The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Five Musketeers: At Sword's Point, #1

Because The Five Musketeers was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.

Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.

IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.

This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.

Mercelle

Judging by the cover, I wasn't going to read this book, and the absence of an official OBC review didn't influence my decision. When I read the first ten pages, I liked that the narrator decided to find calmer waters because his boat wouldn't survive the volatile river. The text needs a round of editing since I noticed a missing pronoun on the sentence "...of calmer waters so could make the jump..." on loc. 124. That is the only thing I would change about the bit I read. I will, however, not read the rest of the book because it doesn't appeal to me.

First Ten review added on June 4, 2019, at 4:58 am by Mercelle.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Vickie Noel

Something about the cover art of this book is so appealing. Then again, I'd heard of The Three Musketeers (though I haven't read it yet, oops) so now that they're five, my curiosity has just been stirred up. I would have sampled it outside the program. I'm even more interested after reading the sample. The tone of the tome is alluring, and the descriptive prowess of the author is glaring. As a teacher, this is helpful material for my creative writing classes. Sentences such as, "Searing pain tore across my forehead. Waves of nausea built to a crescendo. I held my breath as the pain intensified. Eyes closed and shivering profusely, I waited, praying that it would dissipate." would prove very useful to the class of children I teach. I'm so excited I can barely wait to use it. The book was very well edited although I think that "as" is needed to make the expression "so to create the right atmosphere" make more coherence. There was no OBC review, but that doesn't bother me.

First Ten review added on June 4, 2019, at 4:55 am by Vickie Noel.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Alice Heritage

I wouldn't have been on the lookout for historical fiction without this programme, but particularly as I'm currently reading a book that includes time travel to the seventeenth century, I was excited to sample this one on the basis of the Amazon description. I will probably read the rest of it because of what was promised in that description. The book does not appear to have been professionally edited as I noticed several errors in the sample. I considered not reading the rest of it because of this but decided they were not excessively distracting. Examples: "delve into the dark, recesses of my mind" (there should not be a comma after "dark"), and "they urged their horses' forwards" (there should not be an apostrophe after "horses"). I did like the idea of the heroine assuming she was in a reconstruction when she had in fact travelled in time. Although the events described were dramatic, she seemed a little underwhelmed by an experience that would surely be shattering. This was partly because the writing somehow felt plain despite the intense action, although I did like the image about the boat "groaning" when it scraped the riverbank. Some sort of explanation as to why a young woman from NYC understands old French so readily might be helpful; perhaps this is to come. There wasn't an OBC review, but that didn't affect my decision.

First Ten review added on June 4, 2019, at 3:05 am by Alice Heritage.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Fu Zaila

The cover and blurb were impressive though I was a bit disappointed that the book did not have an OBC review. I liked that there was a map included and I liked the letter to Dumas. The author has a flair for describing the emotions of his characters, shown but how effectively I was drawn to Rose's story and her fear of unconsciously being stranded on the roof of a boat. However, I felt that the introduction part can't be understood by people who are unfamiliar with Dumas. While the book seemed to be well edited I did find an unnecessary comma in the sentence "The expressions on their faces told me, they were serious and out for blood". I wasn't completely immersed in the story so I won't read further.

First Ten review added on June 4, 2019, at 2:38 am by Fu Zaila.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

va2016

The title and the cover are indicative of the theme of the book. There are only 3 Amazon customer reviews. The Amazon summary clearly describes the plot of the book. As I am interested in adventure, I would have sampled the book even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing the protagonist struggling in a boat that's stuck in the rapids. I found the narration too thrilling and adventurous, as well as the writing style interesting. I also liked the way the Musketeers are introduced in the story. So, I am going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. There are no grammatical or mechanical errors in the sample. What I liked most about the book is its adventurous nature. I could not find anything that could be improved with the book. Although I didn't find any OBC review of the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 11:01 pm by va2016.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Nisha Ward

I love the Musketeers so this book was a no-brainer for me, even without the review or the lack of errors. I absolutely love Rose's point of view and the lead up from her disbelief to her acceptance of the era she'd found herself in, as well as her horror at witnessing a man die. It's definitely something I'll finish.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 9:30 pm by Nisha Ward.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Heidi M Simone

