Echoes Of The Heart by Marius Burger Lourens

Marius has written a beautiful trio of books around the subject of love from a male's perspective which is always wonderful to see guys picking up their pens or typing out thoughts and feelings more, this being the final book in this collection. The Ache That Stays, was one poem which did really stand out to me about love lost that's ended, even though you had imagined the future with them. I love the rythm and flow of this collection with lots of musical references too relating to the beats, tempo, rythm of hearts and love in sync, melodies and tunes ended. Lots of dramatic rise and fall, really melodic well flowing poetry, painting your mind with imagery as you read. I have to say this was easily my favourite book of the collection, I really do recommend reading the series through which I have reviewed them all on here now too!

Daily Glimmers by Bridget McNulty

This book was one I completely believe in and get behind, finding joy in everyday moments that boost your mood and uplift you amidst the busy chaos life can bring and have you live in. From simple acts as enjoying the feeling of rain and embracing the weather, writing or drawing for fun and practical, finding a love of new music genres or coffee flavours. My own example, me and my friend came up with happy socks, we usually wear all black for our work uniform but the socks we even got our work to get behind, sharing fun prints to smile and laugh over together, a bit of light in darkness whether in uniform or daily life, our own little daily glimmer and conversation/connection starter!

Affirmations For Self-Love by Zanna Keithley

This book is great if you struggle with relaxing and feeling less anxiety or stress from life, a bit of guidance in stripping back to the core values of life, even simply just appreciating being alive and breathing this book really captures the feeling that it is enough and encouraging you to listen to your mind and body and trust in how it's feeling and telling you to react to life situations you face. One particular area of the book focuses on stillness and sitting with yourself, often feeling everything we are trying to process deeply and how reflecting alone we can work through healing the emotions not just cope. Another great point about being less harsh on judging ourselves too I think we can all relate to and appreciate steps we make most of all towards goals. The pages are laid out well with various font sizings and eye catching colours, shades of pink with white and black text to be easier to stand out and read a really nice light colour pallete for the subject matter.

The Quiet Grief by Chloe Jones

This was a really tender book of poetry that explores how grief is the guest that never leaves even when you want it to, you can't change events, just treasure the memories and try to process the loss in your way, the best you can. A short collection but nonetheless deeply heartfelt.

Somewhere In Between Your Heartbeats by Christina Loizou

This collection of poetry centred a lot on self love and growth, falling in and out of love, trauma and finding peace in your self. My Home and I Want You To Be My Forever Bliss, two beautiful poems about falling in love, deep love and how you can be swept up in feeling home in them and desire the future with them. A beautiful little collection about the joy of falling in love and all that can ensue and discovering deeper self love throughout everything too.

Ice Cream And Suicide by Jack Ray

This collection was looking into how love is a blessing but can feel like a curse when it begins to falter, how people can blind you before showing their true personality and keep you as a back up option. Some stand out poems to me were: Happy Birthday! Was a stand out poem about as we grow up we realise how the world can be a dark place that we were once more shielded to, younger and naive to life's complexity's. Another poem, Self Contained, I could actually relate to, just trying to get through life as unscathed as you possibly can especially after being hurt before and just keeping to yourself. Guardian Angel, was a powerful poem about trusting others early on when meeting them and easy believing them to have good intentions and the impact of alcohol in that situation too where it can take a sinister turn. It was a great collection of poems to immerse yourself in and really feel the depth of the emotion written into each poem included.

Bae, I Wish You Knew by Shizuku T

This was a modern language based set of poetic messages exploring what can be hard to say and easier to type and send to your loved one. Through hard times, worrying times and detailing loving and adoring undertones to most messages even after what could be an argument showing the devotion to their partner they have, a raw and openly emotional collection of how even in hard times, simple messages can make such a difference in communication for positivity in a relationship to blossom.

