“Once Upon a Broken Heart,” written by Stephanie Garber, is a fantasy romance novel that shows betrayal and carries a whimsical tone throughout.
Main character, Evangeline Fox, navigates her desire for a fairy-tale ending and a tricky deal made with a manipulative fate.
The reader sees things through Evangeline’s eyes in this story filled with magic and a quick-moving plot. This is the beginning of a trilogy that is connected to Garbers other series “Caraval.”
Though the story takes place in the same world and does have a small number of crossover characters, you do not need to read “Caraval” before reading “Once Upon a Broken Heart,” but it is recommended by the majority of fans.
The novel depicts themes such as family, love, deception and obsession. With many powerful quotes from the characters, the novel creates many memorable scenes.
The story primarily takes place in the land of the “Magnificent North,” a magic-filled land that has been cursed so that every story that comes from there will never be fully or correctly remembered.
Evangeline is a peasant girl who believes in fairytales and happily ever after’s but is heartbroken after she learns her boyfriend is about to marry her stepsister. Desperate to stop the wedding, she prays and makes a deal with the fate Jacks, also known as the Prince of Hearts.
In this world, fates are God-like immortal beings, who were trapped for centuries but were freed at the beginning of the book. The fates are known to be tricky and evil, and three known rules come with them for the people who dare to bargain with one.
“Always promise less than you give, for the fates will always take more. Do not make bargains with more than one fate. And, above all, never fall in love with a fate,” Garber writes in the novel.
Jacks, a charismatic, careless and rude character agrees to stop the wedding but in turn, Evangeline owes Jacks three kisses, which are of Jacks’s choosing – who is to be kissed and when they are used.
This deal is represented by three heart marks that appear on Evangeline’s wrist after she takes Jacks up on his offer, showing what’s left of their transaction.
Though Jacks does fulfill his end of the deal, his solution is to turn the wedding party into stone, which Evangeline gets upset about and willingly turns herself to stone to replace the wedding party. She stays in this stone state for six weeks.
This is the action that kicks off the rest of the book. Filled with love spells, potions, curses, vampires and romantic tension, this novel leaves readers at the edge of their seats. As well as a prophecy that Jacks will do anything to make things play out in his favor.
