Twelve years ago my mother disappeared into the fog-shrouded moors of Thornchapel.I left her memory there, along with the others. Of my childhood friends, playing in the woods. Of the crumbling, magical world we found, and of the promises we made beneath the wild roses. I moved on, building a life as a librarian in America, far away from the remote manor where my mother was last seen alive. And … alive.
And then the letter arrives.
A single word, in her handwriting, calling me back to England. Followed by a job offer I could never refuse, from a person I never could resist: Auden Guest. The new owner of Thornchapel, the seductive, elegant man I met as an imperious little boy when we were both children. Inside his private library, I begin to uncover the ancient secrets of the house–and the ones hidden inside my heart.
It’s so very easy to be drawn back into the world of Auden’s friends . . . and into the world of his worst enemy, St. Sebastian Martinez. The beautiful and brooding St. Sebastian is as irresistible as he ever was, and the three of us can’t seem to unknot ourselves from each other. From the hasty promise we three made all those years ago.
As Thornchapel slowly tightens its coil of truths and lies around us, our reluctant threesome starts unravelling into filthy, holy pleasure and pain. Together we’ve awakened a fate that will either bloom like a rose . . . or destroy us all.
From the author of the USA Today bestselling New Camelot series comes an original contemporary fairy tale full of lantern-lit rituals, hungry desire, and obsessions that last for lifetimes…
A Lesson in Thorns is the first book in the Thornchapel Quartet.
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When I saw that Sierra Simone was coming out with another book, I KNEW I had to get my hands on it. Her writing is so unique which makes her books so different from any others I’ve read, which I absolutely love.
Going into A Lesson In Thorns, I had no idea what I was getting myself into BUT WOW! I’m seriously speechless. Once I started, I couldn’t stop reading. The story was so different, almost a mystery, so it was killing me to wait and see what was going to happen!
I don’t want to say too much as this story is one of those books that you HAVE to read and experience. I seriously don’t know how I’m going to wait until the next book as I need all the answers now!! Definitely one of my favorite books this year!
A lesson in Thorns is like a secret garden of all things Sierra Simone. It’s sexy twists, kink, very sex-positive, dominants, submissives, and you can have it any way you like, as long as you think about it first and it hurts no one else. It’s her motto for everything is that you can’t go wrong with enthusiasm! This book sets up what’s coming next. For those not intimidated by uncovering your sexual self.
Sierra Simone is a masterful writer weaving characters, myths and lore, and story lines into a book that delivers so much more than your typical story of a circle of friends. A Lesson in Thorns is the first book in the new Thornchapel series, where we meet the six friends that this series revolves around. They are friends because their parents were friends and as young kids they stumble upon the chapel ruins and now 12 years later they are all back together again, drawn to each other and the chapel ruins. Want, need, love, lust, helplessness, hate, and desire are some of the words that run through your mind as you read this book. And only the mastermind of Sierrra Simone can weave them altogether into a beautifully written story. The next book cannot come soon enough.
WTF!!! WHAT DID I JUST FINISHED READING?!? MIND BLOWING AS SIERRA SIMONE ALWAYS KNOWS HOW TO DO!!! From the Very Moment of Reading A LESSON IN THORNS, you are CAPTIVATED into a World that Only Sierra Simone knows how to Suck You In and Give you a RIDE OF YOUR LIFE!!
A LESSON IN THORNS is about 6 childern- Auden, Proserpina, St. Sebastian, Becket, Rebecca and Delphine…that they spend time with each other almost every summer when their parents get together. Until One day they all wonder into a secret maze of hidden mystery and curiosity which they feel familiar with but not quite sure how. They decided to play “wedding” so they go through the motions of a ceremony and pretend it’s real. And that was the Last Summer they were ever together until 12 Years Later!
I’m not going to Spoil anything for you since there is So much Mysterious Darkness plus an Suspenseful Mind- Fucking of Epic proportions that will have your Jaw Dropping several times!! You WILL not wanna put it DOWN!! Plus there is a bit of BDSM, MMF and FF that has you intrigued with the 6 people that are Now Adults reunited again after 12 years.
A LESSON IN THORNS is Exhilarating Beautifully Written that will Blow Your Fucking Kinky Mind!!
I can honestly say that this NOT YOUR TYPICAL Sierra Simone books so Read with your MIND WIDE OPEN and NEVER LOOK BACK!! Once you start, you will Definitely Devour it in ONE Sitting since there is So Much Different Unique TWISTS AND TURNS of a Rollercoaster RIDE of your LIFE! And there is a Cliffhanger so Hold On Tight!! AND THAT ENDING?!?…F U C K!! SPEECHLESS!! I NEED THAT SECOND BOOK LIKE NOW!!!
Oh my gosh… my mind is completely in disarray.
