to stand on its own. I was thoroughly invested in Evelyn and Arden’s bargain and while I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Mother’s ending (it’s just a little cliché) the last chapter made up for it, having me sincerely hope that these fictional characters get to live their best life. I appreciated the different time periods and locations with them being different genders. Overall, a really nice book that is such a niche trope which was well-executed.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it was highly entertaining, with fast-paced writing that kept me engaged. The story moved quickly, and I was able to breeze through it. The concept was intriguing, even though it wasn’t particularly original, and the magical realism/fantasy elements were light and easy to digest. While I wasn’t completely disappointed, I did finish the book feeling somewhat underwhelmed. The writing style fit the intended audience, but something about the execution didn’t entirely hit the mark for me.

One of the main issues I had with the book was its tendency to tell rather than show, which created a significant emotional distance from the characters and the story. Instead of feeling deeply connected to the characters' experiences, I found myself simply being told what was happening, which made the relationships, particularly the central love story, feel forced and superficial. Despite the narrative telling us that the two characters were soulmates, their chemistry felt absent. The book glossed over the development of their relationship, leaving me disconnected from their supposed deep bond. The love story lacked the emotional depth that could have made the reader truly care about the characters' connection.

Additionally, the way the central relationship unfolded was frustrating. The protagonist, Evelyn, repeatedly falls for Arden despite him keeping significant secrets from her and even murdering her across multiple lifetimes. This dynamic didn’t feel believable or emotionally satisfying. The book missed an opportunity to explore the tension between them, and instead, their relationship felt stagnant and lacking in substance. The rushed pacing, especially towards the end, also hurt the story. The final reveal and resolutions felt too quick and underdeveloped, leaving many questions unanswered.

Ultimately, while the book had an interesting premise and beautiful moments, it failed to live up to its potential, leaving me with a mild sense of disappointment. I still liked the book and wouldn't dissuade others from reading it, but it wasn't quite what I'd hoped for.

"I love you, I have loved you, and I will love you." An amazing love story, with a mystery element that kept me on my toes. Evelyn is a great character. I love how dedicated and loving Evelyn is, and how family-oriented no matter how many lives lived. I love Arden as well, and slowly uncovering the mystery of why Arden kills Evelyn before they both reach their 18th birthdays is just so addicting.

I was so sad that I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I was going to. I was expecting an epic love story that spans centuries but it kind of fell flat. There were multiple flashback scenes that pretty much told the same thing over and over, and although we were told many times that the characters loved each other, it did not actually show any of the parts of them falling in love. Therefore it was hard to believe how they could love one another. I give this one 3 ⭐ because while I did somewhat enjoy reading the story, I would of enjoyed it a lot more if there had been more depth to the characters and their relationship.
Thanks so much to @netgalley and the author for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The prose is super beautiful and the structure of the story is fascinating and the chatracters are rich and themes are compelling.

it’s been days since I’ve finished this book and I’m still thinking about it. plus when I buy multiple editions of the same book you KNOW it’s a new all time favorite that I will be going back to often.

arden and evelyn’s story is so incredibly captivating, I was glued to the pages. both timelines were so engaging and interesting and I couldn’t wait to fully understand the scope of what made their lives the way it is. the pacing was perfect and there are so many quotes I highlighted, the writing was so beautiful and poetic, and (not being dramatic in the slightest) it really made me think and reflect on love and life!

a well deserved #1 New York Times bestseller for sure 🥹🥹🥹

can’t wait for my special editions to come in and go back and annotate a copy in the future. tysm to netgalley and wednesday books for the e-arc!!!