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

Name: The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart, 2)
Rating: 8.49 (275 reviews)
ISBN: 9781250268433

By Stephanie Garber

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The jaw-dropping, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING sequel to 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. . . .

Continue the adventure in A Curse for True Love and The Mirror of Infinite Endings!

Also by Stephanie Garber:

The Caraval Series:
- Caraval
- Legendary
- Finale
- Spectacular

Alchemy of Secrets

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Published Apr 2, 2024

432 pages

Average rating: 8.49

275 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

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Readers say *The Ballad of Never After* continues the story seamlessly with rich world-building and complex characters, especially praising Jacks and ...

Marley

Nov 16, 2025

8/10 stars

WHOA. Okay wow a whole lot of feelings. I’m so glad that Evangeline was finally finding her mojo and finally FINALLY moved on from Luc. Also I’m not sure how I feel about LaLa anymore. I understand that her morals and emotions are different as a Fate, but it doesn’t feel like she really learned from how she hurt Evangeline. I’m convinced she will do something shady again. Also Jacks. Tearing out my heart with the stones and how sweet he was at Hollows. Still would love to know what the apples are all about because I’m sure its so juicy. I tore through this bad boy and can’t wait for the next one to come out!

Kristin Rose

Sep 16, 2025

6/10 stars

I’m feeling really conflicted about this book. On the one hand, I was immersed in the whimsical world yet again that Stephanie is so adept at writing. On the other hand, the internal monologues of Evangeline were redundantly meandering. There were many moments where I felt I could just skim through her looping thoughts and not really miss much of the story. There were many aspects of this book I absolutely loved. Jacks and Evangeline, obviously. Their relationship development is the epitome of slow burn. The Hollow, I wanted more time there. I felt Evangeline’s character development was lackluster. The ending was definitely a shock though, and I am excited to pick up on book 3 after I take a little break from this world.

TheCleverReader

Feb 03, 2023

10/10 stars

Did I love this? Of course I did! Do I want to meet Jacks IRL? Of course I do!

I love love love this world so much and am so happy we get more of it! The audiobook was well done as expected and that ending...I need more!

Gail_71

May 31, 2026

6/10 stars

This book picks up right where the last one left off, which is convenient because there's no need for a lengthy, overly detailed recap. While the plot was decent, it moved much more slowly than the first book. Any sense of drama disappeared almost immediately after it was introduced, with Evangeline instead being preoccupied with her elaborate outfits. She spends most of the novel worrying about Jacks, trying to understand him, running away from him, and then finding excuses to stay near him. The dynamic between her and Apollo feels somewhat inconsistent, even from the first book. However, his tragic story arc makes me interested to see how Book 3 will connect everything. Overall, the story depends heavily on Evangeline’s personality and choices. Important details are often glossed over because of a "curse" or "dreams," which becomes tiresome after a while. It's an okay read, but the teenage emotional drama is exhausting, especially since Eva is the only teenager. Sometimes it feels like a child throwing a tantrum at an adult dinner party, only to be soothed by something shiny or cute.

kaireads

Sep 02, 2025

7/10 stars

This series was one I could have gone my whole life without reading HOWEVER, it’s fun and I do adore Jacks & the FMCs relationship from start to finish. Only kept reading to finally read the payoff for them but there was very very little.