Quiver by Tobsha Learner (4 stars)

About Quiver

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Plume; Reprint edition (April 30, 2013)

An electrifying short story collection for fans of

50 Shades of Grey and Bared to You

 

“Taking in the panoply of sexual desire, each tale shudders with full-frontal detail in a style that is both lyrical and forensically accurate.” –Vogue

Fifteen years after its original publication, an unforgettable erotica classic re-issue with a sexy new package from the publisher of Anne Rice’s seminal New York Times best-selling Sleeping Beauty Trilogy. In QUIVER: A Book of Erotic Tales (Plume; 4/30/13, $16.00) Tobsha Learner, “the thinking woman’s erotica” writer, explores the pleasures of new and rediscovered love, lust, and obsession in twelve interconnected impossible-to-put-down tales.

In the flashes that blur the line between fantasy and reality, each steamy story in QUIVER captures the spontaneous erotic experiences of a group of middle-class acquaintances—a dentist and his wife; an accountant and a beautician—as they audaciously unleash their deepest desires. Alternating between male and female perspectives, Learner invites readers to enjoy the unique intimacies of the characters’ trysts. And there are no holds barred in these interactions: heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, exhibitionistic, and sadomasochistic relationships are unabashedly on display in this provocative collection. With its blend of escapism and realism, QUIVER will surely appeal to readers who enjoyed their first experience with BDSM with Fifty Shades of Grey, as well as more experienced readers in the genre.

Review

Often, the biggest downfall of erotica stories is that they use sex as a way to shock the reader. It's like the gratuitous sex scene in a movie. The reason I started reviewing erotica is because so many bloggers wouldn't, and I wanted to give the genre a chance. Then I read several not-so-good erotica books, and I was ready to throw up a white flag.

But I was pleasantly surprised by this collection of short stories. The focus is on the characters, not the sex. And the author really mixes it up with the types of characters she features. Two of my favorites: a long metaphor comparing sex and music (The Man Who Loved Sounds) and a ghost story (Pomegranate).

Yes, I still blushed occasionally, but I found myself intrigued with the characters. In one particular story, Tulip, I wanted to know what happened to Deidre--a woman who dares to consider love again and children.

If you are looking to dip your toe into erotica fiction, this short story collection would be a good starting point. It is well-written, character-focused, and still offers some hot scenes.

Rating: 4 stars

About the Author

Born in the U.K., Tobsha Learner has also lived in the U.S. and Australia. She has worked extensively in stage, television, radio and film. She lives in London.

Connect with Tobsha at her website, tobsha.com.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for my review copy.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.

Please visit other stops on the Quiver blog tour page.

Tremble by Tobsha Learner (3 stars)

About Tremble: Erotic Tales of the Mystical and Cynical

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Plume (August 27, 2013)

Erotica for the modern woman: nine tales of the dangerous and divine

From Tobsha Learner, the boundary-pushing erotica author of the international bestseller Quiver, comes TREMBLE: Erotic Tales of the Mystical and Sinister (On-sale September 2013/ ISBN: 9780142180372).

In Learner’s steamy collection, she explores the full spectrum of sexuality peppered with elements of the supernatural. Tremble blurs the line between fantasy and reality, depicting the pleasures of new and rediscovered love, lust, and obsession in a world where passion and magic are interwoven—and where boundaries are pushed beyond expectation.

In a Welsh village, a young woman’s sensuality is awakened by an outrageous inheritance; a drought-stricken Oklahoma town is offered salvation by a travelling rainmaker; a Sydney record producer struggles to satisfy his wife and his mistress—until one of them takes matters into her own hands…

The short stories span the eras, from an eighteenth-century biographer who discovers a magic, erotic ritual to a Sydney record producer struggling to satisfy his wife and mistress. Intelligent and highly imaginative, Learner’s brand of erotica will appeal to both first-time and more seasoned readers of the genre.

Review

I must admit... I'm really torn about this collection of short stories. There were a couple that really held my interest and were quite thought-provoking. Then there were a few I had to skim because either they didn't grab me (and at 400 pages, I decided to only read the ones that did) or they bothered me.

No, I'm not a prude. When I decide to review an erotica book, I'm not turning away in disgust at frank sexual depictions (although I do blush occasionally). However, some of these intense scenes were more about control than pleasure. I don't want to give away any specifics, but there was one "creature" that I found quite disturbing even though I wanted to know more about the poor woman it used as its pawn.

Okay, this review is vague, and for that I apologize. I think this book should have been split into two short story collections. That way the reader could have had time to digest a few of the stories before reading the second book. In a perfect world, I would have read each story and put this collection down for several days and then picked it up again.

And I did want to pick it up again, because the author has a captivating writing style and vivid imagination--in these stories she covered many interesting geographic locations, themes, and times. Rainmaker and Echo were my favorites, because I found the characters and themes the most intriguing. The author has a way of mixing erotica, the mystical, supernatural, and a commentary on society. Not what I was expecting, but not a bad thing.

If you like to read stories that challenge you and push you to think about things in a different light, then this book will be a thought-provoking addition to your library. The short story format is nice, because you can read it in snippets and then take time to really think about the deeper meanings. It's just hard to take that time on a reviewer's schedule.

Rating: 3 stars

About the Author

Born in the U.K., Tobsha Learner has also lived in the U.S. and Australia. She has worked extensively in stage, television, radio and film. She lives in London.

Connect with Tobsha at her website, tobsha.com.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for my review copy.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.

Please visit other stops on the Tremble blog tour page.