One Degree of Separation

Fiona Glass explores steamy relationships between men in the erotic anthology One Degree of Separation. There are a variety of stories here - eight in all - and Ms. Glass has admirably and erotically spun her tales to enchant readers. These are smoking hot stories, but not all about sex. Most deal with a deeper intimacy and the discrimination that homosexuals often face, and One Degree of Separation manages to deal with these issues without sounding preachy or political. Among my favorites were:

The House on Penny Lane
Readers get a peek at Alec, who has tried to fight off his attraction to other men his whole life and then finds an attractive young man named Harry being beaten by a group of burly hoodlums. Rescuing him, Alec takes him home and tends to his injuries; he finds out that Harry is making a living selling his body. Alec can’t help himself and becomes intimate with Harry, then struggles with denial and embarrassment. At around thirty pages, The House on Penny Lane is an emotional quickie detailing the perils of being a gay man in the mid-1900s.

Cold Comfort
What would the world be like if bisexual aliens invaded and ruled the earth? Readers find out, delving deep into the security officers’ lives. Jack Boston is still reeling from the loss of his good friend Jamie, who died five years ago, when he is assigned to a rape case. This project requires cooperation with the Haka leadership, and the interviewing of the victim. Upon traveling to the Haka stronghold, Jack is shocked to find out the true identity of the victim. When the crime is solved, Jack receives a reward the likes of which he never dreamed he’d experience again.

Reviewed by: Michelle