These Thorn Kisses

St. Mary’s Rebels #3

by Saffron A. Kent

Eighteen-year-old, Bronwyn Littleton is in love with a stranger she met on a summer night a year ago.

A stranger who was tall and broad in a way that made her feel safe. He had dark blue eyes that she can’t stop drawing in her sketch book. And he had a deep, soothing voice that she can’t stop hearing in her dreams.

That’s all she knows about him though.

Until she runs into him again. At St. Mary’s School for Troubled Teenagers – an all girls reform school – where she’s trapped because of a little crime she committed in the name of her art.

Now she knows that her dream man has a name: Conrad Thorne.

She knows that his eyes are way bluer and way more beautiful than she thought. And that his face is an artist’s wonderland.

But she also knows that Conrad is her best friend’s older brother. Which means he’s completely off-limits. Not to mention, he’s the new soccer coach, which makes him off-limits times two.

What makes him off-limits times three however, and this whole scenario an epic tragedy, is that, Conrad, Wyn’s dream man, has a dream girl of his own.

And he’s as much in love with his dream girl as Wyn is in love with him…

NOTE: This is a STANDALONE set in the world of St. Mary’s.

Genres: Romance, High School, New Adult, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Forbidden Romance, Sports

Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2024

About the author

Saffron A. Kent is a USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary and New Adult romance. She writes dark, forbidden, and emotional romance that blurs the line between love and obsession. Her books feature burn that hurts, the broken boy who shouldn’t be touched, the girl who can’t stay away, and the secret that could destroy them both. She's known for her poetic prose and romance that delivers both beautiful destruction and the promise of being remade by love that should never have happened.

Reviews

[Phuong ✯ · Rating 1 out of 5]

– 1.5 stars

SONG:
Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Even tho I liked Wyn and Conrad better than Salem and Arrow, I'm still giving These Thorn Kisses a lower rating and why? Because at least with My Darling Arrow, I was invested in hating the main characters. Compared to reading TTK, it was a breeze getting through MDA, because there was so much to hate, while the only things I felt reading TTK was 98% indifference, 150% cringe and 200% boredom.

↳   ✧ BRONWYN - I AM AN ARTIST - LITTLETON✧

I'm not his dream girl, but I can be his consolation prize.

HOW TO BE AN ARTIST (BRONWYN'S EDITION)

1. Tell everyone you meet, stranger or not, that you are an artist.

2. Draw roses and thorns all over your body, actually, the flower doesn't matter as long it's your favorite and something you can identify yourself with.

3. Tell everyone that you are an artist. Very important step. Do not miss this one.

4. Write the name of your crush obession all over your body.

5. Tell everyone that you draw and that is a special hobby only artists do.

6. Always have a pen and sketchbook with you.

7. Tell everyone that you are an artist. Every day. Every hour. Every second.

8. Draw in the morning, during breakfast, during lunch, during dinner. Draw until the lights are out. If you want to be different than other artists than you should draw under the moonlight too. That makes it extra special.

9. But never forget to tell everyone that you're an ArTisT.

10. Bonus: If your rich upper class parents disapprove of your weird "phase" that will make you an even better artist.

She's an artist. She's colorful and imaginative. She's made of roses and pink glitter. She clinks when she walks and her skin is like gossamer. She's art itsef.

Conrad summarized Wynfred in one paragraph, we didn't have to go through 600 pages of torture. 😭

But okay let's go through everything point for point.

↝ She's an artist? Sure, I'm just going to accept that fact and take it, otherwise Winnie is going to shove that sentence down my throat even more and I'm honestly not strong enough for that. My mind is fragile.
↝ She's colorful and imaginative? WRONG. The only color she is is PINK. Her lipstick is pink. Her mouth is pink. Her pussy is rosy pink. Her dress is pink. Her underwear is pink. Her soul is pink. Her breath is pink. Everything about her is pink. Her Pinky Winky Promises and Pink & Shameless lipsticks. So don't lie to me.
↝ She's made of roses and pink glitter? Agree, since roses is all she's able to draw.
↝ She clinks when she walks? I'm sorry I'm reading a book and I don't hear any sounds coming out of it so I disagree.
↝ Her skin is like gossamer? Do you mean this???



↝ She is art itself?? Please, do not insult art like that ever again.

It was embarrassing, annoying and repetitive to be in Winona's head and I wanted to dig up a couple of more examples on why she's annoying or how she keep getting humiliated, but re-reading all these quotes and highlights is giving me enough of a headache so no <3

But one thing I still wanted to say about her: Her dad's Lamborghini deserved better. That car didn't deserve to be slandered like that with her wannabe artist graffiti of Conrad's face. All that car did was his whole life was to look rich and just because an angsty teenager felt some inspiration after one night sitting outside on a bank with an old man, it got vandalized. That is the real tragedy of this book.

↳   ✧ CONRAD - I ALWAYS SAW MYSELF AS A TREE - THORNE ✧



I own someone a public apology and I wanted to choose my words carefully. Therefore, it took me a very long time to craft this letter and I hope the person can find it in his soul to forgive me.

To my white hoodie wearing, Mustang loving and big dick King Reed Roman Jackson,

I, sincerely, want to apologise that I made fun of your personality in your own book. Maybe it was wrong of me to assume that you were only defined by these few objects. But even if that turned out to be true, that's still tons more than I can say about your soon in law. Your cameos in These Thorn Kisses were honestly one of my few highlights. Thank you for your shitty father to have enough power to be able to bail a poor gym teacher out of jail. I'll always remember that sacrifice until I take my last breath. Also your inability to see that there is something between your sister Tempest and Ledger is laughable, sorry I mean lovable. Autocorrect sucks. You, your fairy pussy and your little girl Hope can live the rest of your life in peace. I promise to never say a bad word about you or your loved ones ever again and defend every slander coming your way.

Your new bestie and #1 Reed Roman Jackson apologist Phuong. xoxo.

Let me make a fact sheet about Conrad. It won't take long, because there is really not much to him:

🌳 He's tall. And broad. In fact, he's so tall and so broad that he's bursting out of his clothes. He is. (Wyn's word, not mine)
🌳 He has a beautifully broad forehead. Very important since Wyn mentioned that fact twice in chapter 2.
🌳 He played football, but had to give up his dreams to care for his family.
🌳 He has several brothers and a sister he would die for.
🌳 He drives a truck.
🌳 He hates public transportation, especially using buses is a concept that is deeply offensive to him.

*takes a look at my notes if there is more*

No. No that's it. *looks again*

Ah sorry no wait. I have one more thing.

🌳 He likes to stand by the wall where his teenage student stood and rub his nose on the bricks hoping to catch a whiff and when he does he likes to drink it down like a psycho.

But now that's really all to Conrad. In conclusion: Conrad is the human equivalent to the color beige.

↳   ✧ A DICK MEASURING CONTEST LIKE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE ✧

Now I want to see if what he told me was true or not.
So I wrap my hands around his thick trunk and put it on my face. From chin to forehead. And he was right. He was.
It covers me whole and there are still some inches left. His purple head goes past my forehead and I smile. And moan.
I also slap my cheek with it, rub my nose along the underside of his ark rod. As I lick that vein.

↳   ✧ THE CONSISTENCY WE LOVE TO SEE .... NOT ✧

The shame reading how the heroines degrades herself over and over again. The second hand embarrassment in pretty much all of the scenes when the heroine and Hero talk to each other. The cringe when the Hero attempts to dirty talk the heroine into space. The out of body experience when reading the smut scenes. Saffron A. Kent nailed every single of them to perfection in every. 👏🏽 single. 👏🏽 book. 👏🏽 so. 👏🏽 far. 👏🏽

"I mean, I'm an artist, as you know. And artists draw. And I'd love to, uh, draw you if you'd –"
"Leave."
"But I –" He abandons his pen then, straightening up and away from the desk. "Out."

My skin is crawling.

"I'm a wallflower. And you're a thorn." He looks back up, his eyes dark and slightly narrowed. "Get it? Because your last name is Thorne."

Do you know what happened when I read that quote? I wanted a hole to appear and swallow me whole. Not out of embarrassment for Bronwyn, but for myself. Just take me out of this world I'M BEGGING.

"They don't see how hard his wallflower is working his dick. His throbbing, beet-red dick. They don't see how eager she looks, how her tits. Tits that quite possibly belong on a milkmaid in a fucking porno – are all swollen under her schoolgirl blouse and how wet she is under that skirt. Maybe she's dripping on the floor, marking a puddle at my feet. Like she's dripping down her chin and making a puddle at the base of her throat. Is she? Dripping, Bronwyn."
"God yes. She is. I am."

Saffron A. Kent is nothing but consistent with her dirty talk about genitals in 3rd person. I want to say I respect that, but that's something I can't do. There are a lot of things in this world that you can't put into right or wrong, black or white, but this one thing you can. There is only one right in this scenario and that's is not to talk about your coochie or penis in 3rd person as if it has more of a personality than yourself. Comprende?

The best part is when Bronwyn's pussy is so beaten. 🤡

Because as his mouth moves over mine, his hips slide against my pussy. My sore, beaten-up pussy blooms and creams and juices herself up for him.
Breaking the kiss, he pants against my mouth, "I know I trashed your pussy earlier. I know I beat her up but I –"
This time I cut him off with my kiss that he latches on to, hungrily, desperately, before I whisper, "Do it, please. Fuck me."

What I image Conrad did to Brunhilde:



↳   ✧ 0.5 STARS FOR THESE SCENES ✧

💡My King Reed Roman Jackson's cameos.
💡The pinch my heard made when Conrad ended their relationship and implied that he would get back with Helen, because he knew that would be the only thing making Winfredo back off. I live for that one milisecond of hurt.
💡Ledger & Tempest 👁👄👁
💡Stellan unrequired love for this Dora chick 👁👄👁
💡Conrad and Stellan having a heart to heart where Stellan acknowledges how hard it was for Conrad. The whole book was all tell how hard it was for Conrad, but no show. There was no flashback scene or anything that showed the reader how Conrad was this 'selfless, caring' brother and had to make so many sacrifices for his family.

↳   ✧  THE SUPERIOR WORDS OF THESE THORN KISSES ✧

My review for St. Mary's Rebel series wouldn't be the same if I didn't count the words and give out a Top 5. 🤩

ROSY – 35 times

ROSE – 60 times

ARTIST – 62 times

FLOWER – 127 times

THORN –153 times

After all she is his (wall)flower and he is her thorn 🥰💕🥰💕🥰💕🥰💕🥰💕🥰💕🥰💕🥰💕🥰💕🥰 because his name is THORNE. Did you get it?? HEHEHEHE. OK GOODBYE I'M OUT AND GOING TO K*LL MYSELF FOR REAPEATING THAT JOKE. 😭🔫

CONCLUSION

I cannot accept the fact that this universe exist where Reed Roman Jackson and Calliope Thorne are actually my favorite characters of this series...


