The Biggest Lover

by R. Jackson (Editor), Hank Edwards, Dale Chase (Contributor)

We have all heard the term Rubenesque as a compliment for plus-sized women. The baroque painter Sir Peter Paul Rubens was fond of painting women of the day that were curvaceous and full-figured. The men in his art were not. What is the comparable term for men? Because not every gay man is obsessed with twinks who list the number of visible rib bones on their Grindr profile. Or men who can remember the number of reps at the gym but not their phone number. Some of us appreciate buying in bulk and that includes looking for love. Or just plain sex. Thank goodness for Bear culture which embraces girth. During Bear Week in Provincetown the stores do not even bother to sell clothes smaller than an XL and a man's virility is often like the potency of moonshine: the more Xs on the jug the better, so XXXL is a chub in high demand.

It has taken too long for an erotica anthology to feature such men. As Girth & Mirth founding father Reed Wilgoren stated, “Just as people are coming out every day—men and women realizing their sexuality—new Bears and new Chubbies and new chasers are also evolving in the world. There have to be people waiting to embrace them and show them the way, much as who helped me to become what I am and who I am today.” It is our hope that readers who felt denied of attention and affection will read these stories and realize that love has no weight limit, no threshold, and neither should self-esteem.

Genres: Anthologies

258 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2016

Reviews

[Shira Glassman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Biggest Lover is a collection of erotica celebrating fat men, in combination with each other or with thinner men. I will discuss only the stories I liked, because some of the other stories just didn't have plots that appealed to me or explored fetishes or fantasies that were Not for Me (which is totally fine; Bear Bones Press is stated to be by and for men who love men; I'm just an irrelevant and sometimes appreciative spectator, that's all.)

"Furball" is a cute little piece about a cat playing matchmaker for two neighbors. At one point, one of the men asks the other one out via a note on the cat's collar. A bit sugary (in other words, exactly like my books); content warning for pot, since I have friends who like me to warn for that.

"A Man of Substance" is set in the glamorous world of late 19th century London theater. The company's revered "fat" actor falls for a thinner actor, but why is the other guy sending mixed messages about his own interest? (Spoiler: happy ending stemming from a plot twist. And yes, in this collection that is a spoiler, because some of the pieces are not romances.)

"What the Hell?": Tech guy is getting bored with his love life because all the guys he meets want to turn him into their perfect top, to play a certain role in their lives without regard for what his sexual preferences actually are. While on the road doing a presentation for work, he meets an IT guy who turns the tables and gets it right. Happy ending for the romance.

"Temet Nosce" has a happy ending, but not of the romance kind. Basically, it's a masterful use of unreliable narrator to tell a story with a message about negativity vs. positivity and what it means to be a decent human being/good friend vs. a douchebag. In other words, it's erotica that turns into literary fiction, and I found it satisfying and thinky, but it's not "romance." It was also satisfying to read about someone standing up for himself w/r/t his sexual choices instead of getting pressured into changing his mind.

"He's 5"1', He's Beautiful, And He's Mine": LOVED this one. Well, I'm predictable: I tend to go for queer romance that has an actual plot on top of the romance! Basically: huge guy (fat AND tall) who is tired of boyfriends who want to make him their ultimate protection -- yes, this is a reoccurring theme in this book, and it was definitely eye-opening for me -- meets short Mexican coworker at the Walmart they work at in Texas. They wind up battling a gun-toting conservative terrorist right there in the store, while falling for each other. And the short guy "gets it" and is willing to be the tall guy's emotional backup instead of vice versa.

"Burning on the Edge of the World": OH MY GOD. This one is so great. Set in a small British seaside town, the protagonist has gone away to become famous, and has now come back home to basically go on a date with his big high school crush, in which they confess feelings for each other and do stuff on the beach. I could really relate to this one--the discussion of the kind of intense teenage fantasy that burrows into your very sexual identity even as an adult, the innocent, wide-eyed appreciation and unfettered admiration for big male bodies.

I think what I liked about "Hustler's End Game" was the fact that the protagonist was going after obviously wealthy, fat, older men in suits, and I'm just there on a lizard-brain level. Sorry if you were expecting a more coherent review!

"Coming in the Night" is about a book nerd who summons an incubus just because he wanted to see what the spell would do. The incubus is THRILLED that he finally gets to go and just have sex with someone instead of being summoned to help enact revenge, as with his usual summons. Naturally, he appears in the exact form the book nerd desires most--in this case a fat dude who smells like cinnamon.

"Heavy Set" is one of the stories about Black guys in this anthology. A man has a "straight" friend who asks a lot of questions about what sex with men is like, and over the course of the story it goes where it sounds like it goes. Anyway by the time the story starts they're in a relationship and stop for fast food after work and then have sex. Pretty fluffy.

