Title: Best Bondage Erotica 2014
Author: Rachel Kramer Bussel (Editor)
Genre: erotica
Publisher: Cleis Press
Format: ebook and print
Release Date: January 7, 2014
A copy of this book was provided by the editor for an honest review.
Publisher Summary:
Rachel Kramer Bussel ties her readers up in knots each year as they anticipate the very best BDSM stories of the year. And, she does not disappoint, defying the odds and occasionally gravity with tales of bondage at its best. These whip-smart tales of domination, submission, spanking, and other highly imaginative acts keep readers in a frenzy. Best Bondage Erotica 2014 features 21 hot bondage tales that titillate from the bedroom to the dungeon and beyond. Handpicked by best-selling erotica editor Bussel, these kinky stories show and tell exactly what it means to wield the special power of being in charge of someone else. These characters manipulate rope, handcuffs, leather straps, a St. Andrew’s cross, a chair, and, in Raziel Moore’s “My Own Device,” a special contraption crafted just for bondage, with the ultimate aim of pleasing each partner. Here, bondage takes place behind secret doors, at sex parties, at the office, on a mountain hike, and, of course, at home.
My Review:
I always have trouble reviewing anthologies, especially really good ones like Best Bondage Erotica 2014, because there are so many good stories and how can I possibly do them all justice in a single review? I could try to talk about each one individually, but there are twenty of them here, and frankly I don’t have the fortitude to write that much, or expect anyone would want to read through a long list of mini reviews.
What I can do is let you know that if you are looking for a collection of fascinating, thought-provoking and scorching hot stories, look no further than Best Bondage Erotica 2014.
You can consume the entire book in one glorious gulp, or you can do as I did, which is to savor each story individually, then put the book down until later, so that each story can work its way into your subconscious more thoroughly.
No individual story here runs more than 20 pages, and for me, that’s the biggest strength of the anthology as a whole. Each is perfectly self-contained, describing a moment in time with an ending that provides basic closure, even while it continues to bounce around in your brain as you consider the possibilities of what could have happened next. I enjoyed every one of them, but my absolute favorite was Anyway by Sommer Marsden, as I immediately identified with its heroine as she struggled to free herself from a predicament of her own making.
If you’re at all familiar with Rachel Kramer Bussel’s work as an editor, you already know that she’s got a keen eye for what works in an anthology such as this one. And if you’re at all familiar with writers in the BDSM erotica genre, you’ll see many of your favorites here, doing what they do best. But if this is your first time, I envy you, because you’re about to discover a whole new world of reading satisfaction in Best Bondage Erotica 2014. Enjoy! 4.5 stars
