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Twist of Fate
Alyson Fisher can’t stop living in the past. She is certain a vital part of her died when her husband, Joe, was killed in a tragic car accident two years ago. She can’t find the will to move on and is becoming increasingly reclusive. Her family and friends have been suffocating her with their good intentions and matchmaking ploys. A few months ago she made the bold decision to move across the country, far away from them and all reminders of her past with Joe. She is desperate for a fresh start but when she finds herself injured and alone in the middle of a deadly storm, she realizes that it might be too late. John Smith can’t remember his past; even his present is muddled at times. He has a sense that he is running from something so he keeps moving from town to town, rarely settling down for longer than a few months. People make him nervous so he avoids human contact as much as possible. He has no identity, no home, no past, and often it seems, no future. A chance encounter between Alyson and John changes the course of both their lives. As they forge a tentative friendship, they can’t help but wonder if his past will reveal some horrible secret to threaten the tenuous progress they’ve made.
242 pages, Paperback
Published March 29, 2017
About the author
Anna Reilly
1 book2 followersTWIST OF FATE is my debut novel. I hope you'll enjoy it!
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 8, 2017
Anna Reilly is a true artist who paints compelling images with words, evoking all the senses, and plunges the reader into the heart of the story with a few strokes of her pen. Set in the ruggedness of rural Newfoundland, this Canadian author takes us on a journey of loss, uncertainty, sacrifice and rebirth.
“Twist of Fate” is the story of Alyson, who lost her husband and moved across the country to escape the well-meaning interference of family, and John, an anti-social vagabond with no memory. After encountering John on a hiking path, Alyson quickly skirts around him, trying to calm her ensuing panic. When Alyson sustains an injury and attempts to crawl back home through an increasingly severe snowstorm, John finds her and carries her home, saving her from certain death. Alyson is used to numbing her pain with a nightly bottle of wine and John is closer to wounded animal than corporate executive, yet these two lost souls begin to forge a relationship.
There are many twists of fate in this book, and I found myself reflecting on the part fate and my own choices have played in my life that have resulted in unexpected outcomes. These characters are three dimensional and come alive through their imperfections, uncertainties and human longings. The love they find is one that compels them to be better people, to make their lives matter, and to put the other person’s needs and wants above their own. It is hauntingly beautiful to read.
This isn’t a fun, flirty read, but rather a novel with strong, mature characters whose choices are made with purpose. You’ll find yourself engaged in a story that perhaps will prompt reminiscence and introspection into parts of your own past and cause you to see things in a new light. Because I read so many books, I rarely keep any of them, but “Twist of Fate” will have a permanent home on my bookshelf. Yes, I plan to get my hands on a print copy. Purposefully written and well edited, I can’t say enough about the beauty, depth, and breadth of this book. Your life will be enriched, having read it.
“Twist of Fate” is the story of Alyson, who lost her husband and moved across the country to escape the well-meaning interference of family, and John, an anti-social vagabond with no memory. After encountering John on a hiking path, Alyson quickly skirts around him, trying to calm her ensuing panic. When Alyson sustains an injury and attempts to crawl back home through an increasingly severe snowstorm, John finds her and carries her home, saving her from certain death. Alyson is used to numbing her pain with a nightly bottle of wine and John is closer to wounded animal than corporate executive, yet these two lost souls begin to forge a relationship.
There are many twists of fate in this book, and I found myself reflecting on the part fate and my own choices have played in my life that have resulted in unexpected outcomes. These characters are three dimensional and come alive through their imperfections, uncertainties and human longings. The love they find is one that compels them to be better people, to make their lives matter, and to put the other person’s needs and wants above their own. It is hauntingly beautiful to read.
This isn’t a fun, flirty read, but rather a novel with strong, mature characters whose choices are made with purpose. You’ll find yourself engaged in a story that perhaps will prompt reminiscence and introspection into parts of your own past and cause you to see things in a new light. Because I read so many books, I rarely keep any of them, but “Twist of Fate” will have a permanent home on my bookshelf. Yes, I plan to get my hands on a print copy. Purposefully written and well edited, I can’t say enough about the beauty, depth, and breadth of this book. Your life will be enriched, having read it.
June 30, 2017
Twist of Fate kept me fully engaged and I could not put this down as the two main characters had such incredible stories to tell of events outside their control impacting their current way of life. As Alyson and John meet, engage with each other, share moments but then forge their own paths to repairing their lives was simply thought provoking.
It is a highly emotional read, it is more than just romance and when the characters share emotional and physical interactions in caring for each other during the storm it starts to open other possibilities and more importantly John taking those first steps of finding out who he is.
John's story was my favourite part of this whole book and it is such a surprise and then the flow on effects, well I was beside myself. When Alyson realised she truly wanted to live was a magical moment for me after simply existing since her husbands death. The author detailed her grief that gripped my heart and I just wanted her to have some happiness. There is a great cast of supporting characters from the small town who help John and I loved Nellie for Alyson.
Twist of Fate is a wonderful debut novel, I love the cover and the ending gives you closure for these characters.
It is a highly emotional read, it is more than just romance and when the characters share emotional and physical interactions in caring for each other during the storm it starts to open other possibilities and more importantly John taking those first steps of finding out who he is.
John's story was my favourite part of this whole book and it is such a surprise and then the flow on effects, well I was beside myself. When Alyson realised she truly wanted to live was a magical moment for me after simply existing since her husbands death. The author detailed her grief that gripped my heart and I just wanted her to have some happiness. There is a great cast of supporting characters from the small town who help John and I loved Nellie for Alyson.
Twist of Fate is a wonderful debut novel, I love the cover and the ending gives you closure for these characters.
January 2, 2018
Nice romance novel
Recommend for anyone who likes romance novels with some mystery thrown in with it. A great first book for the author.
Recommend for anyone who likes romance novels with some mystery thrown in with it. A great first book for the author.
October 10, 2017
I enjoyed this book very much. It glides through a wide range of moods, and the characters are well developed, relatable (despite their somewhat extreme predicaments), and believable. Reilly’s love of her native Newfoundland shines through in her descriptions of the woods, the town, and the people. Major revelations and consummations slide into place slowly and teasingly. Well done!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews