A fun paranormal second chance romcom!

It had all that hallmarkesqueness that I just love: a girl who ran to the city from her small town , than returns, the “even hotter than she remembers “ex , second chances, friendships to reconnect etc. but in a world where witches and shifters are the norm !
Along side the second chance romance- the FMC seeks to mend her past friendship as well as solve the mystery of what kind of shifter her goddaughter is.

Halloweentown but make it horny??

Listen, I really wanted to like this book but ultimately it just wasn’t for me. If you read the synopsis and are really interested, go read some of the highly-rated reviews for this book, there are a lot. Those are your people. This book just fell out of the real of my personal taste.

The good: I liked the plot. The general storyline was interesting, and honestly, the CW could have a GOOD time adapting this.

It was cozy and the magic system was light enough that you don’t need to have read tons of fantasy to get it.

The not-so-good: The different types of magical beings were poorly explained. I actually wondered, at one point, if this was a second book in a series. I’m all for letting the reader do some critical thinking and legwork, but there were gaps in my knowledge that took me out of the story.

Another hangup for me was the pacing. There was so much crammed in that there was very little internal character growth because we were hurdling full speed to the next plot point. There were also plot point that were emphasized once or twice (like the Hex or the promise) that were never brought up again. I get the feeling that this is intended to be the start of a series, but dropping plot points like this just feels chaotic.

The primary relationship was also a struggle for me. It felt clunky and very cheesy. Jax referring to “my cougar” the way he did to explain how he was feeling sent me to a dark place. The characters were saying all the right things, big emotional speeches, but there was no internal emotion to back it up. If cheesy doesn’t bother you though, I really think you’ll like this.

Also. There were so many pop culture references. I don’t mind them when they’re done tastefully but this kind of felt like I was drowning in them. And the random, throwaway line about PCOS didn’t feel handled correctly. The author was clearly expecting us to get the implication and missed the mark.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

A Simple Twist of Fate is a light, magical romance with a fun premise and charming moments. April Asher’s world of supernatural beings is imaginative, and the story has a whimsical energy that makes for an easy, breezy read.

However, while the concept is strong, the execution felt a bit uneven. The pacing lagged in parts, and some of the character development felt rushed or surface-level. The romance had its sweet moments but didn’t fully pull me in emotionally.

It’s an entertaining read for fans of paranormal rom-coms, but it didn’t quite deliver the depth or spark I was hoping for. A good choice if you’re looking for something light with a touch of magic.

A Simple Twist of Fate is a charming, second-chance paranormal rom-com set in the magically chaotic town of Fates Haven. With witches, shifters, a dash of small-town charm, and a lot of heart, this book offers a light and easy read perfect for when you need a comfort story with just enough spice and mystery to keep things interesting.

Harlowe and Jaxon’s chemistry is immediately apparent, with their history adding emotional weight to every interaction. The romance is sweet, occasionally steamy, and well-paced for a second-chance trope. Grace, Harlowe’s goddaughter, adds another layer to the story with her struggles to control her emerging powers and uncover her identity, making the narrative feel fuller without bogging down the romance.

The town’s magical misfires and the mystery surrounding Fates Haven’s missing Fate Witch provide a gentle tension that balances the fluffier elements. The stakes are low, but never dull, and the atmosphere is delightfully cozy.

This is a great pick if you’re in the mood for something sweet, low-stakes, and magical—with a side of romantic rekindling and a dash of found family.

This was a fun second chance romance. I am a sucker for a man who is pinning for the FMC and 90% of Jax pov is just that. Loved that it was told from both POVs as well. This was my first book by this author and I will be interested to pick up more.

I do feel the middle dragged a little, but overall I liked the town and the characters. If you like Gilmore girls with witches, shifters, and other paranormal characters you might like this story.

I had a hard time getting into this book. Normally I’m a fast reader but this book never clicked for me. I kept waiting for the story to progress, especially with the love interests but the lack of communication and incessant self doubt made the book more of a a YA type read.

I love the idea and summary of the book, and there are some potentially great characters but how it all came together was a bit choppy. So many characters are introduced at once, and oh yeah they are best friends, but no one is mad that she’s been gone for 12 years? Where is the mom and why is it ok she is out of the picture? Why is her friend driving her kid across the US to a magical town? I found it disturbing that a grandma figure gave a box of penis shaped eclairs to a confused and lost teenage girl as a welcome to town gift.

