Stephanie GarberFantasy · Romantasy
Once Upon a Broken Heart
Synopsis
Evangeline Fox has always believed in true love and happy endings — until she learns that the boy she loves is about to marry her stepsister. Desperate to stop the wedding, she turns to the one person legend says can help: Jacks, the beautiful and dangerous Prince of Hearts. He agrees, on a single condition — three kisses, to be claimed at the time and place of his choosing.
The bargain works, but not at all the way Evangeline hoped. Swept from her small town into the glittering, treacherous world of the Magnificent North, she discovers that deals with immortals always cost more than they promise, and that Jacks wants something from her far greater than a stopped wedding. Caught among wicked princes, cursed fairy tales, and her own stubborn hope, Evangeline must decide who to trust in a place where every happily ever after seems to come with a catch.
Set in the world of Caraval, Once Upon a Broken Heart is a lush, romantic fantasy about heartbreak, dangerous bargains, and the fine line between a fairy tale and a curse.
How it reads
- ⭐️ 5 stars I already had very high expectations for this book because it's been on my TBR for so long. I've already read the Caraval series and enjoyed it, but somehow this one managed to completely sweep me away. From the very first pages, I felt like I was under a spell. Evangeline was such an easy character to root for. She wears her heart on her sleeve, cares deeply about the people around her, and constantly puts others before herself, even when it hurts her. Sometimes I wanted to shake her, but I also understood her. I saw parts of myself in her because she's the type of person who loves wholeheartedly and wants to help everyone, even when they don't deserve it. And then there's the king of hearts. Jacks ohhh Jacks... I loved the way he was introduced as this villainous, dangerous, unpredictable character only to slowly peel back the layers. Watching him go from using Evangeline for his own goals to genuinely caring about her had me swooning. Every scene with him had me wanting more. The tension, the banter, the moments where his actions contradicted his words. I ate it all upppp. As much as I enjoyed Caraval, I think I love this one even more. It reminded me why I enjoy fantasy in the first place and felt like the perfect book to pull me back again.
- DNF’ed around 90 pages. Everyone sings Stephanie Garbers praises and I know you like what you like and that’s great. But she just is not the author for me. Magic systems (in Caraval as well) are just too outlandish and seem childish to me. I tried hard to like this one since I see everyone talking about it. But I can’t finish a book I find myself looking in disgust at or dreading reading.
- Not a fan of the end. I don't like how it ended or that it ended on a cliffhanger. I didn't hate it, but I have no interest in reading the second book. It was a pretty quick read.