The story had me in knots. Sierra Simone is a master writer. Her words caress you; lure you in as you slowly descend down into the depths of sensual pleasures. It’s sinful, indulgent and seductive. But more than that, there are secrets hidden within each of the characters and within Thornchapel. There are repressed desires, hidden longings, and the call beckoning them all to heed its cries. There are whispers and murmurs twisting around the six friends and around us and we become tangled up in its grasp that escape may be impossible. Thornchapel will not give up its secrets so easily and once it begins, what will they find? What will it mean for them? They say you shouldn’t go looking for answers unless you want to find them. But the call is too strong and just like the friends, I cannot resist. The story is an absolute feast for the senses. I would give it more than five stars because it is like nothing I’ve read before and I crave more.
***5 ‘Everything Is Possible’ Stars***
And we have another “Where do I even begin?” Book on our hands folks. This one definitely hit my dark and kinky buttons and kept me turning the pages to hopefully get some answers to the little intrigues that surround Thornchapel. But what truly got me were the characters themselves and how fascinated I was by all of them.
Now, I know thinking, “ummm girl they are supposed to fascinate you, that’s why you loved this book” and you are correct, but see, it goes a little deeper than that for me. I’m an observer by nature, I like to watch people interact with each other, animals and the world around them to the point where sometimes I make them uncomfortable because I don’t verbally interact with them (it’s not intentional, I promise) I simply like to get a good read on a person before diving in and this book gave me six subjects that had my brain in its happiest of places because they were all so unique and yet relatable. And since I also got to peek into their minds, well, let’s just say my brain had found its own slice of nirvana. But with my brain all kinds happy, I don’t have a favorite thus far because they all just fascinate me and have me wanting more of them to see where this crazy journey they are on takes them.
This is my first book by the author and I was hooked from the start. It was easy to fall down the rabbit hole with these characters and want to see where their choices took them. This is a read that is a little bit of everything in it, it’s dark, gritty, mysterious and romantic in its own way and filled with so many things simmering beneath the surface that I cannot wait to see how it all turns out!
~ Copy provided by Candi Kane PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
Six kids come back to Thornchapel as adults after being separated for twelve years. The last time they were there with their parents, they found a mystical place where they used to play make believe. Over the years they never forgot it. It stays with them, calling to them. Twelve years later they all return, staying together at the same place their parents brought them to. They are drawn back Thornchapel. What happens there is life changing for all of them.
Sierra Simone is one of the most amazing storytellers I have ever read. This series is going to be epic if A Lesson in Thorns is any indication of what we have to look forward to. The descriptions and background she gives in her stories takes you on a magical ride. One you won’t soon forget. This is one of my top reads of 2019.
First things first: #CoverWIN, not only for its beauty, but for its representation of this story. Well done!
Here’s the thing about stories like this one, you shouldn’t even read the blurb before you begin. You’re going to try to make assumptions about what you’re about to read and more than likely, you’d be wrong. But make no mistake, this story is epic in all the ways. There were countless times I closed my kindle just to stare into space and absorb what was happening. The story is that captivating. But also so much more than that. It’s charged with energy because of its edge factor. You’re sucked in so deeply you literally forget there is world spinning around you. This is the second time this month this has happened to me with a story. It’s not a story you just read, you experience it because it sucks you in. The why of that is a very difficult thing to put into words and describe in a review, but it is an outstanding feeling. You just can’t get enough but yet you can’t stop reading.
The story is woven thru six characters. Six young people who have history. Six friends who are connect by love and hate.,,,and so much more! But at the core of this story there is a romance, and it is gloriously sensual.
This is the part where I tell you I’m not giving you details on the story-line. I know most of you will understand why based on what I’ve shared so far. I will tell you that every page wow’d me. These six young people are in my heart and in my head. I became one of them while I read this story and I can’t wait to continue with Feast of Sparks. Unraveling the mystery that is these six characters is going to be an #Epic2019Read! I feel it!
Sierra Simone knows how to take a story and weave all these little nuances into it and make it exciting and confusing all at once. She creates characters that are dirty and sexy and sweet and intelligent. She describes places with such detail you can actually picture the place in your mind. She’s brilliant and I will admit that sometimes I think her writing is above my intelligence level and most certainly takes me out of my comfort zone.
As clear in A Lesson in Thorns’s synopsis, the focus of the story is on a group friends. They have complicated relationships with each other and are themselves, complicated creatures. Each of them with secrets, desires and a place that pulls them all together.
There is no doubt that Sierra Simone has her own brand of mysticism, sex, myths, religion and love that she mixes all together to entice a reader. I certainly had the internet close at hand to look up some of those myths and definitions because I knew they had meaning and added more depth to the story. Even though a certain plot point felt a little obvious to me, the story kept me thoroughly intrigued.
