A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber – Complete Book Guide
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | A Curse for True Love |
| Author | Stephanie Garber |
| Series | Once Upon A Broken Heart, Book 3 |
| Publication Year | 2023 |
| Genre | Fantasy Romance |
| Setting | The Magnificent North (Wolf Hall, Valorfell, Cursed Forest, Merrywood Village) |
| Narrator | Third-person limited, multiple perspectives (Evangeline, Apollo, Jacks) |
Short Summary
Evangeline Fox wakes with no memory of the past year, believing she is the wife of Prince Apollo. Apollo has erased her memories to keep her from Jacks, the Fate who once saved her. As Evangeline pieces together fragments of the truth, she discovers Apollo’s manipulation and his plan to sacrifice her to the Tree of Souls for immortality. With the help of her friend LaLa and the vampire Chaos, Evangeline recovers her memories and races to stop Jacks from destroying his own heart. In a climactic confrontation, Apollo drinks from the tree and is absorbed into its trunk. Jacks and Evangeline finally confess their love, and her kiss breaks the fatal curse, allowing them to walk away toward a happily ever after—while the story curse itself watches and approves.
Full Summary
A Curse for True Love opens with Evangeline Fox waking in a library, disoriented and unable to recall the past year. Prince Apollo Acadian, who claims to be her husband, tells her that the villainous Lord Jacks stole her memories. Evangeline feels a deep, inexplicable ache in her heart, as if she has lost something vital. Apollo shows her a tattoo of her name over his heart and scars on his back as proof of his love, but she senses a hidden truth.
Confined to Wolf Hall, Evangeline undergoes memory checks but remembers nothing. She meets Kristof Knightlinger, a journalist who slips her a red card offering answers. Apollo warns her against seeking Jacks, insisting it is safer to forget. From Apollo’s perspective, we learn he erased Evangeline’s memories after she chose Jacks. He blackmails a journalist to smear Jacks daily and installs the Valor family (disguised as the Vales) as a new Great House, demanding an heir.
Evangeline discovers a broken-heart scar on her wrist and sees wanted posters for Jacks. She experiences flashes of memory during a fall into a well and is rescued by a golden-haired stranger who calls himself Archer. Jacks (in disguise) trains her in self-defense, fighting his own desire to stay close. Apollo orchestrates a staged attack on Evangeline to teach her a lesson, then covers it up by executing the guards and torturing the tutor.
At a dinner ball, Evangeline meets Aurora Vale, who tells the tragic story of Merrywood. When an assassin attacks Evangeline in her bed, Archer saves her and kills the assailant. Evangeline recognizes Archer as the figure from her fragmentary memories. Apollo frames Jacks for a massacre of House Fortuna, having the only witness draw a false portrait.
Evangeline follows Jacks into the Cursed Forest during the Hunt. The forest traps her in a recreation of her happiest day with her father. Chaos (Castor Valor, Aurora’s brother) appears and reveals that Jacks intends to destroy his second heart. Jacks stabs Chaos, then ties Evangeline to him with a vine rope, fleeing to an inn. There he tries to drug her, but she knocks the powder away. Reading a letter from her past self in Jacks’s coat, Evangeline’s memories flood back: she remembers meeting Jacks, killing Petra in self-defense, realizing she loves him, and Jacks’s plan to erase their story to save her from his fatal kiss.
Evangeline hides her recovered memories from Apollo. She meets LaLa, who helps her escape the royal encampment. Together they search for Jacks’s hidden heart in the Hollow. Instead of a heart, they find Aurora’s spell book, revealing that Aurora, jealous of Jacks falling in love, orchestrated the Archer’s curse and the fatal kiss curse. Aurora has Jacks’s second heart and intends to use it to bind him to her.
Jacks reclaims his heart and plans to burn it in the fire of the royal phoenix tree. Evangeline confronts him, declaring her love. She kisses him, and though she briefly stops breathing, she revives—the kiss survives the curse. Their bliss is shattered when Apollo appears and sets the phoenix tree ablaze. He kidnaps Evangeline and takes her to the Tree of Souls.
