Reading Reviews

I have to admit that since Keeping Faith released I've been tempted to go to GoodReads or Amazon to read reviews or at the very least check out the star rating so that I can gauge how it's faring.

As a mental health policy, I don't read reviews unless the book has been out a long time--and even then, I do so with a big dose of alcohol courage. I support reviewer rights to express their opinion about the books they read, however they want to express themselves. The hard part is where I go out and willfully read the criticism in an attempt to glean something I can take away to make my stories better.

And honestly, the only thing that I really want to know is if anyone liked the book. I don't need the details unless I need to know how a certain character or plot aspect was received.

So I have a policy. "Don't go hunting trouble."

But that doesn't mean I don't read reviews. I do. Every day. They're just not mine. I'm a reader too and money is tight. With the advent of the e-book, if I find in the first couple of chapters that the book isn't for me, I can't give it away to someone who would enjoy it more than me. Instead, it sits on the virtual book shelf and gathers electronic dust. With a tight budget, I have to be more frugal with my book budget. So I find reviewers who have the sames tastes/likes that I have and gauge whether or not I want to take the final step and purchase the book. ^__^

Every day I get a slew of emails from sites and blogs I subscribe to. (Sometimes it seems I keep adding to the list because there are more and more emails to wade through.) It's great because I can keep a finger on what's coming out. I share book blasts and giveaways, read reviews, and occasionally I'll come across a review for one of my own books.

I'll admit that I'm not afraid to read reviews from the websites I subscribe to. It's a trust thing. I've read the reviews of their reviewers (what a mouthful) and even if they don't like the book, the information is clear and constructive. I still hold my breath while reading because I want people to like my stories.

With the release of Keeping Faith, I've had this itch to find out what people think. Contemporary is not my writing comfort zone. Many people loved Playing For Keeps and I felt like I was messing with fire writing the sequel.

I braved GoodReads and there was all of three written reviews and I admit it was really, really nice to read they liked the book in varying degrees. Not everyone liked the book, and I'm okay with that. I did glean some useful information from the reviews--predictability and the kidnapping scene wasn't taken as serious I thought it was, but like I said, writing contemporary isn't my strong point. I would like to get better at it which means learning from my previous endeavors.

So just in case Tina or Gigi read the blog... Thank you for the great reviews! <3 <3 <3

Caroline at Prism Book Alliance gave Keeping Faith 4 Stars.

"I love reading menage but they don’t always work well. This one has three very distinct characters that bring very different things to their relationship and it is well balanced and loving."

Thank you, Caroline!!

Playing For Keeps received and great review as  well from MM Good Book Reviews. KathyMac gave it 4 Hearts.

"This is my first read by Lexi Ander and I really enjoyed this story. So much so that I will be starting the follow-up next. Even though we didn’t get any history on how the three became a unit, the author does a great job showing how in love they are. The plot was executed well from the time frame involved and it was a gratifying story. The dialogue is funny but serious when the situation called for it. Lexi shows depth and meaning in her sentences allowing the reader to visualize the scene."
Thank you, KathyMac!!

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!