Before all of the controversy surrounding Zane’s first lesbian collection, Purple Panties, I never had a chance to read her work. I’m sure most of you have heard of Zane – her books are New York Times bestsellers and her fans are known for their cult-like devotion. Because of this, her titles get a lot of promotion whenever they are released but things were different for Purple Panties. Zane was not happy about it because the only difference she could see was that this book focused on lesbian sexuality – so she called everyone out on their bullshit. When I saw that, I decided this was a woman worth supporting!

Now on to the good stuff! Purple Panties, regardless of the controversy, is just good, sexy erotica. I was thrilled to read some great stories from authors that were new to me, like Anna Black’s Bread and Roses. This sexy story about a union organizer who seduces a hotel worker’s daughter stands out because it was more than just a sexy story.

I also enjoyed Joy Bringas’ contribution, Miss Julidene’s Sexy Items. There’s no heavy plot, just a hot, fun story of one woman’s marketing strategy in her sex toy store. Let me tell you, product placement is key in moving merchandise!

Besides being introduced to several author’s I hadn’t read before, I was also thrilled to see pieces by Rachel Kramer Bussel, Alison Tyler, and, of course, Zane herself! As always, I wasn’t disappointed.

To be honest, I didn’t really expect this anthology to offer any great insight into the lesbian experience – but it did. I can begin to understand the difference between the black and white lesbian experience from conversations with friends, but some of the pieces made me think about the different challenges women of color may face. Of course, the stories in this collection move beyond race for the most part and are just plain hot – but it did make me realize that this is the only erotica book I own that doesn’t have white people on the cover.

This is a good, diverse collection that makes me look forward to the second volume that’s due out later this year!

Add this excellent book to your collection!

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