Sweet Life - book discontinued by Cleis Press Inc. - review by PiratePrincess

Sweet Life is a collection of twenty-one erotic short stories, each written by a different author. Each author did a wonderful job of portraying the characters to the reader and giving them more depth than just two people involved in sexual acts. Each story brought the reader into the scene as if it were happening right then and there, and the reader becomes involved in their lives for a short time.

In the introduction, editor Violet Blue introduces the main concept of the book: couples who are exploring their fantasies with each other, both new and old. Sometimes the couples are hesitant to try new things, and other times they jump right into it. She created this book to give couples ideas and to give them short bursts of taboo fantasies and sexual experimentation. Violet Blue did a wonderful job picking out the selections in this book and stayed true to the theme, executing the idea with mastery.

There are 200 pages in Sweet Life, and each story is about 8-10 pages long while a few are shorter (only 4 pages) and some are longer (up to 16 pages long). Each story revolves around a couple (usually married) living out their deepest fantasies. In most stories it is something that is a completely new experience for one or both partners and something that they may have been hesitant about at first. This book would be wonderful for couples who are looking for new ideas to spark their own fantasies or who are just interested in the kinds of things that are out there. It may help those who are uncomfortable sharing their fantasies with their partners to open up and live out their own adventures.

The book contains 21 short stories with content varying from sex parties and threesomes to a husband and wife sharing intimate fantasies and stories with each other. Most of the stories take a small step out of vanilla erotica and bring something different to the table. Most of the stories also mainly focus on heterosexual couples, although there are a few that introduce gender play and other pairings during threesomes.

The fantasies in this book include being dominated and disciplined, pegging, threesomes (MMF, FFM), role-play, sex parties, public phone sex, gender play, pee play, gang bang, fisting, and more. Each author does a great job portraying the story, and some stories are from the first-person perspective while others are in third person.

In "Spa Day," a woman goes to a massage parlor to get a full body massage from a handsome man. As she relaxes, she finds herself turned on and finds her happy ending.

In "Number One on the List," a couple swap their top fantasies, and the wife is surprised to find that pee play is at the top. She is scared to urinate in front of people, so she gets some coaching help from her next-door neighbor in order to feel comfortable with her husband.

In "Roaming Charges," a wife waits until her husband is on a busy train and then talks dirty to him as she pleasures herself, knowing that he is in public where others around can hear everything he says to her.

In "Roger's Fault," a husband is late getting home to his wife because he is out having a few drinks with his friend. On their way home, his friend convinces him to buy a harness and a dildo. When they arrive, he discovers that his wife had this planned from the start, and the male friend joins them in their fantasy.

No two stories are too similar, which I really appreciated. There was always something new coming in the next story, and everyone will find something that appeals to them in this collection.

The book has a glossy cover of a man and a woman. The male is kissing the woman's shoulder and pulling down a strap. The title, Sweet Life, is in large letters, and in medium letters (too large to be discreet), it says "Erotic Fantasies for Couples."

The book appears to have been constructed pretty well and will certainly hold up to repeated use.

Although many of the stories in this book weren't what I was expecting, I found that I enjoyed the majority of them. As I read, I discovered personal fantasies that I didn't realize I had, which was interesting for me. I enjoyed the collection very much, and it was wonderful to get to know the characters as I was reading, despite the short story length. I enjoyed the fact that most were about couples who were exploring their fantasies with each other and encouraging each other to live them out. The book was a good read, and I know I will enjoy the stories many more times.