Devotional: Erotic Stories from the Sensual Mind

by Phil Harvey

Award-winning author Phil Harvey is the president of Adam & Eve, one of the world’s leading suppliers of sex toys, adult films, and condoms. Because a substantial amount of “the sex factory’s” profits finance family planning worldwide, Mother Jones dubbed Harvey a “hard-core philanthropist.” This collection from one of the most influential figures in the sex industry thrills readers with budding innocence, freeing adventures, and dangerous erotic games. The collection includes Bait and Switch, a tale of swapping that won the Antietam Review’s literary award.

Genres: Sexuality

81 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2015

About the author

Phil Harvey’s fiction has appeared in twenty-two literary magazines, including Phantasmagoria, which nominated one of his stories for a Pushcart Prize, and Antietam Review, which named another the winner of its annual contest. Most recently his work has appeared in The MacGuffin, Natural Bridge, and the Dos Passos Review.
Harvey’ nonfiction includes: Let Every Child Be Wanted, which drew praise from former President Jimmy Carter; Government Creep, which, as one reviewer noted, “proves that government has invaded virtually every nook and cranny of our lives,” and The Government vs. Erotica, which Publishers Weekly and Booklist praised, the ALA Intellectual Freedom Roundtable nominated as the year’s best book on intellectual freedom, and Media Coalition called “a frightening, enlightening story.”

By day, Phil Harvey is president of DKT International, a non-profit family planning and AIDS prevention organization, and president and majority shareholder of Adam & Eve, a mail-order business that sells sexually oriented books and films. He lives with his wife, Harriet Lesser, in Cabin John, Maryland. He is stepfather and grandfather to several very promising kids. He welcomes emails from readers who have serious and thoughtful questions about any of his stories, novels or books.

Reviews

[Marcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this through the GoodReads First Reads program.

"Devotional" is a collection of short stories, most of them decent. The ones in the middle ("Bait and Switch," "Swimming Hole," and "In Charlie Stuart's Car") were the ones I preferred. The first couple left me a little worried that I'd have a difficult time finishing the collection.

[Justine Wach · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where do I even start?

I am totally a complete loss since the beginning of this book. I picked up this book right after I have finished reading Blue Screen of Death which by the way is totally phenomenal. So, I kind of have impression for this book to be as good as two books I have read before.

This book contains few stories about people experience in erotic so lets start with the first chapter. I think the first page and the first chapter is okay even for me, it is weird but of course, experience is different for everyone.

Reading this book is like try to find a main piece for the jigsaw and ended up still clueless and cant even find the missing piece. That is how I felt while reading this book.

Oh and I am and experts with reading erotica just right. I have read probably almost hundred books in this genre. What should I say I just
read everything in every genre. I feel just fine alright. I actually like reading the experience of someone that involved in those and non fiction of erotica. The feeling is way much more and I could understand what actually happened and how those incidents happened and how could someone even allowed it happened.

Even up until this moment, I still dont understand the Vishnu Schist chapter, period.

The Bait and Switch chapter is okay but I dont understand how does it involves with the title that mentioned erotic. I find no such things in that chapter. It is completely plain like reading any other book.

Two chapters that made me lose my mind, just great.

After Adultery is about fifty years old man with his second wife and two children from his previous marriage. Where do I even start actually? Again, there is no erotic elements at all in this chapter. A complete differ from the first chapter, for me.

In Charlies Stuart Car is about a horny teenage boy, really. He is just 15 years old and he likes two girls at his school. And being teenage young boy, he told us his experience from his first intimacy. I dont think it is a good chapter but at least it has some sort of connections with the first chapter. Its not just plain something else like the chapter before.

Nicolaus and Anna is another whole story. The story started with explanation of the planet and all. The story is based on Copernicuss life.

Spooking Ralphs Trout is a story about two best friends. One of them has problems in marriage. I would consider this chapter as okay.

The more I read this book, the more I realise that this book should have another title. I personally expect more element of erotic since the title said so. I think this book is about our life and everyone experiencing the different things. And again, the title probably is too extreme compared to the stories that is okay and normal.

[Elizabeth (Stuffed Shelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe the author wrote this book with the purpose of making it sound scattered and random, but I feel it came off as unorganized and disheveled. The stories were a bit confusing to grasp. I wasn't always sure what was being described, who was speaking, or what was being referenced. Re-reading portions of the story over and over again, became something that happened on every page.

The stories themselves, and what I understood from them, seemed to be entertaining though. Most were to bizarre and weird to be made up. They're not all erotic in nature, but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who doesn't want to read about extremely sexual scenes wrapped in drugs and lies.

I didn't understand any true meaning behind any of the stories, except for the readers enjoyment. I applaud any author who can write down their life experiences, and that in itself is admirable. I give this book 3/5.

[Kayte · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short stories with varying content. The author indicates they are a collection of erotic stories, but in reading through, less than half have an actual erotic bent to them.

Overall, the language is descriptive and well thought out, however, I think the collection is rather disjointed as an anthology. Several of the stories ended abruptly without any real conclusion when one could have been made with one or two additional pages of text.

Overall? 2/5 because what was there was well written, but lacked connectivity and resolution.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phil Harvey's latest work, Devotional, is indeed an intriguing yet highly sensual read. Readers, such as adults, will enjoy reading this collection of fascinating stories. Each story has its own particular lure that will entice readers. I found this short masterpiece to be interesting, worldly and challenging in some ways. A well-written collection of fiction that will bring readers back every time. I enjoyed reading these and look forward to Phil Harvey's next brilliant piece. Overall, I highly recommend this to those eighteen and above.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sensual is the word for this book of short stories that explore the psychology of human relationships. These are stories set in varying time zones and settings, with some uninspiring characters. A few of these stories end abruptly and others give brief titillation. The sex is this book is both consensual and non consensual. A short book but amiable enough for a quick, light, read.

[Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is truly a sad selection of absolutely non-erotic stories I have ever read! This isn't my normal type of reading but, Super ugh!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short stories were well written, but some left you confused. I only gave three stars because of the confusion.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via LibraryThing.