You first have to know, your girl LOVES a flawed narrator. I’m obsessed with Astrid. Even the self-centered, self-medicating Astrid we first meet. As a woman now of 42 I remember so clearly struggling in my mid to late 30s with the idea of my fading (or already faded?) youth and realizing my edginess (ok, I was an insufferable art elitist) was played out and not tolerated by my peers any longer. Astrid’s self-realizations were so lovely to witness. Regardless of how ungraceful she stumbled into them. I also hate myself for how much I want to be Penelope (it will be discussed with my therapist).

This was an incredibly gratifying read. Amazing character development and realistic dialogue. I’m so thankful NetGalley gave me an opportunity to read this.

Perfume and Pain follows lightly cancelled writer Astrid as she navigates semi-sobriety, a nosy neighbor, and an obsessive new love interest.

I am both drawn to, and skeptical of, books touting an unlikeable female narrator. I often feel like that genre had said what needs to be said. Yet, these books are always a delight to read. Astrid juggles that fine line of saying whatever is on her mind, making horrible choices, and still inviting the reader to root for her.

This is a deeply readable book, funny and engaging. I wish the secondary characters were a little more fleshed out like Astrid is, but it is Astrid’s world after all. I’m surprised I haven’t seen many comparisons to Melissa Broder’s work in reviews. To me, the queer (sorry Astrid) woman on the verge reads very much like Broder leading lady.

I had to have someone physically take this book away from me so I could do the things I needed to do - it had me in a chokehold I haven’t experienced in a while and I would’ve finished it in one sitting if I’d have had the time

this is for the people that love a flawed but understandable main character, those that love a little bit of drama and books that are mainly vibes, less plot (which is me).

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

Last year, I read Exalted, and described it to a friend as "kinda trashy litfic, like a Millennial Marcy Dermansky," so when I grabbed the ARC of Perfume and Pain and saw the Marcy Dermansky quote on the cover, I thought "yup, fuckin nailed it."

I loved Astrid Dahl, loved that she wrote the same books Anna Dorn has written, was so sad as the percentage of book read kept getting higher far too fast, and time left in the book kept getting lower. Did not want this book to be over, but could not make myself stop reading. I'm highly allergic to most perfumes, but spent the whole time I was reading (happily) overwhelmed by olfactory hues.

I highlighted so many passages and cackled to myself so many times that my youngest and my husband kept asking what was so funny (yes, I'm one of those queer women Astrid wouldn't want in her writing group). How to explain the Patricia Highsmith? Or that I'm definitely not a quiet person, though I no longer have a goodreads account? And have it be anything other than a barely hinged non sequitur?

brb, falling down a Messy Women Trashy LitFic rabbithole.

Also, that cover is gorgeous (and I'm not just saying that bc I'm obsessed with pink book covers).

Perfume and Pain follows Astrid Dahl, a semi-successful author, trying to get her life back on track after being cancelled. Astrid is a wonderful protagonist - she's messy, selfish, unapologetically herself, and maybe a bit unhinged. Despite making so many terrible decisions, you can't help but root for her. This book and Astrid stuck with me for days after finishing it!

This was incredibly fun & surprisingly eye opening to read. As a tribute to lesbian pulp, I felt a lot more educated on this topic after finishing this book.
Dorn is really good at making readers be in the moment. I felt like I was going through Astrid's emotions, highs and everything in between with her.
An interesting glimpse into life in LA, especially as an author rather than being directly involved with Hollywood. Authors are often portrayed to be in NYC but Dorn took a different take. In general, a great summer read.
The best part is the age choices for the characters. The more "mature" age of 30s and 40s are going through life like 20 something people, which made the story even more special. Not in an obnoxious way, but in a no-ageism way. Justice for both femme lesbians and lesbians who are still exploring lesbianism at different life stages.

Perfume and Pain follows Astrid Dahl, a writer in Los Angeles, as she tries to write a book after she finds herself mildly cancelled following an event that could have gone slightly better for her. While Astrid fumbles her way through whatever life throws at her (including a television deal, new relationships, a sexy neighbor, alcohol, and drugs to name a few), we are thrown into her whirlwind of a life and meet a whole host of fun and interesting characters along the way. Oh, and she has a mild obsession with perfume.

Dorn's writing is light and fun, and it's incredibly easy to just go with the flow with Astrid as she makes some truly dumb and confounding choices. In Astrid, Dorn crafted a character that is somehow both incredibly infuriating and incredibly difficult to stop caring about. You find yourself wanting to support her, much like Otto and Zev (amongst other players) in the book. Sure, let's get both high and drunk while you tell your agent that you're sober, let's text that probably a little unhinged girl again, let's ignore every single red flag flapping in the wind, and let's do it all together, bestie. You might spend 75% of the book rolling your eyes at Astrid and questioning her life choices, but you're still going to go along with her through this strange tunnel of love and self-discovery because Dorn just sucks you in and makes you want to keep tagging along with your new, mostly unlikeable friend.

This was truly a wild and good time. If you're looking for a queer rollercoaster, definitely pick this one up. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the eArc of this book!

PERFUME AND PAIN was a riot. There's an energy to Dorn's novel that I wish I encountered more in novels. It was quippy and fast and I felt deeply invested by the hilarious characters. I can't wait to read whatever she writes next. Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley!

Forever grateful to @___adorn and @simonbooks for my ARC of Perfume and Pain.

It was perfect. I read a lot of books. When I find one that is uniquely its own story, I always fall a little bit in love. When I started reading this book, I kept interrupting my husband to read him hilarious lines. Some were shocking and potentially a little problematic, but in the best way, totally self-deprecating. My kindle notes for this book read like a standup set on what it means for our FMC, Astrid, to be a lesbian.

