What Turns You OFF When Reading an Interracial Romance? Showing 801-850 of 1,097

[Tea]

Danielle, my review will be honest, but I think the rating will be a problem because I genuinely believe I'm reading a great story that was poorly executed. Ratings, in my opinion, are arbitrary, anyway. But I know a lot people look at them rather than reading full reviews. Anyone who reads my review will know that the book has major problems (and they'll also see my guesses as the origins of those problems), but let's face it: lots of people go by ratings. And I think the story and the author's very real talent for characterisation mean I'll have to give it a higher rating than I originally thought I would. (Most books I've read with these specific problems are also poorly plotted and have characterisation problems. This author kills in those two areas.)

[Tea]

mrsbookmark, I don't know that the books will ever be available commercially – I can't justify selling something that has the same weaknesses as something I wouldn't buy – but I will make whatever I finish available to you folks!

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

Tea, I think ratings are completely subjective to the reviewer. I don't find a numerical rating all that helpful, to be honest. It depends on the reviewer's system. Some readers don't even use the star rating the same way as Goodreads indicates.

Write your review and shame the devil, as they say.

[Arch , Mod]

Sometimes, I just rate a book and not write a review.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

Arch wrote: "Sometimes, I just rate a book and not write a review."

It's the reviewer's prerogative to do that. I always want to know why though. Just my nosiness, I suppose.

[Diamond]

Arch wrote: "Everyone's taste is different. A person has a right to buy books from authors they like, even if previous books had errors. The person also has a right to give the book the rating they feel it dese..."

I wasn't implying that others don't have the right to buy whatever book they like. I was just expressing an opinion based on conversations I've had with authors who feel there is no reason to improve when readers will support them anyway. That's obviously a personal choice of the authors. I just don't understand why writers wouldn't want their work to be in the best possible form or why it would be desirable to slap a--this book hasn't been proofed and contains errors--disclaimer on their book instead of doing the work to make it right. As always, though, to each his own.

[Diamond]

Arch wrote: "Sometimes, I just rate a book and not write a review."

I do that sometimes too but it's usually because I don't have a whole lot of positive things to say.

[Tea]

If a book is so bad that I don't have anything positive to say, I usually won't rate or review.

I took that approach with an awful book I mentioned earlier here. Like the book I've been referring to in this thread, it had potential. Unfortunately, unlike that book, the earlier book's one good quality doesn't come close to balancing its many bad features.

I'll tell friends and associates why I hated a book, but I won't write an official review.

[Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva]

I do my best to write SOMEthing if the book moved me either in a good way or bad. As someone who does check for reviews before buying or even borrowing, for me a rating just doesnt tell me enough to know if the book is something I want to risk my time or money on. Someone might give a book a three star- what is that saying exactly?lol Even if someone gives it a 1 it may because its a trope they hate but I happen to love. ya know?

[Arch , Mod]

If I love or like a book I will write a review. If I love a character or characters I will write a review. If I do not have anything to say about a book, I will not say anything. I have some books where my review is pending.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva wrote: "I do my best to write SOMEthing if the book moved me either in a good way or bad. As someone who does check for reviews before buying or even borrowing, for me a rating just doesnt tell me enough t..."

I agree that people can like books for reasons that others might hate them.

[Diamond]

Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva wrote: "I do my best to write SOMEthing if the book moved me either in a good way or bad. As someone who does check for reviews before buying or even borrowing, for me a rating just doesnt tell me enough t..."

That's so true! I, too, like detailed reviews explaining why a reader loved or hated a book. I guess I should keep that in mind and not be too lazy to write something explaining my rating. hahahaha

[Robin]

Question, am I the only one who weeds out books that have "Interracial" in the title, even if it's in parenthesis? That just feels kind of icky and gross, and like it's fully and PURELY monopolizing and sexualizing on the fact the main relationship is interracial, you know what I mean?

[Mstcat]

dizzy-and-bookish wrote: "Question, am I the only one who weeds out books that have "Interracial" in the title, even if it's in parenthesis? That just feels kind of icky and gross, and like it's fully and PURELY monopolizin..."
I know what you mean and I feel the same way. It makes it seem like it is a fetish versus a romance.

[TinaNoir]

Arch wrote: "Some people that review books are not writers but that does not make them grammar pros either. If a person is going to come at someone for grammar they better know what they are talking about.

