Lyonesse · 2025
Bitter BurnSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 10 trigger warnings flagged
From Sierra Simone, 2025: Bitter Burn, book 3 of Lyonesse. Expect enemies to lovers, revenge, morally grey and why choose. We score it spice 4 (explicit) and darkness 4 (very dark). The heaviest flags readers report are violence, murder, grief. Our scores lean on what readers report, not on a full reread, so treat them as a guide. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 2025. Book 3 of Lyonesse.
Bitter Burn tropes
On this shelf, Bitter Burn is filed under Enemies to lovers, Revenge romance, Morally grey heroes and Why choose / reverse harem. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Bitter Burn spice level
Is Bitter Burn dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Bitter Burn scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
Bitter Burn trigger warnings
Book-specific flags taken from reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 20 readers), grouped by us. Also on that list: sexual content, gun violence, death of parent, suicidal thoughts, fire/fire injury, alcohol, car accident, medical content. See the reader-submitted list.
Graphic (8) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
Full Bitter Burn trigger warnings
Lyonesse reading order
Bitter Burn is book 3 of 3 in Sierra Simone's Lyonesse series. Start with Salt Kiss.
- Book 0.5 · prequel Salt in the Wound · 2023
- Book 1 Salt Kiss · 2023
- Book 2 Honey Cut · 2024
- Book 3 Bitter Burn (this book) · 2025
Order checked against the StoryGraph Lyonesse series page on 13 October 2026. The Lyonesse series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Bitter Burn
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Scarred
Scarred
Emily McIntire
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Morally grey heroes, Enemies to lovers
- Sinner's Secret
Sinner's Secret
K. Loraine, Meg Anne
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Morally grey heroes
- The Demons we Hide
The Demons we Hide
Lucy Smoke
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Morally grey heroes
- Unholy Terrors
Unholy Terrors
C.M. Stunich
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Why choose / reverse harem, Enemies to lovers
- White Rose Painted Red
White Rose Painted Red
Elena Lawson
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Why choose / reverse harem, Enemies to lovers
- Allison Shatters the Looking-Glass
Allison Shatters the Looking-Glass
C.M. Stunich
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Why choose / reverse harem, Revenge romance
- King of the Shadow Fae
King of the Shadow Fae
Amelia Hutchins
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Why choose / reverse harem, Enemies to lovers
- Queen of Chaos
Queen of Chaos
Amelia Hutchins
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Why choose / reverse harem, Enemies to lovers
Books like Bitter Burn, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Bitter Burn?
Bitter Burn spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the Bitter Burn trigger warnings?
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Grief, Blood, Kidnapping, Torture, Cheating, Stalking. Moderate: Death. Minor: War. These are book-specific flags reported by readers on reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 20 readers), grouped by us. The author's own note may list more. Read it before you start.
Is Bitter Burn dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Bitter Burn scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in Bitter Burn?
On this shelf Bitter Burn is filed under Enemies to lovers, Revenge romance, Morally grey heroes and Why choose / reverse harem.
Who is Bitter Burn for?
Pick this up if you want enemies to lovers and revenge with explicit spice. Look at the warnings before you commit. Start earlier in Lyonesse if you can.
What are some books like Bitter Burn?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Scarred by Emily McIntire; Sinner's Secret by K. Loraine, Meg Anne; The Demons we Hide by Lucy Smoke; Unholy Terrors by C.M. Stunich; White Rose Painted Red by Elena Lawson; Allison Shatters the Looking-Glass by C.M. Stunich. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/bitter-burn.
Is Bitter Burn a standalone?
No. Bitter Burn is book 3 of 3 in the Lyonesse series by Sierra Simone. The series starts with Salt Kiss.
What order should I read the Lyonesse series in?
0.5. Salt in the Wound (novella); 1. Salt Kiss; 2. Honey Cut; 3. Bitter Burn.
How many books are in the Lyonesse series?
The Lyonesse series by Sierra Simone has 3 main books, plus 1 novella or bonus story.
What is the Bitter Burn age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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