Broken Dove (Fantasyland Series Book 4)

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT! Beautifully written like the rest of the series. If you haven't already done so, go back & read the other 3 books before reading this one. You won't regret it! And if you haven't read Kristen Ashley before, I ENVY you because there's sooooo many fab.u.las stories to read. Rock on!

Kristen Ashley hit it out of the park again with another off-the-charts alpha male and his damsel in distress. For some reason, I find this series much easier to enjoy than some of her others. Maybe it's the time travel, which reminds me of the Gabaldon series, or the family loyalty, reminiscent of the Donati series. Either way, the heroines don't seem as needy as some of her other works. I am looking forward to more from this parallel universe!

I really liked this story.. of course The Golden Dynasty is still my favorite following Fantastical! I love Kristen and her fantasy world. This story felt more heart felt than the others because both characters went through so much pain. But I really did like it! I know you'll love it too!

Can I be forward and just scream "I LOVE KRISTEN ASHLEY!!!" from the rooftops? No? Okay then I'll just tell y'all that Broken Dove was amaze-balls and you need to buy this series...PRONTO! If you aren't a fan of fantasy but a fan of KA I can guarantee that you will LOVE these books and the world she brings you to.

I have loved this series, as I love most of Ashley 's work. I adored the heroine, she was strong and didn't crumble when life threw her for a loop. You get to see all of the other characters from the previous stories as they band together to fight evil.

I really enjoyed this series, the ending was great! I totally thought I wasn't into fantasy or anything, but I love everything Kristen Ashley writes and it seems I love fantasy when it's here writing.

You'll want to read Wildest Dreams, Golden Dynasty and Fantastical first (although not required) because KA brings back the heroes/heroines to bring this series to its finale. The only bad part is that I don't want this series to end!!!!

KA did another outstanding job! As with any Kristen Ashley book I couldn't put it down. The story just sucks you in. Make sure you read the other books in this particular series, or all of Kristen Ashley' s books!

I fell in love with this series upon first reading; each book has its own unique take even though the premises are all very similar. The characters and their experiences nearly leapt off the pages and I often found myself smiling or sniffling at something I read. If you enjoy fantasy romances I would definitely recommend!

K.A. can do no wrong. This was a great addition to this series. I loved how the characters from other books in the series made appearances in this book. Please continue to do your magic in spinning a tale.

I finished “Broken Dove”, I liked it, I can’t say that I loved it. It wasn’t a bad story, just déjà vu I felt that I had read this story before. The adela tea scene was smokin’ hot, really smokin’ hot, but that was really about the only scene (besides the “remember this kiss” statement) that stood out. Apollo with his control issues, a$$holiness, spankings, and anal play; he was pretty much the Christian Grey of Hawkvale.

This book would be a good read for someone that hasn’t read several of KA’s other books. I found myself more intrigued with Apollo’s men (Derrik and Achilles), the evil female characters, and the wolves than with Apollo and Madeleine/Ilsa. Even the Dax Lahn couldn’t excite me in this story, and I get really, really excitable around Lahn. Like I said, it's a good read for someone that hasn't read many of Kristen Ashley's books.

This 4th book in the Fantasyland series is good but can't compare to the first two.....Wildest Dreams and The Golden Dynasty. While it certainly held my attention and starred a kick-ass hot warrior hero in Apollo, I didn't connect to the story the way I did in the first two installments. I did want to see how everything played out in the end, and there was a conclusion to the series even though Kristen Ashley mentions there's one more book in the works. There was a lot going on in this story and I liked how everything came together. There was chemistry and heat between Apollo and Maddie and some of the sex were off the charts hot. The characters did have dimension and depth to them. There was more of a typical love story between the main characters with the fantasy being more around them than between them...maybe that was what led me to a 4 instead of 5 star rating. Either way I am a major fan of this series and would highly recommend it to those who enjoy this genre.

This book was well worth the wait! It was a fantastic addition to the other books in this series (not as good as The Golden Dynasty, but that is my favorite book, so it is hard to beat). This is a must read!

I had been waiting to read Apollo's story since I read Wildest Dreams and this book did not disappoint. Kristen Ashley is such a master at creating a story that is funny, sweet and sexy. The Fantasyland series was one that I was unsure that i would enjoy as it is so different from my usual fare. I could not have been more wrong. Each book in the series describes a different land and culture, but all exist in the same realm. It was a world that sucked me in and the relationships between the characters are deep and sweet. Apollo was a grieving widower who knew his deceased wife's twin was in the alternate world and he paid great treasure to bring her to his world. What he did not realize was how difficult it would be to come to terms with the fact that Maddy was not his wife, yet how easy it was to fall in love with her. This was really a beautiful story of love and loss, and new love found. Dont miss it.

I absofreakinglutly loved Maddy and Apollo's story! The author weaves an intricate tale that links pieces of the puzzle introduced earlier in the series. I found the pace to be spot on and I was never bored or impatient. The characters felt so real to me and the world she created, so diverse and intriguing that it's a testament to the author's incredible imagination. Now thankfully I only have a couple weeks until I can journey back to Carnal and Knaw Bone..... I love LOVE a KA tale!

I was so disappointed that this book was no where near as good as the first two books in this series. Man, Apollo is such a jerk. I couldn't stand him in this book. Seriously, I was hoping this would be the first KA book where the heroine really does just take up and leaves the hero, instead of just threatening it. The plot, like the third book, was flimsy. The action, when it finally came at the end, was just confusing. KA seems to be spitting out books at an alarming rate. It would be great if she could slow down and maybe concentrate on quality instead of quantity.

I am a huge fan of Kristen Ashley and own all of her books. I get that the male lead had doubts, but his going back and forth was what turned it into four not five stars for me. I loved it though, and cannot wait for more of her books!

Great long awaited book. After the last few books I was afraid my favorite author was lost to the hands of her evil publisher......Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating. But needless to say I was worried. After the first paragraph of this book I was HOOKED!! I love Ilsa....or Maddie. She's funny, loving, and has a past that hot guy Apollo has to fix. Once he gets his act together.
All the men in this book are awesome. We revisit our favorite characters from previous books in this series. Love it. Was not same story retold as one reviewer stated (although their opinion). I felt it was an entirely different story that was woven together to the other three in the series. Sad I'm done reading it, but it was awesome.

Awful. I could not even finish to complete the series I had thus far enjoyed. Integral to reading and enjoying a book is having a relationship, a fondness, for the characters. I have never disliked two characters more than these two. SPOILERS ahead...The "Hero" rescues the heroine only to act like a total jerk, ignore her, treat her cruelly. HOWEVER, he FALLS in LOVE with her after she lets him get dominating and kinky in the bedroom. His thus far exalted, accomplished, dead wife is a distant memory after that, what an honorable man! The heroine... ughhh.. I don't know what to say to this. I understand an abused women returning to a man out of fear or other problems... But she ADMITTED he was at fault for KILLING her near term unborn child... and "he was just so nice after, I thought he had changed" so she goes back to him. To the man that killed her child. Then he beats her more, she gets pregnant again, miscarries again.. I'm sorry but I cannot get behind a woman who goes back to a man who killed her child. Not only is she indescribably stupid but weak beyond my concept of reality. I have to respect or like a character to enjoy a book or their journey and instead I was rooting for them both to get their just desserts. I almost swore off reading KA after this.

I have ready all of Kristen Ashley's books and I'm amazed how she can create unique characters time and again. When I find myself in a book slump there are a few vintage KA books that are my go to- I can read over and over and be back in my happy book place. Broken Dove is definitely on the list. I didn't think anything could get close to the Golden Dynasty. So happy I was wrong.

Loved this whole series. Would recommend this series to anyone who likes to live outside the box. Ka is one of my favorite author's, I love all her books can't wait for more to come. I'm a Ka junkie hence the five star rating.

I have the same problem with this book as I do with all other Kristen Ashley books....they end. I hate that. I took my time reading it and didn't start it right away (even though I had preorder it) because I didn't want to be done with it. Now I have to wait for the next one?? CRAP! Although I am happy there will be another one. YEA!!

Her writing sucks you in to this crazy beautiful world. My daughter who is only 9 (and will not be reading this book for a very long time) loves for me to tell her about this "other world" and how Kristen describes it when she writes. I think she is excited because I am. It definitely is movie material. I would love to see Hollywood recreate this parallel universe.

Kristen Ashley is one of my auto-buy authors. It is sometimes difficult to find an author that's good at both character and plot development. Ms. Ashley manages to excel at both. She never disappoints, delivering just enough angst and drama that you are desperate to find out how it all ends, but once you get there you're sad to have to say good-bye to the characters you fell in love with along the way.

