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Poetry by Dead Men
Giving him a second chance could end in tragedy…
Or become the greatest love story ever written.
For most writers, landing an exclusive feature on elusive rock star Robert Beckett’s upcoming tour would be a dream come true. Not for Beth Winters. Not when that rockstar is the man who shattered her poet heart into jaded, irreparable pieces.
It took Beth years to get over their breakup, but finally, she’s moved on. She's engaged to Harrison—a lawyer who, on paper at least, is perfect. Maybe it’s not the earth-shattering romance she once dreamed of, but she’s happy enough. And more importantly, her heart is safe.
Or…it was. From the moment Beth steps foot on the bus, her chemistry with Robert is as undeniable as ever, and watching him perform their love songs both hurts and heals her heart in equal measure. As the clock ticks down on the end of the tour, Beth is forced to confront the truth about their long-ago break up and decide if happy enough is really enough, or if it’s worth risking everything for a chance to rewrite her last chapter with Bobby.
But love isn't the only thing on the line.
When an accident leaves both men’s lives hanging in the balance, Beth must fight for her story to finally have a happy ending.
This time, one where love conquers all.
Even death.
Perfect for fans of second chances, soulmates, and swoony, slow-burn love stories that break your heart and put it back together again.
Or become the greatest love story ever written.
For most writers, landing an exclusive feature on elusive rock star Robert Beckett’s upcoming tour would be a dream come true. Not for Beth Winters. Not when that rockstar is the man who shattered her poet heart into jaded, irreparable pieces.
It took Beth years to get over their breakup, but finally, she’s moved on. She's engaged to Harrison—a lawyer who, on paper at least, is perfect. Maybe it’s not the earth-shattering romance she once dreamed of, but she’s happy enough. And more importantly, her heart is safe.
Or…it was. From the moment Beth steps foot on the bus, her chemistry with Robert is as undeniable as ever, and watching him perform their love songs both hurts and heals her heart in equal measure. As the clock ticks down on the end of the tour, Beth is forced to confront the truth about their long-ago break up and decide if happy enough is really enough, or if it’s worth risking everything for a chance to rewrite her last chapter with Bobby.
But love isn't the only thing on the line.
When an accident leaves both men’s lives hanging in the balance, Beth must fight for her story to finally have a happy ending.
This time, one where love conquers all.
Even death.
Perfect for fans of second chances, soulmates, and swoony, slow-burn love stories that break your heart and put it back together again.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 10, 2025
48 people are currently reading
765 people want to read
About the author
Megan Shade
4 books201 followersMegan Shade is a romance and fantasy romance author from Tennessee. Megan is a mother of four, including toddler triplets, and a voracious reader of fantasy, romance, and thrillers. In her writing, Megan enjoys writing flawed characters who grow throughout their stories, strong friendships and found family, and anything with a bit of magic in it.
Connect with her on socials @meganshadeauthor on tiktok and instagram.
Connect with her on socials @meganshadeauthor on tiktok and instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
June 27, 2025
I don’t say this lightly that this is the best rockstar romance I’ve ever read, and one of my favorite books of the year so far.
This is not just a love story between Bobby and Beth, but an exploration of challenges often faced over the course of a lifetime. The author wove together so many stories of both the main and side characters beautifully. The dual timeline was used perfectly for emotional impact as you read.
I loved the poems and song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter and the meaning they added to the story. Please check the trigger warnings before readings as this book touches on some heavy topics.
The author did an incredible job portraying an abusive relationship and how it manipulates the thoughts of the victim. Beth’s relationship with Bobby was the opposite end of the spectrum, where he almost went too far to make sure she didn’t sacrifice for the relationship.
I adored all of the side characters (except Harrison obviously). I would love to see a book featuring Johnny & Molly, as some hints were dropped!
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵? 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦.
𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲:
✨ second chance romance
✨ dual timelines
✨ strong female friendships
✨ he’ll wait forever for her
✨ all the yearning
✨ rockstar romance
✨ break your heart and put it back together
✨ right person/wrong time
✨ forced proximity
Thank you to the author and The Nerd Fam for providing me with a copy of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.
This is not just a love story between Bobby and Beth, but an exploration of challenges often faced over the course of a lifetime. The author wove together so many stories of both the main and side characters beautifully. The dual timeline was used perfectly for emotional impact as you read.
I loved the poems and song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter and the meaning they added to the story. Please check the trigger warnings before readings as this book touches on some heavy topics.
The author did an incredible job portraying an abusive relationship and how it manipulates the thoughts of the victim. Beth’s relationship with Bobby was the opposite end of the spectrum, where he almost went too far to make sure she didn’t sacrifice for the relationship.
I adored all of the side characters (except Harrison obviously). I would love to see a book featuring Johnny & Molly, as some hints were dropped!
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵? 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦.
𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲:
✨ second chance romance
✨ dual timelines
✨ strong female friendships
✨ he’ll wait forever for her
✨ all the yearning
✨ rockstar romance
✨ break your heart and put it back together
✨ right person/wrong time
✨ forced proximity
Thank you to the author and The Nerd Fam for providing me with a copy of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.
July 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 Stars
Let me start by saying I went back and forth between a 3.75 and a 4. I did enjoy this book overall, especially the plot, but I found myself getting frustrated with the FMC, Beth, at several points throughout the story. Some of her decisions left me wanting to reach into the book and shake her.
That said, the plot really delivered. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance, especially when it’s centered around the idea of soulmates. Bobby (Robert) was clearly her soulmate, and it was tough to watch her try to convince herself to settle for someone she thought was the “right” choice, even when all the signs said otherwise.
The way Beth and Bobby reconnected after so many years felt so natural, like no time had passed. The use of past and present chapters really helped build their love story and made it clear why that connection never truly faded.
Yes, there was some miscommunication in their past that made me roll my eyes a bit, but they were young, and that kind of thing happens. And let’s talk about the ending. It was totally wild, but it worked. Everything came full circle in the best way.
A great emotional read with a satisfying payoff, even if the main character tested my patience a few times.
Let me start by saying I went back and forth between a 3.75 and a 4. I did enjoy this book overall, especially the plot, but I found myself getting frustrated with the FMC, Beth, at several points throughout the story. Some of her decisions left me wanting to reach into the book and shake her.
That said, the plot really delivered. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance, especially when it’s centered around the idea of soulmates. Bobby (Robert) was clearly her soulmate, and it was tough to watch her try to convince herself to settle for someone she thought was the “right” choice, even when all the signs said otherwise.
The way Beth and Bobby reconnected after so many years felt so natural, like no time had passed. The use of past and present chapters really helped build their love story and made it clear why that connection never truly faded.
Yes, there was some miscommunication in their past that made me roll my eyes a bit, but they were young, and that kind of thing happens. And let’s talk about the ending. It was totally wild, but it worked. Everything came full circle in the best way.
A great emotional read with a satisfying payoff, even if the main character tested my patience a few times.
September 21, 2025
4.5 ★ don’t let the beautiful cover fool you, this book is absolutely devastating
July 3, 2025
Beth comes from money, and her life planned out for her by her parents and their standards. Until she sees this boy in a coffee shop. Bobby, a song writer and a musician who falls for a girl he thinks is out of his league.
This love story is so good. I could not put the book down. You are rooting for Beth and Bobby, you will cry, scream, and want to throw the books at part. But it’s such a beautiful love story.
This love story is so good. I could not put the book down. You are rooting for Beth and Bobby, you will cry, scream, and want to throw the books at part. But it’s such a beautiful love story.
June 22, 2025
Trigger Warnings:
- DV (Not by the MMC)
- Childhood Cancer
- Death of a Child (not on page)
- Hospital Scenes
Tropes:
- Second Chance Romance
- Rockstar Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Dual Timelines
- Touch her and Die
Review:
This book will absolutely wreck you, and yes you need to read it. Poetry of Dead Men is so beautifully raw. It brought out such a range of emotions, out tears, laughter and anger. I didn't realize that this book would be so heavy, but it was heavy in the best way possible.
Robert Beckett is sweet and patient. He cares about Beth and is desperate to explain the misunderstanding of their past. Granted, when Beth says she isn't ready to listen to his story he relents and waits until she is ready. He doesn't push her past her comfort zone and accepts her just as she is. He yearns for her and I felt it in my own soul, watching as he waits for her to be ready for him.
Harrison. I love to hate Harrison. He is the worst of the worst. A Narcissist who only thinks about what others can bring him, including his wife. He has chipped away at Beth slowly over the years, molding her into who he wants her to be. I felt like the author does an accurate job at portraying DV. It wasn't necessarily fists swinging. It was the way that he uses his words to manipulate and cause her to doubt herself. It is a breakout moment of anger followed by a promise to see his therapist, though that appointment is conveniently cancelled. It was the way that he forced Beth into a situation she never wanted to be in, followed by questioning her every move in that very situation. Beth's journey through this situation is awe-inspiring. As someone who has been in a DV situation, I can attest that her growth was hard and that she had to fight for it. She sees the problems but explains them away because of her past. giving him chance after chance. Every time she makes the decision to start questioning, he love bombs her and sows doubt. Watching her wade through every relapse called back to my own escape, and I felt seen.
The book is rounded out by the side characters. Johnny is Bobby's best friend though it's clear that he loves Beth just as much. He pushes Bobby's buttons and brings light into the darkness via banter and humor. He looks out for Bobby just as much as he does Beth. Molly is Beth's best friend, who had been there from the beginning of the story. She is so protective of Beth, even if it's from herself. I wish I had a friend like Molly. Patrick is Bobby's bus driver but it's clear that he is a father figure in his life. When Beth comes back into the frey, he welcomes her as if it hadn't been six years since she was last there. He wants nothing more for her than for her to be happy and protected and loved.
I need some time to get over this book. It wasn't what I expected it to be and I mean that in the best way. Thank you to Nerdfam for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
- DV (Not by the MMC)
- Childhood Cancer
- Death of a Child (not on page)
- Hospital Scenes
Tropes:
- Second Chance Romance
- Rockstar Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Dual Timelines
- Touch her and Die
Review:
This book will absolutely wreck you, and yes you need to read it. Poetry of Dead Men is so beautifully raw. It brought out such a range of emotions, out tears, laughter and anger. I didn't realize that this book would be so heavy, but it was heavy in the best way possible.
Robert Beckett is sweet and patient. He cares about Beth and is desperate to explain the misunderstanding of their past. Granted, when Beth says she isn't ready to listen to his story he relents and waits until she is ready. He doesn't push her past her comfort zone and accepts her just as she is. He yearns for her and I felt it in my own soul, watching as he waits for her to be ready for him.
Harrison. I love to hate Harrison. He is the worst of the worst. A Narcissist who only thinks about what others can bring him, including his wife. He has chipped away at Beth slowly over the years, molding her into who he wants her to be. I felt like the author does an accurate job at portraying DV. It wasn't necessarily fists swinging. It was the way that he uses his words to manipulate and cause her to doubt herself. It is a breakout moment of anger followed by a promise to see his therapist, though that appointment is conveniently cancelled. It was the way that he forced Beth into a situation she never wanted to be in, followed by questioning her every move in that very situation. Beth's journey through this situation is awe-inspiring. As someone who has been in a DV situation, I can attest that her growth was hard and that she had to fight for it. She sees the problems but explains them away because of her past. giving him chance after chance. Every time she makes the decision to start questioning, he love bombs her and sows doubt. Watching her wade through every relapse called back to my own escape, and I felt seen.
The book is rounded out by the side characters. Johnny is Bobby's best friend though it's clear that he loves Beth just as much. He pushes Bobby's buttons and brings light into the darkness via banter and humor. He looks out for Bobby just as much as he does Beth. Molly is Beth's best friend, who had been there from the beginning of the story. She is so protective of Beth, even if it's from herself. I wish I had a friend like Molly. Patrick is Bobby's bus driver but it's clear that he is a father figure in his life. When Beth comes back into the frey, he welcomes her as if it hadn't been six years since she was last there. He wants nothing more for her than for her to be happy and protected and loved.
I need some time to get over this book. It wasn't what I expected it to be and I mean that in the best way. Thank you to Nerdfam for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
June 30, 2025
4.5
I had no idea what this book was about outside of it being a rockstar romance. This was an amazing story! I had tears in my eyes in some parts. I love Bobby so much. I highly recommend you read this! Funny the way life works out in the end.
I had no idea what this book was about outside of it being a rockstar romance. This was an amazing story! I had tears in my eyes in some parts. I love Bobby so much. I highly recommend you read this! Funny the way life works out in the end.
June 21, 2025
Love, love, loved this book! I couldn’t put it down! The way Megan writes is just amazing. I love how she’s able to get you to connect with the characters on a deep level. This story was just perfect. You get past, present and ALLLL the feels.
June 30, 2025
Thank you to Tales & Teacups for an advanced copy of this book and for including me in the ebook tour!
Trigger warnings: physical, verbal and emotional abuse from a romantic partner (not MMC) and mentions of childhood cancer.
For most writers, landing an exclusive feature on elusive rock star Robert Beckett’s upcoming tour would be a dream come true. Not for Beth Winters. Not when that rockstar is the man who shattered her poet heart into jaded, irreparable pieces. It took Beth years to get over their breakup, but finally, she’s moved on. She's engaged to Harrison—a lawyer who, on paper at least, is perfect. Maybe it’s not the earth-shattering romance she once dreamed of, but she’s happy enough. And more importantly, her heart is safe. Or…it was. From the moment Beth steps foot on the bus, her chemistry with Robert is as undeniable as ever, and watching him perform their love songs both hurts and heals her heart in equal measure. As the clock ticks down on the end of the tour, Beth is forced to confront the truth about their long-ago break up and decide if happy enough is really enough, or if it’s worth risking everything for a chance to rewrite her last chapter with Bobby. But love isn't the only thing on the line. When an accident leaves both men’s lives hanging in the balance, Beth must fight for her story to finally have a happy ending.
Beth is hopeful and does her best to see the positives. Despite a relationship that pops up red flags, she doesn’t want to experience the heartbreak that consumed her years ago. I absolutely adored Beth. Her creativity made her so relatable to me because I could completely understand the feeling of having these words inside you but the people you’re surrounded with not being supportive - unless it benefits them. I really enjoyed going on this journey with her because there was this element of rawness throughout that just spoke to me and enraptured me. Seeing her inner strength grow was absolute perfection.
Bobby may seem like this super glamorous rock star, untouchable and unrelatable. But he is the total opposite of that. He is kind, compassionate, incredibly caring and an all round teddy bear. It was great seeing a male main character being unapologetically open and vulnerable. All too often, we see it closer to the end of stories but from the very beginning, Bobby was unguarded and intriguing. I would have killed to see some things from his perspective but the fact we got to see a young man being emotional was fantastic. His ability to be a calm and grounding presence is exactly what Beth needed at times and to see him offer that numerous times with nothing expected in return? Absolute perfection.
When the opportunity to be on the ebook tour came around, I couldn’t not apply. The synopsis drew me in and I just knew I needed to read this book. So, you can imagine how loud my squeal was when I saw I’d been accepted! I knew this wouldn’t be a disappointment and I was so right! The plot is absolutely fantastic. It swept me away from the very beginning and I could scarcely put the book down. There was this fantastic flow that kept things moving and even with the chapters flitting between past and present, no momentum was lost. Just brilliant! There aren’t a huge amount of characters involved in this story but it really worked for what takes place. I liked that the predominant focus remained on the main duo but we also got to see how their interactions with others impacted them, triggering events that followed. They were all expertly crafted and I couldn’t fault a single one. The romance here was EVERYTHING! It was so well balanced between the angst, the soft, the sweet, the heartbreak, the frustration… All of it, from start to finish, drew me in. How could I be anything but invested? Spice wise, it’s very mild here but it works for it to only be a small feature. The focus of this story is not for the characters to appease any lust driven brains. It’s to explore emotions and create new starts. The ending had me absolutely bawling my eyes out. I didn’t think I could feel more emotion from this book and I was completely proven wrong! What a perfect ending to this story. Shade, bravo bravo bravo!
