Last updated on March 25, 2024

Ethics and Integrity on Jen Ryland Reviews

I have been a member of the book blogging community since 2011 and have always adhered to the highest ethical standards required and upheld by the book reviewing and promotion community.

Who writes my reviews?

I write 100% of them. I am committed to providing honest reviews for other readers and clear and transparent information about any consideration I receive.

My content (aside from publisher book blurbs) is always 100% original and created and edited by me.

Where do I get books for my reviews?

I purchase many books and get others from my local library.

As a respected member of the book community for 13 years, I am lucky enough to be offered ARCs (advance, pre-publication copies of books) in exchange for an optional and honest review.

ARC distribution is a longtime and standard publishing industry practice that helps books get crucial exposure prior to release. Publishers and authors can NOT pay ARC reviewers.

I follow all FTC (Federal Trade Commission) rules found in Guide 508, found here.

If I receive a book in exchange for an honest review, I will state that at the top of my review.

If there is no FTC disclosure, that means I bought the book or checked it out of my amazing local library.

Does receiving free books affect my objectivity?

Definitely not. Receiving ARCs from publishers puts me at an even HIGHER level of ethical responsibility. This is because of the FTC rules I have to follow. These include a) having read the book I am reviewing and b) being honest in my reviews.

Plus, I’m a New Yorker who tells it like I see it.

Finally, I read hundreds of books a year. I typically don’t remember where I got a book when I sit down to read it. As part of my review process, I check my records to see what my disclosure responsibility is for each title.

Do I write “negative” reviews?

I request books I think I (and my blog readers) will enjoy and review 90% of the books I request.

If I don’t finish a book or don’t think it is a good fit for my website audience, I notify the publisher that I will not be reviewing it. As stated above, publishing reviews is at my discretion.

Saying I LOVE every book I read is neither honest nor helpful to you, the reader.

I believe in fair, balanced, and critical reviews. I try to accurately describe aspects of a book (like pace, character development, and content) that I know are important to my readers.

I don’t believe that purely negative reviews (ones that say a book is terrible) are helpful either. In my reviews I explain what didn’t work for me. Just because I didn’t like a book does not mean you will not.

As a professional and ethical reviewer, my first duty of loyalty and honesty is to myself and to you, my reader!

Jen Ryland LLC Comment Policy

I LOVE comments and read and appreciate each one!

Having different opinions about books is completely normal. I want you to express your point of view in my very active comment section. I welcome all opinions as long as they are respectfully expressed and relevant to the book.

Due to many spam links submitted, I no longer allow links in comments UNLESS they link to something relevant to the book, like an author interview or movie news.

Promotional Content, Affiliate Programs, and Ads

Jen Ryland Reviews does not publish any paid promotional content from publishers or authors.

Because payment for reviews is unethical, as described above, I have decided not to include both reviews and paid promotional content on my site. I do not work with independent blog tour companies.

I am an Amazon Affiliate (my Storefront is here). This means that if you visit my Amazon storefront and make a purchase, I receive a very small percentage of that purchase.

In addition, I am also a Bookshop.org Affiliate (my storefront is here). I encourage you to support them and independent bookstores, as I do in my personal life!

I am a member of an ad network, which funds the expenses of running this website at NO cost to you. After careful consideration, I feel this is the best way to maintain my editorial independence while still covering my costs and earning a part-time salary.

I strive to keep ads as minimal as possible. If you see any ads you feel are intrusive or inappropriate, please email me at the address below. See more about ads in my Privacy Policy.

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Questions? Please contact me at jen@jenryland.com.

I’m happy to tell you all about the Affiliate Links on Jen Ryland Reviews!

Updated on November 1, 2023

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Updated on March 19, 2024

What Kind of Books Do I Review?

I am open to review requests but please read the following information:

Since I have been blogging since 2011, I feel like I know:

• what books I will like
• what books my audience generally likes (we do sometimes disagree which makes things fun!)

On Jen Ryland Reviews, I primarily review mysteries, thrillers, and book club selections.

On my sister site, YA All Day, I review:

YA and adult books that appeal to a crossover YA audience, including romance, mystery, realistic fiction and a smattering of fantasy.

I will have a sense of which site a book belongs on (though there is some overlap.)

I am open to traditionally published books and am happy to review books from small “indie” publishers.

What Kinds of Books Do I NOT Review?

I DO NOT review memoirs, non-fiction, middle grade or children’s books, so please do not contact me about those. I rarely read and review historical fiction, science-fiction, horror, or political thrillers, but I do make exceptions.

For instance, this book was tech-y but for a mainstream audience.

This book veered toward horror but wasn’t full-on horror.

This political thriller was very domestic-fiction adjacent.

This book was historical fiction but also had mystery elements.

If you have read all this, thank you. Please feel free to email me if you think your book fits into any of these categories. I try to answer all emails and if I don’t think your book is a good fit for my audience, there are many other wonderful reviewers out there!

What Kinds of Books Do I Request for Review?

Back in the day, I had to read EVERYTHING. Now, I request fewer books and try to make sure they are books that I genuinely think I’ll enjoy.

New 2018 Policy on Own Voices ARCs

After listening to and thinking about the viewpoints and opinions of a number of “Own Voices” writers and reviewers, I am (as of March 2018) carefully considering which ARCs I should request.

ARCs are limited, so my new policy is to request fewer Own Voices books so that queer reviewers and reviewers of color have a better chance of receiving a review copy and having their reviews read and their opinions heard.

Going forward, my overall goal will be to buy and read these books on my own time. Some of those books will be featured on my Goodreads account. Other reviewers may decide differently – but this is where my thoughts are at present.

I am also making an effort to promote underrepresented authors in the Mystery and Thriller categories, so check out these great lists:

Mysteries and Thrillers by Latine and Hispanic Authors

Mysteries and Thrillers by Black Women Authors

Mysteries and Thrillers by AAPI Authors

GIVEAWAY POLICY for Jen Ryland LLC

Last edited November 2, 2023

1. All contests and giveaways posted on this site are run by Jen Ryland LLC.

2. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. Most, if not all giveaways posted here have a free entry option. If you don’t see one, fill out the contact form below please email me at jen@jenryland.com. Please remember to specify which contest you’d like to be entered into.

2. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

3. Entrants must be at least 18 years old. Winners will be selected using either Rafflecopter.com or random.org. Winners will be contacted using the email address provided (or in the case of Instagram, by private message) and must respond with a mailing address within seven days.

4. Winners in the US will usually receive books by media mail with tracking.

5. Emails/adddresses collected for giveaways will only be used for notifying and/or communicating with the winner(s). See Privacy Policy for full details.

6. Individual giveaways will state whether they are open to US only, US/Canada, or International. If the giveaway in question is prohibited where you reside, you agree not to enter.

7. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Unless stated otherwise, prizes are secondhand books or ARCs (advance reader copies) with no retail value.

8. By entering a giveaway, you a) agree to these rules and the Jen Ryland LLC privacy policy and b) certify that you are 18 years or older and reside in a state/country where the giveaway you are entering is legal.

9. By entering and/or accepting a prize, you a) agree that unless stated otherwise, the prize is a secondhand book with little to no retail value and b) agree that you will hold Jen Ryland LLC, the book’s author and the book’s publisher harmless in the event that your entry or the prize negatively impacts you in any way.

10. Duplicate entries and/or entries that do not follow the giveaway rules and guidelines may be deleted or disqualified. Only one set of entries per person/ISP address.

11. These rules may be modified as necessary.

If you have any questions, please contact me at jen@jenryland.com.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Welcome to Jen Ryland Reviews!  

Who am I?

I have been a passionate reader all my life and a member of the online book review community since 2011.

It gives me great joy to help other avid readers find books that are perfect for them. My blog is 100% run by me and is a fun and friendly place where we can discuss books!

Check out my full About Me Page!

How do you get in touch with me?

Please email me at jen @ jenryland.com – I look forward to hearing from you about books!

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT ME about scammy link insertion schemes. I am NOT interested in backlink opportunities. I DO NOT accept guest posts.

What’s my review policy?

Find my full review policy here!

In short, I have read over 1500 books in my 12+ years of reviewing. I buy, borrow and request books I hope to read and enjoy. I do my best to read all the books I request. I almost always DNF books that I don’t really like. I try to keep my reviews constructive.

Do you accept ARCs from authors and publishers?

YES. Please see my full Editorial, Promotion and Advertising Policy.

I am active on both Netgalley and Edelweiss as Jen Ryland. Email me at the address below if you can’t find me. If you’d like to mail me books, my Netgalley profile has my mailing address.

I am also able to accept advertising through my ad network. Please contact me at jen @ jenryland.com and I’ll give you all the details.

I work part-time as a freelance content creator. If you are an author, I can design custom products for your website, like quizzes, guides, and games.

I’m an author. Will you read my book? 

My review calendar is EXTREMELY full but I would love to hear about your book IF it fits my blog audience. Please read my Review Policy first as it will explain how I choose books to review and what my blog readers like to read.

NOTE: I DON’T review the following: books for children under 12, fantasy, self-help, memoir, non-fiction, horror, historical fiction, or science fiction.

What’s the Jen Ryland Reviews giveaway policy?

You can find my Giveaway Policy here.

What’s the Jen Ryland Reviews LLC Privacy Policy?

You can find my Privacy Policy here.

How many people does Jen Ryland Reviews reach?

I get around 100,000-120,000 page views per month. It varies, and Google changed ALL their metrics as of August 2023.

My impressions for August 2023, according to Google, were 2.4 million.

I have a growing newsletter with a 45-55% open rate.

I have a active social media presence of nearly 10,000 followers over Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, Pinterest, Threads, and Bloglovin/RSS. You can find my media kit here.