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Breathing in Broken Spaces: Poems on Heartbreak, Trauma, and Self Reflection
Heartbreak. Trauma. Loss. Healing. Rebirth.
Some wounds don’t just fade—they shape us.
Breathing in Broken Spaces is an unfiltered and deeply personal poetry collection that delves into the rawest corners of heartbreak, trauma, and survival. Through piercingly honest verses, Belinda Daou lays bare the loneliness of grief, the weight of past wounds, and the quiet, aching process of piecing oneself back together after being shattered.
This book is for those who have loved and lost, for the ones carrying silent battles within them, and for anyone searching for words that echo their unspoken pain. It is a safe space where emotions aren’t just expressed—but truly seen, understood, and honored.
This collection gives voice to the devastation of toxic love, the suffocation of manipulation, and the slow erosion of self-worth at the hands of the wrong person. It speaks to the ones who have stayed too long, who have fought for love that only broke them, and who are now learning to unlearn the lies they were told about themselves.
More than just poetry, Breathing in Broken Spaces is a reckoning with the past and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. It is breathtakingly raw, unapologetically vulnerable, and deeply real. It is the brutal honesty of suffering, the messy in-between of healing, and the quiet strength it takes to keep breathing, even when the air feels heavy.
This collection is not just about pain—it is about survival. About learning to breathe again through the cracks of brokenness. About reclaiming the parts of yourself you thought were lost forever.
For those who have been lost in the darkness, this book is a
You are not alone. You were never too much. You deserve to be whole.
Some wounds don’t just fade—they shape us.
Breathing in Broken Spaces is an unfiltered and deeply personal poetry collection that delves into the rawest corners of heartbreak, trauma, and survival. Through piercingly honest verses, Belinda Daou lays bare the loneliness of grief, the weight of past wounds, and the quiet, aching process of piecing oneself back together after being shattered.
This book is for those who have loved and lost, for the ones carrying silent battles within them, and for anyone searching for words that echo their unspoken pain. It is a safe space where emotions aren’t just expressed—but truly seen, understood, and honored.
This collection gives voice to the devastation of toxic love, the suffocation of manipulation, and the slow erosion of self-worth at the hands of the wrong person. It speaks to the ones who have stayed too long, who have fought for love that only broke them, and who are now learning to unlearn the lies they were told about themselves.
More than just poetry, Breathing in Broken Spaces is a reckoning with the past and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. It is breathtakingly raw, unapologetically vulnerable, and deeply real. It is the brutal honesty of suffering, the messy in-between of healing, and the quiet strength it takes to keep breathing, even when the air feels heavy.
This collection is not just about pain—it is about survival. About learning to breathe again through the cracks of brokenness. About reclaiming the parts of yourself you thought were lost forever.
For those who have been lost in the darkness, this book is a
You are not alone. You were never too much. You deserve to be whole.
- GenresPoetryNonfiction
218 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2025
4 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Belinda Daou
1 book10 followersBelinda Daou has been writing since childhood, long before she fully grasped the emotions she was pouring onto the page.
Writing wasn’t just a creative outlet—it was her refuge, the one place where she felt completely free.
Through heartbreak, trauma, and life’s quiet battles, poetry became her language when words felt too heavy to speak.
Wanting to share her work beyond the page, Belinda turned to spoken word, performing her poetry through videos on Instagram. Her raw, unfiltered expressions resonated deeply, sparking conversations about love, loss, and healing. The overwhelming response from her audience fueled the creation of Breathing in Broken Spaces—her debut book, a deeply personal collection that carries the same vulnerability and intensity as her performances.
Breathing in Broken Spaces reflects her own journey—one of pain, resilience, and finding meaning in brokenness. Each poem holds the weight of loss, the ache of healing, and the quiet strength that grows from trauma and suffering. Through her words, Belinda hopes to reach those who feel unseen or lost in their own stories, offering them a space where emotions are not just expressed but understood.
This is just the beginning of her publishing journey. Belinda continues to explore themes of heartbreak, trauma, healing, and self-discovery, using poetry to give voice to emotions often left unspoken.
She hopes her words serve as a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is light to be found, a voice to reclaim, and a story still waiting to be told.
Follow her journey on Instagram at @bell.d.poet, where she shares her poetry and spoken word performances, creating a space for connection, reflection, and healing.
Writing wasn’t just a creative outlet—it was her refuge, the one place where she felt completely free.
Through heartbreak, trauma, and life’s quiet battles, poetry became her language when words felt too heavy to speak.
