Sex Toy Reviews – Books

Butch/Femme dynamics have always held a special place in my heart.  Alright, in my heart and in my pants.  Yep, I think butch/femme dynamics are super duper hot.  There is something about the delicious performances of masculinity and femininity that fit within that queer framework that give my bottom that special tingle.  Maybe it’s because I identify as a femme and I’ve always had my eye on masculine-identified queers, be they butch women or transgender men.  Or maybe it’s just this amazing subset of society that has a rich history that I find alluring. Either way, I totally jumped at the chance to read and review Sometimes She Lets Me: Best Butch/Femme Erotica edited by Tristan Taormino.

I guess before I go on, I should probably give a rundown of what are butch/femme dynamics.  The whole thing is a much bigger conversation than I can fit in this post, but here are the basics.  While a person’s sex is male or female (though there are plenty of intersex folks as well!), the genders that they take on are masculinity and femininity.  Anyone can take on any role and perform gender in the way that they feel most comfortable.

For some queer or lesbian-identified women, feminine presentation and gender roles are not their preference and they instead gravitate to a more masculine presentation, and still identify as a woman.  Femmes, on the other hand, are women that embrace femininity, but do so in a more performed, intentional way.  While there are tons of relationships that include two (or more) butches, and two (or more) femmes, what I am talking about by butch/femme dynamics, I am referring to the ways that butches and femmes interact and relate with one and another.   There has been a lot of tension in the community in the past (and present) about butches and femmes replicating hetero-normative culture and perpetuating stifling gender roles, but we aren’t here to talk about that now… we are here to talk about how very hot these dynamics and relationships can be! Alright, now that we’ve got the initial info down, let’s get to it!

Along with having a thing for butch/femme dynamics, I also have a major boner for written erotica.  I’ve always been hot for the written word, but I’m pretty sure that watching porno for a full-time job has my visual erotica response dulled, which has increased my excitement for erotic writing.  And since “Sometimes She Lets Me” mixes two things that make me incredibly hot, it only stands to reason that this book should light me on fire.  And oh, did it ever.

Each of the 23 stories in this erotic anthology of hotness is perfectly crafted – never revealing too much too soon or dragging along.  In fact, each story is executed exquisitely, with just the right build up, climax and cool down.  Sound familiar?  And it doesn’t just read like a delicious orgasm, it doles them out, one after another, story after story making the reader’s face flush with that special red of arousal.  Or maybe that was just me.

I’m not even sure how to talk about which were my favorite stories, because each of the 23 had their own piece that tickled both my fancy and my bottom.  I will say that the folks who I knew would be amazing (like Sinclair Sexsmith and S. Bear Bergman) were every bit as alluring and wonderful as I had hoped, and many new names for me are now prominently etched into the subconscious of my spank bank.  Need I say anymore?

If you are into butch/femme dynamics, or even just like hot erotica, Sometimes She Lets Me needs to make it onto your reading list/bedside table!

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I’ve got a thing for cops. I’m probably not the only one. I mean, what’s hotter than the thought of a confident, strong woman coming home, putting her gun on the counter and ravishing her girlfriend?

In Lesbian Cops, Sacchi Green has collected sixteen super hot stories that are as well-written as they are inspiring! Green has done a great job of compiling an eclectic bunch of tantalizing tales that are sure to please.

This may sound weird, but I found Elizabeth Coldwell’s Torn Off A Strip to be a really challenging story. After two officers are called to a bachelor party gone wrong, they find the evenings entertainment handcuffed to the porch railing with a stolen wallet in her back pocket. While the male officer takes the guys inside to get the story, his partner has her way with the suspect. It’s completely consensual, but I am 100% sure if the officer had been a male the feminist in me would have been furious. The fact that it turned me on left me with a bunch of questions…

Of course, no one really reads erotica to be challenged, so let me tell you about another one of my favorites, Dress Uniform by Teresa Noelle Roberts. It’s so much more than a dirty story about a cop and her girlfriend who has a thing for Cosplay. The dirty parts are so damn hot, but what really makes it stand out is Roberts’ attention to detail. The final sex scene was so good, partly because you understand where both women are coming from and are emotionally invested in it. It’s hard to write good characters in a dozen pages, but the author pulls it off here.

