After reading the previous two poetry collections in the Women are Some Kind of Magic series, I knew I needed to check out the conclusion, the mermaid's voice returns in this one. Amanda Lovelace continues on with many of the same themes from her previous collections as she pulls from her personal experience as well as many others'. While it deals with an important and powerful subject, it did seem similar and almost repetitive of what we saw in the previous collections. One different aspect was that there were several poems included from a few different guest authors. I had not previously read anything from these poets so it was neat seeing their styles. Of the three poetry collections, the princess saves herself in this one is my favorite.

Amanda Lovelace has returned with another relatable, empowering collection of poetry. There are several gems throughout the book. Fans of Rupi Kaur will enjoy this volume.

Wow! Amanda, you did amazingly.

For anyone not familiar with my review of the second book in this poetry series I had a few issues with its repetativeness and even though I enjoyed it I wasn’t convinced I’d pick up the third. But as I loved the first so much that it left me in tears on a train and this one did capture my eyes a fair bit I decided hey NetGalley is free and I’ll give her writing another chance.

I‘m so glad I did! This book did flatten any doubts I had about reading more of her work.

(In fact a week after reading this I bought to make monsters out of girls which I loved just as much)

The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in this One caught my attention cause not only do I love the colour purple but I also love mermaids so I was very excited to see how Amanda incorporated them into the theme of her poetry about survival and healing.

As with the previous book we are graced with beautiful colored font to match the cover, which is seriously making me consider purchasing a physical copy.

The book strongly focuses on surviving sexual assault and I think Amanda approaches it in a way that really worked for me. They made me feel recognised and accepting that actually its ok to have to journey to find yourself again after traumas. That you might not always feel as strong as the front you’re putting on to the rest of the world, but you can get there.

6It really makes me think of how many of us consider what could’ve been. How our lives are two seperate timelines. The before and the after. The doubt you feel at trusting people again, especially should the trust be misplaced. Can you event trust yourself?

Now obviously not everyone is going to be at a stage in their lives where they can read poetry that they find themselves relating too strongly and revisiting emotions you’d previously bottled up or dealth with but honestly I did feel it kind of theraputic.

I think I felt like this as there is a power to her words as she battles off her own nightmares (physical or mental) and comes to the realisation that yes I can do this.

So yes, I really enjoyed this powerful colection from Amanda. And I loved the fact towards the end poems from other creators were included too which really makes you see you’re not alone in finding your voice again. Maybe you’re not a writer, but you are a reader and maybe these will help guide your voice to return to you.

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.

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

This is the final poetry collection in a three book series. Amanda has been my favorite poet since her Tumblr days, and I will forever support her. This collection focuses on sexual assault and her healing journey. Her writing is so raw and powerful, you can see she pours her heart and soul into each word.I really loved this collection.

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.

This one legit brought tears to my eyes. Some of the topics in this book made me really anxious because I've never actually been in a relationship and this made me terrified of the types of relationships I could find myself in one day. I'm a romantic on paper but when it comes to real life I don't want to touch it with a ten-foot pole. This review makes me feel pretty vulnerable because I wouldn't usually put so many of my personal deep-seated feelings out there like that on the norm. Since it is a poetry book about baring your soul and stuff, I feel like I should. To honor the source material.

I feel like Amanda Lovelace really hit home with a lot of women (and maybe some men) out there who have gone through similar events. Obviously, I'm not one of them per my earlier ramblings about my deep-seated terror of being in a relationship with another human.

As always I flew through this. It wasn't hard, it's not long. Also, the format of these books is the best. I love colored text. I loved it with the Wolves of Mercy Falls series and I love it now. It fits with the vibes.

I loved how she had a little spot at the end of the book where you could start writing your own poetry. It made me smile a little bit. I mean I myself would never write in one of my books unless it's for school and it's already been written in. It was a cute gesture though. Still wouldn't do it.

Verdict: would spend my money on.

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.