Once again, Courtney Peppernell's poetry does not disappoint. Pillow Thoughts II is the second collection of her poetry following the first Pillow Thoughts. After reading the original, I anticipated the release of Pillow Thoughts II. Peppernell's poetry is unlike any other contemporary poets I have ever read. She delivers thoughtful pieces that explore various topics, including love, heartbreak, sadness, loneliness, etc.
Additionally, the work is divided into sections, making each poem flow perfectly together and navigation throughout the book relatively easier. I particularly enjoy that feature because it's easier to locate specific poems once you fall in love with one (which, undoubtedly, you will), as well as makes it perfectly targeted to whatever you're feeling in that sitting. If you're feeling happy and in love, there's a section for that, or if you're feeling lonely and sad, there's also a chapter for that.
Her writing style is both relatable and inspiring, as well as simplistic. Sometimes I struggle with appreciating very simple poetry, however, hers is so dedicatedly crafted that I cannot help but appreciate it. It is an easy read, I think it would make a perfect beach/vacation read when you want a poetry book that is light and positive. The book itself contains such good vibes, that even while reading and definitely relating to the poems dedicated to heartbreak, I still felt a twinge of happiness and hopefulness. Peppernell manages to capture attention, inspire, motivate, and relate to readers of all kinds. I see this book as applicable to a variety of audiences, regardless of age. I love supporting an LGBT+ author, yet, she is able to write for a diverse audience, again, regardless of sexual orientation.
All in all, I would highly recommend Pillow Thoughts II if you're a fan of contemporary poetry, just getting into poetry, or are looking for a fun read. I will continue to look forward to Courtney Peppernell's future works and support her books as she truly shines in her genre.

Courtney Peppernell has put together another lovely collection of work all centered around the heart, from love to heartbreak and everything in between. I loved that the book was broken up into sections and that poems that fit the themes of those sections were placed together. I find her work relatable and easy to connect to, which is always important in poetry for me and keeps me coming back to her work. Can’t recommend her enough.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I loved this book! The emotions in the poems get you right in the heart! I can't wait to pick up a copy for myself.

One of my favorites, and easily most relatable:
You have every right to love your solitude.
Being alone doesn't always mean you are lonely.

Unfortunately, I never got the chance to read 'Pillow Thoughts I,' but now I will definitely aim to! I wholeheartedly enjoyed this collection of poetry from Courtney Peppernell. It is a collection that I could (and would) return to over and over again. There is a section of poetry for different emotions one may feel surrounding a relationship - making it a great read for heartbreak, love, and healing.

This is the first book from Courtney Peppernell I have read. I do enjoy modern poetry and liked some of her poems. I would not call all of her writings poems - they are collections of thoughts, they do not have the rhythm of a poem (this does not mean I did not like them, I did).
I think they are relatable - everyone has loved and lost in some capacity in their lives. I would recommend this collection to people who enjoy the works of contemporary poets like Rupi Kaur or Aisha Sasha John, for example.

Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Responsibility can feel heavy and growing up too,
Some moments feel like nobody understands you
What you are going through
Who to trust
Who you want to be
But in the end, all things come together
you'll see"

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest... I didn't really enjoy the first two chapters... 🙁 It all sounded so repetitive and well, uninteresting.

Only after these two chapters, the book finally got better. The poems are full of truth, hurt and love.
Some of them really touched my heart and got me thinking about my future, about my life and dreams.

Despite the second part of the book being good I still felt pretty disappointed and sad. I loved the first Pillow Thoughts book and this just didn't meet my expectations.

I love everything about Courtney's poetry, but i just liked the first book way more than the second.

Pillow Thoughts II was an amazing follow-up to an equally amazing book. Peppernell's collection of short poems and musings were very insightful, and even felt like personal advice at times. A lot of modern poetry can feel shallow or meaningless, but a lot of the ideas in Pillow Thoughts II really stood out to me, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to any of my friends.

Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another wonderful poetry book! This was the first book I read by Courtney Peppernell and I loved it! I could relate to a lot of the poems that she wrote. Poems about love and hope and healing. I can't wait for everyone to read this when it's released!

I loved this book. It was a book of poetry which I always love as long as they aren't using old English or crazy metaphors. Each poem is short and you know exactly what it is trying to say but at the same time it is able to speak to the reader and really touch them. This was titled Pillow Thoughts and I found that to be a very fitting title because I feel that lots of the poems were about someones thoughts as they were settling down to rest. At least I know of a lot of people who deal with personal matters while they try to sleep. Another thing I really enjoyed was how the poems were really short and to the point and none of them had titles so it really left it up to the readers interpretation. I found this title very similar to Beau Taplin's "Worlds of You: Poetry Prose" or the poems of Rudy Fanciscio. I liked how they were about love but not the typical love poems but loving a person with bed head and bad breath that kind of thing.I liked the different categories of love and how they all meshed together. I also feel that this is one of those books that you can pick up and read a million times and every time you will find a new emotion for the poem or a different meaning in your life. I pretty much loved everything about this book and if you like poetry books than this is one that you should read for sure. Great book I will never tire of reading it.

This is a so beautiful. It is definitely my taste of poetry. Beautiful and full of emotion. The book cover is amazing too. I definitely check author's other works.

I have become quite a fan of Courtney Peppernell’s poetry, and rate her quite highly amongst the band of instapoets. This collection is dealing with issues of love and heartbreak, and all things of the heart in between. Her poetry is relevant to men and women, straight or gay.

A warm, emotive collection with a lot of heart and spark. The simple style lends each poem a lot of potency, and the transition between sections has a tender feel to it. I found myself highlighting words and phrases on practically every page, and lost myself in the flow the more I read.

"You have every right to love your solitude
Being alone doesn’t always mean you are lonely"

The biggest thing I feel, is that in order to enjoy most poetry the reader has to find a way to relate to it. I personally found this highly relatable, and beautiful.
I picked this book up because I thought the cover was great. I know, I know- “don’t judge a book by its cover”. I sure am glad I did though, because this was a great an heartwarming read. The author connected me to so many of my own pillow thoughts. It felt nice to know I’m not alone.

A beautiful and worthy successor to the first book. One that combines readability with genuine emotion. A real winner.

While I love the premise of this collection and the idea of the jellyfish, I had a hard time connecting with 80% of the poems in this collection. The poems I didn't connect with tended to be more surface level and have a more cliche quality than the deeper, more meaningful poems.

". . . you are the castle a soul calls home . . ."

Right when I think that poem books aren't original anymore, Peppernell comes with a fresh set perfect for reading in the warmth and comfort of your pillows and blankets. Something to warm your heart and ensure a goodnight's sleep.