To A Girl I Haven't Met by Zack Grey

This was a unique poetry collection exploring the ways love can come and go, leaving traces, in various ways such as, sharing song lyrics like a love language between you both. With poetry about finding or feeling at home, your mentality and physicality, ageing and coping with anxiety and nervousness. One of the final poems, I just want to be the person you think I am, was a beautiful poem hoping to find love to feel blissful and just right eventually. Each part of the book had beautifully evocative photography in black and white to accompany the poems visually inspiring us alongside the words, a well crafted collection.

I Love You More by Brandon Deem

This was such a beautiful poetry book especially using the photography to background some poems too. The collection speaks a lot about trusting and loving, the desire to be close as you can be enjoying life's most magical yet mundane to some times. I also really enjoy the way Brandon makes us think kindly of ourselves, talking to us readers, realising we're all art in our uniqueness and that's to be embraced no matter how anyone else makes us feel which is such an honest thought to be left with after finishing reading the collection, we should all always speak more kindly about ourselves.

The Void Love Made by Imani Reverie

This was a great poetry collection showing the impact love and a relationship can have on you and your life. Some of my favourite poems of this collection were: Passion, about all consuming love that is, passionate encounters and heart racing moments. Distance, about loving someone despite being far apart literally or feeling them distancing themselves emotionally which hurts as bad. Captive, about feeling so deep in love, it consumes you wanting them, even if they don't want you. Showing a relationship going from all in happy love to falling down and apart, feeling despair at the breakdown and finding vices to try cope with it, this poetry collection was honesty written in it's purest form, super emotional and deep feeling not holding back.

If She Was Mine by Wren Kline

This was a beautiful book of poetry about crushing on someone and being stuck in limerence hoping one day to get a chance and how moving on with someone else doesn't always help instead you end up comparing. I genuinely loved this whole collection so much, each poem was so heartfelt and written with deep emotion I can't choose a stand out poem but encourage you to pick up and enjoy the collection yourself!

The Little Book Of Heartache by Siobhan Quinlan

This collection is literally as the title says and discusses how heartbreak makes you feel in the aftermath. Some stand out poems of this collection to me were: Choices, was about how one person choosing another can linger leaving you longing. Bruises, was a harrowing but necessary poem about the harm the wrong one you love can do to you. I love how the collection ends on Thank You, a poem playing into the irony of how one person can make you feel grateful for all you went through to realise the good in knowing what you did go through to not hopefully go through it again in the future knowing they treated you so wrong.

Whispers Between Hearts by KD

A touching collection of poetry how love can bloom and grow especially the poem, Petals Of You, a beautiful poem describing love through growth, flowers, plants, seasons. Suagr & Soul, was a great poem, a literal sweet poem about a love and how it feels. If Time Had A Face, was a beautifully written piece about how time with your love seems to fly by quickly and you lose track of it so easily when together. It was a short collection but still so beautifully flowing and written it doesn't make it any less deep feeling.

The Woman Who Waited By The Copier by Maria T. Anderson

The final part of this series shows again through letters, lingering silence and longing including in the scents and sounds of life that comfort and ground you too. Detailing the importance of writing down your feelings to feel, appreciate and accept your deep devotion, is still important to help yourself process and accept your feelings to move on and life with easier. This series is a great reflective one if you've ever been through an unrequited crush.

Unread By Mr H by Maria T. Anderson

The book details all the feelings an unrequited crush or limerence can leave you dealing with, especially if the one you desire is already married as this book focuses on. Encouraging us to reflect on actions, unspoken words, memories shared and objects related to the one you long or desire to be closer to and how it draws on bittersweet feelings to us, maybe, even memories, even if just in work together, to reflect on and why we feel them, how the longing can feel like grieving someone who hasn't even passed away at times too. It was a great book showing the impact of a workplace, unattainable crush and how it can literally leave you feeling, crushed.

To The Man Behind The Office Door by Maria T. Anderson

This is the first book of a trio about longing or desiring to be close to someone you feel a pull or longing towards, in the case of this book, written in a series of unsent letters from a colleague about her boss. At the end of each chaper the author, Maria, asks us to reflect on the way we feel and guides us with questions to ask ourselves and answer honestly, privately, to ourselves about our own feelings if in a similar situation or just to reflect on deeper relating to the story laid out. It was a great start to this series and I like the layout of the unsent letters and reflective points at the end of each to think of too.

