More derivative nonsense. I'm starting to think this author's work simply won't ever be for me. Some of this was just laugh-out-loud funny when you could tell it absolutely wasn't going for that. I prefer poetry with more intent behind the words, more metaphor and honestly, more beauty. This isn't my style.

Powerful words , Unique writing style , awesome feels. Amanda Lovelace doesn't disappoint this time. I loved every minute of this book.

This is my least fave out of the three. Most of it felt forced and some a little stunted, like she was trying for that raw feeling that naturally surfaced in the first two. I'm not sure there are any more metaphors left that can be squeezed out of the fairy tale concepts of princesses, mermaids, and such. That makes it all feel like it's trying too hard to replicate the others because they were successful. There's a lack of authenticity here that made her first collection so successful.

There are a few little gems tucked in along the way ("Do you ever find yourself nostalgic for the life you never got to have?") but the rest of the collection, including the featured poems by other authors were just...fine. They're fine. I don't think this is one you have to worry about missing out on if you don't pick it up.



Thanks to Netgalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for sending a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can't say I didn't like this because there were so absolutely standout poems that have stuck with me, such as the response to Sandy Hook, but overall I just did not connect with this collection.

I was never able to read this because my Adobe wouldn't read it. I get a message saying No Valid License was found. I was very much looking forward to reading this, so it's unfortunate.

The Mermaids Voice Returns in This One
By: Amanda Lovelace

What a beautiful book as her final installment to her Women Are Some Kind of Magic series! Not only is the regular purple covers stunning, but if you get your hands on a target edition, it has a sparkled mermaids tail across the cover. Very stunning. I must say that I enjoyed the poems in this one more than the "Witch" book. If you haven't yet, make sure you check out my reviews of her other books.

Anyways, I just want to say that if you enjoyed her other books, then you would probably enjoy this one as well. I feel like this one is in sync with the "ME TOO" movement as I noticed that many poems centered around that.

Some may get confused by the title and how it could correlate, but this book was all about speaking up. Not cowering within yourself and your struggles. While someone may have taken something from you (dignity, confidence, "voice"), you are strong enough to get it all back.

While I felt alot of the poems in this one felt simple in comparison to her others, they sure DID NOT lack the powerfulness of them. Each word was striking and empowering. Amanda definetley went out with a bang as she ended this series. The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One is going to fix broken hearts, souls, bodies, everywhere.

Please note that there are multiple trigger warnings in all her books, and that goes just right along with this one.

Contains sensitive material to:

child abuse, gun violence, partner abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, self-harm, suicide, alcohol, trauma, death, violence, & fire.

So just make sure you are in the right head space to go into this book. Most are powerful and help the reader move on, but the idea of the sensitive material is still present, so just be aware.

Just know that you are stronger than what your past (or present) has made you deal with. Practice self care and talk to someone if you need to.

I did get this as an ARC through NetGalley, but am only showing photos of the finished copy I purchased.

Until Next Time,
DauntlessReading

So powerful and right in line with her other two. If you like Lovelace's writing, then you'll love this one. Still think her first release is her best.

Andrews McMeel Publishing,

Unfortunately I was not able to get to this poetry collection in time of the expiration date. I downloaded the collection but I was not aware that it would automatically expire even after downloading it because this has never happened before. I am kind of disappointed that I am not able to review this due to this matter. Hopefully my local library will pick up this collection so I can one day review it.

Kind regards,

Brittney

I received this book in exchange for an honest review which has not altered my opinion of the book.

I have been in love with amanda lovelace's poems since I first read the princess saves herself in this one. These poems really hit deep and approach to mental health and the difficulty in recovering. This one deals with addiction and rape and there are triggers for just about everything. There is no sugar coating done, which I usually find to be terribly difficult to read, but these poems capture the feelings and justify the fact that when someone with mental illness has issues and people don't believe you, it's not you, it's them.

I really can't recommend this series enough. While I do advise caution because it is not an easy thing to read about, this collection specifically is very relevant and centers around the Me Too movement. Five out of five from me.

I've seen poems written by Amanda Lovelace before and never picked them up and I am so happy to have finally gotten my hands on this copy i order for me to make my own judgements. Unfortunately, I did not like it as much as I hoped.

I've been trying to find pieces of poetry that I can truly connect with but while reading these poems, I didnt feel a connection.

Everything was well written and well put together, I just wasn't as drawnto it as I'd hoped.

As usual, a beautifully written book! Poetry is becoming more and more popular and they are always such emotional, but quick reads. I was so excited to get a copy of this book because it was one of the books that I was highly anticipating this year (since the last two collections absolutely blew my mind and pulled all the heart strings). This series is one of my favorites and the poems in this book is touching and revealing of how many women face so many different situations.

I honestly recommend this book, and the series as whole, to anyone who is even remotely interested and especially for all the fans of Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. This has a similar vibe, so it will definitely be a great read to experience a whole range of emotions!

It is hard for me to even express with words what a book like this can do and the importance of the stories shared in these poems. Poetry is lyrical, but also effective in a world where everyone is short on time! Seriously, it is so quick to read so anyone can pick up a copy and fit in poem or two even in the busiest of schedules!

Although I did not have the opportunity to read Amanda Lovelace's prior two poetry books, this one was filled with raw and compelling language that managed to stand on its own. I was only able to read to about 35% before the book was archived and I no longer had access. However, I was pleased with the piece's mission and approach to sensitive topics. I especially appreciated the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. As someone who isn't the biggest fan of poetry, I enjoyed the short yet impactful prose of each poem.

