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.

4/5 stars: This is Asher's Paranormal Steamy Romance stand-alone set in Colorado that follows a witch and an Alpha shifter who get a second chance at love when the professional organizer returns to her magical hometown with her half-human, half-shifter goddaughter in tow looking for help. Heartfelt and humorous, Asher's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain very likable. Harry and Jaxon are both dealing with a lot and I love how they grow and come together to get their HEA. Oh and I love the side characters, I'm hoping to see them features in their own books. The world building is fun and has a great mix of paranormal species (Vampires, Angels, Demons and more) with a romance that's top notch with plenty of swoony banter and OPS scenes that are oh so steamy. A very nice second chance romance, which I'm hoping is the start of a new series.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The premise of this book was interesting: a woman forced to face the life she ran from to help her goddaughter figure out mysterious powers.

Unfortunately I struggled with the pacing of this book. 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....

A feel good paranormal romance. Wonderful characters that will make you smile as you follow along with their stories. Really enjoyed this story.

A Simple Twist of Fate is a fun book to read!

Witch Harlow “Harry” Pierce never intended to return to Fates Haven, Colorado after her disastrous first Fates Haven Finding Ceremony matched her boyfriend Jaxon Atwood with her best friend. But thirteen years later she needs help with identifying her goddaughter Grace’s abilities with fire while her mother tried to find Grace’s father.

Shifter Jaxon Atwood is now the alpha of Rocky Mountain Pack and finding out that Harry has returned after all this time and needs his help with Grace wasn’t in his plans. But maybe helping Harry with Grace could fix Fates Haven issue with its failing magic.

You will love to read A Simple Twist of Fate because it is just a fun book to read where magic and shifting are normal and nobody would bat an eye when fate and the Blue Willow Wisp picks your fated mate.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF at 26%. April Asher is very hit-or-miss for me, and this definitely feels like a miss. The cringe jokes, especially the sexual ones, were too much. “Frosting cums in all flavors?” Erection eclairs? Sugar-tits and cinna-boob buns? Wtf?!

Format - E ARC (Netgalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶

Series- Standalone for now

Troupes- Second Change, small town, paranormal, mutual pinning, forced Proximity, Dragon Shifter


If you enjoyed Asher’s Supernatural Singles series then you are defiantly going to want to dive head first into this new story about a small town in Colorado that is full of all the paranormal and magic you could want.

Harry and Jax haven’t seen each other in 13 years, after a batched Fated Ceremony tore out both of their hearts the space was needed. But Harry is back with a mystery in tow and she needs all the help she can get. Jax has never been able to say no to Harry so forced proximity for the win!

I loved the world building in this one. It’s something April does very well. The haracters are flushed out and dynamic and I loved everything about the Town of Fates Haven. My only complaint is that I wish Harry was just a little less dramatic. She made a lot of decisions 13 years ago that seemed drastic and that had she taken the time to listen to anyone from home we could have avoided that whole 13 year heart break. I know that we wouldn’t have a story if she hadn’t but this just seemed a little over the top for a character that was other wise pretty level headed.

This a great spooky season read but I also thoroughly enjoyed it in the spring! I can’t wait to return to Fates haven soon!

Thank you April Asher, St Martins Griffen and netgalley for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

A Simple Twist of Fate is a wholesome paranormal romantic comedy full of whimsical creatures (there may be a dragon involved) and exciting fantastical elements: wonky magic, talking inanimate objects, and fated love. The banter is fun, the characters are unique, and the town is charming.

April Asher orchestrates a heartfelt family reunion that blends angst, healing, and magic. A lovable cast of characters who feel like found family brings the story to life. The resolution left me in awe of the entire story.

The book begins with a playful, almost young-adult fantasy tone, but the transition into mature scenes feels abrupt and somewhat distracts from the plot. While the pop-culture references (Taylor Swift songs, Halloweentown, etc.) were initially fun and charming, they sometimes felt like shortcuts for emotional expression that could have been more deeply explored.

Beneath the wonky magic and quippy humor lies a story grounded in belonging, forgiveness, and second chances. This lighthearted fantasy swept me up in a magical tale of friendship, family, and romance.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGallet for this eArc!

