Basketball always brought them together. Now it might just tear them apart.AxelI always wondered what happened to my first love. But after we got caught kissing at church camp, his jerk of a father made sure I never saw him again.Six years later, I’m streaming a college basketball game in a distant town, trying to decide if I should take a job with the athletic department there, when a familiar … job with the athletic department there, when a familiar face in the crowd leaves me stunned. The school is a thousand miles away, in a tiny rural town. But suddenly, I can’t wait to get there.
Caxton
I can barely believe it when Axel turns up at the college where I’m a grad student. And I’m just as drawn to him as I ever was. But a few stolen kisses are all I’ll ever have. I can’t date. Loving Axel would mean letting go of my younger brothers who need me.
They can’t be together. But as far as their hearts are concerned, it’s Hello Forever.
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Another incredibly sexy male/male romance from Sarina Bowen!! Hello Forever was the second book in her Hello Goodbye series. It can be read as a stand alone but I strongly advise reading Goodbye Paradise (either before or after).
Axel was going over job offers when a basketball game on tv sealed his fate. There in the stands was the man he never got over, his first love. He didn’t hesitate to take the job and move to a small town thousands of miles away.
Kax couldn’t believe Axel suddenly reappeared in his life. After many years of trying to be someone else, would Kax allow himself to be happy? Would Axel’s love show him how to be true to himself or would he loose everything he has sacrificed for?
Whoa!! It was an wonderful emotional ride. True love can overcome even the darkest of situations. I was so afraid Kax would give up but he followed his heart! Their love for each other was beautiful. I also loved the small peeks of Josh and Caleb!!
SO Frikin’ GOOD!
I am so bummed this duet is over. In HELLO FOREVER: HELLO, GOODBYE we meet Axle and Cax who have an interesting dynamic. Their relationship is HOT and filled with compassion and understanding.
We also briefly see what Josh and Caleb are up to now (yay), and now I want to know Jason’s story.
Absolutely recommend this Audio version, the written version, the series and author.
Tags: Audible Escape, KU, 5 Stars, MM, LGBTQ+, family
This second chance romance grabbed my heart and tore it up before piecing it together. There was angst, tenderness, love, drama, and romance as well as an action-filled plot. Sarina Bowen’s prose was gorgeous, and she penned an exciting and wonderful love story.
The narration of the book was fantastic and a true performance. Dake Bliss and Teddy Hamilton did a wonderful job and invoked so many emotions and feelings into all the characters they voiced.
Another excellent read from Sarina Bowen that checks off all the boxes for me. She writes amazingly, complex characters and does an outstanding job peeling away the layers of each of these main characters to tell their story. The journey they take in this novel is filled with lots of angst and fear as Cax navigates the threat of discovery and what the fallout for his younger siblings would look like. This story also delivers chemistry between Cax and Axel, the heat, humor and the all important HEA. Well-written supporting characters help move the story along and overall, this book is very well written. I really liked this one and highly recommend. 🙂
Another touching MM romance. I love the style of writing, the way coming out as gay is handled and discussed in the book. I really enjoy the soft, tender, hot sex scenes. I like the way the characters from the previous book are included. I couldn’t put it down. I will add these authors to my favorites!!
Second Chance Romance!
Axel and Cax’s story was a second chance romance with a twist. I love that you saw Caleb and Josh in this story and how you were introduced to a whole lot of secondary characters with potential stories. Axel and Cax’s love story though was sweet with a bit of innocence in it. They definitely got their happily ever after and would highly recommend this series. I can’t wait to see if there is more from Henning, MA!
Having just come off of my high from reading Goodbye Paradise, I was so excited to dive into this one. While I really enjoyed this book, the bar was set pretty high after reading Caleb & Josh’s story. For some reason this story was just more heartbreaking to me. Maybe because Cax was uncomfortable in his own skin. I’m not sure. Could be the fact that Caxs dad was a completely homophobic, bigoted asshat. The story was just so depressing, but in many was so real and raw. I was rooting for Axel and Cax the entire way and was happy Josh and Caleb shared in on journey. Hoping Jason gets a story too! I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the narration. Teddy Hamilton is amazing!
