Anything for you - erotic fiction by Cleis Press Inc. - review by ViVix

Luckily, there are two sections in the back of the book: "About the Authors," and "About the Editor" to make this easy.
About the Authors
*Janine Ashbless-has written everything from fairy erotica to paranormal stories. She has had stories published in "Best Women's Erotica 2011."
*Deborah Castellano-was published in "Best Women's Erotica 2009." A self-described "freelance and smut" writer who hand dyes and spins yarn.
*Heidi Champa-published in "Best Women's Erotica 2010." She has written for "Bust" magazine.
*Elizabeth Coldwell-A writer and blogger from London.
*Justine Elyot-wrote for 3 years before being published in 2009. She has now produced two books.
*Emerald-fights for sexual freedom, reproductive choice, and sex worker rights on her blog.

The list continues, but it's pretty obvious that a good variety of authors exist in this book, covering at least three years of "Women's Best Erotica." I only noticed one male author, which is Neil Gavriel.

About the Editor
*Rachel Kramer Bussel-author, editor of 40+ books, and blogger. She has won several awards and has had work in 100+ anthologies. She is also a columnist for SexisMagazine.com (sound familiar?!) She can even teach you to write erotica.

If you don't know about BDSM, you won't understand this book...essentially, that's what the Intro states. While the term "kink" tends to be used quite often, this book is about one type of kink...BDSM. There is no variation to that theme, and for some, these stories will seem eerily similar to one another. Stressing "service and devotion" in the Intro may also turn off those who aren't hardcore into BDSM, as I found myself alternating between feeling sick over these stories and being turned on by them. The lasting effect of my Women's Studies class seem to clash pretty violently with these stories. There are explanations to some degree about why the couple chose BDSM, but they don't all make sense the way I would like them to. Some just aren't relatable for me. Finally, the stress of fear in these stories could go either way for readers.

A Taste of the Stories
Like Riding a Bicycle
A husband admires his wife and finds himself nostalgic over their dom/sub past. He then takes her back to that world of their youth. An excerpt as he first begins to assert his dominance: "I watch the emotions play across her familiar features: confusion, disbelief, a hint of fear."

Tails
A woman is referred to as "Daddy," as her male partner is referred to as a "little girl" or "princess." An excerpt from the male partner: "Please! Let me lick your pussy, Daddy. I want to so bad." The gender word play is interesting to say the least.

Greasing the Wheels
A woman finds out that her boyfriend has cheated on her and decides to dominate him, but halfway through, he turns the tables.

Interview
A mistress and her submissive each explain their relationship, and they also explain BDSM as it's meant to be understood.

Big Night
A wife wants to give her husband the best two surprise parties ever for his 40th birthday. The first party is the usual family and friends, but it's the second surprise party that brings about his submission in front of a group of people.

The book itself is paperback, typical of the erotica on EF. As far as binding, it tends to run the same quality as the rest. The layout is kind of disappointing. Perhaps it's because the same genre is carried throughout the book, but there were times when the stories blended together too much. I'm sure there were stories that should have stood out in this book, but I couldn't recall a single one after reading this. There are a few non-hetero stories sprinkled in randomly, which is the saving grace of the design. There are no illustrations within the book. The cover is fairly conservative (for an erotica book), which is why I find it odd that EF has not provided the picture. That being said, here it is:

In my own experience, I am not capable of full submission. I have tried to grasp the dom/sub BDSM concepts, but I can't help but to feel like some of the partners in these stories are just being outright humiliated and disrespected in a way that completely lacks sex appeal. This is why I would only recommend this book for those who are whole-heartedly into BDSM or at least have the mental capacity to put their Disney romance mindset aside. My idea of marriage and relationships being monogamous really stopped me from enjoying this book, but I still gave it three stars because I feel like more hardcore individuals will appreciate the bluntness and open relationship settings. Still, even the BDSM lovers will find themselves disappointed at the lack of variety within this book.