My Greenhouse

by Bella Mayo

A debut collection exploring the experience of first love and heartbreak through poetry, from actress and artist Bella Mayo.

My Greenhouse is a collection of poems inspired by the author's first romance, beginning with the seeds of infatuation, blooming for a time into real love, and then eventually dying back, making room for new growth. The pieces evoke the feelings of enchantment, uncertainty, pain, and ultimately healing that come with your first love and heartbreak. The author was 19 when the first edition was published, in 2021.

Genres: Poetry, Romance, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Christian, Contemporary

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Bella Robertson Mayo was born on 2002 in West Monroe, Louisiana.

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Increasingly I'm discovering that poems that are straightforward, unadorned languages just aren't for me. While the emotional range in this volume is nice as is the way the author examines love and relationships through the lens of her expectations and growth (and narcissism? every poem's title starts with "my"), the language, as in poems like 'my greatest surprise' doesn't do much for me:

i looked up,
and before i knew it, we were falling in love.
i was so focused on everything else
i didn't even see it.
i didn't have to try.
i didn't have to wait for you to call me back and wonder if this was what i wanted.
it just happened.
i just knew it was what i wanted without a thought in my mind.
you were unexpected
and quick.
but isn't that exactly how it's supposed to be?

[Laur · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Greenhouse by Bella Mayo is magnificent! It is the heartfelt expressions of poetry written when she was just a 15 year old teenager (now as an adult author a time of reflection). A beautiful book of romantic innocence in poetry form.

My Greenhouse is raw, intense, honest, mature... just plain magical in producing empathic emotion in what the author was experiencing. Loved each and every one of the poems written! Also, very much enjoyed the end acknowledgements and closing credits as it provided a hidden insight as to this author's personality.

Bella Mayo narrated her own work. She has a pleasant voice, but as a narrator, sounded as if reading script - her own words, yet not with the raw emotion those words would have if she had been "speaking from the heart" with the emotion she obviously felt when she first wrote them down. (Perhaps, she is now devoid of all the emotion those words initially produced.). The reading was consistent, fairly monotone, but NOT unpleasant. It just lacked pitch, pace, power. That said, the poetry was so good, the rating I give this book is solid.

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My thanks to NetGalley, Andrews McMeel Audio, and Bella Mayo for an AAC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
My Greenhouse is a sweet book of short poems by Bella Mayo. I enjoyed the poems in this collection, and they took me back to my youth in the times of first loves and heartaches. Even though the poems were sweet, I don't think the author did it justice on the audio version as it sounded like she was reading from a script and the poems didn't seem to be spoken with passion or rawness which is what was needed to give this book an edge. I'd recommend reading a physical copy rather than the audio of this one.

[samantha aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my new favorite poetry book. it really encapsulated falling in love, getting your heart broken, and all the feelings in-between. i annotated it as i read and let me say; the book it now very full of annotations and highlights.
Bella also started working on this when she was 15, and that encourages me so much in my own poetry <3
highly recommend!

[akacya ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary review copy in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating.

This is a poetry collection exploring the author’s first romance and heartbreak. It is split into five parts, each explaining different aspects of the relationship.

These poems were very heartfelt and meaningful. I think this will be a great book for young girls who are new to romance to read.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

2025 Review
3 stars

I'd been thinking about this one recently, so I thought I'd read it again.
I saw a review before rereading that some of the poems could have been played with in editing a bit more, and I did see that this time around. I thought the second half of the book portrayed more emotion and creativity than the first half, but I still do appreciate the way this book of poems is meant to show obsessive, blind "love" to learning to be more careful with you heart and pursue healing and moving forward.

2021 Review
5 stars

I heard about this one because I watch/listen to the WHOA That's Good podcast with Sadie Robertson Huff and her sister, Bella Robertson Mayo, was a guest. They discussed the book, I liked what I was hearing, and I bought it.

It is really good.

I listed in my journal which of the poems I really liked, just for future reference, and I filled up a page. They each had special, simple language that caught me and brought images to mind, which I believe is the power of poetry.

I've never even been in a relationship, but the poems about this one were beautiful - even if the it was about the course of the relationship starting from blind love to heartbreak. I definitely want to reread in the future.

[Clayton Roach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t realize how young the author was until after I finished. I guess I thought the book was going to change my life because I really like greenhouses, but it didn’t, which is totally fine. Regardless, I enjoyed her collection of poems.

