4/5. Releases 12/6/22.

Sometimes, I get questions that are like "what is erotica, and why is it different from romance"? And I get it, because not only is erotica ill-defined--it's also kind of difficult to get erotica that is defined and presented as erotica in a format that is not... Literotica? Unless you know what you're looking for.

The Best Women's Erotica of the Year collections are great starting places for people who want to read more erotica (and discovered new authors). They usually have a theme and come in a variety of different subgenres.

This year's theme is "play", and it's a great one that the authors ran with perfectly. There's a lot to choose from here, and it's not limited to m/f, of course. Some of my favorites included:

The Devil Take You by Eva Leigh--A bit of historical erotica, with a widow attending a play, coming across the one man she hasn't been able to one-up, and playing along with his very public game. Obviously an exhibitionism/voyeurism piece, and so great. Eva Leigh writes fabulous sex scenes, and I wish that traditionally published historical romance would get on this level.

The Luv Sub by Karina L. Agbisit--This one has a sci-fi spin, with a pair of long distance lovers using a new "love sub" (an artificial surrogate) to allow them to hook up. Very fun and funny and somehow completely unabashed by the Black Mirror-esque premise. Good if you want your erotica to have a bit of a light, romcom vibe.

Ars Amandi by V.A. Vazquez--LARPing with a sapphic sneakysex twist. I enjoyed this one because it was decidedly not romance-leaning, and it also didn't have the cutesyness that I think has kind of become pervasive in wlw romance (not that there isn't a place for that, but sometimes I want some gray shit). Also, the protagonist was dressed as a nun at one point.

Out of this World by Robin Lovett--A scientist who researches the sexual habits of various aliens by fucking them meets the ultimate fuck alien. I don't know that I need to say anything else to sell this. I need to read more alien romance, obviously.

Embracing Against the Rules by Noor Juman--A bit of ritual, a bit of fantasy, a bit of hardcore sex. We love to see it.

Frenzy by Diva Darling--This one has some occult summoning vibes, and if you're in the mood for some spookiness by way of group sex and wild shit in a story... This is a good option.

Not every story in an erotica collection is gonna work for everyone. But this one definitely got my mind going and sparked some new ideas!

Thank you to Cleis Press and Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.