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Donovan's Bookshelf

COMMENTS AND ACCOLADES FROM
WRITERS AND PUBLISHERS


More Accolades for 2025

Rebecca LaChance, PhD, Co-author, Widows Among Us: "I am writing to commend Diane Donovan for her review of our book, Widows Among Us: Stories and Insights.  My co-authors and I were so pleased to read Diane's review.  Her review was very astute and noted important information that other reviewers did not. She was very clear in her communications with me about what we could expect and how our book would fit into her workload. She absolutely met the timeline she shared.  My co-authors and I are very happy with Diane's review and personal interactions.”

Michael Zajaczkowski, Author, The Color of Dreams: "Diane was extremely responsive and communicated with me step by step. That's a relief when working with just about anyone these days! She told me exactly what her process was, what to expect--and when--and she followed through exactly as she described. It was a pleasure to have this type of communication. Since I wasn't ready to release the book, and didn't have all the details yet, Diane gave me an expanded window which I followed up on just a week ago. Once again, she was super responsive and has incorporated my updated details and we are on target to have her review released when my book releases in May. Overall, working with Diane was a wonderful experience.”

Sean Sayers, Author, Hoplight Ridge: "I’ve received several reviews for my novel Hoplite Ridge, but none have captured its depth the way Diane did. In just a few words, she conveyed what took me six years to craft—perfectly reflecting the heart and purpose of the book.”

Jeff Weitzel, Author, Creation’s Journey: "I went and read a number of her reviews of other books. I saw a vast array of differing genres and probably even opposing viewpoints. Her reviews all seemed objective and positive, judging the books on their own merits rather than her personal views. I did not see any reviews covering religious topics, however, and know that religion can be a touchy subject for many, so I was still a little apprehensive how the review would turn out. After receiving the review a few days ago, I am pleased to say that she was able to maintain complete objectivity in my review and was actually one of the only reviewers who have read my book that actually took the time to understand the point of my writing. I give this reviewer five stars!”

Orest Stelmach, Author, Incrdible, Legendary, Obvious: "Diane Donovan did a wonderful job. Her review was remarkably thorough and left no doubt that she'd read the book carefully, an act that simply cannot be taken for granted. Her review was thoughtful, balanced and kind. I'd also like to note that Diane suggested she'd be back to me with a draft of her work around March 10 when I submitted it to her on January 17. Today, she beat her own ambitious deadline. It seems uncommon for anyone to be true to his word today. I'm so grateful.”

Morgan Hatch, Author, Gone to Ground: " There is never any greater compliment than having someone read your work with an open mind then share their impressions. Not only was Diane Donovan's review thorough (no small feat given the number of threads) but it was well written and insightful. Having just started doing reviews myself, I know how hard literary criticism is (not that my books is literary), and Diane has lent credibility to her opinions with a well crafted review that melds a pithy rundown of plot and character with reflective analysis. GONE TO GROUND is thriller/suspense with a sprawling plot that Diane deserves an award for covering accurately. (BTW Kirkus blew it and had me gagging.)

I particularly was fond of her use of quotes. Her choices aligned well with what I would consider some of my favorite sections, a new thrill for me I haven't previously experienced.  My work was respected by a writer whose writing I respect.”

Susan Fleet, Author, Unsolved: ”Perfect, Diane. You do such great reviews. I especially loved!!! how you portrayed Lily and her relationship with her father and others, which is so important. [another reviewer didn't even mention her ]. Bravo and big thanks!! ”

Susan Fleet, Author, Unsolved: ”Perfect, Diane. You do such great reviews. I especially loved!!! how you portrayed Lily and her relationship with her father and others, which is so important. [another reviewer didn't even mention her ]. Bravo and big thanks!! ”

Mark Matthews, Author, To Those Willing to Drown: "I am writing with a quick note about Diane's review of my novel To Those Willing to Drown.

Just want to applaud the work she does. Not only due to the positive nature, but the depth she gives, and the insight, and the angles she takes to support her views. It's clear she reads deeply and thinks critically, and takes the time and effort to write up her reviews. (Not all review outlets can say the same - I once had a Kirkus Review that cited plot points that did not even take place in the book)

From reading other reviews from Diane, not just of my novels, but of other works, it's clear she's a gem.”

Dorothy Love, Author, A Season in Saigon: "I’m grateful for your careful reading of the manuscript. I sent it to several other reviewers who work with independent authors and one of the reviews, while entirely positive, seemed stilted, as if it might have had help from AI…I can tell from your review that you actually read the story and thought about the themes I tried to convey, and that is so important to writers in establishing credibility even after 20 previously-published books.

In a time when AI is infiltrating every aspect of publishing, it is clear to me that Diane actually read the novel, thought about what I was trying to convey, and delivered a review that succinctly captures the essence of the story.”

Mary Lane Potter, Author, The Body Leads the Way: " Diane communicated the review process clearly and thoroughly, from her first contact with me to her email of a draft of her review, which put my mind at ease. I felt confident in her professional yet personable hands all through the process.  

Diane also did an outstanding job reviewing my book of creative nonfiction, which is not necessarily an easy read given its scholarly content and variety of creative structures. She understood this unusual book perfectly--it's pieces, the whole, its tone or mood, and its structural movement or arc. I highly respect her work as a reviewer. ”

Reiner Prochaska, Author, Bergthora's Saga: A Heathen Revenge in a Christian Iceland: "I am obviously pleased that Diane liked my book and discussed what she perceived to be its strengths. But it goes far beyond that. I am deeply grateful for how carefully Diane read my book and dug as deeply as anyone could to understand characters, plot developments, themes, and historical/social/cultural aspects. After five years of writing this book, I am not sure I could have conveyed some of these critical ideas as elegantly as Diane does.”

Keith Burton, Author, Shadows of Sobriety: " I'm writing to express my deep appreciation for Diane Donovan’s thoughtful and insightful review of my memoir, Shadows of Sobriety: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Healing a Family Legacy. Her ability to capture the essence of my story and present its themes with clarity and depth has been truly remarkable. I would also like to share that Martha Bullen of Bullen Publishing Services, who has worked closely with me over the past year to help bring my memoir to life, holds the deepest regard for Diane.

Adrian Rosenbusch, Publisher, The Hollywood Unicorn by Christine Burch: "Diane gave the most insightful and detailed editorial review we’ve received to date. It was absolutely deserving of special mention. Thank you so much! ” 

Don Hurzeler, Author, The Geezer's Guide to Adventure: "I can tell from Diane's writing that she is an excellent writer...much more professional in her approach than mine.  I appreciate that ability.  However, what I like best about her reviews is SHE GETS IT.  She understood exactly what I was attempting to do with my new book and succinctly and interestingly summarized the content.  I just love it. I can not just use the review to sell books, I can use it to help consumers make informed decisions. ” 

Charles P. Collins, Author, The Remembering: Of Leather and Stone: "I just wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how much I appreciated the work that went into Diane Donovan’s review of my book, The Remembering: Of Leather & Stone. In particular, the structural analysis of the work and the highlighting of key thematic messages that might otherwise be overlooked by prospective readers, make her review a thoughtful guide for readers to understand what they might experience, and what to look for on multiple levels.”

Paul Drugan, Author, Forgiving Dr Jekyll: "I recently had my book "Forgiving Dr Jekyll" reviewed by Diane Donovan and was impressed by her professionalism and insight into the main theme of my message. First, the process was seamless for a neophyte author. I am in the process of publishing my first time and your option of a paid review from such a revered institution as the MBR lends a credibility to my work that is unmatched in the industry. It will help me immensely.

I have other reviews and they are good, but Diane obviously did a thorough read and pondered "what it all meant" before writing hers. It shows in her succinct report. She nailed it.”

George St. Georges, Author, Ai: Opening: "It is a great pleasure to let you know what wonderful work Diane Donovan did on my review. I'm not saying this because it is positive, but because I sent her a very difficult novel, multi-layered, with some extremely troubling themes, and that touches all three rails---religion, politics, and child abuse. And she nailed it. What I did pay for was for someone to give an unbiased opinion, and what Diane chose to bring out accurately and beautifully captured one of my main intentions in writing this book, namely, to get people to talk with one another about the issues it brings up. Another goal I had was to write something worthy of replacing The Scarlet Letter. Her recommendation for "group discussions in classroom settings" is more than germane. Even though Thomas Umstattd cautions that reviews reveal more about the reviewer than the book, Diane transcended that, and I am more than pleased with her very fine work.”

C. Behrens, Author, Alexander Hamilton’s Wish for Battlefield Glory: "Diane Donovan does an amazing job with her reviews. As I got closer to releasing my second book, I thought of Diane first. I thought of her ahead of Kirkus and others. She was the first one to review this new book. Diane reviewed my first book many years ago, and I was very impressed with her attention to detail and for pointing out so many unique aspects of the story. Her reviews are head and shoulders above the rest, and I am very thankful for her latest review on my new book. Also, the timing was crucial as I am sending out a press release and was hoping to include a blurb. I was able to include some of her comments and am thrilled about how they were incorporated into the press release. What really impressed me with this second review were the lines from the story that she chose to quote. The lines she chose were the ones I revised the most and agonized over for a very long time. To see those lines included gave me chills! What are the odds?! She also praised the illustrator, leaving nothing untouched.  It's a special talent to be able to condense so much information into just a few short paragraphs and to do it in such a timely fashion. I can't thank her enough for in depth reviews and kind praise!”

Lory Jones, Author, It Happened One Morning: "Diane did a great job reviewing my book, "It Happened One Morning...", a romcom fantasy. Diane did more than just highlight certain events; she really dug deep into the powerful undercurrent of my novel's story and characters, something none of my other reviewers have done so far. This shows a thoughtful approach and refreshing curiosity about the main character, his personality and his challenges.”

Jeff Markowitz, Author, The Other: "Starting with her first communication and continuing to this day, Diane has done an excellent job of explaining exactly how the review process would work and what I could expect. She more than lived up to those expectations.”

Mariko Tatsumoto, Author, Blossoms on a Poisoned Sea: "I had the pleasure of working with Diane Donovan for a review of my latest historical fiction BLOSSOMS ON A POISONED SEA. When I first contacted her she responded within a day with clear instructions on how to make payment, how to send an ebook and the necessary format, and the expected timeline. Her review arrived right on time, certainly earlier than expected. Most reviews take exorbitant amount of time and communication with reviewers are usually cryptic, at best. But Diane’s responses were always professional, explanatory, and enthusiastic. So refreshing! My publisher was also very pleased with her promptness and comments.”

Liz Hartley, Author, Trust Not the Heart: "Diane responded quickly, with clear and precise instructions about how to submit my work and what I could expect. She answered my questions just as quickly, and the review was returned to me on time, despite this being a busy time of year. When she returned the review, she also included a very clear explanation of how the review could be used and how it was to be referenced. Diane’s review was thorough and managed to capture the kernel of the conflicts in the book in a concise manner, something I’m not sure I could have done. She also chose a quote from the book that showed the female protagonist’s internal conflict clearly, also something that can be tricky to do.  In all, I found Diane’s work professional, careful, and complete.”

Joan Donaldson, Author, Ae Fond Kiss: "Diane Donovan wrote a stellar review for my new novel, Ae Fond Kiss, and noticed elements in the plot that no one else had considered. She is a gem to work with!”


More Accolades for 2024

Steve Hardiman and Pat Black-Gould, Authors, All the Broken Angels: "We've had a few professional reviews, and I've noticed a pattern. All have been positive, but the more critical of them always get a few things wrong that are "tells" they did not thoroughly read the book. My takeaway is that the details of the story add depth rather than just higher resolution and finer grain. For example, some were distracted by the frequency of the back-and-forth timeline, but the deep readers never complain about that. Of course, that was a difficult editing decision, but we are encouraged by our "deep" readers; they don't seem bothered by it. Instead, the jumps create implicit cliffhangers without the need for manufacturing them by ending chapters too early and without resolution. I share that observation because it is clear that you did indeed read the book thoroughly enough to get the subtext in dialog and nuances in narration. Pat and I deeply (pun intended) appreciate your dedication to the responsibility of writing professional reviews that readers rely on to choose how to spend their precious reading time there never seems to be enough of. Thank you again, not simply for (of course) your kind words, but for honoring your profession.”

Fred Gracely, Author, Moon Spirit: "Diane sent me her review of my latest novel, Moon Spirit. She did a wonderful job with the review. I love how she digs in a little deeper to provide insights into the themes and messages within the books she reviews. That is of great value to readers and industry professionals (teachers, librarians, etc.). Moon Spirit is a complex book, and she delighted me by seeing some of the layers that run below the surface.” 

Dave Tabler, Author, Delaware from Freeways to E-Ways: "Diane’s review of my book Delaware from Freeways to E-Ways" was thorough and insightful, demonstrating a deep engagement with the material. I particularly appreciated how she captured the book's core strength in connecting individual stories to larger historical trends, noting how the book "roots them in the personalities, experiences, and spirit of individuals and communities” 

Scott Sundby, Author, Wordsworth in Bogota: "I don't see how she does it given the number of books she reads, but Diane’s review reflected a thoughtful and thorough reading. She also has a knack for phrasing that allowed me to use a number of her observations in my promotional materials. Since in today's world it seems we're all too quick to point out when things are amiss, I hope it is okay to have taken a moment to praise someone who takes her position seriously and does it well.” 

Jerry Masinton, Author, Dead Sure: "Not long ago Diane Donovan reviewed my novel Dead Sure.  A few years ago she also reviewed Wrong Man Down, my first novel.  I want to say that Diane’s work is always excellent.  She writes with verve, and she always knows the right elements in a novel to emphasize for potential readers.  I want to add that she is always prompt and a pleasure to work with.” 

Nancy Stancill, Author, Deadly Secrets: "I just wanted to let you know what a great job Diane did on the review of my new book, "Deadly Secrets."  It was by far the most literate review I received and she was lovely to work with on it.

She is absolutely excellent. I wish that all the reviewers I work with took the time to understand the book and write about it with authority.” 

Casey Walsh, Author, The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared: "I wanted to take a moment to let you know of the stellar experience I had with reviewer Diane Donovan. 

In strong contrast to a poorly written review I just received from a reputable (and pricey!) outlet, Diane’s review of my forthcoming memoir, The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared, was insightful and so well done. In fact, she saw things in my story and represented it in a way that was somewhat different from the typical interpretation, which I deeply value. She obviously gave it a close read and wrote a review that clearly reflected the thought she put into it. 

Not only that, she was timely, responsive, and professional in all interactions.” 

Janice Smith, Author, Look 'N Up Invasion: "I just received my draft review of my novel, Look 'N Up Invasion. I was referred to her by many happy authors on the Author's Guild Forum. Many of them were fortunate enough to have their books reviewed by Diane, and they were all very pleased, as am I. She must be busy, but she gave my book a thorough, thoughtful and insightful read. She picked up my underlying themes and eloquently brought them to the fore.  The way she offers an opportunity for us to review her review in advance and correct any misinformation is quite extraordinary. I also love the appeal to libraries at the end. Receiving this valuable review means a lot to me as a debut author. Thank you, Diane, and the Author's Guild for this opportunity.” 

Linda Kent, Author, Love Heals All Wounds: "I recently had my book, Love Heals All Wounds, reviewed by Diane Donavan.  I was very pleased with her review.  She added the depth of what the book was about for readers to explore in their own life.  I appreciated her sensitivity to the context of the material and stories I shared that she brought to life in her review for potential readers.  There are very profound messages and stories in my book that only those who are ready will receive. 

I am in the process of writing my next book and I look forward to having Diane do an additional review.” 

Pat Black-Gould, PhD, Author, All the Broken Angels: "My co-author and I are honored to have received a wonderful review. We can't thank Diane Donovan enough for her thoughtful and detailed review of All the Broken Angels. She perfectly captured the themes, era, and characters and even highlighted parts of the dialogue.  

We've worked with other reviewers and read reviews of other books. Sadly, not all reviewers are this thorough or have the ability (or interest) to capture a book's essence and formulate a solid review. So, when we received Diane's review, we were genuinely grateful. Not only that, Diane added a note to librarians about the book-- right when we're approaching libraries. To me, that's going the extra mile.” 

Karl Weber, Publisher, Rivertowns Books: "Diane has reviewed a number of our books over the past few years, and her work has been timely, accurate, and clear. I’m always happy when you ask that we send our books to Diane for review, because I know we will get a quality review from her.” 

Elise Keitz Harlow, Author, When Bone Melts: "I am reaching out to share how pleased I am with the book review I received from Diane Donovan. She reviewed my novel When Bone Melts and turned around a thoughtful and comprehensive review ahead of schedule. I can tell that she deeply engaged with the characters and the intent and themes of the novel, rather than quickly churning out a summary. I am very grateful to her for her care.” 

Tess Raynes, Author, Gone Mia: Deadly Deception: "I wanted to reach out to express my sincere appreciation for the outstanding work Diane Donovan did on her recent review of my book, Gone Mia: Deadly Deception. Diane’s thoughtful insights and engaging commentary were not only helpful but conveyed an understanding of the nuances in my work that I am grateful to have recognized. 

Diane’s professionalism and prompt communication made the entire process seamless. Her review exceeded my expectations and I am sure it will prove valuable in generating interest among readers. I am truly pleased with the experience and would highly recommend Diane's services to other authors and publishers.” 

Beth Dotson Brown, Author, Rooted in Sunrise: "I want to let you know that I appreciate the opportunity for Diane Donovan to review my book. She sent me the review this week and it captures important parts of the book that I hoped readers would discover. She's also easy and professional to communicate with. 

The Author's Guild message board has been lighting up with praise for her work.” 

Ed Morykwas, Author, Aurora and the Whispering Jewels: "I received Diane's excellent review today -- sooner than predicted -- and very professional.  I'm pleased that she clearly spent time reading the text and studying the illustrations.  To put it in a brief sentence: she GOT it. She didn't just do a cookie-cutter job; she treated my work with care and respect.”

Copernicus Paul, Author, Bunker Mentality: "I write you from London at the moment with feedback about Diane, the reviewer of my work. I couldn't be more pleased at her professionalism, timeliness, and candid assessment. It was my intention to convey multiple threads woven for the story. She grasped all of them and reported back with clarity and strong understanding of what I was attempting. She is quite good, if not exceptional, in a world where far too few operate at such a superb level.”

Janet Zinn, LSCW, Author, In the Time of Coronavirus: "Last night I received an email from Diane Donovan with a review attached for my recent book, In the Time of Coronavirus.  I was happy to read the review.  Her kind words and clear reading of the book were professional and thorough.  She did not sugarcoat her review.  Nor was it so outlandishly positive to seem as if it came from my mother.  I assure you, Diane is not my mother.  What I appreciated about the review was it’s balanced commentary about the book.  WhileI’m very pleased it’s a positive review, I am grateful that this review is balanced.”

Robert Boog, Author, The Trial of William Shakespeare: "These days, there are plenty of people who will use AI to review books but Diane did not. I could tell by her comments that she took her time and wrote a thoughtful review that showed she read the book from cover to cover.”

Loretta Goldberg, Author, Beyond the Bukubuk Tree: "I want you to know how happy I am with her review. She did a deep dive, placing my work in relation to the abundance of WWII fiction, and made it clear that I explore mature themes in explored in the novel but endorsing it to libraries for the way both the military action and interpersonal relations are handled.” 

R. Christian Bohlen, Author, Miracle at Angels Bend: "It’s so important to me as a Christian writer that the reviewer has a sense for the spiritual value of a book. I invested 12 years into this book and I feel that she gave it a careful review and articulated many of the design elements that I prayerfully placed in my book.” 

Art James, Author, Untertauchen: "From the outset, Diane Donovan was professional, courteous and knowledgeable.  She proved her abilities in the choice of words, style and manner of rendering the review.  Her unwavering attention to detail is excellent.  And she has a gift for ferreting out the core of the story that makes her review stand tall.” 

Steve Bellinger, Author, Lines of Force: "Just wanted to mention the great job that Diane Donovan did on the recent review of my latest book Lines of Force - The End of the World as we Know It. As was true with the reviews she did for my other books, her review was not just an opinion of the story and my writing. It was an analysis, carefully done to not include spoilers. I think it does an excellent job of helping a reader decide if they would want to read my story.”

Andy Romanoff, Author, Stories I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: "Diane Donovan writes a terrific review! Yeah, you might think it's easy for me to say that because Diane wrote a complimentary review of Stories I've Been Meaning to Tell You but it's not just that. It's because she found a couple of perfect pull quotes, proof she had done more than skim the book, and her commentary further made it clear she had really r e a d the book.

I also love the way she gave her readers multiple reasons they might want to check out the book. Diane describes what readers will find in an attractive fashion. I like that a lot.”  

Jo McCarty, Author, Call Me Adam: "Just wanted to share my thanks and appreciation for Diane Donovan's review of my book CALL ME ADAM. She did a lovely job, and as I told her, I feel like she described the book better than I did in my many pitch letters to agents and publishers. If she had written my query letter, maybe I wouldn't have self-published!

Diane tapped into some things that I haven't seen noticed or mentioned in other reviews as well. I really appreciate the time and effort she took to write this review and help other readers to decide if it's the right book for them.”  

Vera Bell, Author, Into the Lure of Time and Through the Veneer of Time: "…what a wonderful job Diane has done on both my books. Her writing is top-quality, engaging, and gets to the heart of the story. It is clear she took the time with each novel, even finding the perfect dialogue excerpts to augment her reviews.”  

Stephen Evans, Author, Funny Thing Is: "Diane clearly was able to absorb what I consider a wide-ranging and sometimes complex text,  understand it, and express her own thoughts with clarity and precision. I am most appreciative.” 

Xiuwu R. Liu, Author, Wandering from China to America and Deflating Human Beings: "Yesterday, Diane’s two reviews arrived in my Inbox one day ahead of schedule. The two books are very different but both of her reviews show the keenest intellect at work, plus catholic tastes, an eye for the telling detail and graceful turns of phrase. Her answers to my questions and suggestions were immediate and to my complete satisfaction. 

With her 50,000 reviews, surely a Guinness world record, she's a national treasure.”  

Terrence Poppa, Author, Gray Wrath, Cauldron of Wrath and Finding Ricky: "Diane did reviews of two other thrillers of mine, Cauldron of Wrath and Finding Ricky. One review was very positive, the other more restrained, but both showed her insightful grasp of the most important elements of the stories. I suggested a couple of very minor edits and she replied very promptly, like with half an hour. Given the phenomenal amount of reviews she does every month and her other literary activities, I was flattered to hear back so quickly from her.  

She's a gem of a lady and also a genius.”

S.M. Stevens, Author, Beautiful and Terrible Things: "In a day and age in which "reviews" are often merely re-hashes of the plot, it is refreshing to have a reviewer put the effort in to actually review the quality of the writing and the story. Diane even cited a few excerpts to make her points, and offered insightful analysis of the book's messages and themes. Further, Diane was a complete professional to work with: timely and organized.” 

Bryan M. Byrd, Author, Surviving Paradise: " I appreciate Diane Donovan as a reviewer of my new book, Surviving Paradise: the Perils and Pleasures of the Caribbean. She did an exceptional job of detecting the main and subtextual topics, and attributes of the story, and represented them very well in her review.”

Leslie Tall Manning, Author, Feral Maril & Her Little Brother Carol: " I just wanted to let you know how please I am with Diane Donovan's editorial review for my upcoming book Feral Maril & Her Little Brother Carol. I only request reviews from upstanding sites, and I am thrilled with how professionally and respectfully she worked. Her review (which is a stellar one!) is written with as much care as any large newspaper publication or magazine. Hats off to Diane!”

James Aylott, Author, Tales of Whisky Tango from Misery Towers: " Diane Donovan did a great job reviewing my novel Tales of Whiskey Tango from Misery Towers. My writing tends to push the envelope past the point of a papercut in terms of rawness. Thankfully she looked at my novel from an unbiased literary perspective and provided a useful review for marketing purposes "   

Robert Dees, Author, The Power of Peasants: Economics and Politics of Farming in Medieval Germany and The Malthus Fraud A Brief History of England: 4000 BCE – Yesterday: " Diane Donovan did a great job reviewing my 3 books. I was worried that the 1,794-page, 2-volume work on medieval German ag might be overwhelming, as it was for previous reviewers. I don’t think the person at Kirkus Reviews really even read it; that review gives the impression of someone dipping into the text here and there to pull out a quote or two to give the impression that they’d read it, but showed no understanding of what the book was even about. Diane, however, clearly plowed (pun intended) through the whole thing, grasped what the message was, and effectively explained its importance for readers."   

Daniel Caulfield, Author, The Next Minute, Everything Will Change: "Diane was such a great, easy person to work with and I am very pleased with her insightful review. I have been reaching out everywhere for reviews and my experience with Diane has been, by far, the most seamless and the best." 

Barbara Robinson, Author, A Cure for Spring Fever: "I have sent this book to several on-line review services, and while some of them contained some elements of Diane Donovan's review, none of them captured all of the things she included. She understood the humor, the quirky characters, and the whimsical voice of the story. I also appreciated that she included a short excerpt to illustrate her comments, as this is something that none of the other reviewers did.  

Although every positive review is appreciated, the quality and thoroughness of this review really stood out. In my other life, as public service executive, I used to oversee a lot of staffing processes. I often found that, although candidates' references wanted to give a positive review of their job performance, many of them did not know how to do so. Their responses were not detailed enough, amounting to vague and unspecific praise. Every once in while, though, you would come across someone who really knew how to give a reference. They had a mastery of vocabulary, providing precise and specific praise, and their detailed insights added meaningful value.  

