Once Upon a Broken Heart Series Hardcover Boxed Set: Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After, A Curse for True Love

Once Upon a Broken Heart #1-3

by Stephanie Garber

The hardcover boxed set (3 books) of the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling Once Upon a Broken Heart series

All three books in the New York Times bestselling Once Upon a Broken Heart series are now available together in a beautiful hardcover boxed set.

From beloved author Stephanie Garber comes a tale of love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after, starring heroine Evangeline Fox and Jacks, the Prince of Hearts.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Young Adult, Fiction, Retellings

1200 pages, Hardcover

Published June 24, 2025

About the author

Stephanie Garber is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages. Alchemy of Secrets is her debut novel for adults and will be published around the world.

Reviews

[♡karabear♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once Upon A Broken Heart Full Series Review!!

4.7 🌟's in total!!


Once Upon A Broken Heart: 5 🌟’s

Such a good intro to the series the characters chemistry was there right off the bat and it was so good!! I loved all the characters mainly in this one and yes unfortunately i fell for apollo’s tricks 😬 but we don't talk about that lol!  i definitely had a good laugh with this one tho 💗


The Ballad of Never After: 5 🌟’s

The best one of the whole series and one of my top favorite books! Now i definitely know the chemistry was off the charts in this one and jacks was definitely playing to the overprotective sexy boyfriend 😋 in this one and i was literally giggling and kicking my feet the whole time!! 🤭💜



A Curse for True Love: 4 🌟’s

This one was good but its not a 5 star one bc i didnt like how some of the characters storylines were written and it kinda of took away from the book a little bit but evajacks never failed to deliver and the two of them definitely got the much deserved ending they needed! ❤



Would I do a reread? Most definitely!! This series is definitely food for the soul. 🤌 All the tropes and banters were just so good!! I could never tire of reading about evajacks! Definitely a 10 outta 10 recommend!!!!! 💕💕💕

[Xiango Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best triology in the world.. MUST READ!!!

[Sonam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the second book so much but book 3 did not satisfy me unfortunately. Too many loose ends and not enough E and J. It felt a bit rushed to me.

[Val~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars average for the three books 🧚🏻

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

ahhh im obsessed with jacks

[Chertzo Ember [s: ia] · Rating 5 out of 5]

✉⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨୧˚𝕺𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖀𝖕𝖔𝖓 𝖆 𝕭𝖗𝖔𝖐𝖊𝖓 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝕾𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝕽𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖊𝖜
Alright, buckle up, folks! We're diving into the whimsical, chaotic, and oh-so-magical world of the "Once Upon a Broken Heart" series. Spoiler alert: it's a 4.5-star wild ride!
Read: 2024

𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 1: 𝕺𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖀𝖕𝖔𝖓 𝖆 𝕭𝖗𝖔𝖐𝖊𝖓 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙
First off, this book? A total vibe. Imagine stepping into a fairytale where nothing is as it seems, and everything is drenched in mystery and enchantment. Our girl Evangeline Fox is desperate, heartbroken, and ready to make some pretty wild choices (hello, deal with a Fate?). Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, is just the right mix of charming and dangerous. The twists? Chef's kiss. It's like riding a rollercoaster blindfolded – you never see what's coming, but it's hella fun.

𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 2: 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝕹𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝕬𝖋𝖙𝖊𝖗
And then comes the sequel, hitting you with all the feels. The stakes are higher, the magic darker, and the romance? Sizzling. Evangeline and Jacks' dynamic is pure fire – enemies-to-lovers energy that's off the charts. The world-building here is top-tier. Each new revelation had me gasping, and the emotional rollercoaster? Legit had my heart doing somersaults. Also, the side characters? Absolute gems.

𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 3: 𝕬 𝕮𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖗 𝕿𝖗𝖚𝖊 𝕷𝖔𝖛𝖊
By the time we hit the grand finale, I'm fully invested. This book ties everything together in the most epic way. The plot twists had me screaming internally (and sometimes externally, let's be real). The character growth? Phenomenal. Evangeline is a total badass, and Jacks? Let’s just say the man knows how to keep things interesting. The ending is bittersweet, leaving you both satisfied and craving more – the perfect end to a magical journey.

