this book was a complete surprise. While i enjoyed the caraval trilogy (well, the first book, and the second. the third was a disappointment for me) in the end i wasn't blown away by the story or the characters. This book is definitely better. i liked the protagonist, Evangeline, i liked the change of setting, even if i wanted something more of the new magical event. And obviously i liked Jacks, one of the redeeming things of the third caraval book.

Loved it loved it loved it. I was so engrossed and then it just finished and I wanted to cry. Love the protagonist, love Jack's and love the whole book. Read it.

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for the review copy of Once upon a broken heart.

This book is set in the same world as the Caraval series, just after the events in the final book Finale.

It focuses on a new character Evangeline Fox and features Jacks from the Caraval series being his usual trickster self and of course eating a lot of apples.

Both Evangeline and Jacks have suffered a recent heartbreak and sort of end up teaming up for an adventure.

Like the Caraval series there is lots of magic, mystery, myths come to life and pretty dresses.

While I did enjoy the Caraval series I did at times find the language exhaustingly flowery but thankfully I found Once upon a broken heart an easier read and I'm looking forward to book two... I still have a lot of questions.

Stephanie Garber's Caraval trilogy was a gorgeous carnival or tricks and treats, of grand epic supernatural beings, quests, magic, mysteries, and the kind of romances that have bows, sterns, keels, and a lot of sails. And at it's heart, a story of sisterhood. While I had felt perfectly satisfied and complete by the end of the trilogy, I have to admit that I am pretty happy to be back revisiting this world. Plus, with Jacks at the centre of things, most Caraval readers are thrilled.

Once Upon a Broken Heart is an enchanting, whimsical fantasy escape, filled with glitz, glamour, and glitter, but also with the darkness and mud beneath it. It could technically be read by a new reader, but I would definitely recommend anyone interested to go back and read the first books in this world. Garber's world has a beautiful intricacy, and while there may be some repetitive themes, this is definitely a world that asks for expansion. I hope to be able to spend more time in this carnival

This is the first book I have read by the author and all I can see is I can't wait to read more - especially the sequel to this fabulous tale.
Evangaline Fox is desperate to stop the wedding of her step sister Marisol to the love of her life Luc. One moment Luc is planning to wed her and the next Evangaline is dumped with Marisol taking her place. This is unacceptable and can only have happened if Luc has fallen under a curse...or so Eva believes. To this end she searches out and finds a Fate (depicted in playing cards) called the Prince of Hearts aka Jacks, and wishes for the wedding to be stopped, however as is always the case there is a price to be paid!
This wish sets Eva and her sister on a path lined with stories starting in their homeland of the South and leading them to the Magnificent North. Stories rule the characters in this book, but not all stories are true or only for a certain perspective of truth. We have heartbreak, betreyal, hidden agendas, double blinds, murder, magic but key to all is hope that the story will play out to end well.
I was gripped and I have always loved the concept that our world is ruled by the stories we tell ourselves and others, a theme often explored by writers such as Terry Pratchett. Dive in and enjoy.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC and I will be keeping the sequel on my radar!

The premise of the story is very intriguing and I really enjoyed the early set up of the narrative. Evangeline is in a pretty thorny situation as her love is due to marry her step-sister, which causes all sorts of moral dilemmas and questions about what she should and shouldn’t feel about the situation. I thought this was cool, and immediately made me sympathise with her. The initial meeting with Jacks is also very well done and atmospheric and I found myself keen to dive in more.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of the rest of the book. I probably should have known that I wouldn’t be, given that I fell out of love with the Caraval series pretty early on. Still, Garber has this very fairy tale writing style that I always crave more of, and so I was willing to give it another go. I think people who liked Jacks and want to see more of him will really eat up this story, and it was fun to see more of him. The worldbuilding too was very unique and I liked how Garber incorporated so many little details in it, but ultimately I think that’s where my issues with the novel really lie- as much as I enjoyed the concepts of the world in the book, it still somehow manages to feel a bit… empty almost? I found myself struggling to figure out where characters were supposed to be, or what was happening, I think in part because there was a lot of White Room Syndrome going on. While details of the world are incredibly thought out and intricate, there’s a real lack of descriptions that would help a reader figure out the settings where the scenes are taking place. While I enjoyed the whimsical style of writing, I wasn’t keen on how often the story relies on telling the reader things, rather than showing them, either. This was one of my main gripes with Caraval, too. When you’re writing in that kind of style, it’s hard to get that balance right. Some of my favourite books, such as The Raven Cycle series and Strange the Dreamer have similar styles, but I feel like they manage to walk that line between whimsical and telling. Again, I think it’s very similar in language and style to Caraval so if you enjoyed the series, you’ll likely enjoy this one too. I just personally found it felt a bit too young for me.

