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. 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 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 pressurizing 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 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.

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: TBA

Member Links | Book Links
1. Seth Hobbs | Asylum Seekers
2. Veronica Brush | Monsters, In-laws, and Trust Exercises
3. Linda A Sanchez | Truth
4. Alexander S. Li Timmins | Blood and Shadows The Weight of Fanks
5. |
6. Neil M Campbell | Hypocontriac Gambler
7. Sean DeLauder | The Last Case
8. Terry Birdgenaw| Antuna's Story
9.Thomas A Burns Jr | To Keep Our Honor Clean
10. Loralee Evans | Ephraim's Garden

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...

PLEASE NOTE:
Before commenting, please read rules 1 through 13 thoroughly.

Here are a few especially important key points to the rules (though they are all important.)
As you sign on, please let me know who already on the list has reviewed you, or been reviewed by you.
Please make sure you agree to rate the books you read based on your perceived merits of the book itself, and not on whether you like the genre or not. Also, do not DNF your assigned books.
Also, please make sure that your book was written by you, and not AI. AI pictures are permitted. AI writing is not.

If you do not know how to check who has reviewed you, or whom you have reviewed, read below.

To check if you have reviewed someone:
1. Locate the menu at the top of your screen. Find "My Books"
2. Click on "My Books"
3. On the next screen, locate the little box that says "Search and add books"
4. Type an author's name into that. It also works to type part of their name. Then click the icon of the magnifying glass in the box.
5. The next screen will show if you have ever review that person.

To check if someone has reviewed you.
1. Click on their profile.
2. Find their picture, or the place where they could put a picture if they have one.
3. Find the middle link under their picture. It should say "[x] reviews" Click on that.
4. On the next page, find the small search box that says "Search and add books".
5. Type your name into that box, then click on the magnifying glass in the box.
6. The next page will show if that person has ever reviewed you.

I'd like to join with To Keep Our Honor Clean.

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

I've reviewed Loralee's book.

Welcome, Thomas, I'll be happy to add you!

I would like to join with Antuna's Story.

Not sure if I can fit, but I would like to join with "Asylum Seekers". Terry, Thomas, and Loralee have all reviewed me, but not this book, if I am not mistaken.

https://www.amazon.com/Asylum-Seekers...

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

I think I can help with this group. I haven't read anyone here yet, except for Loralee, who I just subjected to a sprawling review with a word count that may have exceeded her book's.

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

Welcome, Sean! Thank you for your entertaining review on the other thread!

I would like to join, if I can with a stage play script. It's called Monsters, In-Laws, and Trust Exercises https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

I don't think I have any conflicts with anyone.

Welcome, Veronica! You actually have been reviewed by me. But since you don't have any constraints with any of the others, I was able to fit you in!
Here is how to check conflicts for yourself.
To check if you have reviewed someone:
1. click on "My Books" in the menu bar at the top of the page.
2. On the next page, type the person's name in the small search box that says "Search and add books"
3. If you've reviewed them, it will show the book. If you haven't, it will say 'You have no books matching "Author's Name"'

To check if someone has reviewed you:
1. Go to his/her profile.
2. Under the person's picture, or where the picture would be, click the middle link. It will say "X reviews"
3. On the next page, type your name/pen name in to the box that says "Search and add books"
4. If the person has never reviewed you, it will say 'Author's name has no books matching "Your Name"'

I don't know if you admit puzzle or trivia books, but if you do, I would like to join with "Thinking Cat 100 Word Searches with Fun Facts" Even if it's not the norm, it is at least a quick read. https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Cat-W...

Hello, Jollyoldsaint! I would love to let you in! However, you need to do a couple of things for me. First, you need to claim your author profile. Right now, you've posted from a reader's profile.

Here is your book's goodreads profile. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Since there are three authors, I don't know which one you are, or I would have put up a link to your unclaimed author profile.

To claim your author profile, follow these instructions.
First, go to the link above, and pick whichever author is you. Click on the link.
Then, scroll downward. Near to the bottom of your author profile, you will see "Is this you? Let us know. If not, help out and invite 'Your Name' to Goodreads."
Click on" Let us know." and follow the instructions from there.

Once you have gotten your author profile claimed, you will need to make sure that you can message other people in the group. To do this, go here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/edit?t...

Scroll down, until you see "Who Can Send Me Private Messages"
When you find that, click "anyone". Then go to near the bottom and click "Save account settings".