Overall, Poetry by Dead Men is a stunning book that EVERYONE needs to read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you again to Tales & Teacups for an advanced copy of this book.
Trigger warnings: physical, verbal and emotional abuse from a romantic partner (not MMC) and mentions of childhood cancer.
For most writers, landing an exclusive feature on elusive rock star Robert Beckett’s upcoming tour would be a dream come true. Not for Beth Winters. Not when that rockstar is the man who shattered her poet heart into jaded, irreparable pieces. It took Beth years to get over their breakup, but finally, she’s moved on. She's engaged to Harrison—a lawyer who, on paper at least, is perfect. Maybe it’s not the earth-shattering romance she once dreamed of, but she’s happy enough. And more importantly, her heart is safe. Or…it was. From the moment Beth steps foot on the bus, her chemistry with Robert is as undeniable as ever, and watching him perform their love songs both hurts and heals her heart in equal measure. As the clock ticks down on the end of the tour, Beth is forced to confront the truth about their long-ago break up and decide if happy enough is really enough, or if it’s worth risking everything for a chance to rewrite her last chapter with Bobby. But love isn't the only thing on the line. When an accident leaves both men’s lives hanging in the balance, Beth must fight for her story to finally have a happy ending.
Beth is hopeful and does her best to see the positives. Despite a relationship that pops up red flags, she doesn’t want to experience the heartbreak that consumed her years ago. I absolutely adored Beth. Her creativity made her so relatable to me because I could completely understand the feeling of having these words inside you but the people you’re surrounded with not being supportive - unless it benefits them. I really enjoyed going on this journey with her because there was this element of rawness throughout that just spoke to me and enraptured me. Seeing her inner strength grow was absolute perfection.
Bobby may seem like this super glamorous rock star, untouchable and unrelatable. But he is the total opposite of that. He is kind, compassionate, incredibly caring and an all round teddy bear. It was great seeing a male main character being unapologetically open and vulnerable. All too often, we see it closer to the end of stories but from the very beginning, Bobby was unguarded and intriguing. I would have killed to see some things from his perspective but the fact we got to see a young man being emotional was fantastic. His ability to be a calm and grounding presence is exactly what Beth needed at times and to see him offer that numerous times with nothing expected in return? Absolute perfection.
When the opportunity to be on the ebook tour came around, I couldn’t not apply. The synopsis drew me in and I just knew I needed to read this book. So, you can imagine how loud my squeal was when I saw I’d been accepted! I knew this wouldn’t be a disappointment and I was so right! The plot is absolutely fantastic. It swept me away from the very beginning and I could scarcely put the book down. There was this fantastic flow that kept things moving and even with the chapters flitting between past and present, no momentum was lost. Just brilliant! There aren’t a huge amount of characters involved in this story but it really worked for what takes place. I liked that the predominant focus remained on the main duo but we also got to see how their interactions with others impacted them, triggering events that followed. They were all expertly crafted and I couldn’t fault a single one. The romance here was EVERYTHING! It was so well balanced between the angst, the soft, the sweet, the heartbreak, the frustration… All of it, from start to finish, drew me in. How could I be anything but invested? Spice wise, it’s very mild here but it works for it to only be a small feature. The focus of this story is not for the characters to appease any lust driven brains. It’s to explore emotions and create new starts. The ending had me absolutely bawling my eyes out. I didn’t think I could feel more emotion from this book and I was completely proven wrong! What a perfect ending to this story. Shade, bravo bravo bravo!
Overall, Poetry by Dead Men is a stunning book that EVERYONE needs to read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you again to Tales & Teacups for an advanced copy of this book.
July 3, 2025
Poetry By Dead Men - Where do I even start?
It is a love story - yes.
A second chance romance of epic proportions. An all consuming, written in the stars kind of love that everyone dreams of even witnessing.
Beth is such a strong and resilient female lead that goes through so many challenges in love and life with poise and never looses her spark.
She is a fighter and her journey is realistic and inspiring and invokes emotions I didn’t know I had.
Bobby is such a captivating MMC. Possessing traits that women swoon over every time 🫠
He is passionate, attentive, patient, protective, loyal, emotionally intelligent and loves with everything he has.
Poetry By Dead Men is also a story about self discovery, about strong friendships and found family, about strength and compassion and forgiveness.
It only took a few pages to fall in love with Megan’s lyrical writing style and attention to the smallest of details.
30 pages for tears to be flowing down my face and to know it was a story that I would want to read over and over again.
The parallels between the past and present chapters were heartbreaking and yet heartwarming at the same time. I lost count of the amount of times I had tears flowing freely for every emotion 😭💔🥹
A big thankyou to Megan for not leaving me broken though - piece by piece she put me back together and healed a part of me that I didn’t even realise was damaged ❤️🩹
It is a love story - yes.
A second chance romance of epic proportions. An all consuming, written in the stars kind of love that everyone dreams of even witnessing.
Beth is such a strong and resilient female lead that goes through so many challenges in love and life with poise and never looses her spark.
She is a fighter and her journey is realistic and inspiring and invokes emotions I didn’t know I had.
Bobby is such a captivating MMC. Possessing traits that women swoon over every time 🫠
He is passionate, attentive, patient, protective, loyal, emotionally intelligent and loves with everything he has.
Poetry By Dead Men is also a story about self discovery, about strong friendships and found family, about strength and compassion and forgiveness.
It only took a few pages to fall in love with Megan’s lyrical writing style and attention to the smallest of details.
30 pages for tears to be flowing down my face and to know it was a story that I would want to read over and over again.
The parallels between the past and present chapters were heartbreaking and yet heartwarming at the same time. I lost count of the amount of times I had tears flowing freely for every emotion 😭💔🥹
A big thankyou to Megan for not leaving me broken though - piece by piece she put me back together and healed a part of me that I didn’t even realise was damaged ❤️🩹
June 16, 2025
Triggers: this story contains DV (not by MMC) and a side character whose little brother has childhood cancer.
You have got to read this book — but be warned, it will absolutely gut you. Poetry of Dead Men is a raw, aching masterpiece that had me awww-ing, crying, swearing, and wanting to throw my Kindle across the room for Harrison, and hug my kindle to protect Beth. I’m not even joking when I say I nearly threw my Kindle more than once. There’s so much emotional weight packed into these pages.
First off — Harrison. The sheer loathing I had for this man… it was personal. You watch the slow, insidious destruction of Beth’s sense of self, and it’s like you can feel every bruise, every manipulative word, every time she doubted herself because of him. It’s not just physical, it’s psychological, and it chips away at her in such a quiet, creeping way that it’s terrifyingly real.
The way DV is portrayed isn’t flashy or dramatised — it’s lived-in, bone-deep, and painfully accurate. And yet… even in the middle of all that darkness, there is strength. Beth’s growth is staggering. It’s not a neat, clean journey. There are relapses, moments of doubt, times she doesn’t even believe she deserves anything more — but my god, does she fight. And I loved her for every single second of it.
And then there’s the MMC Bobby BECKET!!!
Sweet, patient, kind ROCKSTAR Bobby — who made me ache with how he was with Beth, how he loved her in the quiet. The yearning in this book is unreal. It’s not just surface-level attraction — it’s this soul-deep want, wrapped in all the things they’re too afraid to say. It’s such a beautiful, painful dance of missed timings and unsaid truths that had me screaming internally.
And let’s not forget the side characters. Johnny you need a friend like Johnny I love when side characters bring some humour and are a little goofy but Johnny what a friend to have the way he protected them both - that is a MAN right there! Even Patrick’s who gave me a surrogate dad vibe for Beth, a warm comforting presence — like Beth finally has people who see her and want nothing but the best for her. And Molly — oh, Molly — the soulmate kind of best friend we all need!!
This book took me on a full-blown emotional rollercoaster feeling everything and nothing all at once. Megan Shade doesn’t just write romance — she writes survival, she writes healing, and she writes love that’s earned the hard way. I need a minute to recover...
