This was a book of two halves for me, or rather 2/3 and a 1/3. I was absolutely absorbed in most of the book, loved the premise, the character, the high stakes, the flashbacks, everything and then it all felt flat and just felt vaguely silly.

Arden and Evelyn are soulmates, reincarted over and over again but fated to die before they turn 18 - at each other's hand, In most incarnations Arden hunts Evelyn down, sometimes s/he (sexes vary over lifetimes) preemptively strikes but it makes no difference; once one is dead they other dies too, only to be instantly reincarnated and the cycle starts again. The book takes place both in the present day and in the past, as we see the pair live, love and die in times and places all over the world from the trenches of the First World War to Imperial China, from the Siberian steppes to the West Indies. The cycle has different effects on them. Over time Arden has become hardened, pouring pent up emotion into poetry, wheras Evelyn never loses the capacity to love both his/her adversary and each family despite knowing s/he has to leave them mourning their murdered child. In the present day Evelyn in Branwen, a teenage girl living in Wales and this time she is determined to live. Her beloved sister has leukaemia and only Branwen can save her, but how can she ensure she lives long enough to donate the marrow her sister needs? This time she is not going to accept her fate, she is going to demand answers and she is going to live.

It's a great concept, compellingly written with great stakes but not only did the twist, denouement and explanation all feel like a huge let down so did some of the decisions, such as Arden's refusal to tell Evelyn why their continual lives were this way (necessary for the plot maybe but came across as controlling and cruel). I raced through the first two thirds because I was hooked but skimmed through the last third because I was bored and a little incredulous. Lots of people will adore it but a disappointment for me.

I was initially drawn to this novel for its unique take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. It follows Evelyn and Arden, two soulmates destined to find each other across lifetimes, only to meet tragic fates as each other's killers. Their journey spans centuries, delving not only into romantic love but also the profound connections of familial and platonic relationships. Though the novel is undeniably romantic, it’s also steeped in mystery and intrigue, inviting the reader to unravel secrets alongside Evelyn as she discovers the soulmates' histories and the origins of their tragic cycles. However, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters initially, as the romance and intensity of their bond emerged later in the story than I expected. In addition, as fond as I am of this novel, another slight critique is the characters' constant changes in appearances and genders with each lifetime. While I understand the narrative purpose behind these shifts, I found it challenging to track who was speaking at times, and it disrupted my mental image of them. This constant reimagining of physical traits was somewhat disorienting, as I usually find it easier to connect with characters who maintain distinct, consistent features. However, Laura Steven uses this aspect skilfully to explore love beyond physical form, illustrating a soul-deep connection that transcends gender. This portrayal powerfully celebrates the depth of their bond, whether in heterosexual or homosexual relationships, making for a profoundly moving narrative. In sum, this is a beautifully woven tale of passion, intimacy, and mystery, full of unexpected twists and endings that leave the reader eager for more, I am very excited for its release!

Once again, Laura Stevens has hit every mark. I laughed, I cried and I fell in love over and over again, The different lives, the spectrum of the characters' experiences and the setting of each one was perfect. Abslutely perfect. I read it in one sitting, and I got the genuine real feeling that Stevens poured her heart out onto every damn page, not to mention the poetry because WOW!!! Thank you to the publisher and net galley for access to the proof, and thank you Laura Stevens for reviving my belief in love once again.

There are some books that, all things considered, wind up practically being a 4/4.5-star read, but there's just *something* about them that make them worth 5 stars. This is one of those.

This story is beautiful. I read a lot of fanfiction, so I've read PLENTY of beautifully woven-together nonsense, and I earnestly believe that anyone who says the same about this story is entirely off-base. The prose is stellar and poetic, the character development is beautiful, the arcs across time and space are incredibly moving. The ending, and the final flashback, made me ugly cry. I can tell I'll be thinking about this book, and the questions of what makes up a soul and the basis of human connection, regularly for years to come.

The parts that faltered (which, truly, is not saying much, because the strengths far outweighed these): The climax and villain were fairly quickly and easily tied up for me, which felt fairly anticlimactic for a slow-paced novel. I think there could have been more depth to the historical elements, though it moved through so many different flashbacks and points in human history that this was likely a tall order for a standalone novel. And, to be honest, I just don't see the Exile comps -- I think the marketing should be clearer that this feels like an "inspired by" and not a "based on" situation.

This book is most certainly for the Addie LaRue girlies, though I personally think it's even better.

No words can describe how truly beautiful this book was! I know it’s going to be in every bestseller list and go viral with videos of people sobbing as they devour this masterpiece.

Easily Steven’s best work! No review could ever do this book justice. Just go and read it right now!!

Absolutely loved this. 5/5 easily.

The way the novel picks up is brilliant. I felt really transported to all of the different versions of Evelyn and Arden, and in each lifetime, we learned something new about them. I loved the way the flashbacks were interwoven within the narrative and the way we learned more through them. The present day setting was fab and I loved the idea that Evelyn was trying to save her sister in this lifetime.

