THE BEST OF 2013: THE SMUT LIST

The best of 2013; The Smut List:

This is a list of the erotic books I’ve read in the past year that have stayed with me for one reason or another. I’ve decided to exclude re-reads; if I didn’t Tiffany Reisz’s name would feature on this list at least six times. As it is there are several authors – including Tiffany Reisz - who feature with more than one title, one instance where I’ve grouped four books in a series together and other authors whose one title mentioned really represents a longer series of books.

Clicking on the titles will take you to my full reviews of these much loved books.

HOSTILE TAKEOVER by JOEY W. HILL (4.5)

A rather hard-core but beautiful BDSM/Erotica love story, by an author whose books I’ll be actively pursuing in 2014.

S.E.C.R.E.T. by L. MARIE ADELINE (4.5)

An erotic story about empowering women through sexual awakening. An interesting and original concept and well written book.

IMMERSED IN PLEASURE by TIFFANY REISZ (5)

A charming erotic love story by an author who is fast becoming one of my favourites. How charming and original is the idea of  mermaids in New York?

THE MISTRESS FILES by TIFFANY REISZ (5+)

What can I say, I adore Tiffany Reisz. If there is such a thing as “literary smut” this lady is the poster girl.

STORY OF O by PAULINE RÉAGE (5)

What can I say, the book that started the whole BDSM erotica thing back in the 50’s. Exquisitely written and very shocking.

DECADENCE by KAREN STIVALI (5)

Wonderful novella about a married couple spicing up their love-life.

BONDS OF DESIRE by LYNDA AICHER (5-)

Wonderful, intriguing and potentially controversial erotic story about the owner of a BDSM club and the two people he’s attracted to. This story of a ménage is my favourite title in a wonderful series.

THE MISTRESS by TIFFANY REISZ (6)

Tiffany Reisz’s third mention on this list. This, the concluding part to the first Original Sinners quartet, more than lived up to expectations and delivered all I had hoped for and then some. Probably the best book I read in 2013, hence the very elusive 6-grade.

TRUTH by SHERRI HAYES (4.5)

The continuation of the wonderful story about Brianna a young girl trying to overcome ten months as a slave to an abusive man and Stephan, the gentle Dominant who will do anything to get her back to what she should be. Beautiful writing and a gripping story. Can’t wait for the fourth and final book.

CHASINGMATT by NIKKA MICHAELS & EILEEN GRIFFIN (5)

Charming novella about a geeky software designer who ends up in the ER and meets a sexy nurse. Wonderful short romance featuring two male protagonists I couldn’t help falling in love with.

BEYONDPAIN by KIT ROCHA (5)

Third and so far best title in a dystopian erotic series that I’ve loved from the very first word in the very first book. Rather explicit, but also very moving and well plotted.

 

CUT & RUN SERIES by MADELEINE URBAN & ABIGAIL ROUX  

I’m going to do myself a favour and mention the series rather than the individual books.

I love these stories about two FBI agents who, while reluctantly working together, discover a mutual attraction that only gets stronger. I’m looking forward to catching up with this series in 2014. Last year I read:

CUT & RUN (4.5)  
STICKS& STONES (5) 
FISH& CHIPS (5+)  
DIVIDE& CONQUER (5+)

FORBIDDEN OBSESSIONS by JODIE GRIFFIN (5)

In which the owner of the Bondage & Breakfast Inn gets his own happily ever after. My favourite title in a series I love.

TEAR YOU APART by MEGAN HART (5)

Erotic story about one woman’s affair. Certainly not to everybody’s taste but very well written and a brilliant ending.

UNLOCK YOURSELF by EVIE BLAKE (5)

A very short prequel to the Desires Unlocked series written by Noelle Harrison under a different name. While the story is definitely erotic her literary qualities are undeniable.

POWER EXCHANGE by A.J. ROSE (5)

This author has managed to turn into one of my favourites over the course of less than one month. This is a well plotted murder mystery as well as a sexy, BDSM based love story between two men. If you tried to write a book containing all my current favourite genres, this is exactly what you’d end up with. Combine that with an author who has a wonderful way with beautiful words, and you’ve got one very happy reader

CAPTURE AND SURRENDER by L.A. WITT & ALEKSANDR VOINOV (5)

M/M romance in which two men have to overcome secrets, insecurities and their working relationship in order to find happiness. A very well written and captivating story by two authors I’ll be investigating further in 2014.

TRANSGRESSION by THEO FENRAVEN (5)

The only book on this list that isn’t smut in the strictest sense of the word. Also the only book that features on both my ‘general fiction’ and ‘smut’ list.

This is a very well told story dealing with characters who are different from what most people would consider the norm - bi-sexuality, cross-dressing-transgender - and all the issues they run into in a world where the majority of people are still unwilling to accept anything other than the ordinary. Both the story and the way in which it was written impressed me immensely.

 

SAFEWORD by A.J. ROSE (5+)

Sequel to Power Exchange (see above) and at least as impressive.

The characters from the first book are still trying to come to terms with the experiences in the first book when another string of horrendous murders threatens to throw them back to square one. All the aspects of this book work very well, both on their own and put together. A.J. Rose’s writing impresses me and makes reading his books pure joy. The only thing leaving me sad when I finished this book is that the ending is such that it may well be the end of a much too short (for my liking) series of books.