[۶۟ৎ kaylin jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ✩

₊⊹ · ̗̀➛〝the moment you are hurt by the hands of a man, the thought of being in another’s seems reckless. to fully love you i had to unlearn the idea i had so strongly held on to— that in a man’s arms is a dangerous place.〞

₊⊹ · ̗̀➛〝if i have learned anything, it’s that it is not raw talent that pulls beautiful things out of thin air and puts them into words. it’s you. you are the art, and you are the words. i’m the artist and the poet, but you, my love, are my muse.〞

⤿ my greenhouse - this poetry book is something I didn’t know I needed and craved in my life. because of this book I made a habit to read poetry every morning and night. reading this 145 page book gave me a new perspective on heartbreak and first loves. I wish bella mayo had other books that I could read because this was very beautiful. the quotes are so real that I genuinely thought bella mayo was in my brain. the writing is just amazing and I would recommend for everyone experiencing their first love or haven’t experienced their first love yet to read this. so so good.

₊⊹ · ̗̀➛〝I step back to see your face, so I know who’s heart I’ve been watching repeatedly shatter. I turn the lights on and look up, my breath swept away to see the face I was worried I’d see, my own.〞

₊⊹ · ̗̀➛〝but the truth of the matter is that is what love does to you. love makes you forget all the bad things. when love feels threatened, it sends all of the sweetest memories to the front of your mind so that even if you wanted to, even if you knew it was true, you couldn’t agree.〞

[Sharondblk · Rating 1 out of 5]

I requested this book because it felt like everyone was reading poetry, and I wanted to play to. It is made up of what feels like thousands of short poems, each beginning with the title "My" something. Most of them are all about how she loves this boy, and he isn't good enough. They are very short, and read like the diary scrawling of a 16 year old. They are also full of bizarre phrases "like art you melt in my hands" for example.

She refers to him and "baby" and "boy". She talks a lot about love, but I don't see any love here, nor any real poetry.

I got a free audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was read by the author, and she has one of those American accents when you don't pronounce the "ts" and it made it even harder to take this book seriously. I'm so sorry I didn't like it more.

[Autumn Uhrig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating poetry is always a difficult thing, because there are so many different views on what poetry should be, and what makes poetry "good" or not. I liked this poem collection. I couldn't relate to every single poem, but there were quite a few that I could. Were the poems complex or deep or even structured impactfully? In my opinion, no not really, but they said things that I had felt and in some ways made me feel less alone. A nice little collection all things considered

[Brianna Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first collection from the author and it included some really relatable passages. I love that it was the author narrating which made it feel a lot more personal. I have never listened to poetry on audio before, and it was interesting to hear the pace and pauses where they were intended instead of figuring it out on my own in my head.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed that this poetry collection took a journey through the author's first relationship. Because of this, it doesn't have an exactly happy ending so much as it has a realistic one, which was nice to see. None of the poems particularly stood out to me, but I liked the greenhouse imagery and how the author titled the poems "my _____" to reflect the title of "My Greenhouse." Solid "liked it" rating, would read more from this author.

[disco · Rating 4 out of 5]

my always and forever

you have given me a new hope,
a hope for a fresh start,
a hope for an all-new,
all-better us.
man, i hope you’re serious,
because, baby, i’m ready,
ready to go all in.

[Meagan McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet yet everything I wanted to say but couldn’t.

[Mikayla Oommen]

I picked this up every once and a while and read a couple poems. maybe I will read this and relate if I ever go through major heartbreak but for now, it was just nice. 😌🌿

[Mahala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god! If you love/want to start loving poetry please read this book. It’s structured perfectly in that you go on a journey of love and heartbreak alongside the author. I cannot overstate the beauty in this book and I cannot recommend it enough! Please please please go read it!

[mar✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

you,
my love,
were a rough start,
but by God, i stuck with you.

Me gustaron y me llegaron al corazón la mayoría de los poemas. No soy una experta en ellos pero califico el poemario conforme me haya dolido o me haya sentido identificada y en este caso, le doy el visto bueno. Está dividido en 5 partes y en ellas nos habla acerca de los sentimientos del primer amor, el dolor, la curación, etc.

Me emociona leer sus próximos proyectos y definitivamente deberían de darle una oportunidad a este libro.


Thanks Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[emma.bookss]

*4.5 stars
this is my new fave poetry book for sure! this author managed to put everything i’ve been feeling recently into words.
this book is for all the hopeless romantics, or people going through a heartbreak

[Alison Chorney-Dubien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry if something I am now getting into and have a couple books that I choose for daily reflections. This book would definitely fit into my favourites. The works of poetry are written to be short and sweet, meaningful and resonate with the reader. I found the poetry focused more around young/new love, but this was beautiful and reminds the reader what that new love feels like. The poems all have an appropriate title and flow.