Historically, I’ve absolutely ADORED April Asher’s paranormal romances. However, this one just isn’t working for me for a number of reasons. Let’s start with the good:

If you like your PNR to have a dash of cozy Gilmore girls vibes, this is really exactly that. There’s lots of small town antics, mother-daughter(like) bonding, and long standing friendships and relationships being rebuilt. The humor is rather funny, and the mystery of Grace’s powers is intriguing.

Unfortunately this is where it starts to fall off for me. I think ultimately it’s trying to be too many things at once: the small-town cozy doesn’t feel fleshed out or focused on wuite enough for me to believe it, but that aspect of the story is large enough that it feels like it’s detracting from the romance between the main couple. By the 50% mark, I just don’t feel invested enough in either storyline to continue. The writing style also feels like it’s trying a little TOO hard to be Gilmore Girls-y, enough so that it feels a little tangential and easy to zone out of. This isn’t a problem I had at all with April Asher’s books, so do with that information what you will.

I’ll still pick up this authors work in the future, I think this just didn’t strike my fancy quite right.

Have I ever met an April Asher book I didn’t like? The answer was and still is no, because this Gilmore Girls-esque town in Colorado full of magic gone wonky, witches and shifters was nothing short of magical. Fated Mates is always a blast, and early on you can tell what the misunderstanding was all those years ago, which made her MCs dancing around each other without outright saying the words was so much fun and absolutely hilarious in the context of the flirting. I loved the addition of Grace in a really unique way and her journey was so much fun to go on. Nora? I absolutely LOVE Nora!!!!! And the Fearsome Four versus the Big Bads added a level competition to the atmosphere that kept things light-hearted when they got serious. And the revelations near the end?! Whiplash on the best way! This was an incredible escape and blew through the whole book in a day and I don’t want to leave Fates Haven so I really hope we get more soon because as much as I adore Jax and Harry, I am so invested in these side characters and the backstory of a certain someone! Well done!

A lovely, breezy summer read, full of paranormal romance goodies! Second-chance romance, fated mates, shifters, witches, angels, vampires, and a whole host of mysterious goings-on in a cozy, small-town setting with oodles of family, both found and born. It may sound over-ambitious, but it doesn't take itself too seriously, so the end result is tons of fun and not at all taxing.

Our heroine is a young witch, self-exiled from her hometown. Now she's returning home to find help for her best friend's daughter, whose shifter powers are unidentified and out of control. Home means confronting (and apologizing to) all the people she left behind, including her aunt, best friends, and possibly fated mate. Hijinks ensue!

2.5 not for me but not necessarily bad. I enjoy paranormal/shifter/fantasy romance usually but I’m noticing a trend where the very specific sub genre that’s cozy adjacent, quirky, and “adorkable” (didn’t like it in 2012, don’t like it now), is just not for me. The dialogue and internal monologue is just unbearably not to my taste, and the stakes are often not compelling. So admittedly my rating could be a little biased by personal preference. I do think this book could have benefitted from a more solid foundation. Our FMC is returning to a town that she fled for reasons that were flimsy at best, can teens be reactive? Sure, does it make sense that the, for lack of a better term, misunderstanding wasn’t cleared up over 13 years? Nope. Then she has custody of a teen for over a year because the child mother is out looking for the father? The mom doesn’t come home once in over year??? To modern NYC? The most accessible place in the world?? Idk for me it was a miss in both style and substance but if you’re down for silly quirky read that’s all vibes (even slightly cringey vibes) this could be for you! The writing itself was solid.

A Simple Twist of Fate by April Asher is a fun, feel-good second chance rom-com with just the right amount of magic, mayhem, and heart. Witches, shifters, and dragons? Yes, please!

This story follows Harlow “Harry” Pierce, a witch who returns to her magical hometown thirteen years after a heartbreak that drove her away. She’s not just back for nostalgia—she’s hoping the town’s quirky charm (and a certain Alpha shifter) can help her goddaughter navigate some seriously fiery powers. But coming home means facing Jaxon Atwood, the very shifter she once thought was her Fated match… until fate had other plans.

The slow burn between Harry and Jaxon is chef’s kiss—sweet, steamy, and full of tension. Their character growth felt organic and satisfying, with past wounds giving way to genuine healing. The magical small-town vibes are strong, the side characters are delightful, and the twist at the end adds a perfect layer of surprise that had me grinning.

If you're in the mood for a paranormal rom-com with heart, humor, and a little chaos, this one’s worth picking up!
Thank you to April Asher and St. Martin's Press for the free e-ARC of A Simple Twist of Fate in Exchange for my honest opinion. Four Stars- a really good time.

