What do you think?
Rate this book
College Rose Romance
Loving Aidan
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.
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.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2013
4 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Ashavan Doyon
27 books21 followersAshavan Doyon spends his days working with students as part of the student affairs staff at a liberal arts college. During lunch, evenings, and when he can escape the grasp of his husband on weekends, he writes, pounding out words day after day in hopes that his ancient typewriter-trained fingers won't break the glass on his tablet computer. Ashavan is an avid science fiction and fantasy fan and prefers to write while listening to music that fits the mood of his current story. He has no children, having opted instead for the companionship of two beautiful and thoroughly spoiled pugs. A Texan by birth, he currently lives in New England, and frequently complains of the weather.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 12, 2016
What to say? It was obvious early on that I would not enjoy the book. But I stuck to it. My stubbornness to not leave the book unfinished was the only thing pushing forward. I found no compassion for any of the characters and while I could somewhat understand their motivation and the drive behind the story, it ultimately still pissed me off.
Did I miss anything? I wish I did. This story failed on all accounts. The only reason it gets a star (instead of none) is because it will serve as a base. Everything else I read from now on, can't be worse than this.
Did I miss anything? I wish I did. This story failed on all accounts. The only reason it gets a star (instead of none) is because it will serve as a base. Everything else I read from now on, can't be worse than this.
Read
August 21, 2013I didn't see this one to the end.
I have an intense aversion for Aidan, and the way the gay-for-you trope is playing out is ... incredible, to say the least.
I have an intense aversion for Aidan, and the way the gay-for-you trope is playing out is ... incredible, to say the least.
November 13, 2013
This review can be found at The Blog of Sid Love.
Aidan Flemming is an out and proud, quirky college student. He hasn’t had the easiest life but he’s at least content with where he is now. The only problem is, the one person who would make his life perfect and happy is his roommate, Sammy, who’s straight. Aidan can’t help yearning for Sammy, though, even when he knows there’s no chance there. When Sammy’s friend, Steven, makes increasingly more demanding moves on him, Aidan finally gives Steven a chance. Things are great until Steven makes their courtship public causing a lot of anger and hatred towards gay students to the point of violence. Steven’s fallen for Aidan and Aidan is quickly falling for Steven but when Sammy’s jealousy gets in the way, Aidan won’t put up with it especially since Sammy’s not gay. But when Aidan tells Sammy to prove he’s a better match than Steven, will Sammy be able to accept all it means to be Aidan’s lover? Or will he be too scared to actually own up to his feelings?
I gotta say, this was quite a ride. I started it late in the afternoon one day and then just could not put it down, reading until three or four in the morning. It’s a very entertaining, sweet and enjoyable read. It explores a lot of what Aidan goes through on a daily basis. The stares, snickers, leers that he has to put up with for being who he is. A lot of it is based around Aidan’s love life. Steven’s courtship of him and then Sammy’s demanding and possessive attitude toward him. Two alpha males fighting over one lonely, sweet but confident man. At times, it doesn’t feel very realistic. After all, two jocks (one who’s straight and one who’s closeted) fighting over a literature geek after all this time BUT then again, it didn’t really matter to me. I like this author’s writing and she spun a tale that really grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go.
As I said, Aidan is a very quirky guy. He wears a very sophisticated style of clothing so around college kids, he really stands out. He doesn’t really fit in to any crowd or clique but he’s managed to become friends with very different people to the point that they’re loyal to him and care about him. His inner voice is slightly whiny but also very entertaining. It was sad the way he’d pine over Sammy even when Steven in all his glory was willing to give him everything. Steven is… well.. perfect. I loved him. I was sad for him. He falls hard and he loves hard but he’s such a romantic I just wanted to steal him for myself. Sammy is the opposite of Steven. Where Steven is sweet, gentle and loving, Sammy is more demanding, possessive and rough. It was quite a contrast but, then again, the differences made it worth Aidan’s struggle with his feelings for the two.
