The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Down Heartbreak Boulevard
Because Down Heartbreak Boulevard 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.
Gabriella H
The Amazon page for this book wasn't available, so I sampled it through Barnes and Noble. I wouldn't have sampled it without this program because the title and book cover didn't attract me to it. My decision not to complete this book is based on the first ten pages. I felt the book started off slowly, and I would've preferred a gripping and action-packed beginning to hold my attention. I'm also not interested in the plot and reading a book set during the Second World War presently, and the OBC official review didn't endear me to it. It influenced my decision not to continue reading this book. My decision wasn't influenced by the editorial review, customer reviews, and lack of an OBC blurb. I believe the first ten pages were professionally edited, even though I saw an error. This is the error I saw, "Ted was a precocious, skinny, and idealistic teenager still whose mind was maturing at warp speed faster than his body." It should be "Ted was still a precocious, skinny, and idealistic teenager whose mind was maturing at warp speed faster than his body."
First Ten review added on November 28, 2022, at 4:53 am by Gabriella H.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Asma Aisha Ansari
As a fan of thriller novels, I was eager to sample this book based on its intriguing title and cover. The OBC review is well-written and further convinced me to take a look at the book. As for sampling the book, I found out that the book is more of a war fiction book than a thriller and hence, I'm not going to read the rest of the book. The book will be better received by fans of war books and historical fiction than people like me who prefer the C/T/M/H genre.
There's nothing in particular that I disliked about the book. The book seems professionally edited, as I didn't encounter any grammatical errors in the bit I read. I've no suggestions for improvement to offer. I didn't read the Amazon blurb, other editorial reviews, or customer reviews to make my decision to not read this book.
First Ten review added on November 28, 2022, at 4:51 am by Asma Aisha Ansari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Manang Muyang
The blurb on Barnes & Noble identifies the book's protagonist as Quinn Chase, a private investigator in New Mexico in the 1950s. The cover makes me imagine him as a descendant of Sherlock Holmes. The catchy title completes the package for me. I am a thriller fanatic, so I would have eagerly looked into the sample even outside the program. The book was available free from B&N, but I wasn't able to secure a copy or a sample for technical reasons. Pardon the pun, but that was heartbreaking! Not having had access to a sample, I could not comment on the editing or whether there was anything I liked. I did like that the blurb mentioned the characters who interacted with Quinn: Jimmy, a former gangster, and a female Soviet assassin. My suggestion would be for the author to market the book via Amazon so I could buy it if I like the sample. Right now, I only have the customer reviews and the OBC review to rely on. They are all very complimentary, but they did not convince me to buy the book without sampling it. So I am skipping the book for now.
First Ten review added on November 28, 2022, at 4:50 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Adrian Rondon Salazar
I liked the cover; the design is simple but striking. I love black and white movies from the last century, and this cover reminded me of those movies. So, I would have been interested in reading this book outside the program. The sample begins with a young socialist, where a social-political situation that seemed slightly boring to me was narrated. I'm sure it will all make sense later on; however, what I read did not seem interesting enough to want to buy it. I found no errors. I would have liked the story to start squarely with the detective and the crime he seeks to solve. There was nothing I liked. The official review on OBC was informative and helpful.
First Ten review added on November 28, 2022, at 4:45 am by Adrian Rondon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jeremie Mondejar
I'm happy to sample this book based on the cover photo because it simply signifies a serious matter in a man's life. I'm a part of this program, and I sampled this book through Barnes & Noble. The sample is all about young Theodore, who later changes his last name to Hall and later has a code name of "MLAD." I like historical novels, especially if they tackle topics like Hitler, Nazism, or World War II. I am very happy that I have a free copy of the book. (Thank you.) I like the story of the students' involvement in war, which makes me intrigued the most. The sample has no errors; there is no need for improvement, and I also don't see anything to dislike. I read the OBC review, which piqued my interest in reading further. Plus, this genre is one of my favorites.
