Once Upon a Broken Heart (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #1) (2024)

To put it simply, Once Upon a Broken Heart is a hot mess. The premise promises a fairytale, but what Garber delivers is a confused nightmare. With an annoyingly-naïve protagonist, a one-dimensional cast of supporting characters and a truly “what the f*ck”-inducing plot, this book’s only saving graces are the short chapters and fast pacing, which at times can too be a hindrance to your enjoyment and desire to rate this book higher than you actually will.

The beginning chapters of this book are the only thing that delivers on the premise. With vivid imagery, they instantly drew me in and I could see the improvement in Garber’s writing from the six (boring) chapters I had read of Caraval. (As you can guess, that didn’t last very long). Once Upon a Broken Heart follows rose gold-haired Evangeline Fox, whose stepsister is set to marry Luc, her one true love. Believing Luc to be cursed and desperate to stop the wedding, she enlists the help of Jacks, a Fate and the Prince of Hearts. He agrees to do so under the condition that Evangeline will kiss 3 people of his choosing, but doesn’t say any more than that. Willing to do whatever it takes to stop Luc marrying Marisol, she agrees to the deal but the wedding is stopped by Jacks turning everyone to stone. It is here that Evangeline first displays her wishy-washy personality, as she regrets her actions and drinks the poison that turned the bride, groom and wedding guests to stone – thereby taking their place.

Evangeline, as a protagonist and narrator, frustrated me endlessly. She’s insanely naïve, always trusting people she shouldn’t and wanting to help Marisol (her stepsister) when it’s very obvious that a) her sister is shady and up to no good and b) she generally has no reason to. The two of them have next to no relationship, but because Evangeline is so Wonderful and Perfect and Special Because She Has Pink Hair, of course she has to want to help. She’s also a very passive character: things happen to her, not because of her. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking: “Characters are allowed to be naïve! It’s part of their growth!” or “Characters are allowed to be nice! They don’t all have to be sword-wielding assassins or (insert other character trope here)”. Trust me, I hear you, but there’s a difference between those characters and Evangeline Fox.

The side characters – yes, including Jacks – in this book are no better. They’re all one-dimensional and flat, having one ‘unique’ aspect about them… and that’s it. I could tell you hardly anything about them. Jacks’ past with Donatella is briefly mentioned, but I wouldn’t really class that as him having personality, and I think it’s more fanservice for existing Caraval fans than anything.

I can separate this book into two parts: Before Evangeline Drinks the Poison and After Evangeline Drinks the Poison. I enjoyed the Before part, as After Evangeline Drinks the Poison is where Stephanie Garber seems to have forgotten the novel she promised to readers, and began writing something else entirely. Ergo, the plot had gone haywire.

The book’s plot follows no clear structure; it’s all over the place. Sure, there’s a little bit of “action” but that does nothing to redeem a story that is 99% Boring and 1% Interesting Scenes. There were numerous attempts at romantic scenes throughout the book, but Evangeline has no real chemistry with either of her potential love interests (one of them is literally cursed to be in love with her, so there’s that), so it did nothing for me and I skim-read most of them.

Once Upon a Broken Heart took an extremely bizarre turn after the introduction of vampires. Yes, you read that correctly. Vampires. What the f*ck are vampires doing in this book? It was so completely and utterly random, I was honestly thinking ‘what was Stephanie Garber on when she wrote this?’ while reading. We were given no real explanation as to why vampires were included either. It was like a complete abuse of authorial power on Garber’s part: she thought vampires were cool, so she just put them in the book, with no real thought as to the sense (or lack thereof) it would make. And trust me, it made zero sense. Unfortunately, around the last third of the book and its “plot” hinges on vampires, so there wasn’t any escaping them.

There was also a prophecy subplot, because of course there was. The prophecy in this book centres around the Valory Arch, a mysterious archway in The North which contains either treasure and secrets or deadly monsters (no one is really sure which). Evangeline, having such Main Character Energy, is the key to unlocking this arch/doorway (I get she literally IS the main character, but just roll with the punches here). I say it’s a subplot, but I honestly couldn’t tell you what was the main plot and what were subplots in this book. Garber weaved a lot of threads throughout Once Upon a Broken Heart, and they got tangled up at times.

As a ‘minor’ complaint, a lot is told to readers and not shown. For instance, after Evangeline has just woken up from being poisoned, she is told of a Week of Terrors that unfolded after the cancelled wedding, but we’re not given any information about it. Later, through dialogue, Evangeline learns of information she needs to know to progress the plot, but it’s done in quite a heavy-handed manner. There’s a lot of it, and wasn’t done subtlety or in small pieces, like you might see elsewhere in other novels.

