The Ballad of Never After
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-09-07 09:53:00
- Update Date：2025-09-24
- Status：finish
- Author：Stephanie Garber
- ISBN：1250268427
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
The fiercely-anticipated sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Once Upon a Broken Heart， starring Evangeline Fox and the Prince of Hearts on a new journey of magic， mystery， and heartbreak。
Not every love is meant to be。
After Jacks， the Prince of Hearts， betrays her， Evangeline Fox swears she'll never trust him again。 Now that she’s discovered her own magic， Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away。
But when a new terrifying curse is revealed， Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again。 Only this time， the rules have changed。 Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of。 In fact， he might be the only one she can trust， despite her desire to despise him。
Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life， a murderous spell has been cast。 To break it， Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends， new foes， and a magic that plays with heads and hearts。 Evangeline has always trusted her heart， but this time she’s not sure she can。 。 。 。
Not every love is meant to be。
After Jacks， the Prince of Hearts， betrays her， Evangeline Fox swears she'll never trust him again。 Now that she’s discovered her own magic， Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away。
But when a new terrifying curse is revealed， Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again。 Only this time， the rules have changed。 Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of。 In fact， he might be the only one she can trust， despite her desire to despise him。
Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life， a murderous spell has been cast。 To break it， Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends， new foes， and a magic that plays with heads and hearts。 Evangeline has always trusted her heart， but this time she’s not sure she can。 。 。 。
Reviews
Lexie
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I don't know how I'm supposed to write a review between the incoherent screaming and sobbing this book has reduced me to， but uh， here we go。Once Upon a Broken Heart was one of my favorite books of 2021。 It was the perfect mix of whimsy， mystery， and drama that literally would not let me put it down。 I'm happy to report that The Ballad of Never After is an incredibly strong followup that I likewise devoured in less than 2 days The beginning had it's clunky moments， and holy curses Batman I had a I don't know how I'm supposed to write a review between the incoherent screaming and sobbing this book has reduced me to， but uh， here we go。Once Upon a Broken Heart was one of my favorite books of 2021。 It was the perfect mix of whimsy， mystery， and drama that literally would not let me put it down。 I'm happy to report that The Ballad of Never After is an incredibly strong followup that I likewise devoured in less than 2 days The beginning had it's clunky moments， and holy curses Batman I had a hard time keeping track of just how many magical enchantments were afflicting our characters at one point or another， but this novel was pure， blissful FUN。 I was so engaged with this world and the dark fairytale vibes of it all。 Poor Evangeline can't catch a dang break， but the absolute A+ banter and tension she has with Jacks more than makes up for it。 The various mysteries that Stephanie Garber was juggling in this book kept me SO intrigued and laughing， gasping， and legitimately screaming through the very end。 I'm pretty sure my neighbors are about to call for a wellness check on me， tbh。This sequel absolutely exceeded my expectations and if you'll excuse me I'll be crying in a corner until we get news about the next book。Side note: the audiobook narrator is incredible！ Loved the energy and emotion she brought to the story。Thank you to NetGalley for access to the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Andra （andra。s。books）
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Loved the book。 Love Jacks with all my heart。Hate （love） the author for making this a trilogy。 It has to be a trilogy taking into consideration that ending。 That freaking plot twist blew me away。 Now I have to wait another year until the next book 😢😭😭😭😭
Ali
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This was a great second book in what I believe will be a trilogy。 You can’t help but love the villain in these books。 Jacks ， can only kiss his true love otherwise his kiss will bring them death。 In this book he is trying to help Evangeline find a curse to fix her husband and cure herself from the mirror curse but in order to do so she must convince the fates to help her。 The fates are not inclined to help but we shall see where the story brings her。 This book ends in a strong cliffhanger。 Will This was a great second book in what I believe will be a trilogy。 You can’t help but love the villain in these books。 Jacks ， can only kiss his true love otherwise his kiss will bring them death。 In this book he is trying to help Evangeline find a curse to fix her husband and cure herself from the mirror curse but in order to do so she must convince the fates to help her。 The fates are not inclined to help but we shall see where the story brings her。 This book ends in a strong cliffhanger。 Will be patiently be awaiting the next one。 。。。more
Laura Douglas
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Loved it！！！
Breanna | bookish。bree on bookstagram
