Back when I worked in the Town Clerk’s office, there was a couple that came in to apply for their marriage license. This was a normal occurrence — especially in the spring and summer time when wedding season is hot and heavy in Connecticut. What made this couple so unique was the bride. She was so excited to be marrying her groom, and her happiness radiated as we processed their paperwork. When they left, my co worker said “I hope my son finds someone that is that excited to marry him.”
I was reminded of that when I picked up the book, Heartbeats by Sarah Cantafio. Cantafio is a Connecticut based author and met her love while attending college. Heartbeats is a 60 page poetry book, and each and every page is filled with love. The poems tell the story about her relationship with her fiancé — from their first meeting to the proposal. She describes moments, and even shares some of their challenges that of course is no match to the strength of love. It also discusses feelings of insecurity and feeling good enough to be with someone, especially after having a tough time finding a partner that is good for them.
As I said, Heartbeats is basically a book about finding love and young love. The poetry is very clean (nothing x rated here), but it’s neither cliche or cheesy. The poetry is authentic and emotional. It gives you the warm and fuzzies on the inside while you’re reading it.
Personally, I related to these poems because I had my share of tricky romantic relationships in the past prior to my current one. To this day, I still feel imposter syndrome when it comes to whether or not I am worthy of a good guy who brings unconditional love. Cantafio touches upon that and relays the following point — love is the answer to that question and love melts away those insecurities.
Now, Heartbeats is Cantafio’s debut release. It was originally print only, but the author recently made it available on Kindle as well. That said, I’m anxious to read Cantafio’s next book (maybe about her and her love’s next chapter?).
Overall, I really enjoyed this quick and beautiful read. And, I honestly recommend it. I recommend it to those who are in committed relationships. I recommend it to those who are in the first stages of a new one. And, finally, I recommend it to those who are struggling to find their person.
I gave this read a solid five stars. Heartbeats is available on Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback formats.
Author’s Note: I purchased this with my own money, and all opinions are my own. I was also not compensated for my review.
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