When an astronaut is lost in space, his wife relives their epic love as she attempts to unravel what truly happened to him, in this sweeping love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes.
When Joe Mitchell launches into space, the world is watching. It’s 1968, and the country waits with anticipation and excitement for another successful mission, another celebration as America sets its sights on the Moon. And then comes the knock at the door.
Joe Mitchell’s spacecraft has lost contact. He and his fellow astronauts onboard are feared to be dead. It’s his wife Vivian’s worst nightmare come to life, her grief suddenly taking center stage as the nation waits and mourns. In her quiet moments, Vivian relives their memorable story, unable to accept that this is the end to a love that felt as though it was written in the stars.
As the investigation surrounding Joe’s lost spacecraft intensifies and the mishap is written off as an operator error, Vivian is determined to clear her husband’s name and uncover the mystery of what happened in space. When someone starts sending Vivian messages—messages she believes only Joe could send—she begins to wonder if their love is stronger than space and time, and she’ll do whatever it takes to bring her husband back to her.
Chanel Cleeton is the Cuban-American New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of many novels including Reese's Book Club pick Next Year in Havana. Originally from Florida, Chanel studied in London where she earned degrees in International Relations and Global Politics. In law school, Chanel discovered her passion writing novels and embarked on a new adventure following her lifelong love of books.
I did not expect to be this invested in a space race love story, but here we are.
The space race backdrop completely pulled me in. I’m already fascinated by the 1950s and 60s era, so blending that decade with a love story, a touch of mystery, and even light science fiction felt ambitious in the best way. Romance and sci-fi are not typically my go-to genres, but I was genuinely intrigued.
And the love story? It worked. It was not cheesy. It was not smutty. It felt real. These were two people who, at first glance, you might not expect to fit together. Their personalities and approaches to life were different, but the depth of their love felt true on every page. I could feel the weight of it. That emotional core absolutely carried the book.
Where it lost a little momentum for me was in the pacing. There were moments where dialogue was interrupted by long stretches of internal thought, and sometimes I would actually forget what had just been said. It slowed the rhythm more than I wanted. I also found myself wishing it had been written in first person. Because the entire story is told from one perspective in third person, I felt connected, but not as fully immersed as I could have been. I wanted to feel her emotions even more deeply.
The biggest miss for me was the final stretch. There is so much build-up around the sci-fi elements, infinite love, wormholes, time and space, and the idea of love transcending all of it. I kept waiting for that thread to land in a more powerful way. While I appreciated the epilogue and the clarity it offered, I felt like the last thirty to forty percent could have leaned harder into both the science fiction and the rich historical setting to really elevate the ending.
That said, this was still a solid read. The writing is strong. The characters are compelling. The love story is layered and heartfelt... which is why I landed at four stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was excited to read this new story from an author that I enjoy, and this did not disappoint the title pretty much sums it up and getting to that conclusion was an intense and incredible journey.
The first chapter grabs you as Joe, an astronaut is thrust into space on the mission of his dreams. All eyes are on Vivian, his wife, as NASA has lost contact with the ship. This is how the story begins. The author takes you back and forth from past to present until you are at the moment where the two timelines meet.
Vivian is introduced to Joe by her best friend Polly, who are on a double date. Vivian is intrigued with Joe but is resistant to give in to any feelings as it is clear that Joe is focused on a future with flying and ultimately, space. She feels his choices are too risky and she wants a safe life for her future. But over time, it is clear that they are supposed to be together and it is clear that their love is strong, but is it stronger than Joe's love for the opportunity to go to space?
The story takes an interesting turn that seems to punctuate the overall journey that the two have taken. Vivian is tested and while she has made safe choices, it is in the important moment that she finds her strength to show how resilient she really is.
This story had all of the feels and the authors ability to capture the excitement of the 60s space program to the point it was an additional character was invaluable. I read this in one sitting and loved every minute of it.
For context, I'm a little obsessed with the 60s space race and mid-century history. I'm already a fan of Chanel Cleeton's writing. I figured I would enjoy this book, but I was curious about how she would approach the subject (most of my reading on the era has been non-fiction). Cleeton tells the story in two timelines: one in the early 60s, showing us the unfolding attraction and blooming relationship between the astronaut and the main character, and one in the later sixties that focuses on an Apollo mission. She lets the story unfold as updates are being given to the astronaut's wife. We get to know a woman who never aspired to be an astronaut wife, but who fell in love with an astronaut and what that meant to her future.
No spoilers here, but I found the story to be hopeful and touching, and the resolution stayed with me after I turned the final page.
