It’s hard to be honest about books when I like the authors. I’ve met really cool people online (yourself included) and while I don’t know you guys it puts a personality with a book. For me it’s one of the hardest parts of being a book reviewer.

I would have to totally agree with Angie Fox when she said “But to give a book a chance and to report, fairly, if it didn’t work for you? I think that’s the whole purpose of a review.” And I agree on “To rip on a book because it’s a historical and you don’t like historicals, or because the hero has the same name as your ex-boyfriend or if you’re in a bad mood because you locked your keys your the car and your cat just threw up on the new dining room carpet – that’s bad.”

Some of the best books I’ve ever read rarely get a rating or a mention. And as my agent says, to even get reviewed at all, good or bad (especially from PW) is a good thing. So—for me—I APPRECIATE what you do, and what all reviewers do.

I think I enjoy the avid reader reviews like yours the best—and by reading your site you’ve introduced me to some incredible books! Good or bad, in my opinion, story is always subjective.

And a THANK YOU for your honesty!

Phaedra Weldon

You know I have the same issue with movies. I’ve found that when critics give a movie a bad review I end up liking it. Other times, take Speed, there are rave reviews and I go to the movie hyped only to leave disapointed.

Reviewers either feel like I do, or they call it “myopic,” “insipid,” and, “an insult to Jane Austin.” The last time I looked on Amazon, that book had as many 1-star ratings as it did 5-star ratings. And I think that’s good. It’s a book people can feel passionate about – positively and negatively.

To rip on a book because it’s a historical and you don’t like historicals, or because the hero has the same name as your ex-boyfriend or if you’re in a bad mood because you locked your keys your the car and your cat just threw up on the new dining room carpet – that’s bad. But to give a book a chance and to report, fairly, if it didn’t work for you? I think that’s the whole purpose of a review.

Lemme rephrase that–I really appreciated how fair she was LOL

It’s not even the sites–just poorly written/edited reviews that irk me.

And I thought you reviewed for RJ?

I always hope I’m going to like the book I’m reviewing (or else I would never agree to review it). Most times I do, but occasionally I get a book that really peeves me. Spending $8 on a book with bad editing sucks! Books like that cause me to sit on their reviews for at least a day and then I go back and re-read them.

If I’m really angry I may miss something that could have been reworded, but I think overall I avoid slamming books I review.

As long as a review is well-written and respectful (negative or positive), I’d send subsequent books.

Plus, as a reader I have a hard time believing there is no bad in a book. That there isn’t one person who an issue in it.