The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Pandora's Lockbox: An Award-winning Agent's Memoir of Love, Sex, Murders and an Alligator

Because Pandora's Lockbox was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.

Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.

IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.

This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.

Ekta Kumari

The book documents the experiences of the author and her fellow agents while working in the real estate industry. It is set in the 1980s and the early 1990s and depicts a fair picture of what the real estate industry was like back then. I wouldn't have read the book based on its blurb because I lacked interest in the premise. The cover page, while fitting for the book, didn't grab my attention right away. The title of the book was the only thing that stood out for me. The thing I liked the most while sampling was definitely the author's humorous tone when narrating the incidents. Her choice of words is rather interesting and witty. The author also takes the time to reflect on the differences between the current real estate landscape and how things were done in the past, when everything was done face-to-face. One more interesting aspect about the book is the chapter titles, which are named quite interestingly to build curiosity. I was unable to find any editing errors in the portion sampled and would rate the text as professionally edited. I saw a useful official OBC review but wouldn't plan on reading the whole book because I don't find the central premise much to my liking. There's nothing I can suggest for improvement based on what I have read so far.

First Ten review added on February 28, 2023, at 5:03 am by Ekta Kumari.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Jeremie Mondejar

I sampled this book based on the title that seemed so interesting. The prologue is quite captivating because of the murder accessory story. I guess this book is full of humor like for example in answering that "dogs grow old and died" to a sobbing woman over a phone early in the morning. I like the flow of the story, and the story of Missy Ann who loves yellow color. I don't see errors in the sample. I read the OBC review from Prisallen, which gives valuable details about the book. I decided to read this book after sampling it. There's nothing I can recommend for improvement as well as I don't see any areas to dislike.

First Ten review added on February 28, 2023, at 4:53 am by Jeremie Mondejar.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Surabhi Rani

Had I not been part of this program, I would not have read or sampled this book based on any of the following: cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews. In that case, the book revolving around the real estate business would not have appealed to me. I do fancy reading books about jobs related to my work, such as writing and art. After reading the first ten pages, I decided to read the whole free book, because I felt it was an opportunity to learn about the real estate business. I found two instances of missing commas before the subordinate conjunction 'because' used in parts of sentences ending with independent clauses correspondingly. Firstly, '...because the new door was still in the lumber yard awaiting the funds to pay for it.' (Page 5, 3rd para, 2nd line) Secondly, "...because I didn't have 'any' experience instead of 'too much.'" (Page 7, 3rd para, 3rd line)

I liked the fact that the book was a memoir related to the author's field of work or profession and that it was a great book for people interested in her occupation. I also appreciated the element of humor interwoven in the book. I hated to learn about the instance of murder in the bit I read. The OBC review of the book equipped me with knowledge about the author's work. It allowed me to assess my potential and understand how the book was different from my concept of an ideal book.

First Ten review added on February 28, 2023, at 4:49 am by Surabhi Rani.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sanju Lali

I liked Nico's courage in finding a job at a real estate company despite all the odds she was facing in her life. I learned from the sample that Nico's husband had divorced her after fourteen years of marriage. The title of this book meant many things to me. The genre and cover influenced me only a little, so I would not have read the reviews of this book outside The First Ten program. I read a few customer and editorial reviews of this book and found them praising it. The OBC official review gave me the most needed information about the book and motivated me to sample it. After reading the sample, I think that this book needs a round of professional editing because I found several grammatical errors in the sample. For example, the sentence, "Need I mention that I was about to become a no-income single person, and not even a family anymore?" This sentence could have been as follows. "Need I mention that I was about to become a no-income single person and not even a family anymore?" My suggestion to the author is to use a simple writing style with moderate irony so that an average reader like me can understand the subject well. I will buy and read this book today until the author considers my suggestion.

First Ten review added on February 28, 2023, at 3:45 am by Sanju Lali.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sou Hi

Without this program, I wouldn't have read this. The official review from OnlineBookClub, the cover, the blurb, and the ratings on Amazon are fine, but the book's premise is not my cup of tea.

I like nothing in the bit I read. The editing is alright, and I have no suggestions for improvement. Still, I'm not very interested in reading about real estate agents. Besides, I think the prologue is unnecessary. I don't understand why the author must tell the readers about being an accessory to murder. Since the plot can't pique my interest, I won't buy the book. The OBC review was helpful in making my decision.

