ARC Review: Love Times Infinity by Lane Clarke

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. School is back in session after having spring break last week. I went camping with my family and had a lot of fun. It was definitely hot, but I still had a good time and took a lot of pictures that I plan to share in a later post.

Today’s post is a very exciting one. And that’s because I got my first ARC! I was so excited when I got asked to review this book. I’ve gotten a few requests before, but this was the first one that struck my interest. Let’s get into the review!

Title: Love Times Infinity
Author: Lane Clarke
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Series: None
Release Date: July 26, 2022
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Page Count: 354 (paperback)

The swoon of Nicola Yoon meets the emotional punch of Elizabeth Acevedo in this breakout debut novel that answers big questions about identity, family, and love.

High school junior Michie is struggling to define who she is for her scholarship essays, her big shot at making it into Brown as a first-generation college student. The prompts would be hard for anyone, but Michie’s been estranged from her mother since she was seven and her concept of family has long felt murky.

Enter new kid and basketball superstar Derek de la Rosa. He is very cute, very talented, and very much has his eye on Michie, no matter how invisible she believes herself to be.

When Michie’s mother unexpectedly reaches out to make amends, and with her scholarship deadlines looming, Michie must choose whether to reopen old wounds or close the door on her past. And as she spends more time with Derek, she’ll have to decide how much of her heart she is willing to share. Because while Michie may not know who she is, she’s starting to realize who she wants to become, if only she can take a chance on Derek, on herself, and on her future.

Content Warnings

depictions of anxiety and depression – sexual assault (off-page, mentioned, discussed) – abortion (discussed) – alcohol use – alcoholism (discussed) – parental abandonment – grandparent death (backstory, off page) – attempted suicide (off-page, recalled)

Thank you to the author, Lane Clarke, and Little, Brown for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion in any way. All quotes in the review are from the ARC and may differ upon publication.

I love coming-of-age novels and this one did not disappoint. Love Times Infinity centers around Michie, a junior in high school, who’s struggling with the weight of college essays while also dealing with the burdens of a estranged relationship with her mother. As the story progresses, Michie learns about who she is and what it takes to accept herself.

My favorite aspect of this book were the messages it sent. Much of Michie’s growth in this story is her learning to love herself, seeing that she’s worth it and enough. With her strained relationship with her mother and the knowledge that she’s a product of sexual assault, there’s a lot of emotions around the topic of family. I love all the support that Michie had: her friends, JoJo and Derek; her grandmother, who was always there for her, through the good times and the bad; and the group therapy sessions she attends. The group was a great place for Michie to talk with other kids about her experiences, a place where she felt safe and able to share her feelings. They supported each other and helped gain confidence from one another.

“People think being best friends means being open and exposed all the time. I think it means being able to hide in a safe place.”

The cafe Michie works at, Sip and Serendipity, sounds so cute and I love the “take a book, leave a book” aspect. I haven’t seen that in any cafes where I live, but I imagine it would be at a small, local cafe.

Michie and Derek’s introduction was a meet cute situation that was sweet to read. I wanted to see more of the start of their relationship, though. We go from their meeting to them being really good friends a week later. It felt like their relationship progressed very fast, especially when they started to have a slightly more-than-friends relationship. I wanted to see more of the start of their friendship, the foundation. However, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy their relationship later on. It was sweet and they went through some difficult periods together, which I think made their bond stronger.

There were a lot of pop culture references, including mentions of characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Princess Bride, and Grey’s Anatomy. (I didn’t actually know the reference from Grey’s Anatomy, I had to look it up). I don’t have anything against pop culture references; I think they can be used well. But, if people from other places in the world or people in the future read this, those pop culture things may not be around, which results in the humor having a lesser effect.

One thing I questioned when reading this was the time period in which it’s set. At one point in the book (chapter 27), Derek says, “Don’t you remember the bird flu and Ebola reactions? Coronavirus? My mom wouldn’t let me play in leagues for a year.” COVID isn’t mentioned anywhere else in the story, nor are masks or social distancing policies, which leads me to think that this is set sometime in the future, after COVID has settled down and safety measures don’t apply.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a coming-of-age novel that handles some heavier topics. Despite some of the aspects I wasn’t too sure about, I still really enjoyed reading this. At it’s core, it’s about self-worth and finding out who you are. Michie’s journey throughout the plot includes many life-changing events, including college, figuring out her relationship with her mother, forming new relationships, and dealing with her sense of self and identity.

“You’re worthy of love, Michie. But it’s on you to figure out who’s worthy in return. You get to decide. Only you. This is your life.”

My Rating: 4/5 dragons

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lane Clarke grew up in Richmond, Virginia, where she hung out with her grandma at IHOP every Tuesday night and attended $3 movie nights at the Byrd Theater. Lane has been in love with books since the age of two. Her stories feature Black culture and big-hearted teenagers with self-doubts and big dreams, who—with a little laughter and good friends—can accomplish anything. She eats dessert before dinner and can usually be found rewatching her favorite teen soap operas. She currently lives in Northern Virginia with her cat, Pickles, and works as an attorney in Washington, D.C.

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Is Love Times Infinity on your TBR? What are some contemporaries you recommend?
Do you like coming-of-age stories?