The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart, 2)

Five star book? Yes! Favorite book of the year? Heck yes!! Wow. Stephanie Garber has taken my very own heart from my chest again with another powerful book! The Ballad of Never After followed perfectly behind Once Upon A Broken Heart. The story flowed and it was like you didn't lose a second reading it. Garber of course added many refreshers from OUABH if you didn't/don't have time to read it again. I did NOT want this book to end! It was top notch! I fell more in love with Jacks than I thought was possible. Garber really did it with him 🥰 and Evangeline is just as good. They are so amazing! Stephanie Garber has taken the cake with the grumpy sunshine characters if I say so myself. Evangeline is what I'd want my own kids (and myself) to be. She's courageous, determined, loving, brave, and just astounding! Now while this book was perfect, it did make me ask A LOT of questions.. like I've never taken so many notes on anything in my life! I have so many quotes and parts of the story highlighted on my Kindle and so many questions I asked and just thoughts saved to my phone. I would have read this book in one sitting if it wasn't for my motherly duties. I went and reread this book so I was sure of myself and that I wasn't missing anything. And because it is that good. The Caraval series consumed me along with Once Upon A Broken Heart and now this one has done the same. Stephanie Garber has completely outdone herself with this series and the characters. She makes sure she covers everything and goes back to make sure nothing is left just incomplete. She has given us this wonderful world and I couldn't be happier with it or her. So thank you, Ms. Garber, for giving us these amazing books! 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 10000000000% recommend... After reading OUABH and the Caraval series of course.

The Ballad of Never After starts where Once Upon a Broken Heart left off. Evangeline is angry with Jacks for betraying her. He cursed Apollo in a suspended sleep and had Evangeline framed for murdering him. Jacks is trying to get Evangeline to open the Valory Arch which is said to hold either the greatest treasure or the most terrible monster of the Valors who were the first royals of the Magnificent North. Evangeline has sworn she won't open the arch no matter what, and now partnering with Jacks is also completely out of the question. Yet, Jacks is always there. He's constantly saving Evangeline from danger and near-death experiences. Then another curse that affects Apollo and Evangeline happens. Time is running out for Apollo to wake before the next heir to the throne takes over. And now, Evangeline is in even more danger as she's being hunted by the curse of the Archer and the Fox. Jacks is her best hope at survival, and it turns out that opening the Valory Arch is the best option for removing the curses upon Evangeline and Apollo. So they begin their search in earnest to find the four missing stones needed to open the arch. The Ballad of Never After is the perfect kind of torture. The wishy-washy back and forth of whether or not Jacks actually has feelings for Evangeline drove the story for me. She is coming to terms with her own emotions. And even though Evangeline would not have said she was in love with Apollo, it seemed like she wanted him well because that was just the right thing to do and because he was innocent in all the curses. Evangeline and Jacks grow so much closer as the story progresses. And it was pretty clear which direction things were headed in. And I was all for it. Speaking of wishy-washy, I loved the inclusion of the story curse. It was mentioned and played upon in the previous book, but The Ballad of Never After, out of the three books in the series, used this plot device the most. It led to feelings of uncertainty because you couldn't even trust the information that Evangeline was getting from any source. Pretty smart if you ask me. Jessica from A GREAT read had warned me that the cliffhanger from The Ballad of Never After was pretty brutal and that I would want to have book 3, A Curse for True Love, to dive straight into. I thought I was prepared. I was so not prepared for that ending. Oh, the heartbreak. I would truly have hated that cliffhanger if I'd had to wait a year before getting into the next book. And I'm so thankful I could dive right into the next part of the story. As a matter of fact, I literally did. I finished this book and immediately picked up the next book. Like not even minutes to breathe or process. Favorite quotes: -"Since I met you, my first love was turned to stone, I was turned to stone, then I was turned into a fugitive, multiple people have tried to murder me, and you poisoned my husband--" -And when Liana reached the last page of every story, she never said, The end. Instead, she always turned to Evangeline and asked, What do you suppose happens next? They live happily ever after, Evangeline usually proclaimed. Most characters, she believed, deserved it after all they'd been through. Her mother, however, felt differently. She believed most characters would stay happy for now, but not forever. Then she'd point out things that would certainly work to wreak havoc in their future--the apprentice to the villain who was still alive, the evil stepsister who'd been forgiven but was still out there somewhere waiting to attack once more, the wish that had come true but wasn't quite paid for, the seed that had been planted but had yet to grow. -Jacks often told Evangeline that heroes didn't get happy endings, but in that moment, Evangeline wasn't looking for happiness. She just wanted a break. -"Ballads never end happily, everyone knows that." -But sometimes reason was no match for feeling. -Evanegline's hope had always burned brighter than her fear. -Winning at love was less about succeeding in a battle and more about continuing to fight, to choose the person you loved as one you were willing to die for, over and over. -Evangeline wanted to give love and be loved and feel love at just the sight of someone. -But it was so hard. All of it hurt. It hurt to want him. It hurt to be rejected by him. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to cry. It hurt even more when she tried not to cry. -"If you do this, Time will take something equally valuable from you." [...] "There is nothing of equal value to me." So many of these quotes are just basic human emotions that anyone can relate to. Reason outweighed by feelings, hope burning bright, winning at love, just wanting to love and be loved, hurting in all the ways. The Ballad of Never After was so juicy. It was a wishy-washy, "I don't know what to believe", book with all the best parts of the series if you ask me. Book 2 in a trilogy can sometimes be a dud. The buildup of book 1 has it ranked higher, and the conclusion of book 3 ranks it higher, and then book 2 is often the dud that carries the story between these two points. But The Ballad of Never After is easily my favorite in this series. I'm giving it 4.5 Stars. Have you read The Ballad of Never After? What did you think? Let me know!