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THIS BOOK！ 5 stars from meThe betrayal， the angst， the pining， the adventure， and the love。 This book had me gripped and enthralled and I couldn’t get enough。 Seeing all the multifaceted layers of Jacks was everything I wanted and more in the midst of a fantastical fantasy adventure。 Jacks and Evangeline’s hunt for the arch stones and subsequent troubles they encounter had my heart both aching and breaking。 In my opinion this one was even better than Once Upon A Broken Heart， and I can’t wait to THIS BOOK！ 5 stars from meThe betrayal， the angst， the pining， the adventure， and the love。 This book had me gripped and enthralled and I couldn’t get enough。 Seeing all the multifaceted layers of Jacks was everything I wanted and more in the midst of a fantastical fantasy adventure。 Jacks and Evangeline’s hunt for the arch stones and subsequent troubles they encounter had my heart both aching and breaking。 In my opinion this one was even better than Once Upon A Broken Heart， and I can’t wait to see if we get more of Evangeline and Jacks going forward！ Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review。 Get your hands on this book 9/13 and you won’t regret it！ 。。。more
julie ☾
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As always， anything Stephanie Garber writes is a masterpiece。I was so excited to finally read the sequel to Once Upon a Broken Heart because Jacks’s my favorite character from the Caraval universe and I’ve fallen in love with his relationship with Evangeline and unsurprisingly The Ballad of Never After did not disappoint。 The tension between the two characters has never been more exciting and the story takes delightful turns。 I’ll forever be in love with the magical universe Stephanie never ceas As always， anything Stephanie Garber writes is a masterpiece。I was so excited to finally read the sequel to Once Upon a Broken Heart because Jacks’s my favorite character from the Caraval universe and I’ve fallen in love with his relationship with Evangeline and unsurprisingly The Ballad of Never After did not disappoint。 The tension between the two characters has never been more exciting and the story takes delightful turns。 I’ll forever be in love with the magical universe Stephanie never ceases to create。 。。。more
Zarina
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I absolutely raced through this one， DESPERATE to find out what would happen next to Evangeline Fox and the Prince of Hearts （and it didn't disappoint）， so I probably have to reread it to capture every important detail in the story。 But what an adventure！ I only dislike that it， once again， finished on a cliffhanger。 WHY？！ I absolutely raced through this one， DESPERATE to find out what would happen next to Evangeline Fox and the Prince of Hearts （and it didn't disappoint）， so I probably have to reread it to capture every important detail in the story。 But what an adventure！ I only dislike that it， once again， finished on a cliffhanger。 WHY？！ 。。。more
Etta （Chonky Books Review）
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The Ballad of Never After is the sequel to one of my top novels of last year， Once Upon a Broken Heart。 The story picks up where the last novel left off， but there were enough callbacks where it was not difficult to remember the details of the previous story。 There continue to be some references of the related series， Caraval， in this story， but I enjoy that they are easy enough to understand in case others have not read it yet。 The story continues to be one that I try to take my time with as I The Ballad of Never After is the sequel to one of my top novels of last year， Once Upon a Broken Heart。 The story picks up where the last novel left off， but there were enough callbacks where it was not difficult to remember the details of the previous story。 There continue to be some references of the related series， Caraval， in this story， but I enjoy that they are easy enough to understand in case others have not read it yet。 The story continues to be one that I try to take my time with as I want to savor each sentence。Evangeline’s journey continues with her trying to reverse one curse while another makes an appearance。 When this is put together with her trying to figure out her magic， the right course of action， and who to trust。 She has grown a lot from the very naïve character introduced at the start of the series， but she still can sometimes find herself oblivious to dangers around her。 Her relationship with Jacks continues to be very complex as they continue to interact。 They continue to have amazing chemistry and banter as they both continue their own journeys。As the novel is not officially labeled as part of a duology or trilogy， at first， the pacing does read slower if it is the former， but it fits if it is the latter。 The writing of the story is a standout as there seems to be a direction for the main series since this is a young adult novel， but I enjoy that is not cut and dry。 There is a lot that can happen in the next novel， and I cannot wait to read it。 I really hope that the next novel， whenever it becomes a reality， lives up to my very high expectations as this is shaping up to be one of my favorites all-time series。Rebecca Soler continues to narrate the series in an amazing manner。 She did a great job differentiating the characters and narrating at a nice pace。 I loved how she went through all the emotions in this novel as there were a lot。 The Fates and their backstories continued to be explored， including Jacks。 I loved getting to know him more and see him show hints of vulnerability。 The ending of this novel was amazing yet frustrating。 I loved how the ending was build-up， but my only frustration was because I am impatient and want to read what happens next！**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this novel。 The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。** 。。。more