You have got to read this book — but be warned, it will absolutely gut you. Poetry of Dead Men is a raw, aching masterpiece that had me awww-ing, crying, swearing, and wanting to throw my Kindle across the room for Harrison, and hug my kindle to protect Beth. I’m not even joking when I say I nearly threw my Kindle more than once. There’s so much emotional weight packed into these pages.
First off — Harrison. The sheer loathing I had for this man… it was personal. You watch the slow, insidious destruction of Beth’s sense of self, and it’s like you can feel every bruise, every manipulative word, every time she doubted herself because of him. It’s not just physical, it’s psychological, and it chips away at her in such a quiet, creeping way that it’s terrifyingly real.
The way DV is portrayed isn’t flashy or dramatised — it’s lived-in, bone-deep, and painfully accurate. And yet… even in the middle of all that darkness, there is strength. Beth’s growth is staggering. It’s not a neat, clean journey. There are relapses, moments of doubt, times she doesn’t even believe she deserves anything more — but my god, does she fight. And I loved her for every single second of it.
And then there’s the MMC Bobby BECKET!!!
Sweet, patient, kind ROCKSTAR Bobby — who made me ache with how he was with Beth, how he loved her in the quiet. The yearning in this book is unreal. It’s not just surface-level attraction — it’s this soul-deep want, wrapped in all the things they’re too afraid to say. It’s such a beautiful, painful dance of missed timings and unsaid truths that had me screaming internally.
And let’s not forget the side characters. Johnny you need a friend like Johnny I love when side characters bring some humour and are a little goofy but Johnny what a friend to have the way he protected them both - that is a MAN right there! Even Patrick’s who gave me a surrogate dad vibe for Beth, a warm comforting presence — like Beth finally has people who see her and want nothing but the best for her. And Molly — oh, Molly — the soulmate kind of best friend we all need!!
This book took me on a full-blown emotional rollercoaster feeling everything and nothing all at once. Megan Shade doesn’t just write romance — she writes survival, she writes healing, and she writes love that’s earned the hard way. I need a minute to recover...
June 30, 2025
First, thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted copy of this book.
From the moment I read the blurb for this book I was hooked. It didn’t quite seem to fit the bill of my usual read but I am so glad I took the chance on this new-to-me genre.
Megan does an incredible job of eliciting emotions from the reader as she weaves her story. The feeling of finding your first love, of figuring out what path you want to choose for yourself in life, your first heartbreak, and so much more. She makes great use of flashbacks to allow you to live those past moments with the characters, as well as drawing parallels to present day situations. I am not ashamed to say that this book made me cry, several times.
As always, please be sure to check the content/trigger warnings for this book before reading.
From the moment I read the blurb for this book I was hooked. It didn’t quite seem to fit the bill of my usual read but I am so glad I took the chance on this new-to-me genre.
Megan does an incredible job of eliciting emotions from the reader as she weaves her story. The feeling of finding your first love, of figuring out what path you want to choose for yourself in life, your first heartbreak, and so much more. She makes great use of flashbacks to allow you to live those past moments with the characters, as well as drawing parallels to present day situations. I am not ashamed to say that this book made me cry, several times.
As always, please be sure to check the content/trigger warnings for this book before reading.
September 6, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This was such a sweet love story!!The love Bobby had for Beth 😍 it was the sweetest thing, even after all those years being apart! Harrison was the WORST but Bobby is definitely top book boyfriend material! That ending 😭🤯
June 27, 2025
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for this gifted advanced ebook.
I absolutely loved this book and Megan's writing. I didn't realize how much I would love the rockstar boyfriend trope, but boy did I. I loved all the song lyrics throughout the book too, and it made me want to dust off old songs I wrote. I was swooning over the MMC, Bobby Beckett. And this has one of my favorite microtropes - a backwards hat and a dimple.
This book had heartbreak, emotional damage (check your trigger warnings to make sure you are good with the triggers), yearning, first love, and an examination of the choices you make in the wake of heart break.
Megan's writing is beautiful and immersive. You felt like you were on the tour bus and backstage on show night. She also alternated timelines through flashbacks so you got to see how the love story started. This book will make you feel, and it might even make you cry.
Pick this one up if you love:
-emotional writing
-highlighting quote after quote while reading
-messy main characters
-a drop dead gorgeous rockstar with a heart of gold
-second chance romance
-love on a tour bus
I absolutely loved this book and Megan's writing. I didn't realize how much I would love the rockstar boyfriend trope, but boy did I. I loved all the song lyrics throughout the book too, and it made me want to dust off old songs I wrote. I was swooning over the MMC, Bobby Beckett. And this has one of my favorite microtropes - a backwards hat and a dimple.
This book had heartbreak, emotional damage (check your trigger warnings to make sure you are good with the triggers), yearning, first love, and an examination of the choices you make in the wake of heart break.
Megan's writing is beautiful and immersive. You felt like you were on the tour bus and backstage on show night. She also alternated timelines through flashbacks so you got to see how the love story started. This book will make you feel, and it might even make you cry.
Pick this one up if you love:
-emotional writing
-highlighting quote after quote while reading
-messy main characters
-a drop dead gorgeous rockstar with a heart of gold
-second chance romance
-love on a tour bus
July 3, 2025
so thankful for this ARC. in exchange of this ARC I agreed to give my full and honest review. that being said - my honest review is THIS BOOK IS PHENOMENAL!!! 5 SOLID STARS! I wouldn't change a word. this is perfection. now going to find everything Megan Shade has ever written.
July 3, 2025
I don’t know if words can adequately express how much I loved this story.
Megan’s writing is beautiful and captivating- the dual timeline provided such great insight to Beth and Bobby’s history and I was so invested to see how their story played out!
Bobby Beckett, dream of a man. I was so enamored from the minute he sets foot on page.
I was physically unable to put this book down- I stayed up in 2 in the morning, knowing I had to get up in a few hours, because I NEEDED to finish it.
I also suffered puffy eyes and mild headache the next day from all of the sobbing. It was absolutely glorious!
This book broke me and put me back together, an emotional roller coaster- full of love, heartbreak, devastation, and hope. If you love emotional damage, this one is definitely for you!
Megan’s writing is beautiful and captivating- the dual timeline provided such great insight to Beth and Bobby’s history and I was so invested to see how their story played out!
Bobby Beckett, dream of a man. I was so enamored from the minute he sets foot on page.
I was physically unable to put this book down- I stayed up in 2 in the morning, knowing I had to get up in a few hours, because I NEEDED to finish it.
I also suffered puffy eyes and mild headache the next day from all of the sobbing. It was absolutely glorious!
This book broke me and put me back together, an emotional roller coaster- full of love, heartbreak, devastation, and hope. If you love emotional damage, this one is definitely for you!
June 20, 2025
This story is an emotional rollercoaster. Following Beth's journey handling domestic violence was deeply relatable to me as someone who has been through emotional abuse. It was handled so well in this story. It is hard to accurately portray the push and pull in your head of that struggle, but the author did this well.
This is definitely an emotional slow burn romance that I would recommend.
Thank you to the Nerd Fam for the e-arc of this book! I loved it!
This is definitely an emotional slow burn romance that I would recommend.
Thank you to the Nerd Fam for the e-arc of this book! I loved it!
June 2, 2025
Seriously, this book is incredible! From the very first page, I was completely hooked and could not put it down. It took me on quite the emotional roller coaster, some laughter definitely some tears and caught myself smiling a lot while reading. Just so so good!
I can’t get over the character Bobby, he is just perfect. He is the dream love interest every reader hopes for. His genuine and heartfelt love for Beth is portrayed so beautifully that you'll find yourself desperately wanting him to be perfect and to never cause her a moment of pain. Their connection is truly special.
I highly recommend and can’t wait for the next book by Megan!! It would also make an excellent book club selection, Without a doubt, this is a solid 5-star read!
I can’t get over the character Bobby, he is just perfect. He is the dream love interest every reader hopes for. His genuine and heartfelt love for Beth is portrayed so beautifully that you'll find yourself desperately wanting him to be perfect and to never cause her a moment of pain. Their connection is truly special.
