Rogue Reviews Digest No. 38 - May 10, 1999 NOTICE If you are easily offended, not of the required legal age, or material of an erotic nature is illegal where you are, then do not read what follows. CONTENTS Mailing List Information Ratings Note Reviews "Eager Beaver" by Jenny Wanshel "The Fantasy of Three" by Amberle of the Three Rivers "Five Hours" by John A "A Needle Through the Heart" by MichaelD38 "Realizing Nicole" by a.k.a. Nolan "San Gimignano" by Gordie "Yard Work" by B. Peale ***** MAILING LIST INFORMATION I send my reviews individually, when I finish them, to the Sex Stories Discussion List. If you are interested in joining there is a form for doing so on my home page. * Home Page - http://www92.pair.com/leevine/rogue-reviews/ * E-Mail - santiago@switchboardmail.com ***** RATINGS Part 1. OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS SCORE = AROUSAL SCORE + [PLOT & CHARACTERS SCORE + EDITING SCORE]/2 AROUSAL SCORE 0 Not 1 Barely 2 A Little 3 Somewhat 4 Very 5 Extremely PLOT & CHARACTERS SCORE 0 Nonexistent 1 One but not the other is present, and what is there is defintely lacking 2 Has plot and characters, but either the plot is very poorly conceived or all the characters are types and don't seem realistic 3 The plot and characters have been crafted with some care, but either the plot doesn't flow very well or seem to follow a logical progression, or the some of the characters don't seem realistic 4 The plot and characters have been crafted with some care, but there is still a little something missing from the plot or in the characters 5 Beautifully crafted plot and characters; the plot flows smoothly and follows a logical progression and the characters seem realistic EDITING SCORE 0 If this story was edited then I'm the tooth fairy 1 This story may or may not have been edited, it is hard to tell considering all the spelling and grammtical errors I found 2 This story may have been edited, but obviously needs more editing 3 Several spelling or grammatical errors 4 A few spelling or grammatical errors 5 No spelling or grammatical errors Part 2. SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS Not Good = This was a waste of my time, don't bother reading it Good = This is a good attempt, but I don't recommend it Very Good = If you have the time or like this variety of story then I recommend this story, otherwise I would go with something that I rate as Excellent or Outstanding Excellent = I recommend that you read this story, and I really liked it, but it did not give me the same feeling that an outstanding story does. Outstanding = This story was not only enjoyable, but it also gave me a special feeling that I cannot describe ~~~ Note that there is not necessarily a direct correlation between the objective analysis and the subjective analysis. On the other hand the terms objective and subjective as I have used them are relative and not absolute terms. In other words the objective analysis is more objective than the subjective one, and vice versa. This new system may not work in the long run, but for the moment I am going with it. This still does not get to one of MichaelD38's criticisms, which is how much better is an Outstanding than an Excellent, and Excellent than a Very Good, etc. To be perfectly honest I'm not sure myself. All I know is that I like Outstanding stories better than Excellent ones, etc. I have a hard time quantifying "like", or "love" for that matter. I can tell you if I liked something better than something else. I can tell you why I did. I can't put on a number on it however and say that I liked it 20% more or twice as much. That just does not work for me. BTW you may have noticed that I have dropped Grudgingly Good from my rating system. That rating really represented a case where I did not like a story, but only because I was revolted or disgusted by the subject matter. With the new system I'll just say under the Subjective Analysis that a story was Not Good. The Arousal score is somewhat subjective, so that score may suffer, but I think that I can recognize good writing even when it revolts me. ***** REVIEWS ----- Rogue Review No. 363 - April 28, 1999 Eager Beaver by Jenny Wanshel F/F/M, Teen Length: 10,000 words Objective Analysis: 9.0 (out of 10) Arousal: 4/5 Plot and Characters: 5/5 Editing: 5/5 Subjective Analysis: Very Good SUMMARY Themes: size matters Jenny and Cindy, two cock-hungry sophomores in high school, convince Brad, a senior with a reputed monster-cock, to go out with them. COMMENTARY I am usually rather repelled by stories in which the main characters seem to be fixated on size, and while that is definitely the case here, the narration itself does not focus too much on size. The result is that I was able to enjoy the story without being bombarded with comments about how big Brad's cock is. It also helped that the author builds up to the sex and does not begin the story with it. This is a very arousing story. One thing that I really like about this story is Jenny's runing commentary on her own life. It adds both humor and realism. Brad and Cindy are not quite as vividly painted as Jenny is. The plot runs smoothly. What makes the story stand out is the main character. This is a very well written story. Well, I definitely enjoyed this story. The story is very well written, very arousing and very well edited. As I said before if there is one thing about this story that stands out, in my mind, it is not the size of Brad's cock (or is that cuck?) but rather Jenny's running commentary on her own life. This is a Very Good story. LINKS Eager Beaver * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=470513613&fmt=raw [1/2] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=470515628&fmt=raw [2/2] ----- Rogue Review No. 364 - April 29, 1999 San Gimignano by Gordie M/F Length: 6,400 words