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The Fate of Us
Two lovers who have met across the centuries in different lives and different bodies find themselves meeting as two women unwilling to face the truth but even less willing to let each other go again in Rachel Bowdler's The Fate of Us.The rootless drummer in a struggling rock band, Drew has always felt adrift in life. So it comes as a shock when she meets a strange girl in a strange town and feels an immediate jolt of recognition. Drew knows her — but not from this life. And Amber — stubborn, solitary, and all too willing to shut everyone out after the loss of her mother — isn't the easiest person to convince of this.In their past lives, they've been doomed to meet only once a century, on the night before Halloween, before circumstances tear them apart. This time around, will they be able to break the cycle for good, or will their own fear and disbelief be the thing that keeps them apart?
167 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2021
5 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Bowdler
20 books154 followersRachel Bowdler grew up and still lives just outside of Manchester, on the edge of West Yorkshire. Her books feature queer and plus-size characters finding their happily ever afters. You can usually find her hosting the Swords & Sapphics Podcast, writing under the pen names Bonnie Woods and Bryony Rosehurst, and working as a freelance editor.
Her festive debut novel, Honeymoon for One, was brought to readers in 2022 and became a bestseller in lesbian romance.
Her festive debut novel, Honeymoon for One, was brought to readers in 2022 and became a bestseller in lesbian romance.
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July 12, 2024
RATING: 3.5/4 stars to The Fate of Us! ★ ★ ★ ★
Perhaps it was the way Drew looked that dragged it out of her, or perhaps it was the gentle tug in Amber’s chest, or perhaps it was the fact that Drew kept seeming to catch her at her worst and yet never balked, but Amber couldn’t keep herself from admitting it a moment longer. “You don’t feel like a stranger.” Drew swallowed, tucking her hair behind her ear. Her witch’s hat was long gone, now, but she didn’t need it. She was already dark and seductive — spellbinding, even. “I feel like I’m going mad,” Drew whispered. “I see you everywhere I go, in everything I do, and I don’t know why.”
➜ Queer romance
➜ Opposite personalities
➜ Travelling rock band
➜ Cobblestoned coastal town
➜ Reincarnation and Karmic love
➜ A haunted landmark
➜ Whitby Gothic Festival
➜ Past historical life echoes
With a premise of unique Intrigue that somewhat-almost complements my last read (one that alternatively spanned a tale of dimensional travel) Rachel Bowdler's The Fate of Us spins one of karmic love and a past life continuum that accomplishes something similarly sublime in theme in its very short length. This romantic novella-writing scriber twirled her fingers together in concoctioning an atmospheric small-town Whitby that gently, secretly, quietly and tormentingly tethers an untrooted musician and a curmudgeonly fisherwoman in a very unconventional fashion. You won't find many romance writers that willingly contemporise the supernova of a romantic reincarnation. It only piles onto and into the inclusive stack of themes that Rachel Bowdler eases into with this short romantic novella, and does so with a tether rooted to the very real of life and relationships. Like the well-imagined atmosphere of a coastal town in the thick of its gothic season, this small town romance seems to wander and meander, lingers in the space of curious longing, melancholy to its own mystique. A love interest who yearns and another too challenged by her lack of faith to feel the truth. It steers its own clock hands to an inexplicable recognition that stretches the material of time, possibility and other lifetimes, though none be more important than the lifetime sitting in front of them, a chance where the chance of a lifetime might get to be theirs in this most recent - and likely final - incarnation. And it all starts with a musician who goes by the name Drew Dawson, her untimed purchase at a bazaar and a timeworn pocket watch. From there, Whitby's spell takes hold, and the unravelling of many lifetimes recognised and forgotten roll into a stream of fragments that speak to a truth Drew can't explain, a familiarity she can't refute. The only thing she knows for certain: this might be the first time she's met a stand-offish Whitby native, but it's not the first time she's known her. It seems that if soul connections are as real as everything she can feel and can't reasonably reason, Amber might be hers.