Without this program, I would not have sampled this book. Though I do think the cover is well-done, reading a historical fiction set in France isn't one that I'm interested in reading. Therefore, the title, blurb, and genre would not be of interest to me. The fact that there is no OBC review and there are positive customer ratings do not affect my opinion of the book. I didn't see any glaring errors, which is always a positive thing while reading. The opening scene of Rose thinking she's drowning was definitely an exciting way to open up the book. The author does a nice job in helping the reader feel Rose's disorienting state in the beginning chapters as she is trying to make sense of her situation, especially as she is trying to understand the people wearing what she thinks is reenactment clothing and realizing that it might be real. However, the short chapters kind of interrupts the flow of the story. I feel the scenes being described do not need to be broken up so much. Though I realize some readers might enjoy the shorter chapters, it isn't for me. Due to this and the fact that I am not invested in reading a version of the Three Musketeers, I do not plan on reading the rest of the book.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 8:13 pm by Heidi M Simone.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

ritah

Based on the cover and title, I would have sampled the book because it appealed to me; I am a fan of the Three Musketeers. Thus, five musketeers sounds interesting to me. I didn't see an official review for The 5 Musketeers. I liked the intensity in the first three chapters, just like Rose, I wondered how she'd found herself in the life threatening situation. I hoped the jump would lead her to safety where she could maybe find some answers. The book appeared to be professionally edited as I did not spot any errors in the pages I read. I will definitely be reading the rest of the book because I liked the author's writing style and the premise of this novel.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 5:46 pm by ritah.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

danielleamy

I like the cover; it's eye-catching and looks professional. This would be something I would pick up in a book shop due to the cover and the blurb. There was no Official OBC review, but this did not change my opinion. I was happy to read the reviews on Amazon, which looked encouraging! The idea of a historical fiction novel with a strong female protagonist is appealing.

An "I" is missing from the following sentence: "Cold air stung my wet skin and I looked ahead desperate to find a place where I could take advantage of calmer waters so (I) could make the jump across to the nearest bank."
The rest of the first ten pages looked well-edited and professional. I found the beginning chapters very short. Each chapter was only a page or so long which seemed a little strange. I would prefer the chapters to be combined. I am intirgued enough by the first pages - how did the protagonist arrive in the 1600's? How did she time-travel while water rafting? I enjoy reading series of books, so if this one is good I'll purchase the following books in the series. I'll be adding this to my reading list and will be reading the full copy.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 2:26 pm by danielleamy.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Scerakor

From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I wouldn’t have read it. Although the concept of having time-travel and classics merged is interesting, I'm partial to original stories and don't like them messed with. After reading the first ten pages I didn’t change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. I liked the mystery that the author gives the reader early on. Without knowing that this was a time-travel story, the author drops subtle hints when our protagonist is on the roof of the boat concerning the dress, accuracy, and intentions of the soldiers on the bank. That being said, The book isn't the type that I would usually read and the writing style didn't seem to jive well with what I like. It was almost like the author was trying too hard to use impressive descriptors in every sentence to show off his literary prowess. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read, but it did seem well written and edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 12:01 pm by Scerakor.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Juliana_Isabella

I might have chosen this book because I like the design of the cover and the review was very positive. I found a couple of grammatical errors in the first ten pages. For example, the sentence "I had embarked upon a journey of discovery and I really didn't want it to end" needs a comma after "discovery". In spite of this and the long introductory material, I enjoyed the action in the story, so I will be finishing the book.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 11:01 am by Juliana_Isabella.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Emy Katherine

After being involved in a kayaking accident, Rose Archambault mysteriously found herself transported to France in the 1600s. I would not have chosen to read the book based on the genre. As I am not a fan of historical fiction novels, I did not change my mind after reading the first ten pages. The lack of an official OnlineBookClub review did not influence my decision. I like the story is told from the first-person perspective of Rose; it makes it easier for the reader to be invested in the story. The writing style is descriptive and engaging, and the reader is thrown into the action from the very beginning. Also, it has great Amazon ratings. Undoubtedly, it will appeal to those who enjoy a captivating adventure novel filled with suspense, action, and mystery. Unfortunately, I found some punctuation errors such as misplaced and missing commas; therefore, I am not sure the book was professionally edited. For example, "The expressions on their faces, told me they were serious and out for blood." There should be no comma after "faces."