As the story progressed, I realised just how romantic it was. I'd told someone this book wasn't really a romance but that was so wrong. It was such a stunning love story.

I LOVE the way the gender swapping was handled throughout. The way it simply didn't matter because love is love is such an incredible message to have woven through the words and I think it was handled so well by the author.

I sometimes worry with YA that I will feel like the parent of the narrator but the way this was written was so well done. It felt very real that Evelyn was both a teenager and a being who'd lived thousands of years. All of the experience of her past life supported her outlook but she still had such believable teenage-isms that I loved.

The final reveal was perfect and heartbreaking and I loved it. I spent a huge amount of time wondering what was going to have caused it when I found out I was pleasantly surprised. i also loved the little addition at the end that showed that they still weren't told the full story.

Overall, this was a brilliant read. I was hooked from the outset and I actually tried reading it while I was at work (to no avail) because it was that good.

I thought this was a really interesting book. I really enjoyed the premise which i thought was unique and fun. I enjoyed the various timelines, and what happened in each timeline, but gosh i HATED the ending. Not only did i feel it was a betrayal of the characters hopes and dreams for the future, especially Evelyns, but it was just stupid. Why after everything that they went through, that they dreamed about, would you bring Evelyn back like that, crushing her final wish for the dream life she wanted. I cried for her.

Worth the read, but damn i wish it had ended differently.

Words truly cannot express how amazing this book is. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be one of the first people to read this book ever.
The writing in this novel is beautiful and very poetic but in a way that it doesn't seem excessive. It's flowery (and I learnt a lot of new words whilst reading this by the way) but like it doesn't seem to drag on and on and on like some books do.
The story line is a bit confusing at first as the tenses changed quite often in the first few chapters when I was still trying to understand what in the hell was happening. I don't know if that was intentional or not but the first, I'd say, 3-4 chapters were like a bit messy but as you ease into the story, you develop an understanding of the characters.
I personally related to Evelyn because I feel like I could see myself in her actions and her words as I got to know her and who she was. Arden, on the other hand, is like a closed book and I found myself not really caring all that much about him. Maybe because it was only from Evelyn's perspective but I just didn't feel that connection with him. I still don't understand his reasoning for what he did and I personally don't think he should have kept the truth for him.
That being said, this was a quick and fun read, and it might have made me cry at some points. So if you're up for that, then I'd say go for it. ALSO can i mention how pretty the cover is???? If you're a fan of Ann Liang then I'd say this is right up your alley.
Thank you again for the ARC!!

My oh my. How or even, where, do I begin with this book? I had some expectations, not necessarily high, but still, this book managed to take my expectations and laugh at them. It went above and beyond anything I ever expected.

Firstly, I went in blind (as always) drawn to it by the cover alone, which is absolutely gorgeous by the way. So I had absolutely no idea what I was about to start reading about, but I’ll read pretty much anything so nothing is ruled out. But upon completion my first initial thought was “this was similar to Addie LaRue but with a somewhat different take. No, a BETTER take”.

I was able to start and finish this book on less that 24 hours, it was that amazing and I could not put it down. It only took me that long because I simply couldn’t keep resisting my adulting responsibilities, wish as I might. I was entranced, I was besotted and I don’t even think I have the vocabulary to explain how beautiful this book was. I was hit with every single emption known to mankind. Love? Hate? Grief? Heartache? Anger? EVERY SINGLE ONE!

I went through stages of having my heart cuddled and protected to it being ripped out of my chest and stamped on, to someone delicately picking up and piecing it back together. But the process continued to this way, over and over. It’s one of those books that emotional destroys you but you recommend it to every single person you know, cause sharing is caring, right?

Without spoilers let me just give you two names, Evelyn and Arden. When you finish the book and look over this comment you will know exactly why just those two names it all you need being back that emotional rollercoaster you went through. I am absolutely hating Laura Steven right now, for producing a book that shattered my soul into a thousand pieces but I also love her for bringing this beautiful book out into the world.

I loved everything about this book! I read it in 24 hours and couldn’t put it down. I loved both of the characters and I loved the twist. It reminded me of addie le rue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for this e-arc! To start, I’m obsessed with how gorgeous this cover is; it’s so pretty!

Upon reading the blurb, this really reminded me of The Life of Addie LaRue and similarly how I feel about that book is how I feel about this. It’s a beautiful story to be told, with a tragic, interwoven twist, lasting lifetimes.

This was beautiful told, and we saw how deeply in love Evelyn and Arden are; in the present and in the lifetimes they’ve shared with each other, right before Arden kills Evelyn. They were star-crossed lovers to a fault. And the twist that had brought them together, was so profound and tragic, that it really pulls on the heartstrings.

I did feel like the ending was a little implausible, but given that’s its YA, I can understand why it was. Nonetheless, it had me gripped until the very last page.

Below are a few of my favourite quotes!

"𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝘃𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲."

"𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲,"

“𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀, 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱. 𝗔𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗲."

