Stephanie Garber

How far would you go for happily ever after?

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings . . . until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic but wicked Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing. 

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game—and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after or the most exquisite tragedy. . . .

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

Ally

And then ... Evangeline felt something that was not heartbreak or regret.

anya

"She's-she's-she's telling the truth” The prince's face turned red. “Evangeline didn't kill my brother. I did."

“You also like daylight" Evangeline reminded him. 

“I could probably live without the sun if I could trade it for other things." He cocked his head. “I wonder ... if I were to become a true vampire, perhaps my kiss wouldn't be fatal anymore." His fangs length- ened. “You could let me bite you and we could try it out." 

lolsies imagine losing the love of your life L

"Careful, Little Fox, you sound curious. But you shouldn't be." Jacks stopped pacing and drummed his long fingers against the iron gate, tapping a staccato sound. “I lied to Donatella. My kiss is always deadly. I slowed her heart so that it didn't kill her immediately, but it should have ended her life in a matter of days, whether or not she did what I wanted" 

“Probably because my heart started beating," Jacks said flippantly. 

“Evangeline stop looking at me like that. You're making this much more difficult." Jacks spoke between clenched teeth. 

omg girl don’t u think my werewolf scar so sexy hm

“…After I got mauled by the wolf, my scars weren't sexy scars”

"He just said sexy scars" Jacks drawled. “Are you really listening to this?" 

"Eva... is that you?" The voice had a more soothing timbre than the others, and the familiar sound of it lodged Evangeline's heart into her throat. Luc. She hadn't heard Luc's voice in months, but it sounded just like him, if not a little lovelier. It had to be some sort of vampire trick. 

“Don't stop moving." Jacks tugged on her hand. But he should have yanked harder. He should have used his Fated strength because al- though Evangeline's head agreed with Jacks, her human heart made her stop, pull her hand free of Jacks's hand, look up at the cage above, and lock eyes with her first love.

gee wilikers son this is awful convenient 

“Yes," Evangeline managed at the same moment that the girl said, “No, not unless you want her to die. She'll need close physical contact for at least a full day for the cure to take."

“Jacks?" The voice was feminine and slightly familiar. “What in Fate's name-“ 

The girl went silent as Jacks pulled the cloak from Evangeline's face. 

"She needs you to save her now" Jacks ground out.

"Hello, my heart" purred Apollo, who stretched across that same bed in a come-hither pose. His shirt was already gone. All he wore was a large amber stone over his bare chest, which glistened with something that looked a lot like oil. 

Prince Apollo: I've done much more than that, Mr. Knightlinger. (With a proud smile, the prince unbuttoned half his shirt and spread it apart to reveal a vibrant tattoo of a pair of swords curved to form a heart that contained one name: Evangeline.) 

My dearest Evangeline, I saw this gown and thought of you, because you are an angel. Forever your truest love. Apollo

Apollo took both of her hands in his warm grip. “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. Marry me, Evangeline, and let me give you everything."

he’s worse than that actually he’s a little bitch

Jacks frowned. "Why are you so angry? Do you think the prince is ugly?”

Since the last time she'd seen him, Jacks had changed his hair to a striking shade of dark blue.

Evangeline couldn't imagine a more tragic existence. If one Fate were to have sympathy for her situation, it would be the Prince of Hearts.

Aimee Maldonado

“They’d probably gently reassure her that her future was determined by her choices, not her destiny.” 

I thought if you came here with me, you might find your confidence again and possibly a fresh start. Nocte Neverending isn’t just a ball, it’s a chance at stepping into a fairytale, at changing the course of your life and finding opportunities that some people search their whole lives for.

Once Upon a Broken Heart marks the launch of a new series about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after from Stephanie Garber, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings...until she learns that the love of her life will marry another. Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing. But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game — and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy...

Once Upon a Broken Heart

THERE ARE OTHER REASONS TO DO THINGS THAN A MAN smh

Stas

You don't fancy him? So why did you warn me about him?

why the hesitation, pet, it's only kisses

Lea Labat 

And then... Evangeline felt something that was not heartbreak or regret.

Julia <3

Prince Apollo: Ive done much more than that, Mr. Knightlinger. (With a proud smile, the prince unbuttoned half his shirt and spread it apart to reveal a vibrant tattoo of a pair of swords curved to form a heart that contained one name: Evangeline.) 

Angelica brown

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

The whimsical fairytale vibe is nice and Jack kept it interesting but the story didn’t fully pull me in. 

