Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: Bound for the Forest
SERIES: The Greenwood #1
AUTHOR: Kay Berrisford
PUBLISHER: Less Than Three Press
LENGTH: 192 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018
BLURB:
When Brien returns to his ancestral home in the enchanted Greenwood, his only plan is to retrieve his family’s valuables and then get the hell out of there. But that plan is forestalled when he discovers his fortune is gone—and a mysterious young man, Scarlet, trying to burn the mansion down. Desperate to recover his lost wealth, Brien takes Scarlet captive and demands he guide Brien through the forest to locate it.
Deep in the Greenwood, Scarlet offers his body up for pain, punishment, and pleasure—anything to give Brien what he wants so he’ll leave. The last person Scarlet needs around is an enemy of the good forest spirits he swears by, who’ll reject him, just like everyone else in his life has. Worse, Brien’s presence is stirring up evil spirits that hunger for Scarlet’s blood.
Hunted and haunted by the Greenwood and all that dwells in it, Brien and Scarlet must learn to rely on each other, and trust in a magical path both have long forsaken…
REVIEW:
This book, the first in an erotic magical fantasy series, is a mix of BDSM and enchanted fantasy storytelling that will lure readers in with sizzling chemistry between main characters Scarlet and Brien. But the erotica takes center stage for the bulk of the story, even when we want a little bit more plot and worldbuilding, and that imbalance prevented me from really immersing myself in the book.
If you’re into characters who are put through the wringer before they get their HEA, you’ll love Scarlet and all he must endure in this book before he and Brien can be happy. To age myself with old fan-fiction terms, the “whump” is strong with Scarlet—he’s stripped, battered, and humiliated in nearly every chapter, but his fiery spirit and natural defiance is never broken. Though his spitfire flightiness can fun to read about, I do think he’s a pretty thin character—he’s pretty much relegated to damsel in distress, waiting for the next time he’ll be saved by Brien, and he never gets the moment of surprise strength I was hoping he would.
The BDSM and bondage elements are very strong, and for the most part, done very well. It starts innocently with Brien tying Scarlet up to restrain him and keep him from running away, but their physical reactions betray them, bringing a new level of eroticism to their cat-and-mouse game. And even though it is an often-used trope, I love the way Brien and Scarlet’s “joining” is seen as a culmination of magic and protection for the Greenwood as well as a special act for both men. It raises the stakes and layers on the tension, especially when the druidesses tell the men they cannot have sex in order to preserve the balance of the Greenwood—only making them want each other more.
My frustrations with this book came down to lack of characterization and plotting at the expense of erotic scenes. Don’t get me wrong—the love scenes (naughty and sweet) between Brien and Scarlet are fire, and they’re very well done. But I’m left wanting more story to make those erotic elements have an even greater impact. I thought we needed more emotional build-up between Brien and Scarlet before they began falling for each other. I wanted to know more about each character and their history, parentage, friends, etc. And I thought the idea of this being an “alternate history” set in the mid 1810’s was an odd choice, since this feels like through-and-through fantasy. I was left with a lot of questions, which is never good, especially since it seems like future books in the series will focus on different characters.
Though I don’t think this would be my go-to recommendation for magical fantasy, there’s definitely enough good stuff going on that I’d say give it a shot. The kinky elements are done well enough to keep any die-hard BDSM erotica fan very happy indeed.
And lastly, be sure to heed content warnings, which are available on the publisher’s website. There are elements of attempted sexual assault, physical violence, and an instance of dubious consent involving a deal between Scarlet and the Green Man, a powerful natural being of the Greenwood. Many of these elements are included for the sake of showing Brien’s protective side and having him swoop in to save the day, but they’re still pretty dark to read about, so use discretion.
RATING: 
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