Once you've done those things, come back here, and let us know. Preferably by posting from your author profile.
Your book looks like fun! Once you've done those things, assuming you have not reviewed or been reviewed by any of the other authors in this group, I should be able to fit you into any of the still empty spots!

I would like to join with Hypochondriac Gambler.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQK68X87
I have reviewed Seth's A Sword of Three Rivers and Loralee's Ephraim's Garden.
Thank you,
Neil

I was able to squeeze you in, Neil! Welcome!

Hi. Yes I would still like to participate in the group.

Welcome, Nicole!

I'd love to get in on this review round if you'll have me :D
Its free on Amazon for the next 3 days so have at a crisp clean version. Its a horror/thriller, redesigning what we think vampires are.
I read at a fairly fast pace as well so I can pick up a few of other Authors books to review in this round. Also I want honest and brutal reviews about the book. "Its okay" doesnt help me get better at writing :D

Oh and I'm into the gritty thrillers, actions, horrors, mystery

Blood and Shadows: The Weight of Fangs

Thanks for joining, Alexander! It may be more than 3 days before the round gets started. But if you have PDFs (see rule #5) it will be fine.

From what I looked up, it does not look like you have reviewed or been reviewed by anyone else here.

In these review rounds, you will be reviewing 4 people and you will be reviewed by 4 people. You'll be assigned whom you will review, and 4 others will be assigned to review you so as to avoid reciprocal reviews as those are usually deleted by Amazon.

The round will get started when we get one more member, and all members have checked their conflicts and then commented that they are good to go.

Would I be able to join with my book Truth? I believe I have read Terry’s book but I can read an alternate. Everyone else I don’t think I’ve read.

Hello, Linda! You've read all of Terry's books. You've also read Sean DeLauder's book, The Last Case. And I have read your book I'm Fifty: Welcome to the Full Body Betrayal.
Please make sure to check and report all your conflicts, as it helps me a lot. It looks like I will be able to fit you, as the last spot is in Terry's blind spot, Sean has other books for you to read, and you have other books for me to read.

I'm so sorry, Chelsea! Next time, please make sure to let me know right away the book you want reviewed, as well as anyone in the group already whom you have reviewed, and who has reviewed you.

EVERYONE: Please remember that it helps me considerably when you state definitively who has reviewed you, and whom you have reviewed.

Here is how to do both:

To check whom you have reviewed:
1. Go to the menu across the top of your page and click "My Books"
2. In the small box that says "Search and add books" type the name of an author.
3. If you have not read that person, the next page will say 'You have no books matching "author's name"'

To check if someone has reviewed you:
1. Go to the person's profile. Under the person's picture, click the middle link.
2. On that page, type your name into "Search and add books"
3. If that person has not reviewed you, it will say '[author's name] has no books matching "your name"'.

Everyone, it looks like we might have our 10! Here is what you all need to do now.

Please do not rely on memory as this has caused trouble in the past!

First: Please check your conflicts. You will need to check if the 4 people below you have ever reviewed you, and if you have ever reviewed the 4 people above you. (The list wraps so 10 is above 1.)

To check if the 4 people below you have reviewed you:
1. Go to the profile of one of the people below you. (links are below and in the first message.)
2. Click on the link below the person's picture.
3. In the box that says "Search and add books" type in your name.

If the person has never reviewed you (which is good) the next screen will say "Author's name has no books matching 'Your Name'".

Repeat this with the other three people below you. If each one shows that they've never reviewed you, you are good to go in that direction.

To check if you have reviewed any of the 4 people above you:
1. Click the link to "My Books" in the menu bar at the top of the page.
2. In the box that says "Search and add books" type in the name of one of the 4 authors above you.
3. If you have not reviewed that person, the next page should say "You have no books matching 'Author's name'".

Repeat that with the other 3 names above you.

If you have not reviewed the 4 people above you, you are good to go in that direction.

Second: Please review all 13 rules. Please see the first message to read the rules in their entirety. Here they are in brief:

1. You can read all four of your assigned books in the 12 weeks.
2. Your book is currently available for sale on Amazon.
3. Your book is edited and fit to be reviewed.
4. You can submit reviews to Goodreads and Amazon.
5. You can provide (and accept) at least PDF files.
6. You have completed your reading in another round in this group.
7. You have an author profile set up before you join.
8. Your Goodreads profile allows people to message you.
9. You are not related to/close friends with other members of the round.
10. Your reviews will be honest and based on the book's quality, not on whether you like the genre.
11. You will not contact a fellow author if you don't like their review.
12. You will let us know if you have pen names.
13. You promise that the text of your book is written by you, and not AI.

