Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll update this review closer to the publication date, but this was unexpectedly very good. The characters were well written, the peeks into their past lives was executed beautifully and provided a great way to learn who these characters were, and the story overall was interesting and kept me engaged. My only complaint really was the final confrontation feeling a little underwhelming considering how important the moment it is in the story.

The insufferable, plodding, overwrought love child of The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue and Divine Rivals. I wish I got what the blurb promised because truly my time was wasted. This is not an enemies to lovers cat and mouse dynamic, it’s boring unsatisfying instalove.

The blurb and the comps had me under the impression that we would see the two MCs chase each other through time and reincarnations - maybe there would be some tension and mystery over Arden’s identity and the origin of the curse! - but this is not the case. We jump back and forth between the present timeline in Wales and flashbacks to Evelyn and Arden’s past lives, but the past life flashbacks are terminally dull. They give us no new information or insight into the mystery of why Arden murders Evelyn in every life, and we never ever see them fall in love once. This is a failure on a structural level as a romance. There is nothing I hate more than being repeatedly told two people are desperately in love instead of seeing anything on page that would show me why I should believe this.

Every flashback is essentially:
Arden: Do you believe in fate? What is a soul? Is grief the price of love?
Evelyn: Please don’t kill me this time.
Arden: Sorry but I gotta.
Evelyn: Can you at least tell me why you have to kill me? You remember everything and I remember nothing so just give the reader a hint that something interesting might happen. We aren’t learning anything about the mysterious curse in the present timeline so it would be cool to learn something to move the plot forward in these flashback scenes.
Arden: I can’t tell you.
Evelyn: But why—
Arden: Because.
Evelyn: Because why?
Arden: Because we still have like 200 pages to fill. RIP babe.

Repeat ad infinitum. There are simply way too many of these flashbacks and we don’t spend more than a chapter with each set of reincarnations. The different historical settings are interesting (and clearly an attempt from the author to address critiques aimed at Addie La Rue) but the pacing suffers (not that the present timeline chapters are that much more compelling). I would have much rather seen the author pick a few past lives and flesh them out. Instead we get like twenty different past versions of Evelyn and Arden with zero depth or chemistry. Also I know this is YA but oh my god it is so goofy that they’re both like a thousand years old. (I swear, every time these immortal 17 year olds started talking about their PTSD from The Great War I could not take it seriously.) Immortal characters in YA are a tough needle to thread but choosing to make them that old means they feel very underdeveloped; Evelyn’s personality is “likes clothes” and Arden’s is “writes poetry.” They simultaneously don’t behave as timeless as I would expect while also behaving like OTT lovesick teens.

I think it’s bad book and nothing happens in it, but it’s not the worst YA fantasy I’ve ever read. I’m being extremely generous with my two stars because I believe it needs editing to the point that it would barely be the same book anymore, but there is something redeemable there. Because here’s the thing. This premise is fantastic, but it’s incredible to me that you would take this idea and turn it into such an unforgivably boring book. The author doesn’t leave the reader guessing Arden’s identity in the present timeline for longer than three chapters and it is never in question in the flashback chapters. There is no tension around the mystery behind Arden hunting Evelyn, no urgency to solving or understanding the curse. The reader is kept entirely in the dark until almost the 80% mark with zero foreshadowing, and the book is such a slog to that point that the curse reveal feels particularly cheap and anticlimactic. I think it’s a failure on every possible level that you would take this idea and not let us see them fall in love. I can see why people would like this, and I should have liked this because I too am insufferable and enjoy flowery musings on reincarnation, fate, and existence, but I need a semblance of a plot, snappy dialogue, and interesting characters to be invested in a book - especially a magical realism book - and this didn’t have any of that.

Would I re-read this? No

Who should read this: magical realism fans, instalove enjoyers, people who will read anything in the soulmate au tags on ao3

Similar books: The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, Divine Rivals, This is How You Lose the Time War, A Thousand Pieces of You

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books/SMP for a copy of the eARC.

