Bad reviews – should I speak or forever hold my peace?

As someone who would really like this world to be as lovely as a Belle & Sebastian, Stuart-Sarah-Stevie three-part harmony, I have a dilemma.

I recently purchased a book published by an indie-author who is an online ‘acquaintance’ of mine (not through limebirds by the way in case anyone’s feeling paranoid!) I’m 20% of the way into their book, and I’ve already dipped out and read three other books since I started it as I’m really struggling to engage with it. The writing’s good; the characters are…fine; and the plot is…okay, to be honest I’m a bit bored!