Wanting to share her work beyond the page, Belinda turned to spoken word, performing her poetry through videos on Instagram. Her raw, unfiltered expressions resonated deeply, sparking conversations about love, loss, and healing. The overwhelming response from her audience fueled the creation of Breathing in Broken Spaces—her debut book, a deeply personal collection that carries the same vulnerability and intensity as her performances.
Breathing in Broken Spaces reflects her own journey—one of pain, resilience, and finding meaning in brokenness. Each poem holds the weight of loss, the ache of healing, and the quiet strength that grows from trauma and suffering. Through her words, Belinda hopes to reach those who feel unseen or lost in their own stories, offering them a space where emotions are not just expressed but understood.
This is just the beginning of her publishing journey. Belinda continues to explore themes of heartbreak, trauma, healing, and self-discovery, using poetry to give voice to emotions often left unspoken.
She hopes her words serve as a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is light to be found, a voice to reclaim, and a story still waiting to be told.
Follow her journey on Instagram at @bell.d.poet, where she shares her poetry and spoken word performances, creating a space for connection, reflection, and healing.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 30, 2025
Thank you NetGalley, Belinda Daou and Lines in Emotions Publishing for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
A powerful reminder that even in brokenness, hope and healing can be found.
This is such a beautifully written collection of poetry! It is raw, honest, and so deeply relatable. Breathing in Broken Spaces touches on heartbreak, trauma, loss, grief, loneliness, and the slow steps toward healing and hope. It felt like sitting with someone who truly understands what it means to walk through brokenness and begin to mend.💔❤️🩹❤️
You don't get to tell me how badly you hurt me
cracks you made, but the pain I claim
scars you created, but the hurt is in my name
I own the suffering, and you own the shame
It's not just about what broke you. It's about what you do with the pieces.
A powerful reminder that even in brokenness, hope and healing can be found.
This is such a beautifully written collection of poetry! It is raw, honest, and so deeply relatable. Breathing in Broken Spaces touches on heartbreak, trauma, loss, grief, loneliness, and the slow steps toward healing and hope. It felt like sitting with someone who truly understands what it means to walk through brokenness and begin to mend.💔❤️🩹❤️
You don't get to tell me how badly you hurt me
cracks you made, but the pain I claim
scars you created, but the hurt is in my name
I own the suffering, and you own the shame
It's not just about what broke you. It's about what you do with the pieces.
April 29, 2025
4.5
You don’t get to tell me
how badly you hurt me_
cracks you made,
but the pain I claim
scars you created,
but the hurt is in my name
I own the suffering,
and you own the shame
Lyrical and real, sincere and expressive, this collection of poetry which is adorned here and there with beautiful illustrations, centers not only on lost love, broken heart, shattered soul and betrayal, but also hope, healing and self discovery.
My heartfelt thank-yous to Belinda Daou for sharing her poetry with me.
You don’t get to tell me
how badly you hurt me_
cracks you made,
but the pain I claim
scars you created,
but the hurt is in my name
I own the suffering,
and you own the shame
Lyrical and real, sincere and expressive, this collection of poetry which is adorned here and there with beautiful illustrations, centers not only on lost love, broken heart, shattered soul and betrayal, but also hope, healing and self discovery.
My heartfelt thank-yous to Belinda Daou for sharing her poetry with me.
May 19, 2025
5 Stars for Breathing in Broken Spaces: Poems of Heartbreak, Trauma and Self Reflections (ebook) by Belinda Daou.
This is a very personal look into the life of a person who’s gone through a very difficult breakup. I really hope that the process of writing all of this down and allowing readers to experience all of this grief helps heal the author’s wounds. And I hope someday the author meets the right person who brings love and joy into her world. And I would love to read the book that new relationship inspires.
This is a very personal look into the life of a person who’s gone through a very difficult breakup. I really hope that the process of writing all of this down and allowing readers to experience all of this grief helps heal the author’s wounds. And I hope someday the author meets the right person who brings love and joy into her world. And I would love to read the book that new relationship inspires.
May 14, 2025
I long to find words that resonate with me whether it’s been pages in a book, a song, or lines in poetry and wow did this resonate. I wish I had this book of poetry while going through all of my past heartbreaks it would have helped so much.
The poems are raw, real, and relatable. As a woman I feel we all have felt the words on the pages. Whether you’re healing a broken heart, learning to love yourself , or just loving in general I recommend this book.
Belinda Daou’s writing is beautiful and vulnerable. I commend her for writing these words onto pages in order to help someone else who’s going through a similar heart breaking point in their life. This book is very healing to show that so many of us experience the same emotions while dealing with loss, heartbreak , self discovery, and life’s ups and downs.