Olivia
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THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER is an explosive and enthralling YA fantasy sequel。 Picking up after the first book ended， Evangeline has learned from her mistakes， and while she wants to see the good in everyone， she holds a lot more skepticism than she used to - particularly with regards to the cold-hearted Fate， Jacks。 Evangeline is determined to stay away from him and the thing he seems determined to use her for - the opening of the Valory Arch。 While due to a curse， no one knows what would happen THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER is an explosive and enthralling YA fantasy sequel。 Picking up after the first book ended， Evangeline has learned from her mistakes， and while she wants to see the good in everyone， she holds a lot more skepticism than she used to - particularly with regards to the cold-hearted Fate， Jacks。 Evangeline is determined to stay away from him and the thing he seems determined to use her for - the opening of the Valory Arch。 While due to a curse， no one knows what would happen if she does so， there seem to be quite a few people who feel strongly about whether it should be opened or not。She continues to visit Apollo as he exists in the cursed state， hoping that she can find a way to release him from it。 However， soon， a darker and more dangerous curse takes hold， and now， Evangeline's only chance for survival is the opening of the arch。 Together with Jacks， who is becoming harder for her to hate， she must search for the missing stones to complete the arch so that it can be opened。 Their quest is fraught with danger， curses， and unexpected revelations。What I loved: This sequel was even better than the first， pulling the reader right into this magical and mystical world of curses， stories， and half-truths。 The plot takes off quickly and pulls the reader into Evangeline's story。 There is a great mysterious atmosphere that hangs over the whole story with questions about the Valory Arch， the Fates and their roles in the past， and what Jacks is truly thinking。 Evangeline is surrounded by half-truths and fairytales that mask the past， with those who know the truths of it all unable and/or unwilling to tell her more。 The reader must simply experience it alongside her。Evangeline is not the girl she was when she first sought out Jacks。 She is really coming into her own in this book， with personal revelations throughout。 Although she knows that Jacks is not to be trusted， Evangeline is learning to trust her gut and her own intuition， approaching those around her with good faith and giving the benefit of the doubt while also carrying some hefty skepticism。 The Fates are immortal and seemingly cold-hearted， while they are often ironically driven by a desire for love。 Their frequent betrayals should leave Evangeline jaded， but she holds onto her hope and kindness， even in the face of their cruelty - though she is not as naive as she used to be。There are some great themes around forgiveness， love/romance and its many （sometimes unhealthy） forms， mistakes， the power of choice， regret， vengeance， and home。 Love is central to the plot for nearly all the main characters。 Evangeline became wrapped up in this over what she believed was her chance at love， but she is learning that love is not so simple - there are no straight paths to love or fated romances and love is something that has to be worked on every day。 The Fates， Jacks and LaLa are both compelled around love as well， and their curses force them to love and lose constantly， feelings that have no doubt taken a toll。 As their coldness and cruelty plays out with a backdrop of love， Evangeline learns from their actions and inactions。 The reader also begins to see the way Jacks is， in some ways， on a more primitive path than Evangeline， still growing and learning。 He also has the opportunity to confront his misgivings and understand some harder truths。The book includes some explosive twists and shocking turns。 While there were some smaller ones that seemed obvious as the book unfolded， there were still others that were completely incendiary， throwing the characters and readers for a loop。 The end of the book left me gasping and speechless - there are not enough words to describe all the feelings of shock， awe， upset， heartbreak， and so much more。Final verdict: An evocative and explosive sequel， THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER features compelling characters and thought-provoking themes in an absolutely riveting and unputdownable YA fantasy。 Highly recommend picking this one up！Please note that I received an ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
myblackbookish_life
