AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Beautiful Things Shoppe by Philip William Stover (Seasons of New Hope #2)

THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS SHOPPE

Seasons of New Hope - Book Two

by Philip William Stover

Release Date: January 26, 2021

Review

Michael Dean and Kale Williams do a really great job of narrating this quirky small-town story by new-to-me author Philip William Stover.

This was a fun story of two very different guys who end up sharing retail space selling collectibles.

Prescott is a straight-laced, prim and orderly seller of fine antiques. Danny is a carefree, outgoing people person who sells fun keepsakes and collectibles like smurf figurines. The two couldn’t be more opposite. And boy do they drive each other a little crazy.

But as they say, opposites attract. And the more time they spend together, the more they see in each other. But both are worried about protecting themselves from repeating past mistakes with love, which leads to keeping things to themselves and some poor decisions.

A shared mission bigger than themselves and some interfering small-town friends will ensure they find their way through.

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Synopsis

Their collections may clash but their hearts are a perfect match.

Moving to eclectic New Hope, Pennsylvania, and running The Beautiful Things Shoppe is a dream come true for elegant and reserved fine arts dealer Prescott J. Henderson. He never agreed to share the space with Danny Roman, an easygoing extrovert who collects retro toys and colorful knickknacks.

And yet here they are, trapped together in the quaint shop as they scramble to open in time for New Hope’s charming Winter Festival.

Danny has spent years leading with his heart instead of his head. The Beautiful Things Shoppe is his chance to ground himself and build something permanent and joyful. The last thing he needs is an uptight snob who doesn’t appreciate his whimsy occupying half his shop.

It’s only when two of New Hope’s historic landmarks—each as different as Danny and Prescott—are threatened that a tentative alliance forms. And with it, the first blush of romance. Suddenly, running The Beautiful Things Shoppe together doesn’t seem so bad…until Danny’s secret threatens to ruin it all.

About Philip William Stover

Philip William Stover splits his time between Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and New York City. He has an MFA in writing and is a clinical professor at New York University.

As a freelance journalist, his essays and reviews have appeared in Newsday, the Forward, the Tony Awards, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Houston Chronicle, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and other national publications. For many years he ghosted for an international best-selling women’s fiction author. He has published multiple middle-grade novels for Simon & Schuster and was the American Theater critic for About.com.

He grew up tearing the covers off the romance novels he devoured so he wouldn’t get teased at school. Now he enjoys traveling the world with his husband of over twenty years and would never consider defacing any of the books he loves.

He can be found on social media as Philip William Stover.

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