BDSM Book Reviews » Tag

Tagged: anthology

12Jul

Review: Strange Desires: Dark Erotica by Jay Lawrence

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 2.5 out of 5 Paddles, 3 out of 5 Sting Factor, Reviews | Leave a comment

Strange Desires: Dark Erotica by Jay Lawrence

http://www.amazon.com/STRANGE-DESIRES-DARK-EROTICA-ebook/dp/B007L8FXK6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342115112&sr=1-1&keywords=Strange+Desires+by+Jay

ASIN B007L8FXK6

Story Rating: 2.5 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 3 out of 5

This is a six-story anthology of dark erotica, and it pains me to say that, while it has every hallmark of being exactly the sort of erotica I should enjoy, I found it lacking.

Lawrence isn’t bad, exactly, but she does have a terrible habit of using redundant language, awkward metaphors, and she needs more commas between adjectives.

I can see her reaching for a liquid, flowing style, rich in metaphor, formal, and just a little old-fashioned. I very much enjoy that kind of writing when it is done well, but it is a high mark to hit and she didn’t quite make it there. I can also see that Lawrence has a lot of potential. She has a very dreamlike and surreal voice combined with a good feel for detail. I would be curious to read something by her in a different genre.

“Incident on Wardour Street” is a classic sort of weird tale, surreal and hallucinatory. The sense of time and place is well-evoked, but the beginning and end are mismatched, and I had no sense of cause and effect between the strange event at the beginning and where the story ended up.

“Malbranque” is a lyrical, creepy, and very pretty Bluebeard-esque fairy tale with some absolutely fantastic imagery, but, again, the parts don’t seem related – the fleeing princess and the vengeance visited upon her captor didn’t connect; if the link was there, I missed it or didn’t understand it. That didn’t stop me from enjoying it. It was ambitious, and I respect that.

“Deliverance” is a classic abandoned mansion ghost story with a sexy twist, and was good if not exceptional.

31Mar

Review: Bobbing for Peaches anthology

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 1 out of 5 Sting Factor, 4 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

Bobbing for Peaches
Anthology
Xcite Books [link to buy]
ASIN B006OBOPYQ

Story rating: 4 out of 5

BDSM/Kink rating: 1 out of 5

Blurb:

A collection of six erotic lesbian stories

Bobbing for Peaches by Giselle Renarde

Melanie’s been busy in the kitchen, and when Jocelyn gets home from workshe’s in the mood to play with her food. Melanie’s prepared a warm concoction of milk and peaches with a dash of cinnamon and a hint of Jocelyn’s pricey Tahitian vanilla. It’s time to get naked and get messy!

First Love, Great Love by Olivia London

Is there anything more intoxicating than that first sweet kiss from a special lady love? Claire and her lover thrive in Atlanta’s gay scene until a trip to San Francisco broadens their horizons. From the moment Claire mounts her new girlfriend’s motorcycle, she finds she’s in for the ride of her life.

Time for a Change by Jacey Kavenagh

A disappointing sex life seemed to indicate that a change of image was in order if I were ever to attract the right sort of partner to fulfill my needs.Looking for inspiration in an upmarket dress shop I found myself watching a very attractive shop assistant. I was willing to bet that, unlike me, shewouldn’t put up with guys who had absolutely no idea how to turn a woman on.She seemed vaguely familiar, and I found myself recalling exciting memories of an experience from my youthful past – waking in me a desire I had thought long forgotten.

Making Sweet Music by Courtney James

Joanne wants to eat her lunch in peace, but the buskers make that impossible – until the day she hears the girl with the sweet voice who writes her own songs. Overcoming her resistance to asking a complete stranger out on a date, Joanne is about to discover that Kayleigh’s talents extend to the bedroom too.

05Mar

Review: Crimes of Passion: When Love Breaks the Law edited by Miranda Forbes

Posted in 2 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

Crimes of Passion: When Love Breaks the Law
edited by Miranda Forbes
Xcite Books [link to buy]
ISBN-10: 1907761802
ISBN-13: 978-1907761805

Rating: 2 out of 5 paddles

Miranda Forbes has edited a collection called Crimes of Passion. Anthologies always present a problem for the reviewer, especially anthologies by “various authors”. The major issue is the wildly divergent qualities found in the book. It gets worse when the anthology grows in size; it seems like the extra padding is just that, desperate attempts to fill the page count. I’m sorry to say, this anthology doesn’t break the mold.

Technically, all the stories are okay. There are no glaring typos or formatting issues that distract the reader from the stories. That says a lot about Ms. Forbes’ editorial abilities; she either rejected stories with poor technical quality or demanded that they be fixed. It’s the stories we’re not distracted from that are the problem.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some good stories here, some hot stories here, and a few that are both. But…there are some stinkers. Angel Propps’ Rough Justice is a gem, with a great story, hot sex and intense BDSM, everything the book promises. Landon Dixon’s Sex Rides the Bus is hot, but BDSM free. But we’re also subjected to things like The Fire Triangle by Mia Lovejoy which, in addition to having no BDSM, actually skips over the sex for the most part; I’ve seen steamier sex scenes in mainstream works (Laurell Hamilton comes to mind). It’s too bad that Lovejoy’s story is more typical of the bulk of the stories than Propps’.

Overall, I’m forced to give Crimes of Passion 2 paddles. If you can find it cheap, the few good stories would be worth it, but only just.

Reviewed by David

23Feb

Guest blogger: Feminization to Please Mistress by Marianne LaCroix

Posted in blog, Guest Blogging | Leave a comment

“Pleasing her, giving her enjoyment in using me, was my greatest fetish.”

That line is from my latest release included in the Sizzler Editions anthology BOUND FOR LOVE [link]. My story, Tie Me Up and Spank Me, is a Femdom short story told from the male submissive’s point of view. He adores his Mistress and will do anything to make her happy.

What kinds of things will a male submissive do to make his dominant happy? In my story he is feminized where he dresses like a schoolgirl–plaid skirt, thigh high stockings and high heel Mary Janes, and a thong. He doesn’t just dress like the naughty school girl, he was ordered to do so. Why? Because it is what she wished.

Many vanilla people can’t understand why someone would subject himself to humiliation like cross dressing for his Domme. They don’t get why a man would want to be humiliated in the first place. It’s simple–its a kink. No one can really explain the why to any specific kink like a foot fetish or a desire to wear ladies’ panties. Simply put, it is arousing for that individual. In the case of a man desiring to dress in a skirt and heels, it is arousing in some manner for him and his Mistress. She may be amused by his strut in heels, and he enjoys making her happy in doing it. It can be he desires to be feminized simply to be humiliated, brought to his knees to a place where he loses control. There are a number of reasons…and these are only a few.

06Feb

Owned by Oliver edited by Elizabeth Coldwell

Posted in 5 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

Owned by Oliver
edited by Elizabeth Coldwell
xcite Books [link to buy]
ASIN B005ZGL06M

Owned by Olivier is an anthology of five short stories edited by Elizabeth Coldwell, who is also the author of the first story and the anthologies namesake, Owned by Oliver. The other four stories are Special Rewards by Emma Lydia Bates, Pegging Stu by Beverly Langland, Diamonds and Gold by Giselle Renarde and Be my Brat by Landon Dixon. Usually when I read an anthology I find there is at least one story that I don’t like, possibly more. With Owned by Oliver they were all lovely, easy reads about people within the BDSM community and the different aspect of the lifestyle they enjoy.

Owned by Oliver is a story of a sub taken by her Master to a BDSM function and required to perform for the participants of the party. The story is a lovely erotic piece told from the subs point of view. I really enjoyed this story and it absolutely set the tone of well written stories in the rest of the book.

Special Rewards is an interesting read of a woman being interviewed for a promotion who fluctuates between answering questions for the position, and remembering the scene she engaged in with her Dom the evening before her interview. It’s a quirky look at submissive women who, in work roles, need to be anything but submissive. The dichotomy of her take charge nature during the interview and her nature during her personal time made this a very interesting read.