┍━━━━━━━━━━━━━┑
ST. MARY'S REBELS SERIES

#1 My Darling Arrow – 1.75 stars
#2 A Gorgeous Villain – 2.5 stars
#3 These Thorn Kisses – 1.5 stars
#4 Hey Mister Marshall – tbr
┕━━━━━━━━━━━━━┙

[⚔Irunía⚔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book: I received a lot of criticism. Ah... it's so huge.
Me: You can take it.

Daddy Irunía is on the line. 🥵

Fair warning. This rant is going to be random, methodless, chaotic, cringe-worthy, long (the longest I've ever written 🥲) and, quite frankly n in all honesty, (I'm starting to think @ms. Kent has left me her writing style as a legacy🥲) pointless, but still not more random, chaotic, cringe-worthy than Conrad comparing his dick to Wyn's face and wholeheartedly believing that this is how the dirty talk is to be done. See? 💋 There's a silver lining for everything.

1.5 stars.

⛔ fair warning no 2 in case you're vacillating between reading and not reading Wyn and Conrad's story, you should probably look for answers elsewhere because this review is nothing short of impulsive reactions that have little to do with a reasonable, thoughtful response.

🍵 ¿What did this book make me feel?

🛐 vicarious embarrassment for Miss Saffron Kent's notion about acceptable for commercial authors writing
🛐 boredom. What's the plot
🛐 anger at myself for not dnf'ing it earlier
🛐 relief. DNF at around ~ 65% ❤️

MR. CONRAD THORNE

✨Hero profiling✨ done by the professional profiler amateur bitch Irunia

Con can boast of:

— consistency of thought

“So,” he says, his jaw clenching, the muscle in his cheek beating, “your Mr. Pierre is clearly a pervert.”
I draw back. “What?”
“You need to stay away from him.”
“Excuse me?”
He leans forward slightly. “He called you into his office. To tell you that he wants to nurture you. And that he wants to continue giving you private lessons. Lessons that I’m sure your parents know nothing about, do they?”

Takes one to know one, don't you think, Mr. Suspicious? 🥵

“Why is it that assholes like your dance teacher and your fucking art teacher, Mr. Pierre, and whoever the fuck Robbie was, are always salivating like dogs over your tiny self-decorated body and you never have a clue? What I’d like to know, Bronwyn, is what the fuck goes on in that bubblegum pink brain of yours?”

*also Conrad 5 (five) minutes later*:

If I fuck a woman, she knows to get on her back at the crook of my finger and spread her legs. She knows to arch that back too and open her hole for me. And if instead of on her back I want her at my feet and if instead of her hole, I want her pink mouth, she knows to drop everything and get the fuck on her knees. And open that fucking mouth.

A completely appropriate and safe subject to discuss with your barely legal student, Coach Thorne. 🥵

“So is your mouth pinky promising me,” he says, his jaw moving tightly, his thighs still flexing, “that it will give me a good ride? That it will give me the ride of my fucking life?”

AHAHAHAHA OLD MAN YOU DIDN'T CALL ANOTHER MAN DOING MORE INNOCENT THINGS THAN YOU A 'PERVERT' BEFORE, DID YOU? I love the consistency that male species demonstrates in purple fiction. Realistic.

— bravery or stupidity?

Not gonna lie, if I were in Conrad's shoes, I'd run fast after a girl I had met 10 minutes ago shared her entire life story with me. 💀
Let alone if I realized that she calls roses drawn and my name written all over her thighs, lower belly and breasts art. 💀😭

The man obviously doesn't let minor details put him off. 🥵



— single-mindedness.

I kid you not, the guy was horny 24/7, thinking about how he shall not fuck his 18-year-old student who has an artist kink and rosy pussy

— ageism

Do you have any doubts regarding the correlation between cock's size and a man's age? Look no further, you've found your man 🤚🏻

“It’s the cock of a thirty-three-year-old man,” he rasps, “that won’t fit in your eighteen-year-old mouth. It’s a beast that your eighteen-year-old mouth will struggle to take in, let alone suck it like I like it. It’s wider than your tiny wrists and longer than that rosy as fuck face of yours, do you understand? You put your face under my dick, Bronwyn, and I’ll cover it from your chin to your forehead and still have inches left. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”

Was it a Freudian slip or didn't his cock really stop growing after daddy Con hit puberty? (Hi)story doesn't record. Regardless, all men on this planet aspire to be like him. 🙏🏻

— Jesus's age (33)

(I hope that He is merciful enough to forgive me for taking the Lord's name in vain)

— opportunistic nature

The guy gets a whiff of the opportunity and he seizes it.

His fingers flex in my hair again. “I like it a lot, you understand? I need it a lot. I need my dick sucked every day, three times a day. You up for that?”

Give him an inch and he'll take a mile. LIKE SLOW DOWN, MAN, AND GET TO 1ST BASE WITH HER FIRST, K? 😂

¡Last but not least!

“Language, watch it.”
“We’re not talking about me right now.”
“Out”

I cannot believe half the time the guy talked like my grandma when she's in a grumpy mood, but I still thought he had his ✨hot✨ moments. *sits in an awkward silence*

I swear his words gave me the flashbacks I don't wanna dwell on. Ever. 😂 Just let me tell you that finding this guy attractive even for a millisecond felt slightly incestuous. 👁️

But putting aside my granny issues, there's officially nothing like a man who speaks to you the way he would command a dog!! 🥵

“Enough. You’re not allowed to say yes anymore. Do you understand?”
“Conrad, I —”
“Shut the fuck up,” he thunders.

Well, Conrad was hot. That is, until he wasn't...

“I bet they were so stuck that you could see it, yeah?” he whispers. “I bet you could see the shape of your rosy pussy through your wet panties. I bet your rosy pussy was so swollen that she was bursting out of your panties too. Gushing and dripping, making everything sticky.”

If someone tells ms. Kent that you can refer to characters' reproductive organs w/o making them sound like separate and fully autonomous entities, I'll be extremely appreciative. 🙏🏻

WYN, JUST A SPECIAL GIRL WYN

✨Heroine profiling✨ from the connoisseur of profiling Irunía

Wyn's consists of:

water — 1%
obsession with Conrad — 79%
obsession with Conrad disguised as love for sketching Con's body, drawing his name and roses on her belly, painting his face on her dad's car art — 20%

She is definitely a

— blowhard of epic proportions (the word can be taken literally 🥰)

“Besides, I draw here every day,” I continue. “It’s my routine. And I read in a book once that discipline is very important if you want to be successful at something. Especially if you want to be successful as an artist. It’s a unique passion, see. It’s super self-driven, so I need to stick to a schedule.”

— die-hard Con's fangirl, slowly losing her sanity

— glutton for punishment sexual predators (it only takes two, art and dance, pervy teachers to act weird towards Wyn for her to find the right one 🥵)

BUT NEED NOT WORRY, MY FRIENDS, it's not as depressing as it might sound. THERE'S A TWIST EVENTUALLY...Wyn herself becomes one... for our lucky guy Con...😏

— lucky girl

At the end of the day, her obsession has been reciprocated! *wipes the tears of indifference*

Wyn's brightest moment, as voted by Irunia and her 9 personalities:

Before I raise my arms and push my fingers through my light brown tresses, loose and long.
I slowly sway my hips and bend my knees.
Before I drop down on the ground and part my thighs.
And as I come up, I’m flowing with the music. I’m flowing with her words. I’m flowing with his pain.
I’m flowing with him.
So much so that I feel a sting behind my eyes. I feel the tears. They fall down my cheeks, hot and sad, and I let them.

Nothing strange, just Wyn on the dance floor at some random bar, color photo:



I wanna get high and drunk with this chick, she sounds like fun.


*gold-ish*👁️👁️


*brown*👁️👁️

Conclusion: all jokes aside, Wyn and Con's characteristics were so extra and ridiculously over the top that at the end of the day they both just lacked any real personality. I neither particularly liked nor disliked Wyn and Conrad if that makes any sense. I couldn't care less about how Wyn's whole world revolved around Conrad or Con's innate attempts to sound like a sexy daddy. Their behavior and interactions were unrealistic to the point when it takes away from any angst, drama and sexual tension this story had the potential to provide, given that it's an age gap, student vs teacher romance with a hero *pining* after someone else (I'm using the term loosely because any sliver of pining Con had for OW was overshadowed in a span of one day by his newly acquired obsession with the heroine). I'm deeply sorry to bring sad news to the table, but it needs to be said: Miss Jessa Kane is the only person who can pull off OTT unrealistic, J/P, obsessive characters. Her novellas are short, genuinely hilarious in their unrealism, spicy and don't pretend to be poetic when they are just straight porn. 💁🏼‍♀️ That's some serious food for thought.

NOW BACK TO THE THINGS THAT REALLY (DON'T) MATTER (AT THIS POINT)

Surprisingly enough, nothing of the above mentioned was the real reason for the DNF status I'm forced to attach to this unnecessarily long story.

HORRENDOUS, ABHORRENT WRITING STYLE that will chase me in my worst nightmares takes, rightfully so, the cake.

Disclaimer: that's my personal opinion and I don't try to impose it on anyone, so take my complaints with a grain of salt.

I already expressed my rising concerns over ms. Kent's writing in my reviews for the first two books in the series (I just realized the scary part: I've read almost all SAK's books 😏), but let me bitch about it yet again because no one remembers those old reviews anyway.

Three Whales On Whom This Book Rests :

1. Long-ish, overloaded dialogue

What can be worse than endless internal monologue? — one might wonder.

— Internal monologue comprised of horny and artistically horny thoughts about their teacher 50/50

— Internal monologue converted into one long, tedious dialogue.

— Mix of internal monologue and its wannabe dialogue version.

“I see them. Your hands. In my dreams. I see you in my dreams. I’ve been seeing you ever since you arrived at St. Mary’s. Ever since I picked that stupid fight with you on the field. And you got so angry. You’re always angry. In my dreams. You’re always agitated and frowning and clenching your sexy jaw. And you’re always taking my privileges away because you want to punish me for being bad. It makes me wonder what would happen if I pushed you too far. Would you do something drastic, something crazy? Would you put those hands on me? Your big, strong hands that could turn my pale skin all pink with one smack. All pink and pretty and painful. Because you’re a thorn. And I’m a flower and… So yeah, you were right. My teenage brain is obsessed with you and that’s my condition: you have to kiss me.”

I was desperate for Wyn to ride Conrad so bad at some point because damn, girl, stop wasting my time. If I absolutely have to read one more page of her hormonal outbursts, I — 🙂.

My brain associates Wyn's heroine with a graphomaniac monster that has taken over a human body.

Are y'all sure that this is a published book that has undergone the product's production cycle and not someone's personal journal with no filters whatsoever? Because I'm not.

Naive, I know, but I always believed that a book is supposed to encompass only truly valuable, riveting information that works for the good of plot, character development and world-building.

2. Spoon-feeding information

We readers don't suffer from poor comprehension, which cannot be said about this book's characters:

I’m in his house.
I’m standing in the living room, taking everything in with what I know are wide, wide eyes.
But I can’t help it.
This is his house. His home.
He lives here.
My thorn lives here, and the very first thing I know right away — that I knew right as soon as I stepped through the door — is that this house, this place has character.

Baby girl, we get that it's his house and he lives there, shut the fuck up already and move on. God, her thought process was tedious. How many times does one need to repeat the same thing?

I wish it were the only paragraph I could give as an example. I wish I could say I resort to similar methods — such as wasting oxygen on repetition of obvious facts — when I write my uni papers and essays, but I wouldn't be a straight-A student if I did, wouldn't I? (That last sentence was inspired by Wyn's personality 😌)


3. Conrad showcasing the makings of a great orator

Looking into his eyes, I say, “I want you to kiss me.”
“You want me to kiss you,” he repeats.

I've lost count of how many times throughout the damned book Conrad repeated the last sentence/phrase of Wyn's every word-vomit session. It was both damnable and hilarious.

“Yes,” I nod. “Because you traumatized me yesterday.”
.
.
.
His chest moves as he takes a breath and repeats my words again. “I traumatized you.”

Not gonna lie, I do that type of thing every time I am forced (by the standards of common decency, no more no less 😔) to pretend that I'm remotely interested in anything that my distant cousin/nosy aunt is telling me. When in fact I do not give a single fuck.✌🏻

Lifehack: you won't need to listen too closely to what they say if you occasionally pop in and repeat;)

“I’m a flower.” I hug his hoodie, so soft and cozy but most of all warm. “Not a bug. A wallflower.”
“What’s a wallflower?”
“A type of flower that grows on walls and loves it,” I explain, rubbing my chin in the cozy fabric as his eyes focus on my actions.

Ah, thank you, Cap!

Wanna participate in a quickie? 😏

✨ Quick Quiz question✨

Conrad
1) has attention and listening difficulties
2) has comprehension difficulty
3) plays dumb
4) is dumb

Take your pick, madam dudes, your opinion matters.

Random thoughts n opinions:

🍵 I ✨almost✨ didn't mind the 'not like other girls🤪' thing going for our rosy wallflower artist Wyn because no one else got hurt in the process (unless readers, maybe?): no slut-shaming and belittling others ensured that normally go hand in hand with our favorite 'not like other girls'✨vibe✨. Unlike some, I think it's quite natural for any person to want to feel special, different, not like others. Otherwise...why would there be so many reviews on Goodreads with proud disclaimers "UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT, bitches" converted to all caps shqshsjsj.

Just kidding, don't pull your knives out just yet. 💋💋

🍵 Saffron Kent keeps delivering the tropes I crave and admire — such as possessive/jealous/loyal guys, no cheating, mutual devotion obsession, forbidden, age gap — but the execution as of lately is so horrendous it hurts. I couldn't bring myself to enjoy any of her last releases (in fact, this book is the 3rd book in a row by ms. Kent that I'm rating feeble 2 stars) due to the writing that seems to have changed me to the foundation of my marrow (I literally couldn't find it in myself to interact with anyone on Goodreads or read any other books while reading and reviewing TTK)

🍵 When I finally reached their first sexual interlude and the cherry popping scene, my brain just chose to leave my body and watch me from afar.

“Yeah, she is,” he keeps going, rolling his forehead against mine. “She’s dripping and dripping down her chin and it keeps coming. It keeps coming because Coach Thorne doesn’t care, does he? He doesn’t care that his wallflower is slobbering all over his cock because all he cares about is going even deeper. All he cares about is going down to her throat so he can see. He can see the fat outline of his cock in her slim throat. So he can see how he’s wrecking her. Owning her. Touching her tight teenage stomach.”

BITCH STOP TALKING AND GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.💀
Daddy Conrad was so talkative. I swear my gossiping old lady of a neighbor doesn't talk as much for the whole day of exchanging courtesies with other old ladies as he does before, after and during sex.
I think I've had enough sex scenes in books to last me an eternity, thank you!! I'm so done. What my bestie Miss Sophie Lark didn't manage to wreck, Miss Saffron Kent completely destroyed. Like my libido. Spectacular job, my sisters.

He had me on the edge so my rose just bursts in his mouth and he drinks it all down.

Imagine someone reading this last quote w/o any context. I'm shaking. More importantly, I'm mad jealous of people out there who never came across a romance hero who touches a girl's hymen with his tongue and then proceeds to say it tastes rosy. 👅🌹

Okay, well, after dragging everyone and their momma in the review, lemme ride off into the sunset because this rant drained the will to live out of me.

[Lori [semi-hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was...underwhelming 😞
I should probably start by saying that I do like how SAK writes her heroines, and I like seeing the heroine be the one obsessed and the pursuer from time to time, and that she does best.
I've been obsessing this book for a month now, but after reading it I have mixed feelings.

I finished it, so that's amazing since lately I haven't been able to do that with a lot of books

But aside from that...?

SPOILERS AHEAD

Things that worked:
-I loved the beginning and the banter. The tension was amazing and I thought I'd love the whole book
-The OW drama was perfect . It wasn't drawn out like in My Darling Arrow, and we knew early on where Conrad stood with Helen. And if I didn't miss it, he never thought about love in his inner monologue about Helen. The only one who kept saying he was in love with her was Wyn, so here I think it's more a matter of perspective. Also, he was together with Helen very briefly when he was 17-18. It would have been creepy for him to be so hung up on her still. In the end, he explains it was his guilt over his unfulfilled dreams that made him still hold on to her (similar explanation to MDA) but in this case it made more sense, so I was satisfied with the outcome.
-The slow burn was great.


What didn't work:

-If you read enough SAK books, you can predict how the plot is going to go. It always follows the same pattern of the girl chases after reluctant man, he gives in to temptation but then breaks her heart for her own good in the last 20% of the book to give some angsty conflict. It was predictable, I didn't care for it, and it wasn't angsty at all.

-She writes her heroines the same. As I said, I love how her heroines are, but their voices are too similar. They sound THE SAME when I read them.

-Conrad being obsesseed with her eighteen year old barely broken in pussy was not creepy at all 🤚

-The smut was... we all know how it was 👉🤡👌

-The end lost me with the chain of events. WHERE WAS THE ANGST

-The Callie confrontation that I kept waiting for was...disappointing.

I probably have more I didn't like, but for now that's all I remember 🤣


Safety: heroine was a virgin, hero not a manwhore and a little OW drama I mentioned above. No specific OM drama but Conrad's brother asks Wyn on a date and she gets some male attention that pisses the H off.

[K]

what in the jessa kane

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well i finally thought this is going to be the first book i really like from this series 🙃🙃
Why Saffron's characters are replicas from one another? She really said copy-paste.

We have Bronwyn the dreamer, the artist of the group.

“So the first thing you need to know about my story is that I’m an artist.”

"Yes. I’m an artist.”

And then she goes and repeats this sentence for the millionth time.
GIRL WE GET IT YOU ARE ✨ AN ARTIST. ✨

She comes from a wealthy family and her parents (which are assholes) don't support her dream and one night at a wedding she meets this handsome stranger who tells her to follow her dream and not give up.

"And so I drew graffiti on my dad’s car, his brand new Lamborghini to be specific.
I lived my life that night and I drew him.
His face. His eyes. His long-ish hair.
That clenched jaw.
I drew his shoulders, his gleaming silver watch, his suit.
And then I decorated him.
I made fluffy clouds around his gorgeous face, rainbows around his shoulders."

.. and that's how she ends up at St. Mary's.

She continues to obsess over this stranger for months and months.

"Mostly I draw him – yup, I’ve been drawing him for eighteen months now – like my little fingers are his slaves and my obsessed mind is his wonderland."

..until she finally meets him again when he starts working as the new soccer coach at the academy and Callie introduces him as her big brother Conrad.

Then we have one of the most embarrassing scenes i've ever read.


“And are you going to tell us?”
“Tell you what?” I ask confused.
His flashing eyes narrow slightly. “What position. Do you play. On the team,” he explains slowly, very slowly, before inquiring, “Is that clear enough for you?
“Are you… Are you asking me what position I play on the team?”
My question makes him shift on his feet. It also makes that temporary narrowing of his eyes permanent as he stares at me for a beat.
Then, “You understand English, don’t you?”
I shake my head. “I don’t —”
“Do you understand English?” he cuts me off, his deep voice going deeper, more authoritative. “Yes or no.”
And you understand what’s been asked of you.”
“Yes.”
“And who are you, Bronwyn Littleton?”
I stand my ground, my hands still fisted as I reply, “Well if you must know, I’m an artist.”



Then starts the most obnoxious and boring part of Wyn obsessing and lusting after Conrad, wax poetic about his hair over whole chapters, throwing herself at him even after he humiliates her in front of the whole team and later specifically tells her to leave him alone.

"I’m not interested in you. I will never be interested in you. In fact, I’m fucking allergic,” he says, his jaw clenched. “To you.

I can't with pathetic h. I'm over it. Have some dignity and respect girl and let him chase YOU!

"I don’t think I could leave the man I loved. Not for anything. Not for my town.
Not for your parents. Not for the one thing I’ve always loved: art.
If I loved a man, I would choose him over everything.
I would choose him over myself."



Conrad on the other hand was jerk in the beginning but i kinda expected that, i mean that's his vibe. He is an asshole and he is proud of it. He was extra grouchy and possessive.

The love triangle or the unrequited love that was promised and also one of the main things why i was excited was NOT THERE. It was misleading. 😪
There was nothing between Conrad and Helen, he wasn't even in love with her so i'm blaming Ms Saffron for lying to sell her books!

..and the cringiest part, can you guess it? Yep the dirty talk😍
I've never want to read about milkmaid tits, stripper ass or rosy pussy ever again.

➛"Or maybe I’ll come on your tits” — he reaches forward to grab one and squeeze over my dress — “hose them down with my cream. And then I’ll stand over you and watch as you rub my cum all over your milkmaid tits. So you smell like me. "

➛"And then you want my dick to paint your rose down there, your pretty pinky rose, with my cum."

➛"Because as his mouth moves over mine, his hips slide against my pussy. My sore, beaten-up pussy blooms and creams and juices herself up for him."

Why are you refering to your vagina as her,why??😭



I kept waiting for Wyn to finally tell Callie about her relationship with her brother and kept waiting... bc that was the most anticlimatic part that happened in the epilogue.😖 the ending was so rushed and underwhelming.

This whole book was just boring and repetitive and i'm glad it's over.

I will probably read Poe's book bc she is my kind of h but if Saffron messes her up i'm not forgiving her!

[Melluvsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is Conrad the most Intensely Jealous/Possessive Hero Saffron has written? Possibly. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Which is saying something because Reed and Arrow weren't exactly passive simps. 😅 I feel like every time she puts out a new book, she one-ups herself in the j/p department. I mean, they are all intense, obsessed and claimy... but Yeesh. Conrad was DELISH. He doesn’t want ANYONE even looking at his Wallflower. 😍😍😍😍 And I was so HERE FOR IT. 💜💜💜

So let's get down to business. Anyone who knows me knows I inhale SAK books like they are my life blood. She writes everything exactly how I want it in my exact perfect flavor. Normally I have all the snark and pettiness, but with SAK, I have zero chill. ZERO. I own it. 🤡 So, I guess I'll just give you the highlights. 👀😅🤷🏼‍♀️

💟 Bronwyn (18) was DELIGHTFUL. She's an artist who is sweet and determined and selfless, and has gone mostly unappreciated by the people in her life who should cherish her. She talented and dreamy and passionate. She comes from money, but didn't act like it. She just wants to be loved for herself.

💟 Conrad (33) was INTENSE - he has been the fierce protector and leader of his family since he was 19. He is loyal and serious (grumpy and stern). He is protective and controlling, dominant and authoritative, cold and aloof... and all that is mixed up into a recipe for disaster when Bronwyn knocks him on his ass. 😏

💟 I loved how Browyn thought her obsession was one sided, but slowly it's revealed that Conrad was equally enthralled. This is one of my favorite aspect of SAK's books. The heroine always starts out seeming a little desperate or pathetic... but she's never alone her feelings... The hero is almost always even more desperate for her brand of selfless all-consuming hopelessly-devoted love. 💕

💟 I adored how protective Conrad was of Bronwyn from the minute they met. His #1 concern is always her wellbeing and her happiness. Even when he's being a real bastard, it's always done to protect her. My favorite scene in the book is when they've been caught in a Compromising Situation, and his first thought is to conceal her, with no concern for himself, and while he's confronting the OW, he's holding Bronwyn's hand (in secret) to reassure her, knowing she would be dying inside. 🥺 Gah. 🥺 It's so amazing. 💜

💟 and speaking of OW... I LOVE LOVE LOVE that he took care of his own shit. There is an old flame involved here, and from the 1st Conrad does everything he can to shield Bronwyn from her. It always makes me so angry when the h has to take out the trash for the H in a romance. 😐 Nope. That is not how that should ever go down, IMO. The H should take care of his own past and OW problems and the h should never have to lift a finger or be touched by his past bullshit. And that was Conrad's attitude as well. 😍 Bronwyn was always his #1 priority. Even when he didn't realize he loved her yet. Even when he thought he might still have feelings for the OW (spoiler alert: he didn't) he still made Bronwyn the priority. BRAVO SAFFRON. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

💟 the dynamics between Conrad and Bronwyn were FIRE. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥I loved how dominant and controlling he was... but what made it extra super hot? Bronwyn loved it too. She REVELLED in it. She didn't "put him in his place"... it made her hot. And that's hot. I think Conrad is the closest SAK has come to an (unofficial) Dom, and Bronwyn was his perfect partner... so tuned into his needs and desires, knowing full well he was going to more than take care of her. I loved that SAK made it clear that Conrad was only that way with Bronwyn. 😍

💟 speaking of hot.... Conrad was DIRTY. 🥵 He's a dirty talker with a very dirty mind. I love how SAK makes her Hs so grumpy and in control and calm and cool... but with the h he goes completely feral and primal. FOR HER. He's not just a dirty talker, in general. SHE makes him crazy, and all his most dirty fantasies spill out of his mouth. Same with the kink, and boy do we get some kink in this one... Conrad spanks Bronwyn.... but it's never indicated that Conrad has a spanking kink. He just HAS TO spank BRONWYN. It's intimate, in the heat of the moment, and organic and exclusive to them. That's one of the thing I love most about how she writes her intimate scenes. You never get the "been there done that" feeling with her. The characters are only this way with each other. And it's super delicious. 😏

💟 I loved how selfless Bronwyn's love was. All she wanted was for Conrad to be happy. To feel like someone's #1 priority. To feel like he could dream, after giving up so much for everyone else's dreams. She wanted to take care of him and his heart. 🥺

💟 Conrad feels the same about her - he wants to protect her from everyone and everything that would keep her from her dreams (including himself) - I loved how he gave no f*cks about anything when it came to her happiness. He is a grown man who wasn't intimidated by her powerful father. There's this epic scene where he party crashes, tells off her dad, then whisks her away... it was so swoony... like Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing:



😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

💟 and speaking of Baby... the way Conrad uses "baby"??? Gah. 👀💕💕

💟 so, this is probably the least angsty of all of SAK's books. But, with Conrad and Bronwyn's personalities, it was never gonna be a OTT angst fest. He's driven by her happiness and she's driven by his. Sometimes they tripped over those goals, and that caused some angst, but I felt like the choices SAK made were consistent with the characters. 🤷🏼‍♀️


Bottom Line? While it took me a second (maybe 15-20%) to warm up to this couple, by the end I was completely smitten with them. 💕 Conrad's intensity and Bronwyn's loveliness made up for the lower angst level. I was ENTHRALLED, as usual. Everytime I read an SAK book, I'm always left baffled how she manages to write everything EXACTLY how I would want it. Like she's inside my brain, taking my order. She dots every "i" and crosses every "t"... and I leave them all happy and gushing and HORRIFIED I'm gonna have to wait another 6 months to feel like this again. Is this my all-time FAVORITE SAK book? Maybe not. 🤷🏼‍♀️ But it is better than 99% of the books I read? Absolutely. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️

- no cheating or sharing

- OW drama - H has an old flame in the picture - she kisses him twice - he's not into it either time

- OM drama - H’s brother acts interested in the h

- no dubcon

- spanking

- a tiny glimmer of daddy kink at the very end - very tiny hint

- h is a virgin

- H is experience but not a manhore

- no condoms - they quickly discuss safety first but Conrad will not be having anything between them. Ever. Maybe “discuss” is a generous description 👀😏

[juli✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

❝I’m in love with you. I’ve probably been in love with you for a long time. I just…❞
❝You’re just an idiot,❞ I complete his thread for him.
A lopsided smile. ❝Yeah, I’m a fucking idiot for taking so long to realize it.❞

Today a dream dies ☄︎
But in its place another ascends ☄︎
Like a phoenix from the ashes ☄︎

My dream is simple. I want Saffron A. Kent to go all out for Poe's book. I want her to make Hey, Mister Marshall so trashy and so magical that I will never ever forget it. I want HMM to feel like a true literary acid-trip. This series is so extremely soapratic (yes i made this word up) and it is time we all embrace that.


ʙʀᴏɴᴡʏɴ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇᴛᴏɴ•
🅾🅺 The below quote truly sums up Bronwyn's entire being.

❝I'm also eighteen.❞ He frowns and I explain, ❝years old.❞
❝Random,❞ he murmurs. ❝But okay.❞



I - ✋😭

🅾🅺 Look. I could make this entire section a hate zone. I could talk about how this girl is so obsessed with Conrad 's dick that she writes his name all over her body. I could. I could shit on her for all of that and more, but I'm not gonna.

instead i wanna celebrate this bish ✋😭👏

❝Can I… would you let me draw you?❞ I’m not sure what I’m saying. This was so completely not the plan. But still I go on. ❝I mean, I’m an artist, as you know. And artists draw. And I’d love to, uh, draw you if you’d —❞
❝Leave.❞
❝But I —❞ He abandons his pen then, straightening up and away from the desk. ❝Out.❞

🅾🅺 She was never afraid to shoot her fucking shot, and you know … I gotta respect her for that. She never, not once, blinked about telling a grown ass man she wanted him. Bronwyn spotted Conrad, promptly fell in love with him, and then she fucking locked his ass down. If that's not a queen we can all look up to, well … I don't wanna know who fucking is.


ᴄᴏɴʀᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴏʀɴᴇ•
✘ I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but … I missed my king, Reed Roman Jackson. There. I said it. Let the heavens open up and smite me where I stand.

✘ Okay so my biggest problem with Conrad was how absolutely cringe this man was. He radiated cringe with his whole entire being. I - I don't even know where to start. It was the way he obviously only loved Bronwyn because he had a fetish for teenagers for me.

❝But you do know the ways of the world now, don’t you?❞ he said over my lips. ❝I taught you. I’m teaching you. And I’m going to teach you more.❞
I grabbed his hair. ❝Are you saying I’m not a teenager anymore?❞
❝You fucking are,❞ he said before roving his eyes over my face and continuing, ❝but you’re different. You’re more.❞

good sir, you don't have to be such a creep about it 🙃

✘ I mean … do I even need to touch that? Another thing. Why did this man have less personality than one of Reed Roman Jackson's white hoodies? Cause I swear. Every time his chapters popped up I fucking yawned.


ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ᴘᴇʀᴄᴇɴᴛ•
♥ What pisses me off the absolute most about These Thorn Kisses was the fucking potential. I'm not gonna lie … The first twenty percent or so of TTK had me hooked. And the way ConradBronwyn met was actually really sweet.

❝You’re an artist because you are one. Because you draw. You paint, you sketch. Because that’s what you do and that’s what you love.❞ …

♥ I loved that Conrad inspired Bronwyn to follow her dreams. Therefore, I understood why Bronwyn idolized Conrad. Consequentially, it made their reuniting that much more juicy when it appeared Conrad didn't remember her.

❝And who are you, Bronwyn Littleton?❞ ...
I stand my ground, my hands still fisted as I reply, ❝Well if you must know, I’m an artist.❞

♥ The way Bronwyn wasn't afraid to shoot her shot was fucking fabulous. Moreover, I actually really liked that push and pull between them. It felt like we were building up to something similar to WillowSimon's dynamic. The taboo was there for just a second and then, poof, it vanished … Jokes on me I guess.


ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ [ᴄʀɪɴɢᴇ ᴀꜰ]•
✘ Negative. Nope. Did not work. Seriously, the romance in TTK was c r i n g e. So fucking cringe. Like, as much as I was bored by Callie and Reed Roman Jackson I will say this. I got why they loved each other. Callie had always watched Reed Roman Jackson from afar. Meanwhile, Reed Roman Jackson got to know Callie through watching her dance and buying her cupcakes.

✘ So I gotta ask … why did Conrad fall in love with Bronwyn? I get why Arrow fell in love with Salem. I get why Reed Roman Jackson fell for Callie. But what I do not get is why Conrad fell into such a deep obsession with Bronwyn. I guess he saw her when she was sixteen and decided to wait until she became a legal teenager?

❝And I think you like that.❞
❝L-like what?❞
❝That I’m older,❞ he explains. ❝Than you.❞
I hug the book tighter, using it as a defense against the war he’s waging on me, on my senses. ❝Why would I like that?❞ But his response to my question makes me realize that there is none. There is no defense against him. Against my thorn.
❝Because you, Bronwyn Littleton,❞ he says, his eyes penetrating, ❝have daddy issues.❞

no his pervy ass did not just say that, i - 😭🤣

✘ But you know what? I could look pass that because everyone in this fucking series sees age of consent laws as a mere guideline. No, what I could not with is how every freaking time they talked it sounded like the setup for some horrible ass soft-core porno.

❝I’m going to take every inch of you. Every rosy little inch. And then I’m going to eat you up. I’m going to drink you down. I’m going to inhale you. Inject you in my bloodstream. I’m going to fucking live you, Bronwyn. Until I don’t want to anymore. Until this crazy irrational desire is gone. Until I’m not looking for you at school or driving down to your town and knocking at your door like an addict. Just because I didn’t get to see you today. Just because I didn’t get my fix. So you’re coming with me. Because you’re my pretty little wallflower and I’m done being insane over you.❞

✘ And you know what makes me even angrier? What makes me even madder is that when they were having normal conversations I actually really liked their dynamic.

❝I’m so sorry. I don’t even know what to say.❞
❝Good,❞ he clips. ❝You don’t have to. Just stop clinging to me like a fucking spider monkey and let me go.❞ I hug him even tighter as I say, ❝A flower.❞
❝What?❞
❝I’m a flower, remember? Not a spider monkey.❞
This time his sigh is bigger. ❝A wallflower, yes. Erysimum.❞
❝What?❞
❝That’s the correct nomenclature.❞ A second later, he says, ❝You belong to the cabbage family.❞

truly one of the few times i though Conrad was hot 👀

✘ For all the shit I give ArrowSalem and CallieReed at least I felt some semblance of a connection between them. Meanwhile, BronwynConrad has me feeling absolutely nothing. Oh and don't even get me started on the fucking nicknames. Just … no.


ᴅɪʀᴛʏ ᴛᴀʟᴋ•
✘ Look. I don't usually like to talk about the sex in the books I read. I'm a classy bitch and I'm obviously here for the plot 😌 But … If SAK has the audacity to write this shit then I'm gonna fucking comment on it. Where to start …

❝It’s the cock of a thirty-three-year-old man,❞ he rasps, ❝that won’t fit in your eighteen-year-old mouth. It’s a beast that your eighteen-year-old mouth will struggle to take in, let alone suck it like I like it. It’s wider than your tiny wrists and longer than that rosy as fuck face of yours, do you understand? You put your face under my dick, Bronwyn, and I’ll cover it from your chin to your forehead and still have inches left. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?❞

do i laugh or do i cry 😭

✘ I … you know what. I'm just gonna drop a few gems and you guys will understand. I'll just say this. Every time I read a SAK book I get insight into her psyche that I'm not sure how to process.

❝I stand by the wall where you stand and rub my nose on the bricks, hoping to catch a whiff of you. And when I do, I fucking open my mouth and drink it down. Your Coach Thorne drinks you down and then he bangs his head on the wall for doing that. For doing something so depraved. And then, even though he’s cursing at himself, hating himself for wanting his forbidden little wallflower, he goes to his chair. He sits on it and he opens her rosy pink letter. He opens it and reads it himself.❞

he smells what now?


❝Yeah. Your virginity.❞ A puff of breath escapes him. ❝And I’m not only obsessed with it, no. I’m not only constantly, constantly thinking about sticking my tongue down there, inside your rosy hole, so I can taste it, that tiny piece of flesh. In my fucking mouth. Before I rip it with my dick. Like I just did.❞

good sir. please do not say rip and vagina in the same sentence.


❝Because I told you what would happen if you wore a dress that could barely contain your milkmaid tits and your stripper ass.❞ His bright eyes darkened as he ran them up and down my body. ❝I told you that I’d rip it off. But since it was already off your body, I just picked it up and thew it in the trash.❞

milkmaid what now? and dude. dresses are freaking expensive.


❝They could smell your pussy. They could sniff out that she was freshly broken. As fresh as a week ago. They could smell that up until seven days ago, no one had touched her. No one had even laid their eyes on her. No one had tasted her. No one. Before me.❞

i - no. just … please stop.


… ❝I saw stars. I fucking saw pink glitter and unicorns. Your rosy fucking pussy made me see double, Bronwyn.❞ …

no. fucking. words.


… ❝Because if I’m your wallflower, then it means you’re my thorn too. And so if I want to suck your beast of a dick with my flower of a mouth, I can. You will let me. You’re not allowed to say no.❞ …
So I wrap my hands around his thick trunk and put it on my face. From chin to forehead. And he was right. He was. It covers me whole and there are still some inches left. His purple head goes past my forehead and I smile. And moan.

👁👄👁

ᴍɪꜱꜱᴇᴅ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛɪᴇꜱ•
✘ TTK as a whole was RIDDLED with missed opportunities. However, the biggest, imo, was the taboo aspect of BronwynConrad's relationship. This book had the potential to be such a great forbidden romance.

❝Show Coach Thorne that teenager or not, his sister’s best friend or not, you’re going to rock his fucking world. Show him that you’re his dream girl.❞

✘ Honestly, there's nothing taboo about Conrad being a glorified gym teacher, but I digress. BUT, but, I could've bought that taboo more if, idk, Conrad actually ever taught her?! They never interacted in a teacher - student context. PLUS, they never seemed all that concerned about getting caught.

✘ The other aspect of their relationship that could've added A LOT of potential drama // forbidden-ness was the brothers-best-friend angle. But nope. For one thing, did Callie even interact with Bronwyn in this book? Everyone and their mom kept TELLING me that Bronwyn and Callie are such good friends, but … WAS I EVER SHOWN THAT?!?! They barely interacted. And Bronwyn literally gave zero fucks about their friendship, tbh. She was ready to hop on Conrad's dick day one, moment one.

❝This is the best thing ever. You’re dating my brother.❞

i mean … if one of my best friends dated my brother behind my back for MONTHS i'm not sure this would be my reaction … but you do you bestie.

ᴡʀᴀᴘ ᴜᴘ•
✘ In the end, I think it's safe to say These Thorn Kisses did not live up to my middling expectations. I think it is time to say goodbye to the dream that at least one of these books is going to exude the same magic Medicine Man did.

♥ That being said, I actually did have a really fun time reading TKK. As I mentioned at the top of this review, this entire series has been trashy fun. There's an unabashedly horny energy to this series that cannot be replicated. No literary character has ever been as horny as the St. Mary's Rebels.

🅾🅺 Also, jokes on me cause I pre-ordered PoeAlaric's book. What can I say, these books are such trashy fun. Honestly, my expectations are on the ground for PoeAlaric. What I'm expecting is an enemies-to-lovers romance. What I'm probably gonna get is some warped version of MDA, AGV, and TKK combined.

🅾🅺 In conclusion, These Thorn Kisses was … unbelievably horny with just a sprinkling of flowers, boredom, and fun. I truly did go into this one with some hopes and for the first twenty percent, SAK delivered. After that, well … 🙄 The cute moments between ConradBronwyn were far and few between, which is a shame. The sex was … hilariously cringe. The St. Mary's Rebels are still horny as always. And my love for this series is a secret shame.

❝Well, welcome to St. Mary’s.❞A pause. ❝Mr. Marshall. Oops, Principal Marshall. I think it’s going to be a fun summer.❞
❝Yeah?❞
❝Totally. I’m going to make it so.❞

𝗦𝗧. 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬'𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗦
⚽️ 𝗠𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 - 𝟯
🧚‍♀️ 𝗔 𝗚𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 - 𝟮.𝟳𝟱
🌼 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗞𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 - 𝟮.𝟱
💋 𝗛𝗲𝘆, 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 - 𝟮.𝟮𝟱

[alka · Rating 4 out of 5]

reread: upgraded to 3.5 cuz... idk i just liked it better the second time around (... oh wow i love being incoherent)
----------
well, all i'll say is that this book did have its cringy moments, it had its moments when i thought it was VERY similar to MDA, i did not like the writing in this one as well

BUT

BUT

i personally liked wyn and conrad better than any couple in this series. ngl i actually was very much into the story for the first 40(ish) percent... but then i read the other 60% of the story and... oh well. 2.5 stars rounded up (because i love SAK)


P.S. WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO WAIT FOR POE'S AND (ahem) PRINCIPAL MARSHAL'S STORY TILL NEXT YEAR?? NO, BUT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND I NEED-

[M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 38% because today i'm not hating myself enough to force my way through this.

maybe it's time to drop the pen, or for adults to stop writing teenage characters because what i saw here... embarrassing. look, i get it, SAK has a special style of writing, always trying to make everything sound more poetic and heartbreaking and blah blah blah, but she took it too far here with Conrad and Wyn.

Bronwyn must be SAK most "I'm not like the other girls, I'm special" character, even taking Salem's place, to whom i apologize for my review of MDA. but behind that there's nothing, she just repeats like a parrot "i'm an artist" and that's it, there's no more material to work with. i may not know many 18-year-olds, but i don't think they are all that delusional? or at least i hope so, for their sake.

and Conrad... are we sure this person is an adult, and not a puberty teenager as well? i kinda understood Arrow and Reed talking weird shit because they were relatively young, but Conrad is about to retire as he matches up with a teenager, talking in metaphors and about premium pussy. uh sir, i think there's something wrong with you, idk maybe check it out when you have the time.

i can't talk about the plot because i don't think there were any, but if Helen –Conrad's ex and professor at St. Mary's– wasn't SUCH a bitch, i would have preferred a book between them serving second-chance romance.

[Renae Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review***
These Thorn Kisses is my favorite love story by Saffron A. Kent mainly due to the wonderfully grumpy Conrad Thorne. He is begrudgingly the father/guardian of his four younger siblings, years of personal and professional regrets but everything changes when he meets Bronwyn.

Bronwyn is also one of my favorite heroines due to her beautiful spirit, unrelenting positivity, and passion. She is the best counterpart for Conrad and seeing their love story grow and mature was perfectly developed. The repeated images of thorns and roses encapsulate the relationship between Conrad and Bronwyn.

These Thorn Kisses is easily a favorite from this series, I have a soft spot for possessive alphas and Conrad did not disappoint. Looking forward to the next installment in this fun series.

[Iris · Rating 2 out of 5]

MDA 2.0 🙃

but I actually enjoyed Salem and Arrow more so take that as you will lol.

Review to come. But you can dm for safety :)

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Once upon a time, I was afraid to dream."

-=-
I actually really loved it 😗- And I'm kind of obsessed.

So here's the thing- this book was so, so dodgy and repetitive to the point that I was genuinely concerned- but I'm just going to gaslight myself and give it a 5 stars ✋- Pls, I'm trying to stay loyal to the series.

So as expected, this story and these characters were just ridiculously over the top and so dramatic- but I just loved it all so much. I've said this multiple times but I'll say again- SAK is definitely an acquired taste- and her writing style just works so well for me.

I'm not even going to lie, I have been anticipating this book for SO LONG- and no joke ran and got myself a copy of the story as soon as it came out. I devoured it all in an unholy short amount of time- and I enjoyed every single second of it with no shame 😔✋.

I ate up all of the cameos that I got of the other characters, and am genuinely really looking forward to reading 'Hey, Mister Marshall'. I thought that the writing, although repetitive, flowed really nicely, and was just so entertaining to read about- I loved the characters and had such a fun time reading.

I'm not exactly sure what the plot of this book was about now looking back at it- I sort of just got slapped in the face with a lot of 'rosy thorn' conversations and smut- and accepted it all with absolutely no remorse 😔🤌.

I loved the characters, and I'm actually really surprised by how they held on their own- I kind of just expected them to feel really similar to the other characters- but to me, they actually stood out, which I really liked. These books really are my weakness, because I just love them so much- it had so many of the tropes that I'm just obsessed with, and was written in a way that was so entertaining I couldn't help but love it.

I think I'm going to end it here, because I know for a fact that if I keep on writing, I'll just end up repeating myself over and over again. This was so much fun and I'm personally really happy with how it went. But yeah, I actually really liked the book, and thoroughly enjoyed reading about Conrad and Wyn in all of their messy lovably scary glory.

But Conrad tho 😗🤌🔥...



No, but the fact that I have to wait TILL THE 14TH OF JUNE for the next one- Pls I need it 💳💥💳💥💳💥💳.

Oh, and can I just say that SAKs playlists are just *chef's kiss*.

-- 2nd Read--

I genuinely love this book so much.

This time his sigh is bigger. “A wallflower, yes. Erysimum.”
“What?”
“That’s the correct nomenclature.” A second later, he says, “You belong to the cabbage family.”

Conrad pls marry me 💍😩.

[. (rip) · Rating 3 out of 5]

i'll just leave my favorite quote

“this is prime pussy. This pussy is magic. It’s what dreams are made of [...] I fucking saw pink glitter and unicorns. Your rosy fucking pussy made me see double, Bronwyn.”

rtc.

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bronwyn + Conrad

We're back with our darling girls at St. Mary's.
This time Bronwyn will tell us her story.
She's an artist. It's her life, her love, her passion. But her parents have a completely different life path planned out for her. Law school. Marrying the right kind of guy from a good family et cetera.
Bronwyn has also been in love with a mystery man for more than a year now. She met him after she escaped from another one of those boring parties her parents always drag her to.
And now he's suddenly in her life again. As her very grumpy and mean soccer coach at St. Mary's. Plus, turns out he's also her bestie Callie's big brother! Whaa??

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!

═════════════════




Adorable! And heartbreaking and sparky and funny and sad and sexxy ...
I just loved reading this!
I'm usually not a fan of age gap romance - especially the way gappy ones ... here we have a 14/15 year age difference! That's just too much for me. I could maybe live with it if Bronwyn was already in college - like 21 or 22. But 18 is just a bit too creepy for me. BUT still - I loved reading it. We just love these kinds of stories, right? We're rooting for that happy end. And it's always sexy as heck! LOL!
This was a great love story with a really great cast of people.
Now I can't wait to read Poe's story next! Coming in June!


💜 💜

[Tish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect this book to evoke the emotions it did in me but here we are. A possessive, lost, older brother hero who is so loyal, so grumpy, and so good and soft to his girl. I loved Conrad. I loved him so much. Wyn is also such a soft female character who stopped at nothing to get her man. This is definitely my favorite in the series after My Darling Arrow. And the fact the whole brother squad is getting their own books? Phenomenal. But the older brother and his forbidden, beautiful love will always hold a place in my heart. This was my most anticipated read of 2021 and it delievered. If you are looking for a poetic author who knows how to tug at your heartstrings but also make the butterflies come to life with her spice scenes? Look no further than @thesaffronkent

Ps- when he calls her “baby” I melted. MELTED.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars for this age-gap, coach-student romance with a j/p H

Ah… SAK writing a jealous/possessive H makes me devour it like forbidden candy.. the kind of candy that I shouldn’t eat everyday, but when I do, it’s so satisfying 😈.

The book starts off in the past, 18 months before, when Conrad and Wyn are attending a wedding. Not just any wedding, the wedding of Conrad‘s ex. Wyn’s expected to follow rules, follow a certain path, and get married to a family-approved man. But when she leaves this event and goes outside to get fresh air, Conrad sees and approaches her, thinking that she’s not okay. For Wyn, seeing the handsome stranger come near her isn’t scary, it’s enthralling, and after their deep conversation, she musters up the courage to chase her dreams… but this in turn gets her in trouble because of her rebelliousness.

Flash forward to the present. Wyn’s (18) attending St.Mary’s Boarding school with her friends (book 1, 2, and 4 h’s) when they get a new soccer coach- who happens to be her best friend’s older brother Conrad (33)- the Conrad she’s been dreaming of and the man that inspired her to stop selling herself short. Except that he’s a lot grumpier than she remembered, and she quickly realizes that her feelings for him run deeper than she ever suspected. There are two problems: he’s her coach, and his ex happens to be her counselor and a faculty member of the campus, which means that they’ll see each other 😬.

SPOILERS…SPOILERS
What I loved: Conrad!!!!🥰🥰🥰
-his protectiveness- I admire a man that puts his life on hold to do what’s right. He had to become a father-figure for his siblings when his dad left them, when Callie was tiny. Then when they lost their mother, he was the only parent they had, and I just wanted to hug and kiss him for doing everything that he could to be the best that his siblings could have 🥺. Gahhh! The fact that not everyone saw this as an admirable quality angered me. I loooooved him🥰🥺.

-his jealousy/possessiveness: dear Lord, this man marks his territory left and right 🔥🔥🔥 I swear, he does a better job at signaling MINE MINE MINE than any dog I’ve ever known💦, and I LOVED IT 😈 from Wyn’s milk maid T!t$ to her str!pp£r a$$, if he could bite, grab, or $uck on it, he did 🥵🔥🤷🏻‍♀️😅. No man better stand too close or look at what’s his. Wyn is HIS, and he’s gonna mark her to make sure they know 😉. Which leads to…

-his dirty mouth… oh gosh… the air sure got thick around Conrad and Wyn- I found I had a hard time breathing myself 😅. But that’s typical SAK writing. She gets me to feel it all… and I was feeling Conrad’s dirty mouth.

-the lengths that he’ll go to in order to protect his loved ones, including Wyn🥰🥺❤️

-taking care of the TRASH… I mean, the OW- when she shows up and tries to entice him, he lets her know CLEARLY that he doesn’t want her. I ALWAYS want the H to do all the work- the h should just be chillin’ 💅

-the other characters’ cameos from the other books 🥰

-the connection between Conrad and Wyn. From their shared stories, to her artistic ties and drawings, to the markings on her body, I loved it. Even when they’re in the bathroom and getting caught, he holds her hand to show her she’s important 🥺❤️. Gawd. I loved their visceral connection that goes soul-deep.

-spankings as a punishment? Yes please. It’s my catnip 😈

What I didn’t like/wanted more of:
-the repetitiveness- I noticed it more here than before, but because it’s SAK, I tend to overlook it since I’m expecting the angst associated with it all.

-lying to Callie- I understood it, but I felt so bad. Maybe it’s because I’ve read her book and know how good of a person she is 🤷🏻‍♀️.

-I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of those spanking scenes 👀lol give them all to me 😈😅.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and I’m so glad I own it🥰.

⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing
-owd- the OW kisses the H, who never reciprocates or encourages her (she kisses his jaw/face); although the ow wants the H, he doesn’t 🤷🏻‍♀️
-mild omd- the h’s parent expects her to marry OM, who is near her/touching her (and sets off the H 😉), and the H’s younger brother asks the h out 😬😅
-lots of biting/marking 😋
-spanking
-at the end, VERY subtle daddy kink is introduced

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

These Thorn Kisses has been one of my most anticipated books after reading their crumbs in A Gorgeous Villain. Like hello? Age gap? Best friend's brother? Student/Teacher? Unrequited love? All the best tropes being combined into one are definitely the type of book that I need in my life. N you know what, it's definitely worth the wait. No words can describe how much IN LOVE with this book!

First of all, if you enjoyed reading My Darling Arrow, then you're definitely gonna enjoy These Thorn Kisses. They pretty much gave the same vibe except MDA is more angsty than TTK (I think), but the romance in TTK are way better. Even tho the smut is pretty cringy, it didn't actually ruin my enjoyment. I just brushed it off and focus more on the storyline. Before I even know it, I was able to finish the entire thing in just one seating. Yeah, it was surprising that this book was able to put me out from my reading slump (thank God).

Talking about the characters, Conrad Thorne is probably the best man by Saffron. I don't mind being on my knees for this man. No words can describe how sexy this guy truly is. If you're a fan of boy obsessed trope, then Conrad serves the trope like a champ! He was insanely possessive that I couldn't help but giggle during those scenes. Whereas for Bronwyn, she's a cute character and I do liked her, but she talked too much 🤣🤣🤣. I'm not really annoyed with her or anything because it's kinda understandable why she's more confident to be around him. I just loved to see her character development along the way.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I will definitely reread it again in the future. I think Saffron did them justice and I couldn't ask for a better story. Anyways, bear in mind that everyone has their own taste. If you don't share the same opinion, then it's okay. On the side note, I highly recommend you guys to try this book out!

ARC received in exchange for honest review ~

[D.L. Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of another mixed bag, but I enjoyed it more than it’s predecessor.

Ok, apparently I like that Conrad is a bossy misogynist … yeah, I don’t get it either.

Perhaps it stems from how protective he is, of a stranger, even if it is overbearing.

Apparently there’s some sort of curse over the soccer coach position at St Mary’s that influences them to diddle a student. 🤣🤪

Why do I love it when men bring out the worst in girls?

lol well that escalated quickly. So much for the good man stuff, guess they bring the worst out of each other. Not that I’m complaining.

Oooph! What a manipulative bitch that Helen. How dare he choose his family over you. God, what a spoiled rich brat!

Good God, I’m about ready to pull my hair out because of this disgusting woman!

Stripper ass and milkmaid tits is way better than vampire skin and wolf eyes. Not only more appealing but they paint a vivid picture. I could live without the pinky stuff though.

This would’ve been a five if it wasn’t so long. What’s the point of repetitive … everything. The inner monologues, especially Wyn’s were so outlandishly long winded that I skimmed through most of them.

But and it’s a big but … there’s Conrad. I’m certain Dreams of 18 will always be my favorite but Conrad might be my favorite SAK MMC. He’s everything a man should be and no one deserved to make their dreams come true than him.

[fay · Rating 3 out of 5]

from witchy eyes to fairy pussy to rosy pinky pussy, SAK darling, me and u need a break.

[&#x1f49c;VGreedyReader&#x1f5a4; · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️5 thorny stars ⭐️

~𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩, 𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙥, 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚~

A decadent, angsty and deliciously slow burning age gape romance.

Saffron knows how to pull all the right strings to make my heart pulse, accelerate, beat frantically, bleed, break and heal. The story of Conrad and Bronwyn is expertly told, this author narrative skills spin an amazing tale, her magic words infuse so much life and feels into her characters it’s impossible to be unaffected.

Whoever is familiar with Saffron’s world knows her heroines are unique, they may not be your average bad ass heroine, who is usually my favourite type of lady, but every time I come across this author’s leading female characters I must appreciate her ability in drawing such beautifully strong women in such a delicate way. In fact, their strength comes from their softness, make no mistakes these young women are no doormats, they may be soft and delicate but they are a force, they are determined, when they set out to reach their goals nothing stands in their ways.

~𝙊𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣'𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨. 𝘿𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨~

Bronwyn is an artist, she depicts the world in pink, all flowery and rosy, however, her sunny and positive attitude won’t sway her from reaching her goals, she’s relentless, she never stops nor is she afraid to dream big, even if the cost of that dream is too high, even if it requires tears and heart break. That’s what I admire most about Wyn her strength that comes from her fragility and selfless persona. Same may consider her softness a sign of weakness, but they would me mistaken, it takes guts to own her feelings so strongly and unashamedly and never become ugly about it. Her character’s development is magnificent, she blooms from a bud into a splendid flower.

Just like our heroines are doomed to suffer, their men are giant assholes, again not in your face aggressively or the way one might be led to think of an asshole. They are more subtle about it, they apparently do nothing wrong but in reality they mess up big time before finally coming to their senses.

~𝙄'𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙄'𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄𝙣𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢~

It’s time to get acquainted with our thorn, Conrad, the epitome of righteousness, such a landmark of rectitude, so confident in his beliefs, never a rule breaker, an example to follow. How pleasant to see such upstanding specimen slowly crumble, to enjoy his unraveling, to see his carefully built walls shatter, and what a joy to witness that an unassuming, “𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆” “𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈” girl is responsible for such monumental breakdown. Conrad thrives thanks to the touch of a delicate flower. An example of how strong something soft can be.

~𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄'𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧~

I’m glad to see that my old favourite Saffron is back, and she’s doing it with a big, huge bang. Even the characters’ musing, albeit repetitive, worked well and served their purpose in this heart wrenching tale. This is a standalone set in 𝗦𝘁. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆'𝘀 world and indulge into some juicy cameos, we also finally get a glimpse of what’s to come next, I can’t deny I’m eagerly excited to read Poe’s story the very same girl I’m already head over heels in love with. And I’m so sorry for poor Mr Marshall… or maybe not?…

[Grecia Robles · Rating 3 out of 5]

No sé qué tiene esta mujer que aunque sus libros son bien trashy son bastante adictivos, tiene más de 500 páginas y lo terminé en un día.

La historia es de un forbidden love (me están siguiendo), de alumna/ profesor, hermano de mi mejor amiga y un age gap que no me gustan, pero que en esta ocasión no me causó issues y eso que lo recalcaban a cada rato y era una de las excusas del protagonista para no estar con ella.

No puedo decir que me agradaron los personajes porque él fue muy asshole con ella y ella muy tapete se dejaba pisotear por él.
Y los diálogos me causaban bastante cringe, repetían como tres veces lo que se decían y eso nos hubiera ahorrado mínimo 100 páginas y luego el dirty talk HARTO CRINGE él le decía ningún hombre puede ver tus tetas de lechera y tu culo de stripper es mine o sea EEEWWW!!

Pero les digo tiene algo que me tenía pegada y sobre todo el principio a la mitad decae porque es muy largo, me sigo quedando con el primer libro.

Y desde luego que leeré el siguiente porque intrigada estoy.

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: taboo (teacher/student)
Angst: 😰😰😰😰😰
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: none

Eighteen months ago, Bronwyn met a stranger on a stretch of deserted road who made time for her, listened to her, and inspired her. Her life was never the same. The fallout from that night resulted in Bronwyn being banished to St. Mary's Reform school for girls. She never expected to see her beautiful stranger again. She certainly didn't expect him to sho up as her new soccer coach. And she definitely didn't expect him to be her best friend's oldest brother she's heard about over the last year and a half.

The storyline of These Thorn Kisses was just wonderful! We have Bronwyn, the 18 year old school girl pining after Conrad, a 32 year old school teacher, who is pining after Helen, his former (married) girlfriend who is also a counselor at the school. SO. MUCH. DRAMA!! This is a twisting, winding, angsty tale written the way only Saffron Kent can. Personally, I'm never a fan of OWD (other woman drama), but this was completely tolerable since she was such a hateful, evil be-atch (I hate it when they're likable, lol). The character development in this story is phenomenal and you just fall in love with both of the main characters. Conrad is just super swoony. A dirty talking, grumpy man who feels like he’s given up all his dreams. He is a protector by nature and he wants to take care of his wallflower right from the start - from the cold, from her parents, and even from himself. Bronwyn is a different kind of girl. She’s artistic and a dreamer and will do anything for the people she loves. She’s been beat down for most her life and made to conform to a world she doesn’t fit. I love how Bronwyn grows in the story and gains her own strength both from herself and others. These Thorn Kisses is over the top flowery prose that is both beautiful and beautifully dirty all squished into one yummy read - loved it! Really cannot wait for the next book in the series!

These Thorn Kisses is the 3rd book in the St. Mary’s Rebel series by Saffron Kent. It can be read as a standalone, but best enjoyed when read in series order. It is told in first person, dual perspective.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review – These Thorn Kisses by Saffron A. Kent 🤍

“𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙘,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙖𝙬 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙. “𝙏𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨. 𝙏𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚. 𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚.”

These Thorn Kisses is raw and real. It’s an achingly beautiful story about a man with a ravaged soul and his chance at a life he never thought he deserved and the woman who makes him feel and dream. Saffron A. Kent has written an emotionally impactful story that grabs you right from the start. I don’t know how she does it, but I swear every book just gets better and better… I truly don’t have a favourite because they all are so unique and powerful in their own way that I could never choose. I’m so in awe of this woman's talent and I hope she writes forever and ever!

𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘: 𝗧𝗧𝗞 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆’𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁.

Bronwyn Littleton (Wyn) is a good girl; she would never do anything to go against her parents and their societies rules until one summer night a year ago she meets a mystery man who evokes something in her so powerful that it allows her to dream of a bigger and better life. A life of art, happiness, freedom, and him… So, she does something reckless that she’s never done before which gets her sent to an all-girls reform school for troubled teens.

Although she’s now trapped at this school, she’s free and when she happens to come across that same mystery man from that night one year ago working as the school’s new soccer coach and who also happens to be her best friends much older brother, she can’t help but want to get closer to this man, to push his buttons and make him dream as much as she does.

“𝙃𝙚’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛, 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧, 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄… 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙬. 𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙣. 𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮, 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙟𝙤𝙮, 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚.”

Conrad Thorne is such a beautiful man. His heart is so good and pure, he’s protective, possessive, strong and arrogant. But above all that he’s the most caring and generous man ever. He cares for those around him so deeply and strongly that he would never let anything happen to them and would lay down his life for them, which is what he’s done ever since he was 14 years old and became the father figure to his 3 younger brothers and sister. Conrad doesn’t dream, his life is theirs until he meets her, and she makes him feel things he never thought he could again.

If you love age gap romance, best friend’s older brother, grumpy/sunshine trope, student/teacher, possessive, dirty talking asshole hero, artistic, shy, good girl heroine, badass girl gang & forbidden, angsty, unrequited love – SAK style than you will NOT be disappointed! 🙌🏻💜

5+⭐️
𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗠𝗲 𝗢𝗻:
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[naz]

"What makes him off-limits times three however, and this whole scenario an epic tragedy, is that, Conrad, Wyn’s dream man, has a dream girl of his own.

And he’s as much in love with his dream girl as Wyn is in love with him…"

immediately after meeting conrad in the wild mustang and dancing fairy, i adored him and couldn't wait to read his book. what i didn't expect was conrad to be in love with someone else that isn't the main female character!! Are you fucking kidding me???? i hope this is just a miscommunication and his dream girl is actually Wyn or i will fucking RIOT

[zaraa · Rating 1 out of 5]

just the absolute worst.
i need a whole cleanse after reading this.

[Valentina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly rosy, thorny dreamy 🌷💞

What happens when a young, prim, artist meets an older, sexy, protective, dirty-talking, soccer coach? She discovers her dream man, and he learns how to dream. A velvety, soft flower, a wallflower --Bronwyn -- encounters her dream man, prickly thorn, Conrad Thorn on the street near a wedding event and is immediately smitten. Eighteen months later, after being sent to a girls' reformatory school, Wyn again meets Conrad who has little memory of her (or so it seems). But...he is her soccer coach and her best friend's brother, and maybe his heart is spoken for by past love. This story unfolds their blossoming, forbidden affaire du coeur in poetic verse of dreamy, suggestive (deliciously dirty) romance and beautiful symbolism.

Thorns grow where roses are because they're starved for softness...hungry for all the soft, fragile things after living a sharp, prickly life. A thorn needs the softness of a rose. And I think that's why a rose is soft in the first place.
- Wyn

Eighteen-year-old and good girl if given to bouts of rebellion Wyn is an artist of compulsion, and any canvas is a surface, sketches on paper, walls, her body, cars, the latter of which landed her in St. Mary's School for Troubled Teens. Rapunzel hair, silver eyes, gossamer skin, petite, she is dedicated to her calling and her infatuation with the dreamy thorn Conrad, painting and drawing his name, his thorns mingled with flowers, in secret, on her body.

Where his name is. I still write it every night like a ritual. And decorate it with thorns and little roses.
- Wyn

Thirty-three-year-old Conrad is the pro soccer player turned coach, paternal figure, and self-sacrifice caregiver to his young siblings. He is also not just Wyn's muse for her artistry and passion, but her inspiration to being true to herself, making decisions that propel her art. Broad; tall; tousled, dirty blond, longish hair; blue-jean colored eyes; wearing a larger than life silver watch Conrad is dominating, authoritative, possessive, and fiercely protective of Wyn. BDE, he is also a growly dirty talker. I need a Conrad in my life.

Heated gazes, breathless pauses, spicy thoughts, Wyn and Conrad were forbidden and electric. With just a hint of daddy Dom "sir" subliminally embedded in their poetic rapport, their chemistry irrespective of age, background, and experience smoldered the pages with a smexy but sweet flair. There is high, decadent spice in Wyn and Conrad's romance.

I loved the familiar side characters and friends, from the girls' group -- Callie, Salem, and Poe -- to rest of the Thorne family boys - Ledger, Stellan, and Shepard. Wolf-eyed, gorgeous villain Reed Jackson was also a memorable addition. Who knew he and Conrad were so alike. Tweed suit, patch elbowed Mr. Marshall arrives on the scene providing some tumultuous foreshadowing of the next book featuring him and a feisty Poe.

This medium burn, artfully written and visually stimulating story is a favorite this year. Perfect. I am enamored with this series -- the heroes, the heroines, and the friendships, but mostly the forever after transcending love with a bite angst. Sweet, dirty, poetic leaving you breathless with bittersweet joy and happy tears -- a dreamy, swoony romance.

Dreams aren’t only for teenagers. Dreams are for everyone. And dreaming doesn’t make you a fool, it’s makes you a visionary….
- Wyn

[Corina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't even know how to write this review. I would've loved to give this 5*, to love it more. I did try. But there were things that bothered me. This isn't a bad book by any means, but it could've been an amazing one. It has a lot of stuff that i love: age gap, teacher/student, taboo, angst...

First, i'll start with what i loved:

Wyn is not normally my type of h, but i have to say, i love her. Her innocence and passion, her determination, the fact that she has a backbone. How she loves Con so purely and intensely, even when Con doesn't love himself. I love that Wyn always makes him see the positive side of things, when Con is so grumpy and unhappy.

Love how possessive and protective of Wyn he is. Love the 'you are mine' side of him. And how protective Wyn is of him, how she just wants to make him happy...at any cost. How selflessly and fully she loves him.

'But who chose him? If he was choosing everyone, if he was taking care of everyone, then who picked him?' - this quote says so much about her love for him.

Yeah, i gotta say, i think Wyn was the star for me, more than Con, which almost never happens, me liking the h more than the H.

Loved how Con took care of his family, how fiercely loyal he was to them, sacrificing himself for them.

I enjoyed greatly the last 25-30% or while the final conflict was happening. That really was great writing. I felt both Wyn's and Con's pain. I only wish the entire book was like that.

Now...things that bothered me 😬:

First of all....the 'cock of a thirty-three-year-old man' 🙄

“It’s the cock of a thirty-three-year-old man,” he rasps, “that won’t fit in your eighteen-year-old mouth. It’s a beast that your eighteen-year-old mouth will struggle to take in, let alone suck it like I like it. It’s wider than your tiny wrists and longer than that rosy as fuck face of yours , do you understand? You put your face under my dick, Bronwyn, and I’ll cover it from your chin to your forehead and still have inches left.' (*died from cringe*)
Umm....sir 😳 wait what? Was it half that size when you were 18-20yo? Or if she was 33, would her mouth be double the size?🥴
Well...for science purposes of course, i measured my face from chin to forehead. It's the size of my forearm 😅 which is 8-9in. With INCHES still left, it's min 10-11 in.
The issue is....that i have probably never read a more unrealistic loss of v. He brags about the 'beast' of a cock he has and then 'he slams' it in her and she comes. Instantly.
Umm...no. Why?? How?? What?? Umm...no 🥴🤡
You absolutely can't say he has a monster cock only to write the h not feeling ANY pain when said monster cock takes her v and come instantly.

Oooh, you think he lied about his size? Exaggerated? Nah. Wyn confirms when she first sucks his D. She measures her face to it ☠
And yes, Wyn does prove him wrong by eventually being able to take it ALL in her mouth...all the 10-11 in 😳 i'm...speechless here...at her talent. (Is that even possible?)

The second thing is the repetitions. These could've easily been avoided. Clench, teenage girl, rose/rosy, even him repeating what she says 😒
But worst of all....(my) thorn - (his) wallflower/flower. It could've been said like 5 times through the book at key times and we would've gotten the idea and it would've been cute instead of me wanting to make it a drinking game but be afraid i'd die 😳🥴🥴

Then...who speaks in 3rd person about themselves? 😬 nooooo!

And last one, which i left the last because it actually made me angry and dissapointed...
I ABSOLUTELY HATED how they lied to Callie for so long. Only Wyn is one thing...but all 3 of them? Those aren't real friends!! And Con too??
They were all such bad friends to Callie, while Callie is so sweet. It's not just about being private, like Salem and Callie were in their books when they didn't want to share things. Wyn is actively lying and the other 2 are lying Callie as well, covering for her.
They waited 2 more months after they got back together, after they said i love you to tell Callie!! Wtf? A month after school was over and they were together without any issues?? WHY??

'Although I do have to say that it’s only a secret from Callie. The rest of the world, all my St. Mary’s friends, her other brothers, Reed even, know.' Girlfriend, no. No no no. Smh.
And Callie's reaction? Pissed me off even more. Callie should've been pissed. Wyn and Con both should've grovelled for months to earn Callie's forgiveness for lying to her, actively, not just by omission. She should've at least been very hurt by it. By the lack of trust and respect. Smh. That entire conversation is so ridiculous, i can't even.

Now, i am a fan of SAK. I ADORED Reed and A Gorgeous Villain, so honestly, i am really sad about not being able to fully enjoy this one.

Will i read Poe's book? Yup. There's so much potential. I definitely hope there'll be less repetitions there.

Ufff....done. Rant over.

[Beeg Panda · Rating 3 out of 5]

💓“Because when it comes to you, Bronwyn, I’m not afraid to dream anymore. I’m not afraid to dream about you even if you dream about someone else.”

🔻For the lovers of the OTT J/P hero
🔻Protective from the get go (from others)
🔻He’s OTT everything - even with the OW🤮. Wayyy too much intensity wasted on the likes of her.
🔻He’s one of those cruel-with-the-h-for-no-reason heroes; so dramaaaaaatic 🙄

♦️She’s like this series’s other heroines. Well, her name and circumstances are different; otherwise she’s a carbon copy of Salem and Callie.

✔️ Enjoyed the 2nd half of the book more
✔️The other brothers are wonderfully written
✔️Stellan’s book is going to break my heart
✔️If Poe’s story does her justice, I’m gonna LOVE it


“What I’d like to know, Bronwyn, is what the fuck goes on in that bubblegum pink brain of yours?”

“If I fuck a woman, Bronwyn, her world revolves around me, do you understand? I’m the center of her gravity. I’m the blood in her veins and the beats of her heart. I’m the man for her and no one else. So the reason I said no to her (THE OTHER WOMAN) is because I’m a possessive motherfucker who never learned to share his toys.”

[The Romantic Rush Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly there is no one whose words so effortlessly wrap themselves around my heart like Saffron A. Kent's. And These Thorn Kisses is every bit as affecting as I've come to expect from her lyrical and emotive writing. The longing, the angst, the desperation and tender authenticity - no one quite writes the tumultuous feelings of overpowering and forbidden first love quite like she does. It's messy and mesmerizing, eccentric but universal, tantalizing but so sincere. These Thorn Kisses represents the best of her creative style- a story that so perfectly balances a love that is both heartfelt and innocent in a story that is deliciously taboo and naughty. It's a potent and transfixing elixir- and I just can't get enough of it! Yet another triumph from the queen of the evocative and effervescently emotional story telling!

This story is just so special - tender, heartfelt, overflowing with emotional resonance, and, oh yes, deliciously forbidden and sexy. It’s the charm of Saffron- she somehow tells a story that on the surface is illicit but that at its core is innocent and pure. Because TTK really isn’t about the taboo- though of course, we have it. A much older man and his student who also happens to be his best friend’s sister- why yes, forbidden indeed. This story is more about healing and growing, and finding the courage to love and dream.

Wyn is a dreamer, but she’s trapped in a life she didn’t choose, punished for dreaming and hoping. But despite all that, despite being alone and hurt by those who should protect her, she keeps dreaming. All because a stranger believed in her- a stranger truly SAW HER, ignited a spark that gave her the courage to fight for her dreams. And I could not adore her more- she’s sweet, a bit naive, compassionate, and so earnest. Her big beautiful heart beats out of her chest for those she loves, and she loves Conrad. She’s brave in a way that I admire and envy- optimistic and hopeful in a way that would make the world a better place.

And Conrad- of the men so far, he’s perhaps the most guilty of crossing a forbidden line, but he’a also her most blameless hero yet. She’s just so inherently good and altruistic, and his sacrifices have caused him to lose himself, to stop living for him. Until the “wrong” person captures his heart. He’s sexy and swoony- a caregiver, protector, a champion for those he cares about- he just needs to find his own dreams again. And who better than his own little dreamer to awaken him. And I just loved his character journey- it’s beautiful, relatable, and resonant. Seeing a man so scared to hope, to love, to FEEL find his spark in his little flower- oh my heart.

Their love story is magical- two unexpected lovers who SEE each other in ways no one else does. Each brings out the best in the other- inspires them to be their fullest self. They awaken each other- and champion each other. From illicit beginnings comes a love so pure and powerful, it frees them both. A love that reminds them that loving, the hoping, that dreaming is worth the risk or pain, worth the uncertainty. TTK is a brilliant and poignant reminder that dreams never die- only their dreamers, and that we’re never too old, or young, to dream anew.

[hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

i've been on a Saffron A. Kent binge and i have no regrets. no one can beat my favs, Simon and Willow 🥹 from Medicine Man and Reed and Callie ❤️‍🩹 from A Gorgeous Villain though, i would give my soul for them. Saffron puts everything into her romances that i love, it gives me all the forbidden love vibes, age gap, HIGH tension, the angst, hella possessive and protective mcs which are all my fav tropes so i can't help but love it. these books are hella long though, like almost always over 500+ pages but it doesn't feel like that. i physically cannot stop myself from wanting to keep reading. just her writing and her characters are so addicting. i can't get enough.