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

I loved the first book, it’s such a whimsical story, but i didn’t expect to love the second one even more? At first I wasn’t majorly impressed and it starts pretty tame, but then somewhere in the middle it just started getting crazy, and then the ENDING??? Holy… The ending was so trippy and perfectly written and SO creative I just cannot get over it… I’ve never read a book that utilizes that amount of creativity. I can’t really explain without spoiling it, i’ll just say that the author really knows what she’s doing… I went back and reread multiple scenes from this book because my mind was blown. I had to reread a lot of sentences too, I remember a specific scene I was like, “Petra? Wait hello????” I flipped back and forth between hating and loving each of the characters, and I even loved the way minor characters were handled, like Luc and the easily hateable Marisol, it was overall just a really crazy mix of being a fun and painful read. Evangeline really matures in this book compared to the first one, and that’s what makes the ending hit even harder. Good luck is all i’ll say for those who are giving this a read! 😭

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...

This was my favorite book in this series and in this universe! "The Ballad of Never After" is a captivating sequel that expands on the enchanting world introduced previously. The character development is particularly strong, showcasing the growth of familiar faces while introducing new, intriguing characters. The blend of romance, adventure, and fantasy elements keeps readers engaged, and the plot twists are fun. Fans of the series will appreciate the deeper exploration of its themes, making it a standout in this universe. By far my favorite! Overall, it's a must-read for those who enjoyed the earlier books

✑ THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER, by Stephanie Garber rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ .5 stars (4.5) loved it! note: still weeping after that one quote I am SO HAPPY for deciding to continue with this series after reading the first one a year ago, this book was a complete success!! While on the first one I found Evangeline to be a bit theatrical, I really liked her in this second installment, and I got to relate and get more attached to her as the book went on. Jacks was perfection, obviously🩸🍎 and the plot kept me going chapter after chapter! The romance, angst, the tension between them was sooooo good😩 and I really loved the part that played the tale of the archer and the fox (and the discoveries that Evangeline, and I, made throughout it!🦊🏹) While some were quite predictable, I loved it nonetheless. Now I cannot wait to dive into the third and final book, especially with how this one ended!!! Jacks feelings and his honest truths were so much to take, and my heart is broken for him and Evangeline after the end. If you know, you know🥹✨

came abit damaged

This book left me in a dilemma. Ever get that hollow feeling inside your heart when you finish a great books? This is whar this books gave me. This book delivered absolute bangers of plot twists after plot twists. 6/5. It broke my scale😆

Ho acquistato questa edizione per la bellezza della sovracoperta e soprattutto della copertina nascosta decorata della prima stampa! Anche gli interni sono molto belli ed è presente la mappa. Per quanto riguarda il contenuto, avendo amato “C’era una volta un cuore spezzato”, non vedevo l’ora di ritrovare Evangeline e Jacks e di tornare a immergermi nel mondo misterioso e fiabesco, pieno di magia e inganni! 😍 Dopo gli eventi del volume precedente, Evangeline non può più fidarsi di Jacks 💔, ma odiarlo è per lei impossibile: dopo tutto ciò che hanno passato insieme, non riesce a credere che dietro la maschera fredda e distaccata da Fato immortale, non ci sia anche il ragazzo tormentato che combatte continuamente contro il destino che ogni volta gli strappa via ciò che desidera proprio quando lo sta per raggiungere 🏹 Evangeline ben presto si renderà conto che non ha altra scelta che imbarcarsi in una nuova pericolosa avventura con Jacks per trovare le quattro pietre magiche in grado di aprire l’Arco del Valory 💎, ma il viaggio che intraprenderanno porterà alla luce non solo verità celate sulle storie del Magnifico Nord, ma li aiuterà anche a comprendere meglio sé stessi, i loro sentimenti e ciò che vogliono davvero 🥰 La ricerca dell’amore e del lieto fine che è stata fin dall’inizio al centro di questa storia diventa sempre più una lotta contro il destino ⚔: amore e lieto fine non sono più oggetti che una volta trovati dureranno per sempre, ma qualcosa per cui lottare ogni giorno. ✒Lo stile di scrittura della Garber mi ha completamente rapita anche questa volta. Rende ogni cosa magica e meravigliosa: i suoi libri sono sogni impressi su carta. La storia affascina ed emoziona e diventa sempre più coinvolgente man mano che si prosegue nella lettura fino allo scioccante finale 😱 Concludere un libro così è davvero crudele! 😭 Spero che uscirà presto l’ultimo volume di questa trilogia e che Jacks e Evangeline avranno il finale che meritano 💖

I think this one is my favourite in the trilogy