I won’t lie and say this book doesn’t have it’s faults. My main issue was that there was too much sex for my tastes. More than that, I felt the emotional and physical connection between Aidan and Steven was more intense than the connection between Aidan and Sammy. Up until the last chapter, Sammy and Aidan’s relationship felt purely physical. There’s a lot of lust but I didn’t FEEL the emotional bond between them that they seemed to have. Not the way I could feel it between Aidan and Steven, at least. Beyond that, there are moments within this book that felt like cheating (although I know most people won’t think of it as such) that I wasn’t comfortable with.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I normally don’t like love triangles but this one intrigued me and I’m glad I read it. It’s been a while since I’ve been kept up reading a book and while this book isn’t perfect, it was still something I really liked. The characters have enough depth that I could understand their feelings and this story covers a lot of school issues such as bullying, gay bashing and a school’s inability to take corrective action. For those looking for something long but engaging, try this one out because you just might like it ;)
Aidan Flemming is an out and proud, quirky college student. He hasn’t had the easiest life but he’s at least content with where he is now. The only problem is, the one person who would make his life perfect and happy is his roommate, Sammy, who’s straight. Aidan can’t help yearning for Sammy, though, even when he knows there’s no chance there. When Sammy’s friend, Steven, makes increasingly more demanding moves on him, Aidan finally gives Steven a chance. Things are great until Steven makes their courtship public causing a lot of anger and hatred towards gay students to the point of violence. Steven’s fallen for Aidan and Aidan is quickly falling for Steven but when Sammy’s jealousy gets in the way, Aidan won’t put up with it especially since Sammy’s not gay. But when Aidan tells Sammy to prove he’s a better match than Steven, will Sammy be able to accept all it means to be Aidan’s lover? Or will he be too scared to actually own up to his feelings?
I gotta say, this was quite a ride. I started it late in the afternoon one day and then just could not put it down, reading until three or four in the morning. It’s a very entertaining, sweet and enjoyable read. It explores a lot of what Aidan goes through on a daily basis. The stares, snickers, leers that he has to put up with for being who he is. A lot of it is based around Aidan’s love life. Steven’s courtship of him and then Sammy’s demanding and possessive attitude toward him. Two alpha males fighting over one lonely, sweet but confident man. At times, it doesn’t feel very realistic. After all, two jocks (one who’s straight and one who’s closeted) fighting over a literature geek after all this time BUT then again, it didn’t really matter to me. I like this author’s writing and she spun a tale that really grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go.
As I said, Aidan is a very quirky guy. He wears a very sophisticated style of clothing so around college kids, he really stands out. He doesn’t really fit in to any crowd or clique but he’s managed to become friends with very different people to the point that they’re loyal to him and care about him. His inner voice is slightly whiny but also very entertaining. It was sad the way he’d pine over Sammy even when Steven in all his glory was willing to give him everything. Steven is… well.. perfect. I loved him. I was sad for him. He falls hard and he loves hard but he’s such a romantic I just wanted to steal him for myself. Sammy is the opposite of Steven. Where Steven is sweet, gentle and loving, Sammy is more demanding, possessive and rough. It was quite a contrast but, then again, the differences made it worth Aidan’s struggle with his feelings for the two.
I won’t lie and say this book doesn’t have it’s faults. My main issue was that there was too much sex for my tastes. More than that, I felt the emotional and physical connection between Aidan and Steven was more intense than the connection between Aidan and Sammy. Up until the last chapter, Sammy and Aidan’s relationship felt purely physical. There’s a lot of lust but I didn’t FEEL the emotional bond between them that they seemed to have. Not the way I could feel it between Aidan and Steven, at least. Beyond that, there are moments within this book that felt like cheating (although I know most people won’t think of it as such) that I wasn’t comfortable with.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I normally don’t like love triangles but this one intrigued me and I’m glad I read it. It’s been a while since I’ve been kept up reading a book and while this book isn’t perfect, it was still something I really liked. The characters have enough depth that I could understand their feelings and this story covers a lot of school issues such as bullying, gay bashing and a school’s inability to take corrective action. For those looking for something long but engaging, try this one out because you just might like it ;)
August 11, 2013
Aidan Flemming is out and proud. The strange looks he gets or more due to his attire than his sexual persuasion. Waistcoats, pirate shirts, rose colored glasses all donned with his favorite top hat are his daily attire. His flamboyance brought trouble on his first day of college when he was cornered by some homophobic jocks, but his roommate Sammy quickly shut them down. Unrequited love is a bitch, and Aidan is no stranger to this concept. So when one of Sammy’s rowing partners shows a romantic interest in him, Aidan is certain the guy is just a tease.
Steven starts out bi-curious, but the more time he spends with Aidan, the more attracted to him he becomes. Aidan loves Sammy and everyone knows it, including Steven. All Steven wants is a chance to be with Aidan, even if it’s not long term he just wants Aidan to give him right now. So he does, and they just might be happy together. Aidan soon finds out that nothing starts the heart more than a little stiff competition, and Sammy definitely see’s Steven as competition! Now the boy that wouldn’t be loved is loved by two decidedly different men.
Steven is tall and lean with blonde hair and blue eyes. The more he opens up the more he realizes he’s always been attracted to men. He quickly falls in love with Aidan’s eccentricity, personality and independence. Sammy is tall, dark and straight. The object of Aidan’s secret desires with his muscled ebony physique and blinding white smile. Steven makes Aidan feel alive, but he can’t seem to let go of his underlying love for Sammy. So Aidan is left to make a choice. The man who admittedly loves him, or the man he’s always loved.
I loved the individuality that was written into the three main characters in this book. The storyline was based in reality and even the secondary characters had depth. There was that added element of mystery, first with whom Aidan would choose, then with Sammy’s psychotic ex attempting to exact her revenge. This is the first gay love triangle I’ve read and really enjoyed the way the interaction between the various characters played out, and the romance element was fantastic.
I almost didn’t read this book as I’ve read another of Doyon’s books previously and I wasn’t impressed. But the cover intrigued me and I had to know the story of the two men that graced it. I definitely made the right decision, I devoured this book in one setting, I couldn’t stop once I started, I had to know what would become of young Aidan. There were also a couple of ‘oh my god’ moments with this book that surprised me, and I do like surprises. This is a must read for fans of the genre as well as lovers of romance, mystery, and some HOT guy on guy action. Well written story, a couple HEA and not one, not two, but three hot ass men that keep tripping over each other and falling into bed. What’s not to love?!
Steven starts out bi-curious, but the more time he spends with Aidan, the more attracted to him he becomes. Aidan loves Sammy and everyone knows it, including Steven. All Steven wants is a chance to be with Aidan, even if it’s not long term he just wants Aidan to give him right now. So he does, and they just might be happy together. Aidan soon finds out that nothing starts the heart more than a little stiff competition, and Sammy definitely see’s Steven as competition! Now the boy that wouldn’t be loved is loved by two decidedly different men.
Steven is tall and lean with blonde hair and blue eyes. The more he opens up the more he realizes he’s always been attracted to men. He quickly falls in love with Aidan’s eccentricity, personality and independence. Sammy is tall, dark and straight. The object of Aidan’s secret desires with his muscled ebony physique and blinding white smile. Steven makes Aidan feel alive, but he can’t seem to let go of his underlying love for Sammy. So Aidan is left to make a choice. The man who admittedly loves him, or the man he’s always loved.
I loved the individuality that was written into the three main characters in this book. The storyline was based in reality and even the secondary characters had depth. There was that added element of mystery, first with whom Aidan would choose, then with Sammy’s psychotic ex attempting to exact her revenge. This is the first gay love triangle I’ve read and really enjoyed the way the interaction between the various characters played out, and the romance element was fantastic.
I almost didn’t read this book as I’ve read another of Doyon’s books previously and I wasn’t impressed. But the cover intrigued me and I had to know the story of the two men that graced it. I definitely made the right decision, I devoured this book in one setting, I couldn’t stop once I started, I had to know what would become of young Aidan. There were also a couple of ‘oh my god’ moments with this book that surprised me, and I do like surprises. This is a must read for fans of the genre as well as lovers of romance, mystery, and some HOT guy on guy action. Well written story, a couple HEA and not one, not two, but three hot ass men that keep tripping over each other and falling into bed. What’s not to love?!