Once you have confirmed that you are adhering to all 13 of the rules, and that you have not reviewed the 4 people above you, and that the 4 people below you have not reviewed you, please come here and type that you are "Good to go" or something along those lines.

Once all 10 of us have confirmed that we are good to go, we will be!

Here are links to help you check your conflicts:
1. Seth Hobbs | Asylum Seekers
2. Veronica Brush | Monsters, In-laws, and Trust Exercises
3. Linda A Sanchez | Truth
4. Alexander S. Li Timmins | Blood and Shadows The Weight of Fangs
5. Nicole Bodenschatz | Thinking Cat 100 Word Searches with Fun Facts
6. Neil M Campbell | Hypocontriac Gambler
7. Sean DeLauder | The Last Case
8. Terry Birdgenaw| Antuna's Story
9.Thomas A Burns Jr | To Keep Our Honor Clean
10. Loralee Evans | Ephraim's Garden

I have checked both above me, and below me. I'm following all 13 rules, and I am good to go!

I have been reviewed by Linda and I have reviewed Loralee (Group 381), BUT I have not reviewed anyone above me and have not been reviewed by anyone below. By that account I am good to go.

Good to go. I have not reviewed anyone in this group or been reviewed by anyone in this group :D

Loralee,
I've not reviewed anyone above me and not been reviewed by anyone below, so am good to go.
Thanks,
Neil

I am good to go, assuming I can read another book of Loralee's.

I’m ready to go

Can I just add that the free period for my book ends at midnight, so if you're down to read it, download it now. I'll still just send you a pdf if you miss this 😘

Thanks, Linda, Terry, Neil, Alexander, and Sean. Four more people to hear from, and then we can begin!

Looks good to me. I have read this book by Linda Sanchez, but she has numerous others I could read. Thanks so much for your efforts, Loralee!

Thanks, Terry! Linda, Veronica, and Seth. If you are able, it would be a big help to Alexander and get him verified reviews. The round hasn't started yet, but it won't hurt to get as it is still free on the US website as far as I can see, here: https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Shadows-...

Thanks, Seth!
Waiting on Veronica, Nicole, and Thomas. Please let us know soon if you're good to go!

Good to go

I checked all 13 and I'm good! Thanks!

Thanks, Veronica and Thomas! Nicole, please check and let us know if you are good to go!

Just checking that when we start we are reading the 4 books below us and being reviewed by the 4 authors above us?

Yes

Terry is right.
When the round begins, you'll read the 4 below you. The 4 above you will read you.

The check to make sure you haven't read the 4 above you and the 4 below you haven't read you is to avoid reciprocal reviews.

Hi Sean, I have read your book listed, do you have an alternate book for me to read?

I have a wide array of alternatives. I will message you with some options in a little while.

I will likewise need an alternative from Loralee.

I also need an alternative from Loralee

As do I.

And me.
Thanks

No worries! I have others for you to read! Everyone set to read me has read me before, so I'll provide you with alternate books.

Everyone: We are still waiting on Nicole to let us know if she is good to go. Hopefully she will let us know in the next few days.

Everyone, Nicole still has not responded. Tomorrow, Thursday, it will be one week since I asked if people were good to go. We'll give Nicole until Friday to let us know if she is good to go or not. If she hasn't responded by then, I'll have to open up her spot. If, before someone else joins, she is able to comment and is good to go, we can begin. If someone else asks to join before she comments, and that person can fit, we'll all need to begin the process of checking and then commenting if we're good to go again.

For anyone that managed to grab my book while it was free, I've done a grammar overhaul so I'll send you the PDF. You can request the Ebook updated through Amazon support but that's a pain :D

It has been more than one week since I first asked everyone to check and say if they were "good to go". Nicole still has not responded. So I will take her name off, and we will have to go back to needing one more person. My regrets, everybody.

If Nicole returns, and says she's good to go before someone else asks to join who will fit, then we can get started right away. But if someone else joins, we will need to do the roll call again.

Again, my regrets everybody. I was hoping we'd be able to get started.

Can i join with Not Her, Not Yet?
Not Her, Not Yet