Review – Felicity Fell

Amazon has an algorithm problem.

When one thinks of lesbian erotica, they tend to think of two women sexually involved with each other. Who these stories are targeted may change depending on the author or the author’s skill but at their basic level that’s what’s expected on the tin: two ladies, totally enjoying each other.

So why is it that searching for these types of stories on the Amazon marketplace gets an individual overwhelmed with DDlg stories, written by authors like Stella Andrews or Brianna Hale? Those have completely different target audiences!

It is with this frustration in mind that author Shay Sands wrote the 63 page erotic short Felicity Fell: Taken By Her Extreme Taboo Interracial Futa Hotwife Cuckold Daddy. It is surprisingly on-point satire that does a wonderful job of showcasing the author’s understanding of certain genre tropes, and also her ability to move a story forward in spite of them.

I’ll be honest, I initially hard passed on the book. Even understanding that there was more to it than met the title, I have no interest in reading about most of the scenarios presented here. My interest in sexual exploration has some pretty hard-coded limits and from the title I might have been persuaded to read the right story about a Kindle, or an Edition, but definitely not a cuckhold or a hotwife (which, fun fact, is not a sexy housewife so much as a term used in wife swapping or sharing). Rest assured, if one or even many of these references would be a turn-off for you, this book will still be interesting if you’re looking for a good piece of hot story. On the other hand, if you ARE a fan of these tropes, this book may also be for you.

The reason for this lays firmly in Sands’s writing style. She isn’t actively making fun of these tropes, but her main character Felicity Fell simply isn’t into most of them, and not really sure why she finds herself forced to deal with them. Every scene is woven together in a way that’s episodic yet makes sense, and the greater narrative is a come-to-realize plot that directly challenges why erotic tropes are tied together the way they are, and why Amazon’s rankings are so idiotic.

That, I’d argue, is the perfect use of satire. The framing narrative, the author openly states, was directly inspired by the 2011 horror classic The Cabin in the Woods. The whole affair is just different enough it works, while the guiding message still feels familiar. Instead of mocking torture porn, of course, it’s mocking standard porn tropes and questions why it is they are so popular and why they drive sales even as readers become tired of their implementation. Without spoiling things too much, Felicity Fell finds ways to subvert very common tropes in a way that leaves her lovers satisfied, but raises questions and at times frustrations for other forces in control. All of these “come” to a head in a way that works.

The novella is 63 pages, which is short for a lot of literature but actually kind of long for erotica’s standards. The whole affair flows together nicely, the reveal was solid, and the whole thing manages to be sexy and amusing. It can be purchased for $2.99, or is available to be read at no additional cost with the subscription to the Kindle Unlimited service.