Weekly Reader: Avoiding Aiden by Chris Cole; M/M Romance Leads To Journey of Self-Discovery

 

Weekly Reader: Avoiding Aiden by Chris Cole; M/M Romance Leads To Journey of Self-Discovery

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Just in time for Pride Month. 

Chris Cole's Avoiding Aiden is a sweet, moving, funny, traumatic, and heart tugging novel of a man who discovers love after his boyfriend breaks up with him and goes on a personal journey of self-discovery.

Aiden is a college student doubling in English and Human Resources and as he mentions in his first sentence "being dumped f#$_&@g sucks." His boyfriend, TV news reporter Carter broke up with him. Aiden dreads the inevitable conversation that would result. ("Oh hey Aiden how's it going?" "Oh great, literally anybody in my nightmare! Just picking up a few last minute things for dinner." "Same here. Hey how's Carter doing?")

His friends, Elyse and Charlie convince the depressed Aiden to go clubbing with them allegedly to see Charlie's drag performance but also Aiden could be hooked up with someone else.

Aiden is introduced to Jude, an English teacher. They have a cute and funny conversation about what vegetable and superhero they would be and what brings Jude to town to teach classes. ("You're here on purpose?," Aiden said, surprised that anyone would choose to live in his home state of Idaho.) They sleep together for a night and get along afterwards enough to exchange text messages while Jude gets into a serious relationship and Aiden goes to visit his four siblings who set him up with various unsuitable dates. After his eventful summer ends, Aiden returns to school and is shocked to discover that Jude is his English professor! As if that wasn't enough, Jude just ended his relationship and is still interested in Aiden. It gets better. Jude's ex is also Aiden's ex: Carter!

 Avoiding Aiden alternates between touching and humorous, sometimes both at the same time. Aiden concedes that his family is unique with the eldest Brett as the only straight sibling who feels the pressure of being the only family member that is able to biologically continue the bloodline. Aiden also has a trans brother,Riley, who is hypersensitive about any signs of prejudice and two sisters, Sarah and Shenoah, who are a lesbian and bisexual respectively.  

They also had the two most understanding, accepting, and supportive parents that are unfortunately deceased. Aiden goes through tremendous guilt and loss over his parent's deaths and has a hard time coming to terms with the grief, even well into adulthood. This grief is part of the reason that Aiden is so self critical and uncertain in relationships.

Aiden loves his siblings but sometimes resents their micromanaging of his love life.When they hear that he's single, they set him up with dates when he visits.  They turn out to be disasters from Porter who likes using his tongue too much, to the well endowed Noah who gets possessive after only one date, to Patrick who "can't do complicated" and Han, who Aiden just doesn't feel the same way about them. Through this wild summer of reconnecting with siblings and having the worst rebounds possible, Aiden continues to text Jude so it's clear who he is really interested in. 

Even when Aiden is reunited with Jude, things become even more complicated. With Jude being Aiden's professor, they realize that they could cross several boundaries that could cost Jude his job. There are hints that the issue is less of a student-teacher relationship but that it's a male professor-student relationship. That there is a double standard and if one were a female, the issue would be swept under the rug and most would look the other way. Aiden and Jude realize that every moment that they are together must be kept under the strictest confidence . It's up to them to decide if their relationship is worth fighting for and holding onto despite the potential outcome.

There is another complication: Carter.  He's still in the picture and despite Aiden trying to get over the breakup, it's clear Carter hasn't either. However while Aiden tries to move on in a healthy manner, Carter becomes obsessive. In one chapter, he does something to Aiden that changes the focus of the book entirely. It is a traumatic event and it clearly shows that Carter has jumped way over the moral event horizon. It also shows Jude's loving and protective nature that he cares for and supports Aiden during this whole ordeal. 

Aiden also emerges from this ordeal as a more mature and thoughtful person who is ready to open up his heart and get into a real relationship. 

Aiden also learns to be more honest with himself. In avoiding relationships,he was avoiding himself. He avoided the parts of himself that made him emotional, self conscious, insecure, and feel like he is incapable of love and being loved. When he accepts himself, that's when Aiden knows that he can accept love. Accepting Aiden.