I said in a previous post that Sierra Simone is quickly becoming my go to author for erotica but my issues with the last series of hers that I read almost stopped me from picking this book up.  It is the first book in a series that is still being published so I decided to take my chances.  Like the first book in the “New Camelot Trilogy,” this book is a great start…I just hope the quality continues.

From Goodreads:  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 twelve 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…

Things I Liked:

I genuinely liked every main character in this book, which was surprising as there are five of them and I thought it would be hard to keep track of everyone.  And this may sound surprising, but I liked how this book wasn’t all about sex.  Simone takes time for the reader to know the characters so you actually care when they end up in bed together.  Don’t get me wrong, there is sex but not as much as I have come to expect from her books.  I found the main three characters unique and found myself interested to learn the history behind their relationships.  The mystery kept me intrigued and I can’t wait to see what happens in the second book.

Things I Didn’t Like:

I would have liked to learn more about some of the minor characters but I am assuming (hoping?) they will get more pages in the rest of the series.  And while the story was decent for erotica, it was still fairly unbelievable at times. The mystery was more believable than the romances but that may change in future books.

Conclusion:

I would recommend this book if you are looking for an interesting story mixed with erotica but be warned that it is a still in progress series so you will have to wait for the series to be finished (and this book ends on somewhat of a cliff hanger.)  Just be prepared to suspend your belief with the story and you’ll find this an enjoyable read.

Favorite Quote: “But I’m so susceptible to this kind of touch; I bloom like a rose when I’m handled like a weed.”

Author: Sierra Simone

Published:  March 19^th, 2019

Rating: 4 Stars