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onewhogivesthevictory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I have never cried over a book before...
This book got me!
This book got me!
“So you’d rather live without me?”
“I’d rather you live.”
“I am living, Jacks, and I am not going to die anytime soon.” Evangeline
closed her eyes and then she kissed him.
It was a kiss like a prayer, quiet, almost pleading, made of tremulous lips
and nervous fingers. It felt like reaching out in the dark, hoping to find alight.
The moment I read that line I kid you not-
I gasped and my eyes widened so hard!!! Like Stephanie, fan service delivery!
I loved this series and the ending was so satisfying despite the trials and plot.
Every scene was necessary for the plot. She outdid herself with this masterpiece. As a writer, this is one of those moments where I am honestly starstruck at how beautifully orchestrated the story was and how the characters grew!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Stalking, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
boba_n_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Spice Rating: 🫑 / 5 🌶️
Stephanie Garber's writing is some of the best I've encountered in a long time. Written in the same vein as Rebecca Ross, Garber's trilogies will be ones I will return to time and time again.
Evangeline seems to have the perfect happily ever after. She's married to the prince of the Magnificent North and lives in a legendary castle. But something about this ending doesn't feel right to her. Evangeline searches to figure out what exactly it is that she's missing, even though her husband is determined to keep Evangeline's past a secret. The only way for him to secure his happily ever after is to kill Jacks, and he will do anything to go down in history.
As I reflected on this book, I realized that I came away from it with a lot of unanswered questions. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and it kept me on my toes, quickly flipping page after page. Some of the characters disappeared without a trace, and others whom you thought would play a larger role didn't get much time on the page. I think this book could've been 200, or even just 100, pages longer, and that would've solved for some of the things I was wondering about.
However, I completely enjoyed this trilogy. It and the Caraval trilogy are definitely some of the best series I've read in a while, and I'm so glad I gave them a chance. I can't wait to see what else Stephanie Garber has in store for our friends in the Magnificent North.
Stephanie Garber's writing is some of the best I've encountered in a long time. Written in the same vein as Rebecca Ross, Garber's trilogies will be ones I will return to time and time again.
Evangeline seems to have the perfect happily ever after. She's married to the prince of the Magnificent North and lives in a legendary castle. But something about this ending doesn't feel right to her. Evangeline searches to figure out what exactly it is that she's missing, even though her husband is determined to keep Evangeline's past a secret. The only way for him to secure his happily ever after is to kill Jacks, and he will do anything to go down in history.
As I reflected on this book, I realized that I came away from it with a lot of unanswered questions. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and it kept me on my toes, quickly flipping page after page. Some of the characters disappeared without a trace, and others whom you thought would play a larger role didn't get much time on the page. I think this book could've been 200, or even just 100, pages longer, and that would've solved for some of the things I was wondering about.
However, I completely enjoyed this trilogy. It and the Caraval trilogy are definitely some of the best series I've read in a while, and I'm so glad I gave them a chance. I can't wait to see what else Stephanie Garber has in store for our friends in the Magnificent North.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Animal death
Minor: Death of parent, Cursing, Torture, and Sexual content
snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Cursing, Blood, Murder, Stalking, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Infidelity
kaz_brekkerrr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
karissahodge's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing
juliesleseecke's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I am sad. This felt rushed and messy. There are so many plot holes and lose ends. Please rewrite it, my babies deserve better
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Animal death, Cursing, and Murder
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Not a bad conclusion to the trilogy, I think! Though I barely remember what happened in the previous book, besides the fact that it had a pretty big cliffhanger ending. Also, basically listened to this entire thing in a day while I was cleaning/organizing things from Christmas, so there's that! Squeaking one more book in at the last minute.
I still haven't read the Caraval trilogy, but I can pretty safely say you can read this trilogy without reading that. I enjoyed the romance, and the sort of overall fairytale quality of the book. If you like that Happily Ever After fairy tale feel, you'll most likely enjoy this book!
Garber definitely leaves room at the end for a potential to return to this world, and with how popular it is, I think she probably will! Most likely following a different set of characteres, though.
I still haven't read the Caraval trilogy, but I can pretty safely say you can read this trilogy without reading that. I enjoyed the romance, and the sort of overall fairytale quality of the book. If you like that Happily Ever After fairy tale feel, you'll most likely enjoy this book!
Garber definitely leaves room at the end for a potential to return to this world, and with how popular it is, I think she probably will! Most likely following a different set of characteres, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Animal death, and Death
Minor: Death of parent, Torture, and Cursing
bellebookcorner's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.25
“It had taken all the heartbreak, all the almost love and the wrong love, to know that this love was true love.”
Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy has finally come to an end with this book!
This is one of my anticipated reads of 2023 and I’m quite satisfied with this ending.
It’s been a wonderful filled with loveable characters, enchanting world building, captivating fairytale vibes that comes with curses, magic, vampires and Fate.
I really enjoy my time following Evangeline right from the 1st book and I admire her for always believing in true love and her heart.
I also like discovering new information regarding the origin of the curses and also knowing more about the Vale family.
However, this book also comes with new questions without giving direct answers at the end which annoyed me a little bit.
But after reading the epilogue (from various different editions), I’m guessing the author has something up her sleeve for another adventure so I'll let this one slide!
As much as I like this book, I kinda wish there’s more of Jacks’s POV instead of Apollo. It feels like we’re seeing less of Jacks in this story, I would’ve loved to see more of him and Evangline together.
Overall, this book serves as a good ending and I absolutely love this trilogy as a whole. My favorite out of all 3 books would be The Ballad of Never After!
While I'm sad that I have to say goodbye to my two favorite characters, I’m glad to see Jacks and Evangeline finally got the ending they deserved.
“You are the love of my life.
You are mine, Jacks of the Hollow.
And you’re not going to be the end of me.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: Torture and Cursing
mistytm's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Loved the book, I felt the other two in the series were significantly better and ACFTL felt very rushed, but any extra pages with jacks and Evangeline (and LaLa!!) are always welcome.
I think this series would’ve done better as a duology
with OUABH and Ballad both having a major plot as their focus, ACFTL was mostly tying off loose ends. I think Evangeline losing her memories was unnecessary, we were already familiar with Apollo being quite awful and she didn’t have any character development from losing them so I didn’t see the point. I wish we could’ve gotten more information on the history of the north, of the dates and how jacks and LaLa came to be ones, and exploration of jacks and Evangeline’s life as an immortal and a human instead of 200ish pages on the memory plot. Nonetheless I enjoyed the book and had no problem getting through it in 3 days!
I think this series would’ve done better as a duology
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing
booknerderika's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This started out better than it ended. The ending sort of fell flat for me and felt so rushed and a bit anti-climactic. Actually, the whole book felt rushed, if I'm being completely honest. I needed more and while I'm excited for another book in the Caraval world, I'm a little disappointed by this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death and Death
Minor: Cursing, Torture, and Death of parent