"Tag Team" is also fluffy and romantic. A man trains for pro-wrestling because he falls for a famous celebrity Heel; on the way, he becomes boyfriends with one of his teammates. If I remember correctly, the protagonist of this one is muscular and the boyfriend is the fat one (as well as being Latino.) It was sweet and fluffy and has a super happy ending, as well as briefly discussing the difference between truly being attracted to all of a fat man including his heart vs. just fetishizing his belly.

"The Nip Man"'s protagonist is into men's nipples and manboobs. He despairs of meeting a boyfriend in his small town, but this is a story with a happy ending after he eventually thinks outside the box a little.

"A Slice of Pi" is truly cute and you can feel the romantic chemistry developing between the math graduate student and the guy at the diner (My own Shulamit and Aviva, except as gay men? Hahahahah wow) as the student eats there with a bunch of classmates he doesn't really like.

So it turns out that I liked 12 of the 21 stories -- not bad and still totally worth checking out. I have about a 50% "like/recommend" rate on the books I read, anyway -- y'all just don't usually hear about the ones I don't like because I don't have time, and hell, they're probably somebody else's preference. There aren't any trans stories in this book, so if you're looking for that, try Show Yourself To Me: Queer Kink Erotica by Xan West.

I am only a skinny woman, so my opinion on fatness and fat positivity comes from the outside -- but I can say that as a queer woman whose interest in cis men is primarily limited to larger ones, especially with facial hair, reading material like this is very validating. It gets lonely out there when even your socially-approved gender attractions are missing from romantic interests.

[jenTed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually i didn't finish this book, but only b/c the loan time i had on it expired before i could finish it.
However, the stories that i did read i really liked and i recommend giving it a read :)
Please see status updates for tiny reviews of the books i did read.

[Daniel Mitton · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews with a copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.)

ANTHOLOGY REVIEW:

I’m always nervous about reviewing an anthology, especially since at Love Bytes we feel it is important to rate the individual stories in addition to the entire anthology. There were some stories in this one that I loved, but I’m going to be honest and tell you there were also a couple I loathed. There were quite a few in the “good/average” range to “liked it a lot” or even “loved it”. There was even one that earned the “Fantastic” rating.

I’d recommend the book. As I said, there are a couple that I really didn’t like, but the rest were good, with bursts of light every once in a while. It is a volume of erotica, so the stories have more than their fair share of sex. So if you don’t like sweaty man sex…you might want to skip this one. If you’re into the bigger, hairier, sweatier, steamier type guys, then the book would be a good fit for you. Below, I’ve included a very brief comment on each story and my individual rating of each.

ANTHOLOGY RATING: 4.0 (Actually 3.69 Average, but I rounded up)

STORY REVIEWS / RATINGS:

Fur Ball by Hank Edwards

A cute little story about a cat who plays matchmaker. I’m a cat guy and I loved meeting Furball and the guys! Rating 4.5

A Man of Substance by Dale Chase

A historical period piece about a pretentious stage actor in San Francisco around the turn of the 20th century and what happens when he discovers he really has been looking for “a man of substance”. Rating 4.0

What the Hell? by Ben Bauchlein

A story about techies, and what happens when the tech doesn’t work like it is supposed to. And also about the hot tech guy who shows up to fix it! I definitely missed out on some things when I used to go to conferences, if that story is anything to go by! Rating 4.0

The Last Gift by Jeff Mann

The story of a man named Jamie, on the wrong side, (or maybe the right side) of 50, thinking he has had his last shot…but then he discovers a hot chubby cub over breakfast one morning in London. Again with the ending! Just like Mr. Mann’s book “Cub”…left me in mid-air! Rating 4.5

The Last Gift (Boys to Men, Men to Giants) by Jack Fritscher

This one was definitely not for me. The whole scene with comparing his dick to his dad’s dick while holding them both in his hand was frigging creepy as hell, and then when his dad squatted over him while he jacked off…yeah, no. And if there had been one more taking something as “a complement and a compliment” line used in the story, I would have just skipped the rest of it. At the end of the story, I wished I had. Take my advice, skip this one, unless you’re into stories about penises being increased in size to 130 square inches. Rating 2.0

Temet Nosce by John Genest

This story proves that I can like a story and loathe a character. We’ve all met a “Don” at one point or another in our lives! Rating 4.0

Rainy Day by Charles O.V. Lyons

This one was ok. I never really connected with the MC. It was about a break-up and I guess moving on, but it was too short for me to ever connect. Rating 3.0

He’s Five One, He’s Beautiful, And He’s Mine by Jay Neal

This is one of my favorites in the book. Just something about the author’s voice, particularly in the beginning of the story. It just drew me in. Rating 4.5

Filled by Tom Farley

Oh, this one I didn’t like at all. I knew I wasn’t going to when it talked about the one guy being forced to eat the other guy’s dirty butthole. And the forced feedings, and forcing a whole can of shortening up the guy's butt. No…just no. Rating 2.0

