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!

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!

TL;DR:
Loved - Extremely easy to read and the injection of Garber vibes we've all been waiting for.

I wish I had one of those memory neuralyzers thingymabobbers from Men in Black so I could zap my face and relive this book over and over. It's been a long time coming, but pals - it's worth waiting for. Our favourite heart terrorist is back and Jacks is here to ruffle everything up. Here's what you're in for:

✨ JACKS IS BACK 💔
✨ One happily every after that's about to go tits up
✨ A deal with a fate
✨ A good ol' fashioned betrayal

🍎 BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER 🍎
This is set in the Caraval world and whilst you don't have to have read them to know what the hell is going on, it will definitely help. There are a LOT of references that'll scoot right over your head otherwise.

And with that out of the way, meet your new gal Evangeline Fox. She's a carefree, goldeny-pink haired babe whose whole world gets turned up on its arse when her dad dies. Her fiancé has suddenly decided to marry her step-sister (hello Cinderella vibes), her shop of curiosities gets sold off and she's made a deal with a fate. The latter putting her in quite the pickle.

Now entangled with the Prince of Hearts and his kisses, Ms Fox is off on a wild adventure of betrayal, a hint of the magical world and, uh... weird arches?

It's really hard not to gush about this book and spoil everything so I'll keep it short. The characters are beautifully moulded into the world and you quickly feel a bit of a bestie vibe coming off Evangeline with her typically human traits. You'll be left with a weird sense of intrigue that draws you into Jacks. And you'll be thrown into a world etched in magic (although not as much as I'd like - I'm greedy) alongside the introduction of a few other, uh, species for good measure.

Whilst it's fantastic, it comes with a few wee downsides:
1. This is a fast-paced book - blink and you'll miss something important to try to keep up. There were definitely a few times that I got a little bit lost and had to scramble my way back.
2. This is 100% a set-up book and left FAR TOO MANY questions at the end. I love a good series, but there was like 7 questions left hanging and I cannot deal. Pls give me answers or the next book. Happy with either. Ta.

If you loved the Caraval series, you're going to be in for a bangin' good time. If it wasn't your jam, then you might wanna stay off the hype-train for this one.

A huge, huge thank you to both NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the e-arc of Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber in exchange for my completely honest and unbiased review.

I have literally just put this down and as a huge fan of the world of Caraval, I was NOT disappointed! I fell in love with Caraval, it's mystery and fairytale like atmosphere that oozed magic, mystery, deception and all things fairytale...with a twist.

Once Upon A Broken Heart totally picks up the baton from Caraval, a world of fairy tale backdrops, castles, princes, ballgowns and broken hearts, it oozes magic, mystery, spells, curses, mystery and deception. Evangeline the protagonist of the story is simultaneously a fairytale character and a fallible human, she is full of hope and belief in true love, and happy ever after, with a touch of pragmatism, and Jack is Jack, both dashing and flawed, with the insouciance of a Fate utterly used to seeing and treating human beings as tools.

The story itself is compelling, totally full of twists and turns, just as you feel you've worked it out you are suddenly flummoxed as a new twist in the tale sweeps you off your feet.

I'm not going to ruin or share any secrets from this book, but if you read and loved Caraval you are in for a delight! This book was a total 5 star read for me and I'm so excited for it's release in September!

This might just be my new favourite book of 2021.
Yes, I might be dying in bed of suspected COVID but not even that has stopped me from devouring this book. I haven’t put it down all day and I am a little annoyed at myself it’s now finished!

- original and interesting concept with great plotting and superb pacing. I was hooked from the first page.
- the characters were amazingly crafted and relatable and I loved the dynamic between jacks and evangeline.
- the build up to the end and the inevitable cliffhanger has left me crazily wanting more and you best believe I will be preordering the second book when near its release if I am not lucky enough to get another ARC!
- this magic system was a fun and unique play on what fantasy lovers already enjoy and I seriously recommend this book for everyone!

<i>I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</I>

I loved the Caraval series when I read them back to back earlier this year, so I was very excited when this book was announced. Who doesn't want to see more of our favourite morally grey Fate anyway?

Most of the story takes place in the same universe as Caraval but in a different area - I was swept away into the mysterious North with our heroine, Evangeline Fox. Evangeline is distraught after Luc, the supposed love of her life, proposes to her stepsister Marisol and so she strikes a deal with Jacks to stop the wedding. Jacks agrees, but the price is three kisses of his choosing.

It was fun to see how Jacks' kisses pulled Evangeline more and more into his schemes, and to try to work out what exactly is his aim - basically, Jacks is being Jacks just as we've come to expect. Stephanie's writing is as flowing and easy to read as ever, with more gorgeous descriptions of clothing than you could shake a stick at. There are also a number of cameos from the Caraval trilogy, and eagle-eyed readers may notice that Evangeline, Marisol and Luc were in fact briefly mentioned in Finale.

I found that I really didn't care about Luc, and we're not really given any reason why Evangeline cared about him enough to make her deal with Jacks in the first place. It only really bothered me at the start of the book as once Evangeline travels to the North he becomes largely irrelevant, but it may be part of the reason why this book took me longer to get into than expected. I still enjoyed it - a lot - I think it's just that after the Caraval trilogy my expectations were so high.

On that note, if you haven't read the Caraval trilogy you should be able to follow this as a standalone, but it is FULL of spoilers so if you intend to read the trilogy maybe do so first. And if you're like me and prefer to know if a book ends on a cliffhanger, consider this your warning.