I highly recommend and can’t wait for the next book by Megan!! It would also make an excellent book club selection, Without a doubt, this is a solid 5-star read!
July 5, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up!
❤️ Tropes: Flashbacks
Friends to lovers
Reunion
Pining
Rock star MMC
Poetry loving FMC
Second chance romance
❤️ This was a wonderful, easy to read, second chance romance. I devoured it in a day. I’m not usually a contemporary romance reader, but I really loved this one.
Elizabeth, a poet, and Bobby, a musician, fell in love in a coffee shop as teenagers. Elizabeth thought Bobby was going to be her forever love, until suddenly he wasn’t. 6 years later, Elizabeth is engaged to Harrison, a hardheaded lawyer with a control problem and a list of expectations for his new wife. Except Harrison’s new prospective client is rockstar Robert (Bobby) Beckett- and he only agrees to hire Harrison IF Elizabeth writes The Rolling Stones article about him. Elizabeth is forced to tour with her ex-love, and face the fact that her life isn’t what she always wanted it to be. Will Bobby be her undoing- or her savior?
Megan Shade does a great job at hinting at what happened during Beth and Bobby’s heartbreaking breakup without outright saying it, and ALSO without avoiding it so much that it gets annoying. The suspense was REAL.
Shade really makes you FEEL for the characters. Yes, Elizabeth was annoying at times with how she lets Harrison treat her, but that is the reality of some abusive relationships. Harrison had convinced Beth that she wasn’t worthy of the lattes she liked or being a writer- and she believed it. It was hard to read about Harrison being abusive, but that’s what made it so real. I felt sooo much during this book. I felt happy, sad, annoyed, angry, scared, sad again, and finally happy.
I also loved the relationship Beth had with her bestie. The “he is the love of my life, but you’re my soulmate” line was so sweet!
There is a lot of the misunderstanding/ miscommunication trope. I personally love it, but if you don’t like that trope, you may not like this book as much.
Some of the flashbacks were a touch cringey but I had to remind myself that they were like 19-20, so it makes sense for them to act like teenagers!
Thank you to the NerdFam and Megan Shade for this eARC! I really enjoyed it!!!
❤️ Tropes: Flashbacks
Friends to lovers
Reunion
Pining
Rock star MMC
Poetry loving FMC
Second chance romance
❤️ This was a wonderful, easy to read, second chance romance. I devoured it in a day. I’m not usually a contemporary romance reader, but I really loved this one.
Elizabeth, a poet, and Bobby, a musician, fell in love in a coffee shop as teenagers. Elizabeth thought Bobby was going to be her forever love, until suddenly he wasn’t. 6 years later, Elizabeth is engaged to Harrison, a hardheaded lawyer with a control problem and a list of expectations for his new wife. Except Harrison’s new prospective client is rockstar Robert (Bobby) Beckett- and he only agrees to hire Harrison IF Elizabeth writes The Rolling Stones article about him. Elizabeth is forced to tour with her ex-love, and face the fact that her life isn’t what she always wanted it to be. Will Bobby be her undoing- or her savior?
Megan Shade does a great job at hinting at what happened during Beth and Bobby’s heartbreaking breakup without outright saying it, and ALSO without avoiding it so much that it gets annoying. The suspense was REAL.
Shade really makes you FEEL for the characters. Yes, Elizabeth was annoying at times with how she lets Harrison treat her, but that is the reality of some abusive relationships. Harrison had convinced Beth that she wasn’t worthy of the lattes she liked or being a writer- and she believed it. It was hard to read about Harrison being abusive, but that’s what made it so real. I felt sooo much during this book. I felt happy, sad, annoyed, angry, scared, sad again, and finally happy.
I also loved the relationship Beth had with her bestie. The “he is the love of my life, but you’re my soulmate” line was so sweet!
There is a lot of the misunderstanding/ miscommunication trope. I personally love it, but if you don’t like that trope, you may not like this book as much.
Some of the flashbacks were a touch cringey but I had to remind myself that they were like 19-20, so it makes sense for them to act like teenagers!
Thank you to the NerdFam and Megan Shade for this eARC! I really enjoyed it!!!
July 6, 2025
A touching and heartfelt second chance romance.
Six years after Beth Winters' heart was ripped to shreds by her first love, she's poised to marry another man. He's everything her first love was not, everything her parents have always wanted for her. But when a surprise performance at their engagement party by a potential client turns out to be the last person she could have expected, everything Beth has fought so hard to move on from will be brought screaming to the surface. Face to face with Bobby Beckett once more, she'll have to confront the pain of their past in order to move forward with her future. But what if everything was not as it seemed? What if this is a second chance for them both?
I haven't cried reading a romance novel in a while until today. Reading this novel was effortless. Falling in love with Beth and Bobby was as easy as breathing. From the very start of this book, Megan has you rooting for these two harder than you might even root for your own love story. And as easy as it was to love Beth and Bobby, it was equally as easy to hate Harrison. When I tell you warning bells were going off right from the start, I am NOT exaggerating.
I really enjoyed the snippets of poetry included throughout this read. It was a neat tie in to get glimpses into the two different ways Beth's love interests showed their love to her through the written word... or their disdain. The power of words, of writing, be it something spoken, poetry, a novel, or songs is laced throughout this read.
One thing I wasn't expecting was how a small side story in Beth and Bobby's past was going to affect me so much. The scenes with Michael, Molly's brother...grab your tissues because you are going to need them. I held my boy a little closer through those passages.
I hope we get to see more in this world from Megan. If I'm correct, I think I saw another romance brewing in the background and I think it would be an equally compelling tale. Crossing my fingers that I'm right!
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC!
Six years after Beth Winters' heart was ripped to shreds by her first love, she's poised to marry another man. He's everything her first love was not, everything her parents have always wanted for her. But when a surprise performance at their engagement party by a potential client turns out to be the last person she could have expected, everything Beth has fought so hard to move on from will be brought screaming to the surface. Face to face with Bobby Beckett once more, she'll have to confront the pain of their past in order to move forward with her future. But what if everything was not as it seemed? What if this is a second chance for them both?
I haven't cried reading a romance novel in a while until today. Reading this novel was effortless. Falling in love with Beth and Bobby was as easy as breathing. From the very start of this book, Megan has you rooting for these two harder than you might even root for your own love story. And as easy as it was to love Beth and Bobby, it was equally as easy to hate Harrison. When I tell you warning bells were going off right from the start, I am NOT exaggerating.
I really enjoyed the snippets of poetry included throughout this read. It was a neat tie in to get glimpses into the two different ways Beth's love interests showed their love to her through the written word... or their disdain. The power of words, of writing, be it something spoken, poetry, a novel, or songs is laced throughout this read.
One thing I wasn't expecting was how a small side story in Beth and Bobby's past was going to affect me so much. The scenes with Michael, Molly's brother...grab your tissues because you are going to need them. I held my boy a little closer through those passages.
I hope we get to see more in this world from Megan. If I'm correct, I think I saw another romance brewing in the background and I think it would be an equally compelling tale. Crossing my fingers that I'm right!
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC!
July 2, 2025
When I tell you, I was not expecting the well of emotions this book brought forth in me. I was entirely unprepared. It was beautiful and tragic and all encompassing in the things I look for in a great story. Once I started reading, the world could’ve collapsed around me and I still wouldn’t have been able to put this book down.
This is one of those stories that sinks its way into your heart and then absolutely decimates it in the end, but still finds a way to put it back together. This author has a way of anchoring these characters into your soul and in turn, their pain becomes your pain. It’s masterful and easily one of my top reads of the year. I feel bad that I can’t give it more than 5 stars, because it deserves so much more!
Poetry By Dead Men is a contemporary masterpiece with love, loss, and the FMC’s journey through not only finding herself, but finding a way back there when life has drawn her down a completely different path. The writing was so real and full of emotion that I find it impossible to believe that everyone who reads this novel won’t love it. It’s that good.
