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Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1

Rachel Kramer Bussel (Goodreads Author) (Editor),

Ria Restrepo (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

Winter Blair (Contributor),

Kendel Davi (Contributor),

Angora Shade (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

Richard Bacula (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

Kate Allure (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

Zak Jane Keir (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

more…

4.70 · Rating details · 20 ratings · 10 reviews

Super sexy, sensual, and surprising bondage stories from Tiffany Reisz, Somer Marsden, Valerie Alexander, and more collected in this exciting volume by erotica maven Rachel Kramer Bussel!

A cameraman puts a TV anchor on display in a whole new way… Two NASA officials wage an interstellar battle between protocol and desire, and one is taken captive . . . A gender-bending boun ...more

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Paperback, 248 pages

Published March 10th 2020 by Cleis Press

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Mar 02, 2020 Bob/Sally rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bdsm, erotica, female-dominant, female-author, lgbtqa

There are some anthologies I pick up because I’m excited about the theme, and others because there are a few authors I can count on, and a select few that I feel drawn to because I trust the editor. Best Bondage Erotica of the Year checks all those boxes. The bondage theme speaks to me, there were a handful of authors I recognized, and Rachel Kramer Bussel is one of those editors I trust – implicitly – to assemble a solid collection of stories.

The anthology opens with a pair of well-paired stori There are some anthologies I pick up because I’m excited about the theme, and others because there are a few authors I can count on, and a select few that I feel drawn to because I trust the editor. Best Bondage Erotica of the Year checks all those boxes. The bondage theme speaks to me, there were a handful of authors I recognized, and Rachel Kramer Bussel is one of those editors I trust – implicitly – to assemble a solid collection of stories.

The anthology opens with a pair of well-paired stories, one having some fun with a contemporary meme and the other with a century-old medical legend. In Chained, Ria Restrepo introduces us to a home improvement store employee who is fascinated by the weight and feel of chain, opening a world of self-bondage, discovery, and exploration. With Impropriety, Winter Blair tackles the idea of vibrators having been used to cure hysteria in Victorian times, but with a feminist twist that reclaims a woman’s sexuality rather than treating it as a disorder.

Protocol by Angora Shade was one of three wildly imaginative stories in the collection, mixing space puns and gentle female dominance with weightless sex, while Richard Bacula’s Beach Blanket Ballet puts being buried in the sand in a whole new context, making something intensely erotic of what we generally think of as innocent fun. From the skies above to the sands below, these were both a lot of fun.

Kneel by Kate Allure was one of my favorites, an intimate, emotional, psychological story that is as much about the erotic power exchange and the need for submission as it is about bondage. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Coldwell has some fun with the neighborhood sex party idea in BYOB, engaging friendly D/s couples in a little erotic exhibitionism.

Freefall is one story I really want to call out, another favorite of mine – although it certainly wasn’t at first. Valerie Alexander opens with a series of encounters that seem sleazy, rough, crude, and potentially even abusive, taking us to seedy sex stores, trashy carnivals, and dingy clubs, but cleverly spins things in such a way that we come away feeling relieved (yet still very dirty), and reminded not to judge other people’s kinks.

Delicate Matters by Leandra Vane was a fun story of relieving stress with priceless museum props and costumes, using the fear of damage to further submission, while Stronghold by Leif Often was a bit of an odd story about feuding neighbors, secret desires, and make-up sex that left me with a lot of questions, but still amused. Necessary Roughness turns that suburban comfort inward, with Rachel Kramer Bussel herself sharing an intimate, loving story about the contrast between personal and professional roles, the loving side of domination, and the bliss of being freed from responsibility. Like Kneel, this one really spoke to me, really got inside my head, echoing the personal appeal of such relationships for me.

Safe Sex was another of those wildly imaginative tales, about which I am afraid to say much lest I give the concept away, but Violet R. Jones does fantastic things with intimacy, tenderness, and restraint – and all for a rather shocking reason. The Student Seat by Sommer Marsden was a simple, low-tech story of bondage and belts that I thought captured the D/s dynamic very well, while Tiffany Reisz closes the collection on another imaginative note, blurring cosplay and medieval role play to erotic effect in The Beguiling of Merlin.