Objective Analysis: 8.0 (out of 10) Arousal: 4/5 Plot and Characters: 3/5 Editing: 5/5 Subjective Analysis: Very Good SUMMARY Themes: older woman/younger man Tim, a college student, lusts for Mrs. Antonelli, the fifty-something widow that owns the restaurant where he waits on tables. One night she asks him to stay late and... COMMENTARY The author makes it clear that there is a sexual attraction between Tim and Mrs. Antonelli from early on, but does not have them come close to playing hide the salami, until much later. This helps make the story more arousing. The authors descriptions of sex also do not focus too much on the physical elements. This is a very arousing story. The story is very well edited for grammar and spelling, but the story does feel a bit forced. I think this is due to the fact that the characters are more types than they are flesh and blood. It's not that they seemed unfeeling, but rather that they did not have any quirks. You know, those things that make each one of us unique. I didn't see them. The plot does flow nicely. I liked this story. Why? Number one, because the author did a good job plotting the story, and number two, because I like the older woman/younger man theme. It isn't as taboo a theme as say incest, but it is one that society still is not completely accepting of. If you like this sort of theme or like a little plot with your sex story then I think you may enjoy this one. I have given it a Very Good. LINKS San Gimignano * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=468480425&fmt=raw [1/2] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=468480431&fmt=raw [2/2] ----- Rogue Review No. 365 - May 2, 1999 A Needle Through the Heart by MichaelD38 M/F, Teen, Cons, NC Length: 20,000 words Objective Analysis: 7.0 (out of 10) Arousal: 2/5 Plot and Characters: 5/5 Editing: 5/5 Subjective Analysis: Very Good SUMMARY Themes: virtual reality; detective/thriller Phillip, currently a virtual reality junkie and formerly a homicide detective, helps Sabrina, a security specialist who used to be his lover, track down a virtual reality rapist. COMMENTARY There are a couple scenes in this story that I found arousing, but for the most part this story is not arousing. I believe that is the way the author intended it. There is a rape scene in this story but it was not in the least bit arousing. Once again, I believe that is the way the author intended it to be. There are not too many graphic details in the rape scene. This story is a bit arousing. The story itself is very well written. All of the characters, in particular Phil and Sabrina, seem realistic. There are three centers of focus within this story. The first is Phil. When the story begins his life is in a downward spiral which began soon after Sabrina left him. The second is Phil's relationship with Sabrina. Phil harbors a good deal of resentment towards her. She can't seem to get him to understand why she left him. The third center of focus in this story is the rape and the former lovers' attempts to find the rapist. I can see how someone else might not separate Phil out as a distinctive a center of focus, but it seems to me that Phil, the relationship he has with Sabrina, and the investigation of the rape are all equally important to the plot. This story is compelling. It pulled me along. I wanted to see what happened to Phil. I wanted to see who the rapist would turn out to be and how he would be dealt with. I wanted to see how things would work out between Phil and Sabrina. In other words I recommend this story if you are looking for a good read. On the other hand, if you are looking for something to arouse you I would advise you look elsewhere. I have given this story a Very Good. LINKS A Needle Through the Heart * http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/17469.txt [1/6] * http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/17468.txt [2/6] * http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/17470.txt [3/6] * http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/17471.txt [4/6] * http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/17473.txt [5/6] * http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/17472.txt [6/6] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=414434854&fmt=raw [1/6] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=414434850&fmt=raw [2/6] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=414434860&fmt=raw [3/6] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=414434866&fmt=raw [4/6] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=414434875&fmt=raw [5/6] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=414434870&fmt=raw [6/6] Stories Online * http://www.storiesonline.net/ ----- Rogue Review No. 366 - May 4, 1999 Five Hours by John A Code(s): M/F Theme(s): Infidelity Length: 5,500 words Objective Analysis: 10.0 (out of 10) Arousal: 5/5 Plot and Characters: 5/5 Editing: 5/5 Subjective Analysis: Excellent SUMMARY John gets paired with Sarah when he goes golfing, while his wife and children are at a nearby beach park. He enjoys Sarah's company so much, through 18 holes and lunch afterwards, that he finds it hard to resist when she makes him an indecent proposal. COMMENTARY No bones about it, this story is extremely arousing. It isn't so much that the story is filled with graphic sex, which it isn't, as much as it is the attraction that John feels for Sarah, which, by the way, she reciprocates. The chemistry between the two of them, which the author does a beautiful job describing, makes this story really special. I think it also helps that the story is about a relationship more than it is about sex. Well, other than having a beautifully depicted relationship between two characters that are both attractive and realistic, this story is also very nicely plotted. It flows