Review Policy

General information

I am currently accepting select Adult, Young Adult, or Middle Grade books for review. You can send emails to ambsreads@gmail.com for further enquiries.

I accept print ARCs, finished copies, and e-book ARCS. If the book is a part of a series, then I may need the previous books. If you are requesting an eBook review, then I may request a print copy of the book as well.

I am NOT accepting interactive media books at this time. Review requests for these books will not receive a reply.

Genres

You can check and see if your book is on my TBR list. If it’s there, then you know I want to read it and will accept the request. You can also browse my review Index to get a feel for my interests.

I accept adult, YA, and MG fiction in the following genres:

• Fantasy
• Historical fiction and select historical non-fiction
• Fairytale/myth retellings
• Paranormal
• Mystery
• Gothic horror/romance
• Contemporary
• “Issues” books (dying mothers, cancer diagnoses, mental illnesses, family drama, etc)
• Romance
• Poetry

I am NOT accepting books in the following genres:

• Non-fiction (with the exception of select historical books)
• Memoirs/modern biographies
• Extremely political or “hot button” topics
• Free verse novels
• Short story compilations

Own Voices 

I am an own voices reviewer for the following:

• PTSD
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Domestic violence
• Epilepsy of a parent/friend

Accepting Books

If I accept a book for review, that does not guarantee a review.

I will make every effort to read and review in a timely fashion and with regard to release dates, but I cannot guarantee this. I read quite a few books a month, but it is important to note I am a mood reader so if I feel like I won’t enjoy the particular book I save it for a time I will enjoy it. I prefer to receive a book at least 3-4 months prior to when you would like the review posted.

Reviews

I will write a review for almost every book I finish. All reviews will be posted on Goodreads, and are subject to my editing. My reviews are written in a relaxed manner reminiscent of a conversation among friends. They are not meant to be objective literary critiques.

I write fair and honest reviews, but this does not mean I will always write positive reviews. My reviews are my opinion, and if I don’t enjoy a book then my review will reflect that.

With that said, I strive to explain why the book in question did not work for me personally. I do NOT write nasty or snarky commentary about the author, however, I may be snarky on the content featured in the book. The author is not up for discussion.

If I do not finish a book I will write an explanation for DNF-ing. These explanations are different from standard reviews and will state that I did not finish the book, what page I read up to, why I did not finish, and if I plan on ever picking up the book again. These reviews, in particular, are what receive snarky commentary.

Review Structure

All reviews will include the following:

• Where I received the book
• Trigger warnings if they apply
• My review: What I liked and didn’t, plus some preamble about my general thoughts
• Star rating

Half-star ratings are not used. Each book will be rated according to its genre. That means a MG book, a YA book, and a classic may all receive the same rating, but they are not equivalent to one another.