I have a dear friend who is committed to growing her writing career. She loves what she does and is ready to do whatever it takes to promote her work. That includes seeking out reviews.
In her case, she went straight to the big boys, whose name rhymes with "irk us" which is kind of how I felt after reading her review (seriously, are they trying to irk us with this?). I've always had a problem with pay-per-review businesses, but this is one of the most trusted names in books, and it should be, given its longevity in a business where starts-ups get five minutes to publish a best-seller or die.
However, based on the review I read of my friend's work, I'm a little irked at this company and the whole idea of paying for a review when major publishers don't have to. It feels discriminatory to me, but my friend wouldn't listen to my insights and proceeded. She's thrilled with the results. I, on the other hand, am disappointed for her.
The review she received was truly mediocre, and, to be honest, that's accurate. Her book is totally mediocre. Nothing to write home about. Another cliched addition to an over-booked (no pun intended) genre. She told me this herself, and since I've read the book, which I enjoyed but was not wowed by, I have to concur. She doesn't care that her book, which is her first attempt at a novel, is not the most exciting thing since the 2016 presidential election. She plans to write bigger and better books. She's totally aware of where her book falls in the food chain, and totally wants to market the hell out of it because it is, if not Pulitzer material, completely enjoyable and worth reading. And it is. And the review says as much.
The problem I have with the review is not that it was uncannily accurate (my friend read it and guffawed about how dead on it was about her plot being a little worn), but that it cost hundreds of dollars (more if you want an expedited review) to get a review that was, in my opinion, worth about twenty-five dollars. Even if it had been glowing and starred and made of the sweat of Brad Pitt, it was still worth about twenty-five dollars worth of work on the reviewer's end. And that irked me.
What about you? How do you feel about pay-per-review businesses? What about reviews in general? Please do share in the comments if you have an opinion.
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Great Reviews for The Cottage Next Door!!!
It's been almost a week since The Cottage Next Door released from Samhain Publishing. I've been thrilled with the positive response!
"The author did a great job drawing the reader into the heartache of Hunter and Sylvie. Once I started the book I couldn’t set it down.
It’s a beautifully written love story that merged the past with the present. Leaving me, the reader, teary eyed throughout the book."
~ 5 Stars!! and a "A True Gem" rating from Guilty Pleasures Book Review
"THE COTTAGE NEXT DOOR is the second book I have read by Natasha Moore. She has a way of making the reader feel the sorrow and emotion in her characters. Be prepared to laugh one minute and cry the next. A strong willed and determined woman always makes a good story when she's fighting for what she loves and someone she is determined to heal. Natasha Moore is gifted with her words which make the reader feel strong emotions."
~ 5 Stars!! from Fresh Fiction
"This book is perfect for a lazy day in the sun on the beach...I love the interaction between the two characters and the dog especially as they start falling for each other."
~ 5 Stars!! from Mrs B's Books
Did you know how important reviews are to an author? It's not only a way for us to get the word out about our stories, but it also lets potential readers know what to expect when they might be intrigued by a cover or a blurb from a new-to-them author. It helps with visibility and it lets us know what our readers like (and don't like) and can help us decide which potential story ideas will appeal to our readers and which we might want to hold onto for another time. So if you have a couple of minutes when you finish a book, give an honest review. Thank you in advance!
Here's another excerpt The Cottage Next Door:
Hunter still didn’t know how he’d let Sylvie Chase get under his skin, or how she’d gotten him to agree to have dinner with her, but as he stepped into a pair of shorts and tugged on a T-shirt, he was struck with a strange sense of anticipation. The steaks smelled amazing. His stomach growled. He was getting tired of the crap he’d been living on for the past few months. Yeah, that was the only reason he could think of why he’d agreed to join her for dinner.
When he stepped back out onto his deck, he saw she’d taken the steaks off the grill. She stood beside the decked-out picnic table, looking a little apprehensive. Maybe she’d realized she was out of her mind to invite a jerk like him any closer.
His gaze skimmed over her skimpy top with the thin straps and the hard nipples poking at the fabric, drawing attention to her perky breasts that obviously were not being restrained by a bra of any sort. He swallowed and let his eyes drop over the shorts hugging her narrow hips and down the tanned legs until he saw the bright purple polish, the same deep purple as that tiny top, sparkling on her toenails.
“Hungry?” Her voice wasn’t much above a whisper. She cleared her throat and then louder said, “Come on over.”
Dinner. He was coming over for dinner. Hunter’s mouth watered when the scent of the meat hit him again. He grabbed a couple of cans from the ever-iced cooler beside his chair. “Beer?”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
He handed her the cans over the railings, then boosted himself over to join her. Riley barked and ran down one set of stairs and up the other. At Hunter’s command, the dog curled up on the floor beside him.
Sylvie gestured to one side of the picnic table. It was shaded by an umbrella and covered with a long cloth splashed with flowers of red, yellow and blue. A bright orange salad bowl sat in the middle, and the steaks had been placed on heavy green plates. He wasn’t surprised to see she liked lots of color in her life.
They sat down on opposite sides and their knees bumped under the narrow table. They shifted so they no longer touched, then looked at each other. Looked away. Looked back. She didn’t have a stitch of makeup on, but she was just about the prettiest thing he’d ever seen.
No, that wasn’t true. Jenny had been pretty too. Beautiful. She’d been beautiful but in a different way, with long blond curls and a pouty mouth and full breasts he got lost in. But even as he thought about his wife, he couldn’t help but notice the light sprinkling of freckles across Sylvie’s cheek. How could freckles be sexy?
Natasha
The Cottage Next Door
Her Royal Masquerade
Her Royal Bodyguard
www.natashamoore.com
It’s a beautifully written love story that merged the past with the present. Leaving me, the reader, teary eyed throughout the book."
