Irreverent, witty, dry, clever. Has that perfect contemporary tone that I look for & rarely find, so often it seems that author’s are trying too hard but miss the mark.

Anna Dor.n has that special brand of humor that applies to my Jew sensitivities, her descriptions & inner dialoguing is the very best part.

Not quite as good as ‘Exalted’ IMO, but a solid follow up!

This is not an easy read. I had to start and stop as the story is definitely different from my usual reads. I had to focus as the main character was as unreliable as they come but also the story deserved my full attention. Its been a week and I'm still thinking about this book. I may have to read it again. Melodrama for life!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Content warnings: Substance abuse

While I am unfamiliar with the lesbian pulp books this novel is an homage to, I enjoyed the unreliable narrator, Astrid, despite her admittedly less-than-stellar habits and behavior. Astrid’s anxieties of entering her 30s, on top of her struggles with substance abuse and desire for an intimate relationship, are all navigated well and there is clear character growth throughout the work.

One aspect that struck me was Astrid’s reckoning with her own definitions of ‘lesbian’ and ‘queer’ and how to navigate those spaces. I think it could have been handled a little better, but I think it was a worthy inclusion as different generations of LGBTQ+ sometimes have these same struggles of terminologies and focuses. I mention it here because some may find it an alienating or uncomfortable plot point, although I can say that Astrid does grow in this area as she does others throughout the work.

If you don’t like unhealthy relationships (intimate and platonic) or books with writers-writing-about-writing, then I would skip this novel. Otherwise, I would recommend it as a strangely addictive, bumpy ride of a narrative.

Sardonic, witty and close to home for chronically online lesbians. This book felt honest and unafraid. Very strong character development that reads as genuine and not manufactured. This was a funnier, gayer version of "My Year of Rest and Relaxation," and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

Is Anna Dorn the coolest writer writing today? I think with her latest, PERFUME AND PAIN, she can make a pretty strong case for that. This novel, like her previous ones, is such a fun ride. Being inside the mind of Astrid is a true trip. The book is witty, fast-paced, surprising, and I got so invested in the love life of Astrid that I was increasingly devastated when things wouldn't work out for her.

I also love the way Dorn writes about LA. It makes me feel like I'm really there. Anna Dorn is simply one of my favorite authors and this lesbian pulp book was the perfect novel for a 3 day holiday. I gobbled it up, and I know you will too next year. I can't wait for Dorn to make a huge splash with this one, as she so rightly deserves. Ugh, This! Book!

Hilarious and messy! Sometimes the amount of mess stressed me out, but the balance of humor and chaos is lovely! If you like chaotic, sapphic romances this is definitely for you!

It was a wild ride with fast pacing and well-written characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Unlike anything I've ever read.

This book was a ROLLER COASTER. I've never read any other Anna Dorn books (though I see I've had one on my TBR for a while now) and went in totally blind. All I knew is that it was going to be super gay, so obviously I was on board.

Astrid isn't meant to be a particularly likable character, and there were times when I was like, "Eh, this is veering a bit too close to cliche for me" — sardonic, depressed young woman who copes via drugs and alcohol addiction — but there were little touches that made me LOL and go, "I mean, she ain't wrong!" that I loved her anyway. The perfume obsession also hit me too since it's also an obsession of mine.

Dorn really captured a lot of thoughts that have run through my brain re: queer culture and delivered them in such a way that I kinda felt violated that she was inside my brain like that. To see some of these observations on the page was oddly hilarious but also kinda validating, so I loved that. This is definitely a book that's very Of Its Time in the sense that there are loads of pop culture references that make it feel very current (and will likely feel nostalgic in the future) but I loved it. Fast-paced, f**ked up (starring out since I don't know if my foul mouth is permitted on Goodreads), and a whole lot of fun.

Thanks to NetGalley as usual for the ARC!

messy, unhinged lesbian drama? count me in!

i'm not a big fan of problematic, unlikeable main characters so getting through the beginning of this was a little difficult but the promise of messy lesbians was too good to pass up!

i received this ARC through netgalley (thank you!) and i read it in the span of a handful of hours and a couple of sittings just because the dark comedy and unhinged lesbians in it were too enticing to put down! i really enjoyed watching the whole story unfold although i do agree with other early reviewers that the pacing of the story towards the end of the book seemed a bit rushed!