This book falls in with the rest of this author's books, with a strong female character, a sometimes frustrating but always drool worthy alpha hero and great supporting side characters. This is also one STEAMY read! I must say this is the steamiest of all the books I've read from this writer and she does STEAMY, but it never went smutty. Add to this witty writing with a touch of humor and you've got one great, entertaining read. Set in a dreamy fantasyland, with a hot prince charming, a lovely but courageous damsel in distress, a wicked witch and kick@#! friends and you are transported into a story where dreams do come true. Let yourself go and have fun with this one. For mature readers only!

Less than a month ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. For the second time in eighteen years. This is my first review. I read a book a day. Broken Dove gave me the gift of laughter, laughter that I haven't had since my diagnosis. I own over fifteen books by this author, yet the gift of hope this book gave me makes it my new favorite. Thanks for the escape, and the talent to make one of the hardest times in my life better. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to go where no man has gone before. The perfect read.

It's really difficult to say more good things about Kristen, she's literally out of this world! Loved this series, a lot. I thought it was going to be very hard since Ilsa was very loved in the fantastical world, but KA managed to make it happen and in a very real way. Loved Apollo, hated when he was a jerk but he had more, a lot more good things, very good things. Loved the scene when Lahn makes a rescue.... sigh deeply.... loved him.
Can't wait for more KA books, don't care which series, i just want more books from her and faster, hehehe and actually meet her in person, maybe someday my dream will come true

Kristen Ashley creates a fairytale world that still shows the human nature in relationships. Nothing is ever perfect in relationships and it takes work even in a world of witches, elves and dragons. What a fun, exciting and sometimes a heart wrenching book. If you haven't read the other books in the series, READ them.

I love reading krristins books . They keep you on the edge of your seat but you don't have to read chapters and chapters for the drama to be fixed . I loved every book I've ever read by her and check her site looking for new ones all the time.

Thank YOU KA YOU finally solved some mysteries, FINALLY gave me Apollo's story and made me fall in love with a heroine who has brass balls! I LOVED this one, it was perfectly KA style writing. It was a great addition the KA series. I COULD NOT put it down! I stayed up all night reading it, wanting to make sure Maddie finally get's her happily ever ending wither her Apollo. It was beautiful, It was BRILLIANT and it was by far one of the BEST books of this year!

I was transported by the characters into a different but exciting world. Fine to read as a stand alone but better if you read the first three books. Kirsten is a master stop teller, I was not disappointed.

I absolutely loved this story. Just before I started reading Broken Dove I read the first three again and it was an epic way to enjoy this addition to the series.

I wasn't sure I could love Apollo after reading the teaser chapters released ages ago, but I knew KA would turn me around.

This book had everything...action, adventure, fun and lots and lots of sexy bits.

I love this series and I am very excited to hear there will be at least one more.

Thanks Ms Ashley...LOVE YOUR WORK!!!!

The fantasyland series is my favorite of Kristen's and this book did not disappoint. I savored this book and did not want it to end! I loved Isla's background and her initial feelings toward Apollo. I loved the months she traveled with his guard and the relationships she forged with the men. I may have even become smitten with one of them ;) This book brought back all the hot alpha men and their lovely ladies that I loved from the first three books. Can't wait for the next one!!

Another amazing read by Kristen Ashley!! My biggest problem with it? It came to an end! (I need a continuous supply of Kristen Ashley!!) Seriously. Awesome. Book. Love this series and can't wait to read the next one.

K.Ashley is back, her unique writing style is back!!, I was reluctant to read the book, since last three books I did not enjoy so much, and I was afraid that this will be another not very successfully edited book. But when started to read I was glad to have K.Ashley back.

The story line was interesting, captivating, no annoying time skipping, just simply beautiful storry.

I hope that Kristen Ashley will continue her unique style and her future books will be even better.

Wow!! KA did it again. I don't know how she comes up with these amazing stories and other worlds but she does it like a boss! Dax Lahn is my all time fave alpha male but Apollo is a very close second. The way he loved Maddy was so beautiful. And him calling her "my poppy" melted my heart. I loved the addition of the kids and they really added to the story. It was also great seeing all the other amazing couples coming together. This was classic KA writing and she just nailed it.

A vintage KA story - lots of detail that creates a word picture for you. Not to mention the gorgeous Alphas that populate her stories--yumm! Apollo and Maddie are beautiful together -- Love is everything! Really looking forward to Noc's story - who is he hooking up with ??? Franka perhaps ??? Thank you Kristen for another beautiful escape into a fantastical world!!! Keep those fingers flying and give us more!!

Apollo is a knight in shining silver. Maddie's life up to this point affects how she views people and their motives. Inspite of all the difficulties, the main one that she is the "twin" of his deceased wife, the author gets you to believe that everyone sees Maddie different from Apollo's late wife. Maddie maintains a generous capacity to love and see a future for herself. All of the characters from the previous stories are here as the war heats up and strategies are developed to defeat the evil witches.

Big sweeping epic romances with loss and redemption. Heat and hurt. Love and lust. Fritos and ….well not Fritos.
(Giggle snort)

Welcome back to the long, not over edited books of KA. I didn’t know just how much I missed you till I was done with Broken Dove. I mean the sheer value of a Kristen Ashley book has always been a reason she is on my auto click buy button list. Quality and value folks it’s a wonderful thing.

Okay on to the real review. Apollo gave a witch a bag full of diamonds in the hopes of gaining love that was lost to him. Ilsa is ripped from the hands of her abusive husband and into a different world altogether. What happens is a journey of self discovery and learning. It’s not who the person looks like in their parallel universe but whom they really are on the inside. Finding this out doesn’t come easy. Apollo can be cruel and emotional abuse is just as scaring as physical. I will be honest, at times I really didn’t like Apollo….like at all. The road to redemption and love is a great one. Have no fear as always we get a very good, very hot and very satisfying ending. Plus an amazing epilogue :)

Oh! And we get to visit with all out friends from previous Fantasyland books! My man and all time favorite from Golden Dynasty Dax Lahn was in full affect. So swoon worthy when it comes to saving the day. Lordy he needs a book two or a novella or something.

The story’s not over yet peeps. There is more to come in this Fantasyland series. Not sure if it will be a spin off series or another in this one, but I am excited to see what happens next!

4 AMAZING stars for a return to long books filled with KA goodness!
T~

The Premise
The fourth book in Ms. Ashley’s Fantasyland series, focuses on Ilsa Ulfr, who has suffered greatly by the hand of her abusive husband, Apollo “Pol” Ulfr, and has been on the run for years. Just as he tracks her down and seems ready to do away with her, Apollo Ulfr from a parallel universe pops into her world and whisks her away to a strange, fantastical place.

Apollo Ulfr, of the House of Ulfr, has mourned his wife, Ilsa, for four years. When he discovers that everyone has a “twin” in another universe, he tasks the witch Valentine, to bring his wife’s doppelganger, to his world. But what he finds is a woman who may look just like his wife, but the broken Ilsa nothing like his beloved, and further, wants nothing to do with her.

My Thoughts
I’ve been a big fan of Ms. Ashley’s books and I have gladly devoured her entire backlist. Lately though, some of her new books weren’t up to her usual standard and have been a bit...generic, for me. While I enjoy her particular formula, there has been an emphasis on the formula and less on the individual characters and what makes them tick...the very things that drew me to her in the first place.

However, while Broken Dove isn’t perfect - there is some stilted dialogue, and some of the descriptive passages can go on a while longer than I’d like - it is a step in the right direction. Ms. Ashley’s strength has always been a “stream of consciousness” type of writing that pulls you right into the character’s mind and evoking intense emotions. The chemistry is strong between the MCs and the love scenes are fantastic.

In this book, Apollo and Ilsa (renamed Maddie in honor of her new life), you get a great glimpse into Maddie and Appollo’s minds - both have had vastly different experiences with their spouses, and Ilsa in particular definitely suffers from battered woman syndrome. During moments when her behavior was frustrating, at least it felt true to character, and completely in line with the life she led before she met the Fantasyland version of Apollo. Apollo is a good alpha hero who, while he makes some questionable verbal choices regarding Maddie, is trying to do right for his kids, which is always appealing. Seeing the other MCs from previous books was fun, and yet they didn’t overtake the action. That said, I think that it’s a book best read in order. It would affect the enjoyment of the book, since an ongoing plotline comes to a conclusion in this entry and without the buildup, it loses some of its emotional punch.

The Bottom Line
I was concerned going in, but I absolutely enjoyed this latest installment in the Fantasyland series, and I look forward to reading the next adventure - Noc seems like a character with great potential.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Apollo was MY kind of man. What was GREAT about this book was that it was Apollo's and Maddie's (Ilsa's) book but you also got to enjoy Frey and Finnie, Circie and Lahn (mmmm) and Tor and Cora. The drama in this book was off the charts and I could NOT put it down. Apollo had so much to let go of and so did Maddie but it was a beautifully written Fantasyland love story. I truly hope this series continues...there were so many characters I met in this book that I wish a HEA for...Achilles and Franka (?) Derrick and Valentine (?) and of course Lavinia(?) and Noc.

