𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧?

i don't usually rate or review poetry, but i just love this fairytale series by amanda lovelace (@ladybookmad). each of her poems are relatable and packed full with emotion. sad to see the series end 😕

unlock your storybook heart had poems that i could relate to, especially what i been dealing with lately.

i been dealing with depression, and self-love, and it was touching to see that i was not alone in my suffering cause sometimes it feels like you're going through this alone.

i love seeing all the beautiful illustrations in the poems. those were a nice touch to the book.

if you are a fan of amanda lovelace, you'll love unlock your storybook heart, which releases on march 15

𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 & 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵

𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚛 (@andrewsmcmeel) 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚛𝚌 𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠

2.5/5 Stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this book early in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

Amanda Lovelace will always be a poet that I read automatically no matter what. I love to see her progression and healing through her words. I feel like it gives me hope for a better future too.

I truly feel she can resonate with such a wide audience and I'm always sure to recommend her to people wanting to dip their toes into hard-hitting poetry for the first time.

I start this review by saying I was ready to say this book in the beginning seemed a little on the surface, not as digging dip as I thought it would be.. and then page 16 came around. Overall I’ll say this, that one page made it for me but I don’t think I’m the target audience for this particular book, yes I’m always trying to better my confidence but I’m long long out of the “she puts her music on and forgets about the world” “ some people sleep to rest, she sleeps so she avoid life” stuff and tbh I would love to see innovation on the genera of sad/trying self love/but still insecure poetry, feel like it’s the same every book since it was 2014. I was hoping for something different, that’s all .

I don't usually read poetry, this is the very first poetry book that I have ever finished. This was easy to read and understand. I liked the theme of the book. As a women it's relatable and I feel uplifted by reading this book. The art work in the book are pretty but quite repetitive. The cover of the book is also too simple, maybe the physical book will have a different cover, I don't know, I read the ebook from Netgalley. Anyways, this book is definitely perfect for beginner reader of poetry like me. I will definitely pick up other books by Amanda Lovelace when I get the chance to.

Enchanting! These poems can be read individually but it is so much more fun to read the collection from beginning to end... they flow so well! Lovelace is a favorite of mine and her poems, both simple and profound, are magical.

Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced e-arc

I don't know how I feel about this. I normally am a huge fan of Lovelace's work. This collection just didn't hit the way the others did. Normally I feel like the collection tells an overarching story that flows masterfully. But, this one felt oddly segmented and rushed. It took me so long to get through it. What normally takes me an hour took me almost a month. I would go weeks not wanting to pick it up or reading two poems and stopping. This could totally be a me thing at the end of the day.

I did love the focus on queer/sapphic love. we absolutely love to see it!!!!

Having previously read Amanda Lovelace's Women are Some Kind of Magic trilogy, I found Unlock Your Storybook Heart to be surprisingly pleasant and uplifting in comparison. I have yet to read the first two installments in this new trilogy, but as Lovelace herself notes in the preface, this is the type of series that can easily be read out of order. Using the motif "her books say," Lovelace crafts bite-sized poems that tie the ordinary to the fantastical, exploring topics such as the loss of a parent, self-worth, mental health, Sapphic love, family, and domestic bliss. The prose is largely unpretentious, although there are some exceptions (much like how the term "rape culture" has yet to be used successfully in a poem, "heteronormativity" remains equally as elusive). As a finishing touch, the poems are accompanied by simple illustrations that amplify their sense of coziness. It's a rare thing to find a poetry collection that explores joy more than it does misery, and I am glad to have read one of the few that does.

This was a beautiful collection of poetry. I’ve read almost all of Amanda Lovelace's works and I think this might be my new favorite. I could relate to a lot of the Poems and I almost cried a couple of times. Thank you so much to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am unbelievably thankful for this advanced reading copy, and I cannot wait to purchase a physical copy. Amanda Lovelace is a phenomenal wordsmith. She writes about hard topics but there is always a phoenix rising from the ashes moment too. I am always sad when her collections are over simply because it means I have to wait for the next book!

