I’m Not A Critical Reviewer
I cannot believe I read eleven books in March! And I honestly loved every single one of them. In fact, I rated every one of them 5 stars. I don’t often feel the need to justify my reviews or ratings, but something came across my feed recently that made me stop and think about how I rate and review the books I read. So, in case you’ve been wondering that too, read on, Bookwyrm…
I have definitely been asked how I can rate every book I read 4 stars or higher. Sometimes it comes from well-meaning readers who are just curious. Sometimes it comes from other sources, once from someone who felt it impacted my integrity to have too many positive reviews out there with my name one them. I know it's not the norm for most readers. The honest truth is that I'm really picky about what I read. I tend to stick to authors whose books I already know I love. Whether it be their writing style, content, character creation, or tone, I tend to vibe with certain authors. Most books I read these days are either beta reads, ARCs, or books I'm editing. And that allows me to be pretty consistent in my choices.
I have also made the personal decision to not review books I would not give 4 or 5 stars. Because I am a huge advocate of not yucking someone’s yum. I get it, how will you know I didn’t appreciate the story or writing if I don’t tell you? Well, ummm… you won’t. Because I honestly don’t think that’s my job. I know I will not like everything I read. I know there are books I will DNF. But I also know that there are others who will love it and finish it and review it and recommend it. Just because something is not for me, does not mean I have to tell others it’s not for them. And to me, a negative review does just that.
Plus, I am not a critical reviewer. I know, color you surprised. I write reviews for books I love, and only books I love. My intent in my reviews is to share what I love about them. My hope is that a reader who loves the same things I do will see my review and decide to take a chance on a new book or author because they like what I do. Instead of letting you know what not to read, I’d rather let you know what I think you should read. Find the positive. Share the love. Point you in the direction of something I feel is wonderful.
There are plenty of critical reviewers out there, many of whom I know and absolutely love and respect. And they serve a very valid purpose in the indie romance community. I value their opinions and appreciate the time they dedicate to their writing. But, I am not that person.
So, if you're looking for a critical review, I'm not your hype-girl. But if you're looking for the hows and whys of the books I love, I hope you'll check out my reviews. You can find them on the following platforms:
The Blog: https://www.brayzensblog.com/
On Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/GoodreadsBrayzen
On BookBub: https://tinyurl.com/BookBubBrayzen
On Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/AmazonBrayzen
And as always, Happy Reading, Bookwyrms!
