Once Upon a Broken Heart
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- Create Date：2021-09-23 09:16:09
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Stephanie Garber
- ISBN：1529380901
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Summary
From Stephanie Garber， the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval， Once Upon a Broken Heart is the first book in a new series about love， curses， and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after。
Evangeline Fox was raised in her beloved father’s curiosity shop， where she grew up on legends about immortals， like the tragic Prince of Hearts。 She knows his powers are mythic， his kiss is worth dying for， and that bargains with him rarely end well。
But when Evangeline learns that the love of her life is about to marry another， she becomes desperate enough to offer the Prince of Hearts whatever he wants in exchange for his help to stop the wedding。 The prince only asks for three kisses。 But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss， she learns that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’s pledged。 And he has plans for Evangeline that will either end in the greatest happily ever after， or the most exquisite tragedy…
Evangeline Fox was raised in her beloved father’s curiosity shop， where she grew up on legends about immortals， like the tragic Prince of Hearts。 She knows his powers are mythic， his kiss is worth dying for， and that bargains with him rarely end well。
But when Evangeline learns that the love of her life is about to marry another， she becomes desperate enough to offer the Prince of Hearts whatever he wants in exchange for his help to stop the wedding。 The prince only asks for three kisses。 But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss， she learns that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’s pledged。 And he has plans for Evangeline that will either end in the greatest happily ever after， or the most exquisite tragedy…
Reviews
Kayla Brunson
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RTC 。
Shalini | Book Rambler
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The premise was great but the poor formatting of the eARC made reading this a borderline irritating experience。 Even though this is the first book in a series， the story felt kind of incomplete。 Overall， I didn't like it as much as I had expected， unfortunately。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy。 The premise was great but the poor formatting of the eARC made reading this a borderline irritating experience。 Even though this is the first book in a series， the story felt kind of incomplete。 Overall， I didn't like it as much as I had expected， unfortunately。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy。 。。。more
Jessica Moro
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I really enjoyed this new first book in the series。 Stephanie Garber writes fantasy stories that are easy to follow and lush with character descriptions。 I think she delves deep into the personalities of her main characters and makes us question all of their motives。 This new series is all about curses and fairy tales and hope。 Our protagonist， Evangeline makes bad decision after bad decision all in the name of love。 You can't help but feel bad for her because as she tries to make it right， she I really enjoyed this new first book in the series。 Stephanie Garber writes fantasy stories that are easy to follow and lush with character descriptions。 I think she delves deep into the personalities of her main characters and makes us question all of their motives。 This new series is all about curses and fairy tales and hope。 Our protagonist， Evangeline makes bad decision after bad decision all in the name of love。 You can't help but feel bad for her because as she tries to make it right， she makes it harder to solve。 Jacks， as a hero， is every inch of the redeemable villain （I hope） We were previously introduced to him in the Caraval series and we delve deeper into his character。 He is just as much of a trickster and fate twister as before。 I can't help but root for them even though things end on quite a cliff hanger for them。 How it all resolves is going to be intensely intricate。 This is a series for lovers of fairy tales， fantasy， and a lot of twists！ 。。。more
Dayla
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I received a copy via the publisher。 I will be doing an IG live interview with Stephanie Garber over on Indigo's instagram （@indigo） on October 1st at 7pm！ EST4。5 Stars！This book was such a magical ride。 While I wish the MC was a little less naive （where the 。5 was taken off）， this whole book was such a great experience。 The world is written in such a whimsical way and the twists and turns kept me wanting more。 The ending definitely left me craving the second book because I feel like I know wher I received a copy via the publisher。 I will be doing an IG live interview with Stephanie Garber over on Indigo's instagram （@indigo） on October 1st at 7pm！ EST4。5 Stars！This book was such a magical ride。 While I wish the MC was a little less naive （where the 。5 was taken off）， this whole book was such a great experience。 The world is written in such a whimsical way and the twists and turns kept me wanting more。 The ending definitely left me craving the second book because I feel like I know where the story is heading， but I want to be proved wrong。 The connections to fairy tales was also something that I loved。 It was like looking for Easter eggs and trying to figure out the connections。 This is my first book by this author and now I'm wondering if I should check out her earlier works （if they're written like this）。 I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fantasy novel with magical moments， great characters， and a potential love interest who is anti-hero to the core。 Also， if you like twists and trying to solve the mystery！Happy reading！ 。。。more
Rebecca
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The Illuminati is an elite organization of world leaders， business authorities， innovators， artists， and other influential members of this planet。 Our coalition unites influencers of all political， religious， and geographical backgrounds to further the prosperity of the human species as a whole。 The Illuminati is a secret society that strives to promote spiritual and moral values。 It was founded under principles of love， justice， unity， peace & relief。 To apply for membership。 Contact us via ema The Illuminati is an elite organization of world leaders， business authorities， innovators， artists， and other influential members of this planet。 Our coalition unites influencers of all political， religious， and geographical backgrounds to further the prosperity of the human species as a whole。 The Illuminati is a secret society that strives to promote spiritual and moral values。 It was founded under principles of love， justice， unity， peace & relief。 To apply for membership。 Contact us via email: Illuminatigranmaster@gmail。com or WhatsApp: +14703471692 。。。more
