Learning To Love Myself by Alex Aubrey

This was a great collection of short but impactful poetry of common sense and advice, real straight talk. If a relationship doesn't make you happy, walk away because someone else, even yourself can love you better. As Alex also says, never change yourself to make someone love you, put yourself first being you, someone will love you for that and who you are, learn to walk away from any situation you aren't happy in and you are capable of the right love, self love.

Even Flowers Don't Like Being Steeped On By Kaitlan C. Farrior

This book really personified flowers in each poem they were described as bwing human like in character which was really fun to think about and how nurturing flowers alike checking in on people can help them be supported to grow and be strong and resilient. A beautiful idea for a collection of poetry.

We Bloom In The Dark By Aria Hill

With themes of trying to please your parents born into a life of trying to be enough, good enough, for everyone else and trying to find your identity, struggles with depression and how it separates you from who you are at your core and who you crave to be yet yearn for that wanting to get well. Aria's writing is so relatable and refreshing to me documenting feelings in short impactful poetry about the struggles life can give us in the background we grow from.

Breathing In Broken Spaces by Belinda Daou

This was a beautiful collection of poetry on love and feelings from the time in the relationship and how reflecting on love lost makes you feel. How so deep into the relationship you can lose who you were as you become a team, a duo, so when that ends how your life can feel so much different to before, after giving that person and relationship your everything to keep the love alive and going. The poems touch on themes of love to hate, hope to commiserations, endings and beginnings of relationships and the feelings that leaves you dealing with and how broken that relationship can leave you to grieve and heal alone from. If you are going through a heartbreak and need a book to show you how you feel is valid and others get how you feel in their own circumstances, this collection of poetry is easily one to pick up and find instant relatability in feelings.

Just Trying To Exist By Aria Hill

Well from the first introductory page from the author herself, Aria, explaining why and how she came to write this book I have to say I can relate to her struggles growing up she references as I think many people will do, I have to say putting her honest experience in the book made it feel all the more personal from the start. The poems start from time before the pandemic, feelings during and feeling a sense of loss of life for how it was always so busy and friends and joy that seemed very far removed how social media became a sour, though once happy, place to turn to reminding you of old normal life. There was also discussion I'm saying a trigger warning here for, domestic abuse, alcohol abuse, eating disorders and isolation, each showing their effects of the author and her life at the time. Overall, this collection of poetry is one of my favourites I read it in one sitting to feel it then again to gather my thoughts and feel mu relatable feelings with the authors story. The final poem, You Made It, was easily the most truest reflection of past and hope for future and present, a poem of sorts to is all reading to realise life can get better. An astonishingly wonderful, emotion rich debut for an author I will absolutely be keeping up reading poetry from. I will end by saying this, love is in the little actions repeatedly showing you how well you are seen and loved for how and who your are which is unique, a whole message I have always felt close to telling others hence my online social handles, a message I can totally get behind pushing everyone to realise their unique person they are is special and wonderful, remember that today, read of this review.

Chasing Euphoria by Nicole Mcallister

All about falling in love and the pain when it comes apart at the seams of the relationship breaking down from the happy place you were in. That being said, the author depicts the beauty in finding a love within yourself that is enough to carry on and enjoy the simple beauty the world around us brings everyday which I feel all the more is aided by the simple lovely cover for the book. After all, the sky and clouds are works of nature's art we are all lucky enough to witness and can't create ourselves.

My Story & Me by Kate Rosewood

This was a beautiful poetry book by Kate, is very honest opening up about her feelings of never feeling enough which I'm sure a lot of us can relate to and how when trying to please others so often you forget to do what makes you happy most of all. Each poem was powerful in it's writing tone and cleverly crafted to be so impactful and of course I can't not mention the use of colour, images and drawings to annotate many of the poems and give them even more of a personal touch too.

Love In Bloom Volume 2 The Darkness & The Light by Cheryl Bradshaw

This book was a really raw read facing some dark painful topics of abuse, rape and miscarriage. As someone who has friends who've deal with these separate situations this book hit me all the more honest each poem was at depicting each terrifying situation the author found herself in for the first part entitled The Darkness. However, in The Light part after all the pain life has shown and brought, Cheryl we see how adventure and love can change your life and in one poem, a note to single women, which I really agree with letting in a guy who you randomly meet and connect with, it does happen at some point I can agree! Another moving and emotional poetry book but definitely a trigger warning here for anyone who may find the subjects mentioned upsetting.

