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 or check back another time.

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 don’t insist members review on Amazon, but we do insist that every participant in the round has the capacity to leave a review on their local Amazon store, so we all start with the same options.

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 and do check back as the group fills to report any clashes. Usually places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

This is a 'General' round
All fiction/ non-fiction accepted. This means you may be required to read anything from a book about tax returns to horror/erotica and everything in between.

Please note it is always possible that the books you are assigned may contain material you find upsetting or offensive. If you can't commit to this, please do not sign up.

Communication & Contact Details

As Goodreads has disabled private messaging, participation in this round requires providing a contact email address via a Google Form (or an alternative method specified by the moderator). This email will be used by the moderator to resolve round-related issues and will be shared with other participants solely for the purpose of exchanging review copies. Email addresses must not be used for marketing or shared more widely. The form with all collected email addresses will be deleted once the round has closed. If you are not comfortable with this, please do not sign up for the round.

Any participant who knowingly uses the email addresses for marketing, or is caught selling them, will be blacklisted from the group.

If you’re uncomfortable with sharing email addresses, you’re encouraged to establish a new free Gmail or Yahoo account, to be used exclusively for Review Group.

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 12 weeks of 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 written in English, or you can provide an English translation, and it 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. 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.
You are not expected or required to buy the books you are allocated to review, but as this will give a ‘Verified Purchase’ review on Amazon, it is welcomed when you choose to do so. Many authors have books available via KU and others might provide smashwords coupons. Most authors can provide mobi and/or epub files directly by email. Please note: International Copyright laws apply. You cannot sell, or give away material you have received without the author’s express permission.

6. 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.

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

8. You agree to provide a contact email address when requested by the moderator. This is required in order to participate in a round and replaces the previous requirement for Goodreads private messaging. Emails must not be sold, or used for marketing purposes.

The link to the mod's email form will be in the next post.

9. 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.

10. You agree to finish assigned books before leaving a review, that your reviews will be unbiased and honest, whatever the star rating, and based on your perception of the merits of the book not on whether you like the genre or not, and you will try to avoid ‘spoilers’. i.e. giving away the finale of a book. Please note the Review Group will back any reviewer's right to express their opinion about a book, but personal comments about a fellow author are against both Review Group and Goodreads policy. If you DNF* an assigned book, you run the risk of not being allowed into review rounds in the future.

11. 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.

12. You declare all Goodreads accounts when signing up for rounds, including all pen names and additional user accounts, so that these can be checked by moderators and other group members to ensure that there are not previous review conflicts.

13. Books which include AI-generated writing are not permitted. Reviews may not be written by AI.

Please note:
*We all want reviews, it’s 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 Do not Finish (DNF) and/or don’t post reviews will find it difficult to get into a subsequent group.

It is not necessary to leave any kind of disclaimer in your review, but ultimately, it is up to individuals. 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.

Your Goodreads details and the rounds you participate in may be recorded by the admin mod on a database. We do not retain details of email addresses after the round has closed.

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.

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/...

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 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: E.K. Frances

Member Links | Book Links
1. Linda A. Sanchez | Acceptable Loss
2. Lilly Grondin | Bonded Hearts and Hidden Realms: The Voltheria Trilogy
3. Zoë Collins | Amor Fati: An Incredible True Story of Survival, Hope & Healing
4. Eric Gibson | Perilous Shores
5. O. Bender | Ripper's Court
6. Franca Ogbonnaya | The Novice Wielder
7. Andrew Beardmore | The Strains of Malice
8. Balroop Singh | Beyond the Fetters
9. E.K. Frances | Shadow Academy
10. Seth Hobbs | Black Powder, Black Heart: A Dark Flintlock Fantasy Novel

Hi, everyone. As you're aware, we no longer have the Direct Message feature on Goodreads. The mods have discussed the best way to go forward, and have determined that we will need an email address from everyone, which will be collected in an online form.

(Please refer to the revised Rule 8 above.)

If you'd like to join this round, please remember that I can't add you until I have links to your Goodreads book and your email address, provided in this form. For the sake of everyone's privacy, we're asking participants to list the email address on the form and not in the actual thread where it's visible to all online.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Please Note: When signing up, as well as posting your Goodreads author, Goodreads book link, and submitting your email address using the form, please post review conflicts. Please don't rely on memory.

To check if you’ve reviewed someone, click your “My Books”, and type their name in "search and add books".