First Ten review added on November 28, 2022, at 4:30 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Soraya Bayah
Based on the title, cover, genre, blurb, and reviews like OBC’s, I would not have considered reading this book. I believe this the result of my personal tastes and lack of interest in narratives that weave politics into them. Still, I have to admit that Lesley’s plan on the train carried out well and caused me to laugh. It seems she is well acquainted with such scenarios and has an unwavering courage. The horrendous scene of Hortensia did cause me to feel engaged. Still, I still am certain I would not enjoy reading the book since it heavily relays on politics. I will recommend it to those I know would enjoy all its aspects. I did not notice any errors so far. As for betterment, nothing could be noted, as the narrative flowed smoothly and nicely alternated between different locations and characters. I wish you luck with the sales of this book.
First Ten review added on November 28, 2022, at 3:50 am by Soraya Bayah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mutai Marshal
Because I found it hard connecting with both the book's cover page and title, I wouldn't have read this novel outside the First Ten program. The absence of an OBC blurb means I couldn't tell what this book is about. I wasn't able to access the book's sample. It means I can neither provide a concrete suggestion for improvement nor comment on the book's editing quality. Having read the OBC review and sampled some Amazon blurbs, I will not complete reading the novel because I am not looking for a crime thriller. I also didn't find anything worth liking due to the absence of a sample.
First Ten review added on November 28, 2022, at 3:38 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sou Hi
Without this program, I wouldn't have read this. The official review from OnlineBookClub, the cover, the blurb, and the ratings on Amazon are fine, but the book's premise is not my cup of tea.
Unfortunately, I like nothing in the bit I read. While the blurb and the OBC review note that this is a crime novel, the sample is filled with political and historical details. The editing is fine, but I would suggest a more suspenseful start. The sample can't pique my interest, so I won't buy the book. The OBC review was helpful in making my decision.
Error example: Rich Fields, another student in the group piped up as he took a gulp of his lager. -> There should be a comma after "in the group," as in "Rich Fields, another student in the group, piped up as he took a gulp of his lager."
First Ten review added on November 28, 2022, at 2:54 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
psychopathycathy
If I had not read the sample as part of the First Ten program, I would not have read the book. The Amazon reviews did not affect my decision. I am just not really interested in gang stories. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. I am not that interested in the subject still, though I did like the way the setting was described and how we were given historical context about Russia and America during this time period. I would not change anything but I would recommend this to people who enjoy the subject matter more and read crime and thriller. It was professionally edited. The official review on OnlineBookClub did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on November 28, 2022, at 2:27 am by psychopathycathy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jennifer Garcia 555
I am not a fan of his genre, the title, or the cover of this book. After reading the description and an official OnlineBookClub review, I would not pick this book to read. Historical fiction based on war time stories are not the types of books I enjoy. I read the sample pages and found it more interesting than I expected. I like that Theodore Hall was such a smart kid and did such an amazing job in school that he was able to skip grades. This book seems like it has some interesting information, but it could be improved with better dialogue between the characters. The conversations seems forced and awkward. For this reason I will not buy or finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on November 28, 2022, at 2:00 am by Jennifer Garcia 555.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stellah Chege
I love mystery novels, therefore I may have read this book based on the cover page and title only without sampling the first ten pages. I was however unable to sample the first ten pages due to their absence. The book did not provide me with a free sample. I did not see a blurb either. I cannot comment on the errors since I was not able to sample it. I suggest that the author provides a free sample in Amazon to help customers with a sneak into what they are expecting. I will not buy or read this book.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 11:43 pm by Stellah Chege.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jorge Leon Salazar
The cover and title look in keeping with the story and the crime and mystery genres. Hence, I think this title-cover combination should attract many interested readers. In general, I like crime and mystery stories. The blurb comments that the story is set in the 1950s and centers on detective Quinn Chase. The only customer review gives the book a perfect rating. The official OnlineBookClub review highlights that important historical explanations are presented to support the development of the plot. Based on these elements, I am prone to give this book a try. The first ten pages revolve around Theodore Hall, the gifted young who entered Harvard just as the war broke out in Europe. I liked the relevant historical comments regarding what was happening in the world, like the flight of European scientists to the US. It was striking that Theodore sympathized with communism and considered the Soviets allies of the United States in this war. In addition, his Jewish descent identified him against the Nazis. I found it interesting that, at Harvard