Some books get more attention online than others. One such book is Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber. After taking some time to search for the right book I decided that this is going to be the first fantasy book I decided to pick up as an adult. This book took 2023 by storm so you can imagine my expectations being very high and here are my honest thoughts. It is a part of the trilogy but will I keep on reading all of the books?
Plot Summary (Spoiler-Free)
Evangeline Fox grew up listening to her mother’s fairytales. She is now seventeen years old and she still believes that those fairytales are real. She fell in love with a boy and thought that her happily ever after was going to start as soon as she married him. Unfortunately, she found out that he was going to marry another woman. Heartbroken and desperate she decides to seek help from Prince of Hearts. They make a deal that is going to determine Evangeline’s future as she embarks on her fairytale journey.
Characters and Their Development
Evangeline’s character was written in a way that you can quickly notice why she is the main character. She sees the world from a fairytale lens and is not afraid to look naive. To make a deal with Prince of Hearts you need to be courageous but she is also very smart and knows what making a deal with Fates entails.
Jacks aka Prince of Hearts is portrayed as a cold-hearted guy but you can also sense that he is not just what you can see and he lets you know. When you learn more about him and why he is the way he is, you can feel empathetic towards him and that makes his character a breath of fresh air.
I loved the banter between the Evangeline and Prince of Hearts. Their love-hate relationships and the deal they made make it interesting to see in which direction their relationship will grow.
Writing Style and Tone
This book was written in the third person. I’m used to either books that have dual points of view or follow the thought of just one character. Being written in the third person does make it feel more like you are reading a fairytale. It is a very fast paste and easy to understand. As someone who is just starting their fantasy genre journey, I didn’t have trouble imagining the world and the plot itself. The start of the book feels like we are in the middle of the story already which gives it that fast-paced feeling that I enjoy.
My Thoughts
I’m glad that this was the first fantasy book I picked up as an adult but unfortunately, I felt like something was missing. It was a fun read but in some places, it felt overly simplistic and cliche. Once Upon a Broken Heart is a YA and you can feel it while you are reading so if that’s not something you enjoy it might not be the right book for you.
I did enjoy the character development and their interactions. There were some twists that I didn’t expect which did make it a page-turner. I know that this is the first book from the trilogy so one of the reasons I expected more might be that there is more depth in the plot in the next two books which I am excited to read. That being said I will keep on reading books from this trilogy with the hope that the last two books will meet my expectations.
I now know why so many people recommended Once Upon a Broken Heart as a great start to the fantasy books world. What I learned is that I would definitely enjoy more mature and higher stake fantasy books more.
Did you read this book? What is your favorite fantasy book?
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