Ultimately, what I think makes Best Bondage Erotica of the Year such a powerful, satisfying read is the diversity of the characters and themes, taking us from the intimacy of domestic dominance to the hedonism of public exhibitionism, and balancing traditional implements of bondage with re-purposed everyday items. More importantly, with the exception of Freefall, where degradation is part of the kink, these are all sex-positive, kink-positive stories where we are free to explore without fear of shame, judgment, or humiliation. Once again, Rachel Kramer Bussel proves her eye for fiction, with another winning anthology.

https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2020/... ...more

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Sep 15, 2020 Mirjam rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica, mf, short-story

Tiffany Reisz The Beguiling of Merlin

A standalone erotic short story from Tiffany Reisz that ties into the first Godwicks novel, The Red

Part of The Godwicks Series that is best enjoyed when read in order

The Red (The Godwicks, #1) by Tiffany Reisz

The Rose (The Godwicks, #2) by Tiffany Reisz

The Pearl (The Godwicks, #3) by Tiffany Reisz

...more

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Mar 13, 2020 Jillyn rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Every time that Rachel Kramer Bussel and Cleis Press release a new anthology, I get excited. It seems like the newest one is always newer, sexier, and more batshit than the last. And I mean that in the best way possible. There's newer scenarios, a wide variety of short stories, a whole manner of arrangements of kink and couplings and throuplings and beyond.

Between the pages of this anthology include stories that feature gender-bending, non-binary characters, couples (strai 4.5 stars, rounded up.

Every time that Rachel Kramer Bussel and Cleis Press release a new anthology, I get excited. It seems like the newest one is always newer, sexier, and more batshit than the last. And I mean that in the best way possible. There's newer scenarios, a wide variety of short stories, a whole manner of arrangements of kink and couplings and throuplings and beyond.

Between the pages of this anthology include stories that feature gender-bending, non-binary characters, couples (straight, gay, lesbian, the works), throuples, groups, young characters, old characters, disabled characters, POC characters, realistic stories, sci-fi stories, fantasy stories, historical stories, Dommes, Doms, role play, chains, ropes, public play, and way too much to keep listing like this. As the title of the anthology implies, the one strand that weaves all of these radically different stories together is the theme of bondage.

Because it's an anthology, I certainly liked some stories more than others. Though I always review only my top three favorite stories, I always take notes on each story and give each one a rating to help me determine the final amount of stars. I can honestly say that out of all the Cleis Press anthologies I've reviewed over the years, this book has the fewest low-rated stars out of all of them. No 1-star, and only one 2-star. The picks for this ones are pretty great to get your smut on. (In fact, 6 of them get perfect 5 stars from me!)

The ones I didn't care for as much are for various reasons- kinks that I'm not into, language that isn't my thing (I think we all have our preferred sexy words and ones that are y i k e s), one story was a bit disjointed and flowery. But, what didn't float my boat might hyper-float yours.

Because these are 20 stories by 20 authors, this book is easy to read either in one go, or in little bites of a story or two here and there.

As always, I'll highlight my top three favorite stories.

The first story that I'll highlight is actually the last one in the book, ensuring that the collection goes out with one helluva bang. It's called "The Beguiling of Merlin: An Erotic Fantasia" by Tiffany Reisz. It's a story I didn't know I wanted. It involves a hetero couple, an art book, history, roleplay, and obviously, bondage. It's a lovely blend of magic and realism, somehow reading as both a wonderful sort of fairy tale and an extremely steamy erotica. It's both pretty and dirty and I'm here for it.

The second book I'll recommend is called "The Deepest Part of the Forest" by Deborah Castellano. You'll probably notice a theme to the sort of stories that I enjoy reading. This story involves Halloween, a primal energy, a big bad wolf, a Red, a forest and, yes, more bondage. I thought this story had a fun, playful yet primal vibe to it. I love Halloween, I love a big bad wolf, and this was just up my alley.

