Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Forever, Con Amor
SERIES: For Him, Book 4
AUTHOR: A.M. Johnson
NARRATOR: Kirt Graves and Gregory Salinas
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 9 hours and 23 minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2022
BLURB:
Chance.
I never, in a million years, thought I would want a guy who smells like a tree and probably hugs them on a daily basis, but alas, you’ve somehow snuck your sexy, khaki-covered ass into my life. It doesn’t help that we’re stuck living in this apartment together for God knows how long, but I can’t stop thinking about that kiss. I know I said it was one and done, and maybe that’s the smart thing to do since I’m not convinced of your emotional availability. Maybe I’m a masochist. Or maybe I might kind of like you. I said what I said. No regrets, Marcos.
Marcos.
Your ability to simultaneously compliment and insult me is probably one of my favorite things about you. I think it’s part of your charm. Does that make me a masochist as well? I definitely like to torture myself. The night I kissed you, I knew it had the potential to push you away, but I couldn’t stop myself from wanting you. I still can’t. You can flirt and bully me all you like. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve finally found my home, and it’s here. And just in case you need me to be more specific, I like you, too. Forever, con amor…Chance.
Forever, Con Amor is an interconnected, stand-alone, slow-burn, contemporary, MM opposites attract romance that is heavy on humor, light on angst, and features an age gap, a sexy yoga session, heels, and a few passive aggressive quips about cargo pants, hugging trees, and kale.
REVIEW:
Forever, Con Amor is the fourth and final book in A.M. Johnson’s wonderfully romantic For Him series. I hope you like UST because this sweet, sexy story oozes it for days.
The For Him series books are interconnected standalones. You can read Forever, Con Amor without having read any of the other books. However, the backstories and connections between the characters are plentiful at this point, so you’ll enjoy the experience more – and understand the dynamics of the characters better – if you read the books in order. Forever, Con Amor leans most heavily on the third book, Dear Mr. Brody, which is where we first get to know Marcos (Parker’s BFF, ex-military comrade, and roommate) and where Marcos first meets Chance.
Marcos is a fascinating character. To embrace him and his story arc, you need to understand and empathize with the dichotomous personalities he’s created for himself. He hasn’t had an easy life and he’s survived. But he’s put up thick, high walls and lashes out like a cornered animal to protect himself. He’s like a prickly pear – thorny and barbed on the outside, but soft and sweet beneath the surface.
Forever, Con Amor is a redemption story of sorts for both characters. Marcos isn’t a bad guy, but he has a bad attitude at the beginning of the book, especially towards Chance. Chance’s patience towards Marcos really speaks to his kind, generous nature. As Marcos’ relationship with Chance develops, he begins to drop his shields and allow himself to be vulnerable. An unexpected plot twist helps him in that endeavor, perhaps more out of necessity than willingness, but it starts him on the road. That’s when we see the softer, loving side of Marcos.
Chance couldn’t be more of a contrast to Marcos. They are total opposites in appearance and personality, and there’s an eleven-year age gap between them as well. If you’ve read the previous books, you’ll recall that Chance is the ex-boyfriend of Ethan (from book two, Not So Sincerely, Yours). Chance is a vagabond do-gooder traveling the world to build houses in Africa and do other charitable works. But now he’s settled into his role as head of the LGBTQ youth center where Parker volunteers and is finally ready to put down some roots.
Our initial impression of Chance is formed in Not So Sincerely, Yours, and I was ambivalent about my feelings towards him. Chance chooses to leave Ethan, and assumes incorrectly that Ethan would just go along for the ride as he’s always done. Chance also engages in some ill-advised, drunken, crass behavior with Ethan that taints Anders’ impression of both men. So while I saw Chance as an altruistic person, his choices were frustrating. It’s hard to begrudge a guy whose priority is charitable good works, but he leaves pain and heartache in his wake when he obliviously, unintentionally, takes advantage of Ethan and takes their relationship and love for granted.
When we meet Chance in Forever, Con Amor, we see the fallout from Chance’s decisions and how he suffers from regret and lack of closure vis-a-vis Ethan. It becomes clear quite quickly that Chance is the nicest guy you will ever meet, and that he recognizes his past mistakes and wishes he could set things right. Johnson deftly handles Chance’s need to look back in order to move forward, and treats Marcos’ insecurity about Chance’s past relationship with Ethan in a plausible way.
Marcos and Chance are one of the most mismatched couples and improbable romances I’ve read. I did not see how they could ever fit together in a believable way. But Johnson not only makes it work, she makes it believable. I think some legitimate concerns are glossed over, though. For example, these men are so truly different in everything from outfits to interests that I am skeptical that they could coexist as a couple so seamlessly. But there’s no doubt that they have great chemistry and their scenes together are emotionally meaningful and hot AF.
The Forever Con Amor audiobook is a great addition to the story, although it has some weaknesses. Kirt Graves narrates Chance, and delivers on what he does so well – giving a solid, engaging, skilled vocal performance that captures the essence of the character. Graves has never blown me away with his vocal performances, but he’s also never let me down either. He’s a strong and steady presence behind the mic, and you can count on him to do his job well. Gregory Salinas narrates Marcos and is exceptional in that role. He really “gets” Marcos’ character and breathes life into his character. Marcos is such a vibrant character that capturing that effectively and impactfully is a challenge. Salinas rises to it, though, and excels.
Unfortunately, the audiobook has a weakness, though – its dual narration format. Graves and Salinas, like the primary characters they voice, are as different as night and day. In duet format, they’d stay in role throughout, acting the roles as if in a play. But in dual narration, they voice their main character as well as all the other characters in their chapters, and that is where the wheels come off the proverbial wagon. Graves’ Marcos doesn’t sound remotely like Salinas’ Marcos, and conversely, Salinas’ Chance doesn’t sound anything like Graves’ Chance. Both narrators nail their primary characters, but their narration of the secondary characters, and their respective accents, is not as strong. Then, when juxtaposed … well, it creates aural dissonance that distracts from an otherwise absorbing story.
Notwithstanding, I highly recommend Forever, Con Amor, and in fact, the entire For Him series, both in book and audiobook format. We get cameos from the other couples which I adored, and Johnson even left the door open for maybe, possibly, pretty please, a spinoff …
She’s created a fictional universe full of colorful, endearing characters and you will want to meet them all and experience each of their very well-written romances. In terms of the Forever, Con Amor audiobook, I recommend it despite the dual narration issue because Salinas’ performance of Marcos is top-notch and the audio as a whole is still overarchingly a net positive to Marcos and Chance’s story.
RATING: 
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