To give myself something positive to say about this book, I did like its short chapters and relatively fast pacing. As a slow reader, I appreciated being able to get through this book super quickly. Yes, that’s all I have to say. Moving on!

The book ends on a cliffhanger. It’s somewhat intriguing, but I certainly won’t be reading the sequel. If for whatever reason, after reading this review, you’re still inclined to read Once Upon a Broken Heart, you might want to hold off on doing so until the sequel is out, as this will leave you with too many loose plot threads and unanswered questions – more than any book should.

Thank you to Kate Keehan and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC!

↠ 1 star

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15/04/2024: I'm far too late in adding this, but if you're looking for a YA fantasy series (with enemies to lovers, morally grey characters, and corruption arcs) that will actually be worth your time, may I direct your attention to The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae!

4 stars

This is one of the most interesting worlds I've encountered in fantasy books. Everything was so dreamy, and I might've enjoyed reading about cards if I'd read Caraval. The first book is interesting enough to finish this series quickly. I wanna read it slowly & enjoy it while wanting to finish it quickly because it's so GOOD.

❝For anyone who has ever made a bad decision because of a broken heart.❞

This dedication is enough to make you want to read this book! I LOVE IT AND NEXT BIO IS GONNA BE THIS ONE! 🙌🏻😭

• Evangeline went to the Prince of Heart's church thinking that her prayer might be answered by Fate – prince of Hearts – and the wedding of her lover would be stopped. Desperate and heartbroken enough, she made a deal with fate to stop her lover's wedding in exchange for three kisses with people he choose.

The Prince of Hearts has such a certain vibe! His kiss is deadly, his heart doesn't beat, and the most important – he's heartbroken and is cursed to never find love, which gives Eva hopes that he might help her. Their first interaction was so funny, and I was getting second-hand embarrassments from her behalf! I didn't expect Jacks to be such a meanie! 😭

❝People who don’t like me call me Jacks.❞

Jacks – he's the cursed prince of hearts who's a manipulator, a toxic person who'll do anything to gain what he wants, and co*cky. BUT WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE SO HOT AND PERFECT? It'll always be the villain and never the hero besides.... the hero never gets a happy ending! 🤭 The hype for him is real, and I see myself falling in love with him, just like I did with Aaron Warner 😮‍💨

I'm literally a simp for him atp! Him doing mundane things like tossing the apple, slicing the apple, BITING THE APPLE had me swooning! ANDDDD HE HADDDD NOOO RIGHT TO BE SOOOO HOT IN THIS SCENEEE!!!!! 👇🏻

❝What am I supposed to do with this [dagger]?❞
❝You might want to use it, Little Fox.❞ The corner of his mouth twitched as he slowly slid his pale hands through the bars of the gate and broke the lock in half. It could have been a twig, a piece of paper, or her.

Evangeline Fox — she's just a naive girl with a hopeless romantic personality, and well, she's quite delusional but would call herself hopeful! She has been surrounded by so many fairy tales that she just wants her life to be like it. She's smack-dabbed in the face with the realities, but she'd rather create alternatives to not tarnish the image of people she cares about. I actually liked her selflessness and her acceptance of her BAD DECISION. But there's nothing much interesting to her character besides this.

Enemies to lovers — their dynamic is so good? Evangeline has hot and cold feelings for him. She's torn between wanting to kiss him or hate him. Jacks being absolutely mean with her one moment and saying things HE SHOULDN'T the next moment were too much to handle and him calling her LITTLE FOX 💞🤭

❝Do you want to be a vampire?❞
❝No,❞ Jacks spat. ❝I don’t want to be a vampire, but I do want to bite you.❞

SIR????? 😮‍💨🧎‍♀️🥵😭

❝You might not like me, but I bet you’d like it if I kissed you.❞

Jacks... wdym IT WAS ENTERTAINING TO SEE HER KISS APOLLO AND THAT OLD LADY FORTUNA ??? 😭 That was really unnecessary, but he just wanted to toy with Eva by making her kiss them! He outright accepted that he manipulated her. He's actually evil in this book regardless of his past, and he threatened her subtly that she'd die if she didn't agree with her part of the bargain. I'm all but patient for his character development and just to see his softie side, after all, a glimpse of it when he carried her through the cold just to take her to get a cure for the poison she got and let her sleep in his arms the whole night , was just 😭💞

❝You could have unlocked me as well❞ — I was wondering if Jacks had indulged her and struck a deal with her in the first place because she opened the church's door. It's known she can open Valory Arch, but maybe that was the time when Jacks realized that she's the rose-gold haired girl who's the one who can open the arch. and he didn't know her before.

