DNF at 25%...

Sadly, this book was not something I wanted to waste any more of my time on.

The formatting was so wrong in places that I couldn't make out what the book was supposed to say. That was the first sign of it going downhill.

The main character is a naïve rose-gold (!!) haired girl that just falls totally flat for me.
I didn't really bond with any character from the little I read and the writing does not feel YA at all, more middlegrade.. if even that...Very childish and weirdly named characters and things.

Not a book for me.

Caraval series is one of my favourite series and it was great to go back to this world. Different characters, but same setting. I really enjoyed Garber's writing as usual. Didn't disappoint

An enchanting fairy tale that brings you further into the world of Caraval - exploring the North this time and all the magic it has to offer.

This book was gorgeous. The descriptions and writing completely transported you, and I completely fell in love with the whimsical way the author portrayed the North. The core of the world building had already been done in the Caraval series, so even though this was the first book of the series, she had time to focus on bringing the setting and characters to life.

Evangeline is our heroine in this series, with beautiful rose gold hair and a fierce streak for protecting those she loves. She made a brilliant contrast to Jacks’ sly, devious character, who seemingly does things with no regard for other’s feelings. Their paths keep crossing throughout the book and we slowly see more layers to Jacks; I suspect there are many more to come.

I read this in two sittings and I feel like we only scratched the surface of the story we are unravelling here, I can’t wait for the next instalment after that cliff-hanger!

It has been amazing to be able to go back to the Caraval world, I was literally missing everything. I have to say, I was a bit scared of this book, I was sure it wouldn’t stand up to the original trilogy, but boy, I was wrong. This book is magical, it keeps you attached to the story, to the characters; it tears you apart and keeps getting better.
I found this book more static then the original trilogy. I felt like I was frozen in place with the characters, watching from afar everything going on. The world building was completely different from the other one and it definitely was a winning choice. The static feel was probably due to the limited world building, even though it was perfectly written.
I was not a fan of Evangeline. I loved her selfishness in the beginning of the book, but as the book progressed, I struggled to find her personality. She is beautiful and she is recognized for what she did at the beginning, and then? I was even not impressed with Jacks, since I found him a bit less intriguing (Mybe because I already knew a bit?). Their interaction was probably one of the best things in the book, I loved every moment and I think they might become my favorite couple of Garber’s.
This book is perfect if you miss the Caraval world and you fell in love with Jacks like I did. If you need some magic in your life, if you want to travel far while laying in your bed and if you want to live like Scarlett and Donatella, this is the book for you.

"What color is that?" He waved vaguely toward her curls.
"It's rose gold," she answered brightly. Evangeline never let anyone make her feel bad about her unusual hair. Her stepmother was always trying to get her to color it brown. But Evangeline's hair, with its waves of soft pink streaked through with pale gold, was the thing she liked best about her appearance.


Hera give me strength. This is why I am wary of reading YA. I thought that Mary Sue-like heroines with special names and one unusual trait (lilac eyes, magical freckles, rose-gold hair) were passé. I was clearly wrong.
And the evil stepmother+stepsister combo? Please. What is this, Cinderella? At this point I'm more interested in reading from the perspective of the evil stepmother.
If you are interested in reading this novel I suggest that you check out more positive reviews.

Utterly enchanting and enthralling from the very beginning!

This book can be read alone but being a massive fan of the Caraval series this book is nothing short of my idea of a perfect fairytale!

Having fallen in love with Jacks this book does not disappoint. It’s amazing how even through all his tricks and scandals he is still the perfect rogue you cannot help but fall in love with!

This story brings back a few familiar faces from the Caraval series whilst introducing a new collection of weird and wonderful characters.

The book also indulges the readers senses in the beautiful world that has been created, again this book is sprinkled with delicious treats along the way as well as whimsical and wonderful outfits throughout.

An absolutely wonderful story it leaves you desperate for more!

