Evelyn and Arden have both been reincarnated, century after century, in different times, places and genders, but they are always drawn together somehow and they always kill each other before they turn 18.
In their latest incarnation Evelyn is a Welsh girl called Branwyn, her sister Clara is dying of cancer and a bone marrow transplant from Branwyn is her only hope of survival. But Bran is about to turn 18, she hasn’t met Arden yet in this life but she knows she won’t make it to her birthday unless she can finally get him to tell her the truth about their history and give her a little more time to save her sister. She just has to find him first.
The main narrative is interspersed with stories of their past lives and how they ended and it is testament to the skill of the author that even though we only see a glimpse of each lifetime, the settings feel vivid and authentic and our understanding of these two characters grows.
The gorgeous book cover was the first thing that attracted me to this story as well as the brilliant and intriguing line: ‘They’ve loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They’ve killed each other in every one.’ The concept is reminiscent of ‘The Invisible Life of Addie Larue’ but although I am a huge fan of Victoria Schwab, I actually enjoyed this book more.
Despite the inevitable murder, this is an achingly romantic story with a compelling mystery at its heart that, when it is revealed, is both devastating and satisfying. Highly recommended!
Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for the digital ARC.
