Quite a bit has been written about reviews for books. There's been speculation about how much influence a review holds for the reader--whether or not they choose to buy the book if it has a bad review or a good review. It's difficult to say how much it affects sales. I've had both positive and negative reviews. I value all reviews because I believe that I can learn something from an honest reviewer. On the other hand, I know that a review is one person's opinion and just as chocolate or strawberries are not for everyone, there will be people who find my books are not their cup of tea.As an illustration of the wide disparity of reactions from one reviewer to the next, I'm presenting the review portion of several reviews I received for Honeysuckle, the second book in the Flowers of Camelot series. All of them are honest reviews, I believe, so I find the various opinions quite interesting.
Anny Cook has created another realm for Honeysuckle. At times, I felt more like it was eighteenth century
Anny Cook tells one hot tale in Honeysuckle. Honeysuckle, Peter and Dick are hot sexy characters. I thoroughly enjoyed Honeysuckle. The sex is great and is worked nicely into the story. Honeysuckle, Peter and Dick balance and complete each other. The brothers need a wife to share their life with, and Honeysuckle needs someone to keep her in line. Honeysuckle is a great read. While Honeysuckle is the second book in the Flowers of Camelot series, it can definitely be read alone.~~Yolanda, Two Lips Reviews
Honeysuckle by Anny Cook is a fantasy tale of discovering what will make you happy while also fighting for the greater good. I really enjoyed this book, the characters where intriguing and beguiling. I loved Honeysuckle because she is a woman who knows what she wants from life, and when she finds it she does everything she can to keep it. I also enjoyed reading about the brothers; they thought that getting Honey was the easy part but she soon dissuaded them of that notion. When a secret plot threatens their happiness they must work to uncover the truth and also protect their relationship from those that want to destroy them. Ms. Cook is a talented author who pens a fantasy world where the impossible can exist as well as bringing to life fairytales for the adult generation.~~Sheryl, ecataromance
Anny Cook has done it again! Honeysuckle is a wonderful follow-up to Chrysanthemum while remaining a stand alone book. I love how Ms. Cook overlapped the two books so you can see a different perspective of the same scene. I have read my share of sequels and the way Ms. Cook makes the books stand alone while keeping them true to each other is fantastic. Honeysuckle is a steamy hot story and I can’t wait to read about the last sister. I don’t know if my computer will be able to handle the hotness of another book by Ms. Cook, but I sure will try!~~Jambrea, Joyfully Reviewed
This second in the absurdly delicious re-invented tale of Arthur and his Knights is just as appealing as the first. I love a woman unafraid to stand up to one man, let alone two. The tempo of the tale is fast-paced, the sex more than lively, and the new character additions absolutely incredible. This is turning into a keep to read again series when you need a lift.~~WitchGiggles, Alternative-Read
Honeysuckle by Anny Cook was a surprisingly funny book. Honey was such a strong character. She took charge but let her men think they were in control of situations. Peter and Dick thought they were alpha men but Honey always seemed to let them know that their relationship was a partnership with everything shared equally. They were not above reddening Honey's butt when they felt the need arise; and the need seemed to rise a lot between them. I would have loved for the secondary characters to be more vivid and more background about them given. I recommend this book as a good, steamy quick read.~~Shira, Simply Romance Reviews.
Each reviewer focused on those qualities from the book that were important to them. Some discussed humor, some talked about the sexy parts, others pointed to the characters. One reviewer pointed out that she found the story confusing and disjointed. All of them were valid reviews. And I admire the courage it takes to say that a book just doesn't work for you. After all, none of us want to hurt an author's feelings. All of them gave their opinions from the heart and I appreciate the time they spent reading my book. There are so many books out there that I'm honored that each of these reviewers chose mine.
I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Stefani, Yolanda, Sheryl, WitchGiggles, Jambrea, and Shira for taking the time to write up the reviews.
Blessings on your day!
