What You won't do for love...?

I knew I would like this book when I realized it was full of whimsical magic, supernatural bargains, warped and true love, and tension between an otherworldly being and a girl desperate to remedy a terribly broken heart. I will be frank in saying that a lot happens when it comes to worldbuilding and establishing the rules of the magic, but I rather liked being introduced to a highly complicated universe full of immortal and tricky Fates who are infamous for making lifechanging deals with humans desperate enough to risk the aftereffects that always befall such bargains. This is the situation we see our heroine, Evangeline Fox, in at the beginning of the story with Jacks, the brokenhearted Prince of Hearts. I really liked the push and pull of their relationship (which is caught up in the throes of a mysterious prophecy concerning Jacks' one true love), and especially enjoyed the way Jacks' movements and facial expressions were described; he's certainly a swoonworthy character who reminds me a lot of the love interest in Marissa Meyer's novel Heartless. And Evangeline's character is established right at the beginning of the book: readers see her willingly pray to a purposefully treacherous Fate for the sake of love she believes she has not lost as well as end up sacrificing her own body, motivated by her hope in hope itself.
This is only the first book in a series I hope gets published soon so I can find out if Evangeline will fulfill a mysterious prophecy concerning the history of her mother's homeland or simply walk away from the fantastical events of love and betrayal she has found herself wrapped up in. I read the first book in Stephanie Garber's Caraval series but wasn't overly impressed with the storyline as much as the characters, so I didn't end up finishing the whole series. I recently found out that this novel's story takes place in the same world of unbelievable magic and prophecy, and I can definitely say I am enjoying the trajectory of this storyline and its interesting characters much more. You also don't have to read Caraval to understand what goes on in this novel. :) I recommend this story to anyone able to sympathize with the desire to fight for love as well as the desire to be open for new opportunities.


Some of my favorite quotes from Once Upon A Broken Heart:

"He gave her a real smile, revealing a pair of dimples that briefly made him look more angel than devil. But she imagined even angels would need to beware of him."

"'I don't know if I can fix your broken heart, but you can take mine because it's already yours.'"

"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."

"There was something fantastically bewitching about the idea that a person's destiny could change in one single, wondrous night."

"He looked like a bad decision some unfortunate person was about to make."

"His eyes said a thousand exquisite words."

"It was probably too much to hope for, but Evangeline had always had a weakness for hoping in things others thought impossible."

"He held on to her as if she were a grudge..."

"He leaned his head against the dark iron gate, and Evangeline would forever remember the way he looked just then."

"Truth is often bitter, particularly when a person has been tasting more enjoyable lies."

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