I’ve been reading a lot of erotica lately. I get on kicks and right now, this is where I am. Let me just say, not all erotica is the same. And anyone who starts throwing up Fifty Shades of Gray as a viable option, just stop reading right now. That is not good erotica and on a baser level, not good writing.

I read a couple of Maya Banks books which have a sweeter edge to them.

 

I’d previously read a few of her more BDSM oriented books,

 

so I knew I liked her writing style and voice. But even these had a charming kind of quality. Sometimes I can go for that but I tend to lean toward the hardcore, BDSM erotica. Those are the books that I find satisfying. In my quest for more, I thought I’d try a little Sylvia Day. That was a mistake. I took on Pleasures of the Night. Below is the book cover and the blurb from her website.

In the Twilight between sleep and consciousness, a battle rages between Dream Guardians and Nightmares. Captain Aidan Crossis a legend, as skilled in fulfilling erotic dreams as he is with the glaive that kills his enemies. Women see Aidan as part of their fantasies . . . except Lyssa Bates. Exquisite, desirable, enigmatic Lyssa perplexes this immortal seducer because she sees him as he really is. And as he attempts to unravel her secrets the unthinkable occurs: Aidan Cross falls in love.

Lyssa has been having the most incredible dreams about a man whose blue eyes hold the promise of decadent pleasures and tempting intimacies. And then he appears on her doorstep! This intoxicating stranger is just as irresistible as the man of her dreams . . . but with her surrender there is also grave danger . . .

Because Aidan is on a mission, and the passion that consumes them body and soul could have dire consequences. Loving the mortal woman prophesied to destroy Aidan’s world is not only impossible . . it is forbidden.

This was not good. And I hate saying that because I know how hard it is to put an entire book together, pour your heart and soul into it, and just have it ripped apart. That’s one of the main reasons that I don’t review books on this site. But this was BAAAADDDD. The writing was sub-par. The sentence structure was repetitive and unimaginative. The guy kept calling her “Hot Stuff” which unless it’s 1952, and you’re in a gang that sings and dances to keep your territory, you shouldn’t use that phrase in the modern era. I wasn’t even sure what the hell was going on and then it turns that the dude’s an alien which came out of nowhere. Everyone had an Irish accent and I’m not sure why if they were aliens. There’s a second book in this series but I just don’t care. So, unless someone can really justify Sylvia Day’s other series to me, I think I might be done.

In order to cleanse my palate, I went back to a tried and true author. God help me, I love Kresley Cole and I just know she is a dirty bitch. I  her more for it.

These are scorching hot. There’s a hard edge to the BDSM that I really enjoy. Her characters are well developed, the writing flows in a seamless manner, and her dudes are HOT! Not only that, her guys are particularly dominate, which I adore.

So, now I’m looking for suggestions. I’m not that knowledgeable about the erotica genre in general so if anyone knows of any good books, I’d like to hear it.