All Comments on 'Betty's Choice'

But I like almost all of your stuff lol ..... thanks for sharing!

Ahaz

Just plain meh.

Didn't care for this one much.

The best part about this story was the portrayal of two people that fit together well, but were out of sync with each other. That felt real. The story left off where is should end, too many times the next chapter is disappointing. They find out that they were both holding on to a fantasy from the teenage years and that they are very different people.

Well written and believable characters.

5*

The most boring story you've ever posted.

....I found the military wives taking on "trusted" lovers when hubby went TDY. I guess I understand the idea, but how does that prevent the doppelgänger and wifey getting cozy and deciding to make it permanent?

That's just me. Also, air stagger to find that he and Betty had such a rocky relationship, but still wanted to be together. Then with Mancy, Abby, Gail and the brief hop with what's her name...pretty convoluted.

Anyway, as these tales go, well above average, but flawed.

long but different. not really LW, more like Romance maybe.

Was JPB not a part of the Legends lineup??? A legendary contributor in this category if there ever was one. Unless JPB chose not to be?

Never sure where it was going to go but a nice happy ending. I would like a follow up where she is held accountable for her actions as they slowly recconcile. I know he wasn't a saint but he was more loyal than she was.

....into your extensive body of work, and I'm impressed. I've read some dismissive comments about some of your stories here and there, but I'm not one to form an opinion based on hearsay, so here I am.

I agree somewhat with some commenters who say that Betty doesn't deserve Jack, but IMHO you've made her seem a genuinely decent person -- not a heartless, cheating skank -- so I'm OK with your ending.

Another chapter someday, describing a true, growing, long term love and the rigors of pregnancy, childbirth and raising kids while mom and dad take over the company would be a bonus!

5* from here!

Gail & Abby were Loving Wives. But Loving Wives have had Girl Friends and Fiance's. Who cheated and got caught.

Great Story.

Missed you and SS06 in the legends line up on the 17th.

A step up from a lot of your more recent works.

nice tale and it could have happened. A little word check like you used here

when hear would be correct . keep writing

Little slow. But perhaps I am getting impatient in my old age.

I really found the main character's attitude kind of old fashion and "boilerplate" male protagonist. and, wow, he can have all the pussy in several continents he wants but she has to remain celibate? I also found the notion that Nancy was "ok" with playing second fiddle somewhat trite. No real person is going to be like "ok, fuck her, but then please keep me around if you want to..." I mean, that town has no other eligible bachelors

Basically, the story was a case study in how to use boilerplate characters to advance a very trite plot line. There really wasn't any sizzle to this tale. And one needed a whole lot of ability to suspend reality.

Not really one of JPB's best efforts.

Let's see now. Your girlfriend, with whom you have discussed marriage, suddenly tells(not 'asks', 'tells') you that to advance her career she's going to join the army and will be away for most of four years. You're cool with that, right?

Perhaps, just perhaps, you say,

"OK, but I wish you'd discussed it with me first and, by the way, at our age we're both going to be seeing others."

And then she's totally pissed off at you! She's a selfish idiot right?

See, you can write a 'romance' story when you want to. Really enjoyed this one, one of your best.

Much better than your usual.

One of my favorite of your stories. Nobody really demonized. Except maybe Compton. Just two winding pathways that ultimately merged. Entertaining story. And plenty of Loving Wives. Besides, many of the best LW stories are bf/gf or fiance stories. Thanks.

I was laying in the mud while little people over a mile away sent rounds in my general direction, waiting for one to get lucky as we sent a few back in the general direction. Back at home I had a hot little wife who loved sex and since I was gone she found it where she could. One of the little people got lucky, oddly twice just seconds apart.

From a long ways off, both rounds came down at a 45 degree angle and only went in about two inches or I would be a memory. I have no idea to this day if I ever got lucky back. That was a free trip home.

I found out after coming home about the wife and just about every male friend I knew, how they managed to not end up where I was I never figured out.

