Thank you for this e-arc!

I so appreciate what the author was trying to achieve with this story. I thought the way their love transcends time was so beautiful.

However, I wish there was more depth to the characters and story. Especially with the use of chapters back in time. I wish we got to understand their personalities more, which would then raise the stakes and make the reader more invested.

But all in all a good and pretty short read!

There is no doubt this will be a popular book but unfortunately I didn't love it as much as the early reviewers have.

We follow Evelyn who is approaching her 18th birthday. While most view this as a major milestone, she has yet to see it. Before she turns 18, Evelyns one true love Arden appears and they are fated to die together and be reincarnated. We get time jumps from the present to the past that explores all the different people they have become but always find their way back to each other before their 18th birthday. However this time is different as Evelyns sister has cancer and she wants to be able to donate her bone marrow before Arden makes himself known and seals their fate.

I loved the premise of the book. The blurb is correct that it gives Addie LaRue and Time War vibes. There is poetry in here that will make your heart skip a beat! Just absolutely beautiful.

I wish I could say the same about the romance. The romance between Evelyn and Arden never fully develops. It felt more like Evelyn was running away from her stalker and I could never feel the love between them. The story was also very repetitive to the point that I wasn't gaining anything and wished it had been edited more thoroughly. Once we get to the reveal, it was a bit over the top and then the book quickly ends.

Overall I'm giving this book 3 stars. It was a fun idea and I had a good time reading it but I just wish characters and plot would have been fleshed out a little more.

"Our Infinite Fates" was beautiful and extremely heart-wrenching-- very reminiscent of The Invisible Life of Addie and especially Every Day by David Leviathan. This was such an emotional roller coaster in the best way, and the writing is lyrical and haunting; the prose is truly amazing.

What really sets this book apart is how the author weaved Evelyn and Arden together in different times in history -- Constantinople, World War II, Ancient China, Siberia, etc. I adored the little glimpses in time and how Evelyn and Arden's characters evolved throughout each incarnation. Each life they can be reincarnated as male or female and in vastly different appearances, but their connection to each other transcends.

My heart broke a little every time Evelyn and Arden had to kill one another. However, while we only get short glimpses into their past life encounters (some more detailed than others), I thought that in many of them, the connection and heartbreak between them was so much more compelling than in their current lives. For two soul mates forced to kill each other over and over, I would've thought there would be a bit more substance in the present day and their chemistry was a little weak - I just wasn't convinced of this time-defying chemistry. Arden's current persona seemed unrealistically apathetic towards Evelyn and didn't give her much grace or understanding when it came to her sister.

The other thing I'd say is that the big revelation near the end and the way that it's resolved was a bit abrupt: too much too fast. But by the last chapter I was in tears - the ending was bittersweet and absolutely beautiful and I'll be thinking about this book for a long, long time. This book is so special.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

Wooooooow! This was beautiful, truly! Immediately I needed answers and I did not fully anticipate the ending. This is a love story that travels across centuries and is told in alternating chapters of different historical periods. At times I loved this back-and-forth, while other times I was begging to have answers during present time. Also, I wish we had more chapters/time dedicated to experiencing where the FMC and MMC’s romance FIRST sparked. However, still such a lovely read! Thank you SO much, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I am struggling to find words to accurately describe the grip this book had on my heart. This is one of those books that sticks with you for life.
Our Infinite Fates follows Evelyn & Arden through history and so many lifetimes, their love transcending every life, always finding one another. The catch is they are doomed to kill each other before their 18th birthday time, after time. Their souls know no gender – just each other. Not only that, but the familial bonds formed and lost throughout. The writing style of Laura Steven is lyrical, and poetic, and whimsical. It was so well written. It definitely gives The invisible life of Addie LaRue and there really isn’t anything else quite like it.
Truly one of the best books I have read and will be recommending this to everyone I know.
As always, and especially with this one, thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the opportunity to ARC read this book for a review

2.5 rounded up to 3.

Honestly, I expected so much more from this. From the way it was promoted, I was looking forward to some big sweeping fantasy, and instead was deeply surprised to be confronted by a rather quiet one.

