A great collaboration from Bold Strokes Books Editors Sandy Lowe and Victoria Villasenor.

All short stories are based on the travel theme and I loved that trope. All the stories are really something different and have their own edge and erotic content that was just plain hot. Here are a few of my favourites with a short review. Enjoy…



A Fantasy Getaway by Jeannie Levig

Wow! Just wow… Jeannie Levig, I have no words. None.  OK, two words… Freaking Hot! It was fantastic and sexy, really really sexy! Definitely by far my favourite in this collection.



The Lodge by Aurora Rey

No surprise really that this was one of my favourites too. Aurora Rey just writes things I know I am gonna enjoy and this is no different. But once again I am left wanting more… More of the sex, more of the love, just more of her writing essentially! Fun, flirty and provocative… Just perfection really.



Mistakes Happen by Britt Ryder

Remember Emery from Britt Ryders short story, Shameless? Well, she’s back and with a bang! This is everything I have come to expect from the amazing Britt Ryder and she left me with my mouth hanging open once more.  Emery is just passionate, exciting and astonishingly sexy!

All in all, a fantastic collaboration of stories! So if you're looking for something to spice up your holiday… Buy this book!.
4 Stars

I enjoyed this collection of erotic stories. Some were better than others but I got a chance to meet some new writers to me that show great potential. I would recommend this read.

As in all compilations, this book has some good stories and others not so much, so I will not go into much detail analyzing them individually. All together they follow the theme that indicates the title, lesbians on trips and more or less typical adventures, since some are quite surreal. We also find all kinds of lesbians, couples, encounters with strangers, surprises more or less pleasant, but all include a good dose of sex.

In this particular book, I have discovered new authors and new publishers, which will surely help me find more good books to read.

And another thing that I value positively in the compilations is that you can leave it and pick it up whenever you feel like it, without worrying about remembering what you have read before. Which makes them perfect for reading during trips or periods when you do not have much free time.

So if you are looking for a book that awakens your imagination, this can be highly recommended.

THIS was me first anthology of 2019 and it was a doozy!! First and foremost, BRIT RYDER!!! Yes, ever since reading her debut erotic novella, "Shameless," she had become one of me favourite authors, obvs, and I had been twiddling me thumbs waiting patiently for her next endeavour and....voila!!! What dy'a know?! Enter "Mistakes Happen" in this antho, "Escape To Pleasure!!" Yay! I must say, even with just Ryder's story alone, I would own a copy of the antho and read the entire thing in a heartbeat! AND, the icing for this one? Discovered that another one of me favourite authors, Jeannie Levig, also had a story in this fast-becoming-an-amazing-antho-for-me book!! WHA?!! I was beside meself with utter glee, to say the least! Woohoo! Lucky me! I'll get to Ryder and Levig's stories in a mo but let me first disclaim that I usually don't comment on anthologies (with the exception of one other because of one of me favourite authors included in it) and never erotica anthos, but with TWO of me faves in this particular one? Sod it, I'll do it!

Ok, obviously, I had to read Ryder's "Mistakes Happen" first. And me oh my, this affirms that Ryder's one sly, wickedly brilliant writer of erotica! In this one, I was met with a familiar character from "Shameless," Emery. This time, it was a tale of a luggage mix-up, a switcheroo, between Emery's and a femme stranger's. By the time Emery realised the mistake, she was already in the hotel, getting ready for her holiday in Mexico!! OMG, the scene when Emery opened the luggage, obviously assuming it was hers...! The shock! The panic! It was hilarious! You'll know what I mean if you've read "Shameless" and know about Emery! Anyway, not gonna go into it anymore lest...spoilers! Needless to say, the meeting between Emery and Madison was priceless. And the rest was history.

One word. PHWOAR.

But the BEST thing was obviously the ending. The realisation as I read the last sentence....Whoa!! Did NOT see THAT coming, tbh! Obviously, I just HAD to scroll back to the beginning of the story so I could read it again, this time with the knowledge and a whole new perspective and it was simply FABULOUS! 2nd story from Ryder, both are now on me list of favourites! Bloody well done, Ryder!!! *slow clap*

I also wanna take this opportunity to urge you to read Ryder's "Shameless" if you haven't already. Satisfaction guaranteed. 'Nuff said.