Different for me, no such agreement, so once I found out I never touched her again.

Enjoyed your story today, different than most.

Thanks,

MGM

I suppose that was my fault. I invited him. I never found his email address, although I asked everyone I knew. I sent him a message inviting him through the Literotica feedback system, and the feedback system of another site. It is possible that he gets so much feedback that mine got lost in the multitude. He sent me a message through the feedback system telling me that he never got the invitation, but the message had no email address, so I still don't have one. I sent him a message through the feedback system and apologized for not being able to reach him. I would certainly have included him had I been able to get in touch with him. I did invite him in the only ways I knew. If you read comments, my apologies, again, JPB.

please continue this story

Please write a closing chapter about what happens after the party.9D2d

I really enjoy how your characters never seem to be just one-dimensional cutouts - again you have enthralled me with both character and story.

5/5

Bob seldom finshes a story.

There are legends and then there are legends great jog Bob !!!!5 stars

I, too, would like to read another chapter of this couple.

Three stars for your lifetime achievement, but nothing for this long pointless ramble.

Not interested in any of your characters.

Everyone was a swinger and that is unreal. Only a small percentage of the population can adapt to swinging.

Betty was about as attractive as a hemorrhoid and Jack was a pathetic wimp that kept coming back for more abuse and to lick other men out of her well worn cunt.

3* for writing ability alone.

Story sucked.

JPB's sex scenes are perfunctory, but the story is mildly interesting anyway. Not great, not terrible.

I have pretty much been a fan of yours. I agree to some extent that this one was a bit long in the tooth at times. However; chapter 5 and 6 did a solid job of brining it all back together.

I read some of the other critics, you either like it or you don't. Good effort; I liked it.

the main problem is the answer. a relation ship is like a baseball bat until it is cracked and broken and will never function as The Bat Should. TK U MLJ LV NV

And I gave this a 4. His style is good and I enjoyed his writing. Not so much the story. That is to be expected though. Not everyone loves everything a writer writes. It's just the way it is.

I didn't like the 'needing' to fuck while apart. We don't 'need' to, we choose to.

My girl and I had been going out for 2 years and talking of marriage when I had to leave and take care of my parents death and the subsequent problems that came with it. She knew I had to be gone for about thirty days and promised to be there when I returned. I would need consoling and she made it plain it was her job.

I was flying out to Fairbanks Alaska and the weather wasn't great in Seattle. But in Alaska, planes couldn't land. I went home with the warning to be back in three days when the storms should be over. The moment I went home, I changed and headed over to Jackie's home. Like our protagonist in this story, I shouldn't have. Using my key, I let myself in and went looking for her. The grunts and groans told me where to go and I couldn't stop myself. It was as bad as I feared. After less than 6 hours of when I was SUPPOSED to be gone, her old boyfriend had mounted up between her legs.

She saw me when I opened the door. After just a look to verify what I heard and that it was indeed Jackie. She screamed, her boyfriend thought she was enjoying it and blew his load, I left.

She tried to contact me for the next six months. I finally sent a text back and told her to marry her ex, they seemed very compatible. Friends told me she didn't seem as happy a bride as most when she walked down the isle, but she did it.

Like this story with Betty, Jackie ended up being a punching bag. Even her folks came to me to see if I could do anything. Nope, not coming between man and his wife. Unfortunately he ended up beating her to death and after lying in a coma for almost a month, she passed. The last memory I have of her was the shock on her face when she saw me looking in her bedroom door.

But I think this might be your best work...well defined believable characters and thought-provoking story. I really enjoyed the read; keep it up!

I could swear I read this story before. I don't know if you published it somewhere else and are just adding it here, or it is very similar to something else I read. I feel the first time the story was longer. Could be wrong. I enjoyed it (again?).

...but this one really was a little boring. Without any emotions the characters lived their lifes.

This is a JPB story. It isn't an O'Henry story, but no one is sending him royalty checks either.

I liked it a lot. Why, because it ended well and I like a good ending. I am addicted to cheating wife stories, but I want it to end well.

