If you poke around on the bookish internet long enough, you’re bound to encounter NetGalley.
In case you haven’t, NetGalley is a website that connects book reviewers with digital advanced reader copies of books. You get to read the book early (and for free), and the publisher gets your review to help promote their book.
I’ve been a member since I first starting writing about books online in 2015, and I love it. However, there is one white whale in the mix, and I don’t mean my favorite local indie of the same name.
No, I’m talking about the feedback ratio.
You see, when you request a book, publishers make their decision on whether to click that approval button based on a few factors. These include your bio, which ideally includes info about your audience/reach, and how likely they think you are to actually review the book.
This is where the feedback ratio comes in. NetGalley calculates how many books you’ve provided feedback for against the number of books you’ve been approved to read. According to the site, the recommended ratio is 80%.
I have never a day in my life had an 80% feedback ratio.
I believe in DNFing a book if it isn’t working for you, and I try not review books I don’t finish because I don’t think it’s fair to give an opinion when I didn’t get the full experience. I try to be selective about what I request these days instead of getting book-grabby, and my ratio is slowly but surely climbing upwards.
Except… I can’t seem to stop poking around and requesting new titles that sound interesting. RIP to my feedback ratio but hello, beautiful shelf of digital books ready for me to enjoy.
Let’s take a peek at the current state of my digital shelf, shall we? I’ve organized them by their anticipated release dates because it’s as good a system as any, and I’m trying to read them in order so I can put out timely-ish reviews.
March 2022 Releases
Sadie on a Plate (March 15th, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: A chef’s journey to success leads to discovering the perfect recipe for love in this delicious romantic comedy.
Food-centric rom coms seem all the rage these days, and I am deeply here for it. I requested this one ages ago and had given hope when, lo and behold, that approval email hit my inbox. Excited to dig in to this one in the near future.
The League of Gentlewoman Witches (March 15th, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the teahouse…
I love how vague the little snippet in bold on Goodreads is. This is the second installment in India Holton’s Dangerous Damsels series, and I am intrigued to learn more about the witches only alluded to in the first installment.
Stone Broke Heiress (March 21st, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: Six months ago, I was the heiress to a soup empire worth millions. Now, I’m standing in a giant dumpster.
This one was requested entirely on a whim, mainly because the cover is just so much fun. I don’t read a ton of stories about wealthy people falling from grace because they tend to annoy me, but I decided to give this one a go.
Remember Me (March 22nd, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: If you could erase all of your painful memories, would you?
A publicist reached out to me about this title, and at the time, it seemed of interest. Back in a former life, I read and wrote speculative fiction, and this appealed to that version of me. She hasn’t yet felt like making an appearance to read this book, however.
April 2022 Releases
Love from Scratch (April 5th, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: Reese’s plan to keep work a No Feelings Zone crumbles like a day-old muffin when she and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot that goes viral, making them the internet’s newest ship.
What can I say? Food competition rom coms are my new jam.
May 2022 Releases
The Emma Project (May 17th, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: Emma gets a fresh Indian-American twist from award-winning author Sonali Dev in her heartwarmingly irresistible Jane Austen inspired rom com series
In spite of somewhat lukewarm feelings about both Emma and Sonali Dev’s prior work in this series, Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors, I love the idea of this series so much I couldn’t resist the temptation of requesting this.
June 2022 Releases
Nora Goes Off Script (June 7th, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: Evvie Drake Starts Over meets Beach Read in this heartwarming and hilarious novel about a divorced romance channel screenwriter whose script about her marriage’s collapse just might help her reclaim her life and find love.
Perhaps I shouldn’t make this widely known, but any title that earns a comp with Emily Henry is pretty much an immediate TBR addition from me.
These Impossible Things (June 7th, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: A razor‑sharp debut novel of three best friends navigating love, sex, faith, and the one night that changes it all.
To be honest I have no recollection of requesting this one, so I can’t recall why I did so, but it looks amazing and I’m excited to read it!
The Setup (June 7th, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: From the author of The Summer Job comes a laugh-out-loud, heartwarming story about one woman’s impulsive fib that jump starts a summer of reinvention and learning about love, life, and what it means to accept yourself.
Give me a crystal ball inspired cover and you’ve earned my interest. I haven’t read The Summer Job yet because I can sometimes be irritated by plots founded on a lie. Which I recognize is also the premise for this book. But, it sounds interesting enough that I’m willing to bet I’ll enjoy it anyway.
July 2022 Releases
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (July 12th, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: From the New York Times best-selling author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry — a glorious and immersive novel about two childhood friends, once estranged, who reunite as adults to create video games, finding an intimacy in digital worlds that eludes them in their real lives.
The premise of sounds like all the things I loved about Free Guy kicked into overdrive. Sign me up. (Free Guy is a romantic comedy. I said what I said.)
August 2022 Releases
Lucy Checks In (August 12, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: Dee Ernst’s Lucy Checks In is a delightful work of romantic comedy about a disgraced hotel manager who travels to Rennes to rebuild a hotel and her own life in the process…
Summer is my favorite time to read travel stories, and I’m all for someone selling me on Rome (I did not enjoy my brief time there, pizza and gelato aside).
December 2022 Releases
(Because I Have No Sept, Oct, or Nov titles yet)
To Get to the Other Side (December 6th, 2022)
Goodreads synopsis snippet: Trixie isn’t exactly sure what she was thinking when she stopped her car in the middle of downtown Chicago, scooped up a chicken struggling to cross the road, and drove off… but she does know that she has to find a new home for herself and her new feathered friend.
How could I pass on such a cute cover and delightfully bonkers premise? I’ll be shocked if I manage to wait and read this one in order of release.
Whew, we did it, friends! We made it to the other side of my current, slightly staggering NetGalley shelves. Overwhelm aside, I’m incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to read and review so many wonderfully exciting books!
Are any of these titles on your TBR? I’d love to hear what you think of the selection!
Your Book Friend 
Great post! Lucy Checks In is also on my Netgalley TBR shelf and I’m looking forward to starting it. One thing I’ve learned over the three years I’ve been reviewing for Netgalley (and Edelweiss) is not to request too many books. I feel overwhelmed when I’m over that 80% threshold and find that 90% is more comfortable for me but everyone has their own comfort level with these types of things. Thanks for sharing.
Agreed, it’s best not to request too many books! One of these days I’ll actually learn the impulse control required lol