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 8:18 am by Emy Katherine.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

briellejee

Based on the cover and title, I think I would have sampled the book. Both aspects were interesting and appealing. I think anyone who liked the story of the "Three Musketeers" would be sampling the book just based on the cover and title. As for the first few pages, I think I was drawn immediately by the author's writing style. The poetic writing of Rose's narration made the setting vivid and set the emotions in each chapter. The only problem for me was that the chapters were too short as if Rose was writing a diary. Accounting her escape from the boat was a bit tedious at it is broken in chapters. However, the writing style beckons me to read more of it. It's like a moth to a flame. The premise is also interesting. A lot of questions ran through my head as I went on reading; thus, I think I will read the rest of the book. I found no noticeable errors except for the formatting issue in chapter two in the beginning. I'm not sure if it was intentional to put the word of the sentence in the next paragraph to create a dramatic effect, but if not then it clearly is an error in printing. I found no official OBC review and not finding one had me in second thoughts whether to read the rest of the book. Reviews help me to know that character development of a book- a thing I consider first before deciding to read. But, I guess I'd take a risk with this one.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 4:13 am by briellejee.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Yoli García

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and I like the cover's design so I would have sampled this book without this program. I did not see an OBC review, but the Amazon description convinced me to read it. The story of Rose traveling to France to find her roots but ending up in the past fascinated me, as I am investigating my roots in Europe. I loved the sampled pages too. The book seems professionally edited. Rose suddenly hears explosions, feels pain, and she is on a boat. She is not on a kayak ride down in Southern France anymore. Instead, she is in the past. I thought this was a great beginning. I got a copy because I like the genre, the cover, and the storyline of the book.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 3:39 am by Yoli García.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Cristina Chifane

I wouldn't have come across this book without the first ten program. However, I love the classic cover and the title reminds me of my favorite books by Alexandre Dumas or Michel de Zevaco. There are only 3 customer reviews on Amazon, but I think the book has an exciting story. I've always enjoyed the idea of time travel, so Rose's return to 17th century France is a wonderful opportunity to bring to life the atmosphere of the epoch. The beginning of the novel is quick-paced and I could hardly wait to read more and find out what happens to Rose. I only noticed one extra comma in the pages I've read: "[...] into the dark (,) recesses of my mind [...]" (loc. 130 of 3094). The chapters are short and easy to read. I wish there were an official OBC review available so I could catch a glimpse of the entire story. Anyway, I'd like to add this book to my reading list mainly because of my endless devotion to D'Artagnan, Porthos, Athos, and Aramis.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 2:17 am by Cristina Chifane.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Catherine Hsu

If I had not read the sample, I would have read the book. It looks really interesting and I love the cover art. After reading the official sample, I have not changed my mind. The writing was really good, and I liked how the narrator in the prologue was unintroduced, but in chapter one the narrator's name and age were stated. The writing was also very engaging. Although I liked how short the first chapter was because it gave the last line more of an impact ("I was, at long last, able to open my eyes."), I felt like the chapters were a little short later on as well and it broke the flow of the narration sometimes when I would have preferred it to continue. It was professionally edited. I did not read an official review but that did not affect my decision.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 1:37 am by Catherine Hsu.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Susmita Biswas

The Five Musketeers by Pierre Chevalier is a science fiction novel. This is a story about Rose Archambault who got stuck in 17th century France. When I first saw the book cover, I didn't think that this could be a time travel story. It seemed like an action story. When I read the official onlinebookclub review and customer reviews, then I understood that this is a time travel story. I always like time travel stories, and when I read the first ten pages, I got to know that this book has a lot of twists and turns. I am going to read the whole book for sure. The editing is also very good. I didn't find any typos or grammatical mistakes.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 1:26 am by Susmita Biswas.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Jsovermyer

The cover art and title, The Five Musketeers, are both good and would cause me to pick up this book. This is an exciting historical time-travel book. This mixes two of my favorite genres: historical fiction and scifi fantasy. It has a lot of action at the beginning,but it was not clear how the main character went from kayaking in Southern France to being on top of a boat in the middle of a shootout. The story would be improved if more explanation of the time-travel event was given. Also I didn't like that she left her father, sick with cancer, and was vacationing in France. There wasn't an official review, so I made my opinion from my reading only. I didn't find any spelling or grammatical errors and believe that this book has been professionally edited. I thought the plot had a lot of holes and so will not be finishing this one.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 1:25 am by Jsovermyer.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Lorraine De Vos

I would have chosen to sample this book based on the interesting title of five instead of three Musketeers. After reading the first ten pages, I am captivated. The author has a beautiful writing style and manages to easily transport the reader into the moment. I liked the short chapters; it added urgency to the moments that played out in the beginning of the book, giving you that feeling of not knowing if the character will be shot or possibly drown. I believe the book was professionally edited; I did not notice any errors. Sadly there was no official OnlineBookClub review. There is currently nothing I didn’t like about this book and I look forward to reading it.