belle ☆ﾐ （thisbellereadstoo）
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rtc
Shijia
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Rating changed from 4 to 5 stars because I can't stop thinking about this damn book！！ Oh my。。。I didn't have any clear expectations for this- I went in for a good time and that's what I got！The writing was magical！ It's so beautifully written， with lyrical descriptions and a ton of emotion。 I really can't remember how Caraval read， but I know this isn't how I felt reading that book。 I was a bit hesitant because this follows a character from that series， but seriously I didn't know anything about Rating changed from 4 to 5 stars because I can't stop thinking about this damn book！！ Oh my。。。I didn't have any clear expectations for this- I went in for a good time and that's what I got！The writing was magical！ It's so beautifully written， with lyrical descriptions and a ton of emotion。 I really can't remember how Caraval read， but I know this isn't how I felt reading that book。 I was a bit hesitant because this follows a character from that series， but seriously I didn't know anything about Jacks and I still understood it perfectly！ The descriptions of new places weren't info-dumpy and the world was so mesmerising， it kept me wanting too know more！ The lore and fairytales were easy to follow， and the mystery element really held well。 Although some parts were predictable， but oh man I enjoyed it so much。The plot and story were so unique。 The author really structured the events so well， and by the end you can kind of see how it all comes together。 And OMG that cliffhanger？？ how am I supposed to wait so long for the next one？ * cries *I loved Jacks。 He's such a broody， grumpy and mischievous character。 I enjoyed reading his interactions with Evangeline and how they had this back and forth。 Also saving each other when they didn't even like each other。。。 AHHHH （or did they。。。） Anyway， this is definitely a slow burn romance。 Evangeline did annoy me a little with some stupid decisions， but I can overlook them， because I was SO invested in this story！ I liked the aspect of her father and his curiosity shop， although I wish it had been expanded on， maybe add in some magical trinkets。My favourite scene had to be the party where Evangeline meets Prince Apollo （and Jacks is there）， so of course mischief ensues。 That particular scene was so immersive and seductive。。 （you'll see when you read it） hehe。Overall， a very well-written story with an ending that will leave you gasping， and wishing there were more pages。 I loved Jacks and Evangeline， and can't wait to see how their relationship develops in the next one！ Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for an e-arc， you guys really made my day！ 。。。more
Camil
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Our plan for this planet sees humans that are not divided into tribes based on their geographic locations， physical appearances， or access to resources。 Instead， every person is one unique part of a worldwide ecosystem in which their choices have an effect on the whole。 Every person is a vital piece of a bigger machine that benefits from the entirety of humankind… join the Great Illuminati organization today and make your dreams come true， if interested contact us via email: Illuminatigranmaster Our plan for this planet sees humans that are not divided into tribes based on their geographic locations， physical appearances， or access to resources。 Instead， every person is one unique part of a worldwide ecosystem in which their choices have an effect on the whole。 Every person is a vital piece of a bigger machine that benefits from the entirety of humankind… join the Great Illuminati organization today and make your dreams come true， if interested contact us via email: Illuminatigranmaster@gmail。com or WhatsApp +14703471692 。。。more
Annette
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I remember reading Caraval。 It was after dinner already and all of a sudden I felt like starting a book。 About 4 hours later the book was finished and it was time to go to bed。 And although Finale didn't feel as great and mindblowing as the first two books， I was very curious to read what would happen to our dear Jack of Hearts after his unfortunate fate in the trilogy。 I was therefore quite happy when the publisher granted my Netgalley request and gave me this arc！ Thank you so much！Even though I remember reading Caraval。 It was after dinner already and all of a sudden I felt like starting a book。 About 4 hours later the book was finished and it was time to go to bed。 And although Finale didn't feel as great and mindblowing as the first two books， I was very curious to read what would happen to our dear Jack of Hearts after his unfortunate fate in the trilogy。 I was therefore quite happy when the publisher granted my Netgalley request and gave me this arc！ Thank you so much！Even though this book stars Jack of Hearts and even though there are a few cameos of other familiar faces， I think it's totally possible to read this book without having read the Caraval trilogy first。 However， you will spoil yourself considering the ending of the trilogy。 This book introduces us to a new main character， who I instantly fell in love with because she's so beautifully human， and it takes us to a part of the world we haven't seen and discovered yet。Luckily Garber also brings a lot of familiar elements to this story。 I especially loved the casual magic and fantasy elements in this book。 There are dragons， but apart from a few mentions they're not a big deal。 Magic is normal in this world， part of this world， probably even carrying the world and therefore the possibilities are endless。 That makes the story exciting and it means there's a new surprise waiting in every chapter。On top of that Garber adds some political intrige， some hidden agenda's （I mean， Jack of Hearts without a hidden agenda？ Can you imagine？）， some gossip and a prophecy with consequences no one truly understands。 At the centre of this all is our leading lady。 At times she's a little naive and always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt， but her curiosity， her stubborness and the willpower to solve everything herself makes her so relatable and therefore easy to root for。Although the book missed the thrill the first two Caraval books had， I already can't wait for the sequel！ 。。。more