EXCELLENT series. Although sometimes the alphas may come across the same as some of the other's of KA's alphas ALL in this series seem to carry more unique.

I avoided this series until a recommendation from Maryse's blog and then I just dived in with both feet to enjoy a tremendous ride. If your on the fence because of the "fantasy" part and the parellel world...DON'T be! The love stories are beautiful, heartfelt and the men are H-A-W-T! If you enjoy love stories with a little bit of drama...this is an amazing series of books. Don't miss out on some of the most awesome men around!

I've waited a long time for this story to be published and I'm happy to say that it lived up to it.

The characters strength once again was compelling and the story had me glued to it from beginning to end.

HOWEVER, my only criticism on all the books were that the female characters are the same. They talk the same, okay they have different "backgrounds" but I felt like I was hearing the same dialogue from all the other girls all over again.

All in all, I still enjoyed the story and LOVED the outcome. Looking forward to the next story, whatever that's about.

Bring on the 3rd saga of the Three Series!

I am loving these alpha males stories. I generally don't do time travel or inter-dimension travel but the books by Kristen Ashley have hooked me with the learning, love and adjustments made by the men to have the woman they want and then love.

The stories are very in depth and emotions reign first and foremost.

Good reads, great ones to curl up on the couch with.

I was so excited as the countdown to the release of this book ticked away and I was not disappointed! Loved this story and can't wait until Kristen lays the next one on us. KA is my favorite author and I devour absolutely anything she puts out there. Her characters (even the ones in a parallel universe) jump off the page.

I had this on my Kindle the day it came out and Ms. Ashley just did not disappoint one bit. The length of the book was what I needed after reading so many others lately that catch my attention and then just stop. I like being able to lose myself in a book for a few hours and with my other purchases recently, not so much. Fell in love with Apollo even more than I was before - even if I did want to slap him upside his head with the way he acted sometimes. Fell even more in love with Derrik though, I want him to find someone for himself now.

I thought that this was the end of the series, so to find out that there will be another book makes this girl happy.

I was so happy with this book, as it was the old style writing. Thank goodness the editors did not get their hands on it. It was a great finish to the series and tied it all up perfectly. Apollo and Ilsa we're the perfect story to finish the series.
Thanks Ms Ashley for giving us you back again.

As always when you wait for you're favorite authors latest release, you wonder if it's going to measure up. How her writing, characters, stories, and happily ever afters ALWAYS DO!!! I'll never know... She must hold that same kind of girlie magic she writes about. Obviously I freaking loved it!

No one does it better than Ms. Ashley. She has the perfect formula for alpha male and damsel in distress. I love her books and this addition to the Fantasyland series is perfect. Maddie is adorable and strong and Apollo is the brooding alpha that makes her books the perfect chemistry.

I could not wait for this highly anticipated book. In fact, I put down another book mid-chapter in order to start this one. And Kristen Ashley never disappoints. This may be one of my favorites of her books. I'll need to retreads the series plus some of her other series to figure that out. But I was so happy every time I checked the progress and I still had lots to go. I love that her books are so long- the never feel unfinished. If there were 10 more books in this series, I'd never get anything done for an entire month until they were all read.

If you haven't read the series yet, buy it but start with the first book. This book is a standalone, but you learn about the characters and the back story from the previous books. I don't think it would be as enjoyable if I hadn't read the other stories first. The other 3 are almost complete standalones, but this one has much more involvement of the other characters. She says there is one more, and I cannot wait.

Really enjoyed the book. Loved how much they each loved and cared for one another. The way both were so giving. How they hurt and wanted to cure each other's pain. Loved the children's aspect also. Great and sweet book.

Wow. I can't believe the imagination that this author has. LOVE IT.

This novel is truly unbelievable, it is full of wonder, mystery, drama, fights and romance. It is part of a series so I suggest that you read the previous books. It would still be an enjoyable read as a stand alone, but it will make much better sense if the the previous books are read first.

The authors fantasyland land, wow, a world onto its own. If you enjoy books like the game of throne series with a mix of humour and romance, you will love these books. I just love her characters; the hero is always hot, aggressive and totally alpha while the heroine is beautiful, humours and always kicks ass.

Awesome, awesome read.

I love this series. Fantasyland is my favorite series from this amazing KA. It never fails to bring me to happy place. And Broken Dove doesn't disappoint me at all. It' very hot romance that melt my panties and warm my heart at the same time.

I love all Kristen Ashley books. This series however is one of my favorites. But to be honest they are almost all my favorites. I saw where someone reviewed it as different book same heroine. Well, yes. But they are designed that way. If you read them you'll know why. Apollo and Ilsa`s (or Madeleine) story is a real ride.
I actually went through tons of emotion while reading Broken Dove. It's the type of emotion that feels like you want to rip your heart out but knowing in the back of your mind that all will eventually be well. You just have to travel the journey. Don't be afraid to travel this journey. It is well worth every word.

The story is good but the book is deficient. Every single page is missing words usually important ones in conversations which makes it very hard to read and understand what is going on. Don't get it from Kindle, try an audio version or paperback instead.

I am a KA addict. I've read all her books twice and love them all. However, the latest haven't been as good (Chaos series), so I was a little worried about this book. However, it was just as good as the other Fantasyland ones. I loved it.

After reading Kristen Ashley's "Jagged", I swore to myself that that was the last book I'll ever read from her! I just didn't feel that book stood up against her other much loved novels. But a blogger I've been following mentioned that she just read "Golden Dynasty" and loved it! She was gushing about how great the characters were and loved the storyline of travelling through a parallel universe. So from that recommendation, I bought "Golden Dynasty" and loved it! And based on how much I loved the characters there, I bought the latest installment of her Fantasyland Series, "Broken Dove". I must say I am so disappointed in this book. It seems that her newest books never quite measure up to her classics. I thought the main character, Ilsa (a.k.a Maddie) was really annoying. She's like every heroine in every Kristen Ashley book. And the hero, Apollo, is the same alpha-male in all of her books, just switch their names. And as for the intimate moments, it's all the same including the dialogue! Just change the names the characters call each other.

I didn't feel the sexual tension and angst that I enjoy when reading a Kristen Ashley story. In this story, Apollo's wife, Ilsa dies, but he finds out that she has a twin in a parrallel universe. He misses his wife so much that he goes to our timeline and saves our Ilsa (a.k.a Maddie) and brings her to his world. But then leaves her alone for four months! Then we read how Maddie bonds with Apollo's men, who are her protectors, but then nothing happens after that! Those characters disappear and she's reunited with Apollo and within a day or so, they're in bed together and he's asking her to move in with him after only being together for a week!

If you'd like to read something from Kristen Ashley's Fantasyland Series, read The Golden Dynasty. Circe is a very independant heroine who knows what she wants. I've tried reading the other books in the Fantasyland Series, but they didn't capture my interest like Golden Dynasty. Save yourself and read that book instead.

Not-so-awesome characters, great world-building, so-so drama, weak ending.

Once the happy ending is resolved - actually, once the other characters from prior books get into the story - it's a kitschy, cliché-filled formula of "kickass clothes and chicks." I felt pulled out of the story and stuck in extended musings about the author's Sex and the City-type character monologues. Ugh, not a "Golden Dynasty" type of read AT ALL. There, it was fresh and funny. Now, it's tired. This is more for those who want to substitute complex, interesting characters for ever- fawning hot men and ever-ready hero/heroine. Repetitive sex, very boring (and I *like* books with juicy bits!)

I ended up loving this book, with the storyline I was sure I would. I didn't like Apollo in the beginning but at the end he won me over. I loved Maddie the whole time, as well as the addition of his kids.

I'll start off by saying that I have read just about every Kristen Ashley novel. She is a great author, even when some titles seem to be less than stellar. In my opinion, this was not her best work, yet it wasn't bad either. I liked reading about the other characters in the series, however, the story of Apollo and Ilsa was buried in boring scenery descriptions, angst upon angst upon angst, lack of communication, and a lack of build up to a true connection between the hero and heroine until the very end.

It was hard to sympathize with Ilsa/Maddie when it seemed to take her forever to admit she played a part in her life turning the way it did when she married a drug dealer. Uh...hello? These people are not known for being loving and caring, so what the heck did she expect? It was understandable that she would be leery of Apollo, given how evil his twin was, but she seemed to take no issue with getting close to his guards. All of whom seemed to be drawn to her because she drew out their protective instincts. Didn't much care for that. Beaten and battered is not a good emotional state...most men understand that. Yet in this book, it was like a love potion.

Again, I loved the integration of the other characters from the three previous books. However, the heroine in this one was incredibly lacking. For those on the fence about buying it, it is worth the purchase for the battle with the witches alone. Great action there.