Error example: A final 'Love You' to Fannie Mae, my parti-Yorkie, who, unlike the government's FANNIE MAE, does NOT take people's homes -> There should be a period at the end of the sentence, and I think it should be "Parti Yorkie" instead.

First Ten review added on February 28, 2023, at 12:56 am by Sou Hi.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Jennifer Garcia 555

I like the title and cover of this book, but I’m not a fan of non-fiction. After reading the description and an official OnlineBookClub review, I would not pick this book to read. This book does not sound interesting. I read the sample pages saw an editing/formatting error. There was no space between the first words on the first page. I liked the sample more than I expected. The author has a good sense of humor and her story is complex. I like that she did not give up and found a way to keep going even when so many things went wrong. My only suggestion for improvement would be another round of editing since the OBC review stated that there are multiple errors in the book. Readers who enjoy non-fiction would probably enjoy this book, but it is not the type of book I enjoy reading so I will pass on this one.

First Ten review added on February 28, 2023, at 12:29 am by Jennifer Garcia 555.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Theresa Moffitt

I found the title of this book to be intriguing. It makes me curious about the story. The cover art is also well done and caught my eye. I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. The onlinebookclub.org review that I read was very positive and gave the book a perfect rating. This increased my interest in the book. I didn’t read any additional customer reviews or blurbs. The author described her life as a real estate agent in the first ten pages. She explained how women began working in the real estate industry. The background she provided was interesting. She discussed a particular client names Missy Ann. She was showing Missy Ann houses at a time when Missy Ann’s father died. She was very supportive of her client during this difficult time. However, Missy Ann ultimately decided not to buy a house from the author. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages, so I believe the book was professionally edited. I also didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon. I enjoyed the author’s writing style. It conveyed the story as though talking to a friend. I liked the casual style and found the story interesting. For the reasons stated, I would like to finish reading this book.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 11:52 pm by Theresa Moffitt.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Annelore Trujillo

I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, OBC review, cover, title, editorial reviews, and customer reviews. I don’t usually read non-fiction, and this one didn’t seem to be for me. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I did like the prologue. It was a captivating way to start the book with an anecdote about become an accessory to murder. I wondered as I read that section if it were true. However, the introduction turned to content that was a little dryer. It started talking about real estate during the time period of the book. I found this section to be a lot less interesting. The book did seem to be professionally edited; I didn’t see any errors within the first ten pages. There wasn’t anything specific that needs improvement.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 11:17 pm by Annelore Trujillo.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Heidi M Simone

If it wasn't for this program, I would not have sampled this book. The cover, title, and blurb do not capture my attention. Though today's book does have positive customer and OBC ratings/reviews, these do not affect my opinion of the book. i did not see any glaring errors.

I am not too familiar with Pandora's Box, so I liked how the author explained the legend in her introduction. Though I do feel bad that the author’s husband said he wanted a divorce on Mother’s Day after a miscarriage, these aren’t topics I care to read about. Therefore, I do not plan on buying and reading today’s book.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 11:00 pm by Heidi M Simone.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mary WhiteFace

Without the First Ten program I would not have been interested in reading a memoir, especially one that included sex and murder. I based my initial decision on the blurb in the BOTD email, the title (subtitle), and the synopsis. Neither the Amazon customer reviews nor the OnlineBookClub review influenced my decision. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind.

I did not notice any punctuation or grammatical errors. I have no suggestions for improvement. I had a difficult time deciding what part of the sample that I liked best. Although, I did find it interesting that the author would cross the border to do her grocery shopping in Mexico. I am also a little curious as to why most foods were less expensive in Mexico with the exception of Campbell's soup which was four times more expensive. The comparison of Mexican toilet paper to sand paper was a little funny.

There was also no particular part that I did not like, except that I didn't find it very interesting overall. I will not be reading the whole book. This is just not the type of book I like to read.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 8:57 pm by Mary WhiteFace.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

OTrain Disene

I admit that the title and the cover of the book leave so much to be desired for. The brightness of the cover and the boldness of the title fond would have caught my eye the instant I saw it. And I am confident that outside this programme, I would have picked up this book based on those two things. The first ten pages I read opened up with a prologue, where the narrator is an estate agent, and she has this flamboyant potential buyer who insists on sharing personal stuff instead of getting down to business. The call that the narrator received from Miss Ann, the potential buyer, almost left her speechless. Miss Ann had just lost her father and wanted the support she could get. The prologue opened up with a bang. I only realised that the plot didn’t show signs of following a linear format, so this turned me off. I don’t like going back and forwards, and this was the impression three first ten pages gave me. The writing was also too revealing, not leaving much suspense. The OBC review also explicitly informed me that I wouldn’t appreciate this subject matter. The book seems to be exceptionally edited.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 6:01 pm by OTrain Disene.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Christell Lindeque

As a participant in this program, I will not be reading this book because I have no interest in the topic. Fiction books tend to be more interesting to me. I thought the title and cover were a nice touch.

