Actual rating: 3.5

<i><b>someone mistreats you again & you reply the
same way you always do ("oh, it's alright. i'm used
to it by now.") before looking down at your shoes.
it's there that i will write an invisible reminder to
you: don't ever take anyone's bullshit. if they treat
you as anything less than royalty, then show
them exactly what a mermaid-witch-queen like
yourself can accomplish.

- slay those dragons II </b></i>

My notes for this collection prove that a handful of Amanda's words struck home for me. In the world women are growing up in today there are words I see resonating with many and coming to terms with their own feminine strength. Beauty, growth, hurt, and freedom so many ideas flow through her poems. For the right reader this will be a beloved edition to your collection.

While I did enjoy much of what she has put her heart into here, I didn't find a lasting impression for myself. I give it such a high rating because of the poems I do love and because I believe this is a book others should try too. I especially appreciated she opened the book up to other poets towards the end.

Her honesty and take on poetry are art and I am grateful for the chance to have read them for review. Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity.

Amazing! Amanda Lovelace does it again! Heartbreaking, real life, so vulnerable, but yet so good. As good/even better than her other two works. Would definitely recommend. A few triggers nodding to rape.

I loved This! Amanda's poetry is so so powerful and amazing! This poetry collection is something I feel like everyone should read.

I haven't read the other two books in this series, but I am going to check them out now. The poems in this collection felt very timely with the combination of the Me Too movement and all of the women's rights issues that we are having. For the most part they were poignant and well written. I'm willing to hazard a guess that the poetry in this is like the previous two so if you liked them you'll probably like this one.
My favorite from the collection was:

"when
our villains
win,
do not fret.
just
rewrite
the story."

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This compilation of poems by @ladybookmad is about women who have gone through abuse, women who are suffering heartbreak and women who are healing. It's what you'd call minimalistic poetry. It is the last in the series, and how I wish I could read the other two!
I really enjoy this genre of poetry, while the debate of how poetic it is stays. It is wonderfully written and appeals to the sad, broken part of us that is tucked away somewhere. We often just push our broken pieces aside and instead of focusing on healing, we just go on with life assuming everything will be ok. Perhaps, it's books like this that remind us that we still are broken, parts of us remain unhealed. If you enjoy this genre of poetry, pick this one up!
Overall, a book that I enjoyed reading and would recommend you pick it up too! I

Getting to read this book early was really special for me. I don’t remember how exactly I stumble across “the princess saves herself in this one” but I was hooked from the very first line of the dedication. Amanda’s writing had a great impact on the writer I am today. It opened a door for me into a world of poetry I didn't know I belong to. I’m honored for the opportunity to watch this little princess fights dragons and grows up into a series of empowering books. This isn't a book that shies away from hard topics. Taking courage from the #metoo movement, The mermaid’s voice returns in this one is a story about finding the strength to tell your story. In her own, unique, fairytale-like style, Amanda is not only talking back her own voice she also encourages her readers to do the same. This book is for every (not so little) girl who still dreams of the day she would claim back her kingdom. It’s for everyone who struggles to find their voice. To tell their truth. To write their story. Whatever it is. The book also includes many poems from other contributors that make it even more special and deserve their own shout-out.

“she didn’t kiss frogs
she kissed great white sharks.” - Amanda Lovelace

This was my first Amanda Lovelace poetry collection and definitely not my last! the mermaid’s voice returns in this one is the third book in the Women Are Some Kind of Magic trilogy. I will be picking up the first two collections after reading this one.

Amanda Lovelace has a gift and I am so immensely grateful that she is sharing it with the world. Each poem feels like it’s written for the reader. There is something magical about connecting with poems. This kind of poetry is what keeps the genre alive and breathing. the mermaid’s voice returns in this one centers around finding one’s voice. The title referencing to the Little Mermaid made me smile. It was like having my younger self gift me with a new voice. Reminding me how much my voice matters. The emotion I felt while reading the collection stayed long after. My favorite piece in the collection made me SO nostalgic.

“when i tell you i’m still waiting for my hogwarts letter, what i mean to say is i never meant to be here for so long.” - forever wandering lost & wandless.

My eyes watered after this piece. I grew up with Harry Potter and all its magical goodness. It made me sad, yet also carried so many possibilities. Growing up in a small town, not leaving has always been one of my biggest fears. Reading this, I knew I was not alone. It’s such a grateful and satisfying feeling.

I 100% recommend this poetry collection if you like modern poetry or liked previous collections by Amanda Lovelace. It’s going to take you on a journey of self-acceptance and finding your voice.

* Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

*I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book, I must confess, wasn’t for me. But I know it’ll be perfect for many. While I prefer more imagery in my poems, more originality in its metaphors, there’s plenty to enjoy here for fans of the genre.

This read like an unpolished journal of mismatched, so-called-poems; some of them were good, many weren’t, but everything felt real. The verses are personal, and the writer tackles her struggles with brutal honesty; I appreciated this.

Amanda Lovelace’s "the mermaid’s voice returns in this one" is the third and final installment in a trilogy of poetry books titled “women are some kind of magic”. This entry features a foreword by Lang Leav, and more than 10 poems by other authors. It culminates the series naturally, with a familiar, female voice that comes across more mature, more resolute —grown.

PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

• The book opens with a trigger warning. Lovelace’s decision to include this first, formatted to look like a poem, is commendable. I believe most writers —despite their want to be read— can learn from this decision. Prioritizing the reader’s well-being through such a simple gesture, even at the risk of losing a reader, says a lot about the person behind the pen.

• Throughout the book, there are many poems about a mermaid; a mermaid that finds her voice, keeps her voice. It felt like this mermaid was somewhere between Andersen’s and Disney’s Ariel. The ongoing motif added structure to the book. I wasn’t particularly fond of these poems, but I enjoyed how the fairy-tale was turned on its head and used as an empowering theme.

• The titles at the end of the poems; it made the reading experience feel a little like a mystery —like going blind into a movie, having not seen its trailer. It made me read most poems more than once, taking the title into account during the second and third reading, thus enchanting the experience.

To summarize, if you liked Lovelace’s first two books, or you enjoy the poetry of poets like Leav or Kaur, you will like this one. If you’re looking for something more profound in the writing itself, this book might not be for you. Don’t mistake me, though; the subjects are complex and deep and nothing here is treated lightly.

Trigger warnings (as stated by the author): child abuse, gun violence, intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, self-harm, suicide, alcohol, trauma, death, violence, fire, and possibly more.

Wow. In the amazing conclusion to the “women are some kind of magic” series you get a powerful ending to a powerful series. Amanda delivers strong poems that honestly take your breath away. Whether she is packing a punch or making you cry, it is delivered beautifully. She includes a chapter with poems about survival by a powerhouse collection of female poets that alone make the book amazing. Each poem made me fall in love with her writing all over again.

It's not only mermaid's who get their voices back. It's all of us who have ever had it taken away. From the little ways we get it back by speaking to ourselves. To the big ways we take it back by sharing our stories. No matter what form sharing takes place, big or small. It's our story to tell no matter how it's told.

This book was a beautiful conclusion to the "women are some kind of magic" series. The first two, I picked up in a bookstore and couldn't put down until I finished them. The magic of the words wouldn't release me until I made it to the very end. This was no different. I ignored the laundry, the doorbell, the chirps on my phone until I finished this. It spoke to me. Some passages brought tears and others I had to read again in an attempt to commit to memory.

I like the flow of the author's poetry. The book is incredibly moving and freeing to me. The addition of the contributors poems sprinkled in at just the right spots, add additional voices and perspectives. I enjoyed this collection. It helps me see how far I've come in getting my own voice back.

I haven't read the previous two books, The Princess Saves Herself in This One or The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One, although when Princess was released I was dying to get my hands on it. Now after reading more poetry, this one included, I'm even more likely to pick up books 1 and 2.

3,5 stars

The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One is the conclusion to Amanda’s Women Are Some Kind of Magic Poetry Collection. As were the previous books this book is in brutally in your face and deals with various triggering topics. What pleased me was to see that there is a page at the start of the where the big triggering content was warned for. For the most part this book is about sexual assault. Abuse.

Where in the second book I felt there was a lot of filler poetry that was not the case for this book. The book is divided into 4 parts and each part has poetry that really fits with the theme. There was also a more positive tone to the poems in this one, which made it feel like a fitting ending. She really finds her voice again.

The thing that makes me rate this 3,5 stars is that in the fourth part of the book we get poems from a few other poets as well and for me they took the flow out of the whole. The rhythm and the feel of these were so different to Amanda’s that it was a bit jarring. I don’t think it was the right way to end this book.

I reviewed this book on my blog bookishlaurenblog.wordpress.com I really enjoyed this collection of poetry. I gave it a 3.5 🌟 review. I'm not a poetry expert at all but I would of loved maybe more poems I think my only complaint was the book wasn't long enough. I wanted more. The book does have quite a few triggers too and I'm so glad it pre warns. This poetry collection has empowered me and made me feel strong. Thank you.

My review from my blog.