University, two groups of students held contrasting views as liberals and conservatives. Plus, the fact that Harvard scientists were called to investigate issues associated with the war was striking. The most entertaining part was when Lesley and Millie went to check the train boarding and did some actions to prevent their fake passports from being examined in detail. It seemed paradoxical that the tissue box with the top-secret issue that MLAD (Theodore) gave them ended up in the hands of the agents. The editing looked outstanding, as I didn't see any details to comment on. As a whole, I did not see anything that I believed could be improved. The first ten pages were entertaining but did not completely capture me. They generated little expectation compared to other fictional stories related to World War II and its aftermath. Therefore, I will not read the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 8:04 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
I read historical fiction occasionally, but the cover and title of this book did not attract me and the blurb was too involved, so I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. The sample pages introduced Theodore well and his family history leading him to his work. It’s too bad he couldn’t have enrolled in Columbia remotely when he was 14. I couldn’t believe Lesley’s nerve in handing the agent the box of tissues with the equations and schematics inside. It seems like a suspenseful read, but I will not finish it because I am not invested enough in the story. I’m not sure if the book was professionally edited. I didn’t notice any grammatical errors other than an overuse of ellipses, which I think a professional editor may have caught. An example is this sentence on page 6, where a comma would suffice: “And as his scholastic mind matured…so did his desire to understand more of society’s ills.” Also, some of the dialog at Harvard in the first ten pages seemed like speeches instead of conversation. The featured OnlineBookClub review had no bearing on my decision. I did not notice any other reviews or ratings, but their absence did not influence me. A suggestion for improvement would be to make the blurb more concise.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 5:54 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
IconReviews
I would not read this book based on the cover, title, blurb, genre, customer reviews and the official OnlineBookClub review because I do not enjoy mystery books. I was not able to sample the first ten pages of this book. I cannot say if it needs modifications or if it was professionally edited. I won't be reading this book because it is not my genre of choice.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 4:47 pm by IconReviews.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
If Down Heartbreak Boulevard hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day, I would not have read the sample of it. I am not a big fan of historical fiction, which is why I knew I would not finish it after reading the description on Barnes and Noble and the official OnlineBookClub review for it. I found the scene with the two women trying to get onto the train humourous, but I understand they had to do what they could to ensure a ride on it. I did not find any grammatical errors, and there is nothing I can think of that needs improvement. I also found nothing to dislike about the book. There is an official OnlineBookClub review for this book, but I did not need to read this review to know this book is not for me.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 3:38 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yvonne Monique
The book cover has a suspenful image, but would not make me pick this book up if I would see it in a bookstore. The customer reviews, blurb and OBC review give a thorough description of the book, but do not convince me to read the sample if it weren't because of the First Ten programme. Thrillers and murder mysteries are not my favourite genres. The link to download the free copy did not work as it sent me continuously to an Amazon error page (screenshots can be provided). Therefore, I am unable to comment on the editing or writing style, unfortunately. After reading the review, I already decided that this book is not for me, and as there is no sample available, I have not changed my mind. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 3:29 pm by Yvonne Monique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
FunkyFlowerLady
Efren O'Brien's mystery/thriller Down Heartbreak Boulevard centers on the suspense surrounding the murders of two persons in Sante Fe. The opening scenario is very well written, and the thrilling element properly encapsulates what to expect in the following chapters. The writing style, which I believe was the best aspect of the book, is ideal for a mystery-thriller genre. I would have read this book regardless of the program because I enjoy mystery thrillers with good whodunnits. Nevertheless, the book's title, summary, and OBC review only heightened my interest in reading it. I read the first ten pages of the book and found nothing I didn't like and no faults, so I decided I'll finish it. I don't have any recommendations for the author because I believe they are doing an outstanding job with this gripping novel.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 2:37 pm by FunkyFlowerLady.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Heidi M Simone
Without this program, I would not have sampled this book. Sometimes, I’ll read a historical fiction book, but that alone would not have led me to sample this read. The blurb, title, and cover do not pique my interest. The OBC and customer ratings do not affect my opinion of the book.
The book could use another round of editing. For example, on Page 9 in the sample, in the line, “The bastard could care less if millions of civilians die or starve to death.”, the phrase should be, “couldn’t care less”, since using “could” means that there’s potential to care less.