I came of age in the late 70s-early 80s. My opinion of relationships were about the same as JPBs. Sex was just sex until you decided that you were in an exclusive relationship. My future wife accidentally answered my phone with a "friends with benefits" friend (before I even heard of that term). That phone call resulted in an exclusive agreement. The tables were turned when a week later I fielded a similar call from one of her "friends." Oh yes, my wife and I are completely monogamous, because my mother scarred my soul wife her philandering.

I see this as a couple trying to find their way. They both want each other, but they don't know how to get there- until they do.

Love your story ability and some of your thoughts. Rock on!

A good story...Maybe a little too long, a little repetitive, but in the end a good read...4*

The story was kind of good, so 4 stars. Except for his mom, all the women in our hero's life were basically pretty fucked up. All the "let's give it a chance" stuff did get just a bit tedious. Also a bit funny that he never picked anyone, they all picked him.

But reluctant. Too much unresolved.

Not a bad story, kind of liked it, but the ending sacked eggs, it was basically letting it hang in the air, no drama, "gee Marty watta you want to do?" I don't know,fred watta you want to do" kind of feel.

This one works well. Is there a part 2..they both want each other, I'm surprised that being divorced over a year she never tried to contact jack. She was the aggressive one. Now it's seems they get hitched and the little ones come along ,since there time frame is limited. He marries the bosses daughter does he also have to sign a prenup. He already proved himself to the hard nosed old man.

Couldn't put it down. Thank you very much for the story.

At the very end JPB addressed the readership and gave us a little (very small, miniscule) explanation. That's a first! I liked the story. It was well told and entertaining. I just didn't think they would end up together and of course they may not. I would think he would be looking for another job. Maybe far, far away. If he screws up with Betty, Daddy is going to fire him. It's a lose - lose proposition for him. The next chapter (and there won't be one if JPB follows his usual pattern) should have him dating Betty, looking for another job and moving away. It WON'T be in the LW section! ROFL!

One other thought or question. Why wasn't JPB included in the Legends Day? He certainly fits the category. Thanks for the story Bob.

Except for Betty marrying a screaming asshole. When does Betty explain how and why she stopped waiting for her supposedly true love? If Betty's first husband had been a decent guy she would have lived a blissful life without Jack. So as it turns out, Jack is actually Betty's second choice. Which I guess Jack will just have to live with since he has no better alternative, at present.

A ho hum ending to a puzzling circuitous relationship. A decent story; thanks for your time and effort.

...a single character in this story that was likable. You've written some good stories. This isn't one of them.

Please do not. If you think like that you are a tool. As always u did not finsih the story so 2 stars.

know one cheated on anyone. well maybe betty. she wasnt honest from the start but it is not like he trusted her.

Come on finish the damn story please?

J P B not a cocksucker?

Thanks for the offering.

A nice lesson in realistic relationships, an enjoyable read and, yes, I do think the way the story went that you did finish the damn story!

and he's the biggest one of all. And most of the wives are sluts, I guess the husband being in harms way isn't a good enough reason to wait. I would guess if any of the wives were unable to have sex for any reason, it would be ok for him to get some on the side.

I say that in a nice way! She-it man! This story is definitely not complete, some will say that it's complete, I say different! Thanks for sharing this Fantastic story with us! Love you all! GREG. OH 100 % OF READING ENJOYMENT BY GOLLY GOSH BYE!

JPB is a great author but this was so by the numbers it was laughable. There was no emotional chemistry between his characters and Jack was so wooden, so unemotional, it was painful.

This was a long but fun story with a "good" ending. JPB always takes different paths and this one, though long, fits into this category.

Another good job! Keep up the good and enjoyable work.

Tiny Tim

The story had a lot of detail but not much emotion. Then the last sentence questions the reader about 2 minor characters. Nicely done.

"The highly improbable story of Bobby Marchant."

Reads like an extract from the above story with the names changed.