4.5 Stars
This was another great book by Sarina Bowen! I loved Cax and Axel’s story! There’s something so pure with their love for each other- and they had so many obstacles to overcome.
The plot was strong (although I may have wanted a little more- perhaps a follow-up about Cax’s father), the characters were well-developed (and I loved catching up with characters from Goodbye Paradise!!), and the writing was smooth. Perhaps there’s a story for Jason next??
This is a book I will reread!
I loved Axel and Cax’s story. Lots of social pressure and family pressure to deal with, which can be scary, but in this case I loved the way things turned out.
“Love Conquers All”
I loved this 2nd chance romance.
It was the perfect combination of sweet and sexy.
Cax & Axel are simply adorable together.
Another amazing read by this author.
Amazing story. I listened to the audiobook. This is book 2 in the series. I read book 1 a loooong time ago. This book staring Alex and Cax, set in a USA university. I laughed out loud at parts, I loved Alex. This is a great feel good book, after experiencing some dark times. Love will always win!
Just another sweet MM from the fantastic Sarina Bowen.
This follows Axl and Cax, two guys who were ripped apart at the age of 16, but manage to reconnect at 22.
It’s a sweet story, with real issues, yet it still manages to remain fun and sexy.
I loved seeing Josh and Caleb in this book and the roles they played with Cax and Axl. I’m also loved Boz.
Fun story with great narrators–TEDDY HAMILTON, ladies! Teddy. Freaking. Hamilton.
I swear, I think I’m obsessed
Hello Forever is a M/M book by Sarina Bowen, originally published under a different title with a pen name. This book was not on my radar when it first debuted, but I am so glad Bowen re-released it so I could have the absolute pleasure of reading it. Axel and Cax engaged me from the very first word. This was a truly magnificent story of young love, torn apart by bigotry and hatred, only to be brought back together by the strength of that love.
Everything about this book was perfect. From the moment we meet Axel and Cax we are taken by their personalities, their strengths, and their weaknesses. Multi-dimensional doesn’t even begin to cover all that they are. They are both such wonderful men. They put others first, especially Cax. He is willing to completely ignore who he is in order to keep his brothers in his life. ( Yes, his father is that big of a d**k.) Axel is willing to wait for Cax, knowing that his feelings haven’t waned in the least in six years.
These characters are just so likable. It feels as if you were hanging out with old friends. Even though years had passed, they easily fell in to their old friendship. Axel patience was a beautiful thing. His love for Cax was evident. Their banter had me giggling throughout the story, and kept me hopeful during the heavier scenes. Hello Forever was a sweet, endearing story that I devoured in one sitting. I highly recommend it.
I received an e-ARC copy of ‘Hello Forever’ yesterday so I want to start my post by thanking Sarina Bowen and Nina Bocci for my birthday gift. ‘Hello Forever’ is the best birthday gift I received this year I know I am not the most organized blogger, who posts everyday or even on certain days. But it is usually because my schedule is too crazy. However, last week was for a different reason. Even though, I wanted to write a review or read I couldn’t. I am not sure if reader’s block or blogger’s block is a term but I totally had it. I had a lot of free time this week but somehow I couldn’t read or write. So I want to thank Sarina Bowen again for the fantastic book that helped me to get over my reader’s block/blogger’s block.
