This book was so intriguing from the very beginning! Two women meet on a train, both running from something…When one disappears, the other takes her place and the twist start coming from there!

This book will definitely have you on the edge of your seat anticipating what’s coming next. There were some pretty shocking twists that left my jaw dropped. The author did a great job of not giving too much away upfront. I kept wondering what the heck was going on! lol

I found the setup of A Twist of Fate to be very intriguing- a woman on the run assumes a new identity and steps into a life of wealth and secrets. The premise had potential and initially pulled me in with its eerie atmosphere and steady tension. The sprawling estate, the mysterious family members, and the staff who may or may not know more than they let on all worked well to build suspense.
The first half of the book was fairly engaging. The writing sometimes felt a bit awkward, likely due to translation issues. There were times I had to reread sections to fully understand what was happening, which pulled me out of the story. Some of the cultural details and emotional shifts didn’t always land for me either, which may be more of a reflection of my own unfamiliarity with Korean literature than a flaw in the book itself.
Unfortunately, the ending lost me. While the twist technically made sense, it relied too heavily on one character's sudden and confusing change in behavior. Their motivations felt more like a convenient plot device than an organic progression. It seemed like the pieces fit, but the larger picture didn’t sit quite right. The ending felt rushed and overly tidy, and much of the emotional payoff was pushed into the epilogue rather than earned through the story itself.
The main character was also hard to connect with. Her constant mood swings and inconsistent motivations made her feel more reactionary than complex, and I struggled to understand her choices or root for her by the end.
Overall, the book had a compelling concept and a few strong moments, but the execution didn’t fully deliver. If you enjoy high drama, family secrets, and morally gray characters, you might enjoy this more than I did, but for me, it ended up being more frustrating than satisfying.

This is the first Korean thriller I’ve ever read, and I hope it won’t be my last. Was it different from my usual thrillers that are not translated from Korean to English definitely yes, but that did not take away from the story line. In fact it added to it. I feel like I learned a lot from this book, especially about Korean culture and customs. Like many thrillers this book had so many twists (hence the name) honestly it keeps you guessing from beginning to end. I think the slight loss in translation even helps with that. I really liked this book, the characters were interesting and well written. I would definitely read more from this author.

I was invited by the publisher to request an ARC of this book so when I was approved for it I jumped at the chance to read it right away. I was expecting more of a thriller but I think this one was more of a psychological drama with more suspense than mystery thriller. The biggest issue I had with this book was the translation. Unfortunately I didn’t know going into this that it would be a translated copy but it took me a while to read through this. I had to go back and reread passages to understand what was going on. The writing at times didn’t feel complete and maybe it was the translation but it read awkward and confusing. I also lacked the knowledge of Korean literature and pop culture references. I think with a better translation and more editing this could be a great and intriguing book but for me it just didn’t work.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review and feedback.

A Twist of Fate is the first book I've read by Se-Ah-Jang, and I enjoyed the mysterious characters in it.
Though it is 77 chapters long, it kept my interest throughout.
Set in Korea on the poor side of Seoul to a mansion in Juyoung-si where luxury awaits.
It's a dramatic family drama about haves and have-nots. You don't know who's lying to you, and it makes your head spin.
Se-Ah-Jang is a masterful storyteller.
#ATwistOfFate
#BantamBooks
#NetGalley

The twists and turns were nonstop in A Twist of Fate, a clever novel about two women who encounter each other with life changing results. Jae-Young, alone and on-edge, finds herself in a train compartment with a single mother traveling with her infant son and they have a brief conversation. When Jae-Young comes back from a trip to the bathroom and finds the baby abandoned she decides to take him to his father's house in Seoul.

When she arrives, she finds a mansion before her and the family that lives there assumes she is the baby's mother. She goes along and acts the part, but how long does she have before her new life unravels?

I found the first half of this book to be quite intriguing and thought it would slow, but it never did. The ending was absolutely action packed and went where I never would have guessed.