I like how the author is bringing to light some aspect of WWII that I didn’t think about. For instance, the protagonist and his brother changed their Jewish last name to Hall to make things simpler. I also find it interesting reading the conversation Theodore is having with the other boys about Hitler and why he declared war. On the other hand, I’m not sure how I feel about switching scenes and Theodore is now MLAD. In general, the secretive spy feeling is not for me.
Due to the content and what I read, I do not plan on reading the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 2:01 pm by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
I could hardly guess anything about this book after seeing its cover, title, or genre. Without the program called the first ten, I would not have sampled this book. I could not find any customer or editorial reviews of this book. However, the OBC official inspired me to sample this book. Unfortunately, from the links given on the website, I could not find any free sample of this book. I cannot say whether or not this book is professionally edited because I could not find its free sample. I cannot say what I liked in the first ten pages or what I learned from the first ten pages because I could not find any free sample of this book. Sadly, I will not buy and read this book today because I could not sample the book. My suggestion to the author is to provide a free sample of this book to enable me to decide about purchasing it. The links provided to purchase this book are not working.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 1:08 pm by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kira Bonita Reece
Judging by the cover, genre, customer reviews, title, blurb, and the official OnlineBookClub review, this is a book I would choose to read. I like books that are filled with suspense and this one is filled with it as the OBC reviewer stated.
I cannot say if the book was professionally edited or not because I was not able to sample it. I won't be reading this book because there was no sample available.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 10:52 am by Kira Bonita Reece.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AntonelaMaria
I don't read much historical fiction. The synopsis didn't catch my attention. I haven't changed my mind after reading the sample. We follow young Theodore, a young Jewish man who changes his name and starts his studies at Harvard University. I'm not interested in the political aspect of the storyline. There is a helpful official online bookclub review of this book and some favorable reviews on review sites. I didn't notice any errors, and I wouldn't change anything about the book. The cover definitely gives off old-school spy vibes.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 10:11 am by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Andrada Madalina
"Down Heartbreak Boulevard" by Efren O'Brien is a historical fiction that presents a private investigator's activity. I liked the art design of the book cover and found it suggestive of its catchy title and intriguing blurb. I did not find any editorial reviews for this book, but I sampled it because of its positive customer reviews and excellent Official OnlineBookClub review. I did not find a Kindle sample of this book, but I read the book's free sample on Barnes & Noble. The book seems professionally edited. I only discovered a typographical error while I was reading its first ten pages: "Albuquerque" was misspelled in the prologue ("Location: San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and main train station in Albquerque "). I would not improve anything on the book because I enjoyed its mixture of crime and mystery and liked the captivating plot abundant in secret information and bizarre murders. Therefore, I will read the whole book because I am a fan of crime thrillers sprinkled with romance, and I am curious about Quinn Chase's investigations.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 6:56 am by Andrada Madalina.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Emy Katherine
The story follows the eventful journey of a private investigator named Quinn Chase, who finds himself helping the FBI solve the mystery of a double murder in Santa Fe. Things get pretty complicated when he also finds himself helping an old friend, Jimmy Shea, whose son's life is in danger after witnessing the murder of a scientist. As I do not read stories containing elements of history, I would not have read the book based on the genre, cover, and title. The OBC review was detailed but did not convince me to buy the book. Although the Kindle version was not available on Amazon, I was able to get a free sample from Barnes and Noble. Unfortunately, the sample did not convince me to buy the book, either. I liked that the story was told from multiple perspectives by using a descriptive writing style, but the book had editing issues. I would suggest another round of editing. For example, it should be written "The officer laughed and handed Lesley the box of tissues" or "The officer laughed and handed Lesley her box of tissues" in the following sentence: "The officer laughed, and handed Lesley her the box of tissues containing the top-secret stuff, and Lesley handed him her fake passport." (location 13 of 14) Considering the paperback format of the book has received many positive Amazon customer reviews despite the lack of editorial reviews, the story will appeal to fans of historical thrillers. As I did not like the Amazon blurb, which was too long and descriptive, I would suggest that the author make it more concise. More importantly, I highly recommend that the author make the Kindle version available on Amazon.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 4:33 am by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vidhi Adhikari