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4 rounded up to 4。5 stars， F you very much Goodreads 😐Oh God， what even is a review？？？ Why am I even trying to attempt to string together some words to form sentences that won't even come close to articulating my reading experience。。。I had to change my rating for book 1 when I realized how I felt about book 2。 Where OUABH feels a lot like it's feeling around in the dark， doesn't have a great sense of balance， and stumbles into so many things， TBONA is like the light has been flicked on。 Suddenly 4 rounded up to 4。5 stars， F you very much Goodreads 😐Oh God， what even is a review？？？ Why am I even trying to attempt to string together some words to form sentences that won't even come close to articulating my reading experience。。。I had to change my rating for book 1 when I realized how I felt about book 2。 Where OUABH feels a lot like it's feeling around in the dark， doesn't have a great sense of balance， and stumbles into so many things， TBONA is like the light has been flicked on。 Suddenly we know what the stakes are， the sense of urgency is earned， characters' motivations are carefully revealed as our girl Evangeline starts to put the puzzle together。 Honestly， it makes me super mad at whatever the hell was book 1， but it's fine， we're fiiiinnnee。Without spoiling things， I still despise love triangles and this book reminded me of my hatred。 Jacks who I still don't too much care full and expected too much out of other readers who gladly became Jacks simps if they weren't already ACTUALLY got me to care about him in the end。 We're talking the last 10% of the book BUT that 10 more than I had when started way back with the Caraval books lol。 That love conquers all shit？？ So many ways that trope can fall apart but when it's done right， it's done *right* and I remember why I hold it so near and dear to my heart。 Also， fuck the ending， now I gotta sit with all these emotions。。。I feel like we're punishing Evangeline for wanting love because I actually swear she can't catch a break， my God。。。 。。。more
Ashley
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The Ballad of Never After is the HIGHLY anticipated sequel to Once Upon A Broken Heart following Jacks and Evangeline， nothing I can say will be an expression of the feels I have for this book。 This gave all the enchanting， stunning， atmospheric， captivating， irresistible， dreamy vibes you would expect from a Stephanie Garber book。 As soon as I finished， I wanted to go back to page one。 I absolutely adore these characters， their flaws， bad decisions， miscommunications and all。 I had so much fun The Ballad of Never After is the HIGHLY anticipated sequel to Once Upon A Broken Heart following Jacks and Evangeline， nothing I can say will be an expression of the feels I have for this book。 This gave all the enchanting， stunning， atmospheric， captivating， irresistible， dreamy vibes you would expect from a Stephanie Garber book。 As soon as I finished， I wanted to go back to page one。 I absolutely adore these characters， their flaws， bad decisions， miscommunications and all。 I had so much fun reading this and highly recommend picking up this sequel ASAP！ Narrator Rebecca Soler NEVER disappoints， and the audiobook was fantastic and totally added to the experience。Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC！！ 。。。more
Kailah
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Stephanie Garber always kills it when it comes to details and creating a delicious atmosphere。 Her books were made for readers who love to be swept away by magic and swoony characters。 I think the plots of her books are a little convoluted sometimes， and Ballad is no different。 I had a hard time following the plot sometimes， and the stakes just aren’t as intense as the Caraval series in my opinion。 This companion series started off strong for me， but became more lackluster as it went on。 However Stephanie Garber always kills it when it comes to details and creating a delicious atmosphere。 Her books were made for readers who love to be swept away by magic and swoony characters。 I think the plots of her books are a little convoluted sometimes， and Ballad is no different。 I had a hard time following the plot sometimes， and the stakes just aren’t as intense as the Caraval series in my opinion。 This companion series started off strong for me， but became more lackluster as it went on。 However， the final 95% of Ballad had me gripping my seat。 If there had been such twists and turns and intensity throughout the whole book， it would be five stars for me。 Rebecca Soler always does a great job narrating these books， and her voice and performance is a perfect fit for the mood of the story。 Overall， the book was entertaining， but not 100% my cup of tea。 。。。more
Jenn Doehler
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I am destroyed。 This is perhaps Stephanie’s best book yet and I can’t believe I finished it and have to wait until god knows when to find out what happens next。
mar
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i feel like i’m going to die
Emily T
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Interesting read。 5 stars！！
Beth， BooksNest
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[ad • review copy]4。5 starsYou can always expect fantastical worlds， magical descriptions and morally grey but very lovable characters from a Stephanie Garber book， and Ballad did not disappoint。 Book two in a series， we're thrown into immediate drama for Evangeline and Jacks to try and solve throughout the plot of the book。 I love the character dynamics between these two， they're really good fun to read about when together。 I'm glad we get to see more of Jacks in this series and get a little mo [ad • review copy]4。5 starsYou can always expect fantastical worlds， magical descriptions and morally grey but very lovable characters from a Stephanie Garber book， and Ballad did not disappoint。 Book two in a series， we're thrown into immediate drama for Evangeline and Jacks to try and solve throughout the plot of the book。 I love the character dynamics between these two， they're really good fun to read about when together。 I'm glad we get to see more of Jacks in this series and get a little more of his backstory， though I still want to know more！ This book has given me even more questions but in a very good way！ The ending was very clever and I really liked what Garber did with it for many reasons， if you know you know。。。 And of course， the setting and magic system was as entrancing and beautiful as ever。 What I love about these books is how visual they are and how it feels like anything can happen， very much like a fairytale。 。。。more
