If you're not familiar with @maryoliversdrunkcousin on social media, respectfully, what are you doing? Lyndsay Rush brings her raw, honest, and incredibly witty prose to the printed page in her new book, "A Bit Much," set to release in September. If you haven't yet encountered her work online, you're truly missing out on a unique voice that captures the hilarity and heartache of the human experience with unparalleled authenticity.

Have I read most of these on social media? yes. Reposted them to my story? yes. Am I thrilled to finally have it in print to put on my coffee table? absofuckinglutely. Am I going to order prints for my house of my faves? you betcha.

The layout of "A Bit Much" is ingeniously crafted, grouping poems by the emotions they evoke. Each section offers a different flavor, making it easy to find exactly what you need, whether it’s a quick pick-me-up or a deep, reflective read. Rush’s talent for turning a few words into a profound statement is astonishing. Her use of metaphors, sharp sarcasm, and vividly specific examples creates a rich tapestry that feels like a conversation with your best friend, taking you from belly laughs to tears.

One of my favorite themes in the book is romantic love. Here’s a glimpse from a poem that resonated deeply with me:

"We fell in love the way I eat Doritos
slowly and then all at once
At the risk of sounding like someone who gets misty-eyed and insists,
When you know, you know
I’ll say this: I’ve never been lucky when it comes to love
But with him it didn’t feel like a gamble at all to put all of my chips on the table"

swoon. IYKYK.

I found myself wanting to highlight almost every page, eager to reflect back on Rush’s words. I can’t wait for my preordered copy to arrive. If you need to feel seen, if you're struggling with this thing called life and you want some validation that you, in fact, are not crazy and this world is quite fucked, do yourself a favor and pick this up. In Lyndsay’s own words, this book is "a million little drops of love that fill the whole cup."

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the invitation to read this eARC. I feel honored to have received it prior to publication and have no doubt this will be a bestseller. 10/10. Thank you, Lyndsay, for opening yourself up and sharing your thoughts with the world in the most poetic way. You are hot shit and put your whole ass into this; we're so lucky to have you. We’re on pins and needles to see what you come up with next.

I really enjoy a book of poems & this one did not disappoint.

I loved the titles of the poems & the way that they were grouped into collections. Sometimes i feel like poetry books can kind of bleed together but the addition of a current or desired mood at the start of every collection is something that will make this one stand out in my mind.

I find Lynday’s poetry to be really accessible and think there's something for everyone in these collections! It is clever and relatable and I left feeling very seen. I would highly recommend to anyone who may need a little push towards self-love or someone who just wants to read some amazing poetry.

thank you to St.Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the eARC

I am not a poetry reader, but Beach Reads and Bubbly posted a poem from this book called ‘A Bit Much’ and I was hooked! I truly savored this book. I forced myself to only read a couple of poems a day, otherwise I would’ve finished this in one day. The poems were funny, touching, relatable, aspirational, and wonderful. The author sells print outs of her poems, and I have already ordered some of my favorites! I can’t wait to display them, and be reminded of them constantly! This will definitely be a re read for me!

I’ve been following Lindsay Rush (aka @maryoliversdrunkcousin) for some time now. I was ecstatic to be able to read her debut collection early. It did not disappoint. Her poems have a special way of making me laugh out loud and then one page later I’m in tears. Lindsay has captured what it means to be human and female and free in the pages of this book and I can’t wait to hold a physical copy in my hand and read them again and again. For fans of Kate Baer and Joy Sullivan.

This is the best book of poetry I have read in a long time. A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush was well developed and written. I know it may be too soon to say this but she is going to be a best seller!!!

Overall, I enjoyed this poetry collection. I think it could have been pared down, but the tone and content are refreshing.

I absolutely loved both the titles of the poems themselves as well as the grouped collection of poems. The fact there was a "current or desired mood" before the collection of poems is extremely clever and the grouping was done perfectly.

The third & fourth collection were my favourites, I enjoyed what was said and I feel I related/connected to/with those the most. The remixed versions especially struck a chord with their directness to what should be taken away from the poem.

To quote Lyndsay, "I don't write the rules, I just write poems" and she definitely did! There is definitely something for everyone in this collection of poems, whether you are used to poetry or not!