Her stories are one of my guilty pleasures and A Lesson in Thorns (Thornchapel #1) is just the beginning of the newest one. Thornchapel is a four book series with book 2, Feast of Sparks, not coming quickly enough. Its release date isn’t until June 2019.
6 friends, Secrets, Legends, Betrayals, Filth, Lust, Love – you get everything here. Thornchapel is where everyone’s lives are irrevocably changed forever.
I swear just when I think I can’t love this author’s work more she comes out with a book like this. It’s like NOTHING I’ve ever read. I’m not even sure how to review it to be honest. It’s the kind of book I know I’ll be thinking about for days. Complex, exquisitely written, beautifully erotic and the perfect level of filth to make my dirty romance heart happy.
I will say to you go in blind. Don’t read spoilers. Go in with an open mind. Go in with plenty of time because you will want to binge read this one. Time and responsibilities will cease to exist while you disappear into the world that is Thornchapel and all that entails…
Perfection!!!
This is a story of the lives of six friends that are reconnecting in adulthood. The story revolves around Poe’s mother and the mystery of her disappearance.
Super spicy amazing story. While I was not always sure what was going to happen next, I am happy to go along for the ride. I know that Sierra Simone has a plan and that I will definitely enjoy the journey. This is the first installment of the series. It wraps up nicely, yet leaves plenty of unanswered questions for the remaining books. A great mix of tortured, interesting characters. Plenty of angst and heat. Amazing storytelling.
Ughhhh. I’m totally helpless against anything and everything Sierra Simone. You wanna know my kryptonite? It’s her writing and, honestly, who she is as a person. I admire what she stands for and I’m enamored with the worlds and characters she creates. So from this gushiness you might be able to…maybe…perhaps? ascertain my happiness at the new series she’s publishing—and the sweet agony it’ll be to wait for every book to be released. You might especially appreciate that now that I’ve finished book one, A Lesson in Thorns, I’m in that severe book hangover stage I tend to fall into when I finish one of her novels (which means I instantly texted Court who was on vacation and demanded she start reading it NOW!!).
This Thornchapel Series feels so very British —broody and moor-y and dark and gothic. The cast of characters—Poe, Auden, Saint, Beckett, Rebecca, Delphine, their families and the Thornchapel Estate(because these last two things seem to always add to the atmosphere or looming in the background)— are interestingly entwined. From their childhood “wedding” to their current post-college years that have all brought them back to where they first met, they each have stories that ache with melancholy and longing until they’re all with each other which is when they all seem to finally be able to breathe.
The growing tension between all of these characters, sexual and otherwise, was pitch perfect. I found myself devouring every word because I couldn’t stop myself and I needed, so badly, to see how the tension would break. And break it did..it was magnificent in its symbolism and naughtiness and the deep level in which all the characters seemed to connect.
Other things I enjoyed—Sierra Simone has been really great in making her stories sex positive, kinky af, and she continues to diversify the race and sizes of her characters. All wins in my book.
Speaking of winning, I’m so excited for all of you who get to experience this novel for the first time. And I promise not to spoil anything in my enthusiasm for this new series–I’ll leave the discovery of these characters, their stories and connections for you because you’re going to have so much pleasure in getting to know this group all on your own. That being said, I will say that I’m intrigued about what’s happened in the past, what secrets will be revealed, and how it will all be resolved. I’m looking forward to seeing if Sierra Simone keeps Poe as her main narrator with only certain chapters giving us insight into other characters and their struggles. I’m also wondering if the Markham name has anything to do with the Markhams from the Ivy Series. So many questions and thoughts…
Finally, the ending was the absolute perfect cliffhanger because it..just was. Read it. You’ll see.
If you’re a Sierra Simone fan you are going to LOVE this book. If you’re not a fan, what the hell?!
She has done it again!! When an author consistently puts our book after book that you just can’t help but to love. You know you’ve found one of your favorites. This book truly blew me away. I wanted to know what would happen. Who would it happen to? Who are these people and why were they brought together? All those questions and more can be read in this astonishing book. Can’t wait for book two.
Once again, Sierra Simone has enthralled me with her erotic and poetic words and left me a panting mess needing more of these characters and their story!
Jesus Christ, another pair of underwear has been ruined… as expected with every single book of Sierra’s that I read.
There’s a little bit of love for everyone in this diverse M/F, M/M, F/F, M/M/F orgy, and holy HOT tamale, was it a sinfully sexy scorcher!
Thornchapel is a mystery. It has an unexplainable pull that sucks you in like gravity. Six children went on an adventure and found themselves in the mystical ruins of the chapel… and years later, now as adults, they find the same pull leading them to the same place they met at as kids. There is a higher power at play and ancient pagan rituals that have the heir, the dreamer, the priest, the genius, the socialite and the saint binded and bloodied by thorns keeping them anchored to this magical place and captivated by each other. I couldn’t even tell you why because Thornchapel hasn’t revealed all of its secrets yet but I am completely fascinated by this story.
