Appearances

by TH Forest

Matt is a former US Navy SEAL, turned successful CEO of a cyber-security company that he started with the help of his best friend, Finn. Every hour of every day is regimented as tightly as his carefully crafted façade. He has a girlfriend, a sweet condo in the North End of Boston, and a growing emptiness he continues to ignore.
Ollie is a grad student at Oxford and when he’s not studying, he divides his time between playing football and hanging out with his mates. When he meets Finn, an American getting her PhD in ancient languages, Ollie has no idea just how life-changing their friendship will become.
Finn introduces Ollie to Matt one summer night at a pub near campus and both men are leveled. Ollie takes one look at the broody, dark-haired god, with the deep, gravelly voice and is smitten. While Matt, so busy building his empire from inside his closet, is wholly unprepared for the effect Ollie (with his golden hair and beautiful smile) has on him.
It becomes a dance of cat and mouse, intensifying each time Matt comes to stay with Finn so he can stare at Ollie. Their first kiss is the stuff dreams are made of, because their love is destined by the gods.

Appearances is a moderate-angst, MM romance, HEA with mild content warnings for an instance of consensual sexual violence and a morally grey MC. Check content warnings on author website.

Genres: M M Romance

412 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2024

About the author

I write heartfelt queer romance and coming of age stories. I have been an avid reader since age 4 and am currently obsessed with MM Romance :-) Book 3 of my Matt & Ollie series was released in April, and the book that started it all, Descendants of the Gods, the very first book I wrote, will be released later this year!

Reviews

[Sasha Avice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the initial meet between these two MCs—Matt and Ollie. Those first few scenes, occurring over a few weeks or months, were so on point with the obsessive (and unwanted) attraction Matt had for Ollie, while Ollie is just so suave; he’s earnest yet clever and charming. The scene at the urinal was perfection. As the book progresses, Matt becomes a really problematic guy. I mean, he’s flying more red flags than you’ll see at a Sydney Swans football game. It’s a compulsive reading experience because you’re just waiting for Ollie to find out how deranged he is and bring him to his knees, to deliver us from Matt with some sweet payback. I needed more from Ollie on that front, but I think Forest is setting us up to get it in later books. Five stars for Matt being one of the most unlikable, red-flag-waving MCs I’ve ever read and still managing to be a romantic hero.

[Vanessa Hernandez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the spice, that’s probably why I kept going.
Honestly, this book pissed me off.
I loved them then I hated them.

Matt because of everything
And Ollie because he just kept accepting it.

It was like Ollie was Matt’s punching bag and he kept going and going.

I didn’t even want to finish it.
But I can’t leave it unfinished.. so i literally just skipped to the end.

[Manic killer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating~ 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice~ 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Wow.

So, I have a lot to say but if I start I’ll just end up on a rant/rambling like I did on tiktok.

Let me start by saying, I really enjoyed this book. Aside from the fact that it was so well written, it was a story that just had you glued and kept you reading and wanting to know more. Now, that’s not to say I wasn’t pissed 89% of the time while reading this.

Oliver worked my last nerve for being such an effing doormat. My God, don’t even get me started on that guy. I know majority of readers hate Matt but to be honest, I was more angry at Oliver than I could be bothered about Matt. Because this was literally an adult that knew what he was getting into, but because he was so infatuated by Matt’s body and of course his 10inch rod, this guy kept coming up with different excuses every time Matt fucked up. Like he kept making excuses and find justification for every single fuck up made did and it was so infuriating to witness.

As for Matt, I do not have the energy to be mad at him. Obviously he is a toxic, manipulative, controlling asshole yet Oliver chose to stay with him despite every fucked up thing he did, which was a lot. It wasn’t just one mistake. Oliver had this thought/agenda that he could change Matt, but the problem was, Matt wasn’t just someone in the closet. This was a man that hated himself for being gay. The self loathing was literally his entire reason for the things he did and also his controlling ass.

Despite these facts though, I can’t deny that Matt is a charmer when he wants to be and this two had some really good moments together. Matt is who he is, but they make a very cute couple when Matt isn’t being who he is.

Infuriates and frustrated as I was with Oliver, I still enjoyed this and I can’t wait to read Book 2🥰

[Bernice Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wheeew,this book took me through a wall of emotions,I was mad,frustrated,sad,happy and at the verge of screaming .How can I feel for a character and still be so mad at him at the same time.That’s how frustrating Matt’s character was,I wanted to enter the book and maybe slap some sense into his brain but also tell him,he deserves to beloved and love,he deserves to live free and in his truth.His father,the church and the world did a number on him and I’m happy he had some like Finn by his side.

❦

This book put me through it,Ollie my poor baby,he deserve the world,space and the whole universe,he deserves to be happy,I still don’t think Matt deserves him but since hes in love and thats what he wants,I support his decision.

❦

This book is about how repression can damaged you emomotionally and psychologically,Matt’s father’s homophobia really messed him up,and even though he’s on a journey of freeing himself from all that internal hate,fear and self loath,he’s learning and I hope to see that amazing wonderful growth in Part 2. 𝓒𝓐𝓝’𝓣 𝓦𝓐𝓘𝓣 𝓣𝓞 𝓡𝓔𝓐𝓓 𝓘𝓣.❤︎︎

❦

[Naz.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️ 3/5 🌶️

- Toxic relationship
- Ex navy seal, closeted, repressed, controlling, CEO MMC
- Manipulation
- Cheating
- Italian-American x Brit
- Secret relationship

[Zarih Sundberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

turmoil

The book is well-written. I can not decide whether I like it or not. Plenty of feelings. If cheating, lying, controlling behavior, and abuse a triggers for you I recommend you not to read it. Matt is so far in the closet that it is scary. There are only a few years between Matt and Ollie. But it feels like 15 years. Matt is simply I horrible person. Matt is selfish, emotionally scared, abusive, controlling, and a coward. Ollie behaves like any abused spouse would. I was hoping for another ending. I suppose this is HEA, but Matt doesn't deserve it.

[°❀racheal࿔*:･ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me start where this book made me want to throw my phone across the room: Matt.

Matt is a former Navy SEAL turned CEO and T.H. Forest clearly expects us to find him brooding and complex. Instead, he's a walking red flag in expensive boots. He spends the entire novel being emotionally unavailable, treating Ollie like a dirty secret and making everyone around him manage his feelings for him. The closeted CEO arc is fine I've read it a hundred times but usually the character has to grow. Matt doesn't grow. Matt sulks. Matt pushes people away. Matt makes his internal crisis everyone else's problem and the narrative rewards him for it.

But the thing that actually made me crash out? How this book treats its female characters.

You would think we could get an M/M romance that doesn't treat women as disposable obstacles or emotional support animals with no inner lives. But Appearances said no.

Let's talk about Sam.
Sam is Matt's on-and-off fling. She's the woman he keeps around while he's "sorting himself out" which is already a gross way to treat a human being. She's convenient. She's available. She's there when Matt needs to perform heterosexuality or scratch an itch or feel less alone. And when she's not convenient anymore? When she no longer fits into the story Matt is trying to tell about himself? She gets discarded. And then there's the pregnancy. When Sam gets pregnant, Matt pressures her to get an abortion. This is not presented as a complicated, painful decision between two people. It's Matt making his wants clear his career, his timeline, his life and Sam, as always, is expected to accommodate him. Her body, her choice, her consequences. Matt gets to walk away with his hands clean. But it gets worse. When Sam later has a miscarriage, Matt's response is not grief. Not guilt. Not even basic human compassion for a woman he's been sleeping with on and off for years. He feels relief. The problem solved itself. He doesn't have to deal with it anymore. The narrative treats this as understandable Matt wasn't ready, Matt was figuring himself out, Matt has feelings about his sexuality that are very complicated and hard.Sam gets nothing. She doesn't get a scene where she tells Matt what he put her through. She doesn't get to be angry. She doesn't get to be a person with a full interior life who was pressured into an abortion and then miscarried and then had to sit with all of that trauma while the man who caused it moved on to his happily-ever-after with Ollie. She's a footnote. A learning experience. A speed bump on Matt's journey to self-acceptance.

Let's talk about Finn.
Finn is Matt's best friend the woman who introduces Matt and Ollie, who gets her PhD in ancient languages, who apparently has a whole life and career. Except she doesn't. She exists to facilitate Matt's emotional journey. She shows up when Matt needs to be talked into being a human being. She disappears when she's no longer useful to the plot. She has no interiority, no desires of her own, no arc. She's a plot device with a PhD. She's the woman who has to listen to Matt's endless brooding about Ollie while getting nothing in return. She gives and gives; Matt takes and takes.

this is a pattern.
M/M romance has a problem with its female characters. So many authors seem to think that because the central relationship is between two men, the women in the book don't need to be fully realized. They're friends, or exes, or mothers, or obstacles. They exist to prop up the male protagonists or get in their way. They don't get arcs. They don't get complexity. They certainly don't get to be messy, complicated human beings the way the male leads do. But Appearances takes it further. It doesn't just sideline its women it actively shows them being harmed by Matt and then asks us to root for him anyway.

Matt used Sam. He pressured her into an abortion. He felt relief when she miscarried. He strung her along for years while he "sorted himself out." He used Finn as an emotional dumping ground without ever reciprocating. And the book's response to all of this is a shrug. Matt is "complicated." Matt is "tortured." Matt is "learning to love."
Matt is a man who has treated multiple women as disposable and the book wants us to celebrate when he finally treats a man like a person.

[Tracey Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appearances by T.H. Forest, the first book in the Matt & Ollie Romance series, is one of those reads that left me with an almost overwhelming reaction — and I need to be very clear from the beginning: my reaction has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the writing. This was my first time reading this author, and the writing itself is fantastic. It’s polished, emotionally sharp, and completely immersive. My turmoil? That belongs entirely to the characters.

The story centres on Ollie, a talented and quietly earnest Oxford University student, and Matt, an ex–Navy SEAL who now runs his own security start-up. On paper, Matt has everything — power, confidence, presence. In reality, he is so deeply closeted and emotionally repressed that it bleeds into every interaction he has. And I have genuinely never had such a visceral reaction to a main character before.

To say I disliked Matt feels too mild. I found him selfish, narcissistic, arrogant, and at times outright cruel. The way he manipulates Ollie — and, just as painfully, the way he uses Sam as a beard — made my blood boil. There were multiple moments where I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room. This was rage-reading in its purest form. The emotional manipulation, the power imbalance, the way he maintained control while denying his own truth — it was confronting and deeply uncomfortable.

What surprised me most was that my frustration eventually spilled over onto Ollie. Sweet, intelligent, loyal Ollie. I wanted to reach into the pages and shake him. I wanted him to grow a backbone, to call Matt out, to demand better for himself instead of accepting emotional scraps. That reaction, though, speaks to how invested I became. The author made me care enough to be furious.

One of the highlights for me was the inclusion of Ollie’s parents, particularly his father. Having someone in the story who could clearly see what was happening — who recognised Matt’s behaviour for what it was — grounded the narrative and validated some of my own feelings as a reader. It added depth and realism to the emotional landscape.

To Forest’s credit, we are given fleeting glimpses of a softer side to Matt. Small cracks in the armour. Brief moments of vulnerability. Those glimpses are important, because without them he would have been irredeemable to me. But they are brief, and the emotional weight of his actions lingers heavily.

This is not an easy read. It is confronting, challenging, and at times deeply uncomfortable. There was a moment I seriously considered DNF’ing, and I even messaged my book club begging someone — anyone — to start reading so I could vent. And yet, I couldn’t walk away. That says something.

I like books that push me outside my comfort zone. I like morally messy characters and complicated emotional dynamics. Appearances absolutely delivers on that front. It challenged me, frustrated me, and left me emotionally wrung out — but it also proved how powerful strong character work can be.

This is a very well-written book about flawed, often unlikeable people making difficult and sometimes harmful choices. It won’t be for everyone. But if you enjoy emotionally intense romances, deeply closeted characters, power imbalance tension, and stories that provoke strong reactions, this one will absolutely get under your skin.

Did I love Matt? No.
Did this book make me feel everything? Absolutely.
And honestly, sometimes that impact is exactly the point.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! these characters are incredibly toxic, and I was completely riveted. There were moments that genuinely shocked me. This isn’t a trope-heavy or formulaic MM romance. It feels far more raw and unpredictable. Matt is deeply closeted, and the story makes it clear there are many reasons why. Ollie, however, is out and has zero desire to hide who he is. Despite this, the two of them begin a complex and toxic relationship. Don’t get me wrong- this two are undoubtedly, in love. One of the things I found most compelling is how the book explores the way people can slowly change within a relationship without even realizing it. Ollie adapts more and more to appease Matt, eventually doing things (without reflection) he likely never would have considered at the beginning. It’s a compelling look at how unhealthy dynamics (and even violence) can become normalized over time. There’s multiple POVs which add depth, especially the chapters from Ollie’s parents- because, rightly so, they have concerns. The role women play in the men’s lives is also interesting. Matt is not a character you’re meant to like. He’s clearly a product of his environment and, at least in this book, has absolutely no desire to grow or change. That makes the story all the more riveting. Ollie, though, he is equally frustrating in a different way. I’m very much here to see the inevitable downfall and hopefully redemption that feels like it’s coming in future books. The writing is excellent, and the characters feel far more realistic than many MM romances out there. I loved it.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book

I pretty much loved this book. I however wanted to slap Matt so many times. The shit he pulled on Ollie just ugh. The author already knows how I feel because we messaged the whole time I was reading. It had a HEA but it was a hard angsty road to get there. I'll be starting book 2 soon.

[Moesha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like it but I just couldn't get past how Matt kept being so evasive about his feelings for Ollie. And like I get it. Coming out and self acceptance are hard for some people to come to terms with especially when you have no support other than one of your closest friends but I found myself honestly annoyed with how he treats Ollie. I couldn't get further than 20% into the story no matter how hard I tried. Maybe someday I can come back with fresh eyes and try reading this again and absolutely love it.

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to first apologize about my review. I am not good with words and probably a little all of the place!
I am going to write this review on the series as a whole. I really am not sure what to say because honestly, I am pissed off by the whole series. If you are going to start this and hope for some growth in any of the characters in the book, just walk away from it now. There is none. Not with Matt, who is the biggest asshole. He is controlling, abusive... He... I am not sure I have disliked a character more. I wanted to have some empathy for him with how he was raised and his father. So much internal homophobia. It was so ingrained in who he is.. he will never change and will always keep Ollie hidden. Gosh, and Ollie. He has to sit in the shadows, watching the man he loves, while acting like they are nothing but friends/co-workers. Watch Matt with Finn. I just hoped as the series progressed that there were be growth but they all remained so stagnant. Then with the baby and Finn. All three books are basically the same book. I have seen some reviews saying that Ollie pushed back more and more each book, but really.. he doesn't. Especially in this book. He has no input on the new house or even any true say on moving. He just agrees because Matt controls the whole situation. He has to live apart from Matt while Matt and Finn make decisions regarding the house. Matt is the biggest walking red flag and most definitely not a romantic hero. He may love bomb and throw his money at Ollie but there are parts were he makes sure Ollie doesn't forget it, even though Ollie is an integral part of the company. Ollie deserves better. His family knows he deserves better even though they act just as passive about the whole thing. I won't read any other books related or beyond this last book. I also wasn't interest in the sort of Supernatural turn the book took, though I guess it was always there with them being "destined by the Gods" or whatever.
I will say. The books are written well but I can't get passed Matt - Ollie just wanting to be with Matt so much that he will settle for nothing. His sister doesn't even know. His friends. It's all really so sad.

[Manic killer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating~ 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice~ 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Wow.

So, I have a lot to say but if I start I’ll just end up on a rant/rambling like I did on tiktok.

Let me start by saying, I really enjoyed this book. Aside from the fact that it was so well written, it was a story that just had you glued and kept you reading and wanting to know more. Now, that’s not to say I wasn’t pissed 89% of the time while reading this.

Oliver worked my last nerve for being such an effing doormat. My God, don’t even get me started on that guy. I know majority of readers hate Matt but to be honest, I was more angry at Oliver than I could be bothered about Matt. Because this was literally an adult that knew what he was getting into, but because he was so infatuated by Matt’s body and of course his 10inch rod, this guy kept coming up with different excuses every time Matt fucked up. Like he kept making excuses and find justification for every single fuck up made did and it was so infuriating to witness.

As for Matt, I do not have the energy to be mad at him. Obviously he is a toxic, manipulative, controlling asshole yet Oliver chose to stay with him despite every fucked up thing he did, which was a lot. It wasn’t just one mistake. Oliver had this thought/agenda that he could change Matt, but the problem was, Matt wasn’t just someone in the closet. This was a man that hated himself for being gay. The self loathing was literally his entire reason for the things he did and also his controlling ass.

Despite these facts though, I can’t deny that Matt is a charmer when he wants to be and this two had some really good moments together. Matt is who he is, but they make a very cute couple when Matt isn’t being who he is.

Infuriates and frustrated as I was with Oliver, I still enjoyed this and I can’t wait to read Book 2🥰

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got halfway through chapter 6, maybe 7, and stopped. Every character is unlikable. Matt, the MMC, is nothing but a walking red flag, controlling and manipulative. He treats women as things to use to help cover up his severe internal homophobia all while fantasizing about being with a man in order to help get himself off during sex with women. He treats his so called best female friend just as badly, admitting to scaring off potential suitors because he deemed them not good enough for her. Unfortunately, the female characters in this book are just as shallow and manipulative as Matt. Finn, the female BFF, pushes Matt into meeting Ollie, well aware of how deeply Matt is in the closet and how he uses women as cover, acknowledging how he sleeps around while dating someone. Sam, the woman Matt uses as his “I’m straight” cover debases herself to become more of what Matt wants to try to keep him from treating her like crap.

This text/tone of this book is very shallow/self-centered. Matt, especially, is very looks/appearance biased, along with rules about how people should behave making him extremely unlikable. The female characters as well just come off as shallow and self centered.

[Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoilers. I’m writing this review because I wish someone else had. I would never have started this series. I was invested in this book and quite enjoyed it. I read about 50 pages of Foundations and something occurred to me. I thought Matt isn’t going to change is he?. He’ll stay in the closet, and by association Ollie would too, and only be out to his close circle of friend, Finn, and some family members. I skimmed some of Illusions and read the some of the last 40 pages. Matt doesn’t change he’s still the same controlling b*stard he’s always been. Poor Ollie never gets to be the partner he should have been. Yes they love each other but what sort of a life is it where you’re living a lie?. They will go into their retirement years exactly the same. Some people will be fine with the series, after all they are together and love each other, but, for me I’m left impotent, bereft, cheated and empty. I become emotionally involved in the books I read. I’ve wasted my time and psyche.

[124356789]

There’s just too many inconsistencies that keep taking me out of the story. For example, Ollie suddenly calling Matt Lieutenant during sex or Matt admiring Ollie’s „intellect“ knowing hardly anything about him, not including what he does for work.
Dnf @20%

[Miss Pokerface]

I had to dnf this book unfortunately. If the writer was going to make Matt so horrible, at least she could have made Ollie had a backbone then I could have continued reading this book.

Cannot wait to read her other books in the future. Hopefully she has other releases this year. Love her writing and she has so much potential.

[Bernice Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wheeew,this book took me through a wall of emotions,I was mad,frustrated,sad,happy and at the verge of screaming .How can I feel for a character and still be so mad at him at the same time.That’s how frustrating Matt’s character was,I wanted to enter the book and maybe slap some sense into his brain but also tell him,he deserves to beloved and love,he deserves to live free and in his truth.His father,the church and the world did a number on him and I’m happy he had some like Finn by his side.

This book put me through it,Ollie my poor baby,he deserve the world,space and the whole universe,he deserves to be happy,I still don’t think Matt deserves him but since hes in love and thats what he wants,I support his decision.

This book is about how repression can damaged you emomotionally and psychologically,Matt’s father’s homophobia really messed him up,and even though he’s on a journey of freeing himself from all that internal hate,fear and self loath,he’s learning and I hope to see that amazing wonderful growth in Part 2. 𝓒𝓐𝓝’𝓣 𝓦𝓐𝓘𝓣 𝓣𝓞 𝓡𝓔𝓐𝓓 𝓘𝓣.❤︎︎



- [ ] C.E.O X Lawyer
- [ ] Strangers To Lovers
- [ ] Secret Relationship
- [ ] Closeted MC
- [ ] He Calls him Lieutenant😩
- [ ] First Times
- [ ] Possessive MC
- [ ] Boss X Employee

[Rhys Ton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pacing was good, the chemistry was awesome, really enjoyed it