Review Policy

Updated 5/12/13 

NOTE: At present I am accepting very few new review requests. I have a backlog of books for review and can not give an estimate as to when I can read new requests. Thank you for your understanding.


Thank you for your interest in having me review your book(s) on Jen's Book Thoughts. First I would like to say that I am honored by each and every request I receive. I know that a lot of life blood goes into the creation of a book. The mere fact that you have any interest in what I think of your work is humbling.

Awhile back it became pertinent to outline the policy I previously observed unwritten.

What I review. If you've examined my blog, you have obviously noticed that my reviews are primarily crime fiction. I review traditional mysteries, hardboiled mysteries, thrillers, noir, etc. While there are a few exceptions, as a general rule I will no longer review cozy mysteries, romantic suspense or horror novels. The books I review are not exclusively crime fiction, but it is a rare occasion that I review something outside the genre. I do not, however, accept any self-published books.

Reviews I post. I started my blog to talk about books and encourage others to pick up books I honestly found to be worthwhile. Therefore, I will not post a review of a book I can't say mostly good things about. I may point out minor things I didn't like or that disappointed me, but the purpose of my blog is not to trash an author's work. Since my blog is a hobby, I do this on my own time and it's limited, therefore I choose to spend that limited time focusing on worthwhile books. I post reviews of books I honestly feel have merit and would be enjoyed by others. For the remainders, I say nothing at all. Therefore, accepting a book doesn't guarantee it will appear on the blog.

Review Timeline. A timeline on reviews can not be guaranteed. Unfortunately other commitments and obligations have prevented me from sticking to a strict timeline, so I can no longer commit to specific days for posting reviews. I will always work to post the reviews in a timely manner, but submission of a book does not imply any obligation on my part.

Where reviews appear. I no longer post reviews to sites outside this blog on a regular basis. I do, however, submit reviews of books I enjoyed to CRIMESPREE Magazine. Whether or not they appear in CRIMESPREE is up to the discretion of the editor.

Review Copies. If I receive a copy of a book from an author, publicist, publisher, etc., a "review copy" tag will appear at the end of the post. As I mention above, I don't guarantee any specific kind of review on my blog in exchange for books. Individuals may send books only with the understanding that I MAY review it for the blog. No other compensation is received on my part and if I do not retain the review copies of books, they are donated or otherwise given away. Review copies are not sold. Independent Bookstores mentioned on my blog and links provided are done so only at my discretion and with no form of compensation.

If you would like to make a request, you can do so by emailing me here. I will respond to those requests that I feel are a good fit for this blog. Any non-review email should be sent here.

Interviews and Projects beyond book reviews are by invitation only. Please do not make requests for interviews as I make choices about these special posts based on my reactions to the books. I will not commit to these activities prior to reading an author's work.

Blog Tours. At present I no longer accept requests to participate in blog tours.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.