smoothly. There is a nice balance struck between dialogue and narration. Even though John tells the story, it seems to be about Sarah almost as much as it is about him. If you didn't read the last two paragraphs then maybe you haven't figured it out yet, so let me spell it out for you: I really enjoyed this story quite a bit. It is extremely arousing, very well written and very well edited. One thing that makes this story worth reading is that it is both entertaining and touching at the same time. I have given it an Excellent. LINKS Five Hours * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=473236447&fmt=raw [1/2] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=473236453&fmt=raw [2/2] ----- Rogue Review No. 367 - May 5, 1999 Realizing Nicole by a.k.a Nolan Code(s): M/F/F Theme(s): -- Length: 5,600 words Objective Analysis: 8.0 (out of 10) Arousal: 4/5 Plot and Characters: 3/5 Editing: 5/5 Subjective Analysis: Excellent SUMMARY Nolan and Kristen are supposed to be going away for a weekend with Sharon, Kristen's college roommate, and Mark, her husband. When Mark is temporarily taken out of the picture Nolan, Kristen and Nicole get nice and cozy. COMMENTARY This is a very arousing story. Though the characters go at the sex with some enthusiasm, the story does begin with them showing some restraint. They seem like people, not automatons, and that always makes sex scenes more enjoyable. This is a well paced story. It has a story line, but most of it involves sex. I like Nolan. He enjoys himself and at the same time seems to have some human concerns. The two women were hard to distinguish, at times; they weren't different enough. While the story is well executed, I did have a couple problems with it. On the whole I enjoyed this story. The plot and characters are a bit lacking, but unless you don't care for being aroused and only want to read well extremely written stories, then I advise you read this. I have given it an Excellent. LINKS EroticStories.com * http://www.eroticstories.com/ ----- Rogue Review No. 368 - May 8, 1999 Yard Work by B. Peale Code(s): M-solo, M/F Theme(s): Exhibitionism, Voyeurism Length: 3,900 words Objective Analysis: 8.5 (out of 10) Arousal: 4/5 Plot and Characters: 4/5 Editing: 5/5 Subjective Analysis: Very Good SUMMARY Tim is hot for Steven. Steven is married to Jenn. Steven is not hot for Tim, but decides to give him an eyeful anyway. COMMENTARY This is a very arousing story. Steven does not seem completely certain about the course of action he takes, but he does seem to get a charge out of being as exhibitionistic as he is. I think this served to make the story more arousing. I also have to admit that seeing a man expose himself to another man, at least under these circumstances, got me aroused. Its nice to see a man who is confident enough in his sexuality to take a chance. This story is well written. There are three characters, but the focus is on Steven. It is not told from his point of view, but the author seems to be more concerned with what he experiences, rather than how his relationships with Tim and Jenn change. The plot is well paced. It might have been nice if the characters were a bit deeper, but then again, this is a stroke story. I enjoyed this story; some of you might not. There are hints of homosexuality or male bisexuality in this story. If even the hint of those topics bothers you that much, then maybe you will not be able to enjoy this story. On the other hand, I think you'll be missing a story that is well written and very arousing. I have given it a Very Good. LINKS Yard Work * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=468152870&fmt=raw ----- Rogue Review No. 369 - May 10, 1999 The Fantasy of Three by Amberle of the Three Rivers Code(s): F/M, F/M/M Theme(s): -- Length: 6,000 words Objective Analysis: 8.5 (out of 10) Arousal: 4/5 Plot and Characters: 4/5 Editing: 5/5 Subjective Analysis: Very Good SUMMARY Gwen has the hots for Anthony, her boyfriend's brother. When Jake, her boyfriend, finds out how she feels about Anthony, he delights and disturbs her by encouraging her to take action. COMMENTARY Both the sex and the foreplay in this story are very hot. The author takes her time in building up to the one crucial sex scene. The series of thoughts that go through Gwen's head as she comes closer to fulfilling her fantasy make the story more arousing. This is a very arousing story. I liked the characters in this story, Gwen in particular. The author does a marvelous job depicting the variety of emotions that Gwen experiences. It made her seem very real to me. Jake and Anthony also seem realistic, but the reader is not put inside of their heads, so they do not seem quite as complete. I like the pace of the story and the course that it follows; not too fast, not too slow. This is a well written story. I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It is very arousing and well written. I can see how some men might not be all that turned on by it, but I liked it. I have given it a Very Good. LINKS The Fantasy of Three * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=453731478&fmt=raw [4/5] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=454136815&fmt=raw [4/5] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=456851021&fmt=raw [4/5] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=459653102&fmt=raw [4/5] * http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=459653104&fmt=raw [5/5] * http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20475.txt [1/5] * http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20503.txt [2/5] * http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20665.txt [3/5] * http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20796.txt [4/5] * http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20797.txt [5/5] ***** 5/10/99