Best Women's Erotica 05 - book discontinued by Cleis Press Inc. - review by leela

The 2005 edition of Best Women's Erotica is the first of this series I've read, but if it's any indicator of the quality of the rest of the books, I'll definitely be checking out more of these in the future. As the name suggests, this collection is an anthology of erotica by female writers. These stories are hot and steamy, but even more importantly, there's some quality writing here. I have high standards, and I was not disappointed in the least! There was nothing to snap me out of the enjoyment of reading this one: the sex was hot and described realistically, with no cringe-worthy cheesy phrasing.

Sometimes I shy away from products that are directly marketed as " _____ for women!" because a lot of times a product "for women!" is just a poorly made product, covered in pink paint. Or in the case of books, chick lit. Chick lit is so not my thing. Fortunately, Best Women's Erotica *is* my thing! Books like this show how literature geared toward women should be done–it's hot, smart, and literate.

There are seventeen stories in all, and a total of 185 pages. I almost wish there had been more, but fortunately there are plenty more books in this series to enjoy. The stories in this collection are a fun mix. There's a little something for everyone. Though it is geared mainly towards heterosexual encounters, a couple stories feature lesbian encounters and one is about an MMF threesome. The latter story, "Trailblazers," was one of my favorites. A woman goes on a hiking trip with a hot gay couple she knows... only to discover that these guys were a little more bi than she thought. Some stories don't even have partner sex in them at all, a bold move for a book of erotica. "Evian" is about a flirtatious encounter with the unspoken (and undescribed) promise of more in the future. Two of the stories feature women getting off by themselves, one while someone watches, and one by herself.

Overall, the stories are very atmospheric. The authors know how to set a mood and build up some sexual tension between characters, and this is used in the best way possible in this book. Even if I wasn't turned on by a few stories, I still enjoyed reading them, just for the pure enjoyment of reading a well-crafted piece of writing.

One of the things I appreciated most about this book is that the editor chose stories that have a spark of realism. It shows in the tiny details that many authors include. Minute things like scars on a lover's body are mentioned, and to me, it's details like these that make a story more interesting. Sometimes erotic stories get too general in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience, but this only cheapens the writing and makes for boring descriptions of sex. The authors in this anthology have taken the risk of being highly specific in their writing, and it's a risk that pays off. There's a character with a prosthetic leg. A character with daddy-issues. A couple having break-up sex. A woman with a degenerative illness struggling to rediscover passion with her husband. In the story about the threesome, responsible condom use is described. It's life, and it's gritty and imperfect and beautiful. There's a refreshing lack of sugar-coating on this erotica.

My only issue with the Best Women's Erotica series is the title. This is such a well written anthology, it seems a shame to give it a title that excludes half the population that might enjoy it. In my opinion, these stories could just as easily be enjoyed by a heterosexual man or a couple. It almost seems a shame to pidgeonhole these stories as being for women only, when in reality they could most likely be enjoyed by any heterosexual (or bi!) person who enjoys reading well-written erotica. However, as I understand it, erotica is primarialy consumed by women, so this may not even be that big of an issue. Either way, I'd recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys hot, heterosexual erotic stories.