Rogue Reviews Digest No. 41 - June 9, 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

  "Obsessions" by Miss Behavin'
  "Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth" by Baird Allen
  "Bonnie McBride" by Sidney Durham
  "A Moving Experience" by Jenny Wanshel
  "Friends and Lovers" by Bitbard
  "My Cousin Rosanna Visits" by Now What, 99?
  "The Handyman" by J. Edwins


*****


  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/
* E-Mail - leevine@pair.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.


~~~


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. 384 - May 30, 1999

TITLE: Obsessions
AUTHOR: Miss Behavin'
LENGTH: 9,500 words
MAIN CHARACTER: Female
COMBINATION(S): Twosome (1 Female, 1 Male)
ORIENTATION(S): Heterosexual (Female, Male)
RELATIONSHIP(S): Business Acquaintances
KINK(S): --
SETTING(S): At Sea
GENRE(S): Romance
CAUTION(S): --

SUMMARY: Lindsay has a couple obsessions.  One involves having 
a baby; the other involves Peter.  Peter has a couple obsessions.
One involves his boat; the other involves...

COMMENTARY: This is a very arousing story.  The first half of the
story consists of plot and character development.  There isn't 
much, if anything, that I would say is arousing in the first 
half.  The second half is another story.  Of course, without the 
first half the story would just consist of a sex scene.  Would 
that have been arousing?  Considering the author's ability, 
probably, but I like to think that the plot and character 
development contributed to the level of arousal that I achieved.

This is a very well written story.  The plot flows well.  It is a
bit predictable, but the ride is fun.  Both characters are well 
drawn, with more emphasis on their personalities than on their 
physiques.  In my opinion the author's real talent lies in her 
ability to describe.  Her words evoked beautiful imagery in my 
head.

This is a fun read.  It is both very arousing and very well 
written.  I think it should appeal to most of you.  I have given 
it an Excellent.

OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: 9.0 (out of 10)

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

SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: Excellent

LINK(S): Erotic Stories by Miss Behavin'

         - http://www.missbehavin.com


=====


Rogue Review No. 385 - June 2, 1999

TITLE: Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth
AUTHOR: Baird Allen
LENGTH: 3,200 words
MAIN CHARACTER: Male
COMBINATION(S): Twosome (1 Female, 1 Male)
ORIENTATION(S): Heterosexual (Female, Male)
RELATIONSHIP(S): Married Couple
KINK(S): --
SETTING(S): Home
GENRE(S): --
CAUTION(S): --

SUMMARY: Rick is recuperating after having a vasectomy.  Karen, 
his wife is rather eager for proof that the operation was a 
success.

COMMENTARY: This story begins and ends with sex.  The author does
a very nice job describing the sex.  He also happens to include a
plot and take the time to flesh Rick and Karen out to the point 
that they are more than just bodies.  This is a very arousing 
story.

The story is very well edited.  The plot flows smoothly and is 
interwoven quite nicely with the sex.  The story on the whole is 
more about a series of events more than it is about the 
characters themselves.  The characters seem realistic; on the one
hand horny, on the other hand concerned with other day-to-day 
activities.  Their verbal interaction is handled quite nicely, 
although most of it does occur during sex.  This is a very well 
written story.

I enjoyed this story quite a bit.  It is very well written and 
very arousing.  I think that most of you should enjoy it.  I have
given it an Excellent.

OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: 9.0 (out of 10)

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

SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: Excellent

LINK(S): Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth

         - http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/17140.txt

         The Bear's Den

         - http://baird.pair.com/docidx.htm


=====


Rogue Review No. 386 - June 3, 1999

TITLE: Bonnie McBride
AUTHOR: Sidney Durham
LENGTH: 9,100 words
MAIN CHARACTER: Male
COMBINATION(S): Twosome (1 Female, 1 Male)
ORIENTATION(S): Heterosexual (Female, Male)
RELATIONSHIP(S): Adult Female-Teenage Male
KINK(S): --
SETTING(S): Home
GENRE(S): --
CAUTION(S): --

SUMMARY: The year is 1961.  Billy is getting ready to take off 
for college.  Before he goes he decides to take one last stab at 
losing his virginity.  Bonnie McBride is supposed to be an easy 
lay, so Billy sneaks into her house and...