If multiple readers are noticing grammar issues, then it isn't necessary to be a grammar pro. Most of the stuff that I am seeing complaints about are things that people learn by 5th grade. And we are not talking about the occasional typo here or something that easily slips past even beta readers. When the errors are prevalent on almost every page, that is a problem.

If an author has contact information I think people should go to that person in private about grammar and editing issues. I have read a lot of stories with editing issues. "

I am sure some people will do this. But honestly, I don't feel that it is the responsibility of a reader to write an author to let them know they have editing issues. If they don't know the difference between 'Wear' and 'Where' then that is a bigger conversation that they need to have with someone other than me.

When I review it is about my feelings of the book only. I don't know the author and I am not trying to engage the author. And my review is certainly not intended for the author. This is about the product. And I am judging the product on its own merits. I am cataloging my feelings about it and if I do have an audience, it is other readers.

[[deleted user]]

When it comes to reviews, i let the "critical"ones influence my decision. Why? Because the good ones don't tell me much more than "oh, this was such a great book, or "oh, this should totally be optioned into a movie".

"Critical" reviews differ from bad/mean/malicious reviews.On my book blog, I write critical reviews, trying to point out good points and not so good points to books.

Since it's all personal opinion, I would never tell someone reading the, "don't go out and buy this book, it sucks".I try to instead say things like"Wasn't for me, but fans of *insert famous book here* would love it.

But too many times when i read 5 star reviews I'm expecting 5 star work, only to get a book that has so many errors or things wrong with the book, that it's lead me not to trust a book that only gets 5 star reviews.

[Tea]

Tina wrote: This is about the product. And I am judging the product on its own merits. I am cataloging my feelings about it and if I do have an audience, it is other readers.

This! If I ever get past my aversion to writing reviews for books I genuinely dislike, it will be for this reason.

Why should book reviews that point out an author's problems with the mechanics of writing fall into a different category than a car review that points out that the vehicle in question is a gas-guzzler? Car reviewers (presumably) write for people who want to know more about the car; they aren't supposed to be writing adverts for the manufacturer.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

I think the goal is a fair/balanced critique of a book. Of course, we cannot help but write subjective reviews, even if we are doing it for a site and not personal blog/Goodreads. I agree with what has been said, especially your point about a book review being like reviewing another product. I feel that if I have a lot of anger/frustration about a book, I need to sit on my review until I can approach the subject in a more rational manner.

I don't write reviews for authors, but I also realize that an author might read my review, and I am not going to write something ugly just because I can. I see a lot of that going on, and reviewers spouting their rights to say what they think. Of course you have a right, but is attacking the author or readers who might enjoy that book when you didn't really justified just because it's your right? That's what goes through my mind, anyway.

[TinaNoir]

Danielle wrote: I see a lot of that going on, and reviewers spouting their rights to say what they think. Of course you have a right, but is attacking the author or readers who might enjoy that book when you didn't really justified just because it's your right?

I think there is a lot of frustration right now going on in reviewer/author space. Yes, there are some reviewers who gleefully and willfully attack authors, but there are waaay more who simply do critical reviews without attacking authors at all. The problem is, they are all being placed under the same umbrella. And some authors and fans really either can't or refuse to tell the difference between a sharply negative review and an author attack.

There is a difference. And I personally get frustrated when talk turns to negative reviewing because a lot of the discussion is not tempered to make the distinction. Yes, authors can get upset over a bad, even a harsh review, and can feel attacked. But that does not always mean they are being attacked.

I once read a book that I had quite a few issues with and could have really written a rather longish review about pointing out all the problems I had. But it was a somewhat pleasant read and I wasn't in a mood to write a long review. So I settled on 3-stars and wrote a review of a book that pretty much summed up what my overall impression of the book. It went something like: 'Pleasant read with some nice moments but I didn't really care for the characters. I think they were kinda 2-dimensional. There was too much sex and I don't think their relationship developed enough. I wasn't convinced of their HEA." Now, this, imo, isn't any near what I could call a sharply negative review. Also where in this review am I attacking or calling out the author?

And yet, I get a PM from the author saying that she spent a lot of time on the characters and there was more to them than sex and I really shouldn't go around trashing authors who put so much time and energy in their work. WTF?