The third one is one that I loved but also puzzles me, because Rachel Kramer Bussel's anthologies have made me acutely aware of the fact that "lesbian historical erotica" is a thing I'm into. Not weirdly specific at all! The last story is called "Impropriety" by Winter Blair. It involves a female/female pairing, a case of malaise, a historical setting, a tinkerer's workshop, bondage (shocking I know!) and an unusual device that may just give her everything she's missing and more. It's sexy, it's playful, it held my attention, and it left me wanting a longer story. I'd read a whole book of Jessamine and Ada. More of this, please!

All in all this book has a scratch to soothe any kinky itch. There's light stories, dark stories, fun stories, a rainbow of characters and a treasure trove of kinks. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and I'm happy to add it to my shelf.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you! ...more

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Mar 15, 2020 Robert Mannix rated it it was amazing

Cheers to Rachel Kramer Bussel for launching another annual series exploring the comforting thrills of kink and its sexy anticipation of sublime bliss. Her unique editing presentation opens a new window into the erotic literature genre for readers that enjoy a different twist.
1)'CHAINED':Getting caughyt fulfilling a personal kink can raise a relationship to new levels of intimacy
2)'IMPROPRIETY':The first testing of the electronic vibrator
3)'OVER UNDER':A different twist to 'getting wired'...
4)'P ...more

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Feb 27, 2020 Sarah Packard rated it it was amazing

Let me just say, I loved this book!! And if you are at all into bondage, you probably will too...there is such a rich variety of stories here about men, women, and even nonbinary folks of all possible orientations and configurations, not to mention the time periods and locales - outer space? A fairy tale forest? The back of a van? You name it. :) I enjoyed the creativity of all of the various bondage scenarios - heck, one even involves telekinesis - and there is a lot of hot sex made even hotter ...more

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Mar 20, 2020 Holly GoLightly rated it it was amazing

I reviewed this book which was provided for free by the publisher. However, I do not receive any compensation for reviews. All book reviews are My personal and subjective opinion. Cross posted from my blog.

One of the things I love about Cleis Press is their drive to be inclusive in their work, and Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Vol 1 was no exception. Editor Rachel Kramer Bussel has included a range of gender identities and sexual identities as well as bondage types and styles in this volume ...more

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Dec 31, 2020 Maria rated it really liked it

This was a compilation of various authors. Some I’m aware of, others were new to me. Each author had a short story which also gives one a sense of whether they will also continue with this author and their style of work.
I’m glad, I chose to read this book, as it did give me an insight to future authors for me. Aside from all this, the main read I would like to concentrate on was by Tiffany Reisz. For me, this was the missing chapter from the ‘Red’. It still leaves me wanting more by her as her ...more

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May 05, 2020 Janine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: absloutely-freaking-loved, fav-authors-read, short-stories-anthologies-read

I simply adore these anthologies that Rachel Kramer Bussel assembles. The stories are always so varied. There are always new authors I discover and a few of my favourite authors are usually included. The story by Tiffany Reisz is worth the price alone. I highly recommend this anthology of kinky, sexy, erotic short stories.

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Mar 10, 2020 Dawnny rated it it was amazing

FIRE!🔥 A steamy and hot collection of stories. Always something for everyone in these collections. They burn and linger. Have a cool drink when you read it. Might even need the fan on.
I was given a copy by the publisher for my honest review.

Dawnny-BookGypsy
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY

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Nov 15, 2020 Elle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bdsm

I loved the Tiffany Reisz's story set in her Godwick Family's series (5* for this story alone).
I have to say I skimmed the rest of the book... ...more

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About Rachel Kramer Bussel

Rachel Kramer Bussel

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I'm the editor of the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series, the Best Bondage Erotica of the Year series, and over 60 anthologies including The Big Book of Orgasms and Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica. I've also written a wide range of erotica about everything from French fries to fishnets. I read a wide range of genres, from erotica to romance to mystery to memoir to graphic novels and anything that ...more