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Rule of Thirds
Hope. Love. A reason to live.
When Jason Diovardi, military elite, is removed from active duty after failing too many psych evals, he has only one goal in mind: get back into the field. It’s all he knows and all he thinks he’s good for, which is why he grudgingly accepts two live-in AI Companions to help him begin to recover from his severe PTSD. Chase and Shade are a matched pair, and Jason hopes they’ll keep each other distracted enough to leave him alone so he can go through the motions and be cleared for fieldwork.
Jason doesn’t expect to actually get better, and the progress he makes with his patient and caring Companions sneaks up on him—and so do unexpected feelings between the three of them. Now, Jason might even be able to admit to being happy.
But has he healed enough to allow himself to accept what Chase and Shade are offering?
When Jason Diovardi, military elite, is removed from active duty after failing too many psych evals, he has only one goal in mind: get back into the field. It’s all he knows and all he thinks he’s good for, which is why he grudgingly accepts two live-in AI Companions to help him begin to recover from his severe PTSD. Chase and Shade are a matched pair, and Jason hopes they’ll keep each other distracted enough to leave him alone so he can go through the motions and be cleared for fieldwork.
Jason doesn’t expect to actually get better, and the progress he makes with his patient and caring Companions sneaks up on him—and so do unexpected feelings between the three of them. Now, Jason might even be able to admit to being happy.
But has he healed enough to allow himself to accept what Chase and Shade are offering?
154 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2018
10 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Aidan Wayne
12 books77 followersAidan Wayne has been publishing LGBTQ+ fiction since 2016. While they usually stick with contemporary romance (both adult and YA), some soft sci-fi/fantasy has been known to sneak in as well. They primarily write character-driven stories with happy endings, because, dammit, queer people deserve happy endings too.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 10, 2021
I really liked this story. I have a thing for robot and android themes, so this one fed my 'special interest' perfectly.
I will admit it was a bit boring in parts and the conversation largely consisted of "I'm so sorry" & "It's alright, you're fine", but other than that it was a beautiful story that had me feel safe and secure right alongside these characters. It literally oozed comfort :-)
Jason is a heavily traumatized... undercover agent? I wasn't quite sure what EXACTLY his job was, to be honest.
In any case, he suffers from severe PTSD and his agency requires him to work with a live-in councillor who gets him ready for his next mission (or rather, who picks him up and literally glues him back together in order to function).
Oh, I should mention that this is a sci fi setting where robots are humanoid and lifelike and have reached a level of awareness that makes them equal to humans, even from a legal perspective.
Jason knows he must comply with his employer's request, but he isn't convinced that he can be helped. So he's got this outragous idea to hire on a councilor (robot) who is partnered up with another robot.
He thinks that living with a couple would mean that the two would be invested in each other and would leave him alone most of the time.
Of course, Chase being an excellent companion robot who loves to cook and his boyfriend Shade being an equally traumatized abused robot who can relate to Jason's fears, the two are PERFECTLY suited to reach inside Jason's core and make him feel safe and loved.
Yes, this is a M/M/M story with two robots and a human. How awesome is that :-))
Sadly the sex is basically non-existent due to the severe trauma that these guys are dealing with here, so they have literally other things on their minds, but I found the story wonderfully healing and relaxing.
One star needs to go for the slow parts where absolutely nothing happened, but all in all, a great story that I liked very much!
4 stars!
I will admit it was a bit boring in parts and the conversation largely consisted of "I'm so sorry" & "It's alright, you're fine", but other than that it was a beautiful story that had me feel safe and secure right alongside these characters. It literally oozed comfort :-)
Jason is a heavily traumatized... undercover agent? I wasn't quite sure what EXACTLY his job was, to be honest.
In any case, he suffers from severe PTSD and his agency requires him to work with a live-in councillor who gets him ready for his next mission (or rather, who picks him up and literally glues him back together in order to function).
Oh, I should mention that this is a sci fi setting where robots are humanoid and lifelike and have reached a level of awareness that makes them equal to humans, even from a legal perspective.
Jason knows he must comply with his employer's request, but he isn't convinced that he can be helped. So he's got this outragous idea to hire on a councilor (robot) who is partnered up with another robot.
He thinks that living with a couple would mean that the two would be invested in each other and would leave him alone most of the time.
Of course, Chase being an excellent companion robot who loves to cook and his boyfriend Shade being an equally traumatized abused robot who can relate to Jason's fears, the two are PERFECTLY suited to reach inside Jason's core and make him feel safe and loved.
Yes, this is a M/M/M story with two robots and a human. How awesome is that :-))
Sadly the sex is basically non-existent due to the severe trauma that these guys are dealing with here, so they have literally other things on their minds, but I found the story wonderfully healing and relaxing.
One star needs to go for the slow parts where absolutely nothing happened, but all in all, a great story that I liked very much!
4 stars!
June 18, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
I don’t normally read a lot of hurt/comfort stories, but I was drawn to this one because of the AI element and I am really glad I picked it up because I really enjoyed Rule of Thirds so much. Wayne has created a novel that is both moving and engaging, and I found myself unable to put it down. Two things really struck me as helping make this story work so well. First off, we get POVs from all three men. But more than that, we have the opportunity to really view and understand Jason through Shade and Chase’s eyes. They are both caretakers and they are committed to helping Jason recover. So their conversations and interactions provided some great insight into Jason and what he was dealing with and how he can be helped. The other thing that really enriched the story is Shade’s own past. He has different trauma than Jason, and he has come a long way, but he is still dealing with a lot of emotional issues and probably always will be. Not only does his experience give some perspective to the reader, but Shade is able to relate to Jason and understand him in a way that really provides Jason a lot of support.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
I don’t normally read a lot of hurt/comfort stories, but I was drawn to this one because of the AI element and I am really glad I picked it up because I really enjoyed Rule of Thirds so much. Wayne has created a novel that is both moving and engaging, and I found myself unable to put it down. Two things really struck me as helping make this story work so well. First off, we get POVs from all three men. But more than that, we have the opportunity to really view and understand Jason through Shade and Chase’s eyes. They are both caretakers and they are committed to helping Jason recover. So their conversations and interactions provided some great insight into Jason and what he was dealing with and how he can be helped. The other thing that really enriched the story is Shade’s own past. He has different trauma than Jason, and he has come a long way, but he is still dealing with a lot of emotional issues and probably always will be. Not only does his experience give some perspective to the reader, but Shade is able to relate to Jason and understand him in a way that really provides Jason a lot of support.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
April 17, 2018
2.5 Stars
First Off, HAPPY RELEASE DAY to this book!
