Review Group discussion

The review group is the most successful group for peer reviews on goodreads. It hosts non-reciprocal review rounds of ten authors with a variety of themes and genres, as well as ‘general’ rounds where any book is permitted, from non-fiction, to horror. When a round has ‘now forming’ in the title, there are places available, you can sign up. If it doesn’t, it’s full – look for another round.

The new amazon rules state that authors are no longer allowed to specifically supply books in return for reviews on amazon. In order to comply with this new rule, we no longer insist members review on amazon. However, we are all in the same situation, we want reviews.
It is up to me who does and does not gain a place in each group. I will prioritise those members who have fully participated in previous groups.

This is a romance round. Adult fiction concentrating on a romantic relationship between two or more people of any gender or sexual oreintation. Can vary from 'explicit' to 'sweet'. must have a HEA or HFN ending

If you are only willing to read your own preferred genre, make sure you join a genre round. Allocation is entirely random and there will NOT be any rearranging of the listing to accommodate personal preference.
Let’s be honest here – we don’t all like the same things but we all want reviews. The only way this group can function is if we trust each other to behave honourably. And it IS perfectly possible to give a fair-minded review of a text that does not coincide with our normal choice of reading matter. If you need a few hints/tips, please see this thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Now for the boring stuff, but please read it, it saves a lot of time if everyone is on the same wavelength.
Before signing up below with your goodreads author and goodreads book link in the thread below, please ensure that:

1. You have enough time to read and review 4 books within the time allowed.

2. Your book is currently available for sale on amazon (not pre-order) and it complies with the individual round theme, if there is one.

3. Your book is fit to be reviewed. If it is not, due to editing or other issues, you risk poor reviews.

4. You can submit reviews to goodreads, amazon.com and amazon.uk. Amazon has recently changed their criteria for reviewers to allow only those people who have spent $50 on amazon. If you are unsure about your amazon reviewer status, try posting a ‘test’ review before signing up.

5. You can provide (and accept) at least PDF files. Many authors can also provide mobi and epub files. You are not expected or required to buy the books you are allocated to review. Some authors borrow books via KU and others provide smashwords coupons or gift copies. This is their choice; you do not have to accept or provide a gift. International Copyright laws apply. You cannot sell, or give away material you have received without the author’s express permission.

6. It is up to individual readers/reviewers to comply with guidelines about disclaimers concerning receiving a book in exchange for a review. International laws differ, we are not the review police but this group does not contravene goodreads rules.

7. You have completed your reading if you are currently in another review round in this group. You can be involved in the ‘one for one’ list whilst you are in a round.

8. You have an author profile set up before you join.

9. Your goodreads profile allows people to message you, i.e. your profile is not set to private.

10. You declare any relationship you have with another member in the round. Amazon will not allow reviews from the same household on the same book or if you are an editor, relative or close friend of another member.

11. You agree that your reviews will be unbiased and honest, whatever the star rating, and you will try to avoid ‘spoilers’.

12. You will not ask a fellow author to change a review simply because you don’t agree with it. If you think you have a legitimate concern, talk to the mod of your round, NOT the other author. Personal attacks, or pressurising other members WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

13. The new amazon review guidelines do not allow for books to be supplied in return for reviews. Therefore, you are not obliged to put reviews on amazon, just on goodreads. However, I hope you will enter into the spirit of the group and post on as many amazons as possible, with .com and .uk being the two largest markets.
Behaving inappropriately will result you being blacklisted from the group.

14. Your goodreads details and the rounds you participate in will be recorded by the admin mod on a database. We do not retain details of email addresses etc.


The founding principle of the group is honest non-reciprocal reviews, so please help maintain the integrity of the group by letting me know as you sign up if you have been reviewed by, or have reviewed another author in the group. Usually places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
However, I have final say as to who does and does not get accepted into any group. I will give priority to people who have fully participated in previous groups and new members. O ccasionally, particularly in the case of our more prolific members I may have to decline a 'good-standing' member’s request in order to fit the maximum number of people into a particular round.
It is permissible to review an author more than once if a different book is available.

If you need anything clarified please ask, either by goodreads personal message to me or on the thread below, before signing up. It’s a pain to have to keep rearranging the list because people haven’t read the above.

Your group moderator will be
Emma Jaye

Member Links
1.Rowena Dawn
2.Crystal Packard
3.Maddie Wade
4.J. Saman
5.Jill Blake
6.Sonal Panse
7.P.S. Meraux
8.Montgomery Mahaffey
9.Lydia Larue
10.Himanshu Arora

Book Links
1.Becka's Awakening
2.Water Lily
3.Stolen Dreams
4.Start Again
5.Sweet Indulgence
6.The Sunshine Time - Season 1 Episode 1: YA Romance Serial Novel
7.Luminary (Young Adult Romance Novel)
8.Ella Bandita and the Wanderer: Dark Romance Fantasy
9.Undercover Desire
10.Vivan's Love Story

Rowena Dawn - I would like to participate in this group

Forgot the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0WKJHD

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M0WKJHD

I would love to join! Crystal Packard

https://www.amazon.com/Water-Lily-Cry...

