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Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7

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Dive into these sexy surprises...

From a model and her hot security guard using a new sex toy to a shifter triad taking a major new step in their relationship, these sexy stories are sure to wow you. Lovers deviate from their set routine to explore the thrill of the unknown in "Tulsa," while one woman goes on a very "Wicked Ride" that takes her to a totally different kind of arousal. From fetishes to fantasies to the taboo, the women in these stories are ready to surprise you. Discover a new way of getting off with "Gravity" and unravel a "Puzzle" about a male stripper who's even hotter than Magic Mike. Whether you're new to erotica or a longtime reader, these scenarios deliver the heat.

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7 features the hottest erotic stories by popular authors such as Lucy Eden, Adriana Herrera, Erin McLellan, Angelina M. Lopez, Holley Trent, Sara Taylor Woods and many others, edited by the award-winning Rachel Kramer Bussel.

270 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2021

22 people are currently reading
1625 people want to read

About the author

Rachel Kramer Bussel

251 books1,205 followers
I'm the editor of the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series and over 70 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 write about books, culture, sexuality and relationships, teach erotica writing workshops and consult with erotica authors and sex writers to help them advance their careers. I read a wide range of genres, from erotica to romance to mystery to memoir to graphic novels and anything that strikes my fancy. See my website for my newsletter with book giveaways and writing samples.

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5 stars
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4 stars
21 (32%)
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5 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Bree Hill.
1,041 reviews579 followers
July 19, 2021
A must read if you’re a fan of erotica and are in the mood for a surprise. The journey’s the authors of these stories take you on are out of this world and were just what I needed!
Profile Image for Teneisha (Teesbookjourney) .
1,175 reviews31 followers
August 16, 2021
As a regular erotica reader, I liked this collection of stories is perfect. The variety of the stories allows for everyone to find a least one story that matches their needs. Of course, I didn't love all the stories but the beauty is that there were more than enough stories that I found more I enjoyed than didn't like
Profile Image for Suzanne.
1,093 reviews37 followers
Read
April 5, 2022
I've read I think four of these anthologies now and I always appreciate the range and quality of the stories Rachel Kramer Bussel curates. As usual, not all of them were hits for me, but some were really great. Angelina M. Lopez's "Hot Pockets" (what a name!) was a great story about rediscovering desire within a marriage when you've got kids and no time for each other. Ann Castle's "Sealing the Treaty" is sci-fi with days of edging. The theme of this volume is "surprise." Hopefully if you pick it up you'll find a couple of your own.
Profile Image for Gretchen Lida.
123 reviews8 followers
January 19, 2022
In her introduction, editor Rachel Kramer Bussel explains that Volume 7 has the theme of surprise. She wanted the stories to push the boundaries of the characters in them, and boy did it deliver. After reading Erotica for a long time now. I was often delighted by the fresh ideas these stories offered. Not only did they bound across genre, but experience and perspective, all of course while staying super sexy. One of my personal favorites from this book is “Seal the Treaty, “a science fiction-inspired piece that is sure to satisfy.
Profile Image for Tracey.
2,248 reviews
January 6, 2022
a free copy of this book was provided by Rachel Kramer Bussel for an honest review

Volume 2 notwithstanding, I simply adore these anthologies. This marks the first one that has a Black woman on the cover! It might seem weird to celebrate but I've complained in the past about a lack of diversity in the authors featured. It was simply too white to be relatable. As the series has grown, the authors and stories being told have even surpassed just appealing to a Black audience. I think might be something for everyone in the particular volume. So to have a Black woman (with locs no less) on the cover, it put a huge smile on my face.

The cover pulled me in but if the stories were boring then this would have been a pain to read and review. Thankfully, this has some of the best stories I've read in these collections. The theme was sexy surprises and I was pleasantly so by the fantasy and sci-fi reads. Those make up the majority of my favorites which were:

Hot Pockets by Angelina M. Lopez
Tulsa by Erin McLellan
Dripping by Adriana Herrera
Sealing the Treaty by Ann Castle
Symmetry by Angela Kempf
Your Name on My Lips by Joanna Shaw
Puzzle by Gabrielle Johnson
'Ohana by Lucy Eden
Private Lessons by Penny Howell


I highly recommend this for a sexy read that'll have you wishing these stories were full length novels.
Profile Image for Michelle Claypot_Reads.
2,517 reviews61 followers
January 2, 2022
Yet again I was blown away by the range of erotica in this compilation. I loved how diverse the characters were and the different “takes” on what makes a sexy story. I loved the surprise party theme.

I discovered some new to me authors and will definitely be looking up their other books.