She Deserves Better by Anika Kaur

Great poetry collection full of candid raw poems of love, lust and coping with relationships breaking up and the aftermath. Wtitten in a mix long and short poems this collection may have varying lengths of poems but still pack so kuch emotion in each one a really beautiful collection of how love can near break you. My favourite poems were by far these two, Vulnerable and Hope, the themes are strong and raw and just made me feel so seen and heard in how I've felt in love before.

I Used To Love You by Emilia Miak

Such a great book working through emotional turmoil of loving someone and feeling the loss of them in your life how it impacts you with memories and flashbacks to happier times all completed with little hand drawn illustratiuons addimng to the raw emotion of the book. My favourite poem was I used to love you, quite fitting being the title of the collection of poetry! To me it swas a simple but emotional concept of love's effect on your heart Agony too following directly from the former poem, of the impact of losing your cloest love directly impacting the rest of your life in situations, with how powerful love can be. Simply beautiful collection of moving poetry.

By Popular Demand Gracie Dart Book 3 by Jess Vallance

In book three we see how Grace tries to become more popular and make new friends. However, we soon see you can't force these things as she comes to learns as she by chance falls in with a popular girl and so her friends do too.

As she helps her new friend to run her cake and entertainment party business she also deals with the crush she has on her, only her new friend is straight...

We also see how Grace comes to realise alike in the other books just how much true friends matter and how you should pay attention and help them in times of need. Gracie always has such an adventurous life and experiences some odd and hilarious at times too situations which this book didn't lack at all once again.

My Life Uploaded by Rae Earl

Millie and her female cat Dave are back in a fun but serious new book you will enjoy.

As Millie can't take her mum's boyfriend anymore, she moves into her dad's to get a break from the obsessive cleaning regime and get some proper peace and space.

Lauren is still suffering her arguing parents all the time at home though and encourages Millie to vlog proper for YouTube with Dave.

When Danny the new school hot boy and Bradley a fellow vlogger who helps her with her channel and they hang out a lot around escalators of all things, both start to notice he at school, Millie has a dilemma, who does she like and in what way?

She also starts her advice vlog only to have school bully/social media queen Erin try to take her down and make her quit...

Millie shows resilience throughout the book never giving up on her friends, family or vlogging due to bullies. A great role model but also humorous throughout especially with the crazy vacuum and Dave the cat too! If you loved Louise Rennisons books this is for you!

Beautiful Ever After by Katie Piper

In this next book following Katie and her life following her horrific acid attack she tells us How she went through a struggle to find love and how her family dream of having a baby too came true as a heartbreaking fact made its self known and how she had too be strong as her mum fell ill and one of her attackers came up to appeal for parole this book is full of true life drama.

Katie is a strong and courageous woman and this next book from her sharing the next chapter in her life was truly inspiring and a great reminder to let nothing hold you back, ever.

Love Her Wild by Atticus

Poems all about Love, Her and being Wild in your joy and zest for life taking chances this collection of poetry has some of life's highest happy points as well as the lowest points of love in breaking up or choosing a new passion in life. Be warned this book is utterly truthful in what each poem speaks and is super moving and emotion drawing.

We All Dare to Dream: Stories of Heartache and Hope from Your Fertility Journeys by Izzy Judd

As a lifelong McFly fan I have started to read the guys and their wive's books at long last.

Izzy has a story like mine, diagnosed with PCOS only she recalls her struggles to become pregnant while I'm not there to try yet!

This mini book brings together other readers and band fans writing their struggle and story down in this little book to share around to help other women to know they're not alone and the struggle to become pregnant can effect any one of us in differing ways. I personally relate to a lot of the stories knowing couples still trying IVF after failed rounds, couples easily fell pregnancy and in my situation expecting to need IVF due to PCOS health issues this was an open and informative book dealing with the subject sensitively.

Royal Rebel by Carina Axelsson

In this book we meet Princess Lily of Waldenburg who goes by the alias Tiara Girl on YouTube as she wishes to be allowed to vlog but is forbidden by the royals to do so.

Instead she continues in secret in her fun self made  disguise of pink wig, sunglasses and customized outfit so no one will realise it's her!

However when the palace arrange an interview with Lily by her favourite teen magazine on the same day she secretly has an interview with them as Tiara Girl Lily must get her friend Leonie to help her not get caught!

