I received an eARC copy from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another Amanda Lovelace poetry collection that I wanted to like, more than any of the previous ones I read (Persephone, c'mon!), but sadly - that did not happen.

While I appreciate the gorgeous flower illustrations and how tenderly they depict soft and bold (or planned to be such) lyrics, I can't base my opinion about the collection on them. Nothing much stood out; most of the poems felt already read, pretty basic, and not different from other 'feminist' poetry collections. Even the illustrations themselves were repetitive.

I enjoyed the concept of describing Persephone's dual nature, her bringing the light of the Spring Goddess and, at the same time, casting the dark of the Queen of Hell. A small step away from simple put-together-in-no-time messages and adding the meaningful undertone of women's complexity, embodied by the Goddess Persephone herself, would have brought a tremendous twist in this poetry collection, lifting it to the heights it deserves. Make this poetry not so shallow and more impactful, and we would have had a perfect poetry collection focusing on femininity (not feminism, I failed to see it).

Flowers 🌷
👑 Crowns &
Fearsome Things🔥
Book Review - 4 ⭐️

Amanda Lovelace is one of my all time favorite poets, and writers in general. The amount of power and emotion behind her words is unparalleled.

This is the 5th book that I’ve read by her and I devoured it in one-sitting as per usual. I find that with Amanda’s work, once you start going, it’s simply impossible to stop.

My favorite “ The Princess Saves Herself In This One” still stands true as my absolute favorite. That one just hit harder than the rest, but they’re all well thought out, beautiful and full of raw emotion. That being said I didn’t connect with this one AS MUCH as a few others thus the 4 star rating, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t perfection.

Warning: Some pages will cause your stomach to be in your throat. But, for me it’s comforting knowing that I’m not the only one who has experienced difficult times in my life.

She will forever be a queen in my eyes. Amanda’s been through it and came out on top. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t scars; reminders.

“In this collection, I explore how, in this modern age, we, too are often equal parts soft & fierce. Remember: there is no need to choose one or the other.”

Some of my favorite quotes I’ve taken away from this one:

“Being friends with girls isn’t TOO MUCH DRAMA, but you know what is? Constantly trying to burn your sisters…at the stake out of pettiness & resentment when you could just support them instead…”

“My mother taught me to be an annual, never a perennial.”

“Take me to the library,m. Let’s find a dark corner in front of the stacks where they keep myths and legends about lovers who could never measure up to us.”

“Most days I wake up and think I would still do anything for the person that you made you made me think you were. Too bad he doesn’t exist.”

“When someone she loves is sad, she stops at nothing to make sure they feel better. Is she could, she would magic a double rainbow into the sky, just to see a smile on their face. Even though she can’t think of a single soul in her life that would do the same for her. “

I couldn’t access the e-copy so have since bought a physical copy. I own quite a few books from this author and have loved everything so far and will continue to read anything she puts out!

Amanda Lovelace is one of my favorite poets of all time! I try to buy and read all of her collections as they come out. I own all of them as of right now. This collection is as great as the last few!

The pages alternate between a cute floral and a fiery floral art page along with the poems. The pieces are beautifully done and help convey the tone of each poem that it is paired with. I want to say that this is the first book of poetry where she does this (it has been a while since I have read the others so I could be wrong).

Her individuals works show both her pain and her journey to healing. Ultimately, her works often instill a feeling of hope within me that I hope others experience also.

I am already waiting for her next collection to come out! I am never disappointed!

Per usual, this was amazing. I will always and forever love Amanda Lovelace's poetry. It speaks to the soul. It's real. It's gritty. It's empowering. I highly recommend any of her books of poetry to all female identifying folx.

In true Amanda style this book was a great read! I love these short and impactful poems.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

FLOWER CROWNS & FEARSOME THINGS is the latest poetry book by amanda lovelace. This one is inspired by the Greek goddess, Persephone, who is known for being the Goddess of Spring and the Queen of the Underworld. As such, the author explores the speaker’s capacity to also be both soft and fierce. Next to each poem is an image of flowers, either a pastel sunset on a garden or burning roses to represent the two seemingly contrasting natures. The story proceeds, dancing between this binary, with the speaker getting into an abusive relationship and then later, finding her strength to leave.