kinereads
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AHHHH！ SCREAMING， CRYING AND THROWING UP。 I am so so so happy 💗 It's safe to say that I'm a huge fan of the Caraval series （my absolute favorite series） and that Stephanie Garber owns my heart。 I love and adore her writing， and her books are filled with magic。 I have been waiting for this book since last year， and I was counting down the days til I could continue on with the story， and this did not disappoint AT ALL。 There are definitely some characters I want to punch in the face， but maybe tha AHHHH！ SCREAMING， CRYING AND THROWING UP。 I am so so so happy 💗 It's safe to say that I'm a huge fan of the Caraval series （my absolute favorite series） and that Stephanie Garber owns my heart。 I love and adore her writing， and her books are filled with magic。 I have been waiting for this book since last year， and I was counting down the days til I could continue on with the story， and this did not disappoint AT ALL。 There are definitely some characters I want to punch in the face， but maybe that's just me？ BUT overall， this book was just as magical and amazing as all of her other books。 The storyline just keeps getting better and better， and I am completely in love with the universe and everything related to these books and these characters。 Jacks and Evangeline's chemestry is everything。 I just live for the tension in this book。 Jacks is like always， but I love seeing more sides of him。 I feel like he has so much depth to him and he deserves the world。。 I have been a huge fan of Jacks since the beginning， but this book just makes me love him even more。 I'm not sure how I can love a character this much， but I am rooting for him always。 My feelings were all over the place while reading this book。 This book definitely made me feel every emotion possible。。 lol！ There is some twists and they were all worth it。 The wait was worth it。 I don't want to spoil much but I am wanting to see more， I am not ready for this to be over。 And if there is going to be another one， I honestly have no idea how I will survive the wait。 LOVE LOVE LOVE。 I can't recommend it enough。 Go read Caraval， and then OUABH。。 and of course this one。 They are all worth it。 Can't tell you enough how good they are。 。。。more
Lauren
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My heart cannot cope with the perfection that is Stephanie Garber's books！I need book 3 now， my heart hurts。 I feel destroyed but in the best way。 Stephanie Garber has the most beautiful writing， and has a way of making me wish to just climb into the story。 Ballad of Never After is the sequel of Once upon a broken heart。 It continues with the search for the stones to open the Vallory arch。 We get more Jacks and Evangeline angst and will-they-wont-they moments。My heart is literally racing after j My heart cannot cope with the perfection that is Stephanie Garber's books！I need book 3 now， my heart hurts。 I feel destroyed but in the best way。 Stephanie Garber has the most beautiful writing， and has a way of making me wish to just climb into the story。 Ballad of Never After is the sequel of Once upon a broken heart。 It continues with the search for the stones to open the Vallory arch。 We get more Jacks and Evangeline angst and will-they-wont-they moments。My heart is literally racing after just finishing this book。 I could not put it down， I never want to leave the world's that Stephanie creates for us。If you loved Caraval， then you need to pick up OUABH and Ballad！！ Full review to come。*Thank you to Hodder for my gifted copy， in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
the reading sloth
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If I had a million starts to give， it still wouldn't be enough to praise this glorious book。 Stephanie Garber has never been stronger， never been bolder and never been so raw in her writing。 Every word is made by pure magic， and you get pulled into a magical world filled with heartbreak， longing and deep wounds filled with sorrow。 But laughter and love are sprinkled in with a hopeful reminder; even the biggest villain deserves a happy ending。 Evangeline finds her voice in this book and proves he If I had a million starts to give， it still wouldn't be enough to praise this glorious book。 Stephanie Garber has never been stronger， never been bolder and never been so raw in her writing。 Every word is made by pure magic， and you get pulled into a magical world filled with heartbreak， longing and deep wounds filled with sorrow。 But laughter and love are sprinkled in with a hopeful reminder; even the biggest villain deserves a happy ending。 Evangeline finds her voice in this book and proves herself to be strong， even in the bleakest of times。 For she never gives up。 Every time she falls， she picks herself up again， ready to face the terrors that’s trying to claim her life。 Jacks is， without a doubt， the best character Garber has made。 He tosses his apples， he makes his witty remarks， and he cares more than he wants to admit。 His past is explored more in this book， and I can honestly say I cried a few times， just because his pain is just too raw and deep。 