Winter Roses after Fall

by R.H. Sin, Robert M. Drake

From the authors of The New York Times bestsellers Empty Bottles Full of Stories and Falling Toward the Moon comes a brand-new collection of compelling poetry and prose.There's a harshness in the air; the season is changing its colors. The rain is chilled, icy to the touch, and the sky, filled with melancholy. Your search for warmth has brought you here; you starve for something profound. You require something that will resonate with your soul. Despite how cold, you're determined to grow. And with these words, you bloom, a winter rose.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Romance

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2025

Reviews

[viviana · Rating 1 out of 5]

disappointing. men writing poetry is just disappointing and i hate it. i regret paying $18 for this.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars to Robert M. Drake but 3 stars to R.H. sin. So 4 stars :)

R.H. Sin’s short poems really really do it for me. His long poems I find boring and struggle to keep my eyes open and his long poems are only 1 page long on my iPad sooooooooo

[Kenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Winter Roses after Fall was a topical read for me. The poems by both Drake and Sin are brief and episodic. Still, I wanted more from this collection.

A huge roadblock for me was how specific some (most?) of the poems were written to be. I felt as though Drake and Sin opted out of capturing the feelings and emotionality of heartbreak in order to allow for an explicit explanation of their specific experiences. At times, this felt like looking behind the curtain—the magic of poetry was dulled by a constant inclination towards confessionalism.

I did find a few poems that I enjoyed, though not necessarily because of their writing. Rather, there are little blurbs of helpful advice and offerings of perspective. This could be read as a late-night text exchange between friends who are both still "getting it all out" after a breakup—some of it is relatable, but it falls short of sophistication.

[Megan Whitsel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was very disappointing. Felt very “predictable Facebook quote” it was so hard for me to stay engaged. Also extremely melancholy about heartbreak through the whole book & practically no “rose” after fall. This book wouldn’t even hit hard if I was heartbroken.

[Alexa Beene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very repetitive. The title implies that life blooms/bounces back after fall (heartbreak) but there are more poems on heartbreak than there are on the improvement & growth. Overall this poetry is a let down.

[Gerardine Betancourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Change is made impossible by those who cling to the past "

This book of poetry has spoken to me in a way that no other book has. It is not a book for everyone, only for people who have suffered a recent breakup in their life and feel like me, lost without direction and without knowing which path to follow.

[WitchyKiki · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.
GIRL what even? I couldnt get through the first 50 pages. What IS THIS? pretty cover, nice premise but thats it.

[mike f. · Rating 4 out of 5]

i now understand the tumblr-motivation-quote-esque-poetry now. it's there when you need it and when you relate to it on a more personal level. that was this collection for me. i was going through exactly what this collection was explaining, and it genuinely helped me put things into perspective. i understand these poems.

[hannah! · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Being good to someone who is afraid to be happy is a terrible hell for a heart that deserves heaven."

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was really good. i expected it to be not the best quality, but i liked both the authors and the inspiring message :)

[Radicalfox739 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so intense to read that it gave me a headache afterwards and so deep it made me cry

[Kendal Clawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful words without much variety.

[Niya Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far one of my favorite poetry books. It was raw, honest, and captivating. 10 out of 10 would recommend.

[Isaac · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. Cringy.

[Carling · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt like reading the same thing over and over again. I get it toxic relationships = bad. Leaving said relationships = hard. This is essentially the gist of all passages to save you the trouble of actually picking up the book and reading it. There were some other random poems that talk about the cold (don’t even ask because I have no idea) sprinkled in at odd times. But overall my final thoughts are … to just be glad I’m one book closer to my yearly reading goal.

[leila · Rating 4 out of 5]

there was some pieces which were beautiful and some that didnt capture me. regardless im glad i picked up this book and its cover is so so so pretty
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"The rain is chilled, icy to the touch, and the sky, filled with melancholy. Your search for warmth has brought you here. Despite how cold, you're determined to grow"

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter got me hooked on poetry and I recently snagged this one from her bookshelf. It was as if it was calling out to me and I am so glad it did. What an amazing read! It’s like the poems were coming directly from my head. This book really spoke to me and I could relate to almost every single poem. Loved this book from the first page to the last.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember really liking their first book, but this one didn't do it for me. Robert M Drake's section did sit much better than R. H. Sin's, which I think is flipped from how I felt about Empty Bottles Full of Stories.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred Robert’s poetry, though I overall I enjoyed the reflections on grief, living in various seasons of life, and knowing your worth/placing healthy boundaries. A great collection to read in the winter!

[Stephanie]

Thank you Kate :’)

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are recently recovering from heartbreak and are on a path of healing, this book is for you 💕 Robert Drake and r.h. Sin collaborate to make a book that is complete and utter art…

[Kari Napier · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!!!!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

i personally enjoy rh sin's poetry more than robert m. drake, hence the 3 stars.

[lmcrg · Rating 4 out of 5]

loveee poetry books esp r.h. sin and robert m. drake :)

read this during my shifts this week LOL

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[yusraaa · Rating 1 out of 5]

i got this book from my cousin cause i thought the name was pretty but gn it was so flipping bad bro like take the pen away from these men i beg. it was so bad that it was funny like no way trees died for this.

[baylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute cover with terribly mid contents

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt half poetry half self help. It teaches the reader about breakups and how to move on.

[christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was the same three poems written differently and more dramatically. and yet none of them felt finished. i read it for the pretty cover

[Jolanta Oh · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I fail to understand the hype surrounding these two authors. It’s not bad poetry, just nothing beyond ordinary.