Cute magic second chance romance. Both Harry and Grace were likable and you wanted things to work out for them. The world setting for this book seemed to be fully formed and I wondered if there had been previous books in the series that I had missed. Otherwise an enjoyable read.

🦇 A Simple Twist of Fate Book Review 🦇

❓ If you could shift into any creature, what would it be?

🦇 At the bright-eyed age of eighteen, witch Harlow “Harry” Pierce attended her first Fates Festival Finding Ceremony certain the Blue Willow Wisp would lead her to her Fated match, her cougar shifter boyfriend, Jaxon Atwood. But Fate had other plans, guiding her best friend to him instead. With a broken heart and vow to never return, Harry did the only thing a heartsick witch could do: run. Thirteen years later, she returns to her magical hometown—with her half-human, half-shifter goddaughter in tow—hoping that not only would the town work its magic on the troubled teenager. Too bad she needs Jaxon's help to do it.

💜 An April Asher witchy romance was one of the first books I reviewed for this account, so it was nice to see how much I've grown (as has Harry) since then. Let's break down this witchy read:

✨ Characters (3/5): Harry is a fun, sassy witch on a mission, while Jaxon gives perfect grumpy wolf, overprotective alpha vibes. They're perfectly balanced, as is their cast of friends (perfect for continuing the series with new matches). I absolutely adored every second Grace was on the page. I am a little disappointed that PCOS was mentioned with no explanation or reason (PCOS can cause anxiety and depression, orgasm dysfunction, and body image issues, which would have fit into the character with little effort).

✨ Plot and Pacing (3/5): Harry returns home for family, not for herself, only to reconcile with the family she left behind; the perfect balance of character- versus plot-led storytelling. The pacing is consistent, but a few lulls as Harry and Jaxon find their footing.

✨ World-Building (2/5): I love the small town, Stars Hollow feel (as in, everyone immediately gets up in your business), but I definitely would have loved a little more world-building. The bakery, though? Perfect.

✨ Romance (4/5): I loved seeing tiny parallels between Harry and Jaxon then and now--to show their growth while apart, yet still making it clear they know one another better than anyone. They both become different people once the animosity is dropped; instead, it's clear they'd do anything for one another.

✨ Mystery/Suspense (3/5): I hoped we'd get left in the dark regarding the reason behind Harry's disappearance a little longer; that suspense could have driven the tension between Harry and Jaxon a bit more. They let go of their animosity fairly quickly, too.

✨ Tone/Prose (3/5): Asher's prose in the Supernatural Singles series is fun and engaging with a little dash of sassy. I was hoping for more of that prose here, but it's dulled down for Harry.

🦇 Recommended for fans of The Supernatural Singles series, The Ex Hex, and A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🧭 Paranormal Rom-Com
🐱 Witch / Shifter
🧭 Dragons
🐱 Second Chance Romance / Childhood Sweethearts
🧭 Found Family
🐱 Fated Mates
🧭 Small Town Romance

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #ASimpleTwistofFate

💬 Quotes
No, luck and Harry were not best friends nor acquaintances. At this point she’d take frenemies with benefits over the cold, hard reality.

Family did not always mean blood, and unfortunately sometimes the opposite was true.

You’re mine. You’re my Mate. My world. My heart. My . . . everything. And every surly, broody inch of me is yours. It always has been, and it always will be. From now and for eternity.”

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

A Simple Twist of Fate by April Asher is a third person dual-POV second chance contemporary fantasy romance. Thirteen years ago, Harlow (Harry) Pierce left her hometown of magical beings when she learned that the cougar shifter she loved was someone else’s fated mate. When her best friend’s daughter, Grace, is struggling with her new fire powers, Harry brings Grace to her small town and has to confront her past, including Jax, the man she left behind.

This is a bit of a different twist on fated mates. In this iteration, the town has a Fate Ceremony where blue will-o’the-wisps direct the townsfolk to their fated ones, including shifters. Jax’s cougar aspect recognizes Harry as his mate, but it doesn’t work in the same way as a lot of werewolf romances work where it’s not only an immediate recognition, but also an overwhelming need to solidify that bond. Jax doesn’t really experience that. He wants Harry, only wants Harry, but those impulses are not present within the lore.