Shorter reads can split reader consensus; they can hit with impact or alienate a reader from the lack of it, but I like to believe that page count has little to do with being impactful, and everything to do with the creative's storytelling touch, of which, The Fate of Us is a really well-framed and placed piece of romantic lit. Whatever your stance, novella writing is an art form, and this compact read was as uniquely-premised as it tucked itself in the quiet corners of its own Intimacy. Silently wistful, colourful and curious as the humble coastal town it's set in, the rarity of an uncommon situation finds itself steeped in the humble terrestrialism of its own vulnerability. Both Amber and Drew face real fears, Drew the more open, wanting, and willing; the longing never too far from her heart and mind. Even though she's lived her life adrift and seeking, she's depicted with a more sincere sense of self trust, perhaps even intuitive, and that lends itself to an easier (albeit no less tormenting) leaning into the mysterious, even if she's given little choice in facing it. Whereas Drew is easier to take to in personality, is easier to relationship with, Amber's distance takes some warming up to. Though human she certainly is, content to lean into the investment of her own loneliness, grief has built a home in her bones and the safety of her small, stable life is all the windswept she needs. Her arc clearly grounds itself in early grief, the smallness and safety of her life the perfect place of least resistance, and her proclivity to run from any situation that surfaces her fear is deeply relatable, but I definitely felt a stronger pull to Drew's presence more than anything. Amber's depiction in the story was trickier to engage with and to find appreciation in her profile could be challenging. That being said, both love interests were really well-characterised with clearly sensed personalities, the shades of each life stenciled recognisably in the lives they'd lived before, even if the flashback sections could be fragmented enough to carry a certain confusion. Amber's got some frostbitten chips nestled on her shoulders and grief has turned her away from her own heart into the reaches of her own solitude. She didn't count on Drew, but she also won't be pulled into the sway of the fated. Within a scenario that's hard to come to terms with let alone face in the space of its own surreality, how to address the elephant that trots alongside them through the setting of Whitby when only one of them can see it? Thus, harder even to imagine this be the lifetime that grants them more than only the fleeting moments of previous lives.
Pressed into each moment is the known, the unknown and what might be known in the mark-making of their timeworn history. Each happening given space lives in the space of its own making; whether it be a moment shared sat at a long-unused piano, strolling over the cobblestones of a Yorkshire seaside town, remembering the forgotten, lost to the dwellings of a memory or working through the conflicted feelings of their respective lives, the story tucks itself into the quiet corners and turns itself into the pockets of each moment given visit. Each happening lives in the space of its own atmosphere and the length of the story makes great use of its time with binding prose. While a very cool, curt and clipped Amber struggles with the relationships in her life, none too desperate to build bridges or heal the rift she's let grow between herself and her brother, Drew's chased by the ethereal, pulled forward by an abtruse connection and left alone to parse through the difficulty of knowing too much. It's a unique occurrence, hard to face for the both of them, but it really comes down to their most recent lifetime together, whether it can be had together with an outcome of divergence. Because everything Drew is attempting to fathom is everything Amber doesn't remember. Facing the fear of an unusual chance and an unusual choice, to believe in the most or least of this chance they've been given, and this one lifetime might make all the difference. Leaping for faith or losing to an all-too familiar parting untaken. A quick, many-lifetimes kind of romance, but only this one matters most. Great for a cooler, rusty, dusky season. Seasonal atmosphere, set in the UK, The Fate of Us turns into the textures of a small town Whitby. My only discomfort is its transitional shifts aren't as perceivable as they could be, and the past life reflections can confusingly materialise. Sapphic and scenic, this karmic reincarnation/past lives-Inspired novella sits in earthy tones and leans into the gravel of fated difference. A taste of the mystical and a touch of the numinous in an unorthodox second chance romance where two love interests have to decide whether this chance untaken becomes the fate of them. An interesting read for my first Rachel Bowdler romance!
