All things are difficult before they are easy. – Thomas Fuller
Blurb for Loving Aidan by Ashavan Doyon:
Samuel Riley is gorgeous – tall, muscular, and intelligent. The girls love him. And so does his roommate, Aidan Flemming. Secretly, of course, because Aidan is as gay as Sammy is straight – and even the out and proud Aidan knows there are limits to Sammy’s acceptance. Cursed to watch as Sammy dates half the co-eds on campus, a lonely Aidan spends his time writing, helping Sammy and his friends survive literature classes, and recovering from a disastrous love affair that left Aidan heartbroken.
But when happiness finally comes for Aidan in the body of his roommate’s fellow rower, all that changes. In Steven, Aidan finds happiness and romance. The rower, a blond, blue-eyed Adonis, makes Aidan feel desired and appreciated. But their very public courtship stirs up controversy and violence, and Aidan’s life gets very complicated.
Attacks rock the campus community, and in the middle of the upheaval, Aidan finds himself noticed by the last person he’d expect. Samuel Riley, his roommate, his impossible dream, and just possibly, a very jealous suitor. But the jealous suitor has a girlfriend. And she is not happy.
I have to say at the beginning of this book I truly adored Aidan. He is funny, smart and dresses eccentrically. Aidan is looking for love. His first love turned sour in the worst way possible; then came Michael, who not only cheated on him but dumped Aidan because he got mad about it! Since Michael, Aidan has only had furtive encounters with closet cases. All Aidan wants is to be loved, out in the open, and hopefully by his hot and sexy roommate. He believes that will never happen, so when a chance for a real relationship with Steven comes about Aidan takes it. Personally, I lost respect for Aidan when he was with Steven. Steven gave him everything he could ever want. He came out, he treated Aidan like a prince and it seems all Aidan could do was tell him at every turn that he was still in love with Sammy. Eventually Sammy becomes jealous enough of Steven and Aidan to accept the fact that he loves Aidan. Steven basically gives Sammy the green light with Aidan even though it tears his heart to pieces. When Aidan and Sammy get together, it stirs up the haters on campus who are led by Sammy’s ex-girlfriend. The two barely survive the attacks, fences are mended with Steven and Michael, and finally Aidan gets his dream.
This book pushed my sense of right and wrong, but I feel the author wrote a very honest story of college-aged angst. As bad as I felt for Steven, Aidan made the right choice and everything works out in the end. The heat meter of this book is off the charts, but there is so much emotion when they make love that there is no doubt of the feelings the men share.
I highly recommend this book, but beware it isn’t all sunshine and roses. However, there is a wonderful HEA.
Reviewed by: Jackie
You can buy Loving Aidan here:
