“This is a great idea.” Aiden had jumped up, fist punched the air, and yelled, “That’s how we do it! BAM!”It stuck. Our initials, our ideas, our brand. My brothers.Three young men meet in university and form a lifelong friendship. Their pasts dictate the men they are, but their present shapes their future. What happens when these men meet the one person they are destined to be with? Can they … to be with? Can they fight their feelings and walk away? Or will they each succumb and learn the sweet agony of love?
Aiden
Haunted by memories of his past, Aiden plays the part of the happy-go-lucky friend. Always ready with a teasing smile or a joke, he is good at hiding his pain.
Using his impressive physique as a shield, he keeps his past buried beneath his rugged exterior.
Except, one woman sees through his façade.
Her green eyes see too much, even as her body tempts him.
Even as his heart yearns for her.
Cami is determined to make him realize that he is worthy of being loved.
He pushes her away at every turn, yet finds himself unable to keep her at arm’s length.
Who will win this battle of love?
more
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
I loved “Tree Trunk” from his time in the first book, but this book gave me such a better understanding of who he is and why he is who he is!
Aiden is the security guy. He’s the tough guy everyone turns to when they need protection or help. He puts up this great front that he’s perfect and life is great – while under all of that is a guy who just wants to be loved.
Cami is Emmy’s best friend and she’s quite a character. She doesn’t come without her own family drama and bad background. However, she is open to love while Aiden doesn’t see himself ever allowing that into his life.
While, again, I wasn’t surprised at the surprise, it was an enjoyable story. I loved watching Cami and Aiden develop a friendship that grew into more. I think the timing and pace of this story was great because it really gave us a chance to see why the actions were so significant – in this story and the last one.
I can’t wait for Maddox’s book!!
Different story from “Bentley”, but just as entertaining. I enjoyed it immensely.
I immediately downloaded “Maddox” Just sorry it wasn’t in audible.
What an emotional, intense read! Obviously this was an incredible read for me because I just finished reading Bentley and dove head first into Aiden and finished it in one day! I could not put it down! Aiden broke my heart in this book but in a good way. I think Aiden’s story was a bit more emotional than Bentley’s with quite a few heart-wrenching moments. Melanie writes very believable and relatable characters that make you want to become a part of the storyline. I love these characters and want to be friends with all of them! Can’t wait to see what Maddox has in store for us next!
5 Stars!!!!
This second book in the Vested series was all that and more than I was expecting. The first book about Bentley and Emmy grabbed me and sucked me in and this book is about Aiden, Bentley’s best friend and the second initial in their company BAM. He has a shattered past that he has buried deep and therefore doesn’t have any meaningful relationships. He doesn’t trust people to really love and care for him. Cami is Emmy’s best friend and is thus thrown into his life when Bentley and Emmy get together. He is very attracted to her and she to him, but his heart is encased in steel and unavailable to the love she wants to engulf him.
Aiden goes hot and cold when he gets scared every time he feels she is beginning to mean too much. Poor Cami loves unconditionally and is constantly hurt by his temperature changes. Throw into this mix a mental case stalker who wants Cami to be her friend and who actually wants to “be” Cami, and will go to any lengths to get what she wants! This is such a lovely and emotional read, you will do like I did and be unable to put it down. Then you will be sad it’s over. But …..There are two more books in this series coming, Maddox and Reid, and we get to see our old friends again in these books as well as find out more about these guy’s stories. So go ahead and click! You will be SO happy you did!!!!
What a great story and a great follow up to Bentley. I grew to love Aiden as I learned more about him. Character was well written and I really felt everything Cami was feeling with her feelings. Looking forward to the next story and learning more about Maddox.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Aiden is the big tough one of the three friends, but he’s damaged. Horribly damaged by his childhood. He likes Cami and she sure likes him, but he keeps telling her, there can’t ever be anything serious between them. It’s not that he’s incapable of feeling anything, he just won’t let himself. He’s so jaded on life and people that he doesn’t believe he can be loved, or that he can love. Until Cami of course. She isn’t trying to take advantage of him. His wealth means nothing to her, but when her life is in danger, Aiden rushes to the rescue, but will he ever let her into his heart?
4.5 stars
A tough, strong man on the outside, but on the inside a little hurt boy who’s afraid to love, afraid to be rejected. Aiden tells the story of… Aiden. I love him and Cami together, they are a sweet couple who both deserve to be loved. Their story makes me swoon and giggle, I love it.
