Once Upon a Broken Heart

A parent would reach for this book when their teenager is grappling with the dizzying, often painful fallout of a first love or a deep betrayal by a peer. It is a perfect choice for the young reader who feels like their emotions are too big for the real world and finds comfort in high-stakes fantasy where hearts can literally be broken or stolen. The story follows Evangeline Fox, a girl who makes a dangerous bargain with a wicked Prince of Hearts to stop the wedding of the boy she loves. While the setting is whimsical and filled with fairy tale magic, the emotional core is deeply grounded in the messy reality of adolescence. It explores the desperation of unrequited love, the danger of trusting those who offer easy fixes, and the complicated path to finding one's own worth after being rejected. The book is written for a mid-to-late teen audience, containing romantic tension and complex moral dilemmas, making it a sophisticated mirror for teens navigating their own burgeoning relationships and the realization that not every story has a simple 'happily ever after.'