If you have spent any amount of time around Sassy Reviews, you probably already know that honesty is kind of the whole point around here. I started reviewing books because I wanted to share what I genuinely thought about the stories I was reading—the books I loved, the ones that frustrated the hell out of me, and everything somewhere in between. Receiving a book for free has never changed that, and it never will.
From time to time, I receive Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) directly from authors, publishers, publicists, or authorized representatives who would like me to consider their books for review. ARCs may be provided as physical books or electronically in PDF or EPUB format. Whenever a review is based on an ARC that was provided to me at no cost, that relationship will be clearly disclosed so readers know exactly how I received the book.
And just so we are crystal clear about what “complimentary” means around here: a free book does not come with five stars attached to it.
I DO NOT CHARGE FOR MY REVIEWS:
I will never charge an author or publisher for a book review. My reviews are not for sale, and there is no amount someone can pay Sassy Reviews to purchase a review, guarantee coverage, influence my opinion, secure a particular rating, or magically turn three stars into five.
If I accept an ARC for review, the rating I give it and everything I write about it will be based entirely on my actual reading experience.
Receiving an ARC does not guarantee a positive review, a particular rating, or a glowing recommendation. Authors and publishers do not get to approve my review before it is published, tell me what rating to give, or dictate what I can and cannot say about their book.
If I absolutely loved your book and stayed awake until some ridiculous hour because apparently sleep is optional when fictional people are making questionable decisions, you will hear about it. If something did not work for me, you will hear about that too.
WHERE MY REVIEWS MAY APPEAR:
When an ARC is provided to me for review, I reserve the right to publish or cross-post my honest review on SassyReviews.com and/or other book-review and retail platforms where I maintain a reviewer presence, including Goodreads and Amazon, subject to the rules and policies of those individual platforms.
This applies whether my review is positive, negative, or somewhere in that wonderfully complicated area in between.
Agreeing to have me review an ARC does not mean the review disappears if you do not like what I have to say afterward. I will always strive to be fair and constructive, but I will not remove, alter, withhold, or artificially inflate an honest review simply because an author, publisher, publicist, or representative is unhappy with my opinion.
There is a very big difference between criticizing a book and attacking the person who wrote it. Honesty does not require cruelty. When I have criticism, I try to explain what did not work for me, why it affected my reading experience, and, when appropriate, what I believe could have made the story stronger. Every review reflects my personal reading experience and opinions, and another reader may feel completely differently. That is part of what makes talking about books interesting.
YOUR ARC STAYS WITH ME:
When an author or publisher sends me an ARC, especially one that has not yet been released, they are trusting me with something that may represent months or even years of their work. I take that trust seriously.
Any physical or electronic ARC provided to Sassy Reviews is supplied solely for the purpose of allowing me to read the book and prepare my review. I will never sell, redistribute, reproduce, upload, publish, forward, lend, give away, or otherwise share an ARC, unpublished manuscript, PDF, EPUB file, or its contents with another person or third party.
Electronic ARC files are for my personal review use only, and physical ARCs will remain in my possession rather than being sold, donated, given away, or redistributed.
I will also respect legitimate publication embargoes and confidential or unreleased information provided with an ARC. I will not intentionally disclose unpublished material before its authorized release unless the author, publisher, or authorized representative has expressly given me permission to use that information in connection with my review.
There is an important distinction between the ARC entrusted to me and the review I create after reading it. Your ARC remains private. My review is my own original commentary and may be published or cross-posted as described above.
In other words, you are giving me permission to read it and review it—not redistribute it.
AFFILIATE LINKS & ARC REVIEWS:
Some reviews on SassyReviews.com may contain affiliate links that allow readers to preorder or purchase the book being reviewed. This includes ARC reviews, so a review published before a book’s release date may include an affiliate link to preorder the book when one is available.
If a reader clicks an affiliate link and makes a qualifying purchase or preorder, Sassy Reviews may receive a small commission at no additional cost to the reader.
Any commissions earned through affiliate links are used to help support the upkeep, maintenance, and continued operation of SassyReviews.com. Hosting, website services, security, plugins, maintenance, and all the other behind-the-scenes necessities required to keep this little corner of the book world running unfortunately do not accept payment in fictional boyfriends. I checked. 😂
The presence of an affiliate link has absolutely no influence on whether I accept an ARC, what I write in my review, or the rating I give the book. An affiliate commission comes from a reader independently deciding to purchase or preorder a book through one of my links. It does not come from an author or publisher paying me to review the book or paying me for a favorable opinion.
An affiliate link should therefore never be mistaken for a paid review.
I do not and will not charge authors or publishers for book reviews, and my opinions are not for sale.
SPONSORED & PROMOTIONAL CONTENT:
Sassy Reviews may occasionally feature advertising, sponsored content, promotional placements, or other paid opportunities separate from my book reviews. If content has been sponsored or paid for, that relationship will be clearly disclosed.
Payment for advertising, promotion, or another service does not purchase my personal opinion and does not guarantee a positive review or rating. I will always keep paid promotional opportunities separate from the honesty and independence of my reviews.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Ultimately, the relationship I care most about protecting is the one between Sassy Reviews and the readers who trust me to tell them what I actually thought. Authors and publishers deserve thoughtful, constructive feedback, and readers deserve reviews they can trust were not purchased with money or a free book.
I am incredibly grateful for every author and publisher who trusts me enough to hand me their work before it is released and ask what I think. I understand how much work, time, and heart can go into creating a book, and I do not take that trust lightly.
But what you are getting in return is exactly what everyone else gets around here: my actual opinion.
Sometimes that means five stars, obsessive fangirling, and me trying to convince everyone within Wi-Fi range that they need to read your book immediately. Sometimes it means constructive criticism and explaining why something simply did not work for me. Either way, it will always be honest.
Because at Sassy Reviews, a free book may give me the opportunity to read your story, but it will never buy the story I tell about reading it. Any thoughts and opinions I share will always be 100% unbiased, unfiltered, unapologetically honest, and most likely full of Sass. 🖤📚