The Harder She Comes: Butch Femme Erotica [Paperback]

D. L. King (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 13, 2012

*Winner of a Lambda Literary Award and an Independent Publisher Book Award
*Nominated for a Golden Crown Literary Society Award

What is it about a pretty girl in a tight skirt bent over to adjust her stockings? Or that hotter-than-hot butch, swaggering into the bar like she owns it, eyes undressing every pretty girl in the place?

Some butches worship at the altar of their femmes fatale and many little girls have a need to serve their big, strong daddies. In The Harder She Comes, we meet girls salivating at the sight of well-filled and packed jeans and bois dreaming of having a beautiful girl’s red lipstick smeared across their mouths. D. L. King has curated a singular set of stories filled with sexy sirens luring unsuspecting butches to their demise on the rocky shores of love and hot, confident women in silk and lace during the day who will do anything to serve their daddies' needs at night. The Harder She Comes is great writing with characters that will stay with the reader for a long, long time — sometimes sweet, always sexy, often romantic, and more than a little dangerous.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Get ready to pull back the covers for a peek at some of the baddest butches and flirtiest femmes going hot and hard in The Harder She Comes. In this sizzlingly sexy collection focusing on the butch/femme dynamic, editor D.L. King gathers together stories with a sizzling intensity to leave you breathless. Featuring the erotic imaginings of some of the most talented writers of the genre (Sinclair Sexsmith, Evan Mora and Rachel Kramer Bussel, to name a few) The Harder She Comes delivers a jolt of electricity that will super-charge your sensual fantasies into overdrive."
— Good Vibrations

"Editor DL King found a bunch of stories that go hand in hand, and that fit perfectly into this one book. Many of these stories leave the reader wanting more but occasionally the characters get that rare happy ending that they surely deserve. If you are looking for some quick, fun, and incredibly sexy stories with F/F bases than The Harder She Comes is the perfect book for you!"
—Night Owl Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Sexual Electricity of the Butch/Femme Mystique

"I want my girl to do dirty things; I want to do dirty things to her. I know she'd let me if only I asked, but sometimes the desperation is more fun. The arguing with myself. The attempts at resisting her sweet girlish body. Feeling dirty for wanting it so much that my palms ache." —from "Good Girl, Bad Girl" by Sinclair Sexsmith

Some butches worship at the altar of their femmes, and many adorable girls long for the embrace of their suave, sexy daddies. In The Harder She Comes, we meet femmes who salivate at the sight of packed jeans and bois who dream of touching the corseted waist of a beautiful, confident woman. Editor D.L. King has curated a singular set of well-written stories filled with seductive sirens, strapping farmhands, femmes who demand perfect obedience and motorcycle-riding tattoo artists that will keep you coming back for more.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: Cleis Press (March 13, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573447781
• ISBN-13: 978-1573447782
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #805,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars There's no question how hard July 16, 2012

By Kiki DeLovely

Format:Paperback

I absolutely love this book! Occasionally I get sent books to review and I always offer up my honest opinion in exchange...whether good or bad...but seriously, I can't say enough good things about The Harder She Comes. Couldn't put the thing down. Up way past my bedtime, night after night, I got caught up in hot read after hotter read. With most erotica anthologies, I can find maybe a small handful of stories that I like, usually heavily outweighed by tales that do nothing for me. In this collection there wasn't a single story that I didn't enjoy on some level. Talk about more bang for your buck!

Let's get down to the nitty gritty, shall we?

First off, I want to mention that I appreciate the cover image in that it implies the femme is touching the butch...a bit of a switch from how butch/femme sex is usually portrayed. A simple and sexy image.

The book opens and closes with two very powerful pieces. "Speakeasy" by Evan Mora is a creative delight -- as the title suggests, the story is set in a 1920's themed party at a local bar. Mora gets her readers in the head of the protagonist right off the bat, making it easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of this somewhat nervous, then cheeky, femme who gets quickly acquainted with a handsome blue-eyed butch. The flirtation in the dialogue is believable and delicious, the descriptions of the sex (and all that leading up to it)...simply exquisite.