The characters were reasonably interesting, and I quite enjoyed Evangeline and Jacks, although I wasn’t too fond of most of the rest of the cast. Again, I have a few issues with the characters, mostly because a lot of them will behave in ways that at times doesn’t make sense or contradicts what we know about the character. There’s a lot of back and forthing about certain plot elements and decisions, particularly from Evangeline. I didn’t really understand some of the developments because of this, and again it was a pretty significant reason why the book fell a bit flat for me. Evangeline is, at times, very clever and shrewd, and then all of a sudden she’s super naïve when the plot calls for it, and I just felt like it was a bit of an easy fix. She was great at the start of the story, when she came across as capable and somewhat confident in herself, but it didn’t hold up for the whole novel.

There were aspects of the novel that I enjoyed. It was cool to see a bit more of Jack’s character, especially outside of the annoying love triangle stuff that I struggled with so much in the Caraval series. The worldbuilding ideas were very creative and inspiring and I loved all the little magical details woven through it. But ultimately, there was too much telling going on, not enough worldbuilding of key elements that were essential to the plot. Again, I love that kind of writing style, but there’s definitely other books that I would encourage people to try first, ahead of this one. Maybe Garber’s writing just isn’t for me?

I would like to say that the first half was fun because of the citations from the Caraval trilogy. Many say that you shouldn't read the Caraval trilogy before reading this but I beg to differ. reading the Caraval trilogy sets the mood and enjoyment of reminiscing the citations and characters from the said trilogy.

My one off parts for this book was the romances between the characters are too cheesy. I hope to see more angst and tension than easily swooned by flowered words and radiating masculinity.

Rating: 3.5/5

I'm a little disappointed. It's not that I didn't like the book, but it also didn't give me what I was expecting.
I actually liked the story. A girl makes a deal with the devil to stop the wedding of the boy she loves. And this boy is actually getting married to her stepsister.
What not to love? Especially because the devil in this case is a Fate called Jacks, the Prince of Hearts. Beautiful, damned, snarky and everything in between. I mean, if a character is described as follow "He looked like a bad decision some unfortunate person was about to make", we all know he is going to steal my heart.
But unfortunately Jacks and the story weren't enough to make me like Evangeline. Which I think is the main issue here. At the end of the day, I couldn't care less for her. She actually annoyed me quite a bit and despite my love for Jacks I was really against any romance between them.

I'm assuming things will change as this is only the first book in a series, but alas as of now I can judge only what I read. I'm all in for Jacks and his trickery ways, but Evangeline has a long way to go to back that up.

I ended up DNFing this book. It started really well and I was so invested, but then it dropped and became boring and I couldn't really bring myself to finish reading it.

The fairy-tale elements in this story are very well crafted, though, and I loved how the author used them when I began reading. Just for that, maybe I'll give this a try again later, but right now, it's not for me.

Thank you, netgalley, for providing me with this ARC.
(even if I read it after the launch date)

3.5 / 5 stars for a book that I loved , surprisingly, a lot. It took me longer to start this book than I expected. For some reason I couldn't pick it up, fearing I would dislike the book for some reason. This book proved me otherwise.

