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Bitter Crown of Thistle
Raymond is a guy who has never found his place in life. Always the outcast, he’s watched others live what he’s missed. Then he decides to take an unorthodox chance by abducting Caroline Stolar, the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, convinced that he can get her to witness a side of himself otherwise overlooked, a side easy to love.
Men have been dying. Some women have secrets, like maybe they’re serial killers.
Nathan Stolar finds himself facing the mystery of his wife’s disappearance.
Caroline waits for her chance, doing everything she can, hiding who she really is.
Bitter Crown of Thistle is a twisting story about obsession, about the scars left by pain and the people we become as an answer to our lives.
Men have been dying. Some women have secrets, like maybe they’re serial killers.
Nathan Stolar finds himself facing the mystery of his wife’s disappearance.
Caroline waits for her chance, doing everything she can, hiding who she really is.
Bitter Crown of Thistle is a twisting story about obsession, about the scars left by pain and the people we become as an answer to our lives.
383 pages, Paperback
Published September 22, 2023
3 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
August 2, 2023
This was my first arc read so thank you Alisha!
This was a horror book. Not extreme but not for beginners.
There was a few things I was confused on but the ending cleared that up for me. Like spiders identity and how much ray really knew Caroline or thought he did. Same with Nathan I was like now how in the world is this guy married to her and doesn’t know…. But then I was like oh! Ha okay. Didn’t see that coming. Which I love when a book slaps and I don’t see the ending.
I’m not sure if this ending was obvious to anyone else but my brain went skirt skirt and didn’t think of it lol
Ray is gross and vile and I hate him. Like reading some of the scenes had me cringing just because he sounded like such a dumb repulsive fuck. And he is.
I did like the space of giving us a good picture on him and his thoughts/processing of scenarios. Also making me hate or love a character is a talent.
I don’t like Betty #byefelicia
I think that was my main gripe with this story was Betty. I also thought there was no way Nathan and Caroline were so perfect if *spoilers* Nathan considered what Betty was asking for. There’s something there between the husband and wife that’s got him not on okay terms at some point in his marriage if he’s considering that. That wasn’t really elaborated on, I missed it or they were a perfect couple perhaps?
Nathan was fine, and our main female character Caroline was strong as hell.
Descriptions were good in the scenes and wasn’t too much or too little. Definitely kept me on my toes!
Not a dark romance at all either - this was definite trigger checking cause there is scenes of rape and detailed violent acts/torture. There was zero romance or consent.
This was a horror book. Not extreme but not for beginners.
There was a few things I was confused on but the ending cleared that up for me. Like spiders identity and how much ray really knew Caroline or thought he did. Same with Nathan I was like now how in the world is this guy married to her and doesn’t know…. But then I was like oh! Ha okay. Didn’t see that coming. Which I love when a book slaps and I don’t see the ending.
I’m not sure if this ending was obvious to anyone else but my brain went skirt skirt and didn’t think of it lol
Ray is gross and vile and I hate him. Like reading some of the scenes had me cringing just because he sounded like such a dumb repulsive fuck. And he is.
I did like the space of giving us a good picture on him and his thoughts/processing of scenarios. Also making me hate or love a character is a talent.
I don’t like Betty #byefelicia
I think that was my main gripe with this story was Betty. I also thought there was no way Nathan and Caroline were so perfect if *spoilers* Nathan considered what Betty was asking for. There’s something there between the husband and wife that’s got him not on okay terms at some point in his marriage if he’s considering that. That wasn’t really elaborated on, I missed it or they were a perfect couple perhaps?
Nathan was fine, and our main female character Caroline was strong as hell.
Descriptions were good in the scenes and wasn’t too much or too little. Definitely kept me on my toes!
Not a dark romance at all either - this was definite trigger checking cause there is scenes of rape and detailed violent acts/torture. There was zero romance or consent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2023
Thank you so much for the arc, Alisha Galvan, I loved it.This is my honest review
Definitely read and take the triggers into consideration a lot happens in the book and is written so beautifully in a dark way. Her attention to detail is wow just amazing. I couldn't put it down once I started. There were so many twists and turns. I can not wait till I can get my hands on a physical copy to add to my bookshelf. Recommend it to anyone who loves dark physiologically thriller and horror but definitely check triggers
Definitely read and take the triggers into consideration a lot happens in the book and is written so beautifully in a dark way. Her attention to detail is wow just amazing. I couldn't put it down once I started. There were so many twists and turns. I can not wait till I can get my hands on a physical copy to add to my bookshelf. Recommend it to anyone who loves dark physiologically thriller and horror but definitely check triggers
September 22, 2023
Definitely check trigger/content warnings before going into this one as there is a grocery list, but if you’re looking for something dark and messed up than look no further.
This is was slow burn done in the absolute best way. I am normally not a fan of slow burn at all as I find there tends to be so much filler content, but this one was *chef’s kiss*. The slow burn really built up the story, the characters and the ending.
Also, that ending was just satisfying.
Thank you so much to the author for the arc. This review is my own.
This is was slow burn done in the absolute best way. I am normally not a fan of slow burn at all as I find there tends to be so much filler content, but this one was *chef’s kiss*. The slow burn really built up the story, the characters and the ending.
Also, that ending was just satisfying.
Thank you so much to the author for the arc. This review is my own.
August 8, 2023
Consider the trigger warnings before reading, while not unbearable, this book does contain some graphic, intense scenes.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and Alisha did not disappoint. From the first chapter to the final page, this book kept me entertained and invested.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and Alisha did not disappoint. From the first chapter to the final page, this book kept me entertained and invested.
July 31, 2023
Please read the trigger warnings before you proceed!
It’s a dark one, there are some disturbing moments, but I loved every minute of this book. Alisha Galvan didn’t leave any details out, Bitter Crown of Thistle was just so well written I can’t stress that enough. I appreciated the work that went into this book. Thank you Alisha for creating such a great dark story!
It’s a dark one, there are some disturbing moments, but I loved every minute of this book. Alisha Galvan didn’t leave any details out, Bitter Crown of Thistle was just so well written I can’t stress that enough. I appreciated the work that went into this book. Thank you Alisha for creating such a great dark story!
November 9, 2024
This was an ARC copy so I’m not going to be discussing any of the events in the second half of the book and especially not the ending. *Take note of the trigger warnings!*
Our main female character is Caroline Stolar and she is a successful lawyer with a wonderful loving marriage with Nathan Stolar who is a fireman. They have an idyllic life together and love each other deeply.
Our main male character is Raymond, and he is completely the opposite. He is the creepy stalker type. There is a part early on when he was reminiscing about stalking a woman called Lisa and he casually mentions that he tracked her period and probably knew she was pregnant before she did! Its insinuated that he killed her. Now, he’s switched to stalking Caroline and has been for over a year.
Now there is a problem to this, apart from the obvious obsession and stalking, because Caroline isn’t the meek and happy mannered person that she seems. She has an extremely dark traumatic past and combats this by going deep into herself for a darker character which she calls Amber White. And this is further exacerbated when Raymond abducts Caroline in broad daylight so that he can keep her prisoner and in doing so convince her to fall in love with him instead of Nathan, because he is better for her.
It’s presented well with viewpoints from all the main players and the pacing is perfect right up until the last couple of chapters. Take notice of the trigger warnings as this book dives right into the highly graphic aspects of the situations which the characters find themselves in and more than once I found myself exclaiming aloud at certain points. Mainly the points involving Caroline and Raymond.
The characters of Caroline and Raymond are so well written and the scenes between them are so detailed an realistic its like you’re there and experiencing it for yourself and I found myself cringing back in disgust many, many times which is testament to damn good storytelling.
As I said the pacing is perfect throughout but seems to fall at the last hurdle. We’ve spent the whole book having the detail and torture in minute detail for Caroline, our main female character, and yet at the end events happen way too fast for the pacing of the build-up, if anything the events at the end I wanted the same slow, highly descriptive writing that we were used to, and we didn’t get that satisfaction. Not only that but how the ending came about confused the hell out of me, I might be missing something and thinking too literal, but it just didn’t make sense.
So, in conclusion I really, really enjoyed this book. I just couldn’t put it down once I’d started it. I was reading it on trains, in restaurants, I found it hard to put it down. And would highly recommend but remember be aware of the trigger warnings but if you can get past them then become imprisoned by this one – you might just not make it out in one piece.
More detailed review here: https://youtu.be/wr4GiaoJkX0
4.5 Stars
Our main female character is Caroline Stolar and she is a successful lawyer with a wonderful loving marriage with Nathan Stolar who is a fireman. They have an idyllic life together and love each other deeply.
Our main male character is Raymond, and he is completely the opposite. He is the creepy stalker type. There is a part early on when he was reminiscing about stalking a woman called Lisa and he casually mentions that he tracked her period and probably knew she was pregnant before she did! Its insinuated that he killed her. Now, he’s switched to stalking Caroline and has been for over a year.
Now there is a problem to this, apart from the obvious obsession and stalking, because Caroline isn’t the meek and happy mannered person that she seems. She has an extremely dark traumatic past and combats this by going deep into herself for a darker character which she calls Amber White. And this is further exacerbated when Raymond abducts Caroline in broad daylight so that he can keep her prisoner and in doing so convince her to fall in love with him instead of Nathan, because he is better for her.
It’s presented well with viewpoints from all the main players and the pacing is perfect right up until the last couple of chapters. Take notice of the trigger warnings as this book dives right into the highly graphic aspects of the situations which the characters find themselves in and more than once I found myself exclaiming aloud at certain points. Mainly the points involving Caroline and Raymond.
The characters of Caroline and Raymond are so well written and the scenes between them are so detailed an realistic its like you’re there and experiencing it for yourself and I found myself cringing back in disgust many, many times which is testament to damn good storytelling.
As I said the pacing is perfect throughout but seems to fall at the last hurdle. We’ve spent the whole book having the detail and torture in minute detail for Caroline, our main female character, and yet at the end events happen way too fast for the pacing of the build-up, if anything the events at the end I wanted the same slow, highly descriptive writing that we were used to, and we didn’t get that satisfaction. Not only that but how the ending came about confused the hell out of me, I might be missing something and thinking too literal, but it just didn’t make sense.
So, in conclusion I really, really enjoyed this book. I just couldn’t put it down once I’d started it. I was reading it on trains, in restaurants, I found it hard to put it down. And would highly recommend but remember be aware of the trigger warnings but if you can get past them then become imprisoned by this one – you might just not make it out in one piece.
More detailed review here: https://youtu.be/wr4GiaoJkX0
4.5 Stars
September 13, 2023
Thank you, Alisha Galvan, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you to the publishers for your hard work!
This is certainly not for the faint of heart. Definitely regard the trigger warnings at the beginning. There is a lot that goes into this book. It's written beautifully, and in such depths, you understand exactly how the main character is feeling. The despair, hatred, anger, and everything that happens, you just hope for a better outcome.
You follow Caroline, a woman of two sides: A lawyers, a wonderful wife, and very much bright. On the other side, a spider she kills those who deserve to die, rapists, murderers, just men that are horrid. Yet a man is obsessively in love with her and wants to possess everything that is her. A man who does horrid things to get what he wants from her changing who he is. What's happening to her? What is this man capable of doing? That's for you to find out.
Reading this book it certainly kept me on the edge of my seat. I was so worried about Caroline and what was going to happen to her. Was she going to die? Suffer far worse fates? Those around her also suffered. Every chapter, I was biting my nails. This truly was well worth the read.
This is certainly not for the faint of heart. Definitely regard the trigger warnings at the beginning. There is a lot that goes into this book. It's written beautifully, and in such depths, you understand exactly how the main character is feeling. The despair, hatred, anger, and everything that happens, you just hope for a better outcome.
You follow Caroline, a woman of two sides: A lawyers, a wonderful wife, and very much bright. On the other side, a spider she kills those who deserve to die, rapists, murderers, just men that are horrid. Yet a man is obsessively in love with her and wants to possess everything that is her. A man who does horrid things to get what he wants from her changing who he is. What's happening to her? What is this man capable of doing? That's for you to find out.
Reading this book it certainly kept me on the edge of my seat. I was so worried about Caroline and what was going to happen to her. Was she going to die? Suffer far worse fates? Those around her also suffered. Every chapter, I was biting my nails. This truly was well worth the read.
November 15, 2025
who the fuck is amber white
could have been 100 pages shorter if the author didn’t bootlick a thesaurus and wax poetic trying to describe scenery and inner turmoil. not every moment needs to be your magnum opus babes. wildly fatphobic rhetoric used that didn’t in any capacity add to raymond’s character or villainy. i just know the author watched the whale and cried calling it peak cinema.
could have been 100 pages shorter if the author didn’t bootlick a thesaurus and wax poetic trying to describe scenery and inner turmoil. not every moment needs to be your magnum opus babes. wildly fatphobic rhetoric used that didn’t in any capacity add to raymond’s character or villainy. i just know the author watched the whale and cried calling it peak cinema.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2024
📚 Book Review 📚 “Bitter Crown of Thistle” by Alisha Galvan
📖 Genre: Dark Thriller/Horror
✨ TW: please check them. This book gets very dark and very intense at times.
💬 “Spiders, some, spin a web and wait for their prey, she knew.”
WOW. What a book this was. I received this as an ARC. This review and opinions are my own.
This is a dark and upsetting read, but I loved it. It’s one of those stories that starts off simple and just keeps rolling and cascading into more intricate and challenging avenues. We have three main POVs, and each one works incredibly well. Caroline and her husband Nathan and portrayed very well, and even though I HATED Ray, our antagonist, his POV is captivating, even if I wanted to punch a wall half the time.
This book upset me and challenged me and even made me tear up by the end. Alisha is a superb writer, and this is both poetic and literary, which is high praise from me. This is a thriller, but it’s written from a more literary aspect. Some lines here I found very profound, and I loved how everything just came together by the end, including a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming.
Excellent characterization, excellent writing, and a plot that keeps getting darker and more upsetting. This has shades of extreme horror, without ever going TOO far into that territory. I had to take a couple of breaks for one chapter.
What I got out of this book was how we carry trauma. The things from our past that haunt us and shape who we become later in life. How we can let that consume or free us. And sometimes the things we choose to let go in order to make room for what we accept and choose to keep. And sometimes how those things can morph into demons that gnaw at us slowly, and over time. And the things we tell ourselves. Maybe to make sense of it. Maybe to justify what we feel we deserve or are owed. And the horrors that we live with every day. Or the ones we inflict on others. This was a hard book to read, but I am SO thankful to Alisha for handling it with as much care as you can.
This is a book that will stay with me for a while, and I am SO excited to see what she does next. Recommended for the right audience. Just PLEASE, mind your triggers.
📖 Genre: Dark Thriller/Horror
✨ TW: please check them. This book gets very dark and very intense at times.
💬 “Spiders, some, spin a web and wait for their prey, she knew.”
WOW. What a book this was. I received this as an ARC. This review and opinions are my own.
This is a dark and upsetting read, but I loved it. It’s one of those stories that starts off simple and just keeps rolling and cascading into more intricate and challenging avenues. We have three main POVs, and each one works incredibly well. Caroline and her husband Nathan and portrayed very well, and even though I HATED Ray, our antagonist, his POV is captivating, even if I wanted to punch a wall half the time.
This book upset me and challenged me and even made me tear up by the end. Alisha is a superb writer, and this is both poetic and literary, which is high praise from me. This is a thriller, but it’s written from a more literary aspect. Some lines here I found very profound, and I loved how everything just came together by the end, including a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming.
Excellent characterization, excellent writing, and a plot that keeps getting darker and more upsetting. This has shades of extreme horror, without ever going TOO far into that territory. I had to take a couple of breaks for one chapter.
What I got out of this book was how we carry trauma. The things from our past that haunt us and shape who we become later in life. How we can let that consume or free us. And sometimes the things we choose to let go in order to make room for what we accept and choose to keep. And sometimes how those things can morph into demons that gnaw at us slowly, and over time. And the things we tell ourselves. Maybe to make sense of it. Maybe to justify what we feel we deserve or are owed. And the horrors that we live with every day. Or the ones we inflict on others. This was a hard book to read, but I am SO thankful to Alisha for handling it with as much care as you can.
This is a book that will stay with me for a while, and I am SO excited to see what she does next. Recommended for the right audience. Just PLEASE, mind your triggers.
August 7, 2023
Title: Bitter Crown of Thistle
Author: Alisha Galvan
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ARC Reader,
Honest Review:
This book was definitely something else. The prologue does a pretty good job at pulling you in, making you curious as to what’s to come, making you already want more. I throughly enjoyed how much detail and effort the author put into this story, as well. Everything was described so well, that it really painted the picture for you. It was definitely a dark story, however I will say I don’t think it was as dark as I originally thought. It definitely has some graphic details and some pretty disturbing events, so make sure that you check the warnings/triggers, just to make sure it won’t be too much for you.
I do wish some of the chapters had more in them. I did have to “fight” to get through some of them, as I didn’t feel like too much was happening, and I won’t lie, there was a couple parts I was edging into the bored category. However the book did end up picking up for me.
There were definitely a few parts that left me confused, as well, that did get cleared up in the end, which was nice.
I enjoyed how well the characters were written, especially Ray. You really were able to imagine the huge, sloppy, poor excuse of a man, and even though this was never mentioned, (that I can remember), I totally imagined him being extremely smelly 😂 The lengths he went through to do the things he did, blows my mind. This man was so incredibly sick in the head.
Overall, I gave this book 4 stars out of 5. I think somethings could’ve been left out, exchanged for more interesting scenes, but I think overall the book was pretty good!
My favorite quotes:
“Maybe after enough pain, you realize you’re a bit higher for the effort, but colder from the altitude.”
“To let it burn because she’d still be with him in the ashes.”
“He would rather keep the unpleasant things in life to himself, but sometimes you are required to share them.”
P.S.
This won’t make sense unless you read the book.
Maybe I’m crazy, but Betty deserved it.
Author: Alisha Galvan
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ARC Reader,
Honest Review:
This book was definitely something else. The prologue does a pretty good job at pulling you in, making you curious as to what’s to come, making you already want more. I throughly enjoyed how much detail and effort the author put into this story, as well. Everything was described so well, that it really painted the picture for you. It was definitely a dark story, however I will say I don’t think it was as dark as I originally thought. It definitely has some graphic details and some pretty disturbing events, so make sure that you check the warnings/triggers, just to make sure it won’t be too much for you.
I do wish some of the chapters had more in them. I did have to “fight” to get through some of them, as I didn’t feel like too much was happening, and I won’t lie, there was a couple parts I was edging into the bored category. However the book did end up picking up for me.
There were definitely a few parts that left me confused, as well, that did get cleared up in the end, which was nice.
I enjoyed how well the characters were written, especially Ray. You really were able to imagine the huge, sloppy, poor excuse of a man, and even though this was never mentioned, (that I can remember), I totally imagined him being extremely smelly 😂 The lengths he went through to do the things he did, blows my mind. This man was so incredibly sick in the head.
Overall, I gave this book 4 stars out of 5. I think somethings could’ve been left out, exchanged for more interesting scenes, but I think overall the book was pretty good!
My favorite quotes:
“Maybe after enough pain, you realize you’re a bit higher for the effort, but colder from the altitude.”
“To let it burn because she’d still be with him in the ashes.”
“He would rather keep the unpleasant things in life to himself, but sometimes you are required to share them.”
P.S.
This won’t make sense unless you read the book.
Maybe I’m crazy, but Betty deserved it.
July 30, 2023
Holy smokes this book is DARK!
This was my first read from this author and it definitely did not disappoint! This book follows a beautiful couple, Caroline & Nathan. Married & so in love. Caroline is a prosecutor & Nathan is a firefighter. They both do what they can to help & protect. But there’s a man lurking in the shadows. A man who was bullied as a kid and as a result becomes obsessed with Caroline. So much so that he feels he has to have her.
This book is Caroline’s hellish journey. Raymond takes Caroline and this story will give you every sordid, twisted detail of everything he puts her and Nathan through. It is NOT for the faint of heart. I don’t know if I would label it as “dark romance” but it’s definitely dark & horror centered. It’s gory, it’s sick and Ray is one demented son of a b*tch but the author, Alisha Galvan, wrote the heck out of this book! The plot is intense and well detailed. The characters were well written. It was a little on the long side but it did keep me on the edge of my seat!
All in all, it was a great story.. trigger warnings need to be checked if you’re going to attempt to dive into this story. Some triggers include: st@lking, kidn@pping, graphic torture, sod0my, dism3mberment, amongst others. It is DARK and DISTURBING but FANTASTIC! Thank you, Alisha Galvan, for allowing me to read this ARC! 4 stars!
This was my first read from this author and it definitely did not disappoint! This book follows a beautiful couple, Caroline & Nathan. Married & so in love. Caroline is a prosecutor & Nathan is a firefighter. They both do what they can to help & protect. But there’s a man lurking in the shadows. A man who was bullied as a kid and as a result becomes obsessed with Caroline. So much so that he feels he has to have her.
This book is Caroline’s hellish journey. Raymond takes Caroline and this story will give you every sordid, twisted detail of everything he puts her and Nathan through. It is NOT for the faint of heart. I don’t know if I would label it as “dark romance” but it’s definitely dark & horror centered. It’s gory, it’s sick and Ray is one demented son of a b*tch but the author, Alisha Galvan, wrote the heck out of this book! The plot is intense and well detailed. The characters were well written. It was a little on the long side but it did keep me on the edge of my seat!
All in all, it was a great story.. trigger warnings need to be checked if you’re going to attempt to dive into this story. Some triggers include: st@lking, kidn@pping, graphic torture, sod0my, dism3mberment, amongst others. It is DARK and DISTURBING but FANTASTIC! Thank you, Alisha Galvan, for allowing me to read this ARC! 4 stars!
August 18, 2023
Thank you to Alisha Galvan for sending me this book as an ARC. This is my honest review:
This book is intense. Definitely check trigger warnings. It is truly dark and twisted. It has multiple POV’s which makes for a good pace and interesting storytelling. I really enjoyed that all of the characters had flaws. Some way more than others.
I found it interesting that one of the main POV’s was the villain of the story. While his story and character development helped me understand who he was as a character, I didn’t feel like I was being asked to relate to him or hope for an outcome in his favor. I think it takes talent to bring me into someone’s head and still let me feel nothing but revulsion.
There is a fair amount of gore and violence. All of it felt purposeful to the story, not just gore for pure shock value. There were a couple of plot points that I would have liked to have gone in a slightly different direction but overall it was a wild ride with a satisfying end. I could not put it down and I’m pretty sure I got exercise minutes on my Apple Watch because my heart rate was so high at the end.
This book is intense. Definitely check trigger warnings. It is truly dark and twisted. It has multiple POV’s which makes for a good pace and interesting storytelling. I really enjoyed that all of the characters had flaws. Some way more than others.
I found it interesting that one of the main POV’s was the villain of the story. While his story and character development helped me understand who he was as a character, I didn’t feel like I was being asked to relate to him or hope for an outcome in his favor. I think it takes talent to bring me into someone’s head and still let me feel nothing but revulsion.
There is a fair amount of gore and violence. All of it felt purposeful to the story, not just gore for pure shock value. There were a couple of plot points that I would have liked to have gone in a slightly different direction but overall it was a wild ride with a satisfying end. I could not put it down and I’m pretty sure I got exercise minutes on my Apple Watch because my heart rate was so high at the end.
September 21, 2023
I read this as part of the arc and really appreciate being part of the team and being able to give an honest review.
The prologue was amazing like fish hooked me and reeled me in hard but then I felt like getting to 70% into the book there was a lot of word salad and repetitive tones and left me feeling a bit the same way I felt about the first Saw movie while they were captive in the dirty bathroom but not much is really happening.The last 30% was a strap in and grab the oh shit handle cause we gonna go on a dark twisted ride pedal to the floor so do check trigger warnings. Now I did have some serious issues with character confusion with Caroline and Amber until the very end and there was a lot of out loud wtf's and frustration. For me I wish there would have been more of a story build up around the vigilante aspect instead of so much storytime between Raymond and Caroline. Also as far as side characters go I loved Clint and hated Betty and found the rest irrelevant. Overall I would say this book started off strong, was hard to get through and stay engaged until the last sprint to the end which was packed with action but left me confused and a little frustrated.
The prologue was amazing like fish hooked me and reeled me in hard but then I felt like getting to 70% into the book there was a lot of word salad and repetitive tones and left me feeling a bit the same way I felt about the first Saw movie while they were captive in the dirty bathroom but not much is really happening.The last 30% was a strap in and grab the oh shit handle cause we gonna go on a dark twisted ride pedal to the floor so do check trigger warnings. Now I did have some serious issues with character confusion with Caroline and Amber until the very end and there was a lot of out loud wtf's and frustration. For me I wish there would have been more of a story build up around the vigilante aspect instead of so much storytime between Raymond and Caroline. Also as far as side characters go I loved Clint and hated Betty and found the rest irrelevant. Overall I would say this book started off strong, was hard to get through and stay engaged until the last sprint to the end which was packed with action but left me confused and a little frustrated.
September 8, 2024
Wow! Alisha did it again. I started this book two days ago & am now finished. Alisha’s writing is so poetic, it’s not your average, run of the mill thriller, this is much more of a slow burn, psychological, dark suspense type of book, I don’t even know what to compare it to because in my opinion, her writing is honestly unlike anything I’ve ever personally read. At times, there were words that I had to google to look up the definitions 😅 Her writing is VERY descriptive and she really develops her characters, which I personally love. I was so angry near the end , I wanted to kill the main male character myself… this book is dark but there’s also romance in it and it’s the first book I’ve ever annotated because some of her one-two liners made me stop & just soak in what was said.
It’s about a woman who’s in a loving marriage but is being stalked by a man who “thinks” he’s in love with her, pretty early on she gets kidnapped by him and what she has to endure is sickening and heartbreaking but the ending!!!!! YES. Absolutely couldn’t have asked for a better way to end this story!
This is one indie author to look out for and I am so thankful to have found her!
It’s about a woman who’s in a loving marriage but is being stalked by a man who “thinks” he’s in love with her, pretty early on she gets kidnapped by him and what she has to endure is sickening and heartbreaking but the ending!!!!! YES. Absolutely couldn’t have asked for a better way to end this story!
This is one indie author to look out for and I am so thankful to have found her!
September 19, 2023
Oh I love a good horror book!
I haven't had the pleasure of reading this author's other book, but she said this one was darker, so I was very excited to dive into the darker one.
Based on the promotion of the book, I knew this would satisfy the dark craving that I have for horror books. Bitter Crown of Thistle was dark and captured a raw look into the eye of someone with a dangerous and obsessive view point.
What really held the book back in my opinion is the length. I understand why the author made the choices she did with the writing style, but it drastically slowed the pacing down. The intrigue and suspense from the beginning really dialed back in the middle. This book is also written in 3rd POV so it pulled back from the reader fully investing in the emotional turmoil and the internal monologue of the characters. If you're putting your characters through the absolute worst experience of their life, a narrator isn't going to fully grasp all of that.
This is 100% being nit picky and doesn't affect the rating in any way, but the way the chapters were laid out added some choppiness to the flow.
With all of that being said, I still enjoyed the story the author was trying to tell. She created a unique take on an abduction case and filled that dark horror hole in my heart. I do plan on reading future books from this author.
I haven't had the pleasure of reading this author's other book, but she said this one was darker, so I was very excited to dive into the darker one.
Based on the promotion of the book, I knew this would satisfy the dark craving that I have for horror books. Bitter Crown of Thistle was dark and captured a raw look into the eye of someone with a dangerous and obsessive view point.
What really held the book back in my opinion is the length. I understand why the author made the choices she did with the writing style, but it drastically slowed the pacing down. The intrigue and suspense from the beginning really dialed back in the middle. This book is also written in 3rd POV so it pulled back from the reader fully investing in the emotional turmoil and the internal monologue of the characters. If you're putting your characters through the absolute worst experience of their life, a narrator isn't going to fully grasp all of that.
This is 100% being nit picky and doesn't affect the rating in any way, but the way the chapters were laid out added some choppiness to the flow.
With all of that being said, I still enjoyed the story the author was trying to tell. She created a unique take on an abduction case and filled that dark horror hole in my heart. I do plan on reading future books from this author.
September 18, 2023
I was fortunate enough to receive an arc copy of this book so thank you! I am mad at my self of how long it took me to read it. I should have read it faster but life!
****Check your trigger warnings for this book. There is a lot! Please know that this is not horror but very very very dark.****
We follow a few different POVs in this book one being Caroline the FMC and the others being Raymond and Nathan the MMCs there are a few different side characters as well. In this book Caroline has a stalker. He watched her every move, and then one day her husband comes home to find her missing.. he receives all these phone calls and texts from her kidnapper. Can the police find her in time? Or will it be to late?
I absolutely love this authors writing style. I can not wait to buy a physical copy of this (comes out on September 22nd!) I need one for my shelf. This book was very well written. I will be reading more from Alisha!
****Check your trigger warnings for this book. There is a lot! Please know that this is not horror but very very very dark.****
We follow a few different POVs in this book one being Caroline the FMC and the others being Raymond and Nathan the MMCs there are a few different side characters as well. In this book Caroline has a stalker. He watched her every move, and then one day her husband comes home to find her missing.. he receives all these phone calls and texts from her kidnapper. Can the police find her in time? Or will it be to late?
I absolutely love this authors writing style. I can not wait to buy a physical copy of this (comes out on September 22nd!) I need one for my shelf. This book was very well written. I will be reading more from Alisha!
August 11, 2023
CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS.
First I want to thank Alisha Galvan for allowing me to be one of your ARC readers. It was an honor reading your book.
Bitter crown of thistle is a dark thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It follows Caroline who is a lawyer, wife, an a very smart women. Caroline also has a secret side of her life she lives at night as a “spider” who kills off men who do horrid things to young girls and women. Her husband is a firefighter who loves her dearly. He knows nothing of her night activities.
Until a man who is obsessed with her finally gets close enough to her and takes her for himself.
I won’t lie the first few chapters were hard to understand and follow for myself but after getting past them it become a lot more understandable. It’s not as dark as some books I have read but it is a good read for anyone whom loves dark thrillers.
First I want to thank Alisha Galvan for allowing me to be one of your ARC readers. It was an honor reading your book.
Bitter crown of thistle is a dark thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It follows Caroline who is a lawyer, wife, an a very smart women. Caroline also has a secret side of her life she lives at night as a “spider” who kills off men who do horrid things to young girls and women. Her husband is a firefighter who loves her dearly. He knows nothing of her night activities.
Until a man who is obsessed with her finally gets close enough to her and takes her for himself.
I won’t lie the first few chapters were hard to understand and follow for myself but after getting past them it become a lot more understandable. It’s not as dark as some books I have read but it is a good read for anyone whom loves dark thrillers.
August 27, 2023
🔪CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS🔪
This book is dark with so many disturbing moments but it’s great!!!
First thank you Alisha for this amazing ARC!! Bitter Crown of Thistle is a dark thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This book is just so well written!!!
Caroline is a lawyer, wife, an a very smart women. Caroline also has a secret side of her life she lives at night as a "spider" who kills off men who do horrid things to young girls and women. Her husband is a firefighter . He knows nothing of her night activities.
Until a man who is obsessed with her finally gets close enough to her and takes her for himself.
Reminder!!! CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS!!
This took me a few days to read but only because I had to take breaks from it but in the best possible way!
This book is dark with so many disturbing moments but it’s great!!!
First thank you Alisha for this amazing ARC!! Bitter Crown of Thistle is a dark thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This book is just so well written!!!
Caroline is a lawyer, wife, an a very smart women. Caroline also has a secret side of her life she lives at night as a "spider" who kills off men who do horrid things to young girls and women. Her husband is a firefighter . He knows nothing of her night activities.
Until a man who is obsessed with her finally gets close enough to her and takes her for himself.
Reminder!!! CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS!!
This took me a few days to read but only because I had to take breaks from it but in the best possible way!
September 7, 2023
Thank you Alisha Galvan for allowing me to be one of your ARC readers for this book
Make sure to check your trigger warnings.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. This book is fast paced and intense. The story is told from different points of view. Caroline who is a lawyer and wife (to Nathan who is a fireman) during the day and a “spider” who unalives men who do terrible things to young girls, and women at night. Raymond is a twisted creepy, stalker character. He ends up abducting Caroline and keeps her prisoner in a room and puts her through hell.
This book will take you for a ride ride. I really enjoy reading this book because it kept pulling me back on every time I thought about putting it down.
Make sure to check your trigger warnings.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. This book is fast paced and intense. The story is told from different points of view. Caroline who is a lawyer and wife (to Nathan who is a fireman) during the day and a “spider” who unalives men who do terrible things to young girls, and women at night. Raymond is a twisted creepy, stalker character. He ends up abducting Caroline and keeps her prisoner in a room and puts her through hell.
This book will take you for a ride ride. I really enjoy reading this book because it kept pulling me back on every time I thought about putting it down.
January 23, 2024
Everything you want and wish for in a dark psychological thriller.
This book had me in a chokehold. The tension. The pacing. The twists. The horror elements. The point of views. Perfection. This is a book that, when you finish, will linger with you—in the best way. I went ahead and started to reread it. Check your trigger warnings. The author writes in a way that draws you into the story as if you were a part of it. How the story is told through each character's point of view makes you question what's right or wrong. One minute, I felt sorry for the character, and then the next page, I was horrified by their actions yet simultaneously cheered them on. As stated before, the build-up of tension within this story holds you captive. I will definitely be reading more books by this author.
This book had me in a chokehold. The tension. The pacing. The twists. The horror elements. The point of views. Perfection. This is a book that, when you finish, will linger with you—in the best way. I went ahead and started to reread it. Check your trigger warnings. The author writes in a way that draws you into the story as if you were a part of it. How the story is told through each character's point of view makes you question what's right or wrong. One minute, I felt sorry for the character, and then the next page, I was horrified by their actions yet simultaneously cheered them on. As stated before, the build-up of tension within this story holds you captive. I will definitely be reading more books by this author.
August 7, 2023
I received this as an arc from Alisha for an honest review!
Please read all triggers before reading this book because it goes into detail. That being said, this was really well written. I couldn't imagine going through what these people went through!
You'll want to keep turning those pages wondering what's going to happen next! Raymond was always laughed at and ridiculed by others growing up, always wanting what they had. I felt so bad for what Caroline had to endure by a sicko who became obsessed with her. This book will take you through the horror of abduction and the scars it will leave!
Please read all triggers before reading this book because it goes into detail. That being said, this was really well written. I couldn't imagine going through what these people went through!
You'll want to keep turning those pages wondering what's going to happen next! Raymond was always laughed at and ridiculed by others growing up, always wanting what they had. I felt so bad for what Caroline had to endure by a sicko who became obsessed with her. This book will take you through the horror of abduction and the scars it will leave!
August 19, 2023
Read the trigger warnings before you read this one! With that being said, I really enjoyed this book. It has some dark parts to it, and I mean dark. But those are my favorites. I loved the FMC. She has two sides to her. By day she is a loving wife, lawyer, respectful woman. By night she is a spider, killing those who do unspeakable things to women and young girls.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. I was so worried for Caroline throughout this book. The MMC is obsessed with her. He wants to possess everything that is her. I highly recommend this book. But it is not for the faint of heart. Alisha you did an amazing job with this one.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. I was so worried for Caroline throughout this book. The MMC is obsessed with her. He wants to possess everything that is her. I highly recommend this book. But it is not for the faint of heart. Alisha you did an amazing job with this one.
September 3, 2023
Prepare to be captivated by the Bitter Crown of Thistle as this book takes intensity to a new level, leaving you breathless and on the edge of your seat. With its dark and twisted narrative, it's not for the faint of heart, so check the trigger warnings. The multiple points of view create a riveting pace and allow for an intriguing storytelling experience. I love how the characters are thoroughly flawed, adding depth and realism to the story.
The only reason I deducted a star is that, at times, I found myself skimming some scenes that I did not find interesting or felt could have been left out.
The only reason I deducted a star is that, at times, I found myself skimming some scenes that I did not find interesting or felt could have been left out.
August 15, 2023
If you love Dark Thrillers this is for you. Think Haunting Adelaine without the smut. This is not a book for beginners. This takes Dark to a whole new level i never knew existed until now. Just when you think you have figured it all out, she comes around and surprises you with all these twist and turns. Stalking, double life, mystery, etc this book has it all and to me is even better than Haunting adelaine ehich is the Darkest book on the market right now. I will definetly be purchasing the physical copy of this book when its released.
August 9, 2023
What the hell did I just read? 😅 This was amazing.
Fast paced and tense, it will grab you right away.
It does have blood and gore, SA is also present so check your trigger warning. It will keep you at the edge of your seat until the last page.
The story itself is amazing, 5/5.
The characters are believable and you will be rooting for them.
Definitely recommend it if you are looking for a psychological horror thriller.
Fast paced and tense, it will grab you right away.
It does have blood and gore, SA is also present so check your trigger warning. It will keep you at the edge of your seat until the last page.
The story itself is amazing, 5/5.
The characters are believable and you will be rooting for them.
Definitely recommend it if you are looking for a psychological horror thriller.
September 4, 2023
This book and it’s premise are not only unexpected but hook you in right away. The characters and their stories, intertwine so well and the tension that is created is palpable. Parts of this book leave you yearning for more, it’s a story you want to dissect further. A thriller with some gore, a must read for the fall season! Thank you for allowing me to be one of your ARC readers, I complete devoured.
August 7, 2023
This book had me hooked from the first chapter. It’s gritty, raw and honestly horrifying! I loved this book and how the main characters come to life. It’s amazing well Alisha Galvan is able to create/write villains. Truly chilling!! If you love dark thrillers or horror, you will love this one. Highly recommend.
August 10, 2023
Thank you to Alisha for allowing me to be an ARC reader in return for an honest review. This book was beautifully written. Take the trigger warnings seriously as it does get immensely dark, but in the best way. The character building is absolutely fantastic, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
August 11, 2023
A bitter crown of thistle is a dark gripping psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. Caroline was an incredibly complex character, and Raymond was such a dark twisted villain.
The beginning of the book and the description of the spider and her prey had me hooked.
The beginning of the book and the description of the spider and her prey had me hooked.
September 6, 2023
Before you pick this one up, check your triggers. It has some SA, body horror, animal abuse, etc. For me, I’m just going to call this book good. I enjoyed it and liked the characters, but I struggled finishing it as I felt at times there were just words in there to add content - it could have been shorter, in my opinion. And I’ll be honest, LOL, I had to Google a few words! Was it just me?!?!
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