Overall, I think this book has potential to be a really fun story but how it’s worrying wasn’t for me.

I had a fun time reading this book! The second chance romance was cute and I enjoyed the shifter/witch duo. I love a good shifter, be it werewolf or dragon and this was cute. It wasn't super smutty or spicy (maybe like two chapters?) otherwise it's fairly tame. Definitely check this book out for a good time if you want something funny and light hearted to read on a summers day.

April Asher has created another wonderfully magical story filled with laughs, romance, and hope!

A Simple Twist of Fate is the first in what I hope is a new series set in the same world as the author's Supernatural Singles series. Asher has a unique style of writing where you just jump right into the story and have to trust that all the questions you have will be answered in time. All questions are, indeed, answered, and there are lots of opportunities to laugh and enjoy the witty banter and (sometimes) outrageous situations her characters get into.

Make sure to pay attention to the chapter titles because in addition to being absolutely hysterical, they provide a little foreshadowing into what will happen in that chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC. My review is honest and voluntary.

Second chance romance can be very hit or miss for me, and this was more of a miss. I did enjoy the book, and the romance wasn’t the issue. I think there was too much going on in the book. The plot was a bit all over the place, which left me wanting less plot and more romance.

Gotta love a cozy supernatural hallmark-esque romance…plus spice!

This was another knockout by Asher. I love how her writing is always so quirky, but in a natural way that doesn’t come off as trying too hard. I also really liked how she amped up the cozy small town and found family vibes for this one.

Hopefully more to come from Fates Haven!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: May 13, 2025

4 stars
A fun paranormal/fantasy romance. I like Asher's romance's, they are easy to get pulled into and while there are fantasy elements it isn't heavy on world building so it is easy to read and enjoy. There was some nice set-up for future books with side characters which I am looking forward to.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing an eARC of A Simple Twist of Fate in exchange for this honest review.

Publication date: May 13 2025
Rating: 2.5/5 ⭐️
Tropes:
-Fated mates
-Second Chance Romance
-Animal Shifter & Witch

I would not call this a good book, or really an okay book either... Is it a bad book though?? I would put this somewhere in the wattpad, Zodiac Academy type of writing family where you definitely aren't reading it because of it's fantastic writing (or lack there of) but instead because it somehow manages to be entertaining even if it is cringe-inducing. I'd call it a palate-cleanser book if you are in need of something that won't make you think too hard but still have some fantasy elements.

Want to read something with unnecessarily inappropriately named baked goods from a place called Sugar Tits? How about random paintball / other "challenges" that somehow are drawing large crowds for this supposedly middle of nowhere town? Or maybe a round of Adult Jenga that appears out of thin air? Then congrats, here you go!

Issues:
1. Every opportunity for a crude joke or immature humor is taken, which gets really tiring. It's just not funny 🤷🏼‍♀️

2. Jaxon, our cougar-shifting MMC love interest, is in fact your stereotypical brooding (rude), arousal sniffing mister "I'm the alpha and you'll listen to ME" character.

3. No one willingly communicates, they just blow up over information and then storms off as if that is healthy or productive. Everyone knew Harry was just in town to get help figuring out Grace's shifting, but as soon as there is a mention of maybe going back to NYC (mind you, due to snooping and blowing it up instead of talking about it) suddenly everyone turns against her?

4. Illegal overuse of the word "mound". And referring to sex feeling like a "tight, wet fist". 🤢

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I did enjoy this book by April Asher. I had read her previous supernatural romances before, and kept thinking they were related. But I don't think they are set in the same place (unless I'm mistaken, sorry) and this is a new series.
I enjoyed the side story of Grace and her parents, which was good, as sometimes Harry and her being away for so long annoyed me a bit. If you loved someone, wouldn't you have checked on them once at least, during that time? That was probably why I had to take away the one star.

When I first picked up A Simple Twist of Fate by April Asher, I thought this was going to be super deep and involved. I was expecting angst and romance with a side of single guardian. Instead, this was super cute and breezy.