Sidenote: I just wish Ryder would publish a full-length erotica/erotic romance novel already! SOON!! *Hint hint, Ms. Bryant!*

Me 2nd read had to be Levig's, obviously. FYI, I had never read any erotica written by Levig so "A Fantasy Getaway" was me first time reading her erotica writing style and as always (and expected), she did not disappoint. At all. I absolutely loved the story which, on the surface, read like a bog-standard erotica where two strangers meet in a bar and hook up that I'm sure most, if not all of us have read something like that before. But, WAIT! Not so fast! Levig managed to turn this much-used trope on its head towards the end that I did a double-take! I was like, "Whaaa?!!" The fantastic twist toward the end....Simply sublime. Like Ryder's story, obviously I HAD to go back to read the entire story again, this time with, yes, THAT revelation Levig so "slyly" (bloody brilliant, tbh!) slipped in at the end, and an enlightened perspective and I must say, it was even better the 2nd time around! Of course I CAN'T divulge anything about this story because it'd be spoilers all over the place. But believe me when I tell ya, it was not just the "phwoar!" effect but its sensuality and sexiness were felt much more when I went back to read it again WITH the knowledge of the twist! At least it did for me! What can I say except, bloody well done, Levig! Here's hoping she'll write more erotica/erotic romance in the future! Truly creative!

The rest of the stories featured in the antho were enjoyable. This erotic antho is prolly one of the best I've read because despite it being categorised as "erotica," the stories were engaging and enjoyable as opposed to the typical "wham-bam-sex-end-of" non-story style that's usually presented in erotica anthos. Not this one, though. The best thing for me was to discover some authors I didn't know about previously and their writing and storytelling style caught me attention. Most notably the following authors and their stories in this antho which I utterly enjoyed:

"Clueless and Tormentor Do Thailand" by Ali Vali. I heard of Vali before but never read any of her books. So this was the ideal opportunity for me to test out her writing and I was elated! Vali's writing was hilarious in this story. Her way of telling this story just hooked me in right away. It's boring nerd meets adventurous, funny, sexy and mischievous stranger whilst working in a country nerd has no interest in delving into, including its exotic cuisines and locales. Funny dialogue between the two strangers. I had so much fun with their back-and-forth! Wait 'til you read how Tormentor coaxed Clueless into the world of new experiences! Simply marvellous! And their sexual encounter? Totally erotic, sexy and defo naughty! I loved it! Ali Vali is now on me radar, thanks to this book!

Next was "Let Go" by Rion Woolf. Never heard of this author but her story here was intriguing to discover and her writing was engaging. It's about a woman trying to get over her ex, who agreed to meet with a stranger in a hiking trail to have a picnic! Yup, fun, eh? Read it and find out! I had a great time with it!

Now, I didn't think "The Girl In The Taxicab" by Angora Shade would do anything for me when I read the first page. The title made me curious but not knowing about the author's writing style, I didn't have any expectation. But then, as I read on, I found meself breezing through the pages at top speed because.....wow! Never thought it'd become what it was! Certainly not in the beginning! I was literally dumbfounded! Me eyes just stared at those words that jumped out describing those incredible sequences!! Now do I venture into elaborating on this story? Nah. I won't take the fun out of you finding out for yourself! Just this:

A nurse and a cab driver. In Japan. Nurse needs to get to the airport to fly home. Meets not so friendly but utterly attractive and intriguing cab driver....

Now, fill in the blanks if you dare! I'll give you just a little hint: The sequences throughout the story were NON-STOP. It will grab you by the *** as Shade takes you for a wild ride! I have to say, this story turned out to be one of the most enjoyable, wildly fun and downright bonkers rides I've had reading a story, let alone a SHORT story! Phew!! Yup, you need to read it to experience the craziness of it all! Ms. Shade,......thumbs up! *slow clap*

All in all, I highly recommend this anthology because all the stories are written well and hence, worth a read. I have me favourites, obviously, if I weren't clear enough above already. But you won't be disappointed. At least I wasn't especially with two of me favourite authors with their superbly relishing stories that I relish and a few new ones that I utterly enjoyed to the fullest!