The book makes a good first impression with it's professional cover design, detailed description, simple title and scarce customer and OBC reviews. Since I'm not big fan of criminal books, I was excited to read the sample. Sadly, the book was not available for purchase on Amazon in India, neither did it offer a free sample. Had the sample been available, I would have been happy to go through the first ten pages, check for grammatical errors and give constructive criticism. But as I'm compelled to give feedback without actually going through the book and only relying on the details I found on Amazon, I might be interested in reading the book as the genre was of my liking.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 3:26 am by Vidhi Adhikari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rodel Barnachea
After going over the book’s Barnes & Noble page and official OnlineBookClub review, I decided not to purchase the novel. I am not fascinated by the friendship that Jimmy and Quinn have and if Quinn will accept his friend's request. I am not intrigued by the "mysterious" death of two people in Santa Fe that the FBI is investigating. I am not interested in finding out what will happen to Aiden now that his life may be in danger. Poring over its sample failed to change my mind. I would not purchase it because nothing in the text compelled me to read the rest of the book. The first ten pages cover a prologue and some pages of Chapter I. My favorite part is when Sax clarified that he is not a communist even though he believes in socialist ideology. I noted several instances where commas are missing, but the use of commas is optional during these instances. I believe the book is professionally edited. I have no advice to offer to the author.
First Ten review added on November 27, 2022, at 2:05 am by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
The cover is intriguing. Unfortunately, the link to Amazon is broken. I get an error message (I have the screenshot). So, I googled the book. The blurb is too brief. It explains who the main character is but not the story. The fact that Quinn is a PI hardly tells us something about the plot. The book has good ratings, but I need to learn more about the story to make a decision, so I would not have bought the book based on my first impressions.
Also, there's no sample. The Amazon search turns up a page for the paperback edition, with no "Look Inside" option or sample. So I can't comment on the first ten pages or their edition. I have a screenshot of this too. Hence, my main suggestion is to fix the link and offer a sample. Most readers are not willing to jump through hoops to buy a novel when there are a thousand others available that do offer a sample. The official OBC review didn't convince me to read the book because it's very hard to make a decision without a sample.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 8:51 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sushan Ekanayake
Down Heartbreak Boulevard by Efren O'Brien belongs to the Historical Fiction genre, which I usually do not prefer reading. The title and the cover page caught my attention. The blurb revealed that this was a suspenseful fiction about a murder investigation by a private investigator, and I love reading that sort of stories. The editorial reviews and the customer reviews spoke highly about the book. Based on the above facts, I would have sampled this book even if I had not been a part of this program.
Then I read the first ten pages, which described the murder events and the protagonist's friend's son being an eye witness of one incident. Although I liked the suspense that the author built from the very beginning of the story, the lengthy descriptions made me bored. So I decided not to continue reading after reading the first few pages.
There were no errors in the first ten pages and I did not see any area that could be improved. I saw the official OBC review, which spoke highly about the book. But it was not influential enough to change my decision.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 8:46 pm by Sushan Ekanayake.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kelsey Roy
I was initially intrigued by the cover and title of “Down Heartbreak Boulevard.” The cover art indicates a crime novel, which I love to read! The blurb identifies the historical fiction element, my favorite genre. I am very intrigued by the premise of this novel with its mention of the FBI, the 1950s, and murder. I am excited to read this book.