~ 5 Stars!! and a "A True Gem" rating from Guilty Pleasures Book Review
"THE COTTAGE NEXT DOOR is the second book I have read by Natasha Moore. She has a way of making the reader feel the sorrow and emotion in her characters. Be prepared to laugh one minute and cry the next. A strong willed and determined woman always makes a good story when she's fighting for what she loves and someone she is determined to heal. Natasha Moore is gifted with her words which make the reader feel strong emotions."
~ 5 Stars!! from Fresh Fiction
"This book is perfect for a lazy day in the sun on the beach...I love the interaction between the two characters and the dog especially as they start falling for each other."
~ 5 Stars!! from Mrs B's Books
Did you know how important reviews are to an author? It's not only a way for us to get the word out about our stories, but it also lets potential readers know what to expect when they might be intrigued by a cover or a blurb from a new-to-them author. It helps with visibility and it lets us know what our readers like (and don't like) and can help us decide which potential story ideas will appeal to our readers and which we might want to hold onto for another time. So if you have a couple of minutes when you finish a book, give an honest review. Thank you in advance!
Here's another excerpt The Cottage Next Door:
Hunter still didn’t know how he’d let Sylvie Chase get under his skin, or how she’d gotten him to agree to have dinner with her, but as he stepped into a pair of shorts and tugged on a T-shirt, he was struck with a strange sense of anticipation. The steaks smelled amazing. His stomach growled. He was getting tired of the crap he’d been living on for the past few months. Yeah, that was the only reason he could think of why he’d agreed to join her for dinner.
When he stepped back out onto his deck, he saw she’d taken the steaks off the grill. She stood beside the decked-out picnic table, looking a little apprehensive. Maybe she’d realized she was out of her mind to invite a jerk like him any closer.
His gaze skimmed over her skimpy top with the thin straps and the hard nipples poking at the fabric, drawing attention to her perky breasts that obviously were not being restrained by a bra of any sort. He swallowed and let his eyes drop over the shorts hugging her narrow hips and down the tanned legs until he saw the bright purple polish, the same deep purple as that tiny top, sparkling on her toenails.
“Hungry?” Her voice wasn’t much above a whisper. She cleared her throat and then louder said, “Come on over.”
Dinner. He was coming over for dinner. Hunter’s mouth watered when the scent of the meat hit him again. He grabbed a couple of cans from the ever-iced cooler beside his chair. “Beer?”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
He handed her the cans over the railings, then boosted himself over to join her. Riley barked and ran down one set of stairs and up the other. At Hunter’s command, the dog curled up on the floor beside him.
Sylvie gestured to one side of the picnic table. It was shaded by an umbrella and covered with a long cloth splashed with flowers of red, yellow and blue. A bright orange salad bowl sat in the middle, and the steaks had been placed on heavy green plates. He wasn’t surprised to see she liked lots of color in her life.
They sat down on opposite sides and their knees bumped under the narrow table. They shifted so they no longer touched, then looked at each other. Looked away. Looked back. She didn’t have a stitch of makeup on, but she was just about the prettiest thing he’d ever seen.
No, that wasn’t true. Jenny had been pretty too. Beautiful. She’d been beautiful but in a different way, with long blond curls and a pouty mouth and full breasts he got lost in. But even as he thought about his wife, he couldn’t help but notice the light sprinkling of freckles across Sylvie’s cheek. How could freckles be sexy?
Natasha
The Cottage Next Door
Her Royal Masquerade
Her Royal Bodyguard
www.natashamoore.com
Great reviews for Her Royal Masquerade!
"...the romance sweeps you away and the fantasy makes you smile."
I don't think you can ask for a better review quote than that! It was from a review from Bodice Rippers: Femme Fatales and Fantasy. You can read the entire review here.
Books and Bree said: "...I’m really glad this is a series! There’s so many other characters whose stories im dying to hear like Bridgitte, Vittorio’s sister Angelina, and even his bodyguard Rico. Can’t wait to hear more from this Author!"
"...The story has a definite modern-day fairy tale feeling too it yet doesn’t come across as forced or farcical. Vittorio is a prime example of a royal Alpha male used to getting his way in all things and I enjoyed watching his struggle when things were not going as he’d anticipated. I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series. " From Venus Cahill Reviews
I'm thrilled that I'm getting such a great response for Her Royal Masquerade. And that readers are looking forward to more books in my Her Royal Romance series. Book #2, Her Royal Bodyguard is available in ebook and print right now. I am currently writing book #3, Her Royal Mistake, featuring Princess Birgitte.
Natasha
Her Royal Masquerade available now.
Her Royal Bodyguard available now.
www.natashamoore.com
I don't think you can ask for a better review quote than that! It was from a review from Bodice Rippers: Femme Fatales and Fantasy. You can read the entire review here.
Books and Bree said: "...I’m really glad this is a series! There’s so many other characters whose stories im dying to hear like Bridgitte, Vittorio’s sister Angelina, and even his bodyguard Rico. Can’t wait to hear more from this Author!"
"...The story has a definite modern-day fairy tale feeling too it yet doesn’t come across as forced or farcical. Vittorio is a prime example of a royal Alpha male used to getting his way in all things and I enjoyed watching his struggle when things were not going as he’d anticipated. I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series. " From Venus Cahill Reviews
I'm thrilled that I'm getting such a great response for Her Royal Masquerade. And that readers are looking forward to more books in my Her Royal Romance series. Book #2, Her Royal Bodyguard is available in ebook and print right now. I am currently writing book #3, Her Royal Mistake, featuring Princess Birgitte.
Natasha
Her Royal Masquerade available now.
Her Royal Bodyguard available now.
www.natashamoore.com
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