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.

Very hallmark if hallmark did fantasy romances. and thats not a bad thing at all. this is a cozy, fun romantasy for the cold weather. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Harlow (Harry) left her hometown of Fates Haven 13 years ago after a fated ceremony goes awry and planned on never looking back. Girl even cast a spell to make sure no one could ever find her. Unfortunately her goddaughter, Grace, has a “small” shifter problem and needs the help that only the Alpha of the Fates Haven pack can provide. Too bad that’s Harry’s ex, the one that got away.

I loved this one. It was a fun, lighthearted, small town, second chance romance mixed with magic, shifters, witches, demons, angels and all the rest. The found family was on point and all the friends were developed well and set up as couples for future books. I was grinning at the witty banter and small town hijinks. Of course there was a competition between sets of girl and guy friends, of course!

Harry and Jax’s love story was fun and nothing too heavy, some good solid spicy scenes too. I would definitely recommend this one to friends and look forward to the next book in the start of what I’m sure will be a great series. Chapters titles were *chefs kiss*

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this title! All opinions are my own.

Tropes
🫛Second Chance Romance
🫛Small Town
🫛Found Family
🫛Fated Mates
🫛Duel POV
🫛Miscommunication

It's suburban fantasy, it's funny, cozy, lighthearted. Imagine the Crescent City universe had the characters of Bride living in a Mystic Falls meets Stars Hollow town, but like with a way better sense of humour. I loved the main characters, they had great chemistry. The intrigue and romance felt well balanced. A Simple Twist of Fate is aptly named as it's a really fun little twist on the fated mates trope.

I was planning on just kind of reading this on the side, but by 10% in, I couldn't put it down. Would recommend to anyone looking for a paranormal romcom that doesn't take itself too seriously.

This book was a cute romantic comedy, very easy read. We follow the story of our FMC Harlow (aka Harry) who moves back to her hometown of Fates Haven to help her niece discover her magical shifter abilities. Enter Jax, the brooding cougar shifter MMC who was, and is still, very much in love with Harlow from 13 years ago. We get two POV's here, both Harlow and Jax, which I like because I don't think we get the male POV enough in books. The banter, the smut, the badass female Fearsome Four, and a sassy Aunt Nora all make this book good for easy laughs and many cute moments. The side characters are great and I enjoyed their development as well. Definitely left wondering if there will be additional spin offs of the other characters.

Thank you NetGalley and April Asher for the opportunity to read this book!

This book was stunning and just what I needed to keep myself out of a slump! The plot was simple but the romance was what really interested me! i loved Jax and Harry so much and their second chance! The found family trope was executed beautifully.
I also really like how the ending leaves room for a possible second book but also answers all the questions you had along the way.
This book has such a cozy vibe to it and I think this author is going to be a auto buy author for me!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for the chance to read an early copy of this beautiful book!

This was cozy AF and the perfect read to start my spring books! Witches, halflings, a magic town...nothing gets me going quite like those tropes.

Harry (Harlow) returns to Fates Haven after years of self-imposed exile to find answers for her best friend's daughter, Grace. Pushing her history with Fates Haven aside, Harry tries to balance her responsibilities with her aching heart, but it all comes crashing down when she sees her first (and only true) love, Jax, who just so happens to be the new Alpha of the shifter pack and the only person that can help Grace. A Simple Twist of Fate is a fun, paranormal romance full of dragons, shifters, witches, and fated love. With delightful humor, great chemistry between Jax and Harry, and several engaging side plots, this urban fantasy is a charming escape perfect for fans of lighthearted romance that has some similar vibes to Fangs for Nothing, Spookily Yours, etc.

A witch, Harrlow Pierce, finds herself going back home to find her godaughter a way to control her powers and maybe Harrlow finds her way back to love.

This is a fun, quick read for the most part. Slow pace on the romance but fast pace on building a world. It has animal shifters, demons, angels, witches, and humans all co-existing with one another was the premise for my interest in this book. Humor was ok. Nora I think was my favorite.

The dialog and banter took me out of the story, especially towards the end. The way it was written felt like I was reading about 18 year olds rather than 30 year olds.


Thank you to the author and publisher for the early read.

I am a fan of April (both hunt and asher) but this one felt a little busy for me. I wanted a witchy rom com but the extra characters and magical creatures just felt distracting this time.

What do you do when fate upends your life? This is a question that Harlow finds herself having to reexamine when she ends up headed back home, where fate already sidetracked her once.

Harry and Jax's story is fun, and the whole cast of characters makes for a enjoyable read. This is a good cozy paranormal romcom. I very much enjoyed this second chance romance. With a snarky teenager, meddling Aunts and feuding friends there is plenty to laugh about, especially when mixed with magic on the fritz.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a magical romcom with lots of heart.

I received a free advance review copy through from St Martins Press through NetGalley and my review is voluntary.

