I loved this book. It will be our month read after it is published. She did a great job with the story line and the characters all the way through.

A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone is a dark, erotic romance with our main character Poe being the main character of the story, but not the only one. There are six people who were childhood friends that are drawn to Thornchapel as adults. It's hard to put into words my feelings on this story, as there were many elements that were great, but a few that were not so great. Overall, I think this was a good story that was well written and I would recommend to those who are afraid of a little smut. This is not one to listen to the audiobook version with your kiddos in the car!

This is a spooky, spicy novel that I devoured. I'm a huge fan of Sierra Simone, and A Lesson in Thorns was incredible. The first in a new series, so be prepared for a cliffhanger. Dark Academia Alert!!

Let me start by saying: this is not your grandma’s gothic romance (unless your grandma is secretly a witchy, ritual-loving, emotionally damaged goddess with impeccable taste in erotic tension).

A Lesson in Thorns is sultry, spooky, and smart, the literary equivalent of wandering through a candlelit cathedral while clutching a forbidden love letter… in lingerie.

We meet Poe Markham, a librarian with trauma in her tote bag and a thirst for answers. She accepts a position cataloguing books at Thornchapel, a crumbling estate tucked into the mists and mysteries of the English moors. But Thornchapel isn’t just haunted by the past, it devours it. And Poe? She’s just delivered herself right into its hungry hands.

Poe’s mother vanished from this very house twelve years ago. So yes, she’s here for closure, but she didn’t exactly plan on falling into the moody orbit of the estate’s emotionally-wounded heir Auden Guest, his ridiculously attractive frenemies, or (gulp) his sultry rival, St. Sebastian, a man so gorgeously tormented, I needed a moment to fan myself every chapter.

What to expect:


- Steamy slow-burns so intense you’ll think your Kindle is overheating

- Sexy library time (yes, it’s a trope and yes, it delivers)

- Pagan rituals that are part midsummer maypole, part Eyes Wide Shut

- Sacred kink, deep pain, and a whole lot of soul-stripping intimacy

- The delicious feeling that something ancient and slightly unholy is watching

This isn’t a love triangle. It’s more like a lust pentagram, and each character in this book is carrying secrets, scars, and an ever-deepening connection to a mystery that goes way beyond missing persons. As the tension ratchets up, so do the stakes: emotional, physical, magical, and existential.

If you like your romance deliciously dark, with characters unraveling like sacrificial silk in a storm, then A Lesson in Thorns will absolutely ruin you in the best possible way. It’s gothic, it's horny, it's mythic and by the end, you'll want to light a candle and whisper secrets to the moon.

4 Thorn Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
“Yes, oh.” He pushes his face farther in, burying his nose in my neck. “I want to touch you as if you were mine.”
This book made me go, "What the hell did I just read?" I was confused for a majority of it, but it wasn't the kind of confusion that made me upset or dislike the book. If anything, it was that very confusion and sense of unknowing that drew me in deeper.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:"
When Prosperina (Poe) was a little girl, she spent a summer at Thornchapel with a group of friends, and during that time she had a fake wedding where she married two people, Saint Sebastian and Auden. Not long after, her mother vanished and the last place she was seen was Thornchapel. Now she’s returned as a librarian, hired to catalogue the estate’s library, but really hoping to uncover what happened to her mom.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I’ve never read a book like this before. There is a plot, but it’s pretty loose. A lot of it is left up to the reader to infer based on the clues and little aspects written into the story. You don’t always know what’s going on... you’re just kind of there, going along for the ride. It has this eerie, unresolved energy, where you’re meant to feel like something is always lurking under the surface. BASICALLY IT'S JUST VIBES. The main thread is that Poe is at Thornchapel trying to find out what happened to her mother, but we don’t actually see her doing much digging. It’s more like the group just sits around in the library, eating and talking about rituals. I wanted to see a bit more detective work. But at the same time, I think that’s the point, everything is hazy and confusing and you’re not always meant to get concrete answers. You’re supposed to be speculating.

The writing in this is absolutely beautiful. It’s lyrical, poetic, and full of metaphors. It’s vivid and descriptive in a way that’s almost unscripted poetry. The flower and nature descriptions alone were stunning and there must be at least 50 of them. If you don’t enjoy purple prose or metaphor-heavy writing, this might not be for you, but I was hooked. It just hit differently. AND I LEARNT SO MANY NEW WORDS FROM THE BOOK!

The chapters from Poe’s POV are written in first person, and the majority of the book focuses on her, what she’s experiencing, what she’s thinking, and what she’s feeling. Then, every so often, you get a short chapter told in third person that jumps to the other characters. These read like little “meanwhiles,” almost like a voiceover that’s peeking into their lives. They’re short and scattered, but they give a glimpse into what’s happening helping you peice the story together.

