Review Group discussion

The review group is the most successful group for peer reviews on goodreads. It hosts non-reciprocal reading/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 Amazon rules state that authors/publishers are not allowed to specifically supply published books in return for reviews on Amazon. To comply with this rule, we no longer insist members review on Amazon. However, we are all in the same situation, we want reviews.
When sorting out groups, I prioritise those members who have fully participated in previous groups and don’t have multiple review connections with the other participants.

This is a Novella round
Fiction and non-fiction, adult and children's books under 45,000 Words

If you are only willing to review 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. The ONLY circumstance in which you may duck out of giving a review is if YOU provide a stand-in reviewer.
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. This is your problem, not that of the reviewers or the groups. For a small fee, the group admin will look at the first few pages of your book to advise. The number one error new authors make is not having their book beta read and edited, by non-family members.

4. You can submit reviews to Goodreads and Amazon. Amazon allows only those people who have spent $50 in the last year to leave reviews in each of their stores. If you are unsure about your Amazon reviewer status, try posting a ‘test’ review before signing up. If you are unable to post reviews on Amazon, please do not sign 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. This is their choice. 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 individuals what disclaimers they place in a review concerning receiving a book in exchange for a review. Note: reviews that state you received a copy ‘IN RETURN’ for a review will probably be removed/not allowed by amazon.com. ‘I received a free copy from the author without an obligation to review’ would be more acceptable if you feel the need to add a disclaimer, but it is not necessary to give one.

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’. i.e. giving away the finale of a book.

12. You will not ask a fellow author to change a review of your book 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 and will result in you being blacklisted.

13. The amazon.com review guidelines do not allow for free books to be supplied in return for reviews. Therefore, you are not obliged to review on Amazon, just on Goodreads. We all want reviews, its why we joined the group. It is bad taste to expect other people to review your book and then not do the same for other people in the group. People that DNF and/or don’t post reviews will find it difficult to get into a subsequent 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.
I will do my best to fit everyone into the group they request, but occasionally, particularly in the case of our more prolific good standing members, I may have to decline a member request to fit the maximum number of people into a particular round. I will always endeavour to start another round as soon as possible with that member in mind.
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:
L.N. Denison


Member Links
1. L.N. Denison
2. Paula Shablo
3. Eunice Nascimento
4. Cathleen Townsend
5. Francis Mont
6. Mary T. Kincaid
7. Rhian Waller
8. X. Culletto
9. Noor Al-Shanti
10. Jordan Leger

Book Links
1. Hyde's Lament
2. S23hf50:
3. Smile Again: A Collection Of Short Stories
4. The Golden Key
5. Time Scope
6. Hawk McCoy: The Penthiads
7. Pirats: A Tale of Mutiny on the High Seas
8. Ronan's Story : A Novelette
9. A Kingly Sword
10. Crushed: Blood Bayou Saga

Hello E.M! I would like to join with my short story collection Smile Again

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

L.N has reviewed my other book Love by Chance.

Hi, I'd like to get in on this.

Pirats book link: www.goodreads.com/book/show/40176079-...?
Profile: www.goodreads.com/author/show/3271230...

No clashes as of yet.

I'd like to enter this round with Hyde's Lament, but people who get it may need a bit of backstory before they read it.

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

Potentially a conflict with Rhian.

I'd like to enter this round with my novelette, The Golden Key. LN and Eunice have already reviewed it, but I can supply another novella-length read if this becomes an issue. (Either Dragon Hoard or Twelve Tales of Christmas, both under 30k).

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

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

I would like to participate with Hawk McCoy. I don't see any conflicts yet.

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

I'd like to join with my novelette, Ronan's Story. No conflicts so far.

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

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

I have reviewed Hawk McCoy and the Penthiads. :)

I’ve reviewed Hawk McCoy and the Penthiads too.

I have reviewed Cathleen and Eunice, Mary has read me before. Not sure if Rhian has read me or not

Hi LN, I requested a copy of your book in the 1-4-1 round, but haven't got to it yet, so no conflict.

Wonderful.

Hello!
I would like to join with my novella S23HF50.

I am seeing some familiar names, so please let me know if I can't do this round.

I have finished rounds 1-4 in group 190

Paula Shablo

I have read Paula, but not the book she offering this time.

Paula has reviewed me.

Phew! I think I have squeezed everyone in who has signed up so far without any reciprocating. I did look and I think those who are rereviewing people a second time will have another novella option available - but if you are down to review someone and have already reviewed the book they are offering, please do check on their page and see if they have something else to offer you. Let me know ASAP if not.

Please do keep checking back to ensure you spot any clashes and now is a good time to check (and confirm) that you can post reviews to Amazon, which is a requirement for participation in these rounds :)

Anyone else signing up must make sure they fit with those here as I can't move anyone! ;)

Ahhh! I may have already read X, but it was a while ago....like about a year and a half ago. Will that matter?

E.M, Paula reviewed me in the last novella round. I’m assuming as her name is under mine, I’d be reviewing her. Isn’t this reciprocal?

Take no notice of my comment she read me, not the other way round.

It most certainly would be Eunice! Fortunately, you spotted the problem and I think the minor tweak I have made should resolve things :)

Thanks E.M. I can review on Amazon.

Thanks so much for confirming that Eunice. I am asking as in one or two recent rounds people have only revealed their inability to post there after the round commenced and it was too late to take any action...

Um...I'm really sorry to be a bother, but with this structure, I would only be getting one new review on Golden Key, and that's only if the person who ends up in the #10 spot hasn't read it.