Beth and Bobby’s story is fantastic in the most brutal way; the plot twists and climax of this book utterly destroyed me. It hit so damn hard and left me with tear swollen eyes and hole in my heart. Sure, it also patched it up at end, but the damage has been done and I’ll never be able to forget it. 10/10 would most definitely recommend.
Tropes in this book include:
Forbidden Love
Rockstar MMC
Enemies to Lovers
Second Chance Romance
Miscommunication
He’s Only Ever Loved Her
Forced Proximity
Life & Death Situation
Thank you to The Nerd Fam & Megan Shade for allowing me the honor of reading this free ebook in exchange for my honest opinions and review.
This is one of those stories that sinks its way into your heart and then absolutely decimates it in the end, but still finds a way to put it back together. This author has a way of anchoring these characters into your soul and in turn, their pain becomes your pain. It’s masterful and easily one of my top reads of the year. I feel bad that I can’t give it more than 5 stars, because it deserves so much more!
Poetry By Dead Men is a contemporary masterpiece with love, loss, and the FMC’s journey through not only finding herself, but finding a way back there when life has drawn her down a completely different path. The writing was so real and full of emotion that I find it impossible to believe that everyone who reads this novel won’t love it. It’s that good.
Beth and Bobby’s story is fantastic in the most brutal way; the plot twists and climax of this book utterly destroyed me. It hit so damn hard and left me with tear swollen eyes and hole in my heart. Sure, it also patched it up at end, but the damage has been done and I’ll never be able to forget it. 10/10 would most definitely recommend.
Tropes in this book include:
Forbidden Love
Rockstar MMC
Enemies to Lovers
Second Chance Romance
Miscommunication
He’s Only Ever Loved Her
Forced Proximity
Life & Death Situation
Thank you to The Nerd Fam & Megan Shade for allowing me the honor of reading this free ebook in exchange for my honest opinions and review.
July 8, 2025
Please check tws as it contains some topics that could be sensitive to some readers.
From the first page, I was hooked and didn’t hesitate to give this book five stars. The story of Bobby and Beth was deeply emotional and real, dealing with tough issues like abuse and healing in a way that felt honest and powerful. Bobby’s kindness and patience balanced Beth’s difficult past, and her growth throughout was inspiring. The use of dual timelines made their journey even more compelling. The book was heavy but beautiful, with poetry and music adding extra layers. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster but left me hopeful and moved. Thank you so much to the author and The Nerd Fam for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving an honest review.
From the first page, I was hooked and didn’t hesitate to give this book five stars. The story of Bobby and Beth was deeply emotional and real, dealing with tough issues like abuse and healing in a way that felt honest and powerful. Bobby’s kindness and patience balanced Beth’s difficult past, and her growth throughout was inspiring. The use of dual timelines made their journey even more compelling. The book was heavy but beautiful, with poetry and music adding extra layers. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster but left me hopeful and moved. Thank you so much to the author and The Nerd Fam for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving an honest review.
July 4, 2025
There aren’t enough words to describe how much I loved this book.
One of the BEST books I’ve read this year!
Rockstar romance, and second chance.
This book made me laugh, cry SEVERAL times, swoon it made me angry. I think it forced every emotion out of me.
For get book boyfriend Robert Beckett is book HUSBAND material!!!
This book hooked me from the beginning! It’s told in two timelines Now and Then. In the first chapter you meet Elizabeth and find out she is engaged to be married to Harrison . In that same chapter they are going to their engagement party and imagine her surprise when her ex boyfriend love of her life is the entertainment for the party!
So the fiance is a lawyer trying to get the ex (Robert) as a client.( he’s a rockstar) the ex says the only way he will sign with that firm is if Beth will go on tour with him and right an article about his life for Rolling stone.
I immediately hated her fiancé Harrison he is so critical about every little thing she does. He’s egotistical and narcissistic. Not to mention he gives off strong abusive behavior.
The ex Bobby on the other hand. I fell in love with him instantly. He’s kind and caring and would give her the world if she asked.
This was one of the best books I’ve read all year… maybe ever.. it was such a beautiful story of lost love and second chances and earth shattering true love!
One of the BEST books I’ve read this year!
Rockstar romance, and second chance.
This book made me laugh, cry SEVERAL times, swoon it made me angry. I think it forced every emotion out of me.
For get book boyfriend Robert Beckett is book HUSBAND material!!!
This book hooked me from the beginning! It’s told in two timelines Now and Then. In the first chapter you meet Elizabeth and find out she is engaged to be married to Harrison . In that same chapter they are going to their engagement party and imagine her surprise when her ex boyfriend love of her life is the entertainment for the party!
So the fiance is a lawyer trying to get the ex (Robert) as a client.( he’s a rockstar) the ex says the only way he will sign with that firm is if Beth will go on tour with him and right an article about his life for Rolling stone.
I immediately hated her fiancé Harrison he is so critical about every little thing she does. He’s egotistical and narcissistic. Not to mention he gives off strong abusive behavior.
The ex Bobby on the other hand. I fell in love with him instantly. He’s kind and caring and would give her the world if she asked.
This was one of the best books I’ve read all year… maybe ever.. it was such a beautiful story of lost love and second chances and earth shattering true love!
July 10, 2025
Happy Release Day!!!!
Poetry By Dead Men is a heartbreakingly beautiful second chance romance between a rockstar MMC and a writer/poet FMC. Bobby was the love of Beth's life and he broke her heart when she was only 18... Six years later, Robert Beckett walks back into Elizabeth's life as a rockstar, and she is engaged to Harrison, a lawyer who has shaped her into his perfect wife-to-be.
The story is told in duel timelines, which I loved so much. In the past, we get to experience Bobby and Beth falling in love for the first time in all of their swoony poetically beautiful glory, while in the current timeline we witness Beth coming to terms with the loss and heartbreak that broke them apart, where the years have taken them both and how fate may have brought them back to each other now.
I adored the different poems/lyrics the author wrote for the start of each chapter. I was so invested in these characters. My heart ached for Beth and I'll admit I drooled over Bobby more than once 😍 Their love story will break your heart and put it all back together again!
Tropes: second chance romance, forced proximity, rockstar, soulmates, touch her & die, slow burn to spice, strong female friendship, dual timelines, sooo much yearing!
TW: DV (not by MMC), side character's sibling with childhood cancer
Poetry By Dead Men is a heartbreakingly beautiful second chance romance between a rockstar MMC and a writer/poet FMC. Bobby was the love of Beth's life and he broke her heart when she was only 18... Six years later, Robert Beckett walks back into Elizabeth's life as a rockstar, and she is engaged to Harrison, a lawyer who has shaped her into his perfect wife-to-be.
The story is told in duel timelines, which I loved so much. In the past, we get to experience Bobby and Beth falling in love for the first time in all of their swoony poetically beautiful glory, while in the current timeline we witness Beth coming to terms with the loss and heartbreak that broke them apart, where the years have taken them both and how fate may have brought them back to each other now.
I adored the different poems/lyrics the author wrote for the start of each chapter. I was so invested in these characters. My heart ached for Beth and I'll admit I drooled over Bobby more than once 😍 Their love story will break your heart and put it all back together again!
Tropes: second chance romance, forced proximity, rockstar, soulmates, touch her & die, slow burn to spice, strong female friendship, dual timelines, sooo much yearing!
TW: DV (not by MMC), side character's sibling with childhood cancer
June 29, 2025
"As long as my heart is beating in my chest, I will always, always find a way back to you."
This book broke me.
Poetry of Dead Men is so much more than a love story. It's a story of finding love after healing from a broken heart. It's about discovering the darker side of that person, which they've hidden from the world. A side that breaks a person down, first verbally and mentally, then physically. There's also the beautiful hope of second chances and discovering the truth through the heartache. It's raw and deep, leaving you feeling emotionally vulnerable as if someone is reaching into your chest and ripping out your still-beating heart.
Author Megan Shade has a way with words that makes you feel like you're on an emotionally rollercoaster. I laughed, cried, raged, and swooned. Beth and Bobby have a love for the ages!
"That's what we had. A love that made the angels envious."