Apollo being in love was so funny! I only liked that scene where they were talking and he was being nice, but otherwise, he was really quick to dismiss Eva in the first place, and Marisol is just a bitch! I just knew something was sus about her since the start because no one is too kind, and she's after all her mother's child, and yep she definitely stole Luc. I knew Jacks is evil! I do love him, but he's so manipulative, and the ending actually shocked me! I still hate Marisol because she's a bitch, but damn the way Jacks went through so much just to frame her and wrongly accused Eva just to get the prophecy right 😮‍💨🤚🏻 and yeahhh 4 stars just because, it had wayy too much info dumps! I actually enjoyed most of the book but there were sometimes long ass paragraphs just about NORTH. and Ummmm CHAOS SHOULD GET HIS OWN BOOK PLS + with Lala would be great!

• The Ballad Of Never After – 3.75 stars
• A Curse For True Love – 3 stars

Hi friends!

Update, April 15: If you've been waiting for a signed US edition, Barnes and Noble has just announced their exclusive edition--it has bonus material, a secret cover printed on the hardcover case, and it's PINK!

Update, March 11: I'm so excited to share that Once Upon A Broken Heart has a US cover! It was revealed today Frolic, along with an interview and a sneak peek of the prologue. Here's a link:

https://frolic.media/exclusive-once-u...

I hope you all love the cover as much as I do!

P.S. The UK will have a separate and very different cover, which will be revealed at a later date. xo

I'm so excited to share that Once Upon a Broken Heart has a full description:

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’d pledged. And he has plans for Evangeline that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy…

That's all for now, but I can't wait to share more soon! xo

this book made me remember that my answer to the age old question, “if you could live in any fictional world, which one would it be?” is the world of caraval.

it was honestly so good to be back and revisit some old, beloved characters. it was nice to see a glimpse of what scarlett and donatella were getting up to, but i also loved the focus on jacks. the fate has been through it. so it was interesting to see how he bounces back and the different kinds of mischief he gets into. i also think evangeline is a great new character and her chemistry with jacks is amazing.

i love that the plot is very magic-focused, particularly on a new kind of magic that hasnt been explored yet in the world of caraval (which is surprising because there is so much). i enjoyed reading about the old royal family, the arches, the prophecy and how jacks has made evangeline the center of it all.

this is a pretty successful start to a companion series and i am genuinely looking forward to how the story will play out!

↠ 4.5 stars

the way i read this in one sitting because i was immediately HOOKED in! i get what thr girlies are hyped up about. i’m obsessed to a concerning level. put me in an asylum at this point.🫣

now i’ve read the entirety of Caraval and the second i was introduced to jacks i was feral. idgaf that he’s evil, selfish, on his own agenda, only cares about himself, kills people or any of the above. he’s rizzin’ me up and i’m sticking besides my mans. and reading OUABH only upped my level of love for him i can’t lie. 😘

evangeline omgggg i cannot wait for book 2. ive been dodging spoilers like the black plague but i just know she’s gonna have him rapped around her finger. if not already. she was badass, c*nty, and bubbly in this book. i love her so much. 🥹

the twists and turns from this book had me GUSPED! i can’t trust anything anymore. my hands are shaking but i’m picking book 2 up immediately ‼️😭

I kinnnnnda feel like I'm missing something with this one because I'm quite underwhelmed. I really enjoyed Caraval but I felt like this book was a whole lot of questions and not enough answers. It seems like its only purpose is to set up for sequels and I really hate when books do that, especially with the first one. Not sure if I will continue with the series when the rest come out because honestly I kind of was just left wanting more from this, and not in a good way really? Maybe I kept comparing this to Kingdom of the Wicked in my head because the two books have a pretty similar concept and I had just started reading that sequel, but I felt like this was a lot weaker than KOTW. I wish I had loved it because it seems right up my alley, but it was just okay.

this book is pure magic! it's a beautiful story that directly speaks to my fairytale-loving heart. AND JACKS omg. you are going to love reading every second of this wildly imaginative ride. xoxo

— 4.5 stars ✰

J A C K S

that's my review, bye <3

UMMMMM YEA.

➸ 4.25 stars

taylor wrote miss americana and the heartbreak prince abt evajacks. it’s true, she told me so herself

Stephanie Garber is mother

jacksjacksjackjacksjacksjacksjacks

reread: changing this to 5 stars because the way these two have me wrapped around their fingers is insane

—

this one was written for all the dreamers out there <3

”All stories are made of both truths and lies. What matters is the way that we believe in them.”

i absolutely adored this universe. it was just so magical and enchanted. the curses, the potions, the prophesies, and true love being the end all be all. my hopelessly romantic heart was living for this.