Purple Lorikeet
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Evangeline Fox has long believed in the notion of a happy ever after in life。 She's been meeting Luc in secret and she thinks he's the one for her。 But then he proposes to her stepsister， Marisol， out of the blue instead。 She's heartbroken and seeks out assistance from the Prince of Hearts to stop the wedding。 In exchange， she must kiss someone three times， at the prince's choosing。 The way the wedding is stopped isn't what she expects and she's soon on a path that she'd never have dreamed of an Evangeline Fox has long believed in the notion of a happy ever after in life。 She's been meeting Luc in secret and she thinks he's the one for her。 But then he proposes to her stepsister， Marisol， out of the blue instead。 She's heartbroken and seeks out assistance from the Prince of Hearts to stop the wedding。 In exchange， she must kiss someone three times， at the prince's choosing。 The way the wedding is stopped isn't what she expects and she's soon on a path that she'd never have dreamed of and is travelling to the North， where her mother is from。 Although I pretty much devoured this book in less than a day， I did realise there's a story that precedes it。 Curiosity got the better of me and soon I had downloaded it and was reading all three books。 I really enjoyed that series and it definitely gives a bit more context to this story。 That said， I was able to enjoy this without it too。 Anyway， after I read Caravel， I decided to reread this story and it was a good thing because I enjoyed it so much the second time through。 While I really liked Caravel， I find this book was so much better。 I really love the Prince of Hearts and Evangeline has that streak of goodness in her that seeks to balance his not-quite-good but not bad either character。 I also found Prince Apollo's attentions to Evangeline quite amusing in their slightly over-the-top way。 Just as in Caravel we meet another Fate and a vampire along with several other colorful characters。 It was a really delightful read。 My only criticism is that the book ends rather abruptly， leaving me not quite satisfied with the morsels given in this story。 I know there will be another book to follow but talk about cliffhangers。。。lol。 I look forward to the follow-up to this and give this 4。5 stars。 I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for giving me an advanced reader copy。 I provide this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Amanda ☕ Steeping Stories ☕
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HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO NOT FREAK OUT OVER A BOOK WITH THIS TITLEfairy tales and tragedy。 sounds delicious。
Jenny
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A whimsical story with vivid characters and filled with a love of magical and mystery。I have not read the Caraval series， and came to this without any prior knowledge of the trilogy， though I have since learned that at least one of the characters in this book is a familiar one to readers of that series。 It works perfectly well as a new story to uninitiated Stephanie Garber readers like myself， though I now really want to read the others and see how knowing the characters and the world might chan A whimsical story with vivid characters and filled with a love of magical and mystery。I have not read the Caraval series， and came to this without any prior knowledge of the trilogy， though I have since learned that at least one of the characters in this book is a familiar one to readers of that series。 It works perfectly well as a new story to uninitiated Stephanie Garber readers like myself， though I now really want to read the others and see how knowing the characters and the world might change， or solidify my opinions of Once Upon A Broken Heart。The author clearly loves her genre， there is a whimsical magic to the world that is often relegated to books aimed at younger readers， but is really welcome in this book which is for a slightly older readership。 The different beings， the pocket-sized dragons， descriptions of the food， and the clothes， the buildings are just great and fill the book with a joyful dancing light。 Then there's the mysterious characters， I loved Evangeline and Jacks and their dynamic， and the fact that you're never quite sure of Jacks' character or true motives throughout， together with the underlying threat and mystery to balance it all out and you've got all you need to keep you hooked。 I devoured this book in one sitting， and am really looking forward to the sequel。 （Plus I now want to dye my hair rose gold！） 。。。more
Heather Hughes
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I’d like to thank Flatiron Books and Stephanie’s team for letting me be a part of the blog tour！ My review is 100% honest！I love Stephanie Garber’s work and I’ve been following the development of her new series since she revealed the title。 When I was asked to be a part of the blog tour， I jumped at the opportunity and was completely taken into another world！Evangeline Fox is devastated。 The love of her life， Luc， is getting married to her stepsister Marisol。 She is desperate。 So desperate that I’d like to thank Flatiron Books and Stephanie’s team for letting me be a part of the blog tour！ My review is 100% honest！I love Stephanie Garber’s work and I’ve been following the development of her new series since she revealed the title。 When I was asked to be a part of the blog tour， I jumped at the opportunity and was completely taken into another world！Evangeline Fox is devastated。 The love of her life， Luc， is getting married to her stepsister Marisol。 She is desperate。 So desperate that she prays to the Prince of Hearts to stop the wedding。 He’ll stop the wedding for three kisses， but it won’t be easy。Evangeline Fox， or as I like to call her Little Fox， is quite the interesting character。 I adore that she believes in love so hard because it’s something almost all of us wish for。 It’s pretty sad that she is so dead set on keeping the one she loves that she makes such a heavy bargain with such a callous ass。 I admire her patience， really。 She goes through such a whirlwind that it nearly gave me whiplash， but that’s what made her whole journey so interesting。 Most of what she goes through would break anybody and melt them into a puddle， but she keeps bringing herself back up and it was inspiring to read that page after page until the very end of the cliffhanger。 