To check if someone else has reviewed you, go to their profile, click the middle link under their picture (x reviews) then type your name into “search and add books”

Thank you :)

I would like to join with Perilous Shores or sequel. EK has reviewed me and I have not reviewed EK

Can I join with Black Powder, Black Heart? I have reviewed Eric but he has other books I can review.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C...?

No conflicts with E.K. and I have filled out the email form. Thanks!

I would like to join with my book Acceptable Loss

E.K & Seth have reviewed me, but I have not reviewed them. I have reviewed Eric and his listed book, but he has not reviewed me.

Eric wrote: "I would like to join with Perilous Shores or sequel. EK has reviewed me and I have not reviewed EK"

Welcome to the round, Eric.

Seth wrote: "No conflicts with E.K. and I have filled out the email form. Thanks!"

Welcome to the round, Seth.

Linda wrote: "I would like to join with my book Acceptable Loss

E.K & Seth have reviewed me, but I have not reviewed them. I have reviewed Eric and his listed book, but he has not reviewed me."

Hi Linda,

I need you to complete the form before I can sign you up:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Can I join this group?
I've reviewed E.K.Francis, Seth Hobson
Eric Gibson has reviewed one of my books.
No conflict with Linda.
Here is my book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Balroop wrote: "Can I join this group?
I've reviewed E.K.Francis, Seth Hobson
Eric Gibson has reviewed one of my books.
No conflict with Linda.
Here is my book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2......"

Hi Balroop,

I think you fit. Please can you fill in the form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

E.K. wrote: "Linda wrote: "I would like to join with my book Acceptable Loss

E.K & Seth have reviewed me, but I have not reviewed them. I have reviewed Eric and his listed book, but he has not..." Hi E.K. filled out the form.

Can I join this round with "The Tale of the Young Witch"? I have read the books by E.K. Frances, Eric Gibson, Linda, and Balroop. Seth has read both of my books.

Hi E.K,

I would like to join this round if possible with my memoir Amor Fati: An Incredible True Story of Survival, Hope & Healing

Balroop has reviewed this book in a previous round, but I otherwise have no conflicts with anyone on the list so far.

I have submitted the online form as required :)

Welcome to the round, Zoë, Linda, and Balroop.

Joseph, I'm sorry, I can't see a way to fit you in with those conflicts.

If anyone sees any conflicts with the current ordering please let me know.

Hi Zoë, have you finished your commitments to round 392 and round 395?

Yes, I have finished round 392 & 395 - both GR & Zon links are live and the mods have acknowledged me completing their rounds :)

Hi, I would love to join please with my book The Strains of Malice:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

From the list above, I have previously reviewed a Linda A. Sanchez book.

Best, Andrew

I have also now completed the form. And just to confirm, no one in the current list has reviewed me before. Many thanks.

Zoë wrote: "Yes, I have finished round 392 & 395 - both GR & Zon links are live and the mods have acknowledged me completing their rounds :)"

Thanks :)

Andrew wrote: "I have also now completed the form. And just to confirm, no one in the current list has reviewed me before. Many thanks."

Welcome to the round, Andrew.

E.K. wrote: Welcome to the round, Andrew."

Many thanks E.K. Really excited to be included - first time!

Also, just wanted to reiterate that I have previously reviewed a book by Linda - just in case you missed that in my first post - and in case #7 ends up reviewing #8, #9, #10 and #1.

No one in the list (so far) has reviewed me.

Andrew wrote: "Also, just wanted to reiterate that I have previously reviewed a book by Linda - just in case you missed that in my first post - and in case #7 ends up reviewing #8, #9, #10 and #1.

No one in the..."

Thanks, Andrew. You are currently in a spot to review Linda again. We ask for who you've reviewed so we don't set up a reciprocal review - e.g. Linda reviewing you.

E.K. wrote: "Andrew wrote: "Also, just wanted to reiterate that I have previously reviewed a book by Linda - just in case you missed that in my first post - and in case #7 ends up reviewing #8, #9, #10 and #1. ..."

Understood. Makes sense :-)

I would like to join this group with:
The Mule Spinners' Daughters

I have read books by Balroop, E. K. Frances and Eric Gibson. Seth has read other books by me.
Thanks
G.J. Griffiths

G.J. wrote: "I would like to join this group with:
The Mule Spinners' Daughters

I have read books by Balroop, E. K. Frances and Eric Gibson. Seth has read other books by me.
Thanks
[author:G.J...."

Hi G.J., I'm sorry I can't fit you in with those conflicts.

