A simple twist of fate was what second chance romance dreams are made of. It had all the heart you’d expect with the fun twist of an added paranormal aspect. I absolutely loved it!

This book is everything you need to pull you out of that reading slump. The perfect mix between a romance and a fantasy book that will making you laugh, cry and smile ear to ear from start to finish. I’m can say this is one of the best books I have read in a while and I cannot wait for more in this world. From what I can tell the author will pick up the story with another couple and I really hope it’s our angle/ demon couple

Book wise . Wow April did it again. Have I said how much I love her books. Like always the perfect mix of contemporary and magic in them. Loved how this book is funny, entertaining. Is about second chances and make things right. Found family and reconnecting with family and your roots. OverallI loved it , like is obvious. But I don’t want to spoil it if I keep going . All I can said we have a feisty witch and a very grumpy shifter. And to throw a bit in the mix a very temperamental teenager 🤣.

One of my most favorite witchy authors has done it again. April Asher brings us to Fates Haven, a bubbly town full of the mystical and magical alike.

Harlow is every girl who ran from their small home town, only to be dragged back by forces even our little witch couldn't stop.

Harlow is a delightful FMC, and her besties are equally fun. Her ex, unbeknownst to her, is the newest Alpha, and, well, we get to journey along as Harlow must reconcile more than how hot her ex has grown into.

I would love to book a room in Fates Haven anytime, but definitely during a Fates Festival! My witchy heart is happy here, and I can't wait for more!

loved this book on audio! thank you so much to dreamscape media for the ALC, and to St. Martin's Press / St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC. these are my honest thoughts.

I LOVE April Asher's paranormal world(s), and this story was just as I expected from her... that's to say, it's full of fun and emotional topics and characters with diverse needs who all come together for a good cause.

I loved Harry. She was a little bit grumpy, a little rough around the edges, a little worn down and world-weary. She's helping to raise her best friend's daughter, and Grace might actually be a shifter. She's getting kicked out of school, and Harlow has lost her job in NYC, and so these two pack up their belongings and return to Harry's hometown, a place she hasn't returned to in 13 years.

Harry's convinced that her Aunt Nora and Alpha Atwood will be able to help diagnose and train the maybe shifter, because she can't go on without someone formal watching out for her. But upon her return, she realizes that Mrs. Atwood is no longer the alpha. Instead, it's her son, who broke Harry's heart 13 years ago on an ill-fated night where the fates found that Jaxon's match was not Harry at all...

The magic unleashed in this story is topsy turvy upon Harry's return to Fates Haven. Something has scrambled the magic. While Jaxon helps Grace slowly unleash her powers, Aunt Nora convinces the town council to reinstitute the Fates Festival, in hopes to bring the magic back to rights. There are competitions where the four male main characters in this story bet Harry, Grace, and Harry's two best friends, to competitions. There's rivalry. There's magical powers. And there's close proximity. And when more than one thing heats up, flames licking to the surface, it's anyone's guess what will happen next.

Read if you love:
- Paranormal
- Witches, shifters, dragons
- Second chance
- Witchy Small Town Vibes
- PCOS rep (briefly mentioned)
- Single mom-adjacent
- Simple twists of magic
- Rivalry and competition

This audiobook was such a fun listen! I loved both narrators. My only complaint is that April Asher likes to switch perspectives within chapters, and sometimes that whiplash on audio is a bit jarring. One second, it's the female narrator, and the next, it's the male. This is something I've noticed across all of the April Asher books I've listened to (as in, the other three that I've listened to), and this very well could just be a me-ick situation, but it's something that always bothers me.

Out now!

This is another fun tome from April Asher. Having read her previous books about the three sisters. I will say I spent a lot (most) of this book wondering if it's the same universe. I think the answer is yes.

This is a delicious mystery and slow burn. I really enjoyed the relationship between Harry and just all of her friends, and especially Jax. I can't wait to see if, when, we get a book for her firends. I'm hoping there are three more books, one for each one of her girlfriends. fingers crossed!