COMMENTARY: This is a very arousing story.  The author does a 
nice job drawing out the sex.  It wasn't predictable and there 
is a nice mix of physical and verbal interaction between Billy 
and Bonnie.

This is a well written story.  The plot doesn't seem to flow, but
the characters make up for that.  Both Bonnie and Billy have a 
realistic feel to them.  They both have desires and fears.  They 
both express doubts.  They both let themselves get caught up in 
the moment.  The plot is another matter.  The beginning is a bit 
weird.  It seems out of place, unless the author is either (a) 
trying to show how Billy changes, or (b) mislead the reader as to
the true nature of the story.  The rest of the story is about 
Billy and Bonnie interacting, and what they actually do seems 
secondary.

I enjoyed this story.  It is well written and very arousing.  I 
am afraid that I may have marked it down, in part, because the 
author's intentions were unclear to me.  I have given it a Very 
Good.

OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: 8.5 (out of 10)

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

SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: Very Good

LINK(S): Bonnie McBride

         - http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20289.txt

         - http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=449925045&fmt=raw


=====


Rogue Review No. 387 - June 5, 1999

TITLE: A Moving Experience
AUTHOR: Jenny Wanshel
LENGTH: 8,500 words
MAIN CHARACTER: Female
COMBINATION(S): Twosome (1 Female, 1 Male)
ORIENTATION(S): Heterosexual (Female, Male)
RELATIONSHIP(S): Adult Female-Teenage Male
KINK(S): --
SETTING(S): Home
GENRE(S): --
CAUTION(S): --

SUMMARY: Jenny needs some help moving in to her new place.  The 
help she gets, Will, who is about to graduate from high school.  
One thing leads to another and before you know it...

COMMENTARY: This is an extremely arousing story.  Jenny takes her
time and allows the story to unfold.  There isn't an abundance of
sex, but to perfectly honest I found the build up to the sex a 
bit more arousing than the sex itself.

This is a well written story.  The plot flows nicely.  The 
characters seem realistic enough.  Jenny is more vivid than Will,
possibly because the story is told from her perspective.  The 
author also does a very nice job with both the dialogue and 
Jenny's internal monologue.  There are a number of lines that 
made me chuckle or brought a smile to my face.  The only negative
thing I can think of to say about this story is that it is about 
sex and nothing else; in other words it is a stroke story.

Wow, I really enjoyed this story.  It is well written and 
extremely arousing.  I wish all stroke fiction was this well 
written.  I highly recommend that you read this story.  I have 
given it an Excellent.

OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: 9.5 (out of 10)

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

SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: Excellent

LINK(S): A Moving Experience

         - http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=484258691&fmt=raw


=====


Rogue Review No. 388 - June 6, 1999

TITLE: Friends and Lovers
AUTHOR: Sandman (a.k.a. Bitbard)
LENGTH: 6,900 words
MAIN CHARACTER: Male
COMBINATION(S): Twosome (1 Female, 1 Male)
ORIENTATION(S): Heterosexual (Female, Male)
RELATIONSHIP(S): Friends
KINK(S): --
SETTING(S): Hotel Room
            Outdoors
GENRE(S): Romance
CAUTION(S): --

SUMMARY: Cal and Cathy are extremely close, but life conspires to
push them apart.  They see each other again over the years, but 
only on rare occasions.

COMMENTARY: This is a very arousing story.  The relationship that
Cathy and Cal share is a very intimate one.  I found this, as 
well as some of their actions to be quite arousing.

This is a very well written story.  It is well paced and has a 
logical flow to it.  The author has divided it into four 
sections.  In the first section, his characters are in their 
early teens; in the second, their late teens or early twenties; 
in the third, their early forties; and in the last, their early 
to mid-sixties.  I liked both the characters.  They seem 
realistic.  The author does a great job with the dialogue and 
descriptions.  This is not stroke material, it is a story.