November 10, 2014
As young as he is, Aiden Flemming knows what love and pain really are. He has felt enough of both to be absolutely sure what is in his heart and what it could cost him. No matter how much he likes to party and hang with his crew, Samuel Riley lets nothing get in the way of what he cares about. His roommate is someone he will protect at any cost; the reasons for which he tries not to think about too deeply. It is not easy being an obviously gay man on a college campus full of jocks and sorority sisters, but hiding who he is, is not Aiden's way. Loving his roommate Sammy, however, is something Aiden definitely keeps to himself, even though it is tearing him apart. Aiden eventually tries to divert his attention to someone else, which ends up being the worst and best thing that he could do. The campus is in an uproar with Aiden at the center of the chaos, yet through it all he holds on to the hope that he could possibly have a chance with the man of his dreams. It is sickeningly scary how often young men like Aiden are threatened, humiliated, and abused just for the simple fact that they live and love unconventionally. Although this story is fictional, and Aiden more than capable of defending himself, it brings to life just how terrifying something as simple as love can be. Sammy, who is Aiden's opposite in so many ways, is truly a gentleman when it really counts. Love is a beautiful thing and this story has such a range of emotion and action it is nearly impossible to stop reading. Lototy Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More - See more at: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Book...
September 21, 2013
Reviewed on Hearts on Fire
2.5 Stars On the one hand this is a somewhat entertaining little melodrama, at least for the first seventy five percent of this story. But on the other, I found most of it totally ludicrous. We start with the unbelievable premise that a young flaming gay college student named Aidan has gotten the attention of not just one straight jock but two of them, both on the rowing team and that they end up fighting over him.
One of the straight jocks is Sammy, who is presented as an African American heartthrob who has the girls falling over themselves to get to him. He has a revolving door of sex with women to the point that Aidan often has to find other sleeping accommodations. The other man is Steven, an equally muscle bound blue eyed blonde who was dating Aidan’s good friend Sarah.
Triangles require some balancing act to avoid having the main character come across as a douche. Well mission not accomplished as I sometimes found it hard to love Aidan or the other guys. I was also totally perplexed that Aidan eventually picked the cardboard cutout character over the more fully developed one.
But first Aidan gets a chance to try them both out. Steven is the first to fall for Aidan’s charms. When their courtship gets going, the second guy Sammy starts feeling jealous and possessive, even though he has a girlfriend Carolyn. By the way, Carolyn with her crazy, psychotic rages, is one of the more annoying female characters to be found in a gay storyline.
When we’re not dealing with Aidan’s triangle, the book takes a turn to homophobia and gay bashing on campus. This college is so populated with evil assholes, including the Dean and food throwing sorority girls, that you start to wonder if this isn’t some campus from hell.
I just couldn’t get into the clichéd characters and some of the dialogue was laughable. Be prepared for the over use of the word baby (147 times) and just a lot of over talking about the relationship. You also have things like a random straight jock who demands to know from Aidan why he’s choosing one guy over the other. Or you have Carolyn engaging in a repetitive screaming match over Aidan stealing her roommate’s boyfriend. There was just too many busy bodies getting involved in the intimate details of Aidan’s sex life.
Carolyn at one point accuses Aidan of being a predatory gay, and as nutty as she is, she actually has a point. Aidan does seem to turn all the straight boys gay and the women in these guys lives are treated as after thoughts. I think if you’re already hesitant about gay for you storylines then this story certainly wouldn’t convince you of its merits.
In the end, lots of these little things, including Aidan choosing the wrong guy, just started to dim the entertainment value of this story. The characters never felt real to me and there was just one too many vile, homophobic incidents. The sometimes porny sex scenes with lots of dialogue didn’t help. I was initially amused by this story but I struggled to finish it by the end. I’d say look elsewhere for your love triangle fix.
2.5 Stars On the one hand this is a somewhat entertaining little melodrama, at least for the first seventy five percent of this story. But on the other, I found most of it totally ludicrous. We start with the unbelievable premise that a young flaming gay college student named Aidan has gotten the attention of not just one straight jock but two of them, both on the rowing team and that they end up fighting over him.
