DROPKICKromance

DROPKICKromance was one of my most anticipated books of 2018 and it really met my expectations!

This poetry collection tells the story of a boy who endured a toxic relationship for way too long. It's hard to read because it's a story of heartbreak and it resonates. However, it also talks about healing, about learning to love and value yourself. Throughout his poems, Cyrus Parker presents a journey from a harmful relationship to a healthy one, from dishonesty and pain to trust and respect, from lies and illusions to true, sincere love.

The second part of the book is my favourite, of course, and I think that every fan of 'the princess saves herself in this one' will really appreciate reading it, because it tells the other side of the story that Lovelace writes in her book, and it's really beautiful.

Cyrus writes about heartbreak, loss, new found love and happiness in a way that touches my heart and brings a tear to my eye. I hope he continues along this writing journey, I would eat up anything he writes after reading this collection!

It is difficult to review poetry for me, but I must say: this book is full of talent and feeling. It's personal and beautiful and is going to help so many people. While I liked every poem, I didn't *love* every poem, so I cannot give it 5 stars, but I would 100% recommend this and will be on the lookout for Cyrus' next works.

I am obsessed! This cover is amazing and really sets the standard for what should be expected within the book! DROPKICKromance definitely doesnt disappoint. Each and every poem grabbed hold of my heartstrings and didnt let go until the final page! I know this will be a collection I will revisit many times.

From the first poem it was clear to see how much feeling there was in the words comprising some 178 pages of insight.

The first half of the book, about a toxic relationship that broke and was reassembled time and again, was heartbreaking because of the pain and how, even telling yourself you wouldn’t let the same thing happen to you, realizing the possibility it out there for the people we love to hurt us. Lies, betrayal, false hope, it’s all here.

There is also potential, personal growth, and finding your way to a better place. Confidence, self worth, those things exist too.



“i am mine before i am yours.”



Watching Cyrus through his poems was a journey from reliance on this past person through recovering and eventually finding a new and lasting love. The pieces that show his meeting Amanda (Lovelace, author/future wife), dealing with his ex trying to come back, and the forward movement he and Amanda share as a couple was visual, heart felt, and written so well that the words were more than that. They became tangible things I could imagine feeling myself. Some moments were more personal and hit me dead center. Being able to evoke those emotions in readers is a great skill of poets and Cyrus in particular.

As to the style of the poems, it is clear that he shares a style similar to that of Amanda. The structure and the format of the title in italics at the end rather than the beginning of the poem, will be familiar to readers of The Princess Saves Herself in This One. Each one flowed well and made consuming the book pleasant, even with the poems that were about difficult times.

Easily one of my favorite collections of the year, DROPKICKromance is a volume that everyone ought to try out, from fans of poetry to new comers unsure where to start.

Wow. This book contains more raw heart and soul than you can imagine. These poems were real and open and honest. I think Cyrus Parker definitely has a bright future as a poet, especially if he keeps it as real as he has so far. Lilting and beautiful poetry that is both sincere and relatable.

Excellent first read of 2018. Of all the poetry I've read recently, and especially the poetry of this style, during this new "insta-poetry" movement, Parker's is the strongest. His use of language is profound; though this does very much feel like a debut collection, and Parker's voice and conflicts are those of a young man, he spins metaphors and similes alike with skill and ease. Many of his comparisons caught my breath as I thought, "How? How did he?"

It helps that my favorite types of stories are young males coming of age. I've written of this bizarre inclination before (I think it takes its roots in the Faulkner novels I started out with), and this collection nestles into that very love. Parker's bildungsroman is personal, deep, and above all, relatable. I hope many give this collection a chance and feel the same admiration I do. This deserves to be in the hands of all readers.

Like Amanda Lovelace said in her forward “when he aches, you will ache. When he falls, you will fall”. This seems like an accurate summary of the emotional roller coaster this collection is.

Cyrus Parker’s debut poetry collection shows the heart ache in toxic relationships and how rewarding true love can be. Every single word he wrote is raw and relatable to the reader. Cyrus writes about a low time in his life and how he finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I loved this collection and I look forward to what Cyrus does in the future.

A beautiful poetry collection about love lost, and love found. I really liked that the second half of this is about the woman that wrote "The Princess Saves Herself in this One." I've read that poetry collection and just knowing the connection was really cool. Almost every page of this book had something beautiful written on it. I certainly enjoyed reading it.

