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 Clean round
Fiction and non-fiction, adult and children's books are acceptable.
No explicit violence, explicit sexual situations, or explicit language.
Infrequent uses of words like "damn" and "hell" and milder words are acceptable, but nothing stronger than that.
Sex can be implied in a romantic scene that draws the curtains, but otherwise nothing more racy than a kiss.
Violence can happen but no detailed descriptions of its impact e.g. someone can be shot or punched on the jaw but no gore.
If you have to wonder if an aspect of your book could be considered offensive, this is probably not the group for you!

Please note it is still always possible that the books you are assigned may contain material you personally 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:
Loralee Evans

Member Links
1. Jenny Graves
2. Kris Ruhler
3. Audrey Rich
4. S. Lynn Helton
5. Terry Birdgenaw
6. Loralee Evans
7. Molly Harrison
8. Amani Jesu
9. Art Isaacs
10. Conner Steel

Book Links
1. Naturally Supporting Cancer Treatment:
2. Shackles of Guilt
3. Where's There Smoke There's Fire: A Short Story
4. Bye-Bye Magpie
5. Antunites Unite
6. Woodlands and Wormholes
7. Mystery at Chances Hill: A Teenage Mystery
8. Eliana-Who-Sees-Us
9. Morris
10. INVISI GIR1

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...

I'd like to submit my book, Naturally Supporting Cancer Treatment, for this round, please.

Welcome Jenny - I think I found your book, but please be sure to include a GR link to the book when you sign up in future. Thanks :)

I'd like to submit my free short story, Where There's Smoke There's Fire, but Jenny Graves has already reviewed my book.

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

If she doesn't mind reviewing the second book in the series, I can be the second person.

Otherwise, I can be placed in the sixth position.

Welcome Audrey - please keep checking back frequently as the round fills for clashes.

Audrey wrote: "I'd like to submit my free short story, Where There's Smoke There's Fire, but Jenny Graves has already reviewed my book.

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

I'm more than happy to review the second book in the series, Audrey. I thoroughly enjoyed Where There's Smoke There's Fire.

E.M. wrote: "Welcome Jenny - I think I found your book, but please be sure to include a GR link to the book when you sign up in future. Thanks :)"

So sorry, Audrey. I'll remember that in future.

Jenny wrote: "Audrey wrote: "I'd like to submit my free short story, Where There's Smoke There's Fire, but Jenny Graves has already reviewed my book.

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

Great!

Hi, I'd like to submit my YA science fantasy, please.

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

I have reviewed Audrey's book, and she has reviewed one of my other books but not the one I'm submitting for this round.

Thanks

Welcome Kris - please be aware that we don't permit reciprocal reviews so you have to be in Audrey's blind spot in this and any other rounds you are both in ongoing. Please keep checking back for any other clashes as the round fills.

Kris wrote: "Hi, I'd like to submit my YA science fantasy, please.

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

I have reviewed Audrey's book, and she has reviewed one of my other books but no..."

Just so we don't get in trouble; You did review my short story, but it was Jenny Graves who reviewed Strands of Time.

Oh sorry. Thanks for the update, Audrey. You're right. Jenny reviewed one of my books, and I reviewed Audrey's book 'Where's the smoke'

Thanks for the updates everyone - I think this new lineup should work. Please let me know if not, bearing in mind you will review the people below you and be reviewed by those above.

Both Jenny and Kris will need to review my second book, which is great if they don't mind a novel instead of a short story.

Audrey wrote: "Both Jenny and Kris will need to review my second book, which is great if they don't mind a novel instead of a short story."

Not at all, Audrey.

Hello! I will be the mod of this round, and as I've finished all my goodreads and Amazon reviews in group 315 I'm hoping to join this round as well as mod it!
I have already read Jenny's lovely book, and she has only the one, so I'd need to be in her blind spot. But I have no conflicts either way with Kris or Audrey. So hopefully I'll fit?