I absolutely loved this story, and I did like Jack.

Easy 5*, but I do think it's not a loving wives's story. But the funny ending made me forgive that with all my heart.

Keep writing please

Forto02

No hot sex and not deeply emotional but and interesting story that I could relate too.

Just some good reading to me.Thanks again Bob!!

Captivati g read Bob. Really enjoyed it ... missed Pauline French though.

Need a part 2

I agree!

It finally ended! My God, I thought it never would. What's waste of time. About as exciting as an instruction manual for a vacuum cleaner!

JPB does like ending stories with a question. I feel like Wile E. Coyote waiting, suspended, for gravity to kick in.

This was a good read with the biggest bunch of cheating filthy pig slut whores ever. Why would anyone want to be with any of those girls except in the fwb relationship. If Betty was my girlfriend and said she was going 900 miles away for 4 years of college and I told her I wS joining the army for the next 4 years and she reacted that way then I would do what he did except never get back with her. She then talks him to staying with her and sees with his own eyes that she was very involved with someone and still took her back. Once a pig always a pig , a girl like that has no self respect which means she has no respect for anyone else and will never change deep down . Someone like her will always have the excuse of why she is fucking someone else.

Well written, wished the ending was a bit more fleshed out.

How would he think she wouldnt end up cheating on him?

So very many military, and other professions, have separations and do well.

A lot of these stories make it sound like people just have to have sex to survive and no one go go without a while.

I liked the story, but that girl wasnt really committed to him the way the story was written.

Another nice story, told the JPB way. Sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince, or in this case, you start with the princess, toss her back into the swamp for a bunch of years, then set up an inventory system and retrieve her as the best item match. Sure, would have been nice to have done resparked romance in the end, but JPB knows when the story is done.

However, I thought the repeated situation of placing Jack in the same position over and over felt like he (and the reader) was being forced to accept that it's okay for Betty to have a lover on the side. I'm not saying that's what you did, but it did seem to make Jack's reaction hypocritical. If he can be the wife's lover in someone else's marriage and be fine with it... you see where I going here? Having said that, I am happy to see that Jack stuck with his principles. Do you plan to write a second chapter or will you let others have a shot at writing a chapter 2 to this story?

only jpb can write this type of romance, thanks for sharing

I swear JPB reinvents himself. Never know what you will get with JPB story but it usually is well worth the time to read. Sometimes is a 5 star plus worth reading. I call this one of those. While this has the usual JPB not really ending this one really points towards the ending. This is why I call it a 5 plus! Not sure if this is JPB legend story but glad to see it out around the same time as so many other great writers! A real excess of good stories to read right now that I need to catch up on : )

As I paraphrase another writer on this site (I really need to figure out who?) - please keep writing and I will keep reading.

The back story, of how a couple met, should only be one page, at the most. This story spends at least 4 pages on their background story. Way too long.

The main character's military experience is not credible. With a 3 or 4 year enlistment, anyone sent to Germany stays there until their enlistment is over. The main character "wasn't qualified" for Combat Arms. Really? For enlisted, it's not that competitive to get Combat Arms. Combat Arms combines Basic and AIT into 14 weeks. Not 16 weeks PLUS AIT (Advanced Individual Training).

When the main character arrives at point of debarkation to Korea, Ft Lewis, he's promoted to Corporal. No one get promoted at what's basically a replacement depot. Not to be pedantic, but the rank above PFC in Supply is Specialist, NOT Corporal.

After 4 pages, I gave up reading further. This is not JPB's best. He's capable of much better.

and yes It is in the right section. There is only one reason a couple should get married, and that's because they love each other. So, what does love mean, forever, maybe. Taking into consideration their age, parents, and the situation that they evolved from, it's easy to see why the story went the way it did.

I was in the service, and know a lot of this kind of thing exists, sometimes with repercussions, sometimes not. I was surprised at the maturity that Jack exhibited through this whole thing. Thinking everything through just doesn't sound like a normal High school kid with no ambition.

