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It’s interesting to compare the books you’ve published in terms of ratings, reviews, and sales. Today I’m going to showcase the 4 books that have the highest number of Amazon reviews and I’ll give my thoughts on why I think that might be!

Thank you for joining me and I hope you’ll find this little investigation interesting. Grab yourself a tea or coffee and let’s get to it!

The 4th place for my book with the highest # of Amazon reviews goes to …. The Broken & The Foolish!

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This book was the most fun for me to write (Which is saying a lot since I love writing)! The risk taking female outlaw named Mary infuriated some and stole the hearts of others. It’s no wonder it gained some interest! I think the cover is one reason why more readers were attracted to buying it than some of my other books. It’s clearly a Western story, so people who love that genre will want to buy it. I also think that some people associated the character with *me* since her looks are similar to myself (If I dressed up as an outlaw), so they were curious to read about a character that reminded them of me? (No relation, I promise).

The Broken & The Foolish topped out at 7 Amazon reviews in total! Not bad for an indie book that’s only been marketed on Twitter and Instagram. Thank you to all of my supportive readers for that!

My favourite review, courtesy of fellow blogger and friend Hyperion Sturm: “From the first page to the last, this reader was held captive by this story of gripping sorrow, sweeping landscapes, dusky saloons, and triumph of the spirit and salvation of the heart. Thrown into the dark world of backroom saloon life, desparate to support her young sister and keep the family farm, Mary falls prey to a controlling fiend whose pleasures he takes from her set the stage for desparate acts. Mary is willing to risk everything to be free of her torment. We watch, spellbound and invested as Mary struggles to survive in the wilderness and her ever growing conflicts in the towns she visits to get supplies. Along the way her life is irreversably changed by several encounters. Mary evolves to a hardened soul whose heart can’t quite give up on the spark of humanity that remains. Ms. Kjeldsen captures action and emotion with stunning clarity. The tense fight scenes were authentic and the results as close to reality as one can make it. Dialogue brings you in close to the action and you smell the sour breath of whiskey and tobacco around you. You feel the tensness and smell the bitter sweaty fear. Our heroine is authentic and human. Mistakes, weakness, and all the maladies of being human and in terrible distress come to the front and yet there is a strength and cunning, a tactical mind, that sorts through each scene bent on one objective; get Max, the man that took her soul. I found the story uplifting as Mary overcomes many obstacles to find her strength and who she really is in her world. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys strong female rolls in a bygone period of America’s wild west history.”

Would you like to read this story of a fiery female outlaw? You can download the ebook for only $2.99 here.

3rd place goes to …. Eve & Adam!

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This is a story about two young free thinkers who want to escape their suppressive backgrounds. I think the whimsicality of the book cover (Created by my very own gifted and artistic sister!) and the dark nature of the story blurb is what drew people in to read this one. This book is as dark and complex as it is refreshing. I think people really felt the emotions in this story, which led them to want to leave a review. This short story seems to make an impact on everyone who reads it.

Eve & Adam has 8 reviews so far! Thank you to everyone who read my book and took the time to leave a review! I appreciate it. ❤

My favourite review by Dean Tongue (Fellow indie author and friend): “This is a beautiful short story and I can’t say too much about it without spoiling it, but trust me, it’s awesome. I instantly connected with Adam from the start and what I thought was going to be a simple story of boy meets girl turned out to be something so much more special, deep and meaningful. To cram such a fantastic message into just 36 pages is a genuine gift. A brilliant short story.”

Would you like to read this deep and fantastical story called Eve & Adam? You can purchase the ebook for only $2.99 here.

2nd place goes to … The Pup & The Pianist !

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No surprise here. The cover is absolutely stunning! This was also designed by my sister and it’s honestly the book cover I always dreamed of having for one of my stories. I love tall ships and stories set during the age of sail. This book is set near the end of the Napoleonic Wars. As the cover hints, it’s a tale of adventure amidst the high seas. Two boys on opposite sides of the war become stranded on the Galapagos Islands and they have to learn how to get along in order to survive. I think a lot of people will always be drawn to adventure stories; the cover & blurb entices people to take a look to see what’s inside.

The Pup & The Pianist tops out at 9 reviews so far!

My favourite review by a kind Twitter follower:

“Like a great short story should, we are pulled in right from the opening paragraphs. Suddenly we are on an English Man-of-War in a battle against a French frigate in 1814. From this point forward, Sara brings us into the world of the crew, through the point of a young boy that carries powder to the cannon. I was dazzled by the detail, the battle, the storm, the stranding in the Galapagos Islands. For a piece of historical fiction in the tradition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” Sara’s deft descriptions would be more than enough to read this story. That, however, would be missing the best part of this book.

You see, Sara is a great storyteller. I don’t use the word great lightly, and Sara is great, not just good! Themes of unlikely friendship, wanting to make more of your life, adjusting to a “new normal”, and passion for life are all seamlessly woven into this incredible tale. It’s a short read – but will leave you as it did me wanting more from a gifted young author. I cannot recommend “The Pup And The Pianist” more highly!”

Would you like to read this tale of unlikely friendships and high stakes adventure? You can purchase my ebook here for only $2.99!

1st place goes to …. Marie!

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The cover definitely draws interest. Marie is sexy and clearly violent – this intrigues people to no end. What is this femme fatale up to? I wanted to choose something stylish and eye catching for this story and I think this cover definitely delivers. The blurb also draws people in – is there really more than meets the eye with Marie?

The reviews for Marie top out at 11! This is by far my most popular book and it’s one of my newer releases, so I’m quite flattered.

My favourite review for Marie from fellow indie author Tanweer Dar:

“One of the finest novellas I have ever read.

‘Marie’ sees Sara Kjeldsen effective redefine the femme fatale. This quick read is filled with darkness, deliciousness and an unexpected depth of character which, quite frankly, is one of the take away highlights of ‘Marie’.

Following the titular character from a first-person perspective, the reader is taken on a journey through a turbulent period in Marie’s life.

We start with a cold, calculating Marie: ‘I can’t be a true queen until I kill the king.’ She is the archetypal femme fatale. ‘The darkness is where I feel most comfortable. I am home there.’

But through her actions, which I won’t reveal (you’ll have to read it yourself!), things start to change in the way Marie sees the world. ‘There is something very wrong with me, but it doesn’t feel half bad.’

Ultimately, the events described in the story lead to Marie questioning herself: ‘I wonder why I was born to be so different.’

The result is stark, surprising and quite superbly written.

Sara Kjeldsen has done something very, very special here.

I cannot recommend this book enough.”

If you’d like to check out Marie, you can download a copy on the Kindle app for only $2.99 here!

The interesting thing is that out of these four books, three of them are short stories or novellas! The Broken & The Foolish is the only full length novel in the group. I think a lot of readers do prefer shorter works – and perhaps they find them more impactful.

Thank you for reading and I hope you found one of these stories interesting enough to read! Until next time, take care & happy writing/reading! ❤