Great story! Non stop action from the first word to the last. As always KA rocked!
I have to admit, I was a little hesitant starting this book. I could not imagine liking a story where a man wants a woman just because she looks like his dead wife. I hate books that dwell on dead wife or husband. To me, I think it takes away from the current love story. But, this book did not do that. In fact, the hero did not spend a lot of time thinking about his late wife. Of course she was mentioned, but her memory really just set the backdrop for the story. It was not a driving force.
Loved the heroine. I really enjoyed watching her self esteem build. I adored the way she attracted everyone around her. She made a group of strangers become family.
Liked the hero. He was the normal KA alpha male, but he had a harder edge than most of her guys. At times, I felt his words like a punch to the gut. He said some things that were truly unforgivable. I wanted to scream at the heroine to run away, find someone else, or just go back home. If it was me, I don't think I could have got past the stuff he said. I think she forgave him way to easily. I believe if she had made him grovel then this great book would have been outstanding. As time went on, he mellowed out a bit. In the end, I ended up falling in love with him.
The heat level was scorching, but it was not over the top. However, there was a few things that some people may find taboo. (Anal play). Not an issue for me, but I figured I would give a heads up to the readers that may be offended.
This book sort of wraps all the other books up. All of the evil that was in those books come together. So If you haven't read the first three books, I do recommend you read them first. The characters in those book play a major role in this book. They are probably in at least 40% of the book, so you be lost if you do not know their stories.
Just a heads up for all you historical romance fans, this book reads a lot like a historical romance. All of the men are from a world a lot like ours hundreds of years ago. (Granted this world is full of magic). So If you are a contemporary, historical, or paranormal romance fan, grab this book now.

I think the review of Sallen discusses most of my issues with this book. The "Honey", "Baby" and 'I love clothes and jewelry', I can make everyone fall in love with me, and I have a girl posse are all over the top for me in this book as well.

I don't even remember when Lo fell for Maddie and vice versa, there wasn't that great moment for me in this book.

And do we have to have another author going anal and BDSM?

I'm hoping if I re-read this book I will fall in love as I did with all the other fantasy land books.

Krisen Ashley always exceeds my expectations. This whole series had awesome characters, a fun and unique take on the different times zones, sexy. Story line was great. Took me by surprise but shouldn't. I have all her books and her talent and imagination blows me away! Teresa

This was definitely my most anticipated story of the series and boy did it not disappoint! Truly a modern day fairytale. While fantastical it did feel pretty realistic. KA really got in the life lessons with this one. She's so wise. As usual I'm not sure she could ever disappointment me and Broken Dove was a great read.

I absolutely love Kristen Ashley books! The Fantasyland series was a wonderful surprise. It is a delightful mix of a fairy tale world and our modern one. Broken Dove is the fourth book and is the story of Ilsa, who takes the name Madeleine or Maddie when she goes to the parallel universe, and Apollo Ulfr. Apollo is definitely an Alpha male, with swords, wolves at his beck and call and such, but after losing his beloved wife, Ilsa, to an illness four years ago, he finds out there is a parallel universe where Ilsa's twin lives with his twin, who goes by the name, Pol. Apollo decides to bring her to his world, as Pol is a mean man who abuses Ilsa. His world is full of talking bunnies, Hewcrows, elves and more. Their adventures to find true love are captivating and fun! I really liked that their love was not the insta-love type, but grew slowly as they got to know each other. I also like that Apollo's two children are a big part of the book and he is a great dad. There are plenty of steamy scenes, too, but not so many that they overpower the story. It is a long book, almost 400 pages, which is cool, but seemed to drag in a few parts, most likely due to the long descriptions of the scenery and such. The characters from the first three Fantasyland books are all present and you get to hear a lot about their lives after their books ended. Dax Lahn and Circe from the Golden Dynasty are still my favorite, and I liked hearing about their marriage and the cool Dad Lahn became. For example, he tells his one year old son to not pull on a woman's skirt until he can do something with her naked body! I highly recommend all four of these books and that you read them in order.

KA gave me a Christmas present when I preordered this! I have re read all the books in this series and was so happy to get the 4th installment. It was the right mix of intense emotions, magic and sweetness. It was awesome catching up with the couples from the other 3 books and having them an intrinsic part of the finale. KA continues to be my "must buy" author and I so appreciate her keeping her book prices reasonable for her fans.

I still like Golden Dynasty the best, but this is the second best in this series. I love Kristen Ashley and anxiously look forward to every and any new book I can get my hands on. I love her writing style, her sence of humour and all of her Alpha male characters. Kristen is by far my favorite author, one that I read and reread often. It doesnt matter which series just keep the books coming.

This is another great book from a great author. I love KA books. They have to be downloaded and read straight away. This was not a disappointment and a bit longer than some others which I liked. Maudie and Lo are great I could really relate to them. I loved some of the language like 'away' and all the comments about the 'cape'. Happy to see there is another one in this series to come and it's in our world this time. Can't wait. Even though it's a fantasy story the way they are written makes all 3 book very accessible to no fantasy readers. Read it you will laugh and cry, it's worth it

This is one of the worst books I've ever stared reading, I wasn't able to finish it. I LOOOVED the other installments in this series, they were everything a book should be, i'm so sad :(

p.s. English is not my native language

Broken Dove was all I could have asked of it: deep, emotional, engrossing, entrancing. I was transported to Apollo's world where I wished to stay even without personal hygiene products and scoop shaped corn chips. Thank you, Kristen Ashley, for the many hours of joyful escapism you have given me.

I love Kristen Ashley and have all her books. I know that she is trying to keep her readers happy by cranking out the books every three months, but the quality of her awesome, entertaining, addicting body of work is suffering. Creed and Knight were fantastic, but Raid, the Chaos series, and Jagged seem rushed, the characters superficial and because they were superficial, I didn't grow to love them as I did prior characters. Also, the dialogue is getting a little too cutesy, especially in Broken Dove. And every female character has a nickname that is totally overused. To the point of being annoying. I still love Kristen Ashley and will continue to buy her books, in the hope that one will cause me to fall in love, just like her earlier work.

Another great book from KA. I was hesitant to read the fantasyland series after reading the rock chicks and burg series and man series that btw I absolutely loved. But once I did I was hooked and cannot wait for the next one.

Took my time reading this book because I didn't want it to end....So delighted to find that this series is not over. So Gods speed KA in writing in this new year...I will be rereading all series in anticipation.

I was excited to see that this was Apollo's story because it was built up and talked about in the other books. The beginning of the book seemed good and I was really getting into but I'm not sure when but it just turned very blah. I am really struggling to even finish this book. I have read so many reviews that say that it seems like almost the same hero and heroine but in another book and it felt that way again to me here. I have more Kristen Ashley books on my kindle than any other author because she has quite a few books and some of her books I absolutely adore and have even gone back and reread parts of them. Lately it seems though that each time I read one I am left disappointed. I haven't even bought Jagged or even the new one before that. There was a lot of talk about the war in this book which I found extremely boring. I think they fell in love so fast and it was very hard to believe especially coming from Apollo. In the other books we were told about how he loved his wife so deeply and within a couple weeks of spending time Maddie he actually mentions he might love her more. It just seemed strange., He seemed similar to all the rest of the males in the series except Lahn who was my favorite. In conclusion I say this book is not doing it for me at all and unless something that just grabs me and amazes me comes along I think I will skip Kristen Ashley books for a little while. I have been left less than impressed for too many books now.

This was the worst book in the series.
It was filled with incomplete thoughts.
It seemed that Kristen wanted to tell a good story but had so many thoughts and could not pull it all together in time for publishing

I usually like Kristen Ashley but this book needed an editor.
The best story of this series is Golden Dynasty. The rest need not be read.

Kristen Ashley is by far one of my favorite authors! She brings the heat and the sweet! She did not disappoint with the long awaited story of Apollo and Isla! I'm not going to get into the story because I don't want to spoil it for others but this is a must read! It has all the elements of a KA book!

An added bonus if that you get reacquainted with the couples from the previous books of this series:)

This is the best book Kristen Ashley has written since she found a publisher. Her detailed descriptions that make for longer reads is the reason I love her books - they take me to the world she's writing about whether fantasyland or Colorado. I've really missed getting swept away by one of her reads so I'm so happy to say this book felt like "vintage" K.A.

I love KA, I am a major fan...but this time I am disappointed. I loved Maddie and Apollo's characters, but this book was not hot enough and it was wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too long. Sorry KA, you suffered from storyline ADD. There seemed to be 15 different other story lines going on at the same time... I will still read her next book, I believe in and respect her work

I love almost every single one of Kristen Ashley's books and I really had a hard time connecting to this particular book. I think my favorite part of the book was when some of the other characters from the previous books in the series appeared. I could reread every single book in the Fantasyland series except for this one. It wasn't dreadful to me but it wasn't as enthralling as her past books. It actually left me kind of uninterested.

