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Where You Hurt the Most (Riptide Rentboys: The 2012 Collection)

by Anne Brooke (Goodreads Author)

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 210 ratings · 70 reviews

Adrian is more than happy as high-class escort for a number of regular clients. When his boss and dear friend asks him to entertain his nephew, Adrian readily agrees, but meeting Dan challenges him in ways he'd never imagined.

Dan is scarred inside and out from an accident that destroyed a promising future. Despite Adrian's loveless lifestyle and Dan's withdrawal and anger,...more

ebook, 44 pages

Published May 7th 2012 by Riptide Publishing

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The Gentleman and the Rogue by Bonnie Dee

Best Gay Rent Boys

32nd out of 123 books — 234 voters

M/M Romance With (Mostly) Red Covers

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Jun 06, 2012 Serena Yates rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

Hurt and pain can manifest in many different ways. Sometimes it is very visible, as is the case with Dan who carries his scars on the outside. Sometimes it isn’t visible at all, because the scars are on the inside – and the man who carries them isn’t even aware of them. Those are easy to ignore since they are not seen, but they are no less serious. This story offers an interesting look at both types of hurt and the men who end up helping each other.

Adrian is an escort, and he is good at what he...more

5 likes · like · see review

May 11, 2012 Meggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, shorts

Emotionally, even if short, well created story of Adrian, as high-class escort, and nephew of Arien boss, Dan. The main dialogues between Adrien and Dan were pulling and grabbed at me emotionally. I felt good at the end, because of the way it ended. With hope.

6 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2012 Amara rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is my second time reading something by Anne Brooke, and may I just say... she is quickly becoming a fave of mine. Her writing is superb, with a literary quality really enjoy. What I also love is... scarred men, be it inside or out. What she gave me with this story was both. And in a matter of less than 50 pages, she managed to reveal their pain, bring the characters together, and begin a process of healing, for both.

Impressive.

The only thing that kept me from giving this one a full 5 stars...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 26, 2012 Jess Candela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jessewave-reviews, m-m, read-in-2012

4.5 stars
Review Summary: A surprisingly satisfying, almost magical, short story.

Review: The title of this story perplexed me until I read it and discovered how perfectly it fits. Where you hurt the most is, naturally, the point at which you’re most vulnerable. Sharing your deepest vulnerabilities with someone is one of the biggest risks you can take, but the potential payoff is correspondingly rewarding. When you let someone know where you hurt most and they respond with support, caring, underst...more 4.5 stars
Review Summary: A surprisingly satisfying, almost magical, short story.

Review: The title of this story perplexed me until I read it and discovered how perfectly it fits. Where you hurt the most is, naturally, the point at which you’re most vulnerable. Sharing your deepest vulnerabilities with someone is one of the biggest risks you can take, but the potential payoff is correspondingly rewarding. When you let someone know where you hurt most and they respond with support, caring, understanding, magical things can happen. Things like a believable HEA even if they didn’t spend much time together. Despite how it may sound, this wasn’t insta-love. It was… I hate to use the word again, but it really was magical. Almost like a real-life fairy tale (well, except that it was fiction. But that’s a minor detail. It was believable).

I think the believability factor was helped a lot by the fact that Adrian was so clear it wasn’t love. He’d fancied himself in love with clients before and had learned better. It couldn’t be love. But it was something… special. Something real. Something that could become love if given the opportunity. The question is: does he give it the opportunity, when doing so means destroying a satisfactory status quo?

Status quo for Adrian is a life he clearly enjoys as an escort, meeting interesting people and visiting nice places. There are hints of pain in his past, but he has clearly moved on from whatever it was to create a satisfying life for himself. Dan had apparently had a great life, until his face was badly scarred in a freak accident and required multiple surgeries. So when they meet, Dan is obviously the wounded one and Adrian’s role is clearly to help him. And it works, but a funny thing happens: Dan touches that core of vulnerability Adrian has buried so deeply he hardly notices it. That touch turns out to be a catalyst for change.

There’s a wonderful scene in which Adrian is offered the possibility to ignore the change, to go back to the way things have always been. That would clearly be the “safe” option, and it’s understandably appealing. But he chooses to embrace the change and all the risk associated with it. Because this is a romance, I’m not spoiling anything to tell you that his risk pays off and he gets his HEA. A HEA that is possible because of the changes each man has made in himself and his life as a result of meeting the other.