This was an interesting book with an interesting premise. I thoroughly enjoyed the world building around A.I’s , their development, how they function and their rights. The writing was pretty good even though the pacing was much much much slower than I typically am comfortable with.
I liked how Chase and Shade helped Jason recover from his PTSD and how Jason in his own way also helped Shade open up more, and Chase calm down more overall.
However, though these 3 men had an undeniable connection, I didn’t believe in the “love” they shared so for me, this was more a sci-fi novel and less of a romance. And No, I’m not saying this because of the sparse sexy times, I say this because romance books evoke feelings within the reader towards the MCs , what they go through and for how they’d end up HEA. For me, none of that happened here and that’s why I don’t believe this was a romance book.
That doesn’t mean this was a bad book and since I ultimately enjoyed the reading experience as I mentioned earlier , I believe the rating I’ve given is well deserved.
***e-ARC Graciously Provided By Publisher In Exchange For An Honest, Unbiased Review ***
August 21, 2019
This was my first time reading this author. This was a good read. When Jason Diovardi removed from active duty after failing too many psych evals, he has only one goal in mind: get back into the field. It’s all he knows and all he thinks he’s good for, which is why he grudgingly accepts two live-in AI Companions to help him begin to recover from his severe PTSD. He is matched with Chase and Shade a couple, but Jason hoped that they will distract each other so they will leave him alone. This was a good read and sad I felt for Jason and the things that he was going through. Jason and Chase were kind and patient with Jason and he slowly begins to heal. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
June 19, 2019
3.5 “I can’t make up my mind how I feel about this” stars!!!
Well, I wanted something different and in this book I got it. I was sucked into this simple, quiet hurt/comfort focused story, set in a future where some robots have developed their own consciousness and 2 are chosen as companions for a military interrogation specialist suffering PTSD. For the first half I was thinking it was going to be a 5 star read. It was headed towards being a very untraditional romance and I was excited for that. The writing was good. The plot was more introspective and focused very much on the three men and their life inside Jason’s home. And I was very much hoping these men would get their HEA together.
But their relationship was glacial. And at first I didn’t mind. I enjoyed the daily getting to know each other stuff. There’s a lot of trauma here to get through and it felt very realistic. But then the ending came and it was so unsatisfying I felt nothing but disappointment. One paragraph cannot balance out all the angst a reader has to go through in this book to make it worthwhile. And that paragraph comes so out of the blue that I had to read it 3 times to understand what was happening. I think the characters deserved a few more chapters and a better, more satisfying conclusion.
Well, I wanted something different and in this book I got it. I was sucked into this simple, quiet hurt/comfort focused story, set in a future where some robots have developed their own consciousness and 2 are chosen as companions for a military interrogation specialist suffering PTSD. For the first half I was thinking it was going to be a 5 star read. It was headed towards being a very untraditional romance and I was excited for that. The writing was good. The plot was more introspective and focused very much on the three men and their life inside Jason’s home. And I was very much hoping these men would get their HEA together.
But their relationship was glacial. And at first I didn’t mind. I enjoyed the daily getting to know each other stuff. There’s a lot of trauma here to get through and it felt very realistic. But then the ending came and it was so unsatisfying I felt nothing but disappointment. One paragraph cannot balance out all the angst a reader has to go through in this book to make it worthwhile. And that paragraph comes so out of the blue that I had to read it 3 times to understand what was happening. I think the characters deserved a few more chapters and a better, more satisfying conclusion.
January 30, 2019
On the plus side, this was a v. fast read, the characters were likable, and it's a good novel to pick up if you like the hurt/comfort trope (with an emphasis on the comfort.) Also, I thought the depiction of characters recovering from trauma was quite realistic.
On the minus side, the worldbuilding was subpar and the slow burn to having all three characters together is practically glacial (you have to accept that the characters aren't going to be sexually intimate until close to the end of the novel.)
TL;DR: A novel with an interesting premise featuring a human/two androids romance that takes its sweet time to its happy ending. I was disappointed with how little worldbuilding there was in the story (given how long it was) when it came to anything other than robots or AIs. IF you're curious about this novel, I'd recommend reading it on KU vs. buying it.
On the minus side, the worldbuilding was subpar and the slow burn to having all three characters together is practically glacial (you have to accept that the characters aren't going to be sexually intimate until close to the end of the novel.)
TL;DR: A novel with an interesting premise featuring a human/two androids romance that takes its sweet time to its happy ending. I was disappointed with how little worldbuilding there was in the story (given how long it was) when it came to anything other than robots or AIs. IF you're curious about this novel, I'd recommend reading it on KU vs. buying it.
March 10, 2018
I don't know where to start with this one or what to say really other than, if you're looking for a hot menage, this isn't your book.
I've never read this author before but I absolutely will be keeping an eye out now because this book was stunning. A character-driven exploration of the terrors of PTSD and trauma, nothing cured by magic dick.
No one recovers, Jason and Shade (oh God, how much did I fall for Shade), still suffer trauma. They don't reach their best self, but they do become a better self.
The concept of AI becoming sentient independent beings is also superbly explored. Chase and Shade are not constructed AI, both had their awareness birthed through circumstance.
Shade has been badly treated, Chase is his rescuer, his love, his partner, together they offer companionship in the form of a home help essentially. Jason is so deeply traumatised he fears himself.
To watch these three begin to break barriers and for Jason to open up to touch and to emotion really was beautiful. Theirs is a long, slow, at times painful journey, but it's absolutely worth the pay off.
There's no steam in this and it totally works for the narrative. There is a lot of communication, a lot of learning to rely on others, an element of of assumed belief of what's going on off page between Shade and Chase, then later with Jason too.
There is, however, lots of love. It's shown in a myriad of ways, from Chase's baking, to Shade's loyalty and to the gentle kisses that start to bring Jason joy.
Imho there's been a lot of research into PTSD and the various ways it can manifest gone into this book. I believed in these guys and I loved reading their romance.
