Lisa Solod Warren’s new anthology explores the intense wants women rarely confess. Wanting to be loved, to get married, to have children, and to have a successful career are the stereotypical goals and dreams women are expected to indulge. But what if women want more? What if they dream of something profound, something visceral, something extraordinary, something REAL?

Warren compiles 23 essays on the often deeply internal and disregarded desires of women. Unlike the typical and mundane longings women commonly discuss, this anthology is comprised of complex and taboo desires that cover the whole spectrum, from the intimately sensual to the surprisingly morbid. Even though some of these essays may be culturally unacceptable or socially inappropriate, they have the power to motivate readers to vocalize and pursue their own desires.

The authors in the collection explore passions of the body, the soul, and the real concrete desires. During sex with her “Regular Guy,” instead of thinking in the moment, Connie Baechler’s mind fantasizes a whole host of people providing her with orgasmic pleasure. Maggie Bucholt realizes in “Death and the Desire to Live Deliberately,” that she wants to die with the same strength and courage as her friend Annie. Until she had a daughter, Janice Eidus never thought money would be a craving she would thirst for. The topics within the essays, although provocative, are written in a way women can easily understand. Some are humorous, others are heartfelt, but all are honest and sincere. They make you blush, make you laugh, and make you want to cry. This mixture makes Desire an irresistible and appealing book.