Fans of Interracial Romance discussion

Hi All,

I'd like to know if reviews carry weight with you guys on any forms of entertainment, especially books or do they mostly don't matter?

For me, it depends on the situation. If there is a book I've been dying to read or a movie I want to see, no review in the world can stop me. I don't care how bad people say it is, once I've made up my mind, I'm trying it for myself. But, if I am on the fence with say, a book, I might read a bunch of different reviews to get a feel for it. Still, this might not dissuade me from trying the book even if the book gets bad reviews because I'm the type that likes to check out things for curiosity's sake, LOL. I would read a "bad" book just to see how bad it actually is.

What influences me the most is excerpts and samples. This carries way more weight than a review. Being an author it's hard to admit that because we rely a lot on reviews, but some say reviews don't really matter. I think they do it depends on the individual. Some readers live and die by book reviews. Others don't pay any attention and they have their minds made up about what they want to read or don't want to read from the very beginning.

It's hard to really tell if reviews are effective for persuading people to buy books. I know that they can effectively stop people from reading a book. That's why some authors get in a tizzy over negative Amazon reviews. You get enough of them and they just might put a dent in your sales. Reviews come down to all types of things. Like for instance, there are certain genres I just won't try. I don't care if my best friend tells me to read the book, I just don't like certain genres. So in that case, a review wouldn't mean squat to me. I don't read vampire books, fantasy or science fiction for example, so no review or amount of popularity of the book can persuade me. I've never read one line of the Harry Potter or Twilight books, LOL! I don't plan to. I'm someone who is very loyal to my favorite genres. Also, I just don't like these types of books so reading them wouldn't be fun to me.

So back to the question, do reviews carry weight with you personally? Whether they do or not, I'd love to hear your opinions.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

Good question. For me, reviews definitely carry some weight if I'm on the fence, especially from my GR friends whose tastes I know, but I usually look at the excerpt first where it's available. If that doesn't interest me at all then I probably won't bother.

Reviews have been known to influence me whenever I'm not sure about a story or author. I use Amazon quite often to get a feel if the book could be a waste of my time. There are some author's books that I will only buy based on reviews because of past disappointments that make me hesitant to purchase anymore of their books.

If the book is from an author that I've never read before...and the nays far outweight the yays...I may not bother to read it. It just depends on how interesting they made the premise.

Most of the time, I try to find as many excerpts that I can if the book is of interest. Sometimes I'll go out on a limb and get it anyway because I've liked books that others did not...and I've hated books that others liked.

If it's one of my favorite authors, I will likely buy the book unless the reviews are just terrible all around.

Reviews don't determine if I am going to read a book or not. Don't get me wrong, my buddies can write a "what they feel about a book review" and I respect their review, but I like to see how the book is for me, unless it's something that I don't care to read about. A theme that I stay away from.

I will let a review talk me out of a book if the review accurately presents a picture of a book I know I don't want to read, because of certain themes and content. Also if it's from a trusted source who has similar tastes to mine. But some bad reviews actually make me want to read a book, because I might like something the reviewer doesn't. Oftentimes, the review doesn't change my mind about a book at all. I am going to read it, because I want to, regardless of what others think. I must admit, that I am really glad I read quite a few reviews that dissuaded me from reading a book. I have to be honest, I wish that some reviews weren't so vague and didn't beat around the bush about certain aspects of a story. I'd rather get a true picture of a book, if I really need the review to help me decide.

When it comes to movies, I rarely listen to reviews, unless they are from a friend who has the same taste as mine. I don't listen to professional reviews at all. Most reviewers tend to be snobby about the kinds of movies I like. Sometimes, Roger Ebert does alright. He seems a little more open-minded at times, than other reviewers.

It depends. If it's an author that I like, then no, a good or bad review has no effect. However, if I don't know the author then I will take several reviews into consideration. I have had several occasions where a good review actually introduced me to an author and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. When I review, I try to preface it with my frame of mind to give the person reading a truer picture. For example, my first "fallen angel" romance. I put in my review that I did not like the book and cited certain examples from the book as to why I thought it was bad. However, since it was my first "fallen angel" type of book, I can't be sure if it was the whole genre I don't like or this particular book. That way, the reader will know I thought the book sucked the big wieney (which, to me, it did) but they might like that kind of book so they may want to give it a shot anyway. And then of course, there are certain reviewers whose taste run similar to mine (what's up Danielle!!). Anyway, that's my take.

I've noticed our similar taste, too, Saninbham! Love those Carpathians!

I agree that it's hard when you don't care for a genre. That's why I put that in my review to make it clear to anyone who reads it, that it's a personal preference. It's only fair.

A review can definitely dissuade me from buying a book. It might not dissuade me from reading a book.

It does depends though. The back cover blurb is sometimes utterly useless, so I do like to read a review that contains a nice synopsis that doesn't spoil, but manages to give me the feel of the book or some depth -- reveal something of the heart of the book that the blurb doesn't.

The reviewer's opinion of the book can only influence if they are able to illustrate through examples why something did or didn't work for them.

That is not to say that a bad review will cause me to hate a book. Something that did not work for that reviewer may yank my chain pretty hard. And make me actually want to read the book. LOL.