#ARC kindly provided by the publishers DSP Publications, in return for an honest and unbiased review.
I've never read this author before but I absolutely will be keeping an eye out now because this book was stunning. A character-driven exploration of the terrors of PTSD and trauma, nothing cured by magic dick.
No one recovers, Jason and Shade (oh God, how much did I fall for Shade), still suffer trauma. They don't reach their best self, but they do become a better self.
The concept of AI becoming sentient independent beings is also superbly explored. Chase and Shade are not constructed AI, both had their awareness birthed through circumstance.
Shade has been badly treated, Chase is his rescuer, his love, his partner, together they offer companionship in the form of a home help essentially. Jason is so deeply traumatised he fears himself.
To watch these three begin to break barriers and for Jason to open up to touch and to emotion really was beautiful. Theirs is a long, slow, at times painful journey, but it's absolutely worth the pay off.
There's no steam in this and it totally works for the narrative. There is a lot of communication, a lot of learning to rely on others, an element of of assumed belief of what's going on off page between Shade and Chase, then later with Jason too.
There is, however, lots of love. It's shown in a myriad of ways, from Chase's baking, to Shade's loyalty and to the gentle kisses that start to bring Jason joy.
Imho there's been a lot of research into PTSD and the various ways it can manifest gone into this book. I believed in these guys and I loved reading their romance.
#ARC kindly provided by the publishers DSP Publications, in return for an honest and unbiased review.
dnf-or-hated
March 20, 2018DNF 50% - No Rating.
There's a lot of good hurt/comfort here, and some nice world building, but it's just not resonating with me. Maybe it's my mood? I can see possibly coming back to it later.
There's a lot of good hurt/comfort here, and some nice world building, but it's just not resonating with me. Maybe it's my mood? I can see possibly coming back to it later.
May 28, 2018
Got sucked in by a great cover. That was probably the best part of the book and three days I won't get back :(
January 27, 2020
He knew he was a danger to others. That’s why he didn’t interact with others. But he’d try his best, if only so he could say he did. He just needed to get put on active duty again. A mission meant stress and pain and fear, but at least it also meant busy. Occupied. Useful.
It has been a while since I read a science-fiction story and it was really good to be back. If anything, the title alone lured me with a reminder of Isaac Asimov’s ‘I, Robot’, an old favorite. I was struck by the blurb, by the fact that Jason is in such mental and emotional agony that he needs a full-time, live-in Companion, and I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of artificial intelligence so I was supremely curious about the worldbuilding. In this world AIs, now classified as Acting Individuals, are no longer second-class citizens but have rights after years of fighting for them. They still don’t understand, or know exactly, what causes some bots to develop independent thought and personhood, but a lot of the AIs choose to help people especially within the human-AI relations sphere.
Chase and Shade are a matched Companion pair although Shade is currently off-duty with the AI delegate due to a previous human who messed with Shade’s constructs and he is still suffering trauma. Chase has extensive experience working with veterans with PTSD and both men know that Jason will be a challenge after simply observing him for an afternoon. Jason lives in fight-or-flight mode, he doesn’t sleep, he barely eats, and has such a touch aversion that he could potentially be very dangerous to anyone who might accidentally touch him. He has failed too many psych evaluations and his superiors determined that a Companion to help him work on his issues might be the only way to prevent Jason from imploding.
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
It has been a while since I read a science-fiction story and it was really good to be back. If anything, the title alone lured me with a reminder of Isaac Asimov’s ‘I, Robot’, an old favorite. I was struck by the blurb, by the fact that Jason is in such mental and emotional agony that he needs a full-time, live-in Companion, and I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of artificial intelligence so I was supremely curious about the worldbuilding. In this world AIs, now classified as Acting Individuals, are no longer second-class citizens but have rights after years of fighting for them. They still don’t understand, or know exactly, what causes some bots to develop independent thought and personhood, but a lot of the AIs choose to help people especially within the human-AI relations sphere.
Chase and Shade are a matched Companion pair although Shade is currently off-duty with the AI delegate due to a previous human who messed with Shade’s constructs and he is still suffering trauma. Chase has extensive experience working with veterans with PTSD and both men know that Jason will be a challenge after simply observing him for an afternoon. Jason lives in fight-or-flight mode, he doesn’t sleep, he barely eats, and has such a touch aversion that he could potentially be very dangerous to anyone who might accidentally touch him. He has failed too many psych evaluations and his superiors determined that a Companion to help him work on his issues might be the only way to prevent Jason from imploding.
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
April 25, 2018
Full review available at: https://optimumm.blog/2018/04/22/revi...
I loved Rule of Thirds by Aidan Wayne. This is the first time I have read a book by Aidan Wayne, but it won’t be the last. The author sucked me in with the blurb and the yummy cover, and the story didn’t disappoint. I was hooked from the first line and read the story straight through into the wee hours of the morning. The story is about Jason Diovardi who is a military elite that has been removed from active duty after failing too many psych evaluations. He has PTSD and part of his recovery is being assigned a live-in AI Companion. The only thing on Jason’s mind is to go through the motions and be cleared for fieldwork.
In this futuristic world, Artificial Intelligence has evolved into independent sentient beings, and a lot of them have been trained as live-in caregivers or special-needs assistance companions for people who have PTSD. For Jason, this means somebody that will help him with his touch aversion and lashing out at people and hurting them when he’s startled or having a flashback and also making him meals and making sure that he eats and goes to his appointments. During his appointment with the Delegate for the companions, Jason finds out that there is a bonded pair which matches his needs. Jason hopes that if he takes the matched pair that they’ll keep each other distracted enough to leave him alone so he can go through the motions and be cleared for fieldwork.
Chase and Shade are a bonded pair of Companions. However, during one of his companion assignments, Shade had gotten reprogrammed into thinking and acting like a loyal dog. Chase was his savior, and they ended up bonding over the incident and recovery. Shade will never be like he was before the tampering with his programming but Chase loves him for who he is now not who he used to be. With Shade’s enhanced abilities like hearing, sense of smell, and empathy, he is able to read Jason’s body language and feelings that he keeps hidden. Which really helps with his recovery. As they help Jason with his recovery and he starts to open up and work through his issues, Chase and Shade end up falling in love with Jason, and they want to propose a permanent human-android bond.
But as Jason gets better, he’s given more duties from his work like training recruits and getting them ready for fieldwork. Which puts him closer to his goal, going back into active duty. But now that he has two people that he cares about, he isn’t sure if risking his life again in active duty is what he wants to do anymore. Will he choose active duty or the loves of his life?
This story was a great look into the mind of a man who has PTSD. I liked getting to see how he sees himself and why he does some of the things that he does. I also loved Chase and Shade and how they didn’t pressure Jason to do anything but just became a part of Jason’s life and snuck into his heart. I hope that the author writes more books like this one. I would love for this to become a series.
***The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book ***
I loved Rule of Thirds by Aidan Wayne. This is the first time I have read a book by Aidan Wayne, but it won’t be the last. The author sucked me in with the blurb and the yummy cover, and the story didn’t disappoint. I was hooked from the first line and read the story straight through into the wee hours of the morning. The story is about Jason Diovardi who is a military elite that has been removed from active duty after failing too many psych evaluations. He has PTSD and part of his recovery is being assigned a live-in AI Companion. The only thing on Jason’s mind is to go through the motions and be cleared for fieldwork.
In this futuristic world, Artificial Intelligence has evolved into independent sentient beings, and a lot of them have been trained as live-in caregivers or special-needs assistance companions for people who have PTSD. For Jason, this means somebody that will help him with his touch aversion and lashing out at people and hurting them when he’s startled or having a flashback and also making him meals and making sure that he eats and goes to his appointments. During his appointment with the Delegate for the companions, Jason finds out that there is a bonded pair which matches his needs. Jason hopes that if he takes the matched pair that they’ll keep each other distracted enough to leave him alone so he can go through the motions and be cleared for fieldwork.
Chase and Shade are a bonded pair of Companions. However, during one of his companion assignments, Shade had gotten reprogrammed into thinking and acting like a loyal dog. Chase was his savior, and they ended up bonding over the incident and recovery. Shade will never be like he was before the tampering with his programming but Chase loves him for who he is now not who he used to be. With Shade’s enhanced abilities like hearing, sense of smell, and empathy, he is able to read Jason’s body language and feelings that he keeps hidden. Which really helps with his recovery. As they help Jason with his recovery and he starts to open up and work through his issues, Chase and Shade end up falling in love with Jason, and they want to propose a permanent human-android bond.
But as Jason gets better, he’s given more duties from his work like training recruits and getting them ready for fieldwork. Which puts him closer to his goal, going back into active duty. But now that he has two people that he cares about, he isn’t sure if risking his life again in active duty is what he wants to do anymore. Will he choose active duty or the loves of his life?
This story was a great look into the mind of a man who has PTSD. I liked getting to see how he sees himself and why he does some of the things that he does. I also loved Chase and Shade and how they didn’t pressure Jason to do anything but just became a part of Jason’s life and snuck into his heart. I hope that the author writes more books like this one. I would love for this to become a series.
***The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book ***
April 14, 2018
Jason’s last undercover mission went dreadfully awry and left him with physical and emotional scars. When told his job was at stake if he couldn’t get a handle on his issues with touching, inability to sleep, inability to function in public and more, he decides to enlist the aid of a AI - Acting Individuals – and hire a Companion to help him heal enough to pass his psych evals.
What we don’t find out is exactly what Jason did and for which government agency in this future society. We don’t find out why the French language is a trigger – we can infer - ¬but some elaboration on the background would have been appreciated.
I admit to not completely understanding why Shade did not get fixed/repaired. The dog modifications were forced upon him, I would think that removing the modifications or part of the modifications (such as the speech centers) would have been a given. Perhaps this was explained, and I just missed it? And I fully recognized that by keeping the impediments in, this provided a way for Shade and Jason to empathize and build a connection.
As someone who has read and watched scifi for decades, I struggled with Chase and Shade as AI’s. Yes, there was references to syncing through a link in their palms, not needing food for sustenance, fans whirring to keep them from overheating, heightened sense of hearing, and needing to recharge, but this was offset by what I felt were way too many human characteristics and human responses. The concept of “sleep” being first and foremost - Shade and Chase kept making references to needing sleep, but if you are an AI, a mechanical construct, that would be a moot point and thus the power packs. Why worry about sleep when Chase and Shade could alternate who is keeping watch on Jason and who’s recharging?
What I appreciated about this book is that this was not an “insta-fix” story, where someone has a debilitating disorder and there is only one person who can fix it (and it’s not a trained professional). Progress was slow(er) (yes, not real-time, it is a book after all). Jason had to work to heal himself. Chase and Shade provided the impetus, the nudges, and the safe environment. Since each situation with PTSD is different, I thought for this book the dynamics and pace worked well.
I also enjoyed watching Jason learn there is more to life than “the job”. How he gradually realized how much he was missing out on and that yes, he had other skill-sets he could utilize.
So a rather mixed review with aspects that I struggled with and aspects I enjoyed. This is a very “slow-burn” romance, but really, quite sweet. Interesting use of Companions to help with overcoming issues, but some of the AI aspects needed to be tightened up to emphasize the science fiction side. But all in all, solidly written and engaging.
Review is cross posted at Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
What we don’t find out is exactly what Jason did and for which government agency in this future society. We don’t find out why the French language is a trigger – we can infer - ¬but some elaboration on the background would have been appreciated.
I admit to not completely understanding why Shade did not get fixed/repaired. The dog modifications were forced upon him, I would think that removing the modifications or part of the modifications (such as the speech centers) would have been a given. Perhaps this was explained, and I just missed it? And I fully recognized that by keeping the impediments in, this provided a way for Shade and Jason to empathize and build a connection.
As someone who has read and watched scifi for decades, I struggled with Chase and Shade as AI’s. Yes, there was references to syncing through a link in their palms, not needing food for sustenance, fans whirring to keep them from overheating, heightened sense of hearing, and needing to recharge, but this was offset by what I felt were way too many human characteristics and human responses. The concept of “sleep” being first and foremost - Shade and Chase kept making references to needing sleep, but if you are an AI, a mechanical construct, that would be a moot point and thus the power packs. Why worry about sleep when Chase and Shade could alternate who is keeping watch on Jason and who’s recharging?
What I appreciated about this book is that this was not an “insta-fix” story, where someone has a debilitating disorder and there is only one person who can fix it (and it’s not a trained professional). Progress was slow(er) (yes, not real-time, it is a book after all). Jason had to work to heal himself. Chase and Shade provided the impetus, the nudges, and the safe environment. Since each situation with PTSD is different, I thought for this book the dynamics and pace worked well.
I also enjoyed watching Jason learn there is more to life than “the job”. How he gradually realized how much he was missing out on and that yes, he had other skill-sets he could utilize.
So a rather mixed review with aspects that I struggled with and aspects I enjoyed. This is a very “slow-burn” romance, but really, quite sweet. Interesting use of Companions to help with overcoming issues, but some of the AI aspects needed to be tightened up to emphasize the science fiction side. But all in all, solidly written and engaging.
Review is cross posted at Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
April 28, 2019
I read the first chapter as a sample a while ago, and thought the premise seemed interesting. (M/m romance between a human and an AI couple who move in with the human.)
Unfortunately, I don't think the book lived up to the promise. I found the pacing slow, and there is absolutely no conflict to move the plot along or to allow the characters to grow. I really think there needed to be SOMETHING - the plot is basically that the AI characters (Chase and Shade) move in with Jason and despite he immediately decides to trust them. We're told they all feel love and affection, and it's terribly sweet but I didn't really get the sense that enough had happened for them to reach that stage.
I did appreciate that the characters didn't suffer from Stupidity and Non-Communication For the Sake of THE PLOT and they talked and reacted rationally to things, but an external conflict (I love the "us against the world!" trope) would have worked wonderfully to help them gel as a throuple.
I also felt the rest of the worldbuilding was very thin - there wasn't really any reason why the AI characters needed to be AI; any differences or special abilities wasn't really utilised. The place of AI in society was discussed at the start of the book and didn't really contribute to the plot in any way. Jason's job is a cause for angst, but I wish it had somehow been more important to the plot.
I liked that it wasn't an all-sex-all-the-time romance, but I wish that sex had at least been talked about more (it seems like maybe Jason was demisexual? And Shade was asexual?). I love good kissing scenes in a book but there weren't a lot of these at all.
Overall, it's a comforting book. If you want a sweet hurt/comfort with lots of talking and no hiccups, it would fit the bill.
Unfortunately, I don't think the book lived up to the promise. I found the pacing slow, and there is absolutely no conflict to move the plot along or to allow the characters to grow. I really think there needed to be SOMETHING - the plot is basically that the AI characters (Chase and Shade) move in with Jason and despite he immediately decides to trust them. We're told they all feel love and affection, and it's terribly sweet but I didn't really get the sense that enough had happened for them to reach that stage.
I did appreciate that the characters didn't suffer from Stupidity and Non-Communication For the Sake of THE PLOT and they talked and reacted rationally to things, but an external conflict (I love the "us against the world!" trope) would have worked wonderfully to help them gel as a throuple.
I also felt the rest of the worldbuilding was very thin - there wasn't really any reason why the AI characters needed to be AI; any differences or special abilities wasn't really utilised. The place of AI in society was discussed at the start of the book and didn't really contribute to the plot in any way. Jason's job is a cause for angst, but I wish it had somehow been more important to the plot.
I liked that it wasn't an all-sex-all-the-time romance, but I wish that sex had at least been talked about more (it seems like maybe Jason was demisexual? And Shade was asexual?). I love good kissing scenes in a book but there weren't a lot of these at all.
Overall, it's a comforting book. If you want a sweet hurt/comfort with lots of talking and no hiccups, it would fit the bill.
April 12, 2018
This was a good read. I enjoyed his book. It is more of a science fiction read and maybe a more futuristic book. I enjoyed how Aidan made the characters not only human and human android also.
This book takes place in the future or at least I would believe that it did because of the human androids. Jason has a severe case of PTSD. He also has a severe sensitivity to touch. After coming back from his last mission as the only survivor, he has not been he same.
He is recommended to get a companion from AI Delegate to help with his PTSD and hopefully help him to be able to get back into the field again soon. That is how he meets Chase and Shade.
Chase and Shade a mated pair of human androids. Shade has difficulties of his own because his past companion messes with his mother board. So where ever Chase goes Shade goes and vice versa. Because they are a mated pair, Jason believes that they will be easier to get on with because they have each other and he can be left to do his thing.
Boy was he wrong, Chase and Shade both realize that Jason is in need of help so they slowly work their way into getting Jason to not only open up to them but to also to trust them. As time goes on Jason realizes that he is starting to more then like these two men.
Can Chase and Shade help Jason piece back together his life while at the same time Jason does the same for Shade and Chase? Will Jason return to the field as soon as he is cleared to do so?
This was a really good read. I enjoyed his slow build up that this book had. It was not only Chase and Shade that was healing Jason but it was Jason doing the same for them in his own way as well. Aidan did a really good job on this book. Definitely a book worth reading.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
This book takes place in the future or at least I would believe that it did because of the human androids. Jason has a severe case of PTSD. He also has a severe sensitivity to touch. After coming back from his last mission as the only survivor, he has not been he same.
He is recommended to get a companion from AI Delegate to help with his PTSD and hopefully help him to be able to get back into the field again soon. That is how he meets Chase and Shade.
Chase and Shade a mated pair of human androids. Shade has difficulties of his own because his past companion messes with his mother board. So where ever Chase goes Shade goes and vice versa. Because they are a mated pair, Jason believes that they will be easier to get on with because they have each other and he can be left to do his thing.
Boy was he wrong, Chase and Shade both realize that Jason is in need of help so they slowly work their way into getting Jason to not only open up to them but to also to trust them. As time goes on Jason realizes that he is starting to more then like these two men.
Can Chase and Shade help Jason piece back together his life while at the same time Jason does the same for Shade and Chase? Will Jason return to the field as soon as he is cleared to do so?
This was a really good read. I enjoyed his slow build up that this book had. It was not only Chase and Shade that was healing Jason but it was Jason doing the same for them in his own way as well. Aidan did a really good job on this book. Definitely a book worth reading.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
April 17, 2018
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I have to admit, when I read the blurb for this book, I had no idea what AI meant, it did not click. Once it's made clear, very early on?? Well, now it made total sense!
Jason is suffering from PTSD and Chase and Shade are his AI companions to help with that. But not only Jason suffers, Shade does too and its left to Chase to keep everyone together.
Very quickly, you lose the fact that Chase and Shade are, for want of a better word, robots. They feel as much as humans do, they want all the same things. The fact that we lose that, is a testament to the skill of the author, it really is.
Just as Jason suffers from his torture, Shade suffers from the modifications made to him against his wishes. Shade may NEVER fully recover, but being around Jason, broken though he is, begins to bring Shade out of his trauma, just as Shade and Chase bring Jason out of his.
I have a soft spot for 3 way relationship, especially if they are hot and heavy. This book is NOT hot and heavy. This book is not about that. this book is EMOTIONALLY heavy, for all three men. You feel for both Shade and Jason every time something sets them off, something triggers for them. And you feel for Chase, trying to keep them all together. And you feel it, right here in your heart when Jason finally begins to let Chase and Shade in.
There has been a huge amount of research into PTSD for this book. You can't get the depth of felling and emotion across without a massive amount of work. Very VERY well done, Aidan Wayne!
I haven't read anything by Wayne before, but the author is on my hit list now!
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I have to admit, when I read the blurb for this book, I had no idea what AI meant, it did not click. Once it's made clear, very early on?? Well, now it made total sense!
Jason is suffering from PTSD and Chase and Shade are his AI companions to help with that. But not only Jason suffers, Shade does too and its left to Chase to keep everyone together.
Very quickly, you lose the fact that Chase and Shade are, for want of a better word, robots. They feel as much as humans do, they want all the same things. The fact that we lose that, is a testament to the skill of the author, it really is.
Just as Jason suffers from his torture, Shade suffers from the modifications made to him against his wishes. Shade may NEVER fully recover, but being around Jason, broken though he is, begins to bring Shade out of his trauma, just as Shade and Chase bring Jason out of his.
I have a soft spot for 3 way relationship, especially if they are hot and heavy. This book is NOT hot and heavy. This book is not about that. this book is EMOTIONALLY heavy, for all three men. You feel for both Shade and Jason every time something sets them off, something triggers for them. And you feel for Chase, trying to keep them all together. And you feel it, right here in your heart when Jason finally begins to let Chase and Shade in.
There has been a huge amount of research into PTSD for this book. You can't get the depth of felling and emotion across without a massive amount of work. Very VERY well done, Aidan Wayne!
I haven't read anything by Wayne before, but the author is on my hit list now!
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
June 11, 2018
I’m really conflicted with this one.
I was really intrigued by the premise, a vet with PTSD and two AI Companions, polyamory and androids? The blurb grabbed me immediately.
I loved the dynamics between Jason, Shade and Chase. Jason and Shade shared different traumatic pasts but they could really understand each other, and Chase had such a caring and gentle soul that these three fit together really well. They had a really honest, attentive and gentle relationship. The hurt/comfort here was great and the best part of the book was getting to see Jason slowly open up to Chase and Shade and start his own healing process.
What I struggled with was the pacing, it was especially slow for emotional development for the first third of the book, but I felt like the story progressively got better with that. The world building was also really interesting, I would have loved to learn more for sure. My last niggle could be my inner psychologist talking, but as much as Jason improved throughout the book, I felt like he needed professional mental health care. Yes, Chase and Shade helped him form an emotional bond that supported him and he did start working on getting better, but he’s still a traumatized vet with severe PTSD. He needed help and I was kind of bummed that it didn’t happen.
It was a really interesting read nonetheless, I’m glad I picked this one up!
I was really intrigued by the premise, a vet with PTSD and two AI Companions, polyamory and androids? The blurb grabbed me immediately.
I loved the dynamics between Jason, Shade and Chase. Jason and Shade shared different traumatic pasts but they could really understand each other, and Chase had such a caring and gentle soul that these three fit together really well. They had a really honest, attentive and gentle relationship. The hurt/comfort here was great and the best part of the book was getting to see Jason slowly open up to Chase and Shade and start his own healing process.
What I struggled with was the pacing, it was especially slow for emotional development for the first third of the book, but I felt like the story progressively got better with that. The world building was also really interesting, I would have loved to learn more for sure. My last niggle could be my inner psychologist talking, but as much as Jason improved throughout the book, I felt like he needed professional mental health care. Yes, Chase and Shade helped him form an emotional bond that supported him and he did start working on getting better, but he’s still a traumatized vet with severe PTSD. He needed help and I was kind of bummed that it didn’t happen.
It was a really interesting read nonetheless, I’m glad I picked this one up!
June 1, 2018
Not your standard romance and not a more actiony sci fi either.
This one focused much much on the three characters at its heart and their journey together with the goal of making things better for them, especially the two that had experienced such trauma.
I liked how that was handled, we never got any more details of the events that caused the trauma than was absolutely necessary in my opinion so there were no graphic descriptions of such and the very realistic way it was portrayed with there being no absolute fixes just people who get better at dealing with the triggers and resulting stresses.
the way AI was handled was also interesting but since it wasn't the focus in the story I liked that it never overshadowed the books focus.
I can see why this might not be a favorite for many people but I really did like it and loved that it showed a positive stable poly relationship and that good long time relationships are possible with people who have suffered through this sort of trauma and that there are authors who take the time and effort to write about them.
This one focused much much on the three characters at its heart and their journey together with the goal of making things better for them, especially the two that had experienced such trauma.
I liked how that was handled, we never got any more details of the events that caused the trauma than was absolutely necessary in my opinion so there were no graphic descriptions of such and the very realistic way it was portrayed with there being no absolute fixes just people who get better at dealing with the triggers and resulting stresses.
the way AI was handled was also interesting but since it wasn't the focus in the story I liked that it never overshadowed the books focus.
I can see why this might not be a favorite for many people but I really did like it and loved that it showed a positive stable poly relationship and that good long time relationships are possible with people who have suffered through this sort of trauma and that there are authors who take the time and effort to write about them.