I loved this book I feel it's like the Princess Diaries in modern times with Gossip Girl names thrown in, Lily, Waldorf becoming Waldenburg etc and it worked super well with cute royal animals and the feminist edge it was a great fun read and not long either very modern with the rise of the internet for youngsters to engage and monetise video's how they do these days!

The Dark Between The Stars by Atticus

Atticus is a poet I found on Instagram ages ago, back in my college years and this collection of poetry is for those of us who've loved and lost some loved ones especially. There's a selection of accompanying photos to add in some imagery as well as a lot of Paris inspiration to annotate the poetry which was a nice addition instead of just plain typed text on a white background.

A collection of poems that will take you on a journey of emotions for sure.

The Secret Cove In Croatia by Julie Caplin

Maddie comes from a busy house on a council estate, the first in her family to go to university were her passion for art and becoming a prope sod in a gallery artist grew.

However, needing a job her friend Nina tells her for a job going helping out cooking, cleaning Nd generally assisting on a boat her brother Nick is cruising on. So she accepts.

Nick and his model girlfriend Tara head off on holiday acting entitled and generally being very up themselves towards Maddie so do the ther guests too, Douglas, Simon, Siri and Cory.

This story was astruggle. I hate to be down on a book but my gosh, the first half I hated I can't blunt it down the action was slow didn't grip me in and the characters made me angry and want to give them all a good talking to about how to behave towards other human beings!

That being said after dnf-ing the book I did go back to try and finish it for this review and oh boy, after halfway the drama finally picks up and it's like a blooming different book. If it had started from the halfway point it would be fabulous the characters were engaging, falling into bad and lovely situations and the cove scene was extremely brief but all the same crucial to the story.

Please don't let my review put you off this book, I have loved Julie Caplin's other books, you only have to look on my blog to see that.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Two Words by Tanya Landman

When Matt and his friend Jake go on a hiking trip, they soon get into trouble when their enemy Lee comes along, Lee just might show he's not that bad, but will Jake survive?

A quick read book, all about the dangers of being around water and messing about making dates too this book took a quick sinister turn which made this a fast paced addictive read.

2AM Thoughts by Makenzie Campbell

This collection of poetry was another moving collection of various lengths these poems are no less hard hitting and relatable I particularly could relate to the wanting to escape reality as a fictional world would be better to be in at that moment for the author and I particularly feel we have all been at that point in life at sometime. I like the layout of the poems being writted at two times of Dusk and Dawn especially when I feel we all feel more strong emotionally at nights after events of the day we lived through and contemplate on it before we get to sleep. The journey we are taken on of sacrificing parts of you in a relationship and losing track of who you are and coping with the loss of the onw you loved the most and learning to carry on despite the seperation. The poems were so beautifully written I definitely recommend giving them a read very emotive and possibly will get you emotional over a loss of love and longing, you've been warned!

Explorer's Amazing Tales Of The World's Greatest Adventurers

This is a concise book all about various explorers of different gender, face and age from all over the world braving land, sea and air.

On intricately detailed illustrated pages depicting scenes of discovery and adventure, the kids have something to help being the story to life visually as well as learning their facts from this book, it is inspiring to read how many adventures have taken place over the years and some at grand elderly ages too!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Different Like Us! By Margaret Rooke

Wow what an amazing book this was extremely special as the children share such stories that show their strength and resilience at having some serious disabilities but seeing them as an extension of their personality they just get own with as another part of them, fully embracing them as part their unique character. This is the kind of book I wish growing up as a child of the 2000's we'd had, but feel so happy it is a book available now we chat way more openly about disabilities these days. I know many friends and myself living with rare and unheard of conditions that will stay with us for life who could've related to this book extremely so growing up. The maturity the children's own quotes show them to have is a great addition littered throughout the book and their stories too showing their strength of character not letting their conditions define them in any way.