I want a Molly and Johnny story, please!
- Second Chance Romance
- Dual Timelines
- Rockstar Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Friendship
- Yearning
TWs:
- DV (Not by the MMC)
- Childhood cancer
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC.
This book broke me.
Poetry of Dead Men is so much more than a love story. It's a story of finding love after healing from a broken heart. It's about discovering the darker side of that person, which they've hidden from the world. A side that breaks a person down, first verbally and mentally, then physically. There's also the beautiful hope of second chances and discovering the truth through the heartache. It's raw and deep, leaving you feeling emotionally vulnerable as if someone is reaching into your chest and ripping out your still-beating heart.
Author Megan Shade has a way with words that makes you feel like you're on an emotionally rollercoaster. I laughed, cried, raged, and swooned. Beth and Bobby have a love for the ages!
"That's what we had. A love that made the angels envious."
I want a Molly and Johnny story, please!
- Second Chance Romance
- Dual Timelines
- Rockstar Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Friendship
- Yearning
TWs:
- DV (Not by the MMC)
- Childhood cancer
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC.
June 24, 2025
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC. #poetrybydeadmen #thenerdfam
Poetry by Dead.Men by Megan Shade has been an emotional journey to say the least but overall an incredible read!!
⚠️Please mind your tigger warnings. DV (not MMC), loss of a child/childhood cancer, grief.
The story is filled with witty banter, lots of tears both happy and heart break and eventually on of the best HEA I’ve read in a long time! I genuinely feel that after the release of this book it will become wildly popular. A great summer romance read.
We follow the journey of Robert (Bobby) & Elizabeth (Beth/Bethy) who find love in each other, lose it, and go through tremendous pain & suffering to try to make it back to each other. Miscommunication trope times 100.
I enjoyed Beth’s growth throughout the story and the progress she makes finally realizing she’s let someone din her light and lost herself along the way.
The slow burn between Beth & Bobby was perfection and the final meeting after all of the pining was appropriate for the overall story. The passion was apparent but not overly done in a way that wouldn’t have fit the feel of the story.
The writing itself is fantastic but the poetry & lyrics that were shared within the story were almost a story all in their own. Songs and poems I’d listen to or read I their entirety.
This book has all the good things and it was such a fun read. I’m looking forward to hearing all the reviews after release day!!
Swoon worthy book boyfriend ✅
Second chance romance ✅
Found family ✅
Forced proximity ✅
Duel timelines ✅
Witty banter ✅
Soulmates ✅
HEA ✅
Poetry by Dead.Men by Megan Shade has been an emotional journey to say the least but overall an incredible read!!
⚠️Please mind your tigger warnings. DV (not MMC), loss of a child/childhood cancer, grief.
The story is filled with witty banter, lots of tears both happy and heart break and eventually on of the best HEA I’ve read in a long time! I genuinely feel that after the release of this book it will become wildly popular. A great summer romance read.
We follow the journey of Robert (Bobby) & Elizabeth (Beth/Bethy) who find love in each other, lose it, and go through tremendous pain & suffering to try to make it back to each other. Miscommunication trope times 100.
I enjoyed Beth’s growth throughout the story and the progress she makes finally realizing she’s let someone din her light and lost herself along the way.
The slow burn between Beth & Bobby was perfection and the final meeting after all of the pining was appropriate for the overall story. The passion was apparent but not overly done in a way that wouldn’t have fit the feel of the story.
The writing itself is fantastic but the poetry & lyrics that were shared within the story were almost a story all in their own. Songs and poems I’d listen to or read I their entirety.
This book has all the good things and it was such a fun read. I’m looking forward to hearing all the reviews after release day!!
Swoon worthy book boyfriend ✅
Second chance romance ✅
Found family ✅
Forced proximity ✅
Duel timelines ✅
Witty banter ✅
Soulmates ✅
HEA ✅
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads. Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so freaking good. I’ve never read a rockstar romance before and I think it might be my new favorite thing 👀 Bobby Beckett was just a dream 😍
This story is heavy, definitely check your trigger warnings because there are some tough situations that our FMC has to work through. And this definitely isn’t your light fluffy summer romance, this one gets a bit dark at times, and had me tearing up in more than one place. This is one of those stories where the two characters keep getting pulled apart despite their love and you are just begging for them to be together in the end. You definitely have to work for that HEA. But it had such a strong emotional impact on me which I loved. It reminded me of what it felt like being in love for the fist time again, when you’re whole world is consumed with this soul crushing love and you’re convinced that this is your person no matter what, and nothing could ever take you away from them or come close to what you two have together. It’s such a beautiful story of first love and the declarations and conversations between Bobby (MMC) and Beth (FMC) were so lovely. It’s a love that every girl dreams of.
The only reason this isn’t getting a full 5 stars from me is because I wanted more. More of the relationship with Bobby and Beth, and more of the beginning of Harrison and Beth’s relationship. I also wanted more backstory to these characters. Why does Bobby make the decisions that he makes? And Why is Harrison the way that he is? (Not that I’m defending or want to like Harrison at all, I would just have liked more backstory there.) And more Molly! We hear in the end that she tried to talk Beth out of marrying Harrison but I would have loved a few scenes with Molly and Beth discussing it. And seeing what Beth’s headspace was like when she started dating Harrison after all the trauma that she experienced with Bobby. But even without those things I still enjoyed the book, I just think a bit more fleshed out back story would have made this an even better story.
Overall if you love a rockstar second chance romance, with really incredible soul crushing confessions of love and an MMC who would do ANYTHING for his girl, even when she’s not his girl, you need to read this book!
This book was so freaking good. I’ve never read a rockstar romance before and I think it might be my new favorite thing 👀 Bobby Beckett was just a dream 😍
This story is heavy, definitely check your trigger warnings because there are some tough situations that our FMC has to work through. And this definitely isn’t your light fluffy summer romance, this one gets a bit dark at times, and had me tearing up in more than one place. This is one of those stories where the two characters keep getting pulled apart despite their love and you are just begging for them to be together in the end. You definitely have to work for that HEA. But it had such a strong emotional impact on me which I loved. It reminded me of what it felt like being in love for the fist time again, when you’re whole world is consumed with this soul crushing love and you’re convinced that this is your person no matter what, and nothing could ever take you away from them or come close to what you two have together. It’s such a beautiful story of first love and the declarations and conversations between Bobby (MMC) and Beth (FMC) were so lovely. It’s a love that every girl dreams of.
The only reason this isn’t getting a full 5 stars from me is because I wanted more. More of the relationship with Bobby and Beth, and more of the beginning of Harrison and Beth’s relationship. I also wanted more backstory to these characters. Why does Bobby make the decisions that he makes? And Why is Harrison the way that he is? (Not that I’m defending or want to like Harrison at all, I would just have liked more backstory there.) And more Molly! We hear in the end that she tried to talk Beth out of marrying Harrison but I would have loved a few scenes with Molly and Beth discussing it. And seeing what Beth’s headspace was like when she started dating Harrison after all the trauma that she experienced with Bobby. But even without those things I still enjoyed the book, I just think a bit more fleshed out back story would have made this an even better story.
Overall if you love a rockstar second chance romance, with really incredible soul crushing confessions of love and an MMC who would do ANYTHING for his girl, even when she’s not his girl, you need to read this book!
June 15, 2025
Swoon! I loved everything about this book! Honestly it’s a 4.5 for me. I laughed, I cried, I swooned. The allusions were perfect and I loved the poetry and lyrics that were weaved throughout. I read this book so fast but I wish it would have lasted longer.
July 8, 2025
My Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.3 out of 5 stars
"I want a love like the ones written and spoken and sung..." Like a sweet love song, Poetry by Dead Man by Megan Shade is an addicting romance novel that's full of heart and beautiful words. Beth Winters is a talented writer / poet who casts her own dreams aside to support her fiance's own career. As fate would have it, her fiance's latest client is her ex-boyfriend, Robert (Bobby) Beckett, a famous rock star. He also happens to be the love of her life, or at least, he was until he broke her heart. The story is told in dual timelines (past and present) through Beth's perspective.
