The Heart Beet by S. M. Lucky

A series of plant based fun stories as veganism etc is so popular now especially amongst younger people. The first story with Ezra and Liv, was so cute Tofu or not Tofu, then a meet cute by chance, Delilah and Theo's story, was hilarious wedding chaos fun. Frankie and Mason, a duo bonding over milk types which was fun and very true, there are lots of milk options these days to try to find what you like! The collection had lots of modern day social media nods adding to the fun of modern day life connections. So many fun puns, especially in Jules and Maya's story which has them connecting over salad, these short stories all had me laughing and smiling along hooked to read on and on in one go, guaranteed to make you feel uplifted!

Poems For The Signs by Michaela Angemeer

This was an intriguing collection to learn about the star signs and each set of poems for the signs explored their character and depth with each poem showing how we can learn from each sign in life lessons for example, self love, emotions, depression and self doubt I have to say as well, the Scorpio sign part, to me as a Scorpio was very accurate especially as I love an Aries often am wearing all black and have also done so to a wedding along with another Scorpio cousin too, very accurate point made in this collection!

To Make Monsters Out Of Girls by Amanda Lovelace

This poetry collection tells how a seemingly nice guy can lie to your face and tell you what you want to hear, becoming tiring in trying in the relationship, but also how the wrong love can make you realise and appreciate the right love when it shows up too. The collection also had a series of illustrations throughout and the use of white/black/red colour theme for a more dramatic emotive read.

This Made Me Think Of Us by Emily Bird

This was a beautiful collection of poetry about loving that one person so much, how even in the little moments you love them the way they are, what they do, coming home to each other with a hug, being the one constant and standing strong together to face the good and bad times together. Some beautiful long poetry, sometimes set in short stanza's, but nonetheless, read like you could imagine just what it's like, relatable to your own relationship and life as the title perfectly says.

I Swear This Isn't Love by Jim LaFleur

Drew and Paige end up crossing paths more times than they'd like as it seems fate has other plans than them hating each other. When they end up faking being a couple on a couple's retreat and finally they get to realising they actually work in some ways unforeseen to them until they're forced to make the best of a close situation. A really clever story, a bit opposites attract and enemies to friendship/love/something more that keeps you hooked on reading on to see where the story goes, I just wish we got a sequel to see how their future played out!

This Isn't Flirting Probably by Jim LaFleur

This was a really sweet and fun story about the joy basic routine, connection and taking a chance can bring in life. For Wes and Riley, their routine for getting a coffee and simply for being at work, meant they met and continued to do so and even after revelations, shows how much joy taking a chance and risking your feelings can bring. It was a great book full of wit and humour, the characters were sweet and funny together but also caring and encouraging, making you want to read on to see where their story went and it's definitely worth a read to find out!

The Caregivers Heart by Werner Stejskal

Florence is a broken woman when her fiancé walks out on their wedding day and she suffers a break down ending up under hospital care. Robert, a private carer is hired to help bring Florence back to living her life as normal, only as they spend more time together their bond forms stronger and more sure as they come to rely on each other beyond the tentative care, a deeper bond forms from trust and reliance into more. Told through a dual POV, the book captures beautifully how care and connection can unite and heal and the beauty of finding unexpected love and how healing the right person and love can be.

Desperate Lover by Heather l. Roche

This was a beautiful collection of poems about love and all the emotions it can make you feel good and bad. Smile, was a poem about hating to miss even one smile, how beautiful they are to you to see your loved one so happy. Moon Light, about being unable to sleep and instead the moon witnessing the inability to rest for racing thoughts. Proud, about how love isn't enough to get through problems such as alcohol abuse and reliance just burying problems not facing them. The Wrong Thing, about feeling you and your loved one are talking at opposing points and can't align. It was definitely like the title says enlightening about the way love can make you feel during and after a relationship.

I Love You In Every Language by Ikeli O'farrell

This was a sweet poetry collection talking about falling in love throughout the collection and between small little poems, snippets of insight from the author from their view into the theme of love and each poem is started by a different language showing how to say I love you in a certain language each one different in each poem. The poems discuss how people who meant so much to you can linger can affect you even years after splitting, how love and hope can linger years on wondering and hoping they're ok.

So You're Just Going To Love Her Forever by WULAN SS

This collection is a poetic diary of memories over years of love lost in various ways. It perfectly captures the feeling of longing and how you can feel hopeless trying to accept and move on knowing you won't be together forever as you wished and hoped to.

Words As Love Language by Kanessence

This poetry collection was a sweet series of love notes about the author's beloved and all the delights of how with your person you feel about them as love grows. It was a beautiful collection recalling little truths of how being seen, appreciated and nurturing together, love can allow you both to bloom together. A really sweet collection of love notes.