DROPKICKromance is one of those books that makes a deep, deep impact on you and leaves you reeling with its beauty. The writing in this poetry collection is so honest and truthful that it made fall in love with it almost immediately. I think I was about 3 poems in when I decided that I loved it already. I was a little scared to move ahead after that because I didn’t want to not like it. So, I stopped myself from devouring it quickly like I wanted to, instead reading at a more leisurely pace, which I think added to my experience of the book.

Though the first half of the collection is about a relationship that the author was in for almost eight years, but which was all kinds of toxic and he realized that all too late because he thought he was in love and he believed they could make it work. That part was so heartbreaking to read because all this sad stuff kept happening and I just wanted to go inside the book and give the writer a huge, tight hug and just make him feel better.

But, then, the main romance started and I was all smiles and sighs and swoons! It was so beautiful. I absolutely fell in love with the words in this section. The way the relationship is described and the way both of them supported each other through the good and the bad is kind of inspirational. These two people are totally hashtag relationship goals. I adored their relationship so very much!

So, yes, this book is absolutely amazing and I love it and I know you will love it so please go and preorder this and then read it ASAP when it comes out because you absolutely have to do it, okay?

** I got an E-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**


I loved this one pretty much. Once I opened up the very first page, I thought that it would be my kind of book to read, and yess. it was.

There is something incredible and magical about reading someone's love story. The way authors and poets open up their lifes and hearts and turn love, heartache, happiness and suffering into words.

Cyrus wrote a story of two separate loves.

The first one is a toxic love, one of those loves that take and take until there's nothing else to give them. That kind of love is dangerous, for while toxic and hurtful it's still love, and it's so difficult to leave behind. This first part of the book was touching and moving.

The second love is a rebulding one. A love that conquers time and space, a love that isn't perfect, but it's true. This is the kind of love and happiness I find the hardest to find in print. It's a combination of the same 26 letters all other stories are made of, and somehow it's a totally different outcome. I've never felt what true love is like, but reading this made me very excited for when I do.

Overall I think this is one of those collections that will forever have a special place in my heart. I adored it and I hope you do too.

I read this in two sittings and I can't imagine giving it anything other than an absolutely perfect rating.

At this point, I feel like I'm starting to get to a place where I can write up poetry reviews with a certain amount of awareness of what else is out there. Content-wise, I've read this kind of thing before. The difficulty of a past relationship, the finding of oneself in the aftermath, and the realisation of new love.

One note on the content, though: narratively, this book honestly couldn't be put together any better than it currently is. Obviously, this is an autobiography, but just the way he's chosen to piece together these units of his life are a work of, well, poetry.

It wasn't merely content of the collection that struck me, though, it was the writing. And it was the formatting.

Formatting-wise, he was just *so* clever. You get to a point about halfway through the collection where you realise you can tell who he is writing about based on whether it is left aligned, centred, or right aligned. If I've read poetry that was as sharp as this before, I have no noticed it. In poems where he's talking about multiple people, the poem shifts from side to side. It is always readable. It is always deliberate. And I cannot overstate just how much that part of this collection floored me.

Writing-wise, nobody can deny that Cyrus is an incredibly strong writer who gets to the heart of matters. I read so much of this with my hand to my chest. I had to stop in the middle only because I was overwhelmed by such feels. That doesn't happen just from content alone. It's how you write the content, and I can already tell you I am looking forward to whatever he writes in the future.

Seeing that this collection is the first part of a DROPKICK poetry collection has truly been the best part of my day.

I wasn't sure what to expect going in to this, but the idea of a professional wrestler writing poetry was too interesting for me to resist. Parker's verses definitely reflect some of the work of his wife, Amanda Lovelace, but manage to remain his own. He's got some great allusions and turns of phrase, and in this case the simplicity of language serves him really, really well. The journey from a bad relationship full of hurt and mistrust to a new, healthy one is a familiar story and probably biased me a bit toward enjoying this collection. Despite that possibility, it's a book I will probably revisit again in the future.

2017 was the year I discovered poetry, and in 2018 nothing seems to stop me from reading new poetry collections.
I discovered Cyrus' book only recently through his Amanda Lovelace's Twitter, and ever since I only had one thought: read it. So when I found out you could request a copy of it, I jumped on the occasion.

The book starts with a few words written my Amanda, and she said something that followed me throughout my whole reading. She said “he is so talented a weaver of words that when he aches, you will ache, when he falls, you fall”. And that's exactly how I felt. You can feel every raw emotion when you read a poem, and it's not an easy task.