This was a quick and fun paranormal romance between a witch and shifter! I dove into this book not knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had reading it. There was banter, there was emotion and of course, there was magic! The only downside was that I wish the book was a little bit longer. The pacing at the beginning was perfect but then the last 25% felt rushed and I think if there were even 50 additional pages, a lot could've been captioned. But I highly recommend this one if you are looking for a quirky, magical read!


Read if you like:
- Second Chance Romance
- Small Town Romance
- Paranormal RomCom
- Found Family

I’m so sorry! I really wanted to love this one and it was one of my most anticipated reads on NetGalley. But the story lacked for me personally, the world was hard to keep up with.

I DNFD @ 25%

Harlow "Harry" Pierce believed the Fates Haven Finding Ceremony would prove she and Jaxon Atwood were a fated match. Instead, the ceremony pointed to one of Harry's closest friends being his match. She fled the town afterwards and built a life in New York City. Thirteen years later, she returns to Fate's Haven to help her god-daughter deal with her shifting abilities.

This was a fun book to read. It has entertaining characters and lots of comedic moments. The town and its people were quirky and original. I liked the two main characters and also really enjoyed the secondary characters.

I'm not always a fan of second-chance romance, but it was done well here. I liked that Harry and Jaxon communicated well and talked through their past issues.

This would be a perfect October read as it has great witchy vibes. If you are looking for a light-hearted romance with fun characters, check it out.

April Asher does a great job blending shifters, witches, angels and the like into one universe, and this is no different. While the twists and answers were all pretty predictable, it's a fun second chance story. At times there was a lot going on that seemed to detract from the romance, but it worked.

The third person POV made it harder to follow at time while learning all the characters.

3⭐️: this book had so many things that readers of various trope preferences might latch onto-second chance romance, small town romance, cozy fantasy romance, single “parent” romance, and fated mates. For me, it was enjoyable but a bit try-hard in both tropes and pop culture references, with a bit much of both that left me feeling like it would have benefitted from a paring down of ideas and plot to a more focused story (and please, less nicknames). Overall, I had a fun time with it and I think it will have broad appeal, but may not be one I’d read again.

With some bakery treats called Cinna-Boobs and Erection Éclairs, I knew I was going to enjoy this one. 😂

It follows witch, Harlow aka Harry, and her best friend’s half human/half shifter teenage daughter, Grace. The two set off for Harry’s hometown of Fates Haven, where she hitailed it out of there 13 years prior. Leaving her then shifter boyfriend - Jax, friends and family behind.

The sparks are immediately flying in this one, and they aren’t only coming from our teenage shifter. While Harry and Jax have some unfinished business with each other, the pull between the two is undeniable. I honestly couldn’t stop reading because I loved their banter and back and forth so much. Their little town was giving me all the Stars Hallow vibes and had some truly laugh out loud moments.

It’s a fun, quick, sexy, spicy, read, and I finished it in less than 24 hours, and then went back and reread the majority of it. 🤪

Melli’s Book Breakdown
Witch/shifter romance
Protective Hero
Magical Romance
Small Town Hijinks
Second Chance Romance
Plus sized

I have not found an April Asher novel I haven’t enjoyed so I was super excited to read A Simple Twist of Fate. I love this new quirky paranormal series set in the same world as her previous series that Asher has set up for a great series with many side characters I want to know more about. The book is character driven focusing on Grace and her family as well as Jax in a second chance romance that gave me all the feelings and of course laughs.

Thank you to April Asher and St. Martin’s Griffin for the e-arc copy of this book! It was a cozy, romance with fantastical elements including shifters, seers, witches, demons, angels, and more! Fates Haven, the small town setting, felt like if Stars Hollow and Halloweentown had a baby. I would recommend this to anyone wanting a cute second-chance romance set in a small town (with a fantastical twist)! 3.75 🌟

DNF at chapter 2. Thank you to St Martins Press for a copy of this ARC but this book was just not for me. I didn’t like how many characters were introduced right away and it felt like I was already having a tough time of keeping track between everyone. The concept is interesting and I think this would be a great book for the right person, that person just wasn’t me.