Although it had moments of genius, heart, and hope, it was shockingly dull at times. The timeline slips back and forth between the present incarnation and each past life at the moment before their deaths. But for a such an important part of the story, they didn't seem to add much. It was just an introduction of seemingly "new" characters we won't see again, having the same three conversations recycled over and over, along with the deeply annoying answer of "I can't tell you" every time she asked why must you kill me.

What tipped me off the scale of enjoying this *was* the "why" of it all. I genuinely did not like the explanation and it honestly didn't make much sense to me. The writing style was also a touch annoying. A lot of "It was adjective. An adjective. A noun. An adjective."

I do deeply appreciate the queer element that was added to this though. It was thoughtfully done and very welcome.

This was my introduction to this author but I don't think I'll read more from her.

Evelyn and Arden are trapped in some kind of curse where they have loved eachother over many lifetimes but have always killed one another before or on their 18th birthdays. The book explores many of these lives and relationships while coming back to present day. I loved the longing and anguish, Steven’s really nails these components and I could feel the deep love these characters had for one another and their deep pain.

I needed a tad more plot and a I think the explanation of the why could have been developed more but I deeply enjoyed it nonetheless.

rating — 3.75 out of 5 stars.

how could i not want to get my hands on a copy of this as soon as possible!!! when a book is meant for fans of the invisible life of addie larue meets this is how you lose the time war, of course i’m at the scene of the crime.

admittedly, there was a lot to love about this premise for me: the angst of being reincarnated with the love of your life only to kill them every time is absolutely delicious. for this reason, the flashback chapter set in siberia was one of my favorites — i feel like that was where this dilemma really shined! i could feel it coming off the pages.

on a similar note, something i really loved about this book was the fact that their reincarnations were not specific to any gender/sexuality/etc. evelyn & arden simply Were, and though i haven’t read too many reincarnation stories, every one i’ve seen has been confined to a pretty rigid cisheteronormative structure, so it was an incredibly pleasant surprise to realize that this wasn’t the case at all here. i cannot overstate how important this was to me.

all that being said — despite a very promising premise & personally meaningful setup, the execution ended up falling a little flat for me. we were told over and over how much evelyn and arden love each other, but aside from the previously mentioned siberia chapter, i never felt like we got to spend long enough with them to really feel like that was the truth. they loved each other, and i as a reader had to accept that without really seeing a lot of proof. the love story and eventual reveal of why this was all happening felt a little hand-wavey, and made it a little hard for me to accept why arden had kept it a secret all these years. i just wanted more! i did really enjoy what we were given, but it ended up a little underbaked for me.

thank you to netgalley and st. martin’s press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was heartbreakingly beautiful. In every lifetime, Arden and Evelyn love each other and in every lifetime, they kill each other. This is a story about a tragic love that lasts for an eternity, a fate that transcends time itself. It is beautiful and stunning and so so lovely. I let this book devour my soul in less than 5 hours, and it will stay with me for a lifetime. Steven's work is phenomenal and the interwoven moments of past lives throughout the present day story were gorgeous and heartbreaking. Reading this book was like an embrace from a lover. You will laugh, you will cry, you will be angry, you will gasp, you will sob. You will feel love.

This book… wow. I'm almost speechless, yet I'm bursting to tell everyone about it. It's so good, I almost want to retroactively downgrade some five-star reviews I've given to other books. This one hit me *hard*.

The premise alone is captivating: lovers across lifetimes, destined to kill each other in each one, with inspiration drawn from Exile? I was hooked instantly.

But it's more than just a story; it's practically poetry. The writing is exquisite, a love letter to life itself. Lauren's prose is intoxicating, raw, and so meticulously crafted that every sentence felt like it was nourishing my soul. It perfectly captures the messy, beautiful complexity of love, loss, and what it means to be alive.

If you've ever been told you're "too sensitive" or "feel too deeply," you'll connect with Evelyn. She loves fiercely yet gently, finding beauty in the small joys and caring deeply for others. As one of my favorite lines describes, "They love softly, and fiercely, and openly, and it’s the bravest thing I know.”

Then there's Arden, who finds beauty in language, cherishes the perfect word for every emotion, is captivated by nature, and treats his diary like a lifeline. He's complex, mesmerizing, and I craved every detail revealed about him.

