"Secret Sex: An Anthology" by Russell Smith delves into the hidden desires and fantasies of its characters. These provocative tales explore the intimate realms of sexuality, longing, and curiosity, inviting readers to confront their own secrets. Smith's vivid storytelling offers a titillating glimpse into the forbidden, making this anthology a compelling exploration of human desires and their consequences.

this was SUCH A COOL CONCEPT. i loved every minute of it. i enjoyed the change of pace, tone and sex of each story. very very cool. thank you

3⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn Press for this e-ARC!

In this collection, a wide range of authors are given the chance to anonymously write a short story based around the topic of sex, with their anonymity providing them with the freedom to write scenes they perhaps wouldn't ordinarily publish.

Though the premise of this is interesting, I have read similarly interesting and literary depictions of sex without the need for anonymity — not all depictions of sex are in erotica or badly written ‘billionaire’ or fifty shades of grey-style books, as is presented as the central issue in the editor’s note. That said, I’m sure anonymity was freeing for some of these authors, and there were some really interesting and creative explorations of the topic.

The stories were quite hit and miss for me, with some being creative, insightful and well-written, and some falling a little flat in imagination and writing, with a few resulting in the sort of mindless smut that the editor’s note promised to avoid. The best stories were without a doubt the ones with elements of surrealism or a unique take that dug deep into character. My favourite stories were 'Comets', 'Cloudburst', and 'Mirror, Mirror,'. I also really like the cover!

The reason I wanted to read this book is the premise is so intriguing. Sex and taboo subjects written without concern of judgement. However, I feel it underdelivered at times.

I found this anthology confusing at times - perhaps down to the formatting of some of the stories? I'm someone who will not shy away from taboo subjects and because of the promise of anonymity, I found my expectations not met with how taboo some of these stories would get.

Some of the stories even felt like something straight out of a Black Mirror episode.

With further editing and formatting, I think this would have great promise!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A voyeurs wet dream of a book.

Award-winning and emerging Canadian authors were given the opportunity to write about sex, love and intimacy without attaching their name to their specific story. The idea put forward by editor, Russell Smith, was that with anonymity came a freedom to write without feeling the need to self-censor, while giving authors permission to push-boundaries on everything from gender to genre.

Anthologies are difficult to review because some voices resonate louder than other. But on the whole, I love the concept, and I enjoyed starting each story without knowing the setting, tone or even the 'type' of erotica I'd be getting myself into. Sometimes it took a while for our main character to reveal their gender, so I'd be enjoying the love story both as queer and straight at the same time, which was a new experience for me - and I highly recommend.

My favourite short story of the collection, 'Sext' is written entirely by text messages between two people. The format was novel, but also of my generation. The tone was a perfect balance of playful and erotic, and the way the author ends the conversation was so on point and unexpected at the same time (how?!)

I also loved 'Mirror Mirror', about an artist watching and drawing the person living across the courtyard, in their most inmate moments. "Every model is aware of my pencil, my easel, and my unflinching gaze. But my man across the courtyard is different. He is real. There is no artifice in his posing. No premeditation in his movement. This is not a body offered but a body stolen."

A bit about my reading preference that differentiates me from the typical fic-lit audience, is that I read a lot of spicy romance/smut/erotica. I'm used to authors pushing the boundaries of sex, and with that in mind it felt like some authors were still pulling their punches and approaching this topic on slant. I wish a few of the stories/authors were as willing to engage in the topic as openly and vulnerably others.

This book is best read at an art gallery, while the author who wrote, "Niche Parade: Hotel Maid Compilations", a short story written entirely from video titles on PornHub, displays AI artwork based on the titles.

An interesting read but not really my cup of tea. Lots of differing stories some of them hard to work through.

Didn’t finish the book.

Secret Sex: An Anthology

Edited By: Russell Smith

4 Stars

What to say? What to say? This was a unique book to say the least. With different stories, and hidden authors, it almost made it like an adventure. Some stories I was drawn too, others not so much. As a collection, it was good. I will say it was a hot and steamy read overall, each story bringing its own uniqueness. So, I guess it did its job. Haha

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

This is a poorly edited anthology, from Canadian authors who write their darkest sexual short stories. Some were ok, others out and out strange. It definitely needs further editing, as the errors were quite distracting as I read.

this was simply not my cup of tea. I do like reason some raunchy, out of this world sex every once in a while but this one did not hit for me. It was very jarring and all over the place and my boner died real quick lmao.

So this was something…I was here to read some good horny stories but what I got was a convoluted stories that made no sense whatsoever. Just disappointed. I was confused half the time. Not meant for me.

Unfortunately this book ended up on my did not finish pile. I loved the concept of the book, it is what drew me in initially. Anonymous authors putting together a collection of steamy stories. However, it just felt that there was no depth to the book. Also, most stories were a little too literary for my liking. The stories were too short to become involved.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC.

An anthology of different authors, each is a short story and the author isn't linked to each one. A quick read.

‘Secret Sex’ was wildly interesting, there were many moments I wanted to “DNF” this book but something kept pulling me back in. And it wasn’t the sex as the level of erotic and sex was kinda slim. This book has an uneasy flow. One moment we are reading about an age gap sex affair and the next we are reading about vampires with wings. This books was all over the place and left me wanting more but also so damn confused. I don’t even know what else to say! It was just a wild read!

I really liked the hook - what sex stories would literary authors write if their names weren't attached to the work. However, I struggled to connect with, or find any interest in many of the short stories within this collection. I DNF this book because as I moved through the first few stories nothing really grabbed my attention.

This was a very interesting book. I loved the short stories and how different they all were. Some were really unique and the writing styles were refreshing and kept me interested. The stories weren’t the spiciest I’ve read but great nonetheless.

The premise of this book is what drew me in: what if literary fiction authors could write sex scenes without their names attached? Freed from the potential judgment and taboo by the promise of anonymity, the authors experiment with content, tone, and form.

I think that someone who is a fan of short story collections and interested in this premise would really enjoy this book. I read a lot of smutty romance novels, and ultimately, I DNF'd this because I struggled to really get invested in these stories with so little character development/plot attached. I want to stress that I think this is a 'me' issue rather than a 'the book' issue.

As other reviewers have noted, it's a bit of a mixed bag, and I enjoyed some stories more than others. Generally speaking, I preferred the ones with more experimental formats – for example, the one comprised entirely of text messages – to the more traditional short stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of the book for review.

The premise of this collection is fantastic. I am a writer and I often worry and wonder about what others will think of the way I write or describe things. I appreciate the opportunity to read this steamy book.

This was a great collection of erotic sex scenes written by those who are finally given the freedom to pen the stories they wish without fear of condemnation, judgement, or editing. I devoured these. They are perfect for those who enjoy good sex-writing and short enough that you can fit a few in per day. Top Canadian authors contributed to this anthology, and it shows. The quality is stupendous, and I promise you that each story differs in its own unique, creative way, yet is wonderful too. Ten stars. Highly recommended!

Like all anthologies, this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me but overall, I enjoyed the collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the idea behind this! It was really interesting to read each story not knowing which author had written them. Like most anthologies it was a mixed bag for me and some stories I liked much better than others. Overall though I felt they all worked well together and were well written. It just came down to a matter of taste!
Also that pink cover is stunning!