“From the moment I saw her, kissing her was a temptation, fucking her was a fantasy, and hurting her was inevitable.”
Aiden and Cami are spending a lot of time together since their best friends – Bentley and Emmy – have fallen hard and fast for each other. Cami and Aiden themselves are pretending just to be friends, but secretly they have a friends-with-benefits thing going on. And that isn’t working anymore… Cami is in love with Aiden; she wants a real relationship but has to settle for a secret fling to keep him in her life. Aiden has feelings for Cami as well, but his ugly childhood and experience with women have taught him to guard his heart.
“He was everything I wanted in my life. I wanted to witness his joy and help him when the world became too much to handle. I wanted to be his everything because he had become mine.”
Even though I want to shake some sense into Aiden and Cami at times (for not telling how they truly feel), I get where they are coming from. Aiden’s younger years have been horrible, so it’s understandable he has a hard time putting his heart on the line. On the outside he’s a successful man, but the hurt young Aiden is still very much present. Compared to Aiden, Cami had a much better life. It wasn’t easy at all, but at least she knew love and had her sister Dee. I love Aiden and Cami together, they are perfect for each other.
Aiden is the second book in the ‘Vested Interest Series’, and is about Aiden and Cami, both side characters from the previous book. Like Bentley, Aiden has sweet and hilarious moments, hot encounters between the lovely couple and some suspense; I love the whole mix. I can’t wait for the story of Maddox and Dee, after this book I’m even more curious then I was before.
“Cami loved me. All I had to do was reach out, and the one thing I wanted, I needed, all my life could be mine. I only had to take it.”
I cannot even properly express my love for this series. I enjoyed reading Aiden and Cami’s story plus catching up with the others. The love that this couple finds from their own personal heartaches is beyond wonderful. Aiden and Cami are perfect for one another – she is so patient and forgiving, and he is protective and loving even though it takes him awhile to figure out he is capable of loving and always has been. Wonderful read! Cannot wait for Maddox’s story!
Melanie Moreland has done it again!
I love the boys of BAM, their friendship is so strong and they look out for each other like family, and I adore their banter! I couldn’t wait for Aiden’s story after Bentley and I was not disappointed.
Aiden is all Alpha, strong and strict, but once you break through his outer walls to friendship he will protect you with everything he has. The prologue gives us an insight into his childhood, and how he views himself, it’s heart-breaking and we can see why he believes he has to close himself off.
I found Cami to be so relatable, she is strong and kind, open and giving. She doesn’t like to be unkind, always trying to consider other peoples feelings. She is smart and funny and loves fiercely!
I was rooting for this couple, both such likeable characters and clearly destined for one another. I was hoping Cami could reach Aiden through his demons. The secondary characters are also important and I liked how they had developed since ‘Bentley’, the whole group are tightly connected and treat each other like a family that they have chosen.
There is a suspenseful element to the story that had me holding my breath, the author got the feeling here exactly right, with the tension and uncertainty keeping you on edge.
I highly recommend reading this series, and I cannot wait to find out more about Maddox.
To say that Aiden is closed off is an understatement of Epic proportions!
He has a heart of gold, putting himself out there for people that he cares about, and
yet keeps everyone just far enough away. Until that one, the one who breaks through
and fights to bring the real Aiden to the surface.
I love this couple! I love that they each have demons, layers, and personalities
galore.
Aiden and Cami had me rooting for them and wanting more!
Thank you, Melanie Moreland, for once again writing characters that are so
relatable.
Since reading “The Contract” a couple of years ago, it’s been a real joy to witness Melanie Moreland’s success in the realm of Contemporary Romance. Her stand alone books have always been enjoyable reads, so when I heard Melanie was publishing a trilogy I got a little giddy.
Aiden is the second novel in the “Vested Interest” series, and what a follow up to Book 1. Having met, Aiden in the first installment, I’d learned enough about him to want to learn more, and I wasn’t disappointed. Set in the awesome city of Toronto, this new series follows three men who met at university. Long-time friends and business partners, Bentley, Aiden, and Maddox have taken their considerable talents and grown a multi-million-dollar empire from the ground up. Aiden is in charge of security – a natural fit given his massive physical presence and his ability to respond quickly to unpredictable situations.
Aiden’s life hasn’t been a happy one, only taking a turn for the better when he meets Bentley and Maddox. Working closely together, the trio have formed a brotherly bond and Aiden is protective of this adopted family. Having decided he is too damaged personally to be anyone’s significant other, he pours all his love and energy into his work.
