Mitzi SzeretoBesprekingen

I received a copy in exchange for a review.
The stories in this true crime anthology are incredibly diverse. A sensitive gay man robs a Brink's truck in A Young Man in Trouble. In Revenge of the Nagpur Women, a monstrous criminal in a slum of India finally receives a worthy punishment. Because I Loved Him follows the life and horrific crime of a Japanese woman. Each story also gave information on the aftermath of the crime, delved into the motivations of the criminals, and the lives of victims and survivors. I enjoyed The Life and Demise of England's Universal Provider, covering the case of the 1907 murder of a businessman with plenty of enemies, but an unexpected killer. With stories set from the 1800s to modern day, and settings sprinkled across the globe, there was nothing repetitive in the anthology.

There is a lot to like in this fantasy collection. Overall the writing is excellent, the sex is hot, and the authors are very creative.

I purchased the book originally because I'm a fan of Janine Ashbless, and her "Covered in Darkness" did not disappoint. It offered clear nods to its antecedents in world mythology, but was its own story. I felt the longing of the heroine through every page. My one disappointment was that it ended when it did, although to take the story further would have taken it beyond the boundaries of an anthology entry.

The final story, "Benediction" by Bonnie Dee, was as exquisite an account of the redemptive potential of sacred sexuality that I have ever read.

I'm not a particular fan of the Gothic genre. Ultimately, although I ended up feeling like I'd spent time with too many vampires and werewolves, it wasn't the Gothic element but the supernatural/paranormal that made this collection compelling to me.

Florida Gothic, Mitzi Szereto. I wasn’t sure what to make of this book when I first began reading. The tense and style isn’t one I would usually opt to read, and there was perhaps more tell than show…BUT, there’s so much woven into this tale it works. I came away having thoroughly enjoyed it and the style was part of that. It worked for the story the author wanted to tell, making it a novel rich with facts and flavours of the Florida setting and cultural mix. The chapters hop from character to character interlinking their individual stories in an entertaining and darkly humorous way (I caught myself laughing). I could picture this as a film. If you like a fun-filled retributive horror this fits the bill.

Wow, what a month this has been for short story collections – first I had my chance to get my hands on [b:Take Me There: Trans and Genderqueer Erotica|11024237|Take Me There Trans and Genderqueer Erotica|Tristan Taormino|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41IuM7Ooh0L._SL75_.jpg|15943695] (a 5 star read of transgender erotica), and now I’ve got Red Velvet and Absinthe (a 5 star read of gothic erotica). The fact that they're both courtesy of Cleis Press can't be a coincidence!

If I had to pick one word to define this collection, it would definitely be atmosphere. You can feel the condensation upon the cold, stone walls; you can smell the sulphur scent of recently snuffed candles in the air; and you can taste the coppery tang of blood upon the tip of your tongue. These are not just stories with a gothic touch, these are stories written in the true gothic tradition.

It’s hard to choose from a collection like this, but my favourites included:

Snowlight Moonlight by Rose de Fer – this read like an old-school, 19th century gothic tale . . . just a lot sexier (and with a lovely touch of bondage)!

Cover Him with Darkness by Janine Ashbless – a wonderful story of family pacts, inherited responsibilities, and the erotic allure of a fallen angel who wants only be to be loved . . . and set free

The Blood Moon by Mitzi Szereto – one of my top 3 favourites in the collection, the kind of story that begs for more.

Dolly by Charlotte Stein – creepy and sexy at the same time, I thought I knew where it was going, and then she wowed me with a twist that is just perfect

La Belle Mort by Zander Vyne – a passionate and (at times) exhausting tale of witchcraft erotica, and one that made me squeal with delight at the twist ending

Milady's Bath by Giselle Renarde – what can I said, the lovely Ms Renarde can do no wrong by me . . . and her story of a wronged woman taking comfort in the arms of her her maidservant made me sigh with pleasure. Another of my top three.

The Queen by Tahira Iqbal – perhaps the most intensely sexual of all the reads (for me, at least) and the proud piece of pleasure to round out my top 3.

I started out by saying that, if I had to pick one word to define this collection, it would be atmosphere. That’s true, but if I could pick a second, it would be consistency. This is a wonderfully written collection of stories, every one of which captures the spirit of the gothic, and every one of which captures your imagination. There were a few stories where the subject matter didn’t quite enthral me, but the writing still kept me reading.

Perhaps most appreciatively, this is a collection of gothic stories that are also erotic – not just an erotica collection with gothic elements tossed in. Altogether lovely, haunting, and deliciously decadent, you’ll be snuffing out the candles long before you’re done, if only to hide your own gothic touch under the cover of darkness!

Uses the main scenes from Pride and Prejudice and adds sex or drugs to them. It's a romp but will never take the place of the classic. Makes you see them as 21st century people. Lighthearted fun.

Wilde Passions of Dorian Gray by Mitzi Szereto is purported to follow the adventures of an iconic character, but I think this novel suffered from a bit of misrepresentation. It was presented as a follow-up to The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, so cleverly alluded to in the title, and that's a workable idea for a novel. I would be interested in what happened to Dorian - what happened to Dorian? What happened to the portrait? What would you do if you were assured that you would never grow old and never have to pay for those sins? But this is really soft-core porn. Not that there is anything wrong with that - I like a bit of raunch now and then. It just wasn't what I was expecting when I agreed to review it.

Basically, this book follows Dorian Gray as he leaves England in search of new "sensations." First, he goes to Paris where he frequents brothels and stages elaborate orgies in his apartments. But Paris is a little too close to England and he begins to run into reminders of his past. He travels to Marrakesh and dabbles in a bit of brutality - on the receiving end. Eventually, he has to dispose of his lover and find a new playground.

That's really the gist of the book - Dorian travels from city to city, fucking and killing people. (More of the former than the latter.) Eventually, he lands in New Orleans and takes up with some vampire wannabes. It's a pleasant enough erotic romp, but it doesn't really work for me. This kind of novel, with its Victorian language, is not explicit enough to really be erotic for me, but isn't meaty enough from a literature standpoint to really satisfy my reading appetite. An amuse-bouche, perhaps, but definitely not a main course.

I've been referring to this book among my friends as "50 Shades of Dorian Gray." I wasn't aware that this was erotica when I requested it from the Early Reviewers program; the blurb on the back of the book does not make that clear.

That being said, it is an interesting take on the story of Dorian Gray. Debauched, graphic sex scenes aside, I liked the references to other literary figures, particularly the chapters about 1920s Paris. The (implied) scenes with Hemingway & the Fitzgeralds and Dali made me chuckle.

However, erotica is not something I typically read. I will say, though, that it is well-written and not cheesy like most books in this genre (*cough* 50 Shades of Grey *cough*)...hence the 3 stars.

Unfortunately, I can't put this book in my classroom library or recommend it to my students due to its genre (which is my main purpose for participating in the Early Reviewers program).

I tried to read this book. I really did. I have no idea why I didn't realize it was hardcore erotica when I requested it, but I didn't. I couldn't get through it, due to its nature. It was not quite what I was expecting.

While I am a huge fan of the original Dorian Grey and was excited by the idea of a sequel the violent sexual situations described in this book were a little much for me. Also while I get the point of erotica I still am an advocate of the need for a well-defined plot apart from this and that didn't quite happen in this book. I would never tell anyone not to try a book though and while this one wasn't for me it may be just what someone else is looking for. I'll just leave readers with this; proceed with caution.......

Though I am not a fan of erotica but I am a fan of good writing and this was not it. I gave up half way through the first chapter.½

Szereto's The Wild Passions of Dorian Gray was a surprising "sequel" to Oscar Wilde's classic. I was not expecting erotica. I was certainly not expecting such violent erotica. Of course I can see where the author was coming from with this idea, and I can see how it could be a logical continuation of Dorian Gray's story. I'm not sure it made for a great story, and the violence made me extremely uncomfortable through the entire book.

I appreciated the different locations Dorian has to run to to escape anyone noticing his eternal youth (Paris, Marrakesh, Brazil, etc.) and how quickly the decades seem to pass for him.

I did find the ending rather abrupt and less than convincing. It seemed a rather forced end, as though the author simply did not know how to wrap up Dorian Gray's escapades.

I love Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray," and so when I saw that this was a "sequel," I jumped at the chance to read it. Unfortunately, like the other readers, I was not prepared for erotica. I wish this had been described as such---I likely would not have requested it :/ I have deliberately not chosen a star rating because I feel it would be unfair to rate a book I have not read, but the Early Reviewer program asks me to leave a review, therefore I have shared what little thoughts I have of the book.

If you've read the original "The Picture of Dorian Grey" the theme of this book shouldn't come as a surprise. I assumed it was a vehicle for some scandalous tales, continuing the debauchery and treachery of the Oscar Wilde story. There was a hint of it in the introduction. I had hopes for more. My hopes were dashed.

I gave up reading the story about midway through Marrakesh. This book completely failed to catch or hold my interest. Pity.

I received this book as an Early Reviewer through LibraryThing's program. When I requested a copy it was based on the presentation being a 'spin-off' of the Picture of Dorian Gray (one of my favorite books). I thought, well I will give this a try because I love Oscar Wilde's work and perhaps Szereto has an interesting spin on this character!

No.

I fully understand that if I'd done any research before I started reading I would have found out this book was erotica - I just wish that it had been advertised that way in the Early Reviewer program. And honestly, I do not have a problem with erotica, but this book just went beyond the pale.

Even if we put aside the extremely problematic use as violence as sexual device, there is so much abject harassment and rape in this book that it actually made me sick at times. It could be argued that this was the point, for us to see how horrible Dorian has become, except that this is an erotica novel - not literary fiction - and therefore it's purpose is to arouse and excite. If I had any such power I would strip the title 'erotica' or 'erotic romance' from any published book that includes rape.

Even looking beyond all of the problematic sexual violence in this book, one finds that it is purely coincidental that the name of the character is Dorian Gray. The author clearly had a desire to write a few debased "erotic" short stories set in multiple time periods and used the literary character of Dorian Gray as a plot device to connect them all together. While discussion of the events of Oscar Wilde's book do occur, they have little to do with the storyline until the very last page, where we are left with one of the laziest and most disappointing endings ever conceived.

I do not recommend this book to anyone, but least of all anyone with sexual violence triggers and lovers of Wilde's original work.

Update 12/10/13: Read about my tulmultous discussion with the author here.½

The Dorian Gray in the title of this book comes from the novel of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (hence the e on wild in the title). I made a point of reading the original novel before this one. Mitzi Szereto is taking advantage of this era's allowance of erotica and violence in portraying Dorian living on past the 19th century but it works. What Wilde hinted at, Mitzi shows but Wilde wanted to show more but had to edit it out to protect himself in society. Szereto is very nimble as the years go by and the book never drags. The Wilde Passions of Dorian Gray is to me an accurate portrayal of this 19th century character taking advantage of the opportunity to try anything, everything and act with impunity. I was prepared for overkill and I didn't find it. Well done Szereto! Take note, this is NOT for young readers (did you see me mention violence and erotica?) and the faint of heart.

Sunlight, Moonlight by Rose de Fer: With gorgeous prose and a deeply sensual style, this untraditional werewolf love story revolves around an eccentric, but yummy, doctor and a sexually charged woman during her rebirth and transformation - 8 out of 10 hearts

Cover Him with Darkness by Janine Ashbless: An account of the seduction of the young, naïve Milja by an imprisoned fallen angel. Disturbing as it is tantalizing, this story takes place in a rustic faraway land and has biblical notes. I found it absolutely explosive, and it reads almost like a folktale - 10 out of 10 hearts

A Rose in the Willow Garden by Elizabeth Daniels: Apparently this was inspired by the murder ballads "Down in the Willow Garden" and "Where the Wild Roses Grow," but being unfamiliar with both, I was really lost while reading. Daniels's effect is majestic and surreal, but the supernatural summoning in this story is too confusing for me to enjoy greatly - 5 out of 10 hearts

The Blood Moon Kiss by Mitzi Szereto: Hot! I love the southern spunk with which Szereto writes. Daytime television's most popular hunk Talen and small-town actress Christine hook up in this surprisingly refreshing vampire tale of reincarnated love and its path to eternity. The shifting perspectives aren't clearly labeled, which is a bit disorienting, but other than that, The Blood Moon Kiss is a delight of an erotic read - 8 out of 10 hearts

Painted by Anna Meadows: Benjamin, a lowly groundskeeper at Mr. Lawrence's estate, loses his innocence and discovers ecstasy within the mysterious beauty of an enchanted painting. The way he completely loses himself in a seductive art's form is fascinating. The plot is kind of confusing, but the concept, lovely - 7 out of 10 hearts

Dolly by Charlotte Stein: Ohhh this one's kind of twisted, but a fantasy you can't deny: a make-believe man come to life. Sophie imagines the man of her dreams and literally creates him: a gorgeous Frankenstein. However, that's all he is: a doll. No mind of his own, and no soul... or so she thinks. Love the perceptive tone in this one, but not a fan of the choppiness. Overall Dolly is red-hot and has an amazing implication at the end. Simply mind-bending! - 9 out of 10 hearts

La Belle Mort by Zander Vyne: Eliza, imprisoned in a dark cell for a crime she hasn't committed, comes face to face with her executioner, whom she just as well may be imagining. This one is a bit darker than the rest, but enjoyable in a devastating way. Grim and chilling, La Belle Mort follows an unlikely pair of lovers and highlights the keeping of faith and the promise of light after darkness - 8 out of 10 hearts

The Persistence of Memory by Evan Mora: A passionate lesbian story to spice things up a bit. Rowan, a healer who has the power to wipe the memory of her grantees clean, falls for the vulnerable but ever-strong Lily. The concepts of soul mates and protective duty are touched upon in this story. It's emotional and will make your spine tingle, but the plot itself is nothing terribly exciting - 7 out of 10 hearts

Scratched by Ashley Lister: Vicky must deal with the transformation of her werewolf lover, Jake... even though she might be his biggest prey. The curse this storyline revolves around is great, but the actual sex scenes are just okay - 6 out of 10 hearts

Bitter and Intoxicating by Sharon Bidwell: Wilting artist Émile finds inspiration in the eerily alluring Vérène, which propels his greatest piece yet. I found this one rather strange and didn't "get" it for the most part, but do appreciate how it combines French mythology with the essence of abstraction and the fine line between art and pleasure - 6 out of 10 hearts

Tea for Two by Claire Buckingham: Not of fan of this story about Anastasia's coming-to-terms with her fallen angel husband, Gregory because it dragged on so much. The plot is messy as well, so it took me a while to comprehend, and the sex just falls flat - 4 out of 10 hearts

Milady's Bath by Giselle Renarde: The maid of a young, impulsive lady who lusts for a beast she seeks to tame, narrates this sensual story. The actual supernatural eroticism takes place behind closed doors, while a tender female passion takes place in front—an interesting perspective! The juxtaposition of rough werewolf sex and gentle womanly loving makes for a rich story that will make you squirm - 9 out of 10 hearts

The Way Home by Carrie Williams: Darker and more sinister than the other stories, The Way Home follows the downfall of a nameless woman who finds an escape from her complicated life in a bartender whom she only knows as "Freddy." The mindless, pleasurable routine they fall into is a French paradise, but she soon discovers that this little vacation of hers won't last forever. While I'm still not exactly sure what kind of creature this story depicts, the depth and obscurity of it makes it an exemplary piece of Gothic fiction - 9 out of 10 hearts

The Queen by Tahira Iqbal: Upon a sudden attack in the King's court, Amelia is snatched out of her vampire King lover's arms, and forced to face the tragic aftermath, as well as the throne she inherits. The new Queen finds solace in the sexy but detached bodyguard, Landon; she soon discovers that between them, is lust... as well as bloodlust. The plot here would make a terrific novel, but it was just way too much to fit into 14 pages. Iqbal's ideas are ambitious, but The Queen moves way too fast; too much happens for a tiny story that's meant to be longer - 5 out of 10 hearts

Benediction by Bonnie Dee: Micah's soul is stripped bare when he seeks redemption in the form of an angel, the gorgeous Hasdiel. She alone has the power to separate him from his sins, as well as teach him to finally forgive himself. While the tone of Benediction is ethereal—perfect for an angel story—I didn't like it that much because the plot isn't novel, and the characters are rather unmemorable - 6 out of 10 hearts

Pros: Very diverse stories with all sorts of paranormal creatures and folklore // Intricate plots // Complex characters and relationships // Rich, seductive mood // Quality erotica

Cons: Some of the stories are hard to follow because they're so fantastical // Only a few stories were actually arousing ("Dolly," "Milady's Bath," and "The Way Home."

Love: "Dites-moi qui vous aimez, et je vous dirai qui vous êtes," she said. "Isn't that pretty? It's French. It means 'tell me whom you love, and I'll tell you who you are.' I read it on a tombstone, once."
— from Elizabeth Daniels's A Rose in the Willow Garden

Verdict: Red Velvet and Absinthe is a Cleis Press classic, with lush worlds built into every story, and sensuality that reaches supreme heights. This anthology is as good as Gothic short fiction gets: dark as night and smooth as velvet. While I didn't really connect with some individual stories, the majority of them are hauntingly seductive and gloomy in the most alluring way.

Rating: 8 out of 10 hearts: An engaging read; highly recommended.

Source: Complimentary copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Cleis Press!).

Reviewed by: krissygirl
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romance After Dark, a Romancing the Book site

When I first saw the cover of the book I knew that I was in for a real treat.
If you love short erotic tales then this is the book for you. In a way all the stories go together and in a way they don’t. You will have to read the book to completely understand where I am coming from.
I enjoyed reading each and every story. Some I understood and some I didn’t. Almost every one got my blood pumping and in a good way. I just got so into every story and hated it when I came to the end. There are some that will always be my favorite.
The way that the book was written and how every story was put in a certain order brought out the best in each one. I could never have such an imagination. I could just imagine myself with a sword and fighting along. I could really imagine myself with the men. Some of the way that the authors described them just made me want them to be real. I loved that I could really imagine them in my head.
The sex was just so wild in some of them and some was a little tame. So there is really a story in here for anyone’s enjoyment. Me personally, I love the really hot sizzling one’s. I will be the first to say that I will be reading this book again.
So if you love dragons, wizards, warlocks, or just anything to do with magic. With some hot erotic stories around them then this is the book for you.
I was really hoping that this book would never end, but they don’t work like that. I will be waiting for the next erotic read that will just make me break out in a sweat. So just bring all the sex that you can.

Someone is murdering the pub landlords of Norfolk! Thelonious T. Bear, ursine photojournalist, leaves behind the big city life of London to take an assignment in the Norfolk countryside, where he hopes to find the ‘real’ England. Instead of rural peace, bucolic beauty, and delightfully quaint characters straight out of Dickens, he stumbles upon gastro-pubs, a flatulent daschund (Lord Nelson) a sex-starved landlady, crazed Audi drivers, and a series of murders! As the hapless Thelonious keeps ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time, he attracts the attention of DCI Horatio Sidebottom of Norfolk Constabulary CID, who is determined to tie Thelonious to the crimes. Add in a pair of shaven-headed thugs (the upwardly mobile Desmond Clark and his psychopath brother Vinnie) from London’s East End, celebrity TV chef Paolo Louis Black, and plenty of oddball local characters and it all adds up to a madcap journey through England’s most peculiar county, where everything is normal for Norfolk!

This quirky new crime novel is the first in the fun new series from bestselling author Mitzi Szereto, co-authored with her celebrity sidekick bear, Teddy Tedaloo. Paddington Bear meets Midsomer Murders in this hilarious murder mystery told from a bear’s-eye point of view. You have to buy into the idea that a talking bear is not an anomaly, it’s normal. Perhaps normal for Norfolk, but Thelonious manages quite well in big cities. The author dives right into the nuts and bolts of life as a bear, from the problematic height of door handles down to bear shoe size and trying to fill the petrol tank of his specially adapted Mini Cooper. We take life as humans for granted: try being a bear with an arrest looming. Thelonious doesn’t set out to solve these murders. He just has to do something to keep the coppers off his back.

Tongue-in-cheek humour, including some clever political and social commentary, hair-raising escapades, and eccentric characters that you know you’ve met before (in your own life!) despite their very Englishness, all add up to a laugh-a-line read. I loved this book. It could have been longer, but I console myself with the knowledge that there’s more to come, if Thelonious has anything to do with it. There is some bad language but mostly from Desmond and Vinnie who possibly haven’t the education to know any better.
Reviewed by Fiona Ingram for Readers Favorite

Thrones of Desire is a compliation of novellas – 14 in all – with their plots loosely based on swords, thrones, lords and ladies, etc. The 14 stories may titillate a bit but, to me, they all seemed to stop suddenly. Wham, Bam…well, you know.
“The Widow’s Man” by Nyla Nox was a fair tale, I like the way it was written, the characters seemed real, although the end was a bit off-putting. The rest of the stories were all right.
Overall, I felt a disappointment because I kept reading through each tale hoping for improvement and there was none.

Reviewed by Stephanie
Review copy provided by Cleis Press
I'm amazed how parallel Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Szereto's sexy parody, Hidden Lusts, are. Though I do believe the original is a timeless classic, I can't say I really enjoyed it that much. I remember having to read it in tenth grade English; I made it about three-quarters through, before deciding just to SparkNotes the rest of it. This fiery rewrite however, I had no trouble reading. It may be I just really like sex (most likely), but the drama and mishaps of Hidden Lusts are absolutely entertaining, and best of all, kinky.

You always see hilarious porn parodies, and this book reminds me of one of them, only it's in the form of erotica, rather than porn. Each of the characters' traits are highly exaggerated, which makes for an even funnier storyline, and there of course, is brash, shameless, sex -- lots and lots of it.

My favorite thing about this book is how each of the characters have their own concealed desires, but only the reader knows about them. Szereto's content is sizzling hot, but I often found the sex scenes redundant. For instance, Mr. Wickham and Elizabeth's encounters always are described with "a moving in his breeches", meaning, an uncontrollable boner (LOL, right?), but that happens every time. It's funny at first, but becomes repetitive after a while.

Speaking of Mr. Wickham, we all know from Pride and Prejudice, that he turns out to be the charming, but elusive and judgmental villain. In Hidden Lusts, boy, is he ever! His accusations are atrocious, but his actions, even worse. He screams Victorian naughtiness, and threatens to tear the Bennett family apart.

Mr. Bennett seems to have his perversions as well, but they don't involve his wife. It's difficult to call him a handsome man, but his ways are very, very kinky, and often comical too. Mrs. Bennett's character seems mostly untouched, though her neurotic personality is strongly caricatured. We also discover the reason behind her brazen frenzy. She however, is one of the only characters who isn't sexualized, so her story is a breath of fresh air.

Then we've got the Bennett sisters, who are burlesque within themselves. Lydia -- oh, my precious Lydia. There isn't too much of her in Pride and Prejudice, except that she's the frivolous, foolish one. To call her a brazen whore would be uncouth, but spot-on. She elopes with Wickham in the original novel, as she does in this book, but the method of means isn't revealed until the very end; you'll be surprised! Mary is delightful as ever -- sarcasm, sarcasm. Poor Mary, the only unpleasant and ugly one in her family. Her greed to become physically beautiful eventually take a toll on her in Hidden Lusts, which teaches a lesson to our superficialities. Jane is nothing short of submissive, but her character is, for the most part, left alone. She isn't kinky or rowdy like her sister, Elizabeth (whom I will get back to later), but we do learn that her lusts are carefully hidden -- much so, that we wonder if they exist at all. Kitty plays a minor role in the novel. All she seems to do is chase after handsome militiamen along with Lydia, and her character isn't deeply examined either. But Elizabeth. How shocked I am with Elizabeth! She, soon after meeting Darcy, discovers the powers of self-pleasure, and realizes how much she loves it -- a little too much. She is definitely a likable character though, and the chemistry between her and Darcy is scalding hot.

I won't tell you about the rest of the smaller characters (who all have fervid, carnal intents), but I will say how fun it is to wander in the minds of seemingly proper tea-and-crumpets men and women, set to the tune of Jane Austen's romantic tale. Szereto creates a parody that's full of sex of all kinds (including taboo topics like homosexuality, adultery, and BDSM), but is classy at the same time. Her sophisticated and humorous touch to retelling a well-known story is both absorbing and clear. I still find it impressive how well her rewrite lines up with the original novel, and look forward to her future endeavors.

Quote: "His touches set fire to her flesh, stealing away all sense of propriety as she abandoned herself to his care, heedless to the repercussions."

This book was exactly what I thought it would be, which is a rarity and a pleasure! The author fully captures Jane Austin's voice and manners in her writing, but adds her own spark of naughty indiscretions to the story. Definitely a fun, quick read if you like romance novels.

Reviewed by Stephanie O
Ebook provided by publisher

Haunting, Intriguing, Sensual, Curious, Lustful, Spellbinding, Hot. All words I could use to describe this collection of short stories.

Ok, so I didn’t get the chance to sit and read this one by candle light, with glass of wine. More or less, I was privileged to read it sitting in my car in the parent pick up line waiting for school to let out. A few times I wondered if I was blushing. At times I even had to set the Nook down, so I could let the short story I just read sink in. As with any multi story book, you run the risk of some being out of the park home run hits, while others seem to be a foul ball. With this grouping, each story made its way to a base . . some made it only to first base, while others were out of the park home runs.

The two stories that just completely rocked my world were: The Blood Moon Kiss and La Belle Mort. The Blood Moon Kiss finds us on the set of a popular “Vampire” show. The amount of heat that oozed off the pages of this story should have melted my Nook, I’m so glad it didn’t. However, La Belle Mort, a story that finds us in a cell with a young lady awaiting punishment (hanging) for something she didn’t do . . well, this story was one that I had to set my Nook down after reading. I needed a moment to just let the story sink in.

There is something here for everyone. With 15 different short stories, how could you not find something that tickles your “fancy”.

You never really know what to expect when you go into a collection like this.  Well, I mean you know one thing to expect, but as for the quality of the actual storytelling, it's a gamble.  Fortunately this was a gamble that paid off, because I found myself consistently surprised with the quality of the stories.  Yes, each one revolves around some sort of otherworldly/supernatural (smutty) relationship, but for the most part, it seems like all of the authors chose to focus on layering their stories and injecting as much depth and interestingness to the stories and characters.

A lot of people are put off by short stories, I think (and this used to be true of me) because they don't connect - there's just not enough time, not enough text, and so things end up falling a little flat for them emotionally.  Many times a reader will say of a short story, 'It was good but I wish it was full-length' or 'There just wasn't enough' ... they are left unsatisfied, feeling as if they've just begun when it ends.  But there are a good number of stories in here that I actually found myself connecting to, sometimes rather quickly, and I have to praise that.  One in particular, "Cover him with Darkness" by Janine Ashbless, I found very intriguing and perfectly complete as a short story - I didn't want anything else from it.  I just thought it was really well done, well-suited to the format, and intriguing.  The same is true of "Painted" by Anna Meadows and "Dolly" by Charlotte Stein.  All 3 of these stories are completely different with a different feel, but they all had a completeness to them, and a story I loved following.

One other thing I found interesting and a little unexpected was that the stories that most appealed to me and felt the most interesting and complete (and the least cheesy) were the ones that didn't have to do with vampires or weres.  It's not necessarily that the vamp/were stories were bad, necessarily, but with few exceptions, I found myself caring about them less.  I did really enjoy editor Mitzi Szereto's "The Blood Moon Kiss" which is one of the vamp stories, and is a fun, somewhat tongue in cheek take on vampire culture and a certain popular television show.  But the standouts for me were the unexpected ones: artworks come to life, little wax voodoo dolls that could have been very creepy but were somehow sweet, fallen angels or gods or god-knows-what - there was a nice spread of creativity and world-building throughout the collection that I really appreciated.

The only real drawbacks for me were just things that aren't to my taste.  Romances and dynamics that just don't appeal to me.  (I'm sorry, but I am just not a fan of complete submission, of anyone, to anyone.  Collars and cages - aaaand I'm out.)  But this I think was actually probably a good thing in its own way because it shows that there really is a little something for everyone.

I think the foreward from Kelley Armstrong (yes, that Kelley Armstrong) was a nice surprise that really seemed to get at the heart of the collection and the somewhat gothic feel of the whole thing.  These stories are about atmosphere and Otherness, and amping up the latant sexual tension of the gothic classics into something more palpable.  Really well done.

[Side note: If you're wondering if you want to venture to read a book labeled 'paranormal erotica romance', I would employ the cock-test I used in my review of and Falling, Fly sometime back:  how do you feel about the word 'cock'? If you just cringed, skip this. If you sat up straighter and said 'where?' go out and grab a copy.]

Too much oral sex and masturbation, not enough hetero sex and original dialogue. Only so-so.

Pure, naughty fun: Mitzi Szereto's multicultural fractured fairy tales (Cleis Press, 2009)aren't for kids, but they are the kind you could read out loud in a pub to amuse your friends. In that, they resemble the oral versions of classic tales told around campfires in ages past. (Along with the tales, the author also includes a brief introduction giving some information about the story's origin.) Like the ale-soaked storytellers of old, Srezeto injects a good dose of humor into each bawdy yarn. She retells European fairy tales, including "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Rapunzel," but also ventures into Middle Eastern and Asian fairy tales, giving each a unique, humorous twist undreamt-of by the original tellers. This book will sit comfortably on my personal bookshelf in between Feminist Fairy Tales and The Virago Book of Erotic Myths and Legends.

One note: very sensitive readers may wish to bypass "Michel Michelkleiner's Good Luck," as it contains scenes of violence some may find offensive.