I liked this book! Very steamy and a perfect read, I haven’t read the previous versions but this one was pretty good. Would recommend to friends that like spicy books.

There was a wide variety of stories in this publication, enough so that everyone could find something that tickles their fancy. I honestly didn't read all of them (I skipped the ones that I had no interest in) but the book is a great compilation.

I absolutely loved this book and will definitely be picking up more volumes. It had a lot of different aspects which I enjoyed.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. The characters were ridiculous, and the writing was terrible. It may say something about me, but half of the stuff going on in the stories, made no sense or I had no idea what they were talking about. This wasn’t for me.

Ok, but nothing very special. Some stories I just couldn’t finish. Not sure if it was my expectations were high or what, just didn’t enjoy this.

I really have to get into a different headspace to enjoy an anthology. Also, I needed to remind myself that erotica =/= romance (i.e., not all these pairings are going to end the story together.) Finally, these are not really stories I wanted to sit down and read back to back. It's a lot of . . . well . . . erotica. (Which, obviously I signed up for when I requested the ARC.)

Anyway, I am really glad I ended up reading this book. While not all the stories worked for me, most of the them did in some way. The theme of this anthology was "play" - with a broad definition. The stories were varied but I was still able to see the connection to the theme. There were stories that were more romantic and moving, some that were more imaginative and inventive, some a little dark and strange. I was delightfully surprised to see how queer many of the stories were. Also, there seems to be varied representation among the authors which was also really nice to see.

Overall, I'd recommend picking up this book and selecting a story to enjoy every now and then between books.

I've been reading and reviewing this yearly anthology for the past four or five years now and I think this is one of the best collections so far. The theme this year was play and I like the way it was intertwined into each of the stories so well, even the few stories that didn't appeal to me this time. I was also pleased to see so many non-standard sorts of relationships. There were several same-sex and also a trans person included in a story which I found really good. Along with the diverse stories there was also attention paid to consent in many of the stories.

Highlights for me in this collection include "The Devil Take You" by Eva Leigh, "Embracing Against the Rules" by Noor Juman, and Drag by Dena Hawkins.

Overall I give this collection four stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Cleis Press for giving me an advanced reader copy. I have provided this review voluntarily.

Not a bad collection of erotica. I found myself scrolling past some of the stories. With such a wide variety, they can’t all appeal to everyone. There were definitely ones with plenty of heat, that got the heart rate up.
4 stars.

This has been a book I use as a break between other novels and I honestly thoroughly appreciate it.

What I liked:
-There are a ton of diverse stories, so it's not just a bunch of white people stories but there are different cultures, people, sexual orientations, all represented.
-Each story is well written and engaging and different!
-It's fun to have a compilation and something quick to read

I was given a review copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read erotica, but I don't really want to talk about it. Why did I request this book? Because I wanted to read it. In private, if you know what I mean. Did I enjoy it? Yes, some stories more than others. That's what I like about these types of anthologies - variety, discovering new authors and having some fun. But I still don't want to talk about it on the internet.

Wowsa!! These collections never fail to surprise me in the best possible way. Jam packed with truly erotic storytelling from authors I’m both familiar with and new to me, they are just fantastic.

Loved the range of subjects covered and no two stories felt the same. Definitely recommend.

This was an interesting mix of stories and genres that showcased different sexy scenarios using the theme of "play" My faves have to be Rilzy Adams, Eva Leigh and Noor Juman's stories. Kept me engaged and was oh so sexy. I've never read anything my Eva or Noor but given how enticing their stories were I wouldn't mind reading more from them!

Some stories I skimmed over not gonna lie and one of them was kinda really toooo long, that I got bored, but mostly, I think the authors did a good job of giving their take on the theme.

I honestly enjoyed most of this one. The stories span a wide range of genres and vibes, so there's something for everyone. The opening story was definitely one of the strongest. The alien one was absolutely wild. I enjoyed the diversity of perspectives, genres, character dynamics, and types of sex. There were threesomes and LARPing situations and nonhuman characters. There were contemporary, historical, and fantasy settings. There were a couple sapphic and trans characters. There was a woman dom in an orgy situation (actually one of the better stories, I think). Obviously none of these stories have developed characters or settings or anything like that, but I was impressed with several authors' ability to create a vibrant world and then write a fun sex scene and then leave it at that.

Anyway, if all you want is a short sexy story with a bit of fun window-dressing (and then another one and another one and another one), definitely give this anthology a go.

My only notes are of typo's, but not too many and none of them egregious enough to distract from the volume's overwhelmingly playful subject matter. This collection of 21 romantic shorts runs a wide gamut including science fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy; every story delivers, none of them is a cliff hanger.

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 8 is an excellent collection of erotic short stories. Variety is the name of the game in this anthology. There's something for everyone in these short stories. From paranormal to historical, BDSM to sci-fi, and featuring queer and straight couplings alike, this anthology proves variety is the spice of life.

This one was a bit of a rollercoaster for me, in that there were some that I absolutely enjoyed and others that I just ended up skimming.
Focusing on the ones I did like, one thing they all had in common was that they instantly had me caught up from the first sentence. They are exactly why I keep coming back to these and all of Rachel Kramer Bussel's anthologies

I like the variety this anthology offers. I think there truly is a story for everyone, and the flip side is that every story won't be for everyone and that's to be expected. A good offering with great variety.

This book was so great! I read most of the stories as some of them were not my cup of tea (but I'm not complaining). I really liked how short the stories were as I could pick them up and finish them in a quick fashion. I can see why the stories made it into this collection, as they were steamy and fabulous. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes erotica.

Well, I have never reviewed a series of short stories. I struggled a little, not with the content, but feeling like I needed to review each of them individually (which has sort of been done below the spoiler tag. The spoilers are mostly theme, not so much for content, and generally I really enjoyed the series. I really REALLY enjoyed a few of them and found a few tropes that rub me the wrong way.

<spoiler>
<u>Until The Last Note Plays</u>
musicians, starting series out with a bang, nailed it, get my cheesy puns done. 4/5 gives this musician some ideas but not much vibrato 

<u>The Devil Take You</u>
regency, really nails my recent readings/cravings with spicy dialogue that feels more authentic 

<u>Ars Amandi</u>
LARP, not a larper so not sure how true this rings to the community. appreciate the open world concept and going with the flow

<u>Embracing Against the Rules</u>
fantasy, more curious about the overall concept than the execution of this story. gratuitous and heavy handed, loathe the phrase "ropes of" male ejaculate. 

<u>It Feels Good</u>
realism, spectacular dialogue and pacing. feels both lusty and loving. my fave so far by a long shot. 

<u>Drag</u>
realism, but so so so so much more. as an outsider to any club nightlife this seemed accurate and respectful while incredibly hot and authentic. 

<u>Frenzy</u>
occult, where to even start? who hasnt felt the need to abandon all inhibitions and find spiritual renewal? 

<u>Happy Now?</u>
realism, super deep backstory for a short story. more plot, pace, and teasing than expected. 

<u>The Luv Sub</u>
<u>sci fi, well now i have a new phrase to loathe: spools of male ejaculate. why is it this word we feel we must dance around?

<u>Out of This World</u>
sci fi, maybe i have impossible standards in this genre but more angel/demon fantasy than actual sci fi, previous was better. 

<u>So Many Ways to Win</u>
kink, we are in fact all winners who read this story and a very happy early birthday to me. 

<u>Whenever You Need Me</u>
sci fi, an incredible take on the potential future of robotics and runs the gauntlet of emotional range. 

<u>Desire Blooms</u>
realism, adore the setting and curious concept but lacked a little conviction. 

<u>The Mid-Autumn Moon</u>
kink, but more and not what i was expecting given how familial it starts. 

<u>Checkmate</u>
fantasy, the queen's gambit sparked a chess craze but this took an unexpected turn into an inferno. 

<u>Capturing the Storm</u>
realism, surface level and could spend a paragraph more in exploring the characters before they get naked. 

<u>How Real Are You?</u>
fantasy, excellent story alternating between establishing the character and layering on risk. 

<u>The Reset Button</u>
realism, luxuriates in a luxury vacation but kind of a miss. 

<u>Bursting His Bubble</u>
kink, starts off in the action and makes no apologies with just the right mix of detail and supporting info. behold actual character growth! 

<u>Character Work</u>
realism, fantastic concept that has me questioning every television pairing i ever shipped. 

<u>Ludamus</u>
kink, the first/second person approach threw me and felt like a strange way to end the collection. 

</spoiler>

Netgalley allowed early access in exchange for honest review. All opinions are my own. What is the criteria for best erotica?
I found maybe at most two of the stories worthy of being very good. The rest were either poorly written or made me uncomfortable through some of the scenes. Yes to each their own, but this was just no. I have read better erotica on other websites.
Perhaps I'm not the audience this was intended for.