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Seasons of New Hope #1
The Hideaway Inn
Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories featuring beloved romance tropes, where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.
No one in the charming river town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, needs to know that Vince Amato plans on flipping The Hideaway Inn to the highest bidder and returning to his luxury lifestyle in New York City. He needs to make his last remaining investment turn a profit…even if that means temporarily relocating to the quirky small town where he endured growing up. He’s spent years reinventing himself and won’t let his past dictate his future.
But on his way to New Hope, Vince gets stuck in the middle of nowhere and his past might be the only thing that can get him to his future. Specifically Tack O’Leary, the gorgeous, easygoing farm boy who broke his heart and who picks Vince up in his dilapidated truck.
Tack comes to the rescue not only with a ride but also by signing on to be the chef at The Hideaway for the summer. As Vince and Tack open their hearts to each other again, Vince learns that being true to himself doesn’t mean shutting down a second chance with Tack—it means starting over and letting love in.
In The Hideaway Inn, Philip William Stover begins the story of a diverse group of characters finding love without boundaries and across the Seasons of New Hope.
No one in the charming river town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, needs to know that Vince Amato plans on flipping The Hideaway Inn to the highest bidder and returning to his luxury lifestyle in New York City. He needs to make his last remaining investment turn a profit…even if that means temporarily relocating to the quirky small town where he endured growing up. He’s spent years reinventing himself and won’t let his past dictate his future.
But on his way to New Hope, Vince gets stuck in the middle of nowhere and his past might be the only thing that can get him to his future. Specifically Tack O’Leary, the gorgeous, easygoing farm boy who broke his heart and who picks Vince up in his dilapidated truck.
Tack comes to the rescue not only with a ride but also by signing on to be the chef at The Hideaway for the summer. As Vince and Tack open their hearts to each other again, Vince learns that being true to himself doesn’t mean shutting down a second chance with Tack—it means starting over and letting love in.
In The Hideaway Inn, Philip William Stover begins the story of a diverse group of characters finding love without boundaries and across the Seasons of New Hope.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2020
47 people are currently reading
587 people want to read
About the author
Philip William Stover
10 books144 followersPhilip 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.
Adult fiction:
https://www.philipwilliamstover.com
Middle-grade fiction:
http://www.tweenink.com
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.
Adult fiction:
https://www.philipwilliamstover.com
Middle-grade fiction:
http://www.tweenink.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
May 6, 2020
I so wanted to like The Hideaway Inn by new-to-me author Philip William Stover, but it was hard for me to get through.
Vince was a shockingly unlikable character. He physically made me cringe, and I didn't enjoy anything about him. He felt toxic, and I wasn't rooting for the couple to get together. I think he had too many unresolved issues and wasn't emotionally ready for a relationship. I wanted him in therapy rather than in a romance book.
I also struggled with the writing. It felt stilted and forced. I missed that easy flow that I get with some of my favorite authors. In addition, some of the side characters felt like props and plot devices more than fully realized characters, especially Evie, the ex-wife. I wanted more depth from them.
Overall, I had to force myself to finish. Not a great read for me, unfortunately.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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Vince was a shockingly unlikable character. He physically made me cringe, and I didn't enjoy anything about him. He felt toxic, and I wasn't rooting for the couple to get together. I think he had too many unresolved issues and wasn't emotionally ready for a relationship. I wanted him in therapy rather than in a romance book.
I also struggled with the writing. It felt stilted and forced. I missed that easy flow that I get with some of my favorite authors. In addition, some of the side characters felt like props and plot devices more than fully realized characters, especially Evie, the ex-wife. I wanted more depth from them.
Overall, I had to force myself to finish. Not a great read for me, unfortunately.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
September 8, 2020
I used to think the painted boy was weak, like I was as a kid. But I realize now he isn't weak at all. Being a man isn't something you become or something you show people. I don't know what it is. I used to think it was the most important thing in the world. If I was a man, I could be safe. I wouldn't have my fate decided by the people around me. If I could be a man, in the way the world wanted me to be, maybe I would be worthy of love. 83%
You guys. Harlequin has a line of queer romance! How did I not know this? The first one was published in June of this year. It's called "Carina Adores." Of course, I immediately bought one.
A lot of people may say, "Oh, Harlequin is so late in doing this. Also, they are only doing this to make money. Gay romances are moneymakers right now." Of course they are doing this to make money. They are a corporation. As for being late, better late than never. I honestly never thought I'd live to see the day Harlequin had a dedicated release line for LGBTQIA+ books. And look, I am alive and I just finished reading one! I'll take it. I'll take it, and I'll reward Harlequin by purchasing these books.
And it looks like - at first glance - that Harlequin is going to employ actual queer people to write these books. Which is GREAT. Most of the m/m romances I see on this site (GR) are written by straight women who like to masturbate while thinking about two men fucking. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, it's not like I'm morally opposed to this or anything, but I've never fallen into this category, and if I'm going to read gay fiction I'd rather read gay fiction that is penned by actual gay people.