𝕺𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖁𝖎𝖇𝖊𝖘
This series is like a dark, twisted fairytale with a sprinkle of romance and a dash of heartbreak. It's perfect for those who love a good enemies-to-lovers arc and can appreciate a story where magic isn't just sparkles and sunshine – it's got bite. The writing is lush, the characters are complex, and the plot will keep you hooked from start to finish.

If you're into books that transport you into a world of wonder and leave you slightly dazed and thoroughly entertained, this series is your jam. 4.5 stars all around because it’s a near-perfect blend of fantasy, romance, and sheer awesomeness. Go grab it, dive in, and prepare to be enchanted!
꒰ 🥥 ꒱ؘ ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

[ci ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ my Roman Empire series

[Carys Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried my eyes out at the end of this book 🥹 fell deeply in love again…shock. First fantasy series complete and fell so in love with it 🩷🩷🩷

[Evangeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a wonderful way to end their story! although if i’m being honest, I feel like there were filler chapters in the middle but overall happy with how the ending went and the cover was stunning!! (purchased the hardcover b&n exclusive)

[B.D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A five star series for sure! I love Jacks and Evangeline so much and will have to reread these books sometime soon.

[Anna Kitsaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was like a fairytale from my childhood , sweet and lovely 😍.I loved the plot and the main characters !!! The most sugary and perfect book series for everyone who likes fantasy worlds

[Tren Del · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the BEST romantasy series I’ve ever read. No spice within the 3 books but FILLED with so much tension and love. Ugh the depth of this series is like no other, love love love it

[Keerthana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this series is good.

I found Evangeline to be annoying at times but jacks as a character was very fascinating.

The villains was good but the ending plot felt a little rushed (in terms of the villains introduction into the plot and their progression as a character)

The world was really interesting to read.

It's a series worth reading.

[Sarah]

chat this is the wrong book pls ignore this

[Mariana Machado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terminei a trilogia super rápido. Vale o entretenimento mas esperava mais do final.

[⋆.⭒ ara ୨୧ ˚⟡˖ ࣪ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually just used this as a means of counting all the bonus chapters I just read for the OUABH series. SO MANY oh my gosh

[Rachel Hehl ♥︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*taps microphone*
Is this thing on?
Okay, good.
*I PTERODACTYL SCREECH INTO THE MIC, BURSTING ALL YOUR EARDRUMS AND CAUSING IMMENSE PAIN*

I had to get on my computer to write this review because there was no way I could be mentally deranged enough to type all of this out on my phone and format it, too. I HAD TO BOOT UP MY LAPTOP FOR THIS AND WAIT APPROXIMATELY ONE BILLION YEARS FOR IT TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE UPDATES. And I did it for this book series, because it deserves it.

This, right here, is the best enemies to lovers series I've read since The Cruel Prince. I genuinely thought no one could do it better than Cardan and Jude, but Eva and Jacks have come damn close. These books are like if Jude was 50% more idiotic and Cardan was 50% more evil. It shouldn't work, but somehow it DOES.

From the first moment I picked up Once Upon A Broken Heart, I was questioning things. First of all, the main female character has pink hair. Pink. The premise seemed incredibly obvious - she makes a deal with the Prince of Hearts, who conveniently happens to be otherworldly gorgeous but also mercurially evil, with a kiss that is deadly to all but his true love. Whomst could that be, I wonder? I hear you sighing. BUT DON'T FALL INTO THE TRAP! These books are actually insanely good, and my mind ended up blown by the time I finished the first book. And then The Ballad of Never-After was somehow ten times better?! I think if these books were by any other author, they would have been as trite as I've made them sound in that little summary above. But Stephanie Garber infuses SO much magic and fairytale-esque whimsicality into The Magnificent North that somehow it. just. works.