Content Warning: Death of a parent. Adoption
____________________________________
Visit my blog: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
____________________________________
Perhaps it was the way Drew looked that dragged it out of her, or perhaps it was the gentle tug in Amber’s chest, or perhaps it was the fact that Drew kept seeming to catch her at her worst and yet never balked, but Amber couldn’t keep herself from admitting it a moment longer. “You don’t feel like a stranger.” Drew swallowed, tucking her hair behind her ear. Her witch’s hat was long gone, now, but she didn’t need it. She was already dark and seductive — spellbinding, even. “I feel like I’m going mad,” Drew whispered. “I see you everywhere I go, in everything I do, and I don’t know why.”
➜ Queer romance
➜ Opposite personalities
➜ Travelling rock band
➜ Cobblestoned coastal town
➜ Reincarnation and Karmic love
➜ A haunted landmark
➜ Whitby Gothic Festival
➜ Past historical life echoes
With a premise of unique Intrigue that somewhat-almost complements my last read (one that alternatively spanned a tale of dimensional travel) Rachel Bowdler's The Fate of Us spins one of karmic love and a past life continuum that accomplishes something similarly sublime in theme in its very short length. This romantic novella-writing scriber twirled her fingers together in concoctioning an atmospheric small-town Whitby that gently, secretly, quietly and tormentingly tethers an untrooted musician and a curmudgeonly fisherwoman in a very unconventional fashion. You won't find many romance writers that willingly contemporise the supernova of a romantic reincarnation. It only piles onto and into the inclusive stack of themes that Rachel Bowdler eases into with this short romantic novella, and does so with a tether rooted to the very real of life and relationships. Like the well-imagined atmosphere of a coastal town in the thick of its gothic season, this small town romance seems to wander and meander, lingers in the space of curious longing, melancholy to its own mystique. A love interest who yearns and another too challenged by her lack of faith to feel the truth. It steers its own clock hands to an inexplicable recognition that stretches the material of time, possibility and other lifetimes, though none be more important than the lifetime sitting in front of them, a chance where the chance of a lifetime might get to be theirs in this most recent - and likely final - incarnation. And it all starts with a musician who goes by the name Drew Dawson, her untimed purchase at a bazaar and a timeworn pocket watch. From there, Whitby's spell takes hold, and the unravelling of many lifetimes recognised and forgotten roll into a stream of fragments that speak to a truth Drew can't explain, a familiarity she can't refute. The only thing she knows for certain: this might be the first time she's met a stand-offish Whitby native, but it's not the first time she's known her. It seems that if soul connections are as real as everything she can feel and can't reasonably reason, Amber might be hers.
Shorter reads can split reader consensus; they can hit with impact or alienate a reader from the lack of it, but I like to believe that page count has little to do with being impactful, and everything to do with the creative's storytelling touch, of which, The Fate of Us is a really well-framed and placed piece of romantic lit. Whatever your stance, novella writing is an art form, and this compact read was as uniquely-premised as it tucked itself in the quiet corners of its own Intimacy. Silently wistful, colourful and curious as the humble coastal town it's set in, the rarity of an uncommon situation finds itself steeped in the humble terrestrialism of its own vulnerability. Both Amber and Drew face real fears, Drew the more open, wanting, and willing; the longing never too far from her heart and mind. Even though she's lived her life adrift and seeking, she's depicted with a more sincere sense of self trust, perhaps even intuitive, and that lends itself to an easier (albeit no less tormenting) leaning into the mysterious, even if she's given little choice in facing it. Whereas Drew is easier to take to in personality, is easier to relationship with, Amber's distance takes some warming up to. Though human she certainly is, content to lean into the investment of her own loneliness, grief has built a home in her bones and the safety of her small, stable life is all the windswept she needs. Her arc clearly grounds itself in early grief, the smallness and safety of her life the perfect place of least resistance, and her proclivity to run from any situation that surfaces her fear is deeply relatable, but I definitely felt a stronger pull to Drew's presence more than anything. Amber's depiction in the story was trickier to engage with and to find appreciation in her profile could be challenging. That being said, both love interests were really well-characterised with clearly sensed personalities, the shades of each life stenciled recognisably in the lives they'd lived before, even if the flashback sections could be fragmented enough to carry a certain confusion. Amber's got some frostbitten chips nestled on her shoulders and grief has turned her away from her own heart into the reaches of her own solitude. She didn't count on Drew, but she also won't be pulled into the sway of the fated. Within a scenario that's hard to come to terms with let alone face in the space of its own surreality, how to address the elephant that trots alongside them through the setting of Whitby when only one of them can see it? Thus, harder even to imagine this be the lifetime that grants them more than only the fleeting moments of previous lives.
