Review: “Once Upon a Broken Heart” brings us back to the Caraval universe in a fun and exciting way! 

I loved the return of characters like Jacks, Tella, and Scarlett from the “Caraval” trilogy. I really enjoyed seeing what they were up to and I am all for the Garber Book Universe!

I absolutely LOVE Evangeline Fox, the main character of “Once Upon a Broken Heart.” Throughout the course of the novel, she makes so many sacrifices to protect the ones she loves, which is admirable. Though she did not find the love that she wanted in this first book, I am secretly hoping she will find her happily ever after with Jacks in “The Ballad of Never After.” I am obsessed with their relationship. I love how Jacks calls her “little fox” and uses his telepathy to be in constant communication with her. He was so protective of Evangeline towards the end and you could tell that they developed feelings for each other at one point. 

 Like “Caraval,” “Once Upon a Broke Heart” possesses different formats. The letters and scandal sheets like The Whisper Gazette and The Daily Rumor were thoroughly entertaining. The scandal sheets in particular aided in creating the eerie atmosphere that was needed for the murder mystery of sorts that appeared towards the middle of the novel. 

The world-building in Garber’s new series is incredible! In “Caraval,” the reader wasn’t give the chance to fully explore regions outside of Valenda. “Once Upon a Broken” ventures out to The Magnificent North and sheds light on the empire’s differing culture and diverse population. I was intrigued by traditions like Nocte Neverending — an event beginning on the first Winter’s Day that does not end until whoever is in power finds a spouse — and the history of the Valors and their arches. What made the region more real to me was the emphasis on prophecies and storytelling. Garber crafted some of the widely known stories which I found engaging. The presence of vampires, witches, and the fates that weren’t introduced in the “Caraval” books (The Unwed Bride and Chaos) made The Magnificent North the magical, yet dangerous place detailed in the stories spread from empire to empire.

September cannot come fast enough! I needed book two yesterday!

Review: Mariana Zapata truly does not disappoint! “Wait for It’” is the second book I have read by her and I absolutely devoured it. 

Zapata does a beautifully devastating job writing about the main character Diana’s fear of / struggles with being a single parent. There is a lot of stigma that exists with respect to being a single parent and Zapata makes her readers aware of this. Many individuals that Diana comes into contact with make her feel illegitimate and it is heartbreaking. Several moments brought me to tears. 

The novel also broaches topics like grief, loss, suicide, and racism. Zapata captures grief extremely well on the page and showcases how hard it is to lose a brother and a parent. I appreciate how Zapata chose to incorporate these subjects into her novel. Many people experience such things, which contributes to the realistic quality of the story.

Another aspect of the story I enjoyed was the inclusion of Spanish culture. I liked how much of the dialogue exchanges between Diana and her parents are written in Spanish, because it is an important part of Diana’s identity. In addition, I loved reading about the Spanish dishes created by Diana’s mother. I truly wish Diana was my neighbor so that I could get in on the yummy goodness. 

My favorite thing about the novel by far is Dallas and Diana’s relationship. I ABSOLUTELY loved how things developed between the two of them. As previously mentioned, Diana experiences a lot of stigma as a single parent. Dallas was raised by a single parent, thus being very protective of her. He does not doubt Diana’s capabilities for a second and is just so sweet and supportive. 

This slow burn, grumpyxsunshine, and friends-to-lover contemporary romance is a must read! I cannot recommend it enough.

Review: “Finale” gave me the happy ending I wanted! 

My one complaint with “Legendary” was the disappearance of Scarlett’s narrative. I absolutely LOVE how Stephanie Garber included both Scarlett and Tella’s points-of-view in this last book (though I must admit that Scarlett’s perspective was not as compelling as Tella’s at times).

While I was sad the story didn’t take place during another game of Caraval, I ultimately enjoyed Valenda’s atmosphere. The complex world-building seen in “Legendary” continues on in “Finale.” The reader is introduced to new fates from the deck of destiny and learn their only weakness: love. I found this weakness to be incredibly intriguing, especially in Jacks’ case. Speaking of Jacks, I am so glad that he returned. The strong presence of morally grey characters like Jacks prevented the reader from anticipating the many plot twists. 

Jacks also played an integral part in the novel’s love triangle. I appreciated the addition of the romantic relationship involving Jacks, Tella, and Legend because they drew away from some repetitive plot points. However, I do think that the trope overwhelmed the storyline. I wish that the novel was extended, because I feel as though too much was crammed into “Finale,” leaving loose ends.

Though I am sad that my time with the “Caraval” trilogy has come to an end, I am so excited to dive into the world of “Once Upon a Broken Heart!”

Review: Wow! “Legendary” does NOT suffer from second book syndrome and it is the best book in the series yet!