Evangeline, who in other books would be annoying af for how many ridiculous near-death situations she gets herself into and her relentless, gullible optimism and hope for a happily-ever-after, is somehow endearing in this Disney princess setting. Jacks, who could so easily have been the tropiest character on earth, a cruel prince whose kisses are deadly and who enjoys toying with hearts, actually became the king of MY heart and is such a wonderfully fleshed out character (although I still need to know what the deal with the apples was). Some of the other characters are quite flat (Apollo, I'm looking at you, and don't even get me started on Marisol) but the enchanting fairytale quality of these books is so powerful that it really doesn't matter. It's so rare to find a book series that you genuinely want to step inside and be part of because it's THAT beautiful, but the Magnificent North and all its different locations are just brimming with creativity, rich colour and life. My particular favourite location is The Hollow (how could it be anywhere else after THAT scene) and I was excited to open each book and look at the maps for where we'd be journeying next (and I screamed at the picture of the inn with the One Bed).

Jacks and Evangeline have one of the most addictive push-pull dynamics I've ever read - the sniping and banter was off the charts, and I genuinely could never tell whether he was out for himself or desperately in love with her, until the end of the second book where it became all too obvious - but then we were hit with that MONSTROSITY OF A CLIFFHANGER. It's been too long since a line from a book character had me rolling around in paroxysms of delight, but it happened so much with Jacks that I can't even count all the moments on two hands. I'm going to be self-indulgent and place some of my favourite quotes down below (they're mostly from him).

“If you think I'm jealous because someone else got to stab you, then you're right.”

~*~

“Stop flashing your fangs. I’m the only one who gets to bite her.”

~*~

"You're wasting your time, Little Fox." Jacks leaned against the doorway, clutching his side. "It's just a knife to the ribs."
"I suppose it's going to heal on its own?"
"Yours did."
"After you tended to them."
His mouth twitched up at the corner. "Only because I wanted to take off your clothes."
A vivid image of Jacks's hands on her skin flashed before her eyes.

~*~

“In the morning, you can forget it. You can go back to pretending you don't like me, and I can pretend that I don't care. But for tonight, let me pretend you're mine.”
She melted at the word mine. For a dizzying second, she couldn't think. She couldn't bring herself to pull away, and yet she couldn't tell him she would stay.
"If it's easier, you can pretend, too," he whispered. "You can pretend I'm still Jacks of the Hollow and that you want to be mine." His mouth pressed against her throat once more and slowly traced a blissful line up her neck, to her ear.

~*~

“That is not a small mistake to fix. If you do this, Time will take something equally valuable from you.”
The Fate gave the queen a look more vicious than any curse. “There is nothing of equal value to me.”

~
“Where were you?” she asked.
“I was killing innocent maidens and kicking puppies.”
“Jacks, that’s not funny.”

~*~

“Whatever it is, Jacks, you won't feel the same in a minute."
He swallowed hard and clenched his jaw. "You have no idea what I'm feeling now."
He looked at her lips, and the most tortured expression she'd ever seen crossed his face.
When Jacks wanted something, it was with an intensity that could break worlds and build kingdoms. That was the energy pouring off him now, as if he wanted to destroy her and make her his queen all at once.”

~*~

“You talk in your sleep,” he drawled. “You said my name—a lot.”
Evangeline felt a rush of heat crawl up her neck. “Obviously, I was
having a nightmare.”
“It didn’t look that way to me, Little Fox, and I was here all night.”

~*~

“You're good at this,' she murmured. 'Do you often travel with girls who've been flayed?'
That earned her a soft laugh. 'No.' Then quietly, as he ran a cloth along her lower back, just below the dip in her waist. 'Would you be jealous if I did?'

~*~

'So this is what you do when I'm not around?'
Evangeline felt the sudden urge to hide inside her wardrobe, but she tampered it down as she turned and met his gaze with a smile of her own. 'You think about what I do when you're not around?'
'Careful, Little Fox.' He took a step forward. 'You sound excited by the idea.'

~*~

She meant to say, For tonight, I'm yours, but all that came out was 'I'm yours.”