Here is my book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Welcome Loralee - and thanks for doing the mod thing here :)

I'd like to join with my children’s picture book book Bye-Bye Magpie. I've finished my reviews for Group 315 Out of This World, although my last review hasn't yet shown up on Amazon.
-Lynn

My Goodreads book link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
My Goodreads author link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

My clashes so far:
* Jenny has already reviewed my book, but I've got a fantasy novella that she can read (it has no graphic violence or sexual situations).
* No clashes with Kris or Audrey.
* I've already reviewed Loralee's book, but she has others I can read & review.

I'm happy to review S.Lynn's fantasy novella. :)

Thanks, Loralee for being our mod!

I'm happy to review Loralee's Woodlands and Wormholes as well as Lynn Helton's Bye-Bye Magpie.

No clashes with either one.

Welcome S. Lynne - do remember to keep checking back :)

E.M. wrote: "Welcome S. Lynne - do remember to keep checking back :)"
Thank you. And will do! :)
-Lynn

Ann - Regretably I can't fit you in this round either. You would need to be in both S. Lynne's and Jenny's blindspots and you can't be in both.

Hello, could I join this round with my YA novel, Invisi Gir1? INVISI GIR1

I did post to join in the other round now forming also (general), but I noticed after that I have several clashes there. I don't see any clashes here so far...

Welcome Conner - please keep checking back for clashes.

Thanks Loarlee for being our mod!

Still no clashes.

I have no clashes with Conner.

Oops, I misspoke. Conner has reviewed one of my other books. It was through Round 310, under "CJS" here on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...) and under "Amy" on Amazon (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-...).

-Lynn

I would like to join this round with my children's book, "Mystery at Chances Hill" found at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
Although the book has been published as an ebook since 2013, I published a paperback edition this month. Both are now available.
I wrote this as, Molly Harrison, but I also write as MC Harrison

No clashes for me with Molly/M.C. Harrison.
-Lynn

None that I’m aware of with anyone.

No clashes with Molly, Loralee, and Conner

No clashes with Kris.

Loralee, I just remembered that you reviewed "Tree of Life", written by me but under the author name, MC Harrison. Will this be a conflict? The book for which I am requesting reviews is "Mystery at Chances Hill, A Teenage Mystery".

Molly - welcome, please keep checking back.

Thanks everyone for the updates :)

E.M., just a note...
Conner doesn't have to be in my blind spot. He's reviewed me before, but not this book. I have no other clashes with him.
-Lynn

A. Lynn that is true and might be an idea to leave that blind spot open just in case :)

E.M. wrote: "A. Lynn that is true and might be an idea to leave that blind spot open just in case :)"
Yes. 😁

Thank you, E.M. No clashes with Conner

No clashes with Molly or MC Harrison.

I would like to join this review group. I'm the author of "Violet Jenkins Saves the Day"- a middle-grade fiction book.

Violet Jenkins Saves the Day: Violet Jenkins series
Stacey Faubion

Thank you for your consideration,
Stacey Faubion

I don't have any clashes with Stacey.
-Lynn

Welcome Stacey - please keep checking back and say if you have any review clashes as the group finds its last couple of members :)

I have no clashes with Stacey

I have no conflicts with Molly Harrison and have not read Mystery at Chances Hill: A Teenage Mystery.

Still no clashes. Only Loralee has reviewed one of my books and I have listed a different book for this review session.

Hi, I would like to join this review group. This would be my first one, so there shouldn’t be any clashes. I have a YA Urban Fantasy titled Eliana-Who-Sees-Us. It has one mild cuss word, no sex, and a little non-graphic violence. The worst would be a couple moderately scary demon scenes.

Here is my profile link:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Thanks.

Welcome Amani - Please keep checking back both for any review clashes and because (hopefully) the round will move on to the next stage soon when the group has filled.

Hi. I'd like to join this review group. I'm the author of 'Morris', a fictional family novel and am currently working on several SF books that I hope to publish shortly.

Thank you all for your time and consideration. Art

Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...

GR link to Morris: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Art wrote: "Hi. I'd like to join this review group. I'm the author of 'Morris', a fictional family novel and am currently working on several SF books that I hope to publish shortly.

Thank you all for your tim..."

I would love to add you to the group, Art, but first you need to claim your GR author page. Just follow this link and it'll walk you through the process.

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

It can take a few days to come through.

Thanks E.M. I've claimed my GR author page, so will wait next steps.