Learn To Draw Disney Winnie The Pooh

Any Disney Winnie fan will enjoy getting to draw their Disney favourites as this book has clear concise diagrams to follow to be able to draw the characters successfully and get any age involved too simply brilliany easy to follow for all ages!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Diagnosed by Brenda Snow

I was drawn to this book relating to the chronic illness focus as a fellow spoonie, with life long conditions to learn to cope with them and the effects on altering your life. I do also have to add the tagline is very much true in a journey with chronic illnesses many swears are said in pain more often than not or when something goes wrong! I really enjoyed hearing how despite diagnosis it didnt define Brenda's life and she has been able to when she can enjoy it to the full despite dealing with MS/multiple sclerosis and all that entails which a friend's mum has and I have some experience on how life altering it has been for her too altering life beyond recognition before diagnosis. I also completely got the diagram of the journey a chronic illness diagnosis takes you on too which I remember going through myself as you grieve your old life before diagnosis and question how life could've been without diagnosis for the future without being dealt the hard card of chronic illness. A hard hitting but real, honest, account of dealing with and adapting to life after diagnosis I feel like I can relate too and others will do too.

Lavender For All Seasons by Paola Legarre

This was such an interesting read as someone who visited the Hunstanton Lavender farm and has some lavender plants in my garden too, I was really happy to read this book and hear about how someone's family has history of growing and nurturing the plant through generations. Learning the history and uses of the plants over the years was really interesting with surprising depth and detail about the plants, with beautiful photo's showing the plants in all their colour glory and detail it was a beautiful book in layout and design the passion the author has for the plants clear to see.

Tell Me Another Story by Emmy Marucci

This poetry collection is alike the others in the open and honest raw emotional material only this one is better than others at tackling the topic of grief and girlhood or girl culture from babies and elderly deaths, teens and the trials and tribulations of youth.

The collection of poems were easy to read, draw emotion from and relate to set out in easy to read verse format.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Ticking Off Breast Cancer by Sara Liyanage

In this honest open look into life loved with through and starving breast cancer, Sara talks us through her discovery and treatment to recovery from breast cancer complete with lists to help herself and aid is readers too along with tips on how to offer help and support to those we know suffering from cancer of any sort.

I really enjoyed Sara's way of writing this book with her worries about the uncertainty of cancer and the future she faces as well as how bravely she faced everything from fear of needles to coping with the cancer and treatment itself. I also happily read How supportive her friends and family were rallying round to help and how her young children coped super well too, I truly recommend you give this book a read.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Worry Angels by Sita Brahmachari

After her parents split up Amy has a hard time adjusting and after being home schooled too starts at Grace's art school where her aim is to adjust to moving to a proper school eventually with a bit more confidence.

While there she meets Rima and her refugee family and learns of the life and journey they've had to survive and make it to where they are now.

This was a brilliant book showing how anxiety can begin/be triggered and learning to adjust to new situations which are totally relatable to many people I liked how the girls friendship developed as the story progressed and the hopefulness the book ends on made me feel like everything would be ok for the girls now they had each other.

Nineteen by Makenzie Campbell

This is a moving collection of poetry all about love, life and moving on from past relationships. It's super relatable and heartfelt with some fantastic imagery depicted from the fewest of emotions if you read one new poetry collection this year, choose this one!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

I'll Cry If I Want To by Raquel Franco

Wow I can really relate to this book so much from the first poem openly talking about embracing being a woman, the good and seemingly bad but despite it all you are worthy attitude really spoke to me being a girl who has never fit in or lived up to so called societal expectations, it was refreshing to hear a woman writing the way I feel and know someone else out in this world too gets it. I always enjoy poetry but these poems were so moving to me and utterly relatable about life growing up as a woman and situations we go through and grow through whether we want to or not and have to confront how we feel I am sure there's something in this collection you can relate to.

Pave Your Way With Chronic Illness by Pippa Stacey

This was a wonderful book to read as someone who struggpes with multiple chronic illnesses it's often a comfort to find a book that engages you to rediscover yourself with your illness and not just let it take over and be your sole personality or identity as often can be considered to be by some people you encounter. The book encourages you to notice and remember qualities about yourself, hobbies you enjoy alongside how your illnesses do effect you undoubtedly in some way day to day. I particularly thought long and hard about the sections of how you feel being asked invasive questions as well all do over the course of our lives with illness and if it's not particularly a visible disability to some people you can face harsh judgement and feel very down over this, I know I have and reflecting back on it now I just hope it helped them educate themselves. There was a particularly handy meal plan chart as even simple things like needing our meds and making food ready to have can slip from memory until you realise it's hours later than you should have taken meds or eaten some food if in a bad flare one day, I know this has happened to me and some friends before as our brains wander on how we feel more than what we need right then. It was a nice touch to include pages of colouring and puzzles when a pain flare hits or fatigue and you feel trapped in bed it's nice if you're able enough to be able to pre occupy your mind away from how you feel and it makes for some great spoonie-friendly escapism.

