Bad Good Reviews

Book reviews from readers can be very helpful. Positive reviews can help spread the word about a novel, encourage others to read it, and sometimes make an author’s day (or week) when they show that the reader connected with the story and characters in a way the author dreamed.

But sometimes reviews that seem very good end up…not so good. For example, I saw an Amazon four-star review for Final Table entitled “Engaging and Fast-Paced” which declared, “Absolutely inhaled this book on a cross-country flight; perfect airplane / beach reading.”

So at this point I was thinking, “Thank you so much! What a nice review. Would have been even nicer if you gave it five stars but I won’t focus on that.” And I really wish I stopped reading it then and declared victory because the next line read, “Obviously it’s not great literature, but it’s not intended to be.”

Ugh. Stab me in the heart, why don’t you.

Then there was another Amazon review, this time from a family member, with the title “Keeps you in suspense.” According to the review, Final Table is “A slick page-turner and quite a bit of fun. Offers surprises all along. Engrossing.”

Okay, that felt great to read. But then I saw this review was also four-stars. Did I mention it was from a family member? I’m not saying family members shouldn’t be honest in their book reviews, but I generally believe they should give their relatives five-star reviews no matter what.

However, I started wondering whether this particular family member just doesn’t like to give out five-star reviews. Who am I to think the review must be five-stars if that’s just not his reviewing style? So I clicked to see what else he had reviewed:

As you can see, the novel I poured my soul into and spent years writing, editing, and working to get published was unfortunately one star behind the pack of super light woven pajama pants. But then again, the pajamas were a “perfect fit.”

Cover Reveal

My second novel Open Bar will be published on August 12 by SparkPress and distributed by Simon & Schuster. You can find book details, early reviews, and links to pre-order here. I’m excited about the cover:

I like how it has a similar feel to the Final Table cover but with its own distinct elements. Although Open Bar isn’t a sequel, it takes place in the same fictional universe with some common reference points.

I’ve been trying to figure out whether Final Table and Open Bar can be considered companion novels, but I keep seeing different definitions online. One explanation says “companion novels are books that exist in the same world but focus on different characters and tell different stories.” By that definition, they are definitely companion novels, but I’ve seen other variations of the term that don’t fit as well. Maybe you can help me figure that out this summer.

Do Book Blurbs Matter?

Here’s an interesting New York Times article about whether book blurbs are important. Do potential readers really care about them? When I’m looking for a new novel to read, I’m more interested in the plot description than the blurbs, especially because it seems like every novel has blurbs saying the book is amazing. But if an author I really like blurbs for a new writer, that definitely means something to me. And I’m extremely grateful to those who generously provided blurbs for Final Table and Open Bar.

Do blurbs impact your decision to read a novel?

The Guys Don’t Read Novels Book Club

Yes, it’s happening. And I appreciate those of you who have already expressed interest. The Guys Don’t Read Novels Book Club (more info here) will meet via Zoom and is open to everyone (not just guys). I’ll reveal the first book in March and schedule a kickoff meeting for April. Additional details coming soon. If you’re interested, please respond in the comments or message me!

Welcome New Subscribers!

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