I really enjoyed this collection of stories more than I thought I would. I've read erotica in the past but nothing as crazy as the stories I read in Best Women's Erotica of the Year. I can't wait to read the next volume and go back and read the others too.

Builds to a Satisfying Climax

The blurbs for this book emphasize how "outrageous" these short stories are. Well, a few tales in I was convinced they were exceptionally well written and cleverly imagined, but I wasn't wowed by their outrageousness. Certainly, interesting situations and novel characters and points of view added depth and weight to the adventures. And every author was way, way more creative and accomplished as a writer than your usual erotica purveyor. So, I was happy enough with the collection.

Have to say, though, that once we hit the cupcake bakery, erotic sculpture garden, and mermaid sex scenes I had come over to the view that outrageousness and naughtiness can coexist quite nicely. This is a good-humored, explicit, uncompromising, and unfettered trip through imaginative sex, complemented by perceptive and authentic descriptions of desires and feelings, and a very entertaining and satisfying find.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Cleis Press in exchange for an honest review.

Book title : Best Woman Erotica of the Year Volume 5

Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Release Date : 20 November 2019

Best Women’s Erotica of the Year: Volume Five is a compilation of twenty-one short stories written by various erotica writers whose name people often heard in the erotic-novel-industry such as CD Reiss, Balli Kaur Jaswal (I love her erotic books!), Sierra Simone and many more. Similar to other erotic novels, the writers offer the readers with the steamy romance related to the pleasure department. However, what makes this anthology of erotic stories different from its previous editions is because in this volume, the readers will be spoilt with more varieties of eroticism. It starts from threesomes, the sex parties, fetishes and many more which make it steamy.

My favourite story is the At the Pleasure of the President. It tells a story about Olivia Vargas, a super confident woman. She has this hunky-wonky Jack who always remains at her side as the ‘bodyguard’. Little that Olivia knows, this Jack guy will not only be her bodyguard but also her ‘body’ guard – if you know what I meant! I also love how they portray the sexy scene in this story:

“With both hands he opened her to him. First he kissed the inside of each thigh. It was sweet torture that only escalated her desire. He blew a slow breath over her heated sex as she clutched at the comforter for dear life. She knew she was about to fall — so, so hard. Olivia propped herself on her elbows to get Bettie view of what he was doing, but as soon as Jack’s tongue slid over her tight clit, she collapsed in ecstasy. “Dios mio,” she said on a strangled groan.”

The end of this story is a bit cliché as they both return to their role with a sweet promise that:

“…You know me. It’s always my pleasure to be of service to you any way I can”

-Jack to Olivia Vargas

I really go deep into the story while reading. I could picture each scene perfectly and it’s so sexy without even being trashy. I wish Ms. Soll will consider to put it into a longer novel. Well, the jiggy-jiggy stories are always fun for a steamy evening read tho!

Full review: https://literatureisliving.wordpress.com/2020/01/17/best-womens-erotica-of-the-year-volume-5-edited-by-rachel-kramer-bussel/

This book has it all for fans of something a little steamy. Not for the faint of heart but definitely what I was looking for. Hey you love what you love and this book has it.

Sad to say that this was not my favorite volume. While there were more than a few that definitely left me wanting more, overall it felt a bit flat. It was missing something that has made past stories exciting and captivating. Some felt like "This is happening because it's happening so let's just get it done and over with."

A really good collection which I requested due to a couple of favourite authors. Also a great opportunity to try stories that you might not otherwise try. Really good.

I couldn't finish this book. Too erotic for my taste and not into short stories. I wanted something different to read and wanted to try something different but gave it my best and couldn't get past page 50 which is my norm for not finishing a book.

This anthology had something for everyone. Each story was different from the next and if you are looking for quick sexy stories then pick up this book. There were stories that I liked better then others but that is how it is in any short story collection.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC for an honest review.

As you probably know, we don't review much erotica. But ever since I was handed one of her anthologies in my days at Heroes & Heartbreakers, I've followed Rachel Kramer-Bussel's work with Cleis Press. Kramer-Bussel's curation of these anthologies, particularly the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series, is what really makes them sing. The collections are diverse in both authorship and content and while most readers won't love every story, there's something for everyone in them--as with most anthologies. They're also loosely organized around a theme, this time it's "Outrageous."

These books aren't cheap, but wow have I stumbled across a lot of poorly written stuff on Amazon. I've picked up a few on sale, too. And if you're reading this in December 2019, we're running a giveaway! Head down to the end of the post for the link.

So this time the author lineup is:

Sierra Simone
Alexa J. Day
Sabrina Sol
Angel Leigh McCoy
Justine Elyot
Balli Kaur Jaswal
Kathleen Delaney-Adams
Lee Minxton
Loretta Black
Something New
The Summer of 1669
Broken Thing Fixed
One Interpretation
A. Zimmerman
Quinn LeStrange
Angora Shade
A.Z. Louise
Caridad Piñeiro
CD Reiss
Joanna Angel
Lauren Emily

I was going to go into a few of the standout stories, tell you what was fun about them... but that's so subjective that I'm not sure it'd be of much value. There are mixed pairings, with some group scenes and solo activities. Erotica doesn't follow romance beats and you shouldn't expect an HEA. Some of the stories are about established relationships, some about something new, some are about a fleeting encounter. They're not all explicitly consensual, though most are. For example, in a story about a group scene in a cupcake shop, the boss and a client are getting it on right in full view of all the employees, who eventually get into their own scene, but there's no discussion of consent. Because this is erotica and the rules are different. But in another story, a man and his nonbinary partner who are in a long-term relationship engage in sex featuring humiliation kink, and it's been negotiated in the past.

Anyway, the anthology is great and you can skip around to different stories to find what works for you.

The book releases on December 10th and I have a print copy courtesy of the editor to give away! You should know that I also got a digital review copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Definitely not a collection of stories for the faint of heart. Get your fan and your smelling salts because you’ll need them! Some of the stories were ridiculous but some were heat inducing.
4 stars.

This is a collection of amusing and imaginative stories, that warmed my nether regions even while it brought a smile to my lips.

What are you in the mood for tonight? Go ahead and pick a quick bedtime story to keep you warm. There was quite a variety to choose from- some ff, some mfmm, a mermaid, a historical, some bdsm. I'd say I was into most of it. The great thing about steamy short stories is if one isn't your thing, you can just turn the page til you find one that tickles your fancy. There's somethin here for everyone. And even a couple I thought I wouldn't be into but was.

One thing is sure about the stories contained, they are fiery hot! No matter what you like, you’ll find something here. Some are well written stories, others are just heat, and some miss the story too much for the heat to overcome it. But overall, this is definitely worth a read, and skim the ones that don’t appeal to you!

There were a few really outstanding stories in this collection, and a few misses in here too. Overall, a solid collection, and very enjoyable, and I'll be looking out for future collections.

All of these stories were well written and the book had a diverse collection of different types of erotica. But with the title being “Best Women’s Erotica Of The Year Volume Five”, I really thought that I would be getting a higher quality to these stories then were in this anthology.

Overall there was a variety of erotica and there is probably a few that will appeal to most readers. Although I found it hard to keep reading most of these stories, I kept thinking that there had to be more stories I would like, but sadly there were only about three of them after reading this entire book. I must say that I have enjoyed erotica before, but most of these stories were not for me.

Hot as hell, sexy as sin. Well written and easy to read. Good for your couple! It’s exactly what you want!

This was not a book for me, though a few stories were entertaining. If this is the best women's erotica, I really need to steer clear of this genre entirely.

Though the stories are short they are packed with surprises and lots of heat. I truly enjoyed this collection and all of the writers's really brought the fire!

This was my first book of erotica and if this book, Best Women's Erotica of the Year Volume 5, is representative of the genre I will most certainly reading the other four volumes. The stories were well written, hot, steamy and sexy! They range from office romance to historical fiction to fantasy. Each story is entertaining and grabs your interest instantly. They are so good that I almost read them all in one sitting!

There’s so much on offer in the Best Women’s Erotica of the Year that it’s impossible to know where to begin. This fifth edition is packed with sexy, sizzling and wildly imaginative tales from a multitude of very talented authors. A wonderful compilation of ménage, trysts, fetishes and down and dirty lust, and in some cases the forever kind of love; this is what you can look forward to when you open the cover of this outrageously hot and steamy collection. The authors have provided a wealth of erotic entertainment and the need for a very cold shower (or a BOB) too!