I've got a pretty large collection of erotica, but Lust: Erotic Fantasies for Women is the one I keep coming back to when I've got a new sex toy to try out or some time to kill while the boy is out of town. I've said before that I like Violet Blue's compilations, but this one is especially masterful. It's an explicit collection, which the cover makes clear. This isn't something that can be safely read in public without people noticing, though I am certainly guilty of reading it on plane flights once or twice.

I think what draws me to this compilation most is that it is EXACTLY what it should be. There are seventeen stories that make up the collection. The topics are varied, with no real bias toward one specific situation, and the contributors are both males and females who have written characters from varying age ranges and walks of life.

If you're a fan of erotica that gives you some character development to help you understand why the sex is so great, nab this now and open right up to “Coffee Shop Boy,” a story that was written to build sexual tension to the breaking point and then tear it blissfully away at the very end when the two main characters finally(!) hook up.

If you're into dominance fantasies, which I am, you'll also enjoy “Out of the Shower” and “Tied to the Kitchen Sink.” These are about couples having fun, not about the full BDSM lifestyle, so take that as a pro or a con based on your personal preference.

Another wonderful quality of this compilation is its theme. In other words, it actually has one. All of these characters, young or old, male or female, straight or gay, are as horny as can be. Because of this, they do things they wouldn't usually do. And, thanks to the authors, we get to experience the results right along with them. This book is, from front cover to back cover, all about boundary pushing and openness, and I love it for that.

Finally, a word on the writing style: this book is blessedly free of euphemistic writing, choosing instead to use everyday slang to describe body parts. If this is not a selling point for you, Lips Like Sugar, another compilation by Violet Blue, may be more to your liking. I prefer my erotica to have a cleaner, more simple style, but for some readers words like “cunt” and “prick” are turn-offs, just as I am off-put by phrases like “slick pearl of flesh” or “firm orbs.” Finding the right erotica is just like finding the right sex toy—everyone will have different tastes, but this one is my perfect fit.

I wish that there was an "I really liked it then, and now I absolutely love it" option, because that's the one I'd be checking here. These stories simply don't get old. I picked it up again yesterday so I could start work on the follow-up review, and am just as pleased now as I was when I first bought it on a whim.

Browsing through, I gained some new insight into why I love it so much: the stories are all so positive. I've come across erotica where the characters feel that lust shameful and BDSM is portrayed as unhealthy and demeaning, but you won't find that in this volume. The characters know exactly what they want, and take it without regrets, and those who delve into the world of BDSM decide quickly that it can be a very positive force in the lives of its practitioners. Page after page, this anthology is simply a celebration of how awesome sex is.

"Coffee Shop Boy" remains my favorite because of how expertly the author builds the tension between the two characters, but I was surprised to find by looking back over my initial review that a new story has made it onto my favorites list, as well: "The Importance of Good Networking," which features two working stiffs in an office. The girl falls for the geeky (but guitar-playing;that kind of geek) new IT guy and then proceeds to shamelessly seduce him in the middle of her cubicle. It's hot, it's adorable, and the dialogue makes the reader giggle intentionally. All excellent points, if I do say so myself.

Considering how much staying power this anthology has had, I think it's going to become my Official Loaner for friends who are looking to borrow from my erotica collection. It's not as well-suited for couples as some of the other works out there, but for someone who needs some alone time and wants an amazingly sex-positive anthology for company, this is the one.