The Hideaway Inn by Philip William Stover
Whenever I need a little pick-me-up, I get my warm blanket, a cup of tea and start reading The Hideaway Inn.
Vince left New Hope after high school, becoming a high-powered marketing executive. After a personal setback, he purchases the Hideaway Inn and returns to his hometown to flip the Inn. He’s hoping a corporation will purchase it quickly and offer him a job. He has two goals: one is to return to his life in New York City; the second is to prove to those who bullied him and treated him with contempt, just how successful he is.
Upon his return, the first person Vince meets is Tack, the boy he had a crush on in high school; the one who ignored Vince and broke his heart. Tack, a farm kid, is studying to become a chef. He’s divorced from his high school sweetheart and has now accepted the bisexuality he refused to recognize in high school.
Together they work to make the Hideaway Inn the eating destination in New Hope, but Vince hasn’t shared with Tack, or anyone else, his ultimate goal.
Stover is a five-star writer of gay romance. And he does it with a sense of humor. Vince, who has a chip the size of a log on his shoulder, comes across as angry, but somewhat naïve, when he could easily be a complete bastard. Stover writes Tack as patient yet slightly pushy and oozing a natural sexuality that quickly turns Vince’s chip to ashes. The perfect counterpoint to Vince.
Stover is also a master of description. “As soon as we make it over the hill, the expansive countryside opens before me like an antique quilt unfolding at a county fair.” How lovely! It fits the tone of the book beautifully.
The story moves along quickly. It’s charming and sexy with just the right amount of personal angst and worry over Vince’s and Tack’s relationship. The secondary characters are quirky and interesting on their own. They are the soul of New Hope. On a completely different level from the other characters, there’s Tack’s adorable non-binary child, Jules, who loves dump trucks, tutus and glitter. They steal the show whenever they’re in a scene.
If you’re looking for a sweet, engaging story written by a good, up-and-coming writer, you can’t go wrong with The Hideaway Inn.