BOUND

by Marie Umbra

Her surrender wasn’t weakness. It was the rope that bound his heart.Avery Macey is innocent and cast into a dangerous world. No one listens or sees. No one cares.

Until him.

Captain Joon Choi is law. He is order. Beneath the calm restraint is a man who controls everything and everyone around him. But when Avery walks into his prison, trembling and despondent, control stops feeling like discipline.

It becomes need.

He offers her control—purpose.

She gives him surrender.

Somewhere between command and consent, they both come undone.

*18+ for violence, smoking, and graphic sex

227 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2026

Reviews

[Stephanie Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book...O-M-G!! I cannot even begin to express how INCREDIBLE and AMAZING it is!!

🥰❤️‍🔥📖⛓️🐲⛓️📖❤️‍🔥🥰

"BOUND" is Book 2 in The Barred Hearts Series and it does more than deliver!!

After her boyfriend hits and kills an innocent pedestrian while driving drunk and recklessly, he manages to flee the scene...leaving a distraught Avery present, in shock, and to take the fall...

Avery is then taken to a Women's Correctional Facility where she's convicted and thrown into a dark world that she's never known before...though staying quiet and keeping to herself only turns her into bait for the rougher female inmates and it's for certain she'll die at their hands before her first year of sentencing is even up.

Enter Captain Joon Choi...or "Captain Swoon," as I lovingly nicknamed him during my reading 😍, because this guy literally had me swooning in nearly every chapter!!

(A tattooed s*xy soft Dom who rides a bike and who is also the strong, silent type...? YES!! ❤️‍🔥🐲❤️‍🔥)

Captain Joon immediately knows that Avery isn't guilty of the crime she's suddenly doing time for and he makes it his mission to prove her innocence...how?
By hunting down her boyfriend whom he knows is the guilty one and making him suffer...ruthlessly...

Captain Joon is also no stranger when it comes to pleasing a woman...the intense chemistry between he and Avery is unmistakable from their very first encounter...and he will stop at nothing to satisfy his Little Jailbird's every deliciously dark need both behind and outside of the prison walls...

🥰❤️‍🔥📖⛓️🐲⛓️📖❤️‍🔥🥰

Not only has this book (and series) immediately became one of my absolute forever favorites, but Captain Swoon has also definitely taken the Number One spot in Book Boyfriends for me!! 😉

Absolutely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️++!!

I honestly and truly cannot thank Marie Umbra for this incredible opportunity in sending me this ARC...

I absolutely and most definitely recommend, please be sure to order and check out "BOUND" by Marie Umbra, coming 4/14!!

And be sure to check out TRAPPED, Tyler and Amber's story and Book 1 in the Barred Hearts Series!!

🥰❤️📖⛓️🐲⛓️📖❤️🥰

#arcreview #prisondarkromance #BOUND #comingsoon #fypシ゚viral

[Sabrina Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew I would love it and it didn’t disappoint at all!! Joon is an amazing mmc. He’s in charge of the prison and he prides himself on it being run correctly. His attention to detail and the way he handles his staff and the inmates shows off his character.
Avery is traumatized by the system. She is innocent but was blamed and tossed into prison anyway. Then attacked which caused her to shut down. Thank goodness Joon came back from his vacation when he did.
They are a perfect match for each other if you can get past the power dynamic and that she’s in prison.
The side characters in this book are pretty great. I felt like it was easy to get to know them and recognize their personalities and quirks quickly.
I love everything this author writes and already itching for the next installment.

[Devin DeBorde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bound was my first prison romance and certainly won't be my last. The prison environment was tense and made a perfect stage for these battles of power and control.

FMC Abby is quiet and reserved, but in a way that warns she could go feral at the right moment. MMC Joon is also a little reserved, but in a way that presents itself as absolute control. I loved watching their relationship grow and seeing where boundaries were drawn and inhibitions let go.

"My greedy little Jailbird. Always wanting more. Normally, I didn’t ask twice, but this had once been a trigger. And with triggers, I was more cautious. Always. As her dominant and the one holding control, it was my responsibility to stay razor-focused on her boundaries."

If you want a spicy forbidden romance, this will be the book for you.

[beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. The character growth for the FMC was fantastic, and surprising given the short length of the book. Our MMC is tall, dark, and brooding which I ADORE, and he risks everything to take care of his woman. **SIGH** Add to that a k!nky possessive side, and I knew I was going to be falling for this character.

Trigger warning:
There is a torture scene involving knives, blood, and creepy crawlies. As well as some Mike Tyson style fighting. IYKYK That was JUSTLY deserved.

All in all, I couldn't put it down and devoured it in one evening after work. Was well worth missing the couple of hours of sleep. My ONLY complaint is that it was a bit of a slow burn on the spice side, but holy cow the wait was worth it. 10/10 recommend

[Morgan Wootten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book combines all my favorite things: a mismatch power dynamic, spice, a man who would do anything for his woman, and a HEA. This book had a grip on me from the second I started it. I love the way Avery develops through the book, seemingly pulling from Joon’s confidence and stability. My only complaint is the spice is a bit of a slow burn, but I’m still giving 5 stars because it was SO worth the wait! I’m already so excited about what is to come in future books… because that little cliff hanger has me on the edge of my seat.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the author and I really enjoyed it. I don't normally read dark prison smut but this series is amazing. I absolutely could not put the book down. I read this book and had to borrow the first book in the series. Joon is a captain of the prison that Avery is a prisoner in. He discovers things about Avery's case and falls in love with her at the same time. Check your triggers as well before you read this book/series.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me completely hooked from the very first page to the final, brutal moment. The FMC is all strength, resilience, and quiet fire—fighting through everything thrown at her without losing herself. Meanwhile, the MMC is pure temptation… dangerous, magnetic, and impossible to ignore.

The storyline was gripping and immersive, pulling me deeper with every chapter until I was fully consumed. And that ending? That cliffhanger was downright criminal.

I need answers. Immediately.

[Tammy Bradberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an ARC read and the second book in the installment. It was a slooow burn but well worth the wait! We got a sneak peek of both main characters’ pasts but I am definitely hoping for another book featuring these two. Especially the MMC… I am very interested to discover how he learned some of his torture techniques!

[L.A. Boldrini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Trapped, and Bound was just as good. Joon is a Korean police captain, who's a controlled, dominant perfectionist. Avery is innocent, and he takes it upon himself to prove it, while also making her ex wish he’d never been born. The spice? HOT. Let’s just say Joon knows exactly what he’s doing.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice slow burn read. I really liked Avery, to read the different obstacles she had gone through and still knew she was strong and didnt want help. I enjoyed watching Joon fighting his own self control when it came to Avery, and also willing to risk himself to help her. The story was cute, with a little bit of kinky spice.

[Melissa Gringo242424 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avery is a timid woman wrongfully convicted and imprisoned. Joon is the Captain of the CO’s and takes a special interest in her when he returns from time off. He helps her find her voice and win her freedom.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book I have read by this author. It was extremely well written! The main characters were perfectly developed, and their story was flawless. I highly recommend this author and especially this book!

[Brianne Hersey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Umbra has done is once again. this slowwww burn is so worth the wait. this is the second book in the series and just like the first book, the fmc and mmc have to work through their issues and learn to trust one another.

I highly recommend this series and author

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review
Bound is a great forbidden romance prison story. I did not read the first book in the series, but I don’t feel like I needed to in order to understand this one. This will not be the last book I read for this series. I will go back and read book 1 and I cannot wait for the next book!