Customer Reviews

Frosting on the Cake

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This is a yummy collection of short stories based on all of Karin Kallmaker's books. Each story is like dropping by to see what your friends have been up to. On two occassions, Kallmaker takes the opportunity to develop the story around relatively minor characters from "Unforgetable," and "Touchwood." However, that's not why you should buy the book.

As we all have over the years, these characters have grown and they reflect the changing concerns, joys, attitudes and fears we have as lesbians and as people. I literally rolled with laughter at the attempts at pregnancy in "Mechanics." For many women, gay and straight, this is a heartfelt issue. Kallmaker treats it with tenderness, respect and a good dose of humor that might relieve the pressure for many couples attempting pregnancy.

Her characters range from youthful to perimenapausal, butch/femme, caucasian, Afro-American, Japanese, confident, insecure, parents, non-parents, in long-term relationships to just getting started. In other words, Kallmaker explores the diversity that is the lesbian nation. Throughout it all, she never fails to portray that which makes us all human first.

Down to the nitty gritty. Is there sex? Plenty, and as always, beautifully written. Just like dessert, it'll make your mouth water.

For those of you who have never read Kallmaker, will you be able to follow the action? You bet. Therefore, if you're one of those people who likes to eat your dessert first, this one's a must. For those of you who are fans, this truly is "The Frosting on the Cake." As for the cherry on top, Kallmaker takes the time to write to her fans about how she conceived each story, what she wanted to accomplish, and how romance really works. This one's a mouth-watering delight. You'll even like the cover.

If like myself, you are a long time Kallmaker fan, you will enjoy Frosting on the Cake, an anthology of short stories based on her novels.

Kallmaker's characters are the main reason her stories are so enjoyable. She explores a diverse range of women and portrays them as human. These women get colds, have periods, disagree with their parents and spouses, have jobs, have children, renovate homes, and so on. Not just super human beauties, they reflect the lesbians we know, are, and with whom we interact. Not surprisingly, Kallmaker uses this opportunity to examine new aspects of these familiar characters.

After ten novels, Kallmaker has lots of characters to revisit and there's a wide range of topics to consider as well. For example Cat and Jessie, of In Every Port, have been together 23 years now and as many long time couples do, they have developed a communication all their own in "Conversations."

Life has been difficult for the cross dressing conductor Nicola Frost since the ending of Paperback Romance nine years ago. Two years prior to "Key of Sea," Oscar, her much loved and charming mentor, died; and ever since Nick has been building walls to protect herself from the world. Walls that also keep her from the things she loves. Alone on an all woman cruise for an over due vacation, Nick rediscovers her love of music and, perhaps, Patricia.

We get an extra peek at favorite women like Jackie and Leah of Painted Moon, (probably my second favorite of Kallmaker's titles). In "Smudges" the artist, Leah Beck immortalizes "what it's like between women" with a very special canvas. Rayann of Touchwood (my favorite Kallmaker novel) furthers her understanding of the butch/femme dance she shares with Lou in "Satisfaction."

"Wild Things are Free" is a novella that examines the complications of miscommunication and insecurity that can still arise some five years after Sydney and Faith began their relationship in Wild Things. While "Come Here" features Judy and Dedric, Rayann's friends from Touchwood, in a classic Kallmaker romantic encounter. This is a particularly interesting story because it provides the reader with an intimate view of characters who were not primary to the novel.

Perhaps the most interesting example of Kallmaker's exploration of secondary characters appears in "Unforgettable, That's What You Are." Natalie's role in Unforgettable was rather limited. However, Kallmaker appears to know a great deal about even relatively minor characters in her books. Her understanding of the people that populate her novels adds to the richness of all her characters. Thus in this story, we learn more of Natalie, a retired Army encryption specialist who still bears the psychological scars of battle earned during her service overseas. - Kallmaker's depiction of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a very powerful. -- Natalie has returned home to court and build a future with a woman she loves.

An additional, interesting treat is included at the end of the anthology. Kallmaker takes a few pages to discuss her novels and their related stories as well as answering a few of the "frequently asked questions" about her writing.

If you've never read any of Kallmaker's novels -- which probably means you either just came out, on principle you refuse to read any "romance" novel, or have been living under a rock for much of the last decade -- pick up this anthology. It will give you a very good idea of what her stories are like. Perhaps it will help you decide which of her books you'd like to read next. And you will want to read them.

As for you non-romance readers, I urge you to reconsider. Remember that these are not the straight, traditional romance stories you're bombarded with everyday. Kallmaker's stories are well written and non-formula. They depict realistic, contemporary lesbians dealing with everyday issues, including how to love and maintain that love in a homophobic society. Kallmaker's characters are in many ways ordinary women. Ordinary women made extraordinary through their love of each other. That is the magic of Kallmaker's writing.