The Day Without You Book 3 by Maria T. Anderson

This next book in the series deals with the immediate aftermath of losing her new husband from the previous book and their journey to marriage from the first so do read those two before this one for sure to continue the story! Grief wants a place to sit with you, it's in the mundade everyday places and objects surrounding you in and around the house you shared, Maria really captures how grief exists after loss in items and moments, everyday life can feel a real challenge to adapt to and grief can consume you until you can live with it. This series is a great prose poetry story of how you can fall in love and live with the challenge grief and loss presents too.

When Grief Becomes Light Bride In Black Book 9 by Maria T. Anderson

This final book of the series captures how over months and years passing by, life can resume in a new altered way to a normal rhythm again, remembering fondly memories and honouring. Chaoter 26, about lighting remembrance candles in a church, a simple warm act of remembering and honouring the love and light that person brought, was a deeply moving part I can relate to, the years can go by but still, I light a candle in memory and probably always will in tribute. It was a wonderful conclusion to a deeply moving relatable series of how grief can affect you but how hope can still exist as time passes too.

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.

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.

For Those Who Stayed by Thomas Veins

This was a beautiful collection of poetry about appreciation for moments in life that lead people to come in to your life and leave you with a lasting impression. Some stand out poems to me were: If You Want To Write, a simple poem about as it says quite literally if you want to write and to actually do so and get inspired. Almost Zero, about the chances of each of us being here by generations of choices made making our lives all collide now. Snowdrop, was a beautiful poem alikening the strength of a flower to grow through a harsh winter to the strength in life some people willingly take on their shoulders. You Should Be Here, about moments amplifying missing someone, even the mundane everyday ones, especially those. Loving A Writer, about the depth and the different lenses that anyone who writes sees through, reading people and scenario's and situations in multiple ways compared to others. It was a great collection of poems about various people and situations we encounter in life and showing appreciation for all they have given us.

The Change: A Healing Journey by Rae Greenwood

This poetry collection focuses on the change of how losing a baby can cause you to feel and how companionship in a surprising way by in the author's instance of a pet cat and in my own a pet bunny can help you find fragile hope and help you cope after such a loss that once seemed impassable.

The Loss: A Fragile Journey (The Journey Series: A Poetry Collection Book 1) by Rae Greenwood

This was a tender collection of poetry honouring a little one lost tragically too soon, early loss or chemical pregnancy which can sound clinical, is something a lot of us can experience and this book of poems perfectly captured how a pregnancy can change your life forever, even if you never got to hold your little one.

Fragments Of Love by Saraswat Dey

This collection of poetry focuses on all the small fragments of showing love in poems displaying illustrational line drawings with each poem to annotate the idea and meaning further. The stand out poem to me was easily, Before You Fall Asleep, a simple idea but deep feeling about the tender moments shared before sleep together with your loved one. The collection perfectly captures all the ways you feel from falling in love, the tender moments, the hard goodbyes, the way love lingers in various ways in every day moments and after a relationship ends too. A great collection that absolutely suits it's title, a beautiful collection of fragments of love captured.

A Garden in the Dark: Poems of quiet strength, blooming in silence by Emory Rivers

This poetry collection is all about reconnecting to yourself after being hurt by people through life and how moving on and leaving them in the past can be freeing and healing over time for yourself. Some stand out poems to me were: The Beauty Of Solitude, a relatable poem about enjoying your own company, not being lonely but content pleasing yourself. Holding Hands With Loneliness, spoke openly of the empty space being more welcoming and comfortable than guessing how another truly feels to leave you questioning and worried over feeling content. The Mirror's Reflection, was a really relatable poem about body imagie discomfort caused by others judgement before our own appreciation for what it can do. The Roads We Didn't Take, about versions of us that could've once existed had we made different choices in life. Some heavy and powerful poems to relate to.