~*~

“Do you kiss the prince because you actually enjoy it?” Jacks asked. “Or is it because you honestly think it will magically revive him?”
“Maybe I do it because I know it will annoy you,” Evangeline answered archly.
Jacks flashed a smile that was far more wicked than welcoming. “Glad to know you’re thinking about me when you kiss your husband.”

~*~

“Was that really necessary?”
“No, but everyone should have their clothes ripped off at some point.”

~*~

“Can you at least try to smile?” she asked.
He flashed his teeth.
“That looks predatory.”

~*~

“And he loved her. He loved her. He loved her. He loved her. He loved her so much he’d rewritten history.”

~*~

“She was the moth and Jacks was still the flame.”

~*~

“This is a very bad idea,” Jacks murmured.
“I would have thought you liked bad ideas.”
“Only when they’re mine.”

~*~

“I didn't murder anyone last night.'
'You killed someone in front of me!'
'That wasn't murder. He was trying to kill you.”

~*~

“Yes, I am a murderer. I enjoy hurting people. I like blood. I like pain. I am a monster, but whether you remember it or not, I’m your monster, Evangeline."

~*~

“I’m not letting you leave. You said you were my monster. If you’re mine, why bring me here just to leave me? None of this makes sense."
He gritted his teeth. "Being yours does not make you mine."

~*~

“I already told you. You are the love of my life. You are mine, Jacks of the Hollow. And you’re not going to be the end of me.”

~*~

I could go on and on and cherrypick a thousand quotes from these books, but I'll stop for the sake of not maxing out the word count on this review. Suffice it to say that I adore this trilogy. I require ALL the special editions. I need ALL the merch. I need it tattooed on my heart with swords like Apollo in that hilarious scene in the first book. I LOVE THEM.

[danielaxbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

1000/100 guys this is one of the best serious i’ve ever read combined with caraval first too ofc because that was the rock before this series fr like it is SOOO worth reading caraval first then this. it is soooo worth it. this comes so close to being my favourite but powerless is still at the top. this is a clooooose second tho honestly such an amazing series 🩵

ranking✨:
1. A Curse For True Love
2. The Balland Of Never After
3. Once Upon A Broken Heart

definitely think this is an unpopular opinion of ranking lmao but this is based on how connected i felt how many emotions i felt and how much i enjoyed the books🌹✨

[Shannon Mabena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have NEVER had a female main character be so useless and annoying, ALSO you cannot convince me jacks liked her, I’ve seen enemies to lovers and this guy was a dick the wholeeee time. However he was also what made me power through the series which is why I give 2 stars but probably one of the most unhealthy romantasy couples I’ve read. Again Evangeline you are USELESS! STAND UP!

[Maia Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legendary reread

[Shanice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just have one question, where did Luc, Tiberius and Marisole go?

[Arshia Satyarthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apollo is a RAGING PSYCHOPATH

[Aimee Cupp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent wrap up to the trio- but don’t ask a question as the second to last sentence then wink and not answer. No bueno.

[Camila Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

After all this time... I finally ended the OUBH trilogy. And I have a few thoughts. I was gonna go book for book but because its been quite a few months since then, I choose to do a full review of the series. Disclaimer that I am just a romantasy lover that just wants to give her opinion, respecting other points of view as well.

Now we may start. The first book was quite a bit confusing if im being honest. At the time I hadn't read Caraval, which I know it would've helped understanding this world better. But even so, now that I've actually read Caraval, I still think that the way we were introduced was a little off. At first sight, Evangeline seemed like a very naive character with a tragic past and tragic love story (what was actually true). But I'm not here to tell you the full story, therefore, all I want to say is that It was a character that surprised me a lot and has a lot of layers, which I could say the same about Jacks. Our dear Apple Prince was one of the best male characters that I've seen so far in romantasy. He was so loyal to himself and his choices even 'till the end. And I appreciate this kind of characters. Focusing more on the story itself, I think it was truly brilliant some parts. The fact that she was cursed multiple times for various reasons makes the finale even more satisfactory. I gotta say though, in all of the three books, one of the things that gaged me the most was when, in the end, Apollo was trying to sacrifice Evangeline in order for him to become an arcane, but eventually the thing that he loved the most was not even her, but himself- perfection in words. The world just makes you feel so at home and so magical and it's very easy, at least for me, to envision it in my mind. When you enter there's no way back.