To me， this book was as magical as The night circus， as enthralling as The wicked king and as captivating as A court of thorns and roses。 You will not regret picking up this book， and I wished I could erase my memories only to read this book again。So that was my professional review without spoilers。 Now onto the less professional， spoilery one。 （view spoiler）[Okay， you just tapped “Show spoilers” and I want you to be absolute sure you have read the book， for this book deserves to be read with the magic as it is。 Wait， you’ve read it？ Well then， let´s go。 （view spoiler）[Welp， so this is me。 Yeah， I don’t look so good right now。 This book did not only wreck me， but it also destroyed me。 The sweetness that could have been was so beautiful I cried tears of joy， then replaced it with tears of sadness as the ending approached。 Gosh I have never cried so much over a book before。 Usually， I am a stone-cold person who just reads the books without any emotions。 Well， that’s not the case anymore。The book starts off almost right after Once upon a broken heart， and it drags you down and into the rabbit whole immediately。 Evangeline finds out she needs to find four stones to open the Valory arc， but terror doesn’t stop following her around。 Apollo wakes up but he is infected with yet another curse （no we DON´T feel sorry for him）， the Archery curse。 Which means he must hunt down his lover until she dies， and if she dies， he dies。 After nearly escaping death， Evangeline joins up with our beloved apple eating scoundrel and together they go looking for the stones。 This book contains so much Jacks and still it was not enough。 It will never be enough。 Jacks had my heart before， but now he is， hands down， my favorite character of all time。 The complexity that is Jacks is peeled off， layer by layer， until he finally breaks down。 He knows what he wants， but he knows he will never get it。 He is the archer， and the archer never gets his fox。 No matter what， Jacks is nothing but the true hero of this tale， and as he says himself: heroes don’t get happy endings。 Evangeline really grew on me in this book。 She shows herself to be strong and powerful and isn’t afraid to take what she wants this time。The ending…I just can´t。 It broke me into a million pieces。 There is no doubt in my mind that the fox and the archer are each other’s truest love， and I need them to be together。 If not， we will riot。 Also， how mean was that “The end” page？？ I was already crying; I didn’t need to have a heart attack as well。 Also， let’s talk about the most disgusting human pig that ever graced the magnificent north。 Let’s talk about Apollo。 Yeah， overly dramatic， bad shooter， memory stealing Apollo。 How dare he do that to Evangeline？ How dare he be so disgusting？ I hope Jacks is right and that he will kill him someday。 If not， then buddy: So yeah， you could say I hate him with every fiber of my being。 Because I do。 The question is: What now？ I honestly believe there is another book for if it ended like this I would die。 But also， we must wait another year， maybe more for the third installment？ It’s so long and I need to know what’s going to happen。Until then， I await for more people to read this and join in on a communal support group。 For this is me now and I am a mess。 （hide spoiler）] （hide spoiler）]["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more
Melissa’s Bookshelf
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3 1/2 starsOkay， if you haven’t read a Stephanie Garber book before you are in for a fun， rollercoaster of a ride。 I highly recommend reading or listening to Once Upon a Broken Heart before reading/listening to this book or you will be lost。 The second book picks right up after the first book leaves off with Apollo under Jacks’ sleeping spell。 The only way he’ll reverse it is if Evangeline promises to open the arch。 The mysterious arch is at the heart of this book。 Should it be opened？ What will 3 1/2 starsOkay， if you haven’t read a Stephanie Garber book before you are in for a fun， rollercoaster of a ride。 I highly recommend reading or listening to Once Upon a Broken Heart before reading/listening to this book or you will be lost。 The second book picks right up after the first book leaves off with Apollo under Jacks’ sleeping spell。 The only way he’ll reverse it is if Evangeline promises to open the arch。 The mysterious arch is at the heart of this book。 Should it be opened？ What will happen when/if it is？ I listened to the audiobook version of the book and honestly had to listen to it twice because it really throws a lot at the reader。 There are so many twists and turns and things you need to pay attention to while listening。 So， if you happen to lose focus， you’ll miss something。 It’s hard to know whom to trust， and over and over again it’s easy to be mislead。 The narration is amazing！ I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator and the emotion she put into the audiobook。 The way she distinguished each of the characters is perfect。 Her narration made Evangeline much more sympathetic than I think she would be otherwise。What I liked: Jacks is the bad boy， morally gray character you can’t help but love。 He somehow manages to elicit sympathy despite all the awful things he does。 This story delves more into his past and why he is the way he is。 Does he really love Evangeline？ That’s the question and while there is a grand gesture he performs， it’s still something I’ll be wondering about going into book 3。 I loved the fairytales and the setting。 Stephanie Garber certainly has a talent for creating these well described， scenic worlds that capture the imagination and this story is no different。 