Bittersweet by Amber Hipple
Publisher: Logical Lust, 2009
Genre: Romance
Sub-genre: Anthology, erotica
Rating: 3 1/2 pints of blood
I have to say, I love the cover art here. The fractured heart, surrounded by blood but still with the sweetness of chocolate is visually stunning and wonderfully suited to the book. I even like the contrast of the black strips at the top and bottom, framing the heart as it does. This cover just wins for me, especially when you consider the content of the book.
The aptly named Bittersweet is a compilation of 23 short-short stories of tainted love. These aren't fluffy feel-good stories of forever romance; they're the lust within a dysfunctional relationship, the memories of a lost lover, the unattainable fantasy. There's no expectation of happy ever after here, and although love plays just as important a role as you might expect, this isn't erotica to snuggle up with.
From the story of the woman just beginning to discover the darker aspects of her own sexuality to the emotionally abusive love story to the people who close their eyes and pretend their lover is someone else, these stories cover the gamut. Kudos also to Hipple for the variety within her characters. Different skin tones, different body types, gay, straight, and bisexual... the same language ties together people and situations almost as varied as real life.
Readers will either find the prose overwritten or will adore the vivid visuals; your mileage may vary. I kept flipping between the two reactions, depending on the story or sometimes even the paragraph.
It's the emotional content that set these stories apart from other collections, though, making them high-impact bites of eroticism and longing. Each story is short, only a few pages long, but the intensity goes beyond what a lot of novels serve up. It's not easy to keep a sense of urgency after so many pages, but the first person narrative never fails to stay startling and fresh.
Readers interested in something a little off the beaten path, who are tired of fluffy love and endings where everyone wanders off into the sunset should consider this collection a must.
Bittersweet is available for purchase from the publisher in either e-book or print form.
Genre: Romance
Sub-genre: Anthology, erotica
Rating: 3 1/2 pints of blood
I have to say, I love the cover art here. The fractured heart, surrounded by blood but still with the sweetness of chocolate is visually stunning and wonderfully suited to the book. I even like the contrast of the black strips at the top and bottom, framing the heart as it does. This cover just wins for me, especially when you consider the content of the book.
The aptly named Bittersweet is a compilation of 23 short-short stories of tainted love. These aren't fluffy feel-good stories of forever romance; they're the lust within a dysfunctional relationship, the memories of a lost lover, the unattainable fantasy. There's no expectation of happy ever after here, and although love plays just as important a role as you might expect, this isn't erotica to snuggle up with.
From the story of the woman just beginning to discover the darker aspects of her own sexuality to the emotionally abusive love story to the people who close their eyes and pretend their lover is someone else, these stories cover the gamut. Kudos also to Hipple for the variety within her characters. Different skin tones, different body types, gay, straight, and bisexual... the same language ties together people and situations almost as varied as real life.
Readers will either find the prose overwritten or will adore the vivid visuals; your mileage may vary. I kept flipping between the two reactions, depending on the story or sometimes even the paragraph.
It's the emotional content that set these stories apart from other collections, though, making them high-impact bites of eroticism and longing. Each story is short, only a few pages long, but the intensity goes beyond what a lot of novels serve up. It's not easy to keep a sense of urgency after so many pages, but the first person narrative never fails to stay startling and fresh.
Readers interested in something a little off the beaten path, who are tired of fluffy love and endings where everyone wanders off into the sunset should consider this collection a must.
Bittersweet is available for purchase from the publisher in either e-book or print form.