Loveish

by Sakshi Narula

Loveish is Sakshi's debut poetry collection. Featuring poems about love, intimacy, loss and healing, Loveish is both heartbreaking and empowering. An honest and sensitive perspective on love and its many faces, Loveish builds a love story in poems. The book will take you on a carousel ride of emotions one goes through when in love....the rush of a new relationship, the good mess, the beauty of sadness, the loneliness that distance brings, the pain and trauma of a heartbreak , the little things, the big things and much more.The book also talks about how intimacy is a basic human need with poems that are both beautiful and visceral.The poems in this collection are brave and relatable. The lovers we cherish, the lovers we lost, Loveish is an experience, a raw account of moments of exhilaration, sadness and silence. Find a little piece of you in Loveish. Modern poetry about relationships in today's times. Not love, not lust but kinda love-ish. From the back cover "Can we do this love thing over? I want to fall again, this time deeper." Modern poetry about relationships in today's times. Not love, not lust but kinda love-ish. From the back cover "Can we do this love thing over? I want to fall again, this time deeper."

Genres: Poetry

151 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 11, 2018

About the author

Sakshi Narula is the author of the celebrated poetry collection, Loveish. Born in New Delhi, India she has since lived in over eight cities and three countries. Passionate about art and culture she finds happiness in writing and sketching. With her raw and relatable words she has managed to gain over 30k followers across Instagram and Twitter. Music, sketching and cooking are some of her other passions besides poetry. She calls the beach and the museum her happy place. Sakshi currently resides in Muscat, Oman with her family.

Reviews

[Andrea Pole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loveish by Sakshi Narula is exactly what I needed to read today in a world that is redefining the realities of daily life at a dizzying speed. While humanity remains in constant flux, one thing remains steadfast, and that is love. Love in all of its forms and guises. Love that is being tested, protected, reconfigured, static love, fluid love. The one constant in the world, even one in crisis, is love. Bravo to Ms Narula for this beautiful collection that is so raw, so powerful, and that rings so very true.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sakshi Narula for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s April, and therefore National Poetry Month, so no better time than now to review a collection of poems by a new (for me) poet. Sakshi Narula’s Loveish is in three parts: Love/Utopia, Lust/Passion, and Loveish/Melancholia.

I prefer to read poetry on regular hard copy books, as often the formatting and lay-out of poems disappears in an ebook format. I would love to reread this in hard copy, and might visit that idea at a later date, as I’m sure the formatting of the verses adds an extra punch to the words. In any case, this is a lovely collection of poems, all dealing with love in its many formats: pure love, happy love, sad love, longing, grieving love, dreaming love, real love, real life, imagined love… Love in all its shapes and appearances, as a bringer of happiness and vessel of pain, and everything in between.

I related to some poems more than others, lingered on some and skipped through some others. I love how honest Sakshi Narula is, she writes from the heart, each verse leaves a trail of longing, of memory. I firmly believe that this collection should be savoured slowly, read in parts and not rushed through, as I found something special in most of the poems I read.

The cover, and the illustrations inside the book are gorgeous, and a perfect match for the poems.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Eline · Rating 4 out of 5]

'I am in love and reckless.
Forgive me
For I have control over what my heart does anymore.'

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

It's April and therefore National Poetry Month. So the perfect month to read some poetry. I don't really read much poetry but Sakshi Narula reminds me why I should.

I love the feeling she gave me with most of her poetry, but some could be written by anyone above the age of 10.

The cover and the illustrations are beautiful and really fit in well with the book.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poet has opened her soul to allow us to remember the lovers that could never be and in doing so shows the fragility and strength of us girls. For Sakshi, love is the greatest and most beautiful thing and inevitably there will always come pain. Loveish is emotional and relatable.

[Beena Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of poems is so beautiful and compelling. I love the simple yet amazing cover and the title is so cute. Some of these poems are haunting, some cute, and some sweet. I look forward to reading more of the author's work. She is very talented, and it shows through her work.

[Neva Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

I read this book in one sitting and I can't decide which poem is my favorite. Beautiful writing that had it's happy, sad and steamy moments. Definitely recommend.

[Amy Littleford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and Sakshi Narula for a eARC for an honest review.

This was the second time that I had read Loveish as I had read it in September 2018 soon after it was released. It was one of the first poetry anthologies that I had read and I loved it so much. I found it a shame that the formatting for the eARC wasn't what it would be if you bought the physical copy because I still believe it is the best layout and format I have seen in a poetry anthology. I love being able to see an indie author releasing such a high standard of work!

