Three years ago, Aaron's world got a whole lot brighter thanks to his new best friend, Ryan Foster and his family. The Fosters have taken him into the fold. That is, everyone except for Ryan's Uncle TJ.
When Aaron and TJ meet, sparks fly.
TJ, 31, can't stand his nephew's flamboyant, in your face, blue-haired, rainbow loving, best friend. He knows he shouldn't be so judgmental but after spending five years in Iraq and Afghanistan, his patience is buried under a mountain of guilt and loss.
TJ's animosity toward Aaron always stresses Aaron out going home to the Foster's for the holidays but they are the only family he has. He just needs to put up with TJ. He can do that, right?
When something happens that neither one wants to acknowledge, it may just be the catalyst needed for the sparks to explode.
What happens when TJ lets himself see the real Aaron? And, can Aaron let TJ past his defenses, when he's barely holding on.
I have really mixed feelings about Finding Aaron. Everything was a cliche-- from both main characters, to all the drama, and then all topped off with a perfectly perfect family. But, I finished it in one night and found that I couldn't put it down.
Aaron's had it rough. He's been in and out of foster care and suffers from severe learning disabilities and anxiety. Going to college was tough for him, but he ended up meeting Ryan. Things started changing for the better. Ryan took Aaron under his wing when he saw how he was being treated by others. Ryan invited him to his family's home where Aaron was instantly welcomed and loved. He found a family, even if he never really admitted it to himself. During one of those family visits, Aaron met Ryan's uncle, TJ, and was instantly crushing on the guy.
Too bad TJ was a big jerkface the first time he met Aaron. Aaron was flashy and flamboyant and really, just fabulous, but TJ wasn't feeling that look the first time they met. But the more they saw each other, the more he noticed how much he started to like Aaron.
The story was more about Aaron finding a permanent home than his romance with TJ. His anxiety attacks were major and they were frequent. He had Ryan there to help him through them, and then later he had TJ. He was insecure and struggled with accepting that Ryan's family loved him. I loved how they dealt with his reluctance, especially in the end there. Go, Dad! I admit, Aaron liked to throw a good pity party for himself. Granted, he dealt with a lot in his short lifetime, but goodness... it was all a bit dramatic. Still, it was hard not to love the kid.
I didn't quite feel Aaron and TJ's relationship. TJ was super judgmental in the beginning, so it was hard for me to get past that and be okay with them being together. TJ did make up for his initial behavior and treated Aaron like he deserved. The chemistry wasn't quite there, but they were sweet, nonetheless.
Finding Aaron was OTT. Totally. But I did become invested in the characters and look forward to reading the rest of Aaron's story.
A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
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