Taking on the whole of love as one’s muse is a daunting task, made even more so when the medium of choice is love’s best friend – lyrical poetry. Thankfully, poet and musician Steve Ryan has taken on that challenge and has produced Love Poems: Are You the One?, a meditation on the many facets of humanity’s prime emotion. Ryan addresses his titular question by exploring the search for “the one”, from that search’s very inception to reaching the relationship stage, and through the possible sad moment when one learns the answer to that question is a no. Without much simile or metaphor at all, Ryan uses a direct narrative approach to his voice. This allows him to thoroughly capture the gamut of emotions faced by his persona throughout every stage of this particular search-for-the one experience.

The creative mind behind a string of five hit albums, Steve Ryan is as much a songwriter as he is a poet. As such, his poetry reflects a musicianship in his unique and frenetic wordcraft. Given the allowances of that musicianship, the rhythm of Love Poems: Are you the One?’s individual pieces often stray from the strictness of written meter. While this might be a distraction when dealing with other subject matter, it adds a perfect accompaniment to the aspects of love that are often fickle and frenetic themselves, as does Ryan’s unique songwriter’s blend of cleverly skewed syntax, slightly bent rhyme schemes and a homey question/answer motif found in a great many of his pieces in this collection.

Love Poems: Are You The One? by Steve Ryan is a compilation of poems about the different stages of love. They are separated into five categories: Dreaming of Love, Falling in Love, The Relationship, Heartbreak, and Reconnect or Move On. Each section includes an introduction to the topic followed by heartfelt and thoughtful poems that refer to situations that readers are no doubt very familiar with.

What I really liked about this book is that the poems are completely relatable. Whether you’re a teenager falling in love for the first time or you’re planning on getting engaged or you’ve been married for 20 years, everyone will be able to relate to some, if not most, of these poems. While some of the pieces flow better than others, it is evident that a lot of thought went into each and every one of them. They are full of genuine feelings, honesty, and life experience. Not only will readers enjoy the poems, but they will also receive some insight and even advice about different phases of love that they are surely experiencing. I would recommend Love Poems: Are You The One? for anyone who has ever gone through any type of love or heartbreak. Even if you’re not a fan of poetry, this will surely make you one. Steve Ryan has a way of writing from the heart that will draw readers in, making them want more. I am definitely a fan, and I would love to read more from him.

Love Poems: Are You The One? by Steve Ryan is a book I consider a lovely keepsake. Have you ever wondered if Cupid overlooked you? Is the person you’re involved with “The One?” What are your expectations from love? How do you show it? “Where Are You My One? I’m Sorry for the Mixed Signals, What is the Problem? Love Me For Life or Let Me Go, and My Love Dream” are some titles of these beautiful poems that will have you believing the author wrote specifically about your thoughts and feelings on romance. Most of us have had good and bad relationships, so will easily relate to these heartwarming poems.

Love Poems: Are You The One? by Steve Ryan came straight from his heart. The book is divided into five chapters: Dreaming of Love; Falling in Love; The Relationship; Heartbreak, and Reconnect or Move On. The author nicely defines what love is, what it should be, and how it affects everyone in some way in his brief, reflective summaries at the beginning of each chapter. The words of the poems are well structured with a smooth flow and rhythm. It’s obvious from reading that Steve Ryan wrote exactly what was on his mind at the time. The poetry has a naturalness that can only be achieved when inspiration strikes a writer and he quickly pens his thoughts. I like his expressions on romance, and think the book will make the perfect gift to give loved ones.