Pegging Stu is a Domme story about a wife who treats her submissive husband to a birthday present. The present being, another woman to dominate him and share her husband sexually, it’s a lovely erotic read.

04Jan

Review: Best Bondage Erotica 2011 edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Posted in 3 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | 1 Comment

Best Bondage Erotica 2011
edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel
Cleis Press [link to buy]
ISBN-10: 157344426X
ISBN-13: 978-1573444262

Rating: 3 out of 5 Paddles

Collections are hit or miss for me. Generally, I find a few good stories and new authors I’d like to read. Best Bondage Erotica 2011 is no exception. For the most part, these short stories gave a tasty little treat. Not many of the stories stand out. The reason being, it was repetitive from a sub perspective and just when it’s about to get good, the story ends. I’m left feeling dissatisfied.

What I do like about this book is that it is dedicated to restraints. I love being restrained so this definitely stroked my hot button. A couple of the stories were very hot for me. In particular, I’d like to call attention Ms. Andrea Dale’s “How the Little Mermaid Got her Tail Back”. The opening few lines made me cringe. I didn’t want to read about another woman left by her husband because she was a perverted sex fiend. Since I resemble that comment, I loathe these kind of stories where the woman with a healthy sex drive is condemned.

To my delight, she meets a man who helps her explore her kinky side. Boy does he help with the climatic party as a mermaid. I nearly creamed my panties reading how he torments her. I’m left with my body vibrating with need and hoping for more.

Another one which caught my attention was “Relative anonymity” by Emerald. This started with a soft sweetness and ended with a shocking delicious revelation. The fact that there is a voyeuristic content which led to more submission rocked me back. I delighted in its seductive mystery.

30Dec

Review: Last Slave Standing edited by Elizabeth Coldwell

Posted in 4 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

Last Slave Standing
edited by Elizabeth Coldwell
Xcite Books [link to buy]
ASIN B005Z1WPF2

Rating: 4 out of 5 Paddles

Last Slave Standing is the first story in a set of five that make up the book. The title is slightly deceptive as only one of the stories actually relates to the role of a slave. Each short story has its own merits and even though it wasn’t really my ideal read, I found it interesting.

Last Slave Standing by Alex Jordaine takes the reader into the world of three Dommes and their male slaves. The women decide to have a competition in order to see whose slave will be the last to blow his load. The slaves are put through their paces with bondage, whips, spanking, masturbation, blow jobs and a few other little delights. The story is well written and has enough variety within its telling to keep a reader interested, after all most people would want to know who the ultimate winner will be.

Captive Audience by Derek Shannon is a bit of a rehashed story line. A movie fan meets her film maker hero, and they end up sharing something special. In this case the special activity is a lesson in submission. As it’s an introductory lesson the play is quite light, spanking, being instructed on what to do etc. It was my least favorite of the highlighted works but still well written and interesting in the telling of a first time encounter into BDSM.

30Dec

Review: Red Velvet and Absinthe edited by Mitzi Szereto

Posted in 4 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

Red Velvet and Absinthe
edited by Mitzi Szereto
Cleis Press [link to buy]
ISBN-10: 1573447161
ISBN-13: 978-1573447164

Rating: 4 out of 5 Paddles

BDSM Book Reviews sent me another book to review, this one an anthology called Red Velvet and Absinthe. This is a collection of ‘paranormal erotic romance’ edited by Mitzi Szereto. What are ‘paranormal erotic’ stories, you ask? Well, simply put, they’re stories where one or more of the main characters are some type of paranormal creature (i.e. vampire, werewolf, ghost, etc.) and they have a romantic erotic encounter with another character. With the whole vampire/werewolf craze these days, its no surprise to see it represented in erotica as well.

