Customer Reviews

Three the Hard Way: Erotic Novellas

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I am not a big fan of the short story, unless the author is exceptionally good, but I really enjoyed the three stories/novellas Susie Bright has compiled in "Three The Hard Way." Although all three pieces contain erotic elements, I think it does the material a disservice to classify it as erotica, or to limit these particular stories to the erotic genre, therefore discouraging those who would not select a book based on its erotic content. Given the graphic material which appears in much of today's fiction, especially romance and fantasy novels, I found these novellas to be erotic, sensual, but not over-the-top, and much more focused on characters, their development and plot. The sexual content is not gratuitous, but an integral part of the storylines. In other words, these are excellent, well written and well crafted novellas. Sex takes a back seat here, although it is integral to all three plots. The connecting theme is the idea that one sexual moment, or experience, can change a person forever.

"The Motion of the Ocean" by Tsaurah Litsky is just plain terrific - and perhaps the rawest piece. It is funny, poignant, and a delightful read. However, of the three, it left me the most contemplative. Ms. Litsky writes of a young woman's coming of age, and takes her from her adolescence in the early 1960s, before the Sexual Revolution began, through the 1990s. The reader experiences the growth and changes of a spunky, yet vulnerable, heroine who absolutely captivates, while focusing on how the sexual mores have changed over the past half century. This is a beautifully crafted story with excellent descriptive passages and dialogue.

Greg Boyd's "The Widow" takes an entirely different tone. A husband discovers pages from a secret novel his wife is writing - pages which she mistakenly left on their printer. The novel is about the sexual liberation of a recently widowed woman. The author's style is quite unique and I found this to be the most sensual and intriguing of the three.

"Shadow of a Man," by Emmy Award-winning writer William Harrison, is set in South Africa during the period before Nelson Mandela was released from prison. A worldly and somewhat jaded American photographer is commissioned to do a portrait of a famous general. He becomes deeply involved, over a brief period, with the general's daughter with unexpected consequences. The political undertones here had a tremendous impact on me.

Overall, these are three novellas worthy of a wide readership. I say, "Bravo, Susie for compiling them." Just a note - I use the terms short story and novella interchangeably. The editor makes a point of calling the three pieces "novellas" - I think they are too short and therefore fit into the "short story" category.
JANA

Wow! This is quality stuff for a connoisseor of literature and porn. These stories stir your thoughts with their meanings, and stir your libido with the beautiful erotica involved. I've read so much smut(yes, I admit) that this was the first book in a long time to linger in my mind. Way to go Susie - you always sort out the good ones.

Thoroughly enjoyed. I'm looking for more by each of these authors. The fiction is gripping, fun. The stories are very different from each other. But each is kind of amazing. Can't wait for the next one.