Anatomy of Change: What It Costs to Become by M. M. Crusinberry

This new collection focuses on the cycle of renewal and change, how growth can be for better on reflection. After Winter, a great simple poem of seasonal change alike we go through times of change as humans too. It was a short collection to read easily in an evening and sit with.

Dear Self by Patience Tamarra

This was a lovely book about embracing yourself for all your flaws and feelings, positive or negative. Despite any situation, you can learn and live through it, forgive yourself and move forward and these short poems/verses will definitely help instil into your mind, things can get better and you can learn to embrace yourself better.

Carmina: not meant to explain by Janvi Shree

This book was great detailing all the thoughts and feelings of being deeply in like of someone, faking feelings to hide your true ones knowing they're unrequited and how you can be infatuated with someone and their potential you see in them. I love the title my mum is the only person I know to know Latin these days too which was a lovely touch and the verses were so deep despite being short a beautiful poetry collection.

May This Love Find me by Havilah Mae

A beautiful book rich with hope and anticipation of love. Hold My Hand and You Make Everything Better were two great poems about the joy of sharing love in evey day moments that I think many of us will really relate to. Each poem of the collection shows the beauty of love growing in everyday life moments over time together in various settings life presents us.

Too Jagged To Hold by Kristen Hornung

TW: Rape and trauma mentions. A brave collection of poetry inspired after rape and the trauma following it showing the fragility of life years on after the traumatic event occurs. The collection also looks at the cycle of life and loss, family and expectations and reality of your own situation. It was deeply moving emotive poetry and you could really immerse yourself in feeling everything as you read through the collection, especially if you know anyone who has faced trauma, it was so honest and open it really was a courageous collection to write and share and I know it will help so many survivors feel so less alone reading this, realising others do, sadly, understand the same depth of pain and trauma.

Sleep, Awaken My Soul by Nick Adigu Burke

I have to start by saying the tribute in the book deidicating it to his friend who has passed was lovely to read Elevator Of Angels, was a lovely concept poem about life after loss and imagining what could exist beyond. A Painful Truth, too about appreciating love of another though they have sadly passed away. There's longer more concept based in depth poetry included too interspersed with shorter poems still as well. It was a lovely little book and a nice way to get us thinking of life beyond death and how sleep can be a gateway to open our minds to dream of what could be.

Poetry About Nothing by Jasiel Faulkenberry

This collection was about a look into love and loss, reflections through life and the emotions and feelings we feel and embrace unlike the title, it wasn't about nothing at all it was very deep feeling. Still Into You and Manifestation were two poems about the alluring pull of love and how it can make you feel so deeply connected to the one you like or love. A short moving collection of poetry.

Love And Life Made Into Poetry by Crystal Davison

A beautiful and realistic collection of poetry in love and life, many poems spoke to me in this collection. Endless Love, about even saying I Do in marriage is not enough to show your love and dedication. Forever Mine, simple lines stating the simple fact as titled. True Love, was a poem written like a vow and beautifully tender. I Need You, about in the mundane every day life, wondering when love will happen to you. Priceless, was a poem I really relate to, how money can't buy love and how big houses can be void of emotion in the family, money isn't happiness. Damaged Goods, about trust being broken but desiring love again anyway. Waiting For You, a poem reflecting on love after loss was particulary touching how grief for someone you care so much for can alter your life forever despite you not wanting it to. It was an amazing collection summing up the full life circle of loving and losing.

Ohhh Unrequited Me by K L Harper

A collection capturing the feelings of one sided lust/love/limerance, however you want to label the situations correctly here. Close My Eyes, was a stunning poem and my favourite of the collection about the person you like being on your mind and all you see trying to sleep. A realistic collection about how it can really effect you and your life feeling so deeply for someone else and either being unsure how they feel about you back or fear finding out and opening up.

On Loneliness by The School of Life

In this book we meet various people, see their portraits and hear their stories. Many stories come from hardship, trials life has dealt them to deal with and range from isolation due to illness, losing family, friends, coming out, going to prison etc, really hard hitting issues that can turn life as you know it upside down. At the same time though, showing loneliness affects anyone and everyone no matter gender, sexuality, age it doesn't define but instils one very good point, connection can happen in real life or online, daily living a simple smile can start a conversation developing connection and we should all judge each other less.

Velvet Promises by Telby Fae

This book was a guide split in to parts, looking in to how to connect deeply with your partner in building more trust, connection and intimacy too with various detailed ideas to spark conversation, build on the connection and nurture it more deeply too. For me the poem, The First Time You Saw Me Cry, was for me a deep poem to read especially as the first time I cried in front of my boyfriend ever, I hadn't cried in years and it was like a storm crashed down and he was supportive that day I was broken after the loss of our friend and we're still strong together to this day, and I've also not cried since that day everyone who knows me knows when I cry it's deep and he proved to me when I break he has me. The book finished with some really touching and loving affirmations for self and partner shared or individual they offer deep thinking and reflection on connection and is great to both in a couple read as well and share in reading the points and get discussing.

