Wow, this is the worst review I’ve ever got.
That said, it could be worse. She gives 2.5/5 to books she really likes. And she likes my best friend Kathy okay.
Sep
7
2007
Sep
7
2007
Wow, this is the worst review I’ve ever got.
That said, it could be worse. She gives 2.5/5 to books she really likes. And she likes my best friend Kathy okay.
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I’ve had worse. An “F” and “eeuw” from AAR. I tell myself that it’s good for my soul
Hi Julie,
This review is proof of how subjective reviews are. It’s obvious that this reviewer just didn’t ‘get’ the characters.
‘Delicious’ was the first book I ever read of yours, and I LOVED it! The fact that this is the worst review you’ve ever received also shows that her opinion is in the minority.
Love,
Sue
x
I’m very dubious of this type of reviewer who seem to mark so many books down. A bit like the notorious **Mrs. Chuckles [not her real name but you know who I mean
]. I think inwardly they are frustrated authors themselves who go on a power trip by pulling other authors books to pieces.
It baffles me for instance how someone like Mrs. C. can get through so many books. How does the woman have time to go to the lavatory for goodness sake? I believe she’s an alien with multiple heads and octopus hands to get through so many reads.
I’ve read several of your books, Julie, and loved every one.
Yowch! But when balanced against all your other reviews, it’s definitely a minority viewpoint.
Jess x
“But seriously, the writing in this was pretty good.”
I’d hang on to this if I were you. There’s a bit of jealousy about that review, be thinks!
Actually it lends itself well to some creative editing:
“Wow. [The hero was]…so great…But seriously, the writing in this was…good.”
There. What an awesome review!
Thanks guys. I wasn’t angling for praise, but it was nice to get it. Reviews are very subjective, I know not everyone will like my books, and I’ve been lucky to have the good ones I’ve gotten.
If someone wants to slap my heroine, fair enough. I’ve read books that other people have loved loved loved, and I’ve wanted to slap the heroine. So there ya go. I guess not everyone thinks that a childhood being brought up by nude Canadian hippies would leave a scar on a person. Me, I can imagine little worse. God, think of the hairs you’d find in your food.
Anyway I’m sure this is all good for the soul, as Liz says.
Ah yes, welcome to the wonderful world of snipy reviews. I’ve had more of those than I care to remember. The heroine who is too stupid to live, the unreedemed male thug of a hero . . . but the best fun is when you get personal emails demanding that you ‘WRITE BETTER BOOKS OR STOP WRITING’ (yes – all in capitals) because of course, you write these books just for them and they’re not happy! Liz is right – it must be good for the soul
I think a review like this is a real rite of pasage into the world of the truly professional author – Hugs on the sting – but being a pro I know you’ll pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep on writing. And we’ll all be there to keep on reading
Love
Kate
hey,
i agree with most of the stuff above. And i have a motto in life, “any fool can critisise….and most of THEM do.”
criticism, of the constructive kind, is good. the other type should be put in a pipe and smoked.
Julie – please, can I join the club? I’ve had a couple of bloggers say not-so-nice things about my first book. The fact you’re big enough (metaphorically!) to mention these people says a lot about the kind of person you are. And thank you to Liz and Kate for saying that reviews like this mean you’ve arrived. I’ll bear that in mind next time it happens!
What Liz and Kate say. When two authors get together and the wine is low in the bottle they swap Their Most Awfuls. Join the club.
In terms of not nice reviews, this barely rates a flicker of an eyebrow, anyway. She admits “the writing in this was good.” Now that’s a real accolade from someone who wasn’t floating down the river on it in a happy haze, like the rest of us.
That’s right. And the writing was good and she didn’t get the characters. I laughed at the “why does everyone have to have an issue?” because “inner conflict” just raced through my brain!
Hang on…let’s find my worst review….ah yes, here we go…
“This was 200+ pages of angst. Ric and Katie can combine their neuroses and live unhappily ever after. What a “Turkey”.”
Ah, kind of like comparing battle scars, ain’t it.
Hey, brilliant, I’m a real pro now then. Yay!
Thanks guys.
And I LIKE books with lots of angst. Makes the happy ever after seem hard fought-for.
Julie, you are such a STAR to post this and everyone is right – you rock!!! Oh, and Fran, that is such a great saying, I’m going to adopt it immediately!!!!
Julie – that gal just doesn’t share our sense of humor. I not only loved that book – but I laughed while reading it.
I forgot to mention one of the most patronising reviews I got for ‘A Taste of Honey’ a couple of months back: ‘This is just another story of the day-to-day events set on the other side of the world!’
That made me laugh. I’m not saying I’m the best writer in the world but the plot was about a honey trapper who sets up the wrong guy. She baits cheating men by night and works as a waitress at her Italian Catholic family’s restaurant by day.
Hardly a day-to-day event!
Lynette
Hmm, seems you and I think alike Lynette–I’m doing a honey trapper book right now (no Italian family restaurant though, nor a wrong guy). So maybe for you and me it’s a day-to-day event… LOL!
{{{Julie}}} I just finished McAlister’s Baby and loved it. At least she thought the writing was good. She just didn’t “get” the characters. Those of us who did loved the book.
Yes, Julie, is it great mind think alike or fools seldom differ? Lol. I got the idea from something in the Daily Mail about honey trappers, how about you?
I’m not sure where I got the idea, I think actually the character came first–she was a private detective in my last book, so I looked at some private detectives’ websites and I got to thinking about what part of the job she would like least.
I think in my case it’s fools, but I’m sure in yours it’s great minds.
Thank you Mary Beth! And Lori, and Amanda, and Donna, and Jenny, and Phillipa, and Fran, and Kate, and Rosie, and Jess, and Sue, and Lynette, and Liz.