The first time is always special. Meeting an erotica author that’s on the verge of publishing their first story is a special-privilege perk of this little writing gig. This is probably the worst art form to take on if you’re looking to turn an easy profit, so I know that every person I come across in this business is writing these stories as a labor of love. Anyway, enough of this mushy stuff, let’s get down to business. This week…we’re into that.. butt stuff. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I can’t believe we haven’t covered this topic before, as it seems like visual pornography is obsessed with this minor taboo. Grab a bottle of your favorite pliable fluid and meet me at the rear entrance of The Vault…
Back Door Anniversary: Back Door Babes #1 by Riley Richman is at first glance, the GREATEST book title in the history of literature. There’s no phony attempt at misleading the reader, we know for god-diddly-damn sure what we’re getting into here. That being said, such a title will also probably give the reader their own preconceptions. I’m quite sure you’re thinking the worst right now: horrid, unforgiving buttsecks that won’t benefit anyone with any compassion or sexual decency. These worries are soon rebuffed as Richman has clearly penned a masterful little tale that’s not only written intelligently, but comes from a positive female prospective. The story’s main character, Emily, approaches a sex shop somewhat reluctant as to what tonight might hold for her. As it’s her anniversary, she’s looking to give her husband a very special gift. After meeting a helpful shop associate, Emily’s got all her tools, lube, and a special little something to surprise her husband Scott later. If only she could get a little acclimated to how this might possibly feel before he gets home from work…
In most erotic stories, I’m looking to be challenged or subjected to something new whenever it comes to the sex scenes. For Back Door Anniversary, however, there’s something beautiful about its simplicity. The sex is appropriately provocative, but I’m pleasantly surprised that there’s nothing outwardly risky or disgustingly forbidden taking place. With so much envelope pushing smut out in the universe right now, it’s nice to see a monogamous married couple injecting a little extra sizzle into their love life. That sizzle, by the way, comes with some amazingly hot dialogue when things get dirty, with equal parts romance and porno-talk between our married lovers. Another strong suit is the variety that’s packed into the story so tightly. Emily’s actions have a little something for everyone, even if heterosexual anal isn’t your cup of tea. There’s some budding sexual tension with the secondary characters Emily meets along the way, and her self-exploration means your personal kinks might already be met before we even get to meet our first male character.
One thing that’s less than perfect, is the notion that Emily instantly fell in love with anal sex. I hope that’s not a spoiler…but Emily loves it in the ass and can’t get enough of it now. Naturally, when we met her she was anxious and worried about the prospect of anything larger than a thermometer going through the backdoor, but we can’t be held to expect too much else in this sort of story. That’s certainly not a put-down, but there are certain erotic tropes that can be considered unavoidable. What is unfortunate however, is that this huge change of heart all took place over the course of a single day. I actually misspoke when I mentioned she was anxious. More accurately, she wasn’t even aware that anal sex had any pleasure for the receiver. A story like this could have benefited from a bit of a time skip into the near future. While we would surely expect the female lead to eventually realize the pleasures of this type of sex, it’s a tad unrealistic to fathom a “0-100” of this magnitude. I can’t in good conscience say that this wouldn’t have affected pacing or length, but something about Emily having a night or two to build the tension even more would’ve been that little something to push this story to the next level.
Verdict: Backdoor Anniversary: Back Door Babes #1 by Riley Richman despite its Old World smutty title is a provocative, modern story about a married couple’s journey reaching a new sexual milestone together. The author’s strong talent in word choice and scene design will mean even better things to come for the erotica community, and I hope to see more of Ms. Richman’s work in my reading list for 2019.
A special thanks to author Riley Richman for allowing us to review Backdoor Anniversary. Follow them on Twitter and consider a purchase of their work here.
Follow Matt on Twitter for more theory on Erotica mixed with the occassional musing on NASCAR or hard liquor.
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Thank you Matt for the kind words! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I appreciate the honest review!