This book sounded so good. I was excited about the fact that the flowers "spoke" to Cornelia, even vibrating when they were trying to warn her of danger. But then, as I kept reading, I realized that the book was less about the magical fantasy and more about a lesbian relationship and a threesome. I am by no means a prude but I am not interested in reading about a threesome, or a lesbian relationship. Needless to say, I did not finish this book. I will rate it at 1 star as I did not like the fact that the book description did not disclose the overwhelmingly LGBTQ theme. I would not have requested the complementary ARC from NetGalley and Harlequin had I been aware. So, thank you but no thanks. This review is my own opinion. I hope I have not offended anyone.

The author’s prose for this darkly whimsical and war based historical fiction is absolutely gorgeous! I found myself highlighting multiple sections and quotes and really enjoyed how elegantly the writing incorporated the story’s theme of flowers. This absolutely made me want to pick up other books by this author so I’ll for sure be adding more Hester Fox to my reading list after reading The Book of Thorns.

Some thoughts after finishing:
I wish the magical elements of this book had been explored just as equally as the romantic interests. The details that were given about the sisters’ special gifts were so conceptually intriguing but still felt very underdeveloped by the end of book.

This book also explores a polyamorous relationship in a historic setting and while the earlier build-up dynamics were truly beautiful, the resulting “throuple” proposition seemed forced upon to some of the participants and I wish this had also been developed further before any actions were taken. I felt the depth of the characters’ connection was a bit diminished after this and there was a definite favorite in the eye of the main character so it made me sad for the lesser favored partner.

Overall, this was a very pretty and well-paced story! I read it in less than a day and would have happily read more had it been even a hundred pages longer!

I’ve read several of this author’s books. This one is so different from the previous ones. It follows two women, each tied to flowers. It has a little of a mystical feel to it and some romance. I can’t say it’s my favorite of hers.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Well, first I will say I finished this in less than a day. I’ve never read anything by this author before and I had no clue what to expect. The writing was very beautiful and different from what I usually read. At first I thought I would have a hard time getting into it, but that proved to be wrong. I will say I loved Lijsbeth more than Cornelia and wanted more of her POV but that’s just me. Really loved the last few chapters especially. Would have liked a little more of the flower magic which I didn’t quite get. Anyway, really enjoyed this, much more than I initially thought I would.

DNF. Publishers need to be more transparent about what the actual story is going to be about. I thought this was about floral magic, two long sisters, Napoleonic War, and romance. What I got was unwanted ménage a trois.

The Book of Thorns by Hestor Fox is a captivating blend of historical fiction and fantasy set against the backdrop of Napoleon's final stand at Waterloo. The story follows Cornelia Shaw, a naturalist with a near-magical ability to heal, and her long-lost sister Lijsbeth, who share the same mystical gifts. Their quest to reunite and uncover the source of their powers is fraught with danger, as accusations of witchcraft and the chaos of war threaten to tear them apart. Fox's writing shines in its vivid descriptions of the natural world and the battlefield, painting a picture of beauty and brutality that captures the essence of the era. With strong characters, intricate plot, and lush prose, The Book of Thorns is a must-read for fans of both genres. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5.

I had never read anything by this author before, so I thought I would give The Book Of Thorns a try.
I found this story to be interesting as it delved into the language of flowers. Using two sisters that are unknown to each other, they finally meet through this pwerful language of flowers. It has shaped both of their lives. Their story of how they came to be and what happened to them, The lengths they went to help each other out was truly inspiring.
..Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this new novel by Hester Fox. I give it a 3 out of 5.

4.5 stars rounded up and my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!

I've been a fan of Hester Fox's work for a long time. A coworker and I were obsessed with Widow of Pale Harbor a while back and were upset to find the Witch of Willow Hall had some questionable stains in the book from a previous check-out. I'm so glad to have my hands on The Book of Thorns because I'd been watching and waiting for it! And it didn't disappoint!

I love unreliable narrators. I love alternate POVs. I love Cornelia and Lijsbeth and the people who love them. I love that Fox skipped right over the potential love triangle and went straight for the better option.

The only thing that ticks off half a point is the time jumps. It's hard to keep track of sometimes, but not enough to make it badly written.

Siri, play Waterloo by ABBA.