Diane's review was like that, and I believe that it will help readers make an informed decision on whether or not they would enjoy my book."

TQ Sims, Author, Godspeed, Lovers: "Working with Diane Donovan was effortless. While reading the review, I appreciated so much that she clearly read the entire book, conveyed the themes, and clearly stated what types of readers would enjoy my work."  

Lindy Bell, Author, Brothers In Service - Through Thick & Thin: "I just wanted to commend Diane for an outstanding review experience.  Not only was the review outstanding, but it was extremely well written and readily communicated what I'd hoped the book would convey. Diane was extremely professional from the first email to delivery of the review, and I am very pleased." 

Margaret Porter, Author, A Change of Location: "I'm always especially glad when Diane Donovan is my assigned reviewer, which she has been multiple times. Her reviews are thorough, well-considered, and articulate. Her analysis includes themes as well as plots and character description and arcs, rather than merely reporting on the action of the story. She is a great asset." 

Brad O’Hagan, Author, Passage to Moorea: "I'm writing to let you know how pleased I am with the review Diane Donovan did for my novel Passage to Moorea. It's clear that she read the book (and you might be surprised to know how many reviewers do not!), and the insights and comments she made clearly reflected the time she spent with the work. It is a real pleasure to know that my work is in the hands of a true professional."

Michelle Paris, Author, Eat Dessert First: "Eat Dessert First is the second novel Diane has reviewed for me. In particular, I can tell that she read the story and she picks out interesting and compelling points to highlight. The reviews are prompt and accurate. I have not had the need to follow up nor make any corrections."

Vincent Czyz, Author, Sun Eye Moon Eye: "Diane Donovan took on a big, difficult book--573 pages with certain avant-garde aspects--and did a good job with it. This is the third time she's reviewed my work, and she's proven to be a close reader who understands what I, as a writer, am trying to accomplish."

Barry Frangipane, Author, Paris for Life: "Diane Donovan recently reviewed my book, Paris for Life. I am quite pleased with her ability to convey the sense of the book to the reader. Yes, certainly, I am happy that my book received a positive review from her. But I've received positive reviews from others that are so full of typos and overrun sentences that they are useless to me. I have positive reviews where the reviewer didn't even appear to understand the subject matter.  Diane took the time to thoroughly read my book and to pick out passages which are truly helpful to potential readers, helping them to decide if this book is for them."

Bill Harvey, Author, The Great Being: "Diane has now reviewed 4 of our latest books and is the only reviewer who totally gets all of the subtleties and the main reasons I wrote these books. She expresses these far more lucidly than I have ever done. Thank you, Diane!"

Laura Bartnick for Auralee Arkinsly, Managing Partner, Capture Books, Gugu Giraffe Goes Fishing: "We have asked Diane Donovan for several reviews and have been extremely pleased with her process and resulting reviews. We greatly appreciate her phraseology and her use of key words, quotes, and recommendations!"  

Nita Sweeney, Author, A Daily Dose of Now: "Our interaction was nothing short of splendid. She was prompt, professional, thorough, and kind. I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the time, care, and attention she gave to my work. In this hurried world, it’s lovely to encounter someone so willing to go above and beyond."  

Sofia Diana Gabel, Author, Neanderball: "I just received my review for my novel, Neanderball, from Diane Donovan and wanted to express my appreciation for her excellent review. She is eloquent in her writing and knows how to hit the highlights of the story to intrigue the reader, and dig deeper into the meaning behind the story. Her writing style is impressive, professional, and easy to read. She's a pleasure to work with and I will recommend her to other writers I know." 

Rimi Chakraborty, Author, Beyond Resilience to Rootsilience: "I had the absolute pleasure of working with Diane, our literary editor, and I couldn't be more thrilled with the experience! From the outset, Diane provided crystal-clear instructions for the project, outlining exactly what she needed and setting a realistic timeline. Her organization and attention to detail made the entire process smooth and stress-free."  

Mary Jumbelic, Author, Here, Where Death Delights: " I wanted to commend Diane on the time and effort she put into reviewing my work, Here, Where Death Delights, a Literary Memoir. From her descriptions and quotes, it is clear she spent a lot of energy getting absorbed in the writing. "  

Samar Reine, Author, First Sons and Last Daughters : "I am writing to share my exceptional experience with Diane, who recently reviewed my book. I must say, her insights and understanding of the core themes of my work were not just impressive but deeply impactful. Diane has an extraordinary ability to grasp the heart of a narrative. Her review was not only insightful but demonstrated a profound understanding of the key messages and nuances within my book. It's rare to find someone who can so accurately interpret and articulate the essence of a story, and she did so brilliantly. Her delivery was both literary and encouraging. The way she wove her thoughts and feedback was not just professional but also inspiring, showcasing her remarkable talent in editorial work. It was evident that her approach was meticulously thoughtful, aiming to both enlighten and uplift. I am deeply grateful for the experience of working with Diane and felt it was important to acknowledge her exceptional contribution." 

J.J. Alo, Author, The Street Between the Pines: "I just had the pleasure of working with Diane for a book review and it was one of the best editorial reviews I’ve received and I’ve gotten them from Kirkus, Chanticleer, Readers’ Choice Book Awards, and The Book Commentary, which were all glowing reviews. Diane really hit the nail on the head with the depth and underlying themes/tones if what the book is really about. " 

Emily Jon Tobias, Author, MONARCH: "I would like to tell you how pleased I am with my very first book review received by Diane Donovan for my debut collection MONARCH. Her work was thoughtful and timely. She picked up on the construct of transformation and change that threads all these stories into the fabric of the collection they are. My work is gritty and deals with tough social justice issues, so to have a reviewer see the light in the work is a real pleasure. " 

Eric Wade, Author, America vs. Americans: "I just wanted to share with you how pleased I am with the thoughtful review Ms. Donovan produced for my book, America vs. Americans: How Capitalism Has Failed a Capitalist Nation and What We Can Do About It. I didn't know what to expect when I submitted the book, as it hadn't been reviewed anywhere else at that time and the book takes a "purple" direction in a very red vs blue American climate.  Ms. Donovan didn't merely "get" the book, she was also able to convey back exactly what we had hoped a reader would get out of it. In other words, she deeply understood both the author and the audience. " 

Jean Burgess, Author, Summer She Found Her Voice: A Retro Novel: "I wanted to reach out to tell you how happy I am with the entire  experience in working with Diane Donovan in securing my review for That Summer She Found Her Voice: A Retro Novel. Beyond the highly skilled review, Diane was and continues to be extremely professional, well-organized, and an excellent communicator in  terms of her interaction with me, the novice author. Simply a dream to work with. In terms of the actual review, I couldn't have been more pleased. I could tell that she took the time to dig into the themes of my book and make connections behind 1970s and today and...well, what I'd trying to say is that she didn't phone it in. Her professionalism and authenticity shone brightly. " 

Clarence Poisson/ CE Rivers, Author, Northwest Poems: "My encounter with Diane was excellent. I sent Diane my manuscript and she acknowledged receiving the copy. Diane reviewed my book fairly and provided me with a balanced and tasteful review, better than I expected, and justified her positive review with supporting book text, and in the stated time period. Diane had questions about publications date, URL for platform, ISBN and pricing. She was most accommodating because I had a floating publishing date, book pricing and ISBNs for eBook, soft cover, hard cover and URL for Amazon platform. Diane said don't worry, I can easily delay review publication to a future date. I did delay until I got firm publication information from Penguin Book Writers. When I had questions, Diane was prompt to respond to my satisfaction every time. I am pleased Diane reviewed my book."

CK Sobey, Author, Outpourings: "I am just reading this review that the wonderful Diane Donovan has written. I’m reading it again, as I read her review of my current book earlier this year. I want to thank Diane so very much, for she is a truly honest and thoughtful reviewer. She hits all the notes, at least for me, and has for my last several books. I want to send out my review of her and it is 6 +’s. I look forward to sharing more of my writing with Diane in the future. As I become an elder, it seems that writing  is where I do most of my creative work. I am so glad that there are people like Diane  around who will write an honest and fair review for a small pittance of what enormous richness it brings to this writer. "


More Accolades for 2023

Elisabeth Hagblade, Author, Trauterose: "Ms. Diane Donovan of Donovan’s Literary Services offers the kind of services an author hopes to receive. In her introductory email, Ms. Donovan outlined precisely the steps to follow in submitting an author’s materials, along with timelines and accessibility of printed reviews. After having submitted my packet, Ms. Donovan. immediately confirmed receipt, while also responding  to my questions. Her review of my book, “Trauterose:  Growing Up in Postwar Munich,” was very detailed and thoughtful, having analyzed my descriptions accurately.  Again, Ms. Donovan provided exact information about forthcoming review publication dates and listings, while also giving links to an author’s website and order details.  In short, Ms. Donovan followed through as originally promised. Moreover, she offered the possibility of making necessary corrections; e.g., typographical ones. She encouraged me to quote from her review immediately. I highly recommend Ms. Donovan as a reviewer on account of her accuracy, her reliability, her thoroughness, and her fairness. " 

Alan Bern, Author, In the Pace of the Path: "I want you to know how much I appreciate Diane Donovan's empathic abilities to move inside of my book and find and discover the several different styles I implement and vantage points from which I work in my hybrid work: "His utilization of these literary forms to juxtapose such experiences and observations creates a satisfying interplay between the "pathways that lead to home" and the places that occupy center stage at select moments in the narrator's life." She understands and responded in her review to the many layers of my book's hybridity. And she responds as well to the deepest layer of my book: "Bern writes with an evocative hand that also embraces philosophical reflection…" Thank you so much to Diane! " 

S. Yerucham, Author, True Stories of the Philosophical Theater: "Diane Donovan sent me her review of my book, True Stories of the Philosophical Theater. Very satisfied with this review; she emphasized aspects of the book which will, I hope, attract readers who will truly appreciate it. Her choice of a quote was apt: it displays two important premises I wish every potential reader to see...so they can either embrace the book, or decide it is not their cup of tea. Diane has been a pleasure to work with, everything's been straightforward, efficient, and on time." 

Bruce Whitacre, Author, The Elk in the Glade: "Diane shared her review with me over the weekend and I was very pleased that she "got it", and how she conveyed this enthusiasm to the reader. As a collection of narrative poems about the past in a specific place, Nebraska, ELK is a bit tricky to describe. Diane grasped my intentions very clearly and highlighted universal elements that will help the book find the readers who will respond to it. Good critics like Diane are so important and so rare, especially in literary poetry."

 

Linda LeBlanc, Author, A Fair Knight Slain: Murder at the Renaissance Fair:  "A few moments ago, I received a review of my book A Fair Knight Slain: Murder at the Renaissance Fair by Diane Donovan. She did a remarkable and extremely insightful analysis. Other reviewers concentrated on the obvious fair setting and colorful rennies. She references them, of course, but delved much deeper into the two main characters, detectives Sara and Ryker. They are completely disparate characters forced to form an alliance. In doing so, she elevated my book beyond a standard mystery to a more meaningful experience for readers. I applaud her. I had used the word gypsy in the book and discovered it has negative connotation. I changed all GYPSY references to ROMA. I asked Diane to change the word in the review and the price of the paperback. She got back to me immateriality with both changes. She's an absolute pleasure to work with. "  

David Vass, Author, Liar, Alleged:  "I know my book is not for everyone, adult situations, coarse language, a brutal honesty and black humor.  Diane Donovan’s review was, in my opinion, spot on.  It was realistically honest and overall positive and gave me a cornucopia of quotes to pull from and exceedingly helpful feedback around the narrative and how the book reads. my mash-up of a memoir (narrative) and a tell-all (celebrities) will not be to everyone’s taste.  It is gritty and shocking and an odd melding of two different types of books.  Diane obviously understood what I was trying to do – using the celebs to reinforce my narrative.  She is a very attuned woman. " 

Ryan Stevens, Author, Jackson Haines: The Skating King:  "Diane Donovan was an absolute pleasure to work with. I received a draft of my review today and I was incredibly moved by her generosity and kind words - but also the wonderful treatment she gave my book. It's a nonfiction on a somewhat niche topic and I think Diane's review will make the world of difference when it comes to pitching the book to libraries. " 

Hari Hyde, Author, Unbathed Brains, Our Brain, Our Other, Our Heart:  "While I’ve received dozens of book reviews in the past, Diane’s efforts far surpass the usual commentary one expects in a review. Diane really comprehends the sea of words while most reviewers see only a few ripples. She possesses a unique talent to articulate the essence of the written words, seeing deeply below the surface. It’s obvious Diane spends an enormous amount of time on these reviews and has a passion for conveyance of the author’s vision. " 

George Wolfe, Author, Into the River of Angels:  "Diane’s review was one of the most thoughtful reviews I’ve received so far.  I really appreciate her integrity, too, with getting the details and grammar correct (that’s certainly not always the case, from what I’ve seen with other reviewers and services). " 

Mark Coffey, Marketing & Publicity, IFWG Publishing International for Ferren and the Angel:  "Diane Donovan, gets a big tick of approval from IFWG Publishing. Of course, I wouldn’t be writing if her review of FERREN AND THE ANGEL had been negative - I might have been impressed by her quality as a reviewer, but I wouldn’t be writing to tell you! So, yes, the review was positive, but you’ll be more interested to hear that it was also judicious and perceptive. I’ve read thousands of reviews in my position at IFWG, and I was impressed! " 

Kelly Stone Gamble, Author, Ragtown:  "Ms. Donovan was quick to respond when she was assigned my book, and very detailed in what she needed from me. It was a rush review, which I know must be difficult to honor, especially with a 500pg novel such as this.  The review itself is more than I could have hoped for. Those first editorial reviews are so important to an author, and I was so pleased with the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of her review. She obviously spent a lot of time with my book and took great care in writing the review. " 

Thomas Westerfield, Author, Goes On, Without the World's Understanding:  "I just want to let you know how professional, accessible, and easy I found it to work with Diane Donovan regarding her review of my book Goes On, Without the World's Understanding. Ms. Donovan provided me with a copy of her review a full two weeks before her deadline submission so I could confirm accuracy of details and to offer any potential corrections I might have in her descriptions of the stories.  There were only two elements I thought could be rewritten (i.e., that the stories are more gay male-centric rather than LGBTQ+ and a sentence that could be more simply stated). She was quite open to these points and immediately returned a slightly revised copy of her review for me to read.  She maintained the integrity of her point of view while also being willing to consider editorial suggestions. I so appreciate such qualities, especially in a reviewer. " 

Justin Lee, Author, The Deadly Deal:  "I wanted to take a moment this evening to share just how much I have enjoyed working with Ms. Diane Donovan as she reviewed my third book, The Deadly Deal.  I found her feedback both encouraging and honest, her formal write up spot on, and in general very responsive, professional and helpful to me. She really made the whole experience positive, and that was worthy of sharing. " 

Linda Maxie, Author, Library Lin's Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs:  "After receiving my review from Diane Donovan of my book Library Lin's Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs, I was quite impressed with her professionalism and the thoroughness with which she covered my book. I've gotten other reviews of my book that missed part of what I was trying to accomplish. Diane took the time to read the Introduction and understood my mission perfectly. She was also easy to communicate with. "

Mark Lavine, Author, ForeverChild:  "I was very pleased with the recent review of the subject book provided by Diane Donovan. Other reviews have been more complimentary, so, although the overall tone was positive, this is not the source of my satisfaction with this review. Actually, the fact that she did not waste time and words with gushing praise which didn’t add meaningful information, causes me to value and respect her review that much more. The review is perceptive and well-written, hitting on the key take-aways in an efficient and straightforward manner. Furthermore, the communication and delivery of the service was exactly what I expect from a professional business provider. "   

Jennifer Silva Redmond, Author, Honeymoon at Sea:  "Just wanted to let you know how thrilled I was with Diane's review of "Honeymoon at Sea." Her reviews are always thoughtful and deep and point out specific audience appeal, which I so appreciate. In fact, my publisher liked her comment about armchair travelers so much, we used a pull quote from her review for the book's cover. "

C.V. Vobh, Author, The Yawning Gap: "Diane Donovan did an excellent job in reviewing my book, The Yawning Gap. The quality of the review is a cut above what I've encountered elsewhere, completely setting aside its favorability." 

Brian Kaufman, Author, A Persistent Echo: "I wanted to pass on how pleased I am with Ms. Donovan's reviews. She consistently goes beyond the summary/blurb format, digging into thematic issues. Her work is excellent, and I wanted to say so." 

E.J. Dawson, Author, Echo of the Evercry: "I was left speechless by the very frank and flattering review that Diane left, how detailed and thoughtful she was in her assessment, but also reaching into the heart of certain perspectives of the book other readers have not, though they were intended. In short I'm going to frame it and put it on the wall right next to my Kirkus reviews." 

Marcus Herzberg, Author, Jock Sniff America: "Diane Donovan just reviewed my latest satirical novel, Jock Sniff America, and I wanted to let you know how pleased I am with her work.  She analyzed my book in terms of character, plot, and theme, comparing it to other well-known works to enhance the understanding of those reading the review.  Diane also suggested which types of readers would find my book most interesting and entertaining.  Finally, Diane completed the review in a very timely manner, in line with the timetable that she gave me when I initially contacted her.  I have shared Diane's review with my publisher who is similarly pleased with its quality." 

Jill MacLean, Author, Arrows of Mercy: "It was obvious from the review that she had read the book with care and attention. Her review mentioned the salient points of the narrative, including writing style, dialogue, the immersive sense of setting, and an appreciation of the main character’s development.  The review ended with a strong recommendation for libraries – most helpful to me because I am endeavouring the get the novel into libraries across Canada, to take advantage of the Public Lending Right Program.  She was very accommodating to the few changes I asked for, and always prompt to reply to emails. The information she sent me about the review process, including its publication, was clear and to the point.  In short, I would highly recommend her as a reviewer."

Steven Barron, Author, Madame Curie's Piano Tuner: "Of the reviews received to date, yours is easily the most insightful. You picked up on details others failed to mention, e.g., the fun, sometimes confounding section subtitles, and that the story is not intended as a mere comic send-up. Thanks, too, for including a quote from An Honorable Profession; the narrator's voice rings thru and should alert a potential reader to check any preconceived notions at the door. As you mentioned 800, page novels are daunting, yet you artfully justified the reading as more than worthwhile. Truly, Diane, it feels like you absorbed the book’s essence and stated it far better than I ever could." 

Kim Conrey, Author, Nicholas Eternal: "Diane Donovan recently did a review for my book, Nicholas Eternal. I wanted to write a note to let you know how pleased I was with her professionalism. Not only did she get my review in when she said she would (a couple days before actually), she also gave detailed, easy-to-understand instructions about the entire process from start to finish. She thought of everything, every question that might be asked and provided the answer ahead of time. In a world where emails get ignored and frustration abounds, Ms. Donovan's professionalism is a breath of fresh air!  Also, it was clear she read the book and took time with it. I could not be more pleased." 

David Stoneham, Author, Once Upon a Wonderland: "Just wanted to say how impressed and pleased I was with Diane Donovan’s review of my book – Once upon a Wonderland. For me, three things stuck out and differentiated her review from the crowd (even though I am grateful for all of the reviews to date). Firstly, I appreciated Diane’s writing skills – she clearly articulates her opinions in a compelling way in a style of her own. Secondly, there was no doubt that she had read the story and given some thought to some of the underlying themes about change and choices, such as adult views versus childish innocence, expectation versus reality and physical/mental strength, to name a few. Thirdly, she raised some interesting aspects not picked up by other reviews, such as nuances of fear and madness, unpredictable twists and why things happen the way they do (I’m a firm believer in the why being as important as the what when communicating). Of course, it’s always heart-warming to hear someone likes the book too. Thanks again." 

Mark Therrien, Author, The Megavan: "Diane Donovan emailed me a draft of her review of my book The Megavan today and I could not be more pleased.  Diane broke down and supplied the exact heart of my book that was intended, and used such graceful language in doing so.  She has been very timely in all correspondence and has been a joy to work with." 

J.D. Puett, Author, To Be Human: "Diane Donovan recently completed a review of my book, entitled To Be Human. The fictional book consisted of five stories, three novellas and two novelettes, each set in different locales and with different protagonists, thus making it quite different from most fictional books with a few central characters. Ms. Donovan grasped the overall theme of the book and the interconnectivity of the stories, encapsulating the contents eloquently and very well. In my interactions with her, she was very professional." 

Tristan Scotty, Author, Vertical City: "Diane Donovan was very organized, polite, and informative when laying out the review steps, which made it a very smooth process. Also, her review was insightful, considered, and covered a wide range of aspects of the book from story, characters, themes and possible people/groups that may be interested, which I found very interesting and helpful to read." 

KJ Fieler, Author, Shadow Runner: "My experience with Diane Donovan was outstanding. Her review was extremely professional. My publisher was pleased as well. She clearly read the book; she included quotes and references; she accurately identified the cross-genre nature of the story; and she completed her review in a timely manner." 

Andrew Scott Bassett, Author, The Rosey View Of The World: "I am just taking a moment to let you know how happy I was with the recent review I received from Diane Donovan for my new novel, "The Rosey View Of The World". Diane's review I would have to say was probably the best and most accurate review of any of my first two books, she did a wonderful job. " 

Mo Conlan, Author, The Lost Books: Romance and Adventure in Tudor Times: "I could barely believe my eyes when my publisher sent me your review of my book, “The Lost Books: Romance and Adventure in Tudor Times.” It felt like I had gone back in time to a time when real, intelligent and honest reviews were being written by real, intelligent reviewers and printed in newspaper and other media.  I saw that you had deeply understood my book. " 

Pamela Kennedy, Author, Tea Attitudes: "As a new author, the steps in the publishing and marketing process are unfamiliar ground and take a little nerve.  Each of my interactions with Diane has given me comfort and encouragement.  She was always prompt and helpful when responding to my emails.  She outlined the review process and made sure I had all the information about when and where the review would be posted.  She also advised me about options in case I wanted to move the review date and how I might use her review. I felt her review of my book was complete and thoughtful.  What really impressed me was the way she was able to describe and articulate the heart of the book.  Her review presented the overarching themes of the book while explaining how the stories supported those ideas. And, she used just the right quotes to support her write up. I will be using her review on Amazon, my website, and with other marketing materials. "
Arthur L. Mahoney, Publisher, Home Port Press: "I can’t say enough good things about Diane. Her communication was clear. She efficiently managed our expectations and delivered earlier than expected. Her review went to the book’s core and significantly boosted our marketing effort. Independents have to go the extra mile. My experience with Diane, in particular, remains a high point in this book's launch."

Scotty Cornfield, Author, Fast Fiction: "From the very beginning, Diane was a true professional. She reached out to me immediately after getting the review assignment, and her communications were clear, concise, friendly and very professional all the way. She kept me informed about the process and what I could expect, and she kept to her commitments. In addition to all that, when I received the draft copy of my review, it was very impressive—well written, thoughtful and helpful for me as the author, as well as for potential readers. When I found a single digit I asked to be corrected, Diane quickly returned my email, showing me the change. I don’t know if I’ll be fortunate enough to be able to work with Diane again, but if that is not the case, I have to say—she set a very high bar for whoever might follow her.” 

Lou Earle, Author, The Typhoon Affair: "As always, Diane demonstrates a genuine interest in digging into the details of the works she evaluates. You can readily observe that care when you see how she even identifies specific dialogue to support her positions, something that I find rare in most reviews. Diane is a real credit.”  

Sheri Graubert, Author, Molly Shipton, Secret Actress: "Diane is attentive while staying neutral. She acknowledged my emails in a timely manner. She stated her goal to have the review complete by a certain time and she delivered. She is highly professional, her review is well-written and thorough. She has clearly spent time with my book. I truly appreciate her focused attention to detail. ”  

Yana Lambert, The Human Effectiveness Institute: "We just received Diane's reviews of Bill Harvey's books, Pandemonium: Live to All Devices (a tome at 504 pages) and The Message -- and are absolutely delighted with Diane's brilliantly insightful and thoughtful critique of both books. Additionally, she turned out her reviews in less than 2 weeks from receiving them -- very impressive and much appreciated! And she's a pleasure to work with, very responsive and personable. The author, Bill Harvey, noted that Diane made salient points in her reviews that none of the other reviews we've received (including BookLife) had mentioned.  We'll be delighted to have Diane review our future works.” 

John E. McNellis, Author, O'Brien's Law: "I’m writing to both thank you for your too-kind review and to say that, of the 100+ reviews I’ve received thus far (both professional and Amazonian), you alone got it. At heart, O’Brien’s is simply a coming-of-age story about a—hopefully—charming, but woefully misguided young man who may be finding his way by book’s end.” 

Mara Purl, Author, Why Hearts Keep Secrets: "My publisher and I just received Diane Donovan's review of my new book, "Why Hearts Keep Secrets."  Wow, we are so pleased and impressed with her thorough read, her in-depth grasp of the characters, themes, ideas and style, and her mentions as to why both readers and libraries will enjoy the book. All of this will be incalculably helpful to us!” 