One of the straight jocks is Sammy, who is presented as an African American heartthrob who has the girls falling over themselves to get to him. He has a revolving door of sex with women to the point that Aidan often has to find other sleeping accommodations. The other man is Steven, an equally muscle bound blue eyed blonde who was dating Aidan’s good friend Sarah.
Triangles require some balancing act to avoid having the main character come across as a douche. Well mission not accomplished as I sometimes found it hard to love Aidan or the other guys. I was also totally perplexed that Aidan eventually picked the cardboard cutout character over the more fully developed one.
But first Aidan gets a chance to try them both out. Steven is the first to fall for Aidan’s charms. When their courtship gets going, the second guy Sammy starts feeling jealous and possessive, even though he has a girlfriend Carolyn. By the way, Carolyn with her crazy, psychotic rages, is one of the more annoying female characters to be found in a gay storyline.
When we’re not dealing with Aidan’s triangle, the book takes a turn to homophobia and gay bashing on campus. This college is so populated with evil assholes, including the Dean and food throwing sorority girls, that you start to wonder if this isn’t some campus from hell.
I just couldn’t get into the clichéd characters and some of the dialogue was laughable. Be prepared for the over use of the word baby (147 times) and just a lot of over talking about the relationship. You also have things like a random straight jock who demands to know from Aidan why he’s choosing one guy over the other. Or you have Carolyn engaging in a repetitive screaming match over Aidan stealing her roommate’s boyfriend. There was just too many busy bodies getting involved in the intimate details of Aidan’s sex life.
Carolyn at one point accuses Aidan of being a predatory gay, and as nutty as she is, she actually has a point. Aidan does seem to turn all the straight boys gay and the women in these guys lives are treated as after thoughts. I think if you’re already hesitant about gay for you storylines then this story certainly wouldn’t convince you of its merits.
In the end, lots of these little things, including Aidan choosing the wrong guy, just started to dim the entertainment value of this story. The characters never felt real to me and there was just one too many vile, homophobic incidents. The sometimes porny sex scenes with lots of dialogue didn’t help. I was initially amused by this story but I struggled to finish it by the end. I’d say look elsewhere for your love triangle fix.
August 24, 2013
Please leave comments on Pattycake's 5 sweet pea and Recommended Book review at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
Ashavan Doyon has written a very powerful and emotionally charged story. Loving Aidan shows the intolerance, hatred, and downright violence that LGBT people unfortunately have to deal with on a daily basis. The blurb's accurate description of the story is like the very tip of an iceberg-there is so much more to the story that what you see on the surface. There isn't a t hing that I can add that won't be a spoiler, and you need to read it for yourself to really appreciate it.
This is a very moving and powerful character-driven story that pulls you in from the beginning, moves you along with a smooth plot flow, and doesn't let you go until long after the story is over. The backstory is very informative, and lays a solid foundation for the storyline. The men are hot, the passion is hotter, and the sex is downright intense! The characters are very solid,strong,and three dimensional. The obstacles, pain, despair, heartbreak, fear, and the emotional and physical attacks against Aidan, Sammy, and Michael made me want to give them a hug, protect them from the world, and jackslap all the idiots who caused them such grief! The loyalty, strength, hope, integrity, and love the MCs display in such trying circumstances shows just how much they grow in maturity.
The author's writing style is brutally honest, gritty, clear, and concise. The author's upclose, personal, and unfortunately all-too-real depiction of the hostility, hate, bullying, and actual physical attacks suffered by the LGBT community displays a well researched and heartbreaking accurate picture of how so-called "normal" society responds to anyone that they deem different. I really love how the author takes an all too common problem and brings it to unique, original, heartbreaking, but ultimately hopefull life. The story does have a HEA ending in spite of all the obstacles against it. I really enjoyed reading this book and would happily recommend it to everyone!
Ashavan Doyon has written a very powerful and emotionally charged story. Loving Aidan shows the intolerance, hatred, and downright violence that LGBT people unfortunately have to deal with on a daily basis. The blurb's accurate description of the story is like the very tip of an iceberg-there is so much more to the story that what you see on the surface. There isn't a t hing that I can add that won't be a spoiler, and you need to read it for yourself to really appreciate it.
This is a very moving and powerful character-driven story that pulls you in from the beginning, moves you along with a smooth plot flow, and doesn't let you go until long after the story is over. The backstory is very informative, and lays a solid foundation for the storyline. The men are hot, the passion is hotter, and the sex is downright intense! The characters are very solid,strong,and three dimensional. The obstacles, pain, despair, heartbreak, fear, and the emotional and physical attacks against Aidan, Sammy, and Michael made me want to give them a hug, protect them from the world, and jackslap all the idiots who caused them such grief! The loyalty, strength, hope, integrity, and love the MCs display in such trying circumstances shows just how much they grow in maturity.
The author's writing style is brutally honest, gritty, clear, and concise. The author's upclose, personal, and unfortunately all-too-real depiction of the hostility, hate, bullying, and actual physical attacks suffered by the LGBT community displays a well researched and heartbreaking accurate picture of how so-called "normal" society responds to anyone that they deem different. I really love how the author takes an all too common problem and brings it to unique, original, heartbreaking, but ultimately hopefull life. The story does have a HEA ending in spite of all the obstacles against it. I really enjoyed reading this book and would happily recommend it to everyone!
August 11, 2013
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.
You can read the rest of Jackie's review at The Novel Approach
I highly recommend this book, but beware it isn’t all sunshine and roses. However, there is a wonderful HEA.
You can read the rest of Jackie's review at The Novel Approach
August 8, 2013
It's an odd feeling, disliking a MC as much as I did here (and disliking the main pairing) but still liking the story. I was rooting for Gary StuAidan/Steven, tbh. They had chemistry and an emotional connection, whereas I felt as though Sammy was more possessive (Someone else is playing with my toys and even though I didn't want it, I don't want anyone else to get pleasure from it either! *foot stomp*) and lustful than in love.
Not a bad story overall, though.
Not a bad story overall, though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2013
Team Steve,hated Sammy
August 13, 2013
I like the plot in the beginning, which centered around the love triangle involving Aidan, Sammy and Steven. This gay love triangle was pretty well done, considering this genre, as Aidan's ultimate choice was not obvious. The gay bashing, Aidan's backgound, one jilted lover's vengeful deeds also added to the plot and there were parts where I could not stop reading. But the sex scenes did get to be too many, most "sounding like bad_porns". I like Aidan's flamboyance and his out and proud attitude but his desire to be owned by Sammy was rather silly. Gentle Steven was surprisingly well developed and a very likable character. However Sammy's character was a disappointment as he came across the stereotype he-man. Steven certainly expressed his love for Aidan convincingly but all I got from Sammy was the constant "baby..you are mine.." thing. Maybe the writer finds that erotic but this caveman thing came across tiring especially expressed continuously during the too many sex scenes. I did enjoy the plot but wished the writer has invested more emotional connection between Aidan and Sammy to justify the really nice cover!
February 22, 2014
another very rare DNF for me. I cannot for the life of me figure out how this book got any 5 star reviews. I don't wish to be unkind, but it was terribly written, it seemed by someone very young, and the main characters were completely unlikable. I persevered until half way through because I hate to give up but I just couldnt finish it :(
August 25, 2013
A GOOD STORY I ENJOYED IT. A MUST READ
Want to read
December 14, 2014Free all day @ Torquere - 12/14
http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.ph...
http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.ph...
April 5, 2015
Kenna's Thoughts
I'm just going to say, right off the back, that "Loving Aidan" is an extremely well written book with strong attention to detail that will immerse you into the story. In fact, it sucks you in...and sucks you under...and doesn't let go until the final sentence. Ashavan Doyon is gifted with the written world.
A little rundown here. Aidan is a gay college student who is in love with his straight roommate. They're friends, but it really hurts him that Sammy is bring woman after woman to their room for sex, while he as to spend all night in the all night diner down the street doing his classwork on his laptop. Meanwhile, a teammate of Sammy's, Steven, takes an interest in Aidan. It begins with teasing (because for all intents and purposes, Steven is straight as well, even dating a good friend of Aidan's), but eventually moves into a full fledged relationship. Steven knows that Aidan loves Sammy, and is even ok with it. That is my first problem with the story. Steven tells Aidan that, if the chance to be with Sammy pops up for him, then he should take that chance, even though it would break his heart. WHAT?? No way, Jose! If you're with me, you're with me. Especially if I'm in love with you!
Eventually, the chance DOES present itself. Sammy is suddenly very jealous of Steven, and after witnessing (unbeknownst to Aiden and Steven) an intimate moment, goes caveman and declares that Aiden should be HIS...even though he's got a crazy and insanely jealous b***h of a girlfriend. He says that he wants to break up with said b***h and be with Aidan, and that he MUST break it off completely with Steven, which Aidan does. Ok, by this time, I'm hating every single character in the story but poor Steven. Poor, sensitive, deeply in love Steven. I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to hate the "hero" of the story, and I was getting very upset. It all felt like cheating to me, and I was literally sweating as I read, and I had to keep taking breaks because I was ANGRY. There were several times where I just wanted to put it down and walk away, but I had committed to reading it and reviewing it, I pressed on. I had read several reviews from other people, and there were complaints about there being too much sex. Well, there is a LOT of sex here. I enjoy plentiful sex scenes in my books, and I have to say, every single one of these were extremely hot. I didn't consider them to be too much, but I can see where someone else would. To each his own there. I just really dig the sex ;-)
Underneath the love triangle, there is a separate story. On campus, there is a very anti-gay movement. There is violence, and it lands Aidan's ex in the hospital in serious condition. Aidan and Steven have to endure it, but THEY could at least fight back. Also, there are some pretty mean sorority girls who are pretty pissed off about their boyfriends dumping them for Aidan, and they enlist the help of their fellow sisters and THEIR boyfriends...mostly from the football team. More violence ensues putting Sammy and Aidan in the hospital as well. This story could be a book unto itself, and I think it would be a great one. It's timely. It's interesting. It's real, and it's worth reading. I would have been pretty happy with that if I didn't have the love triangle distracting me...and frustrating me.
I won't give away the ending. In fact, I think I said too much already. I just wanted to make sure that you get the full idea of what goes on in the book. I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't read it, simply because it upset me. As I said in the first paragraph, "Loving Aidan" is beautifully written. The characters are well developed, and the story flows. I actually wish I could give two reviews...one for writing style and one for the story. Personal tastes are personal tastes. If you're angst is your thing, you'll absolutely LOVE this. if you're into heartwrenching love triangles, this is the book for you. If you like very steamy (actually nuclear) male/male sex scenes you'll get a charge out of it. Unfortunately, even all that amazing sex couldn't make me like this book enough to go above three stars.
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.
I'm just going to say, right off the back, that "Loving Aidan" is an extremely well written book with strong attention to detail that will immerse you into the story. In fact, it sucks you in...and sucks you under...and doesn't let go until the final sentence. Ashavan Doyon is gifted with the written world.
A little rundown here. Aidan is a gay college student who is in love with his straight roommate. They're friends, but it really hurts him that Sammy is bring woman after woman to their room for sex, while he as to spend all night in the all night diner down the street doing his classwork on his laptop. Meanwhile, a teammate of Sammy's, Steven, takes an interest in Aidan. It begins with teasing (because for all intents and purposes, Steven is straight as well, even dating a good friend of Aidan's), but eventually moves into a full fledged relationship. Steven knows that Aidan loves Sammy, and is even ok with it. That is my first problem with the story. Steven tells Aidan that, if the chance to be with Sammy pops up for him, then he should take that chance, even though it would break his heart. WHAT?? No way, Jose! If you're with me, you're with me. Especially if I'm in love with you!
