Rating Scale
My individual category rating scale works off the following guide:
1/10 | Awful - needs serious work
2/10 | Horrible - maybe one or two things that I thought were okay but not redeemable
3/10 | Bad - a few okay things, but still not enjoyable
4/10 | Poor - a lot of good things, but the bad aspects still outweigh those positives
5/10 | Average - even scale between good and bad elements
6/10 | Alright - a lot of bad things, but the good aspects still outweigh those negatives
7/10 | Good - nothing overly innovative, but still quite enjoyable
8/10 | Great - overall really enjoyable, with just a few problems
9/10 | Excellent - pretty much perfect, may just be one or two things holding it back
10/10 | Perfect - a perfect read according to me, nothing I would change
Individual category ratings condensed:
0-3 | Bad
4-6 | Average
7-9 | Really Good
10 | Perfect
How the stars are worked out: (overall rating)
0-1.1 | -
1.1-2.2 | ⭐️
2.3-4.5 |⭐️⭐️
4.6-6.9 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
7-8.9 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
9-10 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The categories that are assessed are as follows...
Spice
How many steamy scenes are in the book? Are the scenes well described or glossed over? Are the scenes well written and believable? Are they overdone?
Writing
Did the story flow easily? Was the writing style enjoyable? How was the dialogue to narration ratio? Was the prose to my liking?
Logic
Did the story make sense? Were there any plot holes or confusion within the story? Did the character's motives and actions align? Was the world-building sufficient? Did I finish the book with questions?
Characters
How much depth do each of the characters have? Are they memorable? Was I attached to them? Are there distinguishable secondary characters? If so are they important? Does the personality of the characters come through? Do I care what happens to them?
Plot
Was the plot satisfying? Was the pacing done well? Was the plot unique? Did the plot surprise me? Did it leave me wanting more?
Enjoyment
Did I enjoy reading the book, taking everything into consideration? Would I pick up another book by the same author?
Atmosphere
Was the read captivating? Could I picture the characters, settings, and scenes? Was the energy in the book tangible?
Intrigue
Did the book consume me? Was I intrigued to see where the story would go, and how it would evolve? Did the story hold my attention or was I trailing off?