A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber Summary

A Curse for True Love is the breathtaking conclusion to Stephanie Garber's Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy, following Evangeline Fox as she awakens with stolen memories, married to Prince Apollo in the Magnificent North. Unaware of the devastating price she's paid for this fairytale life, Evangeline must piece together her forgotten past while Apollo plots to kill Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, to keep his secrets buried. The novel explores themes of true love versus obsession, the power of choice against fate, and whether curses can be broken by genuine connection.

A Curse for True Love is ideal for young adult readers aged 13-18 who love romantasy, fairytale retellings, and swoony love stories with morally complex characters. Fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and atmospheric fantasy worlds will appreciate Garber's lush, magical writing and the Bad Boy romance between Evangeline and Jacks. This book particularly appeals to readers who enjoy memory loss tropes, star-crossed lovers, and stories where hopeless romantics fight for their happily ever after against impossible odds.

A Curse for True Love delivers a satisfying conclusion for fans invested in Evangeline and Jacks's romance, with high emotional stakes, romantic tension, and the lush fairytale atmosphere Stephanie Garber is known for. The novel features unexpected character turns, particularly Apollo's descent into villainy, and explores whether true love can overcome deadly curses. However, readers seeking complex plot development may find the romantic focus overwhelming, and the Bad Boy trope requires willing suspension of disbelief regarding Jacks's past actions and treatment of others.

Stephanie Garber is a #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author known for her immersive fantasy romances set in magical worlds. Beyond the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy, Garber wrote the acclaimed Caraval series (Caraval, Legendary, and Finale), which established her signature style of atmospheric storytelling, intricate magic systems, and swoony romance. Her books have been translated into thirty languages, and she's celebrated for creating fairytale-esque narratives that blend darkness with hope, featuring emotionally complex characters navigating curses, destiny, and love.

A Curse for True Love concludes with Jacks and Evangeline's triumphant reunion after overcoming curses and Apollo's betrayal. Evangeline regains her memories and confesses her love to Jacks, kissing him without dying—proving she is his true love and breaking the Prince of Hearts curse. Apollo meets a tragic end when he's consumed by the Tree of Souls after attempting to sacrifice Evangeline for immortality. The story curse's limitations are revealed, showing that genuine love and choice can overcome even the most powerful magical forces and predetermined fates.

A Curse for True Love centers on three main characters locked in a deadly love triangle. Evangeline Fox, the hopeless romantic protagonist, struggles with stolen memories and conflicting loyalties while fighting for her true happy ending. Jacks, the Prince of Hearts Fate, battles self-loathing and guilt over his deadly kiss curse while protecting Evangeline despite believing he's unworthy of love. Apollo, Evangeline's husband and the story's primary antagonist, descends into madness through his obsessive desire for immortality and possessive love, ultimately betraying Evangeline to achieve his destructive ambitions.

A Curse for True Love begins with Evangeline suffering from amnesia after Apollo stole her memories of Jacks and their relationship. Apollo manipulated Evangeline into believing she chose to marry him and that Jacks is a dangerous criminal who must be hunted and killed. As Evangeline pieces together clues that her fairytale life doesn't add up, Jacks's presence triggers the return of her stolen memories. This memory loss serves as the central conflict, forcing Evangeline to rediscover her true feelings and distinguish between the life Apollo forced upon her and the love she genuinely chose.

A Curse for True Love explores true love versus possessive obsession, contrasting Jacks's selfless protection of Evangeline with Apollo's manipulative control. The novel examines fate versus free will, questioning whether story curses and predetermined destinies can be overcome through genuine choice and human connection. Additional themes include the destructive nature of unchecked ambition, as Apollo's quest for immortality leads to his downfall, and self-worth and redemption, as Jacks confronts his guilt and learns he deserves love despite his past actions and cursed nature.

Yes, A Curse for True Love should be read as the third book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy, after Once Upon a Broken Heart and The Ballad of Never After. The novel directly continues the previous book's cliffhanger ending where Evangeline loses her memories, and understanding the emotional stakes, character relationships, and complex backstory is essential for full appreciation. Without reading the earlier books, readers will miss crucial context about Jacks's curse, Evangeline's journey, Apollo's transformation, and the magical world's rules, significantly diminishing the emotional impact of the conclusion.

Jacks, the Prince of Hearts Fate in A Curse for True Love, carries a deadly curse where his kiss kills anyone except his one true love. This curse drives his internal conflict throughout the trilogy, as he fears kissing Evangeline only to lose her if she isn't his destined match. To protect Evangeline, Jacks trades his loving heart to Aurora for the Slaughterwood Cuff of Protection, which causes pain to anyone attempting to harm the wearer. The curse's resolution comes when Evangeline's kiss doesn't kill her, confirming she is Jacks's true love and breaking his centuries-old curse.

A Curse for True Love shares Stephanie Garber's signature atmospheric writing, magical realism, and fairytale aesthetics with the Caraval trilogy, but focuses more intensely on romantic tension and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Evangeline and Jacks. While Caraval features elaborate games, mysteries, and sister relationships alongside romance, the Once Upon a Broken Heart series prioritizes the central love story and curse-breaking narrative. Both series explore themes of fate versus choice and feature morally ambiguous love interests, but A Curse for True Love delivers a more concentrated romantasy experience with deeper emotional focus on the star-crossed lovers.

A Curse for True Love is recommended for readers aged 13-18 years and is classified as young adult fantasy fiction. The 400-page novel contains mild profanity used infrequently, romantic tension and kissing scenes, themes of obsession and betrayal, and fantasy violence including blood and murder. While the content remains appropriate for teenagers, the romantic intensity, possessive relationship dynamics, and darker themes of manipulation and sacrifice make it best suited for older teens who enjoy mature YA romantasy. Parents should note the Bad Boy romance trope and morally complex character dynamics throughout.