I absolutely adored Break Your Glass Slippers and Shine Your Icy Crown, the first two books in the You Are Your Own Fairytale trilogy. So when I saw Unlock Your Storybook Heart, I was super pumped to read it. And while I did like it, I must admit it wasn't quite as great as the prior two in the collection.

I have the utmost respect for authors, who are able to pour their mind and soul into beautiful stories and works of art. And you can see that beauty reflected in Lovelace's poetry. But I must admit, that while it was enjoyable, it didn't grab me like so many of her other books have.

Will I still rush out to read everything Amanda Lovelace publishes? You bet!

I’ve read all Amanda’s books and I loved all of them, and this one probably is my second favourite out of all of the books. This one dealing with friendship and losing someone close was so well written, but it always amazes me how she can express powerful emotions through a few words.

Thank you for the advanced copy, I loved every single page and I devoured it as a little child. Amanda’s books are probably the only modern poetry that I appreciate and like to the fullest.

I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Amanda Lovelace's poetry has a special place in my heart, and this collection was no exception. I loved the lyrical poems, not to mention the gorgeous illustrations scattered throughout the book. I do think I need to do a reread of the first two books in this series, as binging Amanda Lovelace's books is always my preference; it allows me a more in depth and enjoyable read. 3.5 stars.

So I'll start by saying I liked this book a lot. I have enjoyed most of authors books to be honest. For me personally there were only a few aspects I didn't like. In part one every other page had the beginning line of "her books say" that got repetitive an a bit ehhh for me. Also in the version I read on netgalley there were random bookshelf picture pages... but didn't go with any of the flow of the book.

I LOVE Amanda Lovelace art in her books. I loved that this had lots of boom related poems as well as love.

#unlockyourstorybookheart #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for opportunity to read this book

If you follow Lovelace, just buy this book. Complete auto-buy.

Unlock Your Storybook Heart is the third installment of her "You are your own fairytale" series of poetry. With inspiration pulled from Beauty & the Beast, Lovelace tells snippets of her own life- the knight, the aging father, the ache for her mother, the adoration for the written word in a bound book. Written in 3 parts, each section touches on love, relationships, grief, self image, personal growth, and a slew of other timely, relative topics. I found myself taking note of a few poems/statement paragraphs, and sharing my thoughts on them with some friends as they were so relevant to recent conversations between us.

How does it rank among her other collections? Well if I must be honest, I don't think I related to as much of Unlock Your Storybook Heart as I related to her other collections, nor was I as inspired. But let me be clear, I like being in Lovelace's poetic world, and I always enjoy reading her work. So I stand with my opening statement- buy this collection to add to the rest. <3

Another wonderful, uplifting, empowering collection of poems from one of my absolute favorite poets! I loved the illustrations, I loved the themes of self-worth, self-care and grief over the loss of loved ones. Amanda Lovelace can do no wrong in my opinion. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!! I will be pre-ordering this immediately!

<i>(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)</i>

I have never read any of Amanda Lovelace's poetry before but I decided to try the final book from her series (also because it could be read as a stand-alone). It was a comfortable and quick read.

The poetry was told in the form of the main character inspired by some of the famous fairy tales we know and the feelings and thoughts of the main character (which are mostly Amanda's thoughts). I liked the illustrations, especially that they are with colours. Thought they were repetitive I did find them cute. As for the writings, I also found some to be repetitive.

I also like that she included a trigger warning page at the start so please be sure to read the themes.

For someone who hasn't read a poetry book in a hot minute, unlock your storybook heart was a wonderful poetry book to get me back into reading poetry. She talks of self-image, self-love, feminism, loss, and embracing who you are. I loved that it revolved around LGBTQ+ themes as well. I found myself resonating with many of the poems written here. At the beginning of the book, there are trigger warnings which are helpful for everyone who is planning on reading this as it tackles deeper topics. I adored the illustrations done in this and I can imagine how much more beautiful they are in the physical copies.

This is the first book I'm reading by Amanda Lovelace and I can't wait to read the other poetry books they've written. If you want something that will heal your heart and comfort you, this poetry book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for sending me over a digital ARC copy!

Not my favorite of Lovelace’s collections. This collection of poems borderline in self-help advice. And my thought have always been, don’t take advice from someone who’s ________ you don’t want. Well considering I don’t know anything about her personally (nothing against her per se, just don’t know), these self help-ish poems make it a little difficult to know whether or not I’m enjoying the collection as I read. “Hmm that sounds lovely but it also sounds like advice I don’t know that I would take.” Kinda like a Taylor Swift song, ya know…(but not quite as good).

Amanda Lovelace has done it again. This collection speaks on healing, growth, “embrac(ing) what gives you joy” and to “not sacrifice your authentic self to appease others”.

Check trigger warnings for this collection, which is always included in the front of the book. Which is another reason I love these collections.

I always find their work relatable, some more than others, and this one was no exception. If you have enjoyed any of Amanda Lovelace’s work in the past you will enjoy this as well.

Amanda Lovelace can do no wrong and I will read anything they publish. The fairy tale collections has been my favorite work from them - and this final compilation was exceptional. So many of the poems resonated with me - they made me feel empowered, loved, and ready to take on the challenges in my life.

Additionally, the illustrations always add so much to the collections and thing these books are just gorgeous.

