Rating Scales

On Tuesday, May 10th, 2011, I changed my rating scale to use roses instead of stars. In the tradition of the stage, where performances sometimes render flowers being thrown on stage, I believe author's should be similarly rewarded. I feel all authors who write a book and get it published, either through a publisher or by going the self-publishing route, deserve at least one rose. Hence, my lowest rating for a book from May 10th on will be one rose. If I encounter any problems with the story or wished the author had included something that they didn't I'll list it in the review and tell you how it affected my rating. Occasionally, I will be torn between two ratings. In such instances I will use a half rose to let you know. I feel a rose torn in half seems to represent my feelings on the rating rather nicely, as I'm torn between the two ratings.

Also, I will attempt to let you know if there is any sexual content in Young Adult books. It should be assumed, however, that all adult fiction romance books contain sexual content, therefore, I won't list that in the notes area of those particular books.


Where did the tradition of throwing flowers on stage originate? 
"In Britian, the most common idea about the origin of the expression comes from tradition. Historians know from the time of King James I and Shakespear's King's Men that actors would, on occasion, receive tips on top of their salaries. Rather than receiving tips directly from the company or theatre, tipping was left to the audience. During the final bows or curtain call, audiences would throw money, usually coins, onto the stage depending on how well they enjoyed the performance.In some bad performances they would throw rotten vegetables, but in the good cases, money. Actors would then "take a knee," effectively breaking their leg line, on stage and pick up the money. As a result, when a person wishes someone to "break a leg" it refers to wishing them success in their performance so in the end they would have to kneel down and collect a welcome tip. Theatre evolved and the tradition of tipping changed to one of throwing flowers on stage, as well as presenting flowers." (Quote from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Break_a_leg )

One Rose

This rating does not mean an author can't write. It just means I personally didn't like the story. Remember  people's opinions differ and so do ratings. A good example would be Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. It is listed in both the best books ever and worst books ever categories on Goodreads. So please, don't be discouraged by a one rose rating. While I may have disliked it, others may love it. If I give a book a rating of one rose I will tell you what it was that made me do so. You can be the judge of whether or not you wish to read it based off my thoughts. By the way, I loved Twilight.

Two Roses 

This rating means I didn't dislike the story, but definitely didn't love it. It was just an okay read for me.

Three Roses




This rating means I liked the book and enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't quite up to the caliber of a four or five rose rating.


Four Roses





This rating means I REALLY enjoyed the book and would recommend it to my friends. If I was rich, I'd buy each of them a copy. There was just that little magically something that kept me from giving it a 5 rose rating.


Five Roses



This rating means I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the book and would HIGHLY recommend it to everyone and, if I was rich, I would buy a copy for everyone I encounter.

Lisarenee's Romance Rating Scale

If you read my review for Gena Showalter's Lord of the Vampires, you will already be familiar with this scale. A year ago, I created a secondary rating scale for romance novels. I felt sometimes an additional rating scale is needed for the hotness level in romances. I call it the Lisarenee's Romance Rating Scale. Here is the break down:

SMILE--a lady always tries to be polite so a smile should suffice (ie no heat whatsoever)
BLUSH--at the beginning stages of romance where something is just starting to be stirred
FAN--the temperature in the room seems to have suddenly gone up a couple of degrees and a fan would be nice
STEAM--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
SHOWER--a cold shower is necessary (need I say more?). Some books should come with a warning - make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. lol

So from this point forward (August 4, 2011) I will attempt to include this secondary scale in my romance reviews. I hope you like it. Just remember, a ranking of "SHOWER" does not by itself a great romance make. If done properly, even the most innocent of romances can set your heart a flutter.