Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me early access to this book!

I would like to start off by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It just won’t become a favourite that I would re-read.

Another thing I’d point out is that if you haven’t read the Caraval series, reading this first will spoil the plot of the Caraval series, so if you would like to read that, start there first - and then read Once Upon a Broken Heart.

I really liked Jacks - he’s definitely my favourite character in this book. Some of the other characters lacked depth for me, and I couldn’t get emotionally invested with them.

The story was fast paced, and given how short this book is, quite a lot happened! I’m not sure how I feel about the vampire part, as I’m not a big fan of vampire stories.

It was also quite easy to tell that Marisol was jealous and against Evangeline, so I wasn’t surprised when that was revealed.

As I said, despite the little things I couldn’t get along with here and there, I did very much enjoy this book. It kept me entertained and turning the pages, it was a fun read and I finished it in a day.

I am unfortunately not a fan of the UK cover - looks quite childish to me, like a middlegrade book, rather than YA. The US cover is better in my opinion. I am however very much looking forward to seeing what Fairyloot does to this book in October!

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc to review!

Oh my GOODNESS! This is a masterpiece. If you liked caraval and want to see some more content then please give this a go!! I genuinely cannot recommend this enough.

I immediately ordered 2 copies after reading this haha!!

I did really read ARCs til this year, I’ve read a few now and the only problem with them is that now I have to wait even longer for the sequel and the sequel of this, is definitely one I’m eager to read.
Once Upon a Broken Heart broke my heart. The Prince of Hearts is one of my favourite characters from the Caravel world, and to see him so heavily featured in the story is wonderful.
We follow the story of Evangeline, a young girl with rose gold hair and a broken heart. She loses the love of the life to someone very close to her, and decides praying to the Prince of Hearts, whose kiss is deadly, is the only way to save their love.
And as this story is over 300 pages, it clearly doesn’t work as Evangeline hopes, taking her on a wild journey with fates, betrayal, magical arches and a whole lot of cursed stories.
We meet many great characters, some not so great characters and a lot of people willing to do anything for love. We also get to meet fates that were hardly mentioned, if at all, in the Caravel series. I would really just love to meet all the fates in so much detail.
I cannot wait for this book to get out in the world. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodderscape for gifting me this earc.

The book immediately begins very intriguing. I really love it when a story starts with a bang, and in my opinion that's exactly the start that once upon a broken heart has. I was immersed the second I began reading, which is often a good sign!

Wanting to read every spare second I have isn't something that occurs with every book I read. I really liked how brave Evangeline was in the beginning and made me immediately wonder if she might be the one for Jacks.

This story kind of gives me a Cinderella vs Alice in wonderland vibe and I absolutely love it! It's such an easy and fun read. It drawed me in and didn't let me go. I felt the joy, heartbreak & awkwardness which Evangeline went through. The writing is impeccable! It also makes me wonder why I haven't read a single book from Stephanie before. Like what was I thinking?

This is the kind of fairytale like story you can get lost in while reading, but also when you put the book aside. Amazing!

I was halfway through when I felt like I might have found my favourite 2021 book! Do I still feel that way after finishing it? ABSOLUTELY! Now the waiting begins for the second book and honestly? That's going to be one tough ride!

Thank you so much for this opportunity to read the ARC. It was an honor!

Evangeline Fox makes a deal with the Prince of Hearts to prevent the man she loves marrying her step-sister. But she should know that making deals with a Fate will have unintentional consequences, and in return for this favour the Prince extracts a promise of three kisses, to be collected at a time of his choosing...
There are some interesting ideas at work in this novel. I love the idea of a temple district full of beautiful churches and vanishing doors, and whimsical curiosity shops with sentient doorbells that try to ring to warn the heroine of the arrival of basic dudes who'll ruin her day. The idea of a wild Magnificent North where magic still infuses everything and tiny dragons sit barbecuing street food.

Sadly, not much time is spent with the charming whimsy as the story rushes ahead into a more standard YA-heroine-meets-a-series-of-extremely-attractive-boys plot.