Stephanie Garber writes in a very recognisable way. She has this compelling, flowery prose which feels cut from an old fairytale with dramatics and purple prose everywhere that I could identify from a mile off. That, for some readers, is perfection on a page. Usually for me it's about as far from fun as I can imagine, but this time she absolutely nailed it. This is exactly the sort of story that style was made for.

Evangeline is a somewhat annoying love-struck girl who decides to make a deal with the Prince of Hearts (a corrupt Fate) to attempt to get her beloved to love her again (he fell in love with her step-sister. I know, how rude?!). As with any fairytale though, the moral of the story is to not dance with the devil right? And Evangeline gets a bit more than she bargained for from the Prince of Hearts. Subsequently, she has to fulfil the curse he places on her, as payment for the deal she made.

Actually the story is almost entirely removed from the initial concept, developing into something which has a change in direction and an unexpected magical or monstrous event around every corner. At first, probably throughout the first half, I kept reading because it was easy and fun but didn't really appreciate the dramatics. Eventually though I realised the dramatics were deliberate, it wasn't going to be entirely as predictable as I initially assumed and that the style made the story so much better than it started off if you just threw yourself into it.

I love the Prince of Hearts, and I usually am not a sucker for a corrupt half-villain (that is demonstrably a half-truth, but who cares?). But this guy I am totally here for. Evangeline is far closer to moaning myrtle than I'd like, but I was invested in her journey regardless. And the world was just plain cool.

So it's a yes from me. A slow burn, sure. But a yes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder Staughton for this advanced copy.

Evangeline Fox has always loved the mysterious fairy tales of the North, no matter what strange magic tries to hide them from the world, and longs to visit. When her father dies and she is left to live with her mother and stepsister, Evangeline's life changes. The love of her life, without explanation, is to marry another. Who can Evangeline turn to for help but the wicked Prince of Hearts?

Once Upon A Broken Heart is a wonderful concoction of magic, mystery, romance and adventure

This book really picked up the pace half way through and I couldn't put it down! I felt that Evangeline's voice was strong throughout and found her very likeable. The human reactions and mistakes that she makes made her seem very real. Jacks was as wicked and intriguing as ever. Their scenes together in the latter half of the book are ...phew! Amazing! I also felt that the supporting characters were very interesting too. Garber has always had a knack for selling a mystical mystery and I fell hook line and sinker.

The settings are beautifully described and quite the contrast from Valenda. I enjoyed the links to the previous trilogy too. Reading the Caraval series beforehand is not mandatory to enjoy this book although it would offer you more of Jacks' backstory and add many magical layers for you to enjoy.

This book is a hugely promising start and the cliffhanger had me staring at my ceiling at 1:30am this morning. I can't wait for more!

I adored the Caravel series and was eager to read Once Upon a Broken Heart set in the same world and this book did not disappoint, I ended up reading it in one sitting I was so swept up by the fairytale like storytelling. A must read book!

Okay, so I didn’t know this was going to be a series. I thought it was going to be a standalone, and it took me until the end of the book for me to realise it wasn’t, so that might affect my rating.

I really enjoyed this. I love whimsical fantasy, and I want to see more if it in a field where everyone is trying to be the next Game of Thrones, so this was a breath of fresh air.

I felt like I stepped into Alice in Wonderland, and was constantly bewitched with the world, the imagery, and the colourful characters that brought the book to life. I had to stop myself from reading the book in one sitting. Everything about it was addictive.

I haven’t read Garber’s Caraval series, and apparently this book is a follow on, but I don’t think you have to read the other series to make sense of this one. I followed it pretty well.

I do admit that some aspects of the story are very tropey, and I do wish things were taken a bit further. Like I wish Evangeline’s ex hadn’t been under a love spell and her step sister wasn’t a witch who bewitched people into marrying her. I feel like it would’ve hit the heartbreak theme more for Evangeline to realise her first love was just a terrible person who played with her feelings, and she was projecting her suspicion onto her sister to save herself from the pain of being betrayed. I don’t know, I felt like the love spell aspect was a cop out to make Evangeline look better.

