Bibliointuitive: Inspired by a true story, second chance women’s fiction with a touch of magic

by Amy Q. Barker

A lonely woman: Books are her superpower. When she meets a broken man, how will her gift heal him and give them both a second chance at love and life?

Genres: Fiction, Romance

266 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2023

About the author

Amy Q. Barker is a best-selling author of women’s fiction and romance. Her love stories are filled with heart, humor, and second chances. Amy was raised in a small town in Western New York State and now lives on a lake in Indiana with her husband. When she’s not working or writing, she enjoys reading, kayaking, and hiking.

To connect with her:

www.amyqbarker.com
Instagram: @amyqbarker_author
Facebook: amy.barker.9003

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via the author.

Bibliointuitive is a beautiful story about connections in the world around us, ourselves and our purpose on this earth, pain, loss and forgiveness.
Riley suffers a tragic car accident as a child and unexpectedly develops a gift which she carries with her daily through her life and has had to come to terms with.
Adam was also linked to this tragic accident and it has been a burden to carry ever since. Adam and Riley have a strange connection which, when they meet again during adult hood, throws them off-balance. Both have to find forgiveness in their hearts and learn a way to overcome their tragic pasts and try to build a future, together.
I really enjoyed this book and my heart went out to both characters for different reasons. I loved the message of this story and wish it would have been longer!

[Michelle Bibliovino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story! This novel is, at its heart, a portrayal of connection, the connections we have between ourselves and the world, our selves and our minds, the people around us, the very spirit of life and our place in it. It’s these connections that give us purpose, and bring us to our purpose with others. I absolutely I inhaled this work, and anyone with a love of books and words and connection will, too!

Riley’a world completely stops when she is 12 and her best friend is taken from her, her life snuffed out in a freak accident. A shy, beautiful boy from school hits the car the girls are traveling in and suddenly, the world stops spinning. Riley cannot figure out how to move on, but somehow she starts living a second kind of life, a life of stories. She discovers the power of words and becomes an avid reader. But it’s her connection to the words she reads and the world around her that truly offer her a new place in the world from which she believed she wanted to escape.

And she could never have guessed that the beautiful boy who caused her so much pain could become a touchstone and a way to reenter the world around her. Can their connection lead them to a greater connection with themselves and the girl they both lost years ago?

Seriously, drop what you’re doing and pick up this perfect, little book. It will make you look at the world in a whole new way.

Thank you to the author for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

[Tanya R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book could be classified as Magical Realism Fiction.  A regular world book that has some touch of magic.  For the longest time, I kept thinking that Riley was crazy for being upset about this magic that seemed to come out of nowhere.  Reading a book and then having something appear to her in real life that was directly connected to the book -  I would have been so happy if that had happened to me as a teenager.  Well, maybe I'd be a bit spooked at first but then I'd think it was really cool!

I loved Riley's character and with the events that take place in the first 10% of the story, my heart was sobbing for her! Oh my goodness - all the feels!

As the story continues on and we learn about Adam, I was really frustrated.  This poor boy growing up with basically no parents to help guide him or take care of him.  Ugh, I just wanted to reach in and give him a hug and tell him that I'd be his mom if needs one.

I love the way that Barker builds her characters and makes the reader so empathetic to the challenges that the characters go through.  If you are a fan of books with easily relatable characters, then you definitely want to pick up any of Amy Q. Barker's books.

Thank you to the author for this complimentary book.  I've loved spending time in the worlds you have created for your readers and I appreciate you sharing them with me.

All opinions expressed are my own.

[Bookoholiccafe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bibliointuitive by Amy Q. Barker is a book that you have read to find out what it means 😊
It Is a small-town story about love and hope. Riley Cartwright had an accident when she was twelve years old. Right after that accident, there was a strange intuition that changed the entire course of her life. The tragic accident killed her best friend, and she went through a lot. This, was when Riley started reading avidly and when things happened in her life that related to the book she was reading, she starts feeling alarmed.
I liked the premise of this book, the small-town atmosphere, Riley, and her unusual intuition. I enjoyed the connection she felt with the boy who hit the car she was in years ago. BUT I won’t say much, you have to read it yourself to understand the title and find out why I enjoyed this book so much.