3.54 ★

the prose is stunning, but there are sometimes oddly structured sentences. like i don't understand what “Perhaps you do not with anyone else to know what you’re about?” is supposed to mean? maybe this means something in 1800s english, but there are quite a few sentences that appear illogical to me.

the characters are lovable, but not necessarily well written.

lijsbeth, especially, is an archetype—her story plays out like a 2014 wattpad book about a frumpy y/n discovering herself after the football player calls her pretty. she also doesn't actually *do* anything at all throughout the book. everything happens *to* her and then she just goes along with it. the only time she shows any agency is towards the end when she tries saving her sister.

cornelia is more proactive, but in the sense that she's impulsive and does things that don't make sense. her whole relationship with sophie is very ??? i'd never be against an mff relationship ending up exclusively lesbian but ??? cornelia does not like sophie. at all. she's vicious and mean, which i'd love under other circumstances, but not when she's putting down her lesbian lover to uplift her man.

the ending is also very... i can't say forced? because that's one thing this book doesn't do; everything is subtle and flowery. it's just unserious wish fulfillment. in the end, there's a whole spiel about how lijsbeth can't believe she married this random guy who barely knows her, and immediately the husband is like "you can tell me anything you want and i'll love you" and that's it, then they get a happily ever after with a newborn daughter. cornelia ends up with sophie, which is also very question mark. the only reason i can imagine for sophie taking her back is that there were probably three outed gays total in 1815.

the plot is nonexistent, except for cornelia's prison arc in the second half of the book, and even then, she shares the povs with lijsbeth. so this book has actual action about 25% of the time. at best. for a war story, there is a surprising lack of depth to any character or any relationship.

however, i inhaled this in a little more than two hours, so i can't say it wasn't addictive. if you like pretty writing, mindless romance, and period dramas, i'd totally recommend.

The three stars are exclusively for the first half of the book and that bums me out. Magical realism mish-mashed with historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, along with found family tropes. So this should've been right up my alley.

It started off interesting and eye opening (I didn't even realize that floriography was such a big thing, but now all I want is to know more about it), but then it lost pretty much everything that had made it interesting in the first half.

This book is not about two sisters separated as children and then reunited while figuring out this strange magic they have with flowers. The sisters don't meet until almost the end and spend almost zero time together. They also act like it's no big deal to suddenly have a long lost sister.

This book is mostly about two separate women, one who is selfish and one who has no spine, and their "love" lives. The love interests take up a lot of page time and I disliked both aloooot.

The first sister pressures her two lovers into being a throuple with her and very obviously favors one over the other. I don't mind triads but this one felt so manipulative and shallow. The other sister's love interest was okay, but he came off as very bland and almost too perfect. I didn't understand why she loved him or him her, besides that he and all other characters called her beautiful constantly. Oh, and she's almost mute with a stammer so they have no deep conversations with each other but are suddenly in love? Meh.

I would've loved for this to have been more historical magic and less thinly characterized romance.

Oh my gosh I loved this! Absolutely loved this! I want to sing from the rooftops! I have been craving a book set during the Napoleonic war, and this book was an exquisite mix of historical and the occult. What was also interesting is that the heroine is a healer for the French army, not the British, although a mysterious girl that she almost remembers and shares the same magical gifts serves on the other side. What happens next I won't tell you, but I sincerely urge you to read this completely satisfying and wonderful novel that combines magic, medicine, history, and the strong bond between sisters. It was truly one of the best books I have read in a long time! Highly recommended!

Below is my review posted to Goodreads. A link to the review is also included. Thank you!

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First my thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity for an ARC copy of this beautiful novel 🫶

I had not read any Hester Fox novels before this one but I may have to remedy that after reading this.

This book is a wonderful blend of historical fiction, ~witchy~, power of female love/friendship/emotion, and greed of man. Told from the perspective of two sisters with the same beautiful and powerful gift.

This novel is a beautiful depiction of women, their deep love and ability to be selfless to care for the needs of others. How when they love, they love fully. It also shows how deeply they can hate and hold grudges, what they are willing to do to those who hurt the people they love. Both women have to actively choose to see the good around them throughout the story and focus on the people they love to be able to move forward, and if that isn’t something to practice in your daily life, I don’t know what is.

In my opinion, this book is the embodiment of the “Women” meme from Little women. I didn’t anticipate growing to love the characters as deeply as I did, but what can I say but… women!

***spoilers***

I so strongly found myself screaming at Cornelia at the beginning to kill her Uncle AND Reeves and the way they treated her. I really hoped they would get their comeuppance and found myself ecstatic finding out that they both were taken care of in the end. I’m glad Cornelia was the one who was able to get revenge on her Uncle.
I loved following her story and the love she found with Henri and Sophie. I’m so glad she was able to find happiness with Sophie in the end and see the gift that Henri left her in her book.

My heart broke for Lijsbeth and the horrors she dealt with for so many years. When she found William I was so happy for her and was worried it was too good to be true. While I don’t think I personally can forgive William for what he did to Cornelia, I’m glad everything worked out for them in the end and Lijsbeth was finally able to have the family she longed for. (What can I say I’m a woman who holds grudges lol)

When the sisters finally came to terms with their gift, and fully embraced its beauty and terrible power, I couldn’t have been more happy for them. The gift appearing when the women felt love or anger, to me, is a physical depiction of women’s emotions and their capacity for how deeply they feel.

How tremendous, beautiful, is their love; how formidable, fierce, is their anger.

"In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars and the rise of the floriography craze in Europe, two sisters separated at birth are bound together by a secret language of flowers passed down to them by the mother they never knew. When Cornelia leaves her cruel uncle's home to join Napoleon's army as a traveling naturalist, her ability to heal any wound and bring soldiers back from the brink of death earns her praise - and exposes her to those who would exploit her powers for themselves.

