Books like Once Upon a Broken Heart

A candy-coated, treacherous fairy tale where hope is a weapon and the villain is dangerously easy to love. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Once Upon a Broken Heart.

candy-colored
enchanting
treacherous
swoony

01
The Ballad of Never After
Stephanie Garber
A swoony, treacherous fairy tale where every kiss might be a curse and every ally a villain.
Shares:
- enchanting
- treacherous
- swoony
- whimsical
02
A Curse for True Love
Stephanie Garber
A swoony, candy-colored fairy tale laced with poison, where true love is fought for with teeth and claws.
Shares:
- enchanting
- swoony
- whimsical
- earnest
03
Blood & Honey
Shelby Mahurin
A tense, shadow-drenched continuation of a magical romance where survival demands a terrible, bloody price.
Shares:
- romantic
04
Heartless Hunter
Kristen Ciccarelli
A high-stakes, swoony game of cat-and-mouse where the greatest danger is falling in love with the enemy.
Shares:
- swoony
- earnest
- romantic
05
A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Brigid Kemmerer
A gritty, emotionally charged fairy tale retelling where modern pragmatism collides with ancient, blood-soaked magic.
Shares:
- swoony
- earnest
- romantic
06
Kingdom of The Cursed
Kerri Maniscalco
A decadent, shadow-drenched descent into an opulent underworld where danger and desire are indistinguishable.
Feels:
- opulent
- shadowy
- tension-filled
07
Lightlark
Alex Aster
A glittering, cutthroat magical tournament where every alliance is a trap and survival means risking your heart.
Shares:
- treacherous
- romantic
08
Heartless
Marissa Meyer
A whimsical, sugar-dusted romance that slowly curdles into an inevitable, heartbreaking tragedy.
Shares:
- enchanting
- whimsical
- earnest
- romantic
09
Bookish and the Beast
Ashley Poston
A playful, modern twist on a classic tale that celebrates the magic of being a reader.
Shares:
- whimsical
- earnest
10
Malice
Heather Walter
A lush, sapphic villain origin story that asks what happens when the monster decides she would rather burn the kingdom down than lose the girl.
Shares:
- romantic
11
Renegades
Marissa Meyer
A cinematic thrill ride fueled by secret identities, shifting allegiances, and the delicious tension of falling for the enemy.
Shares:
- earnest
12
The Darkest Part of the Forest
Holly Black
A dark, modern fairytale where the woods are full of teeth and the girl with the sword is the most dangerous thing of all.
Feels:
- autumnal
- enchanted
- dread-tinged

Back to Once Upon a Broken Heart