'Deji Ayoade, Author, UNDERGROUND: A Memoir of Hope, Faith, and the American Dream: "I wanted to drop a few lines for the outstanding work and review by Diane Donovan. Her detailed and thorough review showed she delved deep into my story. She's patient and flexible with the review publication options she sent me, showing she wasn't in a hurry or trying to rush the service. I appreciate Diane's work and give her 5/5 for her outstanding work.” 

Jeff Willey, Author, The Borderlands of Forever: "Just wanted to note that Diane Donovan did a wonderful job with her review of my book, The Borderlands of Forever.  I can tell she read it through and really engaged with the story, and got where I was coming from - she brought out interesting aspects and great insights about the themes in her well-written review.”

Roma Cordon, Author, Betwitching a Highlander: "Diane made the process seamless, and explained everything thoroughly to me at each step. And I can tell you I had a lot of questions! I am absolutely blown away by her thoughtful, detailed and well written review for Bewitching A Highlander.” 

Brian Storm, Author, The Struggle: "I am 100% satisfied with the honest book review I received from Diane Donovan. Diane was very responsive and transparent through the entire process, and the review itself was very well written! She also gave me multiple opportunities to make sure the details of my book were accurate, and to make any last minute changes to pricing and/or links to my website.” 

Andrew McAleer, Co-Editor, Edgar and Shamus Go Golden: "Book Reviewer Diane Donovan is responsive and thorough. Qualities not often seen today. She recently completed a review of an anthology I co-edited Edgar and Shamus Go Golden.” 

Natalie Wright, Author, Season of the Dragon: "Not only was Diane professional in her communications and timely, but her review was thoughtful and well-written. Reading her review, it’s clear that she not only read the entire book, but that she took the time to digest the book before penning her review.” 

Ron Jensen, Author, Death of the Antagonist: "I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the work done by Diane Donovan on my submission of Death of the Antagonist for review. I  read through some of her prior reviews before interacting with her, so I knew that she could be honest, yet very tactful. I agreed with an expedited arrangement since I have an upcoming release date of 4/1/23 and she worked amazingly quickly. Her review was very clear, and showed meticulous attention to both the large plot picture and the nuances of chapters and sentences within the story. I was very impressed.”

Rosilyn Seay, Author, Colors Carter Carver's Way: "For my latest book, Colors Carter Carver’s Way, Ms. Donovan’s analysis was thought provoking and perceptive. I appreciate that she intuited what I was trying to accomplish with the book, and her review comments highlighted some of the less obvious aspects of the story.”

Diana Fedorak, Author, Children of Alpheios: "I recently had my debut novel, Children of Alpheios, a science fiction and fantasy novel reviewed by Diane Donovan, and I had a wonderful experience with her. Because this was my first book, I wasn't sure what to expect. I found Diane to be very professional and accessible, explaining to me how the review process works. She contacted me promptly when her review was completed. Most importantly, she gave my book a very insightful and honest review that I believe will really help my book's visibility to libraries and for sales. She's the consummate book expert.”

Jean Hackel Wulterkens, Author, Theresa, et al: "Ms. Donovan's thoughtful review means a great deal to me. It was clear from what she wrote that she gave my novel her full attention and carefully analyzed what made it meaningful to her. I'm hoping others will respond to her review by choosing to dedicate some of their own valuable free time to reading it too.”

Patsie McCandless, Author, The Secrets of Windy Hill: Becoming Jesse: "Diane Donovan is a star! From our first meeting – cyberly speaking – she welcomed with her amiable good humor; and she clearly laid out every detail for our next steps together. I felt an immediate impact of supportive wisdom and understanding that her years of experience and expertise afford. I recently received her first draft review, and I am overwhelmed with how wonderfully she understood my character, and the lessons of Light imbued within his story. Her first attempt – and it is perfect! Diane Donovan exceeded my expectations, and, as an author and publisher, I am so grateful."

David Unger, PhD, Author, A Lesson in Woo-Woo and Murder: "As I wrote Diane, a friend of mine thought she "got me." Her review had insight into my work that was on target and those that have read it thought she captured the essence of the book. Needless to say, I was very heartened to read her review.”

Michael Caduto, Director, Green Heart Books, for Eye of the Ocelot by Volta Rose: "Diane Donovan was a pleasure to work with, and professional throughout our communication. Notably, Ms. Donovan took the time to thoroughly read and consider the novel from a number of perspectives. The result is a thorough and in-depth review that truly reflects the nature of the writing, as well as the development of the story, plot and characters. Ms. Donovan's review is insightful in its regard for the originality of the story and how it draws from several genres, as well as its connection to larger life issues.”  

David J. Muchow, PLC, Author, The 7 Secret Keys to Startup Success: "Diane Donovan nailed the significance of the book and how it’s different from the 2,000 or so other business books that come out each year, and captured the key elements of the book in an easy to read way. As to prompt – she was right on time as promised and even when I offered her more time because of the Holidays she stayed on the original schedule!” 

Gregory Hill, Author, Sister Liberty: "Diane Donovan is a pleasure to work with. Further, the review she wrote for my latest novel, Sister Liberty, is a rare and precious thing: it's perceptive, well-composed, and clearly the product of someone who knows what she's doing. After blowing $800 on a couple of cookie-cutter sub-high-school-term-paper reviews from Kirkus and Booklife, it's a relief to read someone who can make a point elegantly and concisely...and all without--miracle of miracles--relying on Grammarly to hold their hand. ” 

Rodney G. Miller, Author, Communication Essays and Communication & Beyond: "I would like you to know how much I appreciate Diane Donovan's thoughtful reviews. For both Communication Essays and Communication & Beyond, she put a spotlight on the larger issues that these somewhat different books address.  It's refreshing to interact with someone with her grasp of a wide range of subjects who offers quality insights--coupled with such professional courtesy. She certainly evaluates both the forest and the trees to headline what matters. ”

 

Jennifer Welborn, Author, Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals: "Diane Donovan clearly read my book, understood its messages, and conveyed that understanding through her eloquent, thoughtful, and comprehensive review.  She wrote from her expertise as a book reviewer, (not a content reviewer), which is professional and honest.” 

R.L. Dean, Author, Writing for Happiness: "Just a word regarding Diane Donovan's recent review of my novel Waiting  for Happiness. I have had two other editorials done for this novel from competing agencies- both were shallow and quick.  Ms. Donovan was able to capture what I was looking for- the permeation of the faith element in the novel- I'm very pleased that it shown through in the life of the main character and that it was a highlight in the review.”

Brian Kaufman, Author, A Shadow Melody: "Writing to comment on my review experience with D. Donovan - I submitted a fairly complex novel with interwoven themes. I don't expect reviewers or readers to "get" everything - the story works as an adventure, too. But the review I got was amazing. D. Donovan misses nothing. I am astounded by the careful reading and analysis. 
First rate experience. I needed to let someone know.”

Charlotte Stuart, Author, Moonlight Can Be Deadly: "Just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with Diane's review of Moonlight Can Be Deadly. Not just because it was positive, but her analysis focuses on things that I believe are my strengths as a writer. She goes beyond the usual plot summary review to speak to specific attributes of characters and motivation.”

Ruth Bush, Author, WAVES on the Potomic: "Not only were Ms. Donovan's directions for submission clear and comprehensive, but her love for her work pervades her communication.  My interaction with her was a joy from start to finish.”

Shel Danielson, Author, The Bell Tower Ghosts and Other Stories: "Diane was a delight to work with: gracious and professional. Her review was not superficial. She got inside the stories and made important comments. That her review was positive and encouraging added extra value to our experience. Then she followed up with a question about information that I had not provided initially. This is a big Thank You to Diane Donovan for the great work! ”



More Accolades for 2022


Linda Yoshida, Author, Requiem for a Queen: "Diane Donovan creates an excellent review and did so for my latest book, Requiem For A Queen. There are so many quotes in the well-written review that I can use for promotional purposes. She is an exceptional reviewer and hard-working, outstanding  writer, and I love working with her.” 

Turner Grant, Author, To Venus and Back: "A quick note to let you know how pleased I was to work with Diane Donovan and of her review of my just released memoir.  Communication was timely and complete with all the information I needed to know, and she was exceptionally quick with the minor revisions I requested (within an hour).  From beginning to end it was a great experience (I can't say that of other review services I dealt with).  In addition, her review was the most thoughtful and in depth of all the nine pre-publication reviews I received and is featured on my recently completed website.” 

Kristen Culpepper, Author, The Lonely Toadstool: "Diane Donovan's review was thorough, touching on a variety of points.  It was clear that she actually allowed herself to experience the book and didn't just rush through it or only read it at a surface level. As an author, that means so much! The last two "points" especially hit home with me as I believe that reading aloud with our children and healing at the heart level are critical to their (and our society's) well being.  I was thankful Diane saw this in the messages of The Lonely Toadstool.” 

Lloyd Jeffries, Author, A Potion of Malice: "Miss Donovan’s review was honest and thoughtful. I receive many reviews and always relish the ones where the reviewer thinks about the many things that combine to make a story come to life. Miss Donovan took the time to digest my story and chose her words carefully before writing. As an author, it means the world that her thoughts were carefully crafted and well-written. She has a knack for providing a “picture” of the story. I was most impressed by her ability to tell about the story in an objective way. I felt her review was free from personal opinions, true to the story, written with careful consideration given to every word, and, above all, honest.
A true professional review is hard to come by. Most reviewers just blast through the story while failing to capture any part with deliberation or precision. I felt Miss Donovan’s review was surgically precise and showed a talent for themes, concepts, subtleties, and nuances of language. Miss Donovan is an exceptional reviewer. She writes well, expresses thoughts in clear, yet resonant, language and has the rare ability to capture and relate all aspects of a story.
In short, I’m thrilled my book received due attention, due thought, and due process. Miss Donovan is an exceptional reviewer whose talent shines. I’ve no doubt that readers follow her recommendations with a glued eye. She is a gem, an honor I don’t bestow easily, and my book is better for her having reviewed it. 

Susan Kraus, Author, When We Lost Touch: "From my perspective, the book was 'seen' and understood as a whole ( and the review was not just a plot summary lifted in part from the back cover.)  So, a thoughtful and holistic review. Gratifying to me after two years of research and writing. One I can provide to libraries when I contact them about When We Lost Touch. Diana Donovan got it, and WWLT is  a BIG one to 'get.'  It does not fit into any genre box.” 

Michael J. Brooks, Author, Republic Under Siege: "The review for my book, Republic Under Siege: Threat from Within, has been completed by Diane Donovan. It was an excellent, well-worded review. It was one of the best written reviews of my work that I have read.” 

Gordon Mackinney, Author, Tell Anyone You Want That I Was Here: "A quick note to say how much I enjoyed and appreciate working with Diane on her review of my book, Tell Anyone You Want That I Was Here. Unlike a reviewer or two I've worked with who seem as if they've merely skimmed the book, Diane brought forth insights that came not only from thorough understanding but deeper analysis. This made the review that much stronger and valuable to me and future readers. What a positive experience.”

Lena Bean, for FastFlight 540: "Words can't express my gratitude for the incredible review written by Diane Donovan for the book FastFlight 540. Diane is the perfect combination of "highly professional" and "sincerely kind". Her review was very helpful, and we're using it in multiple places.” 

Benjamin Harnett, Author, The Happy Valley: "I just wanted to write to tell you how pleased I am with Diane's review of my book. I am, of course, happy she liked it, but I also believe she has done a terrific job of teasing out the themes and qualities of the book that I have had a hard time myself articulating. I think it's an absolutely terrific and well-thought out and useful review.” 

Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Author, Wolf: "I hired Diane to review my new memoir, “Wolf: a Memoir of Love and Atonement.” 

She wrote a very meaningful, in-depth and insightful review, indeed. She noticed subtleties from the story, that I (the author) had not even noticed. She grasped a main point. Her review also broadened my thoughts about possible audiences for the book." 

Lance Lee, Author, Family Matters: "Just received the review for FAMILY MATTERS from Diane Donovan. 

I think she is a superb reviewer, frankly, and not simply because she’s liked my books! What impresses me is her insight both into an author’s intent, and into his execution, without approaching things with a mindset of: this should be a Romance … or this should be a Hollywood Memoir … or…. It’s her ability to see a book’s real virtue or failing outside of these categories that is so refreshing.” 

Julie Aydlott for J.A. Publications Ltd, Crow Country: "I just wanted to give a huge shout-out to Ms. Donovan who reviewed our upcoming release of “Crow Country”.  The book in itself was over 400 pages, and I had to review not only the book but the audiobook as well which was almost 12 hours. The fact that she was able to complete it during the time period was most impressive, and, that she sent the review on the publication date – October 9th, 2022 – which was very much appreciated.  Her communication during the process was outstanding, her review was detailed and articulate (and awesome!) and I would highly recommend her and use her again for pre-release reviews.” 

E.M. William, Author, Polaris Coyote: "The day Diane was assigned my title, she e-mailed me detailed information regarding the process, including key dates and links. She was also quick to write back with informative and helpful responses whenever I contacted her. 

Diane sent me her review of POLARIS COYOTE right on schedule a couple of days ago, and I was delighted by how eloquently she captured the spirit of the book, and her thoughtful, perceptive analysis.  

I could not be more pleased with my experience with Diane.” 

Lou Earle, Author, Apogee: "Everything about my experience with Diane has been first rate, Diane was very easy to communicate with and when I had questions she responded quickly and clearly. In my opinion her review was fair, honest and credible. It was clear that she took the time to not only understand the details, but also articulated accurately the underlying issues the book postulates that go beyond the story and apply to today’s world. 

I have had a number of firms review my work and I can honestly say that Diane’s review was at the top of the list.” 

Debra Westgate-Silva, Author, Bethlehem Barn: "I wanted to take a moment to let you know how pleased I am with my experience with Diane Donovan. She clearly explained the directions and timeline for the review of my picture book Bethlehem Barn, and the process went just as she said. It’s clear to me that she took the time to read and reflect on my book and to write an accurate, honest, and well-written review. I am deeply appreciative and would recommend her to others seeking a high-quality review.”

Malia Arries, Author, Dad Died, Then Mom: "I was honored to have Diane Donovan review my book. Diane is wonderful. She responded to my messages quickly, her review was ready two days before she said it would be, and the review was incredibly professional and well done. It was challenging sharing such a personal story with the whole world until Diane gave my story credibility and captured my purpose in writing it.”  

Sarah Beth Martin, Author, In the Vanishing Hour: "I wanted to write and tell you about the wonderful job Diane Donovan did reviewing my novel, In the Vanishing Hour. Her review was beautifully written, and included just the right balance of commentary on plot, writing style, quotes, and reader recommendations. I'm honored and thrilled to use her review in my future marketing of the book.  Diane was also professional and communicative, and delivered the review before the deadline. I would highly recommend her to my fellow authors, and hope to use her services again in the future.”  

Kevin Kuhens, Author, Terror's Sword: "Ms. Diane Donovan just finished a review of my recently released novel titled Terror’s Sword. Ms. Donovan’s review was positively terrific in every word! To say that I am thrilled would be an understatement—it’s what I’d hoped for and more. One aspect of her review took me by surprise: I found it amazing that she captured in her own words precisely what I was trying to convey to readers. That skill is a gift. All authors think we have provided material worthy of outstanding reviews. However, as you know, authors sometimes fall short. Ms. Donovan’s critical analysis validated that I achieved my goal of writing a good novel that people will enjoy reading. Her unintentional message is as important to me as her review.”  

Ben Abelow, Author, How the West Brought War to Ukraine: "Thank you for your beautiful review of my book. I so appreciate a thoughtful, positive, and ultimately supportive discussion of a work that, in the current zeitgeist, is too easy to paint with biased and unjust criticism. As an author who is understandably eager for positive reviews, I am not exactly a disinterested party. But even when read "at arm's length," this review clearly reflects a deep, thoughtful, analytical engagement with the material. A wonderful review.”  

Douglas Whipple, Co-Author, When Universes Bleed: "Diane wrote a fantastic review, was always amazingly responsive (I mean, better than I am, and I think I'm pretty responsive), and as helpful as could be. I couldn't have asked for a better person to work with during this review process. If I were asked, I would recommend her highly, completely, and unconditionally.” 

Adria Batt, Marketing Strategist, Ike’s Journey and True North, Down South: "It’s been great working with Diane Donovan on two Reader Fee Reviews for Ike’s Journey and True North, Down South. She’s been easy to work with and on time with her finished reviews. Diane’s reviews were very thorough and both authors were very pleased with what she wrote and how she highlighted the unique aspects of each of their books."  

Margaret Porter, Author, The Myrtle Wand: "As she has done for a prior title of mine, Diane Donovan offers not only a detailed and accurate but a highly perceptive assessment of the characters, plot, and setting. I'm naturally relieved and gratified that her opinion of The Myrtle Wand is so positive, but I also respect the quality of her writing. And as a book reviewer myself, I'm well aware of the time and effort required to produce a skillful review."

Susan Hamilton, Author, Stone Heart: "I got my first look at Diane's review today and I'm very pleased. Of course, I am happy that she enjoyed it and gave it a positive review, but she's been great to work with as well. Very responsive to emails and always pleasant. I especially appreciate that she used some excerpts from Stone Heart to illustrate her points. I've had reviewers sometimes just use a book's back cover copy, and you wonder if they ever read the actual story. Based on her selections, I have no doubt that Diane read it."

Bonny Fawn, Author, The Clients: "Diane Donovan did an exceptional job. Her review was beautifully written and she quoted several key lines in my book taken from the beginning, middle and end of my story. She definitely read my novel, and even better she understood the deeper issues I was attempting to relay. My book is thriller and I tried to insert some emotional angst beyond just the typical mystery and murder themes. To her credit Diane picked up on that which I love."

Spike Adams, Author's Father, The Mask: "I’m contacting you about Diane Donovan’s review of my son’s book, The Mask.  I have received many reviews by magazines, such as as Kirkus Reviews, Story Monster’s INC, BookLife, Feathered Quill,  and others,  but Diane’s review was one of the best, if not the best, that my family has received. 

 The opinion is not based upon the fact that the review was quite positive. Apart from being very well written, my opinion is based upon her extraordinarily thoughtful understanding of and keen insightful into the themes of a multi-layered allegorical fantasy.

My wife has been a teacher for 22 years. For the past 12 years, she has taught literacy to the fifth grade. Over five years ago, she won teacher of the year in her school. After reading Diane’s review, she said, “This is great! I think this is the best review yet!” My younger son had a similar reaction.

One aspect of the review that my wife deeply appreciated is how Diane pointed out the intrinsic value of the Mask  not only to readers, but to teachers and librarians, too.

Diane has reinforced my belief that the impact of Clayton’s story upon the lives of others can be significant and meaningful in a world obsessed with physical appearance and “ being different”."

 
Jane Hopkins, Author, Cemetery Reflections: 
"Diane Donovan’s review of my book Cemetery Reflections is thoughtful and beautifully expressed.  It reflects a sensitive understanding of the issues I am trying to address and of the approach I am taking.  It is particularly helpful in identifying types of readers who would be most apt to welcome having access to the book.  Only a writer with long experience and deep empathy could convey an appraisal so succinctly and effectively."  

David Hopkins, Author, A Slow Parade in Penderyn: "Book review publications enable authors (both known and unknown) to find their audience and provide readers fair warning on whatever book they dare to open. Truthfully, everything we do—from the writer, to the editor, to the reviewer—is in service to the reader. That's important. But also, a professional review enables me to have a better idea of how my work might be received. That's an invaluable gift. 

In particular, Diane Donovan is a true professional, accessible and easy to work with. I thought her review of my book was insightful without pandering, informative without spoiling. It was very well-written. Most importantly, anyone who reads the review should have a good idea if this is a book they'd enjoy."  

Christy Hui, Author, Flying Fillies: "My experience with Diane has been top notch, from her responsive and clear communications to insightful and well-written review. She exudes professionalism in her work.  It couldn’t be in more capable, honest hands. On top of that, she’s a wonderful writer. "  

Winn Taylor, Author, Dawn of the Watchers: "I wanted to take a moment to tell you how fortunate I feel to have been matched with Diane Donovan for the review of my novel, Dawn of the Watchers.  I'm thrilled that she enjoyed the novel, but even beyond that, she delivered a very thoughtful, rich review. It was clear she put time and intention into crafting a well-rounded perspective for readers."  

Fred Gracely, Author, Misfit's Magic: The Last Halloween: "Diane did a fantastic job reviewing my debut novel, Misfit's Magic: The Last Halloween. I can tell she took it as her mission to help potential readers, librarians, and other consumers understand the nature of the book, who would enjoy it, and why it might be right for them. She detailed the plot and characters and summed up her recommendations and thoughts clearly and succinctly. It was an honest and thoughtful review."  

Jerry Aylward, Author, The Scarlet Oak: "Diane's review of The Scarlet Oak was a thorough and insightful review capturing the essence of the story line and characters that make the book a fascinating and compelling read. Diane's professionalism as an editor/reviewer in delivering an in-depth review in a timely manner is a most rewarding achievement. " 

Harry Groome, Author, Giant of the Valley: "I’ve just received a review by Diane Donovan of my collection of novellas, Giant of the Valley. Diane’s review was on time and captured the stories in both novellas very adroitly. I was most impressed by her thoughtful comments about the book and the audiences that she thought would be best served by reading it. All in all, a high-level approach to reviewing my book that provides all that readers need to know when considering buying it." 

Joe Rothstein, Author, The Moment of Menace: "My new book is The Moment of Menace, a political thriller that is somewhat out of the usual thriller framework in that it pushes hard for world nuclear disarmament and more rational control of emerging science. I don't expect every reviewer to appreciate mixing issues with story lines, but Diane Donovan, who reviewed my book, certainly did. I appreciate her insight and professionalism in focusing on the core of my message as well as its value as reader entertainment." 

Susan Roosen and John Roosen, Authors, Dead Man's Pose: "We wanted to circle back around to you for helping us obtain the very professional review by Diane Donovan.  First, of course, is Diane's extraordinary review capability over the past 40 years. Having someone like Diane review your book is like the 'gold standard' for reviews.  She takes time to thoroughly read the book, to understand the various themes, overt and covert activities, and delights in the writing itself.

It is always important to remember that an author makes a contract with the reader at the outset.  The reader is investing valuable time to look at what the author has written.  Time is a valuable commodity, so the author must use everything in their power to make that investment worthwhile. 

Not only did you enjoy the book, Diane, but you delighted in the small things we embedded everywhere.  (And even caught the Opera we squeezed in here and there!) We mentioned we used a lot of care in the creation.  From two Editors (from 2 countries), 3 proofreaders (though must say you must have enjoyed the Aussie spelling too!), a talented team for the book cover, and experts from everywhere to ensure we had accuracy including having a NZ science institute review the plausibilty of the murder weapon!!!" 

Andrew Gills Smith, Author, Our Lady of the Artilects: "I just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how thrilled I am with the review Diane Donovan wrote for my science fiction novel, Our Lady of the Artilects.  I was on pins and needles hoping that she would like it, of course, but I never expected her to get so *deep* into the themes and structure of the book.  It surpassed any and every expectation I may have had!"

Micheal E. Jimerson, Author, White Gold: "Diane Donovan reviewed my novel, White Gold. I’ve learned that writing an excellent review is an art. A well-written review demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the book’s structure preferably without sounding like a synopsis. If the writing is tolerable and the reviewer competent, then there is a meeting of the minds resulting in a review setting forth the premise and themes of the novel. A gifted reviewer pulls the author into her viewpoint and opens his eyes to something he couldn’t see from his vantage point. White Gold is a mystery/thriller. I feared White Gold would prove formulaic and contrived, but without knowing my concerns, Diane described the novel as “refreshingly different.” So I write to commend not only because I loved the review, rather because she treated my work with great dignity and respect." 

 Krista Ehlers, Author, Daze of Isolation: "I have just completed the book review process with Diane Donovan, and I wanted to take a moment to let you know what a pleasure it was to work with Diane. 

The book review itself was professional and uplifting! After 6 months slogging it through self-publishing, I found her insights to be very encouraging. In addition, she really knows her stuff! As a former IT professional, I'm used to working with people who have trouble managing file transfers and electronic payments and such, but Diane knew as much or more than I did. This made it very easy to work with her. She was also very quick to respond to my questions, and completed her review just when she said she would.  

Overall, this was a great process and well worth the effort." 

Rich Merritts, Author, Birds & Things to Ponder: "Diane Donovan's reviews are exceptional, and she does not miss any detail within the reviewed material. She must read a tremendous amount to be able to accurately and effectively review books with amazing detail about the subject matter in such a short amount of time. Which brings me to schedule. Diane consistently gives a timeframe of completion of the review and has consistently beat her own deadline, in my experience." 

Mark Ortman, Author, The Secret to Everyday Communication (Without Argument): "On March 29, 2022, Diane was assigned to read and review my latest title, The Secret to Everyday Communication (Without Argument). I sent the notice to Diane, and she responded within an hour with all the details for submission and the timeline. I followed up with her requirements, and she quickly acknowledged receipt stating everything was received and in order. 

The day before her promised completion date (May 10th), I received a 300-plus word review draft with a note to reply to any corrections (spelling, etc.). I had a couple of minor punctuation questions, mindful of not influencing her review writing style. She returned with the modifications within an hour! 

My book is a thin yet dense title that attempts to unravel the complexities of everyday communication uniquely and practically. What Diane captured in her review was a deep understanding of what my book was trying to convey and why it is of value. I appreciate her insights! 

Diane Donovan was prompt, efficient, insightful, collaborative, and professional." 