Even after reading the first ten pages, I could tell that this book was not going to be of interest to me because I have zero curiosity about real estate.

After perusing the first ten pages, I found no blunders. I'm not sure if I should report a mistake I found in the prologue, but I'll mention it here just in case. There were no page numbers in the prologue, but I believe this to be on the first page of the prologue.

Error
"Clients are wont to over share as they get comfortable with us agents, and Missy Ann had already confided to me that not only was her hair naturally yellow, but "the rug matched the drapes.""
Should be: "Clients are (prone) to (overshare) as they get comfortable with us agents, and Missy Ann had already confided to me that not only was her hair naturally yellow, but "the rug matched the drapes.""

Nothing about the book appealed to me at all. The book's focus on real estate agents and the fact that it is non-fiction didn't appeal to me. Ten pages in, we learn that the author's husband filed for divorce shortly after she abruptly left her job due to stress and the subsequent loss of their infant child. She then elaborates on the events that ultimately led to her becoming a real estate agent.

The OBC review made it clear that this was a non-fiction book about the author's life as a successful real estate agent, and I knew going in that I would not enjoy it.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 11:48 am by Christell Lindeque.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Gabriella H

I wouldn't have sampled this book without this program because of the title and book cover. The first thing I thought when I saw the main title was, "another Pandora's box story?" The secondary title was off-putting. I was on the fence about the book after reading the OBC official review because there seemed to be lessons contained in the book, but I also didn't feel eager to read it. Having sampled it, I think the book is informative, and I like the attention-grabbing effect the book created with Missy Ann's story. However, I dozed off a couple of times while sampling only the first ten pages and realized I was struggling to concentrate on them. I don't think that's a good sign. I won't say these pages were boring. They just didn't hold my attention as I would've liked. So I won't be buying or completing this book. I noticed a few errors while sampling the book, so I think another round of proofreading would help. The first error I noticed was the lack of spacing between 'I' and 'became' in this sentence, "Ibecame an accessory to murder for the first time on a Monday morning at 5 a.m. when my phone suddenly rang." (The first sentence of the prologue). My decision is based on the first ten pages. It wasn't influenced by customer and editorial reviews, the genre, the OBC official review, the title, the book cover, or the lack of an OBC blurb.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 9:09 am by Gabriella H.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Rodel Barnachea

Upon perusing the title’s official OnlineBookClub review and Amazon page, I decided not to acquire the non-fiction book. I am not fascinated by how Nico's personality changed after experiencing miscarriage, divorce, and unemployment. I am not intrigued by how Nico managed to become one of the most successful agents in the business. I am not interested in reading the different stories that Nico and her fellow real estate agents have accumulated through the 1980s and 90s. Sampling the title did not change my mind. I would not acquire it because nothing in the sample had me wanting to go over the rest of the title. The first ten pages include a prologue, an introduction, Chapter 1: Nico’s Story, and some pages of Chapter 2: The Fog-A-Mirror Test for Agents. What I liked most is when the author thought that Missy Ann euthanized her dog when, in fact, she murdered her father. I noted two errors in the Amazon sample:

1 — “Ibecame an accessory to murder for the first time on a Monday morning...” — There is no space between the words “I” and “became”.

2 — “Clients are wont to over share as they get comfortable...” — The phrase “over share” should have been just one word (”overshare”).