I've never read anything quite like Our Infinite Fates. The title, artwork, and synopsis alone would have been enough to draw me in even if I wasn't already a huge fan of Laura Steven's work. Her storytelling ability is unmatched. Arden and Evelyn are beautifully complex and flawed characters who love each other in all of their lifetimes, and are doomed to kill each other before they turn 18. The 'why' eludes the reader for most of the book, and the reveal is as tragic and beautiful as expected. The ending was perfect. I'll be thinking about Arden and Evelyn's story for a long time.

thank you netgalley for the ARC ✨

“Evelyn can remember all her past lives. She can also remember that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday.

The problem is that she’s quite fond of the one she’s in now, and more importantly, her sister needs her for bone marrow transplants to stay alive. So now she has to:

•find the centuries-old enemy who hunts her through each life and destroy them forever
•figure out exactly why she’s being hunted in the first place,
•try quite hard not to fall in love with them… again.”

i was super excited to receive this book early (i had already ordered a special edition) and to have the chance to read it and review it.

this story is so beautifully written, the descriptions transporting us around the world through time. the love between Evelyn and Arden is unbreakable, their love transcends anything and everything and you can feel it as you read.

i felt all of this book. the grief, the loss, the confusion, the love, the hate, the desperation. every emotion is so potent and powerful you cannot help but be drawn in and becoming invested in the story. the angst from Evelyn is so understandable too, the conflicting emotions towards Arden is so well articulated.

my only issue with the book lies in that we don’t see Evelyn and Arden fall in love, they just are. every flashback to a previous life has Evelyn already loving Arden and wanting him. and it is beautiful, i just wish we got to see more of how it happened.

while the ending wasn’t predictable, it did feel slightly anticlimactic, but this isn’t a book about adventure and battles, this is a love story for the ages. i will admit, the final few pages had me tearing up, it was a beautiful conclusion to a beautiful love story.

“Our Infinite Fates” is a very unique and touching story. Following the two main characters, Evelyn and Arden, who are truly the definition of enemies to lovers, over years and different lives never surviving past the age of 18. Laura Steven did a fantastic job of describing the experience of love throughout. I found myself highlighting lines of this book more often than I normally would. Some of the quotes will certainly stick with me. I was invested in the story from the beginning and read the whole thing in two sittings. I did feel at times that I could have been more connected to the characters however towards the end I felt the urgency and pain that the characters were feeling. The ending did slightly underwhelm me however I still think that this is a lovely book and enjoyed my experience reading it. This is the perfect standalone and I would highly recommend picking it up when it comes out in 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

unfortunately this story fell flat for me. I liked all the different timelines but it got a bit repetitive and boring. The plot twist made no sense and ruined the whole thing for me.

I was very intrigued to get this book in my hands fast as the story seemed very interesting to me and it hasn't disappointed at all. I loved the chemistry between character a lot although sometimes it has fallen stale. I loved the amount of situations we got to live with them and through them as well. Anything from different genders to different centuries and that was very well done, making us care about them in details.
The ending was definitely something I didn't expect but I feel like it was teased in a great way. Can't wait until I can get my hands on a physical copy of it.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read it early.

What an emotional rollercoaster, the storytelling is magical and mesmerising. Highly recommended, this will be a best seller

A beautifully written story.

The jumps back and forth in time actually work really well and compliment the main storyline (not very often this happens). I was gripped from the start and the story telling and plot worked amazingly. I loved how there were unanswered questions that kept me reading to find out more and the plot twists where amazing.

I was fully gripped by so many emotions whilst reading this, love not just romantic but familial was so beautifullyand heartbreakingly written.

“I love you, and I have loved you, and I will love you” is now as devastating as “I remember you”.

The last line of this book had me sobbing.
Several lines in this book had me sobbing.
I wasn’t expecting this book to be able to match the hype that’s been surrounding it. I was wrong. I knew 12% in that I was likely to be thinking it one of my new favourites, and by that ending it is impossible to give anything but 5 stars.

Our Infinite Fates is several months away from publication, already I am looking forward to being able to hold and read this moving, painful story again. The heartache of feeling a mixture of suffering and love is exquisite and the descriptive prose hits perfectly to evoke those feelings.

Three words throughout this book struck me as being flawless in their use, as a gentle signpost to the reader of what we are holding in our hands and where it is taking us; chiaroscuro, palimpsest, saudade.

I’m going to go back and re-read the quotes I’ve highlighted and cry into some Keats poetry now…

There are a lot of 'romantasies' out there at the moment, and if I'm honest many of them are pretty terrible, but thankfully this one wasn't. Now, I'm not saying that it will sit on my favourites shelf and be reread yearly but it was an interesting story, relatively well written, with likeable characters and the ending was lovely. I would very much have enjoyed more focus on the other lives, how the character's gender, status and position would have affected their personalities and freedoms, but perhaps that wasn't really the focus of the book. All in all an enjoyable novel that was much more intriguing that others of this ilk. Worth a read if the synopsis peaks your attention.