Once Upon a Broken Heart

By: Ashlyn Brockhoff

Stephanie Garber sits down to write a new masterpiece of work. Previously building off the world of her past trilogy, Caraval, Once Upon a Broken Heart proves to be Garber's greatest work yet!

Who is Stephanie Garber?

Stephanie Garber, an esteemed American New York Times bestselling author, Surprisingly started writing as a hobby. For Garber, writing became a creative outlet to relax from a long day at work. However, writing would soon become something more to Garber's life, in the present day Garbers published 8 books and has sold millions of her books worldwide. Although she is seen as a brilliant author from today's viewpoint, it took the author a while to strike gold in the publishing world. According to Publishers Weekly, “Garber wrote three books and got ‘about 200 rejections’ from agents before her fourth finished novel—a space opera called Lost Stars Broken Galaxy—garnered representation. That book failed to sell, though, so Garber sat back down at the keyboard and tried again.” Becoming a writer would prove to be a challenge to Garber, however, her efforts to publish a book did not end with failure. From there, Garber work shopped, edited, and wrote tirelessly till the hit series Caraval came to fruition. A series packed full of romance, mystery, and an exciting world of magic and fun! Garber’s first hit would go on to inspire her next trilogy, which came to be known as Once Upon a Broken Heart. Today, Garber’s work has been translated into thirty languages; Furthermore, she has become a bestselling author to two trilogies. Through hard work, patience, and skill Stephanie Garber has proven time and time again that dreams can become a reality.

Image of Stephanie Garber from the Macmillan Publisher website

What makes Once Upon a Broken Heart Special?

Let's start with the plot! According to Goodreads, a notable site for book reviews, “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...” Sounds enticing right?! The thing I love most about this book is its uniqueness from other romantacy books (a genre for romance and fantasy). Many readers can find themselves falling in love and relating with the female main character (FMC). Oftentimes she is depicted as soft, sometimes foolish, but overall doing what her heart believes is right. Evangeline's unique personality and background differentiate her from other FMCs in the romatacy genre. Her drive to do anything for a happy ending, and the consequences that follow suit, is such a unique point of telling the story of Evangeline Fox. Part of what makes Garber’s books so enticing is her phenomenal characterization skills. Characters in her trilogies are believable, they feel real and raw. As readers we begin to feel such a connection to the world and characters Garber has curated, which is a cause of why her works have become so famous. Therefore, the author's brilliant storytelling abilities make this trilogy such an enjoyable read. So, Next time you're looking for something to read, try picking up a copy of Once Upon a Broken Heart, your new favorite book might just be a few pages away!

U.S. Cover of Once upon a Broken Heart from the goodreads website

My Top 5 Favorite Quotes

“Heroes don't get happy endings. They give them to other people.”
“I believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy. Every story has the potential for infinite endings.”
“All stories are made of both truths and lies, [...] What matters is the way that we believe in them.”
“So you're saying you'd settle for a boring romance if it ends well?", "Yes. I would gladly take an uneventful happily ever after.”
“The fates weren't dangerous because they were evil; the fates were dangerous because they couldn't tell the difference between evil and good.”

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