I wish I could sit with Iain S. Thomas for 30 minutes and just listen to him talk. About anything, or nothing, I don't care. I'd just like to get a glimpse into the mind of someone who writes such beautiful poetry that feels so extremely personal (as if he really DID write this book for me and only me!) yet be so universal at the same time. He is amazing!

What is also amazing is how much emotion he can capture in so few words. He excels at getting his point across succinctly.

Write on, Mr. Thomas! I look forward to reading anything you write!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. I loved it!!

I've read snippets of poetry from the first book by this author and found myself drawn to it, but I believe the fact I'd read the most liked and reposted poetry set me up for failure upon actually reading the book.

That being said, I still enjoyed the book and a number of the pieces resonated with me nonetheless. My favorite poem that I'd read prior was actually in this book as well, reminding me what I enjoyed so much about the authors writing.

However, on the other end of things, some of the poems just fell flat. They felt forced, or they were nothing more than a sentence that didn't have much to it in the way of poetry.

Overall, I finished the book in its entirety very quickly and a lot of the poems will remain with me (partly because I loved them, partly because I saved them to my computer, but I digress). I'm sure the poems that weren't really poetry to me resonated with someone out there and that's all that really matters.

A nice selection of poetry, although some were a bit samey after a while. I loved the addition of having photography in it!

This book is a continuation of a journey. It makes me think. It makes me feel. It even caught my breath a few times because it was so relatable.

I couldn't put it down.

I really loved the first installment of "I Wrote This For You", but wasn't as taken by this third installment. Still a lot of touching poetry/prose though for sure. Definitely recommend if you like short poetry/prose and the past work.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for a review.

This book is almost a philosophical work, the way that it brings the reader on a journey. A journey where self-discovery and wonder meet together and explode into fireworks of words and images. The pictures in the book are so vivid. First, you see the photo and then you see the words which somehow work alongside the photos. I remember being in amazement when I read the first book and thinking how much I wanted to write a book like this that would be radical in a manner of speaking.

This book and the whole series of poetry books from this author have a special place in my heart. I thoroughly enjoyed how the poetry and photos took me to a whole new world.

I think, if you’ve ever been on Tumblr, you’ve heard of these books and this author. You’ve seen eight billion different quotes; you might even possibly be able to recall them by memory simply because you’ve seen them <i>so many times</i>, not because you read the books.

There’s a reason for this, even if you’re a bit irritated to see them constantly.

Thomas is eerily good at reminding you that you’re both human and not alone in this fact. A lot of this prose and the weight they carry crawls under your skin without even really realizing it’s happened. It resonates deep inside of you and there’s something strangely exhausting about reading these feelings on paper, written by someone else, either because it strikes a strange nostalgic flint that you can’t put your finger on or because you’re painfully intimate with the emotions in front of you.

The poetry is brutally honest and unapologetic. It’s raw and it’s about love and pain and loss and the delicate but simple intricacies of being a human being with a heart too packed. And it’s all given to you without sweetness, without being dipped in honey.

Though that’s not to say that all of the poems were deep and poetic and whimsical. Some of them are eight miles off the mark. They make sense because there’s nothing inherently wrong with the sentences, but they’re about as deep as “hey, how’s the weather?” “the clouds are gray and the air is a bit brisk, I think there’s a thunderstorm coming in” which is to say they make sense, there’s a meaning behind them technically, but there’s nothing lyrical to them either. They’re kind of what I’d call ‘Tumblr deep’. They’re a bit dull and some of them come off a tad hollow, but you win some, you lose some, I suppose. And really, it might just be me. Who knows.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy this book and the weight of all its meaning. It made me nostalgic and it made me sad, but it also made me full. It made me feel validated and quiet. I shared my favorite parts with someone that carries a piece of my heart because although most of the poems imply romantic love, there are others that never specify either because love and all its many forms are a kaleidoscope.

And Thomas does well to show you this.

This is book is the 3rd one in the 'I wrote this for you' series with collection of poems along with photographs that goes with each one of it from the very best entries in the project from 2011-2015.
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Starting in 2007, I Wrote This For You is an internationally acclaimed exploration of hauntingly beautiful words, photography and emotions that's unique to each person that reads it.
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What I loved about the book is that
💕it was brutally honest
It doesn't sugar coat the reality into honey dipped poetry but gives you a reality check of how things really are.
💕The language used is simple so its easy to understand and relate to the words.
💕The concept of adding photographs made the reading much more intresting
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Overall Rating: 5/5🌟
Would definitely recommend everyone to read it.😍

This collection of poetry....resonated with me. It’s a collection of heartache, hope, Love, life, and eye opening sentences that make you feel an entirety of emotions.

Poetry is a genre I don’t read often and in all honestly don’t know much about....... however I found this to be relatable, enticing and I was immersed in the beautiful words and photography


I’m looking forward to reading the other installments as well

I like to keep up with poetry and contemporary poetry, however, this format and book did not resonate well with me. I got the book from NetGallery and was quite excited about it. While I like some of the poems, I didn't love all of them or I didn't like most of them.
It is true that poetry is very personal so it may be just that this isn't the format of poetry that I enjoy. Some people may enjoy it but I didn't.

Iain S. Thomas is a wonderful wordsmith.
I Wrote This For You and Only You is a collection of poetry about love, but not in the way that is obvious or overdone.
In the poems, love is discussed on different levels: for friends, children, life, emotion, and romantic of course.
I love the way the poetry tells a story and encourages recovery and search for love in everyday life.
I will never tire of Thomas's writing.

It is always a pleasure reading any of Iain S. Thomas' poetry books. His writing has the ability to touch the reader's heart in the most pure and breathtaking way. Every page, every poem is a small life lesson that has the ability to impact the way you think and act and, in my opinion, this is the biggest victory of this book.

Like the title suggests, this poetry collection revolves around the topic of love, but not in a cliche way. The romance depicted here has has the purest undertone and it will leave you with a nostalgic feeling. It is all about putting fear aside and subjecting yourself to potential hurt with a greater goal of being happier in the grand scheme of things.

Overall, the formatting of I Wrote This for You and Only You worked perfectly for the type of book it is and it ended up being a rather enjoyable read.