”He looked part angel, part fallen star, and completely devastating.”

jacksjacksjacksjacksjacksjacks he is my everything. he’s the reason i breathe at this point in time. every line had me swooning. mans will literally be standing at the other side of the room biting into an apple and he has my heart going pitta patta make it make sense.

“Some days she felt like one of the dusty used books on the store’s back shelves. The volumes that had been popular once, but no one picked up anymore.”

eva my precious. this girl has a heart of gold. she always just wants to believe the best in everybody and she’s sometimes

”Evangeline wanted a real love powerful enough to break a spell, which was exactly what Jacks wanted, too.”

evajacks were literally made for each other. i’m so invested in their story. the tension, their banter, the subtle touches, the bit of forced proximity, HIM CALLING HER LITTLE FOX. and him being all “you might not like me, but i bet you’d like it if i kissed you” bye. UGH THEY HAVE MY WHOLE HEART ALREADY I NEEEEDD MORE right this instant.

yes i took my time with this because this book made me so happy and the streets are saying i’m in for heartbreak in the next book and i just don’t think i’m ready. and the last chapter of this book literally gave me chills. i was shook. ofc i must go jump into book two now.

also i need a dragon-roasted apple and a friend like lala right now or i die.

”I don’t know if I can fix your broken heart, but you can take mine because it’s already yours.”

“I believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy. Every story has the potential for infinite endings.”

“Have you already forgotten the way heartbreak rips apart the soul piece by piece, how it turns you into a masoch*st, making you long for the thing that just eviscerated you until there’s nothing left of you to be destroyed?”

“Love him without holding back, love him as if every day with him will be more magical than the last, love him as if he’s your destiny and the world will be better if you two are together, and he won’t be able to ever stop loving you.”

“People called it falling out of love, but falling was easy. She’d clawed her way out, fighting to shake it off, to let it go, to find something else to hold on to.”

“He held on to her as if she were a grudge, his body rigid and tense, as if he really didn’t want her there, and yet his arms were tight around her waist as though he had no intention of ever letting her go.”

“He was still indescribably breathtaking, but it was all the tragic beauty of a sky where every single star was falling.”

“Truth is often bitter, particularly when a person has been tasting more enjoyable lies.”

Ok, no esperaba que me gustara tanto como me gustó, voy a leer el que sigue YA MISMO.

—— 4. ✰ stars.

'‘For anyone who has ever made a bad decision because of a broken heart’'

・❥・ Mood of the book: break my broken heart by Winona Oak

I don't deserve forgiveness for not writing this review sooner, it has been two months since I read the book and I was never in the mood to write it, and now time has passed and I am already reading the second one, which is why I am writing this now lol.

I apologize because the review will be short and not very deep, since I have forgotten many things that I could have thought about the book.

Once again I have had the pleasure of reading with my lovely giuls without you nothing would be the same. I love you amo.

Before continuing, I fully recommend reading Caraval before reading this trilogy, otherwise many details will be lost and there are major spoilers for the first trilogy in this book. You're basically ruining it for yourself.

.𓆩♡𓆪𝓅𝓁ℴ𝓉 𓆩♡𓆪:

Evangeline Fox is heartbroken, her first love is going to marry none other than her stepsister Marisol, so she decides to go see the Prince of Hearts, and make a deal with him, the deal is that he will stop that wedding,

'do I need to remind you how desperate a broken heart makes you? How it hurts so much that it compelled you to make a deal with a devil like me? Or have you forgotten how heartbreak rips apart the soul piece by piece?’

.𓆩♡𓆪𝓅𝒶𝒸ℯ 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𓆩♡𓆪:

I liked Stephanie Garber's pacing and writing more in this book than in the entire Caraval trilogy, it is less confusing and more direct to the point, you can read the book very quickly since things are happening all the time.

One of the reasons why this book doesn't have more than 4.✰ stars is because I feel that is too confusing at times, but that in turn

'All stories are made of both truths and lies. What matters is the way we believe in them'

.𓆩♡𓆪𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉ℯ𝓇𝓈 𓆩♡𓆪:

I'm only going to talk about the two main characters, because although there are secondary characters, I think it's better that you see it for yourself and there isn't much to say about them in my opinion.

