Where to start from with this book
Oh my goodness, this book was so intense and beautiful
There's so much to say about this book but I'm scared because i might spoil it but each story was just wow and I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone

This book is a collection of erotic stories. It has love, it has pure sexual attraction, it has mermaids, it has fantasies and porn, and sometimes even a little plot.
But most importantly, this is a celebration of women's happiness, sexuality and freedom. It may be diverse, it may be weird, it may be conventional, it may be anyway women want it. And that's what all of this is about.
So, if you want to read something insanely hot, entertaining, with little complications and that will introduce you to some interesting authors, this may totally be your thing.

Juicy, spicy, and downright titillating.... are words to describe many of these stories, but not all. Somewhere just not my taste, but that is understandable as everyone is different. I don’t usually read books like this but found it fun, enjoyable and very entertaining!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book very much so. I loved how every chapter was something different. Different races. Different genders. Different kinks. I loved that in one story it could be 2 people making love, and the next chapter be involved with whips and chains.

When it comes to erotica anthologies, Rachel Kramer Bussel is one of those editors I trust to assemble a fabulous collection of stories, no matter the theme. With Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 6 that theme is a bit softer, a bit more open to exploration with a wide variety of topics and scenarios to be explored, with the only firm connection between stories being the women writing them and the women living them. It lends the whole anthology an element of surprise, with each story something new and different.

Not surprisingly, this was another stellar anthology, full of stories I loved, stories I liked, and really only one story that fell flat for me. New Year’s Chance by SHELLY BELL was a wonderfully romantic tale of youthful regrets, lost loves, and second chances at a happily ever after. Inked on My Skin by NAIMA SIMONE was a powerful story about healing, inner strength, and the power of transformation, contrasting the scarring of pain delivered with cruelty and the catharsis of pain offered with compassion.

Change of Season by LEAH W. SNOW was another story of emotional grief and the healing power of pain and submission, a BDSM-themed exploration of empty nest syndrome that I adored. Spring Fling by KYRA VALENTINE was a complete change of pace, a sexy, seductive story tale of a polyamorous threesome. If I can squeal and gush for a moment, Cabinet of Curiosities by OLIVIA WAITE is a short story in her Feminine Pursuits series of regency women-loving-women romances, and it’s just as wonderful and romantic and delicious as the novels, perhaps the happiest surprise in the anthology.

The Instruction Manual by ALEXIS WILDER was an odd story, but a fascinating one, an amazingly detailed and inventive story of detachment kink, with a woman encouraged to be consumed by the distraction of a boringly detailed instructions while being pleasured. Sweater Weather by ELIA WINTERS was another favorite of mine, a super story of two women, roommates and friends, who seize upon an accidental discovery of toys to enter into a powerfully erotic scene of intense BDSM submission.

Inflated Egos by EVIE BENNET was another somewhat odd and original story, featuring two lovers working in a car dealership, centered around a latex balloon fetish, but so good! And, finally, Adult Time by JEANETTE GREY was a sexy tale of rekindling the romance and the spontaneity of marriage that warmed my heart.

With its variety of couplings, settings, and scenarios, exploring everything from the warmth of romance to the intimacy of fetish, Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 6 is a true delight from beginning to end. The stories are so wonderful, and so wonderfully well-written, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

If you, like me, are new to erotica, this is a good place to start. It has a little bit of everything - voyeurism, exhibitionism, emotional stories, S&M, etc. I was very impressed with how much character and world building these authors can do in a very short format. You'll probably get into some of the stories, and maybe not so into the others, but it's so varied that everyone can find something they're into. And if you don't know what you're into, you'll probably find out while reading this!

I wanted to like this anthology book, but sadly I can't. I go into this book wanting to read PWP and I got disappointed because most of the stories here have a plot of some kind? And the sole story that I like, the one I wanted to have a longer entry, just ended right after the banging. I also don't like the plot of some of the stories and most are just too long for my taste, I just don't care anymore. I know other people might love this collection, it just didn't deliver what I expected from it.

This volume just didn't work for me. The stories were written well but I found the plots to be boring. The collection tried so hard to check off all of the kink boxes to please everyone but they forgot the erotica part. I was bored.