I think I’m gonna have to put her near the top of my list of favorite female leads。The Prince of Hearts， or better known as Jacks。 There were so many times I wanted to smack him for being so ugly。 Physically， he is beautiful but inside， it’s rotten。 At least， I think so。 He is a tricky character for me to figure out and， after 400+ pages， I still don’t think I have him figured out。 He definitely has a villain aesthetic， but is he really？ I love books that get me thinking like this about characters。 Are they really bad？ Is it going to be a love triangle of some sort？ There are moments where the villain facade fade away and it seems like he actually has a heart for her before it goes away。 It’s the classic enemy-to-lover type scenario where the male lead accidentally drops his wall before building it back up after five seconds。 I don’t like Jacks， but I don’t hate him。 I’m just really curious about him and what his agenda is really all about besides a freaking prophecy。There are two other characters that are labeled as the other love interests: Luc， but he isn’t too present so I’m not really sure how I feel about him。 Although， there is a moment where you’re like “Why the hell did he get himself into this？”。 Then there is Apollo， a prince。 I can’t say too much without spoiling big things， but I like him。 I want to know what happens next with him after…stuff happened。 Side-ish characters include Marisol， the stepsister and Tiberius， the brother of Apollo that is continuously absent。 Hmmmm， quite the pair if you ask me。 That’s all I’m gonna say。Okay so…I realize that this is a part of the Caraval universe and Jacks was a big part of that series。 I have not read Finale yet so THANK GOD I was not spoiled with this book。 I feel bad that I’m not part of the excitement of other readers because it’s Jacks’ story， so maybe this is the kick in the butt to read Finale。 Since I’m still hung up on the magic and whirlwind of this book， maybe this is exactly what I need to complete the current bibliography of Stephanie Garber。 It might be a while before I get out of this hang up。 。。。more
Vicky （What Vicky Read）
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I think it’s more 4。5 Stars than 4！
Hope
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Not me forcing my mom to attend a book fair in another country to buy me this book。 😊
Alice
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Wow wow wow！ I picked this up having no idea what to expect as I've never read anything by Stephanie Garber before， and I was completely hooked from the very first page。 We follow Evangeline- a believer in happily ever afters- who has just made a deal with the mysterious Prince of Hearts。 In return for stopping the wedding of the man Evangeline loves， the Prince of Hearts requires three kisses， to be given at the time and place of his choosing。 What follows is a hugely enjoyable fast-paced story Wow wow wow！ I picked this up having no idea what to expect as I've never read anything by Stephanie Garber before， and I was completely hooked from the very first page。 We follow Evangeline- a believer in happily ever afters- who has just made a deal with the mysterious Prince of Hearts。 In return for stopping the wedding of the man Evangeline loves， the Prince of Hearts requires three kisses， to be given at the time and place of his choosing。 What follows is a hugely enjoyable fast-paced story， that is truly unputdownable。 The characters were fantastic and I instantly loved Evangeline。 She was bold from the very first page， so of course I liked her！ I also felt like she was quite self-aware， which is something I really like in a protagonist。 She never felt whiny or annoying， which is always a win。 Jacks was mysterious and sexy and perfect。 Do I have a crush on him？ Yes。 Does that influence my review？ Probably。 I'm just a sucker for a morally grey character， and I loved all the interactions between Jacks and Evangeline。 There were also lots of side-characters that I enjoyed reading about， and I hope we’ll get to see more of them in the next book。The plot， whilst perhaps not stunningly in its originality， was hugely entertaining。 The tropes may be well-used， but they're well-used for a reason， and that reason is they work。 The plot moved at a good pace， and although there were a few moments that felt a little rushed， I prefer a plot that moves slightly too quickly over one that drags。 It was a very enjoyable reading experience， and I found myself thinking about the book and what might happen next any time I was forced to put it down。 Overall a really fun book and one I highly recommend！ I haven't read the Caraval series but I'm now tempted to give it a go as I enjoyed the writing style in Once Upon A Broken Heart so much。 I'm just gutted that we’re going to have to wait for the sequel， because I'm absolutely desperate to know what happens next！ I look forward to more of Evangeline and Jacks， and will be patiently waiting for the next instalment of their story。 I received an eARC from NetGalley in return for my honest review。 。。。more
Caitlin
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*I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher。 All quotes used in this review come from the uncorrected proof。 These are my personal， honest opinions。 Thank you。*My rating: 4/5 starsBook Review: "‘I believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy。 Every story has the potential for infinite endings。’" -Stephanie Garber， Once Upon a Broken HeartInitial Thoughts:Thank you so much to Flatiron Books for allowing me to participate in this blog tour！ I’m very excite *I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher。 All quotes used in this review come from the uncorrected proof。 These are my personal， honest opinions。 Thank you。*My rating: 4/5 starsBook Review: "‘I believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy。 Every story has the potential for infinite endings。’" -Stephanie Garber， Once Upon a Broken HeartInitial Thoughts:Thank you so much to Flatiron Books for allowing me to participate in this blog tour！ I’m very excited to finally share my thoughts with you all 🙂 I think it can be difficult to manage expectations when it comes to books that receive SO much hype。 Although I did not think this book had the 5-star oomph in my opinion， I still enjoyed it very much！ Of course， I loved the fairy tale vibes throughout！Check out some of the book’s other features: Once Upon a Broken Heart is the start of a new series set in the same world as Caraval – though in a different part of it: The Magnificent North。 （How “magnificent” is that name！） As a huge fan of the Caraval trilogy， I was super excited to find out more about the Caraval world！ You don’t have to read the Caraval series first before OUABH， but I would recommend it if you want to avoid minor spoilers for the first series。 The references will also hold more weight if you have read the Caraval books。 In this book， you’ll also find lots of heartbreak！ Plenty of love spells and curses！ A main character with pink hair！ Royal balls！ Enchanted arches！ Mysterious helms！ Fantastical wedding dresses！ Magic potions and poisons/poison tears！ Vampire lairs！ Whimsical， flowery writing！ Magical drinks called Fortuna’s Fantastically Flavored Water！ An ending with a twist！ （More on the ending later。） Most of all， The Prince of Hearts JACKS ❤ "It was said that every Northern tale had started as true history， but over time， the Northern story curse had twisted all the tales until only bits of truth remained。" -Stephanie Garber， Once Upon a Broken HeartCharacters & Romance: Evangeline Fox is the main female character。 She is this heartbroken girl who will do anything to get her happy ending back。 She goes so far as to ask the Prince of Hearts to stop the wedding between her stepsister Marisol and her first love Luc。 I admired her ability to believe in other possibilities and not settling for what destiny had in store for her。 Jacks， the Prince of Hearts， is the male lead。 He is the same mischievous Jacks from the Caraval series who kills every girl he kisses。 I loved that he called Evangeline a pet name – “Little Fox。” But I think it would have been cool to have chapters from Jacks’s perspective woven into the story。 I was a little disappointed I didn’t get quite as much Jacks content as I had expected。 Yes， he’s there， but we don’t really get to see inside his head， only Evangeline’s。 Marisol is Evangeline’s stepsister。 Evangeline wishes to be closer to her， but things tend to complicate their relationship。 Luc is Evangeline’s first love， but I don’t really have much to say about him。 He felt very one-dimensional in my opinion。 There was a lot of telling rather than showing when it came to him。 He hardly had any direct interactions with Evangeline in the book， as most of their relationship began before the events of the story。 He is pretty much physically absent except for a scene in Part 3， and I didn’t wholly understand the connection to him that Evangeline felt。 I also didn’t ship Evangeline with the third potential love interest， so I didn’t feel entirely invested in those scenes， either。 （In order to avoid spoilers， I won’t mention him by name。） Things moved very quickly with their relationship。 But I also understand that this is more of a personal taste thing。 Other readers may still ship them。 But give me all the Jacks and Evangeline content！！！ I loved the scenes when Jacks and Evangeline were together。 （Although， they actually spend a good amount of time apart。） I still wished for more interaction between them – especially at the end of the book。 "There was something fantastically bewitching about the idea that a person’s destiny could change in one single， wondrous night。" -Stephanie Garber， Once Upon a Broken HeartFinal Thoughts:Despite how much I enjoyed this story， there is another reason why I didn’t give OUABH the extra fifth star。 It’s another personal preference thing， but I wasn’t expecting vampires to be in this book。 In most cases， vampires just aren’t my jam。 But if you’re a huge fan of vampires， you’ll probably like those scenes！Also， the ending does not provide a full sense of closure。 Even though I thought the twist was interesting， there is still a lot that is not revealed in this first book。 Like， what exactly is it that Jacks is after？？ That question is killing me！ Ugh。 And is everything really as it seems？I also wish there would’ve been more nights of the royal ball called Nocte Neverending。 It felt like such an enchanting event， but it ended within a few short nights。 I personally enjoyed the premise of Caraval a little more than the one in OUABH。 The idea of a traveling magic show felt a bit more intriguing to me。 （But again， this is another personal preference thing。） Maybe I would’ve enjoyed OUABH more if Nocte Neverending had been a bit longer。Of course， I definitely want to read the sequel to see how things turn out。 I also heard the author say that she added a scene to the final version that is not in the ARC， so I will definitely check that out， too， when my preordered copy arrives！Overall， this is a must-read for fans of the Caraval series！ Happy reading， everyone 🙂*Content Warnings: Some actions performed by vampires that could be disturbing for some readers; poisonings; moments of passion （no sex）。* 。。。more
Emma
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Unputdownable， suspenseful and thrilling。 Once started， I couldn't put it down and now I need to read the next book！Evangeline Fox has always been different， always believed in love at first。 So when Luc walks into the shop where she works after her father dies， she believes they're meant to be together。But when she finds out he's marrying her stepsister， she strikes a deal with the deadly Prince of Hearts to get him back。 But Jacks has his own deadly reason for helping her。 Unputdownable， suspenseful and thrilling。 Once started， I couldn't put it down and now I need to read the next book！Evangeline Fox has always been different， always believed in love at first。 So when Luc walks into the shop where she works after her father dies， she believes they're meant to be together。But when she finds out he's marrying her stepsister， she strikes a deal with the deadly Prince of Hearts to get him back。 But Jacks has his own deadly reason for helping her。 。。。more
Monica
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Initial ThoughtsI was so excited to be contacted by the publisher about being a part of this tour。 I absolutely adored the Caraval series and couldn’t wait to read this book。Some Things I LikedThe Daily Rumor。 I loved the newspaper articles pepper throughout the story。 They are such a fun touch and gave a unique perspective from mysterious side characters。Romantic， whimsical， lush details。 I love this world。 I am eager to read about any place Stephanie Garber wants to describe。 I feel like I am Initial ThoughtsI was so excited to be contacted by the publisher about being a part of this tour。 I absolutely adored the Caraval series and couldn’t wait to read this book。Some Things I LikedThe Daily Rumor。 I loved the newspaper articles pepper throughout the story。 They are such a fun touch and gave a unique perspective from mysterious side characters。Romantic， whimsical， lush details。 I love this world。 I am eager to read about any place Stephanie Garber wants to describe。 I feel like I am in the scene with the characters。 Everything is so vivid and dynamic。 I love every word。Jacks。 Jacks is a treasure of a character。 Exquisitely morally grey but with a heart of gold。 I need a happy ending for him。Evangeline。 She’s a perfect main character。 She’s fierce， determined， a touch morally grey， and someone I’d want to be friends with。Subtle Cinderella vibes。 I loved this element。 I also loved the differences。 Evangeline doesn’t need anyone to save her and Jacks is no fairy godmother。Series ValueI would make any deal with the Fates necessary to obtain an ARC of the next book in this series。 I am hopelessly and utterly hooked on Stephanie’s writing and world building。 I need more of this story。Final ThoughtsThis book is perfection。 I loved every page。⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Bookphenomena （Micky）