However, I absolutely loved this, and I’m eager to read the next one. This book is full of heartbreak, love, adventure, and magic galore.

There is definitely a disconnect between me and Stephanie Garber's writing. I gave Caraval a whirl a few years back, upon its initial release, and whilst for the most part I enjoyed the story, I never truly got into the book and never bothered to pick up the sequels. And I think the exact same happened to me here.
I really did enjoy the premise, the immediate start of the story and how we are thrown straight in. We learned as we went and weren't spoon fed information; just thrown head first into this world with its hint of magic and air of mystery. It was definitely intriguing and did grab my interest, however, and I just can't put my finger on why, I just couldn't maintain that interest. It took alot of reading in small doses for me to get through the book.
I really want to stress that I firmly believe this is wholly a me problem, some authors you just don't get on with, and that's okay!

But enough of that, I do want to walk about what I did enjoy - our main protagonist Evangeline Fox and her 'relationship' with Jacks. It's complicated and nuanced and easily my favourite part of the whole book. From the first introduction, to the last page - they draw you in and make you want to read all about them. Their connection is rocky and they bounce of each other, whether it's barbed words or begruding admiration. It constantly kept us the reader on our toes. And it is definitely the main reason I want to pick up the sequel, I am desperate to see where it goes from here.
Also, The Fates are a incredibly fascinating concept and I really hope we get to see them explored more in the sequel, the ones we met in this book were definitely the only ones I truly remember. They stole the spotlight in the best way and I really hope we get to both meet more of them, and that the ones we have already met get explored more fully.

My main gripe was the inconsistent pacing of the book, constantly jumping from slow descriptive scenes to major plot points being revealed and then almost glossed over. I'm all for building suspense but I don't know, it never felt like it really got the balance right to me. There was just never any real flow to the story and it kept me from getting truly immersed, meaning I was never really compelled to pick it up and finish it. It also just, ended, just like that, without really setting up the next book fully.
Additionally, I'm unsure if it was just my Kindle but the formatting made the newspaper clippings absolutely impossible to read. and was incredibly frustrating as it felt like I was missing out on important plot points.

Overall, no I wasn't the biggest fan but there were parts I really did enjoy and I know many others will too!

I loved this book! As I watched my progress creep up into the 90% zone all I could think was '"how can there be so little book left yet so much more to go?!"

I really liked Evangeline, she is adventurous, whimsical and smart. She makes decisions that do not always turn out well for her but she keeps trying to make them right. She has a slight Cinderella-esque arc and her tumultuous relationship with Jacks is very interesting.

Jacks (aka The Prince or Hearts,), who we originally met in Legendary then were left wondering what happened to him after the end of Finale, is his usual villainous self. Despite his dastardly and manipulative ways, you can't quite help but be charmed by him.

The plot is fun and contains enough twists and turns that I had trouble putting the book down. It was also nice to have a cameo from the Dragna sisters which helped to link this book to the Caraval series.

While I feel like this book could be read as a standalone from Caraval and co, I do think readers would benefit from having read that series first. OUABH references some events in that series and I'm not sure if there was enough information provided if you hadn't already read them.

Oh - and then that ending?!?! When I finished I was immediately desperate for the next one!

a huuuuge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher's for providing me an early arc. I owe you almost everything!

