The Thorn Queen Deluxe Limited Edition

The Rose Bargain #2

by Sasha Peyton Smith

Wed to one brother.
In love with the other.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

384 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 14, 2026

About the author

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

Reviews

[ivy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars

this review contains no spoilers!

first off, the cover is beautiful.

secondly.. i expected more from this book :(

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The perfect conclusion to the duology.

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

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

[˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Val ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆]

`✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹ Preread `✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

I HAVE BEEN BLESSED BY THE ARC GODS. YAYAYAYYAYAYAY

[thea. [cardan’s version]]

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

[justine ⊹ ࣪ ˖]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc!

Yearning, trials, heartache, and MORE YEARNING!

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

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

[Freya Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Jace · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆]

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

[Serra]

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

Edit: well... guess who got the ARC 😏

[Ava ✿ (ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ★

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

[Faiza · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

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

RTC - thank you Harper Collins for the eARC!

[Markéta Forejtová]

Těšte se! :)

[Readaholic Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

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

Overall, a solid 3 stars.

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

[jenny reads a lot]

SO EXCITED FOR THIS ONE!

THE COVER IS EVERYTHING!

| IG | TikTok |

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

[Aanz ★.ᐟ ( Hiatus)]

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

[cyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[aleksandra ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

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

[dess · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐️

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

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

🎠🌸🛼🧁🧚🏽‍♀️💍🦢

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Jordan Miner · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

[inês · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Thank you HarperCollins, Netgalley and Sasha Peyton Smith for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book picks up right from where THE ROSE BARGAIN left us. We follow Ivy as she navigates her new life as queen consort of England in her never ending search for her sister and Emmett. The only thing she's certain of is that they're both in the Otherworld, the fae alternative universe of 1840s England.

As Bram and his fae courtiers go around the country spreading mischief and cruelty, Ivy and her little gang come to a plan to find the door and get their rescue mission started, except they find themselves trapped in the Otherworld, where time passes by faster and instead of a handful of months apart, Emmett and Lydia have experienced two years without Ivy, so dynamics have naturally shifted. Especially considering that while Ivy is Bram's wife and consort in England, Lydia is his wife and consort in the Otherworld. This leads to Bram having the devilish idea of holding yet another trial whereby his sole queen and consort will be decided from the two existing ones.

I absolutely adored the change of backdrop for the sequel. The author is gifted in coming up with both fantastical and eerie elements for her fae world, which reminded me of the EMILY WILDE and the FOLK OF THE AIR trilogies. So, if you are looking forward to getting to know more of the fae world in this second installment, I would venture you will not be disappointed. It was the highlight of the whole book for me.

While this felt fast-paced and action-packed, I didn't always enjoy the plot directions we went into. It sometimes felt repetitive and inconsistent. There were way too many plot convenient moments that made it feel like the author put too little focus on character motivations when drawing up the story arc. This reflected on the poor development of the core characters of the novel, who felt surface level and devoid of their original appeal from the first book.

A big part of the plot is its romantic element, which was the biggest let down in my opinion. The yearning didn't feel organic, but rather forced. The big secret Emmett was hiding that made their relationship impossible is found out the 70% mark and resolved a chapter later, which made it all the less impactful. I would have preferred to have that secret out in the open from the get go as it would actually increase the tension and keep our characters apart successfully. His big secret should have been the letters and his continued love for Ivy instead as that would have been a much more impactful reveal. But anyway, we move on.

The next big relationship focus of this second book is the sister dynamics, and that is where the book shone. I don't have a sister, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. The jealousy, resentment that lives on despite the undoubted love that they share felt real and complex. I love how they both second guessed their opinions of each other throughout the novel and only by opening up could they establish the sisterly bond they were both clearly yearning for. The trials and their conclusion sort of brought all of these elements together and were entertaining to read for that reason alone.

Overall, I would say the first book is superior and felt fresher and a lot more entertaining than this one. However, I think there are enough positive elements to this sequel to turn it into a satisfying ending to the duology.

[Lex ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐

i was so excited to dive straight into this, after just finishing the first book in this duology.
we are following newly crowned queen, ivy, as she is learning the ins and outs of what it's like to be a queen without her king. king bram has disappeared into the otherworld, where he also reigns. he often goes between both england and the otherworld but his tyranny knows no restraint in either place. ivy's sister, lydia, and her beloved emmet are also trapped in the otherworld as prisoners with no real way out.

i was already so invested in these characters from the rose bargain, so i felt completely involved with whatever ivy was plotting. i was squealing every time she came across emmet and loved the sisterly bonds she had formed with marion and faith. and of course, lydia. being a sister myself, i found their relationship to be solid and was always wanting them to try and get rid of bram.

thank you harper collins for the e-arc!

[rizzo.readsromance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorn Queen takes you on a fun journey picking right up where The Rose Bargain Left off.

Ivy is in love with one brother while married to the other brother. Things are going awry now that the otherworld is open to our world. With her sister and the man she loves still missing Ivy must play the game and be willing to risk it all for those she loves.

Thorn Queen really takes you on a adventure of hearts, love and magical worlds. Everything is complicated and most is not what it seems.We also really deep dive Lydia and Ivys sisterly bond and everything that comes with family, the good and bad moments.

The love story still felt fresh and captivating. The yearning in this book was so refreshing! There was tension, chemistry and lots of forbidden moments.

I also love that we see both sisters really grow into their own strength and who they are individually apart from each other. All in all this was a great ending to this duology and I loved it just as much as as the first book.

Thank you Harper Collins and Edelweiss for the Digital Review copy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[A. Diella · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith
Release date:April 14th, 2026
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Age rating:15+
Spice:none

Thank you Sasha Peyton Smith and Netgalley for this arc! This was truly such an experience. I cried like five times. These characters mean everything to me, they’re so special, and feel so real. The plot of this one was the perfect pace, and kept me in my toes. I never really knew what was going to happen next, and I loved every second of it. Ivy felt like such a real character, and was very relatable. I laughed with her and cried with her, and wish she was real. I loved her relationship with her sister, and with her friends. And of course, my dear boy Emmett, who desperately needed a haircut for the majority of this book. When I tell you I am in love with this man. He has a masters in yearning, and I’m entering in the Yearning Hall of Fame. I’m talking Conrad Fisher level yearning. Ivy and Emmett’s relationship is everything to me, they’re my babies. It just feels so real, and special. The ending was absolutely perfect, and everything I could have asked for. I loved this whole book, and couldn’t put it down. I will miss this duology, and will be rereading it many, many times. I definitely recommend this duology, and beg you to pick it up.

[margot౨ৎ (back at school)]

i need this so badly just take my money please and thank yewww 🤚🤚

emmett's coming HOME.

[Elena (elenathereader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely binged this. Sasha Peyton Smith has blown me away yet again. The Thorn Queen is the perfect follow up, and conclusion to The Rose Bargain.
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​You know that feeling when you fall in love with the first book and hope that the sequel gives you that same spark? This one delivered. From the very first page, I was instantly pulled back into the world of faerie, politics, scheming, and romance. The opening was packed with tension and stakes, and it never let up.
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​It was a full roller coaster of emotions (in the best, most gut wrenching way). And getting more of Ivy and Lydia together? The relationship between the sisters made the story feel even richer and more special.
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​This duology has officially become one of my favorites. If you love faeries, romance, court politics, and The Cruel Prince you should definitely have this on your radar.
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