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Headlines:Different broken hearts for different reasonsTrust。。。who？Apples， foxes， arches and kissesThis was such a fun and gripping world to get caught up in。 Once Upon A Broken Heart was magical， sarcastic， funny and twisty。 The whole book was an experience （plot and characters aside） with great formatting for newspaper articles and notes。This felt different to the Caraval world and I was glad of that。 The south and then the north felt totally different from those previous books and I would aff Headlines:Different broken hearts for different reasonsTrust。。。who？Apples， foxes， arches and kissesThis was such a fun and gripping world to get caught up in。 Once Upon A Broken Heart was magical， sarcastic， funny and twisty。 The whole book was an experience （plot and characters aside） with great formatting for newspaper articles and notes。This felt different to the Caraval world and I was glad of that。 The south and then the north felt totally different from those previous books and I would affirm that reading the series first is unnecessary， you'll only miss a deeper meaning on a few nuggets of information。Evangeline was a worthy protagonist， she felt mature in some ways but she had a tendency to react to events and then act without thinking things through。 That said， I really enjoyed everywhere the plot went， it truly was unpredictable。 Predictably however， I liked Jacks and despite his nefariousness， I wanted to see him romantically entwined。 That fate is utterly untrustworthy and but I'm 100% Team Jack。I can't wait to see where this story goes in the next book。 Stephanie Garber created a different yet intertwined world with her previous series。 This series is right up my street and I'm already a fan。Thank you to Hodder Books for the early review copy。 。。。more
Georgia Husselbee
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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I can honestly say I was obsessed with this book。 I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it and never wanted to put it down。 This was such a good fantasy read！I will admit I haven’t finished the Caraval trilogy and have only read the first book， which is now something I need to change！ I think I enjoyed this one more than Caraval when I read that a few years ago。 I do think this book can be read as a standal Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I can honestly say I was obsessed with this book。 I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it and never wanted to put it down。 This was such a good fantasy read！I will admit I haven’t finished the Caraval trilogy and have only read the first book， which is now something I need to change！ I think I enjoyed this one more than Caraval when I read that a few years ago。 I do think this book can be read as a standalone， but I think there are some things that will probably make more sense if you’ve read the Caraval trilogy first！ This book also has spoilers for that trilogy as it is set after the events of it， and some characters do feature！ I also believe this is a spin off involving Jacks， the Prince of Hearts， a character that appears in the last two books of the trilogy， so he was a character I had never met before。‘I believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy。 Every story has the potential for infinite endings。’Once Upon A Broken Heart follows Evangeline Fox， a girl in love with Luc， a boy who is about to marry her stepsister。 Evangeline and Luc were previously in love and this marriage comes as a massive shock to Evangeline， so naturally she seeks out one of the Fates to stop the wedding。 She meets Jacks and makes a deal with him， he will stop the wedding in exchange for three kisses of his choice。 After the wedding is stopped which gains quite a bit of media attention， Evangeline is sent as an Ambassador to the Magnificent North to attend the Nocte Neverending， an event to help Prince Apollo of the North find a wife。 Evangeline doesn’t expect to see Jacks in the North， but finds herself entangled in a mysterious plan of his。I wish this was a standalone as I am desperate for the sequel！ As the Prince of Hearts， Jacks can’t kiss anyone without killing them， unless they are his true love。 And I have never wanted two characters to kiss more than I wanted Evangeline and Jacks to。 Jacks is a very morally gray character， but he made the perfect love interest！ Their relationship， if you could call it that， is a very very slow burn， but I think it’ll be worth the wait！‘I wanted you here， Little Fox。’Evangeline is a very well written character and I felt connected to her and her emotions。 I loved her fascination with the North and the Fates。 The world building was stunning。 I felt so immersed in this book and could perfectly imagine myself in the settings described。 It was incredibly easy to get lost in this book， and I’m sat here writing this review and wishing I was still reading this book！ I have so much more I want to say about this book and what moments I loved but then this review would not be spoiler free！ 。。。more
Sifa Poulton
