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.

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

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 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. 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.

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.

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 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 etc.

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, 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:
Kat

Member Links * Book Links
1. P.L. Tavormina*Telomeric
2. Zita Harrison*Owl Manor - the Final Stroke: Book 3 of the Owl Manor Gothic Suspense Trilogy
3. Juliette Godot*From the Drop of Heaven: Legends, Prejudice, and Revenge
4. Seth Hobbs*Four Puppet Kings and a Fool: An Epic Fantasy Novel
5. Dave Saari*Watery Grave
6. K. A. Burgess*The Strange Taste of Metal
7. Sinmisola Ogunyinka*I loved a slave
8. Spike Brown*Escape to Molokai
9. Sandra Rector*Shared House
10. Balroop Singh*Hues Of Hope: Selected Poetry


In order to participate in this round, your setting for 'Who Can Send Me Private Messages' needs to be 'anyone'.
Please follow this link to check - and if necessary change - your privacy setting.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/edit?t...

Hi, dropping out of 324 and would like to join this one with Owl Manor - the Final Stroke. Thank you.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

https://www.amazon.com/Owl-Manor-Stro...

Hi, I'd like to join with Escape to Molokai--a middle grade historical fiction.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Hi I'd like to join with my series for middle grade Black Hole Radio -Ka'azula
Ka'Azula by Ann Birdgenaw https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

I have already reviewed some of Zita and SD's books.

Hi.

I'd like to join with Telomeric. If the round takes a while to get going, I can instead offer a new release instead. It will be out at the end of April but is finished now and being formatted.

I have reviewed Zita's Owl Manor #1.

Ann has reviewed all of my three titles (but I will have that fourth one out soon).

S.D. Brown has reviewed two of my titles. I have three (and a fourth soon.)

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

telomeric: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Both Ann and P.L have reviewed two of my books each, including this one.

If there's any way I can be reviewed by others this round that would be great because I really need reviews for this book. But if it gets tight, I have another book I can give them.

Thanks.

I would like to join with my book, Shared House. I am done with my responsibilities in group 323.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Sandra Rector

I will like to join this review round with my book, I Love a Slave. It's my first time of joining a review round and I don't know if I've reviewed anyone here or they have reviewed me. I still don't fully understand how it works but I'm happy to learn. Here's the link to my book:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Thanks.

Hi I'd like to join this round with my SciFi novel The Strange Taste of Metal, if possible. My book will be available on Amazon from 1 March 23, but I can send an epub or a PDF earlier.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...

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

Thanks
Karlee

Welcome, Ann, Zita and SD.

PL, I'm sorry but I don't see a way I can make the order fit. If you can see an order that works, let me know.

Welcome Sandra, Sinmisola and Karlee.

Please continue to check for clashes as more people join the group (whether you have reviewed someone in the past or they have reviewed you.) This will help as I am shuffling around the final order.

No worries.

Ann would have to review me (my upcoming release) or else be in my blind spot, That's the only constraint I see assuming I read Owl #2 instead of #3. I can review Zita and Scott. The other folks are new to me, no relationship.

I'm not seeing the conflict, for example I could go in #1 and everyone but Ann could bump down one.

But I don't mind waiting for the next round. I've never understood how these things come together anyway.

Hi, I would like to join with my psychological thriller “The Girl who Painted Death”. So far I have no clashes with anyone.

So far, I have no clashes with anyone.

PL, you're right. You will fit. Sorry. (bad migraine, so def not thinking clearly today and the math is swimming before my eyes).

You will need to send an ARC of your 4th book to Ann to make this solution work.

Welcome PL and Andrea.

I would like to join with my book Hues of Hope

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

I've reviewed Zita, P.L. Ann and Andrea

Sandra has reviewed one of my books, not this one.

Okay, I think this order works. Welcome, Balroop.

Hello. I would like to join with my book "Four Puppet Kings and a Fool". The only conflict that I see is that Sandra Rector already reviewed this book for me. She could possibly review another book by me, though. She has not reviewed "A Sword of the Three Rivers", which is the opening book in my series.