I received an arc of this book.
Profile Image for Michael Hicks.
Author 38 books511 followers
November 23, 2021
In her introduction to this seventh volume of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Rachel Kramer Bussel notes that she chose this anthology's theme of surprise partly for selfish reasons and to push authors to try something new, putting themselves and their characters into unexpected territory. While all the hot and heavy sex at the core of these 20 stories is not the least bit surprising - it is erotica, after all - the way these authors lead into the spicier elements are oftentimes remarkable.

Velvet Moore's "Colors" is a solid opener with a suitably unique lead of an artist with synesthesia whose paintings depict the colors of the sounds she has seen and experienced in her own life, such as the burst of color on a black canvas that corresponds to the noises her first lover made when he orgasmed during oral sex. In "Gravity," Gwendolyn J. Bean presents a speculative future where Earth's gravity randomly shifts, providing an intriguing range of services at one gravity-play brothel.

Bussel's anthology provides an intriguing mix of genre affairs, from sci-fi to fantasy, age-gap, and even a western and shifter erotica. I found the more down-to-earth stories the most approachable, particularly the ones with a strong focus on the emotional connectivity between partners. "Hot Pockets," by Angelina M. Lopez, was perhaps the most directly relatable as a husband and wife try to find moments of intimacy in a hectic life filled with children, illnesses, chores, work, and ailing parents.

Erin McLellan's "Tulsa" gives us two bandmates who only show their desire for one another when they play in the titular city but are forced to hit the road early to make their next performance in Dallas, missing out on their night together in Tulsa. However, Cami and Lucy have a few surprises in store for one another even aboard their bus, and McLellan delivers a steamy sapphic story as the boundaries of a relationship is tested.

"Bitch," by Inga Gardner finds an angry wife surprised by her husband's suddenly eager submissiveness. After returning home from a rough day at the office, Jessica lets her tension explode as she makes things even rougher in the bedroom, discovering her own pleasures as a dominant lover. The sex here is raw and powerful, showcasing some sexy surprises to be had in a long-time relationship between partners who thought there was nothing new left to explore.

Angela Kempf's "Symmetry" presents a first-person POV story of an unnamed woman on a date with her boyfriend and his buddy. Both men are immature philosophy majors, and James keeps mirroring Sam's behavior as the they take their seats in a nearly-empty movie theater for a screening of a horror movie. James surprises her with a kiss, which leads to an intriguing invitation, and some even more intriguing mirroring as the throuple get kinky. Kempf presents some great imagery within this movie theater, both on-screen and off.

"Who is Like You?", by Sara Taylor Woods, is a fun and sweetly romantic piece involving two Jewish women who are best friends and roommates who visit Tirztah's brother's house for a weeklong Seder celebration. As one day turns to the next, the two women discover their love for each other runs deeper than just mere friendship. Told in first-person, the narrator is absolutely adorable and as their relationship delves toward deeper, sexier explorations, Woods still keeps things cute as they try to keep their early-morning romantic encounters secret amidst a waking and bustling house.

Kristine Lynn's "Before and After" finds a breast cancer survivor reconnecting with her caring husband after years of illness. It's a nicely tender and sweetly moving piece as the two move past their tentative shyness after a prolonged celibacy to rediscover their physical love for one another.

While there were a few pieces that didn't quite work for me, usually due to my not being a fan of some of the genre tropes, or just plain genre, at play in some of the works, the bulk of this anthology was a fun, and oftentimes touching, romp. Best Women's Erotica of the Year crosses genres and sexual explorations with deftness, providing plenty of scorching scenarios and surprises across the 20 stories collected here.
Profile Image for Susan-Justavoraciousreader.
601 reviews18 followers
January 7, 2022
This compilation is breathtaking, all encompassing, erotic, extremely sensual, almost poetic. The suprise party theme...brillant. Bravo to Rachel Kramer Bussel and the authors.

#BestWomensEroticaoftheYearVolume7 #NetGalley
Profile Image for Emmalita.
772 reviews49 followers
November 26, 2021
You can trust that Rachel Kramer Bussel is going to put together a good anthology. Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 7 is thoughtful with a wide range of stories. I don’t expect to like every story in an anthology, and erotica is tougher because it taps into a place that can be rawly personal. When Kramer Bussel puts an anthology together, I know I will at least appreciate most of the stories.

My only complaint about the book is one I frequently have about e-arcs. The formatting was wonky (please, publishers, please make sure your e-arcs a formatted correctly). In this case, the text was broken up so that the whole book read as long form, modernist, deconstructed poetry. For example, from the introduction:

surprises, birthday parties where a roomful of guests shout the

fateful word at a startled celebrant would leap to mind. I wanted to offer readers different types of surprises. Inside this book

you’ll find a woman who sees color because she has synesthesia


I am generally pretty good at ignoring odd formatting, but in this case it kept my brain engaged on an intellectual level that distracts from descending into the primal brain. So, initially I thought that I hadn’t enjoyed this collection as much as I did last year’s. But every time I went back to look at a story as I was drafting this review, I would remember that I really did like the stories quite a lot.

