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nonotyoshi's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood
fronk10's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fun breezy read that I couldn’t put down! I loved the world building and was enchanted by the North at every turn. Even all the cliche tropes that I usually role my eyes at kept me engaged! Intrigued to see where the series goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
margaretwaltemath09's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual content
boba_nbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Spice Rating: 🫑 / 5 🌶️
Will all of Stephanie Garber's books be 5 star reads for me?? Only time will tell.
Evangeline Fox thought her first love would be her forever love until she finds out that he is engaged to her step-sister. After the death of both of her parents, Evangeline cannot take any more heartbreak, so she goes to the one person who might understand: the Prince of Hearts. Evangeline decides to strike a deal with this immortal to stop the wedding. But Evangeline soon learns that bargains with immortals are more dangerous than they let on. This simple heartbreak sets off a cataclysmic chain of events that will alter Evangeline's life forever. Does she have enough hope to go on searching for her happily ever after?
Once Upon a Broken Heart can easily be described in a couple of words: magical and whimsical. This fairytale of a novel questions how stories are passed down, who is trustworthy, and whether endings are as clear-cut as happily ever afters and tragedies.
I'm so glad I read the Caraval trilogy prior to this book and would suggest that reading order to anyone looking to start their Stephanie Garber journey, since these books have interconnecting worlds and characters. They happen within a short time period of each other, too.
I loved seeing some of my favorite characters from the Caraval trilogy make appearances in this novel. In the case of the Prince of Hearts, I always appreciate his antics and the way his character fluctuates--he always keeps you guessing. Evangeline is a great new heroine who didn't choose this life but was forced into it. I love a reluctant protagonist who is just as strong as any other.
Stephanie Garber's writing is nothing short of magnificent. The way she weaves these magical tales and settings while masterfully developing her characters should be studied. Sometimes Young Adult (YA) books can feel a bit too immature for an adult audience, but Garber's books do not. They are just as enjoyable to an adult audience as they would be for teens.
Thank you for this wonderful world, Ms. Garber. I can't wait to read more of it.
Will all of Stephanie Garber's books be 5 star reads for me?? Only time will tell.
Evangeline Fox thought her first love would be her forever love until she finds out that he is engaged to her step-sister. After the death of both of her parents, Evangeline cannot take any more heartbreak, so she goes to the one person who might understand: the Prince of Hearts. Evangeline decides to strike a deal with this immortal to stop the wedding. But Evangeline soon learns that bargains with immortals are more dangerous than they let on. This simple heartbreak sets off a cataclysmic chain of events that will alter Evangeline's life forever. Does she have enough hope to go on searching for her happily ever after?
Once Upon a Broken Heart can easily be described in a couple of words: magical and whimsical. This fairytale of a novel questions how stories are passed down, who is trustworthy, and whether endings are as clear-cut as happily ever afters and tragedies.
I'm so glad I read the Caraval trilogy prior to this book and would suggest that reading order to anyone looking to start their Stephanie Garber journey, since these books have interconnecting worlds and characters. They happen within a short time period of each other, too.
I loved seeing some of my favorite characters from the Caraval trilogy make appearances in this novel. In the case of the Prince of Hearts, I always appreciate his antics and the way his character fluctuates--he always keeps you guessing. Evangeline is a great new heroine who didn't choose this life but was forced into it. I love a reluctant protagonist who is just as strong as any other.
Stephanie Garber's writing is nothing short of magnificent. The way she weaves these magical tales and settings while masterfully developing her characters should be studied. Sometimes Young Adult (YA) books can feel a bit too immature for an adult audience, but Garber's books do not. They are just as enjoyable to an adult audience as they would be for teens.
Thank you for this wonderful world, Ms. Garber. I can't wait to read more of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
fluture's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
An intense fantasy romance. The plot was good and can make you suspect everyone before the culprit finally got revealed. Perang batin dengan pemikiran karakter utama cukup relatable and very much humane. The book is enjoyable to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse
mariahlynnpeck's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood
serene_the_pity's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
alaskachan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
justinekorson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
If you read my reviews and/or saw how I rated the Caraval series this will come as a surprise to see this book so high but, as with the Caraval series, I have some issues I want to address.
