Third Quarter Moon: Matters of the Heart is a warm, raw, and intimate walk through memories, grief, healing, love, and self-rediscovery. Simone moves through vignettes of childhood, family bonds, romantic entanglements, heartbreak, and renewal. The book weaves poetry, reflection, and storytelling into a journey about shedding what hurts, holding on to what heals, and learning to see oneself with new eyes.

As I read, I felt myself sinking into her honesty. The writing hit me in a tender way, almost like sitting with a friend who tells the truth even when it stings. Her memories of growing up in PG County swing from funny to painful in a blink. It caught me off guard every time. The flow of her poems made me pause often. Some lines felt like they were tugging at old wounds I didn’t know I still carried. I loved how she talked about love without sugarcoating it. She let it be messy, beautiful, and heavy all at once. That kind of vulnerability pulled me in and kept me there.

What really stuck with me was the rhythm of her voice. It’s soft and fierce at the same time. She opens doors to her inner world and lets the reader wander around, touch things, break things, feel things. Some pieces felt calm and earthy. Others felt jagged and hot. I found myself nodding, laughing, then swallowing a lump in my throat. Her metaphors about gardening, shedding, and becoming gave me this strange mix of peace and restlessness. I admired how she trusted the reader enough to leave some pages quiet and unexplained. It made the experience feel real.

I walked away feeling like this book is perfect for readers who crave emotional truth and aren’t afraid to sit with their own reflections for a while. If someone loves poetry that feels personal and unfiltered, or stories that sound like they were pulled straight from a heart learning to beat again, this book will land beautifully for them. It’s a gentle companion for anyone growing, grieving, or grounding themselves again.

Pages: 62 | ASINL: B0FLB1PVKL