Stephanie Garber did it again.
I absolutley loved the Caraval series. For real, I think I've never read anything like it. Just one of my most favorite series of all time! For real!
And because I need more Stephanie Garber books in my life and loved Jacks in Caraval way too much, I was so so so excited for his book! Like for real!
I also loved this book from the first page on. I just wanted to read a few pages and then stop but, jokes on me, I couldn't stop anymore. I just had to read the whole book in one afternoon and I don't regret a thing.
Stephanie Garber created another wonderful Alice in Wonderland-like world that I didn't want to leave with absolute authentic, likeable, fascinating characters. I had to get warm with Evangeline first, because, different to Scarlett and Tella, she was a bit naive, too trusting and a bit impulsive, which I didn't enjoy so much, because I couldn't really relate to her.
But I learned to love her throughout the book (not the same way I love Jacks, but that would be quiet unrealistic) and really enjoyed her story.
What I didn't quite like (and that's the reason why I still liked Caraval better) was that the story contained many mini stories and that for the first half of the book I didn't really get what the story should be about because it didn't have one clear plot??? I have to admit I'm still wondering what kind of story the book really had, even though I liked it???
And also a thing I was really missing was the romance and I was hoping till the end that there would be more romance (and even though I really love Tella, I would also really like to kick her ass for what she did to Jacks ugh)
I'm super excited for the second part!!! And can't wait for some Jacks romance!! (I'm still hoping haha)
If you enjoyed Caraval you should give "Once upon a broken heart" really a chance & you should absolutley read Caraval before reading "Once upon a broken heart"

- plot, setting and writing -

So, where do I begin.
I literally loved Jacks character in the first trilogy, so you can imagine how excited I was to hear that there was going to be a book about him.
I wasn’t left disappointed at all. “Once upon a broken heart” has everything you would ever wish to see about our infamous Prince.
I wasn’t expecting the plot to be like this, but I ended up adoring it with all of its twists.
The writing also seemed to be improved compared to the previous books.


- characters -

Jacks is once again one of the best characters, which isn’t surprising at all after he stole the spotlight in Legend and Finale. I’ve also loved Evangeline with all my heart, throughout the book she has remained true to herself which I highly appreciated.


- final thoughts -

This book is a must read for fans of Caraval, which I recommend reading first.
Among all of Garber’s book “Once upon a broken heart” is probably my favourite and now I don’t know how I am supposed to wait for its sequel.

4.5 stars

“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.”

The book starts off rather excitingly. I do love it when a book picks up right away instead of dragging out all the excitement towards the middle, and Once Upon a Broken Heart does not disappoint in that. I was fully interested the minute I started to read, which is usually a clear indicator that I will like the book! There were some instances I was very much unimpressed with the main character of Evangeline Fox as she came off as a shallow girl whose only concern and aim in life was to get married and live happily ever after.

Now to talk about Jacks, I’ve always been one to love the villains or characters that are portrayed as villains a little too much. And from the moment I was introduced to Jacks, I was hooked. His character is ethically ambiguous and his methods and decisions are ways away from conventional, but I swear that intrigued me much more than if his character had been straightforward. One of my favourite things he told Evangeline was "Heroes don’t get happy endings. They give them to other people. Is that what you really want?". Which when you really think about it, does seem accurate and those are the times I couldn’t figure out what he wanted. Honestly by the end of the book I still am not certain what Jacks end game is. Hopefully it gets clearer in the second book. But I swear if anything bad happens to Jacks I might riot. And considering I could probably speak about Jacks forever I shall just stop here.

Now let's speak about that cliffhanger, shall we? I'm not sure how I feel about that. I think that was the most disappointing part of the book to me. It was like it ended rather abruptly and out of nowhere which left me pretty upset. I literally was like what hell, this can’t be the end! I do not think it should have ended like that. Of course, that’s just my opinion. I’m sure there are lots of people who thought that was a great way for it to end. And I guess it accomplished its mission as it did have me banging my head wondering what will happen next and when the next book is coming out.

All in all, it was a pretty satisfying book. And for that reason, I would give it 4 stars.

I’ve read a few very good fantasy books this year and I’m glad that I can add this one to the list!

This read is a brilliant fairytale about love and magic with a dose of mystery and a lot of plot twists.

Although, this book refers to characters and events from the previous work of SG, her trilogy, the book can be read as a standalone without any confusion.

I like all the characters in this book and I love how the author didn’t neglect the characters with small parts in the book, but she used them in a way that gave depth to the read.

