Right off the bat, this book was surprisingly intense. I’ve read a few of Sarina Bowen’s books, and they are usually lighthearted, funny, charming, and enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong, this had all that and more, but it also had a dark undertone. With “Goodbye Paradise” (which I can’t wait to read) and “Hello Forever,” Sarina Bowen shares a world where being who you are is not acceptable to those who are supposed to love you.

A lot of times in MM romances, the characters have the inner struggle of coming out, only to be met by a community that accepts, loves, and embraces them. In “Hello Forever,” we see two sides of the coin – Axel, who is openly gay with a mother who embraces and loves him, encouraging him to pursue his happiness, and Caxton, who has to hide who he is to survive. He doesn’t choose to be in the closet; he’s shoved into it by his father, who threatens that if he even remotely thinks of being anything but straight, he’ll never see his siblings again.

The story gets even darker when you discover the lengths Caxton’s homophobic father will go to. There was a point where I was concerned about continuing to read because this man knew no limits to his cruelty. Despite the harsh truths that readers are faced with, the story does end with a wonderfully happy ending.

What I appreciated most about this book was the reality check when it comes to queer men in society. Yes, MM romances are fun, wonderful, and insanely hot, but they are fiction. In real life, what Caxton faced is an everyday reality, whether he’s persecuted by his loved ones or society as a whole. It was heartwarming to see that those who loved him, outside of his family, already knew and were ready to help him in any way they could – whether it was to help hide his truth or cheer him on when he finally took a stand.