Customer Reviews

Seductions: Tales of Erotic Persuasion

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I haven't felt this naughty since I sneak-peeked at my dad's "Penthouse" magazines in the Forum letters section when I was 12. You know the one, where all these creative liars wrote in trying to out-porno each other with outlandish tales of sex and conquest and well, graphic seduction.

Same here in this book, a gathering of not sleazy letters to a skin rag but tales written by various scribes and edited by Lonnie Garfield. And prettified, with a plot no less.

Must admit though, I skimmed through for the down and dirty parts first, my favorite being "The Welcome Home" by Saskia Walker. Because it spoke most to my own sexual fantasy of eagerly desperately greeting the man I loved and desired at the door, so starved I don't want to bother with formalities like stripping naked. Because the language is powerfully seductive, drawing you into wanting the characters, wanting to BE the character. This, especially, had me melting on the floor: "He was animal; enclosed into a space he wanted to overcome, desperate for freedom, he roared back and forth inside the captive space. Her hips forged up against his, meeting each thrust, her hands grappling themselves free to clutch at his body." Beautiful poetry--AND HOT. None of this, *Ooh baby you're so big* embarrassment.

A definite plus in catching my eye: The front cover of a naked couple lost in embrace under water.

Another plus: The stories aren't just about heterosexual monogamous encounters. Something for everybody's lust if you're not too impatient for the *good* parts first like me.

I bought this book based on other customer recommendations. This was my second attempt at reading an erotica novel (I usually stick to good ol' fashioned romances). So, where should I begin? There are some stories in here that aren't badly witten such as "The Other Woman", "Knowing", "The Welcome Home", "The 5:20 Encounter", "I Wanted To", and "Simply Seduced". So that leaves fourteen other stories that range from seemingly uncompleted, confusing, and down right intollerable. Stories such as "Only In The Movies", "Lines of Fire", "She Went Shopping This Morning", and "Double Clicked" end just when things start getting interesting and leave you wanting more, but not in a teasing prelude sort of way. And then, of course, there are other stories like "A Life of Seductions", "A Conversation About Green Water", "Under The Volcano", and "A Taste of Sicily" whose plot lines are anything but smooth going and, rather than leaving the reader "hot and bothered", they leave them just...plain...bothered. Last, but not least, we come to "The Last Seduction" which is about a woman who is,not only in her twilight years, but is also an invalid. I won't EVEN get into how disturbing this one was. One of my main objections to this book was the language. Maybe I've been spoiled by conventional romances that "romanticize" the human anatomy, but I found the vocabulary used in most of the works, even the better written ones, to be crude, thus leaving me feeling cold and unattached when the main reason for purchasing such a book is to get the blood flowing. So do yourselves a favor and find a better use for your money.

The incandescent tease (and bumblingly verbal husband) of "The Other Woman," the erotic inventiveness of "The Welcome Home," the male truthtelling of "I Wanted To," and the unwavering humaneness of the editor all make this one of the better collections of erotica in several years. We are beseiged by Henry Hyde (or Kirkus Reviews)on one side, and on the other by a steady ratcheting of erotic writing toward power games and grunge. This book is a sweet-hot antidote to BOTH. Lonnie Barbach has likely done more than any other single person to help American women reclaim sexual joy. "Joyful," in fact, is a great word for these delicious little stories. Oh, and now that I think of it, Henry: you might very well enjoy "The Other Woman" as much as I did!

After reading this book, i had to write and state my opinion. It's a great book that's written by both women and men and has wonderful seductive stories. This book can definately ignite desire and make your lovelife more pleasurable. It has twenty different exotic stories and I loved reading them all.

This is definately a MUST READ BOOK!

Dr. Barbach gives her readers a nice selection of seductive, erotic fantasies in this collection. I think I enjoyed every one, for the story or for the sex, which is rare in a collection of short stories. I especially enjoyed the humor of "The Front Runner," the reconciliation in "I Wanted to," the complexity of "Under the Volcano," the unique experience in "The Last Seduction." the fun of "Double Clicked." Most of these stories actually have plots and characters readers care about, beyond merely wondering how many orgasms they will have. My only complaint is with the introductions to each section. I don't know what it is about them, but I just found them unnecessary.

The cover caught my eye and the deciding factor to buy was a new story from Tee Corinne - a captivating story, it unfolded like petals of a flower.

Don't miss this anthology - it is a keeper!

From inside the front cover - Seduction at it's most creative - and arousing - when a lesbian artist meets a sexually fearless avant-garde filmmaker in Tee A. Corinne's `Lines of Fire"

From the back of the book -
"When I think about the most erotic moments of sexual experience, I am drawn to the delicious and unpredictable build up, the invitation to sensually provocative play...to be more vulnerable and hence more intimate. Seduction is a gateway to passion, whetting the appetite for lovemaking and increasing the likelihood that sex will be an exciting and fulfilling experience charged with pleasure and delight."
- Lonnie Barbach

Lonnie Barbach's erotica collections have broken new ground in their imaginative and liberating depiction of sexual fantasy and adventure. In her new anthology, she explores the erotic art that can kindle romance, ignite desire, and bring two people together in the most pleasurable and satisfying way imaginable.

