"Perfume and Pain" by Anna Dorn is a gripping and evocative exploration of desire, obsession, and the intricacies of human connection.

Reading this felt messy and fun in the best way!!! I’m new to this author but I really enjoyed the witty writing style & ambiguous characters carefully planted along the narrative! Thank you, Netgalley, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 ⭐️

An author whose career is struggling finds love in this novel.

I wanted to like this more but I really struggled with Astrid’s voice. I just found her kind of annoying, which made it harder to enjoy.

If Ottessa Moshfegh's My Year of Rest and Relaxation was about a lesbian, it would be this novel. Depressing, disheartening, offputting, and super bingeable.

Perfume & Pain 👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏽🍃🥀🌙🪐🔮💊📇📝❤️‍🩹
by Anna Dorn
4.6/5 ⭐️

What an amazingly fluid and beautiful dive into a gritty homage to lesbian pulp. Astrid was a FMC I found myself laughing out loud with more often than not. A true Aquarius, she is brutally honest and unapologetic about it (get it gurl 💅🏼). I love the acid wit she spews on everyone around her and she’s so observant about everything that’s going on. She is so relatable and incredibly compelling, and I couldn’t help but to inhale this every time I picked it up.

This was my first read by Dorn, but I will be back for more!! This was so sharp, but it begged you not to take it seriously and to have a good time. I felt like I was embraced in an L-Word (the original, you heathens) episode and I didn’t want it to end. Finding that feeling of queer camaraderie is scant anymore, so what a gift this title was - esp with our world where it is. If you enjoy manically messy and deeply intriguing lesbians that are drenched in a pulpy sepia tone, you must read Perfume & Pain!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Anna Dorn, and Simon & Schuster for gifting me an ARC of Perfume & Pain! ❤️‍🔥

Anna Dorn's "Perfume and Pain" is a provocative and intricately crafted novel that explores the intersection of desire, identity, and obsession in the world of haute couture and high-stakes perfumery.

Set in the glamorous yet cutthroat realm of Parisian fashion, the novel follows protagonist Genevieve, a talented but enigmatic perfumer whose creations captivate and seduce. As Genevieve navigates the competitive world of luxury fragrance, she becomes entangled in a complex web of ambition, manipulation, and the pursuit of artistic perfection.

Dorn's prose is lush and evocative, painting a vivid portrait of both the sensory delights and the darker undercurrents of the perfume industry. Through Genevieve's quest to create the perfect scent, the author delves deep into themes of creativity, beauty, and the sacrifices demanded by artistic genius.

At the heart of the novel is Genevieve herself—a flawed and compelling protagonist whose brilliance is matched only by her capacity for self-destruction. As she grapples with personal demons and professional rivalries, Genevieve's journey becomes a gripping exploration of passion and its consequences.

The supporting cast of characters, from ambitious fashion executives to seductive rivals, adds layers of intrigue and complexity to the narrative. Each character is meticulously crafted, their motivations and desires intertwining with Genevieve's own ambitions to create a tapestry of alliances and betrayals.

"Perfume and Pain" is not just a story of glamour and ambition; it's also a poignant meditation on the nature of art and the price of success. Dorn navigates these themes with skill and sensitivity, inviting readers to ponder the blurred boundaries between creativity and obsession.

Overall, "Perfume and Pain" is a captivating novel that immerses readers in a world of beauty, ambition, and the intoxicating allure of scent. Anna Dorn's compelling storytelling and richly textured prose make this novel a standout in contemporary fiction—a must-read for anyone fascinated by the transformative power of art.

Disappointing. It was TERFY, biphobic, and fatphobic. I hated the characters. The plot was meh. I do not recommend this book and would give it a zero if I could.

Reminded me of Big Swiss in that the protagonist was a bit of a mess. But it was a memorable story. I was rooting for her.

Another book about being a writer. This one is set in LA, with a young lesbian author navigating through the drama of friendships, relationships, and obsessions while attempting to revive her career. Heavy on satire and celebrity worship, the storyline and main character of this novel are both messy and brilliant.

One of my Reads of 2024
I could not put it down - when I picked it up, started reading and two hours later I looked up.
I love the celebration of lesbian pulp fiction from the 1950s. An amazing love story, ode to Carol/The Price of Salt.
These characters - I would love to have dinner, hangout and be present with this group of friends.
An amazing story of chaos, recovery and love.

this book pleasantly surprised me. it's my first read by anna dorn, and i can definitely say i'll be going back to read her previous work. at the beginning, i was a little wary of all the pop culture references since sometimes that can take me out of the story, but they were so niche to me that i grew to appreciate them. the main character, astrid, is supremely unlikeable, but she did end up growing both on me and as a character. would definitely recommend this one.