3.5 stars for me!

I was given an advanced reader copy of Perfume and Pain through Netgalley! Publication date May 21, 2024!
I was so excited to see that Anna Dorn had a new novel out, and she never disappoints. This book is clever, witty, smart, and cynical in all of the best ways. It's lesbian pop culture drama, woke culture/dating culture critique, all while staying charming and hilarious. Anna Dorn toes the line of absurdity beautifully in this book, and I enjoyed every second.

Loved the messiness that ensued. Very sharp, very devastating. What a ride. Completely thought provoking. I devoured it.

Anna effing Dorn is a legend. I loved this book so much. It was sexy, entertaining, and super queer, literally everything I need in a book. I usually read super fast but I was slowing down as much as possible so I could read it for as long as possible. I would do just about anything to get to read this for the first time again. This messy messy book is everything I could ever need. Loved it so much I have already preordered it. Easy 5 stars and easily made it into my top ten books of the year.

"Perfume and Pain" is just as beautiful as it is gut-wrenching as it is addicting. Undoubtedly, this book is one of my favorite reads of this year and I feel that I will never be the same now that I've read it.

I didn't go into "Perfume and Pain" expecting to devour this novel in a singular sitting. In fact. I'd been in a reading slump for quite awhile so I expected it would take a week at least to read it in its entirety. I was completely and undeniably wrong. Once I had read the first few chapters, I was hooked in an immersive and unique story that left words and experiences lingering upon my skin long after I finished reading.

With each turn of the page I felt myself experiencing each chapter along with the protagonist, Astrid, in a way that left me feeling more unsettled, vulnerable, and raw as the story continued to be told. It was as if some of my very own experiences an thoughts were transcribed into this story and within these characters, bringing me face to face with parts of myself I like to forget exist in the first place.

I will forever be recommending this book and cannot wait to read more from this author. Anna Dorn you are an absolute star.

I just discovered Anna Dorn this year when I read Exalted. I loved it so much. I was lucky enough to get an arc of Perfume and Pain and read it immediately. I always binge read her books, can’t put them down. I especially loved this one because I too am living in La (originally from the east coast) and it was fun to recognize all of the places mentioned in La. This unhinged crazy woman thing is easily my favorite genre, Anna does it so perfectly so that you still relate to the characters and want to find out what happens to them. It’s darkly funny & I’d recommend this to everyone!

I was unprepared for this chaotic, unhinged, problematic character, but totally taken in by her too, and breezed through this novel with ease and eager anticipation of how it would progress. I thought perhaps the pacing in the last 15% of the book was a tad rushed, but because that meant staying in the mess of the middle longer, I can go with it. Loved the way the author writes about LA.

We need more more slightly unhinged, problematic lesbian rep like this- sincerely, a slightly unhinged (possibly problematic) lesbian.


4.25/5

This book was such a hilarious ride into the world of writers, LA lesbians, cancel culture, toxic relationships and more. It's sharply written clever satire, yet it still has a lot of heart while exploring many complicated topics with nuance.

Astrid is such a great main character and so interesting to follow. Strangely relatable too, and of course hilarious. I adored her. This book also homages lesbian pulp of yore, while also critically examining it. It gave me a new appreciation for lesbian pulp.

I did have a few issues with the pacing of the book, which I felt could have been tightened in certain parts and did think some resolutions could possibly have possibly been a bit more expanded. However, I still really enjoyed it.

If any of what I mentioned sounds interesting to you, or if you just want to laugh(cause this is the funniest book I've read all year), I'd highly recommend picking this up.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow I didn’t like this at all. I just thought it would be more fun than it was. The writing style was not for me, I had to keep taking breaks because it felt like a phone call with an annoying acquaintance. The story itself was boring and I did not enjoy being with our main character. Maybe this was just one of those “the girls who get it, get it” things and I didn’t get it but omg I am so glad it’s over.

ARC provided by NetGalley.