Pressed into each moment is the known, the unknown and what might be known in the mark-making of their timeworn history. Each happening given space lives in the space of its own making; whether it be a moment shared sat at a long-unused piano, strolling over the cobblestones of a Yorkshire seaside town, remembering the forgotten, lost to the dwellings of a memory or working through the conflicted feelings of their respective lives, the story tucks itself into the quiet corners and turns itself into the pockets of each moment given visit. Each happening lives in the space of its own atmosphere and the length of the story makes great use of its time with binding prose. While a very cool, curt and clipped Amber struggles with the relationships in her life, none too desperate to build bridges or heal the rift she's let grow between herself and her brother, Drew's chased by the ethereal, pulled forward by an abtruse connection and left alone to parse through the difficulty of knowing too much. It's a unique occurrence, hard to face for the both of them, but it really comes down to their most recent lifetime together, whether it can be had together with an outcome of divergence. Because everything Drew is attempting to fathom is everything Amber doesn't remember. Facing the fear of an unusual chance and an unusual choice, to believe in the most or least of this chance they've been given, and this one lifetime might make all the difference. Leaping for faith or losing to an all-too familiar parting untaken. A quick, many-lifetimes kind of romance, but only this one matters most. Great for a cooler, rusty, dusky season. Seasonal atmosphere, set in the UK, The Fate of Us turns into the textures of a small town Whitby. My only discomfort is its transitional shifts aren't as perceivable as they could be, and the past life reflections can confusingly materialise. Sapphic and scenic, this karmic reincarnation/past lives-Inspired novella sits in earthy tones and leans into the gravel of fated difference. A taste of the mystical and a touch of the numinous in an unorthodox second chance romance where two love interests have to decide whether this chance untaken becomes the fate of them. An interesting read for my first Rachel Bowdler romance!
Content Warning: Death of a parent. Adoption
____________________________________
Visit my blog: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
____________________________________
February 17, 2022
***Thank you to the author for providing a copy of the book. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It was quick, and the writing was easy to read and kept me engaged. I really liked the premise and had fun piecing together all of the flashbacks as everything unfolded. The relationship between the main characters had great chemistry, and their feelings for each other felt messy and authentic. The journeys of both the main characters were interesting and made the characters feel like real people with strengths and weaknesses. I felt particularly attached to Amber and her difficulty learning to open up to others again in the aftermath of her loss. The inclusion of the dynamic between her and her family really helped with getting to know this particular aspect of the character, which set up the ending of the romance storyline really well. My only real critique is that I wanted more of it. At times, the decisions of the characters and the growth felt a bit abrupt and constrained by the length of the book. I also would have loved to get more of Ethan because he seemed awesome. Overall, I really liked the book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys soul mate stories and sapphic romance.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It was quick, and the writing was easy to read and kept me engaged. I really liked the premise and had fun piecing together all of the flashbacks as everything unfolded. The relationship between the main characters had great chemistry, and their feelings for each other felt messy and authentic. The journeys of both the main characters were interesting and made the characters feel like real people with strengths and weaknesses. I felt particularly attached to Amber and her difficulty learning to open up to others again in the aftermath of her loss. The inclusion of the dynamic between her and her family really helped with getting to know this particular aspect of the character, which set up the ending of the romance storyline really well. My only real critique is that I wanted more of it. At times, the decisions of the characters and the growth felt a bit abrupt and constrained by the length of the book. I also would have loved to get more of Ethan because he seemed awesome. Overall, I really liked the book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys soul mate stories and sapphic romance.
