A Lesson in Thorns follows 6 friends that reunite where it all started 12 years ago. Proserpina Markham has returned to Thornchapel to help organize the library there. Poe meets both St. Sebastian Martinez and Auden Guest who is the new owner of Thornchapel. Poe hasn't seen St. or Auden since she was the bride and both men were "married' on the alter of the chapel. The three can't seem to not be drawn together as they navigate their new world of pain and pleasure. I want to thank both NetGalley and Bloom Books for letting me read an advance copy of this book.

A Lesson in Thorns begins with Proserpina, aka Poe, returning to Thornchapel, a gothic mansion in the English countryside. Right away, Simone sweeps you away into this world of old books, mysterious houses and labyrinthine gardens. Poe is looking for closure on events that happened 12 years in the past after being sent a cryptic note in her mother's handwriting that was addressed from Thornchapel. But her mother has been missing for years and she jumps at the chance to find out what happened to her. The six friends that played at this house 12 years ago are all brought back together and are determined to discover the secrets of Thornchapel.

The atmosphere Simone creates is perfect! This would be a perfect book to read on a cozy, rainy day. I can't wait to see what happens in the rest of the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved the dark academia vibes, occultism , power of rituals, very smutty (ofc) but felt it was more so than her other books? Overall I enjoyed it, maybe not one to read in public lol

The concept was intriguing and I appreciated many of the themes but there was a trope I was not a fan of. I also had some issues with pacing for this one

Simone is a must read automatic author favorite of mine. I have read other series by her but ThornChapel was new. I enjoyed it so much. It was a bit of a fantasy story mixed with friendship and family lore. It had a lot going on but Simone's writing is captivating and it kept my attention. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I have loved everything I’ve read by Sierra, this follows along the same path. I loved the slow burn and the tension and I loved the mystery of Thornchapel . The spice was exactly what you expect and love from her and it didn’t become the entire plot which was really nice. I’m looking forward to embarking further on our journey of Thornchapel!

I'm always pleasantly surprised by Sierra Simone's prose. It's very strong, her voice is always so uniquely hers. This had that dark academia, "Sonne" by Rammstein vibe and the kinky fuckery we've come to love from Sierra's novels.

Lots of build up to the end, a bit anticlimactic but still a very good novel.

Sierra Simone killed it as usual. Bdsm, bi characters, a priest, everything you love about a Sierra Simone book and more is in this. Throw in some secrets, a sex ritual and this is a book I shouldn’t have read in public

This book felt like all smut and no plot to me. These characters were adults that felt deeply connected to a fake wedding they performed when they were children. None of them executed any self control or acted maturely. They basically all desired each other in a plethora of different ways and the reader just had to sit through every combination of people. This book wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This has spooky, dark academia vibes (despite not actually being in an academic setting) and is interestingly thoughtful about the role of ritual. It is also a fun book about six friends who are intensely sexually obsessed with one another and use kink to find meaning in that obsession and in themselves.

Once I was able to figure out the plot of the book I did enjoy it. I was not a fan of the FMC or their name as it was difficult to read and she was frustrating but I enjoyed where the book was going. I will continue the series to see

🌑 A sensual, gothic, and dark academia fairy tale steeped in mystery and longing. 🌑

If you crave a story where secrets and desires coil together beneath lantern-lit halls and ivy-covered arches, A Lesson in Thorns delivers. Sierra Simone, known for pushing the boundaries of erotica and romance, weaves a haunting tale as lush and wild as the moors outside Thornchapel.

✨ The Story:
Twelve years ago, Proserpina Markham left Thornchapel—and the two boys who claimed pieces of her heart—far behind. Returning now, she finds herself once again ensnared by the decadent and magnetic Auden Guest, as well as his enigmatic rival, the brooding St. Sebastian Martinez. The past and present collide, and their knot of attraction cannot be easily unraveled.

In the shadowed halls and secret gardens of Thornchapel, a pledge made years ago whispers through the corridors, calling them into a centuries-old fate. It’s a dark, seductive world filled with forbidden rituals, a heady mix of pleasure and pain, and the kind of love that blurs all boundaries. As Thornchapel’s secrets are slowly revealed, Proserpina, Auden, and St. Sebastian must face whether the roses it nurtures will bloom into rapture—or be their destruction.

🌹 Why You’ll Love It:
• Dark Academia Vibes: Atmospheric, gothic setting with an intellectual twist.
• Intense, High-Heat Romance: Sierra Simone’s signature sensuality pushes the envelope with a complex love triangle.
• Intriguing Mysteries & Rituals: A centuries-old curse, whispered promises, and an undercurrent of magic and danger.
• Emotional Depth & Forbidden Love: A story that delves into the sacred and the profane, testing the strength of devotion.

Immerse yourself in a spellbinding tale that captures the exquisite ache of old secrets and dangerous yearnings. A Lesson in Thorns is for readers who want their romance shrouded in misty gardens, candlelit rituals, and the promise that nothing—and no one—is quite what they seem.

📖 #BookReview #SierraSimone #ALessonInThorns #DarkAcademia #GothicRomance #HighHeatReads #RomanceReaders #ForbiddenLove #Bookstagram #BookTok #MustReadRomance

If you like this author, you will like this book. She does spice scenes very well and they are on full display in this book. I don’t read a lot of books this explicit very often, I have to be in just the right mood. But when the mood strikes this is one of the authors I lean towards. This one was a treat in that it has multiple spice scenes, not just one or two. This book does have a slight plot, but that won’t be what you’re reading for. I think that the atmosphere was well done, and the characters were developed enough for the story. This one does involve group scenes, which again, is not something I read often, but this one was done very well. I think that this is a fun read, just don’t go into expecting a super deep story. The story is nice, and there, just not the focus.

If you’re looking for group spice, then you need to check this one out.

Honestly, I read a lot of smut and this book was a little too much for me. Not even in content, more in just how it was written. I've read lots of books with themes similar to this one but the way this was written just felt uncomfortable. Something that bothers me in books like this is when there are prologues that show the characters as children and then we jump ahead to them as adults and the theme is just immediately sexual. The tone just feels off and I feel like this book just never quite recovered from that. Unfortunately I don't feel like I am the right person for this book.

I definitely thought there would be more spice!! There was so much internal/solo spice but I’m ready for everyone to enjoy everyone (ha)! The build up and tension of this was rough! I’m very intrigued to see where this story goes and see where the mystery falls.
I can only imagine that book 2 will be more intense!

This was a very well written book. I’m glad I got to read an arc of this. I can’t wait to see what else comes out.

I love every book this author writes. She manages to make all things taboo seem anything but. This book was dark and gloomy and a bit creepy. But it was also sexy and hot and oh, so filthy. I couldn’t put it down once I started. Thornechapel and its visitors completely sucked me in and I couldn’t look away.