Amy has a brilliant writing style, Details are vividly explained, the plot is penned beautifully and the main character is well developed and easy to connect with.

[Laura Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story. Frequently things that have been recently spoken about, read about or saw on TV come back to us in other ways. It does seem more than just coincidence, more like a manifestation of Karma. What you put out there does return. Take that concept, add in a fatal accident and a young girl whose life is shattered and you have the makings of a terrific story. The author weaves a wonderful tale of the emotional aftermath of an accident that alters the life of the girl Riley. I really enjoyed the way that Riley use her intuitive "Biblio" to heal herself from the emotional wounds caused by grief. It was an unusual and welcome change of pace to let her choose to not go down the path of vengeance and hate towards Adam. Kindness, forgiveness: qualities to be treasured.

*I was given this book through Book Sirens to read and review. That in no way influences my opinion.

[Denise Engel · Rating 5 out of 5]

ENJOY and digest this one!

VERY much enjoyed reading this novel. It was a thoughtful and entertaining story. I enjoyed the satisfying ending as many current
novelists don't seem to offer one - apparently - preferring to leave the reader in no man's land as to a plot resolution.
Well done !

[Sacha Fortuné · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sacha's Book Reviews Blog

I received this book from the author, for whom I had already reviewed another book Rue. I also saw it on Reedsy and reviewed it for that platform as well, which makes it my twenty-third book via Reedsy. My Reedsy review can be found here.

If you're interested in becoming a Reedsy reviewer (and have the chance to get paid "tips" to review books!) check it out here.

The Premise
After a tragic car accident as a child, Riley’s maturity into adulthood is coupled with her experience feeling an intuitive connection — a “gift” — that she is unable to ignore. She doesn’t know where it comes from, or what it means, but it follows her through her life.

Adam’s role in the accident also follows him like a plague from the past, along with his own strange connection to Riley that he cannot ignore. When they meet as adults, can they find a way to forgive the past and build a future together?

The Pros & Cons
This was a beautiful story of pain and loss that finds redemption in the beauty of love. I absolutely loved the opening, which immediately dives into the fraught relationship that the two main characters have — a force compels them to be together, despite the tragedy of their past.

I was thrilled to see Riley finding her way in life after experiencing such a loss. My heart went out to Adam — a well-intentioned action can cause so much irrevocable damage to others, and his survivor’s guilt is something he has to live with his entire life, which can never really go away. I also liked that we get to see glimpses of Kathy, especially her serious consideration of her multiple lives — such a profound concept for a child to discuss!

It was amazing when the two characters do finally find each other, and despite others’ opinions that they are an odd match because of their tragic history, they each know they are fated to be together. I really appreciated the themes of faith, love and redemption that are explored here — mixed with a smidge of fantasy that seems almost paranormal with Riley’s extraordinary talents.

I enjoyed this story but did take some time to get used to the storytelling style that mixes Riley in first person and then Adam in third person (it may have worked better for me with both first person, or both third person). Also Adam’s family drama situation was such a profound moment of revelation that I wished it had been explored more — at the book’s end, I still had so many more questions about that situation!

Conclusion
Overall, this was a beautiful story. It was also unique, as I didn’t know what to expect from the ending — there’s romance, but also a fantasy element, and then profound literary-fiction moments drop in here and there as Riley ponders the meaning of life and the origin of her gift. The novel’s themes are powerful and take you on an emotional journey. It made for a bumpy ride that was unsettling but also uplifting, and left me still thinking about the book long after I had finished. This is my second book by this author, and I really like that she doesn’t follow the usual cookie-cutter trajectory of a novel, and I would love to keep reading more of her work to see what else is in store!