J.T. Michaels, Author, Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone: "I just received my review from Diane Donovan and she absolutely killed it! I wasn't expecting such an in-depth, well-thought review that dissected my story to its barebones and messaging." 

Ryan Neely, Ahr Publishing: "I wanted to drop a line to express how satisfied and grateful I am for Diane's services. I'm often experience trepidation around reviews for some of the books we work with because we often see a polarizing response from their subject matter. Diane returned some a fantastic review for the two novels I submitted to her and I couldn't be happier." 

Rodney G. Miller, Author, Australians Speak Out: Persuasive Language Styles: "Diane Donovan wrote an insightful review of Australians Speak Out: Persuasive Language Styles, which captures the essence of the book so well. She also incorporated valuable perspectives for US readers. I'm delighted with the positive response to excerpts of her review that I've put out in publicity. 

Her professional and personable approach, in which her pride in producing an accurate, honest, well-written review is so evident, made contact with her an absolute pleasure." 

Troy Knowlton, Author, Seekers: The Winds of Change: "Diane Donovan, did an amazing job with the review. It was insightful, detailed, and took the time to reference quotes directly from the novel to provide examples of points made during the review." 

Margaret Spearman, Author, Yesterday Calling: "Diane Donovan recently sent me her review of Steven W. Horn’s new novel, YESTERDAY CALLING: A SAM DAWSON MYSTERY.  This is her fourth time to review one of the Sam Dawson mysteries. Her reviews are well-written and provide an accurate summary of the books without giving away the key secrets or ending. Her ability to select passages from a book to capture the true spirit of the book is uncanny. That she has reviewed three other Sam Dawson mysteries gave her insight into the new thriller that allowed her to review it not only as a stand-alone book, but as a chapter in the series and assess if the author was able to maintain and grow the Sam Dawson character. Diane’s review was all encompassing and well-done. I also appreciate that when she gives you her timeline for the review, that she meets it. 

I’ll be using parts of the review as well as the full review to promote Steve’s new novel—not only prior to the release, but for years to come. Portions of the reviews are part of the previous books’ covers as well as on the back cover of the upcoming Yesterday Calling with a comment from her review on No Good Deed. In addition to the back covers of the books, portions of the Midwest reviews are used by my publicist on posters, sell sheets, media releases, social media, and the Granite Peak Press website  – where the reviews are included in their entirety)."

Rebecca Taniguchi, Author, Hiro's War: "I want to commend the efforts of Diane Donovan, who wrote a sensitive and cogent review of my novel, Hiro’s War. She  accurately comprehended the way I had structured the message of my book, recognized and appreciated the evolution of my main character, and identified the myriad challenges that he and others faced in the many phases of the novel, from the internment of Japanese Americans and their outstanding military service to their country through the post-war years of continued obstacles and triumphs, ending after their participation in the bicentennial celebration of American liberty and justice for all. Diane’s communications to me throughout the review process were clear and thorough, and she was true to her projected schedule of completion.  

Writers and publishers can be assured of a reading that is full of intelligence, integrity, and understanding when Diane Donovan is at the helm." 

Don Hurzeler, Author, Suddenly Retired: "Diane told me exactly what she needed and what to expect. She then completed her work exceptionally quickly and did a very complete job on the review.  I love it and it will be very useful in my marketing and awareness around my new book.  Wish I was reviewing her...I would give her Five Stars and a great write up.   

I had an experience with one of your competitors that made me want to tear out what little hair I have left.  Delay after delay...lots of changes in requirements...took forever and the review was worthless...the reviewer all but called me a liar about photographing salt water crocodiles in the water with them with no cage or safety equipment...when it is clearly documented that I did just that....called other adventures I was on...one where another party compound fractured his leg and another died as "tame"....if you can call hiking five miles out to running lava that is flowing over a cliff at 3am "tame".  The reviewer did not get me nor grasp the subject matter and his review went right in the trash...not a scathing review, just completely off point. 

Diane clearly got the book and understood the important parts...and writes so well that it makes me think I should have paid better attention in class." 

Krys Call, Author, In the Neighborhood, Seagull Lane, and Here and Away: "The reviews were so conscientiously done and much better written than most reviews that I have seen on the backs of books of all genres that I feel very fortunate indeed to have gotten a reviewer of such expertise. The books that she reviewed required careful reading because they were written by a first person narrator with a point of view which reflects 1% of the population according to most personality surveys such as the Myers-Briggs test, and the DSM-V. corroborates the rarity of this atypicality.  Therefore, the books required a thoughtfully analytical and open-minded perspective on the part of the reviewer.  I was so relieved that Ms. Donovan aced it! " 

David H. Rothman, Author, Drone Child: "Diane Donovan has been a pleasure to work with. She met her deadline for the first draft and promptly sent in the next version. Best of all, she understood and carefully explained my book rather than just whipping off a plot summary and not much else. Her genuine enthusiasm came through in a very persuasive way." 

Sarah Branson, Author, A Merry Life: "Diane has been a consummate professional. After I initially emailed her, she responded promptly and gave me a timeline that she stuck to precisely.  

The review itself was thorough and insightful and went far beyond simply stating what happened in the book and whether she liked it. She looked deeper into the text and brought out points that will definitely guide readers as they choose books. Her recommendations for libraries and book clubs will be invaluable in my marketing. I couldn't be happier with her work." 

Kirsten Marion, Publisher, for Lucy & Dee, The Silk Road and The Math Kids, The Triangle Secret: "Diane Donovan did a stellar job reviewing the titles above. She grasped the essence of each story and has given readers of each review an excellent indication of what they can expect from each title.  We are very pleased with her work!"  

Jack Hanrahan, Author, Traveling Freedom's Road: A Guide to Exploring Our Civil Rights History: "From the outset, Diane's communication was clear and timely.  Her review accurately captured so much of what I put into the book; in fact, she is the first reviewer to mention how the book is as valuable to the "armchair traveler" as it is for those who get out on Freedom's Road.  I think her invitation to authors to give her any post-review feedback shows an open-mindedness that is the hallmark of a real pro...someone who cares about getting it right."  

Ellie Alexander, Author, Lost Coast Literary: "I just received a draft of the thoughtful and well-crafted review by Diane Donovan for my novel Lost Coast Literary. As a traditionally published author, my publicist has handled reviews for previous book releases. This is my first independent standalone novel and I’ve been so impressed with the process and with Diane. From prompt response times to a carefully crafted, honest review with plenty of pull quotes, my expectations have been exceeded. "  

Danielle Dayney, Author, When Love Sticks Around: "I'm incredibly pleased with my book review. Diane Donovan is a gem. She read my memoir and wrote the most beautiful review, and she returned it even sooner than she promised. I really and truly couldn't be happier." 

Donald Levin, Author, Savage City: "I just wanted to take a minute to let you know how satisfied I was with Diane Donovan's recent review of my novel, Savage City. She wrote a fine review of the book, with a keen appreciation of my purposes in the work. I was also very impressed with her professionalism; I heard from her right away, she let me know what her schedule was, and she followed that schedule exactly. All in all, it was a very positive experience for me and, I hope, for her." 

Jonathan Geoffrey Dean, Author, Salt & Light; The Complete Jesus: "I just received my review, Salt & Light; The Complete Jesus, from Ms. 
Donovan and I wanted to compliment her on a great job. She provided a complete and accurate portrait of the book and I was particularly pleased to see that she has picked up on the broad appeal of the book, something other reviewers seem to miss. She was also very easy to work with. I am completely satisfied."

Elizabeth Engstrom, Author, The Itinerant: "What I love about this review is not that it’s a good review (although I love that part), but it’s a smart review, and clearly you read the whole book. This is not the case with some reviewers, so for that I’m grateful." 

Ellen Dee Davidson, Author, Wind: "I wanted to write you a quick email and let you know how thoroughly delighted and pleased I was with both Diane Donovan's review of my book, WIND, and the professional way she shared information and correspondence with me. Her review was actually my favorite one of the 6 professional editorial reviews I have received. Several of the reviews were equally positive and glowing, but Diane's stood out because I felt she really captured the essence of the story and what I was trying to say. I had the, "She nailed it!" feeling." 

Stephanie Cotsirilos, Author, My Xanthi: "Just a brief note today to tell you about my excellent experience with Diane Donovan, who recently reviewed my novella, My Xanthi. She was promptly responsive, gracious, and clear throughout the review process, and I believe she read the book completely, sincerely, and with expertise and insight. Those qualities can be hard to come by." 

Per Olav Verås, Author, The Syphilis Artist: "I just received Diane Donovan's review of my debut novel, The Syphilis Artist. As I mentioned to her in my email, she captured my heart with her fine review. It struck at the very soul of my novel with it's fine portrait of my main character, and indeed, she captured the thoughts that motivated me to write what for me became an obsession. 

Thank you again for your literary service. It is essential that we, as writer's, have services like yours that so professionally treat our material and writing with the same  deliberation that we  used in writing our work." 

Joe Byrd, Author, Monet & Oscar: "I’m very pleased with working with Diane Donovan. She was extremely professional and a pleasure to work with. She highlighted a number of interesting points about my book, “Monet & Oscar,” that other reviewers haven’t." 

James Hailey, Author, The Memory of Sydney: "I note that Diane is a senior reviewer, and I guess I was just lucky to draw her, especially for this book, as it is so off the beaten track that only someone with a lot of professional reviewing experience could deliver a balanced viewpoint.  

I have received Diane’s draft review, and I must say that it is most satisfying, and not merely because it is a positive review. For your information, this book already has an absolute rave editorial review.  

What makes Diane’s review hold so much value is that it covers many of the points that I am hoping the average reader will get. Whoever reads this review first, and then reads the book, will find whatever the review made them expect in it. And that, guiding readers in the right direction, would surely be the definition of a well-written review."   

Madeleine de Jean, Author, And the Stars Began to Fall: "But every word in a review is worth its weight in gold to the survival of the words of writers.  And Diane Donovan herself certainly has a way with words.

Wow.  Wish I could write as well! 

Because this novel is not easy to pin into a neat category, as she well says, is one of its difficulties for reviewers and for libraries and bookstores. BUT, as she also says, this lack is one of the pleasures of the story."  

Martha Cornog, Author, Paradox: The Attack on the Ladies Room: "Diane Donovan sent me a draft of her review of my book, Paradox: The Attack on the Ladies Room. I am very pleased with her review. 

First, her review emphasizes the nature and appeal of the story's way-out science, which isn't something that just anyone would choose to mention in a review. Yet describing that makes sense for a review of a science fiction story, for which potential readers are going to want some kind of clue as to what the "science" element might be like. 

Second, she also describes how the science is tangled up entertainingly with the mystery and action elements. And her choice of "sassy" strikes me as excellent." 

Brad O'Hagan, Author, Scoundrel in the Thick: "I have just received the review of my novel, Scoundrel in the Thick, from Diane Donovan, and wanted to let you know how much I appreciated her professionalism, responsiveness and timeliness during the process. 

For most of the past two decades I worked as a ghostwriter for Fortune 100 CEOs and national political figures, from a former Director of the CIA to the CEO's of companies like Exxon and Boeing. 22 books in all. And, while I was pleased with most of the reviews, it seemed that none of the reviewers could get past their own personal political biases simply because of the name on the cover. 

So, it was very refreshing for me to work with an objective pro like Diane who clearly reviewed the book for what it is.".

Cheryl K. Johnson, Author, Box Lunch Lifestyle: "As a first-time author, many of the systems, deliverables and relationships I'm wrestling with are pretty murky. My experience with Diane Donovan, though, has been a true bright spot.  

While I'm thrilled that she liked my book, I also deeply appreciate how clearly and promptly she communicated the review process and expectations. And what a delight to actually receive my review earlier than expected. (I certainly won't expect this from other--paid--reviews!) 

Diane seems to really love her work. So despite her extraordinary book/publishing credentials, she's warm and accessible. We newcomers are pretty lucky to have an opportunity to learn from someone like her." 

Bob Van Laerhoven, Author, Alejandro's Lie: "Diane Donovan sent me a lucid and intelligent analysis of Alejandro's Lie. Every author dreams about their book being understood, especially when it's a multi-layered novel like Alejandro's Lie. Mrs. Donovan did so in her well-written review.".  

More Accolades for 2021

 

Emilia Rosa, Author, Finding Christina: "I just received a copy of Diane Donovan’s review of my novel.  I was apprehensive, because I never had experience with professional reviewers.  

I need not have been: Diane was very professional and courteous.  Her messages very clearly outlined the process.  

But the most surprising thing was how much she was able to capture from my story; not one of my readers, who let me know their thoughts, got even close to the depth of detail she was able to grasp.  But I guess that is what differentiates a regular reader from a professional reviewer."    

Michael Alvear, Author, Grand Theft Weight Loss: "Diane was a pleasure to deal with and most importantly, that she understood the concepts in the book and effectively communicated them. I’ve gotten other institutional reviews that were positive but they seemed not to “get” the concepts the way Diane did." 

Michele Kwasniewski, Author, Rising Star and Burning Bright: "I had a great experience with my reviewer, Diane Donovan. She followed through on the reviews of my books in a timely manner. Her reviews were thoughtful, thorough and well-written. I have had experiences in the past with reviewers who did not give me their review in a timely manner or who wrote reviews based solely on the blurb written on the back of my book cover. I am grateful for this professional experience." 

Caroline Brickley, The Friendly Bookshelf: "We are very happy with our experience with Diane. She was very prompt and clear throughout the process, and also gave our book a thoughtful and well-written review. We just received our review yesterday and it's clear she put in a lot of time and consideration when reading and reviewing our book." 

Michael Snarr, Author, The Wolcott Circus: "Diane Donovan just finished the review of my book, and she did a very thorough job in the process of writing a wonderful piece. I can tell she read the book from cover to cover, which I didn’t expect. I was also very impressed with her writing style as well as her interpretation of the book, capturing the essence of it in her review." 

Linda Lee Blakemore, Author, Entrenched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go: "I wanted to take a moment and let you know what an outstanding job Diane Donovan did on the review of my book, Entrenched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go. The book has been reviewed by several highly regarded and more expensive agencies, but Diane was, by far, the most comprehensive, thoughtful, and professional.  In several short and easy to use paragraphs, she set my book apart from others, and captured the storyline, the theme, the importance of the topic, and emphasized my target audience. I have recommended her to my writing friends as well as to my publisher, Leonella Press.  And I would jump at the chance to use her again." 

Aaron Zevy, Author, Not Book Club Material: "Needless to say, it is always easy to praise someone who gives you a good review but what distinguishes Diane is that she gets it. Her reviews are so well thought out and professional and get at the heart of what I, as a writer, am trying to say.  Hers was the first review I received for Almost the Truth and it gave me confidence to know that the work transcended the my circle of friends and family and those with knowledge of Jewish culture. That book went on to get a great review from Kirkus and my next, which Diane also liked, gotba starred review from Blue Ink. In short. She gets it. I was lucky to have her as a reviewer." 

Clinton Harris, Author, Shenendoah Dreams: "I just wanted to send you a note to give you feedback on my experience with Diane Donovan. First, she delivered before schedule, which was absolutely amazing. Secondly, her review was concise, eloquent, and captured the essence of what I was attempting to purvey within the story to a point that her review brought one of my editors to tears. Diane not only made my day, but helped me to feel that my efforts in the writing of this book were worth it." 

Sherry Frazier, Frazier Public Relations, for The Irish Clans series by Stephen Finlay Archer: "Diane reviewed five books in The Irish Clans series by Stephen Finlay Archer. She is a delight to work with and her reviews were thoughtful, thorough and beautifully written. In addition, she communicated when she received the materials and gave the date she would send the reviews to me. She met her deadline and I cannot be more pleased."

Van Fleisher, Author, Final Chance: "I have just received my review from Diane Donovan for my third book, Final Chance. Diane had previously reviewed books one and two of the trilogy. In each interaction with Diane I have been impressed with her professionalism, in all respects. She is prompt, courteous, thorough and she really gets to the essence of the story, or at least mine. She is an asset to authors who have the opportunity to work with her."    

David Yurkovich, Author, Let's Say Jack Kennedy Killed the Girl: "I received Diane Donovan's review of our upcoming novel, Let's Say Jack Kennedy Killed the Girl. She wrote a really great, in-depth review, and it was obvious to me she really took her time to read the manuscript." 

Eric Peterson, Author, Sunshine Chief: "Diane was prompt to contact me, clear in her communications about the process of working with her, and extremely professional to deal with. As far as meeting her promised deadline, she beat the deadline by more than a week, which is most appreciated on my side of the table as we prepare our book covers for our November 1 publication date.  Her attention to detail is impressive. She meticulously confirmed with me the book's title, ISBN, price, character names, and story line, and she presented our options for how and where the review will first appear." 

A.J. Massey, Author, Fever Dreams and the End of All Things: "I've commissioned a few reviews over the past few months, but the one Diane just finished was the best of them all. Her review was well-thought-out and extremely informative. Her attention to detail is impeccable and she was able to identify some of the key underlying themes throughout.  Anyway, really happy about this review." 

Thomas Reilly, Author, Chasing Time: "From the start, Diane was clear and exact about the services and timelines such that I had no doubts about my expectations. In addition,  she crafted a detailed review of my book that indicated she took it very seriously. Diane did a great job for me." 

William Burke, Author, Primeval Waters: "I just wanted to take a moment to praise Diane Donovan, who recently reviewed my novel Primeval Waters.  I’m certainly happy that she enjoyed the book, but also by how well written the review was. More than one person I shared it with pointed out how on point, concise and well structured her review was. Professional and intuitive.  I will seek out her reviews in the future and tailor my reading list accordingly." 

Ruth Hull Chatlien, Author, Katie, Bar the Door: "I just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with the book review that Diane Donovan did of my novel, Katie, Bar the Door. I thought she understood and encapsulated what I was trying to say in the story quite well and even added a clever insight of her own when she said, "Katie rewrote a history paper when she realized that her facts and sources were outdated. Can she rewrite her life?" It's such a delight as an author when a reviewer makes a connection that you weren't even aware of. I also appreciated the care she took not to give away too much of the story." 

Kathleen Rapp, Author, The Unseen and the Unwilling: "Recently, I submitted my book, The Unseen and The Unwilling, to Diane Donovan for review. Diane accepted and detailed in her replied email that there were no guarantees for a good review, only an honest one. She also informed me when to expect an advanced copy of the review and when it would be posted.  Everything came to fruition and on time, exactly the way Diane said it would.  Diane wrote a thorough review, pulling out quotes and highlighted why the modern reader might want to read it. Her review demonstrated her meticulous and thoughtful work ethic.  Fortunately, my review was a good one.  Be that as it may, even if it weren’t, I would still write the above. In this day and age, it is gratifying to find someone, like Diane, who is professional and conscientious about her work." 

Nina Navisky, Author, The Fortune Cookie Writer: "As you know, independent authors have few options when trying to procure legitimate editorial reviews for their work. It was clear that Diane had read my novel in full (regrettably, not a given with all review services), and that she had contemplated its themes. She was accommodating in terms of scheduling, quick to reply to emails, and wrote a review that is useful for both readers and the author." 

Paulette Hampton, Author, Of the Lilin: "The eloquence and thoroughness of Diane's review blew me away. After reading it, I felt as though she knew my book better than I did. It thrilled me to have been able to share my story with her. She took time and care in reading my book, and I'm most appreciative."   

CK (Kas) Sobey, Author, Musings, Woolgathering, & Ghosts: "As a newer writer, (this is my second book but quite a different genre than my first), it is so very important to receive a review like this. It makes me sit up and hold my head a little higher and continue writing with a smile, a dash of inspiration and confidence!  She not only patiently answered all my questions along the way, but has taken the time to honestly read and view my book with heartfelt and thoughtful words. " 

 Dan Fallon, Author, Love’s Legacy: Viscount Chateaubriand and the Irish Girl: "I’m writing just to put in a good word for Diane Donovan, who recently completed a review of my soon-to-be-published book, Love’s Legacy: Viscount Chateaubriand and the Irish Girl.  The review showed not just a conscientious attention to my book, but also revealed Diane’s love of literature, and her careful treatment of authors.  Some reviewers, of course, do give an author a chance to correct factual errors, but not all do.  In Diane’s case, she accompanies her "draft review" with a message that conveys her concern for honesty and fidelity.  Obviously, a reviewer is not going to change the judgment rendered in a review just because the author objects, but for a reviewer to acknowledge that there might be a factual error, or even a serious misunderstanding, is rare.  Diane makes clear that integrity is foremost in her consideration and thus wins the author’s confidence that a fair review has been rendered." 

Daryl Potter, Author, Blind Man’s Labyrinth: "Diane has just reviewed my historical fiction novel Blind Man’s Labyrinth, and I was very pleased with her work. Getting a positive review is always nice, but more importantly, her review told me three things:

·        She read the novel carefully

·        She took notes along the way

·        And she captured the essential themes that inform the heart of the book

That is not always the case with editorial reviews where the resulting work sometimes leaves an author wondering if the reviewer only skimmed over the piece and didn’t understand, or perhaps they were misassigned to a writing style less suited to their reading preferences. Neither issue was apparent here. As an author, it’s a breath of fresh air to read a review that is as thoughtful as this one.  " 

Lance Lee, Author, Orpheus Rising: "I just received a fine review from Diane Donovan of my children’s middle grade fantasy novel, Orpheus Rising. The book has drawn a series of exceptional reviews, like hers, which is in keeping with that general tenor of its reception— by way of example, just recently it received one of the rare Kirkus star reviews. Unusually, Ms. Donovan took on the way the book escapes easy categorization, although presented as middle grade. That’s normally a problem, but here she indicated the story elements are so well interwoven it means the book will be enjoyed across categories by readers of a variety of ages and tastes. I think that’s quite smart. " 

Ruth Thompson, Author, Quickwater Oracles: "Of the several editorial reviews I have now received, Diane’s is by far the most perceptive and thoughtful, and gives the clearest picture of what a reader can expect." 

Linda Gruenberg, Author, Hummer: "I wanted to let you know how pleased I am (even thrilled) with Diane Donovan's review of my children's novel, Hummer.  The review is well written, smart, and compassionate--toward the characters, I mean. She clearly took the time to engage in the story and understand its pieces and the complexity of characters brushing against each other. Her summary was succinct and right on the money. She analyzed Hummer on a whole-story basis, then zeroed in on some favorite parts to shine light where it made best sense, enthusiastically creating selling points along the way.  Her review is sure to help me sell copies and encourage the story out into the world where (like every author) I so long for my work to take flight. Her review feels invaluable. " 

Will Lonergan, Author, The Wanderer: "I'm writing as a follow up, to thank you for your guidance, and to share what a wonderful job Ms. Diane Donovan has done as our reviewer for The Wanderer.  Her insightful and thoughtful review will be posted in October; we are delighted with it, and with her wonderful service.   You really "knocked the ball out of the park" by connecting us with Ms. Donovan. She was so helpful, courteous and professional in every way, and she delivered the review for our approval sooner than promised. " 

Lisa Roles, Author, Ninety-Five: "I wanted to tell you how pleased I was with the book review Diane Donovan wrote of my upcoming thriller, Ninety-Five. Not only was the review favorable, it was insightful, well-crafted, and she really took the time to understand the story and its deeper mythology."  

 Michael Cole, Author, The Zodiac Revisited, Volume 1: "The review is thorough and nicely written. It's clear from reading it that Diane read the book and invested considerable time and effort into sharing her thoughts."  

Ethan Burroughs, Author, Messianic Reveal: "Diane Donovan kindly drafted a review of my first political/historical thriller Messianic Reveal.  Her review was well crafted, insightful, and alluring (which I especially appreciated!).  It provided just the right blend of content and reflection to inform and attract readers.  I especially appreciated Diane's professional approach, regular communications, and predictable timetables, all essential to me as I enter into the publishing business. It's not easy from a pride standpoint to allow someone to review and criticize one's work, but from the get go, I felt I was in good hands with Diane."  

Glenda Carroll, Author, Dead Code: "I wanted to let you know that my experience with Diane before, during and after she reviewed Dead Code, the third mystery in the Trisha Carson series was more than I could ask for. She was efficient, professional and met her deadlines.  The review is extremely well written. But beyond that, she understood the book and the protagonist completely."  

Jerry Gold and J. Cartales, Black Heron Press: "I just wanted to let you know how much we at Black Heron Press appreciate Diane Donovan's reviews of our books. She is always on target, and always worth reading."  

Leonard Krishtalka, Author, The Body on the Bed: "A quick note to commend Diane Donovan's literary review of my novel, The Body on the Bed, which is scheduled to be published in the September 2021 issue. Ms. Donovan's review was smart, extremely well-written, insightful, incisive, and sensitive to the interplay of themes, plot and characters. She is a terrific asset, one I would trust for an honest, professional review of any of my novels."  

Dina Greenberg, Author, Nermina’s Chance: "I wanted to let you know that I received Diane Donavan’s review for my novel Nermina’s Chance. Both the review and her interactions with me could not have exhibited a higher level of professionalism, insight, and expertise. Please know this is not always the case!" 

 Natalie Graszewicz and Dominik Socha, Authors, For Victims Yours and Ours: "we are very pleased with the review we have just received from Ms Diane Donovan.  Ms Donovan is a very sensitive, insightful observer and therefore has been able to comprehend our intellectually demanding work. We believe she did a splendid job with her thorough analysis."

