Rogue Reviews Digest No. 39 - May 22, 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

  "At Home Dares" by Maria Gonzales
  "Aunt Jessica" by Al Steiner
  "Bringing Home the Boss" by Lambchop
  "Haircut" by Sidney Durham
  "The Hut Behind the Garage" by Joanna
  "Next Door" by Looney
  "Paying For It" by J. Boswell


*****


  MAILING LIST INFORMATION

I send my reviews individually, when I finish them, to the 
Rogue Reviews Mailing 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. 370 - May 11, 1999

The Hut Behind the Garage by Joanna

Code(s): M/F

Theme(s): Exhibitionism and Voyeurism; Teenagers; Mystery and Romance

Length: 15,100 words

Objective Analysis: 9.0 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 4/5
  Plot and Characters: 5/5
  Editing: 5/5

Subjective Analysis: Very Good


  SUMMARY

Tony gets a visit from Beth, his childhood friend that he hasn't seen
in fifteen years.  He reminisces on their teen and preteen years as 
she explains to him why she has come back to see him after so many 
years.


  COMMENTARY

This is a very arousing story.  There is a lot more foreplay and 
teasing in this story than there is actual sex.  Beth's dilemma and 
their discussion of the apparent solution to her dilemma certainly 
contributed to the level of arousal that I reached.

I think this is a very well written story for two basic reasons.  The
first being that the story is not written with sex as its raison 
d'etre.  Sex plays a prominent role, but there is more to the story 
than just sex.  The other reason is that the characters seem 
realistic.  It is worth noting that Beth is more vividly drawn than 
Tony is, despite the fact that he narrates the story.  In one sense 
it is Tony's story, but in another sense it is Beth's story.

The plot is well paced.  The author uses flashbacks to give 
background information.  While I like to see this technique used and 
think that this author uses it effectively, one thing that I would 
have preferred to have seen in conjunction with flashbacks, or for 
that matter any change of setting, is a visual reminder in the text. 
By this I mean, for example, something such as '* * *' separating the
last paragraph that takes place in the past and the first one that is
set in the present.

This was a fun read.  It had me guessing most of the way through.  I 
was taken in by the story and the ending surprised me a bit.  If you 
like something a little more mysterious and romantic then you should 
like this one.  If you are just looking for stroke material then I 
don't think you will enjoy this one as much.  I have given it a Very 
Good.


  LINKS

The Hut Behind the Garage

* http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=470519638&fmt=raw [1/3]
* http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=470521260&fmt=raw [2/3]
* http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=470521304&fmt=raw [3/3]


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Rogue Review No. 371 - May 15, 1999

Aunt Jessica by Al Steiner

Code(s): M/F

Theme(s): Teenagers; Incest (Nephew-Aunt)

Length: 7,100 words

Objective Analysis: 7.0 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 2/5
  Plot and Characters: 5/5
  Editing: 5/5

Subjective Analysis: Not Good


  SUMMARY

Jason gets an STD after fucking the high school slut.  His Aunt 
Jessica helps him avoid having to tell his parents about his 
problems.


  COMMENTARY

This story was a little arousing.  It read a bit more like a public 
service announcement than it did an erotic story.  The descriptions 
of what Jason was going through made me cringe a bit.

The story itself is very well written.  The plot flows well.  Both 
characters seem realistic.  I cannot think of anything negative to 
say about the writing.

I did not care for this story, but that was primarily because of the 
focus on Jason's problem.  I would not call this a stroke story.  I 
have given it a Not Good.


  LINKS

Aunt Jessica

* http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=454493877&fmt=raw

* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20528.txt


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Rogue Review No. 372 - May 16, 1999

At Home Dares by Maria Gonzales

Code(s): F/M, F/F

Theme(s): Teenagers; Exhibitionism; Voyeurism; Blackmail

Length: 24,900 words

Objective Analysis: 8.0 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 4/5
  Plot and Characters: 3/5
  Editing: 5/5

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

Lisa gets blackmailed by Adam, her classmate and neighbor.  First
he makes her pose for nude pictures and then he expects her to be
his girlfriend.


  COMMENTARY

This story is very arousing.  At times Lisa seems to be in 
control of Adam, and at others he seems to be the one calling the
shots.  That, coupled with the exhibitionist and voyeur elements 
are what made the story enjoyable and arousing, for the most 
part.

This story is well enough written, but I had some problems with 
it.  I wasn't terribly impressed with the plot.  It was too 
quickly paced.  Everything flowed too smoothly.  Through the 
first four chapters, the character development was realistic 
enough, but in the last two chapters the momentum of the story 
got turned around.  It seemed like the author changed her mind 
about how she wanted the story to end.  The ending was too 
facile.

I enjoyed this story quite a bit.  In its favor it is very 
arousing and well enough written.  Strikes against it are a 
perceived lack of consistency in the transition from the first 
four chapters to the last two, and the fact that the plot flows 
too quickly.  I was a bit disturbed by the blackmail scenario, 
but I enjoyed this story enough that I am willing to ignore the 
problems I had with it and give it an Excellent.


  LINKS

At Home Dares

* http://members.aol.com/Maria1971/dares.txt


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Rogue Review No. 373 - May 17, 1999

Haircut by Sidney Durham

Code(s): M/F

Theme(s): --

Length: 4,300 words

Objective Analysis: 10.0 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 5/5
  Plot and Characters: 5/5
  Editing: 5/5

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

Sidney is getting his haircut by Marie, when she brings up the 
subject of blowjobs.


  COMMENTARY

The author takes his time and allows the tension to build between
Marie and Sidney.  Marie teases Sidney.  Sidney is painfully 
aroused.  I felt his pain.  This story is extremely arousing.

This story is very nicely put together.  For the most part, it 
consists of two elements, (a) a running conversation between 
Sidney and Marie and (b) Sidney's nonverbal asides.  Both were 
nicely done; neither of them felt forced.  The conversation goes 
a long ways towards fleshing out the two characters.  The asides 
added a little more to Sidney's character and were humorous at 
the same time.  There is some sex at the end of the story.  This 
is a very well written story.

I loved this story.  It is both extremely arousing and very well 
written.  I like stories with dialogue in them, and this one has 
plenty of it, but it is more than the quantity of the dialogue, 
it is the quality of it.  I have given it an Excellent, under 
Subjective Analysis.


  LINKS

Haircut

* http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=470778986&fmt=raw


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Rogue Review No. 374 - May 18, 1999

TITLE: Bringing Home the Boss 
AUTHOR: Lambchop
LENGTH: 3,700 words
MAIN CHARACTER: Female
COMBINATION(S): Threesome (2 Females, 1 Male)
ORIENTATION(S): Heterosexual (Male, Female)
                Homosexual (Female)
RELATIONSHIP(S): Married Couple
                 Employer-Employee
KINK(S): --
SETTING(S): Home
CAUTION(S): --

SUMMARY: Leslie has become a workaholic.  John, her husband, has 
become a couch potato.  Sharon, her boss, comes up with a plan to
resolve her employee's marital problems.

COMMENTARY: This is a rather direct story, but I still found 
myself aroused by it.  The author does a great job showing the 
evolution of Leslie's feelings as she goes from despair to shock 
to arousal at the proposal her boss makes.  This is a very 
arousing story.

This is a well paced story.  It is obvious where the story is 
going from early on, but it is still a fun ride.  The characters 
are more than adequate for this sort of story.  Each was clearly 
defined and more than just a body.  It would have been nice if 
there was a little more to the plot, but over all this is a well 
written story.

I enjoyed reading this story.  It is both well written and very 
arousing.  This is more of a male fantasy than a female one, so I
may be somewhat biased.  This is an Excellent story.

OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: 8.5 (out of 10)

         - Arousal: 4/5
         - Editing: 5/5
         - Plot and Characters: 4/5

SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: Excellent

LINK(S): Bringing Home the Boss

         - http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=435572569&fmt=raw
         - http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/19257.txt

         Lambchop's Erotic Stories

         - http://www.asstr.org/~Lambchop/


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Rogue Review No. 375 - May 20, 1999

TITLE: Paying For It 
AUTHOR: J. Boswell
LENGTH: 7,500 words
MAIN CHARACTER: Female
COMBINATION(S): Twosome(1 Female, 1 Male)
ORIENTATION(S): Heterosexual (Male, Female)
RELATIONSHIP(S): Infidelity
                 Married Couple
                 Prostitute-Customer
KINK(S): Role Playing
SETTING(S): Home; Car; Hotel
CAUTION(S): --

SUMMARY: Jessie and her husband, Tim, develop this game where she
has to "earn" her money.  Its all just a game until Tim is gone 
for a few weeks on a business trip and...

COMMENTARY: The author does a good job of putting the reader 
inside Jessie's head.  She experiences a wide range of emotions. 
Often it was hard to tell what the she was going to do from one 
scene to the next, even though she is the one narrating the 
story.  This made the story both exciting and arousing.  On the 
whole the story is extremely arousing.

This is a well written story.  The plot is well paced and flows 
nicely.  The characters are well drawn, although Jessie is the 
only character that gets the full treatment.  The story, taken in
its entirety, seems to be about more than just sex.  It is also 
about how a role-playing game can affect one's sense of reality 
and possibly alter one's life.  The only problem with the story, 
that I could find, is in the transition from the first to the 
second half.  I'm not sure exactly what happened.  I think that 
possibly something got left in that should have been cut out.

I enjoyed this story tremendously.  It is both well written and 
extremely arousing.  The author's skill in handling Jessie's 
character through her various experiences is what made this story
a joy to read.  I don't think there is anything too kinky or 
extreme in here, and I recommend it to all.   I have given it an 
Excellent.

OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: 9.5 (out of 10)

         - Arousal: 5/5
         - Editing: 4/5
         - Plot and Characters: 5/5

SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: Excellent

LINK(S): Paying For It

         - http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=259576229&fmt=raw
         - http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year97/2267.txt


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Rogue Review No. 376 - May 22, 1999

TITLE: Next Door
AUTHOR: Looney
LENGTH: 13,200 words
MAIN CHARACTER: Male
COMBINATION(S): Twosome (1 Female, 1 Male)
                Twosome (2 Females)
                Group (Females, Males)
ORIENTATION(S): Heterosexual (Male, Female)
                Homosexual (Female)
RELATIONSHIP(S): Infidelity
                 Neighbors
KINK(S): Bondage & Discipline
         Sadomasochism
         Watersports
SETTING(S): Home; Car; On the Town
CAUTION(S): Blackmail; Humiliation

SUMMARY: A man blackmails his neighbor, Sandy, into being his sex
slave by showing her pictures he took of her screwing a delivery 
man.

COMMENTARY:  This is a somewhat arousing story.  It is not 
constant sex from the first paragraph, but its not too far from 
that either.  Stories that involve elements of domination and 
submission can be quite arousing, but usually they are more 
arousing when both characters are willing participants.

It is apparent that the author has put forth some effort in 
writing this story.  I have a problem or two with it.  On the up 
side the story is reasonably well paced.  On the down side the 
story doesn't seem to develop all that much.  Each chapter 
basically consists of Sandy being forced to do things she does 
not want to do, by her neighbor.  The author is somewhat 
successful in showing the reader how both Sandy and her tormentor
are feeling.  The world in which they live, unfortunately, did 
not seem very realistic.

I am not wild about this story.  It is somewhat arousing and the 
author has obviously put forth some effort, but it still does not
suit my tastes.  I don't usually care for stories that have 
humiliation and blackmail in them, this story was no exception.  
I also prefer stories that revolve around more than just sex.  
Unless you like stories that have non-consensual elements in 
them, I advise you skip this story.  I have given it a Not Good.

OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: 7.0 (out of 10)

         - Arousal: 3/5
         - Editing: 3/5
         - Plot and Characters: 5/5

SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: Not Good

LINK(S): Next Door

         - http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=476244638&fmt=raw [1/3]
         - http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=476244671&fmt=raw [2/3]
         - http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=477142991&fmt=raw [3/3]


*****


5/22/99