 I really enjoy how “Legendary” allows the reader to explore Tella’s point-of-view. “Caraval” was told only through Scarlett’s perspective, which made it difficult to fully understand Tella’s actions. This second book really gave good insight into Tella’s motivations and actually positively influenced my view of her character.

Just like “Caraval,” “Legendary” has elements of mystery. Garber teases the idea of learning Legend’s identity throughout, which kept me on my toes, and she still remains the Queen of suspense! The big reveal at the end caught me off guard and in need of book 3. 

The world-building in “Legendary” was much more complex which I thoroughly enjoyed. Valenda was mentioned frequently in “Caraval,” so it was fun to finally explore the the empire and its different quarters. I especially loved learning about the magic and the magical beings in Valenda. The lore behind the deck of destiny and the fates trapped inside each card was intricate, intriguing and incredibly unique. I particularly liked reading about Jacks, the fated Prince of Hearts. His morally grey characterization and powerful abilities contributed a lot to the storyline and my interest. 

Another aspect of the novel I appreciated was the romance. Julian and Scarlett’s romance in “Caraval” is more of an insta-love situation, which I am not as fond of. Tella’s romance had more development and I loved that the enemies-to-lovers trope was thrown into the mix! 

My only complaint is that I wish we saw more of Scarlett and Julian, because they weren’t really present in this novel. Other than that, “Legendary” is the perfect continuation of “Caraval.”

Review: I know I’m a little late to reading “The Hating Game,” but better late than never, right? 

Overall, I really enjoyed the novel and Thorne’s incorporation of the slow burn (though things were a bit too slow moving at times) and enemies-to-lovers tropes. Lucy’s character was definitely my favorite! Thorne did a great job sprinkling in details about her throughout the novel, like her love of Smurfs and her childhood on her family’s strawberry farm. 

Lucy’s relationship with Josh left me swooning! Their banter was entertaining and the slow reveal of Josh’s love for Lucy was perfect! It was exciting to see his exterior slowly melt away the closer he got to Lucy. 

Thorne’s debut novel is a fun, spicy read and I cannot wait to explore her other works!

Review: I cannot believe I only just read "Caraval!" Stephanie Garber’s debut novel is so magical and incredibly entertaining. 

Garber’s imagery fully immerses the reader into the world of "Caraval." I was blown away by how each line of description managed to appeal to every sense. In addition, the vivid language created a clear picture of how the performers work their magic. 

Though the novel felt a bit rushed at times, the storyline kept me engaged throughout! I love a good mystery and "Caraval" delivered on that front! I was especially impressed by the way Garber introduced subtle details relating to the mystery and diverted the readers attention from those details. The ease with which Scarlett found clues was unrealistic, yet I was still completely caught off guard by the twists and turns. I never knew how much I needed both the fantasy genre and the mystery genre to mesh until I read this book! 

The different formatting throughout was extremely refreshing. The novel opens with letters written by Scarlett to Caraval Master Legend over the years which immediately captured my attention, helped me further delve into the world, and gave me insight on Scarlett’s character. I also loved how the book was split up into different sections to mimic the passage of time!

I appreciated how the book emphasized the concept of sisterly love. Both Scarlett and Tella suffered from their father’s abuse, which drew them closer. The reader learns through Scarlett’s perspective that she is willing to sacrifice her own happiness to keep her sister safe. In fact, the only reason Scarlett decides to take part in Caraval is to win her sister back from Legend, who stole her away. The fierce love Scarlett has for her sister is admirable. 

"Caraval" truly has it all: mystery, romance, magic and an extraordinary cliffhanger. I cannot wait to see how things unfold in "Legendary!"

Review: Mariana Zapata is the QUEEN of writing slow burns! I must admit that I was a bit turned off by the beginning of “The Wall of Winnipeg and Me,” because the romance was slow moving, but the pacing grew on me. I was so invested in Aiden and Vanessa’s relationship that I was willing to take whatever Zapata was willing to give me. I cannot even begin to communicate how overjoyed I was the first time Aiden and Vanessa started hugging each other. Yes, I said that right…HUGGING EACH OTHER! 

 

Aiden was like a huge teddy bear. He was so sweet and reserved and I love how Vanessa slowly broke down his walls. They both had difficult pasts but didn’t let those pasts define them. Rather, they accepted and healed each other. I ultimately came to appreciate Zapata’s choice to take her time with Aiden and Vanessa’s relationship development because it was more true to life and made the end all the more satisfying. 

 

Zapata did a great job familiarizing the reader with football and the sport’s terminology. I am not super familiar with the sports romance genre and even sports in general, so I appreciated Zapata’s intentional choice to only tell the story from Vanessa’s point-of-view. Vanessa had a base level understanding of the sport and that understanding was conveyed through her thoughts that made it easy for myself to follow. I know that she has written a couple other sports romance novels, so I am excited to pick those up!