Much of the plot is tense, waiting for the other shoe to drop, to uncover Jae-Young's deceit. There is darkness that exists in the heart of the mansion and in the family itself. 4 stars for this inventive, compelling story.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Thank you NetGalley, Bantam, and Balistine for the ARC


2.5/3 stars

I really wanted to love A Twist of Fate by Se-Ah Jang. The premise had serious Strangers on a Train vibes—strangers crossing paths, dark secrets, and moral ambiguity—but it never quite delivered the punch I was hoping for.

One of the biggest issues for me was the translation. The writing felt awkward and clunky in places, making it hard to stay engaged. There were moments where I had to reread paragraphs just to make sense of what was going on. It also didn’t help that I’m not super familiar with Korean literature or culture, so some references and emotional beats didn’t fully land for me.

That said, the core idea was intriguing, and I could see what the author was going for. With a smoother translation and a bit more context for international readers, this could have been a much stronger read. As it stands, it’s an interesting concept that just didn’t quite come together for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and 2025
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam
for this women’s fiction ARC of A Twist of Fate by Se-Ah Jang.

The synopsis beginning, “Two women meet on a train. Each is running from a deadly secret. When one disappears, the other decides to take her place” had me reflex-clicking “Request” for this title. Identity-swap books are my favorites! Add in extravagant wealth and I am 👏🏼.

Set on the outskirts of Seoul, this Korean thriller was geographically new to me but I had no trouble connecting to the story.

A strange young mother abandons her 3-month-old baby to MFC Jae-young on a train ride on which Jae-young is fleeing her abusive husband, whom she murdered.

She is taken in by the generational-wealthy family of the mysterious young mother on the train when they mistake her for the mother of their grandbaby. Jae-young does not disabuse them of their belief in her identity. She has found a friendly and elegant place to hide - a castle. It’s her Cinderella opportunity and she takes it.

And a fairy-tale it seems: luxury everything all at her sudden disposal, especially thanks to her lonely brother-in-law acting as Prince.

But is it instead a trap? Was she being set up for her crime? Is she being punished or is she a mere pawn?
With a 130-billion fortune at stake for baby Seung-Joon, can Jae-young trust any of these family members?

Whoa, the plot curveballs in this story gave me whiplash! Delicious! I gasped out loud so many times. Highly entertaining and increasingly suspenseful. Hyojin, the train mother, returns as caretaker to the Captain, but why? She has video proof of Jae-young’s crime. And where is the boyfriend’s body? What game are they all playing?

Five jaw-drop stars. The happy discovery of this Korean thriller has made me search for more in this sub-genre.

This book is marketed as General Fiction and Women's Fiction, but it is a Psychological Suspense Drama. I like suspense and thrillers, so once I reset my original expectations, I was fine about the genre.

A woman on the run gets stranded with a baby, and decides to turn luck to her side by assuming the false identity of the baby 's mother, and live a life of luxurious wealth, atleast for the time being.

I would say the first three quarters of the novel worked well for me. The atmosphere of the house, the invalid father-in-law, the very friendly brother-in-law, the house staff who may know more than meets the eye but won't reveal anything to the new comer and the small incidents here and there that create unrest in the mind of the protagonist and the plot, are nothing new to this genre, but done well and builds for a page turner. As befits this genre, the writing is fast paced and easy, well-written. Some of the characters are drawn well, and the backstory too is well developed.

Not because of any logical deduction on my part or plot loopholes, but because of sheer experience in this genre, I had figured out the negative element in this novel almost at their first appearance. But this is not what makes the last quarter a disappointing read; what contributes to this disappointment is the poor work done on the motivation, scope of action and execution of a character who plays a pivotal role, especially in the last quarter. That character felt too confused in their final actions, and driven more by the author's whim than the sense of the plot. Things add up when the suspense ends, and unlike many poorly done thrillers and suspense dramas, here things are not too forced or dependent on coincidence, but still, though the pieces fit, the picture doesn't sit very pretty. The good person wins, but mostly because the author desired so, and ended up twisting the motivation of a key character to achieve such ends. Now, this reminds me of the title.

But humour apart too, the title fits the plot, let me not create any misgivings here.

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Groups - Ballantine for an ecopy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Please take my comments with a grain of salt. While I didn’t really connect with this story, some of that could be due to cultural background and a lack of familiarity with Korean literature, pop-culture, television, etc. I’ll be the first to admit I’m approaching this from an American sensibility.

I’ll start off by saying that the plot summary sounded intriguing, but the execution felt chaotic. There were too many twists that didn’t feel fully explained enough to be believable, and all the drama left me feeling emotionally drained instead of intrigued and wanting more.

I was unable to really empathize with the main protagonist. She felt too high-strung with sudden mood swings, paranoid thoughts, and jumping to conclusions (both good and bad) based on assumptions she makes about other characters. She would go from naïve-sounding to foul-mouthed in the space of a couple paragraphs. I couldn’t understand her motivations, as they seemed to fluctuate between self-preservation, altruism, greed for the sudden luxury she was experiencing, and revenge. Perhaps some of it can be chalked up to her socio-economic standing and traumatic history, but she doesn’t come across as especially astute at critical thinking for most of the story and instead seems mostly reactionary.

Now, all that being said, there is a certain level of justification for some of it toward the end. However, for me it was a little too late. I didn’t get a solid sense of who she was or why I should care about what happens to her. The fact that so much was revealed in the epilogue, and that those left standing are suddenly willing to move forward together in a positive and supportive manner seemed a bit trite.

I hope there are others who enjoy the high level of drama, jealousy, intrigue, family secrets, and hidden agendas. If that sounds right up your alley, then this book might be a better fit for you than it was for me.

This was so bad it hurt to read it! Maybe it was the poor translation or cultural differences or simply an unexperienced writer, but this book needs some more work. The synopsis sounded interesting and had a bit of Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train feel to it. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver.

Thanks to NetGalley, Randon House/Ballantine/Bantam books for providing an advanced copy.

Two young women meet on a train. The young mother disappears and leaves her baby with the other one, with instructions to bring him to his wealthy relatives. There is a misunderstanding, and the family thinks she is, in fact, the daughter in law. This is a house full of secrets...
This book started off strong, but I quickly figured out the main plot twist. This was an average read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Really, really, REALLY didn't like this. A crappy story (a woman meets a young mom on a train, the young mom vanishes, and the woman pretends to be the mother of the baby and brings the baby to his wealthy relatives) with crappy writing and a crappy translation. I definitely wouldn't recommend this.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

I loved this book! Super twisty and if you love a good thriller you'll enjoy this. Two women meet unexpectedly and what transpires is wild! Highly recommend.

This gripping psychological thriller pulled me in from the first page. Two desperate women cross paths on a train, but only one steps off—assuming a new identity and stepping into a life that seems too good to be true. Tense, twisty, and rich with dark secrets, this story is a chilling reminder that sometimes survival means becoming someone else entirely.

This book was so good I finished in two days the twist kept twisting can you say flabbergasted very much I was totally surprised because I was not looking for this treat !!! So good please put a trigger warning for those that might be triggered by such topics!!!

I need everyone to read this book! It's definitely a hidden gem that more people need to discover! The amount of twists and turns had my jaw on the floor. I couldn't stop turning pages until there were no more pages! I was on the edge of my seat until the very end, and then i was left staring at the wall. This is a must read for thriller lovers!

Thank you for the ARC!
This book was amazing ! I literally could not put it down and finished it in a couple days. I loved following the main characters story and seeing how she got to where she was . Definitely lots of twists that I didn’t see coming . Definitely recommend !

This was a fun read. The premise is great, and sets up the book well for lots of interesting twists and reveals. There were parts of the last quarter of the book that felt repetitive and dragged a little bit, but the ending was pulled all the treads together in an interesting way. If you’re looking for a thriller with a strong set up and lots of twists and interesting reveals based on characters’ pasts this is a perfect book.

Masterful blend of angst, romance, and the ache of missed chances! Raw and flawed characters that were well written. Emotionally charged.