Posted 01/28/2024 by Hilarye in Book Reviews / 0 Comments
The Ballad of Never After by
Stephanie GarberStar Rating: 
Spice Level: 
All-Time FavoriteSeries: Once Upon a Broken Heart #2 Also in this series: Once Upon a Broken Heart,
A Curse for True LovePublished by Flatiron Books on 09/13/2022
Genres: Fiction,
Fantasy,
Young Adult,
RomantasyFormat: Kindle (406 pages)
Source: PurchasedAdd to GoodreadsBuy on AmazonNot 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. . . .
Written review coming soon…
Tags: Banter, Dangerous Hero/Heroine, Forced Proximity, Independent Heroine, Magic, Slow Burn, Tortured Hero/Heroine
Star Rating: Spice Level: All-Time FavoriteSeries: Once Upon a Broken Heart #1 Published by Flatiron Books on 09/28/2021
Format: Kindle (416 pages)
Add to GoodreadsBuy on AmazonI started OUABH immediately after finishing Finale, and I’m glad I did. I was not a huge fan of Jacks at the end of Finale, but I was very curious about what would happen to him. Where will he go, how will he cope, what hijinks will he get up to? I needed to know more. For a general timeline, the first 1/4 of OUABH overlaps the last 3/4 of Finale. In true Stephanie Garber fashion, OUABH sucked me right back into the wonderful world she created in Caraval. I thoroughly enjoyed being thrust back into that world […]
Star Rating: Spice Level: All-Time FavoriteSeries: Caraval #3 Published by Flatiron Books on 05/07/2019
Format: Kindle (416 pages)
Add to GoodreadsBuy on AmazonIt’s over & I want more. Stephanie Garber is a master of descriptive writing. I was constantly blown away by how real everything was in my mind. I always had vivid pictures in my mind of how the fabric of the dresses felt, how the city of Valenda looked, & even how the character’s signature scents smelled. Reading one of her books is a fully immersive experience, & I LOVE IT. Finale was less magical game where you can’t tell the difference between illusion & reality, & more rounding out of the character’s storylines. Every single one of […]
Star Rating: Spice Level: All-Time FavoriteSeries: Caraval #2 Published by Flatiron Books on 05/29/2018
Format: Kindle (416 pages)
Add to GoodreadsBuy on AmazonThe first book follows Scarlett as she plays the game & tries to save her sister, Tess. On the way she falls in love with Julian, learns who she is, what she wants, & what she’s capable of. This book follows Tess as she plays the game & tries to save their mother, Paloma. Dante helps her along the way & of course, they fall in love. Sounds like the first book, but trust me, it’s very different. And Dante. Oh Dante, you sexy, tattooed, secretive, morally grey, beefcake. Your conflicted, brooding & brilliant character arc made this […]
Star Rating: Spice Level: All-Time FavoriteSeries: Caraval #1 Published by Flatiron Books on 01/31/2017
Format: Kindle (407 pages)
Add to GoodreadsBuy on AmazonThis was a “stay up until 4am because I couldn’t put it down” book. I absolutely loved it! Think Cirque du Soleil meets “The Night Circus” with a splash of “Alice in Wonderland”; but make it dark & a little twisted. UGH!!! So, so, so, so good! I didn’t know this series was a prequel to the “Once Upon a Broken Heart” series. I started to tuck into OUABH, and something made me stop 2 pages in & look online to see if I should read Caraval first. Everything I could find (while avoiding spoilers) said yes, read […]
Star Rating: Spice Level: 
All-Time FavoriteSeries: Letters of Enchantment #2 Published by Wednesday Books on 12/26/2023
Format: Kindle (419 pages)
Add to GoodreadsBuy on AmazonWhile I loved this book equally as much as Divine Rivals, it was very different. The story was less Winnow/Kitt romance, & more Dacre/Enva war story. Roman & Iris spent much of the book apart. Roman acting as Dacre’s war correspondent; Iris trying to find him. Making contact through wardrobe letters, slowly reconnecting, gaining trust; trying to get Roman to remember. Roman falling in love with Iris all over again, regaining his memory & then ultimately having to stay apart so they could work together to end the war. The few precious moments they had together were electric, […]
Star Rating: Spice Level: All-Time FavoriteSeries: Letters of Enchantment #1 Published by Wednesday Books on 04/04/2023
Format: Kindle (368 pages)
Add to GoodreadsBuy on AmazonMy heart hurts & I am unwell. I don’t even know where to start. The short of it: Divine rivals is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. It was sublime. Transcendent. Positively divine. (IYKYK) I held off on reading Divine Rivals until the duology was complete. On the one hand, I’m very glad I did. Being able to tuck into Ruthless Vows immediately after was (no doubt) imperative to my sanity & mental health. On the other, OH MY GOD, I should have read this book the day it came out. I feel […]