However, there is a few things that bothered me. For example, the fact that Evan never really came back to her house, her real house, and we never got to see what happened to characters like Marisol and Luc. Maybe I am missing something but we didn't get any type of conclusion to these characters, we simply stopped talking about them and moved on. I know that these characters were not even that important anymore but they deserved to have some kind of ending, in my opinion. And also, I think there's a big difference between book 1 and book 3. Even thought I thing that book 2 fits quite smoothly in the trilogy. There so much more complexity in 3 than in 1, that not even book 2 could explain it. This might be because in book three we mostly follow Evan trying to get her memories back and maybe it feels like we're learning a different type of story than in 1. Cause, eventually, in book 3, what happened in the first one doesn't even mattered that much. Besides the fact that Apollo was becoming a villain, Evangeline gave Jacks the final kiss that she need to give him and, Jack's curse was broken.
And talking about that, I still don't quite understand how did the curse broke... cause of true love? I don't know. Like, i kinda understood, but not really.

Finally, the romance, the chemistry, them. It was insane to follow this story. They yearned so much each other that it hurts. I feel like, now, my idea of true love is these two. They are the real imagery of what love can do. And I feel like I probably need to share my favorite moments between them. The first one is, of course, in book 1 when jacks was bitted by Luc and they had to be close to each other the whole night. The vibes and their dialogue was soooo good. Also when they were together in Jacks old house (which name I don't recall) ,and even though magic was playing with their feelings I think that it was more they playing with each other and a reflex of what they truly wanted. And this one, which I think it showed even more how much Jacks cared for Evan, was when she died in his arms and he preferred to live miserably without her just so he could bring her back to life, even if that meant never seeing her again. A true love act indeed.

In the finale, they accepted themselves as they truly were, and I their kiss... emotional. I thought it would be intense cause the amount of yearning... damn. But it was more emotional and touching in that way because it meant more than they finally loving each other but also breaking both of the curses they had, not just the physical ones, but also the ones they carried through out their lives. It was an impossible fight, yet they won either way, and that's fate.

Definitely an unforgettable trilogy and couple. Probably my favorite at the moment. And now, every time that I think about love, I will think of them.
In conclusion, this is a magnificent world with amazing characters and development. In my point of view, the thing that shines the most its indeed how love is described and portrayed.
I give it 4,75 stars overall, but because I can't give that, I will give 5 stars here.

Note: Im also really excited for the new novella that its coming up!!! Hope to read it when it comes out

Bye book lovers!

[Natalia Ruiz · Rating 2 out of 5]

When i was around 12 years old i used to love reading fanfics in wattpad for hours; the common stuff you know, crepusculo, naruto, bts... well, i can assure you some of them made way more sense that anything that took place within this saga.

The beginning of the first book was okayish, i actually enjoyed it. i tried to picture it as a children story and i was able to find it beautiful; all those bright and pastel colours, the sweetness, the sparkly personality of our main character that just wanted to love and be loved... of course it couldn't last long.

First of all, what the hell is going on with the story? I cannot even tell what is supposed to be the main plot. First everything is about luc, then we have the valory arch (which seems to be the main plot but the moment it is open we forget about it basically, quite underwhelming), but wait, we have vampires now! (of course we needed vampires). I just feel like this book is like rolling down a mountain and crashing into different rocks (plots) with no actual direction or intention, everything happens just because.

Of course we need to mention the insufferable characters that we will get to know: first of all, Evangeline! she is so dreamy and so lovely and so small, and so fragile that honestly I would have enjoyed if she was blown away by the wind. Really, she is one of the dumbest characters that I've read in a very long time, her decision making skills are just non existent and I feel like her existence is almost insulting. Incredibly she is not the worst character, we have Jacks (the main love interest). i would love to rant about this character but honestly there is not much to say, literally. I feel like the only thing I know about this dude is that he is pretty and likes apples? okay? absolutely boring, and also mean. I don't like the way he touches evangeline either, the lack of consent in thos book makes me extreme uncomfortable, and that is funny when we take into consideration that there is no s*x in this books (and still he managed to come across as r*pey to me lol).

if I reed another story with a petit girl who is dumb and naive and a not human guy that is abusive towards her I will honestly vomit (I thought crepusculo was left behind in 2012)

anyway, it could be worst, but it's definitely bad.

[Schafi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book you don‘t read for the actual storyline but for the characters and emotions

This is a rare series where you CAN actually judge the books by its covers because they reflect the story…

I really loved these books they were completly over the top but in a good way. If you don‘t like chaotic books with lots and lots of new fantasy stuff as you go it is definetly not for you…
It is soo emotional and makes you feel everything there is as long as you let it in. I really like the style of writing from Stephanie Garber, but I already knew that from reading Caraval, which you don’t have to read before reading this but if you want to read it at all (which I HIGHLY recommend) you have to do it beforehand, otherwise there are some spoilers. I also like that the storylines of Caraval and Once Upon A Broken Heart simply meet somewhere but they dont interfere with each other and some of the characters are mentioned but you don‘t feel uncomfortable as with other series.
It is something to feel good and to enjoy and it was one of very few books that ever really made me laugh.
I really like the mindset of reminding people that there is no such thing as happily ever after and that every story has the possibility for infinite endings…
So if you are someone who reads the end first to decide if you want to read it, don‘t even bother, just please don‘t read it then. One of very few books where I can sincerely say I even enjoyed reading the ending.
ALSO if you dont like magic, prophecies and fairytales, this is not for you.
The dedications are EVERYTHING!!



*spoilers ahead*


Notes:

* I think Apollo deserved better, he was just stumbeling from one curse into the next without being able to find out how he truly felt about anything and got mad in the end because of that
* I do not like at all that this book did not make me question a married woman kissing another guy, which is highly against my beliefs but somehow seemed fine
* I did not like that we got Apollos perspective in the last book, but not in the others, I know it is the first time he can act freely but I felt like he was misunderstood because noone knew what he went threw and Jacks should have emphazised more
* Also not a huge fan of age gaps

[Annamaria Alfano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questa saga è stata una bellissima sorpresa. Era da tempo che un fantasy non riusciva a catturarmi in questo modo, a partire dalle copertine che sono semplicemente meravigliose. La scrittura dell’autrice mi ha colpita tantissimo: ha una capacità rara di creare un'ambientazione magica e fatata che mi ha letteralmente trasportata in un altro mondo, catturandomi in modo totale, l'ambientazione è di sicuro il punto di forza della trilogia. Anche i personaggi mi sono piaciuti tantissimo, in particolare Evangeline. Ho adorato il modo in cui è stata valorizzata la sua natura dolce, è raro leggere di una protagonista così gentile senza che appaia debole o costantemente bisognosa di aiuto. Il primo volume mi ha letteralmente ossessionata, al punto da dovermi imporre delle pause per non trascurare lo studio, mentre il secondo ha raggiunto l’apice, è stato il mio preferito in assoluto.

Purtroppo, le mie alte aspettative si sono scontrate con un terzo libro un po' meno brillante. Ho trovato i capitoli dal punto di vista di Apollo piuttosto noiosi e ridondanti. Alcuni elementi sono rimasti irrisolti, come il destino della sorellastra di Evangeline, lasciato totalmente in sospeso. Inoltre la fine mi ha un po' deluso, in 50 pagine sono state aggiunte tantissime peripezie che sono state risolte, a parer mio, in modo troppo veloce e frettoloso. A mio avviso, gran parte del conflitto finale poteva essere evitato, il libro avrebbe trovato una conclusione perfetta nel momento in cui Evangeline ritrova la memoria. Avrei preferito di gran lunga vedere più scene dedicate alla coppia Jacks ed Evangeline, piuttosto che una risoluzione così frettolosa.