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

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Welcome Seth.

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.

Hi PL is it ok if I read your writers in lockdown as that's the only one I haven't reviewed yet?

Hi Zita can I read your second book instead?

Hi Ann,

That's fine. My story in there is 3000 words. Hastily drafted in April of 2020.

The other writers and stories are better, so I hope you find something to enjoy therein!

If you see any ties to my series (I set the story on the same world about 1500 years earlier) I'd love to know, since you've read those stories. But I don't expect anyone to enjoy such a rough draft, heheh. It was a covid project. Sort of experimental.

(I was confused there for a minute but all good now.)

I've checked the reviewing panes on each author and don't see any new clashes. I've also checked my personal spreadsheet and reached the same conclusion: I've reviewed Zita but not the other three assignments. Balroop, Ann, and Scott have reviewed me but they can select another title.

Good to go. :)

Thank you Kat--I've gat a headache today too! but we soldier on.

Good to go.

Hi Kat, confirming I have no review clashes.
Thanks,
Karlee

Ann wrote: "Hi Zita can I read your second book instead?"

Yes, Ann. I can send you book 2. Thanks.

Balroop wrote: "I've reviewed Zita, P.L. Ann and Andrea"

You've not read book 3 yet. Yay!

Looks like I'm good to go. :)

Woo-hoo! That's four people checked in! As soon as we hear from Ann, SD, Andrea, Sandra, Sinmisola and Balroop, we will be ready to start the round.

For those new to a review group, check the four people above you in post one of the thread (those are the ones who will be reading you) and make sure you have not read them before. Then check the four people below you on the list (those are the ones you will be reading) and make sure they have not reviewed you before. If you've already read the book you're supposed to be reading for this round, make sure that author has other books available you can read as a substitute.

If everything checks out, please check in as good to go.

Good to go!

Good to go.

Good to go!

I think I'm late for this party, but if you take late submissions to start a new group, I'd like to throw my hat into the ring so I don't miss the next one. For some reason, I didn't see the email (crap!)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Hi Juliette! This group is full and getting ready to kick off, but I will keep you on standby in case anyone doesn't check in. We open new groups every few weeks, so just keep checking back and look for a group that says "now forming" in the thread title.

In he meantime, there's also the one for one list, where there is no waiting required. Pick any book off the list, and after you've posted your review to GR/Amz, your book will be added to the list for someone else to choose. Full instructions are in the first post of the thread.

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

Thanks!!

As Seth said, I have reviewed this book by him, but I am glad to review a different one, so that should be fine. I have also reviewed another book by Balroop, but that also should not be a conflict, as this is a different book for me to review.

So I am good to go.

The list looks good to me. I haven't reviewed or been reviewed by anyone on this list so I am good to go. Thank you!

I just spotted a potential problem.... It seems that Ann has reviewed me as Spike Brown and I just realized that I have reviewed her as S.d. Brown in previous rounds...
don't know how it got missed.

I do have another Spike Brown book she could review, Saving Bigfoot Valley. If you think it work.

Otherwise I can step out if it causes too much of a problem.

I have reviewed PL and Ballroop

I didn't know you reviewed me...
But I mentioned above that I reviewed you as a co-author but I didn't review the one listed here

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... This is the link I would prefer to be used for my book. Sorry, I don't know why there are multiple links. Thanks!

Hi everyone :). Thank you for letting me know that we have some new clashes. Unfortunately there is not a way to keep everyone in the round with the new clashes that we know about. Balroop, I apologize, but you were the last of the three to sign up, so I'm going to have to remove you for now and hopefully you will be able to join a future round.

Juliette, I have added you.

Everyone, please check the new order. When checking bookshelves, please check SD Brown's name under both SD Brown and Spike Brown. Also, if anyone writes under multiple pen names, be sure to let us know!

Sorry Kat but PL can't review me as I've reviewed her

I think it would work if I review SD as Spike Brown

Okay, hold tight! Working on a different solution.