First Ten review added on June 3, 2019, at 1:13 am by Lorraine De Vos.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Mbrooks2518

I was immediately intrigued by the title, and I like the eye-catching cover. After reading the book's description on Amazon, I wasn't completely sure if I would want to read the entire book, which wasn't helped by the lack of an official review. However, the book has a very exiting opening, which sucked me in right away, which I always like in a book. So, I have decided that I will finish reading it.

Unfortunately, I did notice multiple editing mistakes, including a sentence on page 9. It says "Cold air stung my wet skin and I looked ahead desperate to find a place where I could take advantage of calmer waters so could make the jump across to the nearest bank." There should bee a comma after "stung my wet skin" and before "desperate." There should also be an I before "could make the jump."

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 11:51 pm by Mbrooks2518.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

LV2R

The book cover and title were both attractive. The Amazon Blurb summarized the book. Rose travels to France to search for her roots, she is caught up in what she thought was a re-enactment of a battle on a boat. She time traveled to the 17th century in France and teamed up with the Musketeers. I wanted to read the sample. Rose Davy is taking a tour in a museum and is wondering about the Musketeers and wished that she could “experience the history.” She wants to go kayaking on the rapids before leaving France. She finds herself in icy waters and then on a boat in a crossfire of men shooting at musketeers on the riverbank. She thinks it is a really good re-enactment taking place. I best liked that she is getting her wish to experience history and time travel back to the time of the Musketeers. This will lead to quite an adventure. The book seems to be edited well, as I did not notice any errors. There was no OBC review. I want to read this book because I like time travel books, and I am interested in the Musketeers and how Rose will get back to her dying father in the present time.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 8:46 pm by LV2R.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

AA1495

Had I not sampled the book, I would not have read it. I usually read pure romance books. However the cover (with the image of 5 swords against a royal red background) caught my attention. Having read the sample, the index caught my attention. The fact that the book had 86 chapters made it seem like a tiresome read. Further, while I liked the prologue and the map at the beginning of the book, I would have liked an introduction to the author as well. However, I thought that the author described Rose's thoughts and emotions well. In terms of editing and formatting, I would have liked more spacing between paragraphs. Further, there were times when both new sentences and new paragraphs had the same indentation. Since I do not read the genre usually, I will not be reading the rest of the book.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 8:14 pm by AA1495.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

lavellan

I probably would have not read the sample of The Five Musketeers if it had not been a part of The First Ten program. There wasn't a Book of the Day review for it so I wasn't sure of what to expect. The book did not seem like it was professionally edited and I noticed a few errors while looking it over. For example, "been" is not needed in the following phrase: "I recalled we'd all been stood in borrowed dry suits..." I thought that it was interesting the author was transported to the time of the Musketeers. I didn't like the pacing of the novel. It was divided into multiple short chapters that contained very little information. As a result, I will not read the rest of the book.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 8:05 pm by lavellan.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

HRichards

I might have picked this book up on my own as I really like the three musketeers. Having read the sample I will be continuing on with this book as I found it very exciting and close to my interests. The sample deals with a woman named Rose drowning in the modern times. She wakes up on top of the roof of a boat back during the time period of the musketeers in France. She relives the kayak trip that ended up with her drowning. The writing is pretty good, though I noticed a formatting error on the line "on a boat" that is shot down to a second line with no other words. Those who like historical adventures should like this book. It's very exciting. I have not read any other reviews of this book.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 7:34 pm by HRichards.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Chelsy Scherba

The book is well-edited overall, but “horses” in the way it was used in the sentence doesn’t need to have an apostrophe like: horses’. A young woman goes kayaking in France, capsizes, and finds herself back in the 1600’s in what she believes at first to be a battle re-enactment. The chapters are very short and seem to divide paragraphs which I don’t really understand the need for. I read through several that describe the woman’s confusion, but so far she is still experiencing a battle and can’t get off the boat she found herself on. A new chapter would be more appropriate if the scene changes, but that’s just my opinion. I really liked the cover image and title. The writing is pretty good and I’ll consider reading more because I enjoy historical novels. There was no review, so I’m not sure what to expect completely, but so far so good.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 5:15 pm by Chelsy Scherba.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sarah_Khan