Despite being over 300 pages long, this really felt like it was 200 or under. The pacing was just way too fast. It never felt like we had a chance to linger with a character or relationship because the second we got close to anything, we were whisked away to the next scene. I wish we could've spent more time learning about Jax and what his relationship with Harry was like. I wish we'd gotten glimpses of Harry's friendship with Larry and Elodie. I wanted to feel the angst over running away from home because the love of your life was announced to be the fated mate of your best friend. Instead, we're pretty much just told they loved one another and they were best friends and let's continue the story along. It honestly felt like this was a set-up story for a burgeoning series, which I'd love to read, but I still wish we could've focused more on the character relationships, platonic and romantic.

Despite how fast this blew by, even the surface level interactions we see were cute and lovely. It felt cozy. The stakes felt low and there was never a moment where I thought Jax and Harry wouldn't get back together. The competition was fun and Grace was adorable. This just felt comforting.

I think if you're looking for something with angst or deep character dives, you might not get that here. If you're looking for something sweet and light, A Simple Twist of Fate by April Asher definitely hits the spot. It's super fast paced and introduces such a great cast of characters. I'm positive if this turns into a series, the subsequent books will settle into a steadier pace and I am really looking forward to that!

There are a few authors I always trust to write cozy PNR, and April Asher is one of them. I haven't watched Gilmore Girls but this book gives Gilmore Girls ibes but with magic, maybe more like a Halloweentown that fucks?

A Simple Twist of Fate brings Harry, our FMC, back to her hometown after running away years ago when the boy she loved was fated to someone else, and she refused to get in the way of fated mates. Now she's back with her niece by choice, looking for solutions, hopefully from the Alpha of her hometown, but she missed the note that the old Alpha has retired and her former love of her life, Jax, is now the one who's help she's petitioned.

If you like fun, campy, light romcoms with a side of magic and shifting, then A Simple Twist of Fate is the book for you to pick up.

Thank you St. Martin's for the eARC!

This was the best ARC I have read so far. Their story was just .... the cutest and best. The heartbreak and neither knew the truth until years later. The banter was on point. Loved this so much. Can't wait to get the physical copy!

3.75 ⭐️ April Asher does it again with another fun paranormal romance! A Simple Twist of Fate has the same small witchy town feel as her other novels and introduces a twist to the typical shifter character by introducing other kinds of shifters (the fae dragon… very cool). As always, her characters are likeable and well written if not a little impulsive for my liking. While miscommunication is never my favorite, I appreciate the way Asher explained it with the Fate Witch twist.

I’ve always been a fan of spice for furthering the plot and Asher typically does it well but in this one, they felt a little unnecessary. While there aren’t many scenes, none of them felt to really move the plot along other than showing our two love interests were still very much in love.

My other issue and the plot felt a bit predictable. While it was fun and an easy read, I could see what was going to happen before it did. All in all I would say this was one was a fun easy paranormal romance that is perfect for someone who loves to read for the vibes!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the arc!

Thank you to author & NetGalley for allowing me to read this story before publishing for an honest review!

A Simple Twist of Fate by April Asher

3.5/5 ⭐️

“Holy shit.” “Baby, there is nothing holy about what I want to do to you right now.”

This story was a cute, fun second-chance romance set in a small town setting full of magic, shifters, witches, angels, demons & all sorts of other supernatural beings!

For the last 13 years, our main character, Harlow, a Pierce witch who grew up in Fates Haven, has self exiled herself from her hometown due to a Fates ceremony gone wrong. The wisps made it clear that the boy she was completely head over heels in love with was fated to another, one of her best friends of all people.

Harlow returns to Fates Haven on a mission to help her roommate/friend’s daughter Grace gain more training with her shifter powers & potentially find some information about her unknown father. Seeking the help of the town’s Alpha, she realizes that the Alpha she thought was going to help her retired & is now replaced by her son, Jaxton, Harlow’s past love.

Within the story, themes of re-found family, second chance romance, spice & rekindling are super strong. It was funny, witty & and had some topics modern to our world now.

With this being a standalone (that I know of) some of the characters lacked depth & the ending came up so quick. A lot of loose ends were left with a lot of characters.

It was definitely super entertaining and spicy, but also predictable. The resentment the two main characters had for each other ended super fast. Still a fast, cute read!!

This was a cute book, it’s not something I normally read. I enjoyed the story and got Gilmore Girls vibes from it. There was a lot to take in at the beginning and I got a little confused, but overall I enjoyed it.

A fun book! Romance and adventure and a bit of mystery all tangled up together. The setting of a cute little paranormal town in the Rockies was excellent. The cast of characters was great and I am definitely interested in a sequel.