Scott Behrens, Director, Zenith Book Team, for The Final Yen: "We wanted to thank you for Diane Donovan's excellent review of THE FINAL YEN (a  novel by R. Sebastian Bennett), upcoming in the September issue.  Diane Donovan's review was insightful and compelling.  It provided just the right blend of analysis and summary, supported by appropriate quotes from the novel. The review has an intriguing introduction and a fine conclusion. Diane Donovan is a true professional and a gifted writer.  Clearly, her review will benefit readers, as it is an accurate and engaging report on THE FINAL YEN." 

Rosilyn Seay, Author, Just My Luck: "I recently submitted my latest book, Just My Luck, for review. This book project holds special meaning to me. My sister and co-author, Lelia Coles, died before it could be completed. I just want to thank you for accepting the book and for putting me in contact with Ms. Diane Donovan. She not only completed the review in the time she predicted (actually a few days early), but she also took the time to understand what my sister and I were trying to convey.  Her review was truly inciteful and comprehensive." 

Mr. Ameya Pandit, Author, Impressions: "Diane provided an accurate and wonderful description of my work. Her prose is objective and complete. I am very happy with my interaction with her. Her professionalism from the beginning to the end is worthy of this note. I am moved by the fact that she delved into the finer aspects of my work, the difficult essays in the book; and provided a clear and thoughtful feedback in her editorial feedback. The examples she has chosen, the words she has portrayed are nothing more I could have asked for from any reviewer. Her due diligence, her attention to detail, and her ability to grasp the philosophical depth of my notes is both laudatory and praiseworthy. I plan to use the review (along with some others), in prominent outlets for distribution." 

Sharon Dukett, Author, No Rules: A Memoir: "I would like you to know that I am pleased with the review, insights, and accurate response time offered by Diane Donovan with her book review of No Rules. I can tell she took the time to not only read the book, but also to consider the story and its message. Her review offers some fresh points that I have not seen presented by others." 

Susan K. Hagen, PhD, Author, Shall We Dance?: "I just want to follow-up on the review of Shall We Dance? by senior reviewer Diane Donovan.   The review artfully characterized the book.  Donovan obviously has a firm foundation in literary history and poetics, knowledge which I especially appreciated.  She was also prompt and professional.  I am very pleased with her review."

Charles "LC" Fiore, Author, Coyote Loop: "Diane Donovan, who recently reviewed my new novel, Coyote Loop, for the August issue. Diane was thorough and thoughtful and carefully considered my themes and the story I hoped to tell. It was really an honor to be read so carefully. My novel presents a lot of potential stumbling blocks for a reader, but Diane navigated them with style and grace."   

Leona Francombe, Author, The Universe in 3/4 Time: "Diane Donovan was a pleasure to interact with: meticulous and punctual, but more than that, she truly seemed to get to the bottom of what I was trying to say with my story. This required insight, patience, intuition and hard work on her part, all of which would seem indispensable for a gifted reviewer, and which were reflected in her comments and approach." 

Betty Fudge, Author, Norm And Ginger Enter The Hidden: "I wanted to reach out and express my appreciation for her professionalism. She communicated with me very clearly what the process would look like as well as the timeline for completion of her review. In addition she let me know what I could expect after she completed her review. The Hidden is my debut novel and the learning curve from first draft all the way through publishing has been filled with unexpected twists and turns! My experience with Diane has been wonderful. Clearly Diane took the time to read my middle grade adventure book! She wrote a review that demonstrated that she had taken time to read and understand the plot as well as the character quirks that as the author, I feel make my book special. Her review communicates that to readers." 

Bill Wood, American Media Legacy, For Malice and Mercy: "Among the many reviews we've received so far, we're thrilled Diane's review is more than just a simple summary. She offers some compelling insights that address the indelible impact of war on the lives of innocent people. Unlike most reviewers who overlooked many of these intended nuances, she was able to recognize them, and explain how they helped to tell the overarching story of this novel. We're grateful that she took the time necessary to thoroughly read and understand the book, not to mention submitting such a well written and powerful review." 

Matthew Cost, Author, Love in a Time of Hate: "I just wanted to let you know that Diane at Donovan Literary is professional and fantastic. Her intro email was detailed and thorough and she has followed through on meeting the dates set.  More importantly, she writes a marvelous review. It certainly helps that she liked LOVE IN A TIME OF HATE, but beyond that, it is the most thorough review I’ve gotten on anything. Better than Kirkus or many other big names. She digs into the guts of the book and shares it without giving away anything crucial." 

Tricia D. Wagner, Author, The Strider and the Regulus: "Diane just completed a review of my soon-to-be-released title, The Strider and the Regulus. In receiving and reading it, I was floored by how thoughtful and insightful Diane was in providing the review. She really captured the heart of my book, keying in on the places that I’ve always felt would be most meaningful to present to readers." 

Bill Amatneek, Author, Heart of a Man: "I just received Diane Donovan’s review of my anthology, Heart of a Man. Her insightful review showed that she understood and appreciated what the anthology is trying to do and say. Her close reading of the book, her accurate and honest review, extremely well written, made my day.  She did an outstanding job." 

Pete Obourn, Author, Women Are Hard to Figure: "Diane Donovan was my reviewer and she was superb. She responded promptly, explaining the process, which was a great help and comfort to me, as this is my first book and i am self-publishing. Communication with her was a joy. I can compare that to other reviewers  who turned out to be frustrating to work with." 

Elizabeth Gauffreau, Author, Grief Songs: "I am writing to let you know how pleased I am with the review of my debut poetry collection, Grief Songs, by Diane Donovan. The time, attention, and care she put into the review were truly gratifying. What impressed me most was that she approached the book on its own terms, rather than preconceived notions of what such a book should be." 

Jenny Jaeckel, Author, Boy, Falling: "Diane's reviews were in-depth, insightful, thoughtful, and I was very honored by her words. In communicating with Diane throughout the process of both reviews I found her to be prompt, clear, friendly, and professional. Simply a pleasure to interact with."  

JoDee Neathery, Author, A Kind of Hush: "I am so pleased with the quality of the review on my new novel provided by Diane Donovan. It was so professional, insightful, timely, and on point...she's a keeper and an asset to authors and publishers seeking a well-written honest review. She's flexible and accommodating to the unpredictable whims of publishing and it was a real joy to work with her. She clearly loves what she does."  

Carole Marsh, Publisher, Gallopade Books: "Diane Donovan’s review of my new Epidemics, Outbreaks, and Pandemics—Including COVID1-19 accomplished something far more than making me happy…her spot-on comprehension of how important it is for kids 9-and-up to hear and “get”  the truth about important matters that affected them so gravely is essential. Kids needed to know more than the facts, they needed to know adults screwed up! I did not say it that way of course, but that DD cottoned right to the fact that I had been so earnest and honest just stunned me.  That teachers and librarians will have a tool that does more than just share the facts will be so helpful to them.  EVERYTHING today is so fraught with one thing or another…so I really appreciated your reviewer’s  wisdom in pointing out the added value of my book."  

Joan M. Hellquist, Author, Piki Goes to College: "Not only is Diane very professional, with a lot of experience, but extremely polite and friendly in her email interactions with me. I'm new at this and she explained everything to me so well that I didn't have to ask for any explanations at all as to how the whole review process works. I am also very pleased with Diane's review as she mentions that not only will children enjoy the story, Piki's personality and the colorful drawings, but both the children and adults reading it will learn a lot about service dogs, making it both entertaining and educational."  

Linda Long Radosevich, Author, The Bethlehem Boy: "Just a word of high praise for Diane Donovan as a reviewer. She was thorough, professional, and timely—even in contact with me by email on a Saturday! She gave me far more coverage than I ever expected as a first-time author. Given the length of my historical fiction, she responded in an extraordinarily timely fashion and then addressed my every concern. I deeply appreciate her communications." 

Jane Elzey, Author, Dying for Dominoes: "I found Diane to be easy to reach, easy and professional to work with, and she met all of our expectations. She set a clear time frame and met it, and both the author and publisher were pleased. It was apparent she read the book with earnest and gave it an honest review. She set the review out in the passage such that we might use her comments whole or in part without losing the gist, which is much appreciated for venues where brevity is required." 

Bedri Cag Cetin, Ph.D., Author, Sacred Life: Healing from the Virus in Consciousness: "The ultimate reward for any author, who has literally devoted his life to a single book, must be more than 10 5-star reviews, just 1 review that shines so bright that in a single page it leaves the author in awe with its literary beauty, wisdom, and wonders. It is a very humbling experience for me, and this is such a review!  Sincerely, it is the most thorough, profound, and beautiful review I have received out of over 10 editorial reviews I have received within the last 2 months, including, Chanticleer, IndieReader, U.S. Review of Books, Online Book Club, etc. Almost all of these reviewing companies gave the book a perfect rating, but truly, Ms. Donovan’s review is the most valuable & special for me, and thus it will be the PRIMARY editorial review, I will be quoting on my book’s Amazon site, Goodreads, Apple iBooks, as well as on all future book and promotional sites." 

Lennie DeCerce, Atmosphere Press: "I just wanted to take a moment and gush about the work Diane Donovan does with book reviews!! I've never read reviews like hers -- she takes such time and such care with them!! I know any time she is reviewing a book that she will consider the author and the audience and that just doesn't happen. She is absolutely phenomenal!" 

Bill Cotter Sr, Author, A Collection of US Army Unit Crests: "Ms Donovan informed me on the many steps involved with reviewing a book and kept me informed on the process along the way. The due date for her draft review to me was the 10th of May. To my amazement, she finished early and sent me my draft review early.  I'm overwhelming happy with her review. Having buyers write small reviews on what they thought of my book is one thing, but having a professional like Ms Donovan say even better things about my book is heartwarming and humbly.   Being a new author, I'm blushing over the review.  Ms Donovan's words are well written and covered my entire book." 

Charlotte Stuart, Author, Shopping Can Be Deadly and President, Puget Sound Sisters in Crime: "Just wanted to let you know how pleased I was with Diane Donovan's review of my book Shopping Can Be Deadly (A Discount Detective Mystery #3).  I was pleased not just because she said she liked my book, but because she clearly and thoroughly explained the essence of the multilayered themes I tried to capture. I believe anyone reading the review will know what to expect from my mystery.  And I appreciate that." 

Joel E. Lorentzen, Author, Proles: "Ms. Donovan provided a review of my recently-published book Proles.  Based on my experiences thus far, I feel compelled to share that I was highly satisfied with her work, as well as her professional approach. Regarding the review, she accurately captured the essence of the book and, while critical in spots, her review classified the genre and target audience more clearly than I had on my own. More importantly, immediately upon engaging her, she let me know exactly what to expect – then exceeded each of those expectations. My experience with most reviewers is the opposite. Ms. Donovan will be my first call for my next book."

Sophia Wilhelm, Marketing Specialist, Mascot Books: "Diane Donovan has written many reviews for us in the past few months and we are delighted with her work!  She is responsive, kind, and overall easy to work with! Her reviews are also thoughtful, honest, and beautifully written."
 

Manny Williams, Author, Listen Mama: "I was extremely pleased by the professionalism, attentiveness, and communication skills throughout this process by Diane Donovan. I had no idea what to expect going in as this is my first book, and was surprised at how seamless she made the process seem. She just delivered a draft of my review and it caught me by surprise with how she really seemed to get what I was going for with the book, and explained it in an effortless way that I really believe will intrigue potential readers." 

Margaret Porter, Author, The Limits of Limelight: "I've received many reviews over the course of my career, but few have provided as thorough and accurate an assessment of my story as the one for Midwest Book Review. I am, of course, pleased that it is so positive, but what I appreciate just as much is the reviewer's effort to provide a prospective reader with an array of information about the book, without revealing excess detail or spoilers.  As a book reviewer myself, I know the time and effort involved to produce a quality review. And I am very appreciative of Diane's abilities, and the quality of her writing." 

James Sulzer, Author, Writ in Winter: "I wanted to tell you how satisfying an experience it was to work with Diane Donovan as she reviewed my novel on John Keats, WRIT IN WATER.  From the first contact, she made it easy to process the modest payment and gave me clear instructions on submission.  Her review itself showed a real knowledge of the subject, a sense of literary form, and a masterful ability to marshal facts and reactions in the context of a well-modulated narrative review. Though it was a positive review, I have the sense that her reactions were honest and clear, and that she would have been willing to express reservations about the novel had she felt they were warranted. In other words, I sensed the work of a reviewer with skill and integrity." 

Bonné Bartron, Author, Whispers: An American Legend: "I am the author of Whispers An American Legend, which was reviewed by Diane Donovan. I wanted to take a moment to send you a note to express my gratitude for such a beautifully written review. I bought a review from Kirkus that was NOWHERE near as well thought-out, well digested or evening close to as well written as what Diane produced in about three months shorter time.  Diane was extremely professional every step of the way, and I can not say enough about how impressed I was with her." 

Rowan Leo, Account Manager, 8ThirtyFour: "My name is Rowan, and I'm the Account Manager at 8THIRTYFOUR. Our team recently had the pleasure of working with Diane Donovan to organize a review for Incentives: The Holy Water of Free Enterprise by our client, George Franklin.  I just wanted to reach out to you and let you know Diane was wonderful to work with, and she wrote a stellar review for George. In all of her interactions with our team, Diane was responsive, attentive, and personable." 

Pat Jurgens, Author, Falling Forward, a Woman's Journey West: "As an author, I found her review thorough, thoughtful, and fair.  It was positive without overblown superlatives, and brought out universal themes in the historical narrative. This will appeal to a wide range of readers. She was also easy to work with, responding quickly and in a timely manner." 

Sharon Hoisager, Author, The Cornmarket Conspiracy: "Diane was so professional, efficient, and delivered her review in exactly the timeframe she had promised.  What’s more, I was pleased that while my novel enjoyed a terrific review, she captured some of the more nuanced plot points that some other early readers have missed.  All in all, I am so happy with my review and am looking forward to using it in some of my book’s marketing materials." 

Marianne Pestana, Literary Publicist & Consultant: "I wanted to reach out to you to let you know how amazing our experience with Diane was!  She was very professional, assisted us with finding the perfect time for our client’s review, and was extremely timely in delivering her well thought out, and insightful comments.  It was easy to see that she not only read our client’s book, but really understood the genre, which is something we don’t always find.  She is a jewel, and we look forward to working with her in the future!" 

Sunny Lockwood, Author, Cruising from Boston to Montreal: "I recently asked her to review our new book, and she was equally easy to work with, and gave us a rich review. One of the sentences in her review was good enough to make it on the front cover of our book. We work with a number of editorial reviewers and are especially pleased with Ms. Donovan's ability to capture the essence of our work."

Cam Lang, Author, The Concrete Vineyard: "I am very pleased with the content and quality of the review itself. I felt Diane captured the essence and depth of my novel without focusing on a regurgitation of the plot.  So far, this was the only review delivered ahead of schedule."

Steven Grant, Author, Late, Late in the Evening: "The review was completed at lightning speed in comparison to other organisations offering a similar service. I also felt the review itself identified exactly what I had been trying to achieve with the book, and offered a fair and insightful consideration of the content."

Helena P. Schrader, Author, Where Eagles Never Fly:  "I have received an excellent review from Diane Donovan. What impressed me most was that Diane was very clear about when the review would be ready and when it would be published. She delivered ahead of schedule. Obviously, I’m delighted that she also liked my book, but unlike too many “reader reviews” she provided reasons for her assessment and highlighted features of the book. I believe her review will encourage some readers who might otherwise not have been interested in a book about a “Battle” (the Battle of Britain) to take a look at my book. I greatly appreciate that."

Sherman Miles, Author, Freedom Sex and a Meat Cleaver:  "Diane Donovan did an amazing review! I have to admit, that at first, I was a little hesitant since the book is geared more towards the male reader so I really didn’t know how she might react. The review was not only thorough but she elegantly captured the essence of my writing. Very insightful. "

David P. Madden, Author, The Constitution and American Racism: "Diane was thorough and prompt, and wrote an excellent review of my book. She captured the book's narrative and described its thesis clearly. Her review was well written and designed to invite readers to pick up the book and read it. She did an outstanding job and the review will help in the sale of the book. I am very grateful. What an asset she is. "

James Hockenberry, Author, Send the Word:  "Diane was fair and balanced in her comments, and her review clearly showed that she did her homework and invested the time to understand the book and its characters. Her review summarizes the book clearly and concisely and will be helpful to perspective readers. She was always professional - she said up-front what and when she would do things and did them just as she said she would do. She was always positive and respectful and a pleasure to work with. "

Scott G. Hibbard, Author, Beyond the Rio Gila: "Diane did a very good job and was great to work with. Her review comments were incisive, summed up the book well, pointed out highlights of the book, and should be useful to readers. She was timely, responsive, and clearly vested in her work. She’s a pro."

Cameron Finch, Atmosphere Press: "The staff and authors at Atmosphere have been so impressed by Diane's reviews. No matter the genre, she is able to draw details from a book that really lure a reader in. Her reviews have a warm, positive tone that encourages both readers and authors. She highlights each author's unique skills and triumphs and intentions in a way that I have not seen very often in reviews. I wish more reviewers read and wrote like Diane. "

D. Lieber, Author, The Treason of Robyn Hood: "Although all authors are pleased to get a good review, it is rare that someone truly gets what we are trying to say. It was clear from her review, that Diane had really paid attention and thought carefully about all the themes, context, and undertones of my work (The Treason of Robyn Hood). And there is nothing I appreciate more. "

Oby Aligwekwe, Author, The Place Beyond Her Dreams: "I received the review for my book, The Place Beyond Her Dreams, done by Diane Donovan and wanted say thank you so much for this detailed and thoughtful review. 

 Like I expressed to Diane, I didn't find anything that needed to be changed as everything was accurate. Her review even provided detailed insight into the story. She also offered ways to give further exposure to my book, which I found of great value. I'll be using the results of this review on Netgalley, Amazon, social media, marketing, etc. "

P. David Temple, Author, Five Times Lucky: "In addition to it being a very positive take on my book, Diane's review is also a strong endorsement of my writing style. This is going to be an excellent promotional tool going forward. I have two book groups coming up and I have already found that Diane's review is creating excitement."

Harper Woods, Author, Privilege Secrets Book One: Seeds of Eden: "I could tell from Diane's review that she contemplated the social, political and religious topics and challenges raised in this fictional novel based on facts. I appreciated her take on them, and also her honest opinion on how the plot grabbed her attention."

Doug Congdon, Author, Above Sea Level: "Diane Donovan sent me her review of my novel, Above Sea Level, earlier this week. It was fair, accurate and well-written. I intend to post it on the Amazon detail page for the book in the next few days.  

Diane was quick to write me after she was assigned the review. And quick to acknowledge the receipt of the book and to provide the schedule for reviewing it and publishing the review. And she delivered the review before the date she gave me. I couldn’t be more pleased with her services."

Deborah Fox, Author, The Man Who Beat Death Valley: "I just wanted to write to let you know how pleased I was with Diane Donovan's review of my graphic novel, The Man Who Beat Death Valley.

 I was happy with how she saw my work, evaluating it not just on its visual appeal, but how words and sound effects brought to mind an auditory appeal. Her point of view was thorough and original and Diane summed up the piece in a way that gave it excitement."

Dr. Barbara Koltuska-Haskin, Author, How My Brain Works: "This is the best editorial review I have received. It is comprehensive, thoughtful, kind and really very nice.  Thank you for noticing the “lively tone”.  Brain problems scary people and I wanted this book to be informative but also “on the sunny side of the street."

Wicked Run Press, for The Hobgoblin of Little Minds: "I just wanted to comment on how happy I am with the review i received from Diane Donovan on The Hobgoblin of Little Minds, and not because it was full of praise (that part was nice) but rather how thorough and well written it was. It was insightful and clearly took a deep dive into the book's content.

 I compare this to the Kirkus review (my first time taking the expensive Kirkus plunge) and while it also offered praise, it was mostly a plot summary, with major elements of the plot completely miscomprehended, and it seemed they had not even read the book."

Ralph Webster, Author, The Other Mrs. Samson: "I just wanted to tell you how impressed I am with the professionalism of her work and the process she follows.  As an "aspiring" author I have become accustomed to the types of reviews written on Goodreads, Amazon, and the like. What Diane has written stands far above that - a serious professional critique - one that is honest, balanced, fair, and complete."

Randall McNair, Poet, Make it a Double: "Diane was quick to reply to my queries and always let me know what to expect next. But, beyond just being a professional in a field that is often not, Diane showed a true interest in my book and its message, and that came through in her review. She actually read me, not just my work, and conveyed an understanding of what I was trying to do that no other reviewer to date has fully grasped—namely that I am writing for the down-but-not-quite-outer, the man on the brink of losing everything and, ultimately, for the disenfranchised male reader of poetry. She could easily have read my first poem, “Disclaimer,” or my “Ode to Tits” and closed the book. But she did not, and for that I am grateful."



More Accolades for 2020


David J. Andrae, Author, The Friends of Allan Renner: "This is the best review of the book yet. I really do appreciate you taking the time to read it and delving into its themes and nuances. Simply put, you nailed it! "

Keri-Rae Barnum, Publisher, New Shelves Books: "I’ve been working with Ms. Diane Donovan on several reviews and she is a joy to work with. Her communication is prompt and she is a professional in all she does. Further, her reviews show that she actually read the book – a “small” detail that is overlooked all too often. "

Mike Moore, Author, Tater Cat and the Missing Necklace: "Diane was a real pleasure to work with. Her review went beyond a simple "this was good" and really worked to explore some of the themes of the book and the parts that helped make it (in our opinion) unique and special. It was lovely to see those points called out so well. "

Sonia Frontera, Author, Relationship Solutions: "I couldn't be more pleased! Diane's review is comprehensive, well-written and insightful. It will be an asset, not only for my title, but for the people who will benefit from reading it. The review underscores the points that make this book different from the thousands of books on the subject."

Michael Duda, Author, Spectrum: Short Stories of Science Fiction, the Unusual and the Unpredictable: "Diane Donovan did a great job of reviewing my book, Spectrum: Short Stories of Science Fiction, the Unusual and the Unpredictable. Using a deft economy of words, she summarized my book and provided good insight into the nature of the work. On the book’s exterior are sci-fi and genre elements. Diane dug deeper and uncovered thematic elements that run throughout the story threads. I was impressed."

Kevin Abreau, Editor, Hunting Snipes +four: "We appreciate Diane Donovan’s prompt and professional review of our soon-to-be-released ‘Hunting Snipes +four’ by author David Martin Anderson. Diane nailed the details/style of the book collection and had some wonderful things to say about the author. She apparently has a gift for writing, herself, and the review was both succinct and insightful. Because of her review, I think any prospective reader will be better drawn to the book and we appreciate her luring praise."

John Hazen, Author, Beyond Revelation: "Diane’s review is insightful and brought out a couple facets that I hadn’t considered that will be extremely helpful to me as I move forward with promotion. In addition, the review was very prompt, which is always appreciated. "

Christian Fennell, Author, Fiddler in the Night: "In my experience, it is rare to find a reviewer that not only understands what the book is about, but also, offers valuable insight into the essence of the work. Diane Donovan is such a reviewer. She clearly took the time to read the work, and think it through. She then articulated this in her review in a clear and meaningful way. She was both professional, and insightful. In short, it was a pleasure to work with her. "

J. Cartales, Black Heron Press for Sex, A Love Story: "This note is to commend Diane Donovan on her review of our book, Sex, A Love Story. I am familiar with Ms. Donovan's work, as she has reviewed a number of our books over the years, in various venues. I have consistently been impressed with her close reading of the books she reviews and her thoughtfulness. So when I learned that she would be the reviewer for Sex, A Love Story, I was delighted. I didn't know whether or not she would like it, but I knew that she would be fair in her assessment.  Please let her know of the esteem with which we regard her (even if she pans our next book). "

John Elie, Author, Try Moving Yourself: "I wanted to write to let you know how pleased I am with my professional book review experience for my first ever professional review.  Diane Donovan did the review and it was timely and responsive.  I appreciated being able to review the draft and make minor edits.  I was also impressed and very pleased with her insightful review."

Debra Thro and Elisabeth Walter, Authors, Pay Less for College: The Must Have Guide to Affording Your Degree: "What a pleasure it was working with reviewer, Diane Donovan, concerning our book, Pay Less for College: The Must Have Guide to Affording Your Degree.  This was a new experience for us and we appreciated how clearly and promptly she explained the process on the front end. And, on the back end, when we received her review, we were very grateful for her keen, clear, well-written summation and insights regarding our material, particularly considering the subject matter. "

John Kerwin, Author, Talk Big: "I wanted to express how happy I am with the entire experience of submitting my book for review. Naturally I'm happy and grateful that it was positive. However, I believe it's important to point out that the work was handled in a highly professional and prompt manner. There wasn't one hiccup. And that's due to Diane Donovan.  Diane is that rare combination of someone who is precise, professional, yet at the same time, pleasant and nice...Considering her years working with you, I'm sure that you're aware of that. Hopefully this serves as a reminder.  For a first time author, this review has given me confidence."

