The Ballad of Never After

3 1/2 stars

Okay, 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 show more 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. show less

I cannot even express THE WAY I SCREAMED at the end of this book! I couldn’t believe it was over. I feel like I blacked out for the last 50 pages and need to reread it.

I CANNOT believe the cliffhanger Stephanie left us on.

Spoilers! Ye be warned!
WHERE IS JACKS?!
Apollo is a VILLAIN?!
Which fate can take your memories because I’m pretty sure there’s one that can do that.
I cannot believe he stole her memories! That was absolutely heart breaking but OMG what a TWIST!
End of spoilers

Stephanie absolutely knows how to write an ending and keep you begging for more because that’s EXACTLY where I’m at. I NEED the third book more than I need water. The journey Evangeline went on to find the stones and a cure for her Apollo was *chefs show more kiss* I loved that we got to explore more of the Magical North, I loved that we have gotten to fall in love with more characters, I love that we got to explore more Magic.

I LOVED Caraval and I had heard people say that this one is better than Caraval. All I could think was “how?!” WELL NOW I KNOW!

This book gets infinity stars for me and I’m predicting infinity stars for the series as a whole. This gave me so much joy to read, and (for me) I would put this series on the same level as ACOTAR. I SAID WHAT I SAID! It gave me the same feelings I had while reading ACOTAR. It felt high steaks and had me on the edge of my seat. And I feel like it had the same rhythm that Sarah J. Maas also loves. The whole story is really good and it has its peaks and valleys, but at the very end, it really ramps up to end the story with a bang.

I’m addicted to this series and I need to start the third book immediately. show less

I am so glad i picked up the second book despite the first one having little flaws. Because, oh damn. The romance and the characters definitely improved, that's for sure. Yes, i still hate Evangeline, BUT the book is still amazing despite her being insufferable. Though, all those scenes at the Hollow Inn made me giggle like crazy. Jacks is incredible, i love him and i'd do anything for him. He litteraly went back in time so she wouldn't die. And then, the amnesia trope for the last book, i know will have me on the edge on my seat waiting for her to remember Jacks. I am so hyped up for A Curse for True Love !!!

Series Info/Source: This is the second book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. I borrowed this as an ebook from the library.

Thoughts: I adored this second book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. Garber's writing is absolutely magical and I enjoyed every moment of it. This book picks up where the first one left off. Evangeline's new husband, Apollo, is in a coma but rumored to be dead. When another curse strikes she has to form an uneasy truce with Jacks. Despite her vow to never open the gate that only she can open, she might finally be forced to do just that.

Okay so I am not going to talk much about the story or the writing style here because it was completely the characters that drove this book; in particular Evangeline and show more Jacks. There is so much heartbreak, pain, angst, and longing in this book it absolutely broke my heart. However, there is also a lot of witty banter and hope. Between the longing and sly humor, this book took my emotions and twisted them up again and again. It is pretty rare that I read a book like this where I am so absolutely engaged in the two lead characters that I could care less about what was happening around them...but this book pretty much did that.

The plot is excellent too (even if Evangeline and Jacks stole the show). The way everything is mirroring a classic folklore tale was clever. There were also some major twists and surprises here and I enjoyed them all. The ending did break my heart and I am dying to see what happens next. Really, absolutely dying. I know people are complaining about the ending but I thought it suited the tone of the story perfectly.

Garber's writing style is just amazing. It is all magic and glitter, beautiful description, witty banter, and deep emotion. The dialogue between characters is spot on and highly entertaining. I really loved this book, it was a breath of fresh air and I can't wait to read the next one.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this second book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. This was a magical, amusing, and heart-wrenching read and I loved every second of it. Jacks and Evageline absolutely stole the show here and the plot took some unique and surprising turns. I would recommend to those who enjoy glittering yet dark themed fairy-tale-esque YA fantasies. I am absolutely dying to read the third and final book in this trilogy! show less

I literally feel changed after having read an advanced copy of this book. I stayed up until almost 4 AM to get through it, because I was more anxious to know what happened than to go to bed. Reading it all in one sitting was the way to go, as I was fully immersed in the story and the world.

