Gorgeous, sultry book. Obsessed with these characters. Has everything I want from this type of book.

If you’re in the mood for something smutty, mysterious, and beautifully written, A Lesson in Thorns is a must-read!

As for all of Sierra Simone’s books I was hooked! This book was so spicy and so very captivating! I loved every second of it. The spice was well written (as most of her books are) and I loved the gothic feel this book gave me. This book was written in a way that I just couldn’t put it down and that’s been hard for me lately.

Thank you for the Arc Net Galley 🤍

I went into A Lesson in Thorns completely blind, and I think that was the right choice! This book is so unique that it’s hard to put into words—it’s mysterious, poetic, and hauntingly beautiful.

The story follows six people who once spent a summer together at Thornchapel, a grand estate filled with secrets. Years later, now in their early twenties, they reunite at the same place, only to uncover the land’s mysteries, the rituals that took place there, and the tangled emotions that still bind them together. The careful exploration of emotions and kink was portrayed so well and I appreciated how every character brought something so unique to the table. It was also undeniably hot when they unleashed their long suppressed feelings and desires through rituals.

Sierra Simone’s writing is beautiful—it’s lyrical, atmospheric, and feels almost like poetry. The gothic vibes, the suspense, and the heavy emotions woven into the story kept me on my toes the whole time.

However, I found the pacing to be somewhat inconsistent at times—some parts felt drawn out, while others were fast-paced and gripping. The POV structure also took some getting used to. Most of the book is told through one character’s perspective, with some third-person chapters from others, making the full picture feel intentionally incomplete. I assume the sequels will expand on the other characters, but in this book, not all of them felt fully fleshed out.

That said, the emotional depth is undeniable. The characters’ struggles and internal battles are heavy but meaningful, and I found myself deeply invested in their journeys. This book is unlike anything I’ve read before, and I can’t wait to see where the series goes next!

Thank you to Bloom Books for providing an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚙𝚜𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚡𝚢—𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚜 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚢 𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚊𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚊 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢, 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗.”

I don’t think I’ve ever read another book where the FMC had narcolepsy without cataplexy! I’m a fellow type 2 narcoleptic, and seeing this representation really got me emotional. The way shame that Poe feels when she sleeps too long or in the wrong places felt deeply personal to me. Dealing with a chronic illness around sleep is a very challenging thing that most people don’t understand. I felt like this book really did a great job of showing that struggle.

I really enjoyed Poe and and her unique perspective on the goings on at Thornchapel. I struggled with certain characters Auden and Delphine in particular. Their relationship was odd and I also just didn’t understand how they could say that they loved each other while simultaneously being so toxic and terrible? It was odd. The storytelling was very atmospheric and @thesierrasimone did a fabulous job of creating the setting and dialing up the tension. Tension not just between characters but also of the mysteries surrounding Thornchapel. Also I did not understand that this book was classified as erotica and not just romance so I was taken aback a bit by some of the spicier scenes. Not because I have an issue with it but just because they are HOTTTTT. Check your trigger warnings though because there is a lot of kink and alot of it taboo. Rebecca was my absolute favorite character. She just knows who she is and what she wants. That can’t be beat! This one does end on a cliffhanger so if you are #teamnocliffie just beware of that!

A huge thank you to @netgalley and @read_bloom for providing an ARC.

Oh my god I absolutely loved this. Sierra, I was a fan after I read Priest but you have outdone yourself. This will become a staple in spicy dark academia.

Thank you Sourcebooks for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: dark romance
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Poe returns to Thornchapel to work as a librarian and there she reconnects with people from her past that she hasn't been able to forget. She is also hoping to solve the mystery of the disappearance of her mother.
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I liked the mystery elements of the book and the multiple perspectives, as well as the exploration of love and identity. I am curious to see what happens next!

If you crave stories that are both beautifully written and deliciously provocative, A Lesson in Thorns will leave you breathless, aching, and desperate for more. An absolute must-read for lovers of dark romance and gothic fantasy.

A Lesson In Thorns by Sierra Simone is book 1 in the Thornchapel series. Poe arrives at Thornchapel after accepting a job as a librarian, but that's not her only reason for going. She receives a mysterious letter written in Latin by her mother who's been missing for twenty years. She goes in search of answers and finds Auden Guest instead.

This could have been good. But I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Poe is not very likeable. I didn't hate her, but did not like her. She's not annoying, just feels shallow. She needed more depth to be a quality read. The spice is there, but just wasn't my vibe.

If you like true smut with these tropes, you'd like this book:

🌹Taboo SPICE
🌹Virgin, sex-obsessed FMC
🌹Mystery
🌹Hot priest
🌹Queer rep

Another Sierra Simone hit, I love all her books - they always hit that spicy moment I love. It was definitely one of my faves by her. No one can write SPICE like Sierra and make it good.

“They found the roses right away.
The thorns took longer”

This book was complicated, hot, dark and twisted and perfect if you are in the mood for something like that !!! Six friends who grew up together. A dark setting such as that of a thorn chapel and complicated BDSM dynamics between them that will slow some of them to finally wake up to their needs and wants while make the others frustrated because they want something it seems they cannot have. Auden and Saint and Proserpina and Delphine and Rebecca … these five in particular will start a dynamic that it closer to that of a polyamorous relationship than anything else but the amount of trauma they have will create creases between them that it will be hard for some of them to realise what they feel. This book is extremely sexual and emotional and getting to know these characters was a pleasure as much as it was a painful experience (iykyk) and underneath it all, there is a slight religious theme and trauma that you won’t be able to fully define until the very end. And the ending … I definitely need more !!! I cannot wait to read the sequel !!!

“Delphine. Rebecca. Becket.
Saint Sebastian.
Proserpina.
His thorns, his regrets.
His hurts”

A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone is a masterclass in building sexual tension and exploring the art of strained restraint, something Sierra Simone does best. From the very first page, the chemistry between the characters crackles with intensity, keeping readers on edge, waiting for that inevitable release. The book is not just about passion; it also weaves in deep secrets between friends—both from the past and present—that demand to be uncovered.

This book serves as a tantalizing appetizer to the series, leaving readers craving more. The revelation at the end will have you racing to grab the next book in the series, eager to see how these tangled relationships unfold.

If you're a fan of Sierra Simone’s style, A Lesson in Thorns will not disappoint, drawing you in with its dark, alluring atmosphere and compelling characters.

I really enjoy Sierra Simone’s books and Lessons in Thorn is not an exception. It’s a very easy story line but it’s told in different points of view which is kind of confusing if you’re not fully engaged with the story . It is well developed and characters are very different and interesting, this story is full of mystery and the spice in it is very entertaining. I would highly recommend checking trigger warnings before reading it and also it ends in cliffhanger, so be prepared.

Listen, if you’re in the mood for something dark, messy, and wildly addictive, A Lesson in Thorns is precisely that. I went into this book expecting spice (it delivers), but I didn’t expect it to be emotionally heavy.

The story follows Proserpina (yes, the names are extra; just lean in), who comes back to this mysterious estate called Thornchapel after being gone for over a decade. And, of course, she immediately gets tangled up with the two guys she left behind: Auden, the hot, arrogant golden boy, and St. Sebastian, who is broody, damaged, and impossible not to obsess over. Together, their dynamic is intense. There’s history, resentment, desire, and this shared sense that they’re all circling something bigger than just the three.

This book is bright, sexy, and the kind of book that stays in your head long after you close it. Just check the content warnings because this book is not afraid to push limits.

I wanted to like this book but I had a hard time with it. The prologue was one of the most confusing prologues I’ve read so that didn’t start out well for me. The spice was good but it’s hard for me to get into a book when I find majority of the characters winy and unfortunately for me, that was this book. I think most people will love this book, it just wasn’t for me. And this is coming from someone who LOVED the Priest series by this author.

* I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 4 March 2025

I requested this book purely based on my love for Sierra Simone’s book Priest.

This one had 6 characters who spent a summer together as children and reunite after many years apart as adults.

This was more of a slow-burn type romance as most of the action doesn’t happen until the last 1/3 of the book. The beginning felt very info-dump heavy and I found it to be a bit of a struggle to get into, unlike Simone’s other books I’ve read. Eventually the plot did pick up, but I just didn’t quite click with this book like I’d hoped I would.

4.5 stars

I don’t know where to start with this book. It was so interesting and quite a bit different from most of the books I’ve read. I’ve read plenty of Sierra Simone’s books and know her stories are quite horny, but this was horny in a different way. I’m sure as this series progresses I’m going to go from thinking of the books as “contemporary romance” and they’ll end up “erotic romance”. 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 Auden’s family’s 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 hasn’t 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 dark…and she knows there is a secret and they know she knows, so it’s 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. It’s creepy but not scary. It’s curious but doesn’t 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 released…if it ever would.

I’ll warn you, when this book is over the story is in no way finished. There’s not even a real HFN or HEA. Things have been figured out on certain fronts, but there is so much more work to be done…in their personal lives and in figuring out the secrets of Thornchapel.

4.5 stars

The gothic atmosphere and dark academia vibes in this were sooo good! Sierra’s writing is beautiful and the way she managed to weave the stories of six distinctive characters together was so well done. There were definitely characters I liked reading about more than others (hellooo Saint) but I felt like they all had a place in the story.

This is VERY hot and steamy and includes kink, polyamory, and queer romance. While the relationships felt like the main focus, but the plot was very intriguing as well with the disappearance of the MC’s mother and the mysteries surrounding Thornchapel. The ending had me wanting to know more and I would love to continue the series.

Thank you to Bloom and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest

While slow moving and besides me wanting to know the ending, the book was good. While I felt it dwelt on things it could have been shorter. I love Sierra’s books and who couldn’t love Saint? Poe seems to always feel just on the outside even with her relationship with brooding Auden and Saint. As old houses go, we know there are secrets and some are beginning to show themselves.

A very intriguing start to the series! We meet the six characters and get to know each of them well, even while the story is told in Poe’s point of view. There’s a lot of world building for a new series, which is understandable, but at times I really wanted progression in the story. We end with more questions than answers similar to the New Camelot series. Overall enjoyed this one - Simone weaves themes of religiosity into her books like no one else and does it so well.

I read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.