Apollo intends to drink the tree’s blood to gain immortality, believing he must sacrifice Evangeline—the one he loves most. Jacks arrives and fights Apollo, but is restrained by the Valor brothers. Apollo cuts a branch and drinks. Instead of dying, the tree turns on Apollo: because he loves himself most, the tree absorbs him. His face becomes trapped among the roots.
Evangeline frees herself, and she and Jacks leave the cavern together. In the epilogue, the story curse watches them walk away, pleased that they are heading toward a happily ever after. Jacks no longer needs apples, symbolizing his transformation. He and Evangeline lean in for a kiss as the curse stops watching, leaving them to their ever after—though other stories still brew in the Magnificent North.
Main Characters
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Evangeline Fox | Protagonist whose memories are erased by Apollo. She gradually recovers them and chooses true love with Jacks, rejecting a false fairy-tale marriage. Full profile → |
| Jacks (Prince of Hearts) | A Fate who bargains with Time to save Evangeline’s life. He reclaims his second heart and risks everything to protect her, ultimately choosing love over fear. Full profile → |
| Prince Apollo Acadian | Evangeline’s husband who erases her memories and frames Jacks. He attempts to gain immortality by sacrificing Evangeline, but the Tree of Souls consumes him instead. Full profile → |
| Aurora Vale/Valor | A jealous immortal who orchestrated the Archer’s curse to prevent Jacks from loving anyone else. She poses as a noblewoman while controlling the Valor family from inside the Valory. Full profile → |
| LaLa | Evangeline’s loyal friend who helps her escape and retrieve Jacks’s heart. LaLa once planted the royal phoenix tree to destroy her own heart. Full profile → |
| Castor/Chaos | A resurrected vampire and Aurora’s brother. He warns Evangeline about Jacks’s past and helps her locate Jacks’s hidden heart. Full profile → |
Themes
- Memory and Identity – Stolen and recovered memories force Evangeline to question her sense of self and who she can trust. Explore →
- True Love vs. Curses – Multiple curses (Archer’s curse, fatal kiss, story curse) test whether genuine love can transcend magical manipulation. Explore →
- Sacrifice and Protection – Jacks bargains with Time and forfeits his heart to protect Evangeline, while Apollo’s possessiveness masquerades as protection. Explore →
- Deception and Manipulation – Apollo falsifies wanted posters, executes guards to cover his schemes, and uses memory elixir to rewrite reality. Explore →
- Story Curse and Fate – The personified story curse shapes events, and characters struggle to rewrite their own destinies. Explore →
Symbols
- The Glass Cuff (Vengeance Slaughterwood’s Cuff) – A protective cuff that burns Apollo when he touches Evangeline against her will, symbolizing her autonomy and Jacks’s distant protection. Learn more →
- The Tree of Souls – A sentient tree whose blood grants immortality by sacrificing the drinker’s greatest love; Apollo is consumed by it. Learn more →
- The Phoenix Tree – A royal tree whose fire can destroy hearts; Jacks plans to burn his second heart there, but Apollo ignites the tree first. Learn more →
- Apples – Jacks’s traditional sustenance. After reclaiming his heart, he no longer needs apples, symbolizing his transformation from cursed Fate to a being capable of love. Learn more →
Ending Overview
In the final chapters, Apollo drags Evangeline to the Tree of Souls, intending to drink its blood and become immortal—believing that sacrificing his greatest love (Evangeline) will let him gain power. Jacks arrives and fights Apollo. When Apollo drinks the tree’s blood, the tree claims him instead: because Apollo loves himself most, his face becomes trapped among the roots. Evangeline frees herself, and she and Jacks exit the cavern together. The story curse narrates the epilogue, watching the pair walk toward a happily ever after. Jacks confesses he no longer needs apples, and the two lean in for a kiss as the curse stops watching. The ending affirms that true love can overcome even a curse meant to kill. Full ending explained →