This collection of poems is clearly divided into two parts: the before and the after Amanda. There is no particular need for anything to notice it. From poems about abuse and an unhealthy relationship, you go to poems about meeting Amanda and the beginning of a healthy relationship that allows him to start healing.

This is Cyrus' first book, and I honestly hope he won't stop writing because his words reached me like very few manage to. So until the next one, I will definitely stay on the lookout for any news on an upcoming book.

I really enjoyed this collection of poetry. It was powerful, heartfelt, and very relatable. Cyrus Parker brings a lot of freshness to the ways he approaches his poetry, in large part (I suspect) because his background isn't in literature. I found the collection charming, heartwarming, and romantic. The only reason that it isn't getting five stars from me is because I felt like a good portion of the poetry was a bit repetitive or, at times, a bit too simplistic in comparison to his really powerful poems.
I'm definitely going to continue to follow his poetry career.

Very akin to "The Princess Saves Herself in this One." A little middle of the road, content -wise, but quite enjoyable.

Excellent poetry collection that is both heartbreaking and hopeful. A peek into life and it’s turns in the Road.

I am gutted in the best possible way. 6 years of college in a writing program couldn't get me to enjoypoetry as much as the duo of Cyrus Parker and Amanda Lovelace.

DROPKICKromance takes you on a journey of self-discovery, diving into a codependent, toxic relationship where you survive to find true love and strength. I feel like I was there, through every tumble and fall, amongst the joy and the sorrow. I'll be on the lookout for more from Parker, who is a talent and a voice to be heard.

DROPKICKromance is a poetry book that read as a story. Cyrus Parke writing is addictive. I read this in just two settings. He style is a joy that pulled me in. I bookmarked many lines because they were just that good. My favorite ones can towards the end of the book. Along with the poems about writing and books, made me feel because I can relate to the passion for words. His poems are truthful, clever wordplay and moving. His poetry is a joy to read.

Even though I knew before hand what the poems in DROPKICKromance would be about I was still somewhat in the dark as any writer could tackle these themes in many different ways.

I think Cyrus did a really great job of portraying his struggles with an abusive relationship, growing the strength to move forward and accept he can have more, and finding home within himself and his new love.

Something I really appreciated was the composition of each page. The poems that focus on the past and the previous relationship are all aligned on the left of the page.

The poems that are about him taking the steps to make a change in his life and focus on growth are aligned in the center of the page to indicate a movement towards where he's at now.

And, of course, the poems that showcase he's accepted this change, that he's grown and learning to stay more positive are aligned on the right of the page.

I've included two of my favourites below to further illustrate this composition choice. I really appreciated this design aspect!
[image 1 and image 2]
Plenty of these poems were powerful and you could feel what Cyrus felt. The one that touched me the most was when asking Amanda's father for his permission to marry her. It was perfect.

Another poem that stuck out to me is the one he wrote about Ohio. It such a powerful one and highlights, to me at least, how one place can have such different connotations for different people.
[image 3]
My heart is in Ohio. (The amount of friends I have in Ohio is growing a lot this past year. I'll be meeting 4? of them in March)

Anyway I was really impressed with this collection and I will happily read more of Cyrus' work in the future. Now off I go to pre-order a copy so it can sit next to The Princess Saves Herself in This One.

This is a poetry debut I was highly anticipating and I wasn't disappointed. A beautiful poetry collection about love lost, and love found. This was a very honest and personal story for the author, and i was able to empathize with everything he went through. He writes from the heart and I'm really looking forward to more of his work.

I wish I could read this poetry book I've been waiting for, but it's only available to read in PDF format, which my computer nor phone can open. But I've heard amazing things about it from my favorite poets, so I have no doubt Cyrus Parker wrote a stunning poetry book. Thanks for the chance, though. I'll be sure to pick it up at the local book store once it comes out. I can't wait!

What a brave, brilliant, and open collection of poems. By open I mean autopsy table exposed, I mean flayed to the bone honest. I’ve been used to reading hyper masculine poets who focuse on beer, whiskey, beautiful girls ( or boys) with the occasional deliberate glimpse of vulnerability before falling back into smug pretentiousness. THIS IS NOT THAT KIND OF MAN!
I salute you Mr Parker.

