They were never supposed to want each other—but Thornchapel doesn't care about rules.
From the author of the
USA Today
bestselling Priest and New Camelot series comes a high-heat, gothic, dark academia fairy tale full of lantern-lit rituals, foggy moors, and obsessions that last for a lifetime.
Twelve years ago, Proserpina Markham walked away from Thornchapel, the eerie manor tucked deep in the moors, and the two boys who split her heart in two: the golden and commanding Auden Guest, and his broken, brooding enemy, Saint Sebastian Martinez.
Now she's back.
The gardens are still overgrown. The chapel still locked. The house still full of secrets and shadows. And so are they.
But nothing about Thornchapel is ever simple.
As Proserpina is drawn back into a tangled web of old friendships, ritual magic, dark lust, and forbidden bonds, she finds herself caught between Auden's sharp dominance, Saint's aching loneliness, and the centuries-old story they've unknowingly stepped into.
The house wants something.
The land remembers everything.
And Thornchapel is ready to bloom again—with pleasure, pain, and prophecy.
Delicious tropes:
Dark academia
Gothic vibes
Forbidden love
Enemies to lovers
and
friends to lovers
Secret rituals
MMF love triangle (and then some)
Found family
Lush, literary vibes
Rave reviews:
"This stunningly evocative novel is a triumph.
A masterpiece.
A tour de force. I'm spellbound by her lyrical prose, incredible characterization, and the pure steam coming off the pages.
No one writes romance like Sierra Simone.
" — K.A. Linde,
New York Times
bestselling author
"It's evocative, sumptuous, and downright filthy.
AND I AM HERE FOR IT
." — Kendall Ryan,
"Literal literary porn.
Breathtaking
." — Emma Hart,
"A Lesson In Thorns is an utterly breathtaking masterpiece with its poetic prose and unimaginable details.
I'm transfixed. I'm addicted. And I'm in love
." — Carrie Ann Ryan,
"Sierra Simone is a genius who will have you believing in love, longing, kink and pagan magic. Not only are her words beautiful, but
her characters are equal parts raw, real, magical, and kinky
. Two words for you, Auden and St. Sebastian!" — Nana Malone,
"A decadent web of mystery, lust, and angst—
A Lesson in Thorns is my top read of the year!
" — Ella James,
"Ms. Simone, you filthy, dirty, brilliant woman. This was so enrapturing and stunningly sexy." — ★★★★★ Goodreads review