Review: Best Women's Erotica of the Year edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel!

Title: Best Women's Erotica of the Year
Serial: Volume One
Authors: Various
Editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel
Format: Paperback, 240 pages
Pub. Date: January 12th 2016
Source: Author


Book Description:

Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 delivers risky, romantic, heart-pounding thrills. Joyful, daring, and authentic, these steamy stories revel in erotic adventure, from the sparks between strangers to the knowing caresses of longtime lovers. These stories are not merely erotic but filled with strong characters and clever narratives showing how sexual experience is different for everyone. This anthology is a glorious celebration of the finest and friskiest female erotic fiction today.

Review:

★★★★★

I think that Rachel might have just outdone herself in selecting the stories for this anthology. This is one of the best Cleis Press anthologies that I've had the pleasure to read so far.

As the title and synopsis suggest, these stories are focused on female erotica. There are twenty-two short stories included in this collection, each of them talking about females and sex in some capacity. Honestly, I was blown away by the amount of diversity that spans across these stories. There are young women, middle aged ones, older ones still. There are Asian women and black women and lesbians and those who are in transition, those who are butch and those who are femme. There are dominant women and submissive women. It's a great sampling of different women, and it was a really, really refreshing change of pace. Well done!

These women are found in a variety of different genres, including historical fiction and even post-apocalyptic. I wasn't expecting that, but it was definitely welcome.

There's also a huge amount of variety when it comes to the sex and erotica bit. No matter where your interests lie on a scale from vanilla to kinky, there's a story here that you're sure to enjoy. There's bathroom play, there's BDSM, there's spanking, there's toys, there's voyeurs and exhibition. And then there are stories that are simply two people finding pleasure and passion in one another, no bells and whistles needed. It's a lovely sprinkling of different things.

As this is an anthology, of course there were stories that I enjoyed more than others. I preferred some authors' writing styles, some kinks are not my own, etc. Instead of going over all 22 stories and giving my opinions, I'm going to highlight my four favorites. I know my regular readers are thinking "but you always do three!" I know, I know. But this time I just could not narrow it down. That's how happy I am with BWE. These stories are in no particular order.

The first story I wish to spotlight is called "Demimonde" by Valerie Alexander. This is a historically set short story that features a tall, dark, and handsome man, a seance, and a widower. It had just the right amount of "action" and scene build up, and honestly Ms Alexander knows how to write a man. I'd like one of him please, to go. The next story is called "Ophelia the Second", which is about an understudy, a gorgeous Shakespearean actor, and a passionate night off the stage. I love Shakespeare, and Hamlet is one of my favorite plays, so I loved that incorporation into the story. The third story is called "Starstruck" by Lazuli Jones. I adored this one. This story includes an ebony-skinned actor who once played a hero, a grown up nerdy fan girl, and a convention. I relate to this girl on so many levels, and I have had so many fantasies of meeting my favorite actors/actresses at conventions. I wish this one would happen to me, for sure. The final one is called "Enter Me" by Tabitha Rayne. This one stood out to me, because the female is deaf. It added a really unique dynamic to the story, and I don't think it's anything I've ever read before. It was very well written.

If you're into girls loving men, or each other, and you're looking for a book to warm up those cold February nights, look no further than this collection. You can read it in one go, or take it slow and read each story separately. There's a huge amount of variety, and I wasn't disappointed.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. Thanks, Rachel!

Holiday Novella Mini Review: Santa's Toy by Nichelle Gregory!

Title: Santa's Toy
Author: Nichelle Gregory
Format: Kindle Edition, 69 pages
Pub. Date: November 18th 2013
Source: Gifted via Amazon

Description via Goodreads:

A sexy, ruthless lawyer becomes Santa's toy in order to get off the Naughty List!

Danielle attends her firm's lavish holiday dinner party held every year in a museum in hopes of learning she's made partner. She's stepped on more than a few toes, but she isn't concerned about the decisions made to ensure her rise to the top. When Danielle stops to admire the museum's replica of the North Pole, she is caught off guard when Santa beckons to her. Lead by two of his elves, Danielle soon discovers this jolly old man is the real deal and there's a price to be paid for continually being on his Naughty List. He gives her two options for redemption, but Danielle refuses to jeopardize her burgeoning career and agrees instead to become Santa's toy. She will do whatever he and his two elves want to get what she wants, but all is not what it seems inside Santa's Workshop...

★★★★

I stumbled across this title while wandering around on Goodreads, and was happy to find it waiting for me in my email inbox from Santa. Santa's Toy is a quick and sexy holiday read that reexamines what it means to be on the big guy's naughty list at Christmastime.

If you're anything like me, you may be thinking, "Sexy Santa Claus? That's kinda weird Jill. I mean he's kinda fat and old to think about at night instead of sugar plums." But this ain't your mother's Santa Claus. He's a dreamy-looking, Dominant man willing to make a deal with the help of his two equally hot elf companions. I know it sounds weird.... But it works. From the use of minty massage oil to peppermint sticks to a secret hideaway in Santa's little visit workshop, this is an oddly steamy Christmas erotica novella that is the perfect stocking stuffer for your ereader this time of year.

This is an erotica novella, so obviously there's sexual content. I'd recommend it to those on the naughty list, or who prefer spice over sugar in their holiday reads. Thanks to "Santa", who gifted me a copy via Kindle.

Review: Anything For You

Title: Anything for You: Erotica for Kinky Couples
Editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel
Format: Paperback, 244 pages
Pub. Date: August 7th 2012
Source: Rachel Kramer Bussel

★★★★

Four stars.

Anything for You: Erotica for Kinky Couples is an anthology of nearly twenty erotic short stories. This collection is unique, in that it focuses on a very particular reader audience: couples. This book contains a story for everyone, and is sizzling hot from cover to cover, and on each page in between.

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The thing that I adore about Rachel Kramer Bussel's anthologies is the amazing variation that she includes in each book. Anything For You is absolutely no exception to this. Within this anthology, there are stories between girls, boys, mixes of the two, female Dominants, male Dominants, public play, old couples, young couples. You want it, this book has got it.

As I always do when I'm lucky enough to get my hands on one of these collections, I'll highlight my three favorite stories from this collection. These are in no particular order. The first is entitled "Teppanyaki" by Janine Ashbless. This steamy little morsel tells the story of a couple that decides to have visitors for dinner, and it quickly becomes an entirely different kind of "party", much to the kinky surprise of one of the guests. The well written food and humiliation scenes made me want to have a dinner party of my very own, and soon *winks*. The next story that I most enjoyed is called "Notes from Her Master" by Kathleen Tudor. In this tale, a submissive women is given a little present for her plane ride on a business trip away from her Master. Little does she know that there are several directions for her to obey- and He'll know if she didn't. This one contains public play, airplane fun, and humiliation. Something about one gave me chills in the best possible way. The final one in my top three is called "Lap It Up" by Kay Jaybee, and involves two lovely ladies, puppy play, and Domination. It's not a kink I see represented a lot, and personally it's a refreshing change.

The lesser liked stories were marked as such due to one or more of the following: a lack of emotional writing (I hate when sex scenes are just that), a kink that I don't enjoy/am not into, or featured a second person narration (a personal peeve, no fault of the authors).

This book is a perfect read for couples that play together to enjoy together. Fans of erotica and kink, as well as Rachel's other publications, won't be disappointed by this book. It's a welcome addition to my fun shelf.

Thanks so much to the editor for my copy

Twice the Pleasure by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Title: Twice the Pleasure: Bisexual Women's Erotica
Editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel
Format: Paperback, 232 pages
Pub. Date: April 9th 2013
Source: Rachel Kramer Bussel

★★★★

Four stars.

Twice the Pleasure is an anthology that contains 22 erotic short stories that all, in some way, contain scenes with bisexual women. Though not all of the stories in this collection scratched my particular itch, a majority of the stories proved to be quick, steamy, enjoyable reads.

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+Though I'm not going to critique each and every tale in this book, I'd like to give a tip of the hat to the authors of my three favorites. The first story in my top picks is The Robber Girl by Lori Selke. This story contains sizzling scenes involving the mild use of blood and knives, giving a darker feel. The next story I liked best was Seduction Dance by Dorothy Freed, in which a curious, playful female pet explores her desires for another girl at a BDSM party, at the encouragement of her Master. The BDSM air of this story is one that I seek in adult literature, and I wasn't disappointed. The final story that rounds out the top three is The State by Tahira Iqbal, which contains a sexy female security guard in her undies with a gun- need I say more?

+ A majority of the other works in this collection were solid three stars- enjoyable but ones that will fade from my memory when I read another story.

-The stories that I didn't like (which I'm not naming in particular) each contained flaws that didn't personally rub me the right way. One contained an abundant use of an offensive gay slur which not only has negative connotations but shows lazy writing. Another was written from a perspective using "you", which made it hard to follow. Others still involved kinks that are not my forte, such as bathroom bodily fluids.

Overall, this is an anthology that I would read again, and recommend to other women in the LGBT (though primarily B) spectrum. Whether your thing is historical stories, trans*, crossdressing, BDSM, knife play, voyeurism, or more caring scenes, there is a story in this collection for you. The pros far outweigh the cons. This isn't my first Rachel Kramer Bussel collection and definitely won't be my last. This book fills a much needed hole in erotic fiction by focusing on bisexuality.

If LGBT scenes, kinky sex, or vulgarity aren't your pleasure, don't get this book. If you like a lot of steam in your short stories, with an extra helping of girl-on-girl play, than this book is one not to be missed.

Thank you to Rachel for my copy.

Deathless Discipline by Renee Rose

Title: Deathless Discipline
Author: Renee Rose
Format: Kindle Edition
Pub. Date: December 30th 2012
Source: Amazon freebie

★★★★

Four sinful stars.

Kate's love for being spanked is no secret. But this time, it's far more than a turn on. She doesn't return her dominant vampire husband Dom's phone call, making him worried sick. He'll have to deliver a far worse punishment this time for her to learn her lesson, and to never lie to her Dom.

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This novella is short, sexy, and to the point. It's a vampire BDSM/spanking story that uses characters from the author's other book, Deathless Love. When I downloaded this short story I had no idea that it was based off another book, but the heat factor of this made me add Deathless Love to my TBR list. This edition also includes a bonus short story called Mary Catherine Learns Her Lesson, an exhibitionist spanking story set on Halloween. I actually preferred this story, because it features priest/school girl role play.

Both of these stories are teasing glimpses into a bigger story, and if Renee Rose was trying to lure me into reading her other works, it definitely worked.

This is an erotica/adult book. If things concerning BDSM, spanking, or sex bother you, than this is NOT the book for you. However, if you like your Dom to be an Italian vampire, or have fantasies regarding priests, this short sample is worth a read.