Customer Reviews

4:Play: A contemporary cocktail of erotic short stories

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To me, what stands out about 4:Play is its intent (along with Jess C Scott's use of modern formatting and original writing style, as seen in the author's debut blog novel, EyeLeash: A Blog Novel). As I perused through each individual story, the goal didn't seem to be to whip the reader into an erotic frenzy, which tends to be the aim of most mainstream erotic material. The material in 4:Play leads one to view eroticism as a universal experience, regardless of a person's sexual orientation or preferences.

The themes used throughout 4:Play cover a lot of ground. It is much more than eroticism on its own. The story "Wicked Lovely" is about a brother and sister pair locked in passion, while "Devilin Fey" has a macabre element which readers of paranormal romance would appreciate. The section titled "Appetizers" contains short poems or texts that showcase the author's versatility, in a world where poetry is increasingly losing its value with the general public. A note about the first and last stories, where the author uses copies of instant messenger and text message conversations within the story. These might annoy traditionalist readers, who might not fully understand what LOL or ROFL mean.

Overall, 4:Play is for those who enjoy a "contemporary cocktail," as the author so notes in the subtitle. The book features varied pacing and an unrestrained usage of modern, contemporary language. The author's writing reflects something genuine, something real, about our generation that few writers have had the talent or the courage to uncover.

4:Play intrigued me at first. I'm not usually one for erotic stories, but a couple of the stories really intrigued me. The first couple were about two people chatting online and then having an encounter in person in a theater bathroom, and then an incest story. Neither really appealed to me. However, the third and forth stories really held my attention. Titled The Devilin Fey and Tongue-Tied, these two stories about succubus really intrigued me. I honestly felt either of these could have been expanded into full fledged books by themselves. In The Devilin Fey, I was almost disappointed not to see what eventually happened. There could really have been more to the story, and I wanted to find out if in the end the writer was destroyed...or even perhaps helped? In Tongue-Tied it was interesting to read and watch as the succubus followed someone she had taken an interest in. The writing in these stories is excellent, even if if some of the tales are not towards everyone's taste. I would well recommend this book, just for the two succubus stories! A very interesting read!

4:Play: A Contemporary Cocktail of Erotic Short Stories definitely lives up to its namesake. This book is a collection of erotic short stories that range from urban erotica to more fanciful based erotica steeped in the macabre.

The first thing that struck me about Ms. Scott's book is how wonderfully impressive she is as a writer. Although a contemporary novel, 4Play is written by a very intelligent, witty, and literary-minded author. In this book, there are references to such historical figures as Murasaki Shikibu, William Churchill, Buddah, and others. I commend Ms. Scott for not writing the typical erotic yarn relying only on sexual deviantness for its effect, but rather creating a tapestry of sensual, but stirring narrative episodes all delivered in her wonderfully vivid prose style. I was equally impressed with her eclectic use of verse as well.

Although erotica is not my typical reading subject, I would have given this book 5 stars if the last few stories had not lost the flare of the opening episodes. The stories which comprise the beginning of this book, such as my personal favorite, "Devlin Fey", are really engaging tales which gives you an intimate look into the lives of very intriguing characters. Unfortunately, the second half of the book began to fizzle out with mediocre stories which seemed more like leftovers than part of the main course. This is probably due to the fact, that the characters who appear in the latter stories just aren't as interesting as the ones who people the opening tales. No amount of steamy sex scenes or excellent writing can make up for uninteresting characters or situations. To be sure, the erotic component is just as pronounced in the end as it is in the beginning. But it's a mundane and much more predictable affair which fails to possess the dramatic flourish of the earlier stories.

With that said, I would quickly recommend this book to any and all readers searching for erotic fiction. This is some truly impressive work here and is worth reading. I am happy to have had the chance to discover the work of this young author. I look forward to reading more of her work.

*** From my original review from January 6, 2010 (on the original version of 4:Play, which was unceremoniously banned by Amazon -- http://www.amazon.com/review/R2JXJHIH971YU5/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm). ***

To me, what stands out about 4:Play is its intent (along with Jess C Scott's use of modern formatting and original writing style, as seen in the author's debut blog novel, EyeLeash: A Blog Novel). As I perused through each individual story, the goal didn't seem to be to whip the reader into an erotic frenzy, which tends to be the aim of most mainstream erotic material. The material in 4:Play leads one to view eroticism as a universal experience, regardless of a person's sexual orientation or preferences.