Burning on the Edge of the World by Matthew Bright

The fantasies of a teenager finally realized as an adult. When a man goes home after years away, he catches up with the guy he has never forgotten. I liked this one. Rating 4.0

Hustler’s Endgame by Landon Dixon

A pretty young thing shows up at a pharmaceutical convention. No one knows who he is, but lot of eyes are on him…particularly the eyes of Brent, a middle aged married man who just might be talked into sowing his wild oats… Rating 3.5

Golden Walrus by Jerry Rabushka

I liked this one a lot. One man who has been hiding for years behind his foot long pony tail, and another man, Jewish and sixty pounds overweight, meet in the gym when one asks the other to spot him…the rest is history. Rating 4.0

Dionysus Tamed by Jay Starre

The re-imagining of the relationship between Zeus and Dionysus. Since they are supposedly father and son in the pantheon of Greek Mythology, it kind of had an incest feeling to it to me. It was a good enough story, other than that. Rating 3.0

Coming in the Night by Skye Eagleday

A grimoire from a dead man’s library, and a librarian who doesn’t enter it in on the manifest leads to a meeting with an Incubus who just might change the man’s life forever. Rating 3.0

Heavy Set by Shane Allison

Two boys who work at a movie theater end up sleeping together. It didn’t really excite me. Full of things like “a mouth is a mouth” until the one kid realizes he likes dick as well. Rating 3.0

Tag Team by Larry Faulkner

The story of the making of a wrestling tag team. It was a pretty good story. Hero worship and finding the “one”. Rating 3.5

The Nip Man by Daniel M. Jaffe

Dirk is sure he is the only guy in his small town into nipples. Oh how he dreams of them. Then he finds he has overlooked an obvious spot to find out more about them. Rating 3.5

The Story Next Door by Karl Taggart

This one I liked a lot. Perry is surviving after his partner Frank died of a heart attack. He has published his first book (porn) and is content. Then the new neighbors move in and start swimming naked. What’s this? Perry is popping a boner for the big hairy half of the couple. Luckily he can’t be seen since he is higher up! Or can he? Rating 4.5

Moby Dick by William Holden

I really liked the way the author took the tale of Moby Dick and transferred it to the pursuit of a great white whale of a man. Good story. Rating 4.5

Indivisible by Dylan Thomas Good

This one confused me a little. It hinted at an Arabic setting, but seemed almost futuristic. I never really understand what was going on…well, except for the Prince finally realizing some truths about himself. Rating 3.5

A Slice of Pi by ‘Nathan Burgoine

By far the best story in the book in my opinion! I thought this actually read like something I would read as a standalone. I loved it. Rating 5.0

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Biggest Lover is an erotica anthology of 21 short stories featuring bears and cubs. These short stories run the gamut from contemporary to historical to fantasy, and are each at the minimum a complete scene, with some running longer into a full relationship. Geographically, the stories take place in Britain, the US, and beyond. As the stories are quite diverse, there are a couple I didn’t particularly care for, but only because of my personal tastes and through no fault of the author(s). With 21 amazing stories, though, you’re guaranteed to find several that you’ll love! The writing is exceptional throughout, and it was really nice to read of the love, acceptance, and devotion to the big boys.

There is a little something for everyone included in this well-rounded (pun intended) book. If you like big men, you’ll love this!

ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review by Divine Magazine.

**The same worded review will appear on Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.**

[Elisa Rolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Biggest Lover by R. Jackson
A fine collection of erotica for large men and those who lust after them. Excellent writing throughout and a strong balance of stories, many very vivid and interesting. Well curated and edited.

[SheReadsALot]

[Yani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, this book broke the cardinal rule of "erotic fiction"... it was way, way too much fiction and a distinct lack of erotic. To me these were just stories that happen to have a little graphic sex in them rather than stories designed to arouse the reader. Especially when the characters are carrying around way too much baggage.

A large number of the stories also include a particular kind of chub... hairy, more muscular and thick than just fat and with a beard. So, you know, a bear. And that's fine, and it's not the only type of guy in the anthology, but it does dominate at least three quarters of the stories. That's also the problem with this kind of "niche" erotica... everyone has a specific idea of what defines that term and also what makes that type of guy sexy for them. So for me, this felt more like "bear erotica" than it did "chub erotica", which was disappointing.

There were also what felt like too many stories where one or both guys had just gotten out of a long term relationship, or in one case documenting the end of a relationship (Rainy Day), or even that their former partner had died... and call me crazy, but that's just not sexy for me. And when you make the hero/the narrator of your story a total and complete douchebag (Temet Nosce), you're not going to win me over.

Also, there are two stories, Filled and Nip Man which need to be in some other kind of collection... the specificity of their particular kink is all well and good, but they just feel out of place here. Actually, Bulk City Gym can take it's somewhat incestuous storyline and join them.