I would have loved to have seen some more wrestling metaphors intermingled with the heartbreak.
The first half is a beautifully crafted story of a love gone wrong, and a man learning to be gentler to and more forgiving of himself. But, man, do I want to know about the other half of his life, the athlete/ artist/ warrior/ performer getting into the ring for a living.


I deliberately read this book at the same time as I read Parker’s spouses 2nd collection. It was interesting to see if I could find similar rhythms.
The second half of the book focuses on the relationship between the two, and it is so beautifully intimate that it’s almost hard to read without feeling like I’m peeeking into windows. It is also just so full of simple blossoming joy. Thank you and good luck.

To the both of you, I like to imagine that your poetry journals creep down from their seperate shelves in the middle of the night to meet and mingle their pages, smearing each other’s inks, leaving little traces that you both sense in the morning.

It is definitely my favorite poetry collections from what I've read so far. I loved the fact that there was also a visual difference between the past and present. I adored the writing style. It just made me feel something.
I don't know, it just really clicked with me. I would love to read more from the author in the future!

The road between us
was fractured beyond repair
but we refused to let it
crumble away into dust,
so we tarred up the cracks
and hoped it would
be enough.


— the wound closed but the bleeding didn’t stop”



OOH LORD THIS WAS GOOOOD.
I went into this with decent expectations. I had heard about Cyrus a little bit on twitter and when I saw he was coming out with a book I got pretty interested. This was really great! I’ve been reading quite a bit of poetry lately and this stood apart from the crowd. It wasn’t too much of anything. It wasn’t over the top, preachy, whiny, lovesick. I really dig his writing. It felt different and not generic. This collection bounces from talking about breakups to falling in love again and the process in between. I really loved how this was formatted! I tend to complain about that sometimes, how it feels like it’s not a cohesive piece of work or that it’s almost confusing, but this definitely was a win for me! I loved how he wrote about heartbreak but not in a bitter way. It felt very raw and genuine and not just flat out anger (which is perfectly fine and is still good in certain books/formats). I can’t wait to read from Cyrus in the future and DEFINITELY am planning on buying this one!

I was anxiously awaiting this book from Cyrus Parker, and my wait was not in vain! Parker writers eloquently, and really pulls you in to the moment. His poetry evokes incredible emotion-reminding you of the past, of heartache and people you miss before turning around and giving you a reason to hope for the future. I especially liked " From the broken, we'll make art" #107 which really encompasses the idea that from something broken or terrible, something beautiful will come!
Parker is a fresh new voice of male poets, in a world of men obsessed with nothing but the female figure- he really shows you that it's okay to be in touch with your emotions, and I can't wait to see what comes from him next!

Once again, a poet that I don't know, but I read through this book within a night. There were many poems which rang true and which really came from the heart. I'm interested to see what else this author produces.

I don't read poetry as a rule. But I've heard a lot about DROPKICKromance and feel quite honoured to have had not only this early insight but this insight in general on the life Cyrus and Amanda have built together. It's a beautiful thing to witness and it is clearly born from a darker past. This collection of poems made my heart both soar and sink. This was a great first foray into reading poetry for me. I look forward to reading more from Parker in the future.

I decided to give this one a read after reading Amanda Lovelace's tweets about it. I read her book last year and if that was anything to go by I knew Cyrus' book was going to hit me right in the feels.

The book is seamlessly split into two sections: the first being his life before Amanda. It tells a story of abuse and pain. The second being the time after he meets Amanda, which is a true tale of love, self-discovery and healing. I felt every work in the book and actually had to give myself a little time to process what I was reading before moving on.

DROPKICKromance was raw and honest. Something I always struggle reviewing as I feel that this is someone's life. They've shared something so person, what right do I have to rate that? What I can rate though is how this book made me feel: broken, alive and hopeful.

Another thing that I love about this book is the love foreword written by Amanda. Her love and support for Cyrus is so evident that I could not help but smile!

If you're a fan of modern free-flow poetry, if you enjoy the likes of Amanda Lovelace and Rupi Kaur, then I suspect that you will love this too.

This book is a lovely collection of poems by Cyrus Parker who is the husband of Amanda Lovelace.
I have never read anything by Lovelace before, but I heard of her works before, and I am aware of her writing style. This book has that similar type of writing style with her and maybe also kind of similar with Kaur.

I enjoy this one way better than Kaur's.

I can relate to a lot of his feelings. However, I feel the sense of familiarity from it. So many contemporary poetry that talks about these topics :)
But all in all, I enjoyed it.

