From Publishers Weekly
Like its predecessor, Brown Sugar, this anthology of African-American erotica edited by Essence magazine contributor Taylor explores every permutation of adult sexuality-straight, gay, lesbian and some decidedly unconventional group sex-with a combination of hip-hop slang and high-brow sensibility. In Willie Perdomo's "Ella by Starlight," allusions to Jean-Michel Basquiat bump up against references to the Notorious B.I.G. Many of the pieces weave serious questions of racial and sexual identity into their racy scenarios. Rebecca Carroll's "Mr. Man," for instance, deftly examines the plight of a young black woman, adopted and raised by white parents, whose skin throbs with "perversely tangled envy, grafted from a deep and silent well of inexperienced blackness" whenever she encounters other African-Americans. Nicole Bailey-Williams's "Zoe" is candid in its depiction of a beautiful but insecure college student who experiments with lesbianism, and Michael A. Gonzales's "Simply Beautiful" observes both the sensual and the sinister in a chance encounter between a self-involved filmmaker and an aging barroom diva. There is some old-fashioned raunch as well. "It wasn't like I was collecting dividends on my pussy," remarks the protagonist of Zane's "Mr. Good Lay" as she prepares to end three years of celibacy. And Sandra Kitt's "Passing Through" revisits that time-honored erotica staple, a tryst between a stranded motorist and her mechanic. There's something here for every reader, especially those who enjoyed Taylor's previous collection. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Whether subtle, romantic, or graphic, the tales in this follow-up to Essence contributor Taylor's Brown Sugar represent some of contemporary African American literature's best voices, e.g., Tananarive Due, Bernice L. McFadden, Nelson George, and others. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
This collection of erotic stories follows Brown Sugar and, like its predecessor, is a celebration of sex and sensuality. These 18 stories demonstrate an incredible diversity of settings, characters, and sensibilities--reflecting the diversity of the African diaspora experience--all revolving around one-time sexual encounters, from anonymous one-night stands to the final consummation of longtime desire. Preston L. Allen continues his story from the original collection in which two friends finally make love after a spouse's death. Tananarive Due offers the story of a recent widow watching a videotape of her deceased husband, who has anticipated her loneliness and ministers to her physical and emotional needs. Also among the contributors are Bernice L. McFadden, Shay Youngblood, Yolanda Joe, Nelson George, Timmothy B. McCann, and Reginald Harris. The collection ranges from the romantic to the somewhat raunchy as it liberates black sensuality from stereotypes and typical American standards of love and beauty. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
IF THE FIST BROWN SUGAR LEFT YOU WANTING MORE, THEN FEAST YOUR SENSES ON BROWN SUGAR 2 AS 18 BESTSELLING BLACK WRITERS CELEBRATE A GREAT ONE-NIGHT-STAND Brown Sugar The first, bestselling Brown Sugar anthology was a literary and commercial success, winning the Gold Pen Award for Best Short Story Collection. Brown Sugar 2 brings you more smart, sexy, and original stories written by bestselling black writers you know and love writing about characters you'll recognize in places you'll know. These stories set the stage for seduction with a distinctly new flavor, and they are as insightful as they are sexy. Here are the real souls of black folk, and each story will take you there in more ways than one. Just be careful -- you might get more than your mind blown. Sexy and stimulating, playful and romantic, seductive and inspiring, Brown Sugar 2 is a must-have collection for every lover, as well as every lover of good fiction. TANANARIVE DUE ZANE NELSON GEORGE JENOYNE ADAMS SHAY YOUNGBLOOD SANDRA KITT BERNICE McFADDEN TIMMOTHY B. McCANN YOLANDA JOE MICHAEL A. GONZALES PRESTON L. ALLEN LEONE ROSS SHAWNE JOHNSON REGINALD HARRIS KATHLEEN E. MORRIS WILLIE PERDOMO NICOLE BAILEY-WILLIAMS REBECCA CARROLL

Download Description
"IF THE FIRST BROWN SUGAR LEFT YOU WANTING MORE, THEN FEAST YOUR SENSES ON BROWN SUGAR 2 AS 18 BESTSELLING BLACK WRITERS CELEBRATE A GREAT ONE-NIGHT-STAND Brown Sugar The first, bestselling Brown Sugar anthology was a literary and commercial success, winning the Gold Pen Award for Best Short Story Collection. Brown Sugar 2 brings you more smart, sexy, and original stories written by bestselling black writers you know and love writing about characters you'll recognize in places you'll know. These stories set the stage for seduction with a distinctly new flavor, and they are as insightful as they are sexy. Here are the real souls of black folk, and each story will take you there in more ways than one. Just be careful -- you might get more than your mind blown. Sexy and stimulating, playful and romantic, seductive and inspiring, Brown Sugar 2 is a must-have collection for every lover, as well as every lover of good fiction. TANANARIVE DUE ZANE NELSON GEORGE JENOYNE ADAMS SHAY YOUNGBLOOD SANDRA KITT BERNICE McFADDEN TIMMOTHY B. McCANN YOLANDA JOE MICHAEL A. GONZALES PRESTON L. ALLEN LEONE ROSS SHAWNE JOHNSON REGINALD HARRIS KATHLEEN E. MORRIS WILLIE PERDOMO NICOLE BAILEY-WILLIAMS REBECCA CARROLL "

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The first, bestselling Brown Sugar anthology was a literary and commercial success, winning the Gold Pen Award for Best Short Story Collection. Brown Sugar 2 brings you more smart, sexy, and original stories written by bestselling black writers you know and love writing about characters you'll recognize in places you'll know. These stories set the stage for seduction with a distinctly new flavor, and they are as insightful as they are sexy. Here are the real souls of black folk, and each story will take you there in more ways than one. Just be careful -- you might get more than your mind blown. Sexy and stimulating, playful and romantic, seductive and inspiring, Brown Sugar 2 is a must-have collection for every lover, as well as every lover of good fiction.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Like its predecessor, Brown Sugar, this anthology of African-American erotica edited by Essence magazine contributor Taylor explores every permutation of adult sexuality-straight, gay, lesbian and some decidedly unconventional group sex-with a combination of hip-hop slang and high-brow sensibility. In Willie Perdomo's "Ella by Starlight," allusions to Jean-Michel Basquiat bump up against references to the Notorious B.I.G. Many of the pieces weave serious questions of racial and sexual identity into their racy scenarios. Rebecca Carroll's "Mr. Man," for instance, deftly examines the plight of a young black woman, adopted and raised by white parents, whose skin throbs with "perversely tangled envy, grafted from a deep and silent well of inexperienced blackness" whenever she encounters other African-Americans. Nicole Bailey-Williams's "Zoe" is candid in its depiction of a beautiful but insecure college student who experiments with lesbianism, and Michael A. Gonzales's "Simply Beautiful" observes both the sensual and the sinister in a chance encounter between a self-involved filmmaker and an aging barroom diva. There is some old-fashioned raunch as well. "It wasn't like I was collecting dividends on my pussy," remarks the protagonist of Zane's "Mr. Good Lay" as she prepares to end three years of celibacy. And Sandra Kitt's "Passing Through" revisits that time-honored erotica staple, a tryst between a stranded motorist and her mechanic. There's something here for every reader, especially those who enjoyed Taylor's previous collection. (Jan.)

Library Journal