Some thoughts on Reviews



I just received my first review for my recent Ellora's Cave release, Chains of Desire from Just Erotic Romance Reviews. It's a pretty darn good one so I thought I'd share it here.

Hanna longs to see space and experience life with a man. She gets that opportunity when she is mistaken for the princess, kidnapped, and sold as a sex slave for a king on Noria, a planet far away and more advanced than her own. The dark, dominant Jarrod is not to touch her while he guards her, but he can’t help but teach Hanna the pleasure given and received while being a sex slave. Will the Master/slave relationship end once they arrive at Noria or will Jarrod find a way to save Hanna and make her his slave?

I was hooked from the first few pages. The characters felt like real people who are likeable and yet complex. Hanna and Jarrod have more in common than one would first expect, which only deepens the connections the two have with one another. Jarrod’s attraction for Hanna begins as a tease, which in turn builds to combustible heat. I liked that Jarrod’s character, while a Dom and a guard on a slave ship, is not hard or uncaring. As readers, we get to see the softer side of a BDSM. The love scenes were intense and included chains, ropes, binding, male/female/male action, spanking, and some inventive activity with berries. I also liked the interracial element to the story. It is subtle and doesn’t define their relationship, but adds an exotic edge to the imagery of the couple. I only wish that the ending elaborated more on the resolution of Hanna and Jarrod’s relationship, but the author has left it open for a sequel and I will definitely read it if there is one. Chains of Desire is nicely written and the characters are deeper than the Master/slave roles they play.

Jessica Black
Just Erotic Romance Reviews


I'm always thrilled when a reviewer "gets it." No more thrilled than when I hear from any reader who likes one of my stories, but since the reviewer's opinion is put out there for anyone to read, I wonder how much the reviewer's opinion affects readers' opinions, and whether or not it could affect them buying my book.

I've had a few reviews that were not-so-hot (and no, I'm not going to post one of them LOL) Reviews that tell me the reviewer didn't really get the story, didn't get into the characters, or understand the story. Some reviewers even get the names wrong or plot points wrong - and those are usually the reviewers that didn't seem to like the story. As the creator of that world, I would love to e-mail the reviewer, point out everything she got wrong, explain those points she didn't get, tell her why she should love my book. But of course, I never do. I've come to learn over the course of more than ten releases, that not everyone is going to think everything I write is brilliant. Hard to believe, but there it is.

So, I wonder... Do you go to review sites and read the reviews each month? Do you happen across them, like reading this blog? Did a review ever make you decide to pick up an author or a book you hadn't heard about before? Did a review ever make you decide not to buy a book you'd planned on buying?

For me, I rarely seek out reviews (except my own, of course) but when I do read them, I'm looking more for story elements or character types than I am what the reviewer's opinion was. I've defintely found new authors by stumbling upon a review, but I don't think a review ever talked me out of buying a book I'd already wanted to buy.

How about you?

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

9 comments:

Nicole North said...

Awesome review, Natasha! Congratulations! In my own buying decisions, I rely on reviews more for nonfiction books. For fiction, what makes me buy a book by an author I've never read before is reading an excerpt or a few pages that hook me.

Abby Niles said...

Congrats on an awesome review!!!For books or movies, I don't rely on reviews. I've found over the years that a movie or book the reviewers may have torn apart has been something I have enjoyed thoroughly or visa versa. I know it is based on personal opinion and since they are not me, they can't say what my opinion will be. I have to experience it first hand. Trailers, blurbs, excerpts are what get me to buy a book or watch a movie:)
Esme

Abby Niles said...

Congrats on an awesome review!!!For books or movies, I don't rely on reviews. I've found over the years that a movie or book the reviewers may have torn apart has been something I have enjoyed thoroughly or visa versa. I know it is based on personal opinion and since they are not me, they can't say what my opinion will be. I have to experience it first hand. Trailers, blurbs, excerpts are what get me to buy a book or watch a movie:)
Esme

Abby Niles said...

hmmm... sorry about the double post, don't know how that happened.
Esme

Abby Niles said...

hmmm... sorry about the double post, don't know how that happened.
Esme

Natasha Moore said...

Hey Nicole! Thanks! Yeah, excerpts and blurbs do it for me too.

Hi Esme. I often disagree with reviewers too, especially with movies critics.

Carly Carson said...

Natasha,

I don't buy based on reviews (but congrats on your great review!)

I might buy after reading excerpts but I mostly buy after finding an author I love at the library. Of course, this means I miss a lot of good work not publ. at the library.

I generally buy authors, not books.

Carly

Carol Ericson said...

Natasha, I rarely pay any attention to reviews (even for my own books). I don't think the average reader does either. It seems as if most of these online review sites are for authors, not readers. I will buy based on "word of mouth" and then I have my "auto buy" authors. Not to say it's not nice to get a great review!

Natasha Moore said...

Hey Carly! Thanks for the congrats! I have my authors I usually buy too.

Carol, maybe a good review is simply confirmation that we got it right...yeah, like having an editor buy your story isn't enough :) Sometimes writers are a paranoid bunch.