It felt like this book was meant for me. I discovered it on TikTok, requested a copy within minutes, and it miraculously arrived the very next morning. I cried when "Exile" was my surprise song at the Eras Tour, but those tears pale in comparison to how I feel now, listening to it while thinking of these characters. Laura, I'll read anything you write – grocery lists, notes app ramblings, anything.

I've struggled to write this review because words feel inadequate to express the impact this book has had on me. It's a MUST-READ for 2025. If you take one recommendation from me, let it be this. Please, read it. I desperately need someone to discuss it with!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an earlier copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars

Summary of the plot:
In this book, we follow two souls (presently known as Arden and Evelyn). I say souls because they reincarnate into different bodies/genders. So every 18 years, Arden kills Evelyn for unknown reasons. Evelyn at the age of 8 always starts to remember that Arden is there to kill her and will always find her. But they love each other no matter what, so it makes killing Evelyn so much harder. So we follow their various lives spanning hundreds of years, getting bits of their background. Then we finally get to figure out why this cycle of death keeps happening.

Thoughts on the book:
I thought this was a decent read. If you liked The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I will say that unfortunately this does not have same kind of writing style of that. I think my biggest complaint about this book is not getting enough background/context clues in the previous lives chapters to try to piece together why this violent cycle is happening. (Or maybe I’m just dumb and didn’t catch them all…) While I enjoyed reading about their past lives, I was more interested with the “why”. And then we figure out the “why” and it kind of falls flat to me. The “why” makes sense, but it also wasn’t this explosive, emotional, big thing. The ending also felt a little rushed. But overall, this was a decent read and I’m not mad that I picked it up.

This book had me hooked from the beginning! Obsessed with how despite living for over a millennia, Arden and Evelyn are still the same people at their cores!!

I think I have found Addie Larue’s equal! And that is saying a lot.
Positives:
✅Addictive and fast paced plot
✅Relatable characters
✅Multiple beautiful and meaningful settings
✅Subtle criticism of British colonialism, which I particularly appreciated from a British author
✅Inclusion of LGTBQ themes


I would also like to highlight the themes of love and grief, as well as the lack of super triggering content.
I seriously could not put this book down, and it should be on everyone’s TBR this year. Thanks so much to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the eARC.

Evelyn and Arden have known each other for centuries. They've fallen in love in almost every lifetime, but in every lifetime they have been fated to kill each other before their 18th birthday. SUCH A COOL PREMISE.

However, if I had not received this as a Netgalley ARC I would have DNFed it at about 28%. I was obsessed with the concept of this book and had read a lot of great reviews from people who had received the book early. I think it could have been really great however by 28% of the way into the book I didn't feel anything towards the characters. I didn't really feel like I knew them. I didn't believe in their love for each other. I wish that the beginning chapters would have been much longer, especially the flashbacks to past lives. I didn't feel like I ever got enough time with them to really feel for them.

Because I didn't connect with the characters early on it felt like the rest of the book was SO LONG even though it really wasn't long at all.

I did find the reason why they were stuck in this perpetual loop of killing each other to be very creative and at that point (which was well over 70% of the way through) I was more hooked and I felt like it saved the book for me.

6 FREAKING STARS. You know those books that you finish that you know are going to linger with you for years to come? Our Infinite Fates is one of those. As someone who loved the invisible life of addie larue, I knew this book was going to be right up my alley as soon as I saw the synopsis. It is very similar in a lot of ways, and because of that, I know this book is not going to be for everyone. However, I thought it was so unbelievably beautiful. I cried. I gasped. I giggled. I highlighted damn near 95% of the book because the writing was so beautiful. I will forever recommend this book to anyone and everyone willing to listen.

Thank you so much to SMP and NetGalley for the arc. My life has been changed with this one

I'm absolutely in love with this book. I could not stop reading while I was at work and I finished it in one day. This is such a unique storyline and it was beautifully done. Each chapter was beautifully written and was obviously well thought out. The attention to detail made me feel like I was in the story with the characters and feeling the same things as them. I cried like a baby at the end of the story. This is now one of the top books I've ever read.

Thank you to St Martins Press for giving me an e-arc of this books!

