Pita's characters take us on an all consuming, passionate exploration of love and sexual desire from around the world, utilising cultures and centuries we can only imagine.

Maria Isabel Pita takes us through a collection of 18 erotic stories which capture the enthusiasm and passion of different women throughout the ages, with astounding precision. The author displays an unusual, albeit ingenious, imagination that opens the book with Out of Control , a short story set in futuristic Canada 2015. It's difficult to suggest favourite as I enjoyed them all, however, the stories which stand out the most include my literary trip to 1636 Transylvania, in Song of Blood , reading of the Secret Societies in Italy, 1500's, through to the year 3000 B.C, Crete in The Double Axe . Oh yes, then another solar system, Star Crossed and then a final pit stop in a parallel universe, Light After Breath . Should you wish to read from the last tale to first you can, as they are standalone stories, and can be read in any order.

What I liked about Guilty Pleasures is that with each tale comes a new premise, amalgamated with historical facts and wonderful, descriptive exposition. Every character is written with a fresh, unique outlook on love and life appropriate to the chosen historical era. This fact alone, hooked me from the first sentence, or at least the opening paragraph of each story. Ms Pita varies the pace of her writing, in a well-planned effort to intrigue and arouse the reader. All in all, Maria's ability to mix the erotic pursuits of her characters with entertaining, sometimes shocking twists and turns, ensures a believable, dynamic ending to each self-contained story. Out of the whole collection, there was only one story where the denouement wasn't quite as surprising (or perhaps interesting) as the rest, but that's not a problem, just a different style.

It is clear from Maria's writing, she a talented erotic writer who holds a passionate interest in history and their correlating cultures. Some of her stories are slightly peppered with an S&M flavour, but more often than not, the true sadistic behaviour of her characters are indeed the main source of nourishment and sexual satisfaction. These stories capture a mixture of cruel, sensual overriding power, and exotic scenes; intensifying the creative suspense of an exhilarating read and all consuming passions, not to be missed.