REVIEWED by Jen B.

TITLE: Cid

SERIES: N/A

AUTHOR: S.L. Danielson

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 164 Pages

RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2018

BLURB:

Ask 26-year-old artist Cid Walker how he’s feeling and you’ll likely get a snarl, or a glare, but not a real answer. Cid’s soul is so damaged from a brutal and savage ex-fiancé that trusting anyone is out of the question.

Two classmates try to get his attention; Barry and Kellen. Barry is only 18 and a very naïve, sweet boy-next-door type who is young, needy, and anxious to get involved with the mysterious artist. He wants to be with Cid more than anything, but his efforts fail.

Kellen, all of 22, is as snarky as Cid is at first, but soon manages to get across to him. Kellen understands why Cid is acting out because Kellen is also keeping his soul and psyche intact with mere Band-Aids after being attacked a few years ago.

Add in a stalker that won’t take ‘no’ for an answer and you have Cid’s life at the moment. Who can get through his broken heart?

REVIEW:

I love a good story about damaged characters overcoming their issues, getting second chances and finding love. So this one sounded right up my alley. Cid is definitely damaged – he had been a victim more than once – the most damaging, I think, from his ex-fiancé. This has caused him to be stand-offish, gruff and unapproachable. He just wants to keep his head down, mind his own and get his art degree. Unfortunately, others don’t seem to get that message.

The first half of this book is about nerdy classmate Barry, who just can’t seem to leave Cid alone, although he just wants to be friends with the hopes of it turning into more. This became pretty frustrating for me, because Cid was always up front with Barry about not wanting a relationship and even reluctant about being friends. Seemed a bit overkill to me, but hey, that was his prerogative and how he dealt with his issues. So a good portion of this was about Barry’s pursuit of something with Cid until finally Cid pushes enough that Barry finally gets the message.

In the meantime, there is Kellen, another classmate who attempts to befriend Cid. His approach is a bit different than Barry. He doesn’t come across as nearly as needy as Barry, and he ends up being Cid’s protector. They have somewhat shared past experiences, so they can relate better, or at least, Kellen is much more understanding of Cid’s current issues of not wanting to be touched, etc. Their relationship builds slowly. Cid doesn’t feel threatened by Kellen (thinking he is straight), especially when Kellen makes him feel safe.

Cid, however, continues to be a bit of a victim. He has another stalker whom he just can’t seem to escape, and when opportunity presents itself, almost gets away with more. But, Kellen seems to know just when to push, when to listen, and when to share his own experiences that make Cid comfortable enough to open up. Cid does explain a little about his past, but I don’t feel we ever really got the bulk of that story making it difficult to fully understand his current issues. I also had trouble relating to Barry’s obsession. The relationships all felt more high school age than college. However, this was a nice story about guys who were hurt in various ways and, through friendship, found they had common experiences to bond over, with a deeper relationship blossoming on the other side.

RATING:

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