A Simple Twist of Fate follows our FMC, a witch named Harlow "Harry" Pierce, who ran away from home at 18 after finding out that her boyfriend (a cougar shifter named Jaxon) was not her Fated match. She vowed never to return again but 13 years later, she has no other choice. Her goddaughter, Gracie, has been having trouble with her powers and Harry thinks that by bringing her to Fates Havens, they might be able to figure out what kind of shifter she really is!

This was such a palate cleanser of a book! It was filled with humor and very likeable and unique characters! I'm glad we only had a few friends to learn about because each had a different power. I loved learning about Gracie and how she honed in on her powers and also her relationship with Harry. Harry and Jax's relationship was flirty and I loved them together! I wasn't really into the competition the friend group played and found myself bored at those parts. I wish there was a bit more background in regards to the Fates Festival and Harry & Jax's relationship when they were younger. I still enjoyed it because it made me giggle at some parts.

A Simple Twist of Fate is the start of a new trilogy by the author of The Supernatural Singles series, which I also enjoyed. This was a fun, steamy read focusing on Harlow ,a witch and cougar shifter Jax who reconnect after years apart. The story featured a second chance romance and fated mates. While I wasn't a fan of why they broke up, I did enjoy most of the characters and the setup for the next books. Give this one a try. If you're looking for a quick, paranormal read this summer. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

3.75 stars
I’ve loved April Asher’s Supernatural Singles series, so I was excited to dive into A Simple Twist of Fate. This one reads like a cozy Hallmark movie set in the world of Halloweentown; fun, festive, and full of charm. While the story was lighthearted and easy to breeze through, some of the pacing felt a bit clunky, and the plot was fairly predictable.

That said, I still really enjoyed my time in this whimsical world. And while this book leans on the miscommunication trope, which I normally loathe, it was handled in a way that didn’t grate on me the way it usually does. It’s the kind of quick, magical romp that’s perfect for when you need a bit of fun and fantasy without the heavy drama.

Thank you to NetGalley, April Asher, and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm honestly a bit surprised as to how much I liked this! I didn't have any expectations going into the story, considering this was my first-ever paranormal romance, but I was pleasantly surprised by the romance and the small-town vibes!

Harlow "Harry" Pierce left Fates Haven, Colorado, after she watched her best friend and her cougar-shifting boyfriend, Jaxon, become each other's Fated match. Devastated, she puts an anti-tracker spell on herself and moves to New York City to start anew as she cuts ties with her friends and family back home. Thirteen years later, she's forced to come back--this time with her teenage goddaughter, Grace--as Grace starts to shift and develop her new abilities, but no one knows what she's trying to shift into. When trying to help Grace bring Harry and Jax together again, it has to be Fate playing its games...right?

I loved the small-town vibes and the setting of Fates Haven! I know the story takes place during the summer, but I could definitely see myself reading this as a cozy, lighthearted read during the fall. Fates Haven had that Hallmark-movie type of vibe about it, and I think Nora, Harry's aunt, even described Fates Haven as Halloweentown, which I definitely got the vibe of! It's making me want to visit Fates Haven and yes, I'm fully aware that it's not a real town. I also loved the relationship between Harry and Grace. Yes, Grace is just Harry's goddaughter (she's the daughter of Harry's best friend, Cassie), but you can tell that Harry loves and cares for Grace as if she's her own. You could feel the love between the two, and there were a lot of cute moments between them during the story.

Now, onto the romance. Did I think Harry and Jax have chemistry? Yes, 100%. Do I think there was enough push and pull? That's debatable. I think one of the best things about a second-chance romance is the "will they, won't they" dynamic, the push and pull of the dynamic between the love interests where they want to hate the other person for how they left things before, but wanting to hold onto the hope that they can start again. I love the angst, the tension, and the buildup that leads to them finding each other again. In my opinion, there wasn't a whole ton of this. It was just the "will they" aspect of that push and pull, except it wasn't even a "will they," it was more like a "WHEN they" do it, if that makes any sense.

