Guest Post: No Review is a “Bad” Review by Lynn Montagano

I had a nightmare recently that someone gave my book half a star. Not just one star but HALF a star. *whimper*

As a debut author, reviews are something I try not to dwell on. Do I want reviews? Yes. Lots of them. Good ones. Bad ones. Middle of the road ones. That means people are reading and having some type of reaction to the stories I’ve written. Any review is a form of publicity and as the saying goes “there’s no such thing as bad publicity.”

So what do you do when a review isn’t so glowing and fabulous?

Think of it this way. Anybody who reviews a book has spent time and energy thinking about it. They’re spreading the word. The beauty about a bad review is whatever it was about the story that particular reader didn’t like might be exactly what someone else loves. Seriously. How many times have I gone to see a big, loud special effects laden movie because some critic said it lacked substance? Too many to mention.

Everybody has their own relationship with the book they’re reading. I certainly do and have disliked many popular books that others can’t seem to get enough of. Does that make the book bad? Nope. It just meant it wasn’t for me.

I’ve been fortunate and haven’t received too many negative reviews. As I said, I’m a debut author so I try not to dwell on reviews too much if I can help it. It doesn’t mean my heart won’t break a little when somebody doesn’t like that my heroine is a little naive in certain situations or totally missed the point on why my hero can be so difficult.

Do I want everyone to love and squeeze and fawn over my characters the same way I do? Of course. What author wouldn’t. Will some readers do just that? Yes. I’ve already heard from numerous readers about how much they loved the characters and their story. On the days I do see a not so positive review I tend to focus on the comments that make me smile. Then, I jump right back into writing because at the end of the day, it’s what I love to do and I’m just happy to be able to share some of my stories with all of you.

Book & Author Details:

Catch My Breath by Lynn Montagano
(Catch My Breath #1)
Published by: Harper Impulse
Publication date: April 17th 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Lia Meyers’ plan for a relaxing Scottish vacation is short-lived when one uncharacteristic moment of clumsiness lands her in the arms of a dangerously attractive Englishman.

The perfect opportunity for a much needed holiday romance? Wrong! Lia’s still reeling from the mother of all bad breakups, and she really doesn’t have the patience for Alastair Holden – despite his effortless charm and cute British accent.

Arrogant and totally inscrutable, he’s exactly the sort of guy she wants to avoid but can’t: the man behind the mystery proves just too tempting to resist.

Drawn to him, Lia is forced to battle with her own insecurities, and the closer they become, the more she recognizes her own weaknesses as she peels away his layers with every night they spend together. Discovering the past Alastair is so desperate to conceal, Lia must decide if they can heal one another together or if their deepest fears will tear them apart.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21941797-catch-my-breath?ac=1

Purchase:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Catch-My-Breath-HarperImpulse-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B00IR2J2BQ/ref=twoen-20

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/catch-my-breath-lynn-montagano/1119435167?ean=9780007558421

AUTHOR BIO

A fresh, new voice in contemporary romance, Lynn is a former TV news writer who decided to take the plunge and write a novel. She's thrilled that her debut series is being published by Harper Impulse. The first book, Catch My Breath, was released in April 2014 to rave reviews. Its follow up, Unravel Me, hits the market in July.

Lynn grew up in a small town in Rhode Island before venturing out into the world. She's lived everywhere from Los Angeles to Boston to Orlando. An avid traveler, Lynn's been as far away as Australia and as close as Canada. Her favorite place to visit is London.

The small town girl is back on the east coast after a brief stint in Northern California. Lynn currently resides in Massachusetts, comfortably close to her beloved football team.

Author links:

http://www.lynnmontagano.net/

https://twitter.com/LynnMontagano

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLynnMontagano

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7706026.Lynn_Montagano