Breathless by Kitty Tsui

How to describe writing about sex? 'Pornography' seems old fashioned, male-oriented; and 'erotica,' while kinder and gentler, feels like a marketing term. Kitty Tsui's Breathless carries the label 'erotic' on its cover, but it's explicit, no-holds-barred, depictions of lesbian sex--including S-M, bondage, and rough play--feels closer to the hard edge of porn, not the gracefulness of 'erotica.' Tsui has been writing for more than a decade and is just now finding a wider audience, and it is about time. Breathless is beautifully written, and Tsui knows exactly what she is doing. The grace of the prose is countered, line by line, with sexual and emotional excitement that startles us, even as we are seduced by it. Breathless is a nonstop roller coaster that leaves us feeling just that.