All together, this book contains fifteen stories by different authors. The stories vary in length with the shortest being twelve pages and the longest being twenty pages. There are also sections about the authors and the editor which bring the book to a total of 225 pages. As always, here are a few of my favorite stories:

Snowlight, Moonlight by Rose de Fer: This story is about a woman who wakes up disoriented in a strangers home. She remembers snow and blood and the sounds of wolves howling in the night, but that’s it. She thinks she’s alone at first and then a man comes into the room. When she wakes next she feels as though she is burning with fever and she has two hungers. Food and sex. She wants her host so badly but he doesn’t take advantage of her. She sleeps again to wake to him waiting for her and to discover that she has been attacked by werewolves and that is why she has been feeling so strangely. They talk about what this means to her life now and he offers to let her stay and during this talk they finally break and have intense and dangerous sex. She attempts to turn him with a bite and he springs into dominant action. He ties her tightly down to the bed to allow her to calm down and tells her to come find him when she does. She finds him in his lab where another hot scene ensues and then he does as he says he will. He takes care of her from then on.

29Dec

Review: A Cage of Her Own by Reese Gabriel

Posted in 4.5 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

A Cage of Her Own
Reese Gabriel
Pink Flamingo Publications [link to buy]
ASIN B005JK6I7A

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paddles

This is a book of short stories written by Reese Gabriel. The title of each story is written in caps.

MISSING INGREDIENT: Johnny and Belinda are getting divorced. If they had discovered the missing ingredient of BDSM would they still be a couple? This was a hot short, a conversation between ex lovers that quickly learn they both like dominance and submission play.

PLAYING WITH FIRE: A rape fantasy and pregnancy/breeding tale.

DON’T BE LATE: A curious woman gets a taste of what her fiancé’s brother’s sex life is really like. He offers her a night at his side at BDSM club.

SLAVING FOR SEX: The woman character is a model and her attitude is even though she allowed herself to be used for sex, she called the shots. A so-so short story.

BECAUSE ITS FUN: A well written non-con scene with revenge at the end.

SUBMISSION AT FIRST SIGHT: Another hot story of submission. A man and woman dating a short time find out one wants to dominate and the other wants to submit. The characters are likable and own their positions either as slave or Master.

DREAM PET: This was a literal translation of the title the slave was indeed dreaming she was a pet but she was unsure the reasons and when she asks for help the true horrors begin to unfold.

A CAGE OF HER OWN: In this story the slave is treated as a pet in a cage. She is a ‘natural sub’ that the Master sees and wants to train. Good story!

DANGLING THE CUFFS: D/s between new lovers. A female submitting to a male.

28Dec

Review: Her First Submission edited by Elizabeth Coldwell

Posted in 4 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | 2 Comments

Her First Submission
edited by Elizabeth Coldwell
Xcite Books [link to buy]
ASIN B005PZMXKK

Rating: 4 out of 5 Paddles

Her First Submission is a collection of five short stories edited by Elizabeth Coldwell. Most are not BDSM.

Her First Submission, authored by Bella Mark, tells of a young woman’s first foray into BDSM with her boyfriend. There is a strong connection here and a very sensual story. The best of the stories in the anthology, this shows the way everyone should be introduced into the lifestyle.

A Hot Dixie Fall by Dylan Harper is the story of a man who loses his wife to another man but gains her mother. This is a story for the next age beyond cougar and cub.

An Exciting Little Game, written by Elizabeth Black, is about a man and a woman who meet for an illicit night out. She runs into a co worker and is afraid her secret might be revealed. There are hints throughout about the fun little twist at the end.

Relight My Boiler is a very short story about an encounter between an older woman and a younger man who comes to her house to fix her furnace-which is located in her attic. This one was written by Les Hanson.

Family, by I G Frederick, is about a Domme who is head of a “leather family” currently consisting of a male sub and a female sub, who both serve the Domme. The male sub asks and receives permission to introduce a sub of his own into the family. The new sub will agree to be part of the “family” as long as he is not required to interact sexually with the females in the group. The story revolves around the young man being incorporated into the family.

« Older posts