Whenever you start reading for a new critique partner, you're hoping for the best.  You want New Car Smell, and you fear that it'll be Old Lemon Junker smell.

It's just as stressful for the critiquer as the critiquee.  What if it's not my thing?  What if I don't like their ending?  What if the third act and denoument totally remind me of Rambo: First Blood Part 2?  (Wait, what?)

The thing about any critique is that it's all about push and pull.  You want to push your critique partner to make...