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The moment I stepped into Winthorpe High, I was branded as the new girl who stole somebody else’s life.
Thorne Briar, ruler of the school, keeper of underground secrets, marks me as his the instant the rumors start, but it’s not to protect me. No, he wants to punish me for being here, wrap fear around my neck until I run, and smile while he chases me down.
My aim was to blend in, get the grades, stay busy with extra-curriculars, all while pretending my own problems weren’t blowing up behind the scenes, but Thorne makes it impossible.
The only way for me to survive is to find out what dirty little secrets Thorne keeps to himself. To do that, I must follow him into the darker corners of the academy, the place where they make college hazings look like child’s play.
I watch the pleasure spark in his eyes as he does it. The joy he has over bringing pain.
What makes me most ashamed is … I like watching him.
If I’m not careful, Thorne will capitalize on that curiosity, and he will squeeze my heart until it bleeds.
THORNE is a dark high school bully romance containing mature themes such as bullying, enemies-to-lovers, and intense, potentially triggering, situations meant for 17+. It ends on a cliffhanger.
The moment I stepped into Winthorpe High, I was branded as the new girl who stole somebody else’s life.
Thorne Briar, ruler of the school, keeper of underground secrets, marks me as his the instant the rumors start, but it’s not to protect me. No, he wants to punish me for being here, wrap fear around my neck until I run, and smile while he chases me down.
My aim was to blend in, get the grades, stay busy with extra-curriculars, all while pretending my own problems weren’t blowing up behind the scenes, but Thorne makes it impossible.
The only way for me to survive is to find out what dirty little secrets Thorne keeps to himself. To do that, I must follow him into the darker corners of the academy, the place where they make college hazings look like child’s play.
I watch the pleasure spark in his eyes as he does it. The joy he has over bringing pain.
What makes me most ashamed is … I like watching him.
If I’m not careful, Thorne will capitalize on that curiosity, and he will squeeze my heart until it bleeds.
THORNE is a dark high school bully romance containing mature themes such as bullying, enemies-to-lovers, and intense, potentially triggering, situations meant for 17+. It ends on a cliffhanger.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2023
1836 people are currently reading
2037 people want to read
About the author
Ketley Allison
88 books886 followersAuthor of Romantic Suspense, New Adult, and mature YA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
avoid
November 21, 2021Self note
Avoid. The h looks like the H ex gf who went missing trope.
Avoid. The h looks like the H ex gf who went missing trope.
May 28, 2024
Series Review
~ major BBS
~ h hardcore doormat TSTL
~ insta forgiveness (2 weeks)
~ character inconsistency
~ continuity errors, timeline errors
I loved Tempest, so this series has been sadly disappointing.
There’s things like Ember telling Thorn she’s never been naked in front of a man before and then paragraphs later thinking she doesn’t want him to know she’s a virgin. Here’s your sign.
He’s been jealous possessive but deliberately lets the boys swim team see her naked. Doesn’t track.
Thorne references his ex girlfriend having his heart, yet he broke up with her because their bedroom preferences didn’t match. They were only 16, a little young for serious kink. The H says very few women could be considered conquests and privileged to have his body, yet he talks about sleeping with a wedding planner and deflowering virgins and later in Book 2 how he’d usually have an orgy at his Halloween party?- all while dating his ex from 15-16. Continuity errors like this are common throughout the entire series and make it difficult to enjoy.
The body betrayal is excruciating. All Thorn has to do is blink and she’s instantly wet and can’t resist him. He’s an asshole, degrading, humiliating, rips her future away etc but she has no backbone and gives in every.single.time. Eventually that gets boring.
⚠️ Book 2 Thorn hooks up with a girl at a party. He fingers her, rubs his dick on her ass, imagining she’s Ember (🙄), and the only reason he doesn’t finish is because she’s not into choking so he loses interest and she leaves⚠️, yet Thorn has insisted Ember can’t be with anyone else of course. Ember doesn’t ever know it happened.
Thorn’s father whips him severely, resulting in scarring. But Thorn is on the swim team and expected to get a swim scholarship to an Ivy. So it makes no sense for his father to choose that punishment where the entire public will see his whip marks.
Book 3 is confusing because Thorn broke up with his ex before she disappeared, then chose to get back together with her when she returned. We’re never told why since they were together by choice and not arrangement, it wasn’t forced. Edit: Apparently Thorn is ordered by his dad to look good for the media and continue a fake relationship to Savannah.
Even more confusing is why Thorn, after saving Ember from getting caught and attending her father’s punishment for being a traitor, then drives her there himself? Instead of locking her up, dropping her off somewhere, any other option. So much doesn’t make sense. I could write a book on the illogical portions alone by I think I’ve given enough examples.
~ major BBS
~ h hardcore doormat TSTL
~ insta forgiveness (2 weeks)
~ character inconsistency
~ continuity errors, timeline errors
I loved Tempest, so this series has been sadly disappointing.
There’s things like Ember telling Thorn she’s never been naked in front of a man before and then paragraphs later thinking she doesn’t want him to know she’s a virgin. Here’s your sign.
He’s been jealous possessive but deliberately lets the boys swim team see her naked. Doesn’t track.
Thorne references his ex girlfriend having his heart, yet he broke up with her because their bedroom preferences didn’t match. They were only 16, a little young for serious kink. The H says very few women could be considered conquests and privileged to have his body, yet he talks about sleeping with a wedding planner and deflowering virgins and later in Book 2 how he’d usually have an orgy at his Halloween party?- all while dating his ex from 15-16. Continuity errors like this are common throughout the entire series and make it difficult to enjoy.
The body betrayal is excruciating. All Thorn has to do is blink and she’s instantly wet and can’t resist him. He’s an asshole, degrading, humiliating, rips her future away etc but she has no backbone and gives in every.single.time. Eventually that gets boring.
⚠️ Book 2 Thorn hooks up with a girl at a party. He fingers her, rubs his dick on her ass, imagining she’s Ember (🙄), and the only reason he doesn’t finish is because she’s not into choking so he loses interest and she leaves⚠️, yet Thorn has insisted Ember can’t be with anyone else of course. Ember doesn’t ever know it happened.
Thorn’s father whips him severely, resulting in scarring. But Thorn is on the swim team and expected to get a swim scholarship to an Ivy. So it makes no sense for his father to choose that punishment where the entire public will see his whip marks.
Book 3 is confusing because Thorn broke up with his ex before she disappeared, then chose to get back together with her when she returned. We’re never told why since they were together by choice and not arrangement, it wasn’t forced. Edit: Apparently Thorn is ordered by his dad to look good for the media and continue a fake relationship to Savannah.
Even more confusing is why Thorn, after saving Ember from getting caught and attending her father’s punishment for being a traitor, then drives her there himself? Instead of locking her up, dropping her off somewhere, any other option. So much doesn’t make sense. I could write a book on the illogical portions alone by I think I’ve given enough examples.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2021
2 ⭐️⭐️ Stars! Bully/enemies to lover romance. Yeah, no, didn’t care for this at all, disgusting hero and heroine was just TSTL. I could not find anything that was redeemable in the hero’s character. Nope, skimmed and shook my head over this one. Hard no.
