Behind every book we recommend stands something most websites can't match: real people who read the book first. The LoveReading Reader Review Panel is a community of more than 800 volunteer readers across the UK who receive proof copies ahead of publication, read them properly, and tell us - and you - exactly what they think.
The panel by the numbers
- more than 800 volunteer readers on the panel, right across the UK.
- Proof copies read before publication - so honest reviews are ready the day a book goes on sale.
- More than 33,000 books reviewed since 2004, across every genre we cover.
- Reviewing on merit since 2004 - two decades of independent reading judgement.
- Every shelf covered - literary fiction, crime, romance, history, children's books and more.
- Free to join, free to read - panellists are never paid and never told what to write.
Why the panel exists
Anyone can rank books by sales. We wanted something more honest and more useful: a genuine reader's verdict, written by someone with no stake in the outcome. Our panellists aren't paid and aren't told what to say. If a much-hyped book doesn't deliver, they say so - and that candour is exactly why readers trust a LoveReading recommendation.
How it works
Each month our editorial team selects forthcoming titles across every genre. Panellists request the books that interest them, read them in their own time, and submit a written review. Our editors read every submission, and the best reviews are published alongside the book on the site - sitting next to the expert review from our editorial team.
It's that combination that makes a LoveReading page worth reading: a professional critic's eye and the voice of an ordinary, passionate reader who chose the book and finished it.
The people behind it
The panel is overseen by our editorial experts, including long-standing reviewer Liz Robinson, who has been choosing and championing books for LoveReading for many years and is one of the named voices readers have come to trust.
Together with our panellists they read across literary fiction, crime, romance, history, children's books and every shelf in between - twenty years of accumulated reading judgement that no algorithm can replicate.
What this means for you
When you read a review on LoveReading, you're getting something a star rating can't give you: the considered verdict of a real reader who chose the book, finished it, and had nothing to gain from praising it. Pair that with the expert review from our editorial team and you can tell, before you spend a penny, whether a book is right for you - not just whether it happens to be selling well.
That's the difference between a recommendation and a chart.
Join the panel
Reading is better shared. If you read widely, write honestly and would love early access to the books everyone will be talking about, we'd love to hear from you. Membership is free - your reward is the books themselves and the knowledge that your review helps thousands of other readers choose well.
Your questions answered
What is the LoveReading Reader Review Panel?
It's a community of more than 800 volunteer readers across the UK who receive proof copies of books before publication, read them, and write honest reviews. The best reviews are published on the book's page alongside our editorial expert review.
Are LoveReading reader reviews paid for or sponsored?
No. Panellists are volunteers. They are not paid and are never told what to write. The only reward is early access to the books. That independence is the whole point - it's what makes the reviews trustworthy.
How are reviews chosen to appear on the site?
Our editorial team reads every review submitted by the panel and publishes the most useful and well-written ones on the relevant book page, next to the LoveReading expert review.
How do I join the Reader Review Panel?
Membership is free and open to keen readers across the UK. You can register your interest through LoveReading; our team selects panellists who read widely and review honestly, then sends out proof copies of forthcoming titles each month.
How many books does LoveReading review each year?
Our editorial team and Reader Review Panel have reviewed more than 33,000 books since 2004 across every genre, from literary fiction and crime to romance, history and children's books. Each one is read properly before it's recommended - we've been choosing books on merit this way since 2004.
Can I trust LoveReading reviews more than star ratings on retail sites?
They're a different kind of signal. A retail star rating aggregates thousands of anonymous scores, many left by people who haven't finished - or even read - the book. A LoveReading review is written by a named editorial expert or a vetted volunteer panellist who read the proof copy before publication and had nothing to gain from a good score.
You get a considered, independent verdict rather than a crowd average.