I was expecting much more from a book that tackles such interesting and wide-ranging themes as betrayal, love and relationship grief. Unfortunately, I found that the collection was too short and didn't explore all aspects of its subjects. In my reading, I like to discover new points of view, but here I feel it was just things that have already been said over and over again in poetic form.

After the Ashes is a raw, emotive work, unafraid of vulnerability, and displaying the unspoken but desperate pleas of a heart that has given its all only to have it misused. For anyone who is trying to find a voice for their grief about betrayal, and wonders how much worth they have if they tried futilely for so long.

These ashes burn bitter: "After the Ashes" is a quick collection of poetry focused on the painful end of a relationship.

I'm of two minds about Instagram-ready poetry—on the one hand I appreciate that it's accessible, designed to fit in a wee square and to resonate easily with many. "you smoke me out into the open with your pretty words / and promises, / then snuff me out with your lies" (loc. 52*), writes Nova. But I also tend to find myself disappointed when poetry doesn't make me work for it. I want richness of metaphor and imagery, for a poem to wrap me around its little finger and then discard me with a flick of its wrist. We get some of that metaphor and imagery here, but it's hard to dig into it and really let it spiral when so many poems are two or four or six lines long.

Stylistically, then, not a great fit for me, but will likely appeal to readers of Rupi Kaur, Claire Ellis, etc.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

*I read an ARC, and quotes may not be final.

☆☆ 3.5 stars ☆☆

"the clouds roll in, as does my grief, surprising me with a renewed lightning strike of despair and the thunderous roar of my tears."

Incredibly powerful, After the Ashes, the debut poetry collection by E.V. Nova, speaks to the soul about the hurt caused by heartbreak and betrayal, lies and mistrust. There is so much pain and regret in these words and it brought tears to my eyes as I felt the anguish in what the author has experienced.

"the light of hope can be found in the darkness of loss. we must only feel our way through it to find it."

These poems reflect on losing oneself in another but they also offered hope to move forward, to find the way out of the darkness and to believe in love once again. Even the beautiful dedication provides the strength to heal from the brokenness. Love has the power to break a person but this collection shows it's possible to rise from the ashes and reach a more positive tomorrow. These words will stay with me for a long time and I would love to read more from the author as she takes the next steps on her journey.

"you are not your self-destructive thoughts. but you are the one who’s able to destroy them."

** Special thanks to Harbor Lane Books, BookBuzz.net and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available June 13, 2023. **

You can definitely feel the pain and heartbreak that she went through in the words she wrote. I think it is relatable to anyone who has been in love with someone who turned out to not be who you thought they where or the relationship what you thought it was to them. I liked to see her transforming and coming back from the heartbreak as well. This was a nice quick read.

2.5/5✨
This, for me, started off stronger than it ended. The first sentence really hit, and there were some very powerful lines throughout this. But after awhile, the lines became littered with cliches and repetitive imagery. That being said, there were some lines that will definitely stay with me for a while.