The link is not working on the OBC website to download the free book, and I, unfortunately, could not find a sample online. I read the description on Amazon and found no errors. I am intrigued by the concept of the book. Gangsters AND stolen American atomic secrets? Wow, this book sounds thrilling. My only recommendation is to have a working link to download the book. That was the only thing I disliked regarding this book. I would love to eventually download and read this book.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 8:22 pm by Kelsey Roy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Julie Gebrosky
If I had not been part of this program, I would have sampled the book. The OBC review made me want to read the book. Also the genre appeals to me. After reading the first ten pages, I do not plan to finish the book. I found the book too confusing with the different characters introduced. Plus I don’t have a lot of knowledge of socialism versus communism. I did not find any errors. The book was fast-paced though and interesting; it just went over my head.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 8:15 pm by Julie Gebrosky.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Amy Luman
The cover is black and white with the title in red. It definitely caught my attention. I’m not sure what the title references. I couldn’t find any editorial reviews of this novel, but the customer reviews were excellent. The OBC review describes this as historical fiction, so I won’t be reading it. My favorite part was how the story was set in New Mexico. This piece has been professionally edited, and I see nothing to change.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 3:42 pm by Amy Luman.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'Down Heartbreak Boulevard' is written by Efren O'Brien. The book seems to be a murder mystery. I really liked the OBC review. It is quite detailed. However, I could not find a sample on Amazon. The Kindle edition was also not available. So, I will not be able to comment on the pros and cons as well as the editing of the book. The cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer review are great. However, I will skip this book for now as I do not want to read books of this genre as of now.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 2:34 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
SweetSourSalty AndSpicy
The cover, title, and blurb did not make much impact on me to sample the book outside the program. Customer reviews are positive. Surprisingly, sampling changed my mind to finish the book. I liked the storyline and the storytelling. The crime and mystery were intriguing, and the historical background was informative. I have no suggestions for improvement. Likewise, I did not notice any editing issues from the sampled pages. The official OnlineBookClub review has helpful insights.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 2:10 pm by SweetSourSalty AndSpicy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Nemanja Jankovic
I would choose to read the book sample based on the assumption that the book's cover indicates that it is detective fiction. The book's title did not leave me with a strong impression. I read the blurb and the Official OnlineBookClub review, but only the customer review by Patrick Barb, who noted that the book is noir fiction, affected my decision. There is no editor reviews online. Quinn Chase looks like a highly intriguing and complex character, so I will read the novel. Other than the one minor typo I noticed (Oh, my lord - Oh, my Lord) the book appears to have undergone thorough editing. Because it sounds real and is based on historical facts, I found the way atmosphere among the various student groups at Harvard was described to be quite interesting. Nothing in the book, in my opinion, needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 2:07 pm by Nemanja Jankovic.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Christell Lindeque
Please be aware that I was unable to successfully download the book from Amazon after following the provided link. An error message kept popping up, and the book could not be located on Amazon.
Not being able to read the first ten pages was disappointing since I could not review it or see any mistakes.
However, I can tell you that the plot is interesting and that the main character's life is in danger because he witnessed a scientist being murdered, based solely on the title, cover, and OBC review. The reviewer praised the book for its suspenseful plot. Many readers will enjoy this book, but I personally am not a fan of thrillers and therefore will not be purchasing or reading it.
I apologize for giving an incomplete review due to unfortunate circumstances.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 1:35 pm by Christell Lindeque.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
I was not impressed by the cover or the title. The blurb made the book sound very complicated. The OBC review was positive, but I was still not convinced to read the book. I like the "stammtisch" scene where the students discuss the war. It made it easy to understand the buildup of the war during that time period. I did not find any errors. I am not going to finish reading the book because it is a sequel. I do not have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 12:14 pm by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ohna Martin
I would love to read this book, whether I was part of this program or not. I love the genre. I like the fact that the story has room for more than one plot line. First, the request from Jimmy and then Quin's son that is in danger gives room for variety and it should certainly give suspense. The cover screams mystery and fits the story perfectly along with the name. There is nothing about this book that I dislike. I found no spelling or grammar mistakes. Apart from the OBC review no other review or blurb influenced my decision of this review. I have no suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 11:12 am by Ohna Martin.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Bertha Jackson
It is always disappointing when I come across a BOTD with a cover, title, and genre that interests me, and no book sample is available. The OnlineBookClub review reinforced my desire to read the book, but the only format available on Amazon was paperback which I prefer not to read. Goodreads had an e-book version, but I would have still had to pay for it without sampling it. The blurb, customer reviews, and editorial reviews do not influence my decisions to read books. As stated earlier, there were no book samples, so I cannot comment on likes, dislikes, or editing. I recommend that the author provide a sample of this book. I will not purchase and read this book because I need to sample it to ensure it is worth the money I would have to spend to read it.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2022, at 10:56 am by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 22%
Down Heartbreak Boulevard earned a score of 22%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 22% 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.
Go to main Bookshelves page for Down Heartbreak Boulevard