Schoolyard Crushes & Prozac Prescriptions by Tori Lutz

This poetry collection focuses on early life and how crushes and mental health can collide side by side growing up. Some Stand Out Poems To Me Were: Even Good Stories End, alikening our stories, the pages of our life chapters and bookmark moments in life too that we remember even years on like revisiting chapters in a book. If Hallmark Made A Card For Everything, was a funny ironic poem about even bad situations having a suitable card made for them even if inappropriate! Mind Races, about how you can wonder if you linger on someone else's mind how they do in yours too. Littlest Surprises, was a fun metaphorical poem about alikening a dress, to a partner, finding a fit and joy at surprises you encounter. A great collection showing how growing up can be tough not just for facing crushes but also dealing with mental health too.

Eternity Between Us by Katherine Nandita

This poetry collection was written in a classical style that flowed with lots of ethereal and natural imagery that touched upon the beauty of the love we hold and have the ability to grow and nurture. From requited and powerful love to the simmering endurance of unrequited admiration and adoration too, it was a collection that flowed like reading multiple stories about love in various ways existing.

Loving Him Is Heaven & Hell by Madison Meadows

This was a great collection of poems about all the happy and sad ways a relationship can cause you to feel. Some stand out poems to me were: The Closed Door, about the pain hiding behind a shut door, unknowing what emotional state awaits you, turbulent or loving. A Bad Habit, about the pain from hoping and facing unrequited feelings, lust or love and how it's hard to break through feeling how you do. The Art From Heartbreak, literally playing into even creating the poetry collection from heartbreak and how from the relationship dying art can grow and something positive can come from your heart being broken. Support, the final poem, about regaining independence and learning yourself again after a relationship ends was an empowering poem to read and relate to. A collection that captures the happy and sad times of falling in and out of love.

The Big Black Dog by Lesley Scott

This poetry collection focuses on the dark times of life and struggles with depression and mental health and grief. Some stand out poems to me were: Eyes Closed and Haunted, about the way a love can leave you, how it can really linger and effect you deeply even as time continues on. Tree Of Me, was a beautiful poem alikening us and our growth to the life and strength of a tree. This was a great collection that captures the pain and hope at the same time from various life situations.

Gym Junky by Brentom Jackson

This was a fantastic verse poetry style written story about the dangers of steroid use in young men and boys especially. Showing how in the social media age we live in and how it can pressure young guys to view themselves and others in an unhealthy way wanting to be seen as 'bigger' or more 'manly' and muscular. The story developed flowing excepionally well, touching on health, relationships and friendships and feelings of feeling inadequate to others older and the danger on mental and physical health of bulking and steroid use and pushing your body into unhealthy habits from outside pressure not of focusing on what makes you happy deep inside. The book also had plenty of shocking twists and turns along the way and the title was a clever play on words too. An eye opening read on the complex dangers of steroid use and eating/training disorders that can effect men and women equally.

The Girl I Used To Be: Poems on Healing, Worthiness, and Becoming by BreAnn Manuel

This poetry collection was very short and reads as a poetic monologue of truths laid out bare, raw and unfiltered about the negatives that relationships can bring and lessons from them that can shape you in the future. A real and true collection of life as you grow up through the poems penned and shared.

A Violet Rose, Bloomed in the Winter: Poetry for the heartbroken by Cristian Solís

This poetry collection was incredibly moving capturing all the various emotions stemming from a relationship once so strong breaking up. A stand out poem of the collection to me was, Love Is Like An Orchard, playing into bruising and rotting as pain alikening human life to fruit life and the battles we can face. The final sentence and author's note were a lovely lingering tone to end on of hopeful positivity and the lingering appreciation for a person who's made you feel so much.

You Don't Have To Be Normal You Just Have To Be Here by Hans Sinob

This poetry collection is born from the depths of dealing with bipolar, the highs and lows it brings you like a sometimes positive gift or an unwanted gift depending on the impact in the moment. Touching on dark and light moments in life, this book definitely gets you thinking on how our differences make us truly who we are.

Fading Into Bloom by Cheryl Haynes

This poetry collection focuses on the impact types of dementia can have on your loved one's and in this case the author's mother and captures the ways in which she can remember yet still be slowly fading at the same time. The book really captures the juxtaposition the condition can give with up's and down's the condition delivers over months in experience of observing and being witness to the sad changes dealt to have to face.

I Am Learning To Love Me: Story and Poetry Book by Aradhya Sharma

This poetry collection talks of the pain of heartbreak and the aftermath you are left with to adapt, rebuild and become yourself again by treating yourself with soft care and healthy boundaries. The book also has a section of Dear Me letters and affirmations, a series of self belief and self love encouragement pieces to end on and be left to sit with and reflect which was such a lovely way to make us reflect.