I was given an ARC by Bold Strokes via NetGalley (cheers!) in return for an honest review.

This was an interesting anthology. There were some stories I loved and some that were a little odd I will let you decided for yourselves which ones you like.

So overall well written by all my favorite authors and some I had never read before.

This is a classic case where these are strict erotica short stories. If you're expecting any kind of plot, you'll be disappointed, but if you want a quick sexy read than this is the book for you. I'd say each story is about 20 pages total, so pretty short. Great authors though.

I’ve enjoyed this collection of erotic short stories, some more than others. I prefer reading erotica where the characters have a strong connection, whether it’s great chemistry, powerful physical attraction or an emotional joining. Without the connection, it’s just sex which (don’t get me wrong, it also has its place) doesn’t hold my attention in an anthology of erotica. A well-written short story can have some or all of these aspects whether or not the characters have met before or ever meet again. While the travel and exotic locations are common to the stories there is a lot of diversity in the collection. Some are more daring, some are between couples in an already established relationship and some are the epitome of Erica Jong’s zipless fuck – the perfect one night stand.
The Lodge by Aurora Rey
Eryn is celebrating her divorce by spending a weekend at a mountain lodge in winter in the honeymoon suite. While reading in front of the fire in the lounge her eye catches a gorgeous woman on her way out to ski.
The scene is set well and Eryn's desires are clear so the lack of connection between the two didn't bother me terribly much. Especially seeing as it is about Eryn's fulfilment more than anything else. Good, erotic d/s scene. (3.5)

Let Go by Rion Woolf
Lucy hasn't been involved with anyone since the end of her relationship 18 months before. Her friends, tired of watching her mope, drag her off camping with them. Skyler, the park ranger, offers to take Lucy on a hike.
This is also about the needs and release of one character. Skyler is a nice, safe but secondary aspect to Lucy's release from the past. (4)

The Night Orchestra by Sam Ledel
On an Amazonian jungle tour, Cori still has an emptiness inside since the passing of her. She is mistakenly paired with an Argentinian woman at the first sleeping stop but decides to make the best of it.
It lacked the build up to intimacy. I didn't feel their connection. (3)

Remain Overnight by Kara A McCleod
Secret Service agent Allison has spent the days on the ski slopes following her charge, the president's daughter. Tired and anxious she returns to her room in the hopes that Ryan, a colleague, has taken her up on her offer to join her.
A story about two women on the brink of an, as yet, undefined relationship. There is lots of tension and chemistry between them. (4)

XO, Beatrix by Jane C Esther
Alexandra is on a plane to Amsterdam to meet up with her family who are on a cruise ship because she missed the boat. She's anxious about flying and how she's going to get to Denmark. The passenger next to her, Beatrix, gently offers her a solution.
This is more romantic and less erotic than the other stories have been so far. (4)

Green Gables and Golden Opportunities by Allison Wonderland
I'm still smiling about this one. Damaris meets up with her pen-pal in Prince Edward Island because they both share a love of Anne of Green Gables. Her pen-pal doesn't seem thrilled with her T-shirt slogan 'I'm a lesbi-Anne' but fortunately another visitor to the museum is.
What's great about this tale is that it's written with all the verbosity and effusive floweriness of Anne Shirley Cuthbert. It's clever and entertaining but a little too silly to be erotic. If I hadn't watched the series 'Anne with an E' I wouldn't have got it at all. (4)

Galapagos Dreams by NR Dunham
Livvy is Jordan's nanny but while she adores the chatty little boy she can't help her attraction for his mother, security consultant and bodyguard. A trip to the Galapagos Islands comes up and instead of leaving Livvy to babysit Jordan, Amanda decides to take the young nanny with her.
Not a bad story but I didn't believe in their attraction for each other enough. They needed a little more flirtatious language and interaction. (3)

Happy Anniversary by TL Hayes
Sam and Chi are celebrating their tenth anniversary with a getaway but it's rainy and Chi's arrangements weren't as careful as they could have been.
Really short erotic interlude between an established couple. (3.5)

A Fantasy Getaway by Jeannie Levig
Talia has a routine for her getaways and this time, when she sees Veronica across the room, she knows what she needs.
Beautifully erotic, this story builds the story with few, well-chosen words. (4.5)

Battle of the Bands over Desperation Pie by Ina Brix
Cassandra gets dumped by her girlfriend just two days before they're due to take a trip to watch the Battle of the Bands in the small town of Betsey. She needs something to help her get over Cora. Maybe a room full of drag Kings can help. (3)

Mistakes Happen by Brit Ryder
Emery Pearson is taking a much-needed break only to find she has the wrong luggage when she arrives at her hotel. Fortunately Madison, whose name is on the luggage she has, is at the same hotel running a conference.
It's sexy but it was missing something that makes the connection sizzling or erotic. (It may well be that it's the same character from Ryder's novella 'Shameless' and that this is not where I want her to be.) (3)

Like a Flash Flood by TC Mill
Kim and Rosa are hiking through a slot canyon. It doesn't attract many tourists so they're secure in the knowledge that they are the only ones there. I struggled to keep my attention on this story. Something about it really didn't work for me and I didn't care for the characters. (2)

The Lay of the Land by Raven Sky
This is possibly the shortest stories in the anthology and also the most enjoyable so far. Written in first person, the main character is in Thailand and ear deep in pussy. In remarkably few words there is humour, the history of the character, the present and a fantasy. Wonderful read. (5)

On Her Trail by Renee Roman
Shay is hiking the Appalachian Trail in order to recharge from the stress she's been under. She hasn't had intimacy for months, she's disconnected from the world and now it seems she might be lost. And then she falls.
I found the beginning a little too wordy but the erotic scene is beautiful. (4)

The Girl in the Taxicab by Angora Shade
Mae gets into a taxi so that she can get to the airport after a two week stay in Tokyo. Kiyoko hisses at her to get out and it all goes awry.
This is action-packed, crazy and riveting. Oh, and a little less vanilla than most of the stories so far. (4)

Clueless and the Tormentor Do Thailand by Ali Vali
Dr Mason Preston is an agricultural professor specialising in rice doing research in Thailand. One evening a beautiful woman changes her dinner order and then continues tormenting her over the next week.
With some gentle humour and delayed gratification, I enjoyed this more than I do Vali's novels. (4)

Where it Began by Nanisi Barrett D'Arnuk
Mickey and her long term partner, Linda, are visiting a little Vermont town where Mickey attributes her coming-out moment to. Revisiting the theatre where she met the first woman she was intimate with, Mickey's thoughts return to the past.
This is a beautiful slice-of-life story and I enjoyed the juxtaposition of an erotic one night stand and a long-term relationship. (4)

The Piña Colada Effect by Amelia Thorpe
The only way Tash can get her girlfriend to not answer work calls is to take her far away from any signal. Turkey seems far enough away. Tash and Lindsay have been so busy that they have let their intimacy slide a little.
Superbly erotic story to end the collection on. (5)

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Escape to pleasure indeed! Bold Strokes’ newest anthology features erotic interludes in exotic places. The most noteworthy for me was another sexy adventure for Emery Pearson written by Brit Ryder. Who knew losing your luggage could be the best thing to happen on the first day of your vacation? My favorite by far was penned by Kara McCleod with the return of Secret Service agents Alison and Ryan. It’s a delicious prequel to the 3 book series and it is gloriously written in Alison’s first person POV this time around. It was seriously a treat to get in Alison’s head and we are privy for the first time just how much Ryan affects the stoic agent. Hint: you should read that series, too! All in all, this was an entertaining and sexy anthology from a lineup of Bold Strokes talent.

This is delicious erotica with the added bonus of some beautifully described scenery. This book has a good balance of different coupling types. The stories are hot, especially the stories by Aurora Rey and Jeannie Levig. There is enough variation in these stories to offer something for everyone. Well done!

