I love witchy books! As well as small town romances. It was a fun read with some cute banter.

If you like:
💫Second change romance
💫Dual POV
💫Spice
💫Cozy vibes
💫Slow burn
💫witches
💫magic


Then this is the book for you! It was a quick read! This is the first book I read of Aprils. I’m looking forward to reading more books by her.

Rating 💫💫💫
Publication Date May 13 2025

Thank you NetGalley, April and St.Martin’s Press for the eARC!

A simple twist of fate
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The BANTER! 🤌🏻

This quippy romantasy was such a refreshingly funny and sweet read! The banter, character development and plot line were executed with such care and precision. I simply loved the world April Asher was able to drop the reader into; it read as Gilmore girls meets Buffy the vampire slayer. It had a true 90’s nostalgic feel.

Overall this was a phenomenal read and I couldn’t put it down. The banter, the reunited lovers, the magic it was great! My only criticism would be for the POV, when shifting, to be more obvious. There were times when the POV would shift from Harry to Jax and I wouldn’t realize it immediately. I think the book would really benefit from POV chapters that specify whose perspective we’re viewing the world from.

This was a 4.5 star read and I can’t wait to read other work by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, April Asher and the publisher for this e-ARC copy!

I admit it.

Been a fan of this author since I picked up the triplets' first story in "Not the Witch You Wed" .
She's kept the momentum of humor, romance with curvy heroines and alpha males going with this new spinoff (hopefully, the first of many).

Harlow a.k.a Harry's character is shaped by her childhood friends, her strong maternal figure in her aunt Nora, and the female mentor/quasi familial relationship she has with her BFF's daughter, Grace. Investing in different assets of her character makes her a multidimensional one. The result? She's more than a sum of her many parts.

Given Harry's determination to not be found, Jaxon's feelings of abandonment and betrayal are understandable. So when these two reconcile, it's heartfelt.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great supernatural second chance romance and I really loved the chemistry between Harlow and Jaxon. Harlow returns to Fates Haven to get help with her half shifter half human goddaughter and end up back in the embrace of her first love Jaxon Alpha of the Rocky Mountain Pack. I loved the mystery of figuring out what her goddaughter is and finding her dad. This was a fun romantic comedy and the dynamic between Harlow and her friends was great once they were reunited and the town of Fates Haven was a great with the naughty bakery and everyone being in everyone’s business as small towns do.
Thanks to St. Martins Griffin and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

My biggest issue with this book was the pacing. The build up took way, way too long while the end felt rushed and anti-climatic. I didn't mind the characters so much, though the dynamic between FMC and MMC felt less angsty and more deliberately drawn out. Honestly, all the characters sort of read the same way as well - snarky. In fact, the author calls this out several times throughout the book.

Overall, this felt like a decent prequel to Grace's story (not sure if that will happen, just saying that's what this story felt like, a set up to another story).

The story has potential, but I think it needs some finessing.
Personal petpeeve: Harry as a nickname for Harlowe. It's not the same pronunciation....

Needed more details. It’s ok to make the book bigger. I love a big book over here. But it was lacking details. The storyline is good though. It was very easy to read. Cute romantic comedy.

A cute and cozy small town shifter romance. I loved the romance and banter between the two main characters. This book had me giggling and kicking my feet the entire time. Will definitely be recommending this to my book besties. I'm super excited for book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for giving me the opportunity to read April Asher's A Simple Twist of Fate in exchange for my honest review.

From the moment I saw the title of the first chapter, "Teenagers Are Velociraptors," I knew I was in for a good time.

Imagine Mystic Falls meets Stars Hollow, but with a naughty sense of humor. A Simple Twist of Fate is a charming blend of romance, magic, and small-town antics that delivers all the warm and fuzzy feelings of a Hallmark movie—if Hallmark dabbled in shifters, witches, demons, angels, and sizzling chemistry.

Harlow "Harry" Pierce and Jaxon “Jax” Atwood have undeniable tension, and their second-chance romance had me hooked. Jax is the perfect mix of broody yet sweet (well, as sweet as a shifter Alpha can be), and Harry’s return to Fates Haven shakes up not just his world, but the entire town’s struggling magical balance. But what I loved most was that Grace’s storyline wasn’t just a side plot. Her journey, along with the town’s magic acting up, added depth beyond the romance.