CS Clark's double-hitting "This Is What I Want" closes out the collection with a bang -- a titillating two-in-one story in which the narrator switches from bottom to top.... Part one was an obvious favorite for me -- scintillating Daddy/girl play of the hottest variety -- and Clark does a masterful job at conveying the trepidation and vulnerability one feels when exploring this type of play, especially for the first time. It was the second part of the story that I was shocked at just how excited it got me. Perhaps it's that I've been in negotiations with my top lately -- slowly configuring a scene in which they'll allow me to switch, to top them for once. Perhaps it's the classic hot-for-teacher roles playing out so naughtily...so queerly. Perhaps it's simply that it's beautifully and filthily written. No matter the reason, this story is a winner and it's clear why King chose to close the book with this last bit of erotic mastery.

In between the bookends, there is so much to savor...I'll point out my other favorites (read: those that I found had the most creative concepts, best writing, and were most heart-racingly orgasm-inducing) while attempting to keep this brief. Holy hell, Sinclair Sexsmith's piece "Good Girl, Bad Girl" -- one of my favorite writers, there isn't much I can say about this piece (except that if you're into Daddy/girl, you might want to skip directly to it) -- it had me beyond flustered. I so appreciated the very real struggles around gender and emotions in "Valentine" by River Light. Aimee Herman's "Channeling Charles Bukowski" is a unique and sexy take on Halloween costumery and great for anyone who's ever had (more than) the hots for your office crush (*raises hand* Guilty!). If a tattoo shop (or just the idea of mixing pain with pleasure) is more your speed, Crystal Barela is sure to impress. And Miel Rose's "Farmhand" is simply dripping with the most delightful sexual tension and anticipation.

I can't say it enough...I absolutely love this book! If you're at all into (or even just curious about) butch/femme erotica, you're going to want to own 'The Harder She Comes'. Read more ›

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You Will Come Harder May 16, 2012

By o-gal

Format:Paperback

Mmm, D.L. King's "The Harder She Comes: Butch/Femme Erotica" is one long delicious read. All kinds of gender games occur in this heady collection, from Daddi/boi to high femme top/butch bottom. With lots of flavors to choose from, this anthology -- like all of King's work -- is a winner.

Favorite stories included Charlotte Dare's "The Bucket List," a lovely star-crossed lovers tale of women at opposite ends of the age spectrum who come together (!) in the end. Also of note is Kathleen Bradean's "Tamales," which added Latin spice and flavor to a butch/femme Christmas story. A very yummy and sweet read

River Light's "Valentine" was a hot erotic romp with power exchange and an implied threesome, with spanking and leather and silicone (oh my!), with a wonderful Valentine's Day present for all involved. Beth Wylde's "Born to Ride" gives us a vampy femme and a masculine female hog rider with a southern accent that drips like honey. They both seem to enjoy the ride, probably as much as I enjoyed reading about it.

Shanna Germain's "Pound" made the animal lover in me happy with an erotic coupling between two unlikely women at an animal shelter, culminating in two strays (one with 4 legs, one with 2) finding a forever home. And possibly my favorite read in the collection: Miel Rose's "Farmhand," where three women explore the different roles a farmhand might take on at a queer farm. Lots of hot sex and a bonus butch/butch coupling. Excellent storytelling.

D.L. King edited a fine erotic lesbian anthology that has something for (almost) everyone. I wasn't thrilled with Cleis' cover shot, the publisher usually selects a gorgeous image, which it seemed to have skipped for this book. Since people do, indeed, judge a book by its cover, this one deserved better.... But what's between the covers is what makes this book a winner. Thanks, Ms. King for excellent nighttime reading material. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A mixed bag February 19, 2013

By Sharon E. Owens

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I liked some of the stories, and they were mostly well written. But there was too much s/m stuff for my taste, and I was
turned off by the implication that butch/femme equals dominance/submission. Also the "daddy" stuff creeps me out.

The stories that weren't built around s/m were very erotic to me, and the rest probably would be also to those who aren't
put off by that.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Harder She Comes March 22, 2012

By Peggy

Format:Paperback

WOW! What a hot and wonderful book. You can't help but be satisfied with this book. An awesome group of authors. DL King, You did a great job on this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars fascinating dynamics and very, very HOT June 9, 2013

By hredzak

Format:Kindle Edition

Intriguing cover... Love it.