I absolutely adored this poetry book. I was enthralled right from the illustrations, through to the story I was taken on and the parallel lines this drew from the world that we live in.

Amanda Lovelace is a favourite of mine, her easy to digest poetry is relatable on so many levels, and this book was not a disappointment. It’s a wonderful stream of consciousness that follows the ‘protagonist’ through a journey of self love and learning how to overcome perfectionism. I thought it was so relatable, and such an honest portrayal of a female heroine in present day.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, and will be recommending it to anyone that asks!

This one feels like it's trying to be many things at once and in the end, just made it all over the place. Almost all of the author's poetry books lacks cohesion and organization of contents, but this one suffered in those areas immensely. I loved the concepts and the ideas of the author, but the actual writing part doesn't really satisfy what the premises said. I'm sad to finally say that I don't think Amanda Lovelace's writing style and I are on the same page. This trilogy, especially, is a bit disappointing to me since the first book is probably my favorite from this author, and then the execution declines in the second book and this last one is the nail in the coffin.

(Before reading any of Amanda’s collections, please check the trigger warnings at the beginning)

Amanda’s poetry collections have a knack for finding me when I need her words the most. Every time I feel down, when loving myself becomes too hard or when my long-time ED demons come knocking at my door, I can count on Amanda’s poems to help pick me up. The strength between their poems is how raw and honest Amanda is, how much of their vulnerability they share with the readers through the magic of words. The illustrations featured throughout the book are so beautiful and delicate, sometimes I caught myself spending more time admiring them than reading the actual poem. I’d love to have prints of several of them adorning my home due to how cozy and stunning they are.

Magic, that is the best way to define this, and all of her other collections, they are all laced (if you’ll pardon the pun) with this sense of wonder, like they’re floating somewhere between reality and dream. Because of this, it’s easier for me to face the darker issues (like grief, ED, mental illness, etc) that so many of her poems focus on and to use them as cathartic tools. Above anything else, this collection gave me so much hope, being a queer woman who also struggles with EDs and childhood trauma I relate so deeply to the poems and Amanda themselves. Seeing someone so similar to me being so unapologetically themselves, both in life and through their art, fills me with the hope that maybe one day I can do that too.

What I loved the most about this collection was that it featured several poems that advocate living your own truth, that encourage the reader to embrace what gives them joy and not let others shame you for it. Her poems also dealt with another thing that I needed to be reminded of, there’s nothing wrong with wanting a quiet and simple life, with choosing to live in the small town as opposed to the big city. The author also touches on how heteronormative society has many of us convinced that there’s only one form of love that is acceptable, they break down that queerphobia in so many of their writings. As the main “story” in Unlock Your Storybook Heart, we have a princess that falls in love with a knight, and we see their relationship progress until they become queen and queen. Even though this collection features several poems about romantic love, Amanda makes sure to remind the reader that there’s also nothing wrong with you if romance is not something you desire.

Overall, this book’s message is to do what makes you happy, to choose what is best for you even if others will judge you for it. Amanda tells us not to be afraid to embrace our true selves, including our scars and our traumas because there’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Marina Garrido

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (3 stars)

"imagine this: there could be a version of you
in every part of the future
who knows it will get better
because she's already
been through everything
you've been through
& managed to survive it all.
so, when you feel hopeless,
trust her resilience,
which is to say: trust your own."

always laced with love, Amanda Lovelace's poetry transports you into a realm of imagery and affirmations. She touches on her queer identity, feminism, and finding love, normalcy, and peace. Like many of her later works, I only wish she delved deeper and expanded more to make each individual poem relate back to the overall theme. However, her poems are easily digestible, which is something I always appreciate.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this work in exchange for an honest review!

I am a long time fan of Amanda’s and this book doesn’t disappoint. She has such an exquisite way with words that just resonate in any way possible. Truly beautiful

4.25 stars

Although I’ve missed their last few books, I’ve read several others from this author/poet, so I’m familiar with their artistic style. Work from this writer is a comfort read for me- it doesn’t usually take me long to finish one of her books, but the words stay with me, and I find myself wanting to screenshot and/or take notes along the way. There’s a lot happening in these brief poems. Fairytales are part of the inspiration, of course, but they’re retold as queer, feminist versions that are interwoven with contemporary issues and experiences, and I love that so much. I’m definitely going to go back and read the books that I missed from her, including the first two in this trilogy (I want to experience them, but this collection definitely stands on its own). I’ve been a fan since their first book, and I don’t see that changing. Can’t wait to see what comes next!

Amanda Lovelace's poetry style captivates me every time. I can't stop reading once I pick up one of her collections. Just like her other works, this one is wonderful. Unlock your Storybook heart is about a woman searching to find and love herself. She struggles to find balance between what her books tell her and what she feels in her heart. Beautiful poetry which tells a much needed story for today's young adults.

I enjoyed this book of poetry. It’s very positive, influential and hardcore in the sense that it says what you need to hear and not always what you want to hear. I like to keep this series near my bed so when I need reassurance I can easily find something to identify with.

Amanda Lovelace has done it again with her latest collection of poetry that packs an emotional punch. I love all of her work but personally found this collection to be slighty too narrow and short for my liking. Still, the poems that are there are as beautiful as ever.