Since I found two errors in the first ten pages that an editor would have spotted, I believe the book is NOT professionally edited. I advise the author to have the book undergo a round of editing.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 5:02 am by Rodel Barnachea.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Shrabastee Chakraborty

Based on the official OBC review and other published reviews, I intended to read this book. I found a single error in the first ten pages (location 69: 44's should 44s). The author talked about how a client of hers called her at 5:11 AM on a Monday and confessed that she had increased the dose of morphine for her father, effectively killing him. I liked that the book grabbed my attention from the first sentence. The author's writing style made me invested in her stories. I had no suggestions for improvement. Based on my reading experience, I would love to read the whole book.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 4:19 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Owuamanam Eberechukwu

The book opens with the protagonist in a pandora's box-like situation. It was mothers day, and she had just had a miscarriage. She sold her share of her startup after her miscarriage at the recommendation of the doctors. Just before leaving on Mother's Day, her husband informed her of his intention to divorce and not renew the rent. She was jobless, also about to be homeless, and without a husband. The beginning pages were very engaging, and I loved it. The pages I read were exceptionally well-edited despite formatting errors. For example, the first word in the prologue is wrongly joined with the second word. The cover title and design are great fits and good enough to make me buy and read the book. As much as the book is interesting, I have read the sample and would not continue to buy and read the book because its contents are not in line with y current reading interests. This is my opinion and was not influenced by comments, blurbs, or reviews on OBC.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 3:32 am by Owuamanam Eberechukwu.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Emy Katherine

Despite the intriguing title and eye-catching cover, I would not have read the book based on the genre and blurb. Throughout her memoir, the author shares her real-life experiences as a real estate agent during the 1980s and early 1990s. Non-fiction books do not appeal to me, so reading the sample and the OBC review did nothing to change my mind. However, I enjoyed the author's writing style; it was descriptive, with a touch of humor thrown in. What I disliked was that I encountered some distracting errors. For example, it should be written "I only wanted to know" in the following sentence: "I didn’t want to know EVERYTHING—I only want to know how much money they earned, how much they had in the bank, and what kind of alimony they paid or received." (location 94 of 488 • 19%) It should be written "hand-me-downs" in the following sentence: "I had grown up poor and wore hand-me downs from the daughter of my mother’s boss." (location 398 of 488 • 82%) The book needs another round of editing, but other than that, nothing needs to be improved. Based on the excellent editorial reviews and customer reviews, it sounds like an informative read for those who enjoy reading real estate memoirs.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 3:17 am by Emy Katherine.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kendal Low

I believe I would have sampled this book even if I weren't a part of this program. The cover is quite captivating and the OBC review made it sound really interesting, motivating me to want to sample it. I loved how the author starts the book, explaining how her client, Missy Ann, calls her to say she's just killed her father. I think this is a really clever way to draw the audience in immediately, which I definitely was. I didn't find any errors in the part of the book I sampled, which added greatly to my desire to read this book. I also couldn't find anything I disliked or thought needed improvement in the sample. I will read this book as I think I will definitely have a good laugh throughout most of it.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 2:35 am by Kendal Low.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Vidhi Adhikari

The book makes a good first impression with its attractive cover design, straightforward title, detailed description, and multiple customer and OBC reviews. Since the book is a memoir of a real estate agent, I was excited to read the sample. That said, I loved the interesting prologue about the author being accused for being an accessory to murder. There were some minor grammatical errors, but nothing that would affect my reading experience (Clients are wont to over share {should be 'overshare'} as they get comfortable with us agents, and Missy Ann had already confided to me that not only was her hair naturally yellow, but “the rug matched the drapes.”). Unfortunately, since I do not have the required funds or a free trial in Kindle Unlimited, I will not be able to buy this book. I have no suggestions because had I been able to afford the book, I would have loved reading it.

First Ten review added on February 27, 2023, at 2:01 am by Vidhi Adhikari.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Ari Martinez

If it wasn't for this program, I would still sample this book based on its title, cover, genre, blurb, OnlineBookClub review, and other reviews because even though I don't tend to enjoy nonfiction books, I did use to be interested in real estate. I also liked that the book made the OnlineBookClub reviewer laugh and cry because I've alway appreciated books that have that effect on people. After reading the first ten pages, I will continue reading the book because I really enjoyed the author's first tale, and I am curious to see what other stories the author has to share. My favorite part of what I read was the author's humor. I couldn't help but laugh whenever the author complained about Missy Ann not having bough a house from her, yet I would probably have complained as well. I can't think of any way to improve the book. In Location 68, there's a missing period mark ("A final ‘Love You’ to Fannie Mae, my parti-Yorkie, who, unlike the government’s FANNIE MAE, does NOT take people’s homes").

