What are your thoughts about reviewing books? Is it worth the effort?

I have no doubt that book reviews help an author immensely. For sure, peer review and recommendations are influential. A review will help a potential reader know what the book is about and if it is something that they would find interesting. It saves time, creates greater visibility and higher chances of the book being found by prospective readers. Simply put, reviews amplify the books reach and ultimately more sales = more money in the pocket of the writer.

However, the crux of my post is not about how important reviews are for authors, rather, how rewarding is it for reviewers? As an avid reader, it presents an opportunity to indulge in your passion reading free books and earning from it as well. No, you are not likely going to become a millionaire reviewing books ‘cos from my research and based on the book review site, the fee paid for an authentic review fluctuates from a paltry sum to enough coins to buy yourself a cup of coffee latte per review.

With a 2 weeks turnaround time and often tough guidelines and as someone who is dabbling into book reviews as a source of extra income, I am wondering if anyone has pointers to offer, if you have had any experience earning from book reviews and what your general overview is? How rewarding were your efforts?