J. R. RogueReseñas

Wow, was this ever a weird read. There are lots of redeeming qualities but the storytelling was really disjointed and none of the characters particularly likeable.

Santiago by Fabiola Francisco:
Noel is on a work vacation where she is in Spain realizing yet doing her job. When she is out one day she gets hit upside the head with a soccer ball, when the guy guilty of hitting her comes to apologize she plays it off and thinks nothing of it walking away. Santiago is attracted to Noel and is determined to make up for the incident, yet when things come to light like him being a famous soccer player Noel had no clue and is shocked. She isn’t like other women he has seen and he loves it, so the more time they spend together these feelings become more intense. Will the hurt Santiago felt in the past keep him from exploring this more than just a vacation fling? This was such a super cute novella that I devoured it in minutes. I wish we could have more of these two because they are perfect.

Very unusual book. Different style.
The heroine is a mess and that's the point.
I may come back and review this more fully when I've had time to contemplate.

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I made EIGHTEEN (18) HIGHLIGHTS during my first read of ILYILH. That's a record.

This is one of those books where I don't want to give away anything, I want you to trust my recommendation and just read it. I don't want to convince you, I don't want to give any little bit up, I just want you to go in with an open mind and I can only hope you find yourself connecting with it the way I did. J.R. Rogue has created characters, a world, a story, that feels like my own without really being my own. The aching hearts, the confusion, the desperation for an answer, the things Severin wants I once wanted, maybe in a different way, but I knew exactly how she felt from beginning to end. I connected with her, I cried even when she didn't, and at the end of the novel I scrolled back to page one and knew I just had to read it again.

"A lie can be a good reason if you repeat it over and over again."

I've just finished a wine, I'm listening to a playlist that is indie rock, and folk, and youthful pain all at once, and I'm reflecting on the journey that J.R. Rogue takes us on in I Like You, I Love Her. We're in a small town, we're privy to only Severin's thoughts, and yet we're all too aware of the natural hierarchies, the thoughts of others, and the damning lust that changes you, for worse and maybe for better, when it dismantles the belief you once had of your simple world. The sort of love that throttles you when it is finally recognized as unrequited. It's love, lust, and heartbreak turned into a beautiful story, brought to life by J.R. Rogue's lyrical prose that manages to make you cry and smile all at the same time. At the same time, J.R. Rogue takes her writing a step further, breaking up her poetic storytelling style with difficult thoughts and jarring events that only further the believability.

"I want to be a different woman, but I am not. I am weak for him. We all have that one."

The story is Severin's, her past and her present and even her future, and yet it feels like I stepped into her shoes and was there too. I knew her addiction to the untouchable Bryan Winthrop, because I found myself addicted to this book in an unhealthy way, and even more so, I found myself addicted to the real Severin that Ben allowed her to be. I knew the feeling of loving both versions of life, but recognizing that the future must follow a certain path even if the other is the kind of path I once pictured my life taking.

"'And how are they? How are things?'
'I think you know. But the lie is sweeter'"

It's rare that I live in my thoughts about a book so much that I can't even start another, but this book trapped me in its pages for about a week. ILY,ILH is more than a romance, it's a fictional journey of self reflection, personal growth, and the dawning understanding that maybe love can't just carry things forward alone. The story isn't simple, it doesn't move in the expected romantic way, and yet it is real, pulling my heart towards it like Severin feels hers pulled too. It's beautiful, raw, and honest, in a way that I find refreshing and relatable. It's just the kind of book you have to read, and maybe you'll dislike it (don't tell me, we'll argue) or maybe you too will fall in love.

Favorite Quote:
"People are always so worried about pulling the Band-Aid off so they choke on their truths, let lies spill out."

ARC Provided.

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J.R. Rogue writes heartbreaking pain into beautiful poetry with Breakup Poems. This stunning new release is emotional, the poems had me reminiscing on past loves and riding the waves of emotion alongside her as she unraveled the heavy feelings.

"I am only worth chasing when I am running away"

Split into six chapters; denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, and rebellion, Breakup Poems tackles the hard hurts, like cheating, first love, divorce, and tentative separation. The poems are relatable, each making me ache, but also making me feel like I've not been alone when I've felt drowned by the heartache with lines like “rewriting the end, that’s what women do." Some of the poems are softer, teardrops, while others are smashing fists, screaming words, and strength that one needs when recovering from a loss.

"... forever can die slowly
I can die slowly for you"

J.R. Rogue admits she knows life, love, and loss well, her previous works prime examples of this, but Breakup Poems feels the most raw. I wanted to check on her after some of the poems, knowing only real experience could draw out words such as these. The words are presented in a lyrical way, with a really unique format that makes me think this book is best read in a paperback. J.R. Rogue has captured the stages of a breakup perfectly with Breakup Poems and I highly recommend it. It's the kind of poetry that sticks and stays, that will come to you when you need it most.

ARC provided.

4.5 stars

What a beautiful and poignant story. I wasn't prepared for this story. The author has a way with words. Stunning and mesmerizing. This was a first time author for me but one I'll be watching for in the future. My biggest complaint was the ending. It seemed rushed and then it left off without much of an actually ending. I wanted, NO, I needed more.

So I followed this poet on social media and was very excited to dive neck deep into her works.

As a published author of a book of poetry, I know how it felt to release this baby into the wild. It was liberating, it was the feeling that you were tearing off layers of skin and exposing your innards for the world to see and judge at free will. I always wanted someone to give me solid advice when it came to my poetry, especially when the subject was heartbreak.
That alone made me give this author 5 stars.... because of her COURAGE.

I know how the author feels at the present moment, watching each comment, hoping someone "gets it" in the way in which she wrote these words.

I got it....
She wants me to feel depressed along with her, I assume, otherwise these works would have never surfaced.

I imagine myself writing this during some of my hugest juvenile heartbreaks, while clutching a bottle of vodka and feeling woe is me. Reading this made me want to do the same.

Eventually, I kicked my own heartbroken ass into shape and established a new writing tone in which I feel more comfortable in my skin.
I hope this author does the same.

Honestly, I didn't find myself enjoying this collection of works: But I don't feel it was written for me to enjoy.
I felt it was TOO depressing and heart-wrenching and extremely vague and without any sort of established uniform style or prose. It left me gutted and empty.
I would like to see more metaphors, more style, and in more established subjects then heartbreak... there is a pure raw talent here.
KEEP WRITING!