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 11:16 pm by Ari Martinez.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Pauline Parnell

I would not have read the sample pages of this book even if I hadn't been participating in this program. The title and the blurb did not pique my interest. After reading the first ten pages, I would definitely not buy or read the entire book. The opening event was soft and did not grab my attention. On page three, an error was found. It read as follows: "Miss Ann was THE Yellow Rose from Texas - meaning that, with all the yellow she wore, drove, and decorated with, everyone assumed she owned the color yellow." It should be read as follows: "Miss Ann was "The Yellow Rose of Texas," meaning that, with all the yellow she wore, drove, and decorated with, everyone assumed she owned the color yellow." I like the frankness of the author. She was direct and straight-forward in her discussion of the stories mentioned. Notwithstanding how challenging they were, the author deserves praise for sharing her life's lessons. The blending of work and personal encounters did not sit well with me. She should choose to focus on explaining "how to succeed in real estate" if it's about that or "how to overcome life’s challenges on a personal level" if it's more about that. I found the OBC evaluation to be beneficial.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 10:44 pm by Pauline Parnell.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Anna_Hernandez

Even if I had not been part of this program, I would have sampled this book based on the title and cover, specifically from the text on the cover stating ‘...Love, Sex, Murders, and An Alligator’. If those words aren’t alluring I don’t know which would be. The first ten pages left me wanting to continue reading, as the writing is compelling and the story seems full of twists and turns, detracting from the fact this is a memoir. However, I will not be finishing this book, as non-fiction is a genre that I am unable to focus on for long periods of time.
I did find a couple of errors, which are specified here: 1) Then, having recovered from her speechlessness, came a frosty, indignant(,)"It wasn't my dog, dammit, it was my father. 2) The first fourteen years of my married life was (were) officially going down the toilet.
This book is written in a manner that allows the reader to crawl into Nico's head and experience her crazy life adventure. Although, seeing as I already spotted some errors, I would love to see another edit done so no one gets distracted from the journey. The Official Featured Review of 'Pandora's Lockbox' by Nico Griffith on OBC described a fantastic book. However, I will not be reading this book because at the end of the review it states, "Fans who prefer fictional novels with lots of action may not enjoy it as much." Unfortunately, I am typically one of those fans and tire of slow-reading books, primarily memoirs to be honest, quite easily.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 8:31 pm by Anna_Hernandez.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Shanesha Sammerson

After reading the OBC review and Amazon summary, it interests me enough to make me want to read it. The title piqued my interest, as I wanted to find out, as you can always expect something traumatic to happen with Pandora's box. However, I would not buy it after reading the first few pages because, although it seemed like an interesting book, it is not my genre. I did find the part about Ms. Ann killing her father intriguing, though. I did not find any errors, and there is nothing I would change.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 6:47 pm by Shanesha Sammerson.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Stephanie Runyon

I am not a fan of memoirs and would not have sampled this book. I thought the opening to the book was definitely attention-grabbing. Mary Ann is beyond gregarious with everything she confides to a real estate agent. I found some errors. Beyond editing, I have no suggestions for improvement. The OBC review did not influence me to read the book. There was nothing online that altered my choice. I am passing on the BOTD based on my reading preferences.
ERROR: Clients are wont to over share as they get comfortable with us agents, and Missy Ann had already confided to me that not only was her hair naturally yellow, but "the rug matched the drapes." Correction: Clients are wont to overshare as they get comfortable with us agents, and Missy Ann had already confided in me that not only was her hair naturally yellow but "the rug matched the drapes."

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 6:11 pm by Stephanie Runyon.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Olga Markova

But for the First Ten, I would not have sampled this book because of its genre - I prefer fiction books. I also did not feel thrilled with the mention of love and sex on the cover. Sampling this book, I found errors, the first example was the missing space between the very first two words of the very first sentence in the Prologue ("Ibecame..."). I also query the legal correctness of the mention that Nikko became an accessory to murder when she only heard about the murder - and only after the murder had been committed. Eventually, I dozed off at 76% of the sample where the story drifted to the list of grievances being made by the real estate agents at Fakke & Co - this suggests that I failed to get thrilled by the sample. So I will not read this book. The OBC Review was very helpful as it gave me a good feel for what to expect in the book. In particular, the OBC review mentioned that readers who preferred fiction might not enjoy this book too much.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 5:00 pm by Olga Markova.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Nemanja Jankovic

