DROPKICKromance is a collection of autobiographical poetry about healing and learning to love again from professional-wrestler-turned-poet, Cyrus Parker.

The first half of DROPKICKromance focuses on a toxic, long-distance relationship the author was involved in for several years, while the second half focuses on his current relationship with poet Amanda Lovelace. Ultimately, the collection tells about a profound journey of healing. (via Goodreads)

I received an eARC of DROPKICKromance via Netgalley, thanks to Andrew McMeel Publishing, in exchange for an honest review.

DROPKICKromance tells Cyrus Parker’s story, from its beginnings in an abusive relationship to becoming himself to finding the woman he married last year.

His wife’s name will be a familiar one to poetry fans and tumblr/twitter folks as Amanda Lovelace and ladybookmad, who wrote the princess saves herself in this one and will be releasing the witch doesn’t burn in this one on the same day as DROPKICKromance releases.

DROPKICKromance is a hard read in the beginning, and I had to take it a few poems at a time. However, the further you get into it, the more you really get a feel for who Parker is as a writer and as a person.

One thing I really loved about this book is that you see the changes in Parker through where the poem is on the page – they start left-justified, and move to the middle after he leaves, later moving to be right-justified when he writes about Lovelace. It goes back to being left-justified whenever he writes about his ex. I think it’s a brilliant decision on the designer’s part.

I think that my favorite poems from the collection were big bang theory and you are my favorite place. Thankfully both approved made me laugh out loud, and i owe my voice to you made me tear up.

I really enjoyed DROPKICKromance and look forward to whatever Parker has to offer next. I recommend picking up a copy from Amazon or Indiebound!

Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound and Amazon are affiliate links, which means that if you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money off of it.