Ann Campanella, Author, Celiac Mom: "Diane Donovan was extremely professional, apprising me of timelines, letting me know exactly what to expect and when, and she delivered! I was impressed and grateful for her beautifully written review. It was thorough and thoughtful. She clearly took the time to gain a deep understanding of Celiac Mom, and her writing was accurate, descriptive and polished. "

Valerie Luhman Anderson, Author, Donald J. Trump's Imperial Presidency EXPOSED through Rhyme: "Diane responded to all emails, and I had great confidence she would give me a comprehensive and thoughtful review.  The draft review she sent did indeed reflect the intent of my book.  And I was most grateful to be given the chance to make suggestions/changes to her review, showing she wanted me to be satisfied with the end result.  I have a lot of respect for her for this.  

Allowing me to contribute was most gratifying, and I did make some clarifications that were incorporated into her final draft.  We both had a mutual goal of a review that would work for both of us.   I was always aware that she was focused on maintaining high standards.  But she was very open to my changes, which she felt adhered to the original intent and spirit of her review.    

I heartily recommend Diane as someone who is sensitive to the author while upholding her own high standards for reviewing books.  My overall experience with her was excellent! "

Jennifer G. Edelson, Author, Between Wild and Ruin and Wild Open Faces: "I just received my second book review — the first was for 'Between Wild and Ruin,' the second for 'Wild Open Faces'  (both part of a series) — from Diane Donovan, and just wanted to tell you how lovely and professional Diane is and how much I've appreciated her work and reviews.  I've received reviews from places like Kirkus and Clarion, to name just a few, and have actually wondered at times if the reviewer even bothered to read the book they reviewed (even when it's a great review), plus they often take forever.  Diane's reviews, however, make it clear she not only reads my books but reads with an attention to nuances and detail, and really cares and pays attention to what she's writing.  Diane is also quick to respond, communicative, and reliable — when she says she'll have something by a certain date, she does! — and I really, really appreciate that."


Michael Bellusci, Author, The Sailor from Lampedusa: "All reviews are not equal. Some, in fact, are downright incompetent, as I have discovered by reading reviews regarding some of my favorite authors on popular review sites, which I won’t mention.  In view of such a dilemma (faced by most authors), I thank you for a well-written and honest review that informs the public with the key elements of the story."

Vincent Panettiere, Author, The Music of Women: "I thought you might want to know how much I respect and appreciate Diane Donovan as a reviewer. Her reviews are always succinct and honest, adding insight for the reader's understanding."

Cat Michaels, Author, Just Between Sam and Me: "My co-writer, Rosie Russell, and I wanted you to know that we are beyond thrilled with our recent book review from Diane Donovan. Diane turned it around in lightning time and picked up on nuances we hoped to convey to our readers. Her critique was exceptionally thorough and professional in every way. In fact, we are already pulling quotes from Diane’s work for newsletters and social media platforms to promote our book launching on 2 December."

William L. Kovacs, Author, Reform the Kakistocracy: "Diane Donovan captured the purpose and tone of the book perfectly. While her review was positive, which is appreciated, it was also very thoughtful in its openness to my different views of the current political culture.

 Diane performed the review in exactly the time-frame promised. She outlined all future dates for publishing the review. Every aspect of the review process was handled with proven professionalism."

Liz Merton, Stoneman House Press, L.L.C. for The Venturi Effect: "I just wanted to thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable review process. Diane sent a draft of her review for The Venturi Effect yesterday. Great review. Great process. Smooth, efficient. We’ll be quoting from the review extensively.

 (Coincidentally, I recently discovered another book Diane had reviewed, and I’m purchasing it, in part, on the strength of her review.) "

Jerry Masinton, Author, Wrong Man Down: "A few days ago I received the wonderful review of my novel, Wrong Man Down, from Diane Donovan.  I think that it’s a model of good book reviewing.  Naturally I was pleased that she liked my work, but she accomplished things that most reviewers don’t.  She made sure that readers of the review would know exactly what the book is about, and she offered generous quotes from it to illustrate both the main action and to focus on the central characters.  I was especially impressed by Diane’s grasp of the unique qualities of my protagonist and the quirky humor of the novel.  Diane completely captures what I tried to accomplish.  Moreover, her writing is clear and inviting—a real pleasure for the reader. 

      I read a lot of book reviews.  And for many years I reviewed fiction for The Kansas City Star.  It’s an art to write a good review, an art that Diane Donovan has mastered.  She’s an acute critic, an excellent writer, and a first-rate reviewer.  Getting reviewed by her is a real honor."

Brendan Mirthy, B. Mirthy & Sons, for Bikini Cowgirls of the Urban Legion and The Urban Legion: "We just went over the upcoming reviews from Diane for the two Urban Legion books and wanted to let you know we’re pleased with her work. She gets the quirky blend of fun and intrigue, and that comes out in the reviews, no easy feat."

C.G. Fewston, Author, Little Hometown America: "You're an amazing and talented reader & writer. Your review is smooth, elegant, and yet profound. You make me want to read the book, and I've read the damn thing a thousand times. Thank you for all your help."

Robin Murarka, Author, Rone Isa: "I have received Diane's review of
Rone Isa, and despite it being overall a positive one, I wanted to
commend her insight into what has proven to be a book whose main
thematic depth seems to evade many other readers. Her presentation of
her experience is thoughtful and thorough, worded very well, and does
not give away too much to the reader."

Sarah Dietz, Author Assistant to Phillip B. Chute, Stocks, Bonds & Taxes: "We recently got a review from Diane Donovan for Stocks, Bonds & Taxes by Phillip B. Chute and we were very satisfied.  Her review concentrated on the tax side of the book while all our previous book reviews only concentrated on the investing side. We had one revision in regards to Mr. Chute's stockbroker licenses and Diane quickly added that it to be sent it back the within a few hours. We recently got a Kirkus review and they couldn't add in his licensing (due to word count) so Mr. Chute was very happy that Diane was willing to make the modification to the review."

Charlotte Whitney, Author, Threads: "I was extremely pleased with Diane's insight.  She clearly understood what I was attempting to achieve in the book and she expressed it  oh, so well.  

Rather than being scared off by the Michigan farm dialect I used, she embraced it.  I used it to create an authentic voice for my characters.  (Think Huckleberry Finn.)  I labored long and hard setting up spreadsheets for each of the three characters to ensure it was accurate.  Not surprisingly, I appreciate when the reviewer "gets it."

Next, she understood the dichotomy of the adult and child voices as each of the three sisters experienced events differently.  I wanted the reader to understand that being a seven-year-old in 1934 was significantly different from being a seventeen-year-old.  Also, she mentioned appreciation for the details of the Depression.  (Lots of research there).

Finally Ms. Donovan appreciated the "threads" metaphor.  Yes, the sisters do make and mend their own clothes and use a treadle sewing machine, but the threads of the sisters' lives coming together is what I was aiming for and she clearly pointed that out."

Gary E. Midkiff, Author, Busville: "The journey of a first-time self-published author has many surprising twists and turns. One repetitive, and distressing, pattern is people and organizations literally not paying any attention to me because I am.....  a first-time self-published author. "Busville" published July 24. During August I contacted a variety of people and organizations in the publishing world and ~2/3 never even responded. Not once.

Diane is a pleasant exception. She has always responded the same day to all of my inquiries, even though I expect some were banal. She gave me her task timeline in detail and ended up exceeding it. It is nice to work with a professional like her.

When I first saw her review I was pleased, of course, but I am far from objective on the topic. I took her review and sent it to my "5-Star Rating Club". This club consists of those people I know who gave "Busville" 5-star ratings on Amazon. Their responses started to arrive this morning and summarizing them into a single sentence club members said "She captured the story and made you want to read it." 

RD Palmer, Author, The One Singularity: "My book release strategy was to leverage three Editorial Review services to help drive book interest and sales. And while all three review services say nice things about my book, Diane’s analysis and articulation were heads-and-shoulders above your competitors. Specifically, she encapsulated the book’s entirety, which I might say, was difficult considering it addresses a multitude of technical, philosophical, religious, economic, military, and humanitarian views. Diane is the best of the best."

MK Deppner, Author, Photographs of October: "D. Donovan was a delight to work with. She was prompt in her responses, delivered my review in the agreed upon timeframe, and was kind and courteous. I was feeling rather jaded after an unprofessional review from a big name review "business," so I was very pleased with the professional quality and thoroughness of this review. I will very happily recommend both her to any other authors who are in need of fair reviews for their books!"

Matthew E. Wheeler, Author, Falling into Cotton: "I just wanted to drop a quick note about the review Diane wrote for my novel Falling onto Cotton. It was fantastic and extremely well written. All of my dealings with her were professional and when so many NetGalley reviews are just a regurgitation of the back jacket, it was so refreshing how deep into the book she got."

X.H. Collins, Author, Flowing Water, Falling Flowers: "Diane is very professional, very prompt and clear in her response, and delivered the review draft a day before the deadline she promised. She obviously has read my book thoroughly and has given it thoughtful analysis, as I see she has a great grasp of the details, writing style, and the messages of the book. She has given me a kind, generous, and honest review that I can't wait to share on my website."

B.T. Polcari, Author, Against My Better Judgment: "All I can say is “WOW”. From start to finish, Diane has been a top tier professional and clearly takes pride in what she does. Every communication I received was direct and set clear expectations for steps to come. Not only did Diane meet those expectations, but far exceeded them by delivering a brilliantly constructed review a day early. I’m thrilled that Diane enjoyed the read, but even setting that aside, I am struck at the level of attention to detail Diane put into her review. Every word served a purpose. Diane was able to concisely capture the plot, characters, and essence of the book while delivering her honest thoughts on the read. I feel confident in saying that anyone who reads the book based on her review will not be disappointed."

Lynda McDaniel, Author, The Murder Ballad Blues: "Diane's review shared with potential readers interesting connections and nuances, not just a recap of what the book is about. And she delved into emotional components of the characters, which is really important to me. I could tell she put a lot of thought and care into the review. In addition, Diane was so pleasant to work with, answering emails professionally, promptly, and courteously."

 Mary Rowen, Author, It Doesn't Have to Be That Way: "Diane was prompt and professional, and she wrote a wonderful, comprehensive review that provides just enough information about the plot, characters, and themes of the book to whet the appetites of potential readers. I also believe her review will help potential readers determine if It Doesn't Have to be That Way is the type of story they'd enjoy (or not). This type of review is, in my opinion, the most helpful type. Working with Diane was a pleasure, and I'd enthusiastically recommend her to other writers seeking honest reviews."

 Tim Pelkey, Author, The Ottoman Excursion: "This is my second novel.  I have had a number of reviews for both books.  I’ve found that writing short summaries/blurbs for marketing purposes and BOB is one of the hardest things about writing the entire book. I can say unequivocally that Diane wrote the best summary of the novel of any review I’ve had. She obviously understood the novel (which is pretty complex—and likely one of the reasons I couldn’t find an agent and had to self publish), and she did a good job summarizing it."

 Leon Acord-Whiting, Author, SUB-LEBRITY *The Queer Life of a Show-Biz Footnote: "I received the draft of the review of my book, written by Diane Donovan, and I only have two words:

 THANK YOU!

 And if I may use more than two words: It was very satisfying to read such a thoughtful analysis of my work. And I'm delighted that she gave me an opportunity to suggest clarifications (alas, none are needed!)."

 Barbra Lena, Brattle Publishing Group: "We had Diane Donovan assigned to review our latest book, 1 For All. We were very please with the review. There was great attention to detail and wonderful comments made. We were able to use one of her quotes on the back of our book. Her communication throughout this process was exceptional. Overall it was a pleasure to work with her."

James J. Elleyby, Author, How to Become Extremely Wealthy:  "Diane Donovan has written an outstanding review of my book. It’s unbiased. It’s professional. It’s easy to read and understand. But most importantly, it accurately depicts the intended message of the book! priceless!  I take my hat off to Diane Donovan, as she is brilliant at what she does."

 Gail Parenteau, Parenteau Guidance, for Craig Carlson's Let Them Eat Pancakes:  "From the first interaction to the final review, Diane was truly wonderful to work with.

Let me elaborate:

·         Diane was articulate in her communications

·         She was clear in what was needed from me in the way of the book, a check, where to send

·         She explained her overview and process and, most importantly I appreciated a “timeline” of when to expect a draft,  finished review, when it would run and where it would be posted.  I can’t tell you how much this makes me look good to my author and publisher

 On behalf of the author, his agent, our publishers at Pegasus Books, thank you and Diane Donovan for an excellent professional experience from beginning to end. "

Valerie Taylor, Author, What's Not Said:  "It was obvious that Diane actually read the book, which not all reviewers do, and that she quickly identified who my target audience is. Her synopsis was right on, and she deftly incorporated her professional opinion within her text.

It's wonderful, certainly, that she liked the story and recommends it, and I'm grateful there are several quotes I'll be able to pull and utilize to promote the book.

 Finally, Diane was always courteous, friendly, and professional. She met the deadline she set at the beginning, which meant I didn't have to follow up!"

 N.K. Holt, Author, Missing Peace:  "I found Diane terrific to work with. She contacted me promptly, and spelled out exactly what was needed and also explained her timeline and process. She gave me an expected completion date, which she hit a few days early. While I had no idea what the review outcome would be - I did know from the beginning that I was working with a professional."

 Jennifer Merz, Author, STEADFAST: Frances Perkins, Champion of Workers' Rights:  "Diane was completely professional in every way. Not only did she craft a succinct and meaningful review, she also described what the review process would look like, in terms of any tweaks needed, scheduling, and posting. All was very helpful and I was very impressed."


 Keith Steinbaum, Author, The Poe Consequences: "I want to express my sincere gratitude for what I strongly believe is one of the most in depth reviews I've received for the book.  You absolutely nailed it in terms of understanding all that I was attempting to do in terms of going beyond the supernatural suspense angle and incorporating the various social issues that were just as important for me to convey." 


Robert Roseth, Author, Ivy is a Weed:
 "Diane is a superb reviewer. As a longtime reader of reviews, including decades of the New York Times, I found her comments to be insightful and comprehensive. Readers will gain an accurate impression of the work, as well as learning her valuable opinion concerning the book's quality. As a reader, I would trust her reviews in making my reading choices."
 

Dr. Jeff Duffey, Author, Search: A Guide for College and Life: "Every author is happy when a reviewer approves of their work, but it is a particular pleasure when a reviewer shows you something about your book you did not appreciate or gives you another take on what has, as the writer who has written multiple drafts, become invisible to you."
 

Kevin E. Buckley, Author, The Secret Sign of the Lizard People: "This is just a short note to express my appreciation for your reviewer Ms. Diane Donovan, who has to be one of the most professional, courteous and efficient persons that I have encountered in the publishing world. She is that rare breed of person that does what she says she is going to do and does it within the stated timeline. If only everybody worked with such professionalism, this world would be an easier and more pleasant place in which to do business."
 

Cynthia L. Clark, Author, Boulder Girl, Remember Me When the Moon Hangs Low: "Diane Donovan completed the review of my book, Boulder Girl, Remember Me When the Moon Hangs Low, yesterday.  I wanted to let you know how pleased I was with the review.  Not only did she review the story content, she was able to see and to comment on the way I developed the structure of the plot and development of the characters. It was greatly appreciated since I constructed the story so carefully. She thoughtfully gave my book a thorough review. She is a true professional."
 

Kenneth W. Harmon, Author, In the Realm of Ash and Sorrow: "I just wanted to let you know how pleased I was with the service I received from Diane Donovan. She is the epitome of what a professional editor and reviewer should be. Diane is prompt and delivers outstanding reviews. I would not hesitate to use Diane again and plan to recommend her to all of my writer friends."
 

Claire Youmans, Author, The Eagle and the Sparrow: "I’d like to commend Diane Donovan for being a serious professional who is timely, who actually reads the books she reviews carefully, and writes top-quality reviews. She is friendly and personable, too, without giving rise to any questions at all about her impartiality as a reviewer.  As it happens, she likes my books, but I know I can trust her to tell me if she doesn’t, and tell me what she doesn’t like, too. She’s one of the best reviewers I have ever run across."
 

Daniel Hryhorczuk, Author, Amerikana: "Hers was the most thorough, most thoughtful review I've ever received from you folks. She not only outlined the relevant plot characteristics of the novel, but also illuminated the subtle politics, cultural and social issues that "contribute to depth and complexity of the story line."  She is a real jewel in the book review crown."
 

Dennis Koller , Author, The Rhythm of Evil: "I am writing to express my respect and gratitude to Diane Donovan for her excellent review of my new novel, Amerikana.  While I am very happy that she enjoyed my novel, I am even more impressed with her thoroughness, insight, and the quality of her writing. She not only summarized the plot, but also delved into the major themes of the novel and the depths of the characters. She was also very easy to work with. As a writer it is very rewarding when my work is able to connect with a reviewer of her caliber."

 

Oscar R. Nordstrom, Author, Situation Normal A.F.U.: "I’m writing to convey my deep appreciation for the thorough and inciteful way Diane’s review captured the essence of my third book. Diane’s comments were accompanied by quotes from the book that amplified her perspective on various events that were depicted. Discounting the fact that I might have some skin in the game, if I were grading her review as part of a thesis for a PHD, I’d have to give it an A+ (of course I’m also discounting the fact that graduate classes only give a pass/fail grade)."

 Owen Banner, Author, Those Who Hunger: "What can I say? There are heartfelt reviews and then there are those who not only sincerely seek to connect readers to stories they will enjoy, but who divide marrow from bone with critical analysis and a wealth of literary experience. You have shown your mettle in this one.  I understand how difficult it must have been to settle on how to approach this review (trying to write a blurb and market this beast has been a herculean task). It doesn’t comfortably fit in any category and incorporates so many themes and experiences that it’s easy to start on one and be dragged away into the weeds by another concern the novel attempts to tackle. I couldn’t have asked for a more professional, thorough, and qualified reviewer."

 Paul Papa, Author, Desert Dust: "Just wanted to send a note telling you how happy I was with the review Diane Donovan wrote for our book Desert Dust. Of course I’m happy that the review was positive, but quite frankly what pleased me the most was Diane’s insightfulness and professionalism in the review. She nailed the parts we were hoping would be emphasized and did a wonderful job understanding the spirit and tone of the book, as well as recognizing all the hard work my co-author Gill put into investigating the subject. As usual, it is a pleasure to work with someone as professional as Diane."

 Keith Steinbaum, Author, The Poe Consequence: "I'm writing to express my sincere appreciation for not only the complimentary review that Ms. Diane Donovan gave for my novel, The Poe Consequence, but just as importantly, her understanding of the complexities of the human drama within the storyline that other reviewers either didn't mention or grasp at all.  I've fortunately received other positive reviews for the book, but Ms. Donovan's ability to convey the story's combination of the horror aspect with the combustible human drama I offer is something I'm extremely grateful for.  It showed me that she became fully engaged in the story and has the sensitivity to appreciate the full dimensions, good, bad, and ugly, of my characters.  I was fortunate enough to have Ms. Donovan review my previous novel, You Say Goodbye, and now I'm thrilled to be able to have her highly qualitative review of The Poe Consequence for promotional purposes as well.  

 Bill, Garden Oak Press: "Just received two reviews of forthcoming books from Garden Oak Press, both of which were written by Diane Donovan.  Very pleased with the quality of each review, especially their thoughtful thoroughness.

Have shared the reviews with the authors.  One of them, a distinguished writer now in her 90s, was so pleased she wrote back that she felt like starting writing something new!"

Claire Fullerton, Author, Little Tea: "It was my pleasure to work with Diane Donovan regarding my book review for Little Tea, which releases May 1st.

What a bonus to have had her send me her book review before it was posted. That was a gift, for allowing an author to contribute, with an eye toward any salient points they'd like to see in the review is fantastic!"

Scott Semegran, Author, To Squeeze a Prairie Dog: "Diane Donovan is a fabulous book reviewer who returns reviews very promptly and they are always expertly written. She is courteous when she sends me the drafts of her reviews and is quick to offer assistance whenever I need it. She's just a pleasure to work with."

Linda Naseem, Author, Eden: "Before I published Eden, I spent a great deal of money on a review from a well-known company whose name I won't mention.  They called the book racist, the main characters dead-beats (even though they had jobs), and in general slammed my writing style.  I was quite nervous about what kind of review I would get from Ms. Donovan. What she wrote is in keeping with what most readers have written, and her style put everything so beautifully---thank you so much!"

Michael Guillebeau, Author, Don of the Q: "I just received the review of my book, Don of the Q, from Diane Donovan. I’ve always been pleased with Ms. Donovan’s reviews, but this is far and away the most insightful and best written yet. No one has ever done a better job of picking up on what I was trying to do, or described it better. "

Theresa Brooks, Meditation Farm, for The Silent Path: "I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how pleased we are with the recent review of "The Silent Path". Diane did an amazing job of expressing the character and intent of the book to give readers a real insight as to what the book is about. We're excited about using the review to promote the book!"

Linda Stephen , Author, The Day We Went to the Park: "I greatly appreciated Diane’s clear communication throughout the entire process including:

    • How to submit a book for review by mail or ebook

    • Acknowledgement that she received my book

    • How to pay for the speedy review

    • Planned timeline for review completion and pub dates

    • Opportunity to look at the review before she submitted (I changed one letter (in a word) and one comma). She incorporated changes immediately.

She finished her review ahead of her original planned timeline, too.

We appreciated her insights and clever phrasing in her book review, too."

Michele Poague, Author, The Broken Shade: "Diane is a great communicator and a wonderful writer. Her review of my book is lively yet clear, with specific snippets of narrative and dialogue from the book that illustrate points of interest. It is such a joy to read."

Dan Whitney, Marketing Assistant, Skyhorse Publishing for The Fifteen Percent by Terry Giles: "I am writing to let you know what a pleasurable experience I had working with Diane Donovan regarding her review of The Fifteen Percent by Terry Giles from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. She was easily reachable and was quick to respond to any emails I sent her. Diane was also thorough in her work and produced a wonderful review for our title. The turnaround time was great - it was finished and sent to me much quicker than I thought it would be (especially considering that the USPS lost the first copy of the book I sent)! I would highly recommend Diane to any author or publisher looking for a reviewer to work with."

R. Lane, Author, The Elizabeth Walker Affair: "Just a note to let you know that I have been pleased with the reviews that Diane Donovan has done on my work. Not necessarily because of the favorable tone, although that is pleasant, but in all cases she has shown an understanding of the subject and themes of my work. That is not often the case when writing mysteries—where readers are overly focused on the plot—but essential to understanding my effort."

Yasmin Azad, Author, Stay, Daughter: "I was pleased with the review of my book, "Stay, Daughter," by Diane Donovan. She had read the book closely, and  made thoughtful comments about it  not only as an individual work but also within the context of other books in the same milieu. I also appreciated the opportunity she gave me to give feedback, before the review was posted. After I  pointed out an aspect of the book she had missed, she willingly revised the review to include it."


G. Elizabeth (Gail) Kretchmer, Author, Writing Through the Muck: "Yet again, I’ve appreciated working with Diane Donovan—this time for her review of my book Writing Through the Muck: Finding Self and Story for Personal Growth, Healing, and Transcendence. She is prompt and reliable. Her reviews are well written. And unlike other reviewers I’ve met elsewhere, she’s willing to send an advance draft to writers for input. While I’d never tell a reviewer what to say or think, I find it helps to be able to point to areas where more clarity or context might help the ultimate reader, and Diane is open to that, which means a better experience for everyone.."

Paul W. Papa, Author, Maximum Rossi: "Of course all authors are happy with a positive review, but what I am happy with is not that the review was positive—of course that is great—but the fact that Diane Donovan, first of all actually read the book, but then took the time to really write a very thoughtful review of the work. I’m very pleased with the points she touched on and overall I believe she did a wonderful job of capturing the “feel” of the book and conveying that feel to potential readers. The review comes across as honest, not scripted, and very sincere. There is nothing more an author could ask for.  Mark me as satisfied. "

Cami Murdock Jensen, Author, Second Earth: "I just wanted to follow up and say how thrilled I was to again work with Diane on my second book in my Arch Mage Series - Second Earth.  She really does a wonderful job and understands my themes and characters so well.  She is also very professional and shared some wonderful advice on my cover when I asked her.  Please know that I think she is a gem!"

Merida Johns, Author, Blackhorse Road: "Diane nailed it!  In her review she captures the essence of what the book attempts to convey: a picture of the human experience that shows how ordinary people tackle challenges, live though sorrow and betrayal, struggle with doubt, and act on their aspirations to achieve positive relationships and flourishing lives.  I could not have been more pleased with how Diane picked up on the salient points of interfamily relationships, family generational issues, and challenges to the foundations of beliefs and values that lead the heroine to navigate obstacles to happiness through hope and self-examination.

A positive psychologist colleague of mine who read the manuscript and Diane’s summary said: The reviewer obviously read with a very close eye to the thread that runs throughout the book… What stood out for me was the exceptional self-awareness the characters show…

The Review process was easy to navigate, exceptionally timely, and Diane produced on her promised deadline. "

Eric T. Reynolds, Author, The Artifacts: "My experience working with Diane Donovan was very positive. She answered my questions and concerns promptly. I was happy that her review pointed out an aspect of my novel missed by other reviewers, Other parts of her review showed that she read the book in depth, which I really appreciate (that was questionable with another professional reviewer who missed the point and gave away spoilers). "

Catharine Leggitt, Author, The Way to Go Home and In Progress: "I have received my reviews for two books from Diane Donovan and I am very happy with both – in both cases they were honest, careful, insightful, fair and well written. As the author, it always surprises, enlightens and delights me as to how others will read the work, and her comments freshened my views and informed me! She promised the work within a specific time frame and she delivered. Thank you for sending her name to me: this was a happy experience."