After reading the blurb for Our Infinite Fates by Laura Stevens, I was hooked. The reincarnation? The love spanning centuries? Yes and Yes. But man I was not ready for such a beautiful book.

This entire book was wrought with love, heartbreak, suffering, family, and sacrifice. I was hooked from beginning to end. As the reader, I felt every emotion with the characters and was just feeling all the things.

I loved each and every peek into Evelyn and Arden’s lives. It was like being let into the secret through each chapter, knowing I knew more than Evelyn about her own history was just turmoil. And getting to read what her and Arden experienced in the different lives was like being able to understand why and how they continued lives this way but also not truly getting it.

Evelyn so desperately clinging to her love for her family and her life each life was just ugh, so good. And Arden, remembering it all and still killing her each cycle. It felt so raw!

This life cycle though, Bran and her love for her mother and sister was again just so heartbreaking. With all her hopes being held on the fact that Arden could just give her a chance to save her sister 🫣 and then finding Arden and how he fits in her life already was just so good.

I loved Laura Steven’s absolutely beautiful ability to capture these different times in history and tell just a snippet of these iterations of their lives. It was like nothing by else I’ve read before. Don’t get me started on the reveal of how this cycle started. I cried, like a baby.

The ending felt just right and I think the book was just, again, one of those beautiful books that really make you feel things and feel love. Would absolutely recommend this book and am so glad I got to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The history nerd in me absolutely loved this book. Being able to go back in time to see the infinite times that Evelyn and Arden loved each other and the different places and time periods they were in was fantastic.

The hopeless romantic in me also loved this book because of the love between Evelyn and Arden and the idea of soulmates. No matter what, they always loved each other.

And lastly, the part of me that loves a good mystery and trying to unravel pieces of a story also had a great time with this book. Trying to figure out WHY Arden was going to kill Evelyn or vice versa in every lifetime right before their 18th birthday was so intriguing for me.

I flew through this book and it had me hooked from the start, if you like any of the elements mentioned above, you will enjoy this book.

I could not and would not put this book down. It is absolute perfection and I am in awe with how much I loved it. No notes. 100/10

Our Infinite Fates, a novel more ambitious in scale than Olivie Blake's short story "The Animation Games" while sharing a core concept, reincarnates its characters not just across space and time, but also race, gender, sexuality, disability, and class. It’s a fascinating premise, but also an immense task that almost feels like it’s set up to fail.

It’s like when a book within a book is introduced to the reader as a stunning revelation, which a reader can stomach easily enough, but then the real book includes quotes from the fake book that immediately show that it is not (something that also happens in Our Infinite Fates with the book of poetry Ten Thousand Years of You written by Arden).

I’m being harsh, so I want to make clear that I admire the scope of what Laura Steven is trying to do. But flashbacks that are set in locations such as the Ottoman Empire or the Song Dynasty can’t help but feel thin when they’re only given a single chapter each. They’re referenced in the present plenty of times to help enhance their impact, but it’s just hard to make them fully realized, and again, I don’t think the quality of writing is what’s holding this book back but the staggering scale of its premise.

Each reincarnation is distilled into only the parts that matter for the connection between Evelyn and Arden. I don’t see how Steven could have done this any other way, but I can’t help but think that Evelyn and Arden could have so much more positive impact on the world, with their experiences living through critical points in time and retaining their abilities/memories in their current reincarnation, rather than wasting their considerable talents to singularly preserving their love. There’s a disconnect between the scale of this story and the selfishness of their fixation on each other. I feel the need to say again that I have no ideas on how to remedy this in a way that doesn’t bring this entire story crashing down. David Levithan's Every Day got away with it because the "reincarnations" each day were constrained to the present day and not throughout history.

Luckily, Steven employs a self-aware tone that tempers the more ridiculous scenarios the premise forces the characters into (one character's entire reaction to Evelyn and Arden lol), and the mystery of why Arden keeps killing them kept me intrigued enough to finish.

I know I’m being incredibly annoying with what is supposed to be a nice YA romance. But if Our Infinite Fates is going to go there and discuss topics such as socioeconomic stratification and homophobia throughout history, I want more out of this book than just a nice YA romance.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC!