A Lesson in Thorns

Publisher's Summary

When librarian Poe Markham takes the job at Thornchapel, she only wants two things: to stay away from Thornchapel’s tortured owner, Auden Guest, and to find out what happened to her mother 12 years ago. It should be easy enough-keep her head down while she works in the house’s crumbling private library and while she hunts down any information as to why this remote manor tucked into the fog-shrouded moors would be the last place her mother was seen alive. But Thornchapel has other plans for her...

As Poe begins uncovering the house’s secrets, both new and old, she’s also pulled into the seductive, elegant world of Auden and his friends-and drawn to Auden’s worst enemy, the beautiful and brooding St. Sebastian. And as Thornchapel slowly tightens its coil of truths and lies around them, Poe, Auden, and St. Sebastian start unraveling into filthy, holy pleasure, and pain. Together, they awaken a fate that will either anoint them or leave them in ashes....

From the author of the USA Today bestselling New Camelot series comes an original fairy tale full of ancient mysteries, lantern-lit rituals, jealousy, money, murder, sacred torment, and obsessions that last for lifetimes....

A Lesson in Thorns is the first of four books in the Thornchapel series.
 

©2019 Sierra Simone (P)2019 Sierra Simone

Hope they recast for the next books

Some of my favorite audio books are by Sierra Simone so I was excited to give this one a try. The narrator for his book killed it for me (in a bad way). There were so many mouth sounds, and she was so breathy it was highly distracting. The sample seemed ok, but once I was into the book I couldn’t focus they were so noticeable. Sometimes she also seemed to over act and sounded really corny.
The story starts slow in the beginning and is setting up for the other books in the series. It picks up more towards the end leaving you wanting to know more. The book was like reading a really long prologue. So it left me curious enough to want check out the second book. This book on its own wasn’t anything remarkable so I’m baffled by the ratings. Some of my favorite books are part of a series where when rated individually they are ok, but as a whole the series is amazing. I hope that’s the case with these books. Also I’m not sure if maybe the narration is the reason I didn’t like it more. It was hard to connect and get into the story with the narration.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I’m so disappointed

I expect so much from SS and this was horrible. It was 99% sexual frustration across 5 people. “I want to, but I can’t” over and over. It was maybe 3 chapters of introduction lengthened to a full book. I had to increase to a ridiculous speed hoping it would get somewhere. Only the last 30 minutes was interesting. It is supposed to be a 4 book series but it obviously isn’t if the first book is so unsatisfying. I’m just sad. Lost faith in SS

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Hard to get into at first but overall, intriguing

I love Sierra Simone books and got hooked with the American Queen series...this was different and I did not care for the narrator...six characters to deal with and very intriguing...of course I have to wait for the next book

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

It’s like I was being read the script to a bad lesbian BDSM for dummies porno at high speed! hotness level 2 on a scale of 1-10

Not sure where the 9 five star recommendations came from, but here’s an HONEST review!
Let me start by saying that I love Sierra’s past work. The American Queen series and Priest were amazing, hot, and I loved every minute. (Except for Guy Locke’s narration 🤮) That being the case I was ecstatic when this book became available on audible. That was the most exciting moment of the whole book, the moment it was released. Everything from there was excruciating! First of all the first thing I thought upon hearing the first chapter was OMFG please tell me this is a mistake and that the narrator is going to get better. Well, that was not the case. This narrator goes in my top 5 for worst narrators ever! She reads soooo fast that you can’t even grasp what’s being said. I like to visualize the story as I listen, but being that it was read in record breaking speed I was not able to. Second and MOST annoying are the mouth noises. Yup!!! You heard me. You get to enjoy hours of a speed reader making mouth noises. She has no variation from character to character, so everyone sounds the exact same. Ok enough about the horrible narrator. Let’s move onto the story. I know that Sierra likes to tell “fairytales” that being said it’s nice to have a story that is somewhat believable. I can’t tell you how many times I rolled my eyes at this story. Well, what story there was. It felt like I was being read the script of an awful Porno, but there was hardly any sex. I thought there would be mystery or something to make me want to keep listening. Nope, just a ridiculous, completely unbelievable fairytale about 6 people who are all sexually connected. Oh that sounds fun doesn’t it? 6? Yeah no, it had potential to be super hot. Unfortunately the HUGE sex scene (insert sarcasm) we waited the whole book for was in fact 2 GIRLS getting it on. WHOAAAAA Nelly! What I thought was going to be an entertaining orgy was a couple of lesbians. I do not in fact like to listen to lesbians having sex. 🤮 no where in the description does it hint that this is going to be the outcome. So 1) awful narrator 2) ridiculous story 3) no hot sex (unless girls are your thing) 4) it was like a bdsm handbook was being read to me. Like I’m ok with bdsm In a book, but please don’t treat me like I’m dumb and have never listened to bdsm. I don’t need explanations. If I had to sum up this whole book it would be this: bad lesbian porno with bdsm for dummies. Ok so that makes it sound a little hot. I guarantee it’s not. There was absolutely nothing that would make me want to continue with book 2. I am so relieved it’s over. I hate to dnf a book, but I was so close so many times. I just kept hoping that the end would be worth all the pain. It wasn’t. Sierra, I love you, but your taste in narrators is just plain awful and this is not your best work. Sorry love. Pretty sure that’s why there’s no reviews, no one knows how to sum up what was just listened to. 😖 If you plan on making book 2 into an audio you’d be foolish not to switch narrators.

2 of 4 people found this review helpful