I'd choose to read the book primarily because of the title, which brings to mind thoughts of mystery and secrecy as well as mythology. The book's cover is also very well designed. The Official OnlineBookClub review, the blurb, and the editor reviews did not influence my decision. James Wilson's customer review influenced my decision because it stated that the book is dominated by themes of stress, drama, intrigue, career, and money. I plan to read the book because I want to learn more realistically and humorously about daily life in the world of real estate sales. Only one typo (people's homes - people's homes.) was found, and the book appears to have been competently edited. I appreciate the author's sincerity when she admits that she used to shop in Tijuana because she was nearly broke. In my opinion, nothing in the book needs to be improved.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 4:37 pm by Nemanja Jankovic.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Kelsey Roy

I was initially intrigued by the title and cover of “Pandora’s Lockbox.” These details appear to promise adventure and mystery. The blurb identifies the genre as non-fiction. The OBC review reveals the book is a memoir of the author’s experience as a Real Estate agent in the 80s and 90s. I am uninterested in memoirs, but this book does sound humorous and exciting.

Despite the mention of errors in the official review, I found none in the first ten pages with careful reading. The author uses capitalization to emphasize words and phrases, but this is a style choice. I enjoyed the flow of this narrative, and it read like a fictional story despite its non-fiction genre. I couldn’t imagine being abandoned by my husband on Mother’s Day after a devastating miscarriage. I found nothing to dislike about this book. I won’t continue reading because it’s not my preferred genre, and the topic of real estate doesn’t fascinate me. I have no recommendations for the author.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 4:27 pm by Kelsey Roy.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Amy Luman

At the end of Chapter 2, Ms. Griffith is talking about getting the loan papers for the yellow Mercedes that her ex found for her. One of the paragraphs ends abruptly with the word "for." I can’t even figure out how it should be finished. My favorite part of this book was when Ms. Griffith talked about buying toilet paper in Mexico. She says it should have been called toilet sandpaper. I found that extremely funny. The cover and the title seem to refer to the author’s problems and his subsequent adventure selling real estate. I’m not going to read this book, though, since it is a memoir according to the OBC review. There were several editorial and customer reviews of this, and most of them discussed its humorous aspects. I really didn’t find anything that I disliked while reading this. I wouldn’t change anything.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 3:34 pm by Amy Luman.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kaitlyn Canedy

If Pandora's Lockbox hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day, I would have skipped this book based on one of the customer reviews for it. The review said this book involves gossip of other people and that if a reader is not a fan of gossip, they would not like this book. The description did not affect my decision to sample the book. I liked the details about cheaper groceries in Mexico; I did not realize items were so cheap there. I did not notice any grammatical errors in the first ten pages, and there is nothing I can think of that needs improvement. Even though there is an official OnlineBookClub review for this book, I knew I was skipping the book due to the real estate terms and the gossip included in the book.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 3:29 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kajori Sheryl Paul

"Pandora's Lockbox" is a memoir written by Nico Griffith. Griffith talks about her experiences as a real estate agent in the eighties and nineties. After she lost her baby, she left her business. Her husband divorced her. She got a job as a real estate agent to make ends meet. Little did she know how profitable it would be. I like the gusto with which Nicole shares her story. Starting the book with an account of Missy Ann euthanasia her father really began the book with a bang. I found some errors. It should have been "..monthly payments through the stratosphere.." instead of "monthly payments thru the stratosphere.." The OBC review and the reviews on Amazon are helpful. I would skip this book based on the cover, title, genre, customer reviews, editorial reviews, and blurb as I am not in the mood to read books of this genre as of now. For the same reason, I have decided to skip this book.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 3:20 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mayang Bature

This story began on an enthralling note. I was drawn in by the description and official OBC review, so even if I wasn't in this program, I would have read this book. To be honest, the author's struggle was one that not many people get out of. While reading, I liked how the author jumped right in. There was the murder accessory, her miscarriage, and her husband walking out. I expected it to continue in this manner, but after the first few pages, there was a lot of talk about real estate and other backstories. That aspect bothered me because it made the story seem dull. As a result, I won't read the rest of the book. Aside from the fact that this book discussed the author's struggle during her low points, which I admired, there is nothing about this book that piques my interest. I found no errors in what I read, so this book was most likely professionally edited.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 1:26 pm by Mayang Bature.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Tara D Morgan