Glad to see you back contributing--Thanks, tom anon

Nice story. For on e most of characters weren't jerks or a-holes. And while many of these stories telegraph the plot, this one had me going right to the end.

back to the literal tramp slut betty ?

what the actual fuck ?

you mean there are no clean/honorable women in this town ?

1*

This was a tough one, 4.5*... He could not read the placards names of the seats on either side of him, ya sure. I was hoping due to all the money he was now saving the company that this shin-dig was to announce his promotion to VP of Materials.

But it's coming since Betty will have his rings on very soon - just wonder if daddy will force a pre-nup. And inside the company there were no gossip of her divorce a year before - no way, especially not in the exec office area.

She-it man! One Low Life wishes her to give to him AIDS! That's so wrong!

Shit people give Shit comments!!!

Thanks for sharing this Fantastic story with us!

Love you all! GREG.

OH 100 % OF READING ENJOYMENT BYE.

Fidelity is not seen as a virtue and wives are unable to go a week without sex...but they do so love their husbands.

For me having ''Loving Wives'' as name of category where wives are cheaters never did make sense

I travelled for my job 2 to three weeks a month. My wife was alone with the kids while I was gone. I knew that an affair was quite possible as she was a very sexual person. So like in this story with Gail my wife and I arranged for her to have FWB relationship with a friend of ours who we both had known for years. He was tall handsome and very well hung and my wife was very happy with him. Since he was a confirmed bachelor with no intention of ever getting married it worked quite well. She and I never talked about what they did while I was away and vice versa. I however was faithful to her as with work and the extensive travel was not interested much in sex. When I was a little horny I had a date with my left hand. After three years, I am now no longer on the road and we are happy and still together. Our friend is still one of our best friends and we see each other all the time even golf together often. I know when my wife is around him she i am sure thinks about there times together and I am a little jealous but not in a bad way as our lives are good and I know she loves me to death and he is still my best friend.

You are a textbook definition of a cuckold. I bet your "·friend" is still doing your wife behnd your back and the trash talk and laugh at you.

I knew there were wimps like you but I never heard one to tell his story without any shame.

I had two problems with this story. First, the first two thirds of it were pretty much high school type puppy love drama bullshit. Second, in the final third of the story, when it finally started to involve actual adult love and romance situations, it came to a screeching halt. Way too abrupt of an ending to suit me.

one must put both to good usages, TK U MLJ LV NV

One of my favorite JPB stories. (Although I don't know if he can ever beat "The Bought Husbsnd")

I agree with tazz313.

The story went stupid when he started screwing his friends wife and with his permission? After that" YUK " Now if you had a lesbian lickee fest this would be a pleasure to see and read YABA DABA DO ! Thanks ★★★☆ WOOF!

He got stuck with the cheating cunt. Where is the happy ending in that?

Of course, it's JPB world she every charactes and the whole situation is fucked up so who cares?

Entertaining to read but no one to like or root here.

I find the idea that you can't go on for a long time without sex even if you love someone despicable. Almost as despicable as the idea that your partner can have sex with other person as long as there is no emotional liason. Lot of bullshit if you ask me.

And you KNOW that. Regardless, why would he want to re-enter a relationship with a proven liar? And one that happens to be hi bosses daughter? Does he want to find a new job and move away? Because any sane man would know that's a recipe for disaster. Walk away. Not a good ending.

You gave the computer program more time than the finish. Get bored with your own story?

This story started out with a junior high school mentality and ended up in a mental breakdown. Why the heck would he want to pick back up with a woman who had let him down so many times? I know they say love is blind but I don’t believe it should be stupid too. Good fiction should be believable, no matter how far out it gets. This story just wasn’t believable to me so in my mind, that makes it bad fiction.