The whole anthology is centred around love. As a reader, we go on a journey with Sakshi as she travels through different relationships and a huge array of emotions that I believe are very relatable. I have always enjoyed the end of this anthology the most because the 'Loveish' chapter and poems are pieces that I relate to the most. My favourite piece has to be 'love, me'. I love the way it is written like a letter to an ex and describes what the 'ex' is missing. Definitely felt that before. I also really liked the small pieces of art that were on a few of the pages and really liked the art for the poem 'keys'. I also noticed some of the added poems that Sakshi had recently added to the anthology and thought they were a great addition to the anthology.

I did notice that throughout the anthology there is a problem with the use of tenses. Sometimes the wrong tense is used or the tense switches when there isn't supposed to be a switch. I also had a problem with no capital letters for the titles. Overall, a brilliant read that will get your heart beating!

[Rita Rana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loveish by Sakshi Narula is a beautiful poetry collection. I read this lovely collection in one sitting and it was an enjoyable read. Each poem from this collection is heart touching. I highly recommend this book to all poetry lovers.

[Lali Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and Compelling Poetry!

Thank you Sakshi Narula for creating such soulful, gripping poetry about life, love, loss, pain, and vulnerability. Each poetic verse is filled with emotion of life’s experiences, flowing into a cascading sonata of wisdom and the vastness of love’s unbounded fragility and strength.

I highly recommend this emotional, poignant and relatable poetry for anyone that dares to transcend the truth of uninhibited love.

[M.E. Aster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing poetry collection that touched me deep in my soul. I truly related to so many of these poems and I found myself wanting to drag out the experience of this book, only allowing myself to read a few poems a day so I could savor them more.

This author is extremely talented in conveying emotions and feelings, drawing us into their world and making us experience what they did while writing their poems. I adored this collection and I’d definitely read more by them in the future.

[Bea (beansbookshelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.

This is a really good poetry collection. It grabs you at the very beginning. There are so many great poems, but my favourite one is 'red string'. I'm looking forward to any book the author decides to publish in the future. Rating: 4/5 stars.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

An utterly vibrant collection of poetry, each piece sparkling with spirit and intensity.

[Kirsten Tattersall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

review to follow

[Greg Miraglia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing that grabbed me when I cracked open the pages of this collection was the 'contents' page. It breaks down the sections: Love/Lust/ Loveish and at the top asks 'What are you looking for?' The contents page acts as a thesis. It tells us that we are going to deep dive into several types of affection and adoration, while also giving the reader a choice. I started at the beginning because although I wanted to read the whole book, I am looking for love.

I enjoy the aesthetic. It didn't take a way from the poetry.

I've been burned by poetry lately that has made choices that don't seem to have any reasoning. In "Loveish" there's italics and limited punctuation and they read as purposeful. Structurally, the organization of the book and the craft of the poetry was well done.

My own reservations toward the word or even various definitions of 'love' would not allow me to use the word so freely, but Sakshi Narula uses it well. "Loveish" is a smart collection of poetry.

Highlights:
'empty'
'yes & no'
'waves'
'sexy lips'
'traveler'
'the storm'

[Kathy_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a debut poetry collection and it features poems about love, intimacy, loss and healing.
It's kind of a whole journey of a relationship. From meeting for the first time to breaking up and being heartbroken.
The poems are just really really deep and emotional, the author is really talented in painting beautiful imagery.
Every part of the journey is very accurate and really how you feel, at least I could see myself feeling these things at different stages of a relationship.
The breaking up part is a little overdramatic at some points though. Of course you feel awful and you are hurt, I know what that feels like... but she could have turned it down a notch and it would have been even better.
Even though I liked the poems a lot especially the imagery, sometimes I didn't understand what the author meant at all because she used a little too much of it, so here as well, a little bit less would have made it better.
But overall I really enjoyed it and would give it 4/5 stars!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard to rate this as the writing was beautiful, but most of the pieces didn’t resonate with me. I think maybe a few years ago when I was going through most of these issues it might have been a little more hard hitting. With that being said, this might be one that I’ll have to revisit to see if my perspective on it changes.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[tris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have nothing to say except that the poet's words struck a chord with me. I don't read poems much but I'm glad that I read this one.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loveish is a beautifully written book of poetry. I especially loved the flow of this book and how each poem flowed into the next.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gorgeously written collection of poetry. I’m looking forward to buying a copy because I’ve heard the formatting in the physical form is stunning. The sections it was broken into were absolutely perfect.

It was such a raw, real read. I felt like I was going through these relationships with the author. Everything was expressed so beautifully and clearly.

I really hope the author does more poetry collections, because I will pick them up in a heartbeat. I feel like this is a read everyone can relate to in their own way.

[Satyaprakash Panigrahi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

So beautifully written. Every work is heart touching. Thank you so much for the book. Wish you best of luck for your upcoming books.