I love the cover and title of this book. I definitely would have picked it up because I am a big fan of the 3 Musketeers. I liked the letter to Alexandre Dumas and the meaningful prologue. The actual story begins in a very exciting way. The first sentence is certainly memorable "Nobody should die like this". The book seems to be well-edited. The overall plot is exciting and the main character Rose seems likable. I look forward to reading the rest and seeing how this strong female lead makes her place with the musketeers. The beginning of the book was enough to convince me, so I saw no need to read an OBC review.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 4:26 pm by Sarah_Khan.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Kajori Sheryl Paul

'The Five Musketeers' is a book written by Pierre Chevalier. The title, blurb, and cover did a good job at convincing me to give this book a try.

The first ten pages leads me to believe that it is a time-travel romance. Rose Davy, with the permission of her cancer-afflicted father, left to visit the South of France. She faces an accident while on a kayak trip. She wakes up to find herself in a strange place atop a boat. She sees soldiers fighting off bandits. She believes it to be a convincing re-enactment. I like the concept of time-travel. I did not find any error. I consider it to be professionally edited. I will give this book a try as I like reading books of this genre.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 4:24 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

OliviaLouise

When I first saw the book and title, I thought this seemed very strange: someone trying to write a sequel to/imitation of The Three Musketeers? With no review to go off of, I dove in blind. What I enjoyed about what I have read so far is the language of the author. The narration is crisp and well-written. The description of Rose’s pain in the first chapter, for example, was realistic and believable. I also felt that the prologue did a good job of dispelling my initial concerns by explaining Dumas perspective of the era he was writing about, and how there is new information to be added. The book seems to be professionally edited, as I found no errors. All in all, I al looking forward to reading the rest of this book!

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 3:48 pm by OliviaLouise.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

sarahmarlowe randomeducator

The cover is very nicely done. I probably would have picked it up. I loved the sample, and I will be finishing this book. The plot is fast-moving and mysterious, and I love the premise that she goes back in time and meets the middle-aged Musketeers! There were a couple of editing issues, like this one: "The expressions on their faces, (delete comma) told me they were serious and out for blood." (Loc 120) I have not read an OBC review of this book.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 2:51 pm by sarahmarlowe randomeducator.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Mai Tran

It seems this book is loosely based on Alexander Dumas‘s Three Musketeers with an added time-travel twist. I normally enjoy time-travel plots, but I’m not sure if that alone can offer enough new elements to an old classic. I wouldn’t have read this book if it wasn’t for the program. The book seems well-edited, but I find it a bit slow for my taste. The is no significant story development after twelve chapters besides the fact that Rose has finally realized she is lost in time. I won’t continue to read this book due to a lack of interest.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 2:45 pm by Mai Tran.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

lisalynn

The cover of "At Swords Point" is absolutely beautiful. That alone is enough to make me look inside. The colors, font, title and artwork clearly communicate what kind of book this is. In the "Letter to Alexandre Dumas", it's not clear that someone else is the author of this text. The attribution at the end, Andrew Lang (1844-1912), explains the language use. I'd like to know up front that this is not part of the fictional story. Chapter One is only a few paragraphs long, and its odd formatting could be attributed to the poetic feel of this portion. It ties to the ending of the Prologue, which mentions kayaking in nearby rapids. At loc 104 there is one more odd line break. "I was—" and then next line even though there is plenty of room of the same line "on a boat." Maybe this is intentional by the author, but it looks strange. Perhaps if "on" was capitalized, it would appear more purposeful. The idea that protagonist Rose has time traveled and thinks she's in the middle of a battle re-enactent is a clever way to move the reader into the main premise of the book. We've been prepped for this by the blurb, otherwise, we wouldn't know quite what is going on yet. Immediately, she recognizes the uniforms of these soldiers as Musketeers, and the reader has a satisfying "ah-ha" moment. There's a choppy, disoriented feel to Rose's narration, which perfectly fits her confused state of mind. The chapters are extremely short, some only a few paragraphs. I guess that's why there are eighty-six of them. I love swashbuckling, mystery and intrigue. I'll put this on my list. No OnlineBookClub review influenced me.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 1:42 pm by lisalynn.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Kelyn

