Actual rating: 4.5 stars

While the [b:Caraval|27883214|Caraval (Caraval, #1)|Stephanie Garber|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1465563623l/27883214._SY75_.jpg|45697227] trilogy made us question if the game is real or not, Once Upon a Broken Heart makes us wonder which fairytale is or isn‘t.

Set in the same world, Stephanie Garber decided to take us readers a little bit up north, to explore how magic works when there‘s not Legend at its works. As a fan of her whimsical worldbuilding, I knew that Once Upon a Broken Heart would be up high on my list, and I‘m so glad I was able to dive right into it after finishing Finale, and thus the Caraval series. Despite the fact that one can read this easily without ever picking up Garber‘s trilogy, I‘d recommend you to finish that one first if you are interested in reading it as there are minor mentions that could otherwise spoil the ending of that book. If you aren‘t interested in the trilogy, buckle in and be ready for a very different type of fairytale.

Although, we don‘t face another round of the infamous Caraval game in this book, the whimsical world and atmosphere remains, and gets even more magical in this world. Stephanie Garber knows how to describe her worlds so vividly that you start to taste and hear colors. Yet again, I fully fell in love with the way she introduces the readers to the world, and how magical everything gets. I mean, little dragons that roast your apples? Count me in. I‘m packing my suitcase to visit the Magnificent North. Everything in this book just reads itself like a fairytale, and just as the Northerns don‘t know which story belongs to history or is part of a fairytale, you‘ll find yourself asking if the stories could be true or if they‘re just stories. I could have expected anything to be part of the history of the North, no matter how magical it sounded. And just like Caraval enthralled me years ago, asking myself if the game is real or not, I found myself enthralled with the North, wondering if all this might be real.

And this is something that we get to share with the protagonist of Once Upon a Broken Heart: Evangeline Fox. I immediately fell in love with her, her love for fairytales, her awe for her father‘s curiosity shop, and her big brave heart. Oh, and let‘s not forget her rose-gold hair! Evangeline fits perfectly in the whimsical setting that is Valenda, and the Magnificent North. Just like Scarlett and Tella have been on their journey to find their one true love, this is also what drives Evangeline. After her heartbreak, and a terrible deal, she hopes to begin anew by finding the one person she could love at first. Although, a theme such a one true love usually is something that tires me, I must admit it fits the world and stories that Garber writes. Where a different book would make me rant about the character‘s determination to find true love, I feel like Garber‘s whimsical worldbuilding and magical stories allow me to just wrap myself in candy cotton as I read these stories. However, I do admit I sometimes just wanted to shake her and tell her she‘ll be alright. What makes up for it, is the bravery and determination this character has. Evangeline would do about anything to find her happily ever after, but at the same time, she would do about anything to save others from not getting theirs. Her hope and belief is driving her forward, and I adored her so much.

While Evangeline is a completely new character in this world (that might have had a mention in Finale), her counterpart is one guy readers of the Caraval trilogy are very familiar with: The Prince of Hearts. Jacks is one of these characters that the readers are bound to end up loving, no matter how hard they try not to. To be able to see him now as a protagonist as well instead of just a secondary character was so refreshing and fun! With all of his sharp edges, trickery bargains, and cold attitude, I couldn‘t stop grinning whenever he appeared on the page. His distressed and heart-warming moments were just the cherry atop the icing on the cake! Without getting into details of Jacks‘ past in the Caraval series, I have to say that this time around I‘m rooting deeply for this guy‘s own happily ever after. His and Evangeline‘s relationship is one that just makes sense. From the mistrust that is between them, the little games and bargains they make, and their fantastic banter - I adored every scene with these two.

Apart from Evangeline and Jacks that are phenomenal protagonist, we also meet many new characters that I loved, among them some new Fates that we haven‘t seen before. Generally, we have a bigger cast of characters that make their appeareances throughout the book, and I truly enjoyed meeting and getting to know them - even if some seemed to be a bit too much, and others caused me to mistrust them. Oh, and you might have to expect some vampires, too. Yes, this book‘s got everything. (Let me mention the little dragons again. Thank you.)

As much as I loved this book, there are a few aspects that I wished would have taken more time to get resolved. Sometimes the pace was just too quick for the fact that certain things demand more time, and this is something that had slightly bothered me in Finale. However, I can‘t list them here without spoiling the book. Also, I had some trouble fully enjoying the beginning. It takes some time until we reach the plot, and a lot of the beginning felt like a quick introduction and overview of the characters, their relationships and goals that still felt too long, as the plot didn’t seem to have started yet. I didn‘t really know what to expect, and was only able to fully enjoy the plot itself when Evangeline set foot in the Magnificent North. Another thing that I wished would have taken more time was the ending. When I reached it, I didn‘t even realized that … that‘s it? It felt a bit anti-climatic, and I would‘ve wished for some additional pages to really feel the impact. Now, I‘m counting the days until September, when The Ballad of Never After releases, because I‘m seriously in need to see more of Evangeline and the Prince of Hearts.

Overall, this book holds Stephanie Garber‘s signature in regards of presenting us a whimsically magical world where everything tastes and sounds like colors. I love Garber‘s beautiful writing, and vividly descpritions. The story feels like a brand new fairytale of its own with an interesting set of characters, and two wonderful protagonists that will make you beam. If you love feeling like you‘re wrapped in cotton candy, and want to enjoy a story that has cute little pet dragons, mystery, enchantements, fairytales, magical beverages, cookbooks containing spells, vampires, prophecies and magical characters, then Once Upon a Broken Heart is the spellbinding book you‘ve been looking for!

PS: Since the book was heavily promoted as Jacks‘ story, I do want to mention that this feels more like Evangeline‘s story, in which Jacks happens to find his place. I can imagine that this could bother some readers; however, I have to say I preferred to read this story in Evangeline‘s POV, and to try to see the Prince of Hearts from a different perspective. Still, I hope we get to see more of him in the sequel soon.