Dirty, Happy Relationship Reflection and Review

How Relationships Are Like Writing Book Reviews

For all that I write a lot of book reviews, they never get any easier. They will remain a mainstay in my writing, which will mean a weekly(ish) stint of me crashing around the kitchen, mumbling to myself about trite language. (Mine, not always the authors.) Oh sure, some reviews write themselves, but often I agonize for days about what to write, what angle to approach the review from, the right tone, the word choice, the word count, just everything. But generally by the time I wrestle around with everything in my head, I have a good handle on it and know exactly what I want to say when I sit down to write, how I stand in relation to the material, and the tone I want to hit.

Relationships are like book reviews because generally if there’s something I’m trying to figure out about my relationship, I treat it like a review. I analyze it, look at it from my perspective, from what I know of his perspective, compare the two, note the similarities and differences, maybe ask a question for clarification, (or check what other reviewers have said about my relationship on Amazon…), and finally get the wording and tone right if my partner and I need to have a discussion.

It sounds a lot more involved than it is.

The bottom line is that I think before I mouth off; make sure I know what I’m talking about. I don’t write checks my ass can’t cash. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words are something you can’t unsay. It’s good to be careful with words, and not say anything in the heat of the moment you’ll want to unsay later. Just like trashing someone’s book, once the trash is out there, there’s no taking it back. Put out words, and reviews, you won’t mind encountering ten years from now. That’s just my thoughts. After all, it’s called constructive criticism for a reason.

Dirty, Happy Book Reviews: Exposed by Alison Tyler

I’ve lauded and applauded Alison Tyler’s books Dark, Secret Love and The Delicious Torment on this blog and other places, so for other readers who enjoyed these books, here’s another in the same vein, only as an anthology. Exposed is a collection of shorts, ranging through Ms. Tyler’s career, and we can see where she began to combine fiction, memoir, and meta, all to delightful effect. There’s a good deal of being coy, of playing the flirt, of shining light on human nature, in this collection and it’s a wonderful reading experience. Whether you want to get off on characters doing the dirty or the precise and beautiful use of language, there’s much in this compilation to get you breathing heavier.

Felice Newman says it best in her introduction to this book. And that is the quote I shall leave you good readers with:

"Alison Tyler is one of my favorite erotic authors. Simply put, she makes me hot. Her stories ring true. They are accessible, well crafted, and full of surprises. Each one is as fresh as the Ivory soap-scrubbed girls whose randy enthusiasm fuels their plots. And did I mention they’re hot?"