The characters are all tangled together in this complicated web. They were once childhood friends, and now as adults, the dynamic is intense and messy. Everyone is kind of in love with each other but also have this dislike tension lingering in the atmsphere. It's almost like there is this magic in the air. It’s subtle, more like a haunting feeling that fate or something ancient is pulling all the characters together. It makes you wonder if history is repeating itself or if these six people are just cosmically tethered to one another?

It’s a polyamorous setup, and everyone is openly bi and sexually fluid. I loved that it was never treated as taboo. It just was. Their relationships were chaotic, magnetic, and beautifully entangled.
Auden, the "New" Lord of the Thornchapel has feeligns for Poe but he is engaged to Daphne, who has a weird love-hate relationship with Rebecca, who is working on redesigning the Manor's gardens. Then there is Becket the local priest who is just friends with everyone. And finally the outcast, Saint Sebastian, the man who is now in love with Poe used to be the boy who used to be Auden's best friend and but now the two cant stand each other.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ polyamorous Relationship (3M and 3F) that leads to FF, MFM, MM and FFM interactions
▶ Virgin FMC's and MMC's
▶ Mysterious and Gothic Vibes
▶ Forced Proximity

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 and
▷ Washes Her Hair
▷ Takes Care of Her (Aftercare)
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Spicy/Steamy Water Scene
▷ Undressing Help
▷ "Mine"
▷ Came in his pants

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨:
➢ Edging
➢ Degradation and Praise (Good Girl)
➢ BDSM and Spanking
➢ Blood Play
➢ Voyeurism

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It gave me gothic mystery with an eerie atmosphere. The characters were complex, the vibes were immaculate, and while I didn’t always know what was happening... I was obsessed anyway. AND I LOVED THE VIBES!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Bloom Books, Sierra Simone and Netgalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Re-read, this is still as sinfully hot as the first time. Sierra Simone is the only author who can write religion as perfectly as she does. Don't sleep on this book

Thank u Bloom for the e-arc.
Only got 30% before *soft* DNFing but hope to return. Heavy on insta-lust which isn't my favorite trope so I couldn't get invested. I also think this book would be better enjoyed as a perfect angsty romance for the fall. The writing is lyrical at times and the gothic setting is heavy throughout.
I really enjoy that Sierra Simone writes complex characters (Sinner is a personal favorite) but these characters seemed more sexually repressed more than anything else. FF, MMF, and MMMFFF which I appreciate! We need more FF+ books.
Didn't work for me right now but hopefully I will enjoy it more later on.

This is the first book in a dark academia series that is filled with spice, BDSM, enemies to lovers, second chances, and FF, MMF, and MMMFFF.

If you love a world surrounded by secrets, old books, family drama, scandal, and untapped desire this might be a book for you.

Be warned that this ends on a cliffhanger. What happens next?

Just when you think you have it all figured out the last page changes everything.

My first Sierra Simone book was the first Christmas Notch book, and I was hooked immediately. This was an auto-read for me because FF books are not plentiful.

This one has a much different/darker vibe, and I loved it. It's a BDSM erotic read with lots of spice and a gothic feel. Her writing is wonderful. I've always loved her characters, and this continues to show her writing style, which I am a fan of. I look forward to more of this series.

4 stars

It’s been a long time since a book grabbed me like this. A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone didn’t just pull me in—it swallowed me whole. I’ve had to physically stop myself from bingeing the entire thing in one sitting (rude, really, that work exists). The tension? The pacing? The language? Absolutely feral-level good. It’s gothic, it’s sexy, it’s full of secrets and tangled pasts and yearning so sharp it cuts.

If you’re craving dark academia meets ritualistic obsession with prose that feels like a spell—this is it. I’m obsessed. And I already know this series is going to own me.

🖤 Auden, St. Sebastian, Poe. I will be thinking about them forever.

I’ve read multiple books by Sierra Simone and really like the way she writes complex characters. When I saw this book was being rereleased I thought I’d love it too. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The pacing was slow and the characters read as very immature. They’re all a bit sexually repressed and just need one person to give them permission to go hog wild. I could totally see how this book appealed to some readers, it just wasn’t for me.

This book was enjoyable, enjoy everything by this author. Character development, and plot and the spice was what contributed to it being a great read.Thank you for the opportunity to read it

I went into A Lesson in Thorns blind just trusting whatever SS writes I'll love, and honestly, that’s the best way to experience it. This book is dark, poetic, and dripping with gothic intrigue. while being steamy as you can expect.

The story follows six people reunited at Thornchapel, a grand estate filled with secrets. What starts as a homecoming quickly unravels into a web of longing, buried emotions, and rituals that blur the line between past and present. The tension is electric, the exploration of desire and kink beautifully handled, and when those suppressed feelings finally surface? It’s explosive.

But as much as I loved the writing and concept, I struggled with the FMC, which made it harder to connect with the story. The pacing also felt uneven, and not all the characters were fully developed but I assume the rest of the series will cover that. That said, this book is undeniably unique, if you love gothic romance with mystery, tension, and poetic prose, it’s worth the read. While it wasn’t a perfect fit for me, I’m still curious to see where the series goes next and still am a massive fan of the author.

'Sierra Simone is back and she's here to slay. Kneel at the alter of her brilliance, worship her written words, and pray for mercy on your unmentionable parts. Get ready for A Lesson in Thorns with SIX sexy sinners.' - The British Bibliophile

Gather around, settle I and get comfortable my beloved children. I'm about to tell you a story.

Once upon a time, there was an author called Sierra Simone and a reader called The British Bibliophile. Sierra births into the world the steamiest, smuttiest, kinkiest, filthiest stories born from her beautiful brain and The British Bibliophile, the hungry reader that she is, consumes said stories both feeling left fully satisfied while also politely holding out both of her hands for more. All in the hopes that her beloved author would drop another story into her open palms.

So she wished it, so shall it be, for that is exactly what came her way.

A Lesson in Thorns, is a re-released book with a fitting--and beautiful--cover to match the level of balanced beauty and bloodiness within its pages. Though just how beautiful and bloody, The British Bibliophile was not fully aware of or prepared for. You see, she hasn't read this story before, and therefore didn't know the premise of the story or the series it belongs to. Has no idea what she is truly in for. Luckily with Sierra, she is in good hands. For what she's read in Salt Kiss & Honey Cut, she can say that with the utmost certainty.

On this foray into the forbidden the key, as always, is to be open. Not in that way--this time--, but in terms of an open mind. Your eyes too, will be opened, for you will read about all kinds of everything that you quite possibly have never done so before. Sierra's brand of romance is not only an acquired taste, it's one that once you get in your mouth and your hands around, you'll come back for seconds, thirds, fourths and more of some of the filthiest, trigger warning-packed, steamy/spicy stories you will ever have the pleasure of reading earthside.

Now we venture onto the tricky, but fun, territory of the trigger warnings previously mentioned. To those of us who see them as an invitation to read the book, others will be wary of them. A seasoned reader of trigger warnings, The British Bibliophile did not hesitate to jump in with the ones Sierra slipped into the story, encouraging others to come on in and join her. For the sake of honesty, here is what you are in for:

Sexual violence (off-page), Blood and Alcohol (moderate), Death of a Parent, Injury Detail, Classism, BDSM, Parental Abandonment, R*ape (past, with graphic description), Sex (on-page), Grief & loss, Mental Health Struggles, Toxic Family Dynamics, etc.

Fear not, these trigger warnings. For they have been handled with delicacy, grace and respect befitting some of the harrowing, difficult topics that a few of them are. Brave them and you will have not only seen how Sierra navigates them, but you'll come out of the other side at the end with a story that you-like The British Bibliophile--wish that you had taken the chance on sooner. Lesson--not in thorns, learned.

Past the trigger warnings you have wandered, and now you find yourself in an enchanting, addicting and wondrous story filled with equalled matched characters. Six, to be exact. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Thornchapel. The allure to come here was strong and now that you are, pull up a pew and get ready for your sermon (lesson), in the thorns that have woven themselves in and around it as much as they have done the bloodied characters who hold them firmly in their grasps. Not a line, paragraph, page or chapter was left untouched by compelling, prose-worthy, vivid imagery, disturbingly brilliant detail and just a whiff of magic in the air. A hint of something, other, without there being anything magical physically present.

Now, it's time to take a breather as we wind our way round to the book-gripping nature that is the plot twist. Or in this case, twists. That's right, we're twisting again like we did last summer. Sierra, queen with many crowns, dons her 'twist' crown with the sheer amount of them which worked extremely well, while also potentially leaving readers in the state of literary whiplash. They come thick and fast--pun intended--, acting as the invisible thread that pulls in tight the inter-character relationships, blazing sexual tension, the gritty, the raw and real, the passion and more, until we're left with a book that has now woven its thorns well and truly around us. Making us part of the story.

Nearing the end of this prick-ly tale, the climax almost in sight, it's time to slow things down, edge things out for a brief moment of reflection. Realisation. Confession.

Do not try to hide those blushing cheeks as you turn each page. It's pointless fight, so just embrace what this book will make you do, how it will make you feel and what it will make you want to do. You know exactly what I mean. Pages won't be the only thing that will end up...ahem...spread. Dirty will the reader be who has between her--or his--hands, a dirty book, after all.

Pleased will readers be to hear that yes, this book is of an 'erotic' nature to some degree, it is not the central element that gives it the oomph it delivers. As fellow readers have said and that The British Bibliophile herself agrees with, character development, plot, storyline, memorable characters and mystery all play their parts, inserting themselves just where they're needed to be for maximum desired effect.

With that final note, our story comes to an end. For now... What? Did you really think things were going to be left here? One trip to Thornchapel and that's it? Not if Sierra has anything to do with it.

The doors open once more to Thornchapel where the spice gets spicer, the darkness gets darker, the passion grows more passionate, the enemies will become lovers and there, of course, will be sparks.

Sierra Simone can do no wrong in anything she writes. I know when I pick up one of her books I am thoroughly going to enjoy it and this was one of those for sure. I devoured this so quickly and it just reminded me why I love everything she gives so much and I just want new stuff from her immediately!

This is going to be a DNF/skim for me, sadly. I love a group relationship dynamic and the gothic setting, but I was just incredibly bored and not feeling the urge to pick this one up.

I wanted to like this one! It’s gothic and full of mystery! I like spice and multiple partners in a book, however I DnFed around 35% as I just found it boring personally. 2 stars for setting and the writing style was really good. Just not for me.

Poe returns to Thornchapel after many years away. She has fond memories from her childhood when her parents took her to visit. All five of her childhood friends are there and they are all looking for something but none of them no what. For Poe, she hopes to find information about her mother’s disappearance. What she uncovers is so much more and it involves all of her friends. None of them are prepared. Will their friendships survive or will they all drift apart again?

Poe is a librarian by trade. She is hired to spend time in Thornchapel sorting through all of the books in the library. She hopes that being back at Thornchapel allows her to find out information about her mother and the parents of her friends. Auden inherited the house when his father died. If it were up to him, he would never set foot back in the house but situation conspire to force him back. He is in the process of completely redoing the house. Auden has Delphine with him. They are now engaged. Their relationship has some very large secrets that need to see the light of day for them to move forward. Rebecca has returned to work on the landscape architecture. She has a life in London that she loves including her role as a domme. Saint is working with his uncle to redo the interiors and exteriors of the house. Saint and Auden have a strained relationship due to something that happened before the story started. Becket has returned to Thornchapel as a priest. He is dedicated to his calling but feels the pull to be with his friends. Through a series of conversations and Scooby Do mystery activities, the group discovers that their ancestors believed in ancient rituals. Through the course of their discoveries, they find themselves developing feelings for each other. The author explores the complexity of relationships changing and forming into something new. This book also contains rituals and mysteries. I don’t think any of the characters developed in any way. I think they simply embraced who and what they were already. The only glimmer of growth actually occurred at the very end with Auden but I won’t give that away.

What did I just read? No really. I am very confused. I thought it was a romance but I don’t think that’s how I would classify it. If you are sensitive to books about people having adult activities then you should skip this book. The story includes many many references to the characters having adult interests in one another and then the culmination of the story is graphic adult activities. It is also the story of a missing person and the consequences of her loss. The author chose to have each character choose a career that made them essential to the story. For example, a librarian, a priest etc.

I did not enjoy this book. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it even if I had gone into it with realistic expectations. It tried to be atmospheric and failed. It tried to be a mystery and failed. It was a romance? Hmmm. The only place it succeeded was to show how broken people can be and still function in society. I can’t even name one specific thing in the book that I liked. For that reason, I can’t recommend this book. If you are going to give it a try, don’t expect a romance and be VERY open minded. I don’t know if I’ll read more from this author in the future.

Sierra Simone can do no wrong. This book is everything that you could want from an erotic/snmutty romance. The only gripe is I wasn't sure huge fan of the FMC but overall a great read

Thank you so much Bloom Books for an ARC of this book!

Sierra Simone's A Lesson in Thorns is a dark romance that expertly builds sexual tension and explores complex, strained relationships. The chemistry between the characters—Proserpina, Auden, and St. Sebastian—is palpable from the start, with a slow-burn dynamic that leaves you craving more. While the first two-thirds of the book feel bogged down by information dumps and slow pacing, the final third is where the plot truly takes off, and the tension finally bursts into passion. Simone’s signature dark, seductive atmosphere shines through, drawing readers into a world of secrets, desires, and forbidden love. The book’s ending is a twist that leaves you desperate for more, setting up a promising series. While not flawless, A Lesson in Thorns will satisfy fans of taboo romance with its compelling characters, mystery, and smoldering intensity.