The Pleasure in Pain

Let me start off by saying thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of "The Pleasure in Pain," edited by Roxie Voorhees.

From the very first page, I found myself captivated by the unique and diverse narratives within this anthology. Despite my initial nerves, I was pleasantly surprised by how incredible each story was. There wasn't a single one that disappointed or bored me; each piece offered something new and thought-provoking.

Among the myriad of tales, "A Gift So Sweet," "Graphite," and "I Wander the Earth Longing to Taste Your Beating Heart" stood out to me as exceptional. These stories resonated with me on a deep level, exploring themes of love, desire, and the complexities of human emotion in a way that was both haunting and beautiful.

"The Pleasure in Pain" offers a wide range of narratives, from twisted tales to possessed jewelry, each with its own unique twist on the theme of queerness. The anthology challenges traditional narratives and offers a refreshing perspective on love and desire.

In conclusion, "The Pleasure in Pain" is a captivating anthology that pushes the boundaries of storytelling and explores the intricacies of queerness with depth and nuance. I thoroughly enjoyed my journey through these tales and would highly recommend this anthology to anyone looking for a thought-provoking read. With its diverse range of stories and exceptional storytelling, "The Pleasure in Pain" earns a solid four-star rating from me.

While short story collections can often be hit-or-miss, I was pleasantly surprised by The Pleasure in Pain. While there are some that are less engaging than others, the majority of the stories featured are gripping, intense and quite beautiful. The variety of authors and writing style aids in the genre exploration this collection takes, and makes for one of the most engrossing reads I've had in a long time.

There are lines in this that are so staggering I couldn't help but wonder how some of these writer aren't bigger names. Lines like "you consume creepypasta in great, gulping swallow, visit sites of supernatural occurrences, sleep in haunted hotels between roadside diners" paint such vivid images it's impossible not to get sucked in. While I don't doubt it won't be for everyone, if you're a fan of the horror genre, The Pleasure in Pain is a must-read. "I Wander The Earth Longing To Taste Your Beating Heart" by Minh-Anh Vo Dinh and "Motel Pozitive" by j ambrose are definitely the standouts.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC for review!

"The Pleasure in Pain" is a erotic horror anthology with varying range of queer. This is a very different type of read for me, but it definitely was one that held my attention. Each story having a different type of narrative and voice of it's own really gave me such an entertaining experience; I never felt like I was forcing myself to read each story, they held my attention.

A few of the highlights that I enjoyed were "A Gift so Sweet" by Zach Rosenburg, "Write My Eulogy on the Gloryhole Bathroom Stall" by Rae Knowles, "The Leatherman" by Darren Black, and "Invitation" by Jessica Swanson. Those are just a handful that I really enjoyed, but that isn't to say I had an absolute blast with any of the others. I am always fascinated by how everyone's storytelling is so different, voices are so different and yet in this anthology they go so well.

Conclusion, The Pleasure in Pain is a four star read, pushing for a four and a half star rating for me. The exploration of queer, horror, and erotica - this mixture was something I didn't realize I needed, but now I am craving more!

As with every story collection/anthology written by various authors, there will be differing feelings for each writer and piece. That being said, there are some truly amazing writers in "The Pleasure in Pain" that standout amongst the crowd. Some really beautiful, lyrical prose that just speaks to you and allows you to vividly imagine each scene/backdrop. Each piece is unique to the others and I found myself enjoying more stories than not. And of course, we always need more queer horror, I always enjoy reading books/stories that involve queer characters and/or written by queer people. It's a marvelous thing to feel "included" in the stories you read (however creepy they may be.)

A collection of short stories and poetry that blend the erotic with visceral gore and horrifying situations. Featuring a wide range of queer identities both in characters and authors, each story explores a facet of the complicated relationships queer people often have. While there are some misses for me, I found a majority of the collection to be entertaining.
I enjoyed the variety in both identities and storytelling styles. A few favorites include A Gift so Sweet by Zach Rosenberg, Graphite by Amanda M. Blake, and I Wander the Earth Longing to Taste Your Beating Heart by Minh-Anh Vo Dinh, and Mantis by Dori Lumpkin. A small thing but I also thought the spacing between poems and short stories made a good blend. There wasn't much I disliked, I just found some stories to be less enjoyable.
Overall it makes for a good anthology that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys queer stories or likes their erotica darker.