On top of all of that, I felt like the story in general didn't 100% focus on Harry and Jax. There was the subplot of them trying to figure out what's going on with Grace, there was a town festival with competitions that Jax and Harry competed in with their friends, AND the subplot about everyone trying to figure out what was going on with the town's magic since it's been wacky and throwing everyone off course. All of those plots I felt like were perfectly balanced and I enjoyed reading about all of them, but at the expense of the push and pull dynamic of a second-chance romance taking the back burner. But dang it, despite all of that, I will admit the chemistry between them was off the charts. The way he calls her "baby" and "sweet pea" had me giggling.

Since this isn't just your regular second-chance romance, I have to take a moment to talk about the magic system. I wish it was explained more. I've watched enough supernatural TV shows growing up and read enough fantasy books to know who has what powers and what they can do with their abilities, and it seems like a lot of the magic system is based on the things we see in other media about these supernatural beings, like vampires, werewolves, the fae, etc. However, for someone who may not have the same amount of background knowledge may struggle a bit. There were also a bunch of things regarding Grace's parental lineage as they were trying to figure out what she could shift into that were brought up, but I didn't feel like it was fully explained. Like, is the ability to shift into specific entities hereditary? What happens if neither parent is a shifter? How do the other realms connect with Earth? DO they even connect? I don't know, I had a lot of questions about how the magic system fit into the grand scheme of things. We were dropped into the world with no additional context as if we were supposed to know exactly how everything worked right off the bat.

(And just a side note about a random plot hole that was in the ARC; no, this is *not* a spoiler for anything in the overall plot: there was a scene where Grace comes in and tells everyone about she was snooping through Harry's email and was talking about her getting an email from someone back in NYC about her job and how they want to take her back? I SWEAR none of that was mentioned at ALL leading up to that point. I have no idea if this was taken out in the final copy that was published in stores, but I thought I was going crazy when I had to do a double-take and wonder when in the world was there ANY mention of Harry losing her job.)

Overall, this was a cute and fast read for my first-ever paranormal romance! I loved the small-town vibes and I hope that this isn't just a standalone and it becomes a series! I'd love to see stories about Harry and Jax's other friends and their Fated matches in the future. (*cough*ElodieandSilas*cough* I feel like this is a standalone, but I think a story about those two would be hilarious to read.)

P.S. I HAVE to mention this somewhere but it doesn't fit anywhere else in my main review: the chapter names are WILDING😭I can't write any of them out because I feel like my review would get flagged for inappropriate content with the names taken out of context. THAT'S how wild they are.

High school witch and cougar shifter sweethearts who had a horrible breakup after the town's annual "fated mates" ceremony happens and they find out they aren't each others reunite 13 years later when she needs help finding out what magic her goddaughter has and the only person who can help her is her shifter ex... who has been hiding the secret that the ceremony was wrong and that she is in fact his mate. Talk about small town drama! Harlow "Harry" Pierce and her boyfriend Jaxon Atwood were the couple that thought they would be together forever... until the town's annual Blue Willow Wisp ceremony happens ( in which the magic would lead Fated mates together... and Harry's best friend matches with Jaxon)... leaving her devastated and heartbroken... to the point where she packs her bags and leaves the little magic town and vows never to come back and puts on an anti tracking spell so no one can find her ever. Now 13 years later her goddaughter's shifting abilities have awoken and there's no telling whats happening to her... and that means Harry has to return to her small town to get help... and that means facing all the friends she left behind the ex who still holds her heart despite him not being her mate. Jaxon is now the alpha of the pack and he has a secret, the mating ceremony is wrong and he knows in his heart that Harry is the one for him...but after spending years trying to track her down but having the anti tracking spell lead him astray and radio silence from her... Jaxon is ready to give up... except she's suddenly back in town and needs his help. Jaxon and Harry have so much unresolved feelings and secrets, but being together and uncovering not only whats going on with Harry's god daughter but also competing in the town's festival and figuring out what went wrong with the Blue Willow Wisp ceremony all those years ago can possibly lead them to their happy ever after. This was such a cute small town practical magic-esque second chance romance!!! I absolutely cannot wait to read all the other couples' stories and see more romance take place! This was so adorable and the perfect amount of romance and small magic town vibes. I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves a witchy cute romance!

Release Date: March 13, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*