Review Policy

Thanks so much for considering me as a reviewer!

I do accept books for review. Generally, I will review them as soon as possible upon receipt. Please let me know if there is a targeted timeframe for the review, and I will do my best to accommodate that.

I am open to also rating the books on other websites (i.e. Goodreads, Amazon, etc.) after I’ve read them. I do not post my full reviews on these websites, but will post a synopsis of my thoughts when I rate the book. Let me know if you would like me to do this and which websites you favor.

A few things to consider:

  • I know many reviewers reserve the right not to finish the book or write a review if they do not enjoy the book. This is not me. I have read books that start slow and finish fast, and I’ve read books that start fast and finish slow. I also have this strange compulsion: if I am going to invest the time to read the first 50-100 pages, I am going to finish because I have to *know* how it ends – even if I think it is boring or predictable. So, if you ask me for a review and I agree to do one, please know I will definitely read your entire book and you will get a review for it.
  • That said, I will provide an honest review based on my own impressions and opinions. I never enjoy writing book reviews for something I did not personally enjoy, but have done so and will do so again if that’s what I feel. Irregardless, it will be polite and will state clearly that my opinions are my own and are not representative of how everyone will interpret the book.
  • I use a 10-point scale, where 1 = OMG this was TERRIBLE, and 10 = OMG this was PERFECT. Yes, I know most people use a 4-point or a 5-point scale (or stars or unicorns or whatever unit of measure they want), but I like knowing I could give a 7 or a 9 instead of 3.5 or 4.5. I just like nice, whole numbers. [If you want me to also rate/review on another website, i.e. Goodreads or Amazon or B&N, then I’ll adjust the rating accordingly for their scale.]
  • If given a book for review, I will place a FTC disclosure at the beginning of my review. (Please note, many of my reviews right now are from my personal book collection, which do not need such disclosures.)
  • I prefer print copies, if available, but will work with e-books.

My preferred genres are:

  • Fantasy
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Noir
  • Paranormal
  • Science Fiction
  • Steampunk
  • Thriller

I am generally not interested in the following genres (but if you think it’s amazing, try me!):

  • Romance (I know most books have some element of romance in it, which is fine; I refer here to the romance novels that have Fabio-esque characters on the cover and are the typical HEAs)
  • Christian Fiction
  • Non-fiction
  • Young Adult
  • Children’s

Feel free to send book requests to hardcoverlife@gmail.com, or use the contact form on my website. Thanks!