REVIEW: Sweet Kisses & Lesbian Wishes by Kissa Starling

Sweet Kisses & Lesbian Wishes opens with SEARCH FOR THE BROWN BOOBIES, a cleverly titled romantic adventure that initially comes across as cheesy and clichéd, with dialogue right out of a cheap romance novel. I have to admit, I found it a little off-putting at first, but I warmed up to it by the end.

In a sense, the first story is a palate cleanser, setting us up for the dramatic change of pace (and theme) with the next two stories, PS: I LOVE YOU and I HEART YOU. Both are wonderfully sweet, nostalgic pieces of lesbian love, in which the characters reflect back on their long-term relationships. Both stories are tinged with the sadness and sorrow of lives long-lived (and well-loved), but are overwhelmingly warm, and deliciously erotic. Definitely my two favourite entries, although I think PS: I LOVE YOU comes out on top, simply for the way in which Kissa manages to weave so much emotional power into what is so clearly a foregone conclusion.

With LESSON LEARNED, we’re offered another abrupt change of theme, although this time it’s into the dark realm of paranormal romance. Coming from two such well-grounded pieces and jumping into such an imaginative piece was a bit of a shock, and for that reason I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it. I definitely want to go back and read this one again, independent of the others. I found the way it played out to be completely enthralling, and the erotic edginess was right up my alley, but I had a hard time making the transition from the previous two stories. Allow yourself a pause between the stories, and I suspect you’ll find is much easier to enjoy.

Ironically, HELGA HOUSE is most solidly grounded in reality, yet still manages to be a darker, edgier, more erotic story. Given how easily I slipped into this one, and how much I enjoyed it, I’m even more certain LESSON LEARNED is deserving of another read. If you’re into bondage and domination, and don’t mind a little pain with your eroticism, then this is fantastic read. It’s probably the most directly erotic of all the stories, but the character development doesn’t suffer.

Slightly uneven, with an interesting progression of themes, this was still quite a lovely read. The diversity of the stories is definitely a welcome change from the themed anthologies I’m used to. Personally, I would rearrange them somewhat, putting SEARCH FOR THE BROWN BOOBIES between I HEART YOU and LESSON LEARNED, but that’s just a matter of personal taste. On their own, the stories are each well worth a read, certain to both delight and arouse. I’d love to see what Kissa can do with her longer works, so I think a read of Goldi or Swing Pointe may just be in order!
♥