While those two stories stood out for me, there’s really not a dud in the bunch. This new Cleis Press collection may not be for everyone since it has such a specific focus, but if you’re the kind of girl who fantasizes about being pulled over, you’re going to love it.

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Today’s review is for the three part Wild Ride Kit from Good Vibrations!

Normally when you pick up a sex position book, you’d flip through the pages and see picture after picture of people fucking in all different contorted ways. Thumbs up for Dr. Sadie Allison, who travels way passed that with her awesome instructional Ride’em Cowgirl: Sex Positions for Better Bucking!

Offering over 90 different possible bucking positions, Dr. Allison doesn’t just slap down the picture, she tells you why to get into a certain position, why it will feel good, how to reach the ultimate orgasm, how to make it a multiple, how to help your partner with his HE-Spot, while he touches your G-Spot.

She does an excellent job at touching on some very ‘not so talked about’ subjects, and the language she uses in her book is easily understood, yet very informative. I love that the points she touches on are helpful to many different audiences.  For example, if you’ve never masturbated or had an orgasm, she explains how to go about it, slowly but successfully.

There are many important parts of sex, other than just the act itself. The prep – there is cleanliness, grooming, partner consideration. Dr. Allison spends a good deal of time and detail on kissing, dry humping, foreplay, which are so very important. A few in particular that I enjoyed: the HE-Spot and the Backdoor Boogaloo. How often do you get tips on cleaning up the possible poop? She covers it.

Dr. Sadie’s layout of the book is for couple reading. A major fault among couples is the fear of expressing desires in bed, feeling you may be way out of line, or scare the hell out of your partner. If you’re reading this side by side, the embarrassment part is removed by ‘reading’ it. You can ask your partner at that time, is this something that would interest you? You never know, your partner’s favorite position may be the Banana Split, and you never knew. Read the rest of this entry »

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I’ve been devouring the enormous pile of books I received for Christmas this year lately, so I haven’t picked up an erotica in a while. When I got a copy of Best Lesbian Romance 2011 from my friends at Cleis Press, I figured it was time to put down the Heinlein and pick up some smut!

Of course, from the title, you can probably guess that the seventeen stories the legendary Radclyffe picked out aren’t wall to wall sex, but there’s definitely some steamy action mixed in! It’s a great collection to read with a cup of tea or the girl who still makes your belly flip-flop after a decade together.

Charlotte Dare’s Rebound was by far my favorite story. Who can resist the story of two middle-aged woman meeting at bingo and fucking their brains out?? I guess the bingo part doesn’t sound that hot, but I loved this quick story about two women finding both love and lust a little later in life!

Dirty Laundry by Cheyenne Blue is also worth a mention. While it’s not one to read if you’re looking for something on the sexy side, it is a well-written story that takes place in an Irish convent and tells the story of two women forced to stay there who fall in love. I had no idea about this dark piece of Irish history and am grateful to Blue for introducing me to it.

Overall, this is a fantastic collection that reminded me how lucky I am. I’ve actually dog-earred a couple of stories in hopes that my girl and I will read them together at some point. This isn’t an erotica collection, although there are a lot of erotic elements to most of the stories. I mean, uncontrollable lust is one of the best parts of falling in love! This would be a good read for two women to share with Valentine’s Day right around the corner.

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A few months back, I got a chance to review Erotic Bible to Europe, an interactive website featuring a detailed map of every sex toy shop, swinger party, lingerie store and more, that Europe has to offer.  Of course I was blow away by not only the brilliance of the idea, but the flawless execution.  But then again, the project was created by the fabulous Erika Lust, porn director extraordinaire, so honestly, I’m not surprised.  And now this awesome guide to everything frisky on the other side of the pond comes in book form as well!