I read relatively few short stories because they usually leave me wanting. It’s a rare author who can tell a complete and satisfying story in just a few pages. Anne Brooke is one of those authors. This story was deeply moving, rather sexy, and incredibly satisfying, despite being a mere 44 pages. There’s a surprising amount of characterization and background packed into few words.

In summary: “Everything you’ve ever wanted in a [book]. And less. Tastes great, less filling!”

This review was originally posted at Reviews by Jessewave(less)

4 likes · like · see review

May 27, 2012 Val Kovalin added it

Adrian seems to be the perfect escort, living the perfect life. He’s wealthy, cultured, handsome, and perceptive. He surrounds himself with beauty while pursuing a career doing something he loves. Sex for hire is only a small part of his job description, which involves being a good companion in an overall sense – someone attractive, gracious, and intellectually stimulating who can accompany wealthy male clients to social events to help them appreciate the finer things in life. Adrian even consid...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Vladimir rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story was quite short to be emotionally invested upon. I noticed there wasn't much cussing or profanity in the lines which was a bit unexepected if not refreshing.

Not much angst here and the sex was vanilla. I appreciate the effort in the character development for both MCs given the length of the story. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of past Max and Adrian had together given the obvious intimacy they have despite claiming to be just friends. Much could be interpreted in the end but a g...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Sandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, m-m, short-stories, nook-lent, disability

This was a sweet little short. There was a very interesting dynamic between Adrien and Dan, and it was entertaining to watch it unfold. Normally you'll catch me saying that I wish we also got to see the other persons POV, in this case Dan. But really, this worked just the way it was. Dan was a bit of an unknown, both to us and to Adrien. The ending is sort of somewhere between a HFN and a HEA in my opinion. It worked, but it definitely left us on the edge of our seats so I really hope Ms. Brooke...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Pamela Mason rated it 4 of 5 stars

The title couldn't help but draw me in. We've all got hurts that we slap a bandaid onto in order to hide it and get on with day to day living, but what if that hurt can't be so easily covered? Dan is the victim of a lorry accident (which, since I'm in the U.S., I take to mean a streetcar or bus) and keeps his mangled flesh beneath a hoodie, but the way he's been rejected and treated by the public, and the way he's managing his damages and losses, shows in his attitude, flinching from onlookers,...more

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May 09, 2012 Josie rated it 5 of 5 stars

A really unusual book. All told from the POV of Adrian, an escort who thinks he's perfectly happy and content until he is asked to meet Dan, a scared, bitter young man. I loved it, very intriguing, mainly talking and, for a book about an escort, very little sex, but it works perfectly. A beautiful book.

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 02, 2012 Valentina Heart rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt, the-romance-reviews

3.5 stars, heavy stuff.

This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews and can also be found there.

A short story about a wounded man and another who can all but be a healing balm to his misfortune. Beautifully written and characteristic of Anne Brooke, this story delivered an honest peek into two very different situations and left me touched and content.

Adrian is an escort who is true to the word. He provides comfort, friendship and company in addition to sexual favors, only his clien...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 01, 2012 Kaetrin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ebook, m-m-romance, short-novella

3.5 stars, rounded up.
This is a short sweet and sexy story about a high class escort who is asked to take on a scarred and broken young man as a client and the connection they form. Dan was badly burned in a car accident and hides his face under a red hoodie (hence the cover - which is very well done). I loved the prose. There was something almost hypnotic (in a good way) about the spare and lyrical way the words were on the page. The story is short, so to believe the hook, you have to believe t...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Elizabetta rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is an short story about Adrian, an exclusive, high paid escort to discriminating clients. Adrian is also a student of the human psyche. If you can accept that a self-educated prostitute can help one of his clients, Dan, a deeply (psychologically and physically) scarred client find inner peace in two "sessions," you will also be able to buy this story. Where You Hurt the Most is told in a very formal voice and wraps up in a pretty bow. It is well written and its two MCs are intriguing charac...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well-written and engaging story but I had problems finding Adrian believable. He was androgynous and it wasn't in a good way. I didn't like him. Dan and Max were good. If it wasn't for Adrian it could have been a 5 star read.

