I am so grateful that I did not realize that Once Upon a Broken Heart was written by Stephanie Garber when I first picked it up, because I could not get into her Caraval series, so if I realized that she had written this beforehand, I may have passed it up, and missed out on all of the magic found between the pages, and that would have broken my heart {no pun intended}. But I digress...
While some grow up in grocers or bakeries, seventeen-year-old Evangeline Fox had a far more interesting environment during her younger years: that of her father's curiosity shop, Maximilian's Curiosities, Whimsies & Other Oddities. It was there that her ears and mind were filled with accounts of the 16 legendary immortal Fates - including the terribly tragic tales surrounding the charming Prince of Hearts. According to lore, the Prince of Hearts has mythic powers; a kiss that makes one weak in the knees then kills them; and a habit of making bargains with unsuspecting mortals that rarely, if ever, end well.
Never, in all of her wildest dreams, did Evangeline believe that she would call on the Prince of Hearts for assistance; but, as they say, all's fair in love and war. When Evangeline learns that Luc, the love of her life, is about to marry another {I won't spoil things by telling you who; but I will say that it will make your blood boil}, Evangeline deems that desperate times call for desperate measures, so she offers the Prince of Hearts the unthinkable: absolutely anything in exchange to stop the wedding. Obviously, the Prince would be ridiculous to refuse an offer like that, so he accepts, and with quite the simple stipulation {or so it seems} in return: three kisses. Evangeline is under the impression that she got off easy; and thinks that, perhaps, maybe, the stories surrounding the Prince of Hearts are just that...stories. That is, until the first kiss.
A kiss seems incredibly harmless; but kisses directed by the Prince of Hearts are anything but. Just ask Evangeline. Following that first kiss, she realizes that the kisses in question are ill-intentioned, with the recipients being selected for the Prince's own personal gain. But it's too little, too late. The deal has been made, and there is no going back. The question is, will it lead Evangeline to the ultimate happily ever after, or the greatest tragedy the Magnificent North has ever seen? Evangeline is just as eager as you are to learn the answer to that question.
You guys! My actual heart. I love this book in the vein that Chuck Bass loves Blair Waldorf - and that is saying so, so much! Once Upon A Broken Heart is one of those once in a lifetime books that puts you in an instant chokehold that you're not released from until the last page is turned. The characters, the scenarios, the storyline, the constant twists...each and every bit of this tale is a literal chef's kiss.
Jacks captured my heart in a way that few male literary characters have managed in years. He's mischievous, and manic, and magical, and magnetic, and you can't help but to find yourself falling for him the more you learn. His relationship with Evangeline, though complicated, to be sure, is one that is incredibly intriguing as you watch their lives intertwine. And Evangeline? As far as female mc's go, I adored her! She has a naivete to her personality that is endearing; and she truly has such a beautiful heart. She brings so much out in Jacks that you can't help but ot love their scenes together {and hope that something more comes of their friendship, relationship...what have you}. I already have the sequel, The Ballad of Never After, cued up on my Kindle; and I'm contemplating giving Caraval another shot once I finish this series. Who knows...maybe I'll have a change of heart.
xx
1 comment
Adding to my list my friend. Your joy is a light for me. Thank you.
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