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.

September 15, 2023

THE B-SIDE OF DANIEL GARNEAU

By David Kingston Yeh
Rating:
3.6 / 5.0

A timeless, well-crafted story about love, family, and friendship that transcends the LGBTQ+ genre, David Kingston Yeh's THE B-SIDE OF DANIEL GARNEAU is a satisfying...

IR Approved
April 19, 2023

DANI CAPELLO: Shadows of Men

By M.S. Izbicki
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Though a few thematic threads are left hanging, M.S. Izbicki'S DANI CAPELLO: Shadows of Men both impresses and satisfies with a confident narrative voice, comforting...

February 13, 2023

RAFAEL JEROME

By Tobias Maxwell
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

Tobias Maxwell writes with crisp prose, natural dialogue and picturesque imagery in RAFAEL JEROME, an account of a family deep-dive that turns on an interesting...

IR Approved
December 19, 2022

SOMETIMES YOU JUST KNOW

By Bill VanPatten
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Bill VanPatten's SOMETIMES YOU JUST KNOW is a diverting, uplifting, and satisfying tale of romance and personal redemption.

December 2, 2022

A ROMAN SPELL

By Michael Hartwig
Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

Michael Hartwig’s A ROMAN SPELL effectively balances supernatural and fantastic elements with the fundamental fears of first-time queer parents struggling with domestic bliss.

November 28, 2022

OLIVER AND HENRY

By Michael Hartwig
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

Like its characters, Michael Hartwig's OLIVER AND HENRY has strong attributes that give it sufficient interest for readers of travel narrative, art history, queer romance--or...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

A charming, unapologetically campy, funny, and surprisingly touching look at the lives, struggles, and joys of a group of gay (and one straight!) tennis players,...

June 29, 2022

JEROME KLINGEMANN, LOSER MAGNET

By Joseph F. Delgado
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

IR Approved
May 30, 2022

RODE

By J. Adams
Rating:
4.7 / 5.0

RODE is, by turns, an affecting and frustrating novel, one that feels truthful while withholding from readers—or, for that matter, its protagonist—simple answers or conventional...

IR Approved
May 11, 2022

A COLLISION IN QUEBEC

By Michael Hartwig
Rating:
4.8 / 5.0

Fans of LGBTQ fiction will likely relish every last moment of Michael Hartwig’s A COLLISION IN QUEBEC, but the story’s themes of cultural identity and...

IR Approved
April 25, 2022

A LITTLE RAIN

By Bill VanPatten
Rating:
5.0 / 5.0

A psychological thriller with flashbacks that propel the story forward to the present, Bill VanPatten’s A LITTLE RAIN delves deep into what makes its characters...

IR Approved
April 6, 2022

INKED CAFFEINE

By Monique Duclos
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

With an adorable slow-burn romance sprinkled with bursts of exciting action, Monique Duclos’s INKED CAFFEINE introduces lovable characters for a genre-blended series.

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