I was a huge fan of Michael Faudet's debut collection of poetry, Dirty Pretty Things, and nearly died of excitement when I saw that his follow-up was on NetGalley. I had been eagerly anticipating the release of Bitter Sweet Love and went into it with high expectations. I was not disappointed at all! It was the perfect blend of dreamy imagery, naughty thoughts and heartbreak.

Essentially this book is a continuation of his debut and expands on the themes of love, relationships and sex. It features traditional poems, free verse and short stories that really appeal to your heart. Unlike his debut, Bitter Sweet Love is more about how humans interact, rather than about sex. Of course, there are several erotic poems, but I definitely preferred his poems that explored falling in and out of love the most.
As someone who usually doesn't read poetry, Michael Faudet has a way of captivating me. It was dream-like and haunting and beautiful. It's so difficult to explain. I just don't have the ability to fully articulate how his words draw me in. All I can say is that his words speak to me on a very emotional level. There is beauty in simplicity and Mr. Faudet has mastered it.

I love this poetry book so much more than I thought I would. In his poems, Michael Faudet writes mostly about love and sex, so his poems were quite explicit and raw but I was aware of that. It was a first for me; I never read any erotic poems before but the author makes me enjoy it so much with his beautiful writing. There were short poems but also long ones that I enjoyed a little bit less. But overall I will definitely recommend this poetry book.

To Be Published on www.mandasbookcorner.wordpress.com tomorrow 10/12 :

I have a confession to make. The most contemporary my poetry reading gets is Edna St. Vincent Millay, with a dash of Allen Ginsberg.

Yet I found myself deciding to read Michael Faudet's latest collection of poetry and prose, Bitter Sweet Love, because sometimes you have to try something new. And I got a copy via NetGalley, so there was literally nothing holding me back.

And I am very glad I did read it. It's a lot more in the face than most of the poetry I read. The eroticism is up front, and isn't always hidden in metaphors. I dug it.

Because that's kind of where we are, now. And it's awesome.

This little collection was a wonderful mix of poetry, prose, short stories, sentences, words. I don't know how to describe it. I'll just say despite this seemingly eclectic mix, it flowed very well. As the title would suggest, it's all about love. Some bitter. Some sweet. I'm original, I know.

"The Boardwalk," a short story near the end of the collection, was the big stand out for me and now I want a full length novel with this concept. Basically, this guy goes into a vintage store and the owner, this crazy wonderful woman in a top hat, seduces him. She takes him through a door that leads them to 1960s Paris. She time travels and uses it to buy stock for her vintage shop. It's more magical realism than fantasy, and I adored it.

I most definitely recommend you pick this up when it comes out October 25.