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

WHEN CARDINALS APPEAR

By Katie Eagan Schenck
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

Katie Eagan Schenck's well-crafted WHEN CARDINALS APPEAR provides a fresh and satisfactory read that delivers on the author’s goal to write a “sweet romance that...

September 11, 2023

ANOTHER SIDE OF THE HEART

By C.H. Lazarovich
Rating:
2.9 / 5.0

C.H. Lazarovich's novel about choices, ANOTHER SIDE OF THE HEART, starts strong with haunting imagery and an interesting sub-plot; but the novel is seriously weakened...

August 23, 2023

SHE DIED THEN SHOWED ME

By Samar Reine
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

Strong storytelling skills and vivid descriptions are marred somewhat by an unsympathetic protagonist and a predictable love triangle in Samar Reine's SHE DIED THEN SHOWED...

Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

A luxurious and sensual story of a young woman's journeys around the world, BEYOND THE SEA by Nina Purtee is pure wish-fulfillment, if occasionally less...

IR Approved
June 9, 2023

GRACE’S LAW

By Ashley Norman
Rating:
4.3 / 5.0

GRACE’S LAW is author Ashley Norman's well-written, fast-paced and timely novel of the prejudice and struggle survivors of sexual violence face in the pursuit of...

IR Approved
April 7, 2023

UNCONTROLLABLE

By Sara Staggs
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

UNCONTROLLABLE by Sara Staggs is a wrenchingly-painful but ultimately heartwarming look at the way that the human brain can wreak havoc on its owner's life,...

March 20, 2023

THE HEART OF FAMILY

By Renee Field
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

THE HEART OF FAMILY by Renee Field astutely portrays a family’s experience with and reaction to conventional familial problems—difficulties related to strained relationships, shaky finances,...

IR Approved
February 6, 2023

A HISTORY OF SILENCE

By Cynthia J. Bogard
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

The first in Cynthia Bogard’s Heartland Trilogy, A HISTORY OF SILENCE is an intriguing crime novel that takes a closer look at the complicated process...

January 27, 2023

THE ELBOW GREASE LEGACY

By Beverly A. Li
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

With a writing style that is fluid, well-structured, and easy to read, Beverly A. Li's THE ELBOW GREASE LEGACY is a memoir-like novel that will...

January 18, 2023

THE GIRLS IN CABIN NUMBER THREE

By Chrysteen Braun
Rating:
3.2 / 5.0

Although rife with charming characters, a gorgeous mountain setting, and meticulous research, the intriguing central mystery in Chrysteen Braun's THE GIRLS IN CABIN NUMBER THREE...

November 16, 2022

THE TEA DRINKER’S GUIDE TO ADVENTURE

By Andrée Jannette
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

Andrée Jannette's THE TEA DRINKER'S GUIDE TO ADVENTURE is warm, wholesome story that makes it clear that new friends and new adventures aren't limited to...

IR Approved
November 9, 2022

A LIQUID FANTASIA: Under the Rain

By Ana Catalina Reynoso De La Garza
Rating:
5.0 / 5.0

A symphony rich with colors and emotions, Ana Catalina Reynoso De La Garza’s A LIQUID FANTASIA: Under the Rain is a lyrical, warm, and humane...

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