“Embrace is about the fundamental human need for love, a big, risky subject handled with admirable poise. Poignant and thoughtful, witty and intense, these poems hold the reader in a verbal embrace and don't let go.”
Alan Shapiro, Tantalus in Love

“With Embrace, Bruce Lader invokes a spirit of love poetry found in Petrarch, Philip Sidney, and even Elizabeth Browning. Yet he also brings a deep sense of the contemporary, his intimate images and references effectively placing the timelessness of romantic love within modern contexts. His language is rich with description and melody, passion and humor, wisdom and celebration. This is a delightful collection.”
John Amen, Pedestal Magazine

“An erotic, sensual undercurrent runs through the poems in Bruce Lader’s most recent collection. Whether he’s describing an intimate moment, a quarrel, or the rich, musical qualities of a relationship, the work is strong yet subtle. Ultimately, as in: 'White Roses,' the tone of these selections sounds predominantly hopeful: Around midnight, feel free/to pull a white rose from the vase/on the coffee table, loosen a palmful/of petals and throw them like/Times Square confetti over the friends/wanting snow.”
Leah Browning, Apple Valley Review

Review in The Pedestal Magazine