1. Is Evangeline really just that naive? I mean this in the nicest way possible.... Evangeline is stupid. Her constant back and forth with herself OVER EVERYTHING was tiresome. "Apollo isn't cursed. He actually loves me I swear!" "Jacks cursed Apollo to love me. This isn't real" "But it could be real! I believe it could be real!" WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!! If she hadn't been so trusting of Jacks literally none of this would've happened. You can't ask the Fates for things without consequences and she couldn't sus out literally any of the lies that Jack was telling her DESPITE EVERYONE, EVEN JACKS HIMSELF, saying she shouldn't trust him.
2. I still can't get over what Jacks did to Tella in Finale... he was wonderful in Legendary but in Finale he was written so badly that I fell out of love with him. I almost didn't want to read this series because of it. How could I root for a character who had FORCED SOMEONE with magic to love them by MANIPULATING AND REMOVING THEIR FREE WILL. He didn't do anything nearly as bad as that in this novel (he felt like the same character I fell in love with in Legendary) but I kept thinking back to those horrible disgusting feelings I had as I read what he did in Finale.
3. Again... Stephanie doesn't seem to want to kill off characters. (or in the case of Finale, killing of people at random for no reason). This is like the third (fourth? it's hard to keep track) time that someone's "died" only for her to say "SIKE!" and suddenly they're not dead. It's honestly annoying at this point.
4. .... Vampires.... seriously? This was a problem I also had in the Caraval series where lore was sometimes introduced so carelessly, like an afterthought and I'm somehow meant to believe it's been true this whole time? Evangeline was CONSTANTLY going on about stories from the North at the beginning, dragons and mermaids, etc. But she'd NEVER heard of vampires being real in this story she never even mentioned hearing a story about them from her mother! But Jacks made it sound like EVERY HUMAN has a fascination with vampires and knows about them. If that was true why did it surprise Evangeline so much??
1. Is Evangeline really just that naive? I mean this in the nicest way possible.... Evangeline is stupid. Her constant back and forth with herself OVER EVERYTHING was tiresome. "Apollo isn't cursed. He actually loves me I swear!" "Jacks cursed Apollo to love me. This isn't real" "But it could be real! I believe it could be real!" WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!! If she hadn't been so trusting of Jacks literally none of this would've happened. You can't ask the Fates for things without consequences and she couldn't sus out literally any of the lies that Jack was telling her DESPITE EVERYONE, EVEN JACKS HIMSELF, saying she shouldn't trust him.
2. I still can't get over what Jacks did to Tella in Finale... he was wonderful in Legendary but in Finale he was written so badly that I fell out of love with him. I almost didn't want to read this series because of it. How could I root for a character who had FORCED SOMEONE with magic to love them by MANIPULATING AND REMOVING THEIR FREE WILL. He didn't do anything nearly as bad as that in this novel (he felt like the same character I fell in love with in Legendary) but I kept thinking back to those horrible disgusting feelings I had as I read what he did in Finale.
3. Again... Stephanie doesn't seem to want to kill off characters. (or in the case of Finale, killing of people at random for no reason). This is like the third (fourth? it's hard to keep track) time that someone's "died" only for her to say "SIKE!" and suddenly they're not dead. It's honestly annoying at this point.
4. .... Vampires.... seriously? This was a problem I also had in the Caraval series where lore was sometimes introduced so carelessly, like an afterthought and I'm somehow meant to believe it's been true this whole time? Evangeline was CONSTANTLY going on about stories from the North at the beginning, dragons and mermaids, etc. But she'd NEVER heard of vampires being real in this story she never even mentioned hearing a story about them from her mother! But Jacks made it sound like EVERY HUMAN has a fascination with vampires and knows about them. If that was true why did it surprise Evangeline so much??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
emmieanna's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Objectively, this is not the best written book I have ever read, the world building is pretty basic and I do wish that certain aspects were more elaborate. This is definitely a plot over anything else kind of book (which are my faves I will say) but character development is a consequence of the plot, not what drives the plot.
However, I was HOOKED. I was making notes on my kindle like nobody’s business and was really rooting for the characters. I am so undecided with who my favourite is at this point, (LaLa is winning so far, then probably Apollo) and I will definitely be continuing the series.
However, I was HOOKED. I was making notes on my kindle like nobody’s business and was really rooting for the characters. I am so undecided with who my favourite is at this point, (LaLa is winning so far, then probably Apollo) and I will definitely be continuing the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Blood and Murder