Please, Sir - Can I have some more? (Book Review)

Here’s the book trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEY0XxVXkG4

Okay, forgive the cheeky Dickensian joke. But seriously, I’m in love with the way this book is set up. See, I love anthologies *anyway* – I have three bookcases double-rowed with Sci-Fi and Erotica anthologies to prove it. I feel that they are the snacks of the literary world – sometimes you don’t want to crack open the four course meal of a new Stephen King novel, but would prefer the apple and sharp cheddar plate of a few short stories. I probably shouldn’t review when I’m hungry.

So what sets this book apart from other anthologies? Please, Sir is short. Not overall, but each story runs about five pages or so, compared to the 10 or 15 found in other anthologies of this type. Ms. Bussel has done a delightful job, however, in ensuring that the stories are whole, and don’t feel like they leave things unresolved or unfinished. These incredibly hot tableaus tap into that primal omg-I-would-do-ANYTHING-for-you level of submission that anyone who is a fan of BDSM has very likely either experienced personally or witnessed from the top. It is a harder, edgier collection of stories that peel back the nicey-nice layer often veneered over BDSM to make it palatable to those on the fence. Water sports? Got em. Breath play? You betcha. There’s even a very interesting story about a nurse and an older paralyzed patient.

This collection feels real – it taps into the real ‘mental soundtrack’ of a scene; one of the most striking stories is Tess Danesi’s “I Breathe Your Name”. I am not personally that into breath play, but the way she describes the narrator’s inner thought train is amazingly and completely on point. I’ve never read the fluttery panicky this-is-a-bad-idea-probably-but-fuck-it narrative so clearly in a story before. It is early on in the book, setting in motion a habit of holding one’s breath – both figuratively and literally – as the scenes bloom out like black and blue flowers. The end is perfectly punctuated by another semi-breath-play story of the editor’s own creation – it reflects on very deliberate sensations given by the top, where Ms. Danesi’s story was  a hot and spontaneous event. Differences like these allow two stories about similar actions to be entirely different, and each adds a depth and tone to the overall collection.

Don’t mistake these short stories for lacking in character – I have the distinct impression they were chosen specifically for the amount of impact they manage to naturally impart in a scant handful of pages. This isn’t fluffy reading to pop like candies. You will want to have a little free time if you plan on cracking open this book, trust me. It may heavily influence your desire to walk the wild side, after you see what these terribly naughty girls are up to. Please, Sir can be purchased for $10.17 over at Amazon, and it comes highly recommended.

(Edited to add, 5/21)

Here are the other lovely folks reviewing this book as well…be sure to take a look!

May 1 Baser Instincts
May 2 Man Eater Book
May 3 Hard and Fast
May 4 Erobintica
May 5 Dangerous Lilly
May 6 Sugarbutch Chronicles
May 7 The Sex Carnival
May 8 My Kinky World
May 9 Lusty Literati
May 10 Prurient Interests
May 11 Sarah Sloane
May 12 Hello Saraid
May 13 Desk Full of Dildos (That Toy Chick)
May 14 Julian Arancia (Flavius Iulianus)
May 15 Kristina Wright
May 16 Exploring Intimacy
May 17 Erotica Electronica
May 18 Our Goings On
May 19 SpastikFantastik
May 20 Alpine Subdreams
May 21 Orlando Sex & Relationships Examiner
May 22 Beth Wylde
May 23 Heather Lin
May 24 Pieces of Jade
May 25 Heartbreak Nympho
May 26 Yolanda Shoshana
May 27 ¡Qué sinvergüenza!
May 28 Leather Yenta (Lolita Wolf)
May 29 Marilyn’s Room (Marilyn Jaye Lewis)
May 30 Wanton Lotus Reviews
May 31 Curvaceous Dee