Indie book reviews

IndieReader’s reviewers are tough, but fair

Our Reviewers won’t judge your book as compared to other self-published titles, but against other books, period. Our ratings are based on the following criteria, although reviewers are able to award partial stars (i.e. a 1.3 or a 4.7), rather than rounding up or down to a whole or half number.

1/5

Really bad 
Work on it.

2/5

Mediocre
1-2 bright spots.

3/5

Good
Worth reading.

4/5

Very Good
1-2 spots that need work

5/5

Excellent!
Must-read.

* IndieReader receives compensation for most of the books it reviews, along with copies of those books.

Rating:
3.7 / 5.0

A riveting tale of adventure and espionage, D.R. Berlin's THE THIRD ESTATE SECRETS OF THE MANOR makes up for its slightly labored dialogue with a...

IR Approved
February 21, 2025

DRAGGED DOWN DEEP

By Michael Okon
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Michael Okon’s DRAGGED DOWN DEEP delivers a fun, fast-paced romp that's elevated by its haunting evocation of a Long Island town with dark secrets and...

IR Approved
February 19, 2025

MILEY SPEAKS: A TRUE STORY OF LOVE, LOSS, GRIEF, AND RECONNECTION

By Lisa Peachey, Carol Elizabeth Long
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Lisa Peachey and Carol Elizabeth Long's MILEY SPEAKS: A True Story of Love, Loss, Grief, and Reconnection is a work that may offer some real...

IR Approved
February 17, 2025

FOR THE LOVED AND LOST

By Ethan Warrener
Rating:
4.6 / 5.0

Ethan Warrener’s FOR THE LOVED AND LOST is a bittersweet farewell to the Tucker Clan—a story of survival, heartbreak, and hope against all odds. A...

February 14, 2025

TELL ME A SECRET

By Anaïs Ventura
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

With prose that is capable and clear, and aspects of the developing relationship that feel satisfying and modern, Anaïs Ventura’s TELL ME A SECRET will...

IR Approved
February 14, 2025

THE SPRING DRAGON

By Natalie Wright
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Natalie Wright's THE SPRING DRAGON is a well-plotted, action-packed, and worthy addition to the Dragos Primeri fantasy series.

IR Approved
February 12, 2025

I, NO OTHER

By Yarrow Paisley
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Readers seeking standard narratives may find the fractured realities and linguistic acrobatics of Yarrow Paisley's I, NO OTHER too disorienting. However, those who relish fiction...

IR Approved
February 11, 2025

KARMA & KISMET

By Michael Shandler
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Told with the thoughtful reflectiveness of a practiced yogi but with persistent emotional immediacy, Michael Shandler’s KARMA & KISMET is an excellent memoir of both...

IR Approved
February 10, 2025

COUNTERMELODIES: A MEMOIR IN SONATA FORM

By Ernestine Whitman
Rating:
4.8 / 5.0

Through powerful storytelling and unflinching honesty, Ernestine Whitman's COUNTERMELODIES: A Memoir in Sonata Form transcends genre boundaries—providing both a strong critique of classical music's patriarchal...

IR Approved
February 10, 2025

EXPLORING WINE REGIONS: MEXICO

By Michael C. Higgins, PhD
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Michael C. Higgins's EXPLORING WINE REGIONS: MEXICO is a well-organized, beautifully illustrated guide that promises to be of substantial use for travelers wishing to experience...

Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

Although this complicated life story would benefit from a clearer chronology, Julia Antoinette Rosenstein's LAST BOHEMIAN: The Life and Times of Jonathan David Batchelor Part...

February 7, 2025

THE PERFUME OF WAR

By Garrick Jones
Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

Garrick Jones’s THE PERFUME OF WAR has a fun premise, some interesting historic detail, and a few brisk action scenes for a story that works...

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