The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One was a powerful and emotional read! The writing is very beautiful and powerful!

Amanda Lovelace has a powerful voice, and I love that she chooses to express herself through poetry. Her work empowers and connects with a lot of people, and that is amazing. This collection is my favourite of hers that I have read so far. There were a few poems that really hit home for me. That said, I some times finds her work too aggressive, almost to the point where her message is lost. That said, I can see myself turning to a few of the poems in the future, and sharing them with friends.

The first half of this book was a slog, especially after reading the foreword by Lang Leav that was perhaps the most insightful and compelling page of the collection.

I found myself wishing for poems that had more than 2 words per line only to find that poems with the occasional 4 word line weren’t any better. Many of these poems seemed repetitive (there are many poems with the same name, just I followed by II and in almost all of those cases one of those two poems would have sufficed.)

I think the real disappointment here was remembering how amazing the first book in this trilogy was. It inspired my love of reading modern poetry. It was so rich, so fresh. This one didn’t appear to hold onto any idea long enough for a tangible meaning.

Many of these poems seem distanced from reality or any lived experience because they are about a girl reading books. And I have been a girl reading books, but there is only so much that one can write about thinking of books, reading books, making metaphors of books, pulling up allusions to other peoples’ books (Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid, The Frog Prince, Maleficent) without it seeming uninteresting and tired. Similarly, the author’s repetition on the motif of princesses and princes doesn’t bring anything new to what has already been written.

To me, just one poem stood out as something I loved, and that probably has more to do with my identity and spirituality than anything else:

i am magic
all the days i am
a woman
& i am magic
all the days i am
not.

God though, the thing that saved this from being a one star book for me was the fourth section that included the voices of many on the same kinds of themes that Amanda has explored. Those voices were so vibrant, beautiful in their writing, heartbreaking but important. Those poets included: Caitlyn Siehl, Clementine Von Radics, Trista Mateer, Gretchen Gomez, Noor Shirazie, Jenna Clare, KY Robinson, Yena Sharma Purmasir, Morgan Nikola-Wren, Mckayla Robbin, Sophia Elaine Hanson, Orion Carloto, Nikita Gill,

Overall, this finale for the trilogy seemed like it just rehashed themes and motifs that were already established and previously written better. I am sad if this is reflective of issues that the author herself hasn’t been able to resolve and put down. However, I can’t recommend this book when The Princess Saves Herself In This One is already out.

There is also a long line of content warnings at the beginning of this book for various kinds of abuses, and a reminder for self care.

Well, I was right- these books shine their brightest when read in their physical format. There’s just something about written poems that is so much more impactful- perhaps it’s the fact that they allow the reader time to ponder over what they’ve read, how they interpret it, why it affects them.

The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in this One is the third book in the Women Are Some Kind Of Magic series, taking the Little Mermaid tale that has erupted in contemporary literature in the past couple of years and transforming it into an empowering story for women. If there’s one thing I learned when reading poems by Amanda Lovelace, it is that it doesn’t matter how other people define you- if they use diminishing or insulting words, condescending looks and patronizing smiles directed at women of all shapes sizes ages and ethicalities; it’s what you decide to make of them that matters. A word has the connotation we decide to give it. We are part of the society, but we don’t have to act as dictated; we make a choice. The only redemption arc that we are here for is ours. We redeem ourselves. We take the broken and fix it, because it wasn’t broken to begin with. The first step towards self-respect is realizing exactly that: Your self-worth is always there, untarnished and waiting for you to claim it. No one else can take it away, if you don’t let it go.

This collection also felt like a love letter to the readers that have been here for the past years, the bookworms and nerds that were called weird in high school (I dare you to tell me it hasn’t happened to you). She calls to them and tells them: You are awesome. Hear that girls, women and madams, daughters, mothers and granddaughters? WE ARE AWESOME. I also once again appreciated the trigger warnings listed meticulously in the beginning of the book, and I have to caution that sexual abuse and assault play a dominant role in this narrative, so please proceed with caution and stay safe.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. While I think the style of poetry this book takes has potential, this one didn't work for me; I found the poems repetitive with minor changes (some of those were intentional and I recognize that but they didn't make it any more interesting). I feel like some of the guest poems (I skipped ahead to read those before I shelved the book as could-not-finish) were forced to fix in the thematic box and maybe that was the reason they didn't work as well as their other works.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing on Netgalley for the e-arc.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this collection. It was the first Amanda Lovelace collection that I've read. I really loved the character of the mermaid and how she became the vessel for Lovelace to express herself as a survivor of sexual assault. The raw honesty in this collection was very compelling and her journey to healing resonated with me because it was a journey that is all too familiar to me.

My favourite parts about this collection are the references that Lovelace makes to Shakespeare, fairy tales, or whatever. I especially loved the poems in which she imagines the different worlds where Romeo and Juliet have different and happier endings.

I'm looking forward to reading more of her work in the future.

This book taught me something about myself, and though I can’t articulate quite what it is, it’s a lovely and powerful thing. Amanda Lovelace, by speaking her own story, speaks to every woman in this poetry collection. Even if you’ve never gone through similar things as she has, you can still learn and understand something by reading this book. Her poems put into words emotions I didn’t even know I had — and I can’t thank her enough for it. I want to hide these words in my heart forever. I adored getting to hear the poems from other women as well. No critiques literally at all.

I had great expectations about this book and author. Sadly, I didn't enjoyed this reading as I expected.

#netgalley