What combination of words that I as a reviewer could have changed to not make this author feel bad? And why should I even care about that? This is the challenge that a lot of people face when reviewing books these days. And, again, I am not talking about reviewers who ARE trying to attack authors. I am only talking about those who are simply trying to convey how a book made them feel.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

Believe me, I understand your point, Tina. As a reviewer for a few websites/magazines, I face the possibility all the time of having authors/supporters come back at me for what I consider a fair if negative review. I think newbie/indie authors with good fan bases are particularly prone to that behavior. I've seen it happen to my sister when the books she rated poorly were really bad books. I can't speak for authors who feel they have the right to PM a reviewer for a honest, critical review. I think it's bad etiquette. I've had it done and it's unprofessional. I've also had authors contact me via the site runner with notes that say that they appreciated my fair, honest critical review. I think that authors need to have a tough skin, and I am not defending that behavior at all.

Nor will I defend snipy reviewers who gleefully write nasty reviews for the attention. A big difference. I'm not going to say it's most of the negative reviews, there are plenty who make it their bread and butter (plenty of like votes) on review sites. I think it's only fair to make a stance against that because it does make reviewers who don't engage in that behavior look bad and as you said, get lumped unfairly into the small minority who do.

[Paganalexandria]

Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For Goodreads) wrote: "Believe me, I understand your point, Tina. As a reviewer for a few websites/magazines, I face the possibility all the time of having authors/supporters come back at me for what I consider a fair i..."

I just think it's a slippery slope when people start advocating tone policing because it's subjective. As long as it's fits the rules set up by the site, than it should be left alone. One person's attack is another person's honest opinion. It's almost like saying everyone should have the right to vote, but only if their politics align with mine. The passions aroused by the review debates are almost on par with politics at this point.

[Shiree]

MrsBookmark. I temporarily took Metal Love Songs down while I do a personal line by line walk through edit after my test readers let me know there were some issues that in spite of it being a good read was distracting. It's times like this I wish I wrote shorter stories. lol

It is 480 page book so it's easy to have more mistakes than a smaller novel. I will post on my Facebook, here, my website and let everyone know when it is available again and it will be available for free for 48 hours to give those that already purchase a copy the opportunity to download a cleaner copy. Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you.

Ree
www.shireemccarver.com

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

I sort of agree and I sort of don't, Pagan. Let me make it clear that I don't police reviews. I don't have the time or energy. There is a huge gray area between what is allowed on a review site, especially if the only qualification is 'honest opinion'. It's my opinion that just because it's allowed doesn't mean it's always okay or right. As a review community member, it can get pretty hairy for all of us with these issues.

[Paganalexandria]

Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For Goodreads) wrote: "I sort of agree and I sort of don't, Pagan. Let me make it clear that I don't police reviews. I don't have the time or energy. There is a huge gray area between what is allowed on a review site, es..."

It gets cray, cray on here sometimes. One of the selling points for this site is it's a social network, that also hosts book reviews. Now different people use their review space for different things. I don't have a blog, or care about likes, but might want to share a kiki with my book friends about my good and bad reading experiences. Now if a random person reads, doesn't like what I say, then it's fine for them to join in with a counterpoint because this place is designed for that. You can do all that without being abusive. I think we all have different definitions of abusive though. For me saying "this character is the worst heroine I've ever run across.", is in my bounds of acceptable, at the same time the author might tag me another "Goodread's bully" for that same opinion and send minions to aggressively defend her "baby". I just don't understand how we all feel comfortable discussing douchiness of a Kanye song, but somehow saying the same thing about a book is not acceptable because "the author worked so hard on their work." Albums sometimes take a long time too, look up wait time for Guns & Roses' Chinese Democracy album as an example.

[Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva]

Boils down to being tough enough to put something out there knowing that not everyone will like it and being ok with that. Period. And I do get how hard that has to be. Doesn't change the necessity of it. As has been stated, reviews are primarily for other readers. If the feedback has an impact on the writer, either they will take it to heart and reflect on their work oooor they ultimately are so secure in their product they shrug it off. Either way, not my issue. Thats not me being mean its just reality. I am a consumer. If I am unhappy with a product I'm not recommending it to family and friends and if I paid for it I'm going to be mad I wasted my money.

And I agree that it doesnt take a grammar expert to recognize bad sentence structure and misused words. I don't need to be a doctor to know a sick person when I see one either. Not to mention, I'm not the one whose writing NEEDS to stand up to scrutiny as I am not expecting anyone to pay me for what I write.

