But authors need thick skin, anyway, and I think these types of reviews can be useful for potential readers. It just depends on what kind of potential reader you are. Because there have been books that didn’t sound exactly up my alley but that I’m kind of interested in for other reasons. I’m curious if I’ll be able to like it despite it’s genre or certain conventions I know I dislike. Sometimes I try these books that sound so absolutely unlike something I should usually try, and I LOVE them.

So sometimes I want to hear a review that tells me what someone who doesn’t usually like this sort of book might think. Because there are books that can be liked or deserved to read by more than just the people who find it to be ‘their thing.’ But if only those who like that sort of book review it, how do the rest of us know who to trust?

Yeah, that’s going to make the review bias. But I think any reviewer who thinks they can try to write an unbiased review or any reader who thinks they can find one is kidding themselves. Reviews are bias by nature. Trying to fight that nature is to me just going to make the review unhelpful. I don’t go out looking for an unbiased review, I go out looking for a review with the same biases as me. It means people who like this sort of thing should probably disregard the review, but it also means people who might normally disregard a book might give it, or at least the review, some chance. If the review ends up saying the book was disappointing after all…well, I guess that’s just the way things go sometimes?

I’m no novel author, but personally, I’ve always secretly loved showing writing of mine to people who are sure it’s not their thing. Sometimes it ends a little harsh, but I think it’s interesting hearing their opinions, and if lots of people end up liking it anyway, then you KNOW you’re doing something right. So long as you understand where a person is coming from, getting shot down doesn’t sting nearly as bad, and getting complimented means all the more.

This review was extremely clear where it was coming from and very good at expressing how the reviewer felt and why. So for me, that’s why I like it.

…But, well, of course, I’m bias. ^_^

As for THE PHOENIX, I enjoyed every word of it and having had the privilege of pre-reviewing COUNTERPOINT I can tell you that Ruth Simms writes like I wish I could.

I highly recommend anything she makes available to the reading public.

Look, book reviewers have a responsibility to try to present as accurate a view as possible. It I do not like a certain KIND of book, of course I am going to be impatient as it “goes on and on and on.” In other words, there is no way I can give a competent review of such a book. For example, for myself, I hate to cook. I can deal with a microwave but that is about it. Would I be good to write a review of a cookbook, or a book about cooking, or even a novel with a cook as the main character and cooking school as the setting? Of course not. So, the point is I SHOULD NOT WRITE A REVIEW OF SUCH A BOOK.

Please, I appeal to reviewers, to give authors a chance. Don’t dismiss a great novel out of hand because that style of book is not your thing. Some people like some things, and others like other things. If you want to write a private letter to the author, telling your reactions, I am sure that would be helpful to the author. BUT DO NOT WRITE A PUBLISHED REVIEW.

A few years ago, a reviewer wrote a review of one of my books, TWO SPIRITS: A STORY OF LIFE WITH THE NAVAJO and made a similar statement that he did not like historical books. Well, duh, I am a historian and I write historical books and novels. That is what I do, and I address my books to people who enjoy reading about other times and places. Then this reviewer went on and on about how some part of the book just did not work. Then after two paragraphs, added, “well, now the more I think about this, I guess that was the best way the author could have handled it after all.” Clearly, this reviewer would have done greater service to the world of readers than in wasting their time reading such an incompetent review.
I am not saying that every review must be positive. But, please Jayne, in the future if you start a book that is not your style, then follow your own advice and throw it in the trash, and then give us readers a really valuable review about a kind of book that you do like. Then I will bet you can give it a great evaluation, whether positive or negative.
I invite readers to look at lots of reviews, and they will see in Ruth Sims case that she is a terrific writer. And I have no idea about this part, but she might even be a terrific cookie baker as well. In any case, I feel totally confident in saying that she is better at both of those things than I am. I highly recommend her book.

As far as the character killed/not killed — it sure wasn’t for lack of trying on Kit’s part that he wasn’t. (g)

Yes! We are in total agreement there.

