As much fun as it is to explore all of the crazy positions, costumes, fantasies and accessories that relate to sex and sensuality, sometimes it pays to get back to basics and focus on something as simple as a kiss. “Seal It With a Kiss” by Violet Blue is a look into the world of kissing, from technique to troubleshooting.

The book is paperback and just 130 pages, a very quick read. It's small and light, so it’s handy to keep in your purse for those times you get stuck waiting at the doctor’s office or just have some down time at work. The cover is rather plain, with the title in large black script, a pair of red lipstick prints and the subtitle “Tips, Tricks and Techniques for Delivering the Knockout Kiss” in red print below. Nothing scandalous, so you’re pretty safe reading this in public, and as long as people can’t see the subtitle it may just look like a novel.

You may recognize the author, Violet Blue, from several other books she’s written that are available on EdenFantasys, like The Smart Girl's Guide to the G-Spot or , The Ultimate Guide to Sexual Fantasy, as well as the multiple books of erotica she is the editor for.

The book is divided into an introduction and 9 chapters with an average of 15-20 pages each, which are as follows:

Chapter 1: The Secret Society of Kissing Artists- Most of this chapter feels like it should be a part of the intro, or simply edited out. Most of us really don’t need several pages of prose about how fun and awesome kissing is, even if they’re well-written. Finally on page 6 we get into the elements that the author thinks makes up a good kiss- something a little more substantial than all the pages of fluff that came first. The chapter ends with a quiz to discover what kind of kisser you are- very reminiscent of Seventeen Magazine type quizzes from my youth! Your quiz persona is referred to a couple of other times in the book.

Chapter 2: Make It Happen: Get That Kiss Anywhere, Anyplace, Anytime
Aren’t anywhere and anyplace kind of the same thing? This chapter is more informative than the last, with tips about how to clue someone in that you want to be kissed, and body language to watch for.

Chapter 3: Your Mouth: He’s Gotta Have It- How to care for your lips to make them extra kissable, and some tips to put you in a kissy mood.

Chapter 4: Kissing: A Field Guide- The first half of this chapter is a totally silly guide to stereotypes of men (the rockstar, the corporate dude, the artist) and where ideal first kisses with them would be. The next section is types of kisses (the first kiss, the goodnight kiss, etc.), and then a section on types of bad kisses. If this had been followed by tips for how to improve those bad kisses, it would have been great, but instead it’s just silly.

Chapter 5: Delivering a Knockout Kiss- This is the chapter on actual kissing techniques. Nothing the average person doesn’t already know, sadly.

Chapter 6: The Rules of the Game- Kissing do’s and don’ts, mostly common sense (ie don’t go in for a kiss with your tongue sticking out.) Then a section on things that can go wrong, and how to remedy them (You slobbered too much, laugh it off.)

Chapter 7: Take Your Kissing to the Next Level- This is full of little tips to mix things up, such as playing with temperature and flavor. It also contains lists of great movie kisses and “Music to Make Out By.”

Chapter 8: The Make-Out Artist- I can’t really pick out a “theme” to sum up this chapter in a sentence or two, it’s mostly just a hodgepodge of more tips.

Chapter 9: Kissing Games- The grand finale! This chapter tells you how to play kissing games, from games for parties (Spin the Bottle) to

I have to admit, reading a book about kissing made me feel a little like I was 14 years old. I knew this wasn’t going to be a life-changing, omg that’s awesome type of book when I ordered it, but I was hoping to at least pick up a couple of fun new facts or ideas.

The book is written for a heterosexual female audience, but you could really apply it to anyone. It’s super basic, so would probably be best for a teenager or someone just starting to date. Sex is barely mentioned in the book, and certainly not explicitly, so I wouldn’t be uncomfortable giving this to an teen, it’s very PG rated. (The kissing games chapter is as racy as it gets, with suggestions for lickable body paint.

Overall, this book is pretty skippable, unless you have never kissed anyone and want a helpful book to give you a bit of confidence. You can probably find much more interesting info by googling “kissing techniques” or something similar, if it’s something you feel the need to improve upon.