I've read most of Amanda Lovelace's works, and I didn't love this one as much as others. I really enjoyed the first two in this series, but this one fell flat for me. I'm still a fan of her work and look forward to reading her next book.

all of amanda lovelace's poetry collections are accessible and engaging, but this is one of my favorites. the way she describes grief and intertwines with love/self-love/self-discovery is powerful and beautiful..

"She's all self-deprecating jokes with a hint of sarcasm. So it's no wonder that no one realizes how much pain blooms just beneath her perfectly placed cardigan."

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my favorite book out of the series. It's perfect. I feel Amanda wrote this book specifically just for me. I feel seen and understood in her well-written poems, powerful. They hit home. There are so many poems I had to pause and think deeply of them before I move to the others.

ARC Review:

Rating: 💛💛💛💛💛/5

WOW as I write this I’m crying the happiest tears, you should know in advance I am a HUGE fan of Amanda Lovelace and she has once again blown me away. This is the final installment to her poetry trilogy You Are Your Own Fairy Tale and I think… dare I say my favorite of the 3. Amanda has always had this way of making me feel things when I read her poetry but what I love the most is I always close her books feeling like I’ve grown while reading them. Please always check the trigger warnings prior to starting this collection located within the first few pages of the book. I met Amanda, her spouse, and some close friends pre-pandemic and I have to tell you she as real as it comes, a true beautiful soul. Congratulations on another beautiful composition Amanda Lovelace and thank you Netgalley and Andrews Mcmeel for the ARC.

Available for purchase MARCH 15th!!

I’m not crying, you are.

''let no book collect dust. you never know which one will heal wounds you never knew you had.''

Well, this was... predictable? It's not like I didn't like this, but it's obvious that Amanda has lost her sparkle that made her shine in the poetry world. I fell in love with her words with ''the princess saves herself in this one'' and then I proceeded to read all of her books, but the more I read the more fast the sparkle attenuated.

I still trust and know that their sparkle hasn't gone forever, but I really hope the old Amanda comes back in her upcoming trilogy or book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an E-Arc in exchange of an honest review. (And sorry for requesting this on such short notice!)

Another amazing collection of poems from Amanda Lovelace. I love the self-acceptance/self-care theme throughout this one! Can't wait to read more from Amanda Lovelace in the future!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I adored the final installment in Lovelace's poetry series. As always, her writing is powerful and haunting, her poems touch on so many important and relatable subjects. This author will always be a favorite for modern poetry.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I have always enjoyed Amanda Lovelace’s poetry. This is no exception. This book of poetry is a deep dive into how women are characterized in society, and in fiction. Breaking that mold and becoming who you are meant to be. Lovely writing style, the artwork within the book is also very fairytale-like, definitely suits the book.

“If you avoid all the stormy chapters, how will you ever find meaning in the rainbow-filled ones?” I have been patiently waiting for this last book in the series because I enjoyed the previous two. Lovelace has a way of writing about fairytales but making them pertain to real life, such as instead of a prince & princess, it ends with a queen & queen ruling the kingdom.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early read!

Amanda Lovelace’s writing is beautiful as always and the artwork is gorgeous, but I have to say that I didn’t love this one.

It felt a little too generic, for lack of a better word. I didn’t really connect to any of the poems in this one like I have with other ones she has written.

I’ll still buy a copy when it’s released but I don’t think this one will have as many dog eared pages as her previous collections.

3/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC of this.

Book Review: Unlock Your Storybook Heart by Amanda Lovelace

Release Date: March 15th 2022

My Rating: 5/5 stars

My Thoughts: Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an eARC copy of this poetry collection to review! Amanda Lovelace is easily one of my favorite contemporary poets. And this collection is one of my favorite ones! I felt like these poems were written with me in mind to the point where it was actually scary how much I related to them. There was one poem that spoke to me especially that was on page 38. I loved it and even teared up a little bit.

I think lovers of contemporary poetry will love this! Especially lovers of Rupi Kaur or Nikita Gill (both who I love as well).