Oh. lol — Sorry. I didn’t know that. I’ve never seen that before. I didn’t really want to read it, but when my cursor hit it and words popped out unexpectedly–well, who could resist? It’s like evesdropping. I thought that it was put in and then the reviewer had second thoughts but couldn’t take it out for some reason. Interesting. Live and learn. I admit I’m not very smart with the technology stuff.

As far as the character killed/not killed — it sure wasn’t for lack of trying on Kit’s part that he wasn’t. (g)

BTW, you told Doro above that the spoiler’s blocked out. It is, sort of. But on my computer when the curser passes over it, the words pop out loud and clear. And since you brought it up in the spoiler, how could a character stay dead if he wasn’t dead to start with?

Hmmm, there seems to be some questions about spoilers and how that function works in our reviews. The dark lines are supposed to block out the spoiler unless you want to read it in which case you roll your curser over it so that you can read it. I hate to state the obvious but if it wasn’t meant to be read at all, it wouldn’t be in the review.

As to the spoiler, what I meant was, I hate it when a character is supposedly killed off but then really isn’t and comes back into the story at a later time. “Back from the dead,” as it were.

I ususally love your reviews. But boy do we differ on this one. I loved it from beginning to end and hope the author continues the story. I want to know what becomes of Kit and Nick and Bronwyn and Nick’s son and the lesser characters that were so great, mostly Kit’s friends. I adored Kit. Heck, I’d be one of the women who sent him keys and invitations.

BTW, you told Doro above that the spoiler’s blocked out. It is, sort of. But on my computer when the curser passes over it, the words pop out loud and clear. And since you brought it up in the spoiler, how could a character stay dead if he wasn’t dead to start with?

This is one of the best review sites anywhere even if every once in a while (to me anyway) there’s a klinker.

Well, everyone’s different. But I just wanted at least one more person to go on record as saying the grade was WAY off the mark. If I were DA’s reviewer, it would have gotten an A. I wish the author had something else out because I would probably really enjoy it. You “don’t hardly get that quality of writing no more.”

Doro

I didn’t blame Bronwyn, either, for her anger and reaction to the truth about Nicholas. She had all my sympathy, but so did Nick and Kit, because the author persuaded me that they were all victims of the time period. I liked how far from perfect they all really were. Even with the talents he developed in his determined drive to leave his miserable childhood far behind, Kit was still a lovely mess, as was Nick; so watching them progress from two troubled individuals to two men whose love for each other might bring them to meaningful emotional triumph (beyond their worldly successes)–that was the fun of the novel for me. I also really enjoyed the setting, especially the details of the theatrical world.

It’s true the characters go through hell and back, but that made the ending more satisfying for me personally. I guess the saga aspect is one a reader will either love or hate. I hope readers who are drawn to sagas will give it a chance, though, because I think they may find it as entertaining as I did.

I hope I’m not breaking a rule by providing the buy information below:
The easiest way to find the New Edition is to go to the publisher:
http://lethepressbooks.com/gay.htm#sims-the-phoenix
There are links there to Amazon, TLA, Giovanni’s Room, etc.

The Phoenix is also available not only for the Kindle, but other ebooks at AllRomanceEbooks:
http://allromanceebooks.com/product-thephoenix-14023-145.html

AllRomanceEBooks also has a FREE READ (short story) by me about a lawyer who finds a naked young guy in his apartment when he comes home from the office…or does he? It won’t cost you a penny and you’ll get a few laughs. And who can’t use a few laughs these days? Title: TOM, or An Improbable Tail

http://allromanceebooks.com/product-tomoranimprobabletail-14965-180.html

I read the new version of the book which is why I wanted to be sure we got the new cover in the review. The amazon link still goes to the brown cover so I’m not sure if the new version is avaiable there yet.

As I said in earlier posts, from the number of fantastic reviews I read across the blogosphere, I know the book worked well for a lot of people. I truly am sorry I was not among them.

So to all authors and readers of genre romances, some of whom are dear friends, my apologies!

Ruth S.

