Once Upon A Broken Heart

Synopsis

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 . . . 

Loved

• Evangeline. I just love all of Stephanie Garber's heroines because they don't have to be brutal, immature, bratty, or horrible at communicating in order to be strong. Evangeline is a refreshing heroine because she always does the right thing (or what seems like the right thing at the time). She is very selfless and always does what is right toward others, even if it means the worst for her. I also love that she's compassionate and empathetic, but can hold her own in banter and battles of wits against the Prince of Hearts himself. I love this heroine and I can't wait for more of her story!

• Jacks. Of course. Ever since reading Legendary the first time, I have totally loved Jacks because he is just a gorgeous villain. We readers simply cannot hate him, no matter how wicked he turns out to be. He is irresistible because of his sarcasm, mystery, and flirtatious banter. Although this story is more about Evangeline than Jacks, it's fun to see where his story goes after the devastating end of Finale. I do hope we get to see some character development for Jacks in the next book to find out if he's a cinnamon roll or just a flat-out wicked villain . . . 

• The plot. Wow, this plot had us turning pages at break-neck speed, and if you stopped to catch your breath you got left behind. This story had us jumping from one mystery to the next while dodging love potions, poisons, gossip, betrayal, ancient prophecies, and even VAMPIRES. Yes, vampires make an appearance in this fairytale!

• Stephanie's magic writing. I said in one of my reviews of Caraval that I would read anything she wrote- literally she could write a manual on cockroach mating and I would be 100% down because her writing is to die for- and this story did not disappoint! It felt much more like a fairytale than a Victorian carnival, which brought a whimsical magic that completely swept me away just like I was hoping. Her stunning metaphors, vivid personification, and sensual descriptions all make this story sparkle and dazzle.

Didn't Love

• I loved this plot because it was so fast, engaging and easy to follow, but I did feel like it was a tad bit disorganized at times. It felt at times that the plot was written around certain scenes, and that it was pieced together a little roughly. However, I was so dazzled by the gorgeous writing, plot twists, and immediately lovable characters, that I wasn't bothered by this and it didn't take away from the story for me.

• The ending- what?! I won't spoil, but I'm still processing what the heck happened! Just know that we don't get any answers in this book and that we have to wait a year for any resolutions!! I did feel like a huge explanation was info-dumped at the end and that it might have been a little more gradually explained, but again, I'm not upset about this, just noting it :)

Content

• Language: 
• None

• Sexual content: 
• We've got some steamy kisses and one fairly spicy scene:
• A steamy kiss involving his "squeezing her backside," "plundering her lips," messing up her hair, and her feeling his heat through both their layers of clothing. She finally has to push him off her to end the kiss.
• A spicy scene where a man (different than the above mentioned) kisses a girl very passionately: his lips graze her neck, he licks her neck, and he traces his finger down her breast into her corset.
• A man holds a girl inappropriately for a ballroom, making it look like they are making out in a corner, when they are actually just talking.
• A man prepares for his wedding night by waiting on the bed without a shirt and covered in oil. Nothing more happens.
• Much talk of the wedding night, sensual kisses, and passionate love from love potions.

• Violence
• A man dies from being poisoned.
• A family is turned to stone temporarily.
• A man is attacked by a wolf and severely injured.
• People are turned into vampires and one is killed as it attacks characters.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, this story did exactly for me what I had hoped it would: it swept me away with its lyrical writing, engaging plot, and characters who were so fun to root for. The mysteries and plot twists were gripping, keeping the pace of the book very fast without any downtime or slow moments. Evangeline is a refreshing heroine, and Jacks is the most drool-worthy and beautiful villain ever written- so they're the perfect pair for an adventure fairytale. This story did have a few small flaws in that the plot felt patched together at times, with the plot moving so quickly that it had a little trouble keeping up with itself. However, this is such a magical story that will sweep readers away and have them dying for the next book! If you haven't read Caraval and plan on reading it, definitely read it before picking up this one because it spoils the end of the series, and you'll miss quite a few references. Lovers of Caraval or any fairytales will completely devour this story and be swept away by its whimsical and sparkly magic!