October 27, 2021
He wasn't much of a bully because he ended up saving her just right before she was humiliated and also this was a romance featuring a cult. Also the kinks weren't for me.
dnf
November 19, 2021DNF @15% - meh 🤷🏼♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2022
This one did not work for me and unfortunately, it relies heavily on a trope I do not usually care for but said trope was not mentioned in the descriptors about this book. This is a secret society plotline and one the of issues I have with these is that rarely can someone blend the old gothic conspiracy with a modern contemporary setting and have it be plausible, you are as the reader asked to suspend a lot of disbelief. If you are really into the secret society type tropes you might like this but if those are not for you then you will want to skip this one.
Below are some potential spoilers.
We are asked to believe this is a super-secret society but we have teenagers talking pretty openly about it. This does not make me believe anything is that secret.
We have a FMC that is just flat out TSTL and the plot progression relies on her being that way for any movement to happen. An example is that people that have not been nice to her, or even slightly polite tell her to meet up with them behind a place at night, so of course, that is something she's needing to do...
We have some arch rivals expecting some sort of unrealistic cooperation for reasons.
Next is the MMC who likes to pretend he's some sort of rebel but is really just doing what daddy wants him to.
The society bits do not play a role in the first 30% of the book, if it had I just would have stopped but since I have that far in I decided I go ahead and finish it to see if it might work out alright. It just didn't for me, it got more unbelievable as it went.
Below are some potential spoilers.
We are asked to believe this is a super-secret society but we have teenagers talking pretty openly about it. This does not make me believe anything is that secret.
We have a FMC that is just flat out TSTL and the plot progression relies on her being that way for any movement to happen. An example is that people that have not been nice to her, or even slightly polite tell her to meet up with them behind a place at night, so of course, that is something she's needing to do...
We have some arch rivals expecting some sort of unrealistic cooperation for reasons.
Next is the MMC who likes to pretend he's some sort of rebel but is really just doing what daddy wants him to.
The society bits do not play a role in the first 30% of the book, if it had I just would have stopped but since I have that far in I decided I go ahead and finish it to see if it might work out alright. It just didn't for me, it got more unbelievable as it went.
March 2, 2024
Did not hold my attention. Premise of the story was good. Just too slow. Within 20% nothing really happened. Plus so descriptive of the space. DNF.
May 18, 2023
It hard to know how l feel about this book because it dragged a lot making me bored at times. But at the same time the story was intriguing making me want to know more.
August 3, 2021
This is the first story in a new series by Ketley Allison. Like the Briarcliff series, this story also revolves around the secret Noble and Virtues societies and the mysterious disappearance of a student who was involved with the MMC. I enjoyed the writing style - which is a level up from the general HS bully stories. Ketley has an eloquence with words and descriptions. As this has a cliffhanger, this is more of a summary than a review. Spoilers ahead.
The story focuses on Ember Beckett Weatherby the MFC and Thorne Briar the MMC and the disappearance of Savannah, a student at Winthorpe who had an eerie resemblance to Ember.
The story begins with Ember finding out that she's illegally adopted and that she's really a legacy Weatherby. Malcolm, her bio dad has forced her to move in with him and attend the prestigious Winthope High (which was the motivating catalyst for her move) by threatening to put her adoptive parents in jail if she doesn't. The premise of her stay in New England with Malcolm continues to be the fact that she fears her adoptive parents will be jailed if she doesn't toe the line but also her coveting the prestigious Marks fellowship which can only be achieved by attending Winthorpe High. Malcolm's house is described very much like an old English manor, set on a windy cliffside, with secret passages, portraits, fireplaces etc. It seems leaky, cold and covered in cobwebs - even though Malcolm is rich, but he only employs a butler and a cook. Somewhere along the line, Ember learns that there are secret societies, Noble and Virtues which will open doors. I was confused but there seemed to be a tie between getting into the secret society and getting the Marks fellowship. Ember keeps Malcolm at arms length because she's butthurt about the way he ripped her away from her adoptive parents and also his seemingly aloof demeanor towards her. She decides she's going to be cold towards him and bide her time until the end of her senior year. She sees a portrait of Malcolm's wife who is perceived to be dead. Ember's bio mom apparently died at childbirth and not much is mentioned of her other. There was a shady deal made by someone to her adoptive parents after her birth which Malcolm has said was illegal. Her adoptive parents apparently knew it was illegal but went ahead with it because they were desperate and didn't think they'd get another chance like this.
When Ember begins her first day at Winthorpe, she notices that she could be a twin of Savannah, a missing student. The popular kids, Thorne, Aurora, Belle, all make Ember feel unwelcome and resentfully tell her that she's taking Savannah's highly coveted spot, spots which never open at Winthorpe. Ember is puzzled and is rescued and befriended by a tiny Japanese girl, Aiko. Aiko continues to look out for Ember and fills her in on bits and pieces of the history she's missed. Ember eventually finds out that Savannah was Aiko's stepsister, her mom having married Aiko's dad. Aiko was close to Savannah and sees Ember as a sort of replacement.
Thorne is the hot, alpha neighbour. He's athletic and captain of the swim team. Thorne has figured out a bunch of secret passages in his house and the one that leads to Ember's house. He sneaks into her room to watch her sleep and to snoop through her stuff. Thorne is the leader of the Nobles and takes it upon himself to put Ember through the trials to become a Virtue. Along the way he realizes he's attracted to her and possibly helps her. Thorne used to date Savannah and tells Ember that he broke up with Savannah the night before her disappearance. He and Aurora were the last to be seen with Sav. Sav apparently got into a limo and disappeared from school.
Thorne doesn't seem to have a good relationship with Damion Briar, his father the Noble king and seems dismissive of his stepmother, who we later learn is Julia - Malcolm's wife (ex-wife?). Julia has a large scar on her face that could potentially explain what happened with her and Malcolm's relationship. Malcolm and Damion used to be best friends but had a falling out or a rivalry in which Damion bested Malcolm. Malcolm is now not in a position to question Damion and something is mentioned about him falling victim to the Briar curse. Malcolm does seek out Damion and asks him not to allow Ember to become a Virtue and is seemingly dead set against her becoming one and is horrified when he learns she's passed 2/3 of the trials.
At a society party at Damion's house, Ember decides to dress up to look like Savannah in order to "catch someone" who might be guilty of her disappearance. I don't know how she planned on catching a guilty face in a crowd but Ember wore Sav's dress, dyed her hair and wore Sav's locket with the engraving "forever you". When Malcolm sees Ember, he forbids her to go to the party because it's a secret society party but claims he must attend. Ember sneaks out through the secret passage and angers Thorne with the way she's dressed. He warns her and tells her to leave but she goes to the party anyway. At the party, the Marks award is given to Aurora. Damion meets Sav and introduces her to Julia. Malcolm seems shocked and it might be the first time he sees Julia after their marriage ended? Ember is butthurt about the Marks award, the way Thorne treated her and rushes back home to tell Aiko what happened. Aiko tells Ember that she suspects the society is behind Sav's disappearance.
The pacing of the story is steady until the last couple of chapters when things seemingly fast forward. All of a sudden the Marks award is handed out. The trials are almost over etc. Events I expected to be featured and elaborated were swept under the rug. So I'm not sure what the premise of the background premise of book 2 will be. The cliffhanger ends with Thorne reflecting on his feelings towards Ember - that he set out to destroy her and became intrigued by her. He acknowledges that Ember now hates him and looks forward to what will happen next.
The story focuses on Ember Beckett Weatherby the MFC and Thorne Briar the MMC and the disappearance of Savannah, a student at Winthorpe who had an eerie resemblance to Ember.
The story begins with Ember finding out that she's illegally adopted and that she's really a legacy Weatherby. Malcolm, her bio dad has forced her to move in with him and attend the prestigious Winthope High (which was the motivating catalyst for her move) by threatening to put her adoptive parents in jail if she doesn't. The premise of her stay in New England with Malcolm continues to be the fact that she fears her adoptive parents will be jailed if she doesn't toe the line but also her coveting the prestigious Marks fellowship which can only be achieved by attending Winthorpe High. Malcolm's house is described very much like an old English manor, set on a windy cliffside, with secret passages, portraits, fireplaces etc. It seems leaky, cold and covered in cobwebs - even though Malcolm is rich, but he only employs a butler and a cook. Somewhere along the line, Ember learns that there are secret societies, Noble and Virtues which will open doors. I was confused but there seemed to be a tie between getting into the secret society and getting the Marks fellowship. Ember keeps Malcolm at arms length because she's butthurt about the way he ripped her away from her adoptive parents and also his seemingly aloof demeanor towards her. She decides she's going to be cold towards him and bide her time until the end of her senior year. She sees a portrait of Malcolm's wife who is perceived to be dead. Ember's bio mom apparently died at childbirth and not much is mentioned of her other. There was a shady deal made by someone to her adoptive parents after her birth which Malcolm has said was illegal. Her adoptive parents apparently knew it was illegal but went ahead with it because they were desperate and didn't think they'd get another chance like this.
When Ember begins her first day at Winthorpe, she notices that she could be a twin of Savannah, a missing student. The popular kids, Thorne, Aurora, Belle, all make Ember feel unwelcome and resentfully tell her that she's taking Savannah's highly coveted spot, spots which never open at Winthorpe. Ember is puzzled and is rescued and befriended by a tiny Japanese girl, Aiko. Aiko continues to look out for Ember and fills her in on bits and pieces of the history she's missed. Ember eventually finds out that Savannah was Aiko's stepsister, her mom having married Aiko's dad. Aiko was close to Savannah and sees Ember as a sort of replacement.
Thorne is the hot, alpha neighbour. He's athletic and captain of the swim team. Thorne has figured out a bunch of secret passages in his house and the one that leads to Ember's house. He sneaks into her room to watch her sleep and to snoop through her stuff. Thorne is the leader of the Nobles and takes it upon himself to put Ember through the trials to become a Virtue. Along the way he realizes he's attracted to her and possibly helps her. Thorne used to date Savannah and tells Ember that he broke up with Savannah the night before her disappearance. He and Aurora were the last to be seen with Sav. Sav apparently got into a limo and disappeared from school.
Thorne doesn't seem to have a good relationship with Damion Briar, his father the Noble king and seems dismissive of his stepmother, who we later learn is Julia - Malcolm's wife (ex-wife?). Julia has a large scar on her face that could potentially explain what happened with her and Malcolm's relationship. Malcolm and Damion used to be best friends but had a falling out or a rivalry in which Damion bested Malcolm. Malcolm is now not in a position to question Damion and something is mentioned about him falling victim to the Briar curse. Malcolm does seek out Damion and asks him not to allow Ember to become a Virtue and is seemingly dead set against her becoming one and is horrified when he learns she's passed 2/3 of the trials.
At a society party at Damion's house, Ember decides to dress up to look like Savannah in order to "catch someone" who might be guilty of her disappearance. I don't know how she planned on catching a guilty face in a crowd but Ember wore Sav's dress, dyed her hair and wore Sav's locket with the engraving "forever you". When Malcolm sees Ember, he forbids her to go to the party because it's a secret society party but claims he must attend. Ember sneaks out through the secret passage and angers Thorne with the way she's dressed. He warns her and tells her to leave but she goes to the party anyway. At the party, the Marks award is given to Aurora. Damion meets Sav and introduces her to Julia. Malcolm seems shocked and it might be the first time he sees Julia after their marriage ended? Ember is butthurt about the Marks award, the way Thorne treated her and rushes back home to tell Aiko what happened. Aiko tells Ember that she suspects the society is behind Sav's disappearance.
The pacing of the story is steady until the last couple of chapters when things seemingly fast forward. All of a sudden the Marks award is handed out. The trials are almost over etc. Events I expected to be featured and elaborated were swept under the rug. So I'm not sure what the premise of the background premise of book 2 will be. The cliffhanger ends with Thorne reflecting on his feelings towards Ember - that he set out to destroy her and became intrigued by her. He acknowledges that Ember now hates him and looks forward to what will happen next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2022
I think the h, Ember, is supposed to be a tough fighter. However, she's coming across a bit weak. I think when someone treats you horribly through hazing, to continue to feel attracted to them so that it weakens your good judgment, is sus. I am hoping she turns it around and stops making some of the dumbest decisions on god's green earth. I am on to read the next book.
September 19, 2021
A consistently strong story that I enjoyed reading, but I felt like the last few chapters were somewhat rushed for a story that was meant to end in a cliffhanger anyway. Some things I felt were not tied up nicely, it was mentioned and then forgotten. Or, it is mentioned but does not give the significance I feel it was intended to.
That being said, I really like the story and think
That being said, I really like the story and think
July 27, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love a good dark bully romance and Thorne delivers in all the right ways!!
Thorne is a dark highschool bully, enemies-to-lovers romance. It is book 1 in the Thorne of Winthorpe High. It is not a standalone and ends on a cliffhanger.
If you're familiar with Ketley's Briarcliff Secret Society series then you know all about The Nobles and Virtues. If you haven't read that series I highly recommend you do.
Thorne is set in the Noble and Virutes world but you don't have to read the Briarcliff series inorder to read this one.
This book!! I dont even know what to say to describe it. It was phenomenal and hands down my favorite by Ketley to date.
Ember finds out a secret that sends her to a new highschool. She wants to keep her head down, finish her senior year and get out. She discovers secrets and finds herself immediately in the crosshairs of Thorne Brair. Thorne is the king of Winthrope High. He's royalty and everyone else bows to him.
I absolutely love Thorne and Ember. They kept me interested all the way til the end. I've come to realize that Ketley knows how to end a book with a cliffhanger that will drive you insane. She knows how to throw a curveball and make your jaw drop. After this cliffhanger I don't know how I'm going to beable to wait patiently for book 2. I need it like last week. 😉
I love a good dark bully romance and Thorne delivers in all the right ways!!
Thorne is a dark highschool bully, enemies-to-lovers romance. It is book 1 in the Thorne of Winthorpe High. It is not a standalone and ends on a cliffhanger.
If you're familiar with Ketley's Briarcliff Secret Society series then you know all about The Nobles and Virtues. If you haven't read that series I highly recommend you do.
Thorne is set in the Noble and Virutes world but you don't have to read the Briarcliff series inorder to read this one.
This book!! I dont even know what to say to describe it. It was phenomenal and hands down my favorite by Ketley to date.
Ember finds out a secret that sends her to a new highschool. She wants to keep her head down, finish her senior year and get out. She discovers secrets and finds herself immediately in the crosshairs of Thorne Brair. Thorne is the king of Winthrope High. He's royalty and everyone else bows to him.