[Gabby gababoutbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Loveish' is a collection of poems by Sakshi Narula all about love and heartbreak. Within this collection, there were some poems that broke my heart just by feeling the raw emotions. However, there were other poems that fell flat and felt detached completely of emotion. One thing I enjoyed about this collection was how we were given a glimpse of her love story and the after part. Usually, we only hear about the love but Narula gives us everything. We know how she loved, how she hurt and how she pulled herself back together after heartbreak. I think this was probably one of the better modern-day styles formatted poems I've read in a while but it is still not my favorite style of poetry.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley & the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Loveish is a book of poems about love, loss & moving on. 💔
Poetry is one of my all time favorite genres to read; some of my favorite authors being R.h Sin & Amanda Lovelace. I had high hopes for this book, but the words just didn’t hit me 🥊 like other poetry books I’ve read in the past.

[Steven Streeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really strong book of poetry, and you can read my full review right here: https://www.weekendnotes.com/loveish-...

[Cynthia Troncquo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for the free eARC in exchange of an honest review

I was really surprised by these poems. I appreciated them a lot. I enjoy this type of modern poetry and prose, so it was a real pleasure to read these.
Poems never speaks the same way to two people, that what makes poems so beautiful. The poems in the first half of the book hit home for me, and I could relate to them. The second part, not so much. I still enjoyed them, even if they didn’t inspire me as much.
All in all, Loveish is an enjoyable collection of poetry.

[Dekotah Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loveish was a raw read and so many people can relate to different parts of this book. The author is able to express so many emotions and translate the feelings into beautiful prose. There were aspects of the collection that i couldnt relate to, i hadnt been through thpse or similar situations but it was still a nice read throughout. This collection is a great read for many people, those who read poetry and thpse that do not, everyone could find something to relate to or enjoy throughout

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this poetry collection talking of love, passion and life with another we get a deep feel for how emotional turmoil of a relationship can be taking it's toll on a person being so happy to be so down when it ends and the turmoil you can feel rising the highs and lows it can bring.



I like the red string poem the most as it resonates personally to me in my life.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

[Prateek Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderfully crafted, loved Loveish.

'Loveish' is a Great Read. Love, Lust, Heartbreak and then Recovering from it. Heartbreak is definitely the one of the most realest pain human heart suffers. The poems in the book is purely from the heart.

"you knock on the door to my broken heart everyday and I don't open I locked it, for I cannot handle another apocalypse"

[Helena Handbasket · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent poetry

Well written. The text could use better formatting and perhaps some artwork or other design features. The poetry itself is wonderful

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only I can set fire to your darkness and
melt the winters of your cold heart’

Loveish is a collection of poems broken into three categories - Love/Utopia, Lust/Passion and Loveish/Melancholia. Each poem explores the emotions experienced as a result of these different types of love through elegant language and stunning imagery.

This is one of my first times properly delving into poetry and I’m so happy I did - this book felt like the perfect place to start. These poems were beautifully written and full of emotion. While I didn’t connect to some of the individual poems, others created striking imagery that really connected with me.

Sakshi’s writing is thoughtful and comforting. Her poems felt very personal and you could tell she had put a lot of herself into each one. She was able to weave a complete story even in the shortest poems. While I found myself confused at first (due to my own lack of experience with poetry) I found myself understanding and enjoying the poetry more and more as I went on and towards the end I had a far better understanding of each one.

The repeated symbolism really tied this collection together. Motifs such as flowers, coffee and white sheets appeared in all three sections of this book making it feel very cohesive.

The only negative I have about this book was that occasionally a line break felt as though it would have been smoother and flowed better elsewhere. However, due to my lack of poetry knowledge there may have been a purpose to these that I just didn’t recognise.

The book is beautifully formatted with simplistic, pretty illustrations throughout.

I would highly recommend this book to those who love poetry about love and heartbreak. Especially to those scared to start reading poetry or who don’t know where to begin, this was a great read and I will definitely pick up her future works.

[Laura✧˚ · . · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5
Loveish is a book that I didn’t expect to love it. I love poetry but English it’s not my first language so obviously this was a hard read for me. This is a complex book. It deals with love, pain, heartbreak and loneliness. I felt a deeper connection with a lot of the poems and I saw myself reflected in them. Loving someone that doesn’t love you back. Learning how to cope with someone you love loving someone else. How to recover from it. How to accept you love someone and they didn’t return the feeling. Learning how to be lonely and deal with the sadness. Accepting that you are never going to be with that person not in this lifetime, not in another. Some poems were beautiful. Some others were okay. I think the author overused the bated breath, loneliness, and she repeated some words and quotes a little too much for my taste. Overall this was a short quick read and I enjoyed it. I wish it was translated so I could enjoy it more bc I’m not gonna lie English is hard especially poems since they are lyrical and full of metaphors but this was a good book and I can’t recommend you it enough