Spoiler alert.
Now I have many problems with Broken Dove. The story line is very repetitive. The characters seem to spend much of the novel going over the same problems not advancing the plot in any real way. There is little action. It's relatively boring.
But my biggest problem is that the heroine spends years running away from her formerly physically abusive husband recognizing hat things aren't going to change and that she doesn't deserve to be treated the way he treats her and goes to a new world where her husbands "twin" is in many ways just as abusive verbally and mentally. And the author sort of tries to positively reinforce her doormat behaviour instead of trying to reform the "Hero" of the book. He is mentally abusive and emotionally manipulative, he doesn't even want her until someone else expresses interest in her and then on the spot decides that she is HIS because she looks exactly like his dead former spouse (he doesn't even know her as a separate person at this point) he constantly cuts her down and talks over her. He forces confidences from her without sharing anything about himself.
I find it very disturbing that they get into a creepy dominant sexual relationship and she is desperate to give him anything he wants as long as he keeps having sex with her and giving her snippets of affection. At one point he goes and hurts her feelings horribly after she accidentally puts herself in danger and she finally realizes that she has just traded in one form of abuse for another and calls him on it and all he has to say is "I love you" and all is well again in her world?!!! Abusers often say that they love you, it doesn't make the abuse disappear. And she is always blaming herself for his terrible behaviour. It's classic abuse and is never resolved in any way that would make the relationship between these two at all healthy and viable as a romantic story. This book is intensely disturbing she derserved better and both of the versions of him needed to be killed off in my opinion. It was just awful. I don't know how anyone found this in the least romantic.

Broken Dove (Fantasyland Series Book 4)

My biggest problem with these books is you can NOT quit reading them once you start them. They draw you in immediately. And then you are so hooked you just have to read one more line. One more paragraph, one more chapter. Next thing you know, you haven't gotten any of your chores done, the birds are chirping good morning, and you have NOT been asleep yet! Why?! Because you could not stop reading this book!! That's why.
Every book is so full of surprises. So many twist and turns. Yet they weave into each other, bringing the characters from the other books into the next one. Creating more complexity and depth, more layers to that world and the people involved.
Absolutely Amazing and Fantastic.
I am so hooked.

READING PROGRESS
October 28, 2017 – Shelved
October 28, 2017 – Shelved as: to-read
October 28, 2017 – Shelved as: kristen-ashley
November 3, 2017 – Started Reading
November 6, 2017 – Shelved as: 1-ntr-share
November 6, 2017 – Finished Reading

This book is poor for a few reasons. I generally like Kristen Ashley's book even though there isn't much difference between the heroines, but this one it becomes ridiculous.
1. If you were a battered woman that worked up the courage to leave your abusive husband, you're not going to immediately jump in bed with another man that looks exactly like him. Literally after spending 2 days with the twin, that's stupid.
2. Way more likely she would have hooked up with one of his men in the 4 months after she was pulled into the other world.
3. She built up the confidence and courage to leave an abusive husband but as soon as she meets her twin that all flies out the window. He bosses her around and tells she has to do what he wants and she'll never make it without him. And she just does it.
4. MOST ANNOYING - According to this book, if a man is a complete troll, abusive, treats you like dirt, he doesn't have to apologize. It is the women's job every time to 'mend the rift'. A Man's pride is apparently super important and they are apparently incapable of sucking it up and apologizing. No man apologizes in any of these books, not even in the second book when one punches the heroine in the face.

I'm a huge fan of Kristen's and have been for years but recently I must admit I've been disappointed with Own the Wind and Fire Inside and I didn't even consider reading Jagged but since I love the Fantasyland Series not reading Broken Dove wasn't an option.
This book started really well, I loved all the characters involved and Kristen was weaving her magic, normally I read quickly which is both a blessing (I get to the end quicker so find out what's what) and a curse (if it's a good book it's over too quickly) but in this case due to personal issues it's taken me days to get through this which means I've been able to really get into it, and I was but I did take issue with Maddie's stupid mistake, now I know Maddie had to do something to annoy Apollo but I didn't find it believable, this is a woman who's street wise and has been on the run from her husband for years so I felt this was a cheap shot and I expect more from Kristen.
I loved that all the main characters from the past books were here with their children.
Golden Dynasty is one of my favourite Kristen books I can't remember how many times I've actually read this book, I also loved Wildest Dreams but Fantastical was for me a disappointment.
One measure I use when judging books is if I'd read it again and to be honest I don't know if this is a book that I would read again, I'm not sure why but at the moment I can't see it happening, it makes me wonder where the four stars came from even though I loved the characters and enjoyed the book for me it was lacking something, I'm not sure what but it makes me wonder if we do in fact have the old Kristen back. I am concerned that Kristen's books of late are not living up to earlier potential, this one started really well and I liked all the characters but it's not calling out for me to re-read, now I know not every book can be everything to every reader but I'm wondering if she's spreading herself too thin she has a lot of different series's going on at the moment I know I'm waiting for the next 'burg book as well as The Third Series.
This book has reminded me how much I liked Frey and Finnie as well as Apollo so I'm going back to re-read Wildest Dreams now which of course will be followed by Golden Dynasty yet again.
I couldn't decide between 3 or 4 stars. I gave 4 since I liked the characters and enjoyed the book but if I compare it to At Peace, Until the Sun Falls from the Sky, Golden Dynasty, Motorcycle Man the list goes on and on it makes me wonder if it truly deserves the 4 stars, would 3 be a more accurate rating?

Well this book may deserve more than 4 stars, but I gave Wildest Dreams and The Golden Dynasty, the first two books in this series 5 stars so I just couldn't give this book that. Frankly, I didn't like Apollo as well as I did the heros of the other books. I never got over the bad thing he did (twice) even though I knew he would make up for it and I guess he did, but still. It was completely uncalled for!! And yes, I know all the other guys did stuff too, especially Lahn and I love him, but still... I just never got over it. I can't really say why except that words can hurt more than fist. With that being said, I did enjoy reading this story and it is not to be missed if you are a fan of the series. Lots of stuff happens toward the end. And you find out, love is everything...

I'm excitedly awaiting Noc's story. I loved, loved, loved Noc in Fantastical. I really hope he doesn't fall for Franka. That will be a hard sell for me. Can't wait to see though... Happy reading!

K. I just need to go ahead, right off the bat and say that I need to give Apollo a big THUMB'S UP! ;)

That guy is hot. Seriously. WOW! This book reminded me a little of Creed, in terms of sexy times. I've decided to nickname Apollo, 'Dirty Apollo' and it's messing with JJ because she hasn't read book 3 yet and she's very tempted to book skip in order to get to him. I told her that she can't. You have to read all 3 Fantasyland books before this. It's essential. Characters from the first 3 books were popping up all over the place in this story (HELLO, Lahn!) and you'd be missing something if you haven't read them.

Let me backtrack a little. It's a fairly well-known fact around here that I'm not a big fan of Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci Fi stuff. I read this series because it's Kristen Ashley and I read everything that she writes. I don't want to miss a thing. Having said that, as much as I completely loved the romance and relationship in this book, and by loved I mean LOVED, I still had a hard time with the elves. I did. I can handle the dragons but I draw the line at elves (especially when they are wearing hats that one should only wear during Oktoberfest celebrations, and probably not even then). It's my issue. It's not the fault of Kristen Ashley. It's just not my bag. Every time the story switched from focusing on the relationship to focusing on the turmoil outside of the relationship, I lost a little interest. Hence the deduction of a star.

If I were rating this in terms of the romance only, this would be a 5 star book. It was touching, heart-wrenching, sexy and beautiful. I was up til 1 a.m. reading this during a particularly stressful point and I immediately read it all again in the morning because I thought it was so perfectly written. I felt it right in the heart and I could barely breathe. That, my friends, is awesome.

Most of my friends have been eating this book up. I was texting Cari while reading and her Sci Fi geeky self was in awe. I will leave you one particularly hilarious text that I told her was too good not to quote in my review:

Kristen Ashley: Making good girls curious about anal sex one erotic novel at a time.
((gulp))

HILARIOUS!!!

See my FULL review on our blog:
http://thebookbosses.blogspot.ca/2014/01/broken-dove-by-kristen-ashley.html

Apollo Ulfr lost his wife, Ilsa, at a young age. He was left with his two children to care for. He struck a deal with the witch Valentine to find his wife's twin and bring her back to his world. Hoping to find the love he lost. Ilsa Ulfer of the parallel world is married to the Apollo twin and he is not a good man. She is on the run from her abusive husband and terrified of being found. When Apollo takes her back to his world he realizes that she is nothing like his Ilsa and wants nothing to do with her. When evil starts gathering their troops Apollo must keep his family safe including Ilsa.

"Be careful what you wish for. You might get it. And not want it." is the quote that most stuck with me with this book. Apollo is so grief stricken that he wants his wife's twin from the parallel world, hoping that she is the same. Once he finds out she is not the same as his Ilsa he leaves her at one of his houses to do his own thing. This was such a sad and loving story. Everything Ilsa faces just makes her that much stronger and comes to see that Apollo is not the Apollo of her world. We also see more of Frey and Finnie, Dax Lahn and Circe, Noc and Cora. YAY! I cannot wait till KA writes more!

