‘Laurel’s assessment of my manuscript was detailed and insightful. She not only addressed technical matters such as structure and plot, but was able to provide an overview of themes and character development in a way that was very helpful, even in the later edits for publication. I was so close to my manuscript that I had lost perspective and Laurel’s report offered me a clear idea of what I needed to do before submitting it to an agent, while also confirming what was working in the manuscript.’