Monique Faison Ross, Author, Playing Dead: A Memoir of Terror and Survival: "Diane Donovan quickly completed the thoughtful review and is extremely responsive to emails. I just wish getting a professional review was this easy everywhere."

Mary Sheeran, Author, A Dangerous Liberty: "I've worked with several reviewers in the past year, and one frustrating issue that keeps emerging is that so few seem to read the books! They seem to skim the beginning and call something out  (usually something trivial that shows they haven't any notion of what the book is about). From this review, and that for another book of mine, Banished From Memory, it seems that that is NOT the case with Ms. Donovan. I just wanted to mention that Ms. Donovan's review of my novel was done promptly when she said it would be. She also provided an insight I hadn't thought of!"

Michael G. Harpold, Author, The People We Wanted to Forget: "I received a draft of Diane Donovan’s review of my book last week and am very pleased. Diane contacted me immediately upon her assignment, outlining what she proposed to do and setting a timeline that I’m pleased to say was accurate to the day. I count as a good review one that I can learn something about my story and myself from the reviewer. That is indeed true in this case, and I will be proud to see it in print."

Kurt Partridge, Publisher, Argive Press: "Ms. Donovan just completed reviews of two of my company’s novels (both comedies), and I cannot overestimate her perspicuity and professionalism. At Argive Press we do not produce cookie-cutter genre books. We produce serious fiction that is meant to challenge the reader, in addition to making him/her laugh. I have had several reviewers of late, and Ms. Donovan surpasses them all intellectually, having an apparently broad knowledge of literature, history, and comedy. Moreover, her thoroughness puts all other reviewers to shame. It is apparent from her comments that she not only read the novel itself, but also the (not inconsiderable) front and back matter. Contrarily, there’s evidence that other reviewers read a few chapters and then just skimmed. For example, I had one reviewer state that one of the characters was a prostitute, when in fact she was a goddess! I wish to work with Ms. Donovan in any and all further reviews and will so request it. "

Frances Richardson, Author, Not All of Me Is Dust: "I would like to tell you how very pleased I was by the review written by Diane Donavan for my novel Not All Of Me Is Dust. Diane has an engaging, reassuring personality which makes dealing with her a pleasure from the start. Her review of my book was sincere, authentic, thoughtful, insightful and thoroughly professional. I highly recommend Diane, and would be happy to promote her reviewing in any way I can."

Joanne Easley, Author, Sweet Jane: "I want you to know that my experience with Diane Donovan, who reviewed my novel SWEET JANE, was outstanding. She was professional and clear about what to expect in our initial interaction and delivered a review that captured the essence of my novel."

Len Murphy, Author, Druids are from Outer Space, Aliens are from England: "I wanted to let you know that I received my fantastic draft review of Druids are from Outer Space, Aliens are from England from Diane Donovan. Diane did a very nice job. She clearly put much thought and time into the review which is very much appreciated. Note that I liked that Diane was very good with her communications. She responded promptly to all messages, and she established a schedule for completion which she met."

Ken Tentarelli, Author, The Advisor: "I just received a draft copy of the review of my novel The Advisor done by Diane Donovan.  Beginning with our initial email exchanges she kept me informed of the process steps.   The review itself is extremely comprehensive. It discusses various aspects of the book including historical context, challenges faced by the characters, and plot.  It even includes two quotes to give readers of the review a sense of my writing style.   As you can no doubt surmise, I am very pleased with Diane's thoughtful review."

Richard Wills, Author, 77th & Broadway: "Richard Wills here...just wanted to express my appreciation for you assigning my book to your reviewer Diane Donovan...I think her evaluation exemplifies the fact that she's a talented professional and very meticulous. I will gladly recommend her to others on my website as a viable resource."

Cassandra George-Sturgess, Author, Jungle Beauty Goddess Book Series:  "We live in a culture where many people have come to believe that honesty and cruelty are synonymous concepts. I am so grateful that Ms. Donovan’s critiques were very truthful, yet thoughtful and respectful. I am commending her for having the utmost integrity and sensitivity in how she handled the subject matters of religion, race relations, and human sexuality all in one book! She understood the spiritual and philosophical depth of the JBG Book Series and her constructive critique left me feeling inspired—knowing exactly what I need to do to improve my writing and how to enhance what I am already doing correctly. Ms. Donovan submitted all documents to me prior to its due date, and it has been such a pleasure working with her. On a scale of 1 to 10-- I would rate Diane 100 stars."

Darren Dash, Author, Molls Like It Hot:  "I just wanted to comment on what a great job Diane Donovan did on reviewing my latest novel, Molls Like It Hot. Diane's communication skills are excellent -- she stayed in touch all the way through the process, and was very clear in what she wanted from me, and when and where the review would be published, etc. I wish all reviewers were as well organised and good at their job as Diane!"

Joseph Pofus, Author, Treee:  "Diane Donovan does excellent work in her reviews . In addition to communicating professionally and reading and reviewing quickly and carefully, I would say that she reads a book in the way it wants to be read.  Many reviewers don't.  I suppose it's a justifiable difference in approach, but I've always been disappointed in reviewers (of anything, movies or appliances as well as books) who seem mostly to express a personal taste:  'This book is strawberry, but I prefer chocolate.'  That has always struck me as unfair to the product and unhelpful to any reader who doesn't happen to share the tastes of the reviewer.  Donovan, by contrast, will write, 'This book is intended to be strawberry, and here's why it's good or bad strawberry.'  Now it certainly helped that she liked the flavor of my book, but her review convinces me that she appreciated it because she studied it and understood it on its own terms. "

More Accolades for 2019


Amy Wolf, Author, Woman of the Road: "Just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with Diane's latest review for me. She had also reviewed a book of mine several years ago, and in both cases, has done an exemplary job. Her reviews are literate, right on the money, and, IMHO, better than Kirkus's, Brava!"

Scott Grusky, Author, Zero Percenters: "Diane Donovan, the reviewer assigned to my novel, Zero Percenters, has completed her task and done an exemplary job. She was easy to work with, dedicated and thorough... and on top of that, she was extremely kind every step of the way."

Julie Rogers, Author, The Rain Belongs Here: "Diane has provided me with her review of the Rain Belongs Here and I couldn’t be happier. DIane laid the process out very clearly, provided the review on time and was forthright in asking for corrections. Her comments were insightful and comprehensive. Her review provided sufficient quotable material. "

Rabbi Bruce Forman, Author, Smokescreen: "Diane Donovan completed the review of my book Smokescreen: A Jewish Approach to Stop Smoking. She did a remarkable job of honing in on the main points of the book and prepared a review my mother, of blessed memory, would be proud of". 

Mary Wark, Author, Days of Future Found: "I wanted to send a note of appreciation for the articulate and thoughtful services of Diane Donovan.  In her recent review of my debut novel, she was able to capture the entirety of some complex issues that I wanted to convey through my main character. There are several themes running through this work and she was able to evoke and layer them out beautifully. She saw past the dystopian framework and highlighted my future forward vision of hope and purpose. "

Michael Polelle, Author, The Mithras Conspiracy: "I just wanted to drop you a line about how pleased I am with Diane Donovan's review of my novel, The Mithras Conspiracy.  Her summary of the interwoven plot lines was crystal clear.  She also did an excellent job of divining my goals and intentions in the novel. Very professionally done."

Susan Fleet, Author, Payback: "Diane Donovan has reviewed several of my Frank Renzi crime thrillers and it's always a pleasure to work with her. My most recent book, Payback, has many characters and flips back and forth between New Orleans and Boston, but Diane managed to capture the essence of the book very well and with a very fast turnaround. Kudos to her!"

Bruce M. Perrin, Author, Mind in Chains: "I have completed work with Diane Donovan on a review for my next book (Mind in Chains), and I am very happy with her support. She explained everything thoroughly before we started. She kept to the proposed schedule and produced a thorough and thoughtful review. She was readily accessible to discuss it and responded to my thoughts in a positive and timely manner. I couldn't ask for more."

Cami Murdock Jensen, Author, First Earth: "Diane has corresponded professionally and quickly, giving me the opportunity to give input on any mistakes about my book. I am grateful for the positive review, and what pleased me most is that Diane obviously read and understood my main character and her development throughout the story.  That is important for me as that development is what I hope is the deepest connection young readers will have with my story, and provides hope to young readers."

Richard Robbins, Author, Panicles: "I received my review from Diane Donovan, and was quite pleased. I felt like she gave it a thoughtful, thorough review, which accurately reflected what I was trying to convey in my book. It was a pleasure dealing with her from beginning to end."

John Molik, Author, Victoria: "I received my review by Diane Donovan for my book Victoria. She did an excellent job of digging deep into the narrative and pulling out some key concepts. I also liked how Diane used lines from the prose to back-up ideas presented. Great work. I'm well pleased."

Margaret Spearman, Author, No Good Deed: "Diane has a talent for reviewing mysteries. She is able to give a fair analysis and not give away the plots. The fact that she is able to provide a positive review is something that Horn works toward as he writes. We do think readers value her reviews."

Rozsa Gaston, Author, Anne of Brittany Series: "Diane Donovan delivers truly well-written and conscientious work. Her reviews show a careful reading of the text and she hits the most important points for readers about the book she is reviewing (for example, letting readers know that “no prior knowledge of the era or French culture [is needed] to prove satisfyingly engrossing to newcomers—even those who rarely read historical fiction.”) She has reviewed two of my books, Anne and Louis, and Anne and Louis: Rulers and Lovers.  I am extremely pleased with her work."

William Harry Harding, Publisher, Garden Oak Press: "Diane Donovan's thoughtful approach to a wide variety of styles and subjects carries an enormous amount of good will toward the authors, yet she's able to focus on the unique qualities of each effort."

Desmond Mascarenhas, Publisher, Lone Think Press (for Beyond Olympus): "I wanted to write just to say how happy I am with the work Diane Donovan did in reviewing our novel, "Beyond Olympus". She captured the essence of a very complex story and wrote beautifully about it. The book is extremely cerebral and, in our experience, few who have read it have grasped its content to the degree that Diane clearly did. I should mention, parenthetically, that the book has been read by some extremely bright academics in over a dozen professional fields."

Jeannie Burt, Author, Come the Morning: "A few days ago, Diane Donovan sent me her review of my upcoming title Come the Morning. I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the work and professionalism she put into the review. It was well written, thorough, and showed a much-appreciated deal of thought and effort."


Greg Bahora, for Centerlife: "I want to thank Diane for her quick turnaround and most importantly to me—taking the time to immerse herself into the book and its concepts. It’s a real treat for me when someone takes the time to learn Centerlife’s ideas and in Diane’s case, reflect and articulate those ideas in print. Thanks so much for the progressive, positive, and highly insightful review. I really appreciate when someone takes the time to understand the ideas to the extent they’re able to reflect and articulate them—a rare treat for this eternal dreamer! You nailed it."


N. Reece Ho-Sheffield, Author, Reece’s Vintage Tales: "Diane Donovan is a gifted top-notch professional whose penetrating insight coupled with thirty-five years of invaluable experience into book reviews is par excellence and second to none. She’s honest yet gracious, and constructive yet generous and so giving me a marvellous impetus to continue writing in the genre of children’s fictional books. Diane Donovan also offers customised marketing plans and pre-publication critiques. I thoroughly recommend her services to any author seeking a high quality professional review and fruitful means of promoting their work."


John Arvai, Author, Neat Freaks: "This is just a quick message to recognize Diane's superb work by providing another very impressive review for my latest title called, Neat Freaks. This is my second time using Diane to review one of my books and she does an outstanding job with her summaries and always exceeds her promised delivery dates. My first book that Diane reviewed has gone on to win twelve independent book awards (and has even been adapted into a school play) so hopefully Diane's positive words will contribute to similar successes for this one. ;)"

Andrew Diamond, Author, To Hell With Johnny Maniac: "I just wanted to tell you how pleased I've been with Diane Donovan's work over the past few years. She writes thoughtful, balanced reviews that give readers a good sense of a book's flavor and appeal, as well as its strengths and weaknesses. One of the jobs of a reviewer, in my opinion, is to guide readers toward books they may enjoy while steering them away from books that will waste their time. I write in the mystery/thriller genre, and I've found that readers who favor classic crime and noir really like my books, while readers who like cozies and technical procedurals don't like my books at all. Because Diane's reviews are descriptive and informative, providing concise overviews and illustrating the tenor of the writing with well-selected quotes, she's helped guide new readers toward my work, and has probably saved a good number from wasting time on books they wouldn't like. I've also taken a few of her criticisms of my past work to heart to improve subsequent works."

M.N. Snow, Author, Monkey Man: "Once again I am pleased with the quality and professionalism of Diane Donovan.  She reviewed my latest novel Monkey Man.  She returned her review in a timely manner and her follow-up was exemplary. She previously reviewed my novel The Helper and I was so impressed with her work that I asked for her again with Monkey Man."

J. M. Huxley, Author, Milk and Honey Land: "I was quite pleased with Diane's perspective! She noticed details about my writing that I had assumed would be overlooked. She was thorough and positive and I am grateful for her effort on my behalf!"

David Laszlo Conhaim, Author, All Man's Land: "It is truly challenging to find open-minded reviewers for Westerns these days, even for those which push the genre. Diane’s receptivity to this high-concept tribute to Paul Robeson—which, regrettably, even the African American media has so far passed on—and her favorable and deep reading of it, has already provided its author with a decisive building block with which to market his novel. Moreover, Diane was graciously open to my feedback in a way that made the review all the sounder."

Harvey Havel, Author, The Wild Gypsy of Arbor Hill: "The review was expertly written by Diane Donovan, who really did cover all of the important themes of the book and also really honed down the book’s strengths as well as the several aspects of it that careful readers of literary fiction would take immediate interest in.  The review was exceptionally well-written and suggested her significant prior expertise and experience in reading contemporary literature and being knowledgeable enough to write near-flawless reviews about that literature.  I am very happy with Ms. Donovan and the work that she did, and because of that, I will return to her whenever I publish any other work  in future."

Hy Brett, Author, The Hitman of Avenue U: "For years I was a journalist at a NYC newspaper where the famed book columnist gave short shrift to her reviews and even boasted of how little she bothered to read and of how many books she could knock off in a short period. Happily, Ms. Donovan takes her mission much more seriously, and it shows in her thorough and insightful reviews."

Zoe Tasia, Author, Kilts & Catnip: "I am delighted with Diane's review. She covered many aspects of my book including the treatment of the Scottish accent, the romantic and paranormal elements, the first-person point of view, and the role of family in the story, to name but a few. Ms. Donovan was prompt in responding to my emails, and professional."

Grace Allison Blair, Author, Einstein's Compass: a YA Time Traveler Adventure:  "Diane responded to my inquiry to review my novel immediately and requested my book and author details.  I received her review of Einstein's Compass yesterday with the schedule of when it would be released to the public. Diane took the time to understand the theme of darkness and light, the motivation of each character as well as their intricate nature in the story.  I love Diane's honest review !"

Fiona Harewood, Author, I Did It . . .You Can, Too!:  "I must confess, I was very nervous when the library requested that I obtain a review from a professional reviewer.  I didn't know what to expect. Now I am happy.  Diane Donovan did my review and I just want to let you know what a great job she did.  Coming from someone whom I don't know, it were as if she just read my mind in her review, but then again, she read my book.  I had no doubt about that.  My experience with her was also very professional and timely also."

Antonio Simon, Jr., Esq., Head of Business Development, Darkwater Syndicate, Inc.:  "I would like to express how wonderful it was working with Ms. Diane Donovan. We've worked together in the past, and her diligence and honesty in book reviews are truly valued by our publishing house. She pulls no punches, but delivers key insight and well-reasoned reviews of books."

Harold Thorpe, Author, Strawberry Summer  "Diane Donovan just completed a review of my manuscript, “Strawberry Summer.” She was a pleasure to work with and wrote a thorough and comprehensive review of my manuscript, focusing on the story’s main theme. I highly recommend her for future work."

Anna Minte, Author, Q1: A Survival Guide to Adulting: "After having worked with Diane, I have to share my satisfaction with her service.

Diane was prompt in her responses to my inquiries and very concise in her timing and delivery of the final review. She covered, in a short yet admirable review, every aspect of the book. I will be delighted to work with her in the future and do recommend her services to upcoming and established authors."

Lawrence J. Epstein, Author, The Dead Don't Talk: "I am writing to let you know how pleased I was with the perceptive and intelligent review. It will be useful for readers to decide if they wish to read the book. I've had reviewers who clearly hadn't read more than a book's summary, but Ms. Donovan had obviously read through the entire book and that showed in the review. I appreciate her efforts."

Elle Lewis, Author, The Dark Touch: "Ms. Diane Donovan was such a pleasure to work with. She provided a wonderful review of my debut novel, Dark Touch. She was professional, timely, and just a dream to work with. Her review was personalized and detailed. It was truly an incredible review and an overall great experience."

Matt Michel, Author, Strxia: The Odds Are Against Us: "I felt Diane's written review was fair, factual, and well-written. I think the thing that impressed me, though, was that it seems like she STUDIED the book as opposed to just reading it. She has managed to arrive at all of what I consider the crucial features of the book during her study and has written a review that puts forth those features. Her review is frank and to the point on both positive aspects and points a book buyer may want to be careful with, which I think will lead to people respecting the review. I liked that she gave an option for me to fact check and look for typos in the review before it posted. This added a touch of professionalism I really appreciated."

Cherie Kephart, Author, A Few Minor Adjustments, The Healing 100 and Poetry of Peace: "This is my third book being reviewed by Diane Donovan and I wanted to reach out and tell you what an excellent job she did. For each of my books, she has constructed a thorough and well-written review. I appreciate her time and attention to details and also to communicating so clearly to the readers what they can expect from each book."

Twilah Hiari, Author, Regression: "I’m writing to let you know I was incredibly happy with Diane Donovan’s review of my book. I appreciate how she discussed not only the broad thematic points of my book, but also how readers may respond to it. I’m better at writing books than I am at writing reviews of reviewer performance, so I’ll sum it up to say I'm very pleased and would recommend D. Donovan’s services to any author or publisher."

Michael Winn, Author, The Curing Room: "I wanted to write you a short note to let you know how pleased I am with Diane's review.  The service was fast and professional.  The review was smart, insightful, and very well-written.  I wish all book  reviewers had such vast knowledge and experience. "

William Harry Harding, Publisher, Garden Oak Press: "Diane Donovan just delivered both reviews.  These were two entirely different projects -- one a memoir, one a poetry collection (The Warrior and What Luck, respectively) -- and the reviews were thoughtful and thorough. And delivered so quickly.  Diane is a first-rate professional."

More Accolades for 2018


Stephan von Clickerhoffen, Author, Stig’s Flight of Encounters and War of Chaos: "It was a refreshing change to see a Reviewer take so much time and effort to read the story from start to finish as Diane obviously has due to her complete understanding of the books. She has even picked up where many have not about the transmission of thoughts in colour and of how the reader is embedded into the main story and not just fed the plot of a new world. Diane has simply been a pleasure to work with and shines above others."

Maureen Aitken, Author, The Patron Saint of Lost Girls: "I was most impressed by the depth of Diane's review, where she quoted the most significant parts, and including a line that was so striking. What a wonderful interpretation of the book."

Rozsa Gaston, Author, Anne and Louis: "I’d like to thank you for the review of Anne and Louis. You did a terrific job. I was blown away by the amount of detail and precision you put into the review. "

Lance Crossley, Author, A Child is a Piece of Paper: "All an artist really wants is for someone to receive their work in an authentic way. To really absorb its essence. Even if Diane wrote a negative review, but still absorbed that essence, I would still be writing this accolade. The very first extract she quoted from my book was the very essence of the novel. So out of 70K+ words, she took the exact needle from the haystack of what it was all about. I really appreciate that sensitivity and how attuned she was to the message. Every artist puts him or herself out on the line. And positive or negative, we just want to have a competent receiver on the other end of the line. Diane is one of them."

John McNeil/Al E. Boy, Author, The Adventures of Fawn: 'Til the Last Snowflake Falls: "I’ve been very lucky in that, for a ‘first-time’ author, my book has garnered very favorable reviews from everyone. What I truly appreciate about Diane Donovan’s ‘take’ is that she delved into the philosophical questions posed throughout the tale, understood  and took note of the dynamic between the many characters, and still gave due attention to the story line and the gist of what it was truly all about. Not to mention…I have had reviews which seemed to follow a “Thirty words or less” philosophy, and still left me wondering if they’d actually read the book. (One reviewer said it was an enjoyable ‘quick read’. It’s over 300 pages) I knew beyond any doubt she had read every single page! Kudos to Ms. Donovan for her expert perspective, professional approach, and the lovely manner in which she writes! I am much, much more than impressed!"

Belo Cipriani, Owner, Oleb Books: "I am delighted with Diane's work. She is detailed oriented, and delivered all communication on time. In an industry where book reviews requests regularly get ignored, working with Diane was a refreshing experience."

Troy Tyson, Author, The Yankee Way: "I was very pleased with the review services provided by Ms. Diane Donovan for my book, The Yankee Way: The Blueprint that Created America. Her review was balanced, fair, and showed that she had done her homework."

Rosemary Davis, Author, Before They Left Us: "I've enjoyed working with Diane Donovan. She is prompt, a wonderful writer and uses fresh language. Mostly, she understood my book and gave it a fair and detailed review!"

 Tom Reilly, Author, Hope in the Shadows of War: "I want to reach out to you and tell you how thrilled I am with Diane Donovan’s review. I wouldn’t change a word or add anything. Her review captured the plot and theme beautifully."

 Michael Stone, Author, A Far Different Path: "I have had a fantastic experience working with Diane Donovan for the review of my novel, A Far Different Path. Prompt, courteous, detailed, and thoughtful - Diane was everything I could hope for in a professional reviewer! "

Don Grant, Author, The Singularity Witness: "I just wanted to express my appreciation for Diane Donovan's review of my debut thriller, The Singularity Witness. Diane proved to be professional, thoughtful and insightful, and provided a good turnaround of her review.  Her review covered the context and essentials of the story and its lead characters, and provided fair representation."

 David Nees, Author, The Shaman: "I want to let you know how happy I am with the review I received from Diane Donovan. She completed the review in a timely manner and she understood what I was trying to achieve: a thriller that didn't follow overused formulas but worked to bring in another dimension to the story. She was a pleasure to work with and I felt the review was honest and accurate."

 Kelly Huddleson, Publisher, Open Books: "I wanted to write a note to let you know how pleased we are with the reviews of our titles written by Diane Donovan. Diane is always thorough, fair, and punctual. It really is a pleasure to work with her."

Carroll Green, Author, Almost Heaven: "Ms. Donovan accurately and poignantly captured the essence of my work. Her keen analysis and evaluation of my work is greatly appreciated. Diane Donovan, in my opinion, is the consummate professional."

 Antonio Simon, Jr., Esq., Head of Business Development Darkwater Syndicate, Inc., for Postcards from the Void: "Ms. Donovan's professionalism shows in her work ethic and finished product. Not only has she produced a cogent, impartial, and outstanding review, but she has managed to do so comfortably in advance of our Sept. 30 release date. Timing, as you know, is everything, and we are certain her finely-crafted review will not only add value to our production but also help foment reader excitement as we approach the book's release."

 Fred Andersen, Author, Line in the Sand: "I recently requested a review from Diane, not knowing what to expect. Her review was perceptive and very well written. She addressed important aspects of the story like the use of voice and perspective, and also delved into the psychology of the characters in a way that showed real understanding. An excellent job all the way around!"

 John Ruane, Author, The Real News! "I just wanted to pass along that I just received the review of my book, The Real News! from Diane Donovan. In her review, she did an absolutely marvelous job defining the book and why it is different. I was personally thrilled, because I have been struggling to succinctly communicate a quick synopsis to friends and family. She has now taken that burden off of me and I can now just point people to her review. She was great to work with throughout the process. "

 Leonide Martin, Author, The Prophetic Mayan Queen: "I'm writing to tell you how much I'm pleased with the thoughtful and inclusive review that Diane Donovan recently wrote for my book, The Prophetic Mayan Queen. Diane writes with insight and honesty, commenting in ways that inform and pique the interests of readers, without giving too much away. This is the third review she has written for me, and I'd highly recommend her to other authors."

Darlene Chan, Publicist, for The Light in His Soul: "I had a recent wonderful experience with Diane. She reviewed a client's book (The Light in His Soul). She instinctively understood the book and her review is articulate and well-written. When I pointed out a few issues with phrasing, she was quick to correct them and they never compromised the integrity of the review. I would not hesitate to work with her again."

 Kathryn Taylor, Author, Two Minus One: "It is my honor to have received a thoughtful, professional, and impeccably written review of my upcoming book Two Minus One: A Memoir from Diane Donovan. As an author, it is refreshing to receive a review in which it is obvious that the reviewer genuinely read the entire book, reflected on its content, and provided insight which not only clearly represented the message of the book, but would effectively “hook” those reading her words."

Reena Kumarasingham, Author, Shrouded Truth: "I just wanted to let you know that the Italian rights for Shrouded Truth has been picked up by a publisher.... and this is largely due to your lovely review. They have been hanging back from making a decision and when I sent the review to them, they offered to pick it up. So thank you so much for the wonderful review again. I truly appreciate it."

