Dear Love by Charles McEnerney & Adam Larson

This book intrigued me by the title and I was kindly allowed to review a copy. It's a simple layout of bold bright backgrounds, rich vibrant red and black for devotion and love on the cover before we even look into the book. The book uses brighter, lighter colours and text, yellow shades flowing through green, purple to red and with a mix of white to black text, to make the flow of text desiring to take on adventures and share moments together. It could easily be used not just as a sweet gift, but a book to use to pick a date night or even by chance or choice together as a fun adaptation of how to use it not just read it straight through as advice or a guide but with intention for couple's too adding a deeper meaningful intention with it.

Healing For No One But Me by Jennae Cecelia

As the title says these poems are reflective on past hurt to process, accept and move onwards in life. There's some great poems about the happy medium of letting people in so far but stopping investing fully after being hurt so bad before. Another touching poem shares a view point I often ponder whether in a shop or passing someone on the street, I think, what is their hidden pain the story weighing them down past or present, the scar they hold forever more, we should all be a little more patient with each other, as the poem suggested never just assume they're a burden to you at that moment. They May Be/They May Seem, another great poem pondering our lives in comparison with others and how we all are just going at our own life's pace and shouldn't compare or feel we have to justify our own pace and way of life to anyone but us.

Rebuilding Scabs by L.Q. Murphy

This poetry collection looked at the impacts of growing up and going through bad times and how it can leave you wounded but you can be resilient and heal by continuing on living and not giving up despite the scars you carry. The collection had some great rhyming verses and rhyming couplets and good common sense thinking poetry about daily life and the poem, My Mistake, about trusting your instincts and embracing life was my favourite of this collection.

Please Love Me at My Worst by Michaela Angemeer

This collection of poetry was so honest and deeply moving showing how growing up and through childhood craving or desiring the love to be seen and understood gently and cared for deeply it also discusses in multiple poems, how we pick out our imperfections and talk down to ourselves, friendship breakups that can hurt as deep as a love relationship breakup and how desiring love if unrequited can leave you sad and feeling stung as well as poems too discussing growing up wondering and claiming your sexuality as you get to know yourself too. It was a well rounded collection of poems covering most life issues you experience growing up in depth.

Kisses In The Night by Zak

This collection was a short look at life and love written with multiple languages inside too being English, Arabic and I believe French and Spanish. It was very short collection with only a handful of poems, a couple of short ones and a longer one but feel it could've included more to flow deeper into the subjects and layout the story of the couple better, however, the poetry included was well written and I hope there's more to come in future!

Clouds On The Ground by Autumn Williams

The story of how the book came to be was a fascinating concept as Autumn's struggle with M.E, has inspired the collection after she became bed bound. My aunt has M.E too and I felt drawn to read the collection pondered on how feelings between each warrior fighring to continue life in a some what normal enough way experiences. Using poetry as therapy and for escape, set across the seasons in sections focusing on nature and the renewal of it's life each season as it progresses in it's journey. Spring, the awakening, the hope, growth, all spoke deeply to me about the way we all grow and our journey's move in different ways to each other. It was a great collection and especially being as a collection for escapism was brilliant and immersive in it's emotive poetic flow, fabulous.

In The Absence Of The Sun by Emily Curtis

A beautiful debut collection of poetry capturing many moments of life, tender, true, emotional, at times a bit dark linking nicely to the title of the collection. The title poem of the collection was reality by night, those of us who struggle to sleep at night and lay awake contemplating or writing. Another deep poem, reflecting on life, feeling so much, living through characters in books can feel relieving to close the book and have done with the emotional turmoil and return to life. A poem about strangers and the connection simply sparked by saying hello, so simple, yet impactful with it's truth was one that we can all read and live by I feel. A beautiful book looking at human connection and all that occurs when we let ourselves feel deeply.

The Flower That Went Mad by Yogesh Chandra

This was a poetry collection which in a world of more lows than highs, how writing can provide solace to create and relatability when shared. Some poems I related to were: Quietness, about the joy, peace and tranquility a garden provides. Chronicle of the pills, an open look at medication testing and failing you trying to see if it helps or hinders you. Blueprint of the society, a real look at how people can dismiss depression as sadness, want help yet never get it because of stigma still existing in society which can cause people to feel unable to open up. This is a sad yet beautiful book born from the depths of deep sadness and depression and the delicate dance of trying to find your footing to feel steady and able in life once again, it was honest and open no feelings held back and honesty which is relatable to many people who've dealt with similar feelings too.

Whispers Poems For When You Can't Say It Out Loud by Sk Masiur Rahaman

Looking at love and connection in the digital age especially with social media being so popular, talking about Tiktok, Instagram, dating apps and more. How reaching out to strangers can be easier for a quick connection hit but ghosting can leave you questioning what changed so quickly. How face value photo's and captions hide true real life to paint a fake happy online personality versus how generations who are elder show love in physical actions rather than online in texts, voicenotes or emoji's showing the impact of connection across generations and also anxiety and achievement goals sometimes pushed on us in love but feeling pressured as well as in tough times how faith can be a life line. It was a detailed poetry collection detailing modern generations lives compared to our parents and grandparents etc.

Signs Of Jealousy by Sophie Eve

This was a great poetry collection, literally as the title says about the ways jealousy can seep into and effect friendships and relationships. From finding love, to feeling like you're hiding your feelings, being torn between your good friend who knows you so well and your new love who's openly showing jealousy and envy at such a strong bond, it was a really powerful look at how the friendship and relationships dynamic can test each person involved deeply.