The way Sierra Simone weaves her words is hypnotic all on its own. This lady could make her grocery list sound poetic and mesmerizing, that’s how amazing of a writer she is. She has yet to disappoint me and always leaves me gasping for breath and craving more of her deeply erotic words.
This series is definitely one to put on your TBR… and one you’ll need to prepare yourself for with a spare change of underwear, an A/C vent to sit on and possibly a cold shower afterwards ‘cause it’s hot enough to make a nun sweat.
They were friends who played and rollicked together twelve years ago. That Summer they spent at Thonchapel, they shared secrets and adventures that would shape them the rest of their lives.
Now, they are brought together by fate or desire to refurbish the stylish old mansion. Each one of them has needs they need to fulfill and that drives them to seek Thornchapel and the old ruins of the old Thorn Chapel and the mystical clearing.
With a touch of Gothic and suspense, our characters collide with their destinies during an Imbolc celebration. They each are awakening to their needs and destiny during that fateful night. Now, there is more to come.
This is a great first installment of this masterful series. I am game for more!
I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Thanks to the author for sharing a copy with me.
Strap on your vibrators, girls, because A Lesson in Thorns is quite possibly the hottest book you will read this year … if ever.
Sierra Simone plays with the idea of Imbolc, a Gaelic festival that, depending on your source, is either religious or pagan. If you have read any of her books, then you know that if there is one thing Sierra Simone does, it’s God colored with pagan.
You meet six people: Rebecca, Delphine, Proserpina, Becket, St. Sebastian, and Auden. Those names, by the way, are significant, as is the name of Becket’s dog, Sir James Frazer. You might want to look them up prior to reading so that you can see how clever Sierra Simone is. The first time you meet these people, they are children; a time jump takes you to them as fledgling adults preparing to celebrate Imbolc.
You have weddings, you have couplings, you have wish fulfillments and crushed hearts. You have love that has percolated until it is ripe and bursting. You have fluidity, both in terms of religion and sexuality. You also have beautiful, lyrical, sublime writing.
I highlighted so many passages as I read this that it is easier to find the words I left behind. Every page is breathtaking. You feel as if Sierra Simone is writing you a poem, a ballad that tells a tale you didn’t know you needed to read.
The sexy times, dear readers, are exquisite. The perfect amount of detail, the perfect pacing, the perfect fueling of your arousal.
Enjoy the layers. Enjoy the friendships, romances, hurts, and pains. Enjoy the complexities of these characters, their feelings, their thoughts. Enjoy Sierra Simone’s purposeful prose. It will invigorate your senses.
And it will make you hunger for the next book in the series.
Is there any story that Sierra Simone could write that I would hate? Maybe……but this ain’t it!! Every…single…word…has a place, a meaning, a feeling. Put all these words together and you get an explosion of emotion like nothing else. She’s written couples and plus one’s and now we have six friends who are deeply, emotionally connected. This, for me in any case, is just more. Steamy as fuck, oh yes, not unexpected for a Sierra story, but this is definitely the one hand variety. Sierra weaves religion, ritual, tradition, and ancient texts with hate, love and lust to bring you a suspenseful, completely intriguing story indeed!
Hold on to your seats this is going to be a hot, steamy and wild ride!!!
-Auden “Audey” Guest
-St. Sebastian “Saint” Martinez
-Becket “Becky” Hess
-Delaphine “Delph” Dansey,
-Proserpina “Poe ” Markham
-Rebecca “Bex” Quartey
As children, Auden Guest’s Estate at Thornchapel was their playground. As Adults it becomes something more.
Proserpina wants to find the reason of the mysterious disappearance of her mother, receiving a cryptic letter it brings her back to Thornchapel. A place from her childhood and the boy she hated herself for loving. After twelve years she is back…those six childhood friends now adults; all back together at Auden’s home, but what’s the real reason they are all there? Mystery, Infatuation, Intrigue, Lust, Secrets that must be solved and so much more. That is what you will get in this book and it is only the beginning as this ends in a major cliffhanger! So many questions I have but I will have to wait for the next book to hopefully have some answers. Get Ready!
Sierra Simone loves to give me books that remind me exactly why I love her writing. She can weave a story that original, captivating, and scandalous. Good luck putting this one down! It can’t be done!! A Lesson In Thorns is dark and spellbindingly epic. These characters are unique, and I loved every minute of this book. Books that can keep me guessing as this one did – I can’t get enough. I am so counting down till the next book comes out. I have no idea where this story is going, and I love it. Sierra Simone could probably write the phone book and make it sound sexy. Her writing is just that good. I’m invested in this story and Sierra is my dealer.