The theme this year is Surprise. Everyone understood the assignment.

Angelina M. Lopez’s “Hot Pockets” was one of the standouts. A married couple has to work to find pockets of time for passion. A number of the stories involve established couples doing something that alters their dynamic, whether that’s finding a new way to meet needs, adding a third, or reigniting passion after a long illness. In Corrina Lawson’s “Wicked Ride” a couple with psychic abilities experiments with using their mental powers to explore sex joyfully and safely.

In some stories relationships take a surprising turn, in others, there is no expectation of a relationship. I particularly enjoyed “Gravity” by Gwendolyn J. Bean, where the surprise is the world itself. I really appreciated the range of women who explored their sexual desires and were the objects of desire.

Reading anything that stretches the boundaries of polite cis het sex feels like a political act. Culturally, we seem to taking a turn back towards the puritanical. I am not in favor. I am feeling more comfortable in my relationship with erotica now that I better understand my relationship to attraction and desire (I identify as aro-ace). Though it might seem counter intuitive, reading the way a lot of different kinds of people imagine romantic and sexual relationships has allowed me to know myself.

I can’t guarantee that you will like all or any of the stories in Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 7, but I can guarantee they were chosen thoughtfully.

I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley and Cleis Press. My opinions are my own.
Profile Image for MARQUETTA.
1,203 reviews140 followers
December 28, 2021
I only enjoyed a couple of the novellas. This one was very disappointing.
Profile Image for Marianne | Petite.BumbleBeeBooks .
421 reviews42 followers
December 10, 2021
Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Women's Erotica Vol. 7 edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

From hot security guard, to sex toys, to shifters, to male strippers that are certainly sexier than Magic Mikes' we are guaranteed to have our fill of steamy goodness with these tempting and provocative stories!

Here are just a few of the author's that feature in this book!
Adrianna Herrera, Erin McLellan, Lucy Eden, Angelina M. Lopez and many many more!

With 20 erotica short-stories all curated in this wonderful anthology everyone will find something intriguing! I really enjoyed this format, it made me discover author I wouldn't have picked up on my own and now are on my TBR!

Here are my favourite stories from this collection!

BITCH by @ingathewriter : a story of a married couple discovering a new kink and exploring their new fantasy together.

YOUR NAME ON MY LIPS by Joanna Shaw: The story of a woman ongoing major vocal cord surgery, and having her partner supporting and loving her through the changes.

PUZZLE by Gabrielle Johnson a story about two friends, discovering secrets and some fiery chemistry.

BEFORE AND AFTER by @kristinelynnauthor the story of a woman seducing her husband after recovering from cancer and wanting to bond with him again as husband and wife.

Surprisingly my favourites weren't from the authors I already knew but all new-to-me authors I'm looking forward to discovering.

Thank you so much to @bestwomenserotica and @rachelkramerbussel for gifting me a digital version of their anthology for me to review. As always all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

This one will release: December 21st, just in time for the hustle and bustle of the holidays, when you might need a little naughty pause to recharge.
Profile Image for CLorraine.
1,797 reviews21 followers
December 21, 2021
Each time I read an anthology, I find a new author or reconnect with an author I have not read in a while. The seventh edition of Best Women's Erotica had some very notable pieces and while not each one was stellar there were enough good writing to even out the book. Of special note: Holley Trent and Lucy Eden brought their “A” game with unusually provocative and well-crafted stories.
I voluntarily read a copy of this book from Netgalley and this review is of my honest opinion
210 reviews
September 28, 2021
Big thanks to Netgalley, Rachel Krammer Bussel and Cleis Press for the eARC in exchange for a review.

This book is an anthology of steamy stories that greatly vary in characters and kink. No matter who you are, there is likely a story in this book to get you going. From cowboy styled characters to brothels selling gravityless companionship and how some couples ignite a dying ember of intimacy once their lives have become a little to humdrum.

I think realistically, this is 3.5 stars, lowered to 3 cause there were way more stories that weren't quite 'me' than there were. There was one story that I had to skip over after the first few pages. The whole cancer thing just killed it for me. I couldn't do it.
Profile Image for Bobbi Wagner.
5,063 reviews65 followers
December 5, 2021
I enjoyed this collection of steamy stories by some great authors. Some of the authors are new to me and others are among my favorites. They are all unique stories that tell the tale of romance with some hot characters. They are well written and you can connect with the characters. There is something for everyone in this collection and you will find a favorite as well. The stories are engaging and fast paced. This is a book that is great to heat up any night or day. I highly recommend this collection of stories. You don't want to miss them.
Profile Image for Bethie.
55 reviews
November 10, 2021
Thank you to Cleis Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have always enjoyed this series over the years, and that hasn't changed. It's always a joy to dig into the dirty minds of various authors. I didn't love every story, but that's the norm. However, I did enjoy most of them and I was happy to see a bit more diversity in the authors and storylines than I have in the past.
Profile Image for Sharonda Isadora.
201 reviews21 followers
November 18, 2021
Another wonderfully hot collection of short erotic stories with Best Women’s Erotica. Volume 7 brings yumminess with varied stages of heat, sweetness and yes; romance. I’m becoming a huge fan of this series as each year they and the authors outdo themselves with these stories. I stay impressed.