To The Boy Who Used To Love by Ella X

This was a really relatable collection for anyone who has been through or is going through a break up. Two stand out poems to me of this collection were, Goodbye and Afraid, two short verse poems that state true facts about feeling you deserved better and afraid of not moving on even over time to come. A book that perfectly captures how a breakup can be like mourning someone still living and the stages of acceptance, regret, reflection and moving on you experience.

Hope and Humiliation: A Journey of Love by Lucy Barton

The book tells the story of Lucy and John, how deep love can feel and drowning at the same time when not fully met and felt by both people. Split between telling the story in small chapters and poetry combined it was a great read, almost like a novel and so well written only completely true sadly for Lucy what she went through in her late teens/early twenties of this trying relationship. Two Minds, was a poem I relate to so much about wondering why you don't see someone so much who's feelings don't match yours and for me captured exactly how a relationship can feel one sided and unmet emotionally by a guy, the book shows how a relationship can make you feel lesser and inadequate and if you've ever been in a draining, second guessing relationship, you will absolutely relate to this book in many parts.

Static Communication by L.Q. Murphy

This poetry collection shows us the power of words and communication between people, the main theme through the whole book about the power we hold in connecting with each other, showing us how good and bad we can feel through the emotions connections can bring us. A couple of stand out poems to me of this collection were: I Feel The Static, about a relationship stalling in progress. Trust Has Fatigued, about chances taken, feeling broken and lost amid distrust or betrayal. I really enjoyed this collection and the title especially plays well into rounding up the collection's meaning when all you want is to talk to someone and get through to them just to be met with static and how that leaves you feeling.

For The Moments We Shared by Happily Lover

A beautiful collection of verse poetry about finding love and how love unifies and guides through quiet moments of silence, imperfections as shared beauty, hand in hand embracing life together as it's journey unfolds for you. The collection had a gorgeous flow and rhyme to it too, yours in music was my favourite poem/letter in the final section of the book which rounded off the collection beautifully in my opinion.

Collide by Isaac Paredes

This poetry collection was all about the risk and joy in meeting people and allowing them space in your life if they try and make an effort back to show they appreciate you and how we all see each other better than we see or talk to ourselves. Sometimes colliding can result in bravely and honestly opening up to each other exactly as this collection captures all the feelings it brings.

Whispers Of My Soul by Kylie Adams

This was a lovely collection of deep feeling poetry. Some poems that stood out to me most were: Entangle and Love That Stays were two beautiful poems about staying through the bad times and being steady support for each other through the good and bad times. Unattainable, was a great poem summing up unrequited love or one sided limerence. A short collection speaking lots of lovely short verses of truth.

Dining with the Enemy by Winnie Nantongo

This book perfectly captures how self doubt can make you question your self worth and have you feeling low as well as dealing with depression and anxiety as well which can all too often arrive hand in hand an unwelcome trio to wreck havoc on your mind. Regrets, was such a truthful loaded poem I think everyone will find something to relate to in it about feeling the need to change to try to fit in when we shouldn't The Calm After, all about self love and embracing who we are, what we like and don't like unashamedly too really sums up how in trying to people please we can lose part pof our identity too easily too. A really great collection with many points you can relate to easily in daily life experiences.

Echoes Of You by Marius Burger Lourens

Marius has wriiten a beautiful trilogy of poetry about love, loss and grief of a relationship, this being the first book of the series. Some poems which really spoke to me: Heartbeats Between Us, was a beautiful poem about feeling in sync with your love. The Place We Called Home, was a great poem about how the home you shared feels more a haunted building, a shell that is just a house now after your love has left leaving just traces behind and a broken dream of the future that could've been. It was a really touching collection of deep feeling poetry and I'll definitely be reading the next two books as well!

Echoes of Us: Shared Memories, Love Remembered: A Journey of Love, Loss, and Reflection by Marius Burger Lourens

A great book of poetry about a couple in love and sadly, experience after their break-up too. The Echo Of Your Touch, I found a deeply moving poem about how all aspects of life without your love change from small moments daily shared to bigger moments too. The Space You Left, this one too I really felt seeing the love you had in everything you do and everywhere you go like a ghost haunting you. A Love Unfinished, aliking the end of a relationship to an unfinished book in life is so true and understandable and relatable for anyone who's experienced a loving relationship breakdown and feeling the story came to a sudden abrupt end unwantedly. A really moving collection and the second part of the series of three books currently available too which I'm working my way through reading.

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!