Had I not been a part of this program, the blurb about time-travel and the customer reviews might have encouraged me to take a look at the book. As I do not have an interest in historical fiction, the cover, title, and the author would not have had an impact. Reading the sample did not make me change my mind about not reading the book. I had a bit of a hopeful outlook when reading about the time-travel aspect (my favorite part), but that seems somewhat overwhelmed by the "history" aspect of the book. As I said, having little interest in historical fiction, I made the decision not to continue on and finish the book. The book appears to have been professionally edited. I found no errors.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 1:35 pm by Kelyn.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sweet Psamy

If I had not sampled the first ten pages of this book, I would have chosen to read it because of its compelling cover picture. I love battle mysteries. I would buy and read the whole book because I enjoy fight/battle stories.

Reading the first ten pages changed my mind about buying this book. This is because the story dwelt on the lady's predicatment (head injury) for too long. It made it boring. The book appears to have been professionally edited. What I like most in the bit I read was the cover picture. It was very attractive to me. It made me start reading the book.

I think starting the story with a dialogue majorly would greatly improve the story. The book did not have an official OnlineBookClub review that I saw. The lack of an official OnlineBookClub review did not affect my decision.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 1:34 pm by Sweet Psamy.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

CataclysmicKnight

The cover of this book is eye-catching, and the Musketeers are awesome. As such, I almost definitely would've looked into this even if it wasn't the book of the day.

The book started off with the main character suddenly thrust into the past, and then bounced back and forth between the main character discovering how they potentially arrived there and the action in front of her. This bouncing back and forth was a bit dull, but it only lasted for a few pages before things really picked up. The author is incredibly descriptive, and the action is made much tenser by the character feeling so out of place.

I didn't see any errors, and while I probably wouldn't have purchased the book, I'll certainly finish it sometime!

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 12:47 pm by CataclysmicKnight.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

srividyag1

The title and cover page clearly state that this book is historical fiction based on the classic The Three Musketeers. There is no official review available for this book. It would have given better insight into what to expect from the book. I read the Amazon blurb and reviews, which had given me an idea that this book is about time travel and the other two musketeers are now women. I read the sample where the protagonist Rose travels on a boat to France. We learn that she suddenly encounters D'Artagnan and the Musketeers. She has a concussion and demands to see a doctor unaware that she has travelled back in time. The book seems professionally edited and quite literary. Since I have not read the original classic, I think I won't be able to make the necessary references to the characters. Hence I won't be reading this book.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 12:36 pm by srividyag1.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

gen_g

I have not come across reviews of this book; it also seems professionally edited except for an error in the "Letter to Alexandre Dumas": "not only your characters live, frolic, kindly, and sane..." - if the list starts with a verb, it should all be verbs; otherwise, it lacks clarity. I'm not sure what it means.

I like how the author has split up the various experiences the protagonist feels into different chapters; i.e., shock in one chapter, curiosity in another, unease in yet another. I also like how the story starts right off when Rose Davy is immediately transported to a boat in Gascony, where she suddenly endures a wave of gunfire, as well as being unaware that her own physical body has been transported back to the time of the Three Musketeers. As for suggestions for improvement: there is a tendency to describe every thing going on; I personally think it unnecessary as it detracts from the plot - description is important, but not overly done. I will not be reading this book today, as the writing style (first-person narrative) is not my cup of tea.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 12:06 pm by gen_g.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Laura Ungureanu

I was enchanted by this book because I like books about books. However, I am not familiar with "The Three Musketeers", but I get that the author wonders what happened to them after the story ended. A review would've been helpful to decide if this book is for me. The sample was quite convincing. Rose suddenly wakes up on a boat in Gascony and she is in the cross-fire of a group of Musketeers. The plot captivated me, so I'm going to read this book in order to find out more about the story. There is no need for the comma in "The expressions on their faces, told me they were serious".

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 12:03 pm by Laura Ungureanu.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

gali

I loved the "Three Musketeers" novel, so I would have sampled the book on my own. A historical fiction tale that corresponds with the "Three Musketeers" and whisked one to their times sounds just the book for me! I love the combination of History and time travel tale. When Rose travels to France to search for her roots, she finds herself in 17th Century France, the times of the Musketeers. I loved that the book opened with a battle scene and held my breath when Rose founds herself on the roof of a boat. I also enjoyed the interactions between Rose and the other characters. I just noticed one minor error, a missing I in the following sentence: “Cold air stung my wet skin and I looked ahead desperate to find a place where I could take advantage of calmer waters so could make the jump across to the nearest bank." (Should be: "so I could make") – end of chapter 2. There was no official review, more the pity, but I will still give the book a chance. I enjoyed the sample, and I want to find out what happens next!