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I received an eARC from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 It has not affected my opinions。The best way I can describe this book is "absurdist。" There's a certain amount of suspension of disbelief required to read books， particularly SFF， but this book took it to the extreme。The sequence of events felt rather ridiculous， with things happening so fast as if the book was trying to ensure you didn't have enough time to question why things were happening。 For example， I received an eARC from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 It has not affected my opinions。The best way I can describe this book is "absurdist。" There's a certain amount of suspension of disbelief required to read books， particularly SFF， but this book took it to the extreme。The sequence of events felt rather ridiculous， with things happening so fast as if the book was trying to ensure you didn't have enough time to question why things were happening。 For example， the entire plot is predicated on the fact that a random girl who'd gotten into gossip papers is sent north on a diplomatic mission， despite having no experience。 It's framed as a diplomatic mission， except there's nothing diplomatic about her task - which is just "go" as if northern royals will know about southern gossip and think that makes her a good choice？It basically feels like an excuse to start in a city we know from the previous books to get a Scarlett and Tella cameo in， and then to get Evangeline north where the plot is happening。 There is a one line explanation later， which only really generates more questions - namely why Scarlett would have listened to that person to make the decision。And the whole book felt like this。 Increasingly preposterous events with explanations that would crumble at the slightest breath of wind。 It almost felt like a farce。Having just read FINALE and being very disappointed by the book for trying to romanticise Jacks who hits every single one of my red flags for abusive， manipulative partners， I was worried this book would make him the love interest。 It didn't， thankfully - oh， for sure， Evangeline is confused， but it never felt like love from either of them。 He's using her for his own ends， and that's that。 There's no feeling of obsession from him。The "romance" itself， with Apollo， also felt off and farcical。 She's a very naïve girl who is very good at believing herself in love， and that's how I viewed it。 There wasn't any chemistry， and I'd understand if her emotion at the end was guilt and that's why she thought she had to do something。 However， it seemed like I was being told that it was love。That's two bad experiences in a row， and I doubt I'm going to enjoy reading any more of this series if it's like this。 It's always disappointing when you part ways with an author's books， but I think that's the best thing to do。 。。。more
Nez
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I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review。 I really enjoyed this one。 It felt very whimsical and magical。 The writing style was beautiful and I enjoyed the character development。 We follow Evangeline， a young woman with rose gold hair。 Her father has passed away and she is working in his curiousity shop amongst the unusual and magical items。 She is suffering from a broken heart。 In her attempts to fix this， she goes to pray at the Prince of Hearts Church。 She makes a deal I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review。 I really enjoyed this one。 It felt very whimsical and magical。 The writing style was beautiful and I enjoyed the character development。 We follow Evangeline， a young woman with rose gold hair。 Her father has passed away and she is working in his curiousity shop amongst the unusual and magical items。 She is suffering from a broken heart。 In her attempts to fix this， she goes to pray at the Prince of Hearts Church。 She makes a deal with a fate， Jacks。 He has an interesting story and he is intrigued by Evangeline。 Once the deal is made， Evangeline is tasked to kiss 3 people to heal her broken heart and stop her love from marrying another。 However， things do not go as planned。 A series of unfortunate events take place and Evangeline ends up travelling North to the land where magic is still rife。 The descriptions of the North were purely magical and I enjoyed the fairytale vibes。 Evangeline ends up on an adventure of love betrayal and magic prophecies。 The ending will leave you wanting more！ 。。。more
Anniek
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I'll unfortunately have to conclude Stephanie Garber's books are not for me。 While reading the Caraval trilogy， it had its ups and downs for me。 I didn't like the characters or the writing style very much， but I found the world so interesting。 And Jacks was a more interesting character to me than Legend。 So I was hoping this book might have been better in terms of writing style and characters。 I ultimately didn't feel like this book added an interesting story to this world， though。 I found mysel I'll unfortunately have to conclude Stephanie Garber's books are not for me。 While reading the Caraval trilogy， it had its ups and downs for me。 I didn't like the characters or the writing style very much， but I found the world so interesting。 And Jacks was a more interesting character to me than Legend。 So I was hoping this book might have been better in terms of writing style and characters。 I ultimately didn't feel like this book added an interesting story to this world， though。 I found myself pretty bored through most of it， even though a lot happens。 So I'll have to conclude it just didn't work for me。 。。。more
Ally Harris
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Nearer a 4。5 for me but I absolutely loved this and can't wait for the next one！ Nearer a 4。5 for me but I absolutely loved this and can't wait for the next one！ 。。。more
Katy Goodwin
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I was over the moon when I won Flatiron’s Caraval giveaway that included this ARC！ And oh my word THIS BOOK。 😭 I experienced so many emotions 💔 I already loved Jacks from the Caraval series and this was just on another level 😍🍎😳 I adore him， every treacherous heartbreaking aspect of him。 I think I love him too much， all things considered… but I can’t help it 😭💔 Evangeline is a delight and I love her so much。 She’s headstrong and deeply flawed。 It’s fun to read from her POV and see her character I was over the moon when I won Flatiron’s Caraval giveaway that included this ARC！ And oh my word THIS BOOK。 😭 I experienced so many emotions 💔 I already loved Jacks from the Caraval series and this was just on another level 😍🍎😳 I adore him， every treacherous heartbreaking aspect of him。 I think I love him too much， all things considered… but I can’t help it 😭💔 Evangeline is a delight and I love her so much。 She’s headstrong and deeply flawed。 It’s fun to read from her POV and see her character growth。 ☺️ I love Stephanie Garber’s writing， it’s so exquisite and mesmerizing。 I wanna live in this world of magic， Fates， and true love！！ Ah the ending 😭 it’s gonna be a long wait for the next book （honestly don’t know when it’s out， it’s just that any wait is gonna be long haha） but I am 100% confident that it will be more than worth it。 ❤️🔥 。。。more
