Brief Encounters

Title: Knowing it by Hart
Author: C.B. Conwy
Length: 7,600 words (34 pdf pages)
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating: B-

Blurb:
Brit’s life is exactly how he wants it: neat, ordered, and disciplined, the way it needs to be if anybody is going to take a thirty-two year old CEO seriously. If that means being so discreet that you’re basically in the closet, then so be it.

Then, at a charity dinner, he meets the good Mr. Hart. A very drunken Mr. Hart. Who gives Brit the kiss of his life. That’s all that happens, of course; Brit has got a reputation to protect. Only, he can’t get Mr. Hart out of his head, and he realizes that it might be time to make some changes.

Review:
This sweetly written short follows Brit, who has recently taken over from his father’s business. He likes his day structured and organised. When he finds himself escorting a drunken guest at a charity dinner back to his apartment, he doesn’t realise how one act of kindness will impact on his life.

There was much to like about this short with my only real complaint being that I wish there had been more in terms of on page time between the men. The character of Brit is well written and sympathetic, especially in the way it shows how he is afraid to step out from the shadow of his father’s legacy and strike out for himself. Despite this, Brit’s innate kindness shines through his character, as does the poignancy of his loneliness. There’s also a humour about the writing, particularly in Brit’s slightly bewildered reaction both to Mr Hart and to shopping for furniture, as well as the opening scene with Mr Hart’s octopus hands!

Mr Hart acts as both the catalyst for change and the love interest, but the story ends just as the men are starting on the path to even just getting to know one another, and I did wish that I could have had a bit more. Brit makes a lot of changes for Mr Hart – although the changes are also for himself and his self-esteem – and I would have liked to have known more definitely that it was worth all the effort on his part and to perhaps have got to know Mr Hart a little better.

Overall, if you’re looking for a sweet holiday short about stepping out of your comfortable life and making changes for the better, then I’d recommend Knowing it by Hart.