This certainly isn't my usual genre but I thought it could be a fun read. It was an okay compilation for me with fairly good writing quality but most of the themes didn't do a lot for me personally. There's a good mix of plots but it's heavy on the typical m/f, "boring life leads to steamy sex" type of theme. Yes, there's mermaid sex, but it's just a woman who happens to be a mermaid when she's in the water (and the steamy stuff is on land). One story honestly creeped me out and had the opposite of the intended effect, with a vegetarian woman sloppily and lustily eating a sausage (no, a real sausage, and yes, just eating it) at home alone. It's been made by the burly immigrant butcher whom she always watches through the store window as he aggressively cuts up animals for meat, which gets her all hot and bothered. WTH? Just no thank you. Still, there is a variety and there are sure to be at least a few for most readers. All in all, the writing quality itself tends to be good and they often check the boxes for weird tidbits, though most of them were a bit forgettable for me.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

Small doses of Erotic fiction that will ensure you don't get tired of a long winded plot. Another one outside my genre, but will be sure to recommend to readers looking for more erotica.

This was a collection of very steamy short stories. It was great to pick up, read a story and finish. However, I much prefer the longer length, getting to know the characters, type books.

I enjoyed most of the stories featured, but a couple were just a bit too much for me. Saying that, I fully appreciate that everyone’s different and the stories contained will appeal to different readers with varying interests.

Overall, a good raunchy, easy to read book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

No stone is left unturned within the pages of this anthology. There is something for almost everyone, Aces excluded. BDSM, same sex, role play, your fantasies will be heightened and senses titillated. Happy reading.

This was solid enough that I plan on catching up on the previous installments and continuing with the series. Unsurprisingly, my favorites were by authors that I'm already familiar with, but what was surprising is how many of the stories I felt were 4 and 5 wine glass worthy. I don't think I read a single one that was below a 3 wine glass rating for me - and I plan on exploring the works of each individual authors to see what else they have to offer. There was such a good and diverse variety of themes and characters and kinks and types of couples; I found something to enjoy in each tale. My faves, however, were:

Inked on My Skin by Naima Simone
Calyx by Margot Pierce
Easy Ride by Katrina Jackson
Far Side of the World by Zoey Castille
The Escape Room by Elizabeth Safleur

4 out of 5 wine glasses

I love these compilations as they appeal to the readership of erotic fiction - and all of them! No exclusions here. Fun little collections of stories.

Full of short reads ( about a handful of pages each story ) this book is good if your looking for something a little taboo, sultry, and hot.
The story Inked on My Skin is pretty hot, and Cabinet of Curiosities is sexy. lots of pages of sexiness however besides that, no depth to the stories and you don't get to know the characters well. so I will stick to full length novels from now on.

This book was definitely steamy. Lots of storylines to enjoy. Some of them were to short. Overall a good read. Will definitely reread a few of my favorites.

Best Women’s Erotica Vol 6 from Cleis Press is certainly living up to the anthology’s title. A sweet, naughty, wonderfully sensual and realistic read. Every character felt strong, sometimes soft, and drew me deeply into their story.

I had a lot of happy moments reading this anthology. While all the stories were fun reads, I did have a few favorites.
Calyx by Margo Pierce was unexpected and sensual. I really loved the cuteness of Matteo getting to live out a fantasy he’d had years ago. The story drew me from the warm and fuzzy of first connection to hot and bothered.
Cabinet of Curiosities by Olivia Waite was everything my little steampunk heart desires in a sapphic love story. The eccentric Mistress of the Manor, Lady Moth, the soft main character who is caught in a power play, a tawdry midnight encounter…be still my heart. I would love to read more about these characters and their world.

My favorite story of the collection was Sweater Weather by Elia Winters. The build up in the story was short but excruciating in all the best ways. The sweetness during the kinky sex had me over the edge. I melted reading this and and to flip back and read it again when I was done. Left me satisfied but craving more because i’m a glutton.

I do wish that the anthology would include a list of content warnings either at the beginning of the book or before each story. Some of the stories have content either on page or remembered by a character and referenced that some might find off putting and triggering.
For example, Inked on My Skin by Naima Simone (a great story by the way) should have a content warning about remembered violence and torture and maybe a note on angst.

Highly Recommend
I recommend Best Women’s Erotica vol 6 (and really any of the other 5 anthologies) to someone wanting a collection of quick and naughty reads to get them off. The characters are very real feeling and the stories are as easy to slip into as a favorite piece of lingerie.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was better than the last volume I read, but there weren't too many memorable tales. The one I found most amusing seemed out of place for a compilation of this sort, (the vegetarian with a crush on the butcher) though I was hoping for a completely different ending! Overall, an interesting read.

🔥🔥🔥🔥
A bunch of fantastic steamy short stories to get you in the mood right before your partner jumps into bed!!

There's a good mix here, whether you're looking for contemporary US, historical, fantasy, etc. Some very explicit, some less so--like a lovely story from Olivia Waite (The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows) set in her Feminine Pursuits historical England f/f series. Not all of the entries here are equally well-written, but most are at least entertaining, and some are surprisingly poignant.