I read this series before it was traditionally published over 2 years ago, and I still think about them. Sierra Simone's voice is truly unlike any others I have ever read, and it is constantly making me feel EVERYTHING. Sierra Simone masterfully weaves together lyrical prose, deep emotional connections, and an intoxicating blend of mystery and sensuality. The novel is heavy with themes of forbidden desire, self-discovery, and the power of ritual.

I will say the author doesnt choose a bad cover the original is just as good as the new releases
5 <b>Convivificat</b> Stars
Sierra Simone has become my go to auto read author since I read American King (and I was sooo behind on picking that up I can’t risk it again). This story is about 6 children’s summer and their lives now as adults( 12 years later). There is so much character growth, pain and learning that occurs in this book that I cant event put into words what this is even about. This story is about so much, so many secrets, so much pain, confusion, loss and change.
This book looks at 6 peoples lives present, past and future and the reader tries to figure out how it all flows.
The heir. (Auden)
The dreamer. ( Poe)
The priest. (Becket)
The genius. (Rebecca)
The socialite. (Delphine)
The saint. (Saint Sebastian)

I loved Poe and Saint the most because of how broken and lost they are. But I also like how the erotica was developed into a story. The scenes were MM, FF, MF, MMF and each one was its own level of kink. There is BDSM, there is vanilla.and there is everything in between but the majority of the book is not erotica so keep that in mind. This book is almost 350 pages and is book 1 of 4 .. and I literally cannot even fathom how their story will ever end it is so filled with mystery.. AND THAT CLIFFY OMGGGGG

I literally stayed up till 1 am reading this book.. my poor brain needs so much coffee today

A Lesson In Thorns by Sierra Simone
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4🌶🌶🌶🌶

Man I loved this book! I've read a lot of Sierra's other books and this one continued the trend of great reads. I love that she can have intense spice but not lose the compelling storyline.

I wish I could articulate how enthralling this book is, but I simply don't have the words. Sierra is brilliant, I was completely invested in the story of these six friends. Their relationships and history are twisted and screwed up and it just adds to the story! The dark academia themes and plot twists in this story were brilliantly done as well. This book also examines more complex topics such as the social co structure and stigma surrounding sex and virginity, and also promotes sex positivity and safe kink practices. We all know with Sierra that the spice be spicing, that part was fantastic as always lol. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloom for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Content warning from the author:
🥀 kinky AF
🥀 second chance
🥀 enemies to lovers
🥀 dark academia vibes
🥀 FF & MMF (& MMMFFF)
🥀 crumbling old manor house
🥀 angst

CONTENT WARNINGS: pretty boys pouting and staring at the rain, old library filled to the brim with moldering manuscripts full of secrets, aggressively bisexual, ritual deflowering of virgins.

CONTENT WARNINGS ALSO FOR: kink, angst, blood, jealousy, archival minutiae, Latin words,
tragic backstories, murder, Prosecco, and a dog.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I enjoyed the first part of this book. Then there was so much going on that it got confusing. I honestly don’t know what was going on by the end.

I was left with so many questions that I want answered but I probably won’t finish this series. It was just ok but there wasn’t much that actually stood out. It also felt like there was too many things crammed in that it started feeling jumbled and confusing.

I love this author but this particular book wasn’t for me.

3/5 stars because I actually loved the beginning I just wish it had stayed like that.

This story is beautifully written and compulsive to read. Sierra Simone has a way with words. She writes so poetically and polished even when the scene is filthy and unhinged. I love to read her stories. This was no exception. The characters are fantastic and the story is ethereal. Poe is actually an interesting female lead, and both Saint Sebastian and Auden are interesting in their own right. I am excited to read on in the series. Saint reminded me a little of the Veep in the Camelot series and I looooved that series. Highly recommend!

Spicy, MM, MMF, FF, FFM, mostly female main character first person point of view but other characters are 3rd person point of view, contemporary romance. Full of mystery, angst, and SPICE. Well written and enthralling. Go in blind and enjoy the twists, turns, and sumptuous steam.

I love Sierra Simone’s writing but this wasn’t my favorite. The setting was great, loved the maze.

This book felt forced and the characters relations felt forced and the reasons they were back in Thornchapel felt unusual. Like Poe being into bdsm despite being a virgin, yet she’s constantly feral.

I just didn’t feels any connection with the characters what so ever. The characters just felt rushed and underdeveloped with this one.

Overall I do love Sierra Simone’s writing but this one wasn’t for me.

Sierra Simone is famous for writing books that are smut (in the best sense) that really are about so much more. Fans of her other series will loves this as it delivers just what we expect from this author.

The plot is twisty enough to keep you invested, there is something to tie the spice together. The world building is solid and even contains some hints about overlap with other beloved series. The character development is stunning and really shows the intertwined lives of these young adults and the odd pasts that brought them all back to their childhood meeting place and mythos. The spice is spicy without being gratuitous. The sexual awakening serve a narrative purpose (though they would be amazing even if it were just for fun!) and add to the overall atmosphere of the novel. Add in a dash of mysticism and local superstition, this book is sexy and spooky...a perfect combination.

The rest of the series is already on my TBR list and thankfully this NetGalley ARC is for a new edition and the following books in the series are available, because I won't be able to wait long to see what happens!

What you'll get:
🥀dark academia vibes
🌹crumbling old manor
🥀enemies to lovers
🌹second chance
🥀angst
🌹kinky AF
🥀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.

📖 4/5
🌶️ 5/5

This was an intriguing start to a four-book series that blends fantasy, spice, and mystery into one slow-burning story. A Lesson in Thorns revolves around a group of friends who shared one unforgettable summer at Thornchapel. Years later, they reunite in the same mysterious place, only to find that while the house remains the same, everything between them has shifted. Each character harbors secret desires, but the question is: will they allow themselves to act on them?
The writing is beautifully done, as I've come to expect from Sierra Simone, and the atmosphere she creates around Thornchapel is lush and immersive. The mystery element is intriguing, with an unexpected twist at the end that took me by surprise. However, despite these strengths, I found the pacing painfully slow—if I could compare it to anything, it would be molasses. The slow burn is very slow, and while I can appreciate tension, I felt like the story could have been told just as powerfully with fewer words.
Having read other books by this author, this one wasn’t quite what I anticipated. I was left surprised that the ending felt so conclusive—almost like a standalone—so I'm genuinely curious what the next books in the series have in store. Though tempted to peek, I’m the type who likes to go in blind.
Overall, A Lesson in Thorns was good, but not great for me. I enjoyed the concept, the writing, and the gothic vibes, but the drawn-out pacing made it tough to fully fall in love.
Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, NetGalley, and Sierra Simone for the opportunity to review this advanced reader copy and provide my honest feedback.

I originally read A Lesson in Thorns when it was indie published and it quickly became one of my favorite series of all time. I was so excited that I got to do a re-read for the Bloom re-release & it was even more fun to read the second time around! The dark academia setting of Thornchapel is such a vibe! Each of the six main characters are all wildly different but they fit together so perfectly. It felt like the tension and chemistry between everyone had literal sparks flying out of my kindle.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloom, and Sierra Simone for sending me an early copy!

I just finished A Lesson in Thorns and WOW. I mean… 🥵🥵🥵 This book is scorching. Sierra Simone has mastered the art of writing tension so thick, so forbidden, that you feel like you’re intruding on something sacred. The spice? Let’s just say this book does not shy away from intensity, it’s 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 Simone’s 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? It’s 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 that’s 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, it’s an experience.

If you love dark academia, forbidden romances, and stories dripping with mythology and sensuality, A Lesson in Thorns is a must-read. It’s hypnotic, haunting, and will completely consume you.🔥

Sierra Simone has a way with her writing style to absolutely entrance you; her writing is elegant and raw, and makes you feel everything the characters feel and then some. The spice was amazing, the angst was palpable. I felt like I was picked up and dropped into a whole different world and I felt like I knew these characters as if they were my own friends. I was sucked in from the very beginning and I am SO glad there are more books in this series. 5/5 stars; absolutely delectable! Thank you Netgalley, Bloom Books, and the author for an ARC of this novel!

I am such a fan of Sierra Simone. She is somehow able to write kinky, queer romance, but make it poignant and almost poetic. And A Lesson in Thorns is another example of Sierra’s unique writing style.

A Lesson in Thorns has a gothic, mysterious atmosphere and features cult vibes and ritualistic themes.

This story follows 6 childhood friends that have grown up and grew apart, but they reconvene at the estate that bonded them. Now as adults, each one grapples with their own emotional and sexual frustrations, shame and baggage that are only compounded when they reunite. When they discover some secrets about the centuries old chapel that they explored as children, they decide to engage in a ritual that will bind them forever.

I enjoyed the book, but had a couple issues that caused me to struggle a bit. Because there are so many POVs, I didn’t quite connect with any of the characters fully. And so much happens in the last few chapters and there is a major cliffhanger ending, the ending felt a bit rushed.

Overall, this was an interesting read that is gothic, mysterious, full of secrets and has steamy ménage elements.

Note: ends on a cliffhanger
CW: mention of offpage SA, dealing with grieving the loss of a parent.

I’d 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, that’s the feeling I got reading this.

If you’ve 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 ‘will they, or won’t they’ throughout the book. Not only that, but she managed to invoke that special feeling I get when reading a historical romance, and I just can’t put my finger on what it is. The worldbuilding is just exquisite, I really felt like I was there while reading.

I don’t 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 it’s 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 can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom books for providing an ARC.

Oh the spice was spicin'! I love anything Sierra Simone writes and this one isn't any different. I love the different representations we get throughout and the angst...*chef's kiss*

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.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Bloom Books for the arc of this book. A Lesson in Thorns is the first book in the Thornchapel series. This book tells the story of six adults in their twenties who spent one summer together as children in Thornchapel and are now reunited at Thornchapel. This story drew me in from the start. It has mystery and intrigue. It's dark and gothic. This book is very spicy. I read this book in one sitting. This book ends on one big cliffhanger leaving me wanting to immediately read the next book in this series.

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.

Queer Poly Rep -- Hot Librarian -- Gothic Vibes --

I have long been a fan of Sierra Simone's writing. I remember reading her New Camelot series and sighing to myself over the perfection of her prose. I still think about those books at least once a week several years later. She has ever since been a favourite author of mine and so I was more than thrilled to be given the opportunity to review the first of her Thornchapel series.

Now, I *have* read the Thornchapel books before and LOVED them. And let me tell you, They. Hold. Up. Often a reread can be disappointing, a little bit of the magic that made the narrative special is lost. Not so with 'A Lesson in Thorns'. I was still as absolutely mesmerisied as I'd been the first time around.

We meet the central characters of 'A Lesson in Thorns' as children, involved in a game of make-believe wedding. Their relationships are so evocatively captured in this beginning that when they are drawn back together as adults, you can really feel how beautifully Simone has set the stage for the undercurrents of history between them all.

As the plot progresses, she continues to weave a sense of surreal, erotic suspense throughout. The atmosphere and set pieces are deliciously and compellingly gothic and perfectly designed to draw the characters and readers deeper into the mysteries of the eponymous Thornchapel.

A word must be spared here for the craft Simone employs in balancing her POV characters. With such a richly imagined canvas, things could get messy very quickly. This never happens. I was simply and ardently in love with each character's clear and convincing voice.

This series is unbelievably hot and undeniably, thrillingly gothic. Nobody writes sex and kink like Sierra Simone. Do yourself a favour and read this book.