Best Women's Erotica 2007 - book discontinued by Cleis Press Inc. - review by lilly555

Best Women’s Erotica 2007 is an assemblage of stories written by nineteen different authors that was compiled by Violet Blue. While I own several other books written and edited by Miss Blue that were purchased around the same time as this book, this is the first of the bunch I’ve read. Blue has woven this erotica anthology together by employing the works of various authors to create a book suitable for almost every woman.

List of Authors

Reen Guierre: To Serge with Love
Jordana Winters: Inked
Kathleen Bradean: Chill
Jennifer Cross: This Flesh Has Changed Meaning
Jean Casse: Hands
Rita Rollins: Cowboy
Sophie Mouette: Rhythm Like a Heartbeat
Jane Black: Pivot
Kayla Kuffs: Fluid Humiliation
Kay Jaybee: Becky
Irma Wimple: Electric Razor
Donna George Storey: Just Words
Thea Hutcheson: Galatea Breached
Kristina Wright: Call Me
Scarlett French: Play Spaces
Teresa Noelle Roberts: Voice of an Angel
Susie Hara: Puffy Lips
Alison Tyler: Worth It
Rachel Kramer Bussel: Animals

Editor

Violet Blue: Derived from the book, “is a professional sex educator, sex columnist, female porn expert, and pro-porn pudit. She is an author of Metblogs SF and “girl Friday” contributor at Fleshbot.com. she is the editor of the Cleis Press anthologies Best Women’s Erotica series…She is the author of many sex guides from Cleis Press, including the Smart Girls Guide to Porn, the Ultimate Guide to Fellatio, and the Ultimate Guide to cunnilingus…”

This book contains quite a few erotic tales all centered from the point of view of women with a continuous theme of the partner being secondary to the fantasy. The stories range from solo play to encounters with strangers, loved ones, and sometimes friends of loved ones. Violet Blue does an excellent job of meeting the fantasy and fetish needs of readers by compiling a book that includes a variation of scenarios. If you’re looking for a story that includes fetish fantasy or temperature play I recommend Chill, about a socialite looking to obtain perfection. For those of you after S&M tales, the office discipline in Becky is unrealistic but enjoyable. For those readers that prefer lovely tales of erotica with happy endings Rhythm Like a Heartbeat should do the trick.

For the most part the writing styles of the various authors seem to blend well with one another. But there are those tales that give the one-of-these-is-not-like-the-others impression. For instance, while Teresa Noelle Roberts’ Voice of an Angel is a lovely, smutty tale, it fits the book like a jagged puzzle piece. Could it be because it’s the longest story in an anthology chalk full of shorts? Perhaps. It definitely has the most insight into the protagonist outside of the erotica. But given what the other stories seem to represent, which is mostly a want-take-have attitude it doesn’t really fit. I will say that with the exception of this and the occasional abrupt endings, Blue’s compilation manages to blend well together.

When it comes to recommending this book to a certain audience the title should say it all. I mean if Best Women’s Erotica doesn’t let you know this anthology is geared toward women I don’t know what would. Not only is this book told from the point of view of female protagonists but it is purely about fulfilling female desires. The only flaw here is that it’s mainly compiled for heterosexual females. This is not to say Blue completely ignored tales of women lovin’ on other women, just that it contains very few.

This soft cover book is 6x9 inches flat making it somewhat larger than an average paperback but not quite as large as a hard cover. The only aesthetics provided in this 200 page book of erotic fiction can be found on the outside cover. On the front you can see an attractive woman lying on a bed. If you look closely her nipples are blurred out of focus, one hand is touching her inner thigh while her legs are spread open. Obviously this is not the most discreet cover available for those of you hoping to enjoy this book in public. As for the back, it contains a summary of what to expect inside along with a synopsis for three of the stories.

There were certain tales within this anthology I found to be perfection and hope to read more from Play Spaces's Scarlett French and Call Me’s Kristina Wright. Blue managed to cover a wide array of sexual fetishes and fantasies when choosing the best of 2007. Although some of these tales made me cringe, such as one in which the heroine sticks ice cubes in her vagina. brrrr This was mostly due to my personal preferences. As in Heat=Good and Cold=Bad. Many of these stories delve into the topic of sexual exploration; either with the protagonist or her partner. In this regard topics such as BDSM, voyeurism, polyamory, adultery, etc. are explored both physically and emotionally.

Overall, I was a little disappointed with this book. Mostly because the majority of these stories are quite short and do not come off to the reader as fully formed. Some seem to forgo plot altogether and just go for straight up smut, I’m looking at you Inked. For me 5 pages is not enough to fully form a good fantasy and bring it to life. Don’t get me wrong there are some long pieces in here, by that I mean two, but even then only one of those got the timing right. Maybe I’m just picky with my literature but I feel like timing is everything. There is such a thing as too long or too short when you’re writing something and it feels as if Blue has not found the balance when choosing the “Best” erotica. Maybe there will be better luck in 2008, I can only hope since I’m reading that next.