STEPHANIE GARBER BOOK LIST

Exciting news! We have officially read and reviewed every book that Stephanie Garber has published. Here are our thoughts on her books in general. You’ll find individual book reviews with the link at the end of this article. As always, the reviews include content ratings for language, violence, and spice.

WHAT GENRE ARE HER BOOKS?

Fantasy, Romance. 

Alchemy of Secrets was a fantasy book, but it took place in Los Angeles. If you're not so sure you'd like magic or a fantasy setting, we'd recommend reading that one. But fair warning, the next book hasn't been published yet. 

If you’re interested in jumping right into the nitty gritty fantasy, be aware that the Caraval trilogy does take place before the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. However, one of us did read Once Upon a Broken Heart first and still enjoyed it.

WHEN WE SEE SHE'S PUBLISHED A NEW BOOK?

It’s highly likely that one of us will preorder it. We've loved her books enough to know we will likely love it. 

HOW CLEAN ARE HER BOOKS?

On average the Content Ratings of Garber's books are:

Language-2

She uses a few swear words, usually H, D, B, A. The only book that uses an F word is Alchemy of Secrets and there was only 1.

Violence-3

There is fantasy violence in her stories. People are killed. There is blood. There are vampires killing. There are evil characters doing evil things. 

Spice-3

As far as the spice goes, Garber keeps things Closed Door. That being said, there are quite a few steamy scenes that include removing clothes, nudity, licking, biting, and kissing. Lots of sexual tension. In our opinion, the romance scenes in Spectacular were an odd situation and it felt all sorts of wrong... honestly, we’d advise against reading that one. Leave the Caraval Trilogy at that. 

WHO WOULD WE RECOMMEND HER BOOKS TO?

Young Adult Books

We recommend Stephanie Garber’s YA books to older teenagers and adults who are interested in magical fantasy romance stories with lots of surprises and cliff hangers. We would argue that the spice levels in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series may not be appropriate for younger teens, but the Caraval series could be a good option for them. Check out our individual reviews for more details on the spice levels to help determine what will be appropriate for your teen.

Adult Books

At this point, Alchemy of Secrets is Garber’s only Adult book. We could recommend this story to anyone interested in dipping their toes into a fantasy. While the story takes place in Los Angeles, it includes a subtle kind of magic that won’t overwhelm the reader. 

WHAT DO WE LOVE ABOUT HER BOOKS?

Garber’s stories are unlike anything we've ever read. The magic is especially unique, and all of the plot lines are very well thought out with lots of twists and turns in every story.

We also love how every book includes extra graphics, such as newspaper articles, letters, invitations, etc. These items are printed in the book as the characters would have seen them. It’s a really fun element that helps immerse the reader even further into the world.

WHAT ARE OUR PERSONAL FAVORITES?

The Ballad of Never After or Alchemy of Secrets.

CARAVAL

BY STEPHANIE GARBER

Caraval is about two sisters, Scarlett and Donatella, who run away from home to participate in a magical game called Caraval where fantasy blurs with reality. When Tella gets kidnapped by the Caraval Master as part of the game, Scarlett has to follow the clues to find her sister and win the game.

This book is one unexpected plot twist after another. When it says fantasy blurs with reality, that’s no joke! This was crazy. And I loved it.

CHECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF CARAVAL HERE

LEGENDARY

BY STEPHANIE GARBER

After everything worked out in her favor at the end of Caraval, Tella should be happier than ever, but she still owes the mysterious criminal who helped her make it all happen. Now Tella has to play in the next Caraval and figure out Legend’s real name in order to pay her debts, save her mom, and ultimately save herself.

Right when I thought I had the game figured out, everything changed. All the rules from the last Caraval didn’t apply here, and it was fun to see everything play out in what felt like (but wasn’t) a less formal/structured game throughout the city.

CHECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF LEGENDARY HERE

FINALE

BY STEPHANIE GARBER

Finale picks up two months after the end of Legendary with Tella still mad at Legend and definitely not ready to forgive him for walking away from her. Meanwhile, Legend’s getting ready for his coronation and becoming the king of Valenda. But when the fates start wreaking havoc after being freed from the deck of destiny, Tella and Legend have to deal with the consequences of their decisions and figure out a way to save the empire.

The format of this book changed so much from the previous books that, in the beginning, I felt like I was just waiting to figure out where everything going. But, as the book went on, the pace picked up pretty fast and the ending was amazing, just like the others.

CHECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF FINALE HERE

SPECTACULAR

BY STEPHANIE GARBER

The story from the Caraval series continues with Scarlett and Tella as they celebrate the Great Holiday.

I was excited to dive into this novella after finishing the Caraval series. The illustrations were beautiful. However, the book took a strange turn and became something I really didn’t like. I can’t explain it without giving away the story, but I thought it was all sorts of wrong.

CHECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF SPECTACULAR HERE

ONCE UPON A BROKEN HEART

BY STEPHANIE GARBER

In a moment of desperation, Evangeline prays to the Prince of Hearts begging to make a deal to stop the wedding of her stepsister and the man she loves. When Jacks answers, she finds herself agreeing to three kisses. Jacks decides when, and to whom. Almost immediately, Evangeline realizes how twisted the deals immortals make can be.

I loved Once Upon a Broken Heart! There were several moments where my jaw dropped and I gasped out loud. I highly recommend you check out this series. I can’t wait to read the next one!

CHECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF ONCE UPON A BROKEN HEART HERE

THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER

BY STEPHANIE GARBER

After putting her faith in the Prince of Hearts, and being betrayed repeatedly, Evangeline is determined to take matters into her own hands and find her happily ever after on her own. When a new curse is threatening her life, she realizes that Jacks may be the only one who can help.

The Ballad of Never After was a wild ride. The plot twists caught me off guard. I loved the adventure. The magic was fun, and the discoveries about the past were intriguing. I’ll be reading the next book ASAP!

CHECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER HERE

A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE

BY STEPHANIE GARBER

Evangeline has no memory of her past or how she ended up married to the Prince. He promised to protect her and keep her safe from the harm that seems to follow her, but she can't help but feel like something is wrong.

I thought the ending of this book was a little abrupt. There were a few things that happened that weren't followed up with an explanation. But overall, the Once Upon a Broken Heart series has become one of my favorites! I really loved the storylines, the setting, the magic, and of course... Jacks.

CHECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE HERE

ALCHEMY OF SECRETS

BY STEPHANIE GARBER

Holland has always been fascinated by urban myths and the possibility of magic. When she stumbles upon a character from one of those myths, she finds herself on a mission to find a mysterious ancient object full of magic in order to save her own life.

Alchemy of Secrets was a high stakes treasure hunt full of mystery and questionable characters. The magic incorporated felt whimsical and a little nonsensical, but I thought it worked well for the mystery of this story. I can’t wait to read the next book!

CHECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF ALCHEMY OF SECRETS HERE