Generally I like Violet Blue's collections, but Lips Like Sugar|Lips Like Sugar - Erotic fiction is not her all-time best. The material doesn't cover as wide a range of topics as I would like.

I am of the opinion that compilations should have a little bit of everything. This one does, but it also has a heavy bias towards domination. I happen to like domination stories, but I wasn't expecting as much as I got. This is one of two reasons I have given the book a three-star rating--I don't think it advertises itself accurately.

Having said that, if light BDSM and male dominance is what you're looking for, go ahead and nab this compilation!

Of the stories themselves, I found three of them particularly arousing. "When I Make You Say No" surprised me pleasantly. It is written from the point of view of a woman fantasizing about giving a man a blow job. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy going down on my boyfriend, but I wasn't expecting a blow-by-blow (forgive the expression) description of the act to be as hot as it was. Julia Price is a fantastic writer--one of the few who could write this scenario so successfully.

"Crazy From the Heat" is another favorite. Two friends head to a nude beach for some sun and some foreplay involving sunscreen while flabbergasted men look on. A synopsis won't do it credit, because again, it is a well-written and vivid piece.

Third in line comes "Teddy," which is by far the best domination story of them all. This might be because I identify with the main character. She's successful, assertive, and secretly wants to find a man that can be more dominant than she is in the bedroom. Luckily for us all, she does, and it ends quite steamily.

My second complaint is both the other reason for the three-star rating and a matter of personal taste. The descriptive styles of the authors were a major turn-off in "The 9:30 to Edinburgh" and "Discipline." As a hobbyist erotica writer, I am aware how difficult it can be to describe body parts with creativity, but there is a line of taste that shouldn't be crossed.

Though descriptive, “aching pussy” is not erotic. I don't know about you, but when my pussy aches, it generally does not desire the cock. Also unimpressive are the phrases “firm orbs” and “crimson pearl.” (Seriously, what is wrong with "boobs" or "clit"?) I'm also not that pleased with the idea of a “wet and swollen cunt.” In fact, it makes me think of aching cunts.

Finally, even if it was accurate, "fabulous tool" made me giggle hysterically and completely ruined the mood.

In short, if you like a lot of domination with a sprinkling of het sex, lesbianism, bisexuality, and threesomes on trains--grab this book. But, if you are picky about the language of your erotica, you may find a couple of these tales disappointing.

I'm not the only person who is picky about word choice in erotica. I've loaned my copy of Lips Like Sugar to several of my friends over the past few months, and it always comes back to me with the same complaints. I've decided to share my favorite story of the lot with all of you in the hopes that it will help you decide whether or not this is the book for you. One of my girlfriends was browsing my rather extensive erotica collection shortly after I wrote the first review for this volume and became intrigued by the cover. (I really can't blame her, because that's what attracted me to it initially, as well.) She and I are open about our sex lives and swap books back and forth constantly. She also trusts my taste, so she decided to borrow it for when she went to stay with her boyfriend for the weekend. I told her that was fine as long as I got it back in the condition it left in. Standard procedure for books!

Now she and her boy have been dating for six years, and they are not what I would call shy in the bedroom. She told me later they took turns picking stories out and reading them to one another, but it didn't spark the reaction she intended. Instead of warming them up for a night of mind-blowing sex, they spent the evening giggling at the same phrases that tripped me up, and forgot about the sex entirely!

Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Bonding over erotica can be amazing fun, but there is also a lesson to be learned here: know what erotica works for you and your partner before you try working it into a night of lusty intrigue. This book is, in my opinion, best read by candlelight in a bathtub or while naked in bed where you can giggle, turn the page, and find something that suits your tastes--without messing up the flow of your evening.