Just Watch Me - erotic fiction by Cleis Press Inc. - review by danellejohns

Just Watch Me is a collection of short story erotica; the selection of 20 stories in this book come from "Best Woman's Erotica" series. The book, which is edited by Violet Blue, is intended to inspire one with new ideas for the bedroom.


The book is a little over 220 pages, and the stories are short enough that you could easily read a few at a time. The short stories range from eight pages to twenty pages. Just Watch Me is advertised as being written by women, for women. I believe it has at least one story for each person's liking.

A sampling of the twenty titles in this book are the following:

1)The Arrangement by Jean Roberta
2)A Spanking Good Time by Eva Hore
3)Paid for Pleasure by Adrie Santos
4)Four on the Floor by ALison Tyler
5)The Upper Hand by Saskia Walker

This was a perfect choice for a first time erotic book reader, like me. Each story having been written by different authors helped give me a look at different writing styles of erotica.

Some authors chose to be more detailed in the atmosphere, while others were more into the actual actions of the characters. I loved how easily this book can be read, especially since I kept getting interrupted. I never had to worry about losing my place in a plot.

Having each author's variation in writing styles and that they are short stories is why I was able to finish it in only a couple of days. The collection of short stories was able to easily transport me into each scenario portrayed in the book.

"The Upper Hand", by Saskia Walker, is a story about how an "older" woman got the upper hand on a neighbor's son and his friend, as they visit before heading out on a trip. I love the way she is able to lure them, from her side of the fence, into spying on her. She is able to bait them, and then she goes over to ask her neighbor if her son and his friend can help with installing shelves. I found myself laughing at the thought of those boys faces as the woman they had been peeking through the fence at was now standing in front of them. What happens next is up to you to read.

I think that The Upper Hand was one of my favorites because I could picture the whole situation without giving much effort.

On the other hand, a few of the stories were a bit harder to visualize, but I still enjoyed the stories. Such as "Reading to Horst" by Sydney Beier. This one was a bit harder for me to get into. The premise of the story is a woman who follows a stranger she has seen in a park walking his dog. Within a short span of time, they are "joined" together at the same table at a local bar. He asks her a few questions and asks her to read to him. When she finishes, they end up leaving together to go back to his room. This leads her to more reading from the book, which she is reading, and much, much more.

I think that it was hard for me to get into the characters of this story because it was about strangers, and I am not used to that scenario. I still enjoyed reading it because the idea behind what turned him on was actually interesting to me.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to read an erotic collection of stories, especially for a first time reader of the genre. This collection shows fine examples of variations in techniques and writing styles of very talented writers.

This paperback does not necessarily have a discreet cover because of the "erotica for women" written underneath the title. I would not have a problem taking this out in public to read (I probably would keep the cover down in my lap). The book itself is 6x9 inches in size and could be placed in any bag or purse for carrying around. I like the "glossy" cover as it helps in preventing tears if you do fold it to put in your bag.

I did not read this aloud to my husband, but I think he will end up glancing through it. He also is not one that has read erotica, but has been curious about it. I hope to have him read a few selections and see how a conversation goes on talking about it. I do know he has told me a childhood tale similar to "The Upper Hand," so at least he will be able to relate easily to one of the stories.

I gave this one 5/5 stars. I really enjoyed the short stories, so I will be reading this book more than once. I also liked how the collection gave me the opportunity to pick out some favorite authors that I can look for.