Spread the Love by Fletcher DeLancey, Lois Cloarec Hart, Erzabet Bishop, Sandra Barret, T.M. Croke, Alisha Kelley, J.L. Merrow

Spread the Love
by Fletcher DeLancey, Lois Cloarec Hart, Erzabet Bishop, Sandra Barret, T.M. Croke, Alisha Kelley, J.L. Merrow
Pages: 146
Date: February 2 2014
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
Series: N/A

Review
Rating: 4.147 out of 5.0
Read: April 27 2016
I do not exactly recall, now, the set of circumstances surrounding why and how I got this book, other than that I had seen it being offered for free, and picked it up. I see that it isn’t free at the moment. If I recall correctly, there some limited time deal to get the book for free. I mention all of this because you are, apparently, supposed to say stuff like this if you get a book for free – at least if you get it through a program like Netgalley, or directly from the publisher. And I do think that it was free through the publisher. Heck, now that I think about it, it might still be free on the publisher’s website.

Right – well anyway, this is a short story collection containing seven stories by seven different authors. One of the seven is one of my favorite authors, Fletcher DeLancey, the other seven are people I’m not certain I’ve read/encountered before. Though I know I have at least one other short story collection that contains a story by Erzabet Bishop – though I haven’t read that one yet.

Learning to Ride by Fletcher DeLancey
I’m not really sure what I was expecting when I opened the book, I just know that I was in something of a bind – I needed to read something (that’s me, must always be reading), but the book I’d picked up to read was annoying me. So, a quick look through my Kindle lead to this book – and this first story in the book.

I was hooked immediately – a woman on a bicycle going for a ride. A woman who hadn’t ridden in a great while and was . . . larger than the common bike rider. Hooked me – it did.

I’m not sure how others might view the story. The cover emphasizes ‘Seven Romantic and Erotic Lesbian Stories’ – which is actually why I haven’t even opened the book since I got it in January. I have to be in a ‘mood’ to purposefully go out of my way to read something labeled ‘erotic’, not ‘romance’, but out and out ‘erotic’. This brings us back to my first sentence in this paragraph. I’m not sure how others might view this story, because it is: (1) quite simple, really, in nature; (2) doesn’t have angst/drama/tension/conflict (beyond ‘can I go another mile/can I climb the hill’) except for the first encounter between the two women in the story, when one almost accidentally killed the other (‘On the left does not mean that you go to your left, but that I’m coming from the left’); (3) this story is by no means erotic, graphic, or otherwise have with sex in it. Those who need conflict/angst would probably be annoyed by the romance. Those who saw ‘erotic’ on the cover of the book, would be annoyed by the lack of erotic . . . action in the story.

Me? I loved the story. I actually found myself tear-y eyed while on the train. Long after I’d completed the story. I know, I probably should see someone about that. Heh. Unlike the last time I mentioned teary eyed (or something along those lines), this time it was happiness, joy, positive stuff that caused the mist.

I mentioned that the story was simple – well, it’s basically just a story of a series of bike rides. And a woman that encounters another on these rides. The first time a blur speed past Dana – the blur said something, but Dana couldn’t catch it. She assumed it was something derogatory. The second encounter with the woman almost involved injuries – blur ‘on your left!’ squealing. Dana didn’t realize ‘on your left’ meant someone was coming on your left. She thought that meant the rider wanted Dana to move to her left.

And the story proceeds from there. Brief encounters while on the bike trail. Though the brief encounters build up. Somewhere along the line names are exchanged. Sexual orientations are hinted at. Common interests are mentioned. More encounters on the bike trail.

This story kind of caught me unaware. Sure, I was hooked from the beginning, but I didn’t expect to love it.

Rating: 5.5
Date read: April 27 2016

Spider Lines by Lois Cloarec Hart
I’ve never read anything by this author, and I am fairly certain I hadn’t run across the name before now.

