This book!

So good.

The twists you’ll never see coming. The banter. The magic. The spells. The travels. The betrayals. The ending!

And Jacks. You definitely need more Jacks in your life.

Read this one for sure!!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for review.

Wow just wow!
What a wild ride!

This author proves again and again that she is great at storytelling! The amount of detail in this book is phenomenal and I can't wait to read her next book!

This book starts right after Once Upon a Broken Heart- jumping back into Evangeline's journey in the Magnificent North.

What I loved the most was that Jacks' character ARC comes full circle. You really dive deep into his history and learn who he is under that Fate identity. Eva still is an innocent doe, and though I was demanding a redemption arc, she grew on me a little more. I get that she has no one to trust and Jacks is quite the mixed bag. But Stop opening doors girl!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this audio. It was fantastic! I devoured it in less than two days. And despite listening to it, I was able to follow along easily.

So all in all, I loved. 4-4.5 stars! Jacks is the dream. I'm all for a bad boy morally grey character. But I have also been team Jacks since Legendary. He deserves an HEA. And it helps that he is just...YUM.

Yes a cliffy...because there is another book...and the end left things quite open again....and though I am Team Jacks, I don't know what other team I'm on!

Happy reading!

Thank you to the author, netgalley, MacMillan audio for the early audiobook copy. All thoughts and words are my own

After reading Stephanie Garber's other works, i really wanted to read this one. It was beautiful and full of whimsy and fantasy. Definitely read the first book before reading this one.

4.5/5 Stars

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to this advanced audio copy immediately after listening to Once Upon a Broken Heart. The Ballad of Never After continues the story of the contentious relationship between Evangeline Fox and Jacks, the Prince of Hearts. As much as Evangeline distrusts Jacks, she needs him to survive.

I find it rare the second book in a series is even better than the first, but that was the case here. I love Stephanie Garber’s storytelling. Rebecca Soler’s narration was perfect. My main complaint with this is that I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Flatiron Books for this advanced copy of The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber.

The way this author can spin tales together and pulls me in is on another level. And I am NOT OKAY after reading this book!

The story picks up from the events of Once Upon a Broken Heart ended and Evangeline vows not to trust Jacks no matter what. In this fantastical sequel there are more curses and secrets, where choosing the wrong person to trust has deadly consequences.

Being fresh off finishing the ARC, I don’t know if I want to scream, cry, or just reread the entire series (maybe all the above).

As much as I love the romance side of books, I was enamored with learning more about the mystery surrounding the Fates and the magic in the Magnificent North. This was even better than Once Upon a Broken Heart in its charm, suspense, and magic.

This is book 2. So if you haven’t read book 1 then I suggest you turn around and go get it. If you’ve read book 1 & are thinking about purchasing book 2 then I’m here to say …

DOOOO IT!

This is a total guilty pleasure ... I loved the Caraval series and the this set of books is destined to sit next to it on my shelves! It’s YA, it’s tropey … but Jacks!!

If you enjoyed book one, get this one!

It’s exactly what it says it is!

I need to add a caveat … I’m not YA & I’m not overly fond of the annoying tropes that permeate these books so on some level I’m a hard sell … but remember … guilty pleasure!

3 boys want Evangeline for different reasons … she loves them all for different reasons but we all know who she belongs with but will never fully admit to. CURSES! Argh!! Such a fun quick read!!

I love Jacks! I can’t wait for book 3! I already bought a SE of this book!! More Jacks!!

I LOVED this book

Stephanie Garber can do no wrong! I adored this book. Bringing back lots of the characters from books one, with a few twists. The story was so good, I love seeing even more Jacks. So many questions throughout the book made it impossible to put down! Cant wait for book three!

4.75 stars.
I REALLY loved this. I love how fast paced these books are and how they always seem to grab and hold my attention. Absolutely wonderful. I’m holding off from giving a five star rating because some of it was fairly predictable, but it didn’t take away from how much I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I loved all the twists and turns.

Absolutely loved this story. I have been not-so-patiently waiting for this since I read the Caraval trilogy and Once Upon a Broken Heart in 2021. OUABH was one of my 8 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star reads last year (out of 181 books). I adore Garber's writing style and the world that she has created.

Now onto this story specifically. I had no idea what to expect in terms of storyline. I knew Jacks would continue to frustrate and elude me in the most delightful way (and I was right). But I had no clue what to expect to be thrown Evangeline's way. And readers, you will not be disappointed. There are fairytales come to life, magic galore, curses, romance, sabotage, and we finally find out just what it is Jacks wants with the arch and Evangeline's ability to open it. Chaos, LaLa, Luc, and Apollo return. And we start to get answers to our questions about Evangeline's relationships and just what Jacks is or is not capable of feeling.

I audibly gasped out loud when I saw that I was getting an early arc of the audiobook on NetGalley. I listened to the book (sped up) in essentially one 7-hour sitting when I got off work. Then I listened to it again at normal speed to make sure I didn't miss anything in the following days. It is a lovely, lovely read. Everything I hoped for.

A wonderful continuation of the series! I absolutely adore the romance and getting to see more development between the characters. I thought this was very fast pace and I was able to just fly through the story. I also really liked the narrator as I think they did a great job expressing the emotions of each character.

Can my entire review be "Jacks (heart eyes)"?

Honestly, Jacks made this entire book. I was deeply interested in whatever he was doing and saying because I just KNEW there was more to him that we were getting in book 1. We definitely got to see more Jacks and for that, I am happy!

In addition to Jacks, we got to spend a bit more time with some other side characters including LaLa, Chaos, Luke, etc. I enjoyed getting to know these characters a bit more.

But above all, the mystery of the Valors and the Valor Arch was it for me. The ending was AMAZING and I did not see the twists coming.