When I think of her the first adjective that comes to mind is hopeless romantic, she is a very optimistic person and that leads her to be naive and do stupid things that made me want to drag her on the ground, but despite this, she is not a bad main character.

'love was her weakness, not even just love but the idea of ​​it'

'He was a thousand cuts happening at all once. Devastation made of hair as blue as dark ocean waves, and lips sharp as cracked glass that would delightedly cut her'

He carried the book and I don't accept any arguments against this statement. Jacks is a selfish person, who is not afraid to kill or lie to get what he wants, he is the

'Heroes don't get happy endings, they give them to other people'

At the same time I felt very sorry because I believe that deep down he just wants to be loved and love. He funny without trying to be, which makes it even funnier, he has tons of sass and he is basically perfect, I take no criticism.

'Hurt is what made me'

.𓆩♡𓆪 𝓇ℴ𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸ℯ 𓆩♡𓆪:

This may surprise some people, but it didn't convince me very much, it is true that I liked the banter between the main characters a lot and chapters 43, 44 and 45 had me gasping for air, the romance has not been the best of the book, I have high expectations for the second book.

'Do you stare at everyone like that or just me?'

Don't forget that Jacks called Evangeline Little Fox 25 times, yes, I counted them.

.𓆩♡𓆪𝓈𝓅ℴ𝒾𝓁ℯ𝓇 𝒻𝓇ℯℯ 𝓆𝓊ℴ𝓉ℯ𝓈 𓆩♡𓆪:

‘Hope is a difficult thing to kill, just a spark of it can start a fire’

‘Loneliness touched with hints of regret, or hope colored by impatience. It was never just one pure emotion. It was always one thing plus another’

‘Evangeline – stop looking at me like that. You are making this so much difficult’

‘she started to feel like one of those forgotten novels on the used shelves in the back, overlooked and alone’

Once Upon A Broken Heart Series:
╰┈➤ The Ballad of Never After , 4.25 ✰ stars.
╰┈➤ A Curse For True Love , 3. ✰ stars.

Caraval series:
╰┈➤Caraval , 3.75✰ stars.
╰┈➤Legendary , 4.25✰ stars.
╰┈➤Finale, 4.25✰ stars.

ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:
AAAAAAAAAAAA. THAT ENDING AAAAAAA rtc 🫡
dec 24: JACKS IM COMING FOR YOU BABY. If this book disappoints I’m suing half of the Goodreads community.
Once again buddy reading this with my baby giuls. Love you amo❤️

jacks' really not all that. what a mid man.

the book really lacks substance. the plot is all over the place. the world building was probably decided by pulling a piece of paper out of a hat evey other page like "oh btw, the five legged unicorn is real and *looks at smudged writing* he's also a vampire and *rolls dice* also he eats ghouls".

plot and writing and just everything about how this is structured feels really juvenile. if this is YA it's like starter YA, barely out of middle grade. that's not necessarily bad but i expected something less immature. this point does get better in the last 25% though.

all of the characters are so goddamn stupid? one more reason why this feels like a children's story. sometimes they say or do something and you just know an 8 year old would have pissed themselves laughing about it.

it's not the most awful thing i've read, and i can see certain audiences enjoying it but the way people talk about it i expected something... different. and more. 2 stars

So much better than the Caraval trilogy 🤌

The plot was intriguing, there were heaps and heaps of drama and the characters were certainly likable. Most importantly, the FMC although kinda dumb was far more tolerable than Scarlett and Tella.

The writing is not that bad but tbh it's not special either. I've heard people say it's quite beautifully written and maybe it was like that for them- but it came across as ordinary to me. I was more invested in it cause of the main characters and the storyline.

Evangeline was likable. She didn't annoy me although she was a bit dumb whenever it came to her stepsister Marisol. I guess the flaw that she wants to root for people she loves so much, makes her more realistic. Jacks is charming as ever, man's can make me blush so easily. The moments of vulnerability were chef's kiss. I want to see more of that in the next book, and gimme some swoon worthy romance 😩😩

Some of the plot twists were good, like I had no idea there were vampires in this 👀 I liked that bit a lot yk cause of what happened with Jacks 🥵🥵 Twists concerning Marisol and Tiberius were quite predictable but am not gonna complain too much.

Imo the second half of the book is far stronger. The ending was quite good, am looking forward to starting the next book immediately.

~•~•~

Have high expectations. Reading this, I want my heart to be broken too in the best way possible. Here it goes...

Oh my FATES is this one good!!! I don't want it to end!

*Edited after finishing*

Well hell, did this just become 0ne of my top reads of 2021?

Why yes, yes it did.

