Review: The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart #2) by Stephanie Garber

The Ballad of Never After

(Once Upon a Broken Heart #2)

by Stephanie Garber

September 13, 2022

Goodreads 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. . . .

Review

I freaking adored The Ballad of Never After!! Riveting, witty and deliciously painful, it is undoubtedly one of the best sequels I've ever read!

Not only did I love the enchanting world inside The Ballad of Never After, I couldn't get enough of its characters. They were volatile yet so full of emotions. I sighed in frustration, laughed in amusement, grappled with dilemmas and howled in anguish right alongside Evangeline and Jacks.

The Ballad of Never After had the most spellbinding but also agonizing love story. The push and pull between Evangeline and Jacks has never been stronger. Their time together were so sweet yet also torturous. I loved the buildup but hated seeing Jacks pull away from Evangeline when moments got to be too much. It was so obvious they had real feelings for each other. Please stop playing with our hearts and let Evangeline and Jacks be together forever!!

With the most creative backstory that started in book one, The Ballad of Never After revealed even more secrets within its hypnotic world. We learn of important historical events that led to some significant reveals. They left me pretty stunned, a little impressed and somewhat distressed over Evangeline and Jacks's future. Not one second of this story was dull or dry.

I thought I loved Once Upon a Broken Heart but Stephanie Garber has outdone herself with The Ballad of Never After!! Her writing is crazy addictive and I simply need more. Also, what lyrical title will book three have?!? I can't wait to find out~

*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the ARC I received.