Here is my goodreads link:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

welcome Crystal.

Emma wrote: "welcome Crystal."

Thank you Emma :)

Hello, I'd love to join! Here is my book Start Again. Thanks!!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
https://www.amazon.com/Start-Again-1-...

welcome J.

Thanks so much Emma!

Hello Emma,

I've already reviewed Start again.

Roxana/Rowena

I would like to be involved in this please.

https://amzn.com/B01LZ04R8T
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LZ04R8T
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Emma, I have another book, Forward, Rowena could review if that helps anything. Thanks!

Thanks for letting me know Rowena and J? Grrrr for not mentioning someone already on the list has reviewed you already. it is mentioned in the sign up message. I don't have a crystal ball to know which of our 2,500 members have reviewed each other before.

Welcome aboard Maddie.

Sorry about that Emma! I hope it won't be a problem!

Hello, I'd like to join the romance review, here are three of my books in various sub-genres of romance:

Historical: https://www.amazon.com/Elusive-Highla...

Contemporary: https://www.amazon.com/One-Dance-Stra...

Horror: https://www.amazon.com/Flies-Ju-Ephra...

Let me know if I did this correctly, so that I can return to select a book to read.

Thanks

I reviewed the Elusive Highlander already.

Thanks J.

Ju, books are allocated by me, you can't chose. I suggest reading the sign up message carefully to make sure what you are agreeing to. Reading 4 allocated books within 12 weeks and putting reviews on goodreads and amazon.com and .uk.
Then pick one of your books to include in the list. Occasionally a reviewer will have to read an alternate book, e.g. if you chose Highlander, and J is allocated to review you, you would provide a different book.

I would love to join. I have a Romantic Suspense.

Undercover Desire
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Here is my Author URL - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

I have a .pdf, a mobi, and an epub version of the above novel. :)

Lydia \ Garfield

Emma will be back soon to update the list

(Garfield, I'm assuming you are done with your other round)

Emma, I don't know if you're back yet, but I really hope you're doing better! So sorry to hear you were in the hospital. Rest up!

Would love to join!

The book is a contemporary romance, Sweet Indulgence . Though it's the 2nd book in a trilogy, it can be read as a stand-alone. Here are the links:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
http://amzn.com/dp/B01CCXX2XO
http://amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CCXX2XO

Thanks!

-Jill
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Welcome back Jill.

I'll see if I can accommodate your wishes Garfield, but I can't guarantee it's possible. Please don't start reading the book until we have all ten members to ensure we don't end up with any reciprocal reads.

Ok Emma but I am being positive about it.

Hi Emma, Garfield stopped reading Start Again before completing it. Apparently the story was not for him so I don't think he'd want to review it for the group. I hope this doesn't end up causing too much of a complication. Thanks

Emma wrote: "Welcome back Jill."

Thanks, Emma. Hope you're feeling better!

I just noticed: I've been reviewed by J. & Rowena (which I very much appreciate - thanks, ladies!). So this round I should read books by others...

That's true Jill, but I did not review the book you have listed for this group. I read Beyond the Ivory Tower, not Sweet Indulgence.

Hi Emma,

Can you include my book "The Sunshine Time - Season 1 Episode 1: YA Romance Serial Novel (The Sunshine Time Serial)"?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Author profile - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Garfield Whyte has reviewed one of my other books.

Thanks!

I would like to submit Ella Bandita and the Wanderer to this!

Ella Bandita and the Wanderer

I have not been reviewed by the authors listed.

Thanks!

The list will be updated soon. But in the meantime, Montgomery, can I check on Romance/Fantasy elements of the book that it fits the third paragraph of message 1, thanks

I'd like to join this group, IF I'm allowed. I offer up my YA paranormal romance novel, Luminary.
https://amzn.com/B00XUJKT6S
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
There may be one hiccup, J. Saman reviewed two of my books (Luminary & Beacon). I hope that this does not disqualify me. I have other books J. can review if that makes things less sticky. (Candlelight, Spotlight, Blackout, Beam)
Thanks

After op number three in a month, I'm back on the case, so bear with me while I try to sort this group out. Thanks for your patience.

Garfield, I can't accommodate you in this one.

Emma wrote: "After op number three in a month, I'm back on the case, so bear with me while I try to sort this group out. Thanks for your patience.

Garfield, I can't accommodate you in this one."

I reviewed Ivory Tower for Jill not the book she listed.