The poems are raw, real, and relatable. As a woman I feel we all have felt the words on the pages. Whether you’re healing a broken heart, learning to love yourself , or just loving in general I recommend this book.
Belinda Daou’s writing is beautiful and vulnerable. I commend her for writing these words onto pages in order to help someone else who’s going through a similar heart breaking point in their life. This book is very healing to show that so many of us experience the same emotions while dealing with loss, heartbreak , self discovery, and life’s ups and downs.
April 20, 2025
Belinda’s poetry is raw and achingly real. While I didn’t personally resonate with every piece, I admire the emotional honesty she brings to each poem. As someone who feels deeply, I recognize the kind of ache that comes from loving without holding back.
Her work reminds me of Dessa’s songs... lyrical and unflinching. The accompanying artwork amplifies the emotion of each poem, like turning pages through someone’s heart.
Thank you, Belinda, for your bravery in sharing this deeply personal collection. Breathing in Broken Spaces is a tender offering of vulnerability and a reminder that healing makes space for beauty after the hurt. 💔🌿✨
Her work reminds me of Dessa’s songs... lyrical and unflinching. The accompanying artwork amplifies the emotion of each poem, like turning pages through someone’s heart.
Thank you, Belinda, for your bravery in sharing this deeply personal collection. Breathing in Broken Spaces is a tender offering of vulnerability and a reminder that healing makes space for beauty after the hurt. 💔🌿✨
June 8, 2025
Thank you Netgalley, Lines in Emotions Publishing, and Belinda Daou for sending me this advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a deeply emotional experience. There was so much raw pain and emotion, that it was hard to read at times. They flowed one into the next, hitting deeper into your soul with each one. It was amazing, and something that I would read again and again.
This was a deeply emotional experience. There was so much raw pain and emotion, that it was hard to read at times. They flowed one into the next, hitting deeper into your soul with each one. It was amazing, and something that I would read again and again.
April 22, 2025
Author’s Note:
Breathing in Broken Spaces is a book I needed to write—because at one point, I didn’t know how to say any of it out loud.
These poems came from the weight of heartbreak, the silence after loss, and the quiet unraveling of who I thought I had to be.
But more than that, they came from the courage it takes to face yourself—to feel deeply, to grieve honestly, and to begin again.
This book is for anyone who’s ever stayed too long, loved too hard, or lost themselves in the middle of a traumatic relationship.
It’s not just about what broke you.
It’s about what you do with the pieces.
I hope these words sit beside you in the dark and help you find the light .
And I hope they remind you that you’re not alone in it.
That even in broken spaces—
you are still breathing.
Breathing in Broken Spaces is a book I needed to write—because at one point, I didn’t know how to say any of it out loud.
These poems came from the weight of heartbreak, the silence after loss, and the quiet unraveling of who I thought I had to be.
But more than that, they came from the courage it takes to face yourself—to feel deeply, to grieve honestly, and to begin again.
This book is for anyone who’s ever stayed too long, loved too hard, or lost themselves in the middle of a traumatic relationship.
It’s not just about what broke you.
It’s about what you do with the pieces.
I hope these words sit beside you in the dark and help you find the light .
And I hope they remind you that you’re not alone in it.
That even in broken spaces—
you are still breathing.
April 18, 2025
The cover is beautiful! The illustrations throughout are just as beautiful and impactful.
This work of poetry is raw and deeply personal. The journey from a love lost, and abusive relationship to healing and acceptance of self-worth. I love how she talks about light shining through the cracks as she picks herself up and begins to heal.
The prose is flowing and packed with emotion. The one line at the end of each poem throws a punch and lands with a force. There are many lines I could highlight, but this one...'when you left, you asked me to forget' That hit me (waa-waa)
Thank you, Belinda, for sharing your experience with so many <3
This work of poetry is raw and deeply personal. The journey from a love lost, and abusive relationship to healing and acceptance of self-worth. I love how she talks about light shining through the cracks as she picks herself up and begins to heal.
The prose is flowing and packed with emotion. The one line at the end of each poem throws a punch and lands with a force. There are many lines I could highlight, but this one...'when you left, you asked me to forget' That hit me (waa-waa)
Thank you, Belinda, for sharing your experience with so many <3
April 28, 2025
There are books that you read, and there are books that you feel.
Breathing in Broken Spaces is not simply a collection of poems — it is a body laid bare, a heart cracked open, a mirror held up to the parts of ourselves we often hide, even from our own reflection.
Belinda Daou writes with the kind of honesty that is so rare it feels almost intrusive, yet you cannot look away. Her words don’t ask for permission to touch your wounds — they find them, whisper to them, and somehow make them less terrifying to hold.
