Explanation of Ratings

I rate books three ways:
  1. A general rating, from 1 to 10, of my opinion of the book. 
  2. An intensity level from 1 to 10 that is a combination of the intensity of B&D, D/s, and S&M. Each of those things is rated from one to three, and then I have an Extra Point that I can add (or not) based on 1) whether the BDSM is an intrinsic part of the story or 2) if it needs (or doesn't need) the point to give an accurate idea of how intense the BDSM is overall. That gives a total of 10 possible points, and will be the final Intensity Level.
  3. A heat level from 1 to 5 that tells how much the story turned me on, personally. YMMV, of course.