This is a different type of love story that caught my attention from the very start. Having grown up in the 60’s I remember all the hype and media coverage. Everyone tuned into Walter Cronkite and the big countdown. Chanel Cleeton accurately captured all the emotions of that time period especially highlighting the space race. What I failed to understand as a child was the devastating effect it had on the wives and family. Joe and Vivian’s marriage is straining due to his job and the constant change in their lives and the supportive role the wives were expected to play. Once the rocket is lost in space and the communication ceases, Vivian tries to reconcile certain signs that her husband is trying to communicate with her. There is a sci/fi aspect to this story which added a little mystery as well as showing the depth of their love. Was it human error or some mechanical failure as Vivian tries to clear his name. Well written! Thank you for an advanced eGalley of the book. All opinions expressed are truly my own. #AnInfiniteLoveStory #ChanelCleeton #Berkley #NetGalley
A good story, well-written, with a touch of sci-fi which is what drew me in. While the story was nice, I didn’t love this. The dialogue was often interrupted with long streams of thought and by the time they finished and the person responds, I forgot what it was they were responding to and I would have to go back a few pages to refresh my memory. I also felt the sci-fi part was weak and I wish there was more there since that was why I picked this book. I also feel we should have gotten more about the romance between Graham and Vivian since we are told they are good friends and have a great history but never shown it, so it feels odd toward the end. Also, it took about half the book before anything really started happening.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.
In the late sixties, Vivian's husband Joe is selected for a space mission. Not long after his launch, NASA loses communication with him. Alternating between learning about their love story beginning in 1961 and following in the days after the launch, Vivian doesn't believe her husband is truly gone. When messages begin appearing that only Joe could have sent, Vivian knows she can't give up on him. This story conveys the excitement of the space program and the United States' goal to reach the moon. It also tells about the wives of astronauts, how they were considered almost as celebrities but at the same time spending much of their lives alone with their husbands trained, often living apart from them during the week. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
An infinitely pleasurable read, Chanel Cleeton's latest novel makes us yearn for the kind of love she depicts so beautifully: one that transcends the ordinariness of time and space and is, quite simply, extraordinary. The story also brings to life the early years of the Space Program and I was fascinated by the scenes of hope and despair as the astronauts and their families tackle what seems to be impossible—sending a man not just into space, but all the way to the moon. Chanel's incredible range as a writer is on full display in this dazzling novel. I received an advance copy from the publisher.
There have been a bunch of astronaut books published in the past few years— this one was my favorite. It is currently late February 2026 (this book releases later this year in July), and is the first book that I’ve read this year to earn a spot on my favorite books of the year list/shelf. While I always enjoy Cleeton books, this one was by far my favorite. The dual timeline worked so well in this novel, and I was so invested in how Cleeton was going to wrap this up. I think she did so masterfully and I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come. I cannot sing its praises highly enough.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
An Infinite Love Story is perfection. It’s a love story, but not a sappy romance. It’s a real love story, the kind that wedged itself into my heart and will keep Joe and Vivian with me. The backdrop of the 1960s space program and the race to the moon is the perfect setting for their love story, the contrast of concrete science and math principles against the mysteries of the unknown that is space and time. I have loved Chanel Cleeton’s books from the beginning of her career, but Infinite Love Story stands out as my favorite yet.
loved this story of Viv and Joe. he was a little boy wanting to fly and eventually be in the astronaut program. she just wanted a quiet family life. did not anticipate the time warp/wormhole part of this story. did appreciate the role that the astronaut wives had in getting a man on the moon. theirs was not often addressed as important. shows the importance of having your own career if you're a woman, do not be dependent on the man in the relationship.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I would rate this 3 1/2 stars. It's pretty good, but in many ways, it feels unfinished and unfocused. I enjoyed the space story, and also the science fiction story, but they never really fully come together cohesively. There is no satisfying resolution for the reader, & I felt myself wanting more from the story.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Chanel Cleeton is one of my go to authors. I will read everything she writes. This one was good, but not my favorite. As a librarian I will still recommend it but I don’t think I’d revisit it again. It was fast paced but towards the end lost some of its spark. Still overall a fun read, though.
While not her usual book about Cuba, I really enjoyed this read. This one is a dual timeline story, both timelines are however in the 1960's. I'm not typically a huge fan of that style, but it seemed to work in this case. I especially liked that this book was more from the astronaut's wife's perspective and how they were treated and expected to act in the 1960's. I like the little messages from Joe (or at least what seemed to be messages/signs from him) to Vivian throughout the book and her persistence in finding out what really happened.