The love between Beth and Bobby was palpable - you could feel the butterflies when they were falling in love and could feel the heartache when they ended things. These two were always meant to be in each other's lives, despite the distance and the different lives they led. I loved how selfless they were for each other, but how that ultimately caused their initial downfall. From the cinnamon lattes to Beth's written lyrics in his back pocket, the little things that Bobby did for Beth really revealed his true love for her.
It was beautiful to read Beth's journey to rediscovering herself and her passions. She ultimately goes from being just someone's future trophy wife to finally reclaiming her independence and her career as a writer. Love was a major driving force behind the story and Beth's life was intertwined with several types of love. The first obvious one being her love story with Bobby, her first true love. The second was her toxic love story with her fiance (please note the trigger warnings, which include domestic violence). The third was Beth's love for her best friend, Molly, and recognizing that while Bobby was the love of her life, Molly was her soulmate. And, lastly, the love story between Beth and herself. She really had to learn to love herself again after years of sacrificing her own happiness.
Excerpts from Bobby's lyrics would kick off many of the chapters. The lyrics were so incredibly written, that I almost thought that Bobby Beckett was a real-life musician. Just a huge testament to Megan Shade's own talent as a writer and lyricist. The lyrical excerpts were also a reflection of the period of life that Beth and Bobby were in - whether they were in the stages of falling in love, or going through heart break. These little nuggets of words offered a bit more colour to what was happening in the characters' lives.
Poetry by Dead Men is a beautiful second chance romance about Beth finding her way back to the one who got away. And, ultimately, finding her way back to herself. It was filled with passion, artistry through the lyrics and poetry, and even a little bit of spice sprinkled in there like the cinnamon on top of Beth's beloved lattes. Overall, I give it a 4.3 out of 5 star rating to this stellar contemporary rock star romance by Megan Shade.
A big thank you to Megan Shade and The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC - giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful novel before its release date on July 10th!
"I want a love like the ones written and spoken and sung..." Like a sweet love song, Poetry by Dead Man by Megan Shade is an addicting romance novel that's full of heart and beautiful words. Beth Winters is a talented writer / poet who casts her own dreams aside to support her fiance's own career. As fate would have it, her fiance's latest client is her ex-boyfriend, Robert (Bobby) Beckett, a famous rock star. He also happens to be the love of her life, or at least, he was until he broke her heart. The story is told in dual timelines (past and present) through Beth's perspective.
The love between Beth and Bobby was palpable - you could feel the butterflies when they were falling in love and could feel the heartache when they ended things. These two were always meant to be in each other's lives, despite the distance and the different lives they led. I loved how selfless they were for each other, but how that ultimately caused their initial downfall. From the cinnamon lattes to Beth's written lyrics in his back pocket, the little things that Bobby did for Beth really revealed his true love for her.
It was beautiful to read Beth's journey to rediscovering herself and her passions. She ultimately goes from being just someone's future trophy wife to finally reclaiming her independence and her career as a writer. Love was a major driving force behind the story and Beth's life was intertwined with several types of love. The first obvious one being her love story with Bobby, her first true love. The second was her toxic love story with her fiance (please note the trigger warnings, which include domestic violence). The third was Beth's love for her best friend, Molly, and recognizing that while Bobby was the love of her life, Molly was her soulmate. And, lastly, the love story between Beth and herself. She really had to learn to love herself again after years of sacrificing her own happiness.
Excerpts from Bobby's lyrics would kick off many of the chapters. The lyrics were so incredibly written, that I almost thought that Bobby Beckett was a real-life musician. Just a huge testament to Megan Shade's own talent as a writer and lyricist. The lyrical excerpts were also a reflection of the period of life that Beth and Bobby were in - whether they were in the stages of falling in love, or going through heart break. These little nuggets of words offered a bit more colour to what was happening in the characters' lives.
Poetry by Dead Men is a beautiful second chance romance about Beth finding her way back to the one who got away. And, ultimately, finding her way back to herself. It was filled with passion, artistry through the lyrics and poetry, and even a little bit of spice sprinkled in there like the cinnamon on top of Beth's beloved lattes. Overall, I give it a 4.3 out of 5 star rating to this stellar contemporary rock star romance by Megan Shade.
A big thank you to Megan Shade and The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC - giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful novel before its release date on July 10th!
July 5, 2025
I love a good second chance romance, and this book delivered on that.
This story was an emotional roller coaster that had me giddy, angry, and heartbroken. A few heavy themes are discussed, but most importantly DV, bother emotionally and physically. I feel like the author portrayed this is such a real way that showed the complexity of being with someone who you think cares for you, but uses that love as ammunition to bend to their will. The author was able to capture the hot and cold, flip of a switch behavior of the abuser so well and I don’t think it could have been done better.
We see Beth realize first hand of the abusive behavior and acknowledge that she deserves better and wants to work on moving forward in her life. You get to experience her blossoming back into herself after being complacent in her fiancées behavior and her family’s expectations and I really did love reading about that.
The flashbacks within the book I think were very well placed and helped move the story along. It was great to see how they reflected back into the present timeline and pick up on the small details from the past and give more insight on who Beth & Bobby were all those years ago.
However, I do feel like the lead up to the reconciliation and explanation of why they broke up the first time took a little too long to get to. I feel like we got the answers we were hoping for, but by that time, it was nearing the end of the book and it felt very rushed. I think we had a better idea of how much Bobby & Beth loved each other in the past and didn’t get enough time to explore their reconnection. I would have loved a little more time to see how their love worked the second time around.
Overall I think this is a very solid second chance romance with important topics and would recommend it to someone looking for an emotional read.
Thank you again to Megan Shade for this eARC!
This story was an emotional roller coaster that had me giddy, angry, and heartbroken. A few heavy themes are discussed, but most importantly DV, bother emotionally and physically. I feel like the author portrayed this is such a real way that showed the complexity of being with someone who you think cares for you, but uses that love as ammunition to bend to their will. The author was able to capture the hot and cold, flip of a switch behavior of the abuser so well and I don’t think it could have been done better.
We see Beth realize first hand of the abusive behavior and acknowledge that she deserves better and wants to work on moving forward in her life. You get to experience her blossoming back into herself after being complacent in her fiancées behavior and her family’s expectations and I really did love reading about that.
The flashbacks within the book I think were very well placed and helped move the story along. It was great to see how they reflected back into the present timeline and pick up on the small details from the past and give more insight on who Beth & Bobby were all those years ago.
However, I do feel like the lead up to the reconciliation and explanation of why they broke up the first time took a little too long to get to. I feel like we got the answers we were hoping for, but by that time, it was nearing the end of the book and it felt very rushed. I think we had a better idea of how much Bobby & Beth loved each other in the past and didn’t get enough time to explore their reconnection. I would have loved a little more time to see how their love worked the second time around.
Overall I think this is a very solid second chance romance with important topics and would recommend it to someone looking for an emotional read.
Thank you again to Megan Shade for this eARC!
July 6, 2025
What a refreshing book—I absolutely loved everything about it. The dual timelines really built up the tension and angst, giving us such rich emotional depth from both points in their lives.
And listen, while this one may sound like a love triangle, it is so much more than that. Don’t let that trope scare you off if it’s usually not your thing.
Each chapter opens with just a small glimpse—usually no more than five lines of a song lyric, poem, or short reflection—before jumping into a traditional chapter. But those little touches add so much.
I loved seeing how each relationship was shaped and changed and how our Beth/Elizabeth, depending on where she was in life, was growing and changing. It’s emotional, beautifully layered, and absolutely worth the read.
And listen, while this one may sound like a love triangle, it is so much more than that. Don’t let that trope scare you off if it’s usually not your thing.
Each chapter opens with just a small glimpse—usually no more than five lines of a song lyric, poem, or short reflection—before jumping into a traditional chapter. But those little touches add so much.
I loved seeing how each relationship was shaped and changed and how our Beth/Elizabeth, depending on where she was in life, was growing and changing. It’s emotional, beautifully layered, and absolutely worth the read.
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