Book cover for Shackin' Up

Shackin’ Up: Short Stories of Queer Romance and Forced Proximity

$ 9.99 USD

It’s cold outside… and this was never planned… but why not make the most of it? Get cozy with Space Fruit Press’ new collection of stories, where queer couples find themselves getting unexpectedly close. Whether it’s a vacation rental, cabin in the woods, or a run-down motel, any port in a storm can get awfully hot when it’s the right pair trapped inside. There may only be one bed, but there’s plenty between these covers to keep you warm. 

This is fine, Anthony thought as he leaned harder on the accelerator. This will go smoothly.

He rehearsed the scene in his head: screeching back up to the AirBnB, hopping out of the rental car, sweeping into the guest cottage to grab the laptop he left charging on the vanity (hopefully without needing to talk to their annoyingly hot host), returning to the car, and getting back on the road. It would take a matter of seconds…

from “You and Me and the Airbnb”

Featuring

This sparkling queer anthology holds rare treasures:
1) erotic stories that are legit funny on purpose,
2) characters that are both sexy as hell and relatably imperfect, and
3) ridiculously fun fantasy scenarios that are likely to thrill even the most jaded erotica enthusiast.

Not only do the authors collected in this anthology serve wit and intrigue by the shovelful, but they also blast through the many problematic tropes that have plagued the adult genre for decades. Specifically, these short stories are populated with main characters who react to their baser impulses with refreshing maturity (spoiler alert: they still surrender to those most arousing of animal urges). Oriented around a cutting-edge ethos that gleefully embraces diverse representation, slut-positivity, and a healthy practice of consent, “Shackin’ Up” by Space Fruit Press is an anthology that could originate from, and dare to define, no other decade but the 2020’s.

My advice to any literate slut: Get yourself snowed in with a copy of “Shackin’ Up: Short Stories of Queer Romance and Forced Proximity.” You won’t soon forget this erotic encounter.

Scott Sessions, Queer Men’s Bedtime Stories

Basically I thought the collection was really fun. It’s fascinating how different the stories were even if they had the same basic trope. I was eager to get to the next one and discover what the author had created with it.  I thought Baggage for Two in particular broke the mold by being about an established couple reconnecting. It captured how tension is often in unspoken things and avoided touches.My favourite was “Scouting for Reluctant Beginners”, it was touching but also funny. I enjoyed the cast of secondary character and the whole family.

Lena