I love the theme of these poems so much. Quite often, we put expectations on people to be one or the other— soft or fierce. Men and boys typically aren’t allowed to show their tender sides, and women, on the other hand, are often criticized if they’re too intense. The reality is that we all have both in us, and this book, by exemplifying that, is giving people permission to accept that in themselves. Typical for the author, there are some darker themes as well, but there’s always an undercurrent of self-empowerment and discovery that is encouraging and hopeful.

Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things by Amanda Lovelace

I've read nearly all of Lovelace's books up until now and I always enjoy them, though they do start to get a little repetitive and less enjoyable the more you read, so I might come back to her work later when her previous stuff is less fresh in my mind.

While I prefer her earlier work, Amanda continues to be a favorite poetry author. And I always look forward to her latest work.

I absolutely love everything by Amanda Lovelace and this was not the exception. This collection of poetry was a mixed of poetry and art perfectly woven together to tell/inspire the myth of Persephone. I absolutely loved some poems, a few took my breath away and I had to highligheted them because of how relateble they were.

Sadly I did not like this book. The prose was too repetitive and did not feel as insightful. The illustrations were cute though!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

3 out of 5 stars.

It's so important to remember the strength or women and the beauty of women. Any feminist thoughts and expressions are valid and important for everyone to read. This is collection is short and sweet and provides a message.

I always like to find new quotes that hit me in collections and this was no different. Finding similarities in your stories and the authors is what makes poetry so special and hard-hitting.

This is a great starting point for feminist work and also poetry in general.

I did feel some poems were more 'poetic' than others. Some felt too basic and plain for what I was looking for

I recommend this

3.5 stars

This poetry collection seeks to explore the dichotomies and dualities of femininity and womanhood, inspired by Persephone, who was simultaneously goddess of spring and the underworld. Each theme covered in this collection is presented as a duet of poems told from different perspectives, exploring both brazenly fierce and softly vulnerable versions of womanhood.

Though my favorite of her collections thus far, Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things didn't fully satisfy me. Many of the poems felt very surface-level, and could have been much more exquisite if they were taken just a bit farther. Many of the poems felt too similar to her other works as well, leaving this collection feeling a bit repetitive, despite the interesting premise and setup.

While the illustrations included between each poem were beautiful and visually displayed the concept of the collection—that women can be both sweet and fiery, soft and sharp—I wish the illustrations had subtly evolved throughout the work rather than staying the same throughout. Not only would this have made the illustrations less repetitive, but it also would have helped display continual growth and complexity that could have been supported by the development of the poetic themes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my favorite poetry books I’ve read this year, I enjoyed the artwork throughout and felt it really tied it all together in a neat package. Can’t wait to buy a physical copy for my collection!

For the last two year, I have been captivated by Amanda Lovelace's poetry. Her previous books made me fall in love for poetry once again.

Amanda Lovelace returns with her beautiful poetry, heartbreaking silences and amazing verse in her new book. The poetries are heart touching and mesmerizing, many of elements in this book are already familiar with her readers.

If you are a fan of her poetry, you may not be surprised by this book. This book is interesting, but it could not get through me like her earlier poetry collections did.

I was able to read a little before my Digital Editions went kaput, but Amanda Lovelace has done another amazing job with this one. There's so much feeling in here, so much hope, that I wanted to savor every single one of these poems. Alas, to no end!

This was a warm, affirming, welcoming read, which is often what I get from Amanda Lovelace’s poetry. I’m constantly in awe of the work Lovelace produces.

As usual, I adored this book. The authors poetry just speaks to me and it feels like she wrote some of them just for me. I always reread her books every year so I will be adding this to the pile.

Every poetry collection I read by Amanda Lovelace leaves me floored and emotional. This one made me cry, smile, and not stop reading. I finished it in one sitting, loving every word.

There were a couple of poems I didn't relate to, but the ones I did relate to managed to put difficult feelings into words in such a beautiful way. I recommend picking up this collection for all the feelings.

this felt like a compilation of reject poems from her previous books, nothin interesting or new was added