I’ll cry if I want to is a hard hitting set of poems. Despite the relatable content, that covers numerous parts of life, the poems work more a spoken word. Regardless, I loved reading it.

A heartfelt exploration of womanhood, motherhood, mental health, and identity, this collection weaves together raw, honest reflections on life’s complexities. Through evocative poetry, it captures the joys and struggles of being biracial, the weight of grief, and the resilience found in vulnerability—offering readers a sense of solace and shared understanding.

The best way to describe this? A dainty, meandering collection of girly-girl musings on the joys and sorrows of womanhood. It’s light, but in a way that makes you feel seen. Not everything has to be deep—sometimes, a girl just wants to soak in the beauty of the everyday moments that make us who we are.

She touches on deep topics—marriage, motherhood, God, mental health, even periods—but instead of dwelling in heaviness, it feels like a gentle, grateful reflection. I loved that. As a proud girly girl myself, I absolutely ate up the appreciation and joy woven into every page.

If you're a self-proclaimed girl's girl, you’ll adore this. It’s got Barbie, Taylor Swift, and the best Lesley Gore sleepover vibes.

Thank you to the author for the cutest PR package I can’t wait to sit with these poems again.

Perfect for you if you like:
Taylor Swift
Feminine, introspective poetry with a light, reflective touch
Thoughtful musings on motherhood, marriage, faith, and mental health
A mix of gratitude, sentimentality, and everyday beauty
Cozy, feel-seen reads that don’t require emotional exhaustion
Soft, feminine aesthetics with a touch of melancholy

Similar to:
And Yet by Kate Baer
A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush (I have not read)

⚠️a couple illusions to explicit language

This book reminded me that I don't read enough poetry. I can go without poetry for months, but then suddenly a poetry collection comes along that sweeps me off my feet and reminds me that I love this!

This collection of modern poems can be read as a whole, as they are nicely connected in theme, language, and structure. But it is also the kind of poetry where you can open the book to any random page and just read, enjoy, and relate. I, for one, related very much to Raquel Franco's poems. The themes: womanhood, love in its good and bad forms, motherhood, friendship, the good days and the bad days, heartbreak, family, summer, the color pink, turning 40... It was as if these poems spoke directly to me, and I loved, loved, loved the entirety of this work. Franco's poems made me feel powerful, happy, sad, and all the feels in between.

If you haven't read poetry before but love Taylor Swift, this is a perfect entry into the world of poetry. I recommend this book to all women! I am so grateful to have stumbled upon this book, and I will buy a physical copy that I will read again and again.

I really enjoyed some of these poems, but a lot of them were just okay. Nothing really stood out to me as new or unique.

4/5 ⭐️


Thank you to NetGalley, Central Avenue Publishing, and Raquel Franco for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This feels like a collection of poems about the journey of settling. Not settling for something, but rather settling into yourself, your body, your relationship, etc. There’s a lot of good here with honest reflections on how life changes as you age, how relationships change when you add kids to the mix, your own relationship with your body, and just life as a woman. My own personal feelings on the poems were generally positive and I was able to relate to many of them, but I could have done without all of the religious aspects of many of the poems. That’s a personal choice and if I had known there was so much God-talk, I might not have requested it. I still recommend it though, hence the rating.

This is a great collection of poems around womanhood, motherhood, mental health, identity, her biracial experience and just life. She goes deep with some of them and lets us into her world. But also the joy of the above. She goes off other poems of poets, Taylor, and others that are a joy to also read. There are some religious undertones. And towards the end a little repetition happened, but overall look forward to more of Raquel’s work.

Overall, I didn’t like it. I found it extremely long, and we’re talking about poetry. Plus, "pretending", "salty tears" are words the author repeatedly uses throughout this compendium of poems, which started to feel like a loop. I would have kept the selection much shorter and removed the ones with a journaling taste. Here are the ones I enjoyed:
- Anniversary dinner
- Tell me you’re alone without telling me you’re alone: « We are pretenders wearing wedding bands »
- Things I leave behind
- Barbie girl
- Hazard signs
- No evidence

The illustrations are nice; I loved the cover and the bold title.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Raquel Franco for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was the second book I’ve read by Raquel. Her poems are well written, often relatable and enjoyable to read, I’d recommend her work to anyone who enjoys reading poetry

For fans of Kate Baer and Lyndsey Rush, Raquel Franco’s collection deals with the struggles of motherhood and womanhood with a touch of whimsy. I have seen more “serious” poets turn up their noses at this simpler, more earnest style, but I know I never would have gotten into poetry if I hadn’t had accessible poets like this to read, and I think Franco’s words will resonate with many woman and provide and entry point to poetry. Every so often she hits on the perfect image… and for the moments in between, I can’t help being delighted by the Taylor Swift references and sweet sentiments.

I'll Cry If I Want To by Raquel Franco is a beautiful poetry collection set to release next week, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Among the many short, flash-style poetry collections I've read, this one stands out for its depth and substance. These poems truly have more "meat on the bones," offering thoughtful reflections.

The collection explores themes of identity, family, friendships, love, aging, and ultimately the celebration of life. I’d definitely pick up more of her work in the future. This collection is perfect for curling up with on a cold January night, a warm cup of tea in hand, and a scented candle to set the mood.

This read like someone's Notes App.
I don't think poetry needs to be revolutionary to be touching. At the same time, I'm not interested in reading random people's Iphone Notes that sounded so deep at the moment but never got shaped into something worth sharing.
Maybe we all should start using personal diaries again and leave the world of poetry to those who have at least one friend with the guts to tell us if a thought we so need to let the world hear is, in fact, tired and uninspired. Let them be a filter. There are thousands of people out there who can express simple thoughts in a beautiful way, and this was not one of them.

I really enjoyed reading this work. As a young woman and as someone who enjoys modern poetry, I found this book to be really enjoyable. I found the Taylor Swift references to be easily understood and relatable. As someone who also has a child, I could relate at times. Some of the poems seemed a bit similar overall, but I was still enjoyed it! I would definitely recommend to my friends who enjoy this genre.

thank you to netgalley, central avenue publishing and author raquel franco for allowing me an epub of this book in exchange for an honest review and read.
personally, i didn’t like this much. it feels like another modern day poetry book with all the same tropes, and i didn’t really feel like it was done particularly strong.
the poems that shine in this collection are the nostalgic looks and i can feel the authors excitement and i really wish there was more of that. that was unique and fun. the book cover is fabulous.
thank you for the opportunity, this book comes out soon- january 21, 2025.

I really enjoyed and connected with this collection of poems. They encompass everything about womanhood, femininity, connecting with our inner feminine energy while also talking about issues that affect us and may be difficult to address. Some of my favorite poems were:

Im Done Adulting
What's In My Bag
When I Think Of Salt
Not Today
Body Love
Lost Appetite
Love And Regret
If I Lived In A House With No Mirrors
Portrait Of A Sunday
This Is Forty

"If they find you terrifying, let them be terrified"

"Decide that your reflection is not for counting flaws"

Highly recommend to everyone!

Thank you Netgalley for this wonderful ARC!

Extremely accessible, at times a bit shallow, poetry that leans heavily on the Taylor Swift fandom. These poems didn't particularly speak to me, but I think for an audience new to poetry or who are looking for something super approachable and social media friendly this might work for them.

3/5

Raquel Franco's *I’ll Cry if I Want To* is a collection of poetry that dives into the raw emotions surrounding heartbreak, healing, and empowerment. Franco's writing is undeniably evocative, capturing moments of vulnerability and resilience with a poignant simplicity.

While some pieces resonated deeply, offering a sense of connection and solace, others felt overly familiar or difficult to relate to on a personal level. The recurring themes of self-discovery and emotional independence are powerful, but at times the collection leaned heavily on universal tropes, making some poems feel less distinctive.

That said, Franco's ability to convey the messy, nonlinear nature of growth is commendable. Readers who’ve navigated heartbreak or significant change might find this book cathartic. For me, it was a mixed experience—moments of connection balanced with sections that didn’t quite land. Still, it’s worth exploring for its emotional authenticity.