I enjoyed this quite a bit.  It is both very arousing and very 
well written.  I also found it to be rather moving.  If you enjoy
reading more than just stroke fiction, then you should enjoy this
one.  I highly recommend it.  I have given it an Excellent.

OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: 9.5 (out of 10)

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

SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: Excellent

LINK(S): Friends and Lovers

         - http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=319766382&fmt=raw
         - http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/7881.txt

         Bitbard's Library

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


=====


Rogue Review No. 389 - June 7, 1999

TITLE: My Cousin Rosanna Visits
AUTHOR: Now What, 99?
LENGTH: 3,000 words
MAIN CHARACTER: Male
COMBINATION(S): Twosome (1 Female, 1 Male)
ORIENTATION(S): Heterosexual (Female, Male)
RELATIONSHIP(S): Incest (Cousins)
KINK(S): --
SETTING(S): Cabin
GENRE(S): --
CAUTION(S): --

SUMMARY: The nameless male narrator of this story is at his 
parents' cabin in the mountains.  His cousin Rosanna is keeping 
him company.  Flirting between the two of them leads to more than
flirting.

COMMENTARY: This is a very arousing story.  The author has a nice
light touch and does not push things too fast.  He also does not 
obsess over physical descriptions.  He does not go into too much 
graphic detail it comes to describing the sex.

This is a well written story.  It flows nicely.  The author does 
a nice job with the dialogue.  The main character comes off as 
realistic; Rosanna is another story.  At first she is flirtatious
and seems real, but as the story progresses she seems to become 
rather subservient without an adequate explanation.  The story 
could stand to be proofed for spelling and grammatical errors.  
In particular, there are a number of instances where words are 
not capitalized that should be.

I enjoyed this story.  It is well written and very arousing.  I 
think this story will appeal more to male readers than female 
ones.  My main reason for saying so is the frontal lobotomy that 
Rosanna seems to undergo between the beginning of the story and 
the end.  If the story had continued for much longer with her 
acting the way she does towards the end, I probably would not 
have liked it as much as I did.  I have given it an Excellent.

OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: 7.5 (out of 10)

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

SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: Excellent

LINK(S): My Cousin Rosanna Visits

         - http://www.deja.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=448247185&fmt=raw
         - http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20206.txt


=====


Rogue Review No. 390 - June 9, 1999

TITLE: The Handyman
AUTHOR: J. Edwins
LENGTH: 8,700 words
MAIN CHARACTER: Male
COMBINATION(S): Twosome (1 Female, 1 Male)
ORIENTATION(S): Heterosexual (Female, Male)
RELATIONSHIP(S): Acquaintances
KINK(S): --
SETTING(S): Home
GENRE(S): --
CAUTION(S): --

SUMMARY: A handyman becomes friendly with Pam, the 32-year-old 
daughter one of his clients.

COMMENTARY: This story is somewhat arousing.  The author takes 
the time to build the story up, and I can appreciate that.  
Unfortunately the author also goes into a little bit more detail 
than I care for when it comes to the sex.

This is a well written story.  It flows well enough.  The 
characters seem real.  In particular, the way that the narrator 
has to push Pam, to get her to tell him what she wants him to do,
struck a chord with me.  I liked the tone of the narration, but 
prefer more dialogue than is present in this story.  Some of the 
paragraphs seem longish and unwieldy.

This story has potential, but it isn't quite there.  It is well 
written and somewhat arousing.  The main problem that I have with 
this story is that the author explicitly gives too much away in 
the narration.  I feel that it would work better if he gave less 
detail and allowed the reader to fill in the rest with his/her 
own imagination.  I have given this story a Good.

OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: 7.0 (out of 10)

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

SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: Good.

LINK(S): EroticStories.com

         - http://www.eroticstories.com/


*****


June 9, 1999