[Tea]

Savannah wrote: Boils down to being tough enough to put something out there knowing that not everyone will like it and being ok with that. Period. And I do get how hard that has to be.

I'm not tough enough anymore. ;)

Part of my reluctance, however, stems from once having hurt the feelings of what turned out to be a very young writer. Although I've never (yet) experienced the sort of backlash I've heard has gone on around here and Amazon, I think I can take angering authors' fans; I just don't want to put myself in a place where I end up hurting someone who is ill-equipped to deal my honest feelings about their work... And I worry, too, that I might cross the line into "douchiness" if I were to review certain books that inspired strong negative reactions.

[Shiree]

Tea wrote: "Savannah wrote: Boils down to being tough enough to put something out there knowing that not everyone will like it and being ok with that. Period. And I do get how hard that has to be.

I'm not tou..."

I frankly think all of this is a lot of over thinking because frankly at a certain point just like readers are with books, authors become about reviews, we read what we like or the things that are helpful and skim over the stuff that is all in the "eye of the beholder". I have reviewers on Goodread that review my books and others that I take to heart their suggestions because they are professional. Just like a face to face conversation...It's not what you say about an author's work, it's how you say it. Keep it professional and not personal and no one is offended.

Ree
www.shireemccarver.com
Metal Love Songs

[Tea]

Ree wrote: Keep it professional and not personal and no one is offended.

I think it was said somewhere in this thread that some authors become offended at any sort of negative review. What I've observed in my real life work certainly bears that out. Ages ago I worked for a publishing house, and there was this one writer...

[Shiree]

Tea wrote: "Ree wrote: Keep it professional and not personal and no one is offended.

I think it was said somewhere in this thread that some authors become offended at any sort of negative review. What I've ob..."

Tea, you can't worry about the authors who are extra sensitive. I started out as one of those authors and two things happen. You quit publishing because personal opinion means more to you than the craft, or you keep on writing and learning from your mistakes as far as the technical aspects is concern and you keep working at it because you need it like breathing.

Ree
www.shireemccarver.com
Metal Love Songs

[A.W.]

It's one thing for a reader to give a review expressing their issues and disappointment with a book but I've seen reviews where readers personally attack an author and just down right trash their ability to write. In my opinion that's a bit over the top which leaves me wondering what are the real motives behind posting a review like that. Once I saw a review posted on Amazon by a reader who hadn't even read a new release by a particular author but gave it a one star rating and then went on this long rant stating her issue with the price of the book which was why she gave it one star and admitted she had not read the book. This is why I never base my decision to purchase a book off reviews, that and my opinion of a book may be totally different as other readers. When I'm looking for something new to read I just go with what draws me that particular book. I've had some misses but overall I have added a large number of great books to my collection. In my opinion reviews should stick to that particular book anything beyond that like personal attacks on a writer to me is crossing the line. Saying in this line of work authors need to have thick skin doesn't apply to dealing with pure meanness from people being hateful for the sake of being hateful.

[Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva]

I dont even think it needs to be professional. I am no pro at anything other than raising kids and I havent even got that licked yet LOL. I think as long as its about the book, nothing is off limits. Pretty simple. I will bash a story to my hearts content because ultimately, its fiction and even more to the point- its an OPINION about something fictional. Can't really get less personal than that, though I know many authors feel their stories are their "babies". Truth of the matter is, as harsh as it may sound, those authors probably shouldn't be reading reviews. Its not my job as a reader to sugarcoat my thoughts and I am not writing reviews for tbe authors benefit anyway. If I want to compliment an author on a job well done, I send fanmail/email/direct messages. By that same token, I dont seek authors out to bash their work by those means. To me THAT would be inappropriate. But my reviews are mine alone. Something I do because I appreciate having them out there when I am looking for reading material.

[Paganalexandria]

Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva wrote: "Truth of the matter is, as harsh as it may sound, those authors probably shouldn't be reading reviews. Its not my job as a reader to sugarcoat my thoughts and I am not writing reviews for tbe authors benefit anyway. If I want to compliment an author on a job well done, I send fanmail/email/direct messages. By that same token, I don't seek authors out to bash their work by those means. To me THAT would be inappropriate. But my reviews are mine alone. Something I do because I appreciate having them out there when I am looking for reading material.
"

Savannah, I totally agree with this. Like it was mentioned above about spelling errors in the blurb, being an automatic no for a lot of us. I wouldn't see errors, read a sample, and then do a review of that just for kicks and giggles. For that matter, I wouldn't borrow it from Amazon, after my first visceral "no" reaction, just to tear it apart either. Most books I read, had something about them that snagged my attention in positive way first. The few times I did go into a book for a ridiculous reason (silly dino-porn and killer mermen horror-porn), I gave those books extra stars, really not deserved because of the truth in advertising factor.

