A Caning For The Goddess (Perfect Punishments)
edited by Miranda Forbes 
2 Flames = Fizzled
My first inclination was to give this 1.5 flames, just for the first stories’ use of creative language. Reading it through the first time it felt stilted and boring. Then I skimmed back through and read it while imagining the authors laughing their butts off while writing each one and thinking “Hmm…how can I make this as ridiculous as possible?” And then my estimation raised another half flame. Although, I don’t know if that was the intention and it doesn’t really speak highly of the stories, so much as my own determination to try and wring something entertaining out of these.
It wasn’t the subject matter that bothered me, I like a little BDSM kink as much as the next person so long as no one is really getting the sh*t beat out of them or putting their lives in real danger. What bothers me is that I didn’t feel like any character was honestly engaged with what they were doing. Call me crazy, but it’s not sexy or exciting if you don’t think anyone is getting any true enjoyment out of it. That might have to do with the writing.

In most cases it seemed like the authors were so busy trying to shock the readers with the situations or with their vocabulary that I just couldn’t connect. Even when I reread them as nothing but parodies of spanking stories, there was still a distance. It was like watching Fellini’s “Cassanova” or the club scenes in “Cabaret”. They’re doing things that are suggestive and taboo, but with such ennui or forced levity that it left me cold. I’ve read some short stories/scenarios with the same themes in them and felt completely drawn in, this wasn’t even a good peep show.
Of course all things are subjective so someone else may read these and find some titillation out of them. I don’t see how, but to each their own.