DROPKICKromance is a collection of autobiographical poetry about healing and learning to love again from professional-wrestler-turned-poet, Cyrus Parker.

The first half of DROPKICKromance focuses on a toxic, long-distance relationship the author was involved in for several years, while the second half focuses on his current relationship with poet Amanda Lovelace. Ultimately, the collection tells about a profound journey of healing. (via Goodreads)

I received an eARC of DROPKICKromance via Netgalley, thanks to Andrew McMeel Publishing, in exchange for an honest review.

DROPKICKromance tells Cyrus Parker's story, from its beginnings in an abusive relationship to becoming himself to finding the woman he married last year.

His wife's name will be a familiar one to poetry fans and tumblr/twitter folks as Amanda Lovelace and ladybookmad, who wrote the princess saves herself in this one and will be releasing the witch doesn't burn in this one on the same day as DROPKICKromance releases.

DROPKICKromance is a hard read in the beginning, and I had to take it a few poems at a time. However, the further you get into it, the more you really get a feel for who Parker is as a writer and as a person.

One thing I really loved about this book is that you see the changes in Parker through where the poem is on the page - they start left-justified, and move to the middle after he leaves, later moving to be right-justified when he writes about Lovelace. It goes back to being left-justified whenever he writes about his ex. I think it's a brilliant decision on the designer's part.

I think that my favorite poems from the collection were big bang theory and you are my favorite place. Thankfully both approved made me laugh out loud, and i owe my voice to you made me tear up.

I really enjoyed DROPKICKromance and look forward to whatever Parker has to offer next. I recommend picking up a copy from Amazon or Indiebound!



Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound and Amazon are affiliate links, which means that if you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money off of it.

Cyrus Parker’s debut poetry book is beautifully written and will dropkick you right in the heart with all of the feels. I have long been awaiting the day that Cyrus would finally release a poetry collection, and I was not left disappointed.

Cyrus clearly poured his heart out in this collection, and it shows on each and every page. This book managed to break my heart and put it back together, all in one sitting. So much emotion bleeds in every poem, and in the first half of the of the book you can feel all of the heartache and pain that he endured, while in the second half, you can see and feel the love brimming off of the pages.

This book encompasses everything that poetry about. Its heartbreaking. Its hopeful. Its moving. Its inspiring. It makes you feel.

The first half of this book tells the story of a toxic long distance relationship, while the second half of the book takes you on a journey of self discovery and healing, and is not only about piecing back together the pieces of a broken heart, but also about finding love again, both with self and with another.

Something that I found to be really delightful about this book is the fact that the girl who Cyrus finds his happily ever after with (aka the girl that inspired the second half of this book) is Amanda Lovelace, the author of The Princess Saves Herself In This One (Which is also an amazing book of poetry and one that you should definitely read if you haven’t yet, just saying.) Parts of this book are definitely a nod to Amanda’s book, but this book still holds its own weight, and I would have still been just as moved by the words Cyrus wrote even if I had no idea of who she was. Amanda also wrote the beautiful forward to this book, and it made it that much more touching.

Relationships are hard, and sometimes devastating, but they can also be be beautiful and magical, and Cyrus really captures all of that in this collection.

I myself have been through the pain of heartbreak, and I could relate to the pain that Cyrus expressed within this book. But I can also relate to the happiness that comes with finding love, the type of love that was described in this book, not just with another person, but also within myself.

This book was raw and beautiful, and I recommend it to anyone that is in a dark place and is in need of a reminder that happiness is out there, waiting to be found.

The prince found the princess…but he also found himself too.

I have to say, I really enjoy this book. The story took me on a journey of finding and losing love and re-finding it again all in small verses. you were able to get a dose of each process of their rediscovery. you were able to feel the heartbreak and get excited for the new love they found. you were able to relate whether it be from past experiences of love or just losing and finding yourself again.

The poet was able to keep me engrossed and wanting more of the story with each verse. I would definitely recommend it as a read.

I tendo to enjoy short poetry because I get easily distracted, but this was so good I wished a lot of the poems were longer. The hurt and longing were so raw and real I was in tears for half the book

Even though I am not the biggest fan of poetry, I knew I needed to read DROPKICKromance since Cyrus Parker is married to Amanda Lovelace, author of the princess saves herself in this one. Parker's debut poetry collections is full of healing, honesty, and vulnerability. He excellently weaves words together to create an emotional ride for the reader as he takes us through two relationships—an abusive one and a healthy one.