From the subtle to the graphic, from a spontaneous prelude to a meticulously planned encounter, the twenty stories showcased here cover the full spectrum of sexual experience and identity as they reveal seduction in all its varied and exotic forms. Authors Bruce Zimmerman, Tee A. Corinne, Hannah Katz, Ethan Monk, and many others whisk us to places as far away as nineteenth century France, in tales ranging from erotic whodunits to sparkling comedies of manners to dark nights of sexual revenge that will leave no one the same.

Whether you are young or old, male or female, married or single, heterosexual or of another sexual orientation, Seductions will take you beyond the limits of your erotic imagination in an explicit volume that tantalizes and arouses.

Book Description -
Now a pivotal figure in the field of literary erotica, Lonnie Barbach was first known for her pioneering books about sex and relationships. Seductions is a sumptuous anthology in which she explores the ways that erotic art can kindle romance, ignite desire, and bring two people together in the most pleasurable and satisfying ways imaginable. The twenty stories showcased here cover the full spectrum of sexual experience and identity as they reveal seduction in all its varied and exotic forms. Seductions is written for a wide-ranging audience-young and old, male and female, heterosexual and gay, married and single. It will take readers beyond the limits of their erotic imagination to a realm that is both tantalizing and provocative.

Card catalog description
Lonnie Barbach's new anthology, she explores the erotic art that can kindle romance, ignite desire, and bring two people together in the most pleasurable and satisfying ways imaginable. From the subtle to the graphic, from a spontaneous prelude to a meticulously planned encounter, the twenty stories showcased here cover the full spectrum of sexual experience and identity as they reveal seduction in all its varied and exotic forms. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author
Lonnie Barbach's writing career began almost two decades ago with her groundbreaking and phenomenally successful books on sex and relationships For Yourself and For Each Other. She has been profiled extensively in all of the major women's magazines, and is well known on the lecture circuit and for her frequent television appearances. She has enjoyed great success with her erotica collections Pleasures, Erotic Interludes, and The Erotic Edge (available from Plume). Barbach is on the clinical faculty of the University of California Medical School in San Francisco, and practices privately. She lives in Mill Valley, California.

This is a delightful collection of witty, literate fantasies. They depict physical attraction and affection many ways, all of them charged with happy eroticism. I enjoyed the different focus each story had - some centered on women and some on men, some from a woman's sensibility's and some from a man's.

Suspension of disbelief is a must, but these stories are fiction after all. They are literate and thoughtful, not the 'organ recitals' of cruder authors. It's not necessary to like every one of the short stories - if one doesn't suit your taste, there's another one a few pages along.

Next time I need a vacation of just a few hours, I may spend it in another of Barbach's collections. I just hope it meets the standard that this books sets.

Tastefully written, this book indulges the reader in creative fantasy, but I find it lacks the essential element of truth that I find tantalizing. A truly erotic tale will work its magic if the storyline is plausible. This book's tales are so far-fetched and almost ameturish that I couldn't get wrapped up in, let alone turned on by, any of them. For individuals just beginning their journey of sexual freedom and uninhibited expression, this may be a good choice. Bottom line, in my opinion, this book is for beginners only.

The cover caught my eye and the deciding factor to buy was a new story from Tee Corinne - a captivating story, it unfolded like petals of a flower.

Don't miss this anthology - it is a keeper!

From inside the front cover - Seduction at it's most creative - and arousing - when a lesbian artist meets a sexually fearless avant-garde filmmaker in Tee A. Corinne's `Lines of Fire."

From the back of the book -
"When I think about the most erotic moments of sexual experience, I am drawn to the delicious and unpredictable build up, the invitation to sensually provocative play...to be more vulnerable and hence more intimate. Seduction is a gateway to passion, whetting the appetite for lovemaking and increasing the likelihood that sex will be an exciting and fulfilling experience charged with pleasure and delight."
- Lonnie Barbach

Lonnie Barbach's erotica collections have broken new ground in their imaginative and liberating depiction of sexual fantasy and adventure. In her new anthology, she explores the erotic art that can kindle romance, ignite desire, and bring two people together in the most pleasurable and satisfying way imaginable.

From the subtle to the graphic, from a spontaneous prelude to a meticulously planned encounter, the twenty stories showcased here cover the full spectrum of sexual experience and identity as they reveal seduction in all its varied and exotic forms. Authors Bruce Zimmerman, Tee A. Corinne, Hannah Katz, Ethan Monk, and many others whisk us to places as far away as nineteenth century France, in tales ranging from erotic whodunits to sparkling comedies of manners to dark nights of sexual revenge that will leave no one the same.

Whether you are young or old, male or female, married or single, heterosexual or of another sexual orientation, Seductions will take you beyond the limits of your erotic imagination in an explicit volume that tantalizes and arouses.

Seductions is a great collection ofstories....very diversified...and a great read! Ed Buskirk's "The Other Woman" made me SMILE...and held my interest from start to finish! I would not hesitate to recommend this read to any of mygirlfriends....and look forward to Lonnie Barbach's next book of erotica!