Love Lost and Found

by E.M. McConnell

Love Lost and Found is a series of poems centred around three themes; losing love, finding love and love that has expired, such as living through divorce and co-parenting. The title Love Lost and Found is referencing a poem that Eryn wrote when they were 16 and this series of poems is their attempt at answering the questions posed within the poem. There are poems about romantic love and breakups but there are also poems about family, friends, children and even the Cat. Because love comes in all forms. There are some darker themes in this collection including poetry about grief, emotional abuse and childhood trauma that might be difficult for some readers.

Genres: Poetry

Paperback

Published November 13, 2022

About the author

Eryn was born and raised in the UK, emigrating to Germany in 2017. They work freelance and live with their family.
Eryn studied Poetry, Literature and Playwriting at University, continuing to write poetry. They began to write fiction in 2021, starting with fan fiction, then flash fiction, then short stories, and finally novellas and novels.
They describe themselves as a non genre specific writer, preferring to dip toes into different genres, stories and ideas. Currently they write Poetry, Fantasy, Dystopian, Scifi and Horror but they may diversify further in the future.

Reviews

[Rebecca Crunden]

❧ poetry review

Love does not need to be
Performed on a stage
For hungry watchers
With gleaming eyes
And emptied hearts

This is my introduction to E.M. McConnell’s poetry and it definitely won’t be my last! These poems are well crafted, moving and thoughtful, focusing largely on deep, personal moments and struggles.

And that is what hurts me
That you sharpen the moments
And point them straight at me

This collection, though filled with individual poems, forms a story of sorts. One of a life filled with love and life changing experiences, the painful and the wonderful, the hardships and the joys. I really appreciated how honest and poignant and raw these poems are – poems on life, love, loss, relationships and more. McConnell’s experiences create a collection of emotional poems that are relatable and touching.

I did not mean to tell you
That I loved you
My words fell unbidden from my lips
And you gathered them up
As if diamonds were scattered
At your feet.
You valued those words
And honoured them so
But I think you did not know
That I uttered those words
But I did not know what they mean.

Poetry fans should definitely check out this collection!

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[Martin Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a thousand journeys within this collection,
An honest portrayal of love, surrender, heartache and joy all shared intimately with a fluent passion
accomplished by the very few. A rare insight into the fabrics of our soul's emotional potentials.

[M.A. Beyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author pours their heart out and is so brave and unapologetically vulnerable at the same time. Get out your tissues and get ready for an emotional journey. Love Lost and Found will change the way you look at the different types of love you experience in your own life through the scope of a truly talented and very eloquent poet.

[A.B. Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book encompasses every kind of love and so is immediately relatable, whether talking about first love, a broken heart, the joy of being a parent or the sorrow of losing your own. It’s told with all the raw beauty of complete honesty, avoiding any obvious traps or falling into well worn phrases that have been rendered basically useless over time.

As in previous work the author manages to perfectly capture an emotion in the most lyrical way, as an example, “ .....and I stopped saying what I needed to say. but the hot tears fell like black stars.” A second phrase particularly resonated with me on a personal level “...under furious seething waves the tips of dreams waving desperately to me.” There are just so many lines which I know you’ll find yourself reading over and over again.

If you’re looking for an overly-romanticised view of love then this might not be the poetry collection for you but if you want to see everything you’ve felt in a written form-it most definitely is right.

[Vicky McLain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of getting an arc of this book. WOW! It was amazing. I loved it. The poetry is brilliant. I related to so many things.
Love Is Fragile. Delicate. Phoebe. Mama poems. I Miss You. The Orphan Suitcase. Agree to Agree. We Are Family. Those were the ones I remembered most or had to go back and read again because of their power. One poem made me cry.
Yes the book is about love. But it is not the sappy, “longing for your kiss” poetry. This is real life. It’s poetry that shows the good, bad and ugly side of love. Eryn has a way of captivating the reader and pulling them into her world.
Even if you have never been fond of poetry, you will be fond of Eryn’s work.

[Jan Miklaszewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of poems from a writer I’ve come to associate with quality and honesty. Split into three solid sections, it delves into love in its various guises, soft in places but never soppy, hard in others but never unduly harsh.

These poems should find their mark with anyone who has lost love, found love, or experienced its slow unravelling. Their grounding in the artifacts of everyday life gives a solid launchpad for forays into the less tangible aspects of thought and feeling. The language is, as always, on point, and I very much enjoy the maturity of Eryn’s voice.

If forced to pick a favourite from each section, I would plump for An Orphan Suitcase (a heartbreaking reminiscence on early displacement), Phoebe (a wonderfully insightful piece about belonging and acceptance), and I Heard (super relatable, whichever end of the seesaw you’ve been on).

Highly recommended.

[The Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Lost and Found is the second poetry book by Eyrn McConnell. I really enjoyed this book, perhaps more than the first book, and there were a lot more of the pieces that I identified with. Very heartfelt verses, thought provoking pieces – overall, We award 5 stars. I have no problem with recommending this book to anyone.

[W.A. Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

The saying that writers put their heart and soul into their writing has never been more true to me than when I read this collection.
It is emotional and deep. Taking you on a journey and baring your soul for the world to read.
Some left me to ponder my own choices and some helped me celebrate the joy around.
A really great collection.

[Mary Grace Kroef · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many layers is what I felt when I read this book. There are so many layers to love, and how the author shares her expiriences. She tells us of romance, and lossing that romance, of mothers, children, and other family members. She tells us of the love of friendship while co-parenting. I loved leafing through these layers.

[Shane Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and honest, these poems are deeply personal and go straight to the heart. Even if you don't read a lot of poetry, these are worth your time.