A Lesson in Thorns (Thornchapel Book 1)

This the first book where inner dialogue doesn't bother me! Because here, it's not a narration, it's storytelling and transmitting of feelings done brilliantly.This book is very character and atmosphere driven. It's brilliant how the author explores the minds of the six friends, especially Poe, Auden and St. Sebastian. Their mysteries, their (sometimes yet unknown) pasts, their struggles, all are felt.I can't explain how, but through Poe's inner monologue we are show a lot, not told.I also loved that the author included 2 or 3 chapters with a third person POV showing what each of the other 5 were doing, feeling and thinking. It was great to add to the plot and to the brilliant atmosphere creation.The blurb for this book is terrible and incorrect in some aspects: Poe comes to Thornchapel because she has, for many years, been dreaming of it and of the 5 other kids with whom she spent a summer there years ago. And to find about her mother who disappeared. And because she was offered a librarian position to catalogue the vast library.She hopes to see Auden, whom she married, along with St. Sebastian, when they were 7-10 (can't remember).There she finds not only these two, but also the remaining group - some have a complicated relationship with this house and none has forgotten that summer.There's so much more to tell you about the first 5% of plot that it's just better if you go and read it 🤷‍♀️Since the beginning, there is a paranormal feel to the book and there are several mysteries and secrets to be unravelled during the series, as not all are in this book.In this first book, we see the the established relationships that exist between the group since Poe left change (the good and the bad), see how they go back to the group bonds of friendship and love that existed when they were children and how sexual they are becoming. All with the (apparent, as I can't be certain without finishing the series) influence of Thornchapel.Whoever marketed or reviewed this book as pure smut, probably didn't read it. This is actually a slow burn... the sexual tension is there from the beginning (duh), but nothing happens until the last third of the book. When it does, it's HOT though 🥵😏Why not 5 stars? Because there was a bit of "stalling" where the pace fell unnecessarily after the 50% mark. It didn't last long - or the rating would be lower - but I can't give a perfect score if the book is not perfect for me. This one is ALMOST perfect though 😊It ends in a cliffhanger, just as a discovery is made. While I go fetch the next book in the series, I'm leaving you with a couple of highlights that won't spoil the plot:"I want to heal him and I want to hurt him. All because of one broken kiss."--"And taking the time to prove to someone that they’re worthwhile and enough . . . isn’t that love? Isn’t that what love is for?”--"there’s something fundamentally beautiful about pain and pleasure mixing together, because that’s real life, right? Being alive means the harsh is mixed in with the good, and every time I get to choose the harsh for myself, it loses its sting. Every time I taste the bitter and survive, I’m all the stronger to enjoy the sweet.”

2.5 starsWell, "Waking the Moon" this definitely wasn't. Disappointing, very much so. As someone who loves both the classic gothic genre and literary smut, I'd hoped this would be a combination of Victoria Holt and Anais Nin. I wanted fog-shrouded mystery, ancient rituals, creepy castles and The Story of O.Not. Even. Close.What I got instead was a mishmash of unnecessary angst, a vapid heroine with all the depth of a puddle and so much obvious that there were no real surprises. The supposed sexy/erotic times were incredibly prosaic and despite all the promised kink and debauchery, fell rather vanilla flat. In fact, I didn't find anything "erotic" at all. This was a book that tried way too hard to be too many things and did not succeed at any of them. Even the characters' literature derived names came off more as a gimmick.I'm not a big fan of over-angsty stories and this book is one of the many reasons why. The angst here felt like a typical checklist of angst - brooding hero (in this case two of them), messed up heroine, some kind of "deep dark secret", trauma porn, etc.Been there, read that, next.To be perfectly honest, the three main leads - Proserpina (aka Poe), Auden, and St. Sebastian - were total cardboard cutouts instead of these sexy, dynamic personalities I'd been promised by the blurb. On the other hand - Rebecca, Delphine and Becket - were actually the most fascinating of the sextet and felt like people I wanted to know more about.I have a non-negotiable rule concerning heroines: I must like them, must feel invested in their welfare and happy ending. Even when they're difficult, my heroines must have facets that I either understand or can sympathize with.Proserpina Markham is NOT one of these heroines. In short, she was freaking annoying.She's so smart and why did I know this? Because she kept telling me she was, kept mentioning her skipping grades and getting her doctorate before she was twenty-one. All that brilliance yet she needed Google translate to define a mysterious Latin word which she could have easily figured out on her own, given that she was super smart, right? All that brilliance and yet she constantly referred to herself as a "sex monster" anytime she had a dirty thought (and she had a lot of them). The first time I read those two words I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Surely a brilliant young woman with an advanced degree in Library Science would have had a better and more literary way to describe her desires other than "sex monster". And not once, but I lost count of the usage of said descriptor at TEN. After the third time, I started thinking about Ana Steele and her infamous "inner goddess". That's not promising.Poe is the novel's ingenue, returning to the gothic and mysterious Thornchapel at the behest of the new lord of the manor (and once best friend) Auden Guest, who needs her to catalog the manor's immense library. She's also looking for her mother, who somehow disappeared without a trace. Of course, these two have a history, as do the other five people who spent an unforgettable experience together as children. And of course, Poe and Auden somehow have the hots for each other because, reasons. And they have the hots for the other broody emo guy St. Sebastian, who also has the hots for both of them, but hate/loves Auden at the same time. A lot of the book is wasted with these three playing will they/won't they/why the hell should they/push and pull/feel bad about it/lather, rinse, repeat.Face-palm. Yawn.I guess I should say something about Auden and St. Sebastian but I really just found them so meh and wanted them to either hurry up and bang each other or jump off a cliff. Angsty bad boys/rich boys are just so yesterday.The other three characters - Rebecca, Delphine and Becket - were also a part of the band of young children who became tied to Thornchapel as well and really, they seem the most fully fleshed, though the sexy and naughty priest character has been done before - and better - by Tiffany Reisz. I mean who can possibly forget about Soren?I have A LOT to say about Rebecca, who's the sole visible character of color (though it's revealed later that St. Sebastian is Mexican and British yet still codes as default white). Rebecca's Black, from Ghana, and that's the only physical description the author saw fit to give her save the fact that she had braids. All of the other characters are described in some detail, especially the main three. Even St. Sebastian's lip piercing was treated as a tantalizing entity. Apparently Rebecca's angst stemmed from often being the lone person of color in predominantly white spaces, especially in her chosen profession, so she pushes herself to overachieve. Really? So many things for the visible heroine of color to struggle with and the author chose the lowest hanging fruit. The fact that Rebecca was erased in this way is sadly par for the course in a lot of books and why some authors just shouldn't try to diversify their stories, especially when they do such a half-baked job of it. I mean did Rebecca look like Zendaya Coleman or Kerry Washington or Lupita Nyong'o? Contrary to popular opinion, all Black people don't look alike. We're not interchangeable. And unfortunately there are readers so steeped in anti-Blackness that they will envision Rebecca as close to the default as possible because the idea of a visibly Black heroine as both brilliant landscape architect as well as love interest or lust object (especially to non-Black men) is too much for them to take. I shouldn't be surprised at the fail, but given all the discussions on Romance Twitter in regards to inclusion and diversity, I had hoped for better. Rebecca as a heroine - who's a Domme by the way - deserved better representation. I mean, she's a Dominant - think of all the issues that could have presented.My issue with Delphine is how problematic I find the use of sexual trauma as some raison d'etre. I loved the fact that she was fat, unapologetic and on a mission to live her truth, to show a judgmental world that beauty isn't about size. I liked the idea of her as social media influencer. I'm not against the idea of characters surviving abuse or assault, but it's important for that to not be "the thing" which defines them or which only needs great sex to overcome it.Then, there's Becket, and for some weird reason I kept wondering if someone would make a Henry II joke. He's the least angst ridden of the five. He's also the most decisive.Oh, and Poe is a virgin but she's also into kink. Now I definitely found that pretty cool considering that romance tends to treat contemporary female virgin heroines like they're transplants from the 1800's or something. Poe actually has sexual feelings and attractions while she also can get off on pain. Speaking of which, my guess is that the characters are all bisexual but it felt unfinished. I did read a review in which a pan-romantic/pan-sexual reviewer felt her existence was being erased. I kind of got that vibe too. I'm cool with bi representation, but this seemed too convenient. Six people who haven't seen each other in years suddenly get together and they're all bi? What are the odds? Oh, and apparently their parents were also bi and/or into kinky stuff too.Uh. Yeah.Of course, this ended on a cliffhanger (something else I hate) and there are four more books in the series, but given the clues that weren't that difficult to find, I pretty much have an idea of the overarching plot and perhaps the ending. Honestly I'm just not invested in the story overall and since the three characters I liked aren't the focal point, I have no interest in continuing. My dream novel would star Rebecca, Delphine and Becket having wild kinky sex while Poe, Auden and St. Sebastian angst and emo their way into oblivion.Oh, the extra half star is for mentioning Italian goth-metal band Lacuna Coil, whom I've been a fan of for years and have seen twice.

This book is a complex and engaging story that skillfully weaves together themes of angst, suspense, lust, and love. The majority of the story is told through the first-person point of view, with each character bringing their unique and captivating perspective to the narrative.From the outset, the book establishes a hot and steamy tone, maintaining a steady pace of mystery and sexual tension throughout, punctuated by numerous scorching scenes between the characters. Despite years of separation, the bonds between the friends remain strong and they quickly fall back into their old dynamic upon reuniting at Thornchapel. The way the characters are drawn to each other and to the setting of Thornchapel is masterfully done, with a strong sense of mystery and surrealism permeating the narrative and creating a deep connection to the past.Overall, this book is a compelling read that leaves the reader eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.

This novel could have been really good - a gothic mystery with some really lovely, evocative writing. If I had to say what genre this falls under, though (erotic fiction or a gothic mystery), I couldn't wholeheartedly say either. I've just finished it and can't say 'wow, that was a brilliant mystery'. Nor can I say it fully ticked the boxes of erotic writing.I feel that the author was at their best when writing in the third person (the books flits between the first-person view of Poe) and then third-person pieces that give an overview of other characters' thoughts and feelings. I got a bit fed up with Poe's voice and descriptions of herself to be honest (the number of times she referred to herself as sex monster was quite dull).What I liked about this book initially is it seemed like it was going to be a solid mystery with elements of the erotic. Unlike full-on erotic books (where plot seems to be sacrificed in order to get on to the first sex scene, then the next and the next), this built slowly. However, once the erotic elements appeared, they seemed to take centre stage and the mystery fell by the wayside.What I really objected to most, though, is that this isn't a complete novel. I wouldn't say so much it ends on a cliffhanger as it ends with numerous threads left unresolved. The reader will have to buy the next novel to find out what happens. I dislike this trick, which seems to be becoming more prevalent among authors. While I have no objection to series that are linked, I still feel that things can be tied up - so if the reader wants to continue they can, but if they don't they feel satisfied enough having read the first book. This, really, is just an unfinished story.So, you've been warned - don't bother with it if you're a reader who likes loose ends being satisfactorily tied up. Especially as I'm not certain there's enough in this book to have me reaching eagerly for the next.

WOW this book! I just have no words,this story was memorising right from the off,unique,mind-blowing ,a captivating story that's addictive in the story telling that will have you enthralled because this isn't just a story that is unravelling,it will unravel you in the most sensual way,just where do i start with this review.This starts with how six young children spent one summer together at Thornchapel while there parents where holed up in the library and how they became connected to this place.They feel it's calling when they all meet up again twelve years later.The six characters were all different and very charismatic in there own way.The mystery that surrounds this story is captivating plus there are so many lies,betrayals and truths that will keep you intrigued through out with the need to find out what they are, that it will keep you on the edge of your seat with it all.I don't want to say to much and spoil the plot, you will just need to go pick this book up as trust me this is totally phenomenal.This is a haunting story that will weave around your heart,the dynamics between them all is off the charts smoking hot,the chemistry is just sizzling phew!!I forgot how much i freaking love this author and her style of writing she is just pure genius.Five Huge Smoking Hot Stars.

I found this book and honestly the cover was pretty so I dove in headfirst with less than no idea what it might be about or what I could expect. I didn't even know which genre the book was with any kind of certainty but it ended up being exactly what I never knew I needed, much like some of the characters. This book stole my breath away and I devoured it in just a few hours. Luckily it's the weekend and I'm ill. I didnt feel lucky about that until right this moment but it means that nobody is going to disturb me while I lose myself in the completely delightful, mysterious and often blissfully painful events at Thornchapel.

I have no idea what I thought I was picking up when I started to read this, but it sure wasn't it.I loved the premise and the story was unique, I just felt the execution could have been better. The writing was gorgeous but somewhere along the way the plot started to get lost in favour of relationships that didn't always feel totally authentic. I'm intrigued to know what happens but having seen a handful of spoilers I doubt I'll continue.It's tough to review without giving anything away, but if you're looking for more of a dark romance than mystery, this is definitely up your avenue.

I'm extremely grateful and generally over the moon to have discovered this writer and this book, I can see there are three more in the set and I'll be purchasing them too.The language used, the characters, the plot it's all fabulous. Do yourself a favour and read this book.