When Bentley meets his girlfriend in Book 1, Aiden is introduced to her roommate, Cami. The attraction between the two is instantaneous, and they quickly pursue a “friends with benefits” arrangement. Aiden is clear with Cami from the beginning – their passionate encounters will never lead to a relationship. Regardless, the longer they carry on, the more complicated the situation becomes between them.
Cami fascinates Aiden in ways he’s never expected, and she has the patience, and hope to believe that Aiden can commit to something more meaningful and long-term with her. Cami is that independent female character we all can’t seem to get enough of. She is loving, smart, charismatic, and strong. Even so, Aiden’s continued resistance toward a blossoming relationship between them is no easy course for Cami to navigate. The tension that builds as these two decide just how their future will play out is suspenseful and exciting.
Aiden is the perfect continuation for Melanie’s trilogy. If you’re looking for a new and sexy world to invest in, I highly recommend the “Vested Interest” series. From what I’ve already glimpsed in the first and second books, Maddox can give Bentley and Aiden a run for their money, and the upcoming final installment telling his story is a solid and highly-anticipated addition to my TBR list this year.
BAM… I’m loving this series and these men so much!!
Aiden: the one who I found the most intriguing in Bentley. He was definitely a mystery and I had a hard time being patient for his story. There’s always something more behind the guy who makes everyone laugh and I didn’t want to wait to know what it was. But Tree Trunk and Cami were definitely worth it. I loved the suspense part of this book. MM does a fantastic job of keeping you guessing and on the edge of your seat.
I’m counting down the days to Maddox!!
I’m kicking myself why I haven’t read this series sooner. This book was so good.
Aiden was a broken man and si tell you that prologue was hard for me to read, I wanted to crawl in the book and just hug him.
While he was very attached to Cami, he didn’t think himself worthy of Camila’s love.
Camila is my girl. I’m an avid reader and lover of protective Alpha males, but loved Cami the most in this book.
She’s such a strong heroine and saw through Aiden.
I’ve seen readers claiming Bentley, Aiden, Maddox and even Reid, and while these men are so amazing,
I’m claiming Cami. As my best friend. I loved how strong she was for Aiden and how she helped him and showed him how he was worthy of her love.
This books for series is amazing and highly recommended.
5 stars
I love a damaged hero and damaged is what you get with Aiden. Afraid of grabbing his own happiness based on his past, he enters into a “relationship” with Cami that is no relationship at all. He fights it tooth and nail! Cami takes more than I think she should’ve, but she saw to the heart of Aiden. This was emotionally charged, heartbreaking, and eventually, they get to their HEA. Nice story to get lost in.
Fantastic read by Melanie Moreland!
Aiden isn’t your typical romance. It is also a story about friendship, self discovery, letting go of your past, and finally letting yourself be loved and loving others.
Aiden appears to have it all…money, good looks, and a wonderful friendship with his best friends, Bentley and Maddox. What others don’t see is his inability to trust and allowing himself to be loved. His friend, Bentley, is in a relationship with Emmy. Emmy has a best friend, Cami, whom Aiden has been attracted to since he first saw her. They have an agreement…sex with no strings, and no one else is to know about this arrangement. In the beginning, Cami is okay with it. As she spends more time with him, she realizes she has a problem…she genuinely cares for Aiden. However, she knows he will probably never give her what she wants most, his heart.
Aiden is quite the complicated character. Like I said, he seems to be living every man’s dream, but underneath, he is still that little boy who was abused and neglected. The people who were supposed to love him abandoned him and treating him terribly. When he thinks of love, it’s always associated with pain. He never wants to return to a place like that again. What he doesn’t realize is the gift he has in Cami. Cami doesn’t love him for what he has, she loves him because of who he is as a man.
Cami is an extraordinary woman. She is beautiful, determined, never giving up on her dreams despite the obstacles she has faced. She is strong, and her most special quality is loving with her whole heart. She is willing to give that to Aiden if he will just take that wonderful give she is offering him.
The romance is steamy, but there are also some very tender moments as well. I loved the friendship between Aiden, Bentley, and Maddox. It really is heartwarming. Aiden will go on a journey and discover who he really is as a man with Cami alongside of him.
What makes the book even better is the suspense that is interweaved throughout, and it really keeps the storyline moving at a fast pace. I highly recommend reading if you like your romance with a little spice and sweetness, and a dash of suspense mixed in!!!!