I loved all the short stories some i wish were longer. Also enjoyed all the wonderful writers I hadn't ever heard of.

Reviewing any anthology is a tricky endeavor and reviewing an anthology of lesbian erotica is even trickier. An anthology cannot be all things to all people. What one person finds sexy or a turn-on might fall flat with someone else.

I enjoyed Escape to Pleasure. The overall quality of writing was fantastic. Each author brought a unique voice to the collection and there was only one story that I did not like. The two standouts for me were Jeannie Levig’s A Fantasy Getaway and Brit Ryder’s Mistakes Happen. These were the two stories that really felt like erotica to me. Sex and wanting and needing drove these stories and that’s what I look for in erotica.

As I said, the writing in this anthology is top notch. The reason I did not give this anthology five stars is because the collection felt more like erotic romance to me. There were even some stories that felt like they could have been scenes (hot scenes) from a traditional lesfic romance novel. Add a little more heat and a little more kink and I would have given this an extra star.

Just like with any other anthology, this one featured a few stud pieces, and a few duds. I made the mistake of reading a few stories while sitting in my family living room over Christmas - meaning, in the same room as my parents, aunt and uncle, grandma, sister & brother-in-law, and their young daughter. It's ok - I'm well aware that I'm an idiot!

I like to read anthologies like this over the course of time, and I purposefully chose not to read the whole thing in one sitting. I suggest you do the same and draw out the enjoyment. A few of these stories left me squirming and disappearing into the other room for a cool down!

All in all, this was a nice collection of erotic shorts. I only came across one true dud that had me skipping over it. By far, my absolute favorite in this collection was Jeannie Levig's 'A Fantasy Getaway'.

Solid 4 stars, well worth the read. Do yourself a favor and don't make the same mistake as I did - read this one in your alone time!

**Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!**

I have read a few erotic anthologies and this was just okay for me. I did like the travel theme, but I felt some of the short stories were just not very interesting. Out of the 19 stories my favorites were A Fantasy Getaway, The Pina Colada Effect, The Lodge, Let Go, The Night Orchestra, Remain Overnight, Galapagos Dreams, Mistakes Happen, Clueless and the tormentor do Thailand, So 10 out of 19 isn't bad. Out of the ones I enjoyed I would give them a 4 star rating. Over I would rate this one a 3.25.

This ARC was provided by Netgalley and the publisher for a honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

I only knew one of the authors in this book (Aurora Rey), the rest were new authors to me.

This was a nice collection of Erotica & Romance stories. I enjoyed most of them but the one that stands out, as my favourite has to be the first one by Aurora. What a start to a collection. There were a couple that just were not for me and I skipped past them but overall, it was an enjoyable read and now I have added more authors to my growing collection of authors that I would like to read more of their work in the future.

This was a nice little collection of Travel Romance/Erotica - I say romance too because some of these weren't so much erotica but lovely short romances nonetheless.

There were a few standouts and a few that didn't fly with me at all but all in all I enjoyed this collection.

Aurora Rey - The Lodge: Obviously people who know me know she's my favourite author. But this short little erotica proves my point entirely. This short was SEXY for sure but the emotional depth she creates in just a few pages makes it all the more STEAMY and HOT.

NR Dunham - Galapagos Dreams: A nanny and her boss in a tropical vacation. Need I say more? Sweet and sexy and dreamy.

Jeannie Levig - A Fantasy Getaway: This author just keeps getting better and better with every piece I read. I'm a huge fan. This short was very very sexy with a lovely little twist.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed a few of the stories in this book including The Lodge and Let Go, but skipped over a few others that did not hold my interest. The book was middle of the road lesbian erotica. Hence the average rating.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

I ARC received via NetGalley and in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy reading the short stories of different authors in this book. I was sad it wasn't longer but I get why it called short stories but I woulda like more story because I was really getting into it.

Overall a good read.

Sadly this book just didn't work for me.

It's full of super short stories, which means that about the time you really start getting into the story it's over. Very little character development happens in each story.

Overall this book just didn't work for me sadly. I do think it will be great for others who like short stories and who enjoy anthologies more than I do.