Geez Emma. Glad to have you back and I hope you're on the mend! *sends healing thoughts*

Hi Emma,

I'm sorry to hear about your health issues. I hope you're feeling better.

Marise asked me to review P.S. Meraux's book 'Luminary' after the Reviews Initiative Group closed - I think the person that was going to review her book originally couldn't review it, or something like that - anyway, I haven't read the book yet - but, if possible, can someone else read her book here? That way, she will get the Reviews Initiative Group review she should have received, as well as a separate one here.

I haven't read anything by or have been reviewed by anyone else here.

Thanks.

Rowena wrote: "Emma wrote: "After op number three in a month, I'm back on the case, so bear with me while I try to sort this group out. Thanks for your patience.

Garfield, I can't accommodate you in this one."

..."

Sorry Emma .......I had lost interest long ago if you noticed i didnt say anything more on this thread after saying something so long ago.

Hmm. not a lot I can say to that. Just that I think I made the correct decision for your fellow authors in deleting you from the the group.
Good luck with your future writing endeavours.

Actually, small rant coming, ignore if you wish.
Yes, this group has taken a while to sort out, and no I didn't notice whether you'd commented or not. Several life saving surgeries sort of took my attention away from your boredom threshold. Many apologies.

For the rest of you, if no one else comes forward in the next day or so I'll throw my hat in the ring to get this one up and running.

Glad you are on the mend. Health first everything else can wait.

Maddie wrote: "Glad you are on the mend. Health first everything else can wait."

Totally agree! Glad you're with us Emma!
I'm going to summarize my insanity (you may have already so if that's the case then just ignore me)
Rowena Dawn has reviewed my book, Start Again.
I have reviewed P.S. Meraux's books Beacon and Luminary as well as Jill Blake's Beyond the Ivory Tower.
That should be it though.
Thanks again!

J. wrote: "Maddie wrote: "Glad you are on the mend. Health first everything else can wait."

Totally agree! Glad you're with us Emma!
I'm going to summarize my insanity (you may have already so if that's the..."

And I reviewed Jill Blake's Beyond the Ivory Towel.

However, what I wanted to say is that I hope you are all right, Emma. I am pretty sure it hasn't been a walk in the park these last few days. I can't even imagine how it would be to have had three surgeries in such a short period of time! You must be a very strong woman to go through all of that and still take care of everything here.

At the moment, I think the current order will work, although a couple of authors will have to accept that they have a different book reviewed than the one they have submitted.

As far as I can remember, I have been reviewed by Montgomery, and I have reviewed Jill. If anyone else has a connection to me let me know.

I'll submit my new angst ridden m/m romance, but am happy for people to review another of my books if dark m/m isn't their cup of tea.

I'll set up the formal list ASAP.

Thanks Emma!

Montgomery wrote: "Thanks Emma!"

Maddie wrote: "Glad you are on the mend. Health first everything else can wait."

Yes, agreed :)

Sonal wrote: "Hi Emma,

I'm sorry to hear about your health issues. I hope you're feeling better.

Marise asked me to review P.S. Meraux's book 'Luminary' after the Reviews Initiative Group closed - I think the ..."

Thanks for looking out for me. Much appreciated.

I've had a request from an author to join this group, I'll wait another couple of hours to see if he signs up, if not I'll confirm the order with me in the last spot.

Emma you have been very helping, understanding and responsive. Thanks for that.
Please find the links to Goodreads author page, book page and amazon book link.
Himanshu Arora
Vivan's Love Story
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CDGRRYA/

OK folks here we go.

NB. In the spirit of goodwill, as I've had to allocate Luminary to Sonal to make the group work ( and she'd already agreed to review it) I'll review it too via the 'one for one' thread. This will add a +1 to my book on the thread.
If anyone feels the compelling urge to review one of mine as I ducked out of the group in order to let a new member in, I have a book on the one for one thread so if you review me, your book can go on the list and hopefully gain you another review.

START DATE: 27/10/2016

END DATE: 19/01/2017

Round 1 – post your review by 17/11/2016
Round 2 – post your review by 08/12/2016
Round 3 – post your review by 29/12/2016
Round 4 – post your review by 19/01/2017



As AUTHORS you send your book file to:

117-01__ Rowena dawn
Himanshu Arora for round 1
Lydia Larue for round 2
Montgomery Mahaffey for round 3
P.S. Meraux for round 4

117-02__ Crystal Packard
Rowena dawn for round 1
Himanshu Arora for round 2
Lydia Larue for round 3
Montgomery Mahaffey for round 4

117-03__ Maddie Wade
Crystal Packard for round 1
Rowena dawn for round 2
Himanshu Arora for round 3
Lydia Larue for round 4

117-04__ J. Saman
Maddie Wade for round 1
Crystal Packard for round 2
Rowena dawn for round 3
Himanshu Arora for round 4