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Apr 11, 2013 ARe Cafe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vals-picks

Where You Hurt the Most is a beautifully written novelette from the first-person viewpoint of a British man who is an exclusive and highly paid escort. (This novelette and Cruce de Caminos, reviewed above, are two of the four fictions featured in Riptide Publishing’s Rentboys 2012 collection.) I am always glad to snap up the latest fiction from Anne Brooke because the writing is flawless – clean, crisp, minimalist, and elegant – and her insight into the interactions between people is profound. T...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Kassa rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

Anne Brooke always impresses me. I quite literally love her writing. There’s a sophistication and refinement to the clean, sparse prose that sets her apart. In fact I enjoyed reading the writing more so than the story itself, which wasn’t slacking. The theme of pain is one that Brooke has dabbled in before and intense concepts are truly her forte. Love, longing, need, desire, and characters that are anything but easy combine to offer a deeply moving yet still light story. I didn’t walk...more 3.5 stars

Anne Brooke always impresses me. I quite literally love her writing. There’s a sophistication and refinement to the clean, sparse prose that sets her apart. In fact I enjoyed reading the writing more so than the story itself, which wasn’t slacking. The theme of pain is one that Brooke has dabbled in before and intense concepts are truly her forte. Love, longing, need, desire, and characters that are anything but easy combine to offer a deeply moving yet still light story. I didn’t walk away depressed or depleted from an angst ridden story. Instead the quick story manages to be hopeful and inject laughter amid the intensity.

Adrian is a very successful escort and has been for five years. He’s happy living a good life and indulging in luxuries he wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford. This includes being able to study multiple subjects that catch his interest. So when his boss, Max, asks Adrian to do him a favor and see a family member, Adrian is quick to agree. Dan is physically and emotionally scarred from a tragic accident that destroyed not only his face but also his future. Dan is stuck in an angry rut and expects nothing good to come of his time with Adrian. Slowly the two men come to an understanding that is surprising for both. The emotions that develop have the potential to change both men’s lives.

Coming in at only 40 pages, I was surprised at the level of emotion and intensity the author managed to pack into the short story. The characters are brief sketches out of necessity but feel complicated enough to work. The relationship between Adrian and Dan is nicely developed though it feels a little rushed. I didn’t quite feel the same level of connection between the characters as Adrian’s thoughts indicated. Likewise I wasn’t entirely sure what prompted Adrian to make the decisions he did during his conversation with Max. However I think these are minor concerns mostly due to the short length and don’t really affect the enjoyment of the story. I would like to see more of these two and any others in the “stable” of escorts that Max runs, not to mention more depth to Max himself.

Overall I’m pretty pleased with this short story due to the excellent writing, drama without being overwhelmingly intense, and engaging characters. The themes of pain, need, and longing are woven into the story in many different ways and skillfully deployed to add depth and nuance to even this short length. I’m pretty impressed with the level of skill displayed, but honestly I know to expect that from this author. I’d easily recommend this to newcomers and fans alike.
(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 11, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ms. Brooke has created her magic again with a story so deep it touches you on every level and she does it with only three characters in this story. Three very strong men that make a lasting impression.

Adrian is a male escort; one of the best in Max’s employ. He is compassionate, sexy, and intelligent. He knows how to make a client feel like he is the only man in the world and is able to touch something that they didn’t even know they were looking for.

Max has been his boss for a couple years now,...more Ms. Brooke has created her magic again with a story so deep it touches you on every level and she does it with only three characters in this story. Three very strong men that make a lasting impression.

Adrian is a male escort; one of the best in Max’s employ. He is compassionate, sexy, and intelligent. He knows how to make a client feel like he is the only man in the world and is able to touch something that they didn’t even know they were looking for.

Max has been his boss for a couple years now, allows plenty of time off, doesn’t over works his employees, never makes them take on someone they don’t want or something they are uncomfortable with. Now he has a favor to ask of Adrian, he has a nephew going through some deep depression and anger issues after an accident leaves him horribly scared on his face. Will Adrian help him? Will he take on his nephew as a favor? Of Course he will, he will keep Sundays open for him.

Dan is bitter, he lost everything in the accident when the lorry hit his car, and he is scared for life with lots of surgeries to help his face in his future. He goes to the appointment his uncle made for him, not sure what to expect from this male escort, and oh, he finds so much more than he thought he would.

Max is a man that knows people, knows how to get the most out of his employees, and therefore the most money for his investment. He sees the signs in Adrian that his mind has caught on something, or someone, else. The feel of this character is very familiar, I am not sure where from, but I know Ms. Brooke has created a character with his strong sense of ethics and caring before in a job very close to this one. I really like him. But the question remains, can Adrian, or Bill as his birth certificate says, hold a real love close and not stray? Can Dan open his heart enough to let Bill in? Can the two of them make a life away from that house where Adrian used to work and create fantasies for other men? He has to give them the chance; he loves them both too much not too.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 06, 2012 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.co...