So back to ‘Hello Forever’, it is the second book of the ‘Pay it Forward’ series and setting is completely different then the first book, ‘Goodbye Paradise’. Axel and Caxton know each other since childhood. They met at the church camp and become really good friends. Their friendship took a new turn when they were sixteen but it was short lived because they were caught making out in the woods and their parents were called. After that day Axel never saw or heard from Caxton. Six years passed since Caxton disappeared from Axel’s life. Axel is graduated from university with a marketing degree and got a job offer from Barmuth University Athletic Department. Being a part of university’s sports marketing team excites him because of his love for basketball but he has doubts about moving to Henning, which is a small town in Massachusetts. However, all his doubts disappear when he sees Caxton in the crowd while watching the BU’s basketball game online. Caxton is getting his PhD at Barmuth University and has season passes for himself and his brothers for the basketball team. When Caxton sees Axel during the basketball game, he cannot believe Axel is there. The attraction and chemistry between them is still there but acting towards his desires is never an option for Caxton. Caxton has three younger brothers and they live with his father, who is an abusive, homophobic as*hole who turned Caxton’s life to hell after he was caught making out with Axel. Caxton does everything to suppress his sexuality and really afraid of being outed because he has too much to lose. But being really close to Axel is making everything harder for him. Even though, Axel is out of closet and not ashamed of being gay, he doesn’t promote it. But acting like someone he is not doesn’t sit well with him, even if it is for the guy he loves. There comes a point where fighting the attraction becomes impossible for both Caxton and Axel and they give in to their desires. OMG! It was soooo cute and hot at the same time. Caxton being so clueless and unsure about everything and Axel being caring and considerate. Unfortunately, their relationship is not all sunshine and rainbows, not even close. The things they face for their love for each other is heartbreaking. I can only wish that one day our society will change for the better so that no one has to face hardship because of their love. If you want know what happens to Axel and Caxton’s relationship when Caxton is out of the closet, how his brothers and father will react, you need to read the book
‘Hello Forever’, it is one of the best books I read this year. It is an emotional and hopeful book that I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t put it down until I was done.
Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Definitely.
Would I read future books by this author: Definitely.
P.S. It was great to see pieces of Caleb and Josh’s lives after ‘Goodbye Paradise’.
P.S.S. I am hoping ‘Hello Forever’ won’t be the last book of the series and maybe Jason will get his story too.
The review was originally posted on: http://miabookaddict.com/
4.5*
Another heartfelt, heartwarming, and heart-tugging love story from Sarina Bowen! Hello Forever is a poignant story of two friends torn apart by unfortunate circumstances, only to be reunited years later by a twist of fate. It’s a story of second chances, friendship, love and acceptance.
Neither Axel nor Cax forgot their first love. They had such a special bond as children, one that only grew stronger as they entered their teen years. It’s a bond that, even now, after being separated for years, is undeniable and unbreakable. But circumstances still conspire to keep them apart- while Axel has never denied who he is, Cax has hidden his true self for years. With a grade A bigot for a father, Cax believes it’s in his best interest, as well as for the benefit of his brothers, to keep his feelings for Axel repressed. And oh the heartache and sorrow this causes! No one should have to go through life pretending to be something, or someone, they aren’t.
Just when it seems things might finally be starting to look up for these two, trouble rears its ugly head, once again in the form of Cax’s father. As difficult as it is for Cax to put the brakes on things, Axel and his brothers mean too much to him, to let anything happen to them, because of him. Axel’s acceptance of Cax’s decision to distance himself shows what a truly remarkable human he is. Although he’s waited 6 years to find him again, Axel is willing to wait even longer, if that’s what Cax needs.
Both of these characters are so endearing and just incredibly likeable. Axel is patient, supportive, kind, and compassionate. He’s willing to be there for Cax no matter what. Cax has been so stifled in his young life, it was tough to read about everything he’s had to deal with. But he’s strong and caring, and loves with his whole heart. His brothers and Axel are his entire world.
I loved that even after 6 years apart nothing had changed in the way Axel and Cax felt about each other. Although those years saw them follow very different paths, once they were back together time stood still and it was like they had never been apart. You can just feel the emotions between them, as you sit there rooting for everything to work out in the end, because these two young men deserved so much happiness.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Josh and Caleb, because JOSH and CALEB! I may have cried the first time they made an appearance, I love them so. They were a sweet addition to this story, as their friendship was something much needed in both Axel and Cax’s lives.
I’ve really loved these 2 books and it was so wonderful to see them tied together.