The themes used throughout 4:Play cover a lot of ground. It is much more than eroticism on its own. The story "Wicked Lovely" is about a step brother and sister pair locked in passion, while "Devilin Fey" has a macabre element which readers of paranormal romance would appreciate. The section titled "Appetizers" contains short poems or texts that showcase the author's versatility, in a world where poetry is increasingly losing its value with the general public. A note about the first and last stories, where the author uses copies of instant messenger and text message conversations within the story. These might annoy traditionalist readers, who might not fully understand what LOL or ROFL mean.

Overall, 4:Play is for those who enjoy a "contemporary cocktail," as the author so notes in the subtitle. The book features varied pacing and an unrestrained usage of modern, contemporary language. The author's writing reflects something genuine, something real, about our generation that few writers have had the talent or the courage to uncover.

*This Review may contain spoilers *

The Devilin in Fey (story #1) is a quick, but intriguing read. Oh, and don't let me forget it's paranormal eroticism. The interaction between the two main characters, Caitlin and Lucius, is hot, but complicated by the fact that he is an incubus.

They're both sick of the way they are leading their lives; she isn't comfortable or confidant in her own body, and he is get bored of the monotony of casual sexual encounters with his "customers". After an unsatisfying night with a Zac Walsh, a guy with a very large ego, Caitlin wanders off to the beach. The stranger she meets turns out to be the man from her dreams, sexual dreams. Thus begins their tenuous relationship.

To make a short story, shorter, Caitlin and Lucius come to realize that she is becoming a succubus. She isn't sure she wants that life for herself, but Lucius is determined to bring out the devil in her. He comes to her often; using up her body's strength. Basically, she ends up having to decide whether to let her inner demon out or not.

Overall, the story is pretty good. I would have liked Caitlin and Lucius to have a more meaningful relationship, but I'm a hopeless romantic... The Devilin Fey is a great late night read.

This book is a collection of fun and at the same time, introspective stories. After reading this book you will definitely enjoy a new range of sexual perspective.

There are a wide range of themes used for this book. It's more than your standard erotica book--this book is totally erotic and also very interesting. There's a personality that informs the stories, and an honesty in it, along with feeling and psychological awareness. The author pays attention to the little things like ego, shyness, jealousy, and so on, that make human interactions difficult, unpredictable and, often, funny. This is some truly impressive work here. Also, Jess C Scott writes with great imagery so you can easily visualize ;)

I was worried that I've led too sheltered a life to comprehend the scope of what Jess C Scott writes about in "4:Play." Erotic fiction is not my usual genre also. However, 4:Play had an interesting enough title and I wanted to see what this author's sophomore effort would be like. Ms. Scott is a diverse writer, who seems to enjoy exploring all aspects of life and its sexual situations. Some scenes made me blush - and I thought I might be more repelled by some of the more taboo subjects (such as the brother-sister theme in Wicked Lovely). As it turns out, the book was presented in an exciting way, with a lot of understanding towards people under the circumstances the various characters in 4:Play find themselves in. Appetizers (a section of sensuous poems) added a nice touch to the anthology. The stories are written from a good perspective - where the objective is not to arouse (as one might think with "erotica"), but to perhaps have readers be more open to accepting others' beliefs, attitudes, and experiences. By Joe Perrone Jr., author of: As The Twig Is Bent Escaping Innocence: A Story Of Awakening A "Real" Man's Guide To Divorce: ("First, You Bend Over And...")

Relative newcomer Jess C Scott again shows herself to be a bankable author in this sweet `n spicy concotion of bedrooms, bathrooms, and chat rooms. "4: Play--A Cocktail of Erotic Short Stories" is pure fun for adults. Not only that, it's well written. Even persnickety English majors will get--ahem--their money's worth reading these well-crafted tidbits.

This review is for the free "4:Play" SAMPLE only, NOT the entire "cocktail of erotic short stories".

Unfortunately it WAS, as one reviewer put it,"something genuine, something real",--also, something ordinary, something plain. The story I read was about a girl with a mirror, having an almost sexy fantasy and a mildly steamy internet conversation with a friend.

At first I liked the real-life aspect of it. Then I began to realize that it was too much like real-life - just ordinary, just average. There was no thrill. The story was only mildly erotic but intensely tedious.

The author's writing style is GREAT, particularly regarding its very discriptive nature. The trouble is, it's mostly a description of the ordinary.

All the other reviews talk of rather extraordinary tales of the erotic. Apparently it's just the "4:Play" free sample that lacks excitement.

Well, I guess it's true, "You can't judge an eBook by its eSample."

This is a fun collection of erotic stories. Jess C. Scott writes with great imagery, so you can easily visualize what's happening as you read. The short stories are a perfect little foreplay for a couple to read together or for a woman to read during some alone time.