Some of the most painful scars, the ones that hurt the most, are the scars that can’t be seen, whether it’s the end of a relationship or the end of a chapter in life that seemed like nothing but promise until, in the space of a moment, it shifted drastically and left behind the visible evidence of that change like a brand upon the skin.

Where You Hurt the Most is the story of two men, each scarred but in very different ways, who are brought together in what...more http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.co...

Some of the most painful scars, the ones that hurt the most, are the scars that can’t be seen, whether it’s the end of a relationship or the end of a chapter in life that seemed like nothing but promise until, in the space of a moment, it shifted drastically and left behind the visible evidence of that change like a brand upon the skin.

Where You Hurt the Most is the story of two men, each scarred but in very different ways, who are brought together in what might be described as both a business transaction and an act of mercy.

Dan’s life was irrevocably altered after a tragic accident that left half his face scarred and left him decimated emotionally. Hiding himself from the world, keeping everyone at arm’s length, Dan cut himself off from everything he was and everything he’d dreamt of being before it was all so cruelly stripped away from him. He is the beast who guards himself and hides behind the walls of bitterness left behind in the wake of his transformation.

Adrian is a paid escort, not a whore, mind you, but a warm and intelligent companion for hire who seems to instinctively know his clients’ needs, even if the need is nothing more than a momentary sense of connection to another living soul. But not a single one of those clients truly knows Adrian. He separates himself from them, maintaining a sense of distance even as he draws them out of themselves. He is physical perfection and beauty, but even Adrian has scars and hides behind an identity that isn’t even his own.

Where You Hurt the Most isn’t a literal retelling of the French fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, but whether Anne Brooke intended it or not, the connection is there in this story of patience and acceptance and understanding and compassion that completely alters the lives of these two men. This is a story of seeing and sensing the pain and the promise that lies beneath the surface of the fragile and imperfect skin, of going beyond the physical and delving into the places where the strength of the man, the truth of him, resides, until, finally, he is changed for the better.
This is a short but truly gorgeous story, rich with the hope found in something new.

Reviewed By: Lisa(less)

2 likes · like · see review

May 08, 2012 Kazza rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book's official review says fairly clearly what it is about. What is doesn't say is how beautifully it is written. The words so gentle, kind and human.

Adrian is a young man who is an escort to other men. Men who want and can afford a knowledgeable, personable, outwardly caring, gentle man. One they can take to the theatre, museums, events, fine dining and is attractive and appropriately attentive, without making anything seem sordid. Of course for those who want it, and most do, sex is a par...more

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May 07, 2012 Jody rated it 4 of 5 stars

From the moment I picked up this book I knew it would be a memorable one. First off it has one of my favorite themes, that of a scarred hero. Combine that with two characters whose sexual tension is off the charts from the moment they meet and you end up with a short story long on a deep seated understanding of loneliness and those unexpected moments of happiness.

For Adrian, life as an escort seemed to make him happy as he got to experience the finer things in life while living in an artsy moder...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Veronica / V rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: everybody-loved-and-i-didn-t

It is a real shame that this story is so short,otherwise it would have been better.
Many readers gave it a wonderful rate and I agree to some extent that the book was ok, in some parts.
It was fantastic? no
Did I like the plot? hmmm let me think... a gorgeous Escort guy falling in love within 2/3 weeks with a scarred burned man? yeah right!!
Did I like the ending? Hell no!!
so, any sequels to make it more realistic? if that it is possible.

1 like · like · see review

May 13, 2012 Emma rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: rent-boy

I didn't like this story, because from his actions and thoughts I didn't read Bill/Adrian as male. I like my m/m romances to be about men (or boys). Bill reads, not as a woman, but as mass-media's insistance of what women are like: emotional, pensive, and unable to work in the sex industry while being in a loving relationship (so much for the masseur analogy). I didn't like Bill's amorphous, nebulous angst about nothing-in-particular. I'm good with angst caused by a purpose i.e. I'm afraid to be...more

1 like · like · see review

May 23, 2012 DarienMoya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, my-m-m-lovin, m-m-short-stories, release-2012, serious-stuff, pants-off-reviews

Anne Brooke is a master of conveying emotions on pages; I am always blown a little away when I read one of her stories. Where You Hurt the Most was no exception and I found myself making a connection with characters, and it all had me thinking where I hurt the most.

