The most important revelation that will come to you in life is the understanding that our parents are human like us. Once you remove them from a pedestal, you might find yourself able to accept the parts of them that let you down. And from there, maybe, just maybe you can heal and find new ways to let love in.

To Drink Coffee with a Ghost perfectly weaves the loss of a parent in with open wounds lingering from childhood trauma. A healing read for anyone carrying guilt after the death of a parent or struggling to put the past behind them.

“I walk the thin line between nostalgia & trauma, never fully knowing the difference.”

I find reviewing poetry more difficult than other novels, because it always feel even more personal than novels. I have absolutely loved Amanda Lovelace's previous works. The Witch Doesn't Burn in this One actually got me back into writing poetry after years of hiatus, and I loved the rest of the Women Are Some Kind of Magic series.

That being said, I didn't enjoy Ghost as much as I thought I would. I will preface this with the massive caveat that Ghost definitely felt focused on Lovelace's relationship with her mother, and with the loss of her mother. This made a significant portion of the book, while still moving, very difficult for me to relate to because I'm lucky enough to have always had a good relationship with my mum. So, I'm hesitant to focus any criticism on the book for this particular 'fault'.

The only thing I'm willing to actually say about this book as a broader criticism is that at points it felt very self-referential to Lovelace's previous works. If I hadn't religiously read all of her previous books, I might not have noticed, but I have, so there were times when it felt like I was reading whole poems that I'd read before.

So, I don't think this is the strongest of Lovelace's books, BUT, I fully believe that everyone should read her previous works, especially Women are Some Kind of Magic because they're a masterpiece, and I'm sure that this poetry collection will be the favourite of someone else who reads it from the perspective of their experiences.

What a great read! I could’ve read this in one sitting but I’ve been busy this week! But I finally finished it and really enjoyed the writing. This isn’t my favorite book I’ve ever read. But it was still good!😀 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 stars

I think the style just isn't for me. The two-part poems probably could've each been written as one poem with multiple stanzas instead.

Overall, I think the poems did a good job of showing the themes that Lovelace set out to show. I think the format could've been used to better clarify who the "you" was in some of the poems since it doesn't seem to be the same person each time.

A beautiful collection focused on grief. The style is the same as her previous works. I appreciate that Lovelace's poems aren't wordy. Her power lies in the exact words she chooses to use, since there aren't many. As I've I said about Lovelace's previous poetry collection: To witness any form of art which is so obviously part of the creator's healing process is a gift. Any reader will likely find something in any of her books to aide in healing and foster a sense of belonging.

I received an eARC from Netgalley.

I don’t read a lot of poetry - it doesn’t seem to click with me. But there’s something about Amanda Lovelace’s collections that is too beautiful, sad, and honest not to read them. This one was no exception. I didn’t relate to this collection as much as her other ones, but I still loved the message and story behind each poem. And the illustrations are GORGEOUS.

After reading and enjoying the Woman Are Some Kind Of Magic poetry bundles in the past, I tried the first book of this duology earlier this year and found myself really enjoying that collection as well. Reading the second collection of this duology was an easy choice, and it is without doubt an excellent addition. Amanda Lovelace's poems are easy to recognize, and while it's true that the structure of the poems is quite simplistic and basically seems like hitting the space bar every few words, I personally don't mind. Why? I feel this simple style gives the words and message behind the poems even more power and focuses on what is said instead of just how. Once again, Amanda Lovelace writes without fear and is fully open about her experience with abusive and toxic relationships in the past; To Drink Coffee With A Ghost having a special focus on the relationship with her now deceased mother. And once again, I have to stress that these poems are really easy to relate to for anyone who has experienced a toxic relationship in general (or is still experiencing it) and will provide both comfort and an empowering message to let you know that you are worthy and can beat that monster. She uses words to not only express feelings, but also heal herself and try to free herself from her past and demons... It's not the style, but the words and the emotions behind those words that turn To Drink Coffee With A Ghost into such a success for me. And while it's true that her poetry might not be for everyone, those who can connect to her words will be able to treasure it. Another successful bundle and a worthy conclusion to this duology!

4,5


i haven't
forgotten;

there are
just some things

i choose
not to remember.

- welcome home.

Out of all modern poets, Amanda Lovelace may even be my favourite. I've read and always gladly look forward to anything she's published, so this was no exception. This is so far my favourite collection written by her.

What I appreciate about Amanda's poems is emotion and vulnerability she puts in her writtings and this one is probably her most honest work to date. The collection is divided in three parts and explores her complicated and deeply hurtful relationship with her dead mother, and consequences she faced while grieving her death. It also talks a bit about general toxic dynamics and path to heal the salted wounds.

The topics in this one easily managed to get to me. I'm always drawn to reading about exploration of relationships that bring more heartache than fulfilment. Amanda did a splendid job in accurately depicting how her mother's death haunted her, as well as brought relief at the same time.

If you enjoy poetry collections, I'd gladly recommend this one, among any other of Amanda's works.

sometimes-
sometimes,
it's the loss
of someone
that makes you
complete.

- life is funny like that.

Thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've read Amanda Lovelace's work in the past, and what I've come to expect from her is raw, powerful and honest words. She continues the same with To Drink Coffee with a Ghost. Unfortunately, for me, this collection based on a toxic mother-daughter relationship was difficult to get through, and I couldn't relate. I'm sure they are others who will benefit from this collection more.