Also, a consensus amongst many reviewers can carry heavier weight.

Depends on who reviews the book and how appealing the plot sounds. If its someone random, I might read an excerpt before deciding, but to readers that I do know (and tend to have similar tastes to), I rely on their advice.

Sometimes bad books are reviewed so well that I actually want to read them.

Lately it's been tricky I must admit. An author I used to love to read has been pumping out crap. I hate to say that but her last three books have stunk! She used to be on my "automatic buy list", but not anymore. She's moved to the "don't know, gotta see how I feel" list. It's hard when an author you enjoyed has started to be disappointing. But I'll move on in a minute. There are too many good writers and too many good books to read something you don't like. This is what happens when some authors get too comfortable and the quality of their books dwindle each time. Especially when it's an author where you're paying a lot for a paperback, please! LOL!

The way this particular author's been writing lately, I might give up on her for good. I used to couldn't wait to get my hands on her books. Oh well.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

Hi Nisha,

Great point and I agree. I like to read reviews from general readers and I take those more to heart than I do reviews from professional reviewers. I love professional reviewers, but I find the general public to give straightforward reviews and you know for sure they are being honest. A lot of professional reviewers either pussyfoot around or the reviews borderline on favortism or sounds like an advertisment half the time. But still, the reviewer has to have a similar taste to me because what someone else likes, may not be anything I want to read anyway.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

What makes me decide if I will read a book is the back cover summary and prologue, if there's one.

A prologue, in my opinion can be a teaser.

Depends on what is said in the review.

If the review mentions there are atrocious spelling errors and bad grammar: then yes, such a review would definitely influence me not to buy. Or if mentioned - one of those lazy literary mechanisms eg - the white hero turns out to be black ... I'm running like a bat out of hell from that book.

Yes, yes! Great point! I love to read samples of the book first. That's the best way to judge. There have been some books I was on the fence about and I'd search the author's site for an excerpt or Amazon to see if there was an Inside The Book section or whatever. And most times if I was on the fence and couldn't find a sample, I'd not worry about checking out the book at all. Next time I have a book out I plan to put up samples too on my site but the Search Inside is in my books on Amazon, so that's at least good. I know authors who don't have that feature and they really want it because they know it's good to have a "teaser". I know this is a good way to hook readers because lately, reading samples first is what's encouraged me to read my lastest choices.

It's also good because in this economy, readers don't want to waste money on books they aren't sure they might enjoy or books where they can't sample the writing. Readers are much pickier these days. I know I am. I've been disappointed by the last books I've wanted to read the most, yet enjoyed most of the ones I checked out on a whim, LOL!

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

If we're talking about an author whose career I follow, then reviews will rarely, if ever, have any influence (unless certain themes which I find objectionable are later introduced) on whether I purchase and or read a book.

If its an author I've never tried before or one whose work I'm still feeling out, sometimes reviews can move me in either direction: to buy or not to buy, to read or not to read. I prefer when the reviewer provides a detailed analysis of their perspective of the book. I don't have to agree with a person's likes and dislikes, but I want to know exactly what it was about the book that worked/didn't work for the reviewer without him or her providing vital information that spoils the book.

Mostly, though, the onus is on the book to engage me, either from the blurb or an excerpt. If a book manages to grab my interest from the get-go, I'd read the book regardless of the reviews and even if its an author I've never read before. If I end up liking it, I'll purchase the next work of the author. Lately I've bought the books of many unknown (to me) authors, but usually when I'm trying an author for the first time I'll purchase the book used or borrow from the library.

I love reading bad reviews because a lot of the time what people hated I enjoy. If I see comments like 'THIS MADE NO SENSE' I'm in.

LOL, Christy. I can see that. Sometimes when I see "This book was a train wreck," it makes me want to read it. If only I had more time to read those. :)

Amen to that!

Don't let the book be part of a series and the hero and heroine that a reader wanted to get together, but the writer didn't go in that direction. That reader will give the book a bad review.

Very true, Arch!

That's why I look for multiple reviews on a book. If there are only a handful of reviews, it's harder to judge.

If a book has 20 reviews and 80% of them are bad (and list most of the things I hate in a story), then I'm not wasting my time & money on the book. I may flip through it at the bookstore to be sure, otherwise I'll likely not bother with it.

I usually start with the bad reviews as well and make my way up to the top reviews.

It's sad to say it, but sometimes I find the bad reviews to be more honest. If I don't trust the source I usually don't pay attention to gushing 5 star reviews, particularly if they're the only reviews the book has.

There's an e-pubbed author who is also a regular poster on Amazon, but she has never admitted to anyone that she actually wrote a book. What she does is recommend her book on most threads as if she's just a reader who happened to love the book. I know she's the author because I came across her MySpace page, where she admitted to having written the book in question, via another author's page; and I have to say her deception really annoys me to no end.

Anyway, the point is that all the reviews for her book were 5 stars reviews until a regular poster who I've seen on the Amazon boards and have grown to trust (even though we're not pals per se) read it and gave it an honest (2 star) review, revealing things I know would cause me not to like the book.