By Erica Wiggins
“27 Authors. 27 Stories. No Names Attached.”
Content Warning: these short stories involve a variety of sexual situations and could be triggering from some.
Anonymous Sex is a collection of stories covering the spectrum from funny sex to tortured sex to revenge sex. The authors are listed at the beginning of the book with no indication of who wrote what story. Both editors are bestselling authors: Jordan has won multiple awards for Mudbound, which was adapted into a Netflix film. Tan is a staff writer at various newspapers and has written two books herself.
This was my first time reviewing a collection of stories, which was much more challenging than I anticipated. The stories included were wide-ranging. There were stories that I loved and stories that just didn’t do it for me. In any collection of stories, it seems that this would seem standard. However, when you add that the stories are about sex—well, there are bound to be some varying opinions.
Without giving away too many details—as some of these stories are only a few pages long—here are the ones that I enjoyed the most:
History Lesson
“It was an arrangement she had not only entered willingly but had been the one to propose. She and her husband had a work trips-are-fair-play clause in their marriage.” This was the first story in this book and easily one of my favourites. The arrangement between two professors who hook up at a conference each year drew me in immediately. Michael and Denise each bring their own interesting quirks, and I could have read an entire book about them.
LVIII Times A Year
“The average married couple, he has read, has sex fifty-eight times a year.” This story had me laughing out loud about this poor man trying to increase the number of times he has sex with his wife. This story played on what happens when relationships become a chore.
Rapunzel, Rapunzel
This one was a delight to read. A fun X-rated twist on the classic fairy tale. This short story has you laughing as Rapunzel exerts her strong character and turns up the steam as she navigates her search for a partner. The ending was—perfect.
These were just my top three, and there were more that I enjoyed.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. Before reading, I thought it was an interesting idea to have this compilation of anonymous stories. However, after completing the book, it does present a challenge. There are stories I loved and would like to seek out more stories from the authors, and the anonymity prevents that. There were also stories that I could do without. I would recommend this book with the caveat that while every story might not be for you, you are likely to find ones that do.
Thank you, Simon and Schuster Canada, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.