Melmoth Brien just wants to return to his family home and collect what’s his so he can cash in and bail out. What he doesn’t expect to find is a woodsman trying to burn the place down. Rather than beat a hasty retreat, however, the woodsman accuses Brien of neglecting the family calling as protectors of the forest. Clearly one of them is in the wrong, but which one isn’t quite so clear. To make matters worse, the way Brien takes absolute control of the situation fires not only his blood, but that of the woodsman, too.

For Scarlet, the woods that surround the ancestral home of the Brien family manor is the only home he has ever known. Raised by an old crone who relentlessly reminded Scarlet that he was a changeling and destined for the darkest of futures unless he gave himself body and soul to the forest, Scarlet took the lore of faeries and magical forest protectors very much to heart. When Brien returns home, however, it’s less a joyous reunion of forest protector and subject than a dreaded signal that things are about to fall apart. All because the heir to the Brien name has forsaken his role as protector and abandoned the forest. Why, then, should Scarlet feel such burning attraction for a man as unworthy as Brien?

When disaster strikes, killing the son of the man who bought the Brien estate, Brien and Scarlet must work together to deter the family from staying in the Greenwood. For Brien, it’s a way to keep him from prison. For Scarlet, it’s a way to keep outsiders from gaining entry to the sacred forest. During the ritual display of power and subjugation, however, something incredibly powerful reverberates between Brien and Scarlet—something they both desperately yearn for and yet both they and the people around them believe must be stopped by all means.

It isn’t until someone betrays the entire forest and the Brien family that the truth behind Melmoth Brien and Scarlet’s connection becomes clear—but will there be enough time to save that connection before it’s forever severed?

I chose this book for a Paranormal Week read. While the main characters themselves feel more fantasy to me, there are some side elements—like how Scarlet copes belonging to a sort of “untouchable” caste by sexually servicing an anthropomorphic tree character—that feel paranormal. The idea of good and evil is also found in virtually everything, but the depictions of the evil forest spirits and their thirst for Scarlet’s blood and soul were described in terms that made me think more paranormal than fantasy (or paranormal fantasy? perhaps like the Hellboy series or Constantine.)

One thing you will get with seemingly every turn of the page is super-charged sexual attraction between Brien and Scarlet. From their very first encounter in the first few pages, Berrisford works hard to establish the carnal longing that seem to drive these two characters. And yet, despite the very blunt way Brien often voices his desire (most major events in the story cannot pass without him commenting about how he wants to “fuck” Scarlet), it takes rather long time to get there. Personally, I thought there was a bit too much focus on how much fornicating Brien wanted to partake in with Scarlet and too much resistance from Scarlet for me to really get into the endless way this pair dances around the actual penetration deed. Part of my disappointment rests with how shallow the characters felt—like their sexual desire is just about all that defines them apart from a few physical qualities, like how burly Brien is or how golden-brown Scarlet’s skin is. Of course, other readers may rather enjoy how little investment need be made to enjoy the way these manage their burning desire.

The fact that Brien and Scarlet are drawn to one another is a key point in the story and maybe the only thing that really keeps it together. Because it drives just about everything they do, though, it’s enough to build the rest of the story on. I was actually a bit surprised at how the climax ends up being driven hard by a character who’d only been mentioned on page, and in such a way that made me think the character was just a handy plot device. Turns out, this character manipulates Brien and Scarlet into a scenario that finally allows them to realize they aren’t the “fine line between love and hate” type of couple, but “hopelessly devoted to you” couple.

As for the bondage and domination elements—I am no BDSM expert, but I do think this story plays fast and loose with what actual, consensual BDSM play would look like. Most of Brien’s restraint in not outright “fucking” Scarlet doesn’t stem from respect for a consensually submissive partner, but because Brien can’t believe he’d actually stoop to sexual relations with a woodsman. Nevertheless, the most memorable sex or sexy scenes I can recall all contain some kind of restraining, occasional use of toys, and some discipline, usually spanking or lashing. I think I would have enjoyed these more if there had been more attention on the after care, but I can’t recall any such scenes off the top of my head so if they’re there, they definitely take a back seat to the blinding lust acted out between Brien and Scarlet.

On the whole, I would recommend this story for people who want sex, sex, sex and aren’t really particular about how the characters feel about having sex with their intended partner as long as it all ends up warm and fuzzy (which it does). If you like depiction of strong power dichotomies in sexual relationships, you would like this story. There is actually a bit of a plot, but it gets nearly eclipsed by all the lust on the pages. That said, Berrisford really pulls it out of the bag towards the end by throwing in a big twist that manages to not only tie up loose ends, but bring the main characters together in a good way (finally) so there’s a HEA, too.

When Brien returns to his childhood home to scrounge up something he can sell to settle his debts, he doesn't expect to find a thief named Scarlet attempting to burn the place down. Scarlet considers Brien to be a traitor to the forest as he as abandoned his birthright. But all the legends Brien has shunned or dismissed as heathen tales are suddenly very real and very dangerous, much like his attraction to Scarlet.

This book takes the heavy kink of something like Take it All and ads a hefty dose of faerie lore. Brien and Scarlet's will they/won't they does go on a tad too long but they develop good chemistry so they may have been thrown together but they work. It's when the book gets DEEP into its lore that could turn some people off. I personally loved the detailed world building around our main character's sexual relationship.

And that relationship is intense, graphic, BDSM and some dubious consent. Not for the faint of heart.

This isn't insta-love but it is insta-lust that becomes love later. If that's your jam and you enjoy historical fantasy, this is a great outing!

This is a fun story for fans of elven tales and kink. This book centers around the romance of Scarlet and Brien. Brien is a down on his luck nobleman that returns to his ancestral home to recoup some wealth. While there, he meets the enigmatic man of the forest Scarlet, who has an unique energy that instantly attracts him. Scarlet is constantly dealing with the push and pull of the light and dark forest gods and the presence of Brien complicates matters even more. The men try to accomplish their goals while fighting their attraction for each other.

This story is high heat and I wasn’t expecting that going in but thought it made sense in the context of the story. Bondage and servitude is closely linked with Scarlet’s devotion to the forest so I understood why those concepts would bleed into the sex that the two men had. Typically historical fantasies like this don’t approach the kinker subjects so if you are looking for a blending of the two, I think you’ll appreciate this book. There were some plot points that didn’t exactly make sense to me or flow properly in my opinion but in general, I liked this brief kinky fantasy and would recommend it.

I had to check to see if this was the author's first book (even after noticing in the verso details that it's a rewrite initially published in 2012). There was just so much not quite right about it. The pacing was all over the place. The world building could have been fantastic but wasn't explored enough. The romantic relationship was not good. Immediate lust, no communication, suddenly in love. I'm almost angry with this book because it has so much going for it but instead of a two men falling for each other while battling a mythological menace with druids we have kind of a mess. The sex didn't even work for me because to have good BDSM you have to have communication between the characters. Brien just starts tying up and whipping Scarlet the second he sees him.

yet another example of "UHHHHH why does this have such a low average rating on goodreads i'm calling 999"

of course, i may be somewhat biased in favour of this book, as it contains one of my favourite things in the world: celtic mythology. not only that, but it had paranormal creatures, an interesting mystery, DRUIDS (more specifically, druidesses), tendril porn (not tentacles, per se), rough kinky sex, and angsty angst that resolves happily.

all of which is like, percy catnip.

but really, this was damn fantastic. the sexual tension between brien and scarlet was FANTASTICALLY written, not rushing into it but drawing it out in a taut line throughout the book. i hate it when the characters have sex in like the first 10 pages and continue to have sex every like 25 pages, it just isn't interesting. this, though? THIS was well done, because not only was the tension drawn out, it didn't feel artificially done like in some romances.

the fantasy elements were also really nice, pretty good world-building and explanations, and there was a mystery running throughout that was indeed rather Mysterious. sure, it wasn't like the greatest plot twist of all time but i still didn't see it coming, possibly because i was drunk on that incredibly hot sex scene like 2 chapters before.

anyways...

also, insta-lust that turns gradually ointo love? yes please. because let's be real, insta-lust exists and isn't rare and i think we should stop castigating it as a trope. insta-love, yes, but there is a difference and i think berrisford differentiates the two admirably.