~Reviewed by SUZANNE & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

Apollo Ulfr lost his wife Ilsa years ago, but the grieve has never stopped. As he learns of the parallel world containing the twin of his wife and of himself, he is determined to bring her to him. However, Apollo’s twin isn’t the same man he is, Ilsa has been on the run from him and his abuse for years and doesn’t intend on ever going back. But when she is taken to the parallel world she begins to learn just how different the two men are

I do love a Kristen Ashley book, but I admit I was worried about Apollo’s story, it doesn’t seem healthy to be chasing a woman who is literally the spitting image of the dead wife you loved so deeply. Maybe that is why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed previous books in this series and her others. I didn’t completely connect with the romance and at times it seemed like she was putting dead Ilsa down a little so that the surviving Ilsa- renamed Maddie- looked better. Also, I really like Maddie with one of Apollo’s men Derrick, I was hoping that the book would shock me and she fell for him.

But, once I got over my little disappointment and Apollo and Maddie fell more in love, I was eating this book up. The sex scenes were especially good, Kristen Ashley has introduced a little bit of kink and it did spice things up and ratchet up the heat level. Also, like in all Kristen Ashley books, it was an emotional roller coaster as we go through the highs and lows of their building relationship and deal with the damage done to them in the past, it is especially heartbreaking but lovely watching Maddie deal with Apollo’s children, children that could have potentially been hers.

In the midst of Apollo and Maddie’s romance though, there is a war going on and it looks like Maddie and the other women who have traveled across from this world are in the cross hairs. This lends a different kind of excitement and tension to the books as you become aware of how much danger they are in. It was also great to see the couples from the previous books pop up, I am pretty certain I have fallen in love with Dax Lahn all over again!

This was a good book and although I might not have liked it as much as the previous installments in this series I still lapped it up! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

*ARC provided by author

First, before I get to my review I would like to state that Kristen Ashley is my all-time favorite author. Although some authors may come close, in my opinion, no one else compares. Despite being my favorite author and me reading every one of her available books, I have to admit shame to never reviewing her books before. Her writing intimidates me and I find it hard to review with fear of not doing it justice. With that being said, I hope and pray that I review her work the way it should be reviewed. Now, on to my review.

Each and every time I pick up a KA book I am floored with what I read, Broken Dove was no different. As with all her books, this book was filled with details that had you feeling you were experiencing the book right along side the characters. Broken Dove and its characters were brought to life with vibrant clarity. I felt sadness, laughter, love, anger, surprise, happiness, and many other emotions while reading this book.

Apollo was a man that deeply grieved his beloved Ilsa, even years after she passed. Once he found out that the Ilsa of the other world was in danger of the Apollo of the other world he immediately sought her out and brought her to his world to keep her safe. He did this knowing that it would be hard on himself and anyone else that knew of his first Ilsa. After, at first neglecting Madeline (the other world Ilsa), he decided to pursue her and make her his. It did not take him long to see that his Ilsa and Madeline were not the same, in many different ways. Once he discovered this he became totally committed to healing the wounds that Pol (the other world Apollo) inflicted on her, emotionally and physically.

Madeline, terrified and on the run from Pol, is shocked to see that there is another Pol. When Apollo brings her to his world and shows her kindness it is not long before she realizes that her Pol and Apollo may look alike, but are two entirely different men. Although she knows this, it is still difficult to for her to give up her self protective instincts. She gives herself to Apollo and knows he would never physically hurt her, but she still fears emotional pain. Apollo works extremely hard to prove to her that he would never hurt her and would never allow any thing else to hurt her. The danger and trials Apollo and Madeline goes through is vast. The evil that works against them is terrible. However, they prevail and become love deeper because of it.

Apollo's and Madeline's love is so complete and all consuming. The way KA writes their love story is amazing and awe inspiring. She gives such vivid detail to her characters and surroundings. She left me sitting on the edge of my seat waiting on what happened next. And when what happened next happens I was stunned and shocked, all in a good way. There was always a surprise right around the corner. I am completely and utterly satisfied with Broken Dove and am anxiously awaiting what comes next from the wonderful world of Kristen Ashley.

I make no excuses for being a big Kristen Ashley fan and Broken Dove is just one more example of what an entertaining writer she is. However, this is not a deep novel that will have you searching your soul for the meaning of life. This is a story that will take you to a fantastical world that resembles the middle ages with landed lords, kings, queens, and even hot barbarian leaders with a touch of magic. Although these stories can be read as stand alone books, the couples from the previous Fantasyland books make an appearance in Broken Dove and I enjoyed having them added in to support the story woven for Apollo and Ilsa. The Ilsa of our world becomes known as Maddie to distinguish her from her other world twin who was happily married to Apollo and had two children, but tragically died young. Maddie is transported to Lunwyn by the witch Valentine just in the nick of time as she faces her abusive husband from whom she had been running for the last three years. The Apollo of our world is a horrible, woman beating drug lord that Maddie (Ilsa) had married. The Apollo of the other world knew of the danger that Maddie was in and wanted the opportunity to save her since he was helpless in the face of his Isla's tragedy. The struggle of Maddie trying to distinguish herself from the memory of the other Isla was a nice twist to this story and added the needed tension between her and the other world Apollo.

Now for the negative. Although I did enjoy the story it was not a unique or especially intriguing story line. I admittedly cut Kristen a little slack for this book. She is a prolific writer and I am sure that it has to be somewhat difficult to come up with a fabulously exciting and unique story every few months. Since I am doing well just being able to articulate my own opinions I am not going to go all ballistic over a somewhat formulated story that I actually enjoyed! At only $3.99 for a book that is almost 400 pages and a nice escape to boot I won't complain too loudly! If you have never read a Kristen Ashley book don't make this your first one. Try the first book in the Colorado Series The Gamble or book one in the Fantasyland Series Wildest Dreams to see why readers like me enjoy her so much!

I really enjoyed this book. It started a little rough. Apollo didn't make it easy to like him at first but he just had a way of saying the most beautiful things to Maddie, that you just can't stay mad at him. I loved Maddie, I liked how she didn't let the past break her. Even if Apollo thought she was broken from the start, I never did. Anyone who can survive what she went through and still find things to smile about isn't broken in my book. The best part though was the reunion we get. All the characters from the other books come together with Apollo and Maddie to kick the bitch witches ass's. And they bring all their cute kids and I just wanted to jump into the book and be there with them. Loved it.

And I just want to say it again if by some stroke of luck Kristen Ashley see's this review. Please, pretty please, write a novella about Lahn and Circe's adventure to get her magic back. It sounded so interesting! And I would definitely pay handsomely for it.

This is Book 4 of one of my favorite series from one of my favorite authors. The Golden Dynasty is still my favorite book to date…this is a good edition to the series. This is the book with the most crossover as well…it was nice to see the other characters from the series in this book.

Ilsa Ulfr is from our world. She chose the wrong man. She is married to one of the city’s biggest drug dealers Apollo Ulfer (who she calls Pol). He is physically abusive and will never let her go.

The Apollo of the Fantastical world lost his wife Ilsa to illness. He is lost after losing the mother of his two children. He knows of our world and knows that his late wife has a twin in that world and he also knows that she is in danger in that world…so what does he do…pays a witch to bring her to the Fantastical world.

Now…to not be confusing…when the Ilsa of our world comes to the Fantastical world she changes her name to Maddie.

What does Apollo want from her…to be a replacement for his late wife?? She has a really hard time doing that with great reason.

At first they despise each other…then they start to feel.

Now the question is does he start to feel for Maddie because she is the identical image of his late wife even though he acts nothing like her???

“But he’d had a broken dove in his hand and instead of setting about mending it, from near on the moment he brought her to his world, he’d done nothing but tighten his grip, fracturing her further.”

Can Maddie ever truly love a man with the face of the man who would beat her on a regular basis???

This book is HOT!! I have never wanted to try adela tea so bad!!!

Can’t wait for book 5 ☺

I loved watching Ilsa blossom and become who she choses 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 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
Adult read

There is very little I want to say about Broken Dove. The only thing I really need to be saying here is that I'm so disappointed at the end product. Fantasyland was one of the few series of books I've adored and read over and over (and over), so you can imagine my pain when I discovered that the fourth book Broken Dove is nothing (absolutely nothing) like the first three.

It's very very vey long. And that in itself is saying something. If you had asked me last month if I thought a KA book could ever be long enough I'd laugh in your face. There's just no way. Each time I finish one of her books I ache for more.

So for me to tell you that Broken Dove was a freaking long book is as much a surprise to you as it is to me. But it's the truth. I have never wanted a book to come to a conclusion sooner than I wanted Broken Dove to get there.

