Book Review Policy
Currently open to book review requests.
Please read the entire policy before submitting a request.
Last updated: June 18, 2025
Policies and disclaimers
All my reviews are honest and my opinions are my own. I reserve my right to share the full extent of my opinion, including, but not limited to, low-ratings, criticism and brief descriptions of content I believe may be triggering to readers.
I reserve the right to decline a request for any reason.
I try to review all books in a timely manner, but I cannot guarantee to have my review ready by release date, the requested deadline date and/or the requested time frame.
I reserve my right to not finish and/or not review a book I received for reviewing purposes. If this happens, I will communicate the reason why privately.
If I do not finish a book, I may not review the book. If I feel that I read enough of the book to justify writing a review (usually more than half) I may post a review of the book on my blog at my discretion, with a note that I did not finish it. Otherwise, I will simply mark the book as Did Not Finish on Goodreads and The Storygraph with a brief description of why I did not finish it.
I am open to review sequels, but I need to be provided previous parts in the series and, if relevant, any other books and companions needed to properly review the requested book. This may increase turn-around time significantly, especially if the books are long (400+ pages). I am also open to interconnected standalones.
If you wish me to review multiple books by the same author that are not part of an interconnected universe, please send multiple separate requests.
I have accounts on NetGalley, BookSirens and Booksprout. You are welcome to send me book invites on NetGalley. You are also welcome to ask me to download your books on the other platforms, however I may be less likely to review a book if it is simply requested that I download it instead of the review copy being offered.
I post my reviews on my blog, Goodreads, NetGalley and BookBub if possible and applicable. I will post reviews on Amazon if specifically requested, although please note that Amazon does not automatically approve every review that is posted and it is not fully in my control whether my reviews are accepted.
I consider myself an #OwnVoices reader/reviewer for books with sapphic, nonbinary/intersex and Jewish characters (mixed Ashkenazi and Sephardic) as well as characters with mobility issues, physical disabilities and learning disabilities. I was disabled as a child as well. If you require specific details of my disabilities in order to determine if I can be an #OwnVoices reader for your book please inquire via email. Please, be aware that my experience is just one experience and cannot and will never reflect any community as a whole and the nuances of each individual experience.
I am open to blog tours or similar promotional events.
*Being an #OwnVoices reader/reviewer means that I share that particular identity with one or more of the (main) characters in the book. However, my experience is not universal and cannot and will never reflect the individual experiences of other people in the community. More information about #OwnVoices can be found on the site of Corinne Duyvis (the author who coined the term).
Preferences
Standard preferences
I accept Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult and Adult books in EPUB and physical format. I am less likely to accept a request if the only formats available are PDF or audiobook.
I accept prose novels, verse novels, novellas, short stories, and graphic novels.
I accept books written in English and French.
I accept all genres, with a preference for speculative fiction and mysteries/thrillers.
Specific preferences
I do not accept Alpha Male Romance, Bully Romance or Sports Romance.
About my reviews
My (new) reviews consist of two parts: a brief description of the book and my thoughts on the book. My reviews are mostly focused on how I feel about the contents of the book, as well as writing quality. I avoid spoilers in my reviews, with the exception of trigger warnings that may spoil the book in some context (for example: Graphic: Murder (death of parent)). I also include relevant representation of minorities in my review, for example specifying that there is a lesbian love interest.
I structure my reviews as follows:
Title. Book Review: <title book> by <name author>
Subtitle. A brief description of the genres of the book and words that describe it (for example, tense, romantic, etc)
Cover
Rating (out of 5)
Description of the book. A description of the basic elements of the plot of the book, in my own words.
Body of the review. The body consists of my thoughts on the book, such as how I felt about the characters and the quality of the writing.
Upcoming release date/imprint/acknowledgement of receipt of ARC, if applicable
Content warnings, divided into graphic/moderate/minor.
Meaning of ratings:
Highly recommended. (★★★★★)
Recommended. (★★★★☆)
Neutral/only recommended for some. (★★★☆☆)
Not recommended. (★★☆☆☆ // ★☆☆☆☆)
How to request
To submit your request, email me at fountainpengirlaurora (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject line ‘’Review request: [book title] by [author]’’ and include the following information:
Book synopsis/description.
Name of the series (if applicable)
Genres/subgenres
Publishing imprint (if applicable)
Length of the book (page- and/or wordcount)
Format(s) of the book you have available.
Publication date
[Optional] Preferred deadline or timeframe for the review.
[Optional] Any content and trigger warnings applicable
[Optional] Any on-page representation
[Optional] Comp titles
[Optional, but preferred] High quality image of the book cover I can use for my blog post.
I only accept requests sent to the aforementioned email address, or via platforms such as Netgalley or BookSirens that I already have an account on. Please, don’t submit review requests any other way.
My address is not publicly available in order to prevent potentially unsolicited mail. If you wish to send me a physical copy of a book for review as opposed to an ARC, I will provide my mailing address upon request.
I read and review books when I get to them. The turn-around time depends on how many books I have in queue, which is two weeks on average (for digital files), but can be as much as two months if a physical package gets lost or my neurological condition flares to the extent that it prevents me from reading.