I enjoyed this book so much - it is self-aware that it is a book about the most irritating woman and it’s told through her painful point of view. Painfully awkward that is - we have all made bad decisions in life but this narrator is profoundly good at making worse ones. Especially when it comes to dating, drugs, and her career. Perfect for anyone wanting a bit of unhinged, funny lesbian women fiction in their life! This hit the spot for me when I wanted unhinged with levity.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read the galley of this book!!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Perfume and Pain was excellent. I recommend it for fans of pulp fiction and queer books.

I love Anna Dorn's characters. They seem awful! They are truly the worst people, but you would want to have them as your best friends because it's like having a front-row seat to a 24/7 Bravo network.

Dorn does a bang-up job of describing the romance of the east side of LA, and I even loved her descirptions of the drive between LA and SF. Shoutout to Harris Ranch!

I love the reflective nature of this book right alongside the messiness of mess right before things (hopefully) get cleaned up mostly for good.

I LOVE ANNA DORN!! This was unhinged and chaotic and the messiest most wonderfully awful story. I need it injected into my veins.

3.75! this was soooo unhinged and fun! it was my first time reading an Anna Dorn novel and idk if they are all like that, but i def want to read her other ones!

I loved Astrid even though sometimes she was veryyyyy hard to agree with lmao.

Thank you for the arc!

This is one of those books I wanted to DNF during the first half but was glad to kept with it. The second half worked better for me. I’m not sure if the first half is just slow or Astrid just grated on me until I got used to her or what but by the end, I was happy to have read it all.

Astrid is written as unlikeable and I for sure did not like her. Some have said that she was charming but I didn’t find anything charming about her, I found her to be insufferable. She’s a writer trying to come up with her next book while also juggling a chaotic love life. However, she hides behind Adderall and alcohol, is narcissistic and wholly unreliable as a narrator.

They say this is a “hilarious nod to 1950s lesbian pulp fiction” but if it was, it went over my head. I’m almost positive I’ve never read anything classified as lesbian pulp. So please go read other reviews for that comparison.

I will say that Astrid’s commentary on Carole (The Price of Salt) did make me laugh. I was very happy to see a lesbian agree with me on how terrible Carole is. Astrid has lots of thoughts and I actually agreed with some of them. I wasn’t a fan of how she always relayed those thoughts but she wasn’t always wrong, although she often times was.

While I did get invested in Astrid and her story, I thought her growth came a little too late and while it didn’t come out of nowhere, it didn’t make sense how quickly it came about. The ending as a whole felt rushed after the slow start.

I don’t think everyone will love this but I do think some will absolutely love it. It’s very much one of those that you have to read and figure it out for yourself.

I received an ARC from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely heart-wrenching and tender, Perfume and Pain was quite the journey. Though it didn't end up being my cup of tea, Anna Dorn's writing is brilliant.

I loved Anna Dorn's last novel, Exalted, and loved this one just as much! She strikes the perfect balance of 'cool girl lit' and dark comedy and I love that so much about her work. Her characters are wonky but in such an interesting and deeply human way. And I laughed out loud so much! The wit in this book was unparalleled.

Here is my notes app review.

I’ve been wanting to read more Lit Fic, and I came across this title and thought it sounded pretty promising. So I requested the book from the publisher and luckily was able to get my hands on the ebook arc.

This is like watching the hot mess express live 😂. I was worried I was going to get bored, but that was not the case at all. I couldn’t peel my eyes from the pages of Astrid’s story. You might actually want to pop some popcorn 🍿.

Truth be told there were quite a few things I did relate to Astrid with. Especially the interest in astrology, listening to healing frequencies, or as Astrid says, “I take long walks. I do yoga in my yard. I lie on my bed and listen to audiobooks downloaded for free from the public library app.” Same girl. Same. But also putting boundaries into action? Impulsive decisions? Breaking away from toxic people/cycles?

Astrid is a mid thirties author, who is lesbian, but gets cancelled due to an uncouth comment made during one of her Barnes and Noble event interviews. She’s got a deal on the line for her book being adapted into a movie, but struggling with toxic relationships, addiction, life.

Perfume and Pain is a lesbian pulp fic that is a complete roller coaster ride from start to finish. Astrid is pretty self aware or maybe self acknowledging of herself. I think Astrid realizes that it’s time to outgrow old habits and unhealthy lifestyle choices. She believes in love, and wants to be loved.

The definition of this girl has a lot going on.

Honestly I really enjoyed this ride, and seeing where Astrid’s story went. I really liked how the story wrapped up. And the theme of perfume in the story was such a great addition!

Would I recommend? YES!

Read if you want/like
Lesbian Pulp
Satirical Humor
Toxic Lesbians
Reality TV