I could understand how someone would be annoyed that a person read a horror novel, then complained about the violence. At the same time, that review reveals itself to be ridiculous all on it's on. Even if it has a million likes, they most likely aren't because people agree with it. Why get all up in arms because of someone else's clueless observations?

[[deleted user]]

A HUGE turn off for me is when the book title makes a racial reference, i.e., "Me and the White Construction Worker" or anything like that (I just now made that title up in my head as an example; apologies in advance if that really is the title of someone's book out there, I'm not trying to call you out). I cringe when I see those and it's a 99.9% guarantee that I won't even go so far as to read the blurb. After that, yeah, if I do get to the blurb and it is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, that is strike two and if they're too egregious, an automatic reject.

[Kim]

Kimberly wrote: "A HUGE turn off for me is when the book title makes a racial reference, i.e., "Me and the White Construction Worker" or anything like that (I just now made that title up in my head as an example; a..."

It's the same for me. If you have to write "and the *fill in the ethnicity*" in the title, I won't buy it. And usually when I read the blurbs for books with that sort of title, they make me cringe.

[Arch , Mod]

When I write a review, I write about the characters and not the author. I do read reviews, but I will not read a review, where someone is attacking the author or is talking about grammar.

[Paganalexandria]

Arch wrote: "When I write a review, I write about the characters and not the author. I do read reviews, but I will not read a review, where someone is attacking the author or is talking about grammar."

For me grammar or spelling comments only pique my interests if they're talking about repeated errors, and I tend to be more forgiving of little things for self published books in general. If you give me a great story, it's easier to gloss over a few flubs. Unless it's something crazy like a non-IR book I read, where the author chose to repeatedly over use text acronyms, sometimes with over five letters, throughout the book. I had to use urban dictionary every one or two pages to understand what felt like gibberish. I felt that should be mentioned in the review because anyone over 12, would have been stumped by it, though it was an interesting plot.

[Wendy]

I do pay attention to reviews if grammatical errors are mentioned. Particularly if the reviewer has suggested that there are a few.

[Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva]

I think the point with most is that we forgive a few errors here and there, especially with self pubbed. But when its to the point where I am constantly ripped out of the journey I'm trying to immerse myself in, there is little point in continuing. I can't get lost in a story if I am constantly having to rearrange verbiage or tell myself "that word does not mean what she thinks it does" lol. I dont think pointing those things out and suggesting a dictionary or thesaurus are attacking so for me thats fine. I can't see ever really "attacking"
anybody about a book. Thats....cracked. At any rate, if those things are an issue, my review has to point that out. I appreciate the same when reading reviews. Keeps from a.) wasting money/time on a story I can't get into and b.) having to write a scathing review lol.

[Arch , Mod]

If I put a grammar book against every story, I will find more than a few errors. Writing is my talent and I know that a grammar book would show all my errors.

I do not read certain books and I am not hard on authors. If I do not like an authors work, I will not read her work. I can not make someone write better.

[Diamond]

I used to be a reader who never read reviews. If a book sounded interesting, I got it. However, after wasting a considerable amount of money on books with issues that were stated repeatedly in reviews, I changed my mind and began reading them all the time. It still depends on what the reviewers say as to whether it will influence me to purchase a book or not. If horrible grammar is the chief complaint from the majority of the reviewers and it's something that's evident when I read the sample, I will absolutely pass. Another thing that really infuriates me is when I see that the author has made a point to comment on each of the one-star and two-star reviews trying to put the reviewers in their place while doing nothing but further demonstrating how horribly he or she writes!