This poetry collection by Amanda Lovelace I was lucky enough to have discovered on netgalley to read before release . You should check this out its the third book in the colkection. The first is The Princess Saves Herself in this one and the sequel is The Witch doesn’t burn in this one. The whole collection in this trio are just brilliant and they are written beautiful, painful and honest. Women fight back, women are badass , we save ourselves, we are strong. These books are so empowering. I just found that I would of liked even more poems in this book. It’s a great series of poetry books to check out. Also trigger warning these books touch on a lot of unspoken but important hard-hitting issues and some of the topics include self harm, abuse including sexual abuse relationship abuse, and other topics that may be triggering.

While I know I should have picked up the other two before this one, I noticed it was available for me to read via Netgalley (Thank you♡), so I decided to try out poetry.
I loved it.
Not the best poetry I've read but still impacting and beautiful.
I liked how Amanda let other people put a poem in The Mermaid's Voice Returns In This One, such as Jenna Clare and many others.

"can't
a prince
a princess
a n y o n e

just
come along
& gaze
upon me
with such
adoration
it's
as if i'm
the gem
of the deep,
not the rubble
of pompeii?"

This book was so powerful. Keep in mind of the trigger warnings and practice self care when involved with any of her books. They are moving, powerful, and thought provoking. 5/5 every time!

I received an e-ARC of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I already heard a lot about amanda lovelace and her poetry, so I was really excited when I received an e-ARC of this beautiful book - and it didn't disappoint me. Instead, lovelace's poetry left me speechless. I especially liked the fairytale metaphors! But be careful: please read the trigger warning before starting this book. Some of the poems are very dark and emotional, but I liked that a lot.

I really want to buy amanda lovelace's other books now, and I'm looking forward to reading them!

The conclusion of this poetry series did not disappoint! I found myself bookmarking a lot of the poems, specifically the ones with fairytale metaphors and the ones about books. I will admit, I was not a fan of the last part of the book where a bunch of other poets contributed, but other than that, I enjoyed this collection.

(please please PLEASE Read the trigger warning before starting this book)
The Women Are Some Kind of Magic poetry series is one ofmy absolute favorite collections. This was probably my least favorite of the three. It's a very good collection however it's VERY dark. This was not the empowering and uplifting collections I was used too. The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One deals with child abuse, violence and self-harm. It's a hauntingly beautiful collection of poetry that will stay with you for a long time.

This was one of the many anticipated reads I had for this year. It wasn't until early last year that I've come across this authors poetry and has been devouring her work as well as her opening my eyes to poetry. I will admit I was never into poetry until this author reading her captivating words and getting that feeling of being understood.

This is the final book the Women are some kind of magic trilogy (Not even sure if that's the right word for it?) If you loved the first two books you'll love this book as well as much as I did. But there is the bonus feature of getting a couple of other authors which surprised me and I was pretty pleasantly surprised how seamlessly all the poetry worked together from different artists. It even now got me wanting to know more and branching out to see whats out there. I was already becoming a fan of Nikita Gills work but there was a couple of other names I was unfamiliar with that I'm now going to look out for. Back to the book I just loved it not much to say without spoiling it but it is in connection with the previous books but could be read as a standalone if you are new to this series or author. But I do recommend reading this book but even more so pick up the first book to it. This series is heart breaking, uplifting, and empowering an your not going to want to miss it.

This is a collection of modern poems and quotes by Amanda Lovelace, the last part in the series of her books that started with "the princess saves herself in this one". This book have writings about everything from sexual abuse to self love mostly derived from her personal experiences. There are some fillers in between by other writers or maybe friend of hers. Overall it was a decent read, had some amazing powerful quotes but as many people have stated before, hitting enter after every word does not make it a poem. It might look good layout wise but if the reader cannot connect with it, it sounds bland. There are more than two or three such kind of "poems" & quotes where I wondered how and why it got there. The fillers however were fitted well and had some amazing write ups.
Overall I feel neutral about this book, as much as I absolutely adore some quotes and poems in there, there are some which made me want to not read the book anymore or too cheesy to be there, hence a 3.5 to stay neutral but bending on the good side. The .5 addition is mostly because of the 1/3rd of the book, it starts with a bang with every quote hitting you right in the feels where you can relate it to your present self or even teenage self. I like how she related everything to a fictional stories or character in the write ups, I thought this would continue given the theme but it kept on changing which was ....lets say not what I was hoping. One thing was clear, the author is a nerd when it comes to fictional books, it reflected in her writing.
One thing I'd like to add is, if you're looking for something simple yet old school like Kahlil Gibran or Sylvia Plath or anything which has a lot of figure of speeches involved with or without a rhyming scheme, this book is not for you. It is a contemporary style and may or may not be your cup of tea