Tagged: Elizabeth Coldwell

Sex in London edited by Elizabeth Coldwell sexinlondon

Link to buy

Story Rating: 4.5 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 4 out of 5

Review:

This is a solid eleven-story anthology with good writing, engaging stories, and a nice variety of themes. I recommend it for fans of contemporary erotica and modern Anglophiles.

Each of the stories has something to offer, and they are surprisingly varied. Each makes convincing and imaginative use of London’s unique topography, and shows a slightly different side of the legendary city.

“Double Exposure” by Jay Lawrence opens the anthology with a solid shot, a really enjoyable little voyeuristic tale that sets the stage nicely for things to come. Notable offerings include “Falling Down” by James “Grim” Desborough, where a game of chase that begins on the tube becomes some severely hot rough-and-ready sex in London’s seedy alleys. Also, “The Woman From Aldgate West” by Neil James Hudson was a wonderful, odd sort of supernatural little story in the weird tale vein with an interesting premise and lovely tone. Frances Jones’ “Artefacts” would have been at home in a supernatural-themed anthology, though there’s nothing explicitly supernatural about it, the implications are beautifully done. “Lost Property”, by Elizabeth Coldwell, answers the question of what happens to things left on the subway, and who returns them to their owners; in this case, a suitcase full of some very, very naughty things.

It’s really hard to spotlight the standouts, when they are almost all, to a one, superb. Yes, there are a couple of duds, but there’s no need to pick on them when the anthology is so solid, with eleven stories to choose from. And, well, what didn’t work for me might really work for someone else.

Fire and Ice edited by Elizabeth Coldwell

http://www.amazon.com/Fire-and-Ice-ebook/dp/B006OBOOH4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339420521&sr=1-1&keywords=fire+and+ice+by+elizabeth+coldwell 

ASIN B006OBOOH4

Story rating: 3.5 out of 5 paddles

Fire and Ice is comprised of several very short stories that all have their own kinky aspect. In the first, the book’s name sake, introduces us to Mike, a rather rugged and large ski instructor, and Lucy , guest at the resort where Mike works. Mike is used to being flirted with and sometimes even takes the guests up on their offers; but they can rarely let Mike dish out what he really wants … a good hard spanking!!

Over all Fire and Ice was a great read. It let me see just enough into Mike and Lucy to keep me engaged, without becoming overly fluffy.  At just over 14 pages this was a great short story that had everything I need to make me happy!

Dim Sum is the second story in this anthology. Nina and Magnus meet to go out to dinner to celebrate a new job and Nina’s birthday. Magnus quickly turns a nice evening out into a hot voyeuristic fantasy night that many of us would get arrested for trying to duplicate! This story was incredibly hot and left me suddenly wanting Chinese food and a side of what Magnus had dished out!

Too Close to Call was one of my favorites of this entire series.  Jake and Jess are very good friends, such good friends they have a great benefits package that no one but the two of them know about the benefits they share.  One of the main rules of their relationship is that none of their other friends can find out that they have been sleeping together, and they have this act down to a fine art.

Damsel in Distress edited by Elizabeth Coldwell

http://www.amazon.com/Damsel-Distress-Crimes-Passion-ebook/dp/B006OBONSO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337262438&sr=1-1 

ASIN B006OBONSO  

Story rating: 3 out of 5 paddles

Sting factor (kink): 3 out of 5

Ever have fantasies about cops stripping you down and having their wicked way about you?  What if it really happened?  And it was done with your spouse watching?  In “Damsel in Distress”, the first short story, husband and wife Sam and Sara are taken in for a ride by sex fiend Sheriff Layton.  I’m going to rate this book based on this first and third story since both received the highest rating.

This was a fast and smexy little scene as one would expect.  A woman is jailed for speeding.  The remote location allows both sheriff and his deputy to manhandle Sara for a few days before her husband rides in to the rescue.  I think it would have been a bit edgier if Sam was also taken for a ride by the deviant duo.

The third story, “Who Pays?” by JR Roberts is the second one I enjoyed most.  Of course, there is another cop in this story who takes advantage of a couple speeding down the highway.  The girlfriend has to pay the fine since they are short on cash.  The dubious consent in this one made me grin while I played the voyeur to the girlfriend’s seduction in the woods.  This short hot scene with the sweet sticky note on the paid in full speeding ticket left me in an amorous mood.

The Feel of Wings
Elizabeth Coldwell
Total E Bound [link to buy]
ISBN 978-0-85715-842-0

Writing/overall: 3 out of 5

Kink/BDSM: 4 out of 5

After a motorcycle accident claims her husband’s life, Faith tries to escape her grief by signing up to catalog books at the eerie Belknapp Manor, where acolytes of black magician Aleister Crowley once held a sex ritual to summon a demon. Faith’s no believer in the supernatural, but when she accidentally completes the ritual and summons the demon Andras, she can no longer deny the stories about the place, or her attraction to the dark powers there. Andras gives her terrible pleasure and sweet pain, seeking to bend her to his will and coerce her into surrendering her soul to him. Faith is a heartbeat away from losing herself when her guardian angel Nathaniel intervenes, but it may be too late to call her back from the edge of darkness.

Wow. Is that an awesome premise or what?

This is actually a sweet and romantic novella with lots of hot, hot sex that will appeal to fans of sex-heavy supernatural romance. It’s deceptively lighthearted and, despite being a little maudlin and a whole lot concerned with a sexy, sexy demon, it’s not really dark at all.

The BDSM element here is less SM than DS. There’s some lashing and some moderately rough sex, but mostly it’s Andras bending Faith to his will, urging her to submit to his pleasure, his pain. I find this incredibly sexy, so that was fine with me. There’s also some breath play, which was intense and smoking hot, so if you are into that, it’s a nice – and surprising – thing to find. My only complaint – minor – is that I didn’t feel that the lashing was really given its due, and I would have liked more time to really savor that.

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.

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.

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.