The Thorn Queen

The Rose Bargain #2

by Sasha Peyton Smith

Wed to one brother.
In love with the other.

Bridgerton, The Selection, and The Cruel Prince collide in this Victorian-inspired romantasy; the sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Rose Bargain.

Having won the hand of the faerie King Bram, Ivy is now Queen of England.

But with his ascension to the throne, Bram unleashed the fae into the human world. After hundreds of years of being kept from their favorite playthings, the Others are looking to make up for lost time—and they do, with wicked revelry that sweeps through the country.

To survive, Ivy acts the sweet, devoted wife. Behind the smile, she plots to banish her husband, save her sister Lydia, and reunite with the love of her life, Emmett.

Yet Emmet and Lydia are trapped in the Otherworld, where fae games are deadlier than ever—and a queen must play most viciously of all. Or see herself dethroned.

Forbidden romance, deceptive bargains, and lethal court intrigue intertwine in this mesmerizing, fae romantasy sequel that will captivate fans of Once Upon a Broken Heart and Belladonna.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Young Adult Fantasy

368 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 14, 2026

About the author

Sasha Peyton Smith is the New York Times best selling author of The Witch Haven and The Witch Hunt. She’s passionate about well-curated road trip playlists, soup recipes, and stories about complicated girls. Originally from Utah, she now lives in Washington D.C. with her partner and collection of porcelain hands.

Reviews

[ivy ꕤ [mental health break] · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars

this review contains no spoilers!

first off, the cover is beautiful.

secondly.. i expected more from this book :(

i don’t know if this was my personal issue, but i couldn’t connect with the characters in this book. i thought that we would get more in depth with the characters, but there was so much in terms of the plot, relationship development, magic system, and conflict that the characters were not even the main focus. and yes, this is fantasy, but since there was so much focus on the characters’ relationships, i felt nothing because i felt nothing for the characters.

emmett was definitely my favorite character from this duology; he’s such a sweet and protective man that was constantly yearning for her even when they were seperated for years. his LETTERS for her made me SOB 😭

sasha Peyton smith’s writing has always been addicting - i finished both the first and second books in less than 2 days each. ‘the thorn queen’ was a great palette cleanser with fast-paced and simple but fun writing. i cannot wait to see where sasha goes next 💕

⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹

☆ ── preread ⊹
cannot wait to read about emmett & ivy's ending 😣💕

❍ thank you to netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[jae · Rating 4 out of 5]

what the hell. i have no more tears left to cry. this book was such an emotional rollercoaster and i’m genuinely still trying to convince myself that they are all happy. i truly loved everything about this book, from the action to the friendships and sisterhood. it was a really satisfying conclusion to ivy’s story and i’m so sad that it’s over ☹️

⊹“i have his heart and he has mine. there has never been a fairer bargain.”

i devoured this duology so quickly, yet ivy and emmett’s love is what stayed with me. the yearning and heartbreak were so beautifully done, and the letters!!! i will always love that detail. ivyemmett forever. they’re so dear to me and will be missed so much <33

ⓘ thank you to netgalley and harpercollins for the arc!

[levi (starboy)]

Not liked the first book that much but here we go

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect conclusion to the duology.

I read the rose bargain in the beginning of the year and I absolutely loved it, so I was so happy to get the arc for the sequel, and conclusion, to the series. 
I love stories about faeries where they are cruel and almost unfeeling. It's the part of me that wished I loved cruel prince(I didn't, quite the opposite). This series gave me exactly that and a romance plotline that was so. damn. good. I absolutely love Emmet and Ivy's relationship. I'm so excited for when the book comes out and I can share the dozens of annotations I have with memorable lines. 
I'm amazed by how this story is dark in its themes but so bright in visuals. This is ya but I would highly recommend it to everyone, even if you're an adult you'll enjoy it. 
This series just raised my bar for fae fantasy books for me. 

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

[justine ⊹ ࣪ ˖]

⋆. 𐙚 ˚

pre-read : finally time to get this started!

update: guess who was blessed with an arc copy?? ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚

[Val ୨୧ (SORRY FOR BEING SO INACTIVE I'M BACK) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ Maybe that’s all love is. Something you endure.ੈ✩‧₊˚

This was everything I was hoping for and sooo much more, it was such an amazing conclusion to the duology ! I loveee faerie books, they're some of the most political books in romantasy. I actually liked it more than the first book, the stakes felt higher and it was a little bit more fast paced (there was not a single chapter i felt bored reading !) If you loved the cruel prince series you’ll love this one too ! (even if you didn't like it, you’ll probably still like this one hehe). The first chapter literally had me LOSING my mind, SASHA TAKE MY MONEY 😭

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚ Emmett 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

MY YEARNING KING 😭 give my man a break oh my days he’s been through so much my heart was BREAKING for him. At first I thought I saw something between him and Lydia and I was SO concerned, but it’s okay I'm just paranoid. EVERY single one of his POVs HAD ME FERALLLLL. I love him sm and by the time I was halfway through I was soooo invested. ALSO THE LETTERS ????? He's so cardan coded and I love it. Those letters omg i'm going to be thinking about them for weeks HE'S SO POETICCCC 🥲 #JUSTICE FOR EMMETT

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚ Ivy 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

Honestly, my favorite thing about her POVs was seeing the relationships with the girls she was competing with in the last book develop into such beautiful friendships 🤭. I love her sisterly relationship with Lydia sm, they're such an iconic duo. She’s been through so much in this book, and I have been WAITING for her and Emmett to get together for good.

˙⋆✮ Tropes ˙⋆✮

✨ Faeries
✨ Politics
✨ Banter
✨ Yearning

`✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹ Preread `✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

I HAVE BEEN BLESSED BY THE ARC GODS. YAYAYAYYAYAYAY

[vicky ꨄ︎]

𐙚⋆°. preread

So I somehow have acquired an arc for this book, which honestly I’m surprised but nonetheless excited cause I need to know what happens after finishing the first book.

[thea. [reviewing slump]]

Omggg can’t waittttttt mrs sasha please take my all my money rob my whole bank account idc please im begging you💳💰

[Freya Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would sell my soul for an ARC of this, I’m so incredibly excited 🥹

[❆ Ash ❆ (fable link in bio) · Rating 5 out of 5]

✦⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆✦
✧｡･ﾟﾟ･☾ Review ☾･ﾟﾟ･｡✧

4.75 stars!!(Rounded up to 5)
THANK YOU NETGALLEY, HARPERCOLLINS, AND SASHA PEYTON SMITH FOR THE ARC
💜👑🧚🏼‍♂️🗡️🖤🌿🌸
***Minor spoilers ahead***
Not. what. I. expected. in the best possible way.
The first chapter had me absolutely losing it. I forgot how much I missed this world until I was thrown right back into the chaos. Bram doing a complete 180 had me questioning everything I thought I knew. I was just as shocked and angry as Ivy was at that betrayal, it genuinely threw me and it made me feel for Emmet even more as the story went on. The longing, the tension, the slow-burn ache… it was delicious. I devoured this book every spare moment I had. It was a full on emotional rollercoaster right from the start, and the deeper I went, the more I felt like the book had buckled me into something more wild than I imagined. Every chapter had a new twist or feeling waiting for me, and I kept getting pulled along for the ride with zero control.

"𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂?"

Then Chapter 8 hit and I actually gasped. My heart felt like it was breaking right alongside Ivy’s; so much hurt, so much emotion all at once. It only got worse as the story progressed. It was messy, emotional, and painful in that addictive way where you want to look away but physically can’t. I kind of hated it… but also loved it for making me feel so much. When we finally got a chapter from Emmet’s POV? I was feral. Absolutely eaten alive by every thought in that man’s head. The deeper the story pulled me in, the stronger everything hit, so when the devastation finally landed, it landed hard. The book had been layering emotion on top of emotion, until suddenly it dropped the floor out from under me. By that point, I wasn’t just reading the story, I was absorbed by it, which made every moment of heartbreak crash into me even more violently.

"𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻."

My only real issue with the book was how triggering it felt at times. Watching everyone tiptoe around Bram, doing whatever they could to soothe him so he wouldn’t snap, hit a little too close to home for me. His anger was so unpredictable and intense that it reminded me of situations I’ve dealt with in my own life, where you’re constantly managing someone else’s emotions just to stay safe. It didn’t ruin the story, but it definitely stirred up some feelings I wasn’t expecting.

✦⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆✦
✧｡･ﾟﾟ･☾ Quotes ☾･ﾟﾟ･｡✧

ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ᴀʟʟ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɪꜱ. ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴅᴜʀᴇ.

"ʜᴇ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɴᴀᴍᴇ. ᴡʜɪꜱᴘᴇʀᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴀʏᴇʀ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴀᴄᴄᴜʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴅᴇꜱᴄʀɪᴘᴛɪᴏɴ." "ᴡʜʏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴇ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ?" ʟʏᴅɪᴀ ꜱᴍɪʟᴇꜱ ꜱᴀᴅʟʏ. "ʜᴇ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ʏᴏᴜ. ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀʀɢᴇ ʀᴏᴏᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ꜰᴀʀ ᴀᴡᴀʏ. ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ꜱᴀʏꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜰᴏʀɢᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ. ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴏʀɢᴇᴛ, ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ."

"ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴅᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ, ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ. ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇꜱᴛ ᴅᴀʏꜱ, ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴜɴɢᴇᴏɴ, ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏɴᴇꜱ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ꜱᴡᴏʟʟᴇɴ ꜱʜᴜᴛ, ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴅᴇʟɪʀɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄʜᴏꜱᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴏʀɢᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴍʏ ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋɴᴇꜱꜱ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀʏ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴡᴀʀᴍ ᴀᴛ ɴɪɢʜᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɪɴ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟ." ʜɪꜱ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ꜱᴏꜰᴛᴇɴꜱ. "ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ. ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʟᴏꜱᴛ ᴍʏ ᴏʟᴅ ꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇʟʏ ɪꜰ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴇᴛʜᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ, ɪᴛ'ꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ, ʟɪᴋᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴇʟꜱᴇ. ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴠɪᴠɪᴅ, ᴀᴡᴀᴋᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴇxɪꜱᴛ."

"ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴛʀʏ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ꜰʟᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ʟɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴀʀᴇ. ᴡᴇʟʟ, ᴡᴇ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ᴛᴏᴏ. ᴡᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴏᴜʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪꜱ ʟɪᴍɪᴛᴇᴅ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʜᴏᴏꜱᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴡɪᴛɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ɪꜱ ꜰɪɴɪᴛᴇ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ʙᴇ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ. ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ ᴀɴʏᴡᴀʏ, ᴅᴇꜱᴘɪᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɪɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪꜱ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ. ʙʏ ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ, ᴡᴇ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀ ᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɪɴ ᴡɪʟʟɪɴɢʟʏ."

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc!

Yearning, trials, heartache, and MORE YEARNING!

The Buccaneers meets The Cruel Prince (and I did not like the cruel prince 🫣 so just know I ACTUALLY enjoyed this duology).

Such a great sequel! I honestly liked this more than book one. The writing was very atmospheric and swept me in immediately. The way the characters will go to any length imaginable for love, family, and righteousness was the heart of this story. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this story concluded perfectly in my opinion. Can’t wait for it to be out in the world!

[Jace · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are only a few books that give me such a whimsical and eerie feeling that when reading I truly escape and the world consumes my every thought— this is one of them! Gosh I just love these characters and could seriously not put this down, so much had me on the edge of my seat. I also really appreciated the side plot of sisterhood and truly felt like it added so much to the story! The faerie vibes are so mystical and beautiful I could picture everything so perfectly — very much gives similar magic that can be found in The Folk of the Air series. Big fan over here and will read anything Sasha Peyton Smith writes!

Thank you SO much Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for sending me this ARC! 💕✨👑🌹

This series is everything I could ever ask for, from start to finish. I truly loved everything about these worlds, the characters, and the plot line. There were so many elements, all magical and beautifully intertwined. There is such a complete feeling at the end, a perfect closure to all the loose ends. You really can't ask for much more. I love love love this series. You can't help but binge it! An easy 5 stars!!


Publication day: 14 April 2026 - If you haven't already... go pre-order this book ASAP!!! 🥹💕

Side note: Duologies are really the way to go. I wish more authors did this rather than chasing giant book deals and just making plots drag on way too long.

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆]

𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (8/26/2025): April 2026 can’t come fast enough, I need to know what happens to everyone😭I already preordered the book!

[Serra]

I would do anything for the ARC of this!!!!

Edit: well... guess who got the ARC 😏

[_blondebooknerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 emotionally devastating, reader is now unwell stars.

Listen. If you thought you survived The Rose Bargain with your heart intact, Sasha Peyton Smith is here to prove you absolutely wrong.

This is the conclusion to the duet, and the shift from the first book's YA feel to this significantly darker, more sophisticated atmosphere was flawless. The writing is just phenomenal. It’s hauntingly beautiful. Dark, but beautiful. The imagery, the raw emotion, the longing... it is entirely palpable on every single page.

While the romance had me screaming, what really took center stage and completely shattered my heart—only to heal it right back up—was the sister bond between Ivy and Lydia. It is the beating, bleeding heart of this book and it was executed with pure precision.

And then there is Emmett. THE ANGST. THE DEVOTION. When this man dropped to the floor and said:

“I have loved you and I have grieved you and now I am on my knees for you. Ivy Benton, if you believe only one thing let it be this: I am yours, down to my bones.”

I was unwell. Deceased. 10/10 would panic and cry again.

Final verdict: Read it immediately. Massive thanks to the author, HarperCollins, and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

[jo ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

thanks to netgally and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

3.75
spoiler free

you can call me the thorn queen because somehow i did not feel connected nor super enjoy this book. which was a shame because i highly enjoyed the rose bargain but unfortunatly it fell slightly flat. i do think it was a good conclusion, things were wrapped up nicely--just that it was kind of slow compared to our first one. and it relied on a slightly confusing second chance (but also not) timeline which was slightly annoying to read about.

i also could not connect with the characters, which was crazy because in the rose bargain i was connected with them. in fact thats what made me keep reading! they all read the same and stayed the same. emmet is still my favorite character even though he had some huge downfalls, he was such a YEARNER if you want yearning then hes your man. aside from that, bram needed to die asap. lydia was okay, rhion was mid, and everyone else was just okay. ivy is a strong fmc and she had some redeeming moments but otherwise, it's just a pallette cleanser with a strong conclusion to the duology.


🌹💗💍

pre-review

well that was something !!! not rating it yet because I need to sit on my thoughts for a bit 😒

[Faiza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm this wasn’t the best. I liked how things ended and had no problem with how everything played out, but it just didn’t wow me like book 1.

I felt less invested in both the plot and the characters. Nothing was all that surprising or entertaining unfortunately :(

RTC - thank you Harper Collins for the eARC!

[Ava ✿ (ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ★

🔮 - i'm so honored to have received an advanced reader's copy!
⤿ i loved this! sequels make me nervous, but this was just as good as the first, maybe even better!? ivy and emmett have quickly become some of my favorite characters ever, and seeing their romance develop more was exactly what i wanted! lydia also had a stunning character arc and bram continued to intrigue me... hehe. the constant twists and turns sent me on an emotional rollercoaster, but we love that. i could barely put it down! im so excited for the release so everyone else can experience this too xx

[Markéta Forejtová]

Těšte se! :)

[Readaholic Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Thorn Queen picks up right where The Rose Bargain left off. Ivy is now Queen of England after marrying Bram. Ivy's sister Lydia is nowhere to be find. The person Ivy wishes to find the most - Emmett who she grew to love is also banished. Bram's power goes unchecked and the England Ivy loves is slowly coming to ruination. Ivy must find a way to travel to the Other world to try to banish Bram while simultaneously finding a way to save Emmett and Lydia.

I enjoyed The Rose Bargain and was equally excited to continue along with the duology in The Thorn Queen. Sasha Peyton Smith's writing draws you in - I'm always amazed at how fast I read her books. That being said, I do feel like I wasn't connecting with the characters in The Thorn Queen. The book had a much darker feel to it. Of course I really really disliked Bram, but I also wasn't feeling that connection between Emmett and Ivy. I did love the friendship that blossomed between Lydia and Emmett, but Ivy's jealousy over their relationship felt repetitive. There were also A LOT of things going on not just with the story, but with various characters and I had a hard time finding that spark of romance that really drove the first book for me.

Overall, a solid 3 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

[jenny reads a lot]

SO EXCITED FOR THIS ONE!

THE COVER IS EVERYTHING!

| IG | TikTok |

Thank you Harper Collins for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[Aanz ★.ᐟ (Hiatus)]

NOOOO I MISSED IT IN NETGALLEY💔💔💔💔💔 YALL ARE TOO FAST

[cyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was a great way to end the duology and was super entertaining. I was a big fan of the trial aspect in the first book and loved it again here but i’m glad it didn’t take up the entire plot. The twists and turns made this book a super hard one to put down and will definitely make you want to read this in one sitting. I adored the ending and epilogue. This is such a refreshing addition to the young adult romantasy scene. I’m also a huge fan of the evil fae so i loved this. This is definitely one to get excited about for next year!

[aleksandra ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you so much to the publisher and the author for the arc!! I screeeeaaamed when it landed on my kindle 🤭
This was wonderful! I love Ivy and Emmett and their story. The first book ended on such a cliffhanger i don’t know how i would’ve waited till April.
I love the balance of romance, politics, fae and family in this story. It just intertwines so perfectly and makes you care for these characters so much!
To me this is reminiscent of my love for the Folk of the air (but with a better sister relationship!!!)
The ending was so perfectly, I couldn’t ask for more!

[dess · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐️

[✧˖°.⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚₊ ⊹ ♡Megan ₊˚⊹ ᰔ ⟡ ݁₊ . · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ Thank you Harper Collin’s Publishers for the ARC for this book!! I think this duology was very beautifully written. This book was filled with so much magic and creativity. The beauty in the differences between realms and all of the critters and characters within. I really liked the ending and think this book is the perfect YA book for people who like The Cruel Prince/Once Upon a Broken Heart.

🎠🌸🛼🧁🧚🏽‍♀️💍🦢

[°.*• Evangeline •*.° · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up! Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this book prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

When I first started reading, I actually thought the opening was concise and picked up well from where the first book left off. Since this was the big finale, I was excited to see how everything would build, climax, and wrap up. But sadly, this ended up being disappointment for me.

Even knowing this was an uncorrected e-copy, the story just didn’t flow. It wasn’t compact or well-ordered, and it felt all over the place. Certain details—like the repeated descriptions of the fairies’ cold, dead-body-like skin—were mentioned so many times that it became distracting. The epilogue was also disappointing and a bit off-putting. Honestly, I almost wish I had left the story at the end of the first book, where everything was chaotic and uncertain, because that would’ve been easier to sit with than what I just read.

I wish the author nothing but success, but I genuinely hoped for more creativity in this finale. I thought the first book was cute and interesting, so I expected something grand, adventurous, romantic, and daring here. Instead, it felt repetitive and confusing, and I’m not sure what the intended point of this story was. Even though it’s under 400 pages, it pushed and pulled me in different directions that led nowhere. I was never surprised or fully interested, and I predicted almost everything.

I also expected more focus on the platonic love between the two sisters, but I didn’t feel connected to that at all. The trials were confusing and felt like an afterthought.

It had its good moments and certain imagery was very pretty and enthralling, like dress description or the way the greenery looked. But there weren’t enough details on the main important objects, like knives, potions, and things alike.

Overall, I’m sad to say I would’ve rather ended with the first book, where the tension and uncertainty felt meaningful, instead of reading a finale that left me confused and unfulfilled.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I have loved you and I have grieved you and now I am on my knees for you,” he says. “Ivy Benton, if you believe only one thing, let it be this: I am yours, down to my bones.”

If nothing else convinces you to read this book, let it be this quote because this was my undoing 😭

Not often are the sequels better than the debut, but The Thorn Queen is the exception because I could NOT put this down.

Double lives, betrayals, court politics, forbidden love, and family dynamics are but a glimpse of what you can expect with The Thorn Queen. The story picked up right where it left off in The Rose Bargain and it was an immediate page turner for me. This book solidified the fact that Sasha will be an auto buy author for me from here on out.

Important to note that there is NO spice, but the tension and yearning in this book nearly did me in. 🥵 So much so that I plan to do a full reread of the two books when the physical copy is released because it was that good.

Huge thanks to Sasha, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the chance to read the advanced digital copy. 🥀

[Jordan Miner · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was such a fun and satisfying conclusion to Emmett & Ivy’s story!

Sasha Peyton Smith beautifully blends real life and fairytale magic, creating a world that’s both enchanting and emotionally grounded. This sequel is addictive from start to finish, with a vivid new setting in the faerie realm that perfectly expands on book one’s London backdrop.

I loved seeing all the relationships deepen. Not just the main romance, but also the sisterhood and friendships that highlight themes of jealousy, insecurity, and growth. A heartfelt, magical ending to a truly captivating duology.

Huge ty to netgalley and harper collins for sending me an e-arc!