Yes, it’s predictable. Yes, it’s a little cheesy. But I absolutely did not care. The snarky banter, lovable characters, and fast-paced storytelling made this a thoroughly enjoyable read. Sometimes, you just need a book that makes you smile, giggle, and forget the real world for a bit. A Simple Twist of Fate delivered exactly that, and I’m already looking forward to the next installment in the series!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

In this second chance romance, Harry Pierce goes back to her childhood home of Fates Haven to ask the Alpha of the Rocky Mountain Pack for help. Grace, Harry's guardian, is setting things on fire and needs help controlling herself and figuring out what kind of shifter she is.

Harry fled town when Fate screwed her over, and did everything she could to make sure she couldn't be found. But now she's back, and the lover she left behind, for very good reasons, is the one person who can help Grace. Harry and Jaxon have to put aside their feelings, but that's easier said than done when you truly believed at one time that the other person was your Fated match.

April Asher is an instant-read for me, so I was so happy to receive an ARC of A Simple Twist of Fate. As with her previous series, this was a fun, spicy supernatural romance with an interesting cast of characters and a well-paced plot. As the first in a new series, I can't wait to dive deeper into Fates Haven to learn more about the town and the characters introduced in A Simple Twist of Fate.

****POSSIBLE SPOILERS**** My only wish was to see a little more sympathy towards Harry - yes, the way she left was messed up, but she literally thought fate had spoken and said that the love of her life wasn't really hers. The way that everyone reacts when Grace snoops through Harry's emails was rude AF and Harry deserved an apology.

This was a very cute paranormal romance book. While there were some elements that felt familiar to many other books in the genre, it still felt unique with its fated mates magic system. However, I wish that side of it had been explored more other than in the very last portion of the book.

One highlight of this book were all the secondary characters (who’d better be getting their own books). They all felt very real and well developed, with relationships and dynamics that I look forward to seeing in whatever comes next with this series. I do also hope that Grace eventually gets a book, because I would love to see her older with her own arc and romance, even if that is another spin off series or something. I just think it would be cool.

The romance, aka the main focus, although there was still a plot (yay), was great, and it was nice to see a second chance romance where they actually work through what happened the first time around before the book ends. There were a couple spicy scenes in the book, which were in fact quite spicy, although they didn’t last too long, and were pretty spread apart. They both felt natural to the story and the characters, and I’m very happy with how the romance turned out in this book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a feel good cosy low stakes fantasy with a great romance, loved the characters and fated mate trope, spice was spice-ZING! highly recommend to fans of paranormal romance that are character/relationship driven!

This was such a fun read! I'm a huge fan of April's witchy books and I was so excited to hear she's writing more of them. This one was a fun, fast read and it introduced the small town and it's residents in a great way. I thought the romance was sweet and I loved seeing Harry and Grace's relationship. I will say, the ending was a bit of a let down for me personally. I would've liked not to see the other couples fated matched just yet. The whole thing did feel a little rushed. But I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this one!

🔥ARC review - A Simple Twist of Fate by 🔮
Releasing May 13th!
Welcome to Fates Haven, the coziest town that clearly has more to offer 🏘️ A cozy as fuck romance, where found family meets real family, and the puns are bountiful. If you’re looking for:
🥈second chance romance
🐉 low stakes fantasy
💫 fated mates
🤍 the family we make
vibes then make your way to Fates Haven to meet Harry and Jax, and their equally hot friends, and get ready to get invested in a bunch of side characters that April is clearly cooking something up for in the future 🥘 turns out a combo of:
🧙🏽‍♀️ a witch
🐆 a cougar
😇 an angel
😈 a demon
🔮 a psychic
🧛‍♂️ a vampire
🖋️ a tattoo artist
and more hits just right! I’m already ready for the second book! 📖

(not included in review - i wanted a little MORE of everything in this book. more romance, more funny friend moments, more issues, just a little more would’ve pushed this into a higher category for me!)
(additionally i was unable to review on KU or Amazon, i tried)

I recommend this book if you like fated mates, plus size romances, or small town romances. I loved Harlow and Jaxon.

While this was a cute book, I was honestly more invested in the side characters than the main character. The FMC was fine - there wasn’t anything wrong with her - but Cassie, Lennox, Nora, and Elodie were so much more dynamic and interesting. Definitely hoping that we get sequels that focus on them. I think the lack of communication also extended a little too far into the book for me - there wasn’t as much character development as I typically hope for in books. That being said, it was a sweet, low stakes romance that I do think a lot of people would like. It just wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a warm, enjoyable romantic activity for the winter months. For the most part, this is a quick and enjoyable read. The romance moves slowly, but the world-building happens quickly. My interest in this book stemmed from the idea that humans, monsters, supernatural beings, and animal shifters all livesidebyside.

