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paisley_rose's review
Not my cup of tea, but great stories! I prefer knowing the characters more (even tho I did go into this knowing it was one offs).
madmads126's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
alexleo13's review
4.0
If you need a break during the day, a fantasy to spice the evening, a dream to take to sleep, well this collection of very short stories (15 min max) might be the right book for you. There are so many genres, so many different scenes and possibilities, that you surely will find something that works for you. Vanilla, sweet, hot, MF, FF, XX, NA, over60, D/s, you name it, you find it.
verityw's review
3.0
****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review*****
An interesting mix of stories here. Some who I would happily have read more about, others which weren't for me. I thought this gave a good taste of what's available out there - and would be a good way to discover new authors or to work out what sort of tropes you want to read. There were a couple of authors here who I'd be interested in reading more from and particularly longer works from them as I find short stories quite unsatisfying at times - a little glimpse into a world and I'd often like to see more of that world that the short story provides.
An interesting mix of stories here. Some who I would happily have read more about, others which weren't for me. I thought this gave a good taste of what's available out there - and would be a good way to discover new authors or to work out what sort of tropes you want to read. There were a couple of authors here who I'd be interested in reading more from and particularly longer works from them as I find short stories quite unsatisfying at times - a little glimpse into a world and I'd often like to see more of that world that the short story provides.
bobosbookbank's review
5.0
BEST WOMEN'S EROTICA OF THE YEAR, VOLUME 3 is a wickedly decadent compilation of sensual short stories that focus on women and their pleasure.
Honestly, it was a little hard for me to rate this one! Although I enjoy erotica at times, some of the stories were just so far out of my comfort zone! But when I looked at the shorts from a more practical POV, I realized that all of them are well written, they each give the reader a small taste of various kinds of scenarios and there's something in this anthology for everyone.
I love that each story only takes maybe 10 or 15 minutes to read so even if you don't really enjoy the scene being played out, you're really not investing a whole lot of time in it. And I'll admit, some of these were so freaky-deaky to me...I was ENTHRALLED, I couldn't stop reading, even as I was blushing like a mad woman! This book was a definite eye opener for me. I wanna stand up and applaud the bold writing, the adventurous scenes, the feminine flair that this anthology focuses on!
This book was designed for women who are confident enough to celebrate and explore their femininity. Told from various POVS. I received, read and voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Honestly, it was a little hard for me to rate this one! Although I enjoy erotica at times, some of the stories were just so far out of my comfort zone! But when I looked at the shorts from a more practical POV, I realized that all of them are well written, they each give the reader a small taste of various kinds of scenarios and there's something in this anthology for everyone.
I love that each story only takes maybe 10 or 15 minutes to read so even if you don't really enjoy the scene being played out, you're really not investing a whole lot of time in it. And I'll admit, some of these were so freaky-deaky to me...I was ENTHRALLED, I couldn't stop reading, even as I was blushing like a mad woman! This book was a definite eye opener for me. I wanna stand up and applaud the bold writing, the adventurous scenes, the feminine flair that this anthology focuses on!
This book was designed for women who are confident enough to celebrate and explore their femininity. Told from various POVS. I received, read and voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
tc_mill's review
4.0
(Note: I received a free ebook of Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Vol 3 for my honest review.)
The third volume of Best Women’s Erotica of the Year combines significant variety with several recurring themes that keep the book feeling cohesive. The ones that struck me included growing older, the use of paint (or body paint and makeup!) as well as photography and other art, negotiating desires, and storytelling–plus books as physical objects, stress on the physicality part. There was also a great diversity in characters, with a range of ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, jobs, body types, and sexualities, as well as a number of strong stories touching on trauma, gender identity and presentation, and/or kink. One thing I did notice in reading the author biographies is that every contributor had an impressive bio–which is not at all a complaint! But I had the feeling that this volume of Best Women’s Erotica didn’t introduce me to as many newcomers (though a number of writers were new to me) compared to more established or experienced writers. And on the third hand, it’s worth emphasizing the quality of writing in this anthology–there isn’t a single story that didn’t have some line or image that caught my attention, even when not all of them appealed to my kinks or taste in style. Plus there were several that opened my eyes and mind, and I’ll be looking up more of these writers’ work.
The stories I loved most:
Body Shots by Thien-Kim Lam
Bibliophile by Dee Blake.
Guyliner and Garters by B.B. Sanchez
Making It Feel Right by Annabel Joseph
I talk a bit more about them (and other stories I enjoyed) on my blog.