Authors included: Evan Mora, Andrea Dale, Elaine Miller, Stella Sandberg, Sinclair Sexsmith, Charlotte Dale, Rachel Kramer Brussel, Kathleen Bradeen, River Light, Teresa Noelle Roberts, Beth Wylde, Aimee Herman, Crystal Barela, Shanna Germain, Miel Rose, Valerie Alexander, Anna Watson, CS Clark

This steamy collection of butch/femme erotica has a little something for almost everyone. Even if you don't identify as butch or femme or think you'll be turned on by this dynamic... think again. There is quite a spectrum here of how butch and femme women identify and play out their roles and desires with each other. Like some butches are bottoms and some femmes are tops. And some go both ways. Most of these connections are some combination of butch/femme, but you'll find a bit of butch/butch here as well. Just a bit.

What you won't find is femme/femme here, lol. These characters would find that pointless and laughable. And even though I mostly prefer f/f myself, I require a strong yin/yang dynamic... and because I found these energies here, this was still very, very hot for me. Yet it's more than just hot. It's a fascinating look at the many different butch/femme dynamics and possibilities out there. And some scenarios are immensely creative!

If power dynamics turn you on there is plenty of that here... in both Daddy/girl forms and a little bdsm. Plenty of strap-on play action.... none of which ever makes you feel some icky frat boy or straight woman wrote this. This is often very sensual and very genuinely queer-hot. And believe me, only a lesbian coulda written "Pound" (getting it on in a dog shelter, LOL)!!!

But it's not all kink and role-playing. Some of these 18 stories invite us into other realms.... Like falling for a much older woman. An erotic massage. Little bois struggling to be men. Butches who pass and seduce straight girls. Long term lovers who can't behave even when expecting company. The perks of being a tattoo artist. Delicious make up sex. Even if I didn't find a story incredibly arousing, I found something very interesting about it.

My top favs:

"Speakeasy" by Evan Mora... easily my favorite and an excellent opener for this collection. This beauty was worth the price of admission alone. Very atmospheric and sensual Daddy/girl connection during a roaring 20's theme night. Our blonde butch ("Jay") and the enticing flapper conjure more than a little bit of The Great Gatsby elegance, even if they do get down and dirty, lol... with just the right amount of Daddy/girl flavoring for my tastes.

"Farmhand" by Miel Rose.... I think the sexy imagery of the femme here is what got me bigtime, lol. But the whole premise is intriguing. A very handsome stone butch and her lusty femme take in a switchy butch farmhand who will serve them both. Just raw sexy here and I loved the shifting roles.

"Good Girl, Bad Girl" by Sinclair Sexsmith... this was well-written and sexy, no doubt about that, but it pushed my comfort limits of Daddy/girl play. How are good little girls rewarded when they follow rules? How are they punished when they break them? Power games are hot. I find this Daddy/girl dynamic both amusing and hot even if it's not personally my thing... to a certain degree.

"It's So Peaceful Out Here" by Elaine Miller.... what happens when a flirty femme is the ONLY femme among seven brotherly butches on a camping trip?? lol. Keep in mind she is with her Daddy... she just has a tendency to misbehave. Loved the premise. Very amusing. And all those butches together just gave the story a very primal and erotic feel.

"Manchester, 2000" by Stella Sandberg.... there was something more than the sex here that I really enjoyed. When a sweet and stylish butch ensures a couple of pretty straight girls don't miss their bus, they spend an evening out together... the butch passes for male. Or does she? Who can resist the seduction of a straight girl who is into your game....

"A Date With Sharon Tate" by Valerie Alexander... when a young and arrogant butch screws up everything with her pretty blonde girlfriend, a dead movie star party may be just the thing to win her back. Funny, I didn't like this story at first and literally hated this butch... but this blond was so deliciously and vulnerably portrayed I just fell for her. Something about not being able to resist the one who did you wrong was irresistible. Silly games of being young, stupid, too good looking for your own good, and not appreciating what you have...

I have to say I'd love to see any of these in a much longer erotic-romance. And I'd probably pick up another anthology based on Evan Mora and Miel Rose's names alone. Read more ›