If you are offended by that, sorry, but regardless of how many people found the review helpful, the question of ethics/review objectivity was raised, so the discussion around your review was applicable to Aztec’s question.

growlycub said:

“But I think, your question and the question raised about Sarah’s review on DA illustrate what somebody else already pointed out. It doesn’t matter whether there is actual impropriety going on, if there is just the possibility or suspicion of it.”

What if this seriously offends me? Not you, in particular, of course, but this implication. Okay, some people think that there’s an appearance of impropriety, but most didn’t (if you read all the responses to my review). Most found it a very helpful review, written by someone with deep knowledge of Brockmann’s writing–a fact that some felt added to review, rather than making it suspect. Leaving aside the fact that *I* don’t think there was any impropriety, personally, because my personal feelings obviously don’t count in this matter, I think that there were some very vocal people who thought I was too fangirly but many more who found value in my review. So, where does that leave us?

Self-indulgent of me, obviously.

(still pouting)

I say don’t do it.

Ann is a gifted author who will get many other great reviews. She’s made a choice, to have a business relationship with you, not an author/reviewer one.

I really don’t think this is about whether a reviewer who is emotionally or financially attached to an author or her work can be “honest” or “objective.” I’m sure that even the biggest fangrrrl has likes and dislikes among her faves and can write about them. The problem for the readers of the review is that we don’t know how the relationship affects the overall approach the reviewer brings to the review, and we don’t know what the reviewer is cutting the author more or less slack on. Are you more forgiving of certain lapses in style, plotting, etc., than you would be with someone whose work you didn’t know? If you trust the author, does that make you accept things in the book that you would flag for someone else? If the book sags in the middle, do you not take note of that because you have confidence that the author will pick up the pace and deliver a terrific resolution? In other words, the more you bring your good feelings about the author to the table, the less you can provide a useful review for those who don’t share your feelings. And if the review is supposed to be for the reader, this is a problem.

I second (third? fourth?) TeddyPig’s suggestion that you find other ways to bring attention to the book when you feel strongly about it. Definitely write a post that emphasizes why you are so taken with the author’s work and how this book reflects those attributes. Or just pimp it. People who trust you as a reviewer are going to use that info even if it’s not in review form. But whatever you do, avoid the standard review format. That just suggests a uniformity with other reviews you do, a uniformity that isn’t there.

On the flip side, as an author (and reviewer at one time), I got all squiggy feeling when friends/cohorts reviewed my book. I could never get past the fact that our relationship might have colored the review. Any glowing praise was quickly dismissed, and to this day I don’t know if said praise was deserved or not.

Hence, I found it much easier to take the stance of not reviewing a book for another in such instances. I’m not the type that can give a glowing review if I don’t really mean it (but I know many who can.) And I don’t want to hurt my compadres’ feelings. So for my own personal peace of mind, I stay away from such things.

Ann’s a superb, accomplished writer whose work largely speaks for itself. I suspect her books are regularly reviewed elsewhere (probably at quite a few elsewheres) and she’s built a solid fanbase.

Simply mentioning she has a new book out or coming out would, I think, be fine. But a full-blown review? Not so.

Lawyers do it. Judges do it. Former VP Cheney was asked to do it when it came to Scooter Libby. Makes sense for a reviewer to do it when it comes to an author they work for. You avoid accusations of impropriety because you wouldn’t have done it in the first place.