“Happy endings can be caught, but they are difficult to hold on to. They are dreams that want to escape the night. They are treasure with wings. They are wild, feral, reckless things that need to be constantly chased, or they will certainly run away.” OMG- I think this book has me more tangled up in my emotions the second time around - I felt everything and it feels almost so hard to express in words. *Broken Sobs* You know how many times the middle book in a trilogy doesn't hold up to the first? Make no mistake about it, this book is even better than the first and I wanted to bring back all these feelings in anticipation for book 3. I won't go into too much in order to avoid spoilers and my review on book 1 covers most of how I feel about this series- it's so unbelievably phenomenal. "You're good at this," she murmured. "Do you often travel with girls who've been flayed?" This earned her a soft laugh. "No." Then quietly, as he ran a cloth along her lower back, just below the dip in her waist, "Would you be jealous if I did?" I'm not a jealous person was what Evangeline intended to say, but instead the words "Of course" came out. Jacks laughed, louder this time. Embarrassment surged through her. "That's not what I meant to say." "It's all right. I'd probably kill another man if I found him with you like this." Jacks's hands pressed harder as they went to her shoulders and, one by one, ripped off the sleeves of her dress so that what remained of the gown completely fell away. She made a sound somewhere between a squeal and a gasp. "Was that really necessary?" "No, but everyone should have their clothes ripped off at some point." In this book, I swear SG breaks you open and just pulls out your emotions. I felt them all, love, fear, anxiety, anger, angst, and pain. Just know that this book is everything MORE than book one. Ugh I love it so much. I'm oh so happy that at the strike of midnight I will have book 3 in my greedy little hands. He looked at her lips, and the most tortured expression she'd ever seen crossed his face. When Jacks wanted something, it was with an intensity that could break worlds and build kingdoms. That was the energy pouring off him now, as if he wanted to destroy her and make her his queen all at once. And it was oh so tempting to let him. Magic crackled in the sliver of space between them. Golden and electric and alive. It felt like the end of a fairytale, when one kiss had more power than a thousand wars or a hundred spells. Evangeline imagined drawing closer, pressing her lips to Jacks's and spending eternity lost in one neverending kiss. oh... maybe one...

I raced through the first book and this one, and I still have no idea what’s going to happen. It’s rare to find a story that makes me not know who I’m rooting for, who I want to be together, or what I want to happen. Now I’m going to race to the rest of the books in this series! Love it!

This is seriously my favorite book I have ever read. The tension between Eva and Jacks is perfect. And the ending lines up perfect for the last book. I could keep going on and on about this book but I am going to keep this short. You should totally read it! But I would recommend reading the Caraval trilogy, then ouabh before reading this.

I liked this one even more than the first book. The story felt darker, the stakes were higher, and I was completely invested in Evangeline and Jacks. The fairy tale atmosphere is still there, but with more twists and emotional moments. A very enjoyable read and it made me want to start the next book right away

I absolutely loved the book. I bought the first one of the series just before going on a work trip and ended up devouring the book and the second in less than a week! I love the story, the way things always escalate unexpectedly, the cursed romance. It is a really beautiful story. Can't wait to devour the 3rd one 😍

It was amazing omg definitely a must buy! Third book in the series though!

What an absolute ride! The Ballad of Never After completely surpasses the first book in intensity, angst, and heartbreak. The chemistry between Evangeline and Jacks is electric, messy, and deeply flawed, triggering every relationship anxiety in the best way possible. It is a dark fairytale where you want to scream at the characters for their choices, yet you desperately root for them anyway. If you want a book that will make you feel everything with maximum force, this is it!

Parfait

<3v <3 <3

came abit damaged

I absolutely adored The Ballad of Never After. The fairytale continued without missing a beat, and it completely lived up to everything I loved about the first book. Growing up on the Brothers Grimm, Disney, and classic fairytales, these books feel like coming home. They have that magical, whimsical quality that reminds me why I fell in love with stories in the first place. Stephanie Garber has such a beautiful way of blending wonder, danger, romance, and unexpected twists into something that feels both nostalgic and entirely unique. And the Prince of Hearts... what can I say? I love him. He's charming, mysterious, frustrating, and impossible not to root for. The chemistry, the tension, and the constant uncertainty kept me turning pages long after I should have gone to bed. This series has completely captured my heart, and I cannot wait to continue the story. If you love fairytales with a darker edge, enchanting worlds, and unforgettable characters, this series is absolutely worth reading.