May 4, 2019
Nope. Sorry, not for me. I have started a few books lately that I didn’t finish and so I was determined to finish this one. Otherwise, I would have tossed it early on. The premise is simple, we’re in the future, some androids are now sentient and, apparently, they hire out. The human main character has PTSD. So does one of the androids, apparently, which makes no sense whatsoever. They are all the most boring people in the world and do nothing. The androids have no training with PTSD, but their instincts are fantastic and buddy improves incredibly fast. There are scientific and logical inconsistencies everywhere, far too many to list. I have to say, this was one long, hard read. I found myself praying for the cats to go outdoors so I could have a break by getting up and opening the door for them. This is an interesting premise, the follow through is poor. I’m afraid that I can’t recommend this book. Sorry.
March 17, 2019
I enjoyed this book. I read the last several chapters without pause. However, I understand those who had trouble with it. It is very... Deliberate.
One might even venture to say much of it is over-stated - and in fact, Shade comments on the repetition in one of those later chapters. The carefulness is the comfort part of this hurt/comfort trope, and it works well, but it will read as tedious to some. That's fine - not every book is for every reader. There's nothing wrong with that.
I generally prefer a faster-paced story. The cause of Jason's damage is never overtly stated, and IMHO it doesn't tie in all that well with the acceptance of AI Companions, and AI personhood in general; it wasn't necessary for the romance. (But it could have been dropped in here and there had there been less verbose carefulness. And I would have loved it in that case.)
One might even venture to say much of it is over-stated - and in fact, Shade comments on the repetition in one of those later chapters. The carefulness is the comfort part of this hurt/comfort trope, and it works well, but it will read as tedious to some. That's fine - not every book is for every reader. There's nothing wrong with that.
I generally prefer a faster-paced story. The cause of Jason's damage is never overtly stated, and IMHO it doesn't tie in all that well with the acceptance of AI Companions, and AI personhood in general; it wasn't necessary for the romance. (But it could have been dropped in here and there had there been less verbose carefulness. And I would have loved it in that case.)
March 20, 2020
I enjoyed this book, for all that I wish it had done more. It has a very sweet poly romance between three male-identifying people, two of whom are artificial intelligences. I loved the premise and I loved the attention to communication and self-awareness and interpersonal as well as personal care that the narrative focused on. I just wish we'd gotten more of denouement--an answer as to what Jason is allowed/decides to do. I also wish we'd seen more of the background world. Are AI just accepted everywhere now? Is there still push-back against them? Are there AI with crazy body mods willingly? How is that accepted? What's the standard AI body, especially since we're shown that some how sexual desires? How does that work? There are just so very many questions I would have loved to see answered--a broader world I would have loved to see explored.
February 6, 2023
TL:DR : a slow burn that'll tug at your heartstrings but leave you hopeful for the future of the characters.
Talk about slow burn!
I really loved the book and the characters even if Shade and Jason broke my heart so many times. Those two deserve everything happy after what they went through.
I also loved how Jason's change was handled. It was slow, a progressive learning to trust again and to acknowledge the right to feel safe and loved. Even if we know by the end there's still a long way ahead of them, it feels hopeful.
There was a bit of head hopping, and I wasn't always sure who's PoV I was in, but honestly I was engrossed in the story enough that it didn't bother me as much as it could have. I didn't have a hard time following the story, so I'm not taking off a star for it.
Talk about slow burn!
I really loved the book and the characters even if Shade and Jason broke my heart so many times. Those two deserve everything happy after what they went through.
I also loved how Jason's change was handled. It was slow, a progressive learning to trust again and to acknowledge the right to feel safe and loved. Even if we know by the end there's still a long way ahead of them, it feels hopeful.
There was a bit of head hopping, and I wasn't always sure who's PoV I was in, but honestly I was engrossed in the story enough that it didn't bother me as much as it could have. I didn't have a hard time following the story, so I'm not taking off a star for it.
May 9, 2018
Great book!
I loved the slow burn in this book he didn't rush, well not up until the end. This book wasn't love at first sight and I loved the pace. I loved learning about the three, however I felt this should have been part one and there should be a part 2, how Jason copes being in a relationship and all the new things going on in Jason's life. The book was written really well in my opinion, however I really wanted another 150 to 200 pages and I think the author could have, instead of trying to fit it in the Epilogue. I really want to read about a lot of Jason's firsts and felt a little cheated at the end. Over all it was a great book hit a lot of my favorites, just wish it was longer! I wanted more from the three.
I loved the slow burn in this book he didn't rush, well not up until the end. This book wasn't love at first sight and I loved the pace. I loved learning about the three, however I felt this should have been part one and there should be a part 2, how Jason copes being in a relationship and all the new things going on in Jason's life. The book was written really well in my opinion, however I really wanted another 150 to 200 pages and I think the author could have, instead of trying to fit it in the Epilogue. I really want to read about a lot of Jason's firsts and felt a little cheated at the end. Over all it was a great book hit a lot of my favorites, just wish it was longer! I wanted more from the three.
August 13, 2019
I was surprised by how much I loved this. I went back and forth between 4 and 5 stars, because I really try to save 5 stars for pure epic-ness and I don't think this *should* be five stars...but I just really loved it. Like, stayed up way, WAY too late because I didn't want to part with it loved it. So 4.5 stars :)
The developing relationship between the three characters was just so sweet. Even with the really intense PTSD. Whoever said this is hurt-comfort, heavy on the comfort, described it perfectly. And I was in a weird mood when I read it, probably in need of some comfort, so that worked great for me! Definitely a case of the right book at the right time.
Jason's extreme PTSD is palpable and very much the focus of the book, but I did not find it overwhelming. There wasn't much discussion of the specific events that led to the PTSD. It was very focused on how it was affecting his ability to function in his current reality since that was the purpose of the AI Companions. I especially appreciated that Jason is highly intelligent and self-aware, so there's no conflict over the validity of his diagnosis. He knows he's trapped in a box, he just doesn't see any chance of getting out of the box, so he doesn't see the point in trying. That's what one of the Companions specializes in, and the other has gone through his own trauma recovery, so they're determined to show him there is a way out. And it was just really lovely to see them succeed, slowly but surely.
I wasn't sure I was going to be able to handle the whole AI thing -- I have always avoided the AI-as-love-interest plots -- but it really worked for me here. So much so that I will now expand my horizons :) And I will definitely be checking out more of this author's work.