My favorite parts of _Our Infinite Fates_ were the chapters devoted to Evelyn's and Arden's past lives. I was impressed by the care with which Steven wrote about various world cultures from different time periods. These chapters were a delight to read and, in my opinion, what sets the book apart from other YA romances. I also appreciated Steven's thoughtful exploration of gender identity. Arden's poetry was another highlight of the novel. My main critique would be the pacing. Many questions centered around the conflict were left unanswered until very late in the novel. Then, the conflict was resolved rather quickly. Letting the characters (and readers!) sit with the twist/reveal could have led to more thoughtful character development in the final act. Ultimately, I enjoyed _Our Infinite Fates_.

I look forward to reading more from Laura Steven, /especially/ if it's historical fiction.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for the digital ARC.

my new roman empire

After finishing Our Infinite Fates, my heart is not okay, but in the best way possible. This is an incredible story compared to Addie Larue and This is How You Lose the Time War and because of that, I knew I would immediately fall in love with this story and the characters. It is exquisitely written, the characters had so much depth, and the plot is unlike anything I have read before. I also love the glimpses of our MCs previous lives.

Our Infinite Fates is deeply profound, heart wrenching, melancholic and at times so optimistic, and beautiful beyond words.

Seriously, read this. Weep and laugh and swoon.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my e-arc in exchange for my honest review :))

This book was beautifully written but so hard to get into the story. I unfortunately did not end up finishing the book. I will not be leaving any public reviews or feedback as I didn’t finish the book. I appreciate the opportunity for the ARC.

lol why am i internally sobbing and throwing up HELLO this book was phenomenal. OIF made me question so many elements of life and offers such a stunning perspective on love. evelyn and arden’s story will quite literally destroy your heart, but it will also make you realize the true value of the people in your life and the love you have for them. this wasn’t just a love story or a life story, it was a ~what is the universe and how do i exist within it~ story. i am simply blown away by laura stevens’ writing. every iteration of the main characters was so special and tender and painful and watching them love and grieve in every lifetime was a punishment and a privilege. the last 15% felt like someone took my heart out of my body and stomped on it to be honest but it’s also such a testament to love and all that it encompasses. i am probably a little bit forever changed from reading this.

This was so beautifully written, what a gorgeous story! Evelyn and Arden left a lasting impression, my heart ached for them. Laura Steven has a magical way of weaving words together, hooking you in for every sentence. Very excited to get the physical copy when it releases.

Trust that if i talk to you in the next month i will be YAPPING about this book it was GORGEOUS. I was crying, just
The most beautiful story and the prose! The underlying messaging!! “I love you, i have loved you, i will love you” i have to stop before i start crying again.

Thank you for the arc.

I didn't end up finishing the book. I lost interest and wasn't able to pull myself back into. I won't be leaving a public review or rating.

<i>“I love you. I have loved you. I will love you.”</i>

My life has definitely been changed after devouring this novel. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a book provoke so much emotion from me, but damn I was tearing up constantly. Thought provoking and powerful, showing the true test of love over time, and how love can withstand all, even when everything seems so hopeless and lost. This book will truly sit with me for a long, long time. I hope everyone I know reads it and is as touched as I am. Thanks to NetGalley for ARC access!

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟓 🌟
𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬:

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

“𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝, 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧, 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙮, 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨, 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙢.”

“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 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.”

Wow, where do I even begin? Our Infinite Fates was something I didn’t know I needed and more. From the very first page to the jaw-dropping ending, this book captivated my heart and soul in ways I can hardly put into words. It was an absolute masterpiece, leaving me in awe of Laura Steven’s brilliance. 🤌🏼

Reading this ARC was an emotional rollercoaster. My heart ached, I held onto hope, and I felt every single emotion so vividly. As someone who wholeheartedly believes in soulmates, this book perfectly captured that concept and turned it into something extraordinary. The way it explored reincarnation and the enduring connections of love across lifetimes was breathtaking. It’s one of the most unique and compelling stories I’ve ever read. This book is something I will hold close to my heart, and I’m so grateful to have experienced it early. 🙏🏼

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴? 𝘗𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴? 𝘜𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. Every element of this book came together in perfect harmony. I found myself annotating constantly because the writing was so beautifully written yet devastating at the same time. The quotes, the emotions, the sheer depth—everything was worth marking, revisiting, and cherishing. ✨

And that ending? BYE, I did not see it coming. It hit me like a tidal wave, leaving me with goosebumps and tears streaming down my face. It literally had me in a CHOKEHOLD. I’m still reeling from it and honestly, I can’t wait to experience it all over again when the book officially releases.