The third volume of Best Women’s Erotica of the Year combines significant variety with several recurring themes that keep the book feeling cohesive. The ones that struck me included growing older, the use of paint (or body paint and makeup!) as well as photography and other art, negotiating desires, and storytelling–plus books as physical objects, stress on the physicality part. There was also a great diversity in characters, with a range of ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, jobs, body types, and sexualities, as well as a number of strong stories touching on trauma, gender identity and presentation, and/or kink. One thing I did notice in reading the author biographies is that every contributor had an impressive bio–which is not at all a complaint! But I had the feeling that this volume of Best Women’s Erotica didn’t introduce me to as many newcomers (though a number of writers were new to me) compared to more established or experienced writers. And on the third hand, it’s worth emphasizing the quality of writing in this anthology–there isn’t a single story that didn’t have some line or image that caught my attention, even when not all of them appealed to my kinks or taste in style. Plus there were several that opened my eyes and mind, and I’ll be looking up more of these writers’ work.
The stories I loved most:
Body Shots by Thien-Kim Lam
Bibliophile by Dee Blake.
Guyliner and Garters by B.B. Sanchez
Making It Feel Right by Annabel Joseph
I talk a bit more about them (and other stories I enjoyed) on my blog.
elainea's review
4.0
**I received an advance copy of this book from the editor. This is my honest, voluntary review.**
A well-curated collection of 21 erotic stories, with something for most anyone who is looking for erotic tales focused on the woman's experience. As with any anthology, stories will vary for each reader, both in execution and taste, but on the whole I found the writing to be highly skillful, the tales well-varied, and many of the scenarios original. These are short stories, but I found all of them deeper in theme and characterization than the word-count would imply.
Kudos to all the authors, and to the Rachel Kramer Bussel for putting it together.
There are too many to review each story individually so I'll just highlight some of my favorites (in order of appearance in the anthology):
WEIGHTLESS, by Rachel Woe is a lovely, slow-build exploration of loss and change, and of finding oneself in the aftermath (with the help of a very good friend).
THE FOLLOW-THROUGH, by Kris Adams stood out to me for taking on non-standard characters in a story of retirement-age lovers (with all their imperfections), written with both emotion and terrific humor. Janelle is not a lady to be trifled with.
OVEREXPOSED, by Brandy Fox is a poignant story of the effects of past trauma on the people left behind. A deeply emotional read.
THE SKIN OF SOMEONE ELSE, by Charlotte Stein is what I consider literary erotica, where the writing and almost haunting storytelling do as much to wrap the reader into the mind of the main character as deliver the tale. This story really stuck with me.
INFUSED LEATHER, by Dr. J. I was a bit hesitant at the beginning of this story, but the unique premise drew me in and it turned out to be unexpectedly romantic. A very pleasant surprise.
MAKING IT FEEL RIGHT, by Annabel Joseph was an interesting and lively exploration of finding your true self. A strong end to the anthology.
There were many more quality stories, and a few that weren't for me, but taken as a whole, this is a highly-recommended read.
A well-curated collection of 21 erotic stories, with something for most anyone who is looking for erotic tales focused on the woman's experience. As with any anthology, stories will vary for each reader, both in execution and taste, but on the whole I found the writing to be highly skillful, the tales well-varied, and many of the scenarios original. These are short stories, but I found all of them deeper in theme and characterization than the word-count would imply.
Kudos to all the authors, and to the Rachel Kramer Bussel for putting it together.
There are too many to review each story individually so I'll just highlight some of my favorites (in order of appearance in the anthology):
WEIGHTLESS, by Rachel Woe is a lovely, slow-build exploration of loss and change, and of finding oneself in the aftermath (with the help of a very good friend).
THE FOLLOW-THROUGH, by Kris Adams stood out to me for taking on non-standard characters in a story of retirement-age lovers (with all their imperfections), written with both emotion and terrific humor. Janelle is not a lady to be trifled with.
OVEREXPOSED, by Brandy Fox is a poignant story of the effects of past trauma on the people left behind. A deeply emotional read.
THE SKIN OF SOMEONE ELSE, by Charlotte Stein is what I consider literary erotica, where the writing and almost haunting storytelling do as much to wrap the reader into the mind of the main character as deliver the tale. This story really stuck with me.
INFUSED LEATHER, by Dr. J. I was a bit hesitant at the beginning of this story, but the unique premise drew me in and it turned out to be unexpectedly romantic. A very pleasant surprise.
MAKING IT FEEL RIGHT, by Annabel Joseph was an interesting and lively exploration of finding your true self. A strong end to the anthology.
There were many more quality stories, and a few that weren't for me, but taken as a whole, this is a highly-recommended read.
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