Would it be possible to bump Rhian and X to the number four and five spots, and move Mary and me down to 6 and 7 respectively?

And I can review on Amazon.com only. :(

L.N., I believe your review of my work was for a different story. Ronan's Story has only been out a couple of months.

Hmmm...if this gets to be too big a pain, I can always duck out and join the YA group instead. I promise not to cry myself to sleep or anything. :)

You face the same issue I usually face in these rounds, Cathleen. I often wind up getting just one new review on my series starter, where I would like to have them the most for obvious reasons.

Sadly, making that change would lead to other people developing clashes.

If you wish to swap to the YA group, you may find you have clashes there too, I would suggest you check first. But by all means, let me know if you wish to move.

Okay, I PMed EM--what an alphabet soup our lives have become--and Golden Key isn't eligible for YA since it's not listed as such on Amazon. I'm here. :)

Okay, looking at the list so far, I have reviewed Eunice in group 190, but not the book she's submitting this time. I reviewed Cathleen and Mary in Group 190.

L.N., you reviewed a different book for me in group 190. You're the name above me, but that would be reciprical.

Hope this goes well when the group fills up.

Thanks!

Cathleen wrote: "I'd like to enter this round with my novelette, The Golden Key. LN and Eunice have already reviewed it, but I can supply another novella-length read if this becomes an issue. (Either Dragon Hoard o..."

I have reviewed this one, too. Very nice.

Mary read me, but this was a very long time ago. About 2 years.

Oops missed that one, L.N. Thanks for telling me. Hopefully sorted, but please, everyone, do double check for me. :)

Paula, have you reviewed both Dragon Hoard and Twelve Tales? If so, I'm out of books and solutions. I already tried to move to another group.

I can't be lower in the list than #6 because I can't review LN. And Mary can't be above me. I'd love to provide a brilliant solution, but I was told the one I suggested upthread (moving me and Mary to #6 and 7 respectively) caused other clashes, and that's the only one I see. Grrr.

Cathleen, I have not read either of those, only The Golden Key. I would be happy to read more of your books.

You are such a lovely person, Paula. I thought someone should tell you that. :)

I'd prefer that you read Twelve Tales of Christmas since Dragon Hoard already has plenty of reviews, but only if that's okay with you. I don't want to force anyone to read a Christmas book if they're Jewish or have other personal objections. Or even if you just can't face reading a Christmas book with the summer heat blazing down.

But in the absence of those sorts of scruples, Twelve Tales would be better for me.

Both books are free on Amazon, so there's no choosing between them there. :)

I've finished all my reviews for group 188: Out of this World.

Can I enter with A Kingly Sword?

A Kingly Sword
Noor Al-Shanti

Rhian has reviewed a different book by me before, and I think that's the only potential clash I have with anyone already signed up.

Welcome, Noor!

:) Thanks!

Cathleen wrote: "You are such a lovely person, Paula. I thought someone should tell you that. :)

I'd prefer that you read Twelve Tales of Christmas since Dragon Hoard already has plenty of reviews, but only if tha..."

Hi, Cathleen! Wow, I answered this last night, but I'm not seeing anything of my reply now, so I guess I will try again.

First of all, thank you! I'm really enjoying getting to know you, too.

Second, I would love to read a Christmas story. Christmas in July is awesome. (Or any other time of year, for that matter!)

I'm unsure if I am actually assigned to your book, but I'd be happy to read and review anyway, if that's okay?

Paula

At the moment you are in line to read Cathleen's book, Paula, so please hold off until the round starts to read and review ;)

E.M. wrote: "At the moment you are in line to read Cathleen's book, Paula, so please hold off until the round starts to read and review ;)"

Okay, I'm ready whenever you say! Thanks!

Thanks! :)

Hi, I'd like to join with The King's Tether, which is really more of a novelette, but I doubt anyone would complain about a shorter book!

Here's the links: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

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

I've read and reviewed Hyde's Lament, and some other authors look familiar but the books don't. I'm not sure if anyone on here has reviewed this title before.

I'm really sorry, Tamira, but you have already signed up on the General round and we only permit people to participate in one round at a time. The clashes here would make it very difficult for you to swap groups as well.

OK.

Hello, everyone!

I see that this review round has yet to be filled, but I wanted to let you all know that I will be offering my book, S23HF50, free on Amazon.com starting tomorrow, July 30th, for 3 days. If you think you might be up to review the book (or even if you just want to read it at some point), this is a great chance to get the Kindle edition free.

Otherwise, I will still be able to offer the PDF to those chosen to read and review. Just thought I'd let you know the option.

Hope this gets filled up soon, I'm looking forward to reading.

Thanks!

Paula Shablo
Author, S23HF50
Author, Emma: Ancestor's Tales
Author, Roger's Revelation

E.M. I've offered my middle grade novella (about 20,000 words) on the Y.A. group, but if offering it here will help this group get started, I'll offer it here, and take down my post there.

Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

And on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FY9TN6B/

Loralee has read me, but not this book.

I've read Loralee, but not this book. :)

Oh, yes, what L.N. And Rhian said. I have also read Mary Kincaid, but not this book.

Paula wrote: "Hello, everyone!

I see that this review round has yet to be filled, but I wanted to let you all know that I will be offering my book, S23HF50, free on Amazon.com starting tomorrow, July 30th, for ..."

I've just realized that I'm a bit daft. I didn't provide the link. Here it is, free until 11:59 p.m. PST on Wednesday.

https://www.amazon.com/S23HF50-Subjec...