Review Tuesday: Giselle's Best Fetish Erotica (#erotica #kink #ReviewTuesday)

Giselle’s Best Fetish Erotica: 14 Kinky Sex Stories

By Giselle Renarde, 2016

Nobody does kink like Giselle Renarde. She has the wildest imagination when it comes to sexual scenarios; her erotic creativity (not to mention her daring) knows few if any limits. At the same time, she writes so well that she pulls you completely into her tales. You really don’t think about whether the sex is extreme; you’re just wonderfully aroused, as well as (quite often) surprised and delighted by the stories' unexpected resolutions. Her characters, even in her brief vignettes, feel distinctive and real. And her stories feel new, even when the premise is familiar.

If you get the sense that I enjoyed her short story collection, Best Fetish Erotica, you’re right. At the same time, I wonder if the book isn’t mis-titled. While the stories she has assembled here are not vanilla, most of them don’t fit my definition of “fetish”, namely an obsessive sexual preoccupation with a particular object or situation. Some of her characters are playing familiar sexual games, but others are discovering unexpected sexual proclivities for the very first time. Also, the majority of these tales feature individuals who are in established relationships. Often the kinky sex in which they indulge strengthens their emotional bonds. (This is especially true in “The Fattening Room” and “Black Lace and Wood”.) There’s more than a hint of romance in this volume.

On the other hand, if she’d titled the collection “Giselle’s Best Kinky Romance”, she probably would have attracted readers expecting silk scarves and Christian Grey clones. That’s definitely not the vibe here!

The book kicks off with “Night Nurse”, an astonishingly hot cross-dressing story. The incongruous contrast between the protagonist’s burly frame and his female uniform just makes the whole thing more arousing.

Next comes “Massive Attack”, a forced sex fantasy with surprise ending.

I’ve encountered the third story, “Must Love Dolls”, before. That’s not a problem; it is one of my all-time erotica favorites. When a couple orders a high-end sex doll, it transforms and deepens their relationship.

“That’s Not a Scrunchie” is a peculiar but thrilling exploration of female dominance. Don’t expect stilettos and leather; Pella is far more spontaneous and creative.

“A Thief in the Night” deals with sexual improvisation. A fantasy takes an unexpected turn, much to everyone’s eventual satisfaction.

“The Birds and the Bees” offers a riff on exhibitionism. “Don’t Break the Chain” is a very brief, eloquent commentary on a more “traditional” BDSM arrangement.

“The Fattening Room” is another standout. Lily-white Canadian Jeremy is engaged to voluptuous Nigerian Nneka. Though he loves her dearly, he’s terrified of visiting her native country for their wedding. His fiancée teaches him a lesson about the many definitions of beauty. The lush prose and complex emotions in this multi-cultural fable push it well into the realm of literary erotica.

“Black Lace and Wood” shares some features with “The Fattening Room”. It’s also a tale of a committed multi-cultural couple. I didn’t find it as enjoyable, possibly because of the negative feelings swirling around Rebecca’s infidelity and Navin’s stubborn refusal to forgive her. It is kinky, though, and will feel familiar to BDSM romance aficionados.

“In Tooth and Claw” is Giselle Renarde at her gender-bending best. After many negative encounters, the heroine has sworn off men. Yet something attracts her to her effeminate, cross-dressing colleague.

“Crush” offers a femdom scenario that was a bit too harsh for my tastes. Even though I don’t have balls, I find stories of their torture a bit squick-inducing. However, some readers may love it.

“Bless Me Father” explores the familiar fantasy of lusting after a priest—in gorgeous, arousing detail.

“Here Lies Rob in his Dirty Clothes” may be the most original tale in the collection. A photographer finds herself irresistibly drawn to a slacker who lives in a filthy apartment and rarely bathes. She takes him in a frenzy of inexplicable lust, atop a pile of dirty clothes. I’m something of a neat-nick myself, yet somehow this story grabbed me. I found the sort of irrational attraction portrayed to be eminently believable.

“Dogging the Law”, a humorous story with a twist, wraps up this solidly sexy collection.

All the tales in this volume are quite short. The whole book is only 128 pages in PDF form. Still, each one is rich and complete.

I recommend sampling one or two, just before bed.