Hi E.K. Hi - I'd like to join this review group
Group 397. General
I have reviewed Zoe Collins (Amor Fati) - but she hasn't reviewed me - but I know that would be a reciprocal review so that's out.
I've been reviewed by Linda Sanchez - but I haven't reviewed her - again, I know that'd be a reciprocal review.

For all the other authors, I've NOT reviewed them, nor had them review me. :) So, I'm good with everyone else. :)

If possible, I'd like to join with my second western book "Gunfighter's Requiem."
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

And - I have filled out the form listed above with all the required contact info. Thanks. :)

Oh - if this helps, the book that Linda S. reviewed for me was another book, the first in the series, not Gunfighter's Requiem. If that helps. :) Thanks again for your consideration! :)

Hi 2-Bru, I'm sorry I can't fit you in with those conflicts.

No worries, my friend. Maybe next time. :)

I filled out the form. I have not reviewed or have been reviewed by anyone on the list. I would like to join with Bonded Hearts and Hidden Realms

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Lilly wrote: "I filled out the form. I have not reviewed or have been reviewed by anyone on the list. I would like to join with Bonded Hearts and Hidden Realms

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2......"

Welcome to the round, Lilly.

Just filled the form. This is my first time participating, so no reviews—no conflicts

O. wrote: "Just filled the form. This is my first time participating, so no reviews—no conflicts"

Welcome to the round, O.

I would love to join if readers are willing to read a children's book. I have reviewed in the past, but I do not see any conflicts with the current list.
Story Time with Ya Ya:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Shoshana wrote: "I would love to join if readers are willing to read a children's book. I have reviewed in the past, but I do not see any conflicts with the current list.
Story Time with Ya Ya:
https://www.goodread..."

Hi Shoshana,

I'm sorry I can't fit you into this round, as I've reviewed you before and it looks like you only have one book that can be reviewed.

There's a clean round that's forming that you might want to join instead:

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

I would love to join this round with the First book in my series-- the Novice Wielder. Zoe as reviewed book 3 and 4 of my completed series.

I just completed the google form online.

Zoe has reviewed book 3 and 4 of the Wielder series but not this one and I have reviewed Linda before for a different book so she cannot review me, however I can review this current book of hers. I have not reviewed or being reviewed by the remaining members in the group. If the reviewers have read Book 1 of my series, I have book 2, 3 and 4 available to substitute for book 1. Thanks for moderating this round.

Here's the novice wielder Goodreads link.

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

Franca wrote: "Here's the novice wielder Goodreads link.

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

Welcome to the round, Franca.

We'll check now to make certain there are no conflicts, and alternates are available for those who need them.

Please tell me if you have reviewed any of the four people above you on the list (the list wraps around so (10) is 'above' (1) ). Please also check that if you have already reviewed any of the four people 'below' you on the list, they have more books available that you have not yet reviewed.

Remember you're SENDING your book to the four names above you (the list wraps so 10 is above 1) -- and you're RECEIVING books from the four names below you on the first post of the thread.

Once EVERYONE confirms they're good to go, the round can begin.

Member Links | Book Links
1. Linda A. Sanchez | Acceptable Loss
2. Lilly Grondin | Bonded Hearts and Hidden Realms: The Voltheria Trilogy
3. Zoë Collins | Amor Fati: An Incredible True Story of Survival, Hope & Healing
4. Eric Gibson | Perilous Shores
5. O. Bender | Ripper's Court
6. Franca Ogbonnaya | The Novice Wielder
7. Andrew Beardmore | The Strains of Malice
8. Balroop Singh | Beyond the Fetters
9. E.K. Frances | Shadow Academy
10. Seth Hobbs | Black Powder, Black Heart: A Dark Flintlock Fantasy Novel

I'm good to go

Thanks so much for adding me Frances!

Franca wrote: "Thanks so much for adding me Frances!"

No problem :) Don't forget to check the list and confirm you're good to go if you don't find any conflicts.

Hi, I rechecked and I'm good to go. I will buy all the books I am to review from amazon kindle. Thanks.

Franca wrote: "Hi, I rechecked and I'm good to go. I will buy all the books I am to review from amazon kindle. Thanks."

Thanks! Please wait until I've sent final instructions though in case anyone finds a conflict :)

E.K. wrote: "Franca wrote: "Hi, I rechecked and I'm good to go. I will buy all the books I am to review from amazon kindle. Thanks."

Thanks! Please wait until I've sent final instructions though in case anyone..."

Definitely. I'll wait until I get the all clear. Thanks again.