I love Aiden!!! I wasn’t sure that I would love him as much as Bentley but I did and so much more. I’m a root for the underdog kind of person and I felt like that while reading this book. Aiden while very much successful now can’t seem to see the man he is today but the boy he once was. I love that Cami can not only see Aiden but draw him out. I loved Cami so much for being willing to break her own heart just to give Aiden what he needed. There were a few great twists that made this story even better than expected. It was great to catch with the whole BAM gang. I would make sure to read this series in order. I can’t wait for Maddox’s book!!!
Aiden is Book 2 in this author’s Vested Interest series of interconnected standalones. I did not read the first book and was still able to enjoy this one. There were several references to events in the first book which I was able to piece together without issue. The series focuses on three college friends who go into business together and become very successful. This is Aiden’s book.
How I love a damaged hero and Aiden certainly fit the bill. A truly horrendous childhood has shaped a man that refuses to give or accept love. Enter Cami, our heroine. I loved Cami. Sweet, kind, independent and courageous. She cares deeply for Aiden who continues to push her away, insisting their relationship be only physical. I loved how she never gave up on him, wanting him to see that he was worthy of being loved. Accepting her affection is so difficult for him resulting in him shutting down emotionally more often than not.
A bit of a suspense storyline here which I liked even though I quickly figured out the evil-doer in this scenario. A threat to Cami was the emotional breakthrough Aiden needed to change his thinking. To realize that he needed her, could love her, and in return accept her love.
An enjoyable read overall. I will be on the lookout for Maddox and Dee’s book which will be up next.
Reviewed by: Jamie B.
It’s the relationships that makes this story a standout
This is book 2 in the Vested Interest series, and while this can technically be read as a standalone, I recommend reading Bentley’s story first for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there’s a pretty big spoiler for the first book early on, so if you’re considering reading book 1, you really want to do so prior to reading Aiden. Secondly, Aiden and Cami’s relationship actually begins in book 1 (though we don’t see it from their point of view) and just as importantly, the groundwork of Aiden’s relationships with both Bentley and Maddox are described there as well.
I’m kind of a sucker for the tortured hero, so I was drawn to Aiden immediately in Bentley’s story. I loved his loyalty and protectiveness in that book and my heart really hurt for him here as we get the full background of his story. Cami’s childhood wasn’t all roses, either, so it’s something they have in common, even though his experience left Aiden closed-off and feeling unworthy of love, where Cami is more of an all-in, love-with-her-whole-heart kind of girl. The chemistry they have together from the start, but it’s a struggle for Aiden to accept the possibility of more even as he feels driven to protect and care for Cami when she’s hurt and threatened. Laughter to tears to laughter again, this story did a great job of evoking emotions and I was kept engaged by a tension-filled plot where we know whose behind what’s going on while the main characters remain in the dark.
This isn’t a series where the secondary characters carried over from other books just make a drive-by or two in the central characters’ story. Emmy and Dee are important as well, but for me, it’s the BAM team’s relationships, filled with both banter and caring, as much as the growth of the relationship between Cami and Aiden, that makes this story and series a standout. And the excerpt from Maddox at the end? Such a tease! I’ll be counting down the days to the next book. 5 stars
B2B Kelly
Okay, it’s taken me a couple of days to come out of my book coma after reading Aiden and trying to work out a visitation/sharing agreement. P.S. I lost. Totally lost. Anyway . . . Back to Aiden.
I was totally drawn to Aiden in Bentley, knew he had so many layers to peel back to get to the *real* amazing man he is. I love how he allowed himself to be vulnerable to Cami. How she finally cracked through his façade and forced her way into his life.
Aiden’s past is so painful. His self-loathing coming from a deep place in his psyche. That he felt so unlovable due to the actions and words of others. He’s truly a force of nature—his survival instincts amazing. His ability to get through some of the biggest challenges, without blinking, is astounding. He’s found a way to work around his limitations, and he’s found an amazing support system by way of Bentley and Maddox and their friendship.
And Cami. She’s fantastic too. Loved how she loved Aiden enough to get him through, to see the way toward love and acceptance. Yes, she has the patience level of a saint when it comes to Aiden and his antics, but she sees the man underneath all the bluster and knows he and their relationship will work in the end. Well, she was mostly sure . . .
Aiden is a great story of love, acceptance, and friendship. I can’t wait for Maddox and his story next!
GAH!!! All the feels in this book! I have not read book one in this series, but I can promise I will be reading it ASAP! Aiden and Cami were just beautiful characters. There were times I was so mad I could cry and then there were times I just cried. This is a beautifully written story from an amazing author!! FIVE HUGE STARS!!