If you love quick erotic stories told from a diverse POVs, then this collection is definitely for you.

**Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read/review.
Profile Image for Erin.
994 reviews18 followers
August 31, 2021
A varied collection by a wide range of authors on the theme of "surprise". There's a little something for everyone, from soft and sweet to more intense. I didn't love all the stories, but that's why there are so many to choose from. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the authors for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Mx Phoebe.
1,474 reviews
December 14, 2021
Rachel Kramer Bussel's mission to the authors this year was to surprise us. I do not know if I was surprised, but I do like the diversity happening in the Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

Check out the rest of my review at Phoebe's Randoms. Link in bio.
Profile Image for Shannon.
134 reviews
August 6, 2021
Interesting variety of stories I liked most of them, However the book format was wonky so it was hard to keep up with when read.
Profile Image for Tati Richardson.
Author 4 books293 followers
October 13, 2021
Something for everyone in this book. I love a good anthology and I loved the last one from this publisher as well.
Profile Image for Zeina Aldarra.
306 reviews13 followers
December 1, 2021
It wasn't my cup tea and it did not grab my attention. Went through it thinking it might be like Fifty Shades of Grey but it was a no for me.
Profile Image for Sarah Packard.
8 reviews4 followers
December 3, 2021
It’s time for another delicious grab-bag of stories under the BWE umbrella, and this time the theme is “surprise”! There are definitely some sexy surprises here, of all kinds (but all pleasant, of course!). I quite enjoyed most everything, although one (‘Ohana) confused me a bit at first as it involves shapeshifting lion men, and without any explanation of this it started off sounding kinda bestiality-ish, ha. There is a lot of originality here - everything from a world where gravity shifts unexpectedly every so often to a genderqueer Old West saloon romp. Couples find ways to surprise each other that are both sweet (a harried married couple rekindling their sexual spark) and hot (explorations of femdom inclinations). There are several nice threesomes as well! Overall I definitely enjoyed this collection, although maybe not as much as some of the others…still a very fun read!
Profile Image for Emily.
303 reviews1 follower
February 27, 2022
Erotica is very subjective. This collection just didn't fit for me, but that certainly doesn't mean that it won't work for other readers. The anthology format didn't offer enough depth or connection for me to appreciate or enjoy the partnerships. Some were just plain odd. But again, to each their own!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
Profile Image for Lili.
701 reviews
January 14, 2023
In the past, I’ve treated this annual volume like a box of very fancy chocolates: dipping in for only one or two stories at a time in order to prolong my enjoyment for as long as possible. This year, I just dove in headfirst on New Year’s Day and gorged myself every evening after work/household chores until it done.

Much like Volume 6, this volume covered an impressive lot of different preferences, perspectives, and couplings, except the unifying element in this collection was the element of surprise. The element of surprise was left up to the author’s interpretation: be it the extraordinary delight of low gravity sex in fantasy brothel or the shock of discovering that your staid law school study partner moonlights as a male stripper. Regardless of the surprise, the stories in the overall anthology were uniformly well done and well worth reading on their own.

While I was granted access to a digital advance reader copy of Volume 8, life intervened and prevented me from reading it before the system archived it. But I did enjoy Volume 7 so much that I didn’t hesitate to order a physical copy of Volume 8 to read when life slows down again.
Profile Image for Vivian.
1,599 reviews7 followers
August 8, 2023
Honest opinion. I didn't care for most of the stories. Boring. Had a few 1st POV stories, I didn't like them at all. I don't know why authors feel the need to write in 1st POV. Stories don't flow right, when they do that.
Profile Image for Natasha.
223 reviews4 followers
August 2, 2022
Short story erotica is not really my cup of tea (I need more build up, more story), but these stories were well written.
Profile Image for BookAddict  ✒ La Crimson Femme.
6,945 reviews1,440 followers
June 9, 2022
Once again, Ms. Kramer Bussel pulls me into a fantasy of hedonistic pleasure. This volume is delightful with a couple of new authors I recognize. Specifically, it is good to see Adriana Herrera and her short erotica. I have come to trust this collection every year to bring me new and inventive erotica to read. If it is Ms. Kramer Bussel as the editor, I know I will be in for a great time.
To read the rest of my review, click on the image below to see it on my website

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