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A review by thehighshelf
The Pain of Pleasure by Amy Grace Loyd
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
The Pain of Pleasure is a gothic of the modern era - dark, atmospheric, and erotically charged (more on that later). This book comes out of the gate swinging with a setting that immediately pulls you into it and swallows your imagination. It’s an abandoned church in the heart of Brooklyn, NY. From this church a man, known only as “the doctor” runs an experimental research-based headache clinic. His patients are eccentric and widely varied, from children to the elderly, rich and poor, educated, junkies, and more. However, most notable among them is Ms. Adele Watson - not only a migraine sufferer, but also the clinic’s main benefactor. Constantly pushing the boundaries of her patient/doctor relationships with the doctor already, when Adele learns of an intense case the doctor handled with a patient named Sarah, Adele enlists the help of a new nurse to steal Sarah’s journal from the doctor and uncover the missing woman’s secrets on her own. But with the most bitter wind storm the city has every seen blowing closer every day, the patients are eventually forced to gather in the church for shelter and it becomes clear the effects the doctor has had on his patients is more extraordinary than they have before realized.
This is a novel with a few erotic elements scattered within, not something I would have marketed as outright “erotic fiction”, as I have seen it listed in some places. These elements, where they are found throughout the book, however, are perfect elements for a gothic novel. And with the storm leading the way through most of the book, I’d say this is more gothic fiction than erotic.
I also believe that the cannabis use portrayed in the book wasn’t done in a way that showcased due diligence on the author’s part to do properly research the effects of such drug use. As someone who uses cannabis regularly… I was a bit confused by the reactions of various characters to simply ingesting THC gummy. I’m not trying to assume, but it was like the author had only ever read about the effects of cannabis used and not partook themselves or talked to anyone who had. It was just… strange.
This is a novel with a few erotic elements scattered within, not something I would have marketed as outright “erotic fiction”, as I have seen it listed in some places. These elements, where they are found throughout the book, however, are perfect elements for a gothic novel. And with the storm leading the way through most of the book, I’d say this is more gothic fiction than erotic.
I also believe that the cannabis use portrayed in the book wasn’t done in a way that showcased due diligence on the author’s part to do properly research the effects of such drug use. As someone who uses cannabis regularly… I was a bit confused by the reactions of various characters to simply ingesting THC gummy. I’m not trying to assume, but it was like the author had only ever read about the effects of cannabis used and not partook themselves or talked to anyone who had. It was just… strange.