How our Books are Reviewed

Genuine Reviews

Contrary to Home Chef Books, a large number of publishers utilise systems designed to accumulate as many reviews as possible prior to a book's publication. These reviews often stem from paid reviewers or individuals from their lists who are likely to reciprocate with a favourable review in return for a complimentary copy of the book. Additional strategies are also in use.

Concerning Amazon, it is increasingly marred by a proliferation of fabricated reviews, numbering in the thousands. It seems to us that Amazon has little to no intention or interest in addressing this issue, which could consequently lead to a decline in its book sales.

On social media, we frequently come across complaints from individuals who have purchased low-quality books that boast hundreds of 4 and 5-star reviews, even though these books were published just days or a few weeks prior. This scenario is highly improbable, if not impossible, a fact of which Amazon is surely aware.

At Home Chef Books, we place our trust in authentic reviews exclusively. We neither pay for these nor maintain a list of individuals who will provide them.

This does leave us exposed to our competitors or those who simply relish criticising. The rationale behind accumulating a multitude of 5-star reviews upon a book's release is to overshadow any negative reviews from competitors or detractors, thereby leaving even poor-quality books with sufficient positive reviews to balance out the negatives.

While this is a surreptitious approach to doing business and is undoubtedly damaging Amazon's book sales, many deem it a legitimate business strategy, as Amazon apparently does.

We have received negative reviews from competitors, and detractors, by accident, and from those who simply felt that the book wasn't to their taste. Thankfully, we also receive our fair share of positive reviews.

If you have enjoyed one of our books, we would greatly appreciate your leaving a rating or a review - your feedback is truly meaningful to us.

Here are some tips on how to avoid books with suspicious reviews:

Publication Date: An honest book typically accumulates tens of reviews per month at best, not hundreds. Reviews and ratings are not as forthcoming as most people assume, as many simply do not get around to posting a review, even if they adored the book – perhaps especially if they adored it.

The Author: Click on the author's name beneath the book title. For instance, on Amazon, this link reveals other works by the same author. In the case of most fraudulent books, you'll find just a single book listed per author name.

Kindle Editions: These books often debut on Kindle Unlimited concurrent with, or even before, their paperback release. This is believed to be because the "authors" have connections to many people with Kindle Unlimited accounts for this exact purpose. And again, Amazon seems to condone this behaviour. Unless the author is a household name like Jamie Oliver, it's highly improbable to accumulate such a significant number of reviews in such a short time span.

In summary: Don't be deterred from purchasing books on Amazon, as there are genuine publishers out there like us. Instead, consider the publication date, check the author's other books, and click on some reviewers to see if they have reviewed numerous other products on Amazon, not just two or three other books potentially published by the same individuals under different pseudonyms. We hope this guidance proves helpful.