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!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the e-arc!
Unfortunately, this wasn't for me. I was really excited about tis book with the promised queer rep and the comparisons to Addie LaRue and This is How You Losse the Time War but I can't say it holds up. I felt like the romance was a bit of as letdown, as the development I wanted really wasn't there. It was hard to feel connected to their story as it almost felt like we missed too much to really click with them. I am also a tad confused as I was expecting qeer rep/themes due to the markleting, but it was exceedlingly glossed over.

I LOVED this book! The writing is beautiful and the characters are great. Even with the appearances and names changing through time (the characters are reincarnated every 18 years) they have tells so you know who is who. This reminded me a little of Addie LaRue- I think it has to do with reading through different time periods and only having one person recognize you.

This book destroyed me…but in a good way. The pain, the tragic outcomes…wow! The story was written beautifully and crafted with memorable characters. I definitely enjoyed this emotional journey and will be thinking about these characters for awhile.

*so incredibly sorry I posted wrong review will revise this listing as soon as possible.*


Thank you!

3.5 Stars, rounded up

This book had an intriguing premise, following multiple timelines/reincarnations of the same protagonist. The writing was sharp and engaging with many thought provoking moments.

However, the multiple storylines sometimes felt overwhelming and ended up lacking enough depth to really connect me to the characters and core love story.

Still an interesting novel, but it didn't fully live up to it's potential for me.

I enjoyed this book, the story was unique and sucked me right in! I couldn't get enough and this will become a reread in the future so that I can reabsorb every word!

his was one of those books that was absolutely perfect in theory — but was severely missing something in execution.

I thought this was going to be the easiest 5 star rating of my life, but unfortunately that just wasn’t the case :(

I think laura steven is an absolutely phenomenal author so let’s not get that twisted. the writing was spectacular. absolutely beautiful and so easy to get lost in.

the story itself however….

when you have a story of two soulmates who i’m supposed to believe have loved each other across time and circumstances over thousands and thousands of lifetimes, the very least you can do is give them believable chemistry.

while I did drop my rating a bit for the ending being incredibly rushed, so easily resolved and just a bit stupid (for lack of a better word) — if i’m reading a love story I need to believe that these characters are truly IN LOVE. there was no pining, angst or any of the other emotions you would expect from characters in this situation. they felt like acquaintances at best.

the concept of this story was just SO strong that I feel incredibly disappointed that it wasn’t more fleshed out; because this truly could’ve been an all time favorite book. I do look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

thank you to st. martin’s press for the e-arc!