I am sincerely sorry you disliked it so much. As for the villain not staying dead (that’s ok. the spoiler didn’t work) he wasn’t dead in the first place except in the terrified mind of a child. Well, to each his own; we all have our likes and dislikes.

I don’t know which edition you reviewed, but people might like to know that between the original (brown cover) and the new edition published by Lethe Press, I rewrote quite a bit of it, though more than likely none of the rewrites addressed any of your negatives.

The book is not, in my mind nor was it ever intended to be, a genre romance. To me it is primarily a historical novel. Secondarily, a novel with gay male protagonists. Soap opera-ish? Maybe. Isn’t real life a soap opera? My own life has had everything but “the kitchen sink” — including some situations similar to the book–thrown at it, so maybe that just seems like the natural state of things to me.

May I comment about the “cookie-baking grandma” thing? When I saw that phrase on the back cover the first time I wanted to commit murder (and hopefully the person who wrote it would remain dead). That silly quote has been thrown up to me a couple of times and I totally agree. It makes me sound rather like a doddering, blue-haired old woman who is writing as a hobby and has neither the talent nor intention of being taken seriously as a novelist. I do have the intention. The talent, maybe not so much; I don’t know. I just know I am grateful Lethe Press did not put it on the cover of their edition.

Perhaps I’m just a masochist, but I hope when Counterpoint gets published you’ll give it a try. Maybe you’ll like it better. Maybe not. Either way, I think you’re a terrific reviewer and thoroughly enjoy reading all your reviews. (Er–almost all of them – lol) Keep up the good work.

All my best,

Ruth Sims

Jia reads a lot of fantasy/paranormals. Joan/Sarah reads mainly m/m. And Janine enjoys steampunk among many other genres. You’ll have to pick and choose through her reviews to find those.

You can also look under a review header and see tags that the reviewer has chosen to represent what’s in a book. Under “The Phoenix” I chose “America, England, Historical, m/m, opposites attract, saga.” If you click on m/m, you can see all the reviews, regardless of who wrote it, that we have here.

And thanks for stopping by and reading my review. I hope you can find lots of other book suggestions here to interest you.

Now with the review load I have, I have to make harder decisions about continuing something that isn’t shaping up for me.

I’ve actually been berated by friends for always continuing things past when I should. ^_^; I’ve been trying to make better decisions since much as I like books my reading speed is rather slow and the amount of time I can spend on it not always extensive, so I keep trying to remember to ask myself, ‘Do you REALLY want to keep at this the entire time it’s going to take you to finish it?’ …I’m trying to get it to work more often.

We have several reviewers here who like a wide range of book genres. What do you prefer to read? Perhaps I can recommend a reviewer for you to check out.

That’d be really nice if it’s possible, thanks! I guess I read mostly fantasy and m/m romance? But I prefer things where the romance isn’t the only thing going on, and highly emotional/angsty/melodramatic things tend to turn me off. (I, uh, lean away from anything with a shirtless man on the cover. …Usually. ^_^) With the fantasy I tend to go less for Tolkein-ish/quest fantasy stuff (or..I *want* to like that kind of thing but…rarely do I manage, hehe…) and more…uh, I guess whatever all the other kinds of things you can find in fantasy that aren’t that are? My favorite books are the historical fiction/romance At Swim, Two Boys and fantasy/mannerpunk Swordspoint, if that helps.

now I can quit this one without too much guilty ‘maybe it gets better…’ feelings. ^_^)

Oh, I know how that goes. Used to be, I’d just soldier on, waiting for the bolt of lightning that might or, more usually, might not strike. Now with the review load I have, I have to make harder decisions about continuing something that isn’t shaping up for me. But I do like to check other review sites and see if anyone else had my reaction so I’m glad I was here for you.

Now I’m a little sad I can’t look at your other reviews and snatch things up for my reading list, but it looks like we don’t usually read the same sort of thing. But thanks for the helpful review, anyway!

We have several reviewers here who like a wide range of book genres. What do you prefer to read? Perhaps I can recommend a reviewer for you to check out.