Astrid is a writer. She’s brilliant, but struggles to get out of her own way and out of her head. Worried that she’s past her prime, she’s floundering a bit. She stumbled into a slight internet scandal when refers to her own sexuality in way that offends a lot of people. She promises her agent to clean up her act, which includes breaking up with the Patricia Highsmith, Astrid’s cocktail of substances that enables her to achieve the perfect blend of outgoing but under control.

Breaking up with Patricia is harder than she thought. They’ve written three books together, so Astrid sets her sights on another distraction- a young writer in her Zoom writer’s group. The distraction proves to be much more dangerous than Patricia. Add in a new neighbor and the A-list actress optioning Astrid’s book and you have quite the cast of characters.

There’s so much more to share, but I want you to be as surprised as I was. I loved the style of this book. It’s truly a wild ride and getting lost in the limerence was my favorite part of this book. I can’t wait to read everything else Anna Dorn has written. This one is available everywhere May 21st!

This is the next unhinged and messy hot girl fiction! Anna’s writing is so easy to follow that I flew through the book. The book is full of wit and funny scenes that had me ROFL. Definitely an addictive read!

I absolutely loved this book! While deeply flawed, I couldn’t help but love Astrid. Perfume & Pain follows her as she navigates through writing novels, keeping up with her various lovers, and the benders she uses to avoid issues in her life/career. The cast of characters was so unique, and I found myself invested in all of them.

The short chapters, fast pace, and writing style had me flying through this book. I found myself picking it up during any free moment I had (which hasn’t happened in a long time). I’ve never read anything by Anna Dorn but definitely will go back and catch myself up now. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This will go down as one of my favorite books. It was queer and curious and funny and moving. It was a masterclass in delusion and storytelling. It showed complex queer relationships in a way that held truth while simultaneously acting as a caricature with high entertainment value. I was blown away from the first sentence. I consumed this novel greedily and quickly. I feel so lucky to have gotten an early proof.

I am a huge fan of Anna Dorn’s work, and this book is my favorite from her yet. Perfume and Pain contains everything I love in a story: humor, love, and mess. I’m sure others will call the protagonist Astrid unlikable: she makes terrible decisions, repeatedly. But I rooted for her the whole time and still found her to be smart in her social commentary and self-aware. The voice and plot had me hooked from page one, all to conclude with an ending scene so satisfying and that painted an image that will stay with me a very long time.

Okay, stick with me here—the best way I can think to describe this absolute ride of a book is if you crossed Nora Ephron’s Heartburn with Bojack Horseman. Yes, really, I’m not kidding. (I do currently have COVID, and I might be slightly brainfogged, but that’s neither here nor there.)

This book is a lot like Heartburn in that it’s about a kind of unlikeable but incredibly <i>specific</i> character, one who is privileged and petty but understandably upset and frustrated with the way her life is going. It’s like Bojack Horseman because you get that same feeling of watching a train wreck, hoping it gets better, wondering if it gets better. It’s a satire but it knows when to get serious and say serious things.

Oh, and also, this book is a homage to classic 60s lesbian pulp, specifically to Patricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt. I kind of have no idea how Perfume and Pain works as well as it does, since it’s doing all these things at once, but it absolutely works.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC! This was the perfect distraction from my COVID suffering.

The best thing about this book is that it's funny. I don't see this book appealing to anyone other than queer individuals under the age of 35. Which is fine! There are just a ton of references in here that I feel will date the book, making it readable only for the next 5 years or so.
I liked spending time with Astrid, but her character development felt rushed and unexplained to me. This book is best for anyone already familiar with the pulp genre and looking for a modern twist on it. Or anyone who loves messy drama; there's definitely a lot of it here.

I love Anna Dorn's writing - her ability to mix Paglia and Rhony and astrology and more is just so, so good. More people need to read her fiction!!! Perfume and Pain is the perfect summer read; compulsive and funny. The novel follows a mid-career author who has been lightly cancelled. While attempting to write her next book, she gets involved in a chemical romance. My only complaint, I wish the book was longer!

Full review in my january 2024 reading wrap up on my youtube channel, Kiran Reader.

This was such a wild ride. Every character was incredibly unlikable but that's part of what made it so fun and chaotic. We love a book that praises Donna Tartt and the Real Housewives.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy!

I absolutely LOVED this. Astrid is truly unhinged in the best way possible. I looked forward to any free moment I had to finish this, and I am so bummed it’s over. Anna Dorn is an amazing author, and I will definitely have to read more of her work. Please read this!

Perfume and Pain is one of those books where you absolutely hate the main character and everything she does, but you can't stop yourself from reading. It's impossible to just put the book down and say you are done with their bullshit. And lucky for me, I love those type of books. For some reason, I revel in being so frustrated at fictional characters I want to scream. Especially if they don't fully learn their lesson at the end of the book. Because some people are just so far from saving that you just have to let them burn in a house fire. So overall, I had fun, I was immensely frustrated, and I would recommend!

"Perfume and Pain" by Anna Dorn is a lesbian pulp novel that captivates readers with its witty and severe writing style. Dorn's narrative is both hilarious and endearingly psychotic, drawing readers into a world filled with intrigue and dark humor. Through vivid characters and razor-sharp dialogue, Dorn explores themes of love, desire, and the complexities of human relationships. With its unique blend of wit and intensity, "Perfume and Pain" is sure to leave readers entertained and eager for more.