Every page breathes a truth that most of us are too scared to say out loud: that love can break us, that grief has no neat ending, that trauma leaves fingerprints on everything we are — but that healing, messy and imperfect, is still possible.
This is not polished, pretty poetry designed to sit on a shelf collecting dust.
This is poetry meant to be lived with.
Meant to be wept over at 2 a.m. when you feel like no one understands.
Meant to be carried inside you when you're trying to stitch yourself back together after life has torn you apart.
Daou’s strength lies not just in her imagery — though her language cuts clean and deep — but in her refusal to wrap up pain in neat bows. She honours the broken spaces, the pauses, the silences between screams. She understands that sometimes surviving is the most radical form of love we can offer ourselves.
If you have ever had your heart shattered, if you have ever felt invisible in your own suffering, if you have ever wondered whether you are the only one struggling to breathe through the cracks — this book is your companion. Your witness. Your reminder that even in the darkest places, you are not alone.
Breathing in Broken Spaces should be required reading for anyone who has ever loved, lost, or tried to rebuild themselves from the ruins.
It will hurt.
It will heal.
It will change you.
Read it. Feel it. Let it find the broken pieces of you — and help you fall in love with them again.
Breathing in Broken Spaces is not simply a collection of poems — it is a body laid bare, a heart cracked open, a mirror held up to the parts of ourselves we often hide, even from our own reflection.
Belinda Daou writes with the kind of honesty that is so rare it feels almost intrusive, yet you cannot look away. Her words don’t ask for permission to touch your wounds — they find them, whisper to them, and somehow make them less terrifying to hold.
Every page breathes a truth that most of us are too scared to say out loud: that love can break us, that grief has no neat ending, that trauma leaves fingerprints on everything we are — but that healing, messy and imperfect, is still possible.
This is not polished, pretty poetry designed to sit on a shelf collecting dust.
This is poetry meant to be lived with.
Meant to be wept over at 2 a.m. when you feel like no one understands.
Meant to be carried inside you when you're trying to stitch yourself back together after life has torn you apart.
Daou’s strength lies not just in her imagery — though her language cuts clean and deep — but in her refusal to wrap up pain in neat bows. She honours the broken spaces, the pauses, the silences between screams. She understands that sometimes surviving is the most radical form of love we can offer ourselves.
If you have ever had your heart shattered, if you have ever felt invisible in your own suffering, if you have ever wondered whether you are the only one struggling to breathe through the cracks — this book is your companion. Your witness. Your reminder that even in the darkest places, you are not alone.
Breathing in Broken Spaces should be required reading for anyone who has ever loved, lost, or tried to rebuild themselves from the ruins.
It will hurt.
It will heal.
It will change you.
Read it. Feel it. Let it find the broken pieces of you — and help you fall in love with them again.
March 21, 2025
Breathing in Broken Spaces is a powerful poetry collection that explores themes of heartbreak and healing. The poems are highly relatable, offering comfort and understanding to anyone who has experienced love and loss. I believe this collection would be especially helpful for those going through a traumatic breakup, helping them navigate the complex emotions that come with such a painful experience. The poems take the reader on a beautiful journey, moving from pain to self-discovery, and invite them to breathe through the cracks and rebuild what was once broken. For anyone dealing with grief, heartbreak, or healing, this book offers both solace and hope. Breathing in Broken Spaces serves as a reminder that even in the toughest times, there is beauty to be found and strength to be regained. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking poetry that speaks with honesty, vulnerability, and power.
June 5, 2025
This was a beautiful collection of poetry on love and feelings from the time in the relationship and how reflecting on love lost makes you feel.
How so deep into the relationship you can lose who you were as you become a team, a duo, so when that ends how your life can feel so much different to before, after giving that person and relationship your everything to keep the love alive and going.
The poems touch on themes of love to hate, hope to commiserations, endings and beginnings of relationships and the feelings that leaves you dealing with and how broken that relationship can leave you to grieve and heal alone from.
If you are going through a heartbreak and need a book to show you how you feel is valid and others get how you feel in their own circumstances, this collection of poetry is easily one to pick up and find instant relatability in feelings.
How so deep into the relationship you can lose who you were as you become a team, a duo, so when that ends how your life can feel so much different to before, after giving that person and relationship your everything to keep the love alive and going.
The poems touch on themes of love to hate, hope to commiserations, endings and beginnings of relationships and the feelings that leaves you dealing with and how broken that relationship can leave you to grieve and heal alone from.
If you are going through a heartbreak and need a book to show you how you feel is valid and others get how you feel in their own circumstances, this collection of poetry is easily one to pick up and find instant relatability in feelings.