Meanwhile, Lijsbeth lives in indentured servitude, her only respite her time spent flower arranging. When she meets a young English soldier and falls in love, Lisjbeth must decide whether to flee the clashing of two great armies at Waterloo or risk everything by staying. As the English and French armies collide in Waterloo, the sisters finally cross paths on opposite sides of the war.

With the sisters reunited on the battlefield, they must work together to solve the mystery of their mother's death, while surviving the war raging around them."

Flowers and the Napoleonic War! That's my jam.

I loved Hester foxs last heir to the Blackwood library so I requested this on NetGalley and was so excited to read it. It was a bit different than what I expected but an entertaining read. When 2 sisters separated at birth find each other they are on opposing sides of the battle of Waterloo, one on the French side and one on the English, one privileged and one poor, one a lady and the other a servant. They are drawn together by the magic of flowers. This story is so many things at once- a story of feminism and women’s rights, a study in Victorian history and the exploitation of women, a tale of class and status, wartime romance that has scenes of polyamorous sex, floriography magic… it’s got so much going on. Ljisbeth and Cornelia are strong female characters and I enjoyed reading about their very different lives. That being said I didn’t connect to them as much as I would have liked to. Also, I felt like the war scenes were somewhat confusing and I had a hard time understanding what was going on and had to go back and reread some parts. I loved how the magic of flowers plays a big role in the story and how it pulls the characters together. The book was tender and heartbreaking at times and I liked the story, just felt that some parts were a bit rushed and abrupt while others were nicely developed. Overall a good read and I am looking forward to reading more by Hester fox. Thank you NetGalley for the advance digital copy.

Great story that was gripping from the get go. Historical setting is weaved in beautiful amongst the

a really gorgeous plant historical fantasy that worked really well. tyssm for the arc. i would recommend this thingy.

I love my girl, Hester. I have loved every one of her books as they tend to skew gothic + witchy + magic. Her newest book, The Book of Thorns, is a departure from these themes, but still with outstanding prose and a fantastic story.

Two sisters, separated by birth, connect via the language of flowers, a talent passed to them both via the mother they never knew. All the while, Napoleon is making his way to Waterloo.

There is war, there is sexual assault, there is abuse. There is also flower arrangements, sisterhood, a little magic and love. There is love.

The women are both well-developed characters and it's insanely refreshing when this happens. Hester has always written full-developed, insightful, smart women.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers, and my girl, Hester Fox, for the opportunity to read and review this book in advance of its release.

An 1800s tale of a noble woman from England and a servant from Brussels (both of whom have a unique affinity for flowers) as they chase love, fight against the laws and lusts of men, and struggle to figure out their true heritage - all while Napoleon makes his way to Waterloo...

I really enjoyed this book, especially the reveals and twists towards the end!! If you've ever read Pamela or Tess of the D'Urbervilles and wished they got to do a bit more vengeance, you'd like this!

The flower symbolism throughout was clever and lovely. I loved our main characters. I was rooting for them from the very beginning! Pacing was good, and all the characters were well developed, even the less important ones had complexity. Despite the 1800s setting, this book explored polyamory, sapphic love, women's rights, PTSD, and selective mutism. I really enjoyed how the book handled these issues as well. The ending was satisfying and well deserved!

Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishers, author Hester Fox, and Netgalley for providing me the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This title will be released on April 02, 2024.

3.5 STARS

BRIEF SUMMARY: The Book of Thorns follows two characters' POVs: Cornelia and Lijsbeth. Cornelia lives in England with her creepy uncle, who is trying to force her into a marriage so that he can profit. She escapes to Paris, where she ends up being recruited to travel as a naturalist with Napoleon's army. In Brussels, orphan Lijsbeth works as a maid in bad conditions. Both girls have an affinity toward flowers that is magical. The return of Napoleon brings both of them love and life changes.

The Book of Thorns is a historical romantic fantasy genre blend. I felt that all three genres were weakly done. The historical framework is important to how the plot progresses but does not provide the rich atmosphere and setting that I prefer. Romance is probably the dominant genre, although none of the characters particularly grabbed me. Cornelia in particular was insufferable at times with her selfishness. She has two love interests: a laundress and a lieutenant. Both of them seemed too good for her. I preferred Lijsbeth's romance because she deserved safety and happiness with someone after going through such harrowing life experiences. However, that romance did not really blossom until near the end. I needed more unique relationship building and quality moments throughout the book.

The prose is purple and flowery but not difficult to comprehend. It lends itself well to the unrelentingly dreary, melancholy tone of the book. NOTE TW/CW: sexual assault, implied rape, miscarriage, death, war violence. The story takes place in 1815, and there is a lot of misogyny and sexism.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Well, this story didn't flow well and I lost interest.

Disappointing.

2☆