Sexy Strangers

Bussel (editor of Crowded House) shows off her prowess as an anthologist, bringing together 20 tales of sizzling encounters between strangers from a wide range of erotica subgenres. In her introduction, Bussel lays out her intention to explore “that balancing act of trusting someone new to learn how to read [one’s] body’s roadmaps, of going with the unexpected without knowing what will happen beyond the immediate moment, that drives the erotic tension in these stories,” and the result steams up the pages. In Lynx Canon’s “The Boy Toy,” a recently single woman looks to buy her first-ever sex toy—and gets some hands-on help from the salesclerk. Kate Sloan’s “Hot Neighbor Guy” introduces a bisexual woman with a raging crush on her sexy neighbor. The grieving, widowed owner of a BDSM club finds the courage to reenter the dating game in Jordan Monroe’s “Parc-Aux-Cerfs,” while Lin Devon’s “Take Tuesday” features a man who uses literature as seduction. With something for every erotica fan, this brings the heat. (Sept.)