Review Policy & Rating

So, to the business side of things.

Review Policy:
I typically will choose the titles I would like to review from sources including but not limited to Netgalley, Edelweiss, Book Sirens, Voracious Readers, Smashwords. I also receive books directly from authors directly, and if your book is not available from any of these sources and you would like to request a review, you may do so by using the contact information below.

My reviews will always be my honest opinion, as I would like readers to trust what I am saying is what I believe based on what I have read and my interpretation of what I have read. These opinions are my own and are not intended to drive or deter sales. I will not use any required phrases or ratings in my reviews. I do not give “star” reviews on my blog but may do so on Goodreads, NetGalley, or other sites that ask for star ratings.  

I reserve the right to deny any request for review at my discretion. I also reserve the right to not finish a book if it is not to my liking; however, I will still provide a review based on what I have read and advise why I did bot finish it.

If the author or publisher shares a review or social media post, please link it back to Melisende's Library in whichever social channel you are using. Much appreciated.

Additionally, I routinely review books from my personal bookshelf  - both electronic and physical - and post about books that interest me, regardless of genre.


Genres Preferred:
My preferred reading genres include:
  • Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Action / Adventure, Espionage
  • Historical Fiction, including Thrillers, Mysteries
  • History & Politics
  • Biographies, Autobiographies and Memoirs
  • True Crime, Espionage
  • Fantasy and SciFi (limited)
I don't do young adult, self-help, paranormal, cookbooks, gardening, poetry, childrens' books, travel guides, etc.

To fully understand if your book is right for my blog and for reviewing, please view my most recent posts and reviews, which will give you a better understanding of my reading tastes and writing style.


Formats Accepted:
I will happily accept any format of ARC or finished copy for review. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Electronic copy (epub, mobi, and pdf)
  • Physical copy
  • Edelweiss, Smashwords or NetGalley invitation
  • Amazon Kindle Document – this requires me to add your email to my list of safe senders
If you wish to send me book in a format not listed above, feel free to email the file itself or an equivalent link directly. If you would like to send me a kindle or physical book, contact me by EMAIL for my Kindle email or postal mailing address information. 


How I Rate Books:
I try and stick to a 5-star rating system congruent with Goodreads, NetGalley, etc., and I am willing to post reviews to any additional retailer sites as requested by the book sender - as long as I am not required to make a purchase in order to do so (eg: Amazon).

My reviews are always honest and pertain only to the book itself, not the author or publisher (unless there are some serious editing issues that need to be addressed).  Nothing said in my review should be taken as judgement or an attack on the author or publisher, nor do I mean to offend any authors, publishers, or fans of books that I do not rate favourably.

If I do not finish (DNF) a book I was asked to review, I will still post a short DNF review on Goodreads for the benefit of potential readers. DNF reviews will be clearly denoted as such, and will outline how far I got and why I chose to stop reading. 

5 Stars
I couldn’t put this book down! I absolutely loved it; I want to read it again immediately; I want everyone else to read it too.  The book's presence lingers long after the final page has been read. I will re-read this multiple times and consider these to be books that I must buy for myself. 

4 Stars
I enjoyed this book a lot; the characters were well developed; the storyline drew me in immediately; I lost time whilst reading. I am likely to recommend it to the right audience and I will most likely re-read again.

3 Stars
This book is good, nice and readable, pleasant. There may be minor points that missed the mark, or if the start of a series, there may still be some character development pending.  I will keep it in mind if asked for recommendations from the book’s target demographic. 

2 Stars
While it wasn’t a bad book, it really, truly wasn’t my cup of tea.  i obviously didn’t grab my attention, there was no empathy with the characters or the storyline itself was meh.  I would need to think about recommending it or would do so with a proviso.

1 Star
This is the lowest rating I can give and have the sites recognize that I am indeed giving it a rating. As such, this could be considered a 0. This book could be entirely unreadable; it promoted unforgivable acts and ideologies; or there were no redeeming features; or it is an already-published book that has an unedited draft quality and quantity of technical errors and developmental issues throughout. This is not something I would recommend.


Where I Review Books:
Every book I review will be reviewed on Goodreads and Library Thing. Most books will also be reviewed here on my blog (Melisende's Library), on retailer websites (ie: B&N). Review copies that come from publishers through services like NetGalley, Edeleweiss, Smashwords, Book Sirens, etc. will also be reviewed on those platforms.

Please note that Amazon specifically does not like FTC disclosures - which state that a book is received in exchange for an honest review - and may remove a review for containing it. In addition, they also require the book to be actually purchased through them before a review can be added.


How to Get in Touch:
Please email me at with your information, the book title and description, and publication date. If there is a date you would like a post to be published by (e.g., publication date, cover reveal, etc.) please include that in the email. I will work with you to make sure this is done to the best of my ability or will let you know if I an unable to accommodate your deadline.
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If you do contact me for a review, you acknowledge that I:
  • have the right to refuse your request
  • will write my honest opinion
  • will share the review on my blog and social media accounts
  • reserve the right to not finish a provided book
I do not just review, if you wish for me to host a spotlight, guest post, extract, Q&A or a giveaway please contact me with the details and we can see if we can work together.


Influencer Disclosure Policy: 
This policy is valid as of August 20, 2020 and covers the following social media channels:

These social media channels strive to abide by the FTC Guidelines for online influencers and bloggers. The owner of these social channels is not compensated to provide an opinion on products, services, websites, and various other topics. 

The views and opinions expressed through these channels are purely the owner's own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

Many of the books reviewed on this blog were received from the publishers through NetGalley or Edelweiss+ in exchange for reviews. There is no affiliation with Amazon or Barnes & Noble, or any other publisher or outlet that may be mentioned. Links to publisher or retailers are provided solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing a book/ebook that has been reviewed.

Why all the legal-ese? Because the FTC requires that all free products or services given in exchange for a review must be disclosed.