A lot of paranormal and contemporary romances tend to be limited to one or two fantasy species. Here we have shifters that are quite varied (fae dragon and cougar shifters are both shifters but are distinct), fae, witches, gargoyles, seers, vampires, and possibly more. If this ends up being a series, I would be curious to see if fae dragon shifters have different ways that they experience a mating bond than cougar shifters or how vampires move through the world. Given the small town romance vibes and how everyone in this town seems to be part of the community and there doesn’t appear to be long-lived rivalries or turf wars between different species, this is more on the cozy side of fantasy rather than the grittier urban fantasy.

Harry and Jax’s romance takes a bit to start back up again, mainly because Jax is still really hurt after Harry basically packed up and left him for thirteen years and even used a spell that made it impossible to find her. I liked having the MMC being the one who doesn't want to restart the romance without some sort of sign that the FMC isn’t going anywhere because I feel like it’s often the other way around. For her part, Harry is initially concerned that Jax ended up with the person that the will-o’the-wisp said was Jax’s fated mate (who is also Harry’s friend), but it doesn’t take long for her to learn that is not the case and to shift into trying to get Jax back.

I would recommend this to fans of small town second chance romances looking for a paranormal or fantasy twist and readers of Romantasy who like twists on fated mates and shifter romances

Do you need another story like the infamous stories from Dream Harbor but with a supernatural twist? This is the story for you! I love the author from her previous series and was excited to have another witch/shifter romance. Add a little small town charm and second chance romance and you are in for a cozy read on vacation. Is this book predictable and ends happily ever after? YES! and that's what makes it such a good read. These characters are also not some hot 19 year old that suddenly becomes a the chosen one. This is about a world where supernatural creatures are just a part of everyday life. While there are some more out there characters like a fae club owner... You can really relate to the main character.
All of us have thought about running away from our hometown and going to the big city to make a name for ourselves. When Harry decides to take her Goddaughter back to her hometown to help her with her shifting powers, she learns what she left behind. And more importantly how it affected her closest friends and love of her life. She has doubts and makes mistakes but her number one priority is to help her goddaughter. I appreciate that she wasn't just immediately trying to reconnect with an old flame and the goddaughter was just a plot device. The secondary characters in Asher's books are always a stand out and you can't always tell who the next book will be. I appreciate that she gives the attention to detail on someone besides the love interest.
While many might consider this a cheesy romance, I consider it the perfect read for when you want to know everything will be fixed by the last page. I appreciate the older characters who are a little quirky without being a entire personality trait. But also how Asher writes like this could be your next door neighbor who might also happen to be a witch!

I am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. A Simple Twist of Fate is my firsrt experience with April Asher, and honestly, I'm not a huge fan of cozy paranormal romances, or just cozy romances at all. But this one. . .this one was really good.

The characters were pretty well written. Harlow "Harry" Pierce was not my favorite character by far. She lacked any real communication skills and was pretty judgy for all the tomfoolery she ended up pulling. But Grace? Grace was by far one of my favorite teenage side characters ever. She was snarky, and sarcastic, and sweet. And frankly, Jax was also really good. He deserved to hold a little bit of a grudge against Harry. She took off to a self-imposed exile for 13 years and then gets upset because he doesn't tell her immediately that he and Elodie (one of Harry's best friends) weren't actually mated.

The pacing was good for a cozy. Nothing about this was fast paced, but it didn't feel as if it was dragging by any means. This is a second chance romance so it wasn't necessarily slow burn. It followed the typical pacing for a decent romance. Overall, I loved it. Maybe I do like cozy paranormal romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was cute and I liked it (I read it in 24 hours or less so) but here’s the problems:

1) the relationships: this is a second chance, FATED romance and not only did I not believe the romance, I didn’t even believe the characters believed the romance. Considering that they were supposedly so heartbroken about what happened in the past, they were pretty quick to forgive and forget and hop into bed (also, the fact that he ate her out after a hike!). Actually that’s the problem with the friendships too: if my best friend walked out of my life cold turkey for 13 years with no contact, a margarita and an apology isn’t gonna cut it.

2) the pop culture references. Now I can handle a little name dropping but T-Swift, TWICE!, was too much for me

Okay y'all this book is so enticing and the magic / lore is amazing!! It has a lot more depth than a lot of the other cozy magic systems. i really enjoyed everything about this book (and this author too).