WOW. There is some kind of magic in Lindsey Hart's writing!
This story absolutely blew me away! Solid 5 star read for me!!!

What makes it stand out:
The author has a very distinct voice and writing style that is unique, poetic and compelling. I am amazed that this is her debut novel!
This is a book with HEART! It has everything I love about romantasy and fantasy while somehow feeling completely new and fresh! TTWI contains some familiar and beloved tropes like Enemies to Lovers, Found Family, Forced Proximity, but the way Lindsey writes them made them feel like I'm reading them for the first time. It was SO refreshing to read something that felt new and had a distinct feel to it. There are some heavier topics in this book and they are handled with such care and tenderness, I think this book will touch a lot of reader's hearts and be very relatable.
Overall, in a world where all Romantasy books are starting to blur together, TTWI stands on its own and breathed some fresh life back into this genre for me!


Vibes:
The Thorns We Inherit is deeper, darker, and leaning more towards epic fantasy/romanasty than your standard romantasy. The world is lush, thick with mystery, has incredible emotional depth, and intrigue that draws you in right away. The way love is portrayed and described feels very real, not cliche. It feels very much like stepping into another world.

Plot:
This is a story about Aurelia, our FMC, on a mission to save the last family member she has left- her brother. What starts out as a dangerous mission quickly unravels into something much bigger as she is thrown into a new world of politics, secrets and prophecies where she becomes a key piece on the chessboard of this dark and mysterious world.

FMC:
Our heroine is strong, fierce, relatable and also tender hearted. Aurelia reminds me of Ciri from The Witcher meets Tomb Raider. The balance of being fierce and badass while also being tenderhearted and vulnerable at times was so beautifully shown. I think a lot of readers will relate to her.
MMC:
Our MMC has so much depth and history that has made him who he is. I can't even think of an MMC to compare him to, he felt very original, complex and nuanced. Also the tension and yearning between him and Aurelia was absolutely top tier.
Side characters: Obsessed with all of them!!! Each one felt so complete, interesting and fully realized.

Setting and world building:
The world has history, depth and lore that is so beautifully written and woven into the story and dialogue it never felt like a chore reading the world building. It was absolutely intriguing, fascinating and just built the intrigue of the story.

I can't recommend this book enough, this book breathes a much needed breath of fresh air into this genre, it is full of heart, has an incredibly fascinating world, has very relatable characters, and was not only an epic story but also made me tear up frequently and go straight to my heart. I'll say it again: There is some kind of magic in Lindsey's writing! Go read this book and see for yourself!

Thank you so much for letting me be an early reader, it was an absolute joy!

A big thank you to NetGalley, Haus of Hart and Lindsey Hart for providing me with a copy of this ARC!

This was the gothic romantasy I didn't know I needed. Everything in this book was so well done that I honestly can't really fault it and knowing this was the authors debut novel made it even more exciting to read because she is just so talented. The world building was so vibrant with description and the lore and history that was revealed was all genuinely considered and not just thrown in for the sake of it, everything made sense and was interconnected. The characters were beautifully written with intention and motive for being in the story and not just a random side character that comes up once and then disappears. The use of so many different types of characters as well was so interesting, with mortals, vampyres, fairies, elves, goddesses and so much more it honestly made me feel like I was reading this really gothic version of True Blood and I loved it. The religious system was so creative and was an integral part of the story and world building. Everything connected in one way or another and made everything make sense.
The prose was so lyrical and beautiful and the attention to detail with descriptions made the words seem like they were floating off the pages, it was such a delightful reading experience. The only slight problem I had was that was that some lines felt a bit repetitive in the way they were worded but I was more than happy to overlook that with how amazing everything else was.
I loved the dual perspectives between the FMC and MMC. Aurelia and Malachi were so juxtaposed with each other but still linked by the common theme of trauma and how it shaped the characters they became. It used the enemies to lovers trope but it didn't feel that way reading it being an outside perspective and recognising similarities within the two. The yearning that was happening was so ardent and tender at the same time and I was so enveloped in the feelings that were transpiring between all the romantic connections in the story. The spice was also just at the right balance. It wasn't too full on and actually complimented the story well.
The ending had me begging for more, the wise words of "the woman was too stunned to speak" come to mind when thinking about how it ended. I am so heavily invested in this story and I just want more. I will happily and greedily ready any other books that come out in this series.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW!!!!! Beautifully written. Beautiful prose. Aurelia is a strong FMC who just wants to heal her brother in the only way that she knows how. Malachi…I swoon for you. The tension. The yearning. Kaelith…the cunning attitude you weave. The found family. This will probably be a re read as I try to catch the little foreshadowing Easter eggs through out of the book. Overall a hauntingly beautiful dark fantasy with a splash of romance. Ugh already looking forward to the next book and this isn’t even out yet. Please add to your TBR!

WOWOWOW FULL 5 STARS! If you are looking for a unique, thought-provoking, character-driven gothic fantasy story with well-explored lore and lush worldbuilding that will intrigue and shock you while the romantic subplot keeps you giggling and on your TOES?!

Put this on your 2026 release radar IMMEDIATELY (or go sign up for an ARC!)

Tropes/themes:
✨goddess/universe creation lore
✨prophecy/chosen one
✨journey to heal one’s family
✨diverse cast/found family
✨forced proximity
✨mental health rep
✨vampyres & goddess blessed magic
✨slow burn & potential love triangle? (This ones not a real trope im kinda manifesting)

I’ve had the privilege of being one of Lindsey’s beta readers since her first concepts and it’s been an honor and a wonderous experience to see her story grow to the incredible book that it is today. From her very first renditions, it was so glaringly obvious that Lindsey was TALENTED and now in its final form, I truly believe it will be a Fantasy romance story that fully stands out as a unique reader favorite when it debuts.

Her prose is so poetic; think a mix of V.E. Schwab and Sarah A. Parker. The descriptions and attributes she so eloquently delivers in her stories really showcase a style of writing you don’t see enough in recent publications. You can FEEL so many of the character’s emotions and turmoils; i feel more sensitive readers could even start tearing up within the first few chapters (looking at a few friends here hehe).

This is definitely a Fantasy romance, not a romantasy, meaning you should noooot go into this book expecting a fast paced spicy story - the development is a little slower paced in the first half of the story, particularly when it comes to our character development and worldbuilding. The world slowly reveals itself to you, while our character motivations are explored from the get-go, but its these foundations that make any romantic moments or high-stakes action in the second half of the story all the more exciting.

I’d say the spice rating is 1🌶️ from the few scenes we had, with mild suggestives here and there.

Aurelia is a badass main character who’s always relied on her strength and growing that strength to protect her hardened heart so SHE can protect her only loved ones - but our girl’s got a soft heart to her too. And a fierce mouth…maybe a temper too HAHA but that led to some very amusing moments. If you like a fiery fmc who doesn’t cower easily, you’ll definitely like her.

Malachi and Kaelith are our MMCs and even though Lindsey is my friend, I’m not convinced she’s not gaslighting me about who our MMC is. I think both of them are very droolworthy even though they might have some VERY questional opposing morals, kind of like a sun vs night personality here.

Our side characters also all had their own moments and I’m excited to see where some of their paths go in future books.

If you’re a gothic fantasy, dark fantasy, lover of healing journeys, fan of baddie fmcs, or just overall want a unique story to add to your 2026 tbr, I promise you this one won’t disappoint.