I will say that the second half of the book was a lot better than the first... From Dionysus Tamed, Coming in the Night, Heavy Set (although it could have done without one of the characters being straight, which kind of ruined an otherwise sweet story), Tag Team, Moby Dick (although this did make me realise what it feels like to be objectified for how you look... and I'm not sure if it was in a good way), Indivisible (even though it's a confusingly written story) and A Slice of Pi (returning to the bear character type, but a more interesting story). I also need to shout out Burning on the Edge of the World from the first half.

I appreciate Mr Jackson's attempt to put together something more original than the standard paint by numbers erotica, or for catering to a slightly different audience than all of the bear anthologies he's put together previously. However, like any book of this type, this lives or dies on the quality of the individual stories and their authors, and I feel like he should have looked a little further afield for some of them.

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A confession: I had this book on my Kindle for a while before I gathered up the balls to read it. Why? Because I knew it wasn't aimed at middle-class English ladies, and quite frankly, I was a bit nervous. Not sure what to expect. I didn't want any previously undiscovered, deeply-buried prejudices to mar my enjoyment of the book. Thank goodness I found out two things. I don't have deeply-buried prejudices concerning larger than life people, and this book is a glorious celebration of a culture I knew nothing about, and which I now have a great respect for.

This is a wonderful, quality anthology by several authors, packed full of erotic, tender, funny stories, thoughtfully and skilfully chosen by R. Jackson. A couple are downright disturbing, involving food and eating (though I’m not the target readership, so maybe they are not.) It would be hard to pick a favourite. It is a big, meaty read on all levels. The reader is not pandered to, but embraced and welcomed into a great big bear hug. "This is our world. Welcome, friend, but do not judge."

People come in all shapes and sizes, but the fact that Chubs, Chasers and Bears are marginalised by literature, as well as overall society, gives this anthology an edge. It is rare to have a collection that is so evenly paced in quality, but it is clear each story has been carefully chosen to give sub-genres of the Bear community a voice. I’m glad that I was able to read it, because it gave me a privileged glimpse into a private world of men who feel left on the side-lines because of their size. In these stories, the overall feeling is acceptance and love for who they are, rather than being obliged to squeeze into the roles that society feels able to cope with.

These stories celebrate big men, and show that their size doesn't have to be a barrier to having the same needs and aspirations as anyone of a “normal” size. One of the cancers of our society is to judge others simply for the way they look, whether they are too slim or of size, ugly or beautiful, forgetting that people have souls. To not appreciate people for who they are is to rob oneself.

So this book is a celebration, a humorous, beautiful, melancholy and ultimately uplifting collection from some fine authors, including Suresha himself. If I had to choose a standout, it would be .... no, I can't choose. This is a book to be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys buying in bulk. Anyone who reads it will get something out of it. A beautiful and inspirational read.

And did I say the sex was hot too....?

[Queue · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I wish there was more of in the M/M genre is chubby guys. There’s nothing wrong with the sculpted hunks of course, but the bigger men are far more realistic.

This book collects more than a dozen stories centered around tubby guys and the men who desire them. This anthology has a little bit of everything for those who enjoy their men with a belly instead of a six-pack. There are a couple centered around romance and others that are more erotica based.

I preferred the romantic ones, especially Furball by Hank Edwards. The story involved a couple of guys who live near each other and the use of a cat to get to know each other.

Other stories are more fetish based with hot scenes of fucking and making love.

As in with any anthology the stories are hit or miss and by the time I was nearing the end I was glad it was over. There are a lot of stories here and read from beginning to end the book can be a little tedious.

I recommend you read this book the way the stars of the stories don’t eat. A little at a time.

[FantasyLiving · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review can be found here

['Nathan Burgoine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this while I was away. More detailed review(s) of the tales to come!

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible! I definitely took my time with this one so that I could savor every story. While I may not have loved every single story (as is typical with anthologies), I loved this book and everything it does for men who are not your societal definition of attractive. Bigger men are sexy and deserving of love and attention. Thank you to the author for going out of his way to get me a copy, I will treasure this for a lifetime!

[Mandy Beyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5* as in many collections of short stories, this had hits and misses

[Ron Suresha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Praise for The Biggest Lover:
“[Editor R.] Jackson’s anthology of 21 titillating quickies covers a variety of genres, but all the stories embrace those who like to live and love large. ... a delicious panoply with something for every bear.” – Publishers Weekly
"The stories in this anthology are a must-read for any guy who’s ever felt left out of the gay scene because of his size or his desire for a man of size. This wonderfully curated collection includes works that are sweet, sweaty, and just plain hot.” — Dan Oliverio, author of The Round World

[Krissy]

5 stories in and I didn't like a single one. I think I'll give up on this one.