Best women's erotica of the year

Female empowerment is the uniting theme in this sexy anthology featuring powerhouse authors such as Megan Hart and Alyssa Cole. The anthology opens with a bang as Mica Kennedy's "Take the Shot" introduces a plus-size, sensual woman of color posing for a hot photo shoot with her much younger teaching assistant. In the adrenaline-fueled "The Jump" by Rebecca Chase, a woman breaks out of a rut and away from a bad relationship by going tandem skydiving, followed by a little one-on-one time with her jump partner. Quieter but no less intense, "Breathe" by Patricia Elzie shows a young woman exploring her submissive side-and a tickle fetish-with a domme she meets online. "Her Invisible Prison" by Jocelyn Dex takes on a very different challenge as an agoraphobic woman works on conquering her fears with encouragement and sexy rewards from a man in her support group. Whatever her interests or circumstances, every woman in this fantastic and diverse collection is empowered by her steamy adventures. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

This fourth volume of a solid classic series develops the theme of outsiders and risk. Excellent opener "Take the Shot" by Mica Kennedy sees wry yet reserved professor Nina stepping way outside her comfort zone by posing for an erotic calendar-with Josh, the gorgeous teaching assistant she's been crushing on, no less. In Calliope Bloom's seasonal "O Captain! My Captain!," a bisexual unicorn gets the chance to fulfill her friend-crush fantasies with Sophia (aka Maid Marian) in what evolves into a delightfully dirty yacht sexcapade. In Tamara Lush's "Words with Benefits," a 52-year-old professor reluctantly downloads a flirty game app and ends up exploring nautical bondage aboard charming Gabriel's houseboat. Meanwhile, a sneaky shopper succumbs to her untapped voyeuristic streak when she overhears a dressing room quickie in Alessandra Torre's scintillating "The Dressing Room." The entries range from tenderly seductive-Alyssa Cole's sf human/android tale "Essential Qualities" proves a true standout in this regard-to playfully raunchy, with everything in between. This anthology's -inclusion of diverse characters in terms of age, race, kinks, and ability is refreshing and much-needed in erotica; each writer finds a way to adhere to the collection's theme while blissfully breaking the mold. VERDICT An exceptional volume of quality quickies; highly -recommended. © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.