This book feels darker than its predecessor, and has a bit more than Stephanie's usual almost-spice. It seems slightly more grown-up, but still very much YA. The story was unexpected, full of surprises, and went in completely different directions than I had anticipated. I was gnawing on my fingernails throughout, kept in suspense and nervous for the beloved characters. Speaking of, Jacks is as delicious as ever, and Evangeline is as stubborn and show more reckless as ever, ha.

My heart ached for the characters, rejoiced with them, yearned for their happiness. I squealed more times than is probably warranted, just about every time Jacks showed up and did or said *anything*. I laughed out loud. I brooded. I cried. I gasped. I scowled. This book ripped just about every emotion from me. It felt like the author actually has gotten inside my head when I'm crushing on someone, infatuated, in love, or broken-hearted; she writes all of those states just how I experience them, in all their raw and embarrassing details.

The pacing varies throughout, sometimes lightning fast so I had to pause for a bit to take in what was happening, and sometimes churning slowly through the characters' struggles. It always held my interest and kept me desperately turning the pages. The length is just right; you can finish it in a day, but I recommend starting it in the morning if you're going to!

I'm haunted by this story, as if it's a part of my past; it felt so real and I felt like I was a part of it while reading. I am so, so grateful to Flatiron books for their giveaway that afforded me the chance to get this ARC into my hands. I look forward to reading it, and the various finished copies that I have on pre-order, multiple times show less

I literally feel changed after having read an advanced copy of this book. I stayed up until almost 4 AM to get through it, because I was more anxious to know what happened than to go to bed. Reading it all in one sitting was the way to go, as I was fully immersed in the story and the world.

This book feels darker than its predecessor, and has a bit more than Stephanie's usual almost-spice. It seems slightly more grown-up, but still very much YA. The story was unexpected, full of surprises, and went in completely different directions than I had anticipated. I was gnawing on my fingernails throughout, kept in suspense and nervous for the beloved characters. Speaking of, Jacks is as delicious as ever, and Evangeline is as stubborn and show more reckless as ever, ha.

My heart ached for the characters, rejoiced with them, yearned for their happiness. I squealed more times than is probably warranted, just about every time Jacks showed up and did or said *anything*. I laughed out loud. I brooded. I cried. I gasped. I scowled. This book ripped just about every emotion from me. It felt like the author actually has gotten inside my head when I'm crushing on someone, infatuated, in love, or broken-hearted; she writes all of those states just how I experience them, in all their raw and embarrassing details.

The pacing varies throughout, sometimes lightning fast so I had to pause for a bit to take in what was happening, and sometimes churning slowly through the characters' struggles. It always held my interest and kept me desperately turning the pages. The length is just right; you can finish it in a day, but I recommend starting it in the morning if you're going to!

I'm haunted by this story, as if it's a part of my past; it felt so real and I felt like I was a part of it while reading. I am so, so grateful to Flatiron books for their giveaway that afforded me the chance to get this ARC into my hands. I look forward to reading it, and the various finished copies that I have on pre-order, multiple times show less

5 stars because it had me fully hooked from start to finish. This book was even better than the first, more tension, more magic, more heartbreak (in the best way), and way more Jacks (aka chaos and charm in one). The world feels even more magical and dangerous this time around, and I loved every second of it.
Evangeline is such a fun main character to follow, she’s hopeful, emotional, and always trying to do the right thing even when everything around her is a mess. And her dynamic with Jacks? Ugh. The chemistry, the banter, the slow-burn tension, it’s so addicting. You never know if you can fully trust him, and that just adds to the excitement. The plot had so many twists I didn’t see coming, and the ending?? Let’s just say I show more immediately needed book three. show less