Discover Well-Read Black Girl Books and the projects reshaping publishing →

Book Summary and Reviews of Love Times Infinity by Lane Clarke

Love Times Infinity by Lane Clarke

Love Times Infinity

by Lane Clarke

  • Critics' Consensus (3):
  • Published:
  • Jul 2022, 368 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Book Summary

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.

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Reviews

Media Reviews

"Black 17-year-old Michelle Cooper, who was born of sexual assault, struggles with her self-worth in the lead-up to adulthood in Clarke's emotionally layered debut...Michie's encouraging support systems, healthy relationship with therapy, and heart-wrenching journey toward self-acceptance depicts a story overflowing with kindness and healing." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Michie's grief, self-hatred, and feelings of not being enough are presented in ways that show readers the full facets of her emotions and allow them to empathize with and relate to what she's going through. The inclusion of her mom's perspective, while short, is well written and reveals her to be not Michie's antagonist but a complicated person in her own right...A compelling mix of romance and raw emotion." - Kirkus Reviews

"Come for the sweet-as-sugar romance; stay for the gorgeous prose, nuanced characters, and a deeply satisfying read. Believe me: you want this charming, beautiful story to warm and fill your heart." - Ashley Woodfolk, author of Nothing Burns as Bright as You

"A moving reminder to love—and allow ourselves to be loved—without measure." - Daniel Aleman, author of Indivisible

"Lane Clarke's one-of-a-kind voice had me hooked from the very first page...This book is truly something special." - Elise Bryant, author of Happily Ever After

This information about Love Times Infinity was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Click here and be the first to review this book!

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Author Information

Lane Clarke

Lane Clarke lives in Northern Virginia and practices law in Washington D.C. Love Times Infinity is her debut novel.

More Author Information

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked Love Times Infinity, try these:

  • Margo's Got Money Troubles jacket

    Margo's Got Money Troubles

    by Rufi Thorpe

    Published 2025

    About this book

    A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman's attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.

  • Dark Horses jacket

    Dark Horses

    by Susan Mihalic

    Published 2021

    About this book

    A darkly gripping debut novel about a teenage girl's fierce struggle to reclaim her life from her abusive father.

  • The Inexplicable Logic of My Life jacket

    The Inexplicable Logic of My Life

    by Benjamin Saenz

    Published 2017

    About this book

    "Friendships, family, grief, joy, rage, faith, doubt, poetry, and love—this complex and sensitive book has room for every aspect of growing up!" - Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor–Winning author of The Surrender Tree

We have 10 read-alikes for Love Times Infinity, but non-members are limited to three results. Join free to see the complete list of recommendations.
Search read-alikes
How we choose read-alikes

More Literary Fiction

Browse all Literary Fiction books

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
When No One Else Will
by Amanda Skenandore
1940s Chicago nurse risks everything at an illegal women’s clinic during a high-profile trial of courage and sisterhood.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket
    Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young
    by Zayd Ayers Dohrn
    Son of Weather Underground radicals recounts life on the run and decades of revolutionary struggle.
  • Book Jacket
    Look What You Made Me Do
    by John Lanchester
    A propulsive tale of intergenerational tension and revenge from the Booker Prize nominee.
  • Book Jacket
    The Jellyfish Problem
    by Tessa Yang
    A marine biologist rescues a Maine island menaced by a giant glowing jellyfish in this inventive debut.
Who Said...

In war there are no unwounded soldiers

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Book
Trivia
  • Book Trivia

    Can you name the title?

    Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

Q S, S

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.