Once Upon A Broken Heart Review

This will be a three part review series where I discuss each book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series.

Cover via the publisher’s website

Why did I choose this book?

This is my review of the first book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series by Stephanie Garber. The reason why I picked out this book was for a vain reason: I absolutely loved the cover of this book! It is such a gorgeous cover and it immediately drew my interest. The premise of this book stuck with me because it was different than other fantasy books I’d read before. I am currently rereading the series this month and these books give me all the spring vibes!

What were my favorite things about this book?

I really love the plot of this story and how it really hooks you from the first few pages because you immediately want to know what happens to the main female character Evangeline. It was enjoyable to see how the deal between Jacks and Evangeline twisted and turned throughout the story and how it changed the main characters’ interactions with others throughout the story.

This fantasy world is one of my favorites! I like how there is an air of mystery to the world but that it is still easy to understand. The concept of fairytales and legends was very cool to see in this story and it was neat to see the connection between the stories of the North and the Fates themselves. If I could choose one fantasy world to visit, I think it would be a toss up between Velaris and the Magnificent North. The author described this city perfectly and it made me feel like I was there with the characters experiencing the wonder and the magic!

I enjoyed the tension between Jacks and Evangeline and their banter back and forth! I loved the sarcasm that Jacks had, which reminded me quite a bit of Will Herondale (who I love) from the Shadowhunters series. I adored the character of Evangeline and the way that she used what others thought of weaknesses as her strengths and embraced all of her unique qualities! I thought that this book set up the series well with a good lead into the next book and I didn’t have any disappointments while reading this book!

Would I recommend Once Upon a Broken Heart?

Yes I would recommend this book (and series). I thought the storyline was intriguing and I really liked the pacing of this story and how the mysteries kept you wanting to read more. I loved both of the main characters (+ a few side characters) and their interactions with each other. The world building in this story was just wonderful and the writing really made me feel like I was going on this journey along with Evangeline. This has become one of my favorite fantasy series and it has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf!

Do I need to read the Caraval series before starting this one?

I think it’s up to you as the reader if you want to read this as a standalone series or combine it with the Caraval books. I personally read Once Upon a Broken Heart and the other books in this series without reading Caraval first. When I picked this book up initially, I didn’t realize that it was a spinoff of another book series. This book does a good job at introducing the characters and the fantasy world. I did not feel lost while reading this book or the others in this series. I will admit that I have tried to read Caraval before and found it didn’t grab my attention as well as this series but I am planning on picking it up again since I love the author’s writing and story building! I am intrigued to read more about the characters’ backgrounds and hopefully I will enjoy those books just as much as I have enjoyed the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy.

Part 2 of this review series coming soon!