I truly appreciated the intriguing premise of this book; however, I found that Evelyn and Arden’s past lives together felt rather brief and underdeveloped, which left me longing for a deeper understanding of their relationship. I struggled to grasp the foundation of their love, as it felt more like it was told to me rather than shown through their experiences. I simply did not understand the “why” behind it. The only hint of an explanation came at the very end, and I can't help but wish that this aspect had been explored more fully—perhaps even in a novella of its own. I was also a bit letdown and underwhelmed once the reasoning for constantly having to kill each other was revealed.

beyond my criticisms, the writing was beautiful, filled with lyrical prose and the audiobook narrator really brought the story to life. i also found myself very invested in the family of her current life though i wish their dynamics and past together were also described a BIT more. i was rooting for her sister to live and her mother to not lose both her and Evelyn as her fate grew closer. 

despite the slow pacing and bits i mentioned above, i still found this to be a lovely story though i’m not sure it would have been as compelling for me if not for the audio.