I think I’ll still check out the next book in the series to see if it gets better

Essence

This book was cute but I wanted more. 

The whimsical fairytale vibe is nice and Jack kept it interesting but the story didn’t fully pull me in. 

Not a bad read, just average.

I think I’ll still check out the next book in the series to see if it gets better

Took a very long time for me to get into, but once I got into it, it got a lot better! Definitely recommend this one even though the start wasn’t the best! Got better as it went on! I did not like that it was in 3th person but was bearable!

Femke

After reading this book, I have many questions. For example, why did Evangeline lock her sister in a room she could possibly escape from? Why did the Prince of Hearts sleep for so long, and did he actually know that Prince Apollo wasn’t truly dead but rather in a state of limbo? If it was the Prince of Hearts who put him in that state to try to fulfill the prophecy, then why did Apollo’s brother admit to killing him? And finally, was it Evangeline trying to open the door at the end, or was it someone else?

I think this was an interesting book. If you’re okay with reading a story that includes some tarot card elements, then you might enjoy it. Personally, I don’t really enjoy that kind of thing, so I didn’t like that element as much.

Chulandon leanday Bradley 

After reading this book, I have many questions. For example, why did Evangeline lock her sister in a room she could possibly escape from? Why did the Prince of Hearts sleep for so long, and did he actually know that Prince Apollo wasn’t truly dead but rather in a state of limbo? If it was the Prince of Hearts who put him in that state to try to fulfill the prophecy, then why did Apollo’s brother admit to killing him? And finally, was it Evangeline trying to open the door at the end, or was it someone else?

I think this was an interesting book. If you’re okay with reading a story that includes some tarot card elements, then you might enjoy it. Personally, I don’t really enjoy that kind of thing, so I didn’t like that element as much.

uh… i don’t connect with the characters…

hana

I loved it!!! Let’s all be real, it’s soooo slow but I just couldn’t stop flipping the pages. It sucked me in, and it was MAGICAL. It kept me intrigued and curious, and I think that’s the greatest impact it has. 

I haven’t read fantasy for years so I thought it’d be a challenge to read this, but it was actually easy and kept my imagination alive! I’m so excited to dive into the next books!!! Also, JACKS. Need no other words. Just, JACKS. Period. I’m well convinced he’s a Fate because he’s enchanting as hell even just through the pages. 

I loved it!!! Let’s all be real, it’s soooo slow but I just couldn’t stop flipping the pages. It sucked me in, and it was MAGICAL. It kept me intrigued and curious, and I think that’s the greatest impact it has. 

I haven’t read fantasy for years so I thought it’d be a challenge to read this, but it was actually easy and kept my imagination alive! I’m so excited to dive into the next books!!! Also, JACKS. Need no other words. Just, JACKS. Period. I’m well convinced he’s a Fate because he’s enchanting as hell even just through the pages. 

i love ship tropes that go, "we are each other’s second chance at love," and evajacks embodies that perfectly. evangeline once believed luc was her happily ever after, just as jacks was convinced that donatella was his one true love. and yet, despite their broken hearts and bad past experiences with love, eva and jacks kept gravitating toward each other. there’s just something so compelling about two people who thought love had ultimately failed them, only to find it again — where they least expected it.

combine that with the enchanting fairy tale vibes and the themes of love and betrayal in this book, and it becomes everything i’ve ever wanted in a romantasy. and, of course, i am living for their slow burn relationship. i can’t wait to read the second book — i’ve heard even greater things about it!

(now, i just need to find out where I can get a physical copy of ballad because it’s out of stock everywhere i look.)

joey

i love ship tropes that go, "we are each other’s second chance at love," and evajacks embodies that perfectly. evangeline once believed luc was her happily ever after, just as jacks was convinced that donatella was his one true love. and yet, despite their broken hearts and bad past experiences with love, eva and jacks kept gravitating toward each other. there’s just something so compelling about two people who thought love had ultimately failed them, only to find it again — where they least expected it.

combine that with the enchanting fairy tale vibes and the themes of love and betrayal in this book, and it becomes everything i’ve ever wanted in a romantasy. and, of course, i am living for their slow burn relationship. i can’t wait to read the second book — i’ve heard even greater things about it!

(now, i just need to find out where I can get a physical copy of ballad because it’s out of stock everywhere i look.)

The ending was good but i was kinda bored in the beginning 

Nour wael

I JUST finished this book and I am simply obsessed with the entirety of Stephenia Garber's creations. I... I'm just amazed and bamboozled by everything. 