Speaking of release, I cannot believe we have to wait until March 2025 for this masterpiece to hit shelves. I’m counting down the days until I can get my hands on a physical copy to annotate all over again and cherish forever. This is one of those stories that stays with you, one you’ll want to revisit and relive. A reread during release time? Absolutely happening. If you’re a fan of soul-stirring stories, unforgettable characters, and mind-blowing twists, mark your calendars—this one’s going to be unforgettable.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

This was a beautifully written book about reincarnation that I absolutely loved. It did not end how I expected it to in a good way. I'd recommend going in blind to the book. It reminded me a lot of the Invisible Life of Addie La Rue, which I also loved. I highly recommend you buy this book when it becomes available. I can't wait to check out this author's other books! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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

This was the most beautiful story! Laura Stevens’ writing is so lovely - she put my feelings about the human experience and all of the emotions that go along with it onto the page perfectly. Evelyn and Arden’s story was so tragic and heartbreaking, but their love was powerful enough to transcend anything. I was captivated by the stories of their past lives and how they fell for each other time and again, no matter when, where, or what gender they were, despite knowing how it would end.

Laura did a great job building up to the big reveal which I truly did not see coming. Although I was on the verge of tears many times throughout, I especially loved the characters in the present day timeline and the bit of lightheartedness they brought to the story. I will say I was hoping for a different ending, but it was a beautiful ending nonetheless. I would highly recommend this to fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue I can promise you that this one will be a hit for you!

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven is a beautifully written piece which follows Evelyn and Arden - our main characters who have lived countless lives together over thousands of years… here’s the catch though: they never make it past their 18th birthday, one of them ends up killing the other and their tethered souls reincarnate into another life and start the cycle again.

The story is intricately woven between their present day lives and the lives they lived and loved before - different continents, different cultures - their souls always find a way back one another…and their lives must end before they turn 18… or else…. OR ELSE WHAT?!! In the present lifetime, Evelyn is determined to find out why they must keep repeating this song and dance over and over until the end of time. She’s highly suspicious of who the heck Arden could be in this lifetime and wants to survive long enough to give her younger sister who is dying of cancer the life-saving marrow transplant she desperately needs.

There isn’t enough praise I could give this book - although it reminded me of Addie LaRue it is so unique and unlike any story I’ve read before. The story is so poetic and made me feel so many feelings - I laughed, I cried, I was anxious and on the edge of my seat….it’s hard to put this one down and if you had the time you could probably read it in one sitting.

Thank you immensely to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more from Laura Steven!

For fans of Addie LaRue, two teens have lived thousands of years in various lifetimes and must kill each other in every one of those lives before their 18th birthday or face ultimate doom.

Initially the premise HOOKED me! The first 3rd of the book is fast paced, intriguing, filled with beautiful quotes and I was immediately bought into this race against and through time. However, while the premise is there, the execution was not.

While the "dilemma"/"curse" is interesting up front, we don't find out the the reasoning behind it until 80% into the book. Until then we get an intriguing present day version of the MCs and SO MANY (see: too many) flashbacks to their previous lives. And while those previous lives are interesting at first, they become one dimensional and slow down the pace as we get closer to the ending.

And while we finally get an explanation of the WHY, it feels rushed and fantastical in a way that feels underdeveloped. And honestly, the ending is almost identical to the Disney Channel Original Movie "Twitches" "the opposite of darkness isn't light, it's LOVE". And once I made that connection, it was over for me and this book. LOL.

Thank you to the netgalley and the publisher for my gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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

Our infinite fates follows the tragic story of Evelyn & Arden, doomed to fall in love and kill each other before their 18th birthday in an eternal cycle. After 1000 lifetimes, Evelyn has grown very fond of her current one. We follow her as she tries to thwart Arden, save her sister, and survive past her 18th birthday for the first time in 1000 lives.

