Every once in a while, you hear about an author who responded nastily to a negative review. This is generally regarded as a good time to get popcorn and lurk for the lulz, because those situations never end well for the author.
Never.
So my advice to authors is
ignore bad reviews. Even if it's a
totally unfair opinion or you just want to correct this
one little thing ----
NO. Let it go.
Because, however sweet you think you are being, telling someone their opinion is wrong only makes you look like a jerk.
What about the other side of the coin, though? What if you get a really fantastic review that warmed your heart and made your day/week/year?
Is it okay to thank the reviewer? Tell them how much you appreciate it?
Or will that look smarmy, like you're trying to ingratiate yourself with them for future good reviews?
Would it freak the reviewer out, to hear from you, and make them self-conscious about their writing? That could lead to resentment.
What do you think?