Holy book gods, this one was mother fricking GOOD!!! The twists and turns, the love story, and okay hel-lo intricate magic system. Seriously, the part of this book that I feel like is going to get overlooked for the (legitimately awesome) romance and action is the freaking MAGIC SYSTEM. No one does magical details like Stephanie Garber. Seriously. [Here would be where I drop tantalizing examples, but I'm writing this review pre-release and I don't want to be naughty and add in any spoilers.]

Also, THE PRINCE OF HEARTS. Come ON, this dude is everything my villain-loving heart wants. Shady, secretive, maybe a cinnamon roll or maybe he's actually pretty wicked and we all just don't know but really no one cares because none of us promised to fall for a good guy anyway.

Alright, I'll stop rambling, but yeah. Holy crap. So freaking good. Definitely add this to your TBR if you like whimsical fantasy and morally gray love interests!

✨️REREAD✨️: because y'all were assaulting me on sides with updates from the series and I wanted to give Evangeline Fox another chance to not be so dumb 😭

jacks was mid…..i much preferred apollo tbh!! mfs gon have to shake da fabric of space and time to get me off his dick

3.5/5 ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

I don't even know what to say yet - I did like this, but I don't think I loved it as much as everyone else does (please don't hate me) - it's definitely not the book, it's a me thing
RTC

╔═════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ═════╗

score card:

plot: 3/5
characters: 3/5
world/setting: 4.5/5
pacing: 4/5
enjoyment: 3/5

total: 3.5/5ੈ✩‧₊˚

╚═════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ═════╝

₊˚⊹♡ reading log

28/04 5:27pm ୨ৎ
ok so are we team jacks or are we team rhysand i need to know - what are these men doing to me what is GOING ON

28/04 3:17pm ୨ৎ
aw jacks that’s not cool man i did not see that coming am i blind?

28/04 11:33am ୨ৎ
marisol don’t betray me please i was really starting to like you - we’ve switched over to the audiobook

27/04 6:30pm ୨ৎ
ok damn jacks why you gotta do me like that DAMN

26/04 2:17pm ୨ৎ
omg i love everyones enthusiasm for this and i'm only 13% in but i get it? there's some sort of drug in this i swear it's very magical, it reminds me of like, tinker bell/the og barbie movies (swan lake in particular)

₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading

oh my god guys i'm buying into more romantasy books i can't believe it - i have a feeling im not going to like this as much as ACOTAR but we'll see everyone says this is like fairy tales in a bottle which i'm not toooooo sure about but i'm trying to have an open mind, i know so many people adore this

I KNEW THAT IT WAS ABOUT JACKS!!! (I was way off about the title being Encore lol) BUT I KNEW THAT IT WAS ABOUT JACKS!!!

This was definitely a case of right book at the right time for me, I absolutely loved it!

Once Upon a Broken Heart follows Evangeline, forced to make a deal with the Prince of Hearts for true love. However, she quickly learns that bargaining with a Fate is not a good idea. What does he really want from her?

I want to preface my review by highlighting that the writing style felt very young. I would say that it was on the much younger side of YA. Almost a stopgap between Middle Grade and YA fiction. I absolutely loved it, I found it so quick and easy to read, I didn’t need to think very hard. But I know that this writing style won’t suit everyone’s tastes. I also loved the enchanting world that Garber created. I was swept away by magic, miniature dragons that can make delicious treats and true love.

I feel so confused now that I’ve finished reading because I still have no idea what’s actually going on and who can be trusted.
Garber was able to completely blindside me with one twist which I always love. I also adored how the different truths and layers were slowly peeled back, showing quite a complex plot and characters. Each unfurling layer brought new revelations and questions. I just could not get enough and cannot wait to read more by Garber now!

I would recommend this books to any fans of YA fantasy novels, as long as you don’t mind it being on the younger side.

'i believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy. every story has the potential for infinite endings.'

i find it unfair, foul, and illegal that we don't get jacks a lot. i want the whole book to be jacks jacks jacks and his thoughts and his apples <3

evajacksevajacksevajacksevajacks

this was a fairytale. the entire book was magical i loved it very much. stephanie created this exquisitely mystical universe in the best way and not in a yawning way and i ate this book upppp, all 400 pages. the way she wrote jacks 😍

eva was so stupid most of the time and the nativity was scary but i kinda get it since she's only 17 but still thinking jacks didn't have ulterior motives to doing what he did made me laugh. we love her still <3

apollo says the cutest things but i hate him so i pretend jacks says them because he basically does

"i want you, evangeline fox. i want to write ballads for you on the walls of wolf hall and carve your name on my heart with swords. i want you to be my wife and my princess and my queen."

marisol i hate you kys- her act didn't fool me at all she's fake inside & out just like her snake of a mother

"i like you right now. i like you a lot. in fact, i can't think of anything i like more."

”i believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy. every story has the potential for infinite endings.”

a little love letter to this book, to these characters, who have become everything to me:

evangeline fox: oh how i adore her. she may be naive. she may make questionable decisions. she may trust people after they’ve given her every reason not to. but she is a dreamer, a lover, a believer. she wants to see the best in people, and for that i will always admire her.

jacks, prince of hearts: it’s often mentioned (even by evangeline) that he doesn’t have a heart. and thought it’s true that he’s cruel and manipulative and self serving, the softer, gentler moments tucked away into the pages of this book prove that there’s more to him than that.

i can almost feel the magic woven through stephanie garber’s words. her writing never fails to transport me to another world, one full of wonder and novelty and hope. the way she can make us root for a character who is naive and innocent and gullible while simultaneously making us root for someone who is the exact opposite — i’m in awe. it was such a joy to read this book. i loved every moment of it. and to share that experience with someone who enjoyed it just as much 🥹 i am so so grateful <3

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oh my god?? 😭😭 rtc (actually this is a lie idk how to write a review for this book)

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buddy read with kaylee! i am

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does anyone want to br this and ballad with me before book 3 comes out

Jacks has my heart <3

5/5 ★

“i believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy. every story has the potential for infinite endings”

– I will never be them same. I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. this book was everything I didn't know I needed. I loved it so much, I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it. it was so magical, so beautifully written, so easy to read. IT WAS PERFECT. the story was amazing, I simply fell in love since page one.

– EVANGELINE FOX MY GIRL 🩷🥹💓🦊 guys I love this girl so much, her character was amazing, I love how she believes in fairytales and is a hopeless romantic. she's so kind, so selfless, she's so brave in her own way, and loves to forgive ppl even though they did her wrong. she's so beautiful and I LOVE HER MY FAVORITE GIRL EVER.

– jacks 💓 JACKS 💗 JACKS💕 JACKS 🩷 JACKS FOREVER. the urge to grab my book and highlight every single thing he said...OMG. guys this man is everything. i love him sm and I want him to have a happy ending with eva 🥹 I loved him from the very begging (legendary) and I still do. his character is amazing, his lines, his BLUE HAIR. even though I like him in blonde hair better 🤭 THAT ONE SCENE IN EVA'S WEDDING (iykyk) oh lord I'm in love.

– lala is such a baddie, I want to know more about her and WHY DOES SHE HATE CHAOS SO MUCH HUH?? 😏🤭

– seeing scarlett and tella made my heart hurt...I miss my girls so much 😭🫶🏼

– I get it guys, I get it. and I'm so freaking scared for tbona like seriously. ANYWAYS EVAJACKS SUPREMACY YEAH 💗🦊💓

I’m unwell. Why? Jacks 🧎‍♂️

Evangeline’s body reactions to Jacks are nothing compared to mine. I said what I said…

˚₊‧꒰ა 3.75 stars ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

༉‧₊˚. « For anyone who has ever made a bad decision because of a broken heart. » ・₊✧

➵ first of all, i want to thank cherie for buddy reading this series with me!! i had so much fun reading this book with her. you can go to her review by clicking here 🤍

˗ˏˋ !! spoilers ahead !! ˎˊ˗

➼ characters:

Evangeline Fox is our main character. She’s truly sweet and naive. I’ve seen many people find that annoying. However, I’m also such a hopeless romantic like her, so I can’t blame her 🙈

Even though I love her, I’m really excited to see her character development! I want to see her badass side sm 🙌🏻🧎🏻‍♀️

Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, ahhh where can I begin? Anything he does makes me melt but at the first part of the book, his blue hair wasn’t helping 😍 Anyways, his character is unmatched. Jacks, the man that you are. *swoons*

Apollo our prince!! I can’t say I have a decent opinion about him right now because I feel like we haven’t seen much of his character yet. I’m really curious about him because of the things I’ve heard. I didn’t have any spoilers thankfully but I’m having weird feelings 🤔

Chaos was definitely an interesting character. He is a vampire and I was surprised to see vampires in this book. I hope we’ll see more of his character in the other books, I’m really looking forward to it!!

Marisol… I’ve got nothing to say about her. She can go right here 🗑️

Luc, I’m not sure what to say about him either *sighs*. I didn’t really like him, I’m going to be honest with you 🤷🏻‍♀️ Him becoming a vampire and trying to bite her wasn’t a good idea either 💀

➼ songs:

જ⁀➴ 🎵 archer - taylor swift
જ⁀➴ 🎵 me and the devil - soap&skin
જ⁀➴ 🎵 the prophecy - taylor swift

➼ quotes:

« He was still indescribably breathtaking, but it was all the tragic beauty of a sky where every single star was falling. His hair was a storm of broken gold. His eyes were a mess of silver and blue. »

« The fates weren't dangerous because they were evil; the fates were dangerous because they couldn't tell the difference between evil and good. »

« Heroes don't get happy endings. They give them to other people. »

➼ my opinion:

࿐ I had high expectations for this book but I couldn’t really enjoy it as much as I thought I would. This doesn’t mean that this wasn’t a great read though! The first part of the book was dragging a little. However, the second and third part got me really intrigued <3

࿐ I’m so excited to see Evajacks grow into something more captivating because I’m already seeing some sparks 😽

ೃ⁀➷ All in all, I’m positive that it will be amazing when I finish The Ballad of Never After!! This series will be growing on me, I’m sure of that 🫶🏻

༉‧₊˚. « I believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy. Every story has the potential for infinite endings. » ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧

🦊 ouabh - 3.75 stars
🏹 tbona - 5 stars
🍎 acftl - 5 stars

༉‧₊˚. pre-read:

omg i’m really excited to start this series!!! br with my bestie cherie 🫶🏻

 
 “If you think I'm jealous because someone else got to stab you, then you're right.” 

my spotify playlist because it's necessary.

Let's start saying that I wasn't sure if I should read this trilogy or not because I did not finish Legend and never picked it up again. I just couldn't. Tella was driving me crazy, just like everyone else. But I did get to meet Jacks and fell for him (to be honest, he was the main reason why I picked up Caraval in the first place).

I saw the hype a while ago for this book and finally I gave up...

Definitely the best decision I've made this month.

I devoured this book. I couldn't sleep, eat or think straight because my heart aching for Evangeline and Jacks.

My thoughts these last 3 days revolved around them.

Evajacks.
Evajacks.
Evajacks.

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

The synopsis really got me, and I thought about giving Stephanie a second chance.

I loved the writing so much. Despite of not liking Caraval as much as I would've loved to, I did like the writing because somehow it felt magical. I really loved the soft descriptions of places, feelings, colors, etc.

It was fast paced and the plot was good, tbh. It kept me glued to my seat reading, reading and reading... I didn't even care about anything else.

“But hope is a difficult thing to kill, just a spark of it can start a fire.”

The characters were wonderful.

I loved Evangeline so much, even if sometimes I wanted to kick her for being so naive... But I'll admit that I'm just like her. I love how determined she is to achieve her goals, to get the things she wants, how she hopes. Gods, I found myself wanting that same hope, yearning it because somewhere in my path, I lost it. I admire her determination and her faith, her optimism for people and things. Evangeline sees the bright side of people and tells herself that not everyone is bad and... Gods, I love her so much for it. And also for believing that every story has the potential for infinite endings.

“Even as a savior, he was still wretched.”

My beloved Jacks is everything, just as Evangeline. I love how arrogant he is, how he also has determination and he's stubborn as hell. I relate to him as well because we both have a distorted definition of love, lmao. Also, he's a Scorpio. Of course he'll be intense and will feel things intensively. We're water signs, what did you expect? I guess that's why a part of me said "same" with some things, lol.

“When we feel, it's intense and consuming. It devour us and drive us.”

Say it louder, LaLa, for the people in the back.

Nobody will know how fast my heart was racing and how I was so excited, screaming, giggling and kicking my feet in the air over Evangeline and Jacks.

I love how since the very first chapter Stephanie gave us little hints of many things.

“[...] She'd read that the Prince of Hearts' church held a different aroma for everyone who visited. It was supposed to smell like a person's greatest heartbreak.
[...] The dim mouth of the church was slightly sweet and metallic: apples and blood.”

Thank you, Stephanie, for breaking my heart since the beginning because I couldn't handle it after I realized about it... I just lost my sh*t. Completely.

I'm obsessed with this book.

“I'll never comprehend humans.” Poison sighed. “All of you seem to welcome our lies, but you never like it when we tell the truth.”

“I don't But still owe me one more kiss, and until I collect it, you're mine, and I do not like to share.”
“If I didn't know you better, I'd say you sounded jealous.”
“Of course I'm jealous. I'm a Fate.”

“Stop flashing your fangs. I'm the only one who gets to bite her.”