Introduction
Published in January 2026 by Laura Steven, this standalone fantasy has captured the romance enjoyers through its storytelling of love that transcends death.
A Summary
Evelyn has lived more lives than she can count, and she remembers every single one. She also remembers that in each lifetime, she never makes it past seventeen. Someone always finds her, and someone always kills her. This time, she’s determined to break the pattern. She actually likes the life she has now, and her sister depends on her for bone marrow transplants, so dying early is not an option. To survive, she has to track down the enemy who has been hunting her for centuries, figure out why they’re so intent on ending her, and try her absolute best not to fall for them all over again.
Writing Style
This novel is a singular POV, but goes back and forth between the present and various lives in the past. The chapters are fairly short, between 5-15 pages typically, with plenty of descriptions about the settings.
My Thoughts
When I pick up a book about reincarnation, I’m always nervous about how it will play out, especially in the romance genre. I love stories with these themes, but I’m often disappointed, and that definitely shaped my experience with this novel. Writing a main character who has lived countless lives, gathered centuries of experience, died hundreds of times, and is also a modern-day teenager with an underdeveloped frontal lobe is incredibly hard to pull off. I don’t think Laura Steven fully accounted for that challenge, because a lot of the story felt flat to me. I struggled to connect with the characters, and I kept wishing this had been a series. There wasn’t enough space to show why Gracie was special, so the book had to tell us instead. That said, it’s still an enjoyable read if you approach it as something light between heavier books. In that context, it works really well. I also genuinely loved Arden’s character. The tortured love angle was handled beautifully, and the exploration of gender identity throughout the story was thoughtful, especially the way pronouns were used to reinforce it. Overall, it’s a fun, super quick, easy read that would have been even stronger as a series rather than a standalone.
Spice Level
There is very minimal spice in this book, with one sex scene that isn’t particularly steamy.
Spice Level - 0.5/5
Recommendation
I would recommend a cute love story, or a light read in between books that take more of your energy. This would be a good book for a reading slump. It’s important to note that there are discussions of trauma from war, mental health problems being mistreated and a whole lot of grief, so only read it if you are okay with that.
Songs
Songs that I find reminiscent of the book:
Last Love by Allegra Jordyn
Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Ray
Yellow by Coldplay
(P.S. We made them links so feel free to click on them and get teleported straight into the vibes.)
