Trigger warnings: child abuse, toxic friendships, toxic relationships, sexual harassment, eating disorders, suicide, and trauma

Amanda Lovelace does a fabulous job narrating her own audiobook for <i>break your glass slippers</i>, the first of the “you are your own fairy tale” trilogy. As I listened to Lovelace’s poems, I kept thinking of the amazing women in my life I wanted to hear the same messages Lovelace was telling to the woman in her poems. I recommend this book to all women, especially those who need to be reminded of their worth.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

This was a super short audiobook, but I really enjoyed it. I find that I actually prefer her poetry as audio.

4.5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for an ALC of this book.

Combination Cinderella retelling and self-love poetry, this quick audio has the beautiful verse you can expect from a sensation such as Amanda Lovelace and will inspire you to rethink how you see yourself and relationships.

I really loved this. I absolutely devoured it and love when audios are narrated by the author--especially for poetry. It just does so much to really tell the story the way it is meant to be told. This book seriously had me feeling really good at the end and kind of empowered. I definitely recommend it!

Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Misogyny

I've enjoyed everything I've read from Amanda Lovelace so far and this was no exception. I liked that the author did the narration, you could feel the emotion.

I’ve read several other poetry collections from Amanda Lovelace and enjoyed each one but this is my first audiobook from her. I think having her read her own work was a great choice because you can hear the emotion in her voice but she remains steady and clear. Though her writing format obviously doesn’t come across in this non-visual aspect, I don’t think anything is lost in the audio version. I’m excited to listen to more of her work!

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for the audio ARC of this work.

I've enjoyed everything I've read by Amanda Lovelace thus far. I either enjoy the story or am left stunned at how much it gripped me. This is one of the titles that truly gripped me. Lovelace balances external vs. internal conflicts from relationships to feminism.

Unfortunately, this collection just wasn’t my favorite of Lovelace’s work like I’ve said about the other books in this collection it just feels more like a self-help book and less like poetry. Nevertheless, Lovelace did include some amazing advice but still, it read somewhat like a motivational twitter account rather than poetry.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was cute, but basic. I’ve heard tons of its’ messages hundreds of times, so I just didn't feel connected. However,I did think that the Cinderella portion of this book was wonderful and made it feel whimsical. I enjoyed the narration and thought the choices of music were very good. Overall it was good, just a bit cliché.

Break Your Glass Slippers is the latest in Amanda Lovelace’s feminist poetry collection and I adore it just as I have the rest of them. A poetic retelling of Cinderella until it’s not. It’s done so beautifully in a way only Amanda can do. She wants us to stop believing in fairy tales and to write our own life story. I loved the message Amanda artfully composes. With each book Amanda releases it quickly becomes my new favorite. I mean self love and feminism what’s not to love?!? Can’t wait For the next installment.

This is by far my favorite collection from Amanda Lovelace. I highly recommend this one. If you love a book to get you all in your feels and give you a sense of empowerment then this is most definitely the book for you. Be prepared to feel empowered and inspired. And to be amazed at Amanda’s growth as an author.
Also, the artwork in this one is stunningly beautiful.

I’ve read this one and I’ve now gotten the opportunity to listen and BOTH are amazing! I loved the audiobook. It truly brought this poetry to life!

Thank you in advance to the publisher and to Netgalley for an advance copy for my honest review!

Huge thank you for review copy!
I absolutely adore Amanda's poetry so I was excited to reread one of my favorites of hers with her narrating. And I wasn't disappointed. I loved it so much and it made me feel so much more with Amanda herself narrating her words.

This was beautiful. I surely don't read enough poetry, but right now, I needed this. If I can take this in, I'll consider it worth everything.

I enjoyed this poetry collection, just like I have her other collections. While the book has been out for almost a year, I haven't read it. I appreciated that the first time I experienced this raw and vulnerable poetry, it was read Lovelace. She did a phenomenal job in both ner narration and her authorship. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Having not read any of Lovelace's work I was excited to try out the audio book for this book, and I was not disappointed. Lovelace is the narrator, and I always love it when the author reads their own work, it feels a lot more personal. I appreciated that the book opened with trigger warnings as this is not always done, especially with audiobooks. This collection of poetry centres around female empowerment and finding yourself, through a retelling of Cinderella. The poetry held a strong and important message. I felt that this was a unique collection of poetry and I look forward to reading more of her work.

“We are our own one true love”
“Superficial is the person who can’t imagine worshipping you at every stage of you”

This collection was full of self love, body positivity, and feminism. I also was very pleased to see the trigger warnings at the front of this collection. The collection does dive into some tough topics so be conscious of those before diving in. I definitely enjoyed this just the other collections by Amanda Lovelace. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a collection that tells a story of codependence leading to realistic self love and a healthy mindset.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this collection to review.

(a free copy of this audiobook was provided to me by Netgalley and the publisher for review!)

3.5!

tw: mentions of fatphobia, abusive relationships (friend and romantic), child abuse, suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and other types of trauma

this book was short and sweet. i did enjoy the powerful messages of self-worth and self-love, and i particularly appreciated the trigger warning in the beginning of the audiobook. the narration was smooth and pleasant to listen to, and it was very lyrically written. i actually liked the little fairy godmother snippets too. they were 1 or 2 liners that summed up that poem well.

however, my two main issues were that 1. it felt less like a retelling of a story and more like a collection of those pamphlets that you get from a school guidance counselor about different issues. which i understand they were separate poems, but sometimes it was hard to reconnect it to the fairy tale it was retelling.