117-05__ Jill Blake
J. Saman for round 1
Maddie Wade for round 2
Crystal Packard for round 3
Rowena dawn for round 4

117-06__ Sonal Panse
Jill Blake for round 1
J. Saman for round 2
Maddie Wade for round 3
Crystal Packard for round 4

117-07__ P.S. Meraux
Sonal Panse for round 1
Jill Blake for round 2
J. Saman for round 3
Maddie Wade for round 4

117-08__ Montgomery Mahaffey
P.S. Meraux for round 1
Sonal Panse for round 2
Jill Blake for round 3
J. Saman for round 4

117-09__ Lydia Larue
Montgomery Mahaffey for round 1
P.S. Meraux for round 2
Sonal Panse for round 3
Jill Blake for round 4

117-10__ Himanshu Arora
Lydia Larue for round 1
Montgomery Mahaffey for round 2
P.S. Meraux for round 3
Sonal Panse for round 4

As REVIEWERS you will receive books for review from:

117-01__ Rowena dawn
Crystal Packard for round 1
Maddie Wade for round 2
J. Saman for round 3
Jill Blake for round 4

117-02__ Crystal Packard
Maddie Wade for round 1
J. Saman for round 2
Jill Blake for round 3
Sonal Panse for round 4

117-03__ Maddie Wade
J. Saman for round 1
Jill Blake for round 2
Sonal Panse for round 3
P.S. Meraux for round 4

117-04__ J. Saman
Jill Blake for round 1
Sonal Panse for round 2
P.S. Meraux for round 3
Montgomery Mahaffey for round 4

117-05__ Jill Blake
Sonal Panse for round 1
P.S. Meraux for round 2
Montgomery Mahaffey for round 3
Lydia Larue for round 4

117-06__ Sonal Panse
P.S. Meraux for round 1
Montgomery Mahaffey for round 2
Lydia Larue for round 3
Himanshu Arora for round 4

117-07__ P.S. Meraux
Montgomery Mahaffey for round 1
Lydia Larue for round 2
Himanshu Arora for round 3
Rowena dawn for round 4

117-08__ Montgomery Mahaffey
Lydia Larue for round 1
Himanshu Arora for round 2
Rowena dawn for round 3
Crystal Packard for round 4

117-09__ Lydia Larue
Himanshu Arora for round 1
Rowena dawn for round 2
Crystal Packard for round 3
Maddie Wade for round 4

117-10__ Himanshu Arora
Rowena dawn for round 1
Crystal Packard for round 2
Maddie Wade for round 3
J. Saman for round 4

Please remember the commitment you are making to your fellow group members. If you pull out after the start date for any reason it is the other members who will be faced with the problem of finding a replacement, or missing out on reads/reviews, through no fault of their own. Please don’t ask the moderators to chase after replacements as we just don’t have the time.

It is the responsibility of the author to get their book to their readers in a format the reviewer can manage. Everyone must be able to provide and accept PDF. You may buy or borrow the books you are due to read if you wish, and I’m sure the author will appreciate the verified review, but IT IS NOT COMPULSORY. There are no set dates for the start of each round. You can each work at your own pace, within the limits of the round deadlines.

All reviews must be posted to GR. We would also encourage members to post on amazon .com and .uk. When you have posted your reviews, please post the three links to your reviews, not the book page in this thread.
The new amazon policy means we can no longer insist members review on amazon as a condition of receiving a free book. Reviews with the disclaimer ‘I received a free copy of the book in return for a review’ will, at some point, be removed by amazon. It is up to the individual whether they review on amazon or not.
However, the mod of each round will still record whether members have posted reviewed on amazon. I set up all the groups, and for the good of all, members who persistently fail to post reviews to amazon, will find me less than willing to add them to subsequent groups.

Postings to other sites are by agreement by both author and reviewer.

If I’ve missed something that results in you being asked to review someone who has already reviewed you, please let me know asap.

To exchange book files, my advice is to use PM to give email addresses to each other (save the chance of spammers getting your addies from this open forum). Happy reviewing, everyone :)

Emma wrote: "OK folks here we go.

NB. In the spirit of goodwill, as I've had to allocate Luminary to Sonal to make the group work ( and she'd already agreed to review it) I'll review it too via the 'one for on..."


Emma,

I would like to review your book.

You've been through a lot lately and you have also given your spot to someone else.

Please, let me know the title of the book. It's terrible to go through all the titles in One for One review.

I am sorry to bother you with this, but you'd help me a lot.

Thank you.

That's very nice of you Rowena.
Any of mine would be fine, but my current new release is
Optical Illusion, Please have a look at some of the reviews first, its not to everyone's taste.
Let me know what you fancy (even the freebie novella The Beginning) if you are short on time.

I bought Luminary from amazon.uk, so look out for a .uk sale P.S.

I will do it, thank you.