The author did a great job! This was an audio book eArc and the author/narrator was wonderful. Very clear intonation, pace and emotion. 4-stars and would purchase for others!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio book eARC version of this sweet book of poetry in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

[Morgan Conner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of my favorite quotes


to know you is to love you. and to love you is an honor.

i think i love you more than i even know, which is scary and lovely all at once. life with you is the adventure of a lifetime, but to lose you would be the loss of one.

there’s so much joy and beauty only the simple can bring.

you have all the tools to make me fall in love with you but none of the ones to make me stay.

how are you?” everyone asks. every part of me wants to say, “i’m so good!” but i close my eyes and in slow motion i can see my tears, i can hear my screams, i can feel my shattered heart. so i look up, i shake my head. i swallow my pride, and i say, “you know, i’ve been better.”

[Mads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: 4/5 🌟

My Loves: The way Bella portrays heartache and the way the heart abd mind conflict with one another is one that spoke to my soul. This simultaneously felt so heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. As I read it felt like I was taking the words and telling them to my younger self, and giving her a hug as she struggled. So moving. I also had the joy of listening to the recording by the author, and hearing the subtle emotion in her voice during certain points of the reading struck a cord in me.

My Not-So-Loves: A very minor thing but some analogies felt a bit repetitive, like a “recorder full of recordings” just felt a bit more clunky and didn’t match the flow of the poem as well. But it’s not enough to take away from the overall experience.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I had started this in December last year (2021), but did not continue with it. Since it's National Poetry Month I am trying to read as many poetry collections as possible. This was a look into first love and how it ended. The poems cover a wide range of short thoughts and long reflections on love and heartbreak. I enjoyed this collection immensely, but there were a couple of times that I would read a poem and think, "That's it? I wish it was longer." Overall, I think this is a solid collection of love and heartbreak poems. I loved a ton of them and definitely see myself returning to this collection again.

[Ally | abookishcoffeeholic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook from NetGalley.

I am not the biggest fan of poetry, but this was a pretty good one to listen to. It is a little emotional to listen to (and probably to read) because it is so relatable. A compilation of poetry about past lovers and how they impacted who you are. I was not prepared to listen to this book and I don't know that I would listen to it again. Mayo does a great job of putting real and raw emotion into her writing and I couldn't help but relate to the emotions she put into words. After listening to this book I feel a little down, but also hopeful because not all loves are disappointing. For anyone who has had a time of it before finding their forever love, this book puts those emotions into words and feels a little cathartic to hear them (or read them).

[Avrial || Bookish.and.blissful · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solidly okay read for me. I’ve come to the conclusion that unadorned and unimaginative poetry just may not be for me. There were moment on light within the pages that I marked because they struck me. But they struck me as everyday mundane thoughts in a fancily presented way and not as moments to relish and dream of. I enjoyed the story throughout of a realistic journey through love, and I enjoyed the greenhouse imagery that bookended the poems inside.

Overall, okay. I wouldn’t recommend entirely.

[Sky · Rating 5 out of 5]

when it comes to making reviews, I really do try to not give every book a "5 star rating" so it doesn't seem like I'm a fake rater but oh my goodness. I absolutely adored this book. I love how Bella Mayo writes to us and how she wishes when she writes "i" she wants the reader to look at that as them and not her. every piece she wrote in this is absolutely lovely and hit home. it's truly a blessing when you find a book you connect to so much. if you have been through any sort of love, crush, falling chaos. I highly recommend this book.

[Jenni Sauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out with a beautifully inspiring dedication that led me to believe this volume would be full of hope and love. And it was...for the first half. The second half is about heartbreak and hopelessness and toxic relationships that left me feeling...empty. Which is completely fair, if that's the author's story but I felt like she promised me another story and then gave me this one instead and it left me disappointed

She does have a beautiful way with words and I'm undecided, I might still add this to my collection, because there were some really beautiful poems 💕

[Mandie Leatherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t usually read poetry but I enjoyed this book a lot. It’s amazing to know that the author recently turned 19 and the book is mostly poems from her journal. I love how it reminded me so much of myself in high school and how I felt during that time. There is a lot of emotion and drama going on and I loved how it feels like she has grown up by the end of the book and is ready to move on to bigger and better things. This might be my gateway into poetry.

[Bea (beansbookshelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

I really enjoyed reading this book, as I could relate to it. It talks about love and failed relationships. It talks about learning to live without someone who was everything for you, and moving on. Rating: 3/5 stars.

[sintiareads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the free ebook.
It was a simple and fast read. I liked how the author wanted to tell through the poems about her first love and heartbreak, but to be honest, I didn't like the whole book that much.

[Aida ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a poetry collection, it lacks something. Or a lot of things. Depth, creativity, something unique to say. As and audiobook it doesn’t read as poetry, but as something you’d write in an Instagram caption. Also, is nice that the author narrates the audiobook, but her voice wasn’t very enjoyable.