I have been team Jack since Caraval and no one can make me change my mind. This world is simply beautiful and I can't wait to finish it.

Tsu 💙

I JUST finished this book and I am simply obsessed with the entirety of Stephenia Garber's creations. I... I'm just amazed and bamboozled by everything. 

I have been team Jack since Caraval and no one can make me change my mind. This world is simply beautiful and I can't wait to finish it.

At first I thought this book was just a normal book with the female’s pov. But I was face with disappointment when it turns out that the book is in third pov. All and all, the book is amazing and I’m able to finished the book.

Whimsical and fun read. I wouldn’t say it’s amazing but I do find myself loving it and possibly rereading it for fun many times! Additionally, thank goodness I wasn’t tricked into reading a book that seemed like a romantic book but filled with smut: this didn’t have any and I’m so happy about that 😭🤍

Leann!

I really liked it. exited to see what comes next!

Salomé Gleusteen 

updating to 5 stars because this quickly became one of my fave trilogies 🙂‍↕️☝️

rara

shiya

“Why are you so angry? Do you think the prince is ugly?” LOL 

Gabriela Kondratyuk

big ab

i am just not a big fan of this author i fear… i see what she’s aiming for, the whimsical magical twists and turns. but her main characters are so stupid and easily manipulated that i find it distracting..

Stellar intro to the series, Stephanie Garber’s world building and original folk lore are really what pulled me into this series (the bells were my favorite part!). Character descriptions in this book were just so tasty, I couldn’t put it down - and yes, OBVIOUSLY I’m obsessed w jacks! 

The only reason this isn’t a 5 star review is evasive there were points in the book were I just didn’t really vibe with the writing style, but her the world and story were just so intriguing I couldn’t put it down.

(Ps this books contains heartbreak as a major theme, so I just couldn’t resist tagging it as heartbreaking 💔)

Caitlin

Stellar intro to the series, Stephanie Garber’s world building and original folk lore are really what pulled me into this series (the bells were my favorite part!). Character descriptions in this book were just so tasty, I couldn’t put it down - and yes, OBVIOUSLY I’m obsessed w jacks! 

The only reason this isn’t a 5 star review is evasive there were points in the book were I just didn’t really vibe with the writing style, but her the world and story were just so intriguing I couldn’t put it down.

(Ps this books contains heartbreak as a major theme, so I just couldn’t resist tagging it as heartbreaking 💔)

Jennifer Gosnell

After thoroughly disliking the Caraval series, I was concerned I would not like these either, BUT I had already bought the trilogy (a bad habit I’m hoping to break this year lol). Very pleasantly surprised! I found the characters to be far more engaging and likeable and interesting. The plot was also way more straightforward and MADE SENSE. It was an overall very fun ride. I liked the Northern setting a lot as well. Looking forward to what happens in book 2.

Linara K.S

1.75 🌟 
I'm sorry but this read like a first-draft.
Vangie Fox really wasn't likeable and her dilemmas are so ridiculous at times I couldn't help but wonder why I even bothered to read through her crap. 
It's entertaining that's why. 
Like a bad reality-show to guilty/binge-watch.

Such a beautifully developed fantasy world, definitely want to know what happens next

Haley

hey jacks when they said malewife mansplain manipulate how far did you think you had to take it

slightly overhyped but i’ll still be reading the next books.

Piper Palmer

Anjorin Molayo 

I loved reading this book! It was so good. And i’m in love with Jacks ❤️

kalenga 

4.5 stars easily.

I loved every second of this book. Loved it from the characters to the world building to the beautiful imagery and descriptions throughout. It was interesting and gripping from the first page to the last and kept you wanting more. The only reason I haven’t given it five stars is because i’m quite picky when it comes to giving them out but i don’t doubt it’d easily earn itself the rating the moment i reread it and get a taste of how magical the reading experience was again.

Winona

** spoiler alert **
           i've never been so invested in a book before??? first of all EVANGELINE FOX!!!!! she is so 😩 the rose gold hair JUST HER!!!! i love her so much. i hated how she trusted luc so fast even though its so obvious he was lying. is it wrong of me to say that i liked apollo at first????? PLEASE HE WAS JUST SO CUTE 😭 and marisol made me SO MAD i regret ever thinking she was ok *rolls eyes*. JACKS. just. JACKS!!!!!!!!! i loved the sexual tension between them im just like : me when. IM SO EXCITED TO READ THE SECOND BOOK BUT ALSO I JUST WANT TO WAIT FOR THE THIRD BOOK BEFORE CONTINUING 😕 anyway i loved it.

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

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