Eventually, the chance DOES present itself. Sammy is suddenly very jealous of Steven, and after witnessing (unbeknownst to Aiden and Steven) an intimate moment, goes caveman and declares that Aiden should be HIS...even though he's got a crazy and insanely jealous b***h of a girlfriend. He says that he wants to break up with said b***h and be with Aidan, and that he MUST break it off completely with Steven, which Aidan does. Ok, by this time, I'm hating every single character in the story but poor Steven. Poor, sensitive, deeply in love Steven. I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to hate the "hero" of the story, and I was getting very upset. It all felt like cheating to me, and I was literally sweating as I read, and I had to keep taking breaks because I was ANGRY. There were several times where I just wanted to put it down and walk away, but I had committed to reading it and reviewing it, I pressed on. I had read several reviews from other people, and there were complaints about there being too much sex. Well, there is a LOT of sex here. I enjoy plentiful sex scenes in my books, and I have to say, every single one of these were extremely hot. I didn't consider them to be too much, but I can see where someone else would. To each his own there. I just really dig the sex ;-)
Underneath the love triangle, there is a separate story. On campus, there is a very anti-gay movement. There is violence, and it lands Aidan's ex in the hospital in serious condition. Aidan and Steven have to endure it, but THEY could at least fight back. Also, there are some pretty mean sorority girls who are pretty pissed off about their boyfriends dumping them for Aidan, and they enlist the help of their fellow sisters and THEIR boyfriends...mostly from the football team. More violence ensues putting Sammy and Aidan in the hospital as well. This story could be a book unto itself, and I think it would be a great one. It's timely. It's interesting. It's real, and it's worth reading. I would have been pretty happy with that if I didn't have the love triangle distracting me...and frustrating me.
I won't give away the ending. In fact, I think I said too much already. I just wanted to make sure that you get the full idea of what goes on in the book. I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't read it, simply because it upset me. As I said in the first paragraph, "Loving Aidan" is beautifully written. The characters are well developed, and the story flows. I actually wish I could give two reviews...one for writing style and one for the story. Personal tastes are personal tastes. If you're angst is your thing, you'll absolutely LOVE this. if you're into heartwrenching love triangles, this is the book for you. If you like very steamy (actually nuclear) male/male sex scenes you'll get a charge out of it. Unfortunately, even all that amazing sex couldn't make me like this book enough to go above three stars.
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.
December 12, 2014
I was really liking the book until about the halfway point...right about when Aidan made it obvious that he was not going to let the idea of getting with Sammy go despite the fact that Steven was loving, sweet, and treated Aidan like a prince. I was confused about what exactly made Sammy such a wonderful person that Aidan was in love with him. All that Aidan kept mentioning in the book was his large penis, the contrast between his white skin and Sammy's black skin, and the way that Sammy had been protective of him ONCE when he first met him. Okay? Is that it? Cause Steven and Aidan had a lot in common and Aidan mentioned a lot more tangible things that he liked about Steven in the book. I read it to the end, skimmed the last half really, and I still am confused about why Aidan was so determined to be with Sammy.
November 25, 2016
I think I might be the only one that doesn't like the ending of this book.. Actually, it started to annoy me from like the half of the book.. I have to say that I really don't like Sammy. It's true that he started to redeem himself in my eyes but still, I don't like that he got Aidan at the end... This was again one of those books in which one of the main characters doesn't realise that he wants the other protagonist only after someone else wanted him ( in this case Steven wanted Aidan). Personally, I loved Steven and it broke my heart when Aidan chose Sammy. But, well, what can you do?
I loved the writing and I think this book deserves to be read, even though I didn't like the shipping.
Overall, I gave it 3.5 stars
I loved the writing and I think this book deserves to be read, even though I didn't like the shipping.
Overall, I gave it 3.5 stars
July 25, 2016
2.5 stars mainly because the writing was okay and the story moved along quickly in most places.
This did not work for me. I often found myself squirming in discomfort over many of the attitudes displayed in the book. I didn't much care for Aidan, I felt horrible for Steven, and Sammy just didn't make sense to me.
This did not work for me. I often found myself squirming in discomfort over many of the attitudes displayed in the book. I didn't much care for Aidan, I felt horrible for Steven, and Sammy just didn't make sense to me.
lurking-in-kindleland
December 14, 2014Torquere 12 days of Christmas freebie 14.12.14
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews