Best Lesbian Erotica 2015 Paperback – February 17, 2015

One is immediately impressed by the sheer diversity of voice and style in this Laura Antoniou-edited anthology. I was particularly impressed by those authors who drew on mythic themes for inspiration: 'Arachne' by Catherine Lundoff, set in ancient Greece, and the depiction of a proud civilization in ancient Africa, 'Kiss of the Rain Queen' by Fiona Zedde, both stories in which vivid, colorful settings enhance powerfully drawn characters. And, speaking of truly great characters, one cannot help but be intrigued and ultimately drawn into the orbits of intelligent, strong-voiced, and occasionally funny women, as in ''Behrouz Gets Lucky' by Avery Cassell, 'Learning to Cook' by Nan Andrews, 'The Bullwhip and the Bull Rider' by Sacchi Green, 'Second Date' by Miel Rose, 'Naming It' by Jean Roberta, and 'My Visit to Sue Anne' by Anna Watson. At about 6,000 words apiece, Antoniou has given her writers plenty of room to develop their characters and get those characters well and truly laid, often in something close to microscopic detail. (Some of the stories do get a bit sing-songy in places.) Small quibbles aside; this is very fine anthology, well worth seeking out.Recommended!

I love short stories.. If one bores me, I can always move on to another.. This anthology ? I did not spend a second bored !!! Every story is a gem.,I read them all , every word..Each story is hot and very different !! Also amazing..Erotica, forgive me but..tends to get too similar.. after awhile.. - These reflect a diversity way beyond my wicked dreams ;) Things that I would usually say..not my thing... Made me re think a couple hard limits :)Seriously, this is an incredible group of stories..So well done.. Grab it, enjoy it ;)

Fantastic quality of writing and huge diversity of perspectives & voices amongst the non-homogenous group that is "lesbian" (or any other category of orientation.)Some of the most creative erotica stories I have ever read. Amazing use of setting as a plot device that powers the whole of the story- impressive.Many excellent stories. Too many to count. Phenomenal selection.

This is a book you don't want to read around church going people, which kinda sucks for me because I'm around church going people a lot and I love reading these kind of books just because it takes me 'away' from the 'drama' and puts me into the story like I'm living it.

These compilations never fail to disappoint. There's always a story or two I just can't get into, but I did enjoy this thoroughly.

It was an ok book

I listened to the audio version. The narration was exciting.

I was so, so super excited when I got asked to review Best Lesbian Erotica 2015 to help celebrate PRIDE month! As many of my regular readers know, I am an out-and-proud member of the LGBT community (pansexuals and demisexuals represent!). This book is the perfect anthology to help celebrate LGBT love. What I love best about Cleis Press anthologies is that it's more than just sex. Don't get me wrong- this is an erotica anthology. It's explicit. It's sexy. But what I mean is that the talented writers who contribute their short stories care about more than just the sexy bits. There's emotions at play here, there's plots. There's characters and POVs that have been given life. That's what makes anthologies such as Best Lesbian Erotica 2015 so great: there's twenty stories here, and each one is different and diverse. From the writing styles, to the kinks, to the relationship pairings, to even some fantasy, it's a celebration of all things girl love, and I absolutely adore that.Of course, this is an anthology. This means that they all follow the central theme of girl on girl erotica, but are free to explore anywhere else within that bubble. Because there are twenty small, independent stories, it's easy to read this book one delicious bite at a time, or to just read it all the way through like a novel. Again, because it's an anthology, there is some hit-and-miss going on. I loved some stories, and disliked others, while some fell more towards the middle. However, when looking at the whole rather than the parts, I think this is a really good selection of stories that any one- male or female- who enjoys reading about F/F love shouldn't miss out on.As always, I'm going to highlight the three stories that I liked the best in lieu of mini-reviewing all twenty stories. These are in no particular order, and are the ones that I most recommend reading (though, seriously, read the whole book. You won't regret it.). The first story I'm choosing to highlight is called "Learning to Cook" by Nan Andrews. This short story involves a picky customer, a fiery chef, and a dinner date that neither of them is soon to forget. I am a huge foodie, and because my father is a chef, I was pretty much raised in a kitchen. I loved the setting and the passion that was shown here. After all, if you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen ;). The second story that I most enjoyed is called "Lovely Lady Liberty" by Nicole Wolfe. This story centers around a WASP pilot, a beautiful USO performer, and one helluva Fourth of July celebration. I really liked the unique setting of a USO show on a military base for this one. Plus, it's close to the fourth so I'm feeling extra patriotic. You'll feel more than just the sparks from the sparklers in this lovely lady's routine, I promise you. The last story I'd most recommend is titled "Arachne" by Catherine Lundoff. This erotica weaves a story (see what I did there?) of the famous Arachne and her challenge to Athena- but I've never seen it told quite like this before. I adore mythology, being a Classics minor myself. I loved the fantasy/myth interpretation of lesbian erotica.All in all, read this book. If you love girls, if you love girls who love girls, if you just love a really good sex story now and then- this is the book for you. This is probably the best anthology I've read so far this year. Thanks so much for the copy, in exchange for my honest review.

Hot and sexy tales for under the covers.

Very disappointing. Old school gender stereotypes: butch and femme all the way. Outdated and irrelevant.