I was hooked from the start, glad to be back in the magical world I so gravely missed. Caraval was a book series I read earlier this year and one I loved dearly. When I got to see familair characters again, like Tella and Scarlett, my heart was warmed. But Evangeline really did steal the show for me.

For some reason I had expected to dislike her character, when in reality I ended up loving her from the first page. Sure the story was a bit rushed at some parts, but it's what I kind of liked about this book. It had no boring parts and it left me with my mouth wide open when yet another reveal was made. Some I seriously did not see coming and others that had me like, oh right that figures.

The writing was once again alluring and Stephanie Garber did a great job of making you fall in love with her world building once more.

The end left me fuming though, because what the hell! I don't need more, I want more. Right away.

A kind thank you to the publisher who granted me an e-ARC of this book.

First of all, this is a lovely story. I especially liked how most (if not all) characters aren't purely good or purely bad. I found it very relatable and genuine that the characters had a reason for their actions that made sense, even though it wasn't well-intented etc. But the fairytale-like writing style, including the naming choices, just isn't for me.

However, the Evangeline - Jacks interactions were gripping (these two certainly have chemistry), and I really liked Lala. I thought she and Jacks were the most interesting characters.

If you like romantic fairytale-like stories with a touch of a mysterious love interest, you'll enjoy this one a lot.

Wow. This is a stunning, adult fairytale, full of magic, mystery, danger and romance.

Evangeline is broken hearted when she discovers that Luc, the love of her life is destined to marry another. She seeks out the Prince of Hearts, Jacks, a Fate, to help her stop the wedding taking place, despite the warnings and tales of danger of using a Fate, she goes ahead. He asks in exchange for her to give 3 kisses, but these will be with who, when and where he chooses. Little does she know that is just one of many prices she will have to pay and that her life is set to get very dangerous..

This is not my typical kind of read but I was drawn to this by the description and read this in the space of a day. It really is that good. I was not aware of the Carval series before I read this story, but I don’t feel this hampered my enjoyment

Despite his shadiness, I actually rather liked Jacks, he is somewhat of an antihero that I was mentally cheering on despite his actions and behaviour. I really liked the chemistry between him and Evangeline.

This ended on a cliffhanger and I will certainly seek out the next book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Such an interesting read! This is the first book of Stephanie Garber’s that I’ve read and I really wished I had read Caraval first. The story telling has a very unique ethereal feel to it - almost like how I’d imagine being in the North felt like to Evangeline. I really like Jacks but I can’t tell if he’s a good guy or not and I’m also not fully clear on Marisol.

I like the storytelling, I liked the characters and I liked the plot. I didn’t like the ending and all then unanswered questions. I don’t know how much of this is due to not reading the earlier books or from things just being open ended because of the next book. I do know that I will definitely be reading them and will continue with the rest of this series. 4/5

4.5 Stars
This book brings up back into the world of Caraval that we all know and love, with a familiar face added to the mix, but with a whole host of new characters. I loved being able to explore this world with new characters and having the opportunity to experience the magic of the North. A must read for fans of magic and whimsy, and of course, the Caraval series.

Evangeline grew up in her father's curiosity shop, but little did she know that her life was to become curious itself. She is in love and wants to save her Luc from being married to another. She believes he is cursed. She finds the Prince of Hearts and to help her he asks for 3 kisses. Not for himself, for his kiss is deadly except to his true love, but for her to kiss 3 people of his choosing. What could possibly go wrong when you bargain with a mischievous Fate?

Enchanting and unpredictable, this is a wonderful new part of the Caraval world that stands quite well on its own. You don't have to have read Caraval to read this, but if you haven't read it after this. It's sooo good. But back to this story and its enthralling premise.

First of all, I was beyond excited when I realized this series included apple-wielding Jacks, who is that kind of dangerous and misbehaving you can't help but love. Evangeline has a big heart and you like her instantly, but that naivete of hers that gets her into trouble? Well, you certainly want to knock some sense into her while hugging her at the same time. The evolution of her character is done with precision and a wonderful insight into human nature. As is the caf for all the characters.

Garber's writing is as gorgeous and inviting as always, her figurative speech with its beyond creative wordplay, touching all the senses. Her worldbuilding is so charming, you feel like you're there and wish it too. The narrative has a whimsical streak and the correct tints of emotion that draw you in and never let go. Everything feels new and exciting, just like it does to our heroine. Let us not forget the author is a maestro at swoon-worthy.

"Every story has the potential of infinite endings" says the book preparing us for an adventurous ride. I really enjoyed not having any idea of what Jacks is up to, the mystery so enticing. What a master at manipulation, or is he? There are many points in the book where you will bring your hand to your chest and gasp, or your heart will lurch. There's even a prophecy. I love prophecies.

I really enjoyed the tidbits, cameos from Caraval.

The heart is fickle, wanting whatever it wants, not what makes sense. This story is about following said heart, but also about believing in yourself. Faith and hope are essential ingredients. It also questions the idea of fate.

Sparking the imagination in a comfortable, enveloping way and your intrigue to a page-turning frenzy, this is an amazing start to a potentially great series.

I absolutely loved this adventure. It was one of the most magical books I have ever read, and the protagonist Evangeline was just… everything. She was almost the heroine and villian of her own story, with the concequences of actions being far reaching, and this level of planning and forethought really resonated with me as a reader.

We’re met with a small cast of regular characters whom we come to know well – essentially, Evangeline, Jacks and, later, Marisol. Throughout the book, we come to see bits and pieces of their characters form brilliantly vibrant people that could simply jump off the page, and Jacks, trickster he is, possibly would.

I’ve always been a fan of morally grey characters, and Jacks certainly fits this brief perfectly. We’re never quite sure from page to page whether he is on Evangeline’s side or simply playing the cards to suit himself, and I adored this. Where Evangeline makes mistakes and choices, and has to deal with the concequences of those actions as they come, Jacks appears to always be thinking several steps ahead, never allowing us to fully trust him. Yet at the same time he allows himself to be vulnerable enough for us to see true parts of his character, and the bits we do see become more and more fascinating.

As the cards unfold, we’re left to wonder just how much of all of the situation has been that of Jacks’s design, and how much is, really, fate. Evangeline is faced with circumstances she could never have predicted, and we certainly couldn’t have seen coming from the beginning of the book.

Overall, this was just a fantastic read. A wonderful fantasy, a beautiful mystery, and the start to a fascinating series.

I very much wanted to like this book and I did? Sort of? It frustrated me, in terms of pacing and, even though it’s clearly part of an ongoing trilogy or series, I was still kind of surprised by the ending, which wasn’t an ending. I would have liked some manner of resolution, rather than feeling that I had read an unfinished book.

However, the imagination behind this story? Fantastic. There’s so much of a world here that I’m fascinated by and even though I was frustrated by this book, I have bought this author’s other series, set in this universe. There’s a suitable amount of intrigue but parts of the book feel rushed, and perhaps there is more depth to come in future books, but I found that a lot of the background characters were very shallow.

The concept is super; a world with magic, where one domain’s history is another domain’s fairytale. There is a heroine who believes in true love and a stepsister who may or may not be wicked. Then there are the Fates, inhuman and immortal (although they may die), who seem to toy with humans. Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, is an intriguing character, with murky morals and a potentially tragic backstory, and I don’t know if the lack of depth in his character is so that we don’t figure him out too quickly but I do think the books suffers for it. I prefer my antagonist or anti-hero to be more compelling, I guess.

Overall, I’m still suitably interested in where the story is going but I think I might wait for the series to be complete before I delve back in.

Rating: 3 stars (maybe not the book for me?)
TL;DR: Unfinished narrative about a plucky heroine whose belief in true love has a knock-on effect throughout kingdoms.

Amazing story, magical, a little spooky and very romantic.

Evangeline is a little pathetic with her feelings to the boy, who isn't worth it. She did the stupidest thing to be with him and needs to pay for that.

Prince of Hearts has a really interesting past and his plans are crazy.

I really like Stephanie's written style. It's very smooth, cozy and poetic. I love it!

Having heard of Stephanie Garber and her famous series, I thought this was a great opportunity to get acquainted with her writing style. Sort of feel out the terrain, see if her writing clicks with me.

The genre certainly is perfect for me, and being a fan of fantasy, magical realism, fairy tales, it just made me even more excited to pick this up. Therefore, I immediately want to thank the publisher for allowing me to get this ARC. I was thrilled.

Now...This book starts off with no dilly-dallying around. You're thrown right into the events, right into the action, and that's okay. There was no info-dumping, but there was also not a lot of world-building or setting the scene.

For a couple of chapters, I kept waiting for us to kind of go back and dedicate more time to certain characters and settings, but it didn't happen. In a way, this was definitely a con.

It felt, in a way rushed. This is a book that you could easily read in one sitting. The writing isn't too floral and complex, which is why some incredibly beautiful and whimsical descriptions of particular things felt off. Simply because it didn't feel like it flower very well and blended well with the overall writing.

Neither Jacks or Evangeline as characters were that deep. They felt very flat to me, therefore, I didn't really get gripped by the story, and I didn't find that I was engrossed in their ''fates''.

In a way, this felt like cooking up a big stew, without following the recipe book, so you end up mixing all kinds of spices and ingredients, that don't really go together. If the story centered around one or two things, and we explored that deeper, I think I would have enjoyed it more.

I can definitely see fans of Caraval loving this, or perhaps someone who has read The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, or Even The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. Though, I have to respectfully add, that both of the previously mentioned works are my favourites and definitely slightly superior. I do think this had the potential to be just as good as those books. But it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

2.5 stars

I'll start my review with a huge admission: I didn't read the Caraval series.
To the author's credit, I did not get that feeling of something flying over my head. This book stands well on its own—me not reading the author's previous work is entirely on me, but I just did not get the Jacks's hype or got hung up on details a Caraval fan would appreciate more. This book was purely read for its own sake and because I'm a sucker for pretty covers and whimsical writing.

HA! There you have it.

Now. let's move to THIS book.
It started with a brilliant search for a lost door—I'm a sucker for those too, you know. A broken-hearted girl seeks the help of a Fate to stop the wedding of her supposedly true love to her stepsister in exchange of whatever the Fate asks for. Knowing that most deals with Fates are doomed, and since they are volatile creatures who tend to play cruel jokes on humans, our protagonist finds this a good idea. Hmmm!

So, you see, it starts with a hot lump of mess that gets even messier from one chapter to the next, and not necessarily in a good way. In an attempt to rectify her bad decision, our protagonist makes even more worse choices. To tell the truth, our protagonist Evangeline Fox wasn't my cup of tea.

"She didn't want to jump too quickly to conclusions"

But she does. She always does.

And here's a list of things that added to my frustrations:

- The one-dimensional characters.
- The magic's lack of nuance.
-Jacks wasn't that interesting. Neither was Evangeline.
- Are we done with a trademark look to fulfill a prophecy? Rose-gold hair? Seriously?
- The prophecy's lack of nuance. It doesn't even rhyme.
- What happened to the week of terror. It was thrown in the middle of chapter two, I guess, and then it got tossed out of the narrative.
- A lot of things were thrown into the mix all at once. Prophecies, vampires, childhood fairytales, and more. It was entertaining in parts, I admit. But many times, I felt the story is getting out of control. I feel like if this book took one more year of careful plotting and editing, it would have been something altogether different and enticing.
- Excessive and lengthy description of attire: doublets and their glittering buttons, skirts and their folds, form-fitting lace corsets, gowns like buttercream or dragon scales or what have you. It was endless and exhausting.

If I am to describe this book in one word, I'd say "entertaining". But it wasn't exactly enjoyable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my eGalley.