Thank you to NetGalley & St.Martins Press for the invitation to read this eARC.

What a joyful, healing, life-affirming collection of poems—Mary Oliver's Drunk Cousin is absolutely right. All the soul of the original, with a modern irreverence. I can't wait to buy a copy for everyone I love (and for myself).

Loved this book of poems. I’ve already found myself recommending this to friends and planning on purchasing copies for gifts!

These poems won’t be the poems you brag about reading to your most snobby literary acquaintances or ones you’ll share to impress someone new at a party (sounds like an awful party, tbh).

But these are the poems you’ll share with *your people* because these poems feel like “I see you” love letters and the “f*ck yeses” (f*ck YAASSSS) that they might need. Individually great, but the effect of them together feels empowering, encouraging, and like that friend who stands up for you against that bully (life?). Poems that let you know you’re not alone in that one thing presented in a way that feels like you are chatting with a profound succinct best friend.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

"A Bit Much "? Not at all! How could you not go for someone who calla herself "mary Oliver's drunk cousin "?
Favorite line "cloudy with a chance of what the f*#k."

This book is so playful! It has lines like "I guess when you're mama's mama and her mama grew up on the same street, maybe it's not as much closed minded as close minded--a bunch of pecans that fell from the same tree" and for context, it starts by saying that 'pecans fall from the trees when they're ripe.' The use of sarcasm and metaphors is refreshing throughout the book.

What an absolutely amazing book of poems from Lyndsay Rush. I was not familiar with her Instagram fame or writing before reading this so I came into it with no preconceived notions. It was overall wonderfully written. From the fresh imagery to the creative line breaks to the effortless way she uses the ordinary to create a deep feeling, Rush's poetry had me captivated. I went from poem to poem feeling bad-ass feminist energy, deep sadness about grief, laugh-out-loud giggles and so much more. I absolutely loved and it hope for more from Rush in the future. A must-read for fans of Kate Baer and Rupi Kaur.

This was excellent & I am inspired

My favorite section was the first, the one about love and I read all of them multiple times because I wanted to just soak them in. Thankful that creative humans are brave enough to write poetry and share it with the world. Thank you, thank you

This book had me filled with emotions I was laughing, crying and at the end really enjoyed this book. The poems were so well written.

There are a few poems in this collection that I really love. Lyndsay knows how to craft an impactful turn of phrase. She certainly has more to say than someone like Rupi Kaur, who I find insufferable almost all the time. But there were still some moments where I was asking myself, "am I reading a poem right now or just a sentence with line breaks?" which is basically the curse of poetry in the age of social media. I didn't hate this by any means, but it was not quite to my taste. In any case, as a follower of her Instagram page, I'm happy that Lyndsay got published and I hope she continues to write!

I had read a bit of Lyndsay Rush's poetry on her Instagram page, @maryoliversdrunkcousin, but I had not spent much more time with her words than a passing glance. Reading all of her poetry at once felt lush and luxurious, like wearing a cashmere blanket on a cozy Crate and Barrel couch with an expensive Le Labo candle burning in the corner.

Rush understands life. She understands words. She's creating words and worlds to hold onto without contrived turns of phrases. This is a must-read for any millennial woman, parent or not.

WOW! This is an amazing poetry collection! Every poem was well written and the way the collection was split up into sections is so creative. If you're feeling a specific mood, then flip to one of the sections stating a mood that aligns with you and BAM you have the perfect poems for your current vibes.

For fans of Amanda Loveless ('The Princess Saves Herself In This One') and Sophie Dieter ('Someone Somewhere Maybe'), Lyndsay Rush's poetry collection 'A Bit Much' is right up your alley! I am truly impressed with this book and will be trading my e-book for a physical copy pretty darn soon!

A warm hug of feminist rage. I basically underlined the entire book. Funny, thought provoking, one I will certainly purchase and come back to the ebook again and again.

I’ve been a fan of Lyndsay Rush for a long while, and am thrilled to see her work being published in book format. Her writing deserves to leave the computer screen. I enjoy the way this book is divided and the poems are categorized. I recommend A Bit Much to modern poetry lovers and those in need of a boost of joy.

I rate this book 5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley for making a copy of this book available for my review.