Christine （myfictionaldays）
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I got an early copy wooohhoooo！！！ Overall I'll give it 4，5 / 5 stars。 It’s been a long time since I’ve been so thoroughly immersed in a book and I can’t say that it comes as a surprise that OUABH achieved this。 If you’ve read the Caraval series， you are probably familiar with Stephanie’s incredible storytelling which teleports you straight into her fantasy world。 It is such a whimsical story about love， curses， and the lengths that people will go to for a happily ever after。OUABH is a mixture of I got an early copy wooohhoooo！！！ Overall I'll give it 4，5 / 5 stars。 It’s been a long time since I’ve been so thoroughly immersed in a book and I can’t say that it comes as a surprise that OUABH achieved this。 If you’ve read the Caraval series， you are probably familiar with Stephanie’s incredible storytelling which teleports you straight into her fantasy world。 It is such a whimsical story about love， curses， and the lengths that people will go to for a happily ever after。OUABH is a mixture of all your favourite fairytales， starting with the most obvious one - Cinderella。 Much like her， the main character Evangeline is forced to live with her not so pleasant step-mother and sister after the loss of her father。 However， there is one thing that gets her through the hard days - love。 Until she discovers that her beloved Luc is about to marry another。 In her desperation， Evangeline seeks out non other than the Prince of Hearts and begs him for his help to stop the wedding。 The prince presents her with a simple offer - three kisses with three people he decides。 Having no other choice， Eva accepts his deal。 However， making bargains with the Fates always comes with a high cost and soon she will discover the foolish mistake she has made。 Soon she learns that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than what he originally pledged。 And he has plans for Evangeline that will either end in the greatest happily ever after， or the most exquisite tragedy。 It is a story filled with dreams， sacrifices， prophesies， magic books， secret doors and hidden worlds that stir your imagination to the maximum。 I’m so happy I got this early copy of one of my most anticipated reads for the year！ Absolutely amazing and I could not recommend it more！ 。。。more
Leah
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What an amazing book！ I was captivated from the very first page and did not want to put this book down。 I got sucked into this book that I thought I was actually a character as i could picture everything so clearly！I love Jack and Evangeline's story and definitely wanted to know more and more as the book went on。 Everything was so captivating and it is definitely a book I will get a physical copy of！ I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book because that ending left me wanting to know m What an amazing book！ I was captivated from the very first page and did not want to put this book down。 I got sucked into this book that I thought I was actually a character as i could picture everything so clearly！I love Jack and Evangeline's story and definitely wanted to know more and more as the book went on。 Everything was so captivating and it is definitely a book I will get a physical copy of！ I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book because that ending left me wanting to know more！ Thank you so much for my advance copy via netgalley！ 。。。more
Kat （Bookish Blades）
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read my full review on my blog Bookish Bladesthe good:- the characters！ I love Jacks so much， there are just enough questions answered to make me curious but not enough to make him boring- Evangeline is such a hopeless romantic omg I love her- the writing， magical and makes the whole story feel like a fairytale- I just love the world building so much- all the twists and turns ？？？ what- I need more ok！！the bad:- ？？？ read my full review on my blog Bookish Bladesthe good:- the characters！ I love Jacks so much， there are just enough questions answered to make me curious but not enough to make him boring- Evangeline is such a hopeless romantic omg I love her- the writing， magical and makes the whole story feel like a fairytale- I just love the world building so much- all the twists and turns ？？？ what- I need more ok！！the bad:- ？？？ 。。。more
Erin
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Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a free ARC in exchange for a review！This book made me so happy。 From the moment a bell tried to warn Evangeline， I knew I was in for something special。 Stephanie Garber is， obviously， a beautiful writer， so all of the prose is gorgeous。 The story moves almost episodically at times， which I really enjoyed。 Events you think will be important are merely the set ups and the set ups become so important。 It's truly masterful construction。 Sidenote: I a Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a free ARC in exchange for a review！This book made me so happy。 From the moment a bell tried to warn Evangeline， I knew I was in for something special。 Stephanie Garber is， obviously， a beautiful writer， so all of the prose is gorgeous。 The story moves almost episodically at times， which I really enjoyed。 Events you think will be important are merely the set ups and the set ups become so important。 It's truly masterful construction。 Sidenote: I am desperate to have a book about the empress， her SKY CARRIAGE， and her scarred pirate fiance。 I am begging you， Stephanie Garber， please。I loved Evangeline。 She recognized her own faults， and felt like a real person trying to sort her life out。 She desperately hopes and believes in love， and wants her own happily ever after。 I think most girls who grew up in the fairytale section of the library can relate。 I also adore her relationships， especially with LaLa。There were so many plot points/twists that were so unexpected and thrilling。 I really enjoyed being surprised and trying to figure out how Evangeline would deal with these events。 At the end， I， like Evangeline， genuinely didn't know who to believe。 And I desperately want to figure it out！ The ending was spectacular。 A perfect way to end the first book of a series。 I am so looking forward to the next book in this series， and hopefully my empress spin off （PLEASE）。 Five stars from me。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Once Upon a Broken Heart
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Once Upon a Broken Heart&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft