QUOTE: I have the same feeling looking at him as I do looking at the winter moors and leafless forests. I’m fascinated, I’m drawn, I want to touch all that loneliness with my bare fingertips and take it inside of myself.
It’s official—I, too, am now dying to know all of Thornchapel’s secrets!!! What an exceptionally entertaining storyline Sierra Simone has begun with the Thornchapel series. But before I dive too deeply into this review, a personal note: as a reader, I generally read very few reviews myself before diving into books because I worry about spoilers—therefore, I can assure you this review provides none.
QUOTE: I think I might be burning alive from those eyes. Burning alive like a saint tied to a stake.
I absolutely love the skill with which Sierra Simone pens a story—most recently, the Thornchapel books. A Lesson in Thorns is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It’s the story of six individuals—Auden, Poe, Saint, Rebecca, Delphine and Beckett—whose lives were unequivocally altered after a summer at Thornchapel when they were preteens. The story is fraught with secrets, heartbreak, uncertainty, love, lust, and self-discovery. Having read it now, I can understand that this is not a story that would have ever been able to be fully explored within the confines of one book. It offered new insight into how the series will be written over four books instead of a duet or a trilogy.
QUOTE: I hate that at Thornchapel, I’m both not myself and more myself than I’ve ever been.
A Lesson in Thorns, while told predominately from Poe’s POV, does illustrate the past and the present from the mindsets of all six characters. I’m usually not a fan of flashbacks, but when used correctly, they don’t detract from a story. In the case of A Lesson in Thorns, the flashbacks were done in such a way that they enhanced the story brilliantly and gave context and depth to the characters. The plot was a little slow to unfold, and honestly, I still have zero idea what’s going to come next for the characters. Unlike bloggers who read these as they were released months apart, I was lucky enough to binge read A Lesson in Thornes and Feast of Sparks (Thornchapel, #2) back to back. Now I’m absolutely dying to get my hands on the third book, Harvest of Sighs.
QUOTE: He’s waking up. He’s becoming himself. God help me when he’s fully awake. I’ll have no defenses against him. I won’t want any.
Now after nearly a week, I’m still obsessed with Thornchapel and A Lesson in Thorns. And while I write reviews for books daily, I’ve been struggling to put words to paper for this one. Partially, because I want to provide very little context to the story itself so as not to ruin it for someone. But also, if you’ve never read Simone’s books, you’ve truly never experienced dirty romance that extraordinarily sexy. 😉 Sierra Simone writes with a prose that is equally evocative, exquisite, and erotic. Her stories are full of vivid imagery with storylines that are tantalizing and complex. Truth be told, I often joke with my friends (when asked what I am reading) that it’s ‘Mommy Porn’ but to be clear, I’ve never watched porn that was written with such elegance, skill, or attention to detail. 😊 Yet, Simone’s stories are all written with this and so much more. Not everyone is a fan of Simon’s storytelling though, so a word of caution: if you are a not a fan of BDSM, ménage, dark romance or pagan traditions; or if you’re someone who skims the sexy times in favor of a sweeter storyline, then steering clear of a Sierra Simone story is probably for the best. However, if you’re open to reading an author who pushes you out of your comfort zone and unreservedly pushes your moral boundaries, then look no farther. Sierra Simone is going to awaken your senses in the same manner E.L. James awoke a sleeping giant in erotic romance with her Fifty Shades series. I personally am desperate for more of the Thornchapel series and can’t recommend A Lesson in Thorns enough!!
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About the author
Gothic, steamy, and atmospheric!
3.5⭐️ 4🌶 A Lesson in Thorns is an erotic, gothic story following Proserpina (Poe, for short) and her childhood friends as they navigate their return to Thornchapel manor. I absolutely LOVED the vibes of this book. Sierra Simone's writing, as usual, had me hooked from the very beginning. It's atmospheric, dark, mysterious, and you can almost feel phantom breezes dance along your skin as you read. I got really attached to the scenery and the manor very quickly and it kept me turning the pages. Most of the story is told in first person POV from Proserpina with splashes of third person POV for other characters. I basked in the flow of perspectives and felt that it added a lot to the mystery and emotion. I'm sad that I didn't feel a very strong connection to most of the characters. Proserpina, first and foremost. I liked her, but I found myself wishing I was in anyone else's POV at certain points of the book. And while I love a good why-choose romance, the connections between the main characters (there are six of them) left me wanting. Once I reached the end of the book, I looked back and recognized that the pacing had been throwing me off. So much happened in the last few chapters, we're left on a cliffhanger, and I immediately wanted more. I just wish I felt more of that from the beginning. The plot also felt very "convenient" and while I loved that for the characters, I only "liked" it for me. All that to say, I will definitely be reading book Feast of Sparks, which I've already started. Bring it on, St. Sebastian!
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2020
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- l.i.h.Reviewed in Germany on July 2, 2019
Weird and fun and deliciously, shamelessly horny
