Love in Between

Hey there, it's Lydia here. I'm really happy to be posting on the blog again, as you can see you'll be hearing from a member of our eccentric trilogy team once a week! This week I'll be discussing Love in Between by Mercy Jane Porquez Ballesteros.

Love in Between is a collection of classic and contemporary poems. It is inspired by the works of William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe, both are my greatest influences. The short stories reveal a lot about human relationships, the concept of love, and how humans behave in it. This book will appeal to readers interested in contemporary romance and young adult fiction. It is inspired by the different emotions of love, for love manifests itself in many forms. At times, it can only be conveyed through words, exploring life’s lessons and suppressed passions. (Description from the author)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Between-Mercy-Porquez-Ballesteros-ebook/dp/B076Y56M94/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1537277078&sr=8-3&keywords=love+in+between

Before I properly begin my review, poetry is an extremely personal form, in which everyone writes and interprets in many innovative ways. Each author is credited for expressing themselves no matter of anyones judgement or opinion.

The collection of poems and short stories addresses the romantic themes of: heaven, truth, heartbreak, jealousy, Godly love and life after love. While being a sucker for romantic fiction myself I read this collection with anticipation and eagerness. The book is separated by two sections, in which poetry presents itself first and the short stories second.

The author's poetry drew me in very rapidly, with her use of creative imagery and descriptive techniques, as well as some dialogue amongst her stanzas which I found very refreshing. Her use of Shakespearean dialect created a sense of nostalgia from when I studied many of Shakespeare's sonnets during my GCSE's and A Levels. The author greatly illustrates that 21st century writers are still influenced by the works of Shakespeare. However, like all collections of fiction, not every piece will be liked. I found that some poems were very similar in style, structure and content. That while some stanza's were very complex, others were rather simplistic and monotonous. Some poems had a lyrical flow that reached a satisfying conclusion, while within others I felt slightly lost when I met its ending.

While reading the second half of the book, I was presented with a similar reaction. The author presented some interesting introductions within her six short stories; creating a setting that both looked back into some characters pasts, while they reflected on their present emotions and surroundings. However I felt that the stories focused too much on the plot and not enough on the language that would express the characters complex feelings. This presented the characters to be rather flat and static.

My two favourite poems from the book are 'Midnight Flower' and 'For once, My Knight'. Both have a beautiful Romantic style, through the use of rich pastoral imagery which represent the speakers deep emotions. Although, what I enjoyed most was how both poems explore the truthfulness of love, whether that be about the innocence and honesty of love or the lack of truth it emits.

I lastly felt that within both the poems and stories there was a rigid sense of heterosexuality. There was heavy focus on the physical features and attraction between the characters, yet, they were always between a man and woman. It would be more appealing to see a more gender neutral atmosphere, so all people of all sexualities may find their romantic experience within the language.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys getting lost within the lyrical garden of poetry and atmosphere of love.

You should also take a look at other books published by Mercy Jane Porquez Ballesteros; these include 'A Taste of Revenge' and 'Poems of Love & Short Stories', in which can all be found on Amazon. You can also find her on her website www.mjaneballesteros.com and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mjane207/.