#NSFW Book Review: Forward by Elizabeth Fyre

Title: Forward

Author: Elizabeth Fyre

Publisher: Elizabeth Fyre

Publication Date: May 1, 2020

Genres: Erotic Romance

Shelves: Female-fronted, female-authored

The blurb for Forward definitely caught my eye, and the pitch from Elizabeth Fyre stoked that curiosity, but I was not expecting the depth or the breadth of the story here. This was a pleasant surprise all around.

Based on the blurb, I only expected a quick bit of time travel, perhaps a few sci-fi elements to set the scene, with the heaviest emphasis on the erotica, but the balance here impressed me. Fyre presents us with a near-future that, on the surface, seems close to a Utopia of advanced technology and sexual freedom, but which proves to be built on some genuine darkness and sorrow. A mix of natural disasters, political upheaval, and social unrest have not only stranded Sandra Phillip 35 years in the future, they've made her both a celebrity and an object of fascination. As for the social unrest, the questions raised there force us to consider the violence in a new light.

As for the erotic elements, Sandra finds herself in a future free of current moral and religious constraints, making open relationships and bisexuality polyamory the norm. That opens up a world of possibilities, although I was a bit disappointed that her attraction to Katie never gets farther than stolen kisses while Tim gets more that one opportunity to submit to Alexandre's seductive ways. Having said that, the way everyone sort of opens their eyes to the possibilities and follows their hearts, free of judgement or shame, is refreshing - and the scenes involving Sandra, Alexandre, and Tim are scorching hot.

In terms of the characters, Fry did a fantastic job of making them all likable, which is both good and bad. I felt that constrained Alexandre a bit, which made it hard to believe he might have ulterior motives, removing some of the tension from the story. Similarly, it made it hard to question what happens to Katie later in the story, when the possibility of betrayal could have added further tension. Not surprisingly, it was the gender-fluid android, Cody, who captured my imagination the most, so I was very happy to see them included in the finale.

Even if it missed some opportunities to maximize on the darkness and tension, Forward was an imaginative, erotic, satisfying story that has me eager to read more of Fyre's work.

Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.