A Lily Among Thorns

Aug 24, 2012 Miss rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay guys you all know this story. There's a man with pain in his past and a dangerous reputation. He's got walls round his emotions a mile thick and it's going to take a very special person to break through them. Enter our lady, stubborn and compassionate and exactly the kind of sweetheart who can slip in sideways through the cracks. Lots of push-pull, emotional progress hard won and then finally FINALLY a happy ending.

Now let's take all that and enjoy some genderswap!

A Lily Among Thorns is abo...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Laura Ashlee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, 2011

There were things I liked and things I didn’t like. I’ll begin with what I did like.

Solomon. He is one of my favorite characters ever. He’s so precious with his wacky interest in chemistry and matching colors. He spends the entire book trying to find a color to match Serena’s eyes. I also love how he surprises Serena constantly with curiosity about the men she’s been with, because he wants to know about their stays. Or his horror at some of the waistcoats men wear. He cracks me up constantly in...more There were things I liked and things I didn’t like. I’ll begin with what I did like.

Solomon. He is one of my favorite characters ever. He’s so precious with his wacky interest in chemistry and matching colors. He spends the entire book trying to find a color to match Serena’s eyes. I also love how he surprises Serena constantly with curiosity about the men she’s been with, because he wants to know about their stays. Or his horror at some of the waistcoats men wear. He cracks me up constantly in this book. I love all the little things about him that Serena falls in love with. He’s just amazing. I wouldn’t say he holds the weight of the book, but he holds a lot of it.

The truth about Elijah. I was pretty surprised when the truth about Elijah (Solomon’s twin brother) came to light. I was also glad. I loved Elijah. There wasn’t nearly enough of him in the book and he was a pretty complicated character.

The things I didn’t like so much…

Serena. Okay, so that’s not totally true. I did like Serena. I thought she was even a great character sometimes. She was just so stubborn, and I hate that. I hate watching a woman ignore what’s right in front of her because she thinks things will be better that way. They’re never better that way. It makes everyone miserable, including this reader. I was so annoyed every time she shut Solomon down. It took almost all 317 pages for her to get herself together and admit how she felt. Though, I have to say that was one of the sweetest speeches ever. For the most part though, she drove me insane.

It was pretty slow. I’m not saying that there are things I’d cut out. It just wasn’t as fast paced as I wanted it to be. It didn’t really pick up until about 210 pages in, and that’s a long time for a 317 page book. I really like things to take off in the beginning. But if they don’t, I like for them to pick up within the first seventy or so pages. It took me far too long to get invested in this one. Still, if you like historical romances and a to-die-for guy, you should consider picking this one up.(less)

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Oct 05, 2011 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I reviewed this on my blog www.bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com

Rose Lerner had me at a title of this book. “Like a lily among the thorns, so is my darling among the maidens.” No doubt you’ve heard this quote at least once in your life. It’s from Song of Solomon 2:2 and sets a perfect plot for this love story. Make no mistake; this is one heart pounding, heart wrenching all out heartwarming love story.

Solomon Hathaway’s friends from Cambridge thought it was time he lost his virginity, so they bro...more I reviewed this on my blog www.bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com

Rose Lerner had me at a title of this book. “Like a lily among the thorns, so is my darling among the maidens.” No doubt you’ve heard this quote at least once in your life. It’s from Song of Solomon 2:2 and sets a perfect plot for this love story. Make no mistake; this is one heart pounding, heart wrenching all out heartwarming love story.

Solomon Hathaway’s friends from Cambridge thought it was time he lost his virginity, so they brought him to the best whore house in London. Young Solomon dreaded as much as he anticipated this encounter. Once left alone with a young woman who to his keen eye looked almost pathetic, he couldn’t go through with it and as he’s about to bolt out of the room, he throws to her his whole allowance and heads for the proverbial ‘hills’!

Seven years later, Solomon is in a need of help recovering stolen earrings that belong to his family, and he’s pointed in a direction of Lady Serena, who is known to have been a bed partner of many, but now is an inn owner with a lot of ties to the underworld of London. Solomon needs only one look of her in the dark to realize that in front of him is a beautiful woman and not that pathetic girl from long ago.

Lady Serena made a mistake seven years ago by falling in love with a young footman in her father’s house and by trying to run way with him she sealed her fate and took a hold of the rains of her future by becoming a prostitute. On that long ago, but never forgotten night, when a young man showed her compassion by giving her his purse filled with a lot of money, she makes the decision to become her own person, however flawed.

Seven years later, she remembers it all like it happened the day before and her feelings are confusing her. This woman is not a meek person. She’s strong, fiercely independent and she never wants or needs any man to lord over her. She’s not used to showing her feelings and affections not because she can’t or won’t but because she doesn’t know how. She’s never received hugs or words of love, so once she gets exposed to it, she’s literally in a panic and her physical reaction of being suffocated is something she is unable to control.

No way in hell can you read this love story and not feel for these two. Their HEA is fraught with intrigue, pain, regrets and suffering, but neither was willing to give up on each other until they faced the only enemy that stood in their way-Serena’s fear of losing her self-worth.

Everything in this book was superb, from the writing, the dialogue, and the plot and secondary characters. It all flowed seamlessly with a perfect pace. Speaking of secondary players, I loved them all. From Rene, the French Spy to Sophy, her right hand at the ‘Arms’; from his family to her ‘family’ of misfits! All of them pulled at my heartstrings, especially the secondary love story of two spies. Even that was pulled off with grace and such wonderful care!

If you’re in a mood for a character driven love story full of intrigue, passion and plenty of suspense, I recommend this book with all my heart! Now, I need to get me Ms. Lerner’s first book “In For a Penny”. I have no doubt that I’ll love it as much as this one.

Melanie(less)

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Oct 02, 2011 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rose Lerner had me at a title of this book. "Like a lily among the thorns, so is my darling among the maidens." No doubt you've heard this quote at least once in your life. It's from Song of Solomon 2:2 and sets a perfect plot for this love story. Make no mistake; this is one heart pounding, heart wrenching all out heartwarming love story.

Solomon Hathaway's friends from Cambridge thought it was time he lost his virginity, so they brought him to the best whore house in London. Young Solomon drea...more Rose Lerner had me at a title of this book. "Like a lily among the thorns, so is my darling among the maidens." No doubt you've heard this quote at least once in your life. It's from Song of Solomon 2:2 and sets a perfect plot for this love story. Make no mistake; this is one heart pounding, heart wrenching all out heartwarming love story.

Solomon Hathaway's friends from Cambridge thought it was time he lost his virginity, so they brought him to the best whore house in London. Young Solomon dreaded as much as he anticipated this encounter. Once left alone with a young woman who to his keen eye looked almost pathetic, he couldn't go through with it and as he's about to bolt out of the room, he throws to her his whole allowance and heads for the proverbial `hills'!

Seven years later, Solomon is in a need of help recovering stolen earrings that belong to his family, and he's pointed in a direction of Lady Serena, who is known to have been a bed partner of many, but now is an inn owner with a lot of ties to the underworld of London. Solomon needs only one look of her in the dark to realize that in front of him is a beautiful woman and not that pathetic girl from long ago.

Lady Serena made a mistake seven years ago by falling in love with a young footman in her father's house and by trying to run way with him she sealed her fate and took a hold of the rains of her future by becoming a prostitute. On that long ago, but never forgotten night, when a young man showed her compassion by giving her his purse filled with a lot of money, she makes the decision to become her own person, however flawed.

Seven years later, she remembers it all like it happened the day before and her feelings are confusing her. This woman is not a meek person. She's strong, fiercely independent and she never wants or needs any man to lord over her. She's not used to showing her feelings and affections not because she can't or won't but because she doesn't know how. She's never received hugs or words of love, so once she gets exposed to it, she's literally in a panic and her physical reaction of being suffocated is something she is unable to control.

No way in hell can you read this love story and not feel for these two. Their HEA is fraught with intrigue, pain, regrets and suffering, but neither was willing to give up on each other until they faced the only enemy that stood in their way-Serena's fear of losing her self-worth.

Everything in this book was superb, from the writing, the dialogue, and the plot and secondary characters. It all flowed seamlessly with a perfect pace. Speaking of secondary players, I loved them all. From Rene, the French Spy to Sophy, her right hand at the `Arms'; from his family to her `family' of misfits! All of them pulled at my heartstrings, especially the secondary love story of two spies. Even that was pulled off with grace and such wonderful care!

If you're in a mood for a character driven love story full of intrigue, passion and plenty of suspense, I recommend this book with all my heart! Now, I need to get me Ms. Lerner's first book "In For a Penny". I have no doubt that I'll love it as much as this one.

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* (less)

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Sep 10, 2011 Phyllis Laatsch rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved the hero, Solomon - definitely a quiet, beta kind of guy who stuttered when confronted, but with hidden strength and hidden depths. The heroine, Serena, was a bit shakier for me - she was a wallflower when she was young, then slept with a footman and then ran away to join a brothel. And then she became a famous courtesan and then opened an inn and somehow she became a queen of the underworld and everyone was afraid of her. Not sure how that last bit happened.

Overall, I really enjoyed thi...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-uns, romance

Original review posted on Angieville: HERE.

I've had A LILY AMONG THORNS on my list ever since I read Rose Lerner's debut novel--In for a Penny--more than a year ago. In fact, I actually reread it a couple of weeks ago to see if the character and writing were as lovely as I remembered. They were and it was. So I practically bounced in my seat when I saw the tweet pop up stating that A LILY AMONG THORNS was available on NetGalley. Click, click, click. And I sat down with it that night. Personally,...more Original review posted on Angieville: HERE.

I've had A LILY AMONG THORNS on my list ever since I read Rose Lerner's debut novel--In for a Penny--more than a year ago. In fact, I actually reread it a couple of weeks ago to see if the character and writing were as lovely as I remembered. They were and it was. So I practically bounced in my seat when I saw the tweet pop up stating that A LILY AMONG THORNS was available on NetGalley. Click, click, click. And I sat down with it that night. Personally, I think this cover is nowhere near as nice as the cover of In for a Penny, which I thought both represented the tone of that novel as well as the "lighter" romance found within. These two look nothing like how I picture Serena and Solomon, particularly as he seems about to eat her nose and, honestly, Solomon would never do that. And even if he did give it a go, Serena would most certainly never let him get that close. Ah, the woes of cover art. On to the tale!

Serena Ravenshaw and Solomon Hathaway have A History. And they don't even know it. Ever since that one fateful night, years ago, when Solomon inadvertently provides Serena with the means to change her life, she's thought of him and wondered. Who was he? Why did he give her that money? Where is he now? And most importantly--does he have any idea what that inexplicable act meant to her? And while Serena has been carving out a new life for herself, Solomon has been quietly watching his fall apart. After the death of his twin brother in the Napoleonic Wars, Solomon can hardly summon the will to go on. A gifted chemist and tailor, he spends his days and nights working in his uncle's shop and fending off the aching loneliness and despair. Then his sister announces her marriage and the family jewels go missing. And when his sister announces she cannot be wed without the precious heirloom, Solomon seeks out the famed Black Thorn--the one woman in town who is rumored to be able to find anything that is lost. When Serena sees the one man she thought she'd never see again walk through her door, she is at once panicked, thrilled, and suspicious. Whether or not Solomon will survive the encounter is another matter entirely.

What a talent Rose Lerner has for making her characters essential to your happiness in such a short period of time. And not in a superficial way either. I genuinely care about them, believe in their fears, and grin affectionately at their quips and quarrels. By the end of the shattering prologue, I simply had to find out what in the wide world was going to happen to these characters after the intervening years had their way with them. A favorite scene early on (taken from my uncorrected ARC):

"After Elijah died, I moved my laboratory into the back of the shop for awhile."

"How kind of him, to allow you to use his space in your work for his business. I'll wager he doesn't pay you enough either."

"Did you tell him that?"

"Maybe."

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Anyway, that's not what I meant. I moved it there because I--well, I caught myself eyeing the bottle of arsenic. And I didn't think I would, but I knew I wouldn't if my cousin Clara might find the body."

The oyster Serena has just eaten transformed itself into a brick in her stomach.

"I couldn't sleep and I'd show up there at all hours to work. Uncle Hathaway took to waking at three or four in the morning and coming downstairs. He'd bring in tea, and then he'd go into the other room and work. He didn't try to talk to me, but I could hear him through the door and it--it helped."

Serena leaned back against a tree. "I--"

"I said I didn't want to discuss it."

"I know. I just wish I could have been there."

Solomon looked at his hands. "So do I."

It was incredibly fun watching mild-mannered Solomon court death and heartbreak (not necessarily in that order) by renewing his association with Lady Serena Ravenshaw. Hard-hearted, calculating, and about as remote as formerly renowned courtesans turned underworld mavens come, Serena has vowed no one will ever have control over her again. But since she is determined to repay Solomon, she agrees to find the Hathaway rubies and call it good. Unfortunately for both of them, there are larger forces brewing outside the Ravenshaw Arms. Within the space of 24 hours, Serena's former partner returns with unexpected demands, her imperious father threatens her life, and this thing between she and Solomon threatens to break the choke hold she has on control. This book lived up to its promise from the first page to the last. Charming and intriguing, I never tired of it. The secondary characters were excellent as well, and all the threads tied up satisfactorily in the end. My favorite things about Ms. Lerner's books are the sly humor that weaves its way through the stories and the wonderful, endearing protagonists she creates. Like Penny and Nev, Serena and Solomon are . . . well, they're good. And by good I don't mean they're above reproach or without their fair share of flaws. But they are people I would want to know and keep in my life. Witness my favorite passage in the book:

"You're right," he said again. "I haven't been fair. I was afraid, too. Afraid of being alone, I suppose. Afraid of being without you. But--you know, I--" His voice cracked. Damn.

"Solomon--" she said, and he loved the way she said his name so much that he had to keep talking or he might do something selfish like tell her that.

"I never believed, before I met you, that I could go my own way," he said. "That I could deserve more than someone was willing to give me. That love might not be worth the sacrifices we have to make for it. You've taught me that. What I mean is--I do understand, if you decide you don't want--" He waved a hand between them, as if in a moment the word that would describe all that lay between them would pop into his head. As if such a word existed. He shook his head. "This."

She stared up at him, the shadows making her eyes look huge.

"You're giving up?"

He stood up. "That's exactly the problem. This has turned into some kind of tug-of-war. I'm not giving up. I'm just saying that I won't push you anymore. I won't ask for anything. I've been torturing you, and it's not fair. If nothing's changed when we go back to London on Sunday, I'll leave. Just please--make a decision that will make you happy. Take good care of yourself." She looked as lost as he felt. He went to the bed and stood looking down at her: at her perfect face and her perfect body that suddenly, for the first time, looked ordinary.

She wasn't a goddess, or an angel, or a harpy. She was a woman, a frightened, unhappy, determined, beautiful woman, and he loved her so badly that just leaning down and brushing his lips across her left temple, where her birthmark was, brought tears to his eyes. "Thank you for everything," he said, and left.

You see? All that and an ending that will make you smile, too.(less)

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Dec 23, 2011 Estara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Estara by: I l iked the first book of the author and read some good reviews of the second one, too

Shelves: ebook, read-in-2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 01, 2011 TheBookSmugglers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review originally posted on The Book Smugglers

Warning: this review contains a few spoilers

I loved In For a Penny, Rose Lerner’s first book and had been waiting anxiously for A Lily Among Thorns although part of me feared it wouldn’t be as good as that other book. But thankfully, A Lily Among Thorns turned out to be an excellent read. Showing a penchant for beta heroes, strong heroines and an incredible awareness of important issues (gender, race, sexual orientation identity), this author is defi...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Jackie rated it 3 of 5 stars

4 stars for characters, 2 stars for plot. As in her first book, IN FOR A PENNY, Lerner crafts nuanced, intriguing, and immensely appealing characters (primary and secondary). I love having a heroine who is often mean and angry but still worthy of love, and a male lead who isn't constrained by the straightjacket conventions of the alpha hero of historical romance is hugely appealing as well.

The plot of this follow-up, though, is overly ambitious, with several plot lines that don't seem vital to t...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Meghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-recommendations, romance, read-2011

I was really eager for this book because I adored In For a Penny, and while A Lily Among Thorns wasn't quite as good as that book, I was not disappointed in it.

Basically the only reason I've given it a four-star rating is that it starts off pretty rough. A lot of information about the characters and different plot threads are thrown at you in a very short amount of time, the scene transitions are quite choppy, and overall it was just disorienting to try to keep track of everything before I'd go...more I was really eager for this book because I adored In For a Penny, and while A Lily Among Thorns wasn't quite as good as that book, I was not disappointed in it.

Basically the only reason I've given it a four-star rating is that it starts off pretty rough. A lot of information about the characters and different plot threads are thrown at you in a very short amount of time, the scene transitions are quite choppy, and overall it was just disorienting to try to keep track of everything before I'd gotten a feel for who all of the characters were and how the various parts of their backstories related to each other. I found myself wondering if I was reading a book that had had to be cut down for length without removing any of the threads of the complex plot. Luckily after a few chapters things get a little less frantic and all of the plot threads come together nicely by the end.

I fell in love with the book after it slowed down a bit and really began to focus on the characters, who really make the novel shine. Serena is so heartbreakingly terrible at feelings, and Solomon is so lovely and understanding. I loved that their romance moved slowly and that it felt like they had a real understanding of each other by the happily ever after. Just like in In For A Penny, I was struck by the little details the author included to show how thoroughly they had come to know one another (in that book, for example, it was a scene where Nev cut up Penny's food for her at the buffet). I also enjoyed the rather unconventional b-plot romance, which I don't want to say too much about for fear of spoiling it.

On a side note I've seen a few other reviews mention that Serena seems to be too competent at everything to be believed, but I did not get that at all. While I'll admit that I didn't fully understand how a high-class courtesan ended up having such extensive ties with the underworld, it wasn't improbable enough to take me out of the story.

All in all this was an emotionally satisfying romance with wonderful characters and a delightfully authentic happily ever after. While it didn't quite live up to In For a Penny, Rose Lerner is still going to be an autobuy author for me.(less)

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Oct 19, 2011 Mandi Schreiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

I was so excited to read this book. I adored, In For a Penny, Rose Lerner’s debut book last year. She has such a unique, if somewhat complex voice and I find her books very refreshing.

It is hard to set up the plot in this book because there are some big twists about halfway through that change the direction. But I can definitely talk about the first half.

My favorite thing about this book is that the hero, Solomon, is a chemist who makes dyes for his uncle’s “Fine Tailoring” shop. He flourishes t...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Tressa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: did-not-finish, romance

I was looking forward to A Lily Among Thorns as I enjoyed In For A Penny. I liked the male protagonist, Solomon, but I had trouble relating to the female protagonist, Serena, as I had difficulty grasping her personality. I did sympathize with Serena and her plight. She certainly had a horrible day in the beginning of the book.

Unfortunately, with so many events occurring at the same time near the beginning of A Lily Among Thorns, the external events overwhelmed the nascent relationship. I skimme...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Louise rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Louise by: TheBookSmugglers

Shelves: romance

(2.5 stars)

I had high hopes for this one since people were saying that it was a twist on the more traditional romance book. The female character is supposedly the alpha in this book and had all the experience and does the chasing. It started off that way, but the man still ends up being all "I know better than you" in the end. Boring. The mystery and espionage angle was also a little preposterous. I did like the inclusion of the gay characters, which was a departure from your usual regency roman...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Gerd rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“A Lily among Thorns” is one of those books where it’s hard for me to properly put down my thoughts. There’s a lot that I love about it, from the perfect design of the cover (if I was the nitpicking kind I’d point out that the chosen models do not match the descriptions given in the book, but really, who cares? In all its stylish rigidity and staged appearance the couples pose strikes me as perfectly capturing the spirit of the time, and still romantic and believable), the fine, heavy, high glos...more “A Lily among Thorns” is one of those books where it’s hard for me to properly put down my thoughts. There’s a lot that I love about it, from the perfect design of the cover (if I was the nitpicking kind I’d point out that the chosen models do not match the descriptions given in the book, but really, who cares? In all its stylish rigidity and staged appearance the couples pose strikes me as perfectly capturing the spirit of the time, and still romantic and believable), the fine, heavy, high gloss paper stock to the novel itself, an at times delightful quirky cloak & dagger style story about spies and thieves, not very respectable noblemen and true nobility.

I’m absolutely in love with the fact that the hero is a simple working man (or at least very close to) and as far from the moody, brooding, often emotionally abusive, arrogant Alpha types that seem to usually plague Romance novels. And yet there’s already the rub; Rose shows too much of an awareness of and too much eagerness to rectify the shortcomings of typical Romance writing, which leads to some strangely anachronistic feeling heroes in her tale; in the end the good guys are just too good to be true.

Another problem with lead character Solomon is his virtue in every aspects of live, he’s an educated worker, a dessert cook, a valiant fighter for his ladies honour, an accomplished lover… so much so that one can’t help but wonder why he’s still a bachelor.
Also there’s too swift a change in the character dynamic, with the at first appearance shy Solomon soon taking charge and Serena letting him seize control all too willingly.

Further, Rose let’s almost nothing unspoken, we are privy to every thought and motivation her characters go through, and her characters show such a perfect awareness of why they do the things they do (I wished I would only once I my life possess such clarity) that it becomes hardly believable that they should take so long to finally admit to the obvious, that they are meant for each other. In the end the characters have to work so hard on creating conflict on their own that by the middle of the book you just want to grab them by the neck and smash their heads against each other –

Rose simply shows an unfortunate tendency to undermine her own writing by an seeming urge to comment or explain everything happening, too seldom trusting in her strength as a writer and by that robbing the story of a lot of its flourish:

“He glanced up at her and smiled just as he licked a large dollop of almond-pear off his thumb.
Now she remembered why she disliked the kitchens during dinner. The ovens made everything so damned hot.”

Is followed only half a page later by

“She dipped her spoon in his bowl. Somehow, it seemed like an incredibly intimate act. Her cheeks heated. It’s just the ovens.”

Still, it’s a book I enjoyed to read because in all their unrealistic perfection, with all their strange strengths and even stranger weaknesses (because I found it difficult to see why characters that are so aware of their own should hold such), these are characters I liked to return to and always looked forward to spend some time with and learn more about as the story developed.(less)

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Jun 24, 2012 Lisa Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, kindle-books

A Lily Among Thorns is a quirky and charming historical romance. With fantastic characters and intriguing drama, this is a historical romance you don’t want to miss.

Years ago, Solomon entered a brothel with friends only to be shocked and frightened by the cold intimacy the establishment represented. He threw his meager funds at the woman’s feet and ran for his life, never forgetting the beautiful creature he ran away from. What he did not know was that the woman was able to buy herself a new sta...more A Lily Among Thorns is a quirky and charming historical romance. With fantastic characters and intriguing drama, this is a historical romance you don’t want to miss.

Years ago, Solomon entered a brothel with friends only to be shocked and frightened by the cold intimacy the establishment represented. He threw his meager funds at the woman’s feet and ran for his life, never forgetting the beautiful creature he ran away from. What he did not know was that the woman was able to buy herself a new start with the money Solomon left and able to move into a more respectable position managing the Ravenshaw Inn. On the side, she also locates difficult items which is ultimately what brings Solomon back to her again years later.

Solomon needs help to find a family heirloom…a pair of earring to be precise for his sister’s wedding and he has been told Serena is the only woman to help him. Soon enough, he remembers her as the woman he deserted all those years ago, but he’s is not the shy, scared boy from many years ago. Beginning the search together for the earrings leads Solomon to discover more about his mysterious Serena. Now he finds himself involved in a ring of spies, threats of treason and more danger than he ever could have imagined. But this time, his developing feelings for Serena have made it clear the last thing Solomon wants to do is run.

Solomon is the perfectly dependable and honest love interest. If you love beta heroes, as I do, this is your guy. He is such a sweetheart who is romantic and kind. But don’t let his cool facade fool you because underneath it all is an intelligent, intense individual. He is passionate yet calm. He always seems to know what to do, where he is going and who to trust. Serena was such a fierce heroine that it became refreshing to match her against Solomon’s calm demeanor. He was strong and protective of her when he needed to be and also thoughtful enough to know when she needed to fight her own battles. I don’t think I’ve ever met a character that was more in tune with his heroine. It was exciting yet sweet.

Serena was a great character as well. She comes from a rough and bumpy past that gives her a tough outer shell and makes it difficult to determine her true character at first. Her only flaw, in my opinion, is her indifference towards Solomon. She seems to shut herself off from the world in a lot of ways because she has problems trusting the right people, and it did make her seems somewhat cold from time to time. Yet overall, I admired her independent and fiery spirit. As protective as Solomon was of her, she was the same for him. She constantly sought to guard him from her tainted past and usually did so by trying to distance herself from him. While it was sometimes frustrating, it eventually became clear that this was a defining part of her character.

A Lily Among Thorns was a very daring novel considering some of the topics and subject matter that it covered. Which of course made it all the more intriguing. Characters had controversial secrets and less than conventional pasts, but it just added to the drama of the story. With every dose of drama you get an splash of humor. There were plenty of moments and situations that were laugh out loud funny. Solomon was the source behind a lot of these moments and rightfully so as he is a quirky yet focused man.

I can’t tell you how much I truly enjoyed A Lily Among Thorns. It was fun, exciting and romantic…everything I love best! It has been a while since I’ve read a story with a beta hero and Solomon made me realize how much I love them! He just took my breath away. While I wish the romance would have developed a little more throughout the story, it was still a delightful read. The plot and story lines crafted in this novel are simply fascinating and will keep you well entertained. I cannot wait to read more of this author’s work!(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Punk rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, romance, queer

Romance. A Regency romance where no one's a duke! Not a whiff of Seasons or Town Houses, either. And I'm pretty sure no one was ever within ten feet of a curricle. Instead, Solomon is a Cambridge-educated tailor who loves chemistry, and Serena is an ex-whore who owns her own inn. They are adorable together.

I loved this. It has sexual tension and banter and flirting. It doesn't go from first kiss to sex on the same page. The romance is slow and fun and between equals. I had an excellent idea of w...more Romance. A Regency romance where no one's a duke! Not a whiff of Seasons or Town Houses, either. And I'm pretty sure no one was ever within ten feet of a curricle. Instead, Solomon is a Cambridge-educated tailor who loves chemistry, and Serena is an ex-whore who owns her own inn. They are adorable together.

I loved this. It has sexual tension and banter and flirting. It doesn't go from first kiss to sex on the same page. The romance is slow and fun and between equals. I had an excellent idea of who the characters were, and any conflict that arises between them comes from personality differences, not contrived misunderstandings. But wait, there's more! It has mystery and SPIES and even a little gay romance between the supporting characters, and all the pieces come together in an extremely satisfying way.

The other day, when I complained about the reliance on traditional gender roles in Regency romances? This book is the antidote. Solomon's the one who always notices what people are wearing. Serena's the tough, emotionally reserved one who has to protect Solomon. Solomon woos her with tailoring and baking. Serena tries to chase him off with her abrasive attitude. It feels very modern, though always with the awareness that Serena continues to pay for the choices she's made.

Lerner doesn't ignore that Serena's reputation makes it difficult, if not impossible, for her to be a part of normal society, in addition to the usual lack of rights women have to suffer just for being women, and I felt that was well done, not anvilly at all, but because it was so skillfully handled, it almost had the effect of understating it. Because all those other Regencies would have us believe that a girl who so much as receives a letter from a strange man is tainted for life, it's hard to picture a woman who once worked as a prostitute as being anything but utterly ruined. But ruined for society, I guess, and Serena doesn't have much use for society; she can take care of herself and she's happy where she is. Until Solomon comes along and turns her world upside down and she learns she has more options available to her than she realized.

Five stars. A flirty romance with an independent heroine and a non-alpha male. Very satisfying. Recommended.

eBook: epub with DRM purchased from Kobo, has a cover, and no errors.(less)

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Jun 16, 2012 Keri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, 2012-read, romance-historical, rose-lerner

Loved this book! RL writes with a lot of emotional depth and I couldn't read this book fast enough. Solomon, our hero is just a regular guy who happens to be the nephew of a Duke, but has a job as a tailor and loves science. He has sandy blond hair, freckles across his nose and tends to blush easily. On his 20th birthday his friends decide it is time for him to lose his virginity. Oh did I mention he was a son a vicar? So at the house of ill repute he is taken by the hand and led upstairs, by on...more Loved this book! RL writes with a lot of emotional depth and I couldn't read this book fast enough. Solomon, our hero is just a regular guy who happens to be the nephew of a Duke, but has a job as a tailor and loves science. He has sandy blond hair, freckles across his nose and tends to blush easily. On his 20th birthday his friends decide it is time for him to lose his virginity. Oh did I mention he was a son a vicar? So at the house of ill repute he is taken by the hand and led upstairs, by one of the soiled doves. Unfortunately Solomon who has been drinking isn't holding his liquor very well. Also paying a woman to have sex with him is extremely abhorrent to him. He notes things in his stupor about his little black-haired, grey-eyed dove, but in the end he can't go through with it and gives her all of his money and stumbles away.

Unknown to Solomon, he sets Serena free with that money and she soon becomes a courtesan to the Prince Regent himself for a while. Eventually she gives up that life and opens an inn and makes it the "in" place to dine and be seen. She still has to put up with men’s looks and innuendo, but she does it on her terms. She never forgets the debt she owes the man who saved her. She hates it, she doesn't like to owe anybody as then that person has a hold on her. Serena is very cold, but then she has to be in order to protect her heart. She also has a reputation for finding things and that is where the story begins.

One day six years later, in walks Solomon to Serena's inn. He needs her help to find a pair of stolen earrings and once he meets her, he doesn't recognize her at first, but eventually he remembers her. Serena knows him instantly and also knows how he has filled out and only became better looking. Nope she is only in it to pay back the debt. Soon enough however, their attraction starts to take center stage, even though Serena is fighting for her very lively hood and everybody that she truly cares about.

This is where the book shines; coming into the story, Solomon appears to be the weak one and Serena strong. Solomon wearing his emotions on his sleeve and Serena guarded...very guarded. Solomon is ok with it, he doesn't feel he is any less of a man and celebrates Serena's strengths because that is what kept her safe. But eventually, Solomon displays his strength of will and Serena shows her emotions for Sol, but boy is she a fighter about it. Once you get her background you understand where she is coming from and why she is like she is. There is also a surprising twist with Solomon’s brother Elijah and Rene.

This was a fun, unique historical read with more role reversals then I could keep up with, but it was well worth my time and I can't wait to get my hands on another RL.
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Nov 21, 2011 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: july-net-galley-month

I was so surprised by this book. The blurb does not do it justice. It is SO wonderful. This is one book that I just could not put down. It was so good that I stayed up until four in the morning because I just had to know how it ended. All of the characters are so real and genuine. They just tug at your heart strings. Solomon is a great hero because he's not the typical hero. He's not rich or super strong. He's just a man who is doing what he loves with his life. It's just so touching how he will...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, 2011

A Lily Among Thorns is the second book I've read by Rose Lerner. Back in January, I read and loved her first book In For A Penny. So, when I saw that A Lily Among Thorns was available on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to review it.

The plot of this book didn't appeal to me quite as much as her first book. Here we have Serena and Solomon. When Solomon was younger, his friends tried to get him to lose his virginity via prostitute. Yep, you guessed it - the prostitute was Serena. Well, he couldn't...more A Lily Among Thorns is the second book I've read by Rose Lerner. Back in January, I read and loved her first book In For A Penny. So, when I saw that A Lily Among Thorns was available on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to review it.

The plot of this book didn't appeal to me quite as much as her first book. Here we have Serena and Solomon. When Solomon was younger, his friends tried to get him to lose his virginity via prostitute. Yep, you guessed it - the prostitute was Serena. Well, he couldn't go through with it so he just shoved his little purse of money at her and took off like the terrified little virgin he was. This changed the whole course of Serena's life y'all, because that money? There was a lot of it. She ends up opening her own inn. Years later, she and Solomon cross paths again and chaos ensues - lost jewelry, spies, long lost brothers...you name it. As they become more involved in the events going on around them, they also become more involved with each other. They have some fierce chemistry.

I usually don't pick up too many historical romance novels featuring prostitutes, mistresses and the like. For Rose Lerner I made an exception. Even though the plot is fairly complex and non-stop...I still found myself losing interest in what would happen next - just didn't get that involved with the action side of the story. I'm not saying it wasn't exciting...but spies and family drama aren't exactly rare plot lines in the world of historical romance.

That being said, I was about halfway through the book when I realized that no way was I putting it down until I was finished. Rose Lerner has a way of making her characters matter. Serena was vibrant and self-confident, Solomon was slightly nerdy and much less self aware. I couldn't get enough of them together - their interactions and dialogue. Even though I didn't care as much about what was happening in the background of the plot, I was still crazy invested in these characters.

So, if you're a fan of the genre and/or stories that are very much character driven - this is the book for you! While I had a few more issues with this book than I did her first release, I still very much believe this book is worth reading. I can't wait to see what Rose writes next!(less)

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Jan 27, 2012 Cary rated it 2 of 5 stars

Some of the vocabulary was a bit too "commonly vulgar" for me and it was hard to get past to get to the story. It may have been ok if the setting had been modern day but not the regency era. Yes they had lots of vulgar stuff but it was never discussed in polite society. And ya gotta wonder if whoever put the cover on this book had even read it cause the hero certainly is not the dashing dark-haired man we see there!! It will never be on my recommend to someone list.

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Aug 13, 2012 BlackTulip rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mf, regency, my-reviews

Reviewed By BlackTulip for Booked Up

I loved her first book so much but to my great astonishment I didn't like this one.

I was intrigued by the storyline as it looked very original. But quickly I became bored and really wanted to quit halfway. Still I managed to finish it because I wanted to know how it ended.

The plot in my opinion became too complex too soon and I started losing interest.

I never could get into the story and as a result I was never able to appreciate the two main characters and th...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Kaetrin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

2.5 stars.
I don't know why this book wasn't more successful for me. It had an unusual hero and heroine (a tailor and former courtesan/innkeeper); it was well enough written and had some amusing moments ("does the Regent used French holes?"), but for some reason, I found this story completely put-downable. Looking at my Goodreads, I can see that it took me 7 days to read this. Normally a book this length would take me about 2 days. What this tells me is that I found other things to do rather than...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, romance

This is a great love story. Serena is a fallen woman and Solomon is the man who rescued her. Except, he did not know that was what he was doing when he threw his entire quarterly allowance into the room and ran from the brothel 6 years ago. When they meet again unexpected things happen. There is a mystery, there is romance, there is suspense and there is a great story. Rose Lerner writes a very good story.

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May 31, 2012 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, library-book

- tailor/dye-maker hero
- courtesan/ innkeeper heroine
- POC staff who are treated well, and aren't just ridiculous stereotypes
- other stuff I don't want to mention because I don't want to ruin the surprise

Completely anachronistic, rather unbelievable, with a complex plot, lots of characters... and yet it really worked for me.

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Sep 21, 2011 Darlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

One of the best historicals I've read this year. From now on, when someone asks me how I'd define a "Beta hero", I'm going to point them at Solomon. What a guy! Serena was also a memorable heroine--strong, yet vulnerable. They made a great team.

Ms. Lerner's 2nd historical convinced me to move her to my auto-buy list.

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May 18, 2012 Jedishampoo rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a little slow and meander-y and twisty but not bad; I do like the author's easy prose, and the inclusion of lots of "grey" characters - the ones who are bad but you like them anyway. She also includes some homosexual love and I thought the portrayal was realistic.

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Jan 08, 2012 Ilze rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: rose-lerner

Too many confusing subplots, not enough focus on the main story and characters, unfortunately. The main characters did not work for me: the hero is supposedly a genius at a) fashion design b) fabric dye chemistry c) cooking d) playing the organ, and he's just over 25 years old. Oh, and he's also a hunk. Could not suspend my disbelief that far. The heroine, meanwhile, is only about 25 and started off as a prostitute (although she's the daughter of an earl?) when she was 18. Now she's the queen of...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romances-comedies-for-adults, historical-romances-for-adults

Smart, sweet, funny and awesome! (Full review on my adult romance book-blog, Eating Chocolate, Reading Romance.)

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Sep 28, 2011 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was excellent. I've now read both her books and look forward to reading more.

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Mar 24, 2012 Erica Anderson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, traditional-regency

I love In for a Penny and recommend it to anyone who likes traditional Regencies. I'm afraid that Lily didn't work for me, despite the intriguing premise. In short, I found the heroine too harsh and unbending and the hero too beta. I don't mind beta heroes, but I felt he got trampled on too much by the heroine in her determination to pay her debt to him. He is such a decent and endearing character that I didn't like seeing him abused.

I look forward to buying and reading future books by Lerner, b...more

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