This collection of 17 tales is intensely romantic. Ranging
from the achingly sweet I Think I will Love You to
the wickedly funny (yet tender) Panacea, Radclyffe has
collected tales centering on and celebrating the essence of
love, yet each reveals a unique facet of a subject that has
fascinated readers since the first lines were written eons
ago. The first sweet blush is explored in Boiled
Peas, the rich savored layers of a more mature couple in
The Game. Reading through the collection is a gentle
poignant experience, as one's own memories are unexpectedly
evoked in the emotions portrayed by the main characters.
The authors chosen to build this volume have a skilled and
delicate grasp on the use of language and include award
winners, women who have been published for years, and a few
who have only a story or two in their credits, yet each of
the entries carries a sophisticated sheen without obscuring
the underlying emotional connection, like biting into
expensive dark chocolate and feeling a juicy, fresh cherry
burst in your mouth.
"It was the kind of first date you know will change your life forever, the kind for which 'first date' is much too casual to ever properly apply . . . She looked at me like she could fall for me, fall in love with me, or maybe like she already had. She looked at me like she wanted to know everything I had to say, to peek inside my brain and tease out the parts I kept deliberately tucked away." — "Mother Knows Best" by Rachel Kramer Bussel Romance is an experience that encompasses a panoply of emotions: euphoria, despair, exhilaration, the thrill of sexual awakening, the excitement of new beginnings, and the quiet contentment of the familiar. This collection of love stories features the best romance writers around, including Anna Meadows, Charlotte Dare, Miel Rose, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Rebecca S. Buck, Radclyffe and a dozen others. The juicy, seductive tales of Best Lesbian Romance 2011 capture the eroticism and lyricism of love, from the first blush of recognition to the forever embrace of shared hearts.