The problem with this book is the fact that there is not just one story going on here. There are many all happening at once. It jumps a little to much and it honestly felt as if Apollo and Ilsa weren't the main characters here. Their story took a back-seat far to often and the progression we expect from KA is extremely decelerated. Only near the very end does anything exciting happen. The rest is what I'd consider average day-to-day occurrences.

I did however, enjoy the fact that the characters from the previous books make an appearance. I loved that since I loved them. But I'm not a fan of Apollo and Ilsa very much.

Apollo was not at all like any KA hero. He was no-where near at hot-headed or alpha like KA usually creates her males. Apollo was placid and... I'm going with sad... I'm not sure, he didn't work well for me. Ilsa... wasn't the usual KA leading lady, but still kind of at times. She wasn't consistent at all which I found rather off-putting.

If you have to ask me what the major plot is about... I wouldn't really know what to say. There is just so much that takes place in this book and really, none of it is very intriguing. I think the most exciting thing for me was when Lahn (from The Golden Dynasty - book #2) was holding his kid. Now that was sexy and I could very well have read an entire book about him carrying his off-spring.

Oh well, it's a first that I'm going to say that a KA novel just bored me to tears. The only reason I didn't stop reading was because of Lahn (of course) but also because it's KA... I have faith that the book was bound to be redeemed in the end.

I think that had the booked focused on the actual story then it would have been 100% better. But instead we were following many, many other characters who I really couldn't care about and didn't need details from since they held little that could contribute successfully to the main plot of the book.

This is a first time for me that I didn't love or at least somewhat like a KA book. It's a sad day for me :(

Rating: 3 Stars

Simply amazing. The last couple of books from Kristen Ashley left me wanting more. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something was missing. Broken Dove has put KA back on top!! It had everything…..action, suspense, romance, steamy sex, a swoon-worthy hero and a heroine I totally adored.

"A Dove has great beauty, but is easily broken."

Apollo lost his wife and has been broken ever since. When he discovers that there is a parallel universe where his wife's twin lives, he pays a witch to bring her to him and his children. But Ilsa of this world is nothing like his wife. She is broken, on the run from her abusive ex husband (Apollo's twin). Once Apollo discovers this, he distances himself from her. He leaves her for months to be with his children. Ilsa spends these months with Apollo's men traveling and learning about her new home. She loves the beauty of the land and loves the friends she has made, even though she feels rejected by Apollo. At some point on the trip, the men start calling Ilsa Maddie (short for madam). She likes it and decides to change her name to Madeline.

Once reunited, Apollo starts to see the fabulousness that is Maddie. Unfortunately, others can't see past the fact that she looks exactly like his dead wife. Apollo's daughter, Elen, was just a baby when her mother died, so she has no memory of her. Elen instantly loves Maddie. Apollo's son, Chris has issues though. At first he really likes Maddie. But once he realizes his father's intentions, he withdraws and ignores Maddie. So not only do Apollo and Maddie have to learn to love and trust each other, they have to deal with the fact that Apollo's son does not approve, not to mention the war that's about to happen. There are some pretty big bumps along the way, and Apollo proves himself to be an arrogant ass at times. But love always wins out in the end.

"I'll tell you now, my poppy, for years, I never thought I would again be happy. Never again." He tucked me closer and finished on a rough whisper."So I never imagined I could be happier."

Fantastic!!

And there it is, the greatness that is Kristen Ashley & her books! I, very much, needed this KA fix.

Loved Apollo & his alpha ways & sweetness. He's a great hero. All male, stubborn yet sweet & most definitely sensual! Maddie was a great heroine, too! She was strong, feisty, resilient & tough. Their chemistry was off the charts! The sex scenes... sizzling hot. Their story was different, captivating!

Loved the typical KA inner monologues & the endearing monosyllabic words that never fail to melt my heart. Loved reading about the rest of the gang in Fantasyland!

Though Dax Lahn & Circe remain my fave couple in this series, Apollo & Maddie came a close second. Just brilliant!

IF there was ever an author that I love more than Julie Garwood it would have to be Kristen Ashley (KA). To date, she has never let me down with any of her books. Yes some have anti-heros and not the quintessential Prince Charming, but her books - honey they are everything.

The same can be said for her most current release Broken Dove. This book gave me LIFE and was everything I wanted it to be. It is a part of her Fantasyland series and it is strongly advisable that you have read the other books in the series first.

KA has such a way with description, dialogue and action that you could translate her books into a movie and they would be a hit. In fact, I wish her books would be optioned for shows on a nudity friendly network. :wink wink: Broken Dove is the story of Ilsa and Apollo. I was introduced to Apollo in a previous book and have been chomping at the bit ever since. After much begging and pestering on KA's Facebook page I heard this was being released this year. Huzzah! (inside joke).

This book was epic. In the previous books you get the idea that something big is brewing in this world. Let me back up by saying the Fantasyland series is based on the concept of parallel universes. In one is our world and the other is kind of a medieval world. And in this alternate universe everyone has a twin whether they are good or evil is unknown. There are situations where a twin is evil and the other good, and there are situations where both twins are good. The premise is that Apollo from the medieval universe pays the witch Valentine to bring the Ilsa of our universe over to his. In Apollo's world he was married to Ilsa's twin and the same for Ilsa, but his twin goes by the name Pol. Even though Ilsa's twin is also good Apollo's twin is not. I don't want to go into too much detail, but this book is not simply Ilsa trying to fit in to this new life in the parallel universe. There is intrigue, back-stabbing, murder plots, magic, Ilsa and Apollo both dealing with their emotional baggage and most importantly the love story of Apollo and Ilsa.

The love scenes are mind-blowing, the action is A+ and the development of the two main characters is stellar. All in all, a great read from a phenomenal author.

My gif review ([...]

Why oh why did I not read this Kristen Ashley series before!!! Golden Dynasty is still my favorite in the series but Broken Dove!!!! My god. The emotion the drama! At times I felt the back ground story dragged, the other world is sometimes confusing but the payoff is amazing. Once again Kristen Ashley is a master on writing not only alpha males but strong women characters. All the women in this series are amazing!!! Extremely great read! Can't wAit to see whAt is next!

Broken Dove begins with Apollo bringing Ilsa of the parallel universe to his world. His wife was once her twin before she died. Now Ilsa who knew nothing about a parallel uiiverse and who was also married to Apollo's twin (who is not a good man) has no idea what to make of the new world she's been dropped into. Not only that once brought there she is then left alone with out Apollo to help her along the way. So she does what she can to make the most of it. Along this journey Ilsa (well Maddie now) has to learn a whole lot about the new world, but she also makes a lot of new friends. And then eventually she even gets to know Apollo, who is not at all who she thought he was at first. Besides the romance between these two there is also the continuation of the evilness from previous books. So we get to see the previous characters all come together to fight the big bad evil that has been coming after them for so long.

I really loved this book. It is one of my favorites of this series!! I loved Apollo and Maddie together. Even though I often thought Apollo was a complete jerk to her. I still liked him. And I loved that we got to see more of the previous characters as well. And as always the writing rocked! To me this book also felt sort of like the end of the series. Even though there is still one more book, which I look forward to, this one seemed like the end. But I am so very grateful that there's going to be another book, and it's one I'm super excited about!

More reviews at Shooting Stars Reviews, [...]

Even though this particular book missed the five star mark for me, I still loved it. I am a huge KA fan girl. She is one of my favorite authors. And in my opinion, her Fantasyland series is her best work. These books are unique, fun, adventurous, sexy and full of all the wonderful KA alpha men, bad ass heroines and her writing style I love so much. I’m not sure why I took so long to finally read this series, but I’m so glad I did!

This series gets better and better. I absolutely loved Ilsa and Apollo's story. It has heartbreak, romance and of course the evil doers who have plotted up until this point. I can't wait to read Midnight Soul!

First let me start off that I love KA's books and have worked my way through almost all of them. I love her books and always find her refreshing. Now to Broken Dove. I have to say I had higher expectations to it. Why? I found that the lead female character not as strong and giving in way to easily to the hero being an ass and really I enjoyed the fact that he put his children first but by the climax of the issues with his children and Maddie I did not like what he did and hey if a guy I was with had this many issues and the issues with his children and me, I would have been gone, because hello you freaking look like the guys dead wife and you are to replace her. Also, what was up with the tidy ending, really these are major evil beings but they are taken out way to easily. I also had hopes for the bad Cora to be reformed and find happiness, I really could see that happening. Her death was too sudden and it felt rush. In the end I just felt like the book was good but not my favorite of the series. I am looking forward to her next books out in her MC series. Thank KA for writing the way you do, you bring a smile to my face.

I know the author is going to be wrapping up the series after one more book but she seems to be losing steam on the series. I hate it when great series end on a whimper. I want to see them go out with a bang. Hopefully, the last installment will be the explosive end I'm looking for.