I absolutely love Thorne and Ember. They kept me interested all the way til the end. I've come to realize that Ketley knows how to end a book with a cliffhanger that will drive you insane. She knows how to throw a curveball and make your jaw drop. After this cliffhanger I don't know how I'm going to beable to wait patiently for book 2. I need it like last week. 😉
April 29, 2024
1 Star ⭐️
Format: ebook (KU)
Spice: N/A (I DNF before any 🌶️)
Tropes:
•Secret Society 🥴
•Enemies to Lovers 🖤
•Bully
(Maybe more, but I DNF before anymore could evolve)
This was a complete NO for me. The quotes were absolutely ridiculous. Why do authors feel the need to make the FMC a mumbling idiot who constantly stutters, “Excuse me?” And do NOT get me started on the pet name in this one! Little Pretty?! 🤢🙄 Please, please STOP with this ick-ness.
One last thing (rant)… what is the deal with the secret society books lately. If they are done right, I get the allure. However; HS age kids who constantly talk about said secret society defeats the entire point.
Let. It. Go.
Do I recommend? Nope 🙂↔️
Format: ebook (KU)
Spice: N/A (I DNF before any 🌶️)
Tropes:
•Secret Society 🥴
•Enemies to Lovers 🖤
•Bully
(Maybe more, but I DNF before anymore could evolve)
This was a complete NO for me. The quotes were absolutely ridiculous. Why do authors feel the need to make the FMC a mumbling idiot who constantly stutters, “Excuse me?” And do NOT get me started on the pet name in this one! Little Pretty?! 🤢🙄 Please, please STOP with this ick-ness.
One last thing (rant)… what is the deal with the secret society books lately. If they are done right, I get the allure. However; HS age kids who constantly talk about said secret society defeats the entire point.
Let. It. Go.
Do I recommend? Nope 🙂↔️
February 19, 2024
Buraz koj vrag
August 5, 2021
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.
The moment I stepped into Winthrope High, I was branded as the new girl who stole somebody else's life. Throne Briar, ruler of the school, keeper of underground secrets, marks me as his the instant the rumors start, but it's not to protect me. No, he wants to punish me for being here, wrap fear around my neck until I run and smile while he chases me down. My aim was to blend in, get the grades, stay busy with extra-curriculars, all while pretending my own problems weren't blowing up behind the scenes, but Thorne makes it impossible. The only way for me to survive is to find out what dirty little secrets Throne keeps to himself. To do that, I must follow him into the darker corners of the academy, the place where they make college hazing's look like child's play. I watch the pleasure spark in his eyes as he does it. The joy he has over bringing pain. If I'm not careful , Throne will capitalize on that curiosity, and he will squeeze my heart until it bleeds.
This is a dark high school bully romance that may contain some themes that may be triggering for some people. You need to heed the warnings before diving into this book. This was my first time ever reading a Ketley Allison book so I had no idea her writing style or if I would even like it. Well I have to say that she won me over and she will you too if you have never read her books. I couldn't for the life of me put this book down. It's like a magical little movie that plays in your head as you are reading. Now I have to warn you that your probably not going to like the main male character Throne. This poor guy has not one good bone in his body so there is nothing about him to really like at all. I know I sure didn't. But don't let that make you put this book down because you are not going to want to do that. Then you have Ember who has had her life majorly uprooted and she finds herself living with Adam, a man she knows but she sure does not know him as a father like he is. But the man is really rich and he gets her into Briar Academy which is a very competitive private school but houses some of the most horrible human beings on the face of the earth. So if you have lost all the really awful people in the world I would suggest this is where you look first for them. This was so different to me because there is usually something good in everyone I try to look for. You're not going to find it in this school I can promise you that. The second Ember enter the school for what promises to be the most miserable senior year ever she catches the eye of Thorne. The last person on earth she should ever want to be on the radar of. This poor girl. He is horrible to her. I don't think there are enough adjectives to describe just how bad he is. Good Grief. But Ember is not going to let him rule her life and senior year. She is more than ready to go head to head with him. But one touch from him and all bets are off. Don't even get me started on that cliffhanger too. I almost threw my kindle in the yard and called it a day. But now I want that second book in my hands right now. I have to know what happens and I so hope that thing is Ember owning Thorne and showing him just what a young lady is suppose to be and maybe just maybe she might be able to uncover a heart or a hint of a soul in him. Really I am warning you this guy is the devil himself!!! But like I said keep reading and you too can fall right off the edge of that darn cliff with me.
The moment I stepped into Winthrope High, I was branded as the new girl who stole somebody else's life. Throne Briar, ruler of the school, keeper of underground secrets, marks me as his the instant the rumors start, but it's not to protect me. No, he wants to punish me for being here, wrap fear around my neck until I run and smile while he chases me down. My aim was to blend in, get the grades, stay busy with extra-curriculars, all while pretending my own problems weren't blowing up behind the scenes, but Thorne makes it impossible. The only way for me to survive is to find out what dirty little secrets Throne keeps to himself. To do that, I must follow him into the darker corners of the academy, the place where they make college hazing's look like child's play. I watch the pleasure spark in his eyes as he does it. The joy he has over bringing pain. If I'm not careful , Throne will capitalize on that curiosity, and he will squeeze my heart until it bleeds.
This is a dark high school bully romance that may contain some themes that may be triggering for some people. You need to heed the warnings before diving into this book. This was my first time ever reading a Ketley Allison book so I had no idea her writing style or if I would even like it. Well I have to say that she won me over and she will you too if you have never read her books. I couldn't for the life of me put this book down. It's like a magical little movie that plays in your head as you are reading. Now I have to warn you that your probably not going to like the main male character Throne. This poor guy has not one good bone in his body so there is nothing about him to really like at all. I know I sure didn't. But don't let that make you put this book down because you are not going to want to do that. Then you have Ember who has had her life majorly uprooted and she finds herself living with Adam, a man she knows but she sure does not know him as a father like he is. But the man is really rich and he gets her into Briar Academy which is a very competitive private school but houses some of the most horrible human beings on the face of the earth. So if you have lost all the really awful people in the world I would suggest this is where you look first for them. This was so different to me because there is usually something good in everyone I try to look for. You're not going to find it in this school I can promise you that. The second Ember enter the school for what promises to be the most miserable senior year ever she catches the eye of Thorne. The last person on earth she should ever want to be on the radar of. This poor girl. He is horrible to her. I don't think there are enough adjectives to describe just how bad he is. Good Grief. But Ember is not going to let him rule her life and senior year. She is more than ready to go head to head with him. But one touch from him and all bets are off. Don't even get me started on that cliffhanger too. I almost threw my kindle in the yard and called it a day. But now I want that second book in my hands right now. I have to know what happens and I so hope that thing is Ember owning Thorne and showing him just what a young lady is suppose to be and maybe just maybe she might be able to uncover a heart or a hint of a soul in him. Really I am warning you this guy is the devil himself!!! But like I said keep reading and you too can fall right off the edge of that darn cliff with me.
October 30, 2021
Wtf!? Thorn is a creepy stalker and he would never get away with his pervy behaviour if he wasn't the most handsomest popular athletic genius who ever existed 😒 give me a break. Ember is being harassed by this creep yet she's somehow "drawn" to him and posessive. What a load of crap. She's weak and I loath a weak willed heroine.
December 17, 2023
Bully Romance, Secret Societies, Nerdy Girl, Bad Boy Prestigious School Setting
Ember Beckett ( aka: Weatherby ) is taken from her loving middle class upbringing to live in Raven Bluff, In an enormous old Mansion.
She is to live there for one year, with her biological Dad, completing her finale year of High School at Winthrope.
In exchange for agreeing to Malcom’s terms, he will not pursue criminal charges against her adoptive Mum and Dad.
On the bright side, Ember, who is a self confessed “ nerd” is eager to hit the books & go for the prestigious schools fellowship.
A fellowship that will provide her with an extremely well paid future with a tech firm.
Problem?
She crosses path with the dark haired, brooding, high cheek boned, full lipped, light eyed devil known as Thorne Blair.
Who, conveniently lives just across the road from her in an equally imposing large house.
By the time she starts her first orientation day at Winthrope , Thorne has her in his sights
So have the Virtue girls, who don’t like the fact that she looks extremely like their missing friend of one year, Savannah Merricourt & has Thorne’s attention.
Curious about this girl Savannah, Who is disappearance everyone is talking about, Ember finds herself uncovering information surrounding the school’s secret societies.
Which THEN leads to her entering into their initiation ceremony in an effort to discover hidden secrets about her own family nefarious connections to the Nobles, PLUS! more about Savannah
However ( we see it coming ) she has to survive her first test.
A test, that…well, Thorne takes complete control over, using it as an excuse to unleash his own pleasure.
As for Ember, the quiet nerdy girl who arrived in Raven Bluff discovers she has a deviant kinky side that she is struggling to come to terms with.
She finds she is inexplicably drawn to the darkness in Thorne.
( can you say Erotic asphyxiation,😳???).
However, his darkness, his talented mouth, & hands come at a price.
Because no matter how many times her father warns her to stay away from Thorne & the Briars, she feels she needs the connection.
To find out about the societies, about Savannah, & about her family background.
Thorne dangles all of the above in front of Ember to entice her futher into the societies.
Societies that want power over her, power over her father Malcolm.
“We can’t prevent a Weatherby heir from joining the Societies, but maybe you’re right, and we can influence what kind of hazing—or initiation—she receives.”
- Damien Briar
SURPRISE!
We have ANOTHER story about family & legacy.
With the young Thorne Briar desperate to take his father’s place as head on the “Society” Did somebody say BU? anyone ?
After starting “Thorne, “ straight off the back of the “Briarcliffe series” it’s hard not to make comparisons.
In fact, there are MANY.
The biggest being we still have the same secret societies in play.
The Nobles, & the Virtues
Only this time, after the group that imploded in Briarcliffe due to, ..well… some rather unstable initiates is going Gang Busters on the campus of Winthrope Academy.
At W A, For the Nobles we have their Prince, Thorne Briar.
If you read the Briarcliffe series, just think Chase King
And just like that book the Nobles “King” is none other than Thorne’s unscrupulous, underhanded, manipulative, power Hungary, father Damian
Then, you have the Virtues.
In the previous series, Briarcliffe we had the power crazy
Piper Harrington ( then Falyn ) in this book we have Aurora Emmerson.
And similar to Callie at B U, our fish outta water girl, is taken from her ( illegally ) adoptive parent by ( bio Daddy ) rich industrialist, Malcom Weatherby.
But.
Unlike Callie in the Briarcliffe series’s, Ember’s bio Dad, industrialist Malcom Weatherby, is trying to be “ hands on “
Because her adoption was illegal. This allows manipulation from Malcolm her rich daddy to come in, & make a deal with her to attended the exclusive “Winthorpe.” to finish her final year of High School, & he won’t report her parents to the police.
So,far, the bully romance narrative is “ on point “
The posh school this time is “ Winthorpe.””
As in the last Briarcliffe series, we also have our group of means girls.
And we have our female leads BF Aiko Natsumura
( Think Ivy/ Emma/ Eden from BU )
And we know things are going to heat up between Ember & Thorne the moment he bestows upon her the “ nickname “ “ Little Pretty “ 😒😣
What is it with these Alpha male,& their pet names for all the girls?
How long did the author spend pondering this gem.?
Chase with Callie his “ Little Possum “ clearly got more attention
.
I this first book in a new series but..
Come ON!
Some parts of this novel are so predictable.
Hands up who didn’t see it coming the moment that Thorne and Ember were allocated seats next to each other in Math, that a little bit of finger wandering wasn’t on the cards??? 😙
And of course we get the inevitable cliffhanger with Ember declaring revenge on all
Ember Beckett ( aka: Weatherby ) is taken from her loving middle class upbringing to live in Raven Bluff, In an enormous old Mansion.
She is to live there for one year, with her biological Dad, completing her finale year of High School at Winthrope.
In exchange for agreeing to Malcom’s terms, he will not pursue criminal charges against her adoptive Mum and Dad.
On the bright side, Ember, who is a self confessed “ nerd” is eager to hit the books & go for the prestigious schools fellowship.
A fellowship that will provide her with an extremely well paid future with a tech firm.
Problem?
She crosses path with the dark haired, brooding, high cheek boned, full lipped, light eyed devil known as Thorne Blair.
Who, conveniently lives just across the road from her in an equally imposing large house.
By the time she starts her first orientation day at Winthrope , Thorne has her in his sights
So have the Virtue girls, who don’t like the fact that she looks extremely like their missing friend of one year, Savannah Merricourt & has Thorne’s attention.
Curious about this girl Savannah, Who is disappearance everyone is talking about, Ember finds herself uncovering information surrounding the school’s secret societies.
Which THEN leads to her entering into their initiation ceremony in an effort to discover hidden secrets about her own family nefarious connections to the Nobles, PLUS! more about Savannah
However ( we see it coming ) she has to survive her first test.
A test, that…well, Thorne takes complete control over, using it as an excuse to unleash his own pleasure.
As for Ember, the quiet nerdy girl who arrived in Raven Bluff discovers she has a deviant kinky side that she is struggling to come to terms with.
She finds she is inexplicably drawn to the darkness in Thorne.
( can you say Erotic asphyxiation,😳???).
However, his darkness, his talented mouth, & hands come at a price.
Because no matter how many times her father warns her to stay away from Thorne & the Briars, she feels she needs the connection.
To find out about the societies, about Savannah, & about her family background.
Thorne dangles all of the above in front of Ember to entice her futher into the societies.
Societies that want power over her, power over her father Malcolm.
“We can’t prevent a Weatherby heir from joining the Societies, but maybe you’re right, and we can influence what kind of hazing—or initiation—she receives.”
- Damien Briar
SURPRISE!
We have ANOTHER story about family & legacy.
With the young Thorne Briar desperate to take his father’s place as head on the “Society” Did somebody say BU? anyone ?
After starting “Thorne, “ straight off the back of the “Briarcliffe series” it’s hard not to make comparisons.
In fact, there are MANY.
The biggest being we still have the same secret societies in play.
The Nobles, & the Virtues
Only this time, after the group that imploded in Briarcliffe due to, ..well… some rather unstable initiates is going Gang Busters on the campus of Winthrope Academy.
At W A, For the Nobles we have their Prince, Thorne Briar.
If you read the Briarcliffe series, just think Chase King
And just like that book the Nobles “King” is none other than Thorne’s unscrupulous, underhanded, manipulative, power Hungary, father Damian
Then, you have the Virtues.
In the previous series, Briarcliffe we had the power crazy
Piper Harrington ( then Falyn ) in this book we have Aurora Emmerson.
And similar to Callie at B U, our fish outta water girl, is taken from her ( illegally ) adoptive parent by ( bio Daddy ) rich industrialist, Malcom Weatherby.
But.
Unlike Callie in the Briarcliffe series’s, Ember’s bio Dad, industrialist Malcom Weatherby, is trying to be “ hands on “
Because her adoption was illegal. This allows manipulation from Malcolm her rich daddy to come in, & make a deal with her to attended the exclusive “Winthorpe.” to finish her final year of High School, & he won’t report her parents to the police.
So,far, the bully romance narrative is “ on point “
The posh school this time is “ Winthorpe.””
As in the last Briarcliffe series, we also have our group of means girls.
And we have our female leads BF Aiko Natsumura
( Think Ivy/ Emma/ Eden from BU )
And we know things are going to heat up between Ember & Thorne the moment he bestows upon her the “ nickname “ “ Little Pretty “ 😒😣
What is it with these Alpha male,& their pet names for all the girls?
How long did the author spend pondering this gem.?
Chase with Callie his “ Little Possum “ clearly got more attention
.
I this first book in a new series but..
Come ON!
Some parts of this novel are so predictable.
Hands up who didn’t see it coming the moment that Thorne and Ember were allocated seats next to each other in Math, that a little bit of finger wandering wasn’t on the cards??? 😙
And of course we get the inevitable cliffhanger with Ember declaring revenge on all
April 30, 2024
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Overall, this story was strong and was easy to read, but the ending (knowing it would be a cliffhanger since this is book 1 in the series), felt rushed. We get very little information about who’s who in the secret society from the student perspective, but if you’ve read the Briarcliff series by Ketley Allison, you have some good background information on the Virtues and the Nobles, and know how these secret societies run. The reason things felt rushed is that all of a sudden, this prestigious award Ember (FMC) has her heart set on is handed out, the trials are almost over, and events/interactions I anticipated to play out seemed glossed over.
I am intrigued by the concept of Savannah disappearing so she is “replaced” with her doppelgänger, and I want to see how this develops and get the explanation for why this occurred. Although Savannah and Ember look similar, it appears that that is where their similarities end, and they are foils to one another.
There are a lot of unanswered questions about Ember’s origins, the rivalry between her biological father and the King of the Nobles, and how Ember will end up with some sort of HEA (Does she have a new goal now that the award isn’t hers?) while navigating these secret societies and her conflicting feelings about Thorne (MMC); hopefully some of this gets tackled in book 2.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Overall, this story was strong and was easy to read, but the ending (knowing it would be a cliffhanger since this is book 1 in the series), felt rushed. We get very little information about who’s who in the secret society from the student perspective, but if you’ve read the Briarcliff series by Ketley Allison, you have some good background information on the Virtues and the Nobles, and know how these secret societies run. The reason things felt rushed is that all of a sudden, this prestigious award Ember (FMC) has her heart set on is handed out, the trials are almost over, and events/interactions I anticipated to play out seemed glossed over.
I am intrigued by the concept of Savannah disappearing so she is “replaced” with her doppelgänger, and I want to see how this develops and get the explanation for why this occurred. Although Savannah and Ember look similar, it appears that that is where their similarities end, and they are foils to one another.
There are a lot of unanswered questions about Ember’s origins, the rivalry between her biological father and the King of the Nobles, and how Ember will end up with some sort of HEA (Does she have a new goal now that the award isn’t hers?) while navigating these secret societies and her conflicting feelings about Thorne (MMC); hopefully some of this gets tackled in book 2.
January 12, 2026
Gross. Lowkey hated everything about this. It somehow ended up on my TBR, but I don’t remember how or when or why. I’m not a YA fan so that automatically should have made me question. But… it was temporarily offered for free on Audible so no harm no foul.
So why didn’t I like this?
1. Everyone has a stupid name. There’s no Sarah’s or Daniel’s here. Nope, we get Ember, Thorne, Aurora and Aiko.
2. I get this is supposed to be a bully romance… but there’s no romance. Just bullying to the point that it’s bordering on actual torture. And the MMC has zero redeeming qualities. None. At any point.
3. The FMC is TSTL. She doesn’t just make questionable choices, she makes the WORST choices possible.
4. So this is the first book in a trilogy, okay. But, like the FMC, you get zero answers to anything. Periodt. Are these kids freaking vampires?! I don’t know. Because there are no answers. Just a lot of gratuitous super unromantic and unsexy PG-13 to R rated scenes. Which brings me to reason number 5 of why I didn’t like this book…
5. I know I’m getting old, but this is NO WAY FOR TEENS IN HIGH SCHOOL TO BE ACTING!!! Super ick factor!!! Nasty and uncalled for!!
Okay. I’m done. I don’t think this is too spoiler-y because nothing happened to spoil. I thankfully do not feel compelled to read (or listen) to the next in the trilogy.
So why didn’t I like this?
1. Everyone has a stupid name. There’s no Sarah’s or Daniel’s here. Nope, we get Ember, Thorne, Aurora and Aiko.
2. I get this is supposed to be a bully romance… but there’s no romance. Just bullying to the point that it’s bordering on actual torture. And the MMC has zero redeeming qualities. None. At any point.
3. The FMC is TSTL. She doesn’t just make questionable choices, she makes the WORST choices possible.
4. So this is the first book in a trilogy, okay. But, like the FMC, you get zero answers to anything. Periodt. Are these kids freaking vampires?! I don’t know. Because there are no answers. Just a lot of gratuitous super unromantic and unsexy PG-13 to R rated scenes. Which brings me to reason number 5 of why I didn’t like this book…
5. I know I’m getting old, but this is NO WAY FOR TEENS IN HIGH SCHOOL TO BE ACTING!!! Super ick factor!!! Nasty and uncalled for!!
Okay. I’m done. I don’t think this is too spoiler-y because nothing happened to spoil. I thankfully do not feel compelled to read (or listen) to the next in the trilogy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2021
🥀 Thorne and Ember 🔥🔥🔥
Ketley has done it again!! Seriously I loved the Briarcliff series and wasent sure how this spinoff would hold up to that, but it has surpassed it. The moment you start you can’t put this book down. The characters, twists, suspense, lust, and banter is unbelievable. Loved every moment with these two.
Ember is new, she’s been taken from the life she knows abs thrown into a world of high society with the secret society that she learns early on about. Ember is trying to maintain her own goals of staying low and getting the chance at a lifetime to help her and her family. However the moment she meets eyes with the mysterious boy across the street. Thorne takes permanent residency in her mind.
Thorne is dark, twisted, and ruthless he runs the school everyone either loves him or fears him and maybe both. He thinks he’s seen a ghost looking at Ember. She enthralled his attention and he wants to claim her anyway possible. He pushes her to dark limits she never thought possible.
If you love dark bully romance, this is a MUST READ.
Ketley again beautifully written you do an amazing job with this world and I can not wait for Crush! ❤️❤️❤️
Ketley has done it again!! Seriously I loved the Briarcliff series and wasent sure how this spinoff would hold up to that, but it has surpassed it. The moment you start you can’t put this book down. The characters, twists, suspense, lust, and banter is unbelievable. Loved every moment with these two.
Ember is new, she’s been taken from the life she knows abs thrown into a world of high society with the secret society that she learns early on about. Ember is trying to maintain her own goals of staying low and getting the chance at a lifetime to help her and her family. However the moment she meets eyes with the mysterious boy across the street. Thorne takes permanent residency in her mind.
Thorne is dark, twisted, and ruthless he runs the school everyone either loves him or fears him and maybe both. He thinks he’s seen a ghost looking at Ember. She enthralled his attention and he wants to claim her anyway possible. He pushes her to dark limits she never thought possible.
If you love dark bully romance, this is a MUST READ.
Ketley again beautifully written you do an amazing job with this world and I can not wait for Crush! ❤️❤️❤️
August 1, 2021
Ketley Allison is a new to me author, and her writing style is so very addictive as I couldn't put the book down until I finished the last page. See it says something about an author when I can't put a story down even when I despise the hero so much, and I DESPISE Thorne like you wouldn't believe. There's nothing good about him but that's just me, and since this ended on a brutal cliffhanger, I know there's more to come so stay tuned. Ember's life was upended when a secret came to life & now she's living with a man who is her father, but she doesn't know him from Adam. He's rich, and gets her into a very competitive private school which has children that are horrible human beings, so you already know her senior year won't be good. She catches the eye of Thorne, who goes out of his way to torture her, and she is able to go toe to toe with him until he touches her in a sexy way, then all bets are off & I'm ready to choke her out. Hopefully after what he did to her at the end will have her ready to ruin his life which is only fair so I need the next book NOW! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
November 13, 2025
Sometimes I go back to Goodreads after I start a book that has a rating higher than 4 stars to make sure I didn’t somehow start the wrong book because, « are we reading the same book » is a thought that pops to the forefront. This is exactly what happened with this one.
Usually a secret society, bully/ dark romance has pretty good pacing. Especially with secret societies, the plot is usually fast paced and there is a lot going on. There was some of that here but it honestly was mostly a bore. There is evidently a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes, rivalries between members that go pretty deep and are pretty f*cked up to be honest, yet the pacing is painfully slow.
Not much happens here. Even the enemies to lovers/bully romance element is lacking. Is he nice to her? No, not really. Is he super awful to her? Also not really? Not until that final twist which even that wasn’t really worth a whole book of the equivalent of eating plain shredded wheat for breakfast is. Wholly underwhelming.
Will I read the next one to see if it is better than this one? Of course. But if it is another snooze fest I will be stopping at the end of book two.
2⭐️
2🌶️
Usually a secret society, bully/ dark romance has pretty good pacing. Especially with secret societies, the plot is usually fast paced and there is a lot going on. There was some of that here but it honestly was mostly a bore. There is evidently a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes, rivalries between members that go pretty deep and are pretty f*cked up to be honest, yet the pacing is painfully slow.
Not much happens here. Even the enemies to lovers/bully romance element is lacking. Is he nice to her? No, not really. Is he super awful to her? Also not really? Not until that final twist which even that wasn’t really worth a whole book of the equivalent of eating plain shredded wheat for breakfast is. Wholly underwhelming.
Will I read the next one to see if it is better than this one? Of course. But if it is another snooze fest I will be stopping at the end of book two.
2⭐️
2🌶️
July 28, 2021
Thank you to the author, Ketley Allison, for providing a copy of Thorne (The Thorne of Winthorpe High book 1). I have reviewed honestly.
Thorne features, but is not limited to, the following themes:
○ New adult
○ Enemies to lovers
○ Bully romance
○ Medium burn
○ Dark romance
○ Secret societies
○ Manipulation
○ Depravity
My overall rating for Thorne is…
5 Stars!
I honestly don't know where to start with this book. Thorne kept me on my toes from to start finish. I loved venturing back into the world of Briarcliff Society (which is not needed to read before this one as everything is detailed through hints and taunts.) Ember and Thorne were similar yet so different to our original power couple, Callie and Chase. Their hateful relationship is heated, intense, sinnester and depraved; their chemistry on fire. As always, Allison has written her tale in an enticing and hungry way. Overall, Allison has done a supreme job of reawakening her delightfully dark and ominous world in a brand new series.
Thorne features, but is not limited to, the following themes:
○ New adult
○ Enemies to lovers
○ Bully romance
○ Medium burn
○ Dark romance
○ Secret societies
○ Manipulation
○ Depravity
My overall rating for Thorne is…
5 Stars!
I honestly don't know where to start with this book. Thorne kept me on my toes from to start finish. I loved venturing back into the world of Briarcliff Society (which is not needed to read before this one as everything is detailed through hints and taunts.) Ember and Thorne were similar yet so different to our original power couple, Callie and Chase. Their hateful relationship is heated, intense, sinnester and depraved; their chemistry on fire. As always, Allison has written her tale in an enticing and hungry way. Overall, Allison has done a supreme job of reawakening her delightfully dark and ominous world in a brand new series.
August 2, 2021
This is book one in a 2-book series. If you’ve read Kelley’s prior Briarcliffe series, then you’re familiar with the Nobles and Virtues. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? It’s not necessary to read them to enjoy this story. I just highly recommend them because they’re good 😊
The FMC Ember is has just had her world turned upside down. She’s grown up always focusing on school and avoided the social scene so when she arrives at Winthorpe, she’s very naive. Thorne (MMC) is definitely NOT naive. Their chemistry is off the charts and is fascinating to see develop. He messed up in this book and has Ember raring to put him in his place and I am Here👏🏼 For👏🏼It👏🏼
This book has so many mysteries going on, which I love. Who are the true bad guys? Who is acting? And what are their motives? I’m super interested in figuring out what happened to Savannah and why Ember looks just like her.
I can’t wait for the next book. Thorne has no idea what he has unleashed in Ember and he better brace for impact. I’m giddy with excitement to see how this all plays out.
The FMC Ember is has just had her world turned upside down. She’s grown up always focusing on school and avoided the social scene so when she arrives at Winthorpe, she’s very naive. Thorne (MMC) is definitely NOT naive. Their chemistry is off the charts and is fascinating to see develop. He messed up in this book and has Ember raring to put him in his place and I am Here👏🏼 For👏🏼It👏🏼
This book has so many mysteries going on, which I love. Who are the true bad guys? Who is acting? And what are their motives? I’m super interested in figuring out what happened to Savannah and why Ember looks just like her.
I can’t wait for the next book. Thorne has no idea what he has unleashed in Ember and he better brace for impact. I’m giddy with excitement to see how this all plays out.
October 27, 2021
Ember finds out her parents illegally "adopted" her when Malcolm Weatherby, her real father, shows up in her life. He wants her to stay with him during her senior year of high school and have no contact with her adoptive parents during that time or, the threat is there, he will turn them in. She decides to accept and attend Winthorpe High School not for the benefit of her real father but because it is a prestigious school that offers a chance at a Fellowship in the Tech world that will pretty much set her up for life. Ember has dreams of making something of herself and making sure her parents never have to worry about finances again. Thorne Briar - the boy who lives across the street from Weatherby Manor - and all his little minions have other ideas. You see, it's very hard to get into Winthorpe High School. There aren't too many openings that just appear. Malcolm has used his influence to get Ember into the only open position. A position that was once occupied by a girl that went missing months before. Not only does Ember resemble the missing girl, but she took her spot which was being left open to memorialize her. A book about secret societies. Lies. Forbidden attraction. And the big question is, what happened to the missing girl?
One parts gothic. One parts V.C. Andrews. One parts bully romance. There you have a pretty solid start to a series!
One parts gothic. One parts V.C. Andrews. One parts bully romance. There you have a pretty solid start to a series!
December 28, 2021
Thorne 👑
New author to me and after reading this jewel another author to add to one of my favorites. This is probably one of the best enemies to lovers bully romance I’ve read in a while. Although our two main characters are still very much enemies after that ending and can’t wait what sweet revenge Ember has in store for Thorne and the rest of The Society in the second installment, Thorne thoroughly set her up in a hurtful emotional way. The female heroine, Ember, her character was written so well, she’s smart, strong and definitely not meek and doesn’t allow her bullies to walk over her without a great comeback. I also very much enjoy Thorne, although what he did to Ember, he feels something for her, and he really had no choice in how he handled things all considering his powerful controlling father. I can’t wait to start book 2, want to know what happened to Savannah and Embers biological father Malcolm and his wife. Excellent book, great world build and very well written characters.
New author to me and after reading this jewel another author to add to one of my favorites. This is probably one of the best enemies to lovers bully romance I’ve read in a while. Although our two main characters are still very much enemies after that ending and can’t wait what sweet revenge Ember has in store for Thorne and the rest of The Society in the second installment, Thorne thoroughly set her up in a hurtful emotional way. The female heroine, Ember, her character was written so well, she’s smart, strong and definitely not meek and doesn’t allow her bullies to walk over her without a great comeback. I also very much enjoy Thorne, although what he did to Ember, he feels something for her, and he really had no choice in how he handled things all considering his powerful controlling father. I can’t wait to start book 2, want to know what happened to Savannah and Embers biological father Malcolm and his wife. Excellent book, great world build and very well written characters.
July 29, 2022
this book was okay….I won’t lie better than most but at the same time not above average. i think it being just ‘okay’ has more to do with the sheer stupidity of the fmc. this is probably irrelevant, but i can’t stand it when the fmc is blonde- it just irks me in ways i don’t understand. overall she definitely fulfilled her role as a blonde. I don’t blame her for having all that resentment towards Malcom, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that he was right. she had so many opportunities to leave but her dumbass didn’t take it.
oh yeah- i also hate that she resembles some dumbass who got herself kidnapped. ‘oh I have to do this for savannah’ ‘savannah would’ve wanted me to do this’ ‘this necklace makes me feel closer to savannah’- liKE SHUT THE FUCK UP BRO
also why is everyone complaining about how the mmc doesn’t have any ‘redeemable qualities’-? like no fucking shit he doesn’t, it’s literally a dark romance. do y’all want him to prance around on a pony and save her from her own demise every other second?
oh yeah- i also hate that she resembles some dumbass who got herself kidnapped. ‘oh I have to do this for savannah’ ‘savannah would’ve wanted me to do this’ ‘this necklace makes me feel closer to savannah’- liKE SHUT THE FUCK UP BRO
also why is everyone complaining about how the mmc doesn’t have any ‘redeemable qualities’-? like no fucking shit he doesn’t, it’s literally a dark romance. do y’all want him to prance around on a pony and save her from her own demise every other second?
July 30, 2021
My goshhhhhhhhhh!
If you want to read something that will make your heart pound in your chest and your breath stuck in your throat, then this is book is a match made for you!
This book (and all of Ketleys other books) has suspend anticipation, romance, action and basically everything that a perfect book should have.
You will fall madly in love with thorne and ember and this book will impress you in ways you can't even imagine!
There are some absolutely steamy scenes that will make you blush and fan yourself and some that will make you laugh and some where it will make your breath stop so be prepared for this amazing roller-coaster of a ride that is absolutely worth it!
Even though the whole book is just absolutely amazing with no faults I must say my favourite bit is the pool scene so go grab yourself a copy and you'll know what I mean by the pool! 😉😉😉😏😏
Hope you enjoy as much as I did and get ready to be embraced to the dark side of Winthorpe High
Xx
If you want to read something that will make your heart pound in your chest and your breath stuck in your throat, then this is book is a match made for you!
This book (and all of Ketleys other books) has suspend anticipation, romance, action and basically everything that a perfect book should have.
You will fall madly in love with thorne and ember and this book will impress you in ways you can't even imagine!
There are some absolutely steamy scenes that will make you blush and fan yourself and some that will make you laugh and some where it will make your breath stop so be prepared for this amazing roller-coaster of a ride that is absolutely worth it!
Even though the whole book is just absolutely amazing with no faults I must say my favourite bit is the pool scene so go grab yourself a copy and you'll know what I mean by the pool! 😉😉😉😏😏
Hope you enjoy as much as I did and get ready to be embraced to the dark side of Winthorpe High
Xx
Read
August 1, 2021Thorne by Ketley Allison is a well-written (as is everything from Ms. Allison!), intense, enemies to lovers, high school romance with bullies and a mature plotline.
It’s a spinoff of the Briarcliff Secret Society series that moves the series forward in a engaging and on the “edge of your seat” way … and ends on a cliffhanger
I couldn’t put it down. Characters Thorne and Ember pulled me in and kept me interested to the last page … I was anxiously and apprehensively flipping each page and keeping an eye on the % complete on my e-Reader … devouring each word while knowing that I was going to want to get to the next book immediately!
Thorn has twists and turns, lust, witty dialogue, and suspense. If you’re looking to take things up a notch (…or 100) and want to read something that will really get your heart racing, I highly recommend Thorne! … and I can’t wait to read where this series goes!
I received an ARC; this is my honest review.
It’s a spinoff of the Briarcliff Secret Society series that moves the series forward in a engaging and on the “edge of your seat” way … and ends on a cliffhanger
I couldn’t put it down. Characters Thorne and Ember pulled me in and kept me interested to the last page … I was anxiously and apprehensively flipping each page and keeping an eye on the % complete on my e-Reader … devouring each word while knowing that I was going to want to get to the next book immediately!
Thorn has twists and turns, lust, witty dialogue, and suspense. If you’re looking to take things up a notch (…or 100) and want to read something that will really get your heart racing, I highly recommend Thorne! … and I can’t wait to read where this series goes!
I received an ARC; this is my honest review.
April 3, 2022
Holy Wow!
This story!
If you read Ketley Allison’s previous series (Briarcliff) then you are already familiar with the Nobles and Virtues.
While this storyline is completely different, it’s no less compelling.
Ember learns a horrid truth about herself: she was “stolen” as a baby. Eighteen years have passed with her adoptive parents and her real father comes back to whisk her away. He promises opportunity that she’d never have if she stays with her adoptive parents.
Attending Winthorpe Academy, Ember finds out that she very closely resembles (and is basically taking the spot of a missing girl, Savannah). At Winthorpe, Ember meets Thorne, the Societal Prince, and Savannah’s ex-boyfriend. She also finds that he is awakening her sexually and she is discovering incredible arousal.
They are connecting…until Thorne betrays her. Will she come back stronger? We find out in Book 2.
This story!
If you read Ketley Allison’s previous series (Briarcliff) then you are already familiar with the Nobles and Virtues.
While this storyline is completely different, it’s no less compelling.
Ember learns a horrid truth about herself: she was “stolen” as a baby. Eighteen years have passed with her adoptive parents and her real father comes back to whisk her away. He promises opportunity that she’d never have if she stays with her adoptive parents.
Attending Winthorpe Academy, Ember finds out that she very closely resembles (and is basically taking the spot of a missing girl, Savannah). At Winthorpe, Ember meets Thorne, the Societal Prince, and Savannah’s ex-boyfriend. She also finds that he is awakening her sexually and she is discovering incredible arousal.
They are connecting…until Thorne betrays her. Will she come back stronger? We find out in Book 2.
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