From the gorgeous costumes， to Hollow Inn， Chaos’ lair， the forests， and Wolf Hall， all were easily pictured in my mind。 That said， I did not like Evangeline in this book。 She was so wishy washy with her feelings and easily attracted to any handsome face。 It bothered me that this whole time， she is MARRIED to her poor cursed husband Apollo and yet flirts and cozies up to Jacks especially and any other handsome male in the room。 Her blind optimism and rose colored glasses view that love will solve everything just seems incredibly naive and leads her into lots of trouble。 She writes herself a letter telling herself not to trust Jacks and forgets this at every turn。 This 2nd book in the series definitely fulfilled the main role of a middle book。 It’s a little slower paced， though there’s plenty of action， with more focus on backstory and the characters’ history。 While it’s closed door YA， the author pushes the limit a bit with the characters doing more than just kissing。 For this reason， I’d not recommend it to younger teens。 All in all， the audiobook version is great and I’ll definitely be reading the third book。 I received an advanced listener copy from the publisher and Macmillan Audio through NetGalley。 All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review。 。。。more
Hannah O
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I absolutely enjoyed every second of this book。 This story gives us a new perspective on the "happily ever after" trope so often seen in fantasy romances。 Love doesn't always look like we think it should; and as we see play out in Evangeline's story， it takes work and the strength to withstand rejection again and again。 Garber's imaginative storytelling takes readers on a journey to fantastical places full of fantastical people。 The mysteries of the Magnificent North and the history of the Valor I absolutely enjoyed every second of this book。 This story gives us a new perspective on the "happily ever after" trope so often seen in fantasy romances。 Love doesn't always look like we think it should; and as we see play out in Evangeline's story， it takes work and the strength to withstand rejection again and again。 Garber's imaginative storytelling takes readers on a journey to fantastical places full of fantastical people。 The mysteries of the Magnificent North and the history of the Valor family are full of surprises; but readers will not be expecting the twisted， cliff-hanger ending。 。。。more
Nicole
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--1st comment made on Aug。 30th 2022--Even though I think the first book was kind of boring and forgettable （I mean， I read it two months ago and I honestly can't remember what it was about）， the fact that it's coming out so soon after reading it AND two days before my birthday - it feels like a treat！ Hopefully this one's better。。。 --1st comment made on Aug。 30th 2022--Even though I think the first book was kind of boring and forgettable （I mean， I read it two months ago and I honestly can't remember what it was about）， the fact that it's coming out so soon after reading it AND two days before my birthday - it feels like a treat！ Hopefully this one's better。。。 。。。more
The LitBuzz
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I am going to start this review by sharing a little background on this book and series。 The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber is the sequel to Once Upon a Broken Heart。 When I read OUABH， I had no idea they were a spinoff series from Garber’s beloved Caraval series which I own but have never read （*ducks*）In fact， I still haven’t read them （but they’re high in my TBR！） and I didn’t even realize until I read this book that it might make slightly better sense with that context。All this to I am going to start this review by sharing a little background on this book and series。 The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber is the sequel to Once Upon a Broken Heart。 When I read OUABH， I had no idea they were a spinoff series from Garber’s beloved Caraval series which I own but have never read （*ducks*）In fact， I still haven’t read them （but they’re high in my TBR！） and I didn’t even realize until I read this book that it might make slightly better sense with that context。All this to say that you can absolutely read about Jacks and Evangeline without having read the previous series， but you might want to anyway。 （And if you do， don’t spoil it for me！ 😉 ）OUABH tells the story of Evangeline， who is crushed when her lover chooses to marry someone else， so she makes a deal in hopes of improving her outcome。What she ends up with is a heap of trouble， lots of people she can’t trust and her world being flipped upside down。 In the process of upending her life， she becomes entangled with Jacks， who may or may not like her but definitely has his own ambitions that play highly in his decisionmaking。The Ballad of Never After picks up where the first book left us and sweeps us away into a realm where nothing is as it seems and everything can change with the toss of an apple。 Jacks is the antithesis of a traditional book boyfriend。 He’s definitely morally grey， but also， is he？ It’s nearly impossible to say through the entirety of the story。 What is certain is the goosebumps I got while reading lines like this:He watched her the way you weren’t supposed to watch someone when they knew that you were looking—bold and unabashed and utterly inappropriate。THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER BY STEPHANIE GARBERWhile this book is YA， the chemistry is palpable between these two， enough that you could set the place on fire。 Garber has created on-page sparks that will keep you rooting for more， while wondering at every turn in this poisoned fairy tale， if you can trust yourself as the reader！Evangeline is strong， driven and brave， she is also typical of young heroines in that she makes some decisions that will make you want to throw the book。 She has the potential for an incredible life – at her fingertips – but the question is who will be standing at her side when she does？ Jacks has schemes and plans， motives and directives that aren’t completely revealed; will they be worth it all in the end？ What will happen in the next book？I don’t know， but if cliffhangers make you violent， this may not be the book for you。 For me， it’s worth the delayed gratification – and every version of this book that I have seen has an incredible cover。 （S/O to Fairy Loot for making me subscribe to secure their editions！） 。。。more
April
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Review to come， but I am trash for this kind of YA fantasy romance。 I loved it， and I can't wait to have more in this series。 Review to come， but I am trash for this kind of YA fantasy romance。 I loved it， and I can't wait to have more in this series。 。。。more
Abi
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I swear this is the best book I’ve ever read。Thank you to Hodderscape for sending me a copy to review。 I need 3-5 working days to assess my many emotions because I’m currently a wreck。
Jordan Corso
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I was so lucky to be able to receive an ARC for this book and I have never felt so good about it。What the hell just happened… I’m in shock。 I’m in pain。 I feel lost for words truely。 Stephanie is gonna be paying for my therapy and I don’t wanna here it。 This book was beyond amazing。 It pulled on every single one of my heart strings。 But like… is this a duology？ I kind of hope is because I think even with THAT ending， it’s perfect。 READ THIS SERIES NOW。 THERE ARE NO REGRETS。 :）
Colby Wilkens
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I loved Once Upon a Broken Heart so much， and I was a bit worried the sequel wouldn't like up to expectations， but it succeeded it！ Everything I wanted out of book 2 and more。 I loved Once Upon a Broken Heart so much， and I was a bit worried the sequel wouldn't like up to expectations， but it succeeded it！ Everything I wanted out of book 2 and more。 。。。more
Haley
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Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for sending me an early copy of this audiobook！ All opinions are my own！The audacity of this series to have me so obsessed with it！ Everything about the world of these books is just so magical and beautiful， and the worldbuilding in this book was really amazing。 I loved that there is so much building off of Caraval， and it's more than I ever would have thought would come from it。 But everything feels so well planned out and there's nothing that makes me Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for sending me an early copy of this audiobook！ All opinions are my own！The audacity of this series to have me so obsessed with it！ Everything about the world of these books is just so magical and beautiful， and the worldbuilding in this book was really amazing。 I loved that there is so much building off of Caraval， and it's more than I ever would have thought would come from it。 But everything feels so well planned out and there's nothing that makes me feel like it's out of place。At first I wasn't sure how much I liked Evangeline， but this book was really a time of growth for her。 She's spunky but not in the "not like other girls" way。 And the more she learns about herself and what she actually wants out of life， the more I find myself relating to her。 Do not get me started on Jacks！！ This book really delves into his life and backstory， and I loved every second of it。 It really humanizes him and gives such light to his story。 It makes him and Evangeline so much more real and emotional。 If you're a fantasy lover， this is a world you won't want to miss out on！ 。。。more
Hayley Durbak
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This book follows Evangeline， a pink haired princess who will not trust the Prince of Hearts ever again。 Or so she says。 But with the knowledge that her husband， Prince Apollo is actually alive， Evangeline is determined to do whatever it takes to save him。But， things take a turn for the worst when Evangeline is placed under yet another curse。 And the only way to break it？ To do the two things she swore she’d never do: trust Jacks and open the Valory Arch。 After agreeing to team up again， Evangel This book follows Evangeline， a pink haired princess who will not trust the Prince of Hearts ever again。 Or so she says。 But with the knowledge that her husband， Prince Apollo is actually alive， Evangeline is determined to do whatever it takes to save him。But， things take a turn for the worst when Evangeline is placed under yet another curse。 And the only way to break it？ To do the two things she swore she’d never do: trust Jacks and open the Valory Arch。 After agreeing to team up again， Evangeline and Jacks go on a hunt for the four missing Valory stones: luck， youth， mirth， and truth。 Their journey takes them all over the north， and place them in the paths of friends and foes both new and old。 Will Evangeline save her prince？ Or will she fail at the one task she was created to do？ 。。。more
CMM
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