Review Policy

*IMPORTANT: Please note that I am NOT currently accepting ANY new books for review. If I have already accepted your book for review, I will review it as soon as I can, but I will not be taking any new requests for a while. I will post on this page when I will start to accept review requests again.*

Hi there! Thank you for visiting Book For Thought and for your interest in my reviews.

If you’re an author or publisher and you would like me to consider reviewing one of your titles (or even if you’re just a reader, and you’re curious about my review criteria) keep reading to find out more about my Review Policy.

Genres, languages and formats

I read almost all book genres, with a definite preference for fiction over non-fiction. I read books in English and Italian, both in print and e-book. Should you wish to send me a book to read or host a giveaway, I’ll be thrilled to consider it.

I will accept ARCs and Review Copies (both print and e-book, but pdf or epub only, please!) as well as finished books and select self-published books and audiobooks. There are however a few types of books I will NOT consider or review here:

inspirational, self-help books and manuals in general
biographies, autobiographies and memoirs
erotica, science-fiction, horror and overtly religious books
comics, graphic novels and picture books
poetry and short stories collections
young children’s books

I reserve the right to decline to review any book for any reason, even if it does not fall into one of the above categories.

Feel free to browse my TBR on Goodreads: if you see your book on there, then you’re in luck! You already know I WANT to read it, so just email me to get my shipping address, and wait for my review to come up.

Please note that I am currently based in Italy, so please ensure this does not conflict with your territory rights before sending in a request.

Review Process and Timings

In addition to posting a review detailing what I liked or didn’t like about a book, I will also score books on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 indicating books I didn’t like at all and 5 those I absolutely loved. Half points are also used. Please note that 3-star reviews are considered positive on my blog.

The tone of my reviews is informal, resembling a chat between friends where I share my thoughts on the book more than a literary critique / editorial-style review. Be advised that there may be occasional use of gifs, caps and sarcasm, because a girl sometimes just needs all of these!

All my reviews are fair, honest, and polite, and reflect my own opinions. There will never be nasty comments on the book, author or publisher. That said, they will not always be positive reviews, and if I didn’t like a book, I will explain why it didn’t work for me. Occasionally, I may decide not to publish a review: in these cases, I will contact the author/publisher and offer private feedback as to why I won’t be publicly reviewing the title. I always expressly state in my review if the book was a review copy.

Please note that I try to review books in a timely manner, normally between 1-4 weeks from when I start it, BUT in some periods I may be really busy, so it could take considerably more. I read, review and manage this blog in my spare time alongside a full-time job, so my timings largely depend on how much free time I have to dedicate to this.

You can also find me as a reviewer on NetGalley UK, Edelweiss+, BookSirens and Reedsy Discovery.

Crossposting

I always crosspost my reviews on Goodreads and The StoryGraph, unless otherwise agreed with the author or publisher, and share the link on Twitter. I may occasionally crosspost my review on Amazon, but that is dependent on my access to review options on the site.

If I particularly enjoyed a book and/or the cover art, I may also feature it with a small review on my Instagram feed.

Alternatives to reviews

If I’m not available to review your book but you’d still like me to showcase it, I might be able to offer you an alternative so please get in touch with me to discuss options!

I will consider requests for participation in blog tours, and I’d be happy to feature guest posts, interviews, cover reveals, book spotlights and excerpts instead of a full review.