I can't say that I've never disagreed with or been upset by a reviewer's comment but it's still that person's opinion which he or she is entitled to. I've also been helped incredibly by constructive criticism from reviewers. I honestly didn't know I had POV issues until readers told me so. Of course I want people to love my books but I know not everyone will. I tend to look for consistency in reviews. If the majority of them are saying the same thing then I know that's something I seriously need to consider and most likely change. However, I think there's a difference between editorial suggestions and ones that are based on personal taste. Some readers hate that I end each chapter with a bit of a cliffhanger. Some readers love that and say it made them want to keep reading (which was my goal). That's just my style, so the likelihood of me changing that to appease the few who didn't like it is slim. I just know that the readers who don't enjoy my style of writing won't read anything else of mine . . . and I'm okay with that. "Head hopping", on the other hand, is something I work really hard to improve. That's a writing issue that absolutely should be fixed, in my opinion.

Just as a vent of something that happened earlier today, I don't understand why an author would contact me asking for a detailed list of ALL the errors in her book based on my review. Really?! I gave examples to support my opinion but there's no way in the world I'm going to do the job that she and her editor should've done and I don't know why I would have been expected to do so.

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears]

Here's the question/quandary I have about spelling/grammar issues: why shouldn't we as IR readers hold our chosen genre to a high (or higher) standard? If we don't, who will?

Let's be real here, the IR genre already has several strikes against it for having the unmitigated gall to even EXIST. How dare we place WoC as the desirable heroines sought/fought after by a hero of another race? How dare we proudly place our images on the covers of books and place them out there for public consumption? Just by their existence and by featuring PoC lead characters is enough for some to either dismiss or misjudge the genre as "not as good" as mainstream romance. And when they see or hear about IR books with mounds of glaring errors or half-formed stories, it just cements that negative view.

Granted perfection is impossible, but authors who seem to not care about putting out a well-crafted and well-edited book is not just a slap in the face to loyal readers, but are helping to keep the IR genre from being taken seriously.

[Diamond]

TheFountainPenDiva wrote: "Here's the question/quandary I have about spelling/grammar issues: why shouldn't we as IR readers hold our chosen genre to a high (or higher) standard? If we don't, who will?

Let's be real here, ..."

I agree with you.

[Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva]

Arch- I think it comes down to what detracts too much for the individual reader. Thats going to be different for lots of people. Clearly thats the case for quite a few popular books that have downright deplorable grammar and usage errors LOL. *willnotsaytheDword* I say if it doesnt bother the individual reading it, then absolutely they should play up the aspects of the book that made it work for them. I still think the issues should be MENTIONED if only to spare others who feel more strongly about editing. For me, thats the main reason I bother both reading and writing them.

[Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva]

FDP- PREACH!!!

This is exactly what was discussed many moons ago when some of us were talking about being too "thirsty" to give negative reviews in this genre. Its time to expect better. If we don't, IR will never be mainstream and we will never have the same variety of choices the average romance reader does.

[Tea]

Savannah wroter: Arch- I think it comes down to what detracts too much for the individual reader. Thats going to be different for lots of people. ... I still think the issues should be MENTIONED...

I agree 100%.

When I write my (otherwise glowing) review of the book I finished on Saturday, I'm going to have to point out that the author has a very poor grasp of word-usage, punctuation and grammar.

I'm also going to mention that English is quite possibly her L3 and that, once I was able to sort out the pattern to her English (because she was mostly consistent in her usage, poor though it was), I was able to discern that I was reading a great book; it just happened that the book was written in [Author Name] English rather than Australian English )the narrator was Australian), Irish English (the narrator's parents were Irish), American English (the narrator's friend was American), or even British English (ESL programmes in the author's home country and country of residence are usually based on BrE).

But if I leave out the caveat, I won't be giving anyone reading my review an accurate picture of my experience with reading the book. The truth is, I struggled before I worked out what was going on, and under normal circumstances, I would have given up, stopped reading, and I wouldn't have written a review at all.

I also would have missed out on a truly amazing story. That's probably the first thing I will have to point out.

[Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva]

Oooh, y'all. FIRST LINE in this book I attempted to read and its a wrap!
"Sadie was blessed with good hair....."
Not even joking. Done.

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears]

Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva wrote: "Oooh, y'all. FIRST LINE in this book I attempted to read and its a wrap!
"Sadie was blessed with good hair....."
Not even joking. Done."

Well, I won't be reading that one either!

[Tea]

Savannah: What's the book's title and author? (PM me if you're more comfortable with that.)

[Andrea]

Savannah, tell me that book wasn't published in this century?!?

[Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva]

Andrea, 'fraid I cannot do that lol.