I've had polarizing experiences with lovelace's work, I've either absolutely fallen in love with it ('the princess saves herself in this one' & 'the witch doesn't burn in this one') or have had them fall flat ('the mermaid's voice returns in this one' & 'to make monsters out of girls').

Sadly, this one one falls in line with the last two. This book failed to paint a picture for me. While the theme and the illustrations were there, most pages flipped without a lasting impression. The most impactful parts were the "letters" where the author really delivered emotion.

While a couple of lines in a mostly blank page can be truly impactful, lovelace herself has shown herself capable of this is 'Princess' and 'Witch', I didn't get that feeling this time.
Also, spelling 'magic' as 'magick' felt way too contrived and failed to make me do anything other than cringe.

I do think this series was cathartic for the author, and you can't help but see the pain on these pages, however I couldn't truly feel it.

Honestly I feel as if her writing gets worse as she publishes more of her work. Not so sure if it’s because I don’t connect to it anymore or if it’s because I just get really bored reading her work. I enjoyed some of the poems in here. However, I really feel like this collection could’ve been longer than what it was and could’ve used some descriptive writing incorporated into it.

to drink coffee with a ghost is a raw and emotional poetry collection and it deals with various topics. I really liked the illustrations in the book, as well as the overall authenticity.

This little book resonates deeply with me. Every girl and woman with a complicated relationship with her mother needs to read this. My circumstances weren't the same, but a lot of the emotions were and are. This book will be on the bedside table for a while.

I really enjoyed reading this poetry collection. I connected to some of them but not all but I liked the flow of the poems and the illustrations. I like how the author puts trigger warnings at the beginning of her poetry books. I have read almost all of the authors other works of poetry. The author talks about the relationship she had with her mother before she passed away from cancer. I have never had a parent die, but I have had relationship issues with a parent.

**Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

I am completely floored by Amanda Lovelace's new installment.

In To Drink Coffee With a Ghost, Lovelace hones her attention on her relationship with her mother and her journey of coping with loss, grief, and hatred. The book flows like a bittersweet love letter to her mother and to herself.

I felt like the emotional investment in this installment was much stronger than any of the other books by Lovelace. It was raw and candid, and I felt tingling in my chest while reading it. It was heartbreaking and inspiring, all at once. Her prose and stories will resonate with you, even if you haven't suffered the same losses or pains. Her writing is brilliant and makes me cry every time.

I loved how it alludes to all of Lovelace's previous works, nodding to her Women are Some Kind of Magic series. It brings up the recurring point about the power of sisterhood, and focuses on how her own relationship with her sister has brought her hope and happiness.

In addition, Munise Sertel's artwork is just breath taking. The illustrations and colors fit perfectly with the writing. I'm completely in awe.

I'm in love with this installment and will admit that this is my favorite one of Amanda Lovelace's works. I look forward to buying a copy when it comes out this fall. If you are a fan of modern poetry, you should check this out.

This collection really resonated with me and so many of the poems hit me really hard. It mostly centres around the grief of Amanda losing her mother to cancer and is extremely personal, raw and honest. Even though I can't imagine what she went through and grief is such a personal, individual experience I was able to connect to the overall feeling and it reminded me a lot of what I went through when I lost my nana several years ago. I loved the underlying bond of sisterhood and it made me want to give all my sisters the biggest hug. Amanda's words will always find a way to bury themselves in my soul. Her poems will always bring out an emotional response in me and like many of her past collections this made me cry. I think this is definitely a new favourite of mine from her. Also, the art throughout was so cute!

Lovelace has extraordinary capability with words, a skill which lends itself beautifully to her poetry collections. I especially appreciated her honesty in writing about her relationship with her late mother, with whom she had a complicated relationship. The simple format of Lovelace's poems works in her favor. Bold statements about becoming her own person and unlearning toxic messages are incredibly impactful when they are not buried in swaths of unnecessary phrases. Her poems stand out on each page.

All of Lovelace's poems are drawn from personal experience and memory, yet every reader can understand her questions about life after death and pervasive childhood memories. Every time I read one of her books, I come away with a new outlook on life, and I appreciate her wisdom and perspective that has been so carefully cultivated within this book.

I give To Drink Coffee with a Ghost 5/5 stars, and recommend it (and all of Lovelace's work) to readers everywhere.

I liked this collection but I found it hard to relate to. It was very specific to her experiences which is unlike her other books where I felt her poems were more open to interpretation and relatable. There were some really strong poems but there were also some I felt like I had read in the past so I wasn't that impressed.

I have always enjoyed reading Amanda Lovelace's poetry collections. I have read all of them and will continue to do so in the future as she releases them. I will say, I prefer this series over her first. I think this one pacts more emotion--especially this one. This deals a lot with grief and the trauma of losing a parent and how she dealt with that dark time in her life. I really enjoyed this--the cover is also stunning. The writing was beautiful--and once again, I can't wait to read more from her.

To Drink Coffee with a Ghost by Amanda Lovelace is a collection of powerful poems about the relationship between her and her late mother. The poems were bittersweet, detailing the complex love-hate relationship with her mothers.
The poems, while in a formatting I personally am not a fan of, were amazing and while I didn't connect to them completely, they spoke levels of emotions the writer was trying to release. And some poems felt like the writer herself was trying to speak words of wisdom to the reader.

you are not
a disappointment.

you are not
the culmination

of what people
expect of you.

- life is not a pass of fail.