Title: Once Upon a Broken Heart
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781250268402
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.
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This story was nothing that I expected it to be, and I absolutely loved it. It’s been on my list to read for a LONG time, and it was a month’s long wait at the library to get my hands on a copy, but it was well worth it. Once Upon a Broken Heart is the story of Evangeline Fox as she seeks for a love that is all-consuming and passionate to sweep her off her feet. Though she thought that love to be that of the one person who holds her heart, she’s thrown for a loop when he, and her step-sister Marisol, announce their own wedding. In her desperation to stop the wedding, Evangeline turns to a wicked Fate—Jax—Prince of Hearts.
Her encounter with the Prince of Hearts sets Evangeline off on a wild and thrilling adventure as she finds herself amidst lies, deceptions, and a prophecy surrounding someone who sounds an awful lot like Evangeline. Jax is dangerous and deadly—certainly a threat and the complete antithesis to the pure Evangeline who is desperate to find her love. In opposition, Evangeline is enchanting—the belle of the ball—and the kingdom’s sweetheart, famous for her sacrifice to save the lives of her family at the ill-fated wedding between Luke and Marisol.
The story has a carnival-esque feel to it. Everything is over-the-top and infused with whimsy, yet lurking just below the surface is something more sinister. There are unseen forces at work and deadly threats. This is a world of extremes, crafted in an absolutely masterful way. Kudos to Garber on her thoughtful and meticulous world building. While Evangeline doesn’t travel far, she encounters vastly different settings and characters, few of which seem to have her best interest at heart. While she’s swept away in the spectacle of it all, she can’t trust a soul.
I loved this book so deeply, and it’s a really unique take on the fantasy genre. It’ll be months before I get the next book in the series, and I’m not sure I can wait that long!
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 