The writing is magical and the world building left me very satisfied (I need to read the trilogy asap).
It’s such a page turner and I couldn’t put it down! SG is an amazing storyteller! This is one of my best read this year and SG became one of my go-to fantasy authors for sure!

Evangeline works in her late father's curiosity shop. She falls head over heels with local boy Luc and is waiting for him to propose. When he finally does....it's to her stepsister. Heart-broken, she makes a deal with a Fate to stop the wedding. Unfortunately this fate is Jacks. Otherwise known as the Prince of Hearts. His deals are never straightforward and he always has demands in return.
After a misunderstanding, Evangeline is deemed a national hero and is sent to a ball with her stepsister to the magical North where the Prince will choose a new bride.
Jacks is also in attendance in disguise and blackmails Evangeline into carrying out tasks for him which leads to the two of them going on an exciting adventure together. But who can Evangeline trust? Is Jacks a man of honour? Or is he being devious to fulfil his own selfish needs.

This is a follow on from the amazing Caraval trilogy but focusing on the Prince of Hearts. If you are a fan of Caraval like me, you won't be disappointed. Its full of romance, heart-break, adventure, tragedy, magical goings on and much more. Its a fantastic start of a new series.
If you havnt read caraval it's still perfectly easy to follow as a stand alone, but it will definitely make you want to read it.

I absolutely loved it and can't wait to read more!

Having just finished the caraval trilogy, I was so ready to return to the magical world that Stephanie Garber creates - once upon a broken heart definitely being worth my excitement. I loved seeing the introduction of new characters and new fates, and there’s just something about the way the plot is spun that crafts the tale so wonderfully.

I Wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this book with Jacks having a new love interest (being a fan of tellajacks previously) but to my relief I soon warmed up to the new story and was able to become absorbed into this new adventure - Jacks and Eva both being likeable characters probably helped this a lot.

There was definitely a lot to this book, with the introduction of new concepts into the world such as vampires, and it helped bring in something different from the caraval trilogy. Whilst overall this book is not one of my favourites, it was still a really enjoyable fantasy read and a strong start to this new series. I’m excited to see where the next book will lead.

This novel is a true testament to how Garber's just growing as a writer (saying that, I adore her writing style right from the start with Caraval). This ups her game, I could find no fault with this and I already want to reread it though I just finished it about twenty minutes ago.

If you loved the Caraval trilogy you'll probably love this, if you didn't love Caraval, you will still probably love this. Evangeline is nothing like Tella or Scarlett; and neither is her story. Jacks was perfection like always, and the setting of this was just a *chef's kiss* level of perfection as well.

5/5 HUGE CUPS OF COFFEE FROM ME. Full RTC and will be posted on the blog closer to publication. Thank you so much to Hodder&Stoughton and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Mini-Review - Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber ⭐⭐⭐

This book was given to me on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The writing style is very childish. Everything from character names to shop names to how the inner monolog was written sounds like for a very young audience. It reminded me very much of a writing style of (loved and hated) JKR.

I don't know why Stephanie Garber gives her main female leads such ridiculous names. We had Donatella, Scarlet, and now Evangeline. By the end of this book, the name Evangeline annoyed me so much. It is too long and it is in every 2nd sentence.

This book was not bad but it wasn't good either. It was... tasteless. Not sweet, not spicy, not even salty enough. Just meh. It felt like some ingredient was missing. Maybe a real villain? Maybe a real threat to the MC or to the world? Maybe some evil that is waking up? Something! But this story just felt so boring with the main character's goal changing all the time. She wanted to save her boyfriend, she wanted to clear her name, she wanted to help her stepsister... every quarter the MC had a new goal. This made me feel like there isn't a point to the whole book. Like there isn't a journey she needs to take.

Between the detailed dress and outfits descriptions and repeating inner monologues of the MC, the plot was rolling forward without giving any sense of direction.

I think that this book was just not meant for me. I think if you give this book to 12-15 years old girl who wants to be a princess it will be in the right hands. 😊