Far too young, Apollo Ulfr lost Ilsa, his wife, the love of is life and the mother of his two children. The grief of her loss does not settle in his soul, it solders to it. But when he discovers there is a parallel universe where his wife may have a twin, he feels there’s hope and sets about bringing her to his world so he can have her back.
But Ilsa Ulfr of our world is married to the parallel … parallel universe’s twin, Pol, who is not a good man. Not in any way. She’s on the run from him and the last thing she wants is to be transported to a fantastical world and be forced to take his side as his wife, even if he is not Pol. And Apollo finds the broken Ilsa nothing like his beloved, and further, wants nothing to do with her.
But darkness is looming and evil is amassing. Apollo must protect his land and keep his family safe, including the new Ilsa.
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I love this series cause they all have elements of ‘wrong’ about them!
This books follows Apollo, we know his wife Ilsa died and that he wants to bring the parallel universe Ilsa to his….well he gets his wish…..and Maddie (ilsa) has to find her way in a strange land.
What she didn’t bargain on was loving it.
Apollo was so ‘in there’!!!
I know there is 1 more book coming (Noc of our world) but I seriously do not want this series to end. I can see a lot of rereads coming in my future!
Broken Dove by Kristen Ashley is the fourth book in her Fantasyland series and goodness gracious but does it deliver! It is a standalone about a separate couple, but you get to revisit the couples from the first three, and that was such FUN!
But back to Broken Dove. Apollo and Ilse, or Maddie, definitely take you on one HECK of an emotional rollercoaster ride of a journey, and through the swells of heartbreak, of elation, and everything in between, it is so worth it.
Apollo has lost everything, yet does everything to get it back, even though he finds it do be different, very different, from anything he could have expected or imagined. He’s tough, he’s a warrior, he’s not used to anything interfering with his focus, and it definitely throws him through a loop when that’s all that Maddie seems to do!
Maddie is fierce, caring, loyal, and broken. She carries a heavy burden, and in a new world with new people and new expectations, unsure of her place, who she is, and who she could be now that she has this freedom. She’s sweet, she’s sympathetic and empathetic, and all I wanted was to give her the BIGGEST hug and also see her find her truth.
There is drama, intrigue, tension, CHEMISTRY, and so much more. There’s love, loyalty, betrayal, trust, honor, friendship, relationships, and the power of finding yourself, of being loved for yourself, and being able to freely give that love in return.
The action is full of twists and turns and ‘oh no she didn’t’ and ‘oh no he didn’t’ and so much more, and I’m willing to bet that like me, you’ll find yourself on the proverbial edge of your seat quite often!
I hope you take a chance and dive into this story soon, and the rest of the world! I know I’m already planning a reread, because I need to be reminded (though I haven’t forgotten but it’s my excuse) how amazing Frey, Lahn, and Tor are, and their fierce women Finnie, Circe, and Cora!
So, what are you waiting for? Besides, just so you know, the SHMEKSHAY times are HOT. As in, FIRE. Just sayin’!
Apollo and Maddie
Fourth book for the Fantasyland series, Broken Dove
A story about second chances and how powerful love is.
It was also the conclusion of the plot that was brewing from the previous books.. I love that eventhough the men were bad-ass the heroines still get to fight in the battle
Though I’m not much of a fan of Apollo as I’m not too convinced of his love for Maddie. But the entirety of the story is still good and addicting. I love Derrik, hopefully he get to have his HEA too. (He is worth mentioning for eveything he did)
I won’t say much but YOU SHOULD READ THE ENTIRE SERIES
It is so worth reading, highly recommended
Favorite scenes/lines from the book:
“A dove has great beauty, but is easily broken.”
“Love like you build with Miss Madeleine is as she is. It is not of this world. Not of her world. It is beyond the worlds. It is beyond anything.”
“It is my responsibility as the man who loves you and wants you to be his wife to mend what’s broken in you … I’ll not forget again that I must treat you with care.”
It’s my experience that a weakness understood is no weakness,” Draven put in at this point and I looked to him. “If you know you have it, even if you can’t control it, you can make allowances for it. It is those who ignore or don’t understand their weaknesses who are wasted by them.”
Superb 4th book in the Fantasyland series. I loved watching Ilsa blossom and become who she chooses to be, Madeline. As she finds freedom and peace from her dangerous past she really begins to shine. She, however, was fully aware of the impact of her looks on others, especially Apollo’s children. Her love for Apollo, the children and friends was steadfast and tender.
Apollo is a General, and Advisor to the Queen. He is used to immediate obedience. His temper lashes out verbally with Maddy and it’s hard to read. She has put up with physical abuse in the past and it was inspiring to see her take a stand against Apollo’s verbal tirade. Apollo’s journey from broken man to a completely devoted husband and father is wonderful. There is lots of intrigue and action involving current and past characters. Seeing justice meted out and good prevail is what is required for all great fairy tales and this one does an excellent job. I look forward to Noc’s book and would love to see Derrik get his HEA as well.
Highly recommended series and author
4.7 stars
Another great book in this series. This one had A LOT of information and things happening at once and that was confusing at times. However, I can see it needed to be that way in order to tie together all the loss ends and show how these four women from another world all tied the parallel universe.
I enjoyed the characters and their connection. This wasn’t my favorite of the series but I did like seeing the future and seeing more of the babies. I’m actually looking forward to seeing the reversal of this series and seeing someone from that universe switch and come to my world.
Audiobook edit: I think the story of any Kristen Ashley book is just so amazing that narration just makes it better!
Another awesome addition to the Fantasyland series. As always, the romance was beautiful, the sex hot, and the plot seriously engaging!
Color me impressed by this story!
I loved Ilsa/Maddie’s strength and resilience to overcome her abusive past. She was funny, insecure, and emotional, yet fiercely protective with the few people she let close.
Apollo took a while to warm up to, but became a reasonably decent hero (okay, so I can’t completely overlook his gaffes with Maddie, BUT he did do a decent job redeeming himself later on!) Their romance was sexier than I expected (not that I am complaining, lol) and it eventually made sense once I got to understand both characters better.
Other parts I enjoyed…The situation with Apollo’s kids was handle with love and care. Apollo’s guys were a hoot and I liked how Maddie won them over. And Maddie’s staff-haha! They were full of surprises! However, the best was the finale. I was surprised to find the momentum never slowed after all the build up and decided this was all well worth the time I spent reading:)
I’m now highly curious to see if the next character will be redeemed enough to change my mind about her previous actions…