For The Love Of Chocolate by Phillip Ashley Rix

This book was beautifully laid out with pictures aplenty to story the history the author has evolved of his love of chocolate, the family links to it he has and of course his own blossoming chocolate shop business. I really enjoyed hearing especially how the business has so creatively evolved with the use of social media especially during and after covid to gain more attention and custom from online. Memphis also seems to be an area rich in culture and fun businesses to be explored further too. Not forgetting Phillip's chocolate jewels as he calls them fit right in with the bright bold lights Memphis has drawing you in it seems they're a great bold fit! There's also a fabulous detailed guide into all different types of chocolate forms and the history from decades and centuries of it being made from scratch and how the plants have various nutritional gains too not just an indulgent treat but a medicinal one too at times. With inviting photography, intriguing story of the business and passion this book is clearly showing the devotion to the chocolate business and part of the industry to thrive in.

365 Days Without You by Akhira

Another beautiful selection of poetry focusing on the year after a break up between two partners. Simple well thought out sentences and verses packed with emotion of questioning why the relationship ended and why what happened did happen for them to break up or the relationship fall apart the way it did so. Gut wrenching and honest display of feelings of grief of the relationship and losing the future they had idealised too a poetry book packed full of poems you'll surely find one to relate to.

Thunder and Daisy by Mercedes Paradiso

Wow what an emotive potry book with the contrasting sides ofthe title a kin to light and dark it was certainly a journey through what felt like many different people's diffent stories of love, longing and desire with sketches added alongside the poems for more effect to visualise the poetry too. It was such a moving collection that anyone can surely find a poem that resonates with them.

Lovers Exes Soulmates by Elison Alcovendaz

From the first page this book made me feel all the feels some relatable and beautiful emotive poetry a really great collection that's heart-breaking and so cleverly written the way they're set out into three separate stages of life and romantic relations makes it easy to dip in to and get hooked reading them definitely worth a read!

No Shame by Anne Cassidy

Stacey Woods or Girl X to the press is back pursuing the conviction of her rapist Marty after his brother Harry didn't help her or stop him from raping her.

Stacey has the support of her family and Patrice her best friend as she faces the toughest time of her life yet as she faces court and her uncertain future to come.

This book was brilliant in the way it wasn't straight forward and easily dealt with in a case closed kind of way as a twist occurs and throws Stacey and her future off course. However, the story may be short but it packs punch after lunch of drama from not only her court case but the reappearance of her rapist too Anne has made another carefully crafted story here.

You Left Me On Read by Akhira

A sweet potry book, told in a mix of verse and actual text messages printed depicting a relationship between a couple in love exploring the start and growth of their relationship. I found this book a really sweet and delightful look firstly, into how a relationship can be enlightening and feel full of hope and joy and the less lovely part if a sudden fade in contact leaving the writer questioning everything and overthinking the relationship completely. A relatable and emotional read.

Handle With Care by Louisa Reid

Ruby has a baby, unexpectedly and leaving Ash her best friend shocked especially ehen the truth comes out about the baby more so, no spoilers here. It explores the hard hitting subject or teenage motherhood and all the challenges a baby in someone's life can bring up, let alone coping with raising a baby unexpectedly for both wider families involved and the mental health of a young struggling mum. There were many tough situations faced in this book written beautifully from both main character best friends perspectives as they come to terms with what the baby brings up and into their lives it was both beautiful in verse and gut wrenchingly honest and utterly gripping to me I really enjoyed exploring the worlds of Ash and Ruby and had me questioning, how would I feel in either girls situations.

Somewhere In The Sunset by Estelle Maskame

When Gracie and Luca break up out of the blue, Gracie is shocked and heartbroken after years together creating their influencer life together in their shared YouTube channel. Meanwhile, trainee police officer, Weston has found himself newly single after his girlfriend breaks up with him. After a chance meeting the two can't keep away from each other, their lives become intertwined in many fun, sweet and sometimes very serious scenes. A sweet but sexy summer read that had sizzling scenes between the couple but my word the end was breath taking, Estelle has written a cracking New Adult debut and I hope she writes many more in the years to come!