Everyone in this story, with the exception of his parents, were simply unlikable people. They lie. They cheat. They plot, scheme and manipulate. I felt sorry for Jack. He was NOT smart at all. He kept letting Betty pull him back in. How many times did she lie and cheat? Hell, she married someone else. Once he got settled in and got the Company shipping handled, he should have started to look for a new job. One that didn't have Betty's Father at the helm. Sooner, rather than later, he was going to fire him for hurting his little girl's feelings. The writing was on the wall. How could he not see it? At the end, walk away and look for another job. Dating Betty was a recipe for disaster. Horrible ending.

I read this story a couple of times already, which is really a testament to how good a writer JPB is.

The thing is, though... I don't like it.

I know how naive it sounds, but, man, people are capable of being celibate, if needs be. Sure, there's tentations everywhere, but, if you're genuinely in love with someone, the mere idea of fucking someone else, let alone allowing her lover to do so on their side, is ludicrous. I can somehow built, though, that long distance relationships being what they are, young people who do not want their heart to be broken should indeed let their partner do what they need to do. Which make Betty's initial and adamant refusal to let hers with Jack just die seems, in hindsight, spectacular juvenile. Everything he predicted came to pass with pinpoint accuracies, so much so, in fact, that you have to wonder if she ever had that 'holy shit' moment where it damned on her he saw their breakup coming all along.

That's really the biggest problem this story has going against it: you like Jack, his thoughtfulness, maturity, and way a thinking... but, as a reader, you seriously doubt he should end up with someone as immature, irrational impulsive as Betty. Sure, 'guess the girl is beautiful and all, but imagining spending the rest of your life with someone like her would induce some definite headaches. The fact that life seems to have kick her in the teethes (both figuratively and literally) a few times may have calm her down some, but it's more than likely she's get back her adolescent swagger, now that her first love is back in her life... Is that really what Jack is looking for, as the woman with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life? Doubtful.

And, by the way, if I'm him, I would seriously try to figure out why did she broke up with me over the likes of Bernie. To say Betty was a little obsessed about Jack is quite the understatement; so why did she eventually trade him off for what sounds like his exact opposite? Even if he wasn't an abuser from the get-go, it never sounded like he had anything in common with the man who essentially was the love of her life... So the hell was the deal with Bern, Liz? Why him over Jack, the guy you couldn't let walk away for so long? Seriously, I don't even think Bob himself has an answer for it, except maybe the standard "chicks, man..."; it certainly would be the most pressent inquiry, if he was the MC here and genuinely would what to rekindle a relationship with my ex.

All and all, this was so good Bob. Sure, if I didn't make it clear, I do not like Betty, but Jack is an interesting protagonist you have no problem rooting for, and, ultimately, his pragmatism prevented him from getting burned as badly as he could have here. The good guy survives and strive, to keep on trunking another day... not much else to ask for, really. ★★★★

I gave it 3 stars because it's pretty well written, except for the writer's arithmetical limitations. After stating that Jack had 18 months to go on his enlistment, he finished his 30 day leave... went to Ft. Lewis and on to Korea for a 12 month tour of duty. So, when he rotated back to the States, how could he still have 13 months to serve at Ft. Bliss before his enlistment was up??

I don't like the story on principle. I LIVED much of what's written in it so I'm guilty of fucking hundreds of other men's cheating wives. (I'm not exaggerating or bullshitting) I admit that I got a lot of superb pussy but I was always aware that I'd compromised myself and my personal principles. It's true that, if I hadn't fucked them, someone else would have but it all boils down to one undeniable truth.... That doesn't let me off the hook where MY principles are concerned. I can't even say that if I had it to do all over again that I wouldn't because there were so many unforgettably good ones that I wouldn't want to never have had.

Goofy story wrapped around copious anal sex.

*

I read Just Plain Bob, not really caring for most(?) of the stories (many are unfinished), except they are written well, in a straight forward, no nonsense, no frills style that appeals to me. I keep reading, looking for the occasional true gem. This story is another gem.

I also just read Finding Reginald Markham, JPB's contribution to the Magical Mystery Tour (Google Magical Mystery Tour 01: Story List), another gem.

Thanks Bob.

Paul in Oklahoma