The availability of expert reviewers, essential for academic publishing, is increasingly under threat, due to workload pressures and lack of development pathways. This inquiry, undertaken by the editors of an emergent higher education journal, draws on reviewers' experiences as articulated in 'reviewer stories' and examines key questions around reviewer experiences and development pathways as well as the role of reviewing in the development of research skills and academic identity formation. This article shines a light on the elusive practice of journal reviewing and confirms group-based review as a successful approach for supporting researcher development and bringing enjoyment into academic practice.