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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Lost in Thornchapel
I found this book and honestly the cover was pretty so I dove in headfirst with less than no idea what it might be about or what I could expect. I didn't even know which genre the book was with any kind of certainty but it ended up being exactly what I never knew I needed, much like some of the characters. This book stole my breath away and I devoured it in just a few hours. Luckily it's the weekend and I'm ill. I didnt feel lucky about that until right this moment but it means that nobody is going to disturb me while I lose myself in the completely delightful, mysterious and often blissfully painful events at Thornchapel.
I found this book and honestly the cover was pretty so I dove in headfirst with less than no idea what it might be about or what I could expect. I didn't even know which genre the book was with any kind of certainty but it ended up being exactly what I never knew I needed, much like some of the characters. This book stole my breath away and I devoured it in just a few hours. Luckily it's the weekend and I'm ill. I didnt feel lucky about that until right this moment but it means that nobody is going to disturb me while I lose myself in the completely delightful, mysterious and often blissfully painful events at Thornchapel.
What you'll get:
š„dark academia vibes
š¹crumbling old manor
š„enemies to lovers
š¹second chance
š„angst
š¹kinky AF
š„FF& MMF (& MMMFFF)
Okay, at first I wasn't sure where this was going. It is very plot heavy for the first 20% of the book. This actually worked out very well. I grew to love the character development, and this helped explain more of what was going on in the background.
Then ... The erotica hit. And boy did it hit HARD! I wouldn't say it was the most outlandish spice I've encountered but it was done very well. To some this will trigger than and it will be very eye-opening.
My favorite favorite part was the atmosphere. I wish I could live in this crazy place and be sucked up in the walls of the library. There is a mystery waiting to be solved, it's dangerous, and beautiful all rolled into one.
š 4/5
š¶ļø 5/5
š„dark academia vibes
š¹crumbling old manor
š„enemies to lovers
š¹second chance
š„angst
š¹kinky AF
š„FF& MMF (& MMMFFF)
Okay, at first I wasn't sure where this was going. It is very plot heavy for the first 20% of the book. This actually worked out very well. I grew to love the character development, and this helped explain more of what was going on in the background.
Then ... The erotica hit. And boy did it hit HARD! I wouldn't say it was the most outlandish spice I've encountered but it was done very well. To some this will trigger than and it will be very eye-opening.
My favorite favorite part was the atmosphere. I wish I could live in this crazy place and be sucked up in the walls of the library. There is a mystery waiting to be solved, it's dangerous, and beautiful all rolled into one.
š 4/5
š¶ļø 5/5
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I donāt know where to start with this book. It was so interesting and quite a bit different from most of the books Iāve read. Iāve read plenty of Sierra Simoneās books and know her stories are quite horny, but this was horny in a different way. Iām sure as this series progresses Iām going to go from thinking of the books as ācontemporary romanceā and theyāll end up āerotic romanceā. Almost all of the elements were there for it to tip that way, but surprisingly there was way less actual on-page sex than it seemed, even while I was reading it. There is so much anticipation, tension, and chemistry between every single one of these six characters. What an amazing writer this author is.
The main POV of this story is Poe, who grew up in America. She knows the rest of the characters due to one summer when her family and their families all gathered at Audenās familyās estate in England. While the adults were up to who knows what, the kids bonded. Turns out the kids should have been paying more attention because whatever their parents were doing is directly influencing their lives now, even while most of the parents are no longer alive. Poe is back in England and reunited with her playmates from the past. We get the POV of the other characters every few chapters to help supplement the limited knowledge Poe has of their surroundings since she hasnāt been back in the 12 years since that carefree summer. One of those secrets is my biggest contention with this story, as everyone seems to know of something that happened between Auden and Saint many years ago, but Poe is kept in the darkā¦and she knows there is a secret and they know she knows, so itās all very intentional. But, I knew going in that was the case so I cannot hold it against the book that I decided to read it anyway.
The mystery of the parents, the house, and the town is written beautifully. Itās creepy but not scary. Itās curious but doesnāt seem to be dangerous, at least not in the conventional sense. Even with a great story as the baseline for this series, the tension is the star of the show. The feelings evoked by two characters just sitting on the same couch are unreal! I was swept up in their lives and trying to figure out how all of this sexual energy would be releasedā¦if it ever would.
Iāll warn you, when this book is over the story is in no way finished. Thereās not even a real HFN or HEA. Things have been figured out on certain fronts, but there is so much more work to be doneā¦in their personal lives and in figuring out the secrets of Thornchapel.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.**
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Rape
I just finished A Lesson in Thorns and WOW. I meanā¦ š„µš„µš„µ This book is scorching. Sierra Simone has mastered the art of writing tension so thick, so forbidden, that you feel like youāre intruding on something sacred. The spice? Letās just say this book does not shy away from intensity, itās raw, sensual, and absolutely intoxicating.
But what truly sets this book apart is the atmosphere. The gothic setting of Thornchapel feels like a character in itself: haunting, mysterious, and laced with an undercurrent of something both magical and dangerous. Sierra Simoneās prose is lush and poetic, weaving mythology, history, and sacred rituals into every page. The way she blends themes of fate, desire, and longing with ancient mythological influences? Itās mesmerizing.
And the characters & Their relationships are layered with yearning, pain, and an almost unbearable amount of tension. Every glance, every touch, every whispered word means something, and thatās what makes this book so special. The emotional stakes are just as high as the physical ones, making this more than just a steamy read, itās an experience.
If you love dark academia, forbidden romances, and stories dripping with mythology and sensuality, A Lesson in Thorns is a must-read. Itās hypnotic, haunting, and will completely consume you.š„
But what truly sets this book apart is the atmosphere. The gothic setting of Thornchapel feels like a character in itself: haunting, mysterious, and laced with an undercurrent of something both magical and dangerous. Sierra Simoneās prose is lush and poetic, weaving mythology, history, and sacred rituals into every page. The way she blends themes of fate, desire, and longing with ancient mythological influences? Itās mesmerizing.
And the characters & Their relationships are layered with yearning, pain, and an almost unbearable amount of tension. Every glance, every touch, every whispered word means something, and thatās what makes this book so special. The emotional stakes are just as high as the physical ones, making this more than just a steamy read, itās an experience.
If you love dark academia, forbidden romances, and stories dripping with mythology and sensuality, A Lesson in Thorns is a must-read. Itās hypnotic, haunting, and will completely consume you.š„
If Sierra Simone writes it, I am going to love it. While this isn't completely true with A Lesson in Thorns, it isn't completely wrong either.
I loved Thornchapel, the atmosphere, the way Sierra Simone brings you deep into the setting, and the library and discussions of the cataloguing.
I didn't love the characters.
I was confused how they had spent one summer together as children, and Poe admits that she has had zero contact with them since and yet she is still going on about how she loves them. She is learning who they are now, what their careers are, their family lives, their goals and dreams. I didn't understand the insta-lust and insta-obsession. Especially since the other characters (not Rebecca, she was perfect and my favorite by far) were frankly, whiny and annoying.
But the atmosphere... gothic, creepy, ethereal. Loved it. Perfection. It wasn't enough to carry me through the book though, and I was considering DNFing for most of it.
Thank you to Bloom Books and NetGalley for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved Thornchapel, the atmosphere, the way Sierra Simone brings you deep into the setting, and the library and discussions of the cataloguing.
I didn't love the characters.
I was confused how they had spent one summer together as children, and Poe admits that she has had zero contact with them since and yet she is still going on about how she loves them. She is learning who they are now, what their careers are, their family lives, their goals and dreams. I didn't understand the insta-lust and insta-obsession. Especially since the other characters (not Rebecca, she was perfect and my favorite by far) were frankly, whiny and annoying.
But the atmosphere... gothic, creepy, ethereal. Loved it. Perfection. It wasn't enough to carry me through the book though, and I was considering DNFing for most of it.
Thank you to Bloom Books and NetGalley for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Note: ends on a cliffhanger
CW: mention of offpage SA, dealing with grieving the loss of a parent.
Iād been wanting to read the Thornchapel series for a while now, but knowing it would suck me in, I kept putting it off. That feeling of reading a book and being sad that you can only read it for the first time once? Yeah, thatās the feeling I got reading this.
If youāve ever read a Sierra Simone book you will know what you are going to get. Incredible prose, a huge amount of angst, a great mystery story, and the āwill they, or wonāt theyā throughout the book. Not only that, but she managed to invoke that special feeling I get when reading a historical romance, and I just canāt put my finger on what it is. The worldbuilding is just exquisite, I really felt like I was there while reading.
I donāt want to get into the plot too much, especially since it has so much mystery, and honestly, you end with more questions than when you start, but itās so worth it.
The tension between all 6 main characters is fantastic and kept me on the edge of my seat, not to mention the incredible steam, and I canāt wait to read the rest of the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom books for providing an ARC.
I'm not sure anything about this books made sense, and a lot of it was very convenient. This is the first book in the Thorchapel series, and the only one I will read. Keep in mind that this is marketed as erotica, so it's basically mostly smut, which I don't mind when there is substantial plot around it, which this did not. Loved the LGBT rep (although found it strange that EVERY character and their parents is bi...).
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
3
Idk, this one was kind of weird for me. Like yeah, I was reading this as I was traveling. But I also fell asleep reading this like 3 nights in a row. Itās a pretty slow book overall, and absolutely not what I was expecting.
I really love Sierra Simone as an author. I think sheās an awesome storyteller and just really makes you care about the characters. And I feel mostly the same way about this. Although, I can tell this is one of her earlier works. Itās just that the story overall is more like character driven than plot driven. Itās kind of like these six characters getting back together for the first time in 12ish yearsā¦and thatās the whole story. So itās a lot slower than what I am used to with her, and honestly up until like 50% or so I was just not invested.
Iāll keep reading this series, but Iām not really sure how we can get 4 books out of thisā¦
Also, I like that Simone tends to write stories that are based in mythology or ancient tales. However, I have like no idea what was happening with this one.
Idk, this one was kind of weird for me. Like yeah, I was reading this as I was traveling. But I also fell asleep reading this like 3 nights in a row. Itās a pretty slow book overall, and absolutely not what I was expecting.
I really love Sierra Simone as an author. I think sheās an awesome storyteller and just really makes you care about the characters. And I feel mostly the same way about this. Although, I can tell this is one of her earlier works. Itās just that the story overall is more like character driven than plot driven. Itās kind of like these six characters getting back together for the first time in 12ish yearsā¦and thatās the whole story. So itās a lot slower than what I am used to with her, and honestly up until like 50% or so I was just not invested.
Iāll keep reading this series, but Iām not really sure how we can get 4 books out of thisā¦
Also, I like that Simone tends to write stories that are based in mythology or ancient tales. However, I have like no idea what was happening with this one.