___________
This review also appears on my blog. Visit to read more of my reviews: Sacha's Book Reviews Blog

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[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the front of this book... "Biblio: When something happens in real life that's related to the current book you're reading. Bibliointuitive: When you have the sensory ability to receive a message in real life that's related to the current book you're reading." This story resonated with me. I can personally relate to feeling this way as well. In my case, words that I'm reading will pop out at me as I hear that very word (no matter how unusual it is) being said in real life at the very moment I'm reading it. I call them coincidental words and have been writing them down lately because it happens so often. Sometimes three times a day. Are there messages there? I confess I haven't figured it out yet. In Riley's case, she begins reading avidly when she's twelve. She's just gone through a horrible trauma, a car accident, that took the life of her best friend. When the "Biblio" situation happens with every book she reads, it's disconcerting to her. What does it mean? As she gets older and works through her emotional trauma, things start to become clearer. I loved the premise of this book. It's different and fresh. And it pertains to reading which I love. There is an unexpected relationship at play throughout which I became completely invested in. I enjoyed this book, a lot, and so appreciate that the author, Amy Q. Barker, was kind enough to send me a copy. I'm a new fan and will be picking up more of her books.

[Shannon King Hofman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It really connected with me as it is set in Indiana in the 80s and 90s, the same timeline that I graduated from IU. I especially loved all of the IU references ❤ Amy Q. Barker, you've outdone yourself one again 👊

[Judith Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great love story about coping with tragedy and moving forward through the pain. Very engaging and uplifting.

[Holly (bibliophiles_bookstagram) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“To all outward appearances, I was a strong, confident, quiet girl doing very well in life. Straight A’s, excellent at sports, well mannered, hard-working, organized, punctual, and kind. And I had to admit part of my dread was keeping up this appearance. I made sure no one knew about my inner fears and anxieties. It was my own personal burden and then I had to protect and keep hidden at all costs.”

Riley was hurting. She was in a tragic accident when she was 13 years old, and that pain, in addition to her own feelings of not “mattering,” have led to a life constant fear, especially whether success could fall for her. She turns to books for healing, where she discovers a special gift.

Adam, the boy that caused the accident, can’t help but feel a strong connection to Riley. It’s as if fate is bringing them together again, but can they truly find solace and peace with one another after what happened?

I was drawn to continue reading this book page after page! The plot was such an amazing idea that all book lovers can probably relate to, or want to!

[Sandra Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riley Cartwright isn’t sure if she has a gift, or a curse. Bibliointuitive pursues a philosophical bent, spanning Riley’s life from a terrible accident at age 12, to an adulthood shaped by the tragedy.

As the teen regroups, reading becomes her salvation. Books release a sense of new connection, while also allowing her to hide from much of the world.

From the day of the accident, Adam Linder’s history is tied to Riley’s. Told from both their POVs, Bibiointuitive thoughtfully explores an intriguing, mystical concept.

[Michelle C Lidtke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could relate to this story. It was beautiful and captivating.
I am an avid bookworm since 5yrs old and was given a diary/ journal when I was 9yrs old in my English class to express my thoughts. ( I was a daydreamer) I also have de javu moments and bouts of intuition or epiphanies as if I lived something, or seen before or had a dream and then It somehow ends up happening, or meeting someone and you felt " Where have I seen you before?" Kindred spirits, maybe in another lifetime. It's unexplainable

[Nanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. Riley is a very unusual character. Although outwardly she seems pretty normal, once you get to know her, she is quite unique. My heart goes out to Adam who has been through so much. The author does a very good job of letting you know how the main characters feel. A unique story.

[Kathy Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this signed book from a Goodreads
Giveaway. Thank you to everyone
Involved. Book was very interesting - loved
the characters.

[Kristi Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting read. I love stories that bend the way I think and expand my imagination, and this book did just that.