One of the longest stories in this book -- 45 pages! -- is the butch-femme romance between Natalie and Cinny. They're secondary characaters from Unforgettable, a great romance novel in its own right. Natalie is ex-army, newly retired. Cinny was a cheerleader and has only recently been able to come out. Natalie sets out a plan of "attack" to make Cinny fall in love with her and we get to watch her careful plans (step 2: show her how romantic I am) win the day. But Cinny surprises us -- and Natalie -- with her own plans and a sense of honor she has newly found. When they finally get together it's extremely HOT HOT HOT. I think my favorite line is Natalie thinking she had fantasized about Cinny's surrender but never considered what her own would be like.

Unlike a lot of butch-femme 'erotica' out there, this story is aboutthe EMOTIONS behind the labels. It'[s full of sensation and feelings, not just cold, rather empty sexual encounters. This story is worth the price alone, but the rest of the book is a delight as well, especially "Smudges."

Have you ever been disapointed that a book ended? Do you want to know more about these characters? Has the little cynic that lives in your head ever thought that "happily ever after" has an expiration date? Well then, this is for you. Kallmaker writes a good rainy day book. She tells stories that can be read over and over again with characters that linger in your thoughts. In this book, she goes back to each of ten previous novels and gives you just a little bit more. Returning to the story months or years after the last page, she drops in on old friends to see what is happening in their lives. I was not disapointed, but I still want more.

This was yummy. Every story. Definitely spice cake at times, and sweet cake and lots and lots to savor. Best of all, it's calorie-free! Karin is one of my favorite writers when it comes to light reading (though she often surprises me by taking me to serious places) and this may be her most perfect offering yet. I had not realized I'd missed a couple of early books and now I have to find them and devour them as well!

These stories are not really sequels, but continuations of and additions to all of Kallmaker's novels published to this point.

Most of them give more information about what happened to the lead characters in the novels. The first exception is Come Here
which expands on the characters of Judy and Dedric who are adjunct characters in Touchwood and Watermark. An excellent piece of erotica. The other is Unforgettable, That's What You Are which fills in and continues the stories of Cinny and Natalie from Unforgettable.

All of the stories give us information about events that follow the end of the novels.

A second piece of erotica (different from the well written sex scenes in most of the pieces) is Smudges which helps us explore the continuing physicality of the relationship between Lee and Jackie.

If you've ever wanted to know "What's next?" after you've finished a novel, this is a book for you.

For those of you out there who are fans of Kallmaker's, you MUST read this book. It's so much fun to see where your favorite characters end up. If you haven't read any of Kallmaker's books yet, read the other ones first and then get this one.

I kept telling myself to slow down, to make it last. Like with most things in my life, I didn't listen to myself. I devoured this book whole. I defy anyone to do otherwise.

When you read this book, and you will, you'll have two incredible forces working on you: curiosity and greed. Curiosity will make you turn the pages ever faster, asking yourself whatever happened with Cat & Jessica, with Leslie & Sarah, with Shea & Anthea, with Natalie & Cinny? Then there's the greed: pick any story and you're hooked. It'll be so good that you'll just want one more. Then another. And another. Before you know it'll be 3 a.m. and you'll be considering calling in sick so you can read the whole thing again.

As others have mentioned, "Smudges" is simply outstanding in a book that has nothing but well-written, engaging, sexy, moving stories. Drawn from Leah & Jackie of Painted Moon, the story is Leah's internal monologue as she paints Jackie from head to toe for a photographer's art project, Painted Woman. Think about it: every square inch of flesh touched by the painter's brush. Jackie can't move or she'll smudge the paint. "Smudges" is all of 7 pages long--a true short story--and unrelenting in its eroticism.

Two stories are novella length and the rest somwhere in between. I was amazed at the sheer variety of plots--only one story focuses on a serious argument and how the couple makes up. There's menopause, insemination, equality between the sheets, marriage, money, fame and wondering why the bread dough won't rise. "Wild Things Are Free" is incendiary, with Faith & Sydney desperate for each other for all the wrong reasons.

Like with all of her books, Kallmaker delivers some simple relationship truths along the way. From this one I'm taking her focus on the single most cruel thing one lover can say to another: "I don't love you anymore." When one woman braced herself to hear these words, convinced they were the next she would hear, I was so caught by her pain that I was in tears.

My curiosity has been met -- for now -- but I am greedy for more. Lots more. Please?

karin kallmaker could not have picked a more appropriate title. as a huge fan of hers this book just made me want to reread all her other wonderful books. if you are a fan of hers this book is a must have or must read.

I can't believe how incredible this collection of short stories was. It just didn't stop. Every story was better than the last. And talk about sexy -- even "old married couples"! It'll seem trite to say I laughed, I cried...but I did! Any Kallmakr fan will want this book, and those who haven't discovered her yet, they're in for a REAL treat.