The developing relationship between the three characters was just so sweet. Even with the really intense PTSD. Whoever said this is hurt-comfort, heavy on the comfort, described it perfectly. And I was in a weird mood when I read it, probably in need of some comfort, so that worked great for me! Definitely a case of the right book at the right time.
Jason's extreme PTSD is palpable and very much the focus of the book, but I did not find it overwhelming. There wasn't much discussion of the specific events that led to the PTSD. It was very focused on how it was affecting his ability to function in his current reality since that was the purpose of the AI Companions. I especially appreciated that Jason is highly intelligent and self-aware, so there's no conflict over the validity of his diagnosis. He knows he's trapped in a box, he just doesn't see any chance of getting out of the box, so he doesn't see the point in trying. That's what one of the Companions specializes in, and the other has gone through his own trauma recovery, so they're determined to show him there is a way out. And it was just really lovely to see them succeed, slowly but surely.
I wasn't sure I was going to be able to handle the whole AI thing -- I have always avoided the AI-as-love-interest plots -- but it really worked for me here. So much so that I will now expand my horizons :) And I will definitely be checking out more of this author's work.
December 13, 2020
This was the first book by Aidan Wayne that I've read and oh boy, I'm hooked now. I want to read all their books -and I'm going to!
Gosh, I don't even know where to begin, there's so much I want to say! The premise of Rule of Thirds was exactly my kind of thing so I kind of had high expectations for the book and they were definitely met! I whole-heartedly enjoyed this book for many reasons! Jason's journey of healing was very credible and well written. Something I could identify with. And I love how his PTSD was described, something that's sometimes sorely lacking in fiction. Kudos for that, Aidan!
The idea of AI's in this universe is so fascinating and I love how Aidan handles it. It's so sweet that many of them want to help humans. And the fact that they actually have all the same rights as humans gives me hope for humanity. It's times like these that we really need stories like this.
Watching all three characters develop feelings for one another was a delight! How they struggled with it and fought it had me almost screaming 'just talk you pining idiots, just talk!, which, coming from me, means the pining was obviously very delicious and I couldn't get enough of it!
Don't even get me started on Shade. I absolutely adore him. And my heart breaks for him. Honestly I could talk about him all day and I find myself really missing him! I guess my only complaint about this book is that it wasn't longer!
My favorite thing about the book was the idea that in order to heal, you don't have to, and you often can't, go back to what you were like before. Instead you accept that you've changed and realize you can be happy the way you are now. That's something that really stuck to me and it means a lot to me. It was kind of a revelation in my own process of healing.
Such a lovely, heart-warming and well written hurt/comfort story I would recommend to everyone!
Gosh, I don't even know where to begin, there's so much I want to say! The premise of Rule of Thirds was exactly my kind of thing so I kind of had high expectations for the book and they were definitely met! I whole-heartedly enjoyed this book for many reasons! Jason's journey of healing was very credible and well written. Something I could identify with. And I love how his PTSD was described, something that's sometimes sorely lacking in fiction. Kudos for that, Aidan!
The idea of AI's in this universe is so fascinating and I love how Aidan handles it. It's so sweet that many of them want to help humans. And the fact that they actually have all the same rights as humans gives me hope for humanity. It's times like these that we really need stories like this.
Watching all three characters develop feelings for one another was a delight! How they struggled with it and fought it had me almost screaming 'just talk you pining idiots, just talk!, which, coming from me, means the pining was obviously very delicious and I couldn't get enough of it!
Don't even get me started on Shade. I absolutely adore him. And my heart breaks for him. Honestly I could talk about him all day and I find myself really missing him! I guess my only complaint about this book is that it wasn't longer!
My favorite thing about the book was the idea that in order to heal, you don't have to, and you often can't, go back to what you were like before. Instead you accept that you've changed and realize you can be happy the way you are now. That's something that really stuck to me and it means a lot to me. It was kind of a revelation in my own process of healing.
Such a lovely, heart-warming and well written hurt/comfort story I would recommend to everyone!
June 21, 2025
Very sweet book! As a polyamorous book (with three characters) it felt like it gave enough focus on all of the three: Jason, Chase and Shade. Each character was quite different, and had a distinct voice too which I think is not as easy the more the number of main characters increased.
I just would have enjoyed a bit more world building. I felt like by the end I still did not know what Jason exactly was doing, and what kind of world we were in or what consequences their relationship could have had.
I just would have enjoyed a bit more world building. I felt like by the end I still did not know what Jason exactly was doing, and what kind of world we were in or what consequences their relationship could have had.
April 14, 2018
I really loved reading a robot/human romance (well, robot/robot/human) where the robots are the ones who are really emotionally competent and the human is the one struggling to deal with feelings and interpersonal connection. Plus I am a complete sucker for hurt/comfort, so a triad where two partners are both dealing with significant traumas was fully in my wheelhouse--this is the kind of slow burn where OH MY GOD HE ACCEPTED A HUG!! is a deeply satisfying mini-climax. So much love for this!
April 19, 2018
Honestly, this would have been a 5 Star review, except I kept being thrown out of the plot pondering the ethics of Companions. Why didn’t Chase or Shade suggest that Jason get a new Companion when they realized they were falling for him??? The rest of the story was so sweet and gentle and I super enjoyed it, but this weird lapse in ethical world building was just bizarre after all the care Wayne took in establishing that the AIs were moral beings that could consent.
June 27, 2025
I wanted to like this. But the majority of the book was Chase and Shade walking on eggshells around Jason, and vice versa. I understanf the book is about overcoming trauma, but the progress toward it felt glacial at times. It was also really difficult to read Shade's lines with the whole use of him speaking in the third person. "Shade want this. Jason not mad at Shade?" Got really tedious as time dragged on.
July 2, 2021
Very sweet, and heartfelt. I usually don't do books like this, where the main focus is on recovery. But I loved this book, and I don't regret reading it at all. The only thing, was that it was a little long for me personally. It had me hooked, but I have been reading shorter books lately so it was a change of pace.
April 17, 2018
A beautiful and tender story about healing. Menage isn't usually my cup of tea but this worked wonderfully. I so enjoyed the characters and the development of their relationship. It was a truly delightful and heart-warming read.
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