Much is told to the reader, rather than shown through the unfolding story, scenes and dialogue. The action moves extremely fast, with the heroine making her deal with the Prince, to being taken out of action for six weeks by the consequences of her deal, during which all the Fates have returned to the world, some drastic political changes have taken place, and one of these weeks was even called "The Week of Terror", though the heroine is astonishingly incurious about what that entails and even by the end of the novel, these events are left largely unexplained. Before you cry SPOILERS! I should point out these are all events that happen in the opening scenes and are what I would call part of the set-up.

The story could have benefited from some better pacing and rounding out, perhaps spending some time with the heroine, her lover and her family and this world they lived in before everything changed. There must be a second book coming, as the story ends suddenly in the middle of a scene, leaving so many unresolved questions and plot threads.

I think this could be one if you like YA fantasy romance with some steamy kissing, but I hesitate to recommend it, especially with the unresolved cliffhanger that leaves it feeling very unfinished.

★★✩✩✩ - Hmm ok.

Spellbindingly dazzling and undeniably addictive, Once Upon A Broken Heart takes all the magical grandeur of Caraval;adds a touch of fairytale whimsy and romance that will leave you speechless—it’s magnificent!

Evangeline Fox has always believed in happily ever after,until she learns the love of her life is about to marry another. Desperate to stop the wedding (and fix her broken heart) she makes a deal with the charmingly Wicked Fate, The Prince Of Hearts. The price of his help is three kisses,to be given at a time and place of his choosing.

But, after her first promised kiss, Evangeline learns that bargaining with immortals is a dangerous game—and The Prince Of Hearts wants far more from her than she pledged. For he has plans, that will either bring Evangeline great happiness or exquisite agony...

I cannot put into words just how incredible this was, I’m honestly speechless, it was that good. I actually really loved Jacks (the Prince Of Hearts) in Legendary and after Finale’s ending I really wanted to see more of him, so having a new series with him is fantastic. I also really liked Evangeline who was almost the perfect mix of Scarlett and Donatella from Caraval (though a little more naive and optimistic than either of them.)

Though Evangeline does have another love interest in this (Prince Apollo of the northern kingdom) I felt more invested in her conversations/time spent with Jacks.The chemistry between them was palpable in all of their interactions,though it’s definitely more of a slow-burn kind of attraction/romance.

A few of the other Fates also make appearances which I enjoyed immensely and I’d love to see more of them (particularly The Unwed Bride) in future books.

The pacing was also incredibly fast —it felt like there was a lot going on; with the many twists,turns and revelations. I did love it, I just wish it was a little longer so I could’ve savoured it more. Though the writing more than made up for it, being as breathtakingly magical as Caraval,but with a more focused narrative. And after that spectacular ending I have more questions than answers;honestly, I just desperately need to get my hands on the sequel ASAP!

Overall this was an undeniably gripping and utterly magical read. I’d definitely recommend to all YA fantasy lovers,magical books or Stephanie Garber.

Also,although this is a spin off series and could be enjoyed without having read Stephanie’s previous books , I feel you’d get the most enjoyment from reading the series since they’re set in the same world as OUABH and this takes place directly after the events of Finale.

Thanks to Hodder&Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC

Evangeline has always believed in true love, fairytales and happily ever afters, but her world is turned completely upside down when she discovers that Luc, the love of her life, is engaged to someone else. Convinced that her love’s betrayal is the result of a curse or magic, she runs to the Prince of Hearts – the mysterious Jacks – and begs him to stop the wedding. But Evangeline soon realises that you should never make a deal with a Fate, as one small agreement with Jacks sets her life on a whole new path, full of danger, betrayal and dark magic.

Caraval is one of my favourite series’ and I’ve had Once Upon a Broken Heart preordered since last year so my hopes were incredibly high, but it lived up to all of my expectations and more. Evangeline was a great protagonist, with a great combination of selflessness, determination and intelligence, without being needlessly reckless like a lot of YA fantasy protagonists are. And Jacks was the fascinating character that I remember him being, although I definitely loved him more this time around. He was unpredictable all the time and so consistent with his character in Caraval that it was easy to get sucked back into his story almost immediately.

Stephanie Garber’s world-building is incredible, and her writing never fails to impress me. Every setting felt both real and magical, from the little trinket shop to Wolf Hall, and the story that combined them all was a fast-paced quest with elements of romance, fantasy and adventure that kept me hooked from the very first page.

I genuinely loved every aspect of this book, from the protagonists, to the story, to the setting, and I’m already desperate to read the next book in the series. Once Upon a Broken Heart is absolutely a new favourite for me, and I’ll definitely be telling every fantasy-lover I know to read it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I could NOT put it down!

I’d like to preface this by saying you do have to read the Caraval series beforehand. Some believe it’s not necessary but if you read OUABH before, you WILL get some MAJOR spoilers and you more than likely will not understand some references to a few characters OR catch those easter eggs.

Being a fan of Caraval, I came into this book with very high hopes and wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. The writing is familiar and feels like a sweet kiss on the cheek. Everything about Once Upon a Broken Heart SCREAMS adrenaline. The amount of plot twists that are thrown around are absolutely stunning. The story is fast-paced and the characters are so well written, you can’t help but feel like you physically know them. Imagination runs wild with this book, everything from the colours to the taste of the world is pure magic. I felt like I was watching a high-budget fantasy movie in the privacy of my own head. Stephanie Garber has done it again, she’s written a book that leaves you crying for more. I’m impatiently awaiting the next book to this series because I’ve fallen head over heels for the impeccable writing style.

If you love fantasy, YA, a bit of mystery, magic, love in the most original way, you won’t want to miss this beautiful book. But be warned, it will leave you needing more, without a doubt.

Please take in mind it’s my opinion, and everyone is allowed to have one.

This book was my MOST anticipated read of this year, and it did not disappoint!! In fact it was so good, it was completely different from Caraval but still it was magical. I still felt enchanted. It was such an easy and well written story, absolutely love Stephanie’s writing.

I will not shut up about this book, I’m in love with this.

I absolutely loved Evangeline’s character, she was so much fun. And well Jacks? He’s my man, he was one of the best characters together with Evangeline. I loved their banter.

Now let’s talk about that cliffhanger because WHAT WAS THAT? How am I suppose to go on with my life? Not knowing what’s going to happen next! I truly can’t wait for the next book, I want to know what’s going to happen.

First of all, I would like to say thank you for the review copy, which was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley. This fact does not in any way affect my personal opinion of this book. This post contains advertising and the rights for the book belong to the publisher.

A short note in the beginning:
Stephanie Garber said that the book can be read without Caraval beforehand. To be honest I think that the plot of OUABH spoils for the whole Caraval Series and that you can have trouble getting into the world when you haven't read the Caraval series. The synopsis DOES contain SPOILERS FOR the CARAVAL SERIES so please continue only if you are comfortable with it.

Of course, is this only my personal opinion on the book and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion.

I love the Caraval Series and I was so excited to hear that there will be a book about Jacks. The prince of hearts is such an interesting character and I couldn’t wait to hear more about him.
OUABH is set in the same universe as Caraval and takes place after Finale. I loved seeing old characters and the world again!
Jacks as the main male protagonist was fantastic and I also liked Evangeline. She isn’t like Scarlett or Donatella but still very likeable. I think there is still a lot of room for character development.
I liked the basic plot idea but to be honest, I had a few problems with the pacing. Some scenes were amazing and detailed but other ones were really fast and needed more details in my opinion. The book could have been 100 pages longer and more detailed in my opinion.
Sadly the book lacked a little bit of the magic that the Caraval series had but I think it will be better in the next book because it was the same with Carval and Legendary.
I am excited to read the second book and I can't wait for it.

Conclusion
A great book for all the Caraval Fans out there!

I give 4,5 from 5 Stars

Just when I thought Caraval was amazing, Stephanie went and brought us this masterpiece. I loved everything in this book: the plot, the characters, the setting... Everything added up and made the story whole. And Jacks, my dear Jacks. I love him so so much. I cannot wait to see how this develops!

I started this at 9pm, intending to read a few chapters before sleep, and finished it at 2am. Now I'm just angry I have to wait for the next in the series! Loved the mysterious, magnificent North and can't wait to go back!