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 10:54 am by gali.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Kristy Khem

The cover design, title, and reviews were intriguing. I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction so the blurb didn’t appeal to me. I would not have picked this book to read. I liked the descriptions in the sample. Rose Davy finds herself on a boat with no memory of how she ended up there. Characters dressed like 17th-century musketeers are all around her. At first, she thought she was in a re-enactment, but soon realizes she has been transported to the past. I liked the time-travel twist to the tale. It was also amusing to find out that Rose couldn’t ride a horse which was the main mode of transport at that time. She made her mare spin around before d’Artagnan grabbed the reins. I didn’t like how short each chapter was. I felt like I was reading a kids’ book. I also disliked the lack of adequate dialogue in the first few chapters. Based on reading the sample, I don’t think I would enjoy reading this book so I wouldn’t buy and read it. There were no errors in the sample so I think the book was edited professionally.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 10:54 am by Kristy Khem.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sonya Nicolaidis

The thought of another book relating to the famed musketeers should have put me off, but I found myself excited and interested to find out what new approach this author would use. I really enjoyed the cover illustration, and found the use of maroon and gold very apt. There was no OBC review to rely on for a summary of the story, which is always disappointing. However, there were a few Amazon reviews which reflected much the same thoughts as I initially had myself, and these were very positive. In the sample there were a couple of grammatical errors, one of which was a misplaced comma in the sentence “I tried to delve deeply into the dark, recesses of my mind...” and a couple of minor issues with punctuation. However, the story flowed well and was very easy to read. I liked the occasional short, snappy sentences used by the author to vary the pace of the story and illustrate confusion. Perhaps the aspect I liked the least was the heavy emphasis on the battle that dominated most of the sample. However, this looks like a great idea for a book and one that appeals to my weakness for time-travel stories. I would read this book for sure.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 10:44 am by Sonya Nicolaidis.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

cpru68

This book opens with a woman named Rose who has been on a rafting trip. Apparently the raft has flipped causing her to hit her head and wake up in the 1600s to gunfire exchange and men dressed in strange clothing.

I liked the way that readers are brought back to the past so that the focus of the book, The Musketeers, can then begin. I thought it was a clever way for time travel to happen.

In location 125, I found a slight error with a missing word in this sentence: I looked ahead desperate to find a place where I could take advantage of calmer waters so could make the jump across to the nearest bank.

It should be: so “I” could make the jump across to the nearest bank. Other than that, I didn’t see any other mistakes. I have to assume this was professionally edited because there was no official review to go on for further advice.

I won’t be finishing this one because I read mostly non-fiction and time travel really isn’t something that interests me. I do appreciate the opportunity to have read the sample pages of this one, and I probably wouldn’t have found this without the online book club. I will send it out on my social media for others to look into.

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 10:36 am by cpru68.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Theresa Moffitt

The cover of this book was appealing to me. I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. I like the color and the images. The title is intriguing as I always loved Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers. I haven’t read a review of this book yet. The book begins with Rose Daly, a 26 year old from New York
City, traveling in France. She goes kayaking while there and is thrown off into the water. She awakens on a boat with people dressed in period clothing and believes she may have found herself in the middle of a re-enactment of some kind. The story is fast-paced and well-written. It seems to involve some kind of time travel. I believe the book was professionally edited because I only saw one error. On the third page of chapter 2, “I could take advantage of calmer waters so could make the jump across to the nearest bank”. Should have “I” between “so” and “could”. I would like to read a review of this book to see how it progresses. Sometime I find time travel stories can be predictable and not hold my attention. I like the author’s writing style. I would like to finish reading this book based on the first ten pages, but I would like to read a review of this book first to see if progresses into a more predictable time travel story that I wouldn’t enjoy. If that is the case, a review could change my mind

First Ten review added on June 2, 2019, at 9:41 am by Theresa Moffitt.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Total ~ 64%

The Five Musketeers earned a score of 64%.

In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 64% plan to read the whole book.

IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.

Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.

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