Adrian is a high-class escort, and he is quite happy. It’s not really a sob story about him hating his life, and he can’t get out of his job. It’s his job and he takes pride in it, and wants all his client to get their money’s worth....more

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May 11, 2012 Cole Riann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, m-m-contemporary, m-m-sex-industry, m-m-short, brief-encounters-reviews

4.5 stars

Review posted at Brief Encounters Reviews.

This beautifully written story is unique for a story about an escort, with little sex and a premise that is wholly original. Two men, one with hidden hurts and another with obvious ones meeting in an unlikely setting.

I’m not going to rehash the blurb here in my own words because the official one does a very accurate job itself. Adrian is a high class escort. While he does have sex with many of the men he sees regularly, he is truly an escort, wh...more 4.5 stars

Review posted at Brief Encounters Reviews.

This beautifully written story is unique for a story about an escort, with little sex and a premise that is wholly original. Two men, one with hidden hurts and another with obvious ones meeting in an unlikely setting.

I’m not going to rehash the blurb here in my own words because the official one does a very accurate job itself. Adrian is a high class escort. While he does have sex with many of the men he sees regularly, he is truly an escort, whether seeing an exhibition, having a nice dinner, or simply talking and forming a friendship with his clients. Dan is young and scarred from an accident that severely burned part of his face, thought he psychological damage has taken a much larger toll. His newly angry and confrontational manner is met by Adrian’s consistently calm and understanding nature, until they built a sort of unique camaraderie that starts affecting Adrian as well.

Much of this story takes place in Adrian’s home, where he entertains clients and with very little sex. The setting is rarely in public and never is there another character present with the two of them at once. This bit of isolation not only allows Dan to slowly shed the layers he’s put on after his accident, but also allows the story to take on a sort of confessional. Even the color palette (subtle tones of cream and beige) reminded me of a therapists office. That sort of privacy and seclusion allows the characters to talk quite a bit, and the intelligence of the story are in their conversations, which grow organically as Dan’s anger comes through full throttle and Adrian’s pride refuses him to allow Dan to push him around. The even ground and sometimes shaky alliance on safe ground allows them both to open up to one another.

I led him to the sofa and pushed him down gently. He disentangled himself from my clasp and shuffled to the edge, where he’d been before. Feeling the loss more than I imagined I would, I sat down next to him, my body turned slightly towards his. If he was minded to touch me again, I was determined to make it easy, for us both. More determined than I ought to have been. God knew why — perhaps because that relaxed sensation which had somehow settled between us at the start had arisen again. I wasn’t sure, but even now, the irritation of the scene he’d just made me play was already fading. I didn’t feel entirely in control, of him or my own reactions, and that knowledge made something in me pulse with a deeper heat. It had been a long time since I’d found any client this exciting, or perhaps I never had. Dan could say or do whatever the wished, and I wasn’t convinced I could mastermind his decisions at all. Almost like money wasn’t an issue between us, if I could remember that far back.

Perhaps what I found most satisfying though was Adrian’s narration. In many ways he is an enigma, an unknown person shrouded sometimes in the allure of sex or companionship and at other times the muted personality of someone who lives their life away from their own desires, under a permanent mask. It’s this last persona which he displays most often when trying to break through to Ben, even as it slowly starts to slip. The prose reflects this. I often was frustrated reading. For someone who speaks so directly at times, Adrian often doesn’t say much at all and I felt a bit frustrated trying to figure him out. He’s often overly understanding, sympathizing, and non-confrontational. As a product of his profession, he’s made himself as safe as possible.

I did have a little niggle or two here and there, but nothing big. I wondered a bit at Max’s behavior later in the story at something he does that surprised and confused me a little, but it doesn’t really affect the story, so I let it go. I always find Anne Brooke’s stories to be thoughtful and intelligent, and this story was no exception, so I definitely recommend it to everyone.(less)

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Apr 29, 2013 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

This book had a really great premise, but it was just meh. I think part of it was it suffered from being too short. I felt like we needed a little more time to see the relationship between the two characters develop. I also felt like there was too much distance in the way it was written - I felt nothing when the MC cried, for example, because I honestly wasn't entirely sure why he was crying. I didn't get a good sense of who he was.

