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!
