A One Star Review

I don’t usually post a one star review.

 

I’m blessed to not have any...until now.

 

 

I received one for Clue Into Kindness.

 

 

.99 on Amazon

 

 

Goes off sale today

 

 

Here's the review

11 1  1 out of five stars  "Stilted"

By chuck on August 1, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

"Writing was not realistic and a bit trite. My fault for not realizing it was fiction.

I wanted a how to not a story. Gave up after 3 chapters."

I received the one star rating and a review (see above) for Clue Into Kindness from a reader named Chuck. Even though, it is only a one star, I’m grateful for the review. I do wish he’d given an example of what he considers trite and unrealistic. I sometimes think my Christian stories are a bit unrealistic for the average person too. None of us can live the perfect Godly life, but fictional characters in stories can. The rest of us mortals merely try. Christian novels give examples of success and failures, but the happy ending is always success.

 Authors need reviews, and we especially want encouraging one. Honest critiques are a great benefit, especially when the reviewer tells us what they liked, what they didn’t care for, and how we can make a story better.

The only regret I have about Clue Into Kindness is that I didn’t make Georgia stand up for herself more than she did. Women in bad marriages can be kind yet firm, but it is a tightrope balance.

I wondered about Chuck when I read his review. He must have read blurbs or reviews about how Georgia was tempted to have an affair during her bad relationship.  He says he was looking for a “how not to” book and not a story. He didn’t realize my book is fiction. I’m going to pray for Chuck. I don’t know his need. Was he trying to figure out how to live with an abusive spouse? Was he trying to figure out how to prevent an affair? Did he hope to learn how to forgive an unfaithful spouse? And the questions continue, but my heart goes out to him and his need.

 Another reviewer, Susan B. left a four star review, and I include her comment.

 

"I like light-hearted stories and this was not one of them. But to shine a light on the subtle and yet devastating abuses that can take place even in a Christian marriage through verbal abuse is a good thing to explore. I still wish Georgia hadn't been so much of a doormat but maybe if it had continued, in time, she would have recognized it for what it was.

This story illustrates "Love is kind" from 1 Corinthians 13 and what better way to do that than set it up against someone so blatantly unkind and in a relationship that is hard to leave. Romance? Not so much, but a difficult story of loving in spite of another's choices, this book definitely hits the mark for that. It's a novella so it's short. A longer book might have explored this even further, but might have also been harder to read from an emotional standpoint."

Clue Into Kindness goes off sale today. If you don’t have it, please read it and offer your opinion. Chuck’s comment made seventeen reviews. The other sixteen reviews for this book are four and five stars, and readers liked the book. I’m definitely interested in your comments—even if you think the story worthy of one or two stars. I smile when I see four or five, and I want everyone to like my books. I hope my stories will cause a person to think.

Thank each of you for leaving a review.