Thank you to NetGalley and Unnamed Press for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!

So, let me start by saying it is not by any means the worst body of poetry I've read. Some of the imagery was very interesting and creative. I could definitely tell the author was trying (unlike, say, Gabbie Hannah or somebody.)

I did not, however, think this was a particularly special collection. While the poetry was fine it often just fell flat or came off as pretentious. Then, there was one poem which I absolutely hated which I will show you all.

"the 27 club are alive and well and singing

people don't really kill themselves over things like that

but i read you can die from a broken heart"

Yeah. It just kind of rubs me the wrong way... Anyways. The photography included was a nice touch but kind of bland. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

Favorite Poem: Poem From An Unsent Postcard

The Bella Visa was quite an unexpected surprise. Some poems were so close to what I lived through and felt that it was as if they had been written for me.
Emma Ruth Rundle has a writing style both simple and poetical, keeping close to reality while unveiling the complexity behind our social selves and relationships.
Some poems in the collection were reminiscent of Beat poets, in her chosen topics and angles in which she perceived the outside world.
The pictures were an interesting choice, and I really enjoyed the ways in which she played with space.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
As a fan of Emma Ruth Rundle's music, I was intrigued by her debut poetry collection.
Drawing inspiration from her personal and musical history, the poems explore love, loss, and self-discovery in a reflective, lyrical manner. However, despite my appreciation for her artistry in music, this collection didn’t resonate with me. The writing felt flat, and the accompanying photographs didn’t add much to the experience. While I admire her creative versatility, the emotional depth of her music didn’t quite translate into this poetry for me.

I have been on a journey with poetry and finding collections and books of poems for my patrons that they will be able to connect to and find a bit of themselves in. In Bella Vista, Rundle takes her readers on her journey of love that ebbs and flows as the photos seem to provide a glimpse into the psyche and mind of the poet. At times I felt her anger and at other times her hope and love. Overall, The Bella Vista was an interesting journey and I would like to see this book in print form and see how it resonates with being able to see the pictures on pages rather than my Kindle.

I'm not a fan of this book. It comes across as self-absorbed, and the author tries to make the mundane seem more extraordinary than it is but is seriously missing the mark. Many of these poems seem like she's trying to make word count. The photos in this book aren't great; they look like those you accidentally take when moving your phone around and accidentally take a picture. If you're a fan of her music, you might like this book, but as someone who knows nothing about her, I wouldn't recommend this book.