The story made me uncomfortable from beginning to end. I liked being able to read a story involving two women in a long term relationship, but the story both was and wasn’t about them. In that the story barely spent time with the two of them together. Both, though, were working through issues involving the other. Kris was having some depressing feelings involving the state of her relationship with Sandy; Sandy was ducking the needed conversation, then later developed certain feelings of jealousy, and fear.

For Kris had found something to spend her time on, since Sandy was busy all the time with her job. Kris, despite being self-described as having two left feet, decided, on impulse, to take up climbing. The story follows as she climbs a wall, then a mountain; all the while making comments about a third woman to Sandy. ‘Arden thought this helmet was better; Arden this, that, etc.’. Sandy was afraid Kris had found another, but their long-term relationship had frayed the communication lines.

That’s part of why the story made me uncomfortable. I saw Kris appreciating the attention, the comments; and I saw how she was kind of . . . unable to see the impact on Sandy. Sandy complements her on how all that climbing has made her look lately. Kris responds with some comment about how Arden had said something like that earlier. Really? Shesh.

Arden, of course, is the third woman in this story. About 12 years younger than Kris and Sandy. And one who doesn’t see any real advantage to not doing what feels good – in being tied down to relationships.

An interesting enough story – though a lot of the good parts were marred with this vague level of cheating feeling (though cheating didn’t occur). The good parts including climbing a mountain, seeing birds flying below you, seeing out over the tops of trees from high up.

I’ll more than likely try another story by this author – as long as the vaguely unease feeling of borderline cheating isn’t a reoccurring theme.

Eroticism – I brought up that ‘erotic’ part in the prior story, the word being on the book cover, so I’ll note that there is in fact a higher level of erotic tension in this specific story here (compared with the last one), and even some nakedness and touching. But no sex actually occurs.

Rating: 3.77
Date read: April 27 2016

Black and Blue by Erzabet Bishop
Um, what the hell? What’s going on here? Why the fuck is ‘erotic’ on the cover? I assume all the rest of the stories are just filled with erotica, I’m sure. Just to make me look weird for this little bit written here. I mean, this is only the third story in the book that I’ve read. But . . . this is also the only author who has ‘erotic’ listed among the list of ‘genre’ that they write – that and BDSM. And includes in her bio something about how she loves writing naughty stories, or however that was worded.

Erotica is not the same thing as sex, though you tend to find sex in erotic stories. But there wasn’t an ounce of erotic tension in this story here. Or in the first story. The second story had some naked fumbling, but that wasn’t presented very erotically.

Right, so. The story involves a woman named Julie. She works at a bookstore. There’s this hot chick who has been coming by for months, sitting in the café, reading, and eating cake. Julie lusts for her. Eventually Grace introduces herself (yes, Grace did, Julie was content to just keep lusting from a distance). Grace and Julie then begin a vaguely undetermined though apparently longish period of wandering around in a friend like way. Julie continues to lust after Grace. She even uses the word love. To herself.

Then Grace invites Julie over for some food. To met her boyfriend Merle. Oopsie, eh? One thing leads to another and Julie beats up Merle. No, not because her lust just grew so hard to contain that she erupted, beat up Merle and raped Grace. No, Julie beat Merle in reaction to a drunken Merle screaming at his bitch to get him a beer, then slamming his fist into Grace’s face because she wasn’t reacting correctly. As in, getting him a beer. Naturally – well, abuse stories follow a pattern. Naturally Grace stays with Merle. Because . . . reasons.

This pattern continues for another undetermined amount of time. No, not Merle beating Grace, and then Julie beating Merle. No, the part where Merle beat Grace, Grace kicks Merle out, then lets him in again. Then Grace gets beaten again. Repeat infinite plus one. Meanwhile Julie watches on, still lusting after Grace, though calling it love. To herself.

Bah. At one point I had two thoughts: (1) I feel sorry for Grace, she looks for a friend and gets beaten by Merle (not for looking for a friend, I mean – looks for a friend, one beats her (Merle), the other keeps giving off strong vibes of wanting to hump her (Julie)); (2) how the fuck can Julie know she loves Grace? She doesn’t know Grace. She lusts, very hard, for Grace. Mmphs.