Organized by region and country, this hot pink hardback is the book to get if you find yourself en route to anywhere in Europe – from Benelux to the U.K.  Each of the nearly 250 pages is filled with beautiful artwork and detailed accounts of what every shop has to offer, as well as pages dedicated to erotic museums, film festivals, and even one on how to translate a few super sexy phrases into 4 different languages.  Tres chic!

While this book is seriously classy and a total must buy for any Europe-bound bon voyage gift, I do have one frustration with it.  Unlike it’s internet counterpart, this bible is destined to become dated before folks even take it off the shelf.  Stores open up and close down all the time, making the carefully collected information null, which is a total downer if you’ve gotten excited about a place that no longer exists, or miss one that does.  I suppose that’s why it makes sense to have both the book and the site work together to make sure the selection stays as current as possible.  Another website plus is the database that allows users to add their favorite erotic establishments, creating an all-encompassing list that includes a variety of options.

Whether you go for the site or the book, this dirty bible is a must-have for travelers and Europeans alike!

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Arsenal Pulp’s Hot & Bothered 4 is not a new book. Hell, it’s nearly eight years old at this point, but good writing is timeless and I love this collection of short tales of lesbian love and lust.

One thing I really appreciated about this book is that it took me back a few years to a time when I was just out of college and had few concerns outside of meeting girls & drinking beer. Carol Queen (<3 her!) opens the book with She’s Not A Lesbian – a story that didn’t really turn me on as much as it made me remember the days before Ellen was out. It hasn’t been that long, but much has changed my younger friends! Anyways, while Queen surely has the ability to put together a few words that’ll make you weak in the knees, I was more impressed with her ability to capture the passions of a relationship where one woman, to quote Kate Clinton, “can't say the word lesbian… even when her mouth is full of one.”

I also loved Joy Parks’ Little Black Dress and think all of my femme friends will love the way our heroine uses her lady ways to get exactly what she wants! Another notable tale is Tanya Davis’ Best Bandanna. While I was expecting a kinkier story, because that’s where my mind goes when I think of bandannas, it turned out to be a great story of first love at a summer camp that I’m guessing a ton of homos relate to. I know I do.

With over 65 stories that are no longer than a 1,000 words, you’ll find plenty of great reads in this collection that was edited by Karen X. Tulchinsky. There’s a good mix of sexy and cute stuff and if you love a quickie, it’s a fantastic addition to your bookshelves. I also love all of the cultural references, even those that are a bit dated, and in a silly sort of way this is a little piece of lesbian history for me.

Add Hot & Bothered 4 to your library today!

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Erotica fans have likely heard of Rachel Kramer Bussel and if they haven’t they need to get on the ball! Bussel’s Cleis Press collections have been providing me with one-handed reading for years and this is another fine example of erotica at it’s best. Orgasmic features 25 stories that focus on the big O from a woman’s perspective and if that’s not reason to read it ladies, I’m not sure what will convince you.

One thing I love about this collection is that the stories cover a number of fantasies and kinks because the theme is pretty general. If hopping on one foot while singing the Journey’s greatest hits gets me off, there’s no reason I couldn’t have submitted a story about that for consideration! While RKB has better taste than to ever include talentless hacks like me, this leads to an arousing collection that will introduce you to new ways of getting off and that’s never a bad thing.

Without a doubt, my favorite story was Lana Fox’s Frosting First. I thought it was going to be a silly story about a couple getting it on while baking which is ok because I love food, but it’s so much more. I loved the way she shares our heroine’s deepest thoughts and desires throughout whether she’s thinking about being spanked with a spatula or her father. I also loved the voyeuristic twist at the end, even if things didn’t end like I assumed they would.

Bussel’s Belted is another that you don’t want to miss. This story has me wondering where my copy of her previous compilation Spanked is because she surely has a eye for this kink!

While not every story is a hit (there was one that seemed like a bad parody of erotica to me) the nice thing about collections like this is that if you hate a story you’re only out 5 minutes of your life! It sucks to feel disappointed after dedicating a chunk of time to something and I’d hate for anyone to feel what I did after finishing Henry James’ The Bostonians this summer. Really, Mr. James?!

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Two of my favorite things in the whole wide world are beautiful women and the great outdoors, so I kind of feel like Emma Delves-Broughton’s Kinky Nature was made just for me. It’s packed full of gorgeous girls decked out in their rubber and heels and will have the biggest couch potato lacing on their hiking boots and heading into the woods in hope of catching just one glimpse of these sexy nymphs!

While I loved all of the bare bodies on display, my favorite images were those where the girls were extra kinky. There’s just something about a pale beauty decked from head to toe in black latex with a pair of impossible heels juxtaposed against the gorgeous green of a forest floor… You also won’t catch me complaining about flipping through pages of girls bound to trees.

Cover girl Ulorin Vex makes a number of appearances throughout the book and I have to say I’m pretty smitten with this girl. I’m embarrassed to admit I had no clue who she was, but people who follow fetish modeling a little more closely will likely recognize her. I know I’ll be keeping an eye out for this lady in the future.

Delves-Broughton does an amazing job of capturing a dream world full of stunning women in this Goliath book. If you’re the type of girl who loves to leave scandalous books out for guests, this would be a great buy for your coffee table, especially for $25 bucks.

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I’ve been so busy that I’ve barely had a chance to sit down the past couple of months. When I discovered I had an entire afternoon all for myself, I decided to spend it reading and I wanted a book I could devour in one sitting. There’s nothing like a paperback romance to waste a few hours and Vanessa Kelly’s Sex and the Single Earl was just what I needed.

Sophie Stanton is the kind of lady who doesn’t much care about the rules women live by during the Regency era and for that I immediately liked her. It’s pretty obvious that she’s into Trask (Simon St. James, fifth Earl of Trask) but that doesn’t mean she’s going to let him walk all over her. These two definitely have some issues to work out and there are some ups and downs to the relationship but it makes for an entertaining ride.

Besides being a good romance novel, this book is also a pretty interesting historical novel. Kelly definitely did her research and it adds to overall success of the book. I think it’s really interesting that the author included complex issues like child labor and as flighty as Sophie can be, she’s passionate about her beliefs. It’s always nice when a romance novel is interesting in between the dirty bits!

It’s nice to escape into a book like this for an afternoon and if you’re a fan of the genre this is one you might want to look into picking up.

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It’s been a while since I’ve sat down with an erotica collection, so when I received Please, Ma’am in the mail I decided to make some time for myself and dig in! This Cleis Press book was edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel and I always love the results when this lovely lady is involved. I’m always pleased with the wide variety of taboo subjects she manages to work into one sexy book!

This book contains eighteen stories of male submission including D.L King, Graydancer and Bussel herself. Things start off excellently in Teresa Noelle Roberts’ I Live to Serve. This was my first time reading about anyone wearing a chastity device and I have to say it was surprisingly hot. The two main characters have a really loving D/s relationship and we get to see it played out over a dinner party as the sub serves his lady and her colleagues.

I also loved Sommer Marsden’s Thrift Store Whore for it’s bratty punk feel. After picking out the ugliest dresses she can find, Gia leads Bean back to the dressing room for a little gender play and a lot of XXX action. The fact that everyone knows what’s going on only makes it hotter for them. This story really stood out because it had a different feel that a lot of the others. A lot of male submission pieces tend to feature men who dress in suits and attend power lunches, so it was nice to hear about the kind of guy I would have run around with in my early twenties.

While I’ve only talked about a couple of stories, Please Ma’am is packed full of tales that will have your heart and mind racing. I also suggest imagining the gorgeous leather clad lady from the cover in story after story. Boy would I love to run into her in a dark alley!

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