. the poems seemed to jump from one topic to the next, and the switch from part 1 to part 2 was slightly confusing (i think now part 1 is her listing the trials she's been through, and then part 2 is her "letter" calling them out?). but it was still a beautiful story none-the-less! and i definitely want to look into the other two collections

anyways, enjoy!

The dedication had me completely hooked from the start - “for those who break glass slippers, as well as glass ceilings”.

This is a partial retelling of the Cinderella fairytale that we all know and love, written in a heart-warming and tender poetry, as is superbly common of Amanda Lovelace.

The writing was so elegantly raw & authentic that it made me feel heard and valued. Whilst the narration held so much wisdom, that I wish someone had taken the time to tell me, when I was younger, more impressionable, & willinging to go to any lengths to find acceptance from others. Yet this truly emphasised the courage and strength to be found in self-acceptance, self-worth & self-love.

“When you spend all your time imagining yourself in other people’s shoes, your own story goes unwritten”. It empowered the listener/reader to reclaim their sense of self & inspires them to feel powerful & proud to be able to do this.

Through turning real vulnerabilities into beautiful traits that can be admired for their imperfections, the narrative felt genuine, guiding the listener/reader to accept themselves with all their flaws, for they are capable of being the most important character in their own story. As “strong is she who knows the difference between quitting and self-preservation”.

In terms of the audiobook itself, the narration was quite monotone & took away from the beauty of the words at times. Hopefully this will be addressed before release, as not to diminish the overall enjoyable experience in any way.

I would recommend this to all, but especially those who could benefit from a tender, motivational nudge to accept themselves wholeheartedly. These heartfelt words will help you do just that.

Trigger warnings: Themes of child abuse, toxic friendships, toxic romantic relationships, sexual harassment, eating disorders, fat phobia, suicide, trauma & potentially more, are alluded to or discussed, though in a appropriate & sensitive manner.

I'm just not connecting with this. I thought I liked Amanda Lovelace's writing and I know I love fairy tales and retellings but I just didn't feel it. This poetry trilogy should be my exact cup of tea and I don't know why it isn't.

I recently read the arc for unlock your storybook heart and I felt meh about it but then I saw the audiobook for this and thought that starting with the first book and listening to it narrated by the author would do the trick. But it didn't. I didn't hate it by any means, but it didn't stand out to me in any way.

I can't even pinpoint what's wrong with it. I wanted to love it but didn't and I don't think the audiobook is the way to go with these.

This was my first Lovelace book and a bit out of my wheelhouse, as I rarely read poetry. However, it was so accessible for readers who don’t gravitate towards poetry! It was also emotional and relatable, and I felt so seen. I immediately requested the next two in the series. I recommend this for every young woman!

This is the second Amanda Lovelace book of poetry I have read here on NetGalley and, if anything, I liked this one even more than the previous one. I went searching for more by this author, after I read Unlock Your Story Book Heart. That led me to Shine Your Icy Crown and this book Break Your Glass Slippers. All three are very good, engaging and emotionally charged, but this one had some passages that I had to listen to more than once, they resonated so deeply. Felt so achingly familiar.

Having read one book and listened to the other two. I think both formats work quite well but the emotional impact was more intense to me in the audiobook. The author reads her own work and it is written in a conversational style that is highlighted so well in the audiobook version.

This is a short book, one that can be listened to during a commute or while doing chores, as I did today. It is quick and approachable, emotional and profound in its simplicity.

I am going to search out more by this author. I think that's the highest form of praise.
Highly recommended.



My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook download in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review:
Break Your Glass Slippers, by Amanda Lovelace
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Amanda Lovelace
Book release: March 17th, 2020
Audiobook release: March 15th, 2022

**I want to preface this review by thanking NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for allowing me to review a free copy of the audiobook prior to its release in exchange for an honest review.**

Synopsis: This is a collection of poetry themed around the concept of Cinderella and her glass slippers. Although Cinderella is a work of fiction, Amanda Lovelace connects the fiction to non-fictional topics of love, self-worth, toxic family, and owning who you are regardless of how you look or the size of your body.

Review:
Things I loved -
* I loved that this collection explored topics through a more narrative nature. Poetry doesn't have to always be rhyming words or a certain number of syllables per line.
* I loved the fairytale theme and how Lovelace explored that theme but also connected it to the idea that we can create our own fairytales. "The power was inside of us all along".
* The message of the collection is beautiful and empowering.
* I loved hearing the author read her poetry. It brought a new dimension to the experience that I was not expecting.

Things I didn't love -
* I didn't love how the majority of the book felt like it came from a hallmark card. It felt like it was made of one-part self-help book and one-part inspirational quotes. There was a nice story there, but it felt mostly superficial. I originally felt like I was going to give this poetry collection 5 stars, but I think it made me feel a lot because of the place I am in my life and not because the poetry itself has staying power. I gleaned what I needed, but I'm not sure it will be memorable in six months.

Audiobook Review:
* In terms of the audiobook, itself, the narration was good, although slightly monotoned.
* There were a few issues with the audiobook when I tried to speed it up to more than 1x speed but hopefully that issue is fixed prior to release.
* I really enjoyed the snippets of music that played during the book. It added another level of interest.

Overall, this collection is a 3.5 star read for me, but because it did hit me at just the right moment and I did get slightly emotional for a couple of the poems, I did decide to bump it up to a 4 star.
I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys poetry but has a hard time understanding deep metaphor or who loves when the poetry is quotable.