I found the OBC review very helpful. It highlighted that this was a factual book about one woman's struggle from miscarrying, divorcing, and losing her business to building her life again. The review was engaging and well-written and sold the book to me. I would have sampled this book if I was not in the OBC program; the cover was unique and drew my attention. The blurb on the front cover précis the book well and whetted my appetite. Generally, the reviews were good, as was the price. I found many errors in the first ten pages; here is a selection, location 69 - clients are wont to over share(overshare). Location 121 - This was a time where(when) potential clients and other agents judged success by the car you drove. Location 132 - Real estate is an equal-opportunity career where everyone got(gets) paid the same IF they could(can) get a transaction closed. The errors did not detract too much from the story. I enjoyed what I read and wanted to read more! This book draws the reader into a murder right at the beginning, and the first ten pages are thrilling. There was no build-up to the story. It started immediately, brilliant! I enjoy thrillers, crime, and memoirs, and having read the first ten pages, I will definitely be reading this book.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 10:38 am by Tara D Morgan.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Diana Lowery

I am familiar with the Greek myth, so the title caught my eye. I was also curious about how an alligator fit into the subtitle. The blurb compared this to a soap opera, so I was not interested. The OBC review only gave it three stars, so I was not convinced. There was a formatting space error at 22%. It should be I became, not Ibecame. I liked the analogy of Pandora's box and a realtor's lockbox. It was easy to envision an agent opening the lockbox on a home and wondering what adventures would occur while showing the house. I might suggest this book to my friends who are real estate agents if the book goes through another round of editing. I did like the author's writing style. I do not have any suggestions. I am not going to finish reading the book because the review I read said it had too many errors.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 10:19 am by Diana Lowery.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda

The cover's intriguing. The blurb is fine, and though I like the idea of reliving the 80s and 90s, I'm not sure I'm into real-estate stories. I wouldn't have bought the book based on my first impressions despite the ratings.
I actually liked the first ten pages. The author's funny (i.e., "everything in these years was done face to face, phone to phone, and sometimes fang to fang") and the description of Missy Ann as a yellow Southern belle murderess was great. I also loved the picture of Fanny Mae. There was nothing I disliked, but I still wasn't sure real-estate anecdotes were for me. What convinced me to buy the book was the official OBC review. There are some editing mistakes. For example, "overshare" should be spelled as one word: "Clients are wont to over share as they get comfortable with us agents" (position 129). I suggest fixing the edition because the official OBC review also mentioned several editing issues.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 9:52 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Bertha Jackson

The cover and title drew my interest right away even though I am hesitant to read non-fiction memoirs. My decision to read a book is based on my enjoyment of the first ten pages, not on the blurb, customer reviews, editorial reviews, or the OnlineBookClub review. There was nothing I liked about the first ten pages. I lost interest immediately when Nico did not turn Missy Ann over to the authorities for the murder of her father. The rest of the ten pages were oppressive with Nico’s miscarriage, failed marriage, and lost job. The doom and gloom in the first ten pages, plus my lack of interest in real estate, made me decide not to read this book. I recommend the author begin the book with humor and have this book edited by a professional editor. I found the first two errors at 2% of the book in the sentence, “He had pushed his black rimmed glasses low on this nose so he could look sternly over them at Missy Ann directly.” It should be, “He had pushed his black-rimmed glasses low on his nose so he could look sternly over them at Missy Ann directly.”

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 9:44 am by Bertha Jackson.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sushan Ekanayake

Pandora's Lockbox: An Award-winning Agent's Memoir of Love, Sex, Murders and an Alligator by Nico Lundborg-Griffith belongs to the Non-Fiction genre, which I usually do not read. The title and the cover page (along with the rest of the details on the cover page) were self-explanatory. The blurb revealed that this was the memoir of the author who was resilient to the challenges that life threw at her and ended up being triumphant. The editorial reviews and the customer reviews spoke highly about the book. Based on the above facts, I would not have sampled this book if I had not been a part of this program.

Then I read the first few pages, which included the prologue that described the scenario of deciding to euthanize the author's father, the introduction that described the reason for the book's title, and the first chapter that described the beginning of the hardships of the author's life. I liked the author's fast-paced writing style. But since I do not prefer the genre, I decided not to continue reading the rest of the book after reading the first ten pages.

After going through the first few pages, I did not come across any mistakes or did not notice any areas for enhancement. I also read the official review from OBC which praised the book, but it was not convincing enough to alter my opinion.

First Ten review added on February 26, 2023, at 8:34 am by Sushan Ekanayake.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Total ~ 25%

Pandora's Lockbox earned a score of 25%.

In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 25% plan to read the whole book.

IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.

Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.

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