Anny
Honeysuckle by Anny Cook is a fantasy tale of discovering what will make you happy while also fighting for the greater good. I really enjoyed this book, the characters where intriguing and beguiling. I loved Honeysuckle because she is a woman who knows what she wants from life, and when she finds it she does everything she can to keep it. I also enjoyed reading about the brothers; they thought that getting Honey was the easy part but she soon dissuaded them of that notion. When a secret plot threatens their happiness they must work to uncover the truth and also protect their relationship from those that want to destroy them. Ms. Cook is a talented author who pens a fantasy world where the impossible can exist as well as bringing to life fairytales for the adult generation.~~Sheryl, ecataromance
Anny Cook has done it again! Honeysuckle is a wonderful follow-up to Chrysanthemum while remaining a stand alone book. I love how Ms. Cook overlapped the two books so you can see a different perspective of the same scene. I have read my share of sequels and the way Ms. Cook makes the books stand alone while keeping them true to each other is fantastic. Honeysuckle is a steamy hot story and I can’t wait to read about the last sister. I don’t know if my computer will be able to handle the hotness of another book by Ms. Cook, but I sure will try!~~Jambrea, Joyfully Reviewed
This second in the absurdly delicious re-invented tale of Arthur and his Knights is just as appealing as the first. I love a woman unafraid to stand up to one man, let alone two. The tempo of the tale is fast-paced, the sex more than lively, and the new character additions absolutely incredible. This is turning into a keep to read again series when you need a lift.~~WitchGiggles, Alternative-Read
Honeysuckle by Anny Cook was a surprisingly funny book. Honey was such a strong character. She took charge but let her men think they were in control of situations. Peter and Dick thought they were alpha men but Honey always seemed to let them know that their relationship was a partnership with everything shared equally. They were not above reddening Honey's butt when they felt the need arise; and the need seemed to rise a lot between them. I would have loved for the secondary characters to be more vivid and more background about them given. I recommend this book as a good, steamy quick read.~~Shira, Simply Romance Reviews.
Each reviewer focused on those qualities from the book that were important to them. Some discussed humor, some talked about the sexy parts, others pointed to the characters. One reviewer pointed out that she found the story confusing and disjointed. All of them were valid reviews. And I admire the courage it takes to say that a book just doesn't work for you. After all, none of us want to hurt an author's feelings. All of them gave their opinions from the heart and I appreciate the time they spent reading my book. There are so many books out there that I'm honored that each of these reviewers chose mine.
I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Stefani, Yolanda, Sheryl, WitchGiggles, Jambrea, and Shira for taking the time to write up the reviews.
Blessings on your day!
Anny
Yes, it takes guts to say you don't like something when everyone else does. I learn more from my bad reviews than the good ones
ReplyDeleteI'm with Jambrea; I love the way you described the same scene from different perspectives between Chrys and Honey. I am soooo looking forward to Daffy's story!
ReplyDeleteYou learn a lot from all the different reviews, don't you? As you pointed out, they all focus on a different area. It lends to a full-bodied analysis of the book as a whole. I don't have the sheer number of reviews that you do. But it lends quite a bit to have them.
ReplyDeleteActually, the bulk of the reviews I have are for Honeysuckle. Odd. I have books that have never been reviewed. But this does offer a wide spectrum of opinion.
ReplyDeleteIt never feels bad to hear someone say they enjoyed your book. But knowing WHY they enjoyed it is even better. And constructive criticism is priceless. Good for you, Zen QUeen, to have it so well figured out.
ReplyDeleteYou really are the Zen Queen, Anny! :) I have a hard time not taking the bad ones personally.
ReplyDeleteAll of your work is wonderful. Quirky, fun, and different. Always HOT. As to reviewers, it's one persons opinion. In the end, it's sales that matter most and I don't think most readers really pay all that much attention to the reviews. I don't.
ReplyDeleteHoneysuckle was a good book. But you're right, not every book is to everyone's taste. I've done book reviews where I've disagreed with the prevailing assessment of the book. I don't know that it takes courage to write something negative, but it takes character to write something negative and explain why. Flame reviews are of no help to anyone.
ReplyDelete