The two best things about this novel is Stover's writing, and his sense of humor. Stover is no slouch in the writing department. I enjoyed his descriptions of country-Pennsylvania and his two MCs, who were definitely fleshed out and psychologically developed. No cardboard cutout MCs here (I can't say the same for the side characters... but they have much less page-time and I don't blame Stover for this). I also found myself smiling and even occasionally lightly chuckling. Stover is funny. HE'S FUNNY, you guys. Romance novels are even better if you can include some laughs (unless you are writing heartbreakers).
The plot involves Vince, who is returning to Pennsylvania after a 15-year absence in order to
'flip' an inn for profit. He is a Manhattanite through and through. He rolls into town (on a bus LOL) wearing a three-thousand-dollar suit.
There's a lot of things you can object to about Vince until you see deeper. He's a rich, suit-wearing asshole. He thinks his money and his sculpted body and his job make him powerful and better than other people. He refers to himself as an 'alpha.' Straight, with no irony. Can you believe it? Men who literally think they are 'an alpha' and that 'alphas' exist are the worst. Any time you meet a man who talks about 'alphas' without any kind of humor it's a huge red flag.
So you can see what we are dealing with here.
But the beauty of what Stover is doing is that Vince is really a vulnerable character. He was tormented in Pennsylvania for being gay. Growing up vulnerable and mocked and tormented, he put on his 'suit of armor' after graduating high school, building himself a 'hypermasculine' armor and mask of the perfect body, a high-powered job, and killing all outward forms of expression. He fucks men, but feels like he won't be liked or respected by society without being a "hypermasculine robot."
Vince had a thing for farmboy Tack in high school. They couldn't have been more different. Tack was a golden farmboy - popular, dated the most beautiful girl in school, drank, went to parties, was a poor student. He was handsome and had a good body. He was attracted to Vince, but being bisexual in this small town was a big no-no. So he kept dating his girl and ignoring Tack, even though they spent a summer hanging out and flirting (but not kissing or doing anything physical). Vince was a skinny, scrawny kid who read poetry all the time, dyed chunks of his hair purple, had acne and was a social outcast.
Now Vince is back and although he's afraid of seeing Tack again and feels all these emotions (mostly negative) around being here, he also wants to show Tack that he's a man now. A big, powerful man. He thinks Tack will respect him because of his money and his job and his beefy body. Instead, Tack thinks he's an asshole. Because he is an asshole.
Tack is a chef and Vince reluctantly hires him to work at the inn.
STRENGTHS
ONE:Stover's writing. It's descriptive. Pretty.
As soon as we make it over the hill, the expansive countryside opens before me like an antique quilt unfolding at a county fair. ... It would almost feel calm and peaceful if riding in Tack's pickup didn't feel like being put in a cardboard box and kicked across a field. 5%
If you want pretty, attractive depictions of small-town life, this is the book for you. Very Norman Rockwell. Or, as Stover puts it:
As we turn on to Main Street I realize that the town is more like a Norman Rockwell painting if old Norm had been a power-bottom with a social activist consciousness. Rainbow flags hang from almost every storefront, same-sex couples walk hand in hand and "Love is love" signs cover the town like it's a mandatory municipal ordinance. 7%
TWO: Stover's sense of humor.
The book is genuinely funny. I found myself smiling frequently and even chuckling at times. Stover surprised me. It's not roll-on-the-ground-laughing funny, but it's pretty funny. I appreciate a dose of humor with my romances (unless they are gutwrenchers), and it was a nice touch. Sometimes shocking, I never knew what Stover was going to say next. Vince is really the funny one here, with his highly sarcastic sense of humor. Tack gets in one or two funny lines, but Vince is the one that was making me grin.
"Oh, right. I remember now. Your family had a farm," I say, keeping my charade by pretending to piece the details together in my head and trying not to look at the outline of his dick in his pants. I respect having a great dick or a great ass but having both is really just obnoxious. 3%
I'll avoid him with the same enthusiasm I avoid porta potties at outdoor music festivals. If I do run into him on the street I'll simply run into oncoming traffic or set myself on fire. 7%
If I had thought for a second that buying this place would mean I would lay eyes on Tack again I would have opened an Etsy store and sold yarn art or kitten bobsleds or whatever crap people sell online. 17%
I want to take off my suit and review every stupid decision I've made in the past few months, from buying this inn to forgetting to download more LAW & ORDER reruns. 17%
THREE: MCs who have depth. It would be easy to just make Vince an 'alpha asshole.' But Stover adds genuine (not contrived) depth to the character with his backstory and his intense vulnerability that causes him to lash out. I'm not saying, "Yay," because you know I don't enjoy asshole-heroes, but he isn't the typical asshole hero IMO. He's performing, his asshole persona is, to some extent, a performance.
Then there's Tack, who has to tackle the person he was in high school and the things he did (or, more accurately