Just Watch Me - book discontinued by Cleis Press Inc. - review by Airen Wolf

When I read the title of this book I was under the impression that it would be populated with short stories featuring voyeurism.
The first story seemed to bear this out. 'Just Watch Me Rodin' by Cate Robertson starts by introducing a young woman who is posing for an older artist. He asks her to do more and more outrageous poses and tableaux and then he paints them. The twist comes in when you realize he is pushing her boundaries and she is pushing right back.
After reading a few more stories, like 'Reading To Horst' by Sydny Beier which chronicles the tale of a younger woman and an older man who, again, asks her to do something strange and leaves her wondering about her own courage and daring; I realized that this book is much more than just a collection of voyeuristic erotica. This book is about boundaries and how exciting it can be to watch yourself push them!

In 'The Upper Hand' by Saskia Walker a woman is assaulted mildly while working in her garden. The revenge she sets up tests the lengths to which she will push her own boundaries.

'Utterly Nondescript' by Geneva King touched me and turned me on in ways that went beyond sexual. I,too, look totally 'normal' and even rather boring to the outside world. Sometimes I, like the main character in this story, find it exciting beyond belief to relive what I actually do when the bedroom door is closed and I am free to be the freaky me! While I have never had the opportunity to be AS wild as the main character, I will admit to dreaming about it. This was by far, my favorite story.

I was able to relate to 'Fulfilling Megan' by Bonnie Dee because it was my fantasy to have two men at once, same as Megan! My guys made this come true and it was a hot experience that did lead to a broadening of our desires just as it was for Megan.
Though 'The Arrangement' by Jean Roberta is about a totally different subject than 'Fulfilling Megan' it was, for me, a story I could relate to. I have seen similar situation where grief has lead to a pairing (or even tripling) that both helps heal the grief and provides immense joy for the participants.

I couldn't help but sit for a minute imagining what would happen if I stumbled across a set of videos of either Sigel or Arch with another woman. In 'A Spanking Good Time' by Eva Hore our heroine does exactly that. She sees another side of her lover and it leads to a deepening of their desire and connection through dominance and, more specifically, spanking. This is one amazing read!

Although this book only contains 20 stories some of them are fairly long, giving this book some heft. Some of the stories are just a few pages long but all of the stories capture you, the reader, and draw you in to worlds that are usually left unexplored. As Violet Blue notes in her foreword, these are not stories fraught with dark, complex themes and tinged with despair! These are rich and at the same time light stories that are full of life, and laughter. Ms. Blue wanted to build a collection of stories that would appeal to women but not wrench their emotions. She wanted to show that erotica for women can be hot, sex filled and yet not 'mean' anything. I believe, whole heartedly, that she not only succeeded but surpassed her desires.

The cover art on the book is suitable for any venue, honestly the book looks like a slightly oversized, paper back novel.

This book offers so many 'feel good' stories of personal courage and daring that I find myself picking it up time and time again especially if I am feeling a bit low or facing something that I want to do but maybe lack a bit of courage.