A fun and sexy read to put you (or someone else) in the mood!

Cecilia Martin, Lambda Book Report

Award-winning author Karin Kallmaker comes up with another hot, steamy, erotic and engaging book for us romantics at heart. 18th & Castro tells the story of the occupants of a particular building on a Halloween night in the Castro, where love and lust abound for all.

Each chapter is set up with a different woman or couple in the pursuit of love, or at least lust, for the night. We get engrossed in the lives of the long term couple getting reacquainted after the birth of their child, the strangers meeting for the first time, and the longtime friends admitting to love (to name just a few of the stories told). Though each character’s story is told in a single chapter, all the women are subtly introduced in the background throughout the book. This thru-line is an unexpected surprise because, at first glance, I thought this was a short story collection. But it’s a welcome surprise because it makes the book more interesting.

The best thing about Kallmaker’s writing is that she obviously takes great care with character development and exploring the world of the book: she is not about to write the “cheap and easy” formula novel. Because she cares, we care, and therefore the titillation and romance are deeply felt. If you are looking for a fun and sexy read to put you (or someone else) in the mood, pick up 18th & Castro.

Lambda Book Report Summer 2006, Volume 14, Issue 2
Cecilia’s Corner, Cecilia Martin of Oscar Wilde Bookshop


18th and Castro – Karin Kallmaker

Read more about

18th and Castro