For fear of spoiling anything else, I will end the review here.

“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.”

I was given this ARC (audiobook format) by NetGalley and MacMillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

Holy crap. THIS. This book. So freaking good. Stephanie Garber is a freaking magical unicorn and should be protected at all costs.

Completely speechless. The amount of twists this book has. So many “WHAT!” moments, especially at the end. I almost threw my phone for a second there. You sneaky devil, you!

I cannot wait for the world to enjoy this book. It is magical, beautiful, emotional, and pure perfection.

A awesome continuation of the story about Jack and Evangenline.
Full of twists,suspense,turns intrigue.
A little of everthing,myths fables
All the characters plays a part in Jacks ans Evangenline story.
A truly intriguing entertaining story.
Cannot wait for the next.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Holy wow. I don't even know what to say. I'm at a loss for words. This book is amazing. Incredible. So many questions that I need answers to!

This book was so so good. Now I NEED ANOTHER BOOK!!!!!! :D

I was given the absolute honour of listening to the audiobook of this book thanks to NetGalley.

The narrator is Rebecca Soler as she has narrated the Caraval series and she continues to impress me. She makes Evangeline, Jacks and all the other characters come to life!

This book is a continuation of Once Upon a Broken Heart and it picks up shortly after the end of that book.

The story completely captivated me and took me away with Evangeline looking to undo the events of the first book and gets into a whole new set of problems.

My heart broke finding out what happened to Jacks and can see his motivations throughout the second half of the story.

I loved this audiobook and I cannot wait for the next one to come out!

The obsession that I have developed over this world, this series, this author- in such a short amount of time is crazy! I am in love with the twisted fairytale world and characters that are not at all what they seem.

The author has taken every single fairytale, thrown them into a mixing pot stirred it around- said "mmm needs some greek mythology" pours a bit of that in there, stirred again and said "perfect".

This writing is beautiful and reminds me so much of Marissa Meyer's work but with more hopeless romantics!

I am obsessed and I am unwell.

Stephanie Garber does it again! She takes the intricate world of fates, magic and prophecies and weaves a tale of forbidden love, legend and curses until the reader cannot discern what’s lurking right around the next page.

I really enjoyed seeing the tension increased between Evangeline and Jacks, getting to know more about the Valor family, learning more about the legends of the North - including the Merrywood Three and learn about the history of the North that seems so shrouded in secrets. This was a great sequel to book one in this series. I appreciated that it didn’t create unnecessary conflict just too stir the pot and keep the plot engaging. Instead, we have our delightfully, morally gray Jacks, revealing more of his inner thoughts and feelings while giving the reader some clues about the nature of his inner conflict.

The adventure, the danger, the longing, and the hidden revelations made this story an exciting and entertaining read. As always, I can’t wait to see what Stephanie Garber comes up with next. She sure knows how to write one heck of an ending!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron books for the advanced readers copy of this audiobook. I’ve listened to the entire Caraval series and Once Upon a Broken Heart on audio, so it was a much appreciated opportunity to immerse myself in this next installment of the setues on audio as well. The narrator did a fantastic job and brought the story to life fabulously. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars.
Stephanie....what are you doing to my heart?

<b>"Glad to know you’re thinking about me when you kiss your husband."
Heat flushed her cheeks, "I'm not thinking nice things."
"Even better."</b>

This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I am so glad that I got this audiobook ARC because the story truly delivered. I have also preordered multiple copies already because it was That Good and Stephanie Garber has stolen my YA heart.

Everything that you love about the first book is still present in this book AND I swear Jacks is even more swoony. <i><b>Be still my star-crossed heart.</b></i> I need more...immediately.

There is no slacking in plot, character development, or pacing, with which sequels can often be plagued. If anything, because there isn't as much world building, these aspects are even better.

While this series is in the world of Caraval, you do not have to have read that series first to enjoy this series. I have not read it, myself. However, I 100% will be because my obsession with this world is unreal.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Rebecca Soler, via NetGalley. An advanced reader's copy of this audiobook was provided to me via NetGalley by Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

A giant, big thank you to @flatiron_books and @netgalley for the audiobook arc of The Ballad of Never After. I can’t wait to talk about it, so here’s my •spoiler free• review.

Here are a few things I loved:
• Jacks
• the pacing was perfect and I was
invested from chapter one
• the twists and turns
• the cast of characters
• the writing is beautiful

Stephanie Garber is a masterful author. Her stories are beautiful, romantic, action-packed, and so much more. I just loved this book!

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆/5
Steam: make outs
TW: violence

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I give this 4.5 stars! I absolutely loved the first book of this series so it was a pleasant surprise to receive an eARC of this book! I love Stephanie Garber’s books and this one was no exception. It was such a good book and the ending absolutely destroyed me.

I loved the characters and the development. The relationships between each character were all amazing. I absolutely loved the romance and the tension between Jacks and Evangeline. Their relationship made me go through all the emotions. The plot was also excellent! I was able to read the book fast because I loved it so much. I liked how Evangeline had to search for the stones, but I liked that wasn’t the entire plot. There were lots of twists and turns, but they all made sense and none of them were just randomly put in. The ending was not my favorite, but it made sense for the book. The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because I just didn’t connect to the book as much as I wish I could. I just didn’t love the beginning of the book, but the last 75% was amazing.

I really liked the narrator of this audiobook. She kept me interested and had a good voice for what I imagined Evangeline. She did the voices for the other characters well too! I’m not a huge fan of audiobooks because you get bad narrators sometimes, but this book had an amazing narrator. The pace was good. I was able to speed it up and still understand everything that was said.

Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it to fantasy and young adult, romance lovers! Another amazing book by Stephanie Garber!