Once I received my copy I started reading and was not surprised to find several great stories incorporating embarrassment and humiliation. So, in the spirit of this blog, here is my short review on the embarrassment focused stories. I'd encourage you to take this review as a "sampler" platter to sate your kinky appetite and encourage you to purchase the book yourself to see the diverse perspectives in erotica.
Flagged for Revision by Elna Host
This incorporates a good "dare" punishment when a planned camping trip does not go as one woman would hope. It's not just that the bottom is punished that makes her embarrassment enjoyable, it's the confidence in thinking she wouldn't fail that makes her fall that much more lovely when she is forced to endure the embarrassing punishment she and her partner agreed to. The main character, Edith, literally weathers a storm before being rewarded by her partner. Outdoor camping scenes are not a particular interest of mine which was why Elna Host did a great job in making me understand the allure of the great outdoors.
Grocery Run by Rose. P. Lethe
My preferred way to enjoy embarrassment is through stripping, but I loved this story because of it's use of humiliation without rendering the character nude. The status game that plays out between Top and Bottom comes through phone conversation in a supermarket, reminding me of how lovely an actual conversation on the phone can be versus text. Rose builds tension through the character, Jess', awareness that at any time someone could come down the aisle and catch her in the naughty act her partner Valerie has her engaged in. It makes voyeurism unique in that instead of watching, she's listening to her partner experience embarrassment. It's not just the physical shame, but also the words used to invoke shame on Jess in public. The use of the phone makes the whole situation intimate despite being in a grocery store, perhaps one of my new favorite stories incorporating anal play.
1,000 Words by LN Bey
LN Bey almost breaks the fourth wall by starting her story with a letter that any writer submitting to a publication is familiar with. Embarrassment in this story is not actually present, but it is a lingering threat within the dialogue that makes it real for the character, Ellen. We know exposure will happen and the reaction and horror to that outcome is why I loved it. When she displeases her Dom, her reaction to her punishment is the perfect balance of being horrified without sounding over the top. The tricky part to embarrassed nude female stories is that it's easy to write a character as cartoonish in their reaction to being exposed. For those of us who love the fetish it works, but for others who might not be familiar it can take them out of the story. Kudos to LN Bey for overcoming that challenge and helping me see how to translate a character's embarrassment in perhaps a more realistic manner.
Cari's Recital by Rod Harden
This story in some ways utilizes panty play which is another loved fetish of mine. All of the naughty secrets of this pianist are hidden under her formal "proper" attire for her performance. The embarrassment is subtly referred to due to her discomfort in performing under the conditions her master has set for her. Teasing/orgasm-while-performing is another trope that I love in the embarrassment genre. As a former standup comedian, the audience is always aware of your actions for as long as you are onstage. For Cari, who is forced to stay seated in front of her piano while holding back her arousal, her focus on what the audience did and did not notice in her body language brings a self-consciousness around her humiliation that is another good example of how to use embarrassment without making the person undress.
We Are Magic by Giselle Renarde
While this story does not emphasize embarrassment as much as the others, it incorporates the Time-stop stripping fetish that I don't see in a lot of erotica. I was happy to read this story because it showed me that it is possible to incorporate fantasy, no matter how silly it might seem. Admittedly, maybe this is my own bias that I'm glad to be proven wrong. What I did not expect was for the plot twist that towards the end that made me as a reader second guess the reality that the author set up at the beginning, I truly believed the main character, Nabila's fear in believing the impossible had happened.
Plug Play by Dorothy Freed
This is another story where embarrassment is evoked through a character's first time with anal play. The threat in this story is less about being seen and more about keeping a secret in front of everyone, acting like everything is normal when underneath the clothes, the person is on verge of losing control. When people talk about how kink can spice up a couples' sex life after years of getting "used" to each other, I think this story is a great example of how that can happen. Again, like Cari's Recital, the tension comes from the character holding back her physical responses while in a formal setting where social norms are very clear. As a reader, once I know the social norms of what is expected, I can feel the struggle the character goes through as she sits across the table knowing her dignity is at risk if she should lose control. Personally, I also love that one tidbit about the Top in this story is that he does not drink when playing, a subtle safety practice that I commend the author for giving attention to.
There are so many other good stories in this anthology, my review is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm getting back into the kink scene in my area and what I remember about loving it so much is that kink draws in all people from diverse backgrounds. This anthology does a great job in highlighting different perspectives as to what is sexy.
You can find my story "Sing" and 68 others available in ebook or paperback form on Amazon. It is helpful to all of us if you give it a review or add it to your Goodreads list here
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