Chapter-by-Chapter Summary
| Chapter | Title / POV | Key Events |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evangeline | Wakes with no memory; Apollo claims to be her husband and accuses Jacks of poisoning him and stealing her memories. |
| 2 | Evangeline | Explores Wolf Hall; feels a broken heart and sense of lost truth; hears a talking door. |
| 3 | Evangeline | Questioned by Dr. Stillgrass; Kristof Knightlinger gives her a red card; Apollo warns against seeking memories. |
| 4 | Apollo | Apollo erases Evangeline’s memories; blackmails a journalist; installs the Valors as Great House; council demands an heir. |
| 5 | Evangeline | Sees broken-heart scar; learns she was framed for murder; watches Firenight fireworks with Apollo. |
| 6 | Evangeline | Tutor shows picture book; title shifts due to story curse; resolves to recover memories; plans to contact Kristof. |
| 7 | Evangeline | Guards confine her; Garrick takes blood from her scar to track Jacks; Lord Slaughterwood arrives. |
| 8 | Apollo | Apollo meets Slaughterwood alone; receives a scroll and warning about ashes. |
| 9 | Evangeline | Reads scandal sheet; loses guards in fog; falls into Well of Wishes after being shoved. |
| 10 | Evangeline | Rescued by golden-haired stranger (Jacks); has memory vision; lies about fall. |
| 11 | Jacks | Jacks watches Evangeline sleep; teaches her self-defense; calls himself Archer. |
| 12 | Evangeline | Night training at Water Garden; recognizes dagger from memory; Archer disappears. |
| 13 | Apollo | Apollo reveals he orchestrated the well attack; orders execution of guards and torture of tutor. |
| 14 | Evangeline | Feels hope after memories; plans to find Archer at dinner banquet. |
| 15 | Apollo | Hosts dinner; Lord Belleflower reveals guard executions; Apollo dismisses as rumor. |
| 16 | Evangeline | Attends ball; meets Aurora Vale; hears Merrywood story; hides dagger from Apollo. |
| 17 | Evangeline | Assassin attacks; Archer saves her; kills the assassin. |
| 18 | Evangeline | Recognizes Archer as her rescuer; chases him. |
| 19 | Apollo | Investigates House Fortuna massacre; stabs the young witness; frames Jacks. |
| 20 | Evangeline | Chases Archer; accidentally says his name to Apollo; Apollo reacts with alarm. |
| 21 | Jacks | Leaves palace; meets Castor who admits to massacre; flashback of Jacks resurrecting Castor. |
| 22 | Evangeline | Learns Archer is Jacks via scandal sheet; decides to go to the Hunt. |
| 23 | Evangeline | Travels to Cursed Forest; Lord Belleflower kills Hale; Evangeline stabs him and flees. |
| 24 | Apollo | Guard Joff reports Evangeline in danger; Apollo worries. |
| 25 | Evangeline | Cursed Forest recreates her best day; meets Chaos; Jacks stabs Chaos. |
| 26 | Jacks | Flashback: Jacks used Valory stones to reverse time after Evangeline’s death; ties her to him. |
| 27 | Evangeline | Bound by vine rope; transported to the Hollow; Jacks calls her Little Fox; they reach an inn. |
| 28 | Apollo | Learns of Tree of Souls from scroll; Wolfric says it’s evil; Apollo determines to become immortal. |
| 29 | Evangeline | Jacks tries to drug her; she reads her past letter and memory returns. |
| 30 | Evangeline | Remembers everything: meeting Jacks, killing Petra, loving him; Apollo captures her; she pretends memory still lost. |
| 31 | Evangeline | Plans escape; Aurora gives flower crown; Apollo seems afraid of Aurora. |
| 32 | Apollo | Flashback: Aurora gave him memory elixir; glass cuff burns him; demands more elixir. |
