Although Afternoon Delight always brings to mind that song – and don’t you imagine skyrockets in flight? – this collection of 24 short stories (each by a different author) published by Cleis Press and edited by Alison Tyler doesn’t occur just in the afternoon. Instead, the stories run from pre-dawn excitement through morning, noon, and evening, with the last stories taking us full circle to the wee hours of the morn.
Afternoon Delight (erotica for couples) was published in 2009. It is 179 pages, with three reprinted stories (from 2003, 2006, and 2008). This is an oversized soft cover edition (8” x 5 1/2″), with the front featuring a picture of a woman and man in a passionate embrace. The back of the book lists the included authors and some tease about the stories. Alison has an introduction to the stories featured in the book, and the last few pages list the authors and their previous writing publications. Some of the writers are new to the genre, while others have been widely published in books and magazines.
The stories are all short, and easy to read in a 5 to 10 minute sitting.
This is erotica for anyone who enjoys reading of the sexcapades of almost exclusively heterosexual couples (mostly married) who are sometimes adventurous or rekindling their love. Only 1 story features two women as a couple, and the first story (which is only 2 short paragraphs long) is ambiguous.
A few of the stories have a bondage or light fetish element to them. While not all of the stories are stellar or arousing almost all are explicit, and there is a nice selection of stories that evoke a sense of fantasy and a desire to reenact them afterwards.
The stories here cover it all, from tickling, reconnecting, lingerie collections, tales of days gone by and sex in the office to exhibitionism, surprises, and role-playing. The stories I enjoyed the most had a bit of play-acting to the lovemaking, with the couple stepping outside of their usual boundaries to experience something new and erotic.
Several stories really created a sense of excitement for me.
“Breakfast In Bed” by Andrea Dale explored an erotic morning between a husband and wife, who are in a comfortable yet boring relationship. When the kids are away, the husband delights his wife with a smorgasbord of breakfast delicacies while keeping her arms tied to the headboard.
In “Nooner” by Bella Dean, the wife comes home at noon from an exhausting night shift to find her husband home unexpectedly. A fun and edgy dictation episode ensues with some master/slave play.
“Disco Queen” by Sommer Marsden features a couple that find an old disco dress while cleaning the garage. With instructional notes and a cleaned dress, the wife finds herself the star of a disco party for two.
In “Matinee” by Quinn Gabriel, a couple trying to reconnect find an erotic way to do so in a theater.
The hottest story in the book for me was “The Date at South Station” by Xavier Acton. Here, a husband picks his wife up in a bad part of town. She is totally transformed into a street prostitute, and she takes him for a wild ride in a seedy hotel, getting a little more than she bargained for in return.
I came away from this book with several ideas for spicing up my own relationship. Many of the stories were exciting and arousing, and all around this was a good read.
I’d recommend Afternoon Delight for those looking for ideas, as well as those just wanting to read about couples seducing each other at all hours of the day. This isn’t the book you’ll want to pick up, however, if you’re looking for erotica featuring anything but a man and a woman in love.
This book is one of two featured by the Sexis Naked Reader Book Club this month. If you’re interested in reading Afternoon Delight (erotica for couples), you can pick up your copy from EdenFantasys.
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This product was provided to me free of charge by EdenFantasys in exchange for an unbiased review. This review is in compliance with the FTC guidelines.