November 6, 2021
This was a great story with a unique premise. I loved all the different versions of who they were & how they met, and how as the story progressed you could see elements of the modern day couple in their past incarnations.
Speaking of, I really liked Drew & Amber and I could feel a genuine connection in the way they were written. And yes, Amber was a little stubborn and brusque at times, but it give her an element of realism.
Overall, I would definitely recommend if you want a different but still sweet love story.
Speaking of, I really liked Drew & Amber and I could feel a genuine connection in the way they were written. And yes, Amber was a little stubborn and brusque at times, but it give her an element of realism.
Overall, I would definitely recommend if you want a different but still sweet love story.
December 19, 2020
Love this book!!! The soul mate, the past lives, amazing ❤️❤️❤️
January 1, 2021
i loved this book because it completely drew me in; no matter where I started after a break, I found myself completely tangled in the story. when I was not reading about the characters and their relation to each other, I spent time thinking about them. i would have loved if we got to know more about Ethan after those three years but I was still very satisfied that Amber got closer with Kit again!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2021
A sweet, melancholy and unusual love story.
Enchanting.
Enchanting.
June 8, 2021
😕 meh, this seemed like it had the makings of a good story but the execution didn't pan out. It was not bad but there were a lot of transitions that weren't as well outlined as they should have been. One of the primary characters, Amber, was selfish and ridiculous in the extreme. Some of her choices made little sense. Drew was more likeable initially but then became too... needy? Weak? Dependent? I'm not sure what the right word would be.
I really wanted to like this and perhaps in written format with different fonts for the time sequences it would work better? I don't know really, but as an audiobook it really was meandering and the potential was not fully realized in my opinion. I will say that the last part was the most well written and shed light on some of the storylines that I wished had been made clear earlier.
I really wanted to like this and perhaps in written format with different fonts for the time sequences it would work better? I don't know really, but as an audiobook it really was meandering and the potential was not fully realized in my opinion. I will say that the last part was the most well written and shed light on some of the storylines that I wished had been made clear earlier.
January 9, 2022
When Drew meets Amber she’s certain that they’ve met before. Ever since arriving in the small town and acquiring a pocket watch she gets flashbacks from previous lives, but Amber doesn’t seem to recognize her nor she seems to dream the same dreams as Drew does. Two lovers in several different life times, they’ve never managed to meet more than once, they’ve never managed to stay together. Will it change this life time?
I was pleasantly surprised by this book! It was a fast and easy read, the story is unique and entertaining. I have to admit, i was a bit confused with the first few flashbacks from different centuries, but as soon as I read a few chapters, it was easy to follow the story and I really got into it and hoped Amber and Drew will have the happy end they didn’t get in their previous life times.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book! It was a fast and easy read, the story is unique and entertaining. I have to admit, i was a bit confused with the first few flashbacks from different centuries, but as soon as I read a few chapters, it was easy to follow the story and I really got into it and hoped Amber and Drew will have the happy end they didn’t get in their previous life times.
October 6, 2023
Everyone knows by now that I love a Rachel Bowdler book.
They are:
- Usually short reads so you're in and out and feeling all cosy
- Have the cutest main characters and usually some cute side characters
- Filled with lots of emotions. Really liked Amber in particular for this book.
- Just super cute
This book in particular was really fun and quirky because it dived into a fascinating topic - past lives! Although this has been done lots before, Rachel made it very unique so it felt like a fresh read.
Another lovely book which I of course recommend!
They are:
- Usually short reads so you're in and out and feeling all cosy
- Have the cutest main characters and usually some cute side characters
- Filled with lots of emotions. Really liked Amber in particular for this book.
- Just super cute
This book in particular was really fun and quirky because it dived into a fascinating topic - past lives! Although this has been done lots before, Rachel made it very unique so it felt like a fresh read.
Another lovely book which I of course recommend!
November 6, 2020
Fate of Us is a beautiful story about past lives and sapphic soul mates 💜 It makes you feel all soft and happy and your heart warm. 💜 absolutely loved it
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews