Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own. Any quotes in this review are subject to change.

"All stories are made of both truth and lies...what matters is the way that we believe in them."

I don't even know where to begin. Once I picked this book up, it was impossible to put down and I read it in one sitting! I read the Caraval Trilogy at the start of this year and I instantly fell in love. When I found out that there was going to be another book set in the world, I was so excited - and even more excited when I found out Jacks was going to be one of the centric characters. I had such high hopes for Once Upon a Broken Heart and Garber certainly did not disappoint.

Before we get into the review, Garber announced on her Instagram Stories that you don't have to read the Caraval Trilogy in order to read this book. However, the book does include spoilers for the Caraval Trilogy, more so the ending of Finale and the background of the character, Jacks. So if you haven't read the Caraval Trilogy yet, please do bear that in mind.

"Heroes don't get happy endings"

Once Upon a Broken Heart picks up where Finale left off and follows the events that happened after. The opening to the book instantly drew me in and already had me formulating many questions in my mind. We meet Evangeline Fox, our protagonist, as she searches for the Prince of Hearts's church. After "praying" to the elusive Prince of Hearts, we meet our antagonist, Jacks; and so starts the story between Evangeline Fox and Jacks.

The writing style in this book was phenomenal, It was easy to follow and I wasn't confused was so ever. I really liked how Garber kept building the world even though the world was already well developed from the Caraval trilogy. The character development of both Jacks and Evangeline were really good and refreshing, The amount of times I squealed throughout this book is unreal. I squealed whenever I realised something, I squealed whenever Jacks entered a scene (fangirl behaviours, I know!) and I squealed whenever there was a cameo of a character from the original trilogy. Whilst I enjoyed the cameos, I was really hoping to see some other characters cameo, but we never know, they may appear in future books.

I don't think there was anything that I disliked with this book. I would have liked to see a bit more diversity with the characters (including POC, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Disability etc.) however there is time to include these in future books.

Overall, I gave this book 5 stars and it is by far one of my top reads of 2021 so far (and the book has even given me a couple of tattoo ideas!).

Wow!!! I love reading books about fairytales, and as soon as I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it! I read it in 24 hours - I couldn't put it down and just wanted to know what happens next! Just to warn you this is book 1 and leaves lots of unanswered questions!

We meet Evangeline Fox, a 16 year old who was brought up on fairytales and believes she can have a fairytale happily ever after. Unfortunately this does not go to plan when the love of her life is set to marry another....
Evangeline decides to find the Fates....specifically Jacks - The Prince of Hearts to help her stop the wedding and get her true love back, but this doesn't turn out as she thought....
We follow Evangeline as she pays back her favours to Jacks, this takes her to the North where she becomes a pawn to Jacks and his other plans for her.
An action packed story full of magic, mystery and so many twists I couldn't keep up!

Never make a deal with a Fate..." - unless its the Prince of Hearts.

Ever since I first read Caraval, I have been dying to get back into this world, and Stephanie Garber did not disappoint with Once Upon A Broken Heart.

Now, we all love Jacks from the original trilogy, and when I say that I fell for him even more in this one, i'm not lying. But we all know that you should never trust a Fate and their deals come with a cost - normally a cost that you shouldn't be willing to pay.

Plus, we have a new leading lady! Evangeline Fox is a refreshing protagonist with rose gold hair and a Prince (or two) who cannot take their eyes off of her. She makes a deal with her heart and not her head. Consequences galore!

A new part of the world is explored in this book - the North. With new mythology, legends and captivating locations. We meet new characters and experience so many plot twists. This whimsical fantasy sweeps you off your feet, and you won't want to put it down. I gasped and laughed an awful lot throughout.

I told myself that I would read this slowly and fully savour the experience, but nope! I binge read it - it's THAT good. You are thrown straight into the action, and there isn't a single page that you aren't fully engrossed in. There's romance and suspense, magic and adventure - a bit of everything that you need in a perfect fantasy! The writing is beautifully done, with stunning descriptions and characters that you cannot help but fall in love with.

If you enjoyed Caraval, you have to read this. There's even an appearance from a few characters that we know and love already - and not just Jacks.

This was AMAZING!! I really really enjoyed this book so much!! As always, Stephanie Garber's writing is so beautiful and with the way she described things, I could easily see them playing out in my head. I loved Evangeline; she's such a great protagonist. She was a little whiny at the start (just in the first chapter, really), but throughout the book she was such a badass. I really enjoyed reading from her perspective. And of course, there's Jacks. I freaking love him so much. He's such a morally grey person that it's hard to tell his real motives sometimes. But his interactions with Evangeline were so much fun to read and their banter was just *chef's kiss*

All in all, this was an amazing read and I'm really looking forward to owning a physical copy of this!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, this was an unexpected return to the world that Stephanie Garber created in the Caravel trilogy and it was both intriguing and exciting throughout.
I thoroughly enjoyed the caravel series and was excited to find out more about Jacks.
The new characters were superbly written, and left me wanting to find out more.
I can't wait for the next book in the series

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-arc of this amazing book in exchange for my opinion.
I loved it. SO MUCH! I really liked Caraval and was very excited for this new serie and it didn’t disappoint. I already cannot wait for the next book! I’m almost disappointed that I read it so fast because now I have to wait longer for the next one.
I love the writing of Stephanie Garber and I love the magic system. The one in Once Upon a Broken Heart is a little different than the one in Caraval but I think I liked this one better. I LOVE the new character, Evangeline. I think she is brave but also very human. I can relate to her. I like seeing more of Jacks. I can’t wait to see where his story is going.
The only thing I would have to say is contrary to what is being said you will appreciate the story more if you have read the caraval serie before going into this new story. There a lot of references to the events from Finale.

Honest review in exchange for an EARC. Thank you netgallery and the publisher.

3.5

I throughly enjoyed the Caraval series and Jacks was a favourite character of mine. So I couldn't wait to read Jacks tale. I expected to have more of Jacks story, but feel this book is just setting itself up for the next installments.
Garber doesn't disappoint with her story telling but I do find Evangeline to be a very naive, whimsical character and I'm still a bit unsure on her.

I feel this is more Evangelines story and hope that the next installment will have more on Jacks pov, so I can see his inner workings. Overall an enjoyable read.

I was so happy when Hodder and Stoughton approved my request for an eGalley! I have binge read Caraval this year and couldn’t wait to read this one!

As usual, even if I got an ARC, it doesn’t affect my honest review.



My first thoughts are that this story is so beautiful, candid, poetic. I feel like a little girl listening to fairytales before bed, with stars in my eyes. Enchanting!

But the light and merry world filled with tiny dragons and beautiful dresses will morph slowly into a worrisome universe where hidden players have secret agenda and don’t hesitate to curse and kill to further them.

You don’t have the magic of Caraval but it had a fairytale and enchanting feel to it that I loved as much!



Let’s backtrack and get onto the story.



You know from the synopsis that Evangeline, our heroine, will make a deal with Jacks to stop the wedding of the boy she loves: Luc.

But of course, we learned in Caraval that bargains with fates are not without fallout!



“The Fates weren’t dangerous because they were evil; the Fates were dangerous because they couldn’t tell the difference between evil and good.”



Jacks has a price and he will collect when the time is right.



I don’t want to spoil your fun but some weeks after their encounter, Evangeline will be sent to the kingdom of the North by Scarlett, now empress.

The prince of the North, Appollo, is holding a royal event where girls will compete in the hope of becoming his bride.

On her way to the north, Angeline will travel with her stepsister Marisol.



I will stop here with the plot, just know that once in the North, Evangeline will go through very dramatic events and we will never know if Jacks was her enemy or became her friend. He has a hidden agenda, that’s for sure!

You’ll also get murder, curse, vampires, poison and betrayal!



Now, about the main characters…

I loved Evangeline, with her rose gold hair.

Some will find her naïve maybe but I thought she was very courageous and a firm believer of HEA.

“This was one of the reasons she’d drunk the poison that had turned her to stone. It wasn’t because she was fearless or terribly heroic; it was because Evangeline simply had more hope than most.”

I think it takes courage to remain hopeful, to believe that something good is waiting for you rather than succumb to cynicism and abandon hope.

“Evangeline had always had a weakness for hoping in things others thought impossible.”

“She knew her story had the potential for infinite endings—and that belief hadn’t changed. There was a happy ending waiting for her.”

She chased her true love, wanted something like her parents. And she felt so alone since both died.

“She just wanted someone to want her the way Jacks had wanted this girl. And she didn’t want it to be because of a spell or a curse. Evangeline wanted a real love powerful enough to break a spell.”

Evangeline is brave, loves discovering new worlds and she is also selfless. She couldn’t stand the idea of people paying the price of her error.



Of course, you also have Jacks!

If there was ever a gray character, it’s Jacks!

He is nor good nor evil. Like Evangeline, I wanted to believe he could be her friend, he could act from kindness and then he would do something to make me doubt. Was he truly only acting in his own interest or did he want to truly help Evangeline?

I think it’s a little bit of both and it’s just perfect!



Last but not least asset of that story: it has an enchanting world.

I knew from Caraval that Stephanie Garber had a fantastic imagination and great skills at building world. She did it again with Once Upon a Broken Heart.

That world is filled with tiny dragons, magical arches, beautiful gowns, huge castles, books of spells, …

“Marisol, look, tiny dragons!” “Oh my—” Marisol went pale as a robust pop sounded and a tiny pepper-black dragon about the size of a chipmunk shot out streams of red fire to sear a fish stick at a nearby stall. On the docks, the adorable little beasts appeared to be as common as squirrels.”



If there is one thing I would change, it’s the ending! Because of course it ends on a cliffhanger and we don’t have the sequel yet!

Once Upon A Broken Heart was one of my most anticipated releases in 2021 so I was delighted to read the ARC. Stephanie Garber definitely didn't disappoint, OUABH was just as whimsical and intriguing as her Caraval series and her portrayal of Jacks post-heartbreak was one of my favourite aspects of the novel. Our MCs Jacks and Evangeline reunite in the Great North after a deal with Jacks to stop a wedding goes badly wrong. The chemistry between Jacks and Evangeline was wonderful, I can see so much potential for these two characters in the upcoming books. As I mentioned earlier, Jacks is far more subdued and careful with Evangeline than he was with Tella, a testament to how much Tella's rejection hurt him and how he's moving on from it. The only downside for me is that the book felt like it ended too soon, I would've loved to spend more time on the ending to give it a wider segue into the next book. Even for being the first book in a series, it felt a little like it ended in the middle of a book with a lot of unanswered questions. Nevertheless, I loved OUABH and am very excited for my pre-ordered hardcopies to arrive come September!

** thank you to netgalley and publisher for the arc

Having read the the Caraval series and really enjoying them I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book and I wasn’t disappointed. Although set in the same world as the previous story it was completely different and I’ve learnt to love the north as much as the south. I was a little disappointed it wasn’t from Jacks point of view as id love see how his intriguing mind works but liked the new mc Evangeline as well as the other new characters such as Apollo and Marisol, they all made this story magical and exciting. The story was fast pace and made me want to keep reading and with the ending it’s made me excited for the next one.

3.5 stars

Once Upon a Broken Heart tells the story of Evangeline Fox, a shopkeepers daughter who has her heart broken by her first love and so turns to the coniving prince of hearts, Jacks, for help. From there Evangeline ventures to the mysterious North to discover her destiny and claim her happily ever after but she soon learns that all bargains with fate have a price.

This book reads very much like a fairy tale; it's magicial, whimiscal and has a heartwarming morale at the centre of the story. Personally I enjoyed it more than the Caraval series, I liked the mystery element and the setting which takes place in the North - a wintery wonderland!! I also enjoyed the focus on siblings, in a different way from the Caraval series as the relationships in this book are a bit more fraught and complex.

I really like Jacks as a character, he was probably my favourite character from the Caraval series which is the main reason I was excited for this series!! I was under the impression he was the main character, but it is actually Evangeline's perspective the story is told from, so this is something to be aware of if you were expecting that like me. However he still stole the show!!! I love manipulative trickster characters and throughout the book you really don't know what his goals are or how far he is willing to go to achieve them.

Evangeline as a character reads very much like a typical folktale heroine, slightly naive and romantic. She is very quick to rush into things and definitely has a stubborn streak. One element of the book I found a little weak was the romance, I'm still a bit unsure of the dynamic between Jacks and Evangeline, I really liked their interactions in the book but it felt more like a plantonic rivalry than anything romantic. Also a major plot point is Evangeline having 3 enhancted kisses and the prince of the North, Apollo, is enchanted to be in love with her - at times this felt almost like it was meant to be a romance but also not because they were clearly both ensorcelled, it just felt a bit messy haha.

I really like the magic system in the series, I love the idea of the fates and I liked the folklore of the North as well (I won't say too much because of spoilers) and am excited to find out more in future books! I think this series expands nicely on the world from Caraval, working well on its own and still being fresh and exciting.

In conclusion, I think if you have enjoyed Stephanie Garber's wrok in the past you will really enjoy this, the writing and storytelling definitely feel like a step up from Caraval. Even if you haven't it is still a really enjoyable YA that is a fun, quick read that is super addictive and full of mystery and magic.

I was happy to receive this book, and ultimately it was a decent read, but it lacked the magic that the Caraval series had. I love Jacks, but he felt different in this book. Overall it was alright.

Thank you so much to Hodderscape for an arc of this book!
First of let me say that this book is one of my most anticipated books of 2021. I have been in love with Jacks since his first appearance in Legendary so my opinion of this book is probably a little biased lol.
The story follows Evangeline Fox, a girl who believes in fairytales and who has the most unusual rose gold coloured hair. The boy she's in love with is suddenly going to get married to someone else, and Evangeline will do anything to put a stop to her heart breaking, even making a deal with a fate, and not just any fate, The Prince of Hearts. Evangeline quickly finds out that maybe a deal with Jacks wasn't the wisest of choices, and when Evangeline is blamed for a crime she didn't commit the only way to clear her name is to make an unlikely alliance with the Prince himself. But Jacks being Jacks has his own agenda...
Oh my god this book, I couldn't read it quick enough! The story is told from Evangeline's pov and Jacks makes an appearance very early on in the book thank the gods!
This book is beyond magical, if you have read the Caraval trilogy then you will know what I'm talking about, the magical balls, and the dresses are just divine and the descriptions are so rich and beautiful.
I would personally recommend reading the Caraval trilogy first, you don't have to but I think it really helps you understand Jacks and we also get to see a few familiar faces which I loved! It is set in the same world and you should read them anyway because they are amazing!
Evangeline is such a likeable character, she believes in fairytales, the good in everyone and that everyone can have a different ending to their story. I loved her determination and watching her character develop throughout the story. Jacks is... well, Jacks. I love him, I just want to stroke his hair and feed him apples...amongst other things. I love that you never really know what he wants, well apart from having something to gain for himself lol but I just know deep deep down he just wants someone to love...enter me!
The story was a lot more complex than I thought it was going to be, but it was easy to follow and I loved watching Evangeline and Jacks interact and develop a, well, shall we say understanding?
And that one scene in the mausoleum, please Stephanie, give me more in book 2 because that was too much of a tease!
This book was everything, I cannot wait to see what happens next! Now to go sit in the corner and cry because I have to wait even longer for book 2...

(Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

Evangeline Fox has always believed in fairy-tales and love at first sight until the love of her life gets engaged to someone else. In order to stop the wedding, she pays a visit to the Prince Of Hearts and in return for his help, all he asks for are three kisses. However, she soon realizes that making a deal with a Fate was a terrible decision as shes lead down a path of curses, heartbreak and betrayal. Will Evangeline ever get the happily ever after shes always dreamed of?

I LOVED this book! Absolutely loved it! The writing style is beautiful and I loved the way Stephanie Garber made everything feel so real and come to life. Our main character Evangeline was amazing. She had such a good personality and I loved reading about her. She was curious and imaginative but also brave and strong and fit perfectly with Jacks, their interactions where amazing. Speaking of Jacks, the Prince Of Hearts was such a good character. He was cheeky and mischievous and I loved him.

The world building in Once Upon A Broken Heart was excellent and I loved reading about the culture and history of the North and the way all the food and places where described. My favourite thing about the North by far are the little dragons that just seem to be everywhere, if I lived there I would definitely have one as a pet. As far as the plot is concerned, I loved it. It was fast paced and there were so many plot twists that I never saw coming which made for a quick read that had you hooked the entire time, I loved every page.

I genuinely can not find a single thing that I didn't like about Once Upon A Broken Heart and I recommend it to everyone, especially if you love fantasy

I've been so looking forwards to this book and I had very high expectations and I'm glad to say that I wasn't disappointed, I absolutely loved this story!

Based in the same universe as Caraval and takes place after the events of Finale we find out more about the Fates and Jack of Hearts! He was such an interesting character in Finale and I loved reading more of him in this one.

I was completely hooked into this story, I didn't want to put it down, it was amazing and that ending?! I desperately need book two in my hands already I must know more! I can't wait to get a physical copy of this, I will most certainly be rereading the Caraval trilogy and this one again once it does come out😍 I highly recommend it!

A whimsical fantasy that will appeal to fans of Laini Taylor and Marissa Meyer! Lush prose and a sweeping romancee make this an unforgettable YA fantasy

"There was something fantastically bewitching about the idea that a person's destiny could change in one single, wondrous night"

One Upon a Broken Heart is a beautifully crafted exploration into fate, destiny, and the romantic notion of happily ever afters.
Our protagonist, Evangeline, is someone I felt I could achingly relate to, someone longing to be loved and to be seen, and willing to put aside other feelings of doubt as a result. Without giving away too much of the main plot, the intricacies of it meant I felt I was going on the same journey of discovery and doubt as Evangeline, with my feelings towards certain characters twisting as often as her own.
Despite my unfamiliarity with the world of Caravel, I felt this did not hinder my reading experience in the slightest, as this series seems to stand as standalone, as promised. The worldbuilding was a breath of fresh air, without too much information being laid out at once.

I'm already highly anticipating the sequel!!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this eARC!)

☆☆☆☆☆

HOLY SHIT I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK.

When I saw I got approved for an ARC of Once Upon A Broken Heart I was so excited to dive into it and it did not disappoint at all. I loved literally everything about it, I loved the characters old and new, the plot, the new location, the magic, the descriptions, literally everything about it had me in love with it, there were no parts I didn’t like. I think I even preferred it to Caraval. Parts of this book had me absolutely screaming because it was so entertaining and the stuff going down was just so ahhhh. I haven’t gotten through a book this fast in a while (I devoured it), I just couldn’t seem to put it down, the promise to myself of 1 more chapter turned into 3 chapters then 3 chapters turned to 5. Once Upon A Broken Heart had me reading til late in the night and then picking it up first thing in the morning. It was another magical book with brilliant world building and I’m glad I decided to read it.

Ok ... so I didn't overly like the Caraval series , I mean it was enjoyable, each book made for quick enjoyable read but after all the hype surrounding it I just expected to be blown away and I just wasn't and was left somewhat disappointed .. (probably my own fault, maybe my expectations ruined it I don't know) .. so when I saw Stephanie Garber was releasing another book within the same world I wasn't going to pick it up ... but .. then I saw it was a Jacks book and I couldn't not request it when I saw this one available on NetGalley. I loved Jacks! Jacks was the way I wanted Finale to go! (If you've read it hopefully you know what I mean)

Well, I am so glad I made the choice to read I did because I blooming loved it.
It did take me a short while to get into it but once I was I couldn't stop and ended up reading it in one sitting in a matter of hours!
Once upon a broken heart had that fairytale read feel and I think that's what won me over .. I am loving these type of reads at the moment to break up my more 'adult' Fantasy books. It probably also helped that my expectations weren't as high as they were when I went into the Caraval series.

My only issue - I felt it could have been longer! I wanted more! I wasn't ready for it to end! I need to know what happens next! .. and I basically just want more Jacks!

If you loved the Caraval trilogy then you will without a doubt love this ... If you loved Jacks then you will without a doubt love this ... if you didn't love either, well I still think you should give it a go, you may be like me and end up happily surprised.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this one in exchange for an honest review.

I was overjoyed when I heard Stephanie was writing another trilogy and about Jacks - this was perfect from start to finish - magic, spells, potions, poisons and prophecies and one hell of a cliff hanger. I cannot wait for the next book and this one hasn’t even been published yet!,

Great characters and a fantastic story - I’m hooked!