Book Review: Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

This month I swapped tear-jerking memoirs and wrestling dogs for soulmates and a reincarnation cycle that really needs to calm down. Our Infinite Fates is a romantasy novel that promised angst, time-spanning romance, and a fate that just wont quit. And while it did have those things (plus a loooong slowburn), by the time I closed the book I felt... underwhelmed. Like I'd waited three hours for a cake to bake only to find out it's a charred pile of ash.

Lets get in to what I loved, and what fell flat - minus spoilers (mostly).

"I love you, I have loved you, and I will love you."

❤️ What Worked

Even though this book didn't sweep me off my feet, I can't deny there were some things that were done very well.

• Worldbuilding: This book knows how to look good. Laura Stevens clearly poured effort into crafting a vivid, layered setting. The chapters of their previous lives always feel incredibly vivid and real, and you feel as if you're there with them.
• Slowburn Romance: This story commits to the slowburn. Like, "we only kiss in chapter forty-two" type commitment.
• Aesthetic: The vibes are vibing. This book is full of ethereal prose, morbid metaphors, and moody atmosphere.

“slipping,
slipping,
and there,
in a grave colder than Mars,
next to a soul I'd loved for a hundred lives and lost in every one,
we took our final breath beneath the indifferent stars.”

❤️ What Fell Flat

Unfortunately, this book had such a long and hyped build-up to the big reveal, and it just didn't deliver.

• Romance: Evelyn and Arden technically are in love, but I didn't feel it. The yearning was there - for 300ish pages. I needed tension. Banter. Stakes. Instead, I got internal longing and poetic metaphors with no actual heat. It's hard to root for a couple when you're not entirely sure why they're into each other.
• That One Sex Scene: Look, after hundreds of pages of build-up, we got one moments and it was... fine? Not spicy or emotional. Just kind of there. The tension fizzled rather than exploded.
• The Ending: I cannot stress this enough - the ending came from nowhere. A long dramatic monologue here, a sudden resolution there, and boom - it's done. It felt incredibly rushed and out of left field. After hundreds of pages, I expected an ending that matched the journey.
• Toooooo Long: This book is a chonky boi. Through the chapters, this story often drifts. There is a lot of of introspection and repetitive yearning, and a lot of telling, not enough showing. This one felt long without earning it.

“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.”

❤️ Final Verdict - Should You Read It?

📖 Overall Rating: 3/5

Atmosphere & Setting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Characters: ⭐⭐⭐

Pacing: ⭐⭐

If you love:

✔️ Slowburn with minimal Spice
✔️Vibes over plot
✔️ Love of morally grey boys

Then Our Infinite Fates could work for you.

If you prefer:

❌ Actual romantic chemistry
❌ Endings that matter

Then maybe leave this one behind.

“I think I understood a long time ago that big joy and small joy are the same. It sounds trite, but it’s true.”

❤️ Final Takeaway & Where to Go Next

If you're someone who lives for aesthetics, slowburn romance, and poetic prose, you might enjoy the journey. There are things to love here - especially if you're into soft fantasy and pining.

But if you read for emotional payoff, romantic chemistry, and a satisfying, earned ending - this probably isn't the book to bump to the top of your TBR. It's a long read, and despite some pretty moments, it left me feeling more frustrated at the end than fulfilled.

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

📖 Next Month's Read:

After slogging through this read and feeling frustrated at the ending, I need something new to read for June.

I've been hearing good things about John Truby's Anatomy of Story and I feel like a review could help some people decide if this book will be helpful to them, or not worth their time.

If you didn't catch last month's book review (Three Wild Dogs and the Truth) you can find that here.

Have you read Our Infinite Fates? I want to know your thoughts! Did you love the slowburn? Were you yelling at the characters to just kiss already? Or were you also left reeling at that monologue ending?

Drop a comment below or come chat with me over on Instagram!

Want help building a romance plot that actually delivers? Check out my post on Uncommon But Loved Romance Tropes You Should Use in Your Novel for some inspiration.

See you next month!

✍️ Hop to it and keep writing! 🐸 – Krystal