Sometimes She Lets Me - book discontinued by Cleis Press Inc. - review by Airen Wolf

'Sometimes She Let's Me' Is edited by Tristan Taormino. I chose this book to review based on that fact alone! I have read several of Tristan's works and they are all superbly written with meticulous attention to detail, this book is no exception.

This collection is culled from the 'Best Lesbian Erotica' Series and represents Ms. Taormino's favorites. The authors are: Alison L. Smith, Joy parks, S. bear Bergman, Amie M. Evans, Samiya A. Bashir, Rosalind Christine Lloyd, Kristan Porter, Tara-Michelle Ziniuk, D. Alexandria, Anna Watson, Shannon Cummings, A. Lizabeth Babcock, Lynne Jamneck, Sparky, Elaine Miller, Isa Coffey, Skian McGuire, Jera Star, Toni Amato, Peggy Munson, Sandra Lee Golvin, and Sinclair Sexsmith.

There isn't a seperate biography of each author in this book like there is in other Cleiss Press anthologies, instead there is a list of website addresses to the author's pages. Very useful for finding out what your favorite author is up to!

Sometimes She Let's Me had me worried, to be honest. I am heterosexual though I have enjoyed a few women in my life, this was a look into a world I had only ever seen on TV shows. To be sure, what I knew about this community was very different than reality. Still I felt like a stranger in a strange land. I was curious and a bit afraid of the reception I would receive!

I began my journey with 'Sweet Thing' by Joy Parks and right off the bat I was hooked. Far from being a treatise on what it is to be a butch or femme this was a beautifully written story where the lead character finally gets the woman of her dreams only to discover how misused and ill treated she has been. I was able to relate this to my life so easily that I felt an emotional connection to the characters. To me this is the hallmark of a great story, that it evokes real emotion beyond just genital tingling.

Feeling more confident I began the story 'Lessons' by S. Bear Bergman. Once again I was whisked away from my fear of the unknown into understanding and relation. I have always loved learning what makes my partners dissolve in my hands and I usually am attracted to people who are more interested in giving rather than receiving. Huh! So these women aren't aliens who have scary alien sex?

I moved on and once again found a story that I not only could relate to but struck me as a powerful statement of just how similar we all are underneath our skin. In 'Tag' By D. Alexandria I was alternately grinning and wandering down memory lane as I read. One of the wonderful abilities I love about Arch is his ability to just cut loose and be a kid with me. Like in the story it usually ends with us playing 'adult' games. In 'Homecoming Queen' by Anna Watson I relived those furtive dates where Sigel and I had to be absolutely quiet lest we be caught.

There were only a few stories that seemed foreign to me like 'Angie's Daddy' by A. Lizabeth Babcock. In this story the narrator recounts the depth of her love for both Angie and her Daddy. The terminology was a bit unusual and to be honest the story evoked an image of an improper adult being sexual with a child. I had to read it several times until the real story took root. It did prompt me to ask some questions of a friend of mine who is a femme, I had been a bit scared to possibly offend a new friend but she was genuinely pleased I had taken an interest. We had some great conversations about love-style and sexual orientation. 'Becoming Stone' by Sandra Lee Golvin was another one that left me sort of confused and asking questions. It is another dream sequence type story filled with archtypal images and evocative language. This isn't a bad thing and I knew I was growing as a sex positive person, sometimes it is a good thing to have your boundaries pushed.

Some of the stories are soft and full of love, some are edgy and slightly sinister, much like the dynamic between butch and femme. The writing is very high quality and lush in it's imagery. While not all of the stories were to my taste all of them were worth the time I spent reading them. I expected an entertaining read with some interesting twists and what I got was a thoughtful, erotic trip into a subculture that was beautiful and easy to relate to.

Though this book will certainly appeal to people who enjoy Butch/Femme erotica but it's appeal is not limited in it's scope. The stories are evocative of love, lust, revenge and all of the same elements of more mainstream erotica. In short it's a book of erotica that will appeal to people who enjoy reading erotic stories!

This book is a slightly oversized paperback with good quality acid free paper. The cover design is fairly discreet and from a distance looks like a couple embracing either in passion or sympathy. The title of the book 'Sometimes She Lets Me' is printed below the couple in bold red letters followed by 'Best Butch/Femme Erotica' in orange print. This isn't a cover you would have to block from your small children while you read it. It won't raise eyebrows if you are reading it in a public area but it might not be entirely safe for work.