I love anything by kristen Ashley but this was probably my least favorite. It just felt way too similar to the other books in this series. Not only are the plots close to the same but as are the hero and heroines personalities right down to their terminology. I don't plan to read anymore in this series. This one just did not work for me. I will without a doubt read more of KAs work just not this particular series.

I have to admit that there were times in this book that I really didn't like Apollo. Then he'd open his mouth and explain or show his devotion (eventually) and I'd change my mind. I guess that's a sign of a good author. I like how the story lines have come together. It didn't feel tedious or overwhelming. Overall, I very much enjoyed this continuation of this amazing series

Not one of my favorites, not one I couldn't finish. Bang up start and finish, but about mid-point it did go didactic. My brain has erased the reasons why. This is b/c KA does have novels which do go on sometimes, which is a reason why we love them. This one did have a bit of sag, but not too bad and the end got some kickin' to it. I'd give it a 4, but I'm really only a 3 point reviewer. I don't waste the time reviewing works which don't make me hate 'em (1 star), love 'em (5), or wish them well (3 star).

This author is freaking awesome. Each and every one of her books totally ROCK!!! Highly recommend anything written by this author. All of her books are sexy, fun, and totally enjoyable. Each series is well worth the read!!!

It will take some time to put into words how much this book made me feel. I am in total and complete book meltdown right now ...all in the most beautifully tortured way.

ceo-millionare-billionaire, devoured, dirty-talker, dragons, fairies, fantasy, favorites-of-all-times, hea, kick-ass-heroine, major-alpha-alert, multiple-pov, past-abuse, read, read-jan-2014, sweet-but-sexy-hero, tortured-hero
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read from January 04 to 21, 2014

I would just like to start by saying that Kristen Ashley is the bomb. I love you Kristen, you have my eternal love and I’m not even kidding. This woman has a way with words, it’s just magic. I could recognize her writing style among 120930293 others. Her characters, her universes, her stories…all of it, it’s always unique with her, ALWAYS. I don’t understand how she can write so many amazing books in so little time and in Genres completely different. All of this to say that KA is and always will be my favorite author. Even when I rate one of her books badly, I still love the story, I just *usually* don’t like the heroine LOL.

Broken Dove was amazing. This series is one of my favorite of hers and I was so very excited for this book to come out. And as always, Kristen delivered. Apollo and Ilsa/Maddie’s story was so beautiful and profound and perfect. I loved every pages.

I adore the Fantasyland series because it’s so cool and unique and interesting. I love the two worlds and the fact that you have a twin in the other world, it’s just super clever and Kristen made such a great series with all of this… I just want more now.

Firstly, I just LOVE the second world, everytime I feel like I’m in a Disney movie or something. Kristen describes everything so well, so it’s very easy to picture everything in my head and it’s just so beautiful and dreamy, I wish it could be real and, like that, I would go and find MY warrior! *sigh*
Secondly, the stories are ALWAYS amazing. It’s always a bit similar in the sense that the heroine lives in our world and gets transported to the other world and the hero is of the second world etc but, in a way they’re still all different. Broken Dove has the same pattern but, once again, the story is different and refreshing and awesome!

Apollo was such a great MC. So broken, sad and still loving and caring with his children. I loved him, he loved his late wife deeply, it was even painful to read about it at times. That’s how good Kristen is with words. He could also be reckless and detached at times, and yes, I got pissed at him big time because of that but everything he did, whether it was for his late wife, his children or for Ilsa/Maddie he always did it with good intentions and a good heart.
Apollo was fierce, strong, possessive, tender and in bed…let me tell ya…SIGH.

Ilsa or rather Maddie (her nickname in the other world) was also a great heroine. With Kristen’s heroines, for me, it’s always all or nothing. I will either love them or hate them, no joke. In this case, I loved her. She was even more broken than Apollo, what she endured at the hands of Pol (the Apollo of our world) was truly awful but she was still so strong and resolved and I loved how she adapted to her new world. She didn’t freak out *much* lol, she stayed rational and she went for it! She saw an opportunity to get free of Pol, she had nothing to lose so she took it, and I loved that! I also loved how deeply SHE loved, how deeply she cared and how enthusiastic she was about everything.

Maddie being the twin of Ilsa (Apollo’s late wife), it was not always easy for her and for him, especially for him, of course. But he quickly realized that Maddie might look exactly like his late wife, she might have the same voice etc but she was NOT her at all. The relationship they formed was beautiful, they made me cry several times. It was just so freaking bittersweet. Apollo’s situation was just plain hard&sad, he lost the love of his life and now he has Maddie, the exact same woman but…not. I loved them together, once they started to understand each other better and once Apollo “got over” the resemblance it was perfect. Not once did he took Maddie for Ilsa, he was always aware that his Maddie was not his Ilsa and Maddie was always aware that her Lo was not Pol.
I can’t really express my feelings properly, just that their love was beautiful, I loved reading about it and seeing them building something together. Of course it was not easy, of course they had bad moments but, in the end, it was all worth it.

Like I said, Apollo had children. A boy and a girl. That was another obstacle. Because Élan, the little girl (six), did not remember her mother so she was cool with Maddie but Christophe (almost nine, I think) did and you can imagine what it would be like to lose your mama, mourn her and all of a sudden to see “her” again but…not. Oh my god, I don’t think I could do it. This was also a beautiful part of the book, the way Kristen handled it, some times it was so very sad and painful but other times it was just beautiful and I cried like a baby.

The secondary characters were as good. I loved Élan and Christophe. I absolutely loved Apollo’s men, especially Derrik and Achilles. And I would really love to have a little novella for Derrik or maybe for both of them haha! I loved Loretta and Meeta, I loved Valentine…and most of all, I loved the other couples from book #1, #2 and #3! I was so happy to read about them once more and when my husband Dax arrived I was ecstatic, of course! My Dax Lahn with his warriors and his culture, I luv him so much.

Overall, Broken Dove was an amazing book, beautiful, bittersweet, heartbreaking&heartwarming with a great plot, great characters, some action, a LOT of good sex (and oh my, the sex!!!) and it will left you wanting more!

P.S: Now, I am super excited for the fifth book, Noc’s story. I wonder who will be the heroine and I just hope it will not be Franka…

One of Kristen Ashley's best books. The story of Apollo & Ilsa/ Maddie is heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. Love that she brings in our beloved characters from the previous stories of this series to give us a little bit more of our hero's and heroines. Definitely a must read.

Kind of disappointed actually, this series went down hill for me after Lahn and Circe, its really hard to enjoy a book when you keep comparing the leads and the story to theirs. But even without that, this book was difficult for me to enjoy for a number of reasons.

The story basically tells of Apollo who lost the love of his life and so asks a witch to bring over her twin from our world. Madeline (the heroine) is married to Apollo's twin in our world in a very abusive relationship. Suffice to sy, Apollo isn't very happy when Madeline comes over as she's not the wife he was expecting. Through all of the drama that follows they somehow fall in love.

Madeline falling in love with Apollo I can believe. Apart from one of his dick-moves, he's quite a Lovely guy who loves his children and his people and loves his late wife. Which is the problem that I had when i first read the summary many many months ago and the problem that I still have now even after reading the book. Apollo is still mourning his late wife, and the sole reason Maddy is in his world in the first place is as a replacement of this wife. I can't believe that he went from still being in love with her to being in love with Maddy.... who looks EXACTLY like her. Doesn't matter what he says. And Maddy is way more confident then I would be in her position because if I looked exactly like my love interests late wife who he adores/ed I would have an inferiority complex and doubts a mile long. It just seemed to me that this issue was in no way addressed satisfactorily for Maddys sake, and that Apollo got all of the benefits. Yay for Apollo.

Is it just me or are all her heroines starting to sound the same? Same inner voice, almost the same statements. And is it really common to call someone 'honey', since it seems like they all do it. For once I'd like one of her heroines to actually follow through with a threat of leaving rather than staying after a sob story from the hero. What he said was a total dick move, even if she was kind of an idiot, his apology in no way makes up for it. And why is she always the one that has to go and make ammends to him... just once in this story I wanted him to go to her and acknowledge he was a dick and apologise.

Plotwise, it was meh. I'm glad that they've resolved the whole issue with the big bads and it was awesome to see the return of some of the couples from the past (Lahn&Circe!), but I still don't understand why these ladies ended up in Fantasyland.

Anyway, I think for me this may be the last KA book that I purchase. I adore her earlier writings and some of her stories are the blueprint in which I compare others. I still wait with baited breath for Frankie&Bennys story but after the disappointments of the last few books I believe I'll just wait until that one's in my local library.

Thanks for the memories KA.

Loved it! Kristen tells the best stories, this book is the old school Kristen Ashley which made me fall in love with her. Great, deep characters you get to know intimately and easily relate to. Not dissappointed at all!

If anyone leaves less than a five star review they obviously do not read enough. This author is better than hundreds of others that I have read. Hundreds. As in plural. Shame on the less than five stars!