I'll Cry If I Want To is a collection of poems that touches on experiences of womanhood, motherhood, marriage, mental health, grief, and the challenges of being biracial. Each poem for me offered a glimpse into the realities of the writer's life, which was reflected with honesty and a lot of emotions --- in the best way.

Throughout the collection, Raquel explores the highs and lows of existence and we are reminded to embrace our vulnerabilities and acknowledge our struggles, physically and emotionally. Within the poems and illustrations, we as readers are assured that we are not alone in our journey of finding solace in this big world..

I invite all women to read this book as it is an empowering poetry collection on femininity, love, body image, and family. I’ll Cry if I Want To is a reminder to feel all the emotions you have tucked away and the ones on the horizon. It also reminds us to embrace our body and speak kindly to it at every season of our lives.

Some of my favorite poems in this collection include:
good woman
anniversary dinner
when I think of salt
body love
baby, when you think of me
we can do it with a broken heart
lost appetite
coolest kid in the universe
breath work
made in his image
if I lived in a house with no mirrors
and FINALLY, the one that I thought was the most emotional poem
secrets to keep us safe.

Thoughts:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a lovely and broad poetry book covering a multitude of topics from childhood to motherhood, grief to growth. The illustrations are simple and pretty, placed through the book sparring but compliment the poems well, especially the flower growing from concrete.

Favourite Quote:
I knew it was just an impossible hot-pink dream. The 39-18-33 plastic doll in my small hands didn't live in my reality, There were no blonde blue-eyed, perfect girls in my vanity mirror There were no Kens walking out of a magazine to save a brown girl like me. The one thing we did have in common was that our feet weren't made to fully touch the ground. We were both dream girls who weren't allowed the privilege of wholly living

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free poetry collection.*

I'm all for intersectional books tackling feminism and womanhood but somehow this book weirded me out with the constant religious themes. I'm so sorry and if you're religious: enjoy; I mean it, but for me it wasn't really working. In general the type of poetry presented was a bit much: a lot of text, very binary sometimes. Some bits were beautiful, yes, but overall nothing touched me deeply.

2.5-3 stars

This book deserves the biggest standing ovation ever, if I could give it more than 5 stars - I would. I genuinely believe that Franco was born to write this rollercoaster ride about womanhood whilst being deliciously feminine. There are lessons I learned about motherhood, love, mental health, identity, self love, loss and relationships. I also really enjoyed the moments where Franco stood outside her perspective and captured themes of sibling hood that she say between her children.

There are so many beautiful phrasings and I would like to share a small selection of my favourites, to truly illustrate the wonder that is this book:
'We all came out wet and pink and screaming, but women were the only ones told to keep quiet' - wow

'The hostess seats us at a table smaller than the love we used to feel for each other' - did you hear that? That was the sound of Franco breaking my heart

'Shake our tears all over the living room floor like the breaking of a piñata' - wonderful simile, just wonderful

'We carved our names into nothing. My skin aches knowing all I have left is a fading film reel of your smile' - devastating

Franco's ability to tell stories through the medium of poetry is nothing short of remarkable, there was so much familiarity woven into the stanzas that I sometimes felt like these poems were apart of me too. Every aspect of womanhood was covered and still each poem was brimming with its unique personality and flavour. I think one of the themes in which Franco excels without a doubt is her talent at painting growth and development in creative and captivating ways.

Whilst my heart broke several times during the reading of this book ('I knew then he would love me then forget me, and I would love him then regret him' knocked me for six, truly), I also felt immense warmth and I think joy can be one of the hardest things to translate through poetry, but it was done so beautifully ('they always leave bread crumbs to keep me company'). My two personal favourites that captured me beyond belief were 'Baby, when you think of me' and 'A boy is just a boy' - these two poems were truly unforgettable.

My only miniature critique would be that a couple things came up in quite a few poems so lost their shimmer and impact a little (mascara/salty tears and barbie felt a tad overused). But honestly an incredible poetry book!