I have been waiting for a chance to read this book since I finished its predecessor The Ballad of Never After over a year ago, and now it is finally in my possession! Book 2 of the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy ends with a big twist for our main character, Evangeline, and I was extremely relieved to find out this third book was in the works, making her fate a cliffhanger rather than a twist ending.

Without giving too much away, Evangeline’s predicament does provide a little bit of a return to status quo for the world the characters inhabit and allows some mysteries to linger, which is probably good because their was a lot happening and being revealed in the final chapters of book two that might have set A Curse for True Love on a breakneck pace otherwise. As it stands, the book still moves quickly, much like the first two books in the series, with plenty of romantic angst peppered throughout (it is hard not to compare Jacks to Edward Cullen in this book), but the romantic tropes don’t feel quite as overdone the way they did in the second book. On the other hand, the plot feels like it is entirely centered around the question of whether or not Evangeline and Jacks will end up together, and I prefer a little outside action in my plots, the way book two was at least partially driven by the mystery of opening the Valor Gate and saving Apollo.

Speaking of Apollo, I know what he did in this book was terrible, but I can’t help feeling like he got a bit of a raw deal over the course of the series. He was an unwitting pawn in a larger game and suffered a lot because of it, and though he did make bad decisions, he got pushed into a lot of them. I think it would have been more interesting to see him become some sort of anti-hero or struggle on a redemption arc (happy or tragic) rather than manipulating him into an out-and-out villain. But the ending certainly suggests Garber would like to explore this world further, so maybe Apollo will get his chance eventually.

As for the other characters, not every question is answered by the end of A Curse for True Love. This book is definitely about tying up Jacks and Evangeline’s story, and while we do get a bit more information about the other characters and mythology of this world, Garber left plenty of things open for exploration in further stories. I still want full explanation of the Fates and how they came to be. I want to know more about all the Valors now. I want to know how Lala, Castor, and Aurora’s stories end. I would like at least a throw-away comment about where Luc ended up, as he basically got written out a few chapters into this book with a reference to his being “on the run.” These questions aside, I was still satisfied with the ending to this trilogy, as the main plot and characters are fully resolved by the end.

All in all, Stephanie Garber does the romantasy genre well, so if that’s your thing, you should enjoy the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. Personally, I prefer when plots are driven by more than a romantic relationship (which is probably why book 2 worked the best for me, with the mystery of opening the Valor Gate), so I wouldn’t have minded seeing a few more scenes related to the bigger world of the Magnificent North, rather than just Evangeline, Jacks, and Apollo. But that’s also a testament to how complex and fascinating a world Garber has created—I want more of it!

I’m giving the series a 3.5 out of 5, because it does what it does well, but if you really don’t like romance tropes or love triangles, be warned!