The narrative is expertly woven between present day and Evelyn’s many past lives. These pieces form a rich tapestry blending past, present and future to tell an achingly beautiful love story that transcends every boundary - gender, social class, time, and place. My heart broke a thousand times as I unravelled Evelyn and Arden’s origins and shared history across lifetimes. It hurt, but in the best possible way. Pick this up if you enjoy:

♾️Love that transcends time, gender, culture and place.
♾️ Single first person POV
♾️ Slow burn romance with lots of yearning.
♾️Heart wrenching stories that take you on a journey across time.
♾️Flowing poetic prose

This was strong 5⭐️ read. I haven’t felt this deeply after reading a story in a long time!

What if your soul was reborn again and again in a new body, and each time you remembered the lives you’ve lived before, and before every 18th birthday you were murdered by the one you loved…

Our Infinite fates follows Evelyn and Arden in a nonlinear timeline that explores each of the lives they’ve lived and died together.

I adored the exploration of souls being not tethered to a sex or gender, race, etc and that their love transcends these aspects. It felt very relevant for the current politic climate in the US.

The prose is lyrical but not overly so and many will enjoy the descriptive writing. I did have some issue with the consistency of the prose, as it seemed to flip back and forth between flowing lyrical style and a more basic modern/direct style.

The twist/final plot reveal was certainly shocking but I felt like there wasn’t enough alluding to it throughout - I love a good plot twist but I like them to have support and this one felt out of no where.

I personally do not love a non-linear timeline so the back and for wasn’t my favorite but for many people this will be a selling point.

Overall I think this will be a phenomenal book for teens but it lacked some of the depth and nuance I would have appreciated as an adult reading.

Personal enjoyment and reading as an adult: 3.25⭐️
Intended audience: 4⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book was not for me.

Such a cool premise, with unbelievable comps, and yet…such disappointing execution. I cannot tell you how underwhelmed I am.

When I first started it, I was feeling good; I had hope. It starts out well-paced and there’s plenty to be curious about. As others state, there is a lot of flowery language you could get lost in, and I think I might have if the story had been better. Alas…it fell incredibly flat for me. I hate being told two people are desperately in love and yet never once seeing a thing between them that actually shows how they reach that point or why.

Without including too many spoilers, the narrative weaves in and out of a present timeline in Wales, and all these snippets of past lives. But we don’t get to see any linear growth between the characters. I would have LOVED to see these two truly chase one another throughout time, as enemies or reluctant acquaintances or something…always put against some unbearable and unbeatable odds that result in them killing one another. That’s not this. This is…tepid. And the “twist” reasoning at the end that’s supposed to explain the whole ordeal is beyond lame.

So much potential. Unfortunate to see it wasted.

Our Infinite Fates is a YA romance about Evelyn and Arden, two soulmates who have been pursuing each other for hundreds of years. Throughout time these two encounter each other regardless of age, gender, social status or location, always before they turn 18 and always ending in death.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review and I am giving this book 3.5⭐️.
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed our couple as they met over and over again in time. I really appreciated how we as readers get to see how they have encountered each other in the past, crossing genders at times and being in love and together as a couple even in same sex relationships.
Unfortunately, the pacing seemed to be off at times as by 70% of the way into the book we still had no real defined reason of why Evelyn and Arden have been forced into this situation of war with each other until closer to 80% of the book. Once we have the reveal I acknowledge that it was at least different than the standard resolution to books like this but by that point the conclusion had to be rushed and it really wasn’t that enjoyable.
I am satisfied by the very ending of this book and would probably look for the next book by this author to read and will discuss this book on my social media (TikTok and YouTube) closer to the books release date. I did enjoy it but do also feel disappointed by it at the same time. 3,5⭐️ rounded up to 4 for online rating purposes.

A delightful story that has you hooked from the beginning and keeps its grip until the end. Each lifetime kept adding layers and details to the present day puzzle,

The final confrontation with the villain felt short especially after the build up of their reveal. But the conclusion felt right.

Very diverse and queer cast. A book I will be definitely purchasing for my shelves.