Just Say What’s On Your Mind by E.M. Hillwood is a self-published erotica novella. Don’t let that put you off. It’s as well written, maybe even more so, than some novels I’ve read, and the editing is quality too.

Mike and Angie are a married couple with three kids. Still crazy about each other, they find that their sex life as gotten a little stale. Then on a gals night out, Angie meets a man named Bennett who challenges her to talk honestly about sex. She’s intrigued and turned on by him, a confession that she shares with Mike.

Later, Mike and Angie go to Bennett’s home where they continue to talk frankly about sex. That talk leads to the bedroom, where Mike watches Bennett fuck Angie. Mike is turned on by the scene. He and Angie continue to explore this new side of their sex life with the help of Bennett. Since there’s no story without conflict, and all involved are okay with the situation, an old girlfriend of Mike’s shows up to play the heavy. Her scheming brings out jealousies. But with the help of Bennett, Mike and Angie work through the problem and set up a little revenge scheme against the old girlfriend.

On the downside: The sex scenes in Just Say What’s on Your Mind are fairly hot, despite their repetitive nature. If you think a cervix is sexy then the constant use of clinical terms might not bother you. Several snide asides about women just using sex to trick men into marriage and a white picket fence life, and the stereotypical eroticization of a man of color were unfortunate, as was the constant assertion that Mike wasn’t gay. (No one should EVER have to apologize for being gay, and if you’re straight, well then, that’s all right too.) None of the characters seemed to believe in an unexamined life and spent far too much time self-analyzing.

On the upside:  This is a nice portrayal of a loving couple exploring their sexual fantasies together. Despite a bit too much talking, it was good to see them checking with each other through every step that they were both okay with what was happening – until the one time they didn’t as a dramatic device, which made no sense. All of the main characters were distinctive and well-rounded. While the story had no real climax or resolution, it leaves you with a feeling that this couple will continue to explore their fantasies happily together.