Harlowe (Harry for short) ran away from her hometown 13 years ago, and she plans to never go back. That is, until her best friend’s daughter, Grace needs a little help that can only be found in Fates Havens.

As the name of the town suggests, a lot of the book centers around the theme of fate and what it means to be “fated” to someone.

I loved the characters, especially Harry’s surrogate niece, Grace, and Harry’s best friends.

A fun read with spice, laughter, and love.

This is my honest review in exchange for an early digital copy of the book NetGalley and the publisher.

I was so excited about getting approved for this eARC! I love paranormal shifter stories and books that give me small-town Gilmore Girls vibes, and this book delivered on both.

I read this in 24 hours and had a tremendously fun time. I loved the second-chance romance between Harlow “Harry” and Jax. I knew I was going to love this book when I saw the chapter heading for Chapter 1: “Teenagers Are Velociraptors.” I really hope the author and publisher don’t change it—I cackled when I read it.

There is a bit of an information dump at the beginning of the book. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was reading the second book in a series, but eventually, everything clicked for me the way fantasy books often do. I also really loved Harry’s interactions with her friends and Grace—so many scenes made me laugh out loud. I cannot wait to check out more books from this author!

I think you will love this book if you enjoy any of the following tropes:

Second-Chance
Paranormal Gilmore Girls Vibes
Small Town
Touch Her and 💀
Cozy Romantic Comedy

This is a story about a second chance romance and found family set in a small town. In this world there are witches, vampires, shifters, angels and more. There's a part where Halloweentown is mentioned and it was I was thinking of while reading, that it's a more grown up version of the movie by throwing some adult humor and intimate scenes in.

Harlow is a witch who returns to the town she grew up in search of answers for her charge Grace who is going through a transition into her shifter being. At the same time she is confronted with her past and the love she left behind, who now happens to be the Alpha shifter in town, Jax. I was a bit confused about Jax's shifter abilities because it is mentioned that he takes the form of a cougar but also has an inner mountain lion. So is he both? it's not mentioned if that is an ability or just how he sees it. I think there was bit much happening at once and it made each storyline not feel as fleshed out. Harry and Jax's romance, the search for Graces dad and helping with her magic, their friends side attraction, the towns wonky magic, some random games, etc. I also think the reason that made Harlow stay away for so long was kinda silly, just lack of communication really.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to @netgalley &
@stmartinspress for approving me to read this e-arc!

Initially I was confused on what I was reading. I thought I was reading about a jilted witch. I was surprised that this witch is a temporary single parent for her best friend that was on the hunt for the teens father. Talk about a really good friend.

Anyways, that just shows that I only read half the description before knowing this book was for me. I absolutely loved the relationship dynamics within this story. Everyone seemed to care for each other and did not let the time lapse change themselves too much.

Small Town
Fated Mates
Single Parent
Lovers to Enemies
Dual POV
Second Chance Romance

Miscommunication/Lack of communication tropes make me so upset because everything could be avoided if someone JAX stated his feelings and someone HARLOW didn’t run away. But it does work itself out towards the end.

The reason for the rating is that the ending felt messy and rushed. I feel like there should’ve been an epilogue or something to wrap everything up because it had a lot going on. It’s a fairly cute and simple read. I was able to finish in one seating. Would I recommend it? Yes. I love that we didn’t have to spend the majority of the book trying to figure out why Harry left in the first place. I love that this book felt unique and the world building was simple.

A Simple Twist of Fate is perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls, found family, and second chance romance!

While I enjoyed this book overall, my biggest complaint was the romance itself. There was a certain chemistry I was left wanting for, and I rarely see the miscommunication trope done right, and this was no exception. But where the romance might have fizzled for me, it was all the other relationships that kept me invested. This story was a celebration of rekindling old friendships and the beauty of found families.

I also loved the setting of Fates Haven! It felt very reminiscent of Stars Hallow and acted as a character in and of itself. I was especially charmed by the garden gnomes.

While the twists at the end were a bit predictable, that didn't make them any less satisfying to see play out. Overall, this was a fun and wholesome (with some not-so-wholesome scenes sprinkled in, if you know what I mean) read and definitely worth adding to your TBR!

Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Everyone deserves a second chance, right?

This book was an enjoyable read with a satisfyingly happy ending. The main characters experience a strong emotional connection, marked by both joy and sorrow. Adding a struggling Goddaughter for dramatic effect further enhances the story. The world-building is well-crafted and effectively develops various relationships throughout the narrative.

I read this book in a single day. I so enjoy April Asher and her stories. I loved the second chance romance (which is normally not one of my favorite tropes), as well as the fun competition the characters participate in. The magic in Aprils book is fun to read and the spicy scenes were so good! The pacing towards the end felt a little rushed. There was a lot to tie up at the end. The story reminds me a lot of her supernatural series. I do hope this becomes part of a series and we get to see some of the other characters that were introduced in this first book.