Michael Craft, Author, Flabbergassed: "Diane Donovan was a pleasure to work with. She’s a perceptive reader and a well-organized writer. I especially appreciated the back-and-forth she allowed, encouraging tweaks and assuring factual accuracy."

Bill Mesce, Jr., Author, Four Days to Trinity: "Just wanted to drop a line of appreciation regarding Ms. Donovan’s coverage of my e-novel from Endeavour Press, FOUR DAYS TO TRINITY.  Granted, I’m biased since she did give me a lovely review, but I was impressed that she managed, in her description of the novel, to do justice to what I think is a challenging construct.  Her judgment aside, it’s a well-written, succinct piece."

Bill Harding, Author, Three Women and the River: "Diane Donovan did a thorough job and got to the heart of the book, which is all any novelist can hope for."

Shaun, Publisher at The Mantle, for Sweden: "Diane Donovan is highly communicative and sets clear expectations for her work. I also just saw a draft of her forthcoming review. I'm pleased to see she gave the book a serious reading, and was pleasantly surprised she zeroed in on an aspect of the book that other reviewers haven't passed over. "

John Schroeter, John August Media, LLC, for Moonshots: "What a wonderful experience it was having our book, Moonshots, reviewed by Diane Donovan. I am always intrigued by the observations, takeaways, and interesting connections readers make in the context of such content, and Diane's were particularly insightful -- and actually helpful in how we will talk about the book."

Linda L. Keenan, Author, The Journal: "I recently received a review by Diane Donovan of my novel, The Journal. It was a pleasure working with her. She was professional, straightforward and communicated clearly regarding what she needed in order to write her review. She performed everything that she said she would do and within the time that she said she would do it. Diane's review captured the essence of my novel and offered examples of what she liked about it. She also pointed out the audience who will enjoy my book. Her review will serve me well in my marketing and social media posts."

Linda Nielsen, Author, Because I'm Worth It: "Diane Donovan was professional, kind and considerate when she reviewed my book, Because I'm Worth It. My publisher had some questions and Diane answered them with ease.  She is knowledgeable and easy to work with. She was willing to make adjustments that didn't pull from her integrity as a reviewer yet kept everyone happy."

Maurice A. Williams, Author, My Career as a Book Reviewer Defending the Faith: "Diane Donovan just finished a review of my book “My Career as a Book Reviewer Defending the Faith.”  She sent me a draft of her review as a courtesy to show that she did read my book and to give me a chance to correct any errors. I could not be more pleased with her review.  She is a real professional, and she is fair in her review of my book. She says she takes pride in producing accurate, honest, well-written reviews.  She certainly did it with her review of my book."

Barry Boyce, Author, Astronomy & Natural History Connections: "Yes, Diane gave the book high marks. But it was much more than that. There was a lot of interaction regarding some of the details, and the way it was handled was extremely professional. Compared to other companies, one of which didn’t even read the book before reviewing it (it’s easy to tell), she did a great job."

Carroll Green , Author, Almost Heaven: "Ms. Donovan accurately and poignantly captured the essence of my work. Her keen analysis and evaluation of my work is greatly appreciated. Diane Donovan, in my opinion, is the consummate professional."


Matthew LeRoy, Author, They Must Be Monsters: "Diane has been terrific and not just because she enjoyed our book it was her timely, professionalism and insight in capturing the essence of our book better than we could do ourselves.   Honestly, I was a little apprehensive at first of which book reviews were considered the most prestigious and respected and Midwest Book Reviews were time and time again mentioned to us.  Now I know why: it’s because of reviewers like Diane."

 Dorothy Van Soest, Author, Death Unchartered: "I just received Diane Donovan's review of my novel, Death, Unchartered, and I find it to be thorough, comprehensive, clear, and well, just everything one could wish for in a wonderful review. I was particularly thrilled when I read it because she so clearly gets me and what I want the reader to know about my novel. She captures the essence of the message within the mystery."

 Jeffrey W. Tenney, Author, Caveman: "I was very pleased with Diane's review of my novel Caveman. Not just because she liked it, but because of her insights on thematic matter and her accurate portrayals of events and character descriptions.  I highly recommend her."

 Reena Kumarasingham, Author, Shrouded Truth: "Working with Diane has been a dream.  She is so professional and gave thorough information of how the process works.  She also kept to the promised timeline.  More importantly, she took the time and effort to really understand Shrouded Truth, hear the message, and translate it into a beautiful review that is honest, accurate and has touched me deeply. "

 Sarahlyn Bruck, Author, Designer You: "I received Diane's review for Designer You and am very pleased with her speed, thoroughness, and professionalism. She's been nothing but great to work with. "

 Susan Fleet, Author, Sniper: "Diane has reviewed several of my Frank Renzi thrillers and she's always a pleasure to work with. My most recent book, Sniper, has a rather complicated plot with many characters, but Diane managed to boil it down to its essence. I'm already working on my next book and hope to have her review it."

 Kristen Wolf, Author, Escapement:  "I'm always in awe of the critic's abilities -- the distilling of massive complexity into its bare essence. I literally

Christopher Cooper, Author, From Hell to Happiness: "I just wanted to take a moment and compliment my reviewer, Diane Donovan. She was not only complimentary of my book, but more importantly, I got the sense that she actually read it. Her review was both thoughtful as well as insightful, and I would be happy to recommend her to other authors if I had the chance."

 Greg Payan, Author, Please Stay: "I just wanted to express my appreciation for Diane Donovan's work on my book review.  Yes, I'm happy that she gave me a solid review but I have received many excellent reviews.  What stood out is that she incorporated excerpts, as well as showed a great familiarity with the work.  This seems basic, but something many review sites did not show an ability to do.  Her understanding and appreciation of subtleties in the book was uncommon, and something that very few reviewers have done.  While others focused on generalities, she used quotes and phrases that will all assist in marketing of a book, that presumably she felt was worthy of praise.  It should be noted that she takes her job seriously and does it well."

 Maurice A. Williams, Author, Questioning Evolution: "I just want to let you know how pleased I am with Diane's review of my book "Questioning Evolution."  I liked the courtesy she showed me all through her handling of my book.  I especially liked her thorough critique of my book.  She is a real professional reviewer."

 Michael Griswold, Author, Angel Curs: "It was a pleasure working with Diane Donovan on the review of my book - Angel Curs. I know it is a challenging book to read and review and the subject matter can be somewhat controversial. Diane was both fair and constructively critical and I learned much from her well thought out review."

 Michelle Peach, Author, Gazelle in the Shadows: "I am more than happy with the professionalism and personal experience I had with Diane Donovan. She captured the essence of my book, Gazelle in the Shadows in her well-written review and my interaction with her via email has been extremely helpful to me."

 Martin Connolly, Author, Contemporary Bloody Literature: "I have been so blessed to work with Diane Donovan, who has written a review of my up-coming book, entitled Contemporary Bloody Literature. Diane was professional and extremely prompt and very helpful at every stage of the process and I am unendingly grateful to her for her efforts."

Madhi Mason, Author, Earth Healing: "I recently had my book ‘Earth Healing’ reviewed by Diane Donovan and wanted to let you know how happy I am with the service. Diane promptly replied to all correspondence, was very professional, and I’m over the moon with the review. I’d use her services again in an instant."

Tim Brown, Author, Squatter's Gold: "I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how pleased I am with the prepublication review of my novel by Diane Donovan. Her timely and thorough review really got to the core and context of what I was trying to do with the novel."

Steven Burgauer, Author, Moon Beam: "I have written more than a few books in my time, the most recent being "Moon Beam."  I work hard to write a credible story and have it properly edited before presenting it to the public. My books extend from historical fiction to science fiction and Diane Donovan reads carefully for content and writes a beautiful, sincere, and quality review."

Kelly Huddleston, Publisher, Open Books: "Wanted to write a short note letting you know how pleased we are with Diane Donovan's fantastic reviews of three titles in the Open Books catalog, The 13 by Lorin R. Robinson, In An Empty Room by Stephen Spotte, and Beneath the Same Heaven by Anne Marie Ruff. The same enthusiasm for the quality of Diane's reviews is shared by the authors. We are pleased to include snippets of reviews in our online promotions, on back cover texts, and we enjoy republishing Diane's full reviews in our adjunct book magazine, bookglow.net. We look forward to working with her in the future."

Margery Walshaw, Author, Billions Lost: "I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how pleased I am with Diane Donovan’s review of Billions Lost. It was insightful and she obviously took a lot of time to carefully read the book and craft a review. It isn’t a fast read, and she certainly absorbed the subject matter. I couldn’t be happier."

Andrew Diamond, Author, Gate 76:  "I received a thoughtful and well-written review of my forthcoming book, Gate 76, from Diane Donovan. This is the second title of mine she's reviewed (Impala was the first), and in both cases, I've been pleased with the concision and quality of her reviews, as well as her courtesy and professionalism."

P. Anastasia, Author, Fates Aflame: "I am very pleased with my experience with Diane Donovan and she was incredibly courteous and prompt with her emails, as well as thorough with attention to details in her assessment of the book."

E.B. Mann, Author, Karina: "If my book was as well written as Diane's review, I would already be a bestseller."

Joe Lewis, Author, Caught in a Web: "I can't tell you how pleased I was with the review written by Ms. Diane Donovan, and how easy she was to work with. Her review was one of the most thorough I have ever received on any of the five books I've written. I just want you to know what a true professional she is. She cares and works to get it right."

Michael Goddart, Author, In Search of Lost Lives: "She was very professional and prompt. Her understanding of this challenging spiritual memoir was astute and mature."

George Rothery, Author, A Summer Again: "Diane Donovan was the nicest and most pleasant person to deal with. I am very pleased with my review, and even if it was bad I still would be writing you to tell you that you are lucky to have someone with her knowledge and ability to make an author feel comfortable.  My Kirkus review was good but it was a cold transaction."

Vera Burris, Author, Obedience: "I just received the draft review from Diane Donovan for my book Obedience and couldn't be happier. She had told me to expect it early this month and that's when it came. It was clear she gave it a lot of attention and thought and she "got" what I tried to convey. I don't think anyone could have done better."

Bruce Hartman, Author, The Devil's Chaplain: "It’s very gratifying to have a seasoned publishing professional show such appreciation for what I was trying to accomplish in this book.  In fact I can’t think of any review of any of my books that captured my own intentions so accurately."

David Gittlin, Author, Microminum: "Diane is always timely in her responses to my requests, completely reliable in her follow-up, and always on deadline with the edits of my manuscripts.  In a word, Diane is exemplary in everything she does."

Craig N. Hooper, Author, The Greatest Good: "I appreciated her well written review of my book and the timeliness in which she completed it. She was incredibly professional and attentive to my email questions. I’ve had two other industry reviews completed for my upcoming novel, The Greatest Good, and Diane’s was the most thoroughly written. It showed me she took great care in reading the novel and crafting an accurate review. I’m delighted with Diane’s work."

John Eidswick, Author, The Language of Bears and The Rabbit Skinners: "Ms. Donovan has reviewed two of my books and has been in my dealings with her remarkably prompt and professional in her summaries and honest reviews of my novels, The Rabbit Skinners and The Language of Bears. Also, she has been quite willing to interact with me to confirm with me that the information she provides about my novels has been rigorously accurate. This is a quite a pleasing contrast with other reviewers I have encountered."

Sebastian Bendix, Author, The Stronghold: "I just wanted to let you know what a great experience I had working with Diane Donovan. Diane was very communicative throughout the process and met all proposed deadlines – a true professional. It was a pleasure working with her and I would gladly recommend her services to other authors."

Nikki Stern, Author, The Former Assassin: "Diane reviewed my forthcoming novel, The Former Assassin. In addition to giving the book what is obviously a careful reading, she was patient and flexible as I sent her several iterations of the ever-evolving cover. Moreover, she treated me, a traditionally published author going “indie” for the first time, as respectfully as I could have wished. I can’t tell you how pleased I am with the experience."

Kiana Wilson, Author, Too Sharp to Fail: "It was a pleasure working with reviewer, Diane Donovan. She was professional and efficient at all times and kept me in the loop on what to expect during the review process. Additionally, I enjoyed the honesty and depth of her review. Whereas other reviewers may simply provide a short paragraph, Diane went into more detail regarding the value that readers can gain. This is especially beneficial to me as I continue to market and promote the book."

Colonel (Ret) William C. Haponski, Ph.D, Author, Autopsy of an Unwinnable War: Vietnam: "I have sent several book manuscripts to Ms. Diane Donovan and have found her to be a superb reviewer. She reads, understands, and analyzes manuscripts well and captures the contents and tone in her reviews, a trait sadly lacking in some reviewers from other review services. I will continue to use her services and highly recommend her to other authors."

Beverly Diehl, Author, Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n Roll and a Tiara: "I have received and was very pleased with the review of my work by editor Diane Donovan. While she liked the book (always something that makes an author's heart happy), her review was very well-written and extensive, but also pointed out in tactful ways that some readers might object to the content and my sometimes vulgar language. (Because #fuckingcancer).  This is extremely helpful, as the readers with wibbles aren't the readers I am seeking."

Margarita Montimore, Author, Asleep from Day: "I just wanted to let you know what a pleasure it was working with Diane Donovan. She was professional, prompt, and friendly, and wrote a review that not only perfectly captured the spirit of my book, but one that will be tremendously helpful to my marketing efforts."

Curtis Seltzer, Author, The Point of the Pick: "Just a quick note to say thanks for giving my book, The Point of the Pick: A Novel of the 20th Century, to Diane Donovan. It’s a long, involved story. She turned it around quickly, got the points (in a manner of speaking), summarized well, flagged what needed a flag and did it all honestly."


BP Coach, Author, Spiritual Living for Busy People: "I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how pleased I was with my review experience with my reviewer, Diane Donovan.  She was very accommodating and easy to work with, and I thought she was very fair and thorough in her review of my book.  I'm certain potential buyers will get value from her review when deciding whether to purchase the book for themselves or not.  Her communication was excellent as well!  I knew exactly when to expect the review to be completed, and when it would be published. Her advice in this regards was invaluable.  I really appreciate her candor and her assistance!"

More Accolades for 2017

Gerald Everett Jones, Author, Choke Hold: "This isn't the first time Diane has reviewed one of my books. Her prompt and insightful review of Choke Hold: A Novel is very much appreciated."

David Alan Carter, Author, The 12% Solution: "Diane did a great job reviewing my book The 12% Solution. This is a financial book that gets a little deep into the stock market while defining a strategy that generates a 12% average annual return. It's clear that Diane did a thorough read, and fully absorbed the crux of the strategy. She made a case for the product without giving away the store. I could not have asked for more."

Lou Del Bianco, Author, Out of Rushmore's Shadow: "I just wanted you to know how thrilled I am by Diane’s review of my book, “Out of Rushmore’s Shadow: The Luigi De Bianco Story”. It is so thoughtful, thorough and speaks right to the heart of the book’s intent. Diane’s passion for my grandfather's story jumps right off the page. You have a gem here in Diane."


Mike Avitabile, Author, The Whale in the Cave: "I just wanted to drop a quick note to tell you how pleased I was with the attention that Diane gave to my novel, The Whale in the Cave. Her review was well-written, clear, and struck the right balance of plot description without giving away too much. She even took the time to respond to a couple of questions of mine regarding the overtness of some of the subtext in the manuscript. In contrast with some of the other reviews I received, Diane's analysis and critique of the work reflected that she put serious thought into her words. I received a couple of other reviews that, while still being positive, did not exhibit much more than a cursory analysis of the first few chapters. Diane's review was thoughtful and thorough and I am very happy."

Cheryl Bazzoui, M.A., Author, Pressure Cooker Christmas: "When Diane was so prompt, professional and friendly, I felt assured that I was in good hands. It is refreshing to work with true professionals in the cut-throat business of the publishing world."

Richard Due, Publisher, Gibbering Gnome Press: "Her reviewing skills are top notch, and she’s been a pleasure to work with. A true professional in every way."

Ed Myers, Publisher, Montemayor Press: "Just a brief note to say that I'm very pleased with the two recent reviews that Diane Donovan has written for books I'll be publishing through my independent company, Montemayor Press.  One of these books is my own current novel; the other is a collection of essays by an author named Caroline Sutton.  Both of Diane's reviews have been thoughtful, perceptive, and well balanced.  I'll be quoting from these reviews in promotional materials for the books once I release them in a few weeks."

D.V. Berkom, Author, The Last Deception: "Diane was professional, friendly, and did a thorough job, always keeping me apprised of where and when the review would be posted. All in all, a great experience! "

James Houston Turner, Author, Greco's Game: "I wanted to pass along my appreciation for Diane Donovan's exceptionally professional review standard. So many reviewers consider authors a real nuisance -- and many cases, we are -- but Diane's efficient way of letting me know how the process works and then communicating with me regularly as to where things stood took the anxiety completely out of the process in that regard. It was so refreshing to work with her. "

Shaun Ebelthite, Author, White Water, Black Death: "I just received my book review from Diane Donovan and was very impressed with her insight into my book and her understanding of my characters and the story. It's clear that she really read the book carefully and I really appreciate it."

Terry Schurter, Author, Dark Web Rising:  "I do need a "fiction circle" and you've entered it whether you really wanted to or not. I like your perspectives, honesty, and experience. I don't find those qualities a lot. You should also know you are the ONE REVIEWER who actually got the deeper meaning and philosophy in the book. That quote from the book is one of most powerful lines in the whole story! Blew me away when I read your review and you'd grabbed it. Felt a little thrill run down my arms... (the entire review was really insightful)."


Michael Hill, Author, War Poet: "Diane Donovan just posted a review of my book WAR POET and I couldn't be more thrilled with her work.  It was a thoughtful and well-written review and, most gratifying to any author, she got what I tried to convey!  She was a delight to work with and was timely and responsive in every way during the process.  She is tops!"

John A. Brennan, Author: "Ms. Diane Donovan has reviewed 3 of my books so far and I am very happy with her assessments of my work. Her reviews are no-nonsense appraisals and right on the mark. When she reads a book, she READS it."

Alexes Razevich, Author, The Girl With Stars in Her Hair: "I wanted to drop you a line to tell you how pleased I was with Diane's review of my book, The Girl with Stars in her Hair. It was clear from the review that she'd carefully read the book and considered the story's merits--exactly what any author wants from every reader and doesn't always get."

Peggy Lampman, Author, The Welcome Home Diner: "I've had experiences with other professional reviewers and my experience with Ms. Donovan has been different. Reviews of my first novel, THE PROMISE KITCHEN, seemed formulaic, as if the reviewer had a word quota to fill. This particular review got to the essence of what, at least this author, was trying to impart with her story."

Katrina Shawver, Author, Henry – A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America: "I wanted to pass on my compliments for Diane Donovan's thoughtful and prompt review of Henry – A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America. It's clear from her review that she thoroughly read the book and its content, as opposed to a quick scan. Her comments were specific, thoughtful, identified key points in the message, and also explained what distinguishes the book from all others in the genre. I, of course, appreciate it's a very positive review, but also that it's genuine, thorough, and put together with much thought."

Charles Levin, Author, Not So Dead: "Just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how pleased I am with the review Diane did of my book, NOT SO DEAD. Her attention to detail, compelling use of language and of course, her conclusion were terrific. She obviously spent plenty of time with the book and it shows in the thoroughness of her work."

Aadil Farook, Author, Inspired Discourses: "I have had the privilege and honor of getting 2 books reviewed by Diane. Professional integrity, intellectual credibility, literary acumen, friendly communication and honesty are her hallmarks. On a personal note, for an author who has always felt misunderstood at home, it was simply a wonderful experience to be known at a microscopic level by a stranger."


John Arvai, Author, Off the Hook: "I want to take a moment to let you know how pleased I am with Diane’s coverage for my book, Off the Hook: A Christmas Ornament Adventure.  To say I’m extremely pleased with her review would be an understatement; however, what has really impressed me is how thorough she is.  Not only did she recommend postponing my published review from January to September to maximize the exposure for my seasonal book but she also remembered to email months later and allow time for revisions.  This has been key as the book has done well in some national contests since we last spoke which she has now incorporated into her review. I must also point that Diane was first to recommend this book well before any contests weighed in.  Clearly she knows this business."


James McCrone, Author, Dark Network: "Diane just sent me her draft review.  It's concise, well written, informative, and it gives a nice flavor of the work without giving away spoilers.  Obviously, I'm very pleased she produced a positive review, but she's been professional and thorough throughout the process.  She was in contact about the process, guidelines and timing.  And she delivered within the timeframe she originally stated. A few too many of the big reviewers are opaque--glaucous!--about their process, timing, whether they'll review a title...even if they've received a title.  Ms. Donovan was transparent, clear-eyed and professional."


Iris Dorbin, Author, An Epiphany in Lilacs: "I just received the draft of Diane Donovan's review of my book "An Epiphany in Lilacs: In the Aftermath of the Camps" and have to write to express how impressed I am with how thorough, detailed and insightful Diane's review is. Too often professional book reviewers write reviews that are nothing more than exercises in banality or minimal effort--a synopsis and maybe two lines and that's it. But Diane's review goes beyond that--she offers a perceptive and eloquent analysis that even references actual quotes from the book!  I'm a very pleased author."


Lori Robbins, Author, Lesson Plan for Murder: "Diane Donovan reviewed my mystery novel, Lesson Plan for Murder, and I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the time and care she took in reviewing the book. Diane was precise, thoughtful, and insightful. She quoted specific passages and provided a depth of analysis and an attention to detail that any writer would appreciate.  I'm grateful to have had her as my reviewer."


Margaret Spearman, Author, When They Were Young: "Ms. Donovan did a thorough read and her written review was balanced and explained a complex storyline without giving away its ending.  She did an excellent review.  I will be using her review on the back of the paperback and in marketing efforts leading up to the October 26th release as well as afterwards. This is the second time that she has reviewed a Horn novel. While her first review was very well done, this review by Ms. Donovan excels in explaining her rationale for her favorable review of the book."


Rick DeStefanis, Author, Valley of the Purple Hearts: "Diane Donovan did a very good job reading and reviewing my most recent novel. She showed a high degree of analytical insight into the book’s deeper and more meaningful intent.”

Jason F. Boggs, Author, The Devil's Dragon: "An author's dream reviewer is someone who has a full appreciation of the story and the messages that it conveys through its characters and even if its a negative review, at least the reader was taken on the intended journey; which I've always regarded as a movie between the ears.  I think that your review pretty much nailed it and I am so pleased that you enjoyed my space opera - Thank you!"

Joanne Meredith, Editor at Glyphus, for The Happy Chip: "It was a delight to work with Diane. She clearly stated what an author could expect from her review, her time-frame was exactly as she said it would be, and the review was honest and thorough. It was a wonderful experience to be working with a professional reviewer and a well-run organization.”

Roxanne Bland, Author, for The Underground, 2nd Edition: "I just wanted to say how much I appreciate Ms. Donovan's review of my book, The Underground: Second Edition. Ms. Donovan's review was clear and well-thought out. It shows she took the time to actually read the book, instead of just skimming through it. Her insights were amazing--she saw things that I didn't realize were there. For example, she called it part murder mystery. Thinking on it, I suppose it is, but that never occurred to me while I was writing it. I think Ms. Donovan is a keeper, a real asset .”

Dada Maheshvarananda, Author, Cooperative Games for a Cooperative World: "My publisher, InnerWorld Publications, and I are very pleased with the review of my book, Cooperative Games for a Cooperative World: Facilitating Trust, Communication and Spiritual Connection by Diane Donovan. She really understood the essence of the book and connected the dots to write an essay that goes to the heart of the themes. Very professionally done..”

Judith Petres Balogh, Author, The Reluctant Trophy Wife: "Diane Donovan has gone out on a very fragile limb to read and to write about a self-published book but she did it and has done an unbelievably good job of it. Not only is her style fluent, lucid and thoroughly professional, but she fully understood the spirit of the novel and her  attention to the structure as well as to the details  is a shining example of good and useful review writing.  Reading it anyone would know what the book is about, and yet she did not give  away the story line. Perfect!   I do not know who else works on your staff, but I am sure she must be  Number One. I am not the only one who feels this way about Ms. Donovan's review: within twenty-four hours I received this note from one of my readers, a retired teacher to whom I sent Ms. Donovan's writing: "THAT is a wonderful review by a professional reviewer ... The review is so good...it says much more than I could have written and she is "spot on" as the Brits say." Those, who read the book  liked it, were downright enthusiastic about it, but not one of my readers understood it  as you have."

Simm McCord, Author, The Deuce: "I could tell from her review that she looked deeper into my book, The Deuce, than I had expected out of someone who has so many works to review.”

Jeff Gunhus, Author, Resurrection America: "Thanks to the professional and pleasant experience with Diane Donovan, I couldn’t be happier. I just received Ms. Donovan’s review this morning. She clearly expressed the plot and theme in a succinct and interesting way that, frankly, left me a little jealous as I’m terrible at such things.”


Mike Stewart, Author, Keep in a Cold Dark Place: "Diane's review was exceptional. I know I may be a bit biased because she enjoyed my book, but I really felt she went above and beyond to ensure the readers understood the type of book they'd be getting, which can only help me attract the right sort of reader.”


T.R. Lloyd, Author, Watercolours Revealed!: "I believe

that Diane does an incredibly good job with her reviews. She tells it like it is, pure and simple. To me, her reviews support the concerns of readers/buyers, authors and her affiliates."