I think seeing the MC (Adrian/Bill) with some of his other clien...more

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May 11, 2012 Jenre rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, m-m, romance

Continuing my love of the rent boy theme, this novella tells of escort Adrian, who is asked by his employer to entertain his nephew Dan. Dan is scarred badly from an accident and hates the perfect Adrian and his self-contained life. I really loved this book and enjoyed the way the dynamic changes between the men. Adrian is living in luxury, cocooned by wealth and cut off from his emotions. He seems cold and distant at first, never allowing emotions such as lust or anger cloud his judgement. Dan...more

8 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, character-with-disability, glbt, m-m-romance, short-story, the-human-condition

Some of the most painful scars, the ones that hurt the most, are the scars that can’t be seen, whether it’s the end of a relationship or the end of a chapter in life that seemed like nothing but promise until, in the space of a moment, it shifted drastically and left behind the visible evidence of that change like a brand upon the skin.

Where You Hurt the Most is the story of two men, each scarred but in very different ways, who are brought together in what might be described as both a business...more Some of the most painful scars, the ones that hurt the most, are the scars that can’t be seen, whether it’s the end of a relationship or the end of a chapter in life that seemed like nothing but promise until, in the space of a moment, it shifted drastically and left behind the visible evidence of that change like a brand upon the skin.

Where You Hurt the Most is the story of two men, each scarred but in very different ways, who are brought together in what might be described as both a business transaction and an act of mercy.

Dan’s life was irrevocably altered after a tragic accident that left half his face scarred and left him decimated emotionally. Hiding himself from the world, keeping everyone at arm’s length, Dan cut himself off from everything he was and everything he’d dreamt of being before it was all so cruelly stripped away from him. He is the beast who guards himself and hides behind the walls of bitterness left behind in the wake of his transformation.

Adrian is a paid escort, not a whore, mind you, but a warm and intelligent companion for hire who seems to instinctively know his clients’ needs, even if the need is nothing more than a momentary sense of connection to another living soul. But not a single one of those clients truly knows Adrian. He separates himself from them, maintaining a sense of distance even as he draws them out of themselves. He is physical perfection and beauty, but even Adrian has scars and hides behind an identity that isn’t even his own.

Where You Hurt the Most isn’t a literal retelling of the French fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, but whether Anne Brooke intended it or not, the connection is there in this story of patience and acceptance and understanding and compassion that completely alters the lives of these two men. This is a story of seeing and sensing the pain and the promise that lies beneath the surface of the fragile and imperfect skin, of going beyond the physical and delving into the places where the strength of the man, the truth of him, resides, until, finally, he is changed for the better.

This is a short but truly gorgeous story, rich with the hope found in something new.

TNA (less)

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 14, 2013 Tami rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

2 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2012 Amy *Sussudio* rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-stars-or-less

I had no idea where the connection between these MC's was, much less why they decided to be together.

1 like · like · see review

Oct 12, 2012 deirdre rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

sweet, light contemporary

i liked this story, it was entertaining. it was sweet, but not as believable as i would have liked.

i didn't get to know aiden/bill enough. and that is not a function of being a short story. i have read a few shorts that have been tremendous! i just didn't know enough about him to buy into this big life change. and then his relationship with max (his pimp) . . . what is revealed about the nature of their relationship close to the end troubled me, but go ahead and run off...more

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May 13, 2012 Lady*M rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, m-m-romance

3 - 3.5 stars

Well written story, as usual from Anne Brooke, but too short or, better said, to unrevealing to really start caring for the characters, especially Adrian. We don't know how he came to be an escort, why he holds Max in such high esteem, what happen to his brother, etc. In that light, it was difficult to buy the change Dan brings in him or the depth of their connection, although the author did a great work on showing disintegration of Adrian's happy-go-lucky attitude. The story reads...more

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About Anne Brooke

Anne Brooke’s fiction has been shortlisted for the Harry Bowling Novel Award, the Royal Literary Fund Awards and the Asham Award for Women Writers. She has also twice been the winner of the national DSJT Charitable Trust Open Poetry Competition.

She is the author of six published novels, including her fantasy series, The Gathandrian Trilogy, published by Bluewood Publishing and featuring gay scribe...more

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Entertaining The Delaneys (The Delaneys, #2)

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Where You Hurt the Most (Riptide Rentboys: The 2012 Collection)

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