The Silence That Became Home Bride In Black Book 8 by Maria T. Anderson

This series continues in showing the dark and light following grief and the series continues in this book showing how accepting grief can mean enjoying parts of life around you again even just tentatively, a little at a time, from simple joy like enjoying the seasons changing embracing little natural changes. Chapter 7, The Sentence She Didn't Cut Short, I really felt deeply after losing my friend I let read my own writing too and be the one I'd go to first to give me love and critique on each piece. This book also shows how finding new people, knowing the you now after loss, can be healing in itself holding no history of your life like a blank canvas. This collection I really felt shows how grief becomes a quieter companion and softens slightly more into a silent invisible more friendlier ghost of remembrance to exist alongside and this book captured that perfectly to me.

The Light That Stayed Behind Book 7 by Maria T. Anderson

Another book in this series, displaying how in moving on, coping with grief, it exists in little things you encounter along the way that no longer sting as much but offer gentle reassurance at what you know once existed in your life as a sort of acknowledgement from life. Living alongside memories more easily as time goes on as friendly reminders and embracing the good you can remember from them despite it feeling bittersweet, this series continues to capture how living with grief changes over the time after loss.

The Calm That isn't Calm Bride In Black Book 6 by Maria T. Anderson

This next book of the series really shows how grief can exist when life has gone seemingly back to the new now normal life you exist in. How little everyday mundane calm things can feel huge to tackle but slowly over time feel easier to deal with as time goes by and the grief feels less sharp and raw to cope with. Perfectly capturing how the grief you feel shifts as time continues to pass you by but you are barely living just existing, even if just within your own home.

The Smile With Tears Behind It Bride In Black Book 5 by Maria T. Anderson

I've been really enjoying this series and now a few books into it, the story of life after grief begins to settle into a new normal happens and reflections occur, bittersweet still in every day moments of life. How home is now just a house love echoes in items, ghosts of memory and words written are left behind from the loved one passed on. Also touching on how smiling is hard to feel real and not like a ghost, gaps in photo's where they should be beside you, clothing you wear and pieces they never got to pass opinion on you choose and wear sometimes altering your future self to deflect how you feel after the loss, something I relate to as well. Utterly relatable and heartbreaking at the same time in real life capturing how grief can effect you as time goes on and life continues around you it feels.

The Pain Hidden Everywhere Book 4 Bride In Black by Maria T. Anderson

This book tenderly captured the most mundane yet heart-breaking moments after loss leads to grief and lingers in daily life. It was clever the irony of items awaiting their owner who'll never return or missing silly habits that wound you up but you deep down didn't actually mind so much, especially on reflection after loss. The book also perfectly captured how scent and song can send you spiralling back to reminiscing on happier times shared and how in couple's you see too, it echoes you and your lost one how you were too. Fulfilling empty promises made before when life was too busy as well another hard hitting fact, yet, after the loss, making time feels like a special dedication in memory. Chapter 23, about headphones and music, sharing an earbud each and half listening to music and each other caught up in the moment you share. Chapter 30, about a tote bag he would carry for her was exactly like my friend would with me and was a great every day moment to capture in the book, loss can linger easily in shared items and seemingly mundane every day moments. Another great instalment in the series so far showing grief's impact in the mundane and how it can be so impactful to daily life trying to carry on without them.

The Day I Became His Bride Book 2 by Maria T. Anderson

This book, the second of the series, was a really good reflection of how the aisle leads you towards singularly but away together seemingly in union, despite any doubts you may have feeling or lingering. How the pressure of a wedding can make you feel doubt and conflicted between yourself before, during and after in the new marriage full of doubts and hope for the future together. A great second book setting the scene of the storyline in perfectly flowing verse you could really immerse yourself in and feel as if you were there in the story with the characters, a really engaging story to make you reflect on the situation the characters experience.

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.