Whatever. For what it’s worth, I do not particularly like reading stories like this one here, but it was well written at least (beyond the sense that I had no clue how much time was passing; I mean, at one point there’s a comment that a woman kept coming by (Grace) that Julie liked checking out – for months; then they met – in terms of exchanging names, then a comment like ‘took her months to ask her to get a drink’. So . . months after exchanging names? So it’s been like six months now since Grace first showed up? And then months have gone by in a ‘friendzone’ situation? I’m confused).

I’ll read the other free story by this author before deciding whether or not I’ll actually try anything more. Longer. Course the other free story I have might be the only other lesbian story she’s written (I know it’s lesbian in nature, because it has ‘Lesbian Lust’ as part to the title).

Rating: 3.75
Date Read: April 27 2016

Soft Hands and Hard Hats by JL Merrow
I rather liked this one, though it ended kind of abruptly. Somewhat more of a tease than a short story.

A woman, Han, and ‘her mate’ visit a cave. While there the mate meets a nice lad, while Han meets a nice lassie named Kim (hmms, thought the name Kim in England was used for men – you know, like those traitors Kim Philby and the like).

Oh right - there's a bit of romance, but no eroticism. Unless thinking the word 'breasts' and some kissing counts as eroticism.

Rating: 4.32
Date Read: April 27 2016

Touch of the Traakyn by Sandra Barret
Well, I figured out why the one author who lists Erotica among their genres on their GoodReads profile didn't have erotica in their story (referring here to Bishop not Barrett) - I wasn't on the train. I've mentioned before that I have this odd track record wherein I'll read a book and nothing of a sexual nature will occur, I'll get onto the train and . . . unleash the sex! Shesh.

I mention this because I finally found the erotica in this book. After I got on the train. Started with this story here and continued through the last stories in the book.

This story here is the Science Fiction story of the lot. Stars as its main character a human female who had been in the military before becoming injured. I guess she's technically still in it - the book opens with her in the hospital being examined. Though she knows she's going into forced retirement shortly.

She's lost her foot, right arm, and part of her upper torso. Replaced with synthetic parts. Her girlfriend of the time couldn't stand the concept of seeing her with gold parts (the synthetics) and dumped her. Every human she runs across also reacts badly when they see her. So she hides away as much as possible.

Until one night she's in the hot tub and a voice strikes her ears. She's so used to people talking around her and ignoring her that she doesn't at first realize that she's the person being addressed. She looks up and kind of drools. A gorgeous woman is standing there barely clothed. The woman repeats herself - asking if she can join her in the hot tub. By the way, she has blue skin - the new woman.

One thing leads to another and the two become friendly towards each other. And as would be expected from my opening remarks leading into this story - there is graphic erotic depictions of 'stuff' that occurs.

Odd, for me, I rather enjoyed the story. And the graphic depictions of 'stuff'.

Rating: 4.72
Date Read: April 27 2016

Red Hot Neighbour by T.M. Croke
Two women move in to the same house. The lead character is quite taken with the other woman, and keeps having to stop and watch her walk around. Then there's a flash back to when the two women first meet.

I liked the story. Well written. Though it's mostly an erotic story with graphic sex.

Rating: 4.67
Date Read: April 27 2016

Smoke and Swans by Alisha Kelley
The third story annoyed me from the beginning. I just couldn't stand the main character. Then the story became the third in the book to have graphic sex. And I reverted to what I normally do when I come across that in a book - I started skimming (no, I do not always do that, I just mean . . . I don't know what I mean, I guess I just get easily bored, and will start to skim). Since I didn't like the underlying story/characters, and didn't care about the sex, I kind of ended up giving this specific story less attention that it probably deserved. But still, didn't like it.

Rating: 2.3
Date Read: April 27 2016

OVERALL
Surprisingly good collection of stories. Overall rating - average of all the short story's ratings, is 4.147.

April 27 2016