Nonostante questo la trilogia di OUABH mi è piaciuta molto di più di quella di Caravan e aspetto con ansia la novella per ricatapultarmi in questa ambientazione dolce e fantastica

[Vanessa Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m the kind of reader that likes angst, thumping hearts, and men that are not afraid of going after what they want…even if it’s eventually. I thought for sure that Jacks was the HEA, but did the author know? The story is complicated and at first I was digging it, but by the time we got to the 3rd book I wasn’t. I thought that the author should have been connecting the dots sooner and the last half of the book was a shit show. I have no idea why it needed to be so drawn out or why Jacks had to lose his heart. It was a complication that just didn’t need to be. I get that the author had to tell us how Jacks was cursed but it got to be too much, with Apollo and then the Valory’s. Just a side note on the Valory’s- WTF? It wouldn’t have hurt to have some of them benevolent. They did get rid of Apollo and that’s great but it just felt all wrong. They felt wrong. Okay back to the review.
Even when the bad guy gets the girls(love), it’s supposed to feel good, hot and like finally they give themselves over. But by the time Jacks and Evangeline finally kissed, it was more of a sparkling instead of a blazing inferno, which after all that time it should have been. At least in my option. Plus Jacks never steps up, he never fights for her. And I get that he’s been cursed and all but it just didn’t make me feel like a love story……which I guess it’s not. There is also no chapter where we get to see them together living their best life, and I really hate that.

[sara 🍵📚🌷 · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 stars.

actually minus -3 stars for that final book oh my god why was it a split 3 pov (eva, jacks, and then the most insufferable character on earth- apollo.) hoooolllyy. this is not percy jackson nobody is interested about you stupid stupid apollo i hate u i hate u

i cannot even do a proper review on this trilogy because my heart genuinely still hurts after the ending of the ballad of never after. that book genuinely goes in my top 3 favourite books ever on earth. (along with agggtm book #3 and watch me).
i genuinely cannot fathom how people had to wait years for the next book after that ending. i would slowly go insane day by day i believe. OHHH MY GOD I WOULD ACTUALLY GO INSANE IF I HAD TO WAIT THAT LONG AND THEN DISCOVER THAT THE THIRD BOOK WAS ALL APOLLO OHHHH MYYYY GOODD.

i dont know why im doing this in reverse order but book 1 is 5 stars straight, once again as i said in my caraval reveiw. the aesthetic and vibe of a fantasy stephanie garber tale is unmatched. its so perfect and pink and cozy here. any lana del ray song reminds me of this series. especially young and beautiful but like the orchestral version.


chaos and lala i will wait however many years i have to wait just for you two to get a sequel. stephanie pleaseeee pleeeeeaaaseee PLEASEEEE.

while i mourn that that may never happen i actually will be okay because evajacks novella coming out september 29 2026 yesssssss this year is a good one <3333333


i love u i love u i love this

[Aisha Calder · Rating 4 out of 5]

“They say his kiss was fatal to all but her, his only weakness.”

“Do not make bargains with more than one fate.”

The Once Upon a broken heart Trilogy is a SLOWburn and takes place mostly in the North, where stories seem real. This takes place after the Caraval Trilogy, I didn’t read the Caraval trilogy first. But our mmc first shows up in ‘Finale’ the last book in the Caraval Trilogy. So there are some character traits that can be found in there.

The story is about Evangeline (our fmc) who strikes a deal with a fate, Jacks. The prince of hearts. To safe her heart from being broken she asks him for help.

Evangeline is a strong, witty fmc who loves stories and Jacks is the complete opposite of her. He doesn’t believe in stories, he doesn’t want to believe in them. He uses Evangeline and she uses him. And it was SO worth it.

I don’t wanna give major spoilers, but the plot twists. The way it goes back to another whole series is insane. I wish I could forget I read this and reread it again. The whole series had me on my knees begging for more.
My soul was tripped out of me digested and spit out again multiple times. The heart pain I have felt during this is beyond comprehension. Stephanie Garber had me BAWLING for more.

If y’all still need a reason to read the trilogy here:
“you might not like me, but I bed you’d like it if I kissed you”