Afternoon Delights

Reviewed by G. Russell

The diversity of plots here is actually quite surprising. The stories herein demonstrate quite considerable imagination in their construction without sacrificing plausibility. And more importantly from an erotic viewpoint, they are all wholly convincing. Perhaps a more appropriate title for this anthology would be "Evening" Delights as although the slant is firmly towards romance and emotional interplay, the sex scenes are articulately detailed, without ever descending into thoughtless crudities.

The emphasis in Afternoon Delights is firmly on heterosexual sex, on relationships and plot rather than straying into sub genres of erotica. But given that, there is remarkable variation of theme here. From the trials of a modern day Heroine who finds herself transported back in time to serve as a prostitute in the temple of Aphrodite, to a story of two estranged lovers who exact their revenge on the gangster responsible for the death of their son. There is a wide range of choice here.

To give the reader a feel for the sort of stories displayed here I'd like to highlight two of my own personal favourites, "El Tigre" By Vivian Black, who has been published in various men's magazines and three other erotic anthologies, and Ana Loranger's debut: "Bonds of Blood."

"El Tigre" tells the story of one woman's flight from an unsatisfactory relationship, and how she finds fulfilment with a travel guide in the sweltering heat and lushness of the Peruvian rainforest. Vivian knows how to build up to a sex scene. She writes convincingly when she's describing the lush, steamy beauty of the rainforest. And she writes with considerable passion when it comes to sex:

"Their lips touched lightly, brushing over each other like a butterfly's wing. Bailey moaned as their flesh touched. Carlos tightened his hold on her neck and smashed his mouth to hers.

Bailey's restraint broke. She fisted her hands into his hair as he savaged her mouth. He tasted like coffee and something wild. She was lost with the taste of him. She wanted to taste all of him."

Vivian has an uncanny ability to write evocatively and knows how to transport the reader into the tale so that we believe, and care for the characters.

"Bonds of Blood" merits attention because it's just so unusual, powerful, and resonates with the reader for some time after being read. Set in some mythical time, it tells the story of a slave girl destined for the auction block and a grisly end at the hands of the telepathic vampiric Blood Lords. The story takes some unexpected twists and turns along the way before the stories' thankfully happy climax.

Afternoon Delights -

Discerning erotic romance for the reader who cares for rounded character development and believable, yet steamy sex encounters. The cover art work by Shirley A. Schult makes it a handsome book to have lying around for when you want to seduce your partner with the promise of an early night with a sizzling read.

The Liquid silver book's website has a wide ranging choice of story, and an easy to use order system. Well worth having a look at.