This is the first erotica compilation I've read that was edited by Tristan Taormino. In addition to editing erotica, Ms. Taormino also writes sexual non-fiction, runs two websites, and owns and runs an adult film production company. There might be very few people as well qualified as she to take on the task of selecting and editing the best sex writing.

In addition, most of the authors in this compilation (23 in total), were new to me because I generally read either less specific sub-genres of erotica or more specifically fetish based erotica.

Seeing as this book is a compilation of butch/femme erotica, it is obviously best suited for those with an interest in the lesbian erotica genre. If that's not your thing, it probably won't do anything for you. But if you do like it, it's a really well-rounded anthology, touching on a lot of different fetishes and sexual interests with a really varied collection of writing styles. There are 23 stories in total and while most of them do feature the butch + femme dynamic, there are a few that are butch + butch. Also, many of the stories place some focus on background and character roles, instead of rushing directly to the sex.

While there is not a single story in the book that I can say didn't belong there, there were a few that I personally just didn't love. For instance, "Cop Out" by Christine Lloyd featured a nightclub scene that just didn't work for me because I'm not into that kind of thing personally, nor does it fit anywhere in my personal fantasy realm. "Angie's Daddy" by A. Lizbeth Babcock was simply written too abstractly for me - when it comes to smut, I prefer mine to be more straightforward. There were a few others that were written in a less traditional style as well, almost poetically, which might work well for those that desire a more flowery, less in-your-face style.

On the other hand however, there were a lot of great, gripping, well-balanced, and surprising stories. I particularly enjoyed "Night Crawler" by Kristen Porter that had a very surprising plot twist, and "You Can Write a Story About It" by Jera Star. Jera Star's story stood out in my mind because as opposed to other short erotica stories that take place over the course of a few hours or a day at most, this one took place over several months and had a great emotional, but not overly romantic, undertone to it.

What absolutely made this book for me, however, was Joy Parks' "Sweet Thing." Without giving away too much of its delicious detail, it's a story of a new-in-town femme pursuing the town baker and tomboyish butch lesbian, Petey Ginoa. It's beautifully written, descriptive and well-explained without being dull or too wordy, and just an amazing story all around that will put you in the shoes of the characters, instead of just a reader. Even if I hadn't enjoyed the rest of the book - which I did - the entire book would have been more than well worth it just for this story.

This book is a standard glossy covered paperback by Cleis Press. It is 226 pages in total and despite the cover picturing two women embracing one another, doesn't display anything overly graphic.