August 7, 2025
This collection was raw and moving, it felt very emotional and relatable for anyone who went to a kind of grief, not just from a break up.
I highlighted a lot of lines, but I didn’t connect with all of the poems in the book. As poetry is a very personal thing, I still felt this was a very powerful example of what moves me. Heartbreak and healing were both reflected upon in a very real way, and the author undoubtedly has a way with words.
If you enjoy poetry that is both powerful and vulnerable, you should definitely dive into this complex analysis of how it feels to get your heart broken and overcome it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-ARC.
I highlighted a lot of lines, but I didn’t connect with all of the poems in the book. As poetry is a very personal thing, I still felt this was a very powerful example of what moves me. Heartbreak and healing were both reflected upon in a very real way, and the author undoubtedly has a way with words.
If you enjoy poetry that is both powerful and vulnerable, you should definitely dive into this complex analysis of how it feels to get your heart broken and overcome it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-ARC.
May 2, 2025
This is a rather personal and intimate book, and if I did not get it completely wrong the poems tell parts of the author's story of heartbreak, trauma, and self reflection. It is not as if every poem spoke to me the same way, definitely not. And it did not matter. I could relate to some, and they were heartfelt, I could hear the pain in others, which is also coming from the author's core. And the poems are beautiful, even if they do not reflect your own situation. 5 stars.
July 3, 2025
*ARC received from Netgalley*
This book...I struggle to find words how to describe it! What first drew me to it, is the beautiful cover. This is a book you'd want on your shelf! And somehow, the author manages to make the inside of the book equally beautiful.
This poetry collection is raw, emotional, lyrical and heartbreaking. Read with caution if you've recently gone through a heartbreak, but also...read it!
This book...I struggle to find words how to describe it! What first drew me to it, is the beautiful cover. This is a book you'd want on your shelf! And somehow, the author manages to make the inside of the book equally beautiful.
This poetry collection is raw, emotional, lyrical and heartbreaking. Read with caution if you've recently gone through a heartbreak, but also...read it!
June 23, 2025
This book is written very well!
I loved how relatable the poems are for many people.
It's very raw & personal with I liked.
It might be one of the best poetry books I've read about heartbreaks in a long time.
I will be buying a copy for on my shelf to read through once in a while!
Thank you so much for everyone involved for the arc copy!
I loved how relatable the poems are for many people.
It's very raw & personal with I liked.
It might be one of the best poetry books I've read about heartbreaks in a long time.
I will be buying a copy for on my shelf to read through once in a while!
Thank you so much for everyone involved for the arc copy!
June 28, 2025
4.5* - if you’re a fan of poetry and raw honestly with yourself. This is the book for you to heal from your personal struggles. Some of the topics I couldn’t relate to (because of different circumstances/experiences). However, I felt every word and emotion from the author. ✍️ Thank you for the advanced copy! With warmth in 2025! 💖
August 9, 2025
While the poems this collection were gorgeous some of the poems tended to be quite reminiscent of others in the collection or went on for far too long. I normally fly through poetry collections but this one put me in a bit of a stump. I think this collection needed some editing. The writing (and art) is other wise very beautiful.
September 15, 2025
Raw, emotional, and beautifully written, this collection of poems hits right in the heart. Each piece feels deeply personal yet so relatable, like it puts words to feelings you didn’t know how to express.
It’s the kind of book you read slowly, letting each poem sink in, and by the end, you feel both seen and a little bit healed. Honest, powerful, and full of emotion.
It’s the kind of book you read slowly, letting each poem sink in, and by the end, you feel both seen and a little bit healed. Honest, powerful, and full of emotion.
May 6, 2025
this was such a beautiful book. i really resonated with the author’s poems. it’s for those who need comfort as they are hurting. the author was so raw and honest in her writing and i think anyone will be able to relate with her words 🤍
August 25, 2025
Breathe
Every now and then we forget to take a breath between words or relationships. 100 poems for each day will help you get an understanding of tears, heartbreak, grief and healing.
Every now and then we forget to take a breath between words or relationships. 100 poems for each day will help you get an understanding of tears, heartbreak, grief and healing.
April 22, 2025
Perfect for people going through heartbreak. Lots of interesting imagery and quotable lines.
July 10, 2025
Huge thanks to Belinda for sharing the ARC.
It was deeply honest and relatable, I felt like I'm having a conversation with a friend. The section on trauma especially hit home.
It was deeply honest and relatable, I felt like I'm having a conversation with a friend. The section on trauma especially hit home.
July 12, 2025
Boring
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews