Review: The Thorn and the Blossom

Title: The Thorn and the Blossom
Author: Theodora Goss
Genre: Romance

One enchanting romance. Two lovers keeping secrets. And a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever.

When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she didn’t know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he didn’t know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself . . .

The Thorn and the Blossom is a remarkable literary artifact: You can open the book in either direction to decide whether you’ll first read Brendan’s, or Evelyn’s account of the mysterious love affair. Choose a side, read it like a regular novel—and when you get to the end, you’ll find yourself at a whole new beginning. --Goodreads

I did not hesitate to review The Thorn and the Blossom after reading the premise and seeing the unusual binding of the novella, and in the end I was not disappointed. While it was a quick read, short and sweet, I adored the accordion style binding and romantic backdrop for the characters. I read each Evelyn’s side first before reading the other. Sometimes whenever I finish a novel, I’ll wonder what the story would be like in the other character’s POV. I loved how Thorn and the Blossom gives you this vision. Admittedly, it would have been nice to see more detail, perhaps a longer story for the characters, but I guess that’s just because I was disappointed it had to be so short and had to end.


The case and binding for this story is so beautifully crafted and unique, I would recommend not to get this as an e-book if you’re considering reading. You should experience it first-hand with a lovely hardcopy. Clearly though, up to the reader on that.


Also don’t forget to join me Wednesday, January 25, for The Thorn and the Blossom Blog Tour, courtesy of Quirk Books!


A lovely, charismatic read.


4 stars!