The Pleasure Principle. Nicole Falls. 2020. 167 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.]
The Pleasure Principle is a memoir on love. A journey through sex, if you will. Throughout it, the main character, DJ, recounts her relationships — romantic or sexual in nature — and the growth she saw along the way.
DJ, whose full name is Damita Jo, like the singer, doesn’t just reminisce on the good and bad sex she had. That is part of the story, but certainly not all. Instead, it’s really a reflection on a life of love and lust, and the lesson’s she learned along the way.
One of the most prominent lessons in this book was about setting expectations to the side and going where life takes you. For DJ, it meant stepping outside of expectations for her life, , her career, and her romantic and platonic relationships. Instead, she stepped into what felt right or good in the moment, and opened herself up to new experiences at every turn. As someone closer to her age at the end of the book, it was easy to relate to the experiences she had and the mindset she was in. There was wistfulness, but overall, I sensed an appreciation for having experienced whatever occurred along the way.
Obviously, there’s a focus on the pleasure Damita Jo experienced with her various lovers. Let her tell it, she had a lot of toe-curling, emotionally charged, and sometimes unorthodox sex. That’s not all, though. Much of her recounting was about the connection she had with each of them, much of which was genuine and personal. DJ didn’t shy away from the pain, though. Some of the reflections highlighted the shortcomings or miscommunications she had with her partners. She was fair in taking accountability for her mess-ups, just as readily as she identified her partners’ misdeeds.
It’s fitting that each chapter gets its title from a Janet Jackson song that matches the theme. To that end, I strongly encourage enjoying this read to the playlist curated by Nicole Falls herself, or cue up your favorite Janet hits. Janet is always a move, and it truly sets the mood.
I definitely enjoyed The Pleasure Principle. It’s the perfect way to jumpstart your own reflections on love, lust, and life in between. Or, you can just focus on DJ. Either way, it’s a sometimes funny, always passionate read that’s not likely to disappoint.
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