** A copy of Love is for All of Us was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

Love is for All of Us is a timely and necessary anthology of poems on love, belonging, life and hope for queer people. This felt like a much-needed long hug after a stressful day. Like James Crews' previously edited anthologies, this is a welcome addition to everyone's bookshelves.

I highly recommend this collection of poems and stories to any fellow queer people struggling in our current political climate. This was a warm hug and made me feel not as alone as they are trying to make us feel.

Rated 5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC ebook.

My Sexual Orientation is Spring by Kyla Jamieson

We change time,
make the days longer.
I start to forget
the pact I made
with unhappiness,
take myself
to the ocean,
say I just need
to catch the last
few minutes
of light. This is
how spring is love,
the way it pulls us
towards pleasure.

This is just one of many poems I highlighted, re-read and re-read and adored in this collection of queer poetry. There was such a gentle and loving energy sewn in and out of each poem, despite the works being about so many different things from intimacy to loss to hope to pain. While I read the ebook - thank you NetGalley for the early ARC - the illustrations were still charming to see and I can imagine a hard copy of this book being something I'd display proudly on my coffee table, or maybe selfishly keep on my bedside table so I can revisit the poems again and again.

What a diverse celebration and affirmation to being queer, and all that comes with it. The poems and stories in this book are deeply vulnerable and touching, coming from many different voices and walks of life. I also love the formatting of the poems, simply well done. The perfect nightstand read to feel seen and heard. I'm definitely gifting this to all the queer folks in my life when this publishes.

Love is for all of us is such a wonderful collection slash anthology, I was obsessed with every installment. We needed this.

The poems in this collection will speak to many people at different stages of their journey. I found the ones of transformation were the ones I related to the most, I'm not sure what that says about me but life is an ever changing journey and we have to adapt or make the world adapt to us.

Being part of the LGBTQIA+ community can be difficult but it can also be quite wonderful. Knowing that people have put their love stories into poems and added them here along with some of their stories is an interesting read. Some will identify with others more.

Poetry is meant to speak to different people in different ways.

The epilogue stayed with me though. The final story of honour and pride and the betrayal of that faith.

I hope that you will find something that makes you feel seen.

A beautiful collection of poems with beautiful illustrations.
I don't usually read poetry but this one appealed to me with its cover and theme. I love how it feels like all the poems are stringed together by a common theme between poems next to each other: a leaf, a cup of tea, or another small thing.
It includes poems by trans authors and also poems from people who love trans people (such as parents and partners).

Thank you, NetGalley for this collection of poetry from several amazing LGBTQAI+ writers. I really loved this compilation. Each vignette told a different story, and they all tied together to address how deserving each of us is of experiencing love. This is such an important way to showcase how the queer community exists and has a powerful voice - a voice even more resounding when they are all together. I loved the epilogue by Brad Peacock, how he makes a point to address people of the LGBTQAI+ community who may consider suicide because they feel rejected by people or their government. It's such an important collection. I loved it

This is a beautiful collection. Inevitably, any kind of anthology will contain pieces that resonate more than others, but most of the poems contained here resonated with me to some degree. They radiated warmth, comfort, love and tenderness. I appreciate that these were mostly poems celebrating queer love and joy -- there are plenty of other works that focus on the struggles and hardships. This collection was like a warm hug, which is much needed in the times we live in. I will definitely be rereading it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Poetry is not my favourite, but this was actually quite good. I highlighted a lot of things and I think a lot of people would profit from reading this. It was great.

This is a lovely collection with a wide range of styles and expressions of love. With so many different authors, there will be a piece for everyone. Several made me want to write lines down and one even had me tear up. Plus the inside formatting is gorgeous so this will make a beautiful present

Some books feel like a warm embrace, and Love Is for All of Us is exactly that. Edited by James Crews and Brad Peacock, this poetry collection celebrates love in all its forms—romantic, platonic, self-love, and more—through the voices of LGBTQIA+ poets and allies.

With contributors like Audre Lorde, Andrea Gibson, and Danez Smith, the poems are tender, powerful, and deeply resonant. The “Stories of Becoming” essays add an extra layer of heart, sharing real-life journeys of love and identity.

Beautifully illustrated by Lisa Congdon, this book is one to savor—whether you need comfort, joy, or a reminder that love is everywhere. A must-read for poetry lovers and anyone seeking connection.

What a beautiful and important collection! Like with any poetry, some poems spoke to me more than others, but overall it's a heartwarming anthology, filled with love and hope, although a few poems about loss did bring tears to my eyes. The poems by parents of queer and trans children were particularly touching.

This is a wonderfully heartfelt, beautiful, enchanting, and soul-spoken collection of poetry that encompasses love and belonging in all its wondrous forms.

Written by members and friends of the LGBTQIA+ community, the raw emotion ripples through the pages and reaches out to all who need to hear.

This is no small collection, and I found many favourites among the multitudes shared within.

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You chose a tattoo like the sun for your fortieth birthday
and I wondered— do you know that you are sunlight, lit from within?
And that I feel warmed when standing next to you?
- Extract from 'Golden Hour' by MAYA STEIN

###

These are the connections and simple acts of kindness that can and will save lives. I know this to be true, because my community opened its arms and helped save mine.
- Extract from 'Now is Our Time' by BRAD PEACOCK

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This collection has something for everyone, and I recommend it to all who want to fill their hearts with love.


*I received an advance reader copy for free, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review*

I gulped down this anthology in one sitting. What a beautiful collection of poetry celebrating the spectrum of the queer romantic experience! Highly recommend adding to your collection.

Essa coletânea é um aconchego e um presente para nós da comunidade lgbt+, ter um espaço para expressar atráves da linguagem, a nossa existência e amores com as nuances que passamos durante a vida, de forma terna ao mesmo tempo poderosa.

Nossas palavras e nossos sonhos, assim como nosso sofrimento diante de um mundo que nos anula, persegue e nos nega a cada chance, e apesar de tudo a nossa existência e estar no mundo importa sim, resistimos e florescemos pelo processo singular, identitário e como seres sociais e políticos e obras como essa fortalece, abraça e são facilitadoras durante os percalços nas passagens diferentes da vida.

Agradeço ao netgalley pela cópia antecipada da obra.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in May. Yeah this boek of poetry is so important right now. To be queer and not to disappear, that is the question. No, actually that is the answer this book lovingly shows.

This book is what the world needs in late 2024. It's crafted full of love and solidarity, community and strength in times where people who love whom they love are targeted and ostracized. Queer Joy as well as Hurt breathes through these poems. Everyone should read this collection.

I felt that this anthology was an essential and valuable addition to the literary sphere. A collection of poems celebrating queerness and the love inherent in it is essential in this day and age. I loved the format of the book, the way it was structured, and the poems and stories included.