🐉 Second chance romance
🐉 Paranormal Romance
🐉 Small town vibes
🐉 Found family
🐉 Spice
At eighteen, witch Harlow “Harry” Pierce went to her first Fates Haven Finding Ceremony, expecting to be matched with her boyfriend, Jaxon Atwood. When her best friend matched with him instead, Harry ran and went into a self-imposed exile -leaving everything and everyone behind.
Now, thirteen years later, Harry is living in New York and grappling with her goddaughter’s mysterious shifter abilities. In attempt to find answer Harry finds herself back in Fates Haven to ask the help of the shifter pack- not knowing there’s been a change in leadership.
Jaxon, now the leader of the Rocky Mountain Pack, finds himself faced with the witch who broke his heart and a fiery teenager who doesn’t understand her powers.
🐉 🐉 🐉 🐉 🐉 🐉 🐉 🐉 🐉 🐉 🐉 🐉
I was drawn to “A Simple Twist of Fate” by April Asher because I really enjoyed her Supernatural Singles series. This book seems to be set in a similar world that is structured the same and has the same type of supernaturals- no new world building if you’ve read her other series.
I felt like this book gave off a similar vibe to that series- it was fun, a little raunchy, and didn’t take itself too seriously. There’s quite a bit happening in this book- which seemed like it lost a lot of people looking at some of the other reviews. I have an inkling that this book is set up to launch into another series and so maybe that is why there was a lot crammed into this book. The only plot point that really had me scratching my head was the MIA mom (Cassie)- her circumstances are explained but it didn’t seem all that reasonable IMO.
Overall I did really enjoy this book! I do really hope our side characters become main characters if this turns into a series.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in return for my honest review. “A Simple Twist of Fate” by April Asher is set to be released on May 13, 2025.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: A Simple Twist of Fate by April Asher
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Paranormal Rom Com
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: May 13, 2025

Witty Humor
Demons, Witches + Shifters
Fated Mates
Second Chance Romance

A Simple Twist of Fate is an unputdownable paranormal rom-com and a must read if you're looking for spicy standalone treat!

I was so pleasantly surprised by this one. Once I started reading it and realized it was a rom-com, I didn't have high hopes, but this was adorable! I love Harry and Jax so much, and Grace is such a sweetie for a teenager with... complicated issues lol I enjoyed the banter, the fast paced dual POV and the delicious overall tension.

Thank you so much, Macmillan/St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the digital review copy!

PG-17+⚠️: liberal use of profanity, innuendos, , sex scenes starting @ ~63% (they're fairly explicit, but easily skimmable🫶)

This paranormal romantic comedy has the perfect mix of humor, heart, and magic! Harlow “Harry” Pierce and Jaxon Atwood’s second-chance romance is packed with tension, regret, and undeniable chemistry. Harry, heartbroken after her Fated match didn’t work out the way she’d hoped, returns to her magical hometown 13 years later, only to face her past—and the man who still has a piece of her heart. The dynamic between Harry and Jaxon is fantastic, with the perfect balance of sweet, snarky, and sizzling. Their reunion is full of emotional highs, and watching them navigate their complicated history while working to fix the magic in their town kept me hooked.

What really made this story stand out was how the plot combined a unique supernatural setting with relatable themes of growth, healing, and the challenge of confronting past wounds. The introduction of Harry’s half-human, half-shifter goddaughter added depth to the story, bringing in new stakes and emotional layers. If you enjoy a funny, touching romance with a paranormal twist and characters you can’t help but root for, this book is a must-read. The blend of magic, love, and second chances makes it a delightful, feel-good read!

Do not read this book if you are looking to expand your literary horizons or be challenged in any way. It is squishy and fun and the banter is cute with a little bit of snark. Full disclaimer that I did just finish reading Onyx Storm before this book and A Simple Twist of Fate is the perfect bubble gum pink pallet cleanser to lighten a streak of darker, more complicated books. Harry and Jax are a second chance romance featuring a meddling aunt, protective teenager, and never-heard-of-boundaries friend group. This book spends no time on any topic which feels a little unsatisfying at points when I wish Asher would have dove in more, but it also keeps it light and fun. Only three stars because I prefer my more topical books to give me some fun spice (yes, I did read Pucking Around, thank you very much) and this felt a bit ordinary for my liking.

I would save this for a season when anxiety is high and the books are heavy. This will lighten up any dark mood.