| 33 | Evangeline | Examines cuff; LaLa arrives disguised; Evangeline declares she won’t abandon Jacks. |
| 34 | Evangeline | Escapes camp; meets Jacks; memory restored; Chaos (Castor) carries her away. |
| 35 | Apollo | Aurora shows him Tree of Souls; Wolfric forbids him; explains tree requires sacrifice of greatest love. |
| 36 | Evangeline | Chaos explains Aurora has Jacks’s heart; Evangeline and LaLa plan to retrieve it. |
| 37 | Apollo | Finds Evangeline’s tent empty; orders pursuit. |
| 38 | Evangeline | Searches Hollow; finds Aurora’s spell book; learns Aurora caused Archer’s curse and fatal kiss curse. |
| 39 | Evangeline | Follows Jacks’s warnings; Aurora emerges bruised, says Jacks reclaimed his heart. |
| 40 | Evangeline | Aurora reveals Jacks plans to burn his heart in phoenix tree; LaLa planted the tree; Evangeline resolves to save him with love. |
| 41 | Evangeline | Reaches phoenix tree; confesses love; kisses Jacks; briefly stops breathing but revives. |
| 42 | – | Brief fairy-tale interlude: “Once upon a time there was nothing but kissing.” |
| 43 | Evangeline | Apollo appears, sets tree ablaze; kidnaps Evangeline; Jacks’s fate unknown. |
| 44 | Apollo | Shackles Evangeline; carries her through arch; endures pain from cuff. |
| 45 | Jacks | Searches through smoke; fooled by Aurora; learns Apollo took Evangeline to Tree of Souls. |
| 46 | Evangeline | Apollo lays her before tree like sacrifice; she refuses to apologize for kissing Jacks. |
| 47 | Jacks | Attacks Apollo; restrained by Valor brothers; Wolfric refuses to help. |
| 48 | Evangeline | Apollo drinks tree’s blood; tree consumes him because he loves himself. |
| 49 | Evangeline | Frees herself; chooses to stay with Jacks; they leave cavern. |
| 50 | Epilogue | Story curse watches them; Jacks no longer needs apples; they kiss as curse stops watching. |
Complete chapter-by-chapter summaries for every chapter →
Common Questions and Answers
-
Why does Apollo erase Evangeline’s memories?
Apollo erases her memories because she chose Jacks. He wants to protect her from Jacks (in his view) and secure her as his wife, rewriting their story to make himself the hero. -
How does Evangeline regain her memories?
She reads a letter she wrote to herself, hidden in Jacks’s coat. The letter describes Jacks’s plan to use the Valory stones and warns her of his true intentions, shattering Apollo’s false narrative. -
What is the story curse?
The story curse is a sentient force in the Magnificent North that twists truths and changes tales. It narrates the epilogue and manipulates story outcomes, but ultimately allows Evangeline and Jacks’s happily ever after. -
Does Jacks truly love Evangeline?
Yes. Despite believing his kiss will kill her, Jacks bargains with Time to save her life, reclaims his second heart, and is willing to burn it to protect her. He confesses his love after their kiss breaks the fatal curse. -
What happens to Prince Apollo at the end?
Apollo drinks from the Tree of Souls, hoping to gain immortality by sacrificing Evangeline. Because he loves himself most, the tree absorbs him, trapping his face among its roots. -
Who is Aurora Vale and what is her role?
Aurora is an immortal who loves Jacks obsessively. She orchestrated the Archer’s curse and the fatal kiss curse to prevent Jacks from loving anyone else. She also stole Jacks’s second heart and hid it. -
Why does Jacks call Evangeline “Little Fox”?
The nickname comes from "The Ballad of the Archer and the Fox," a story that reflects Jacks’s past as a hunter forced to kill a girl he loved. Jacks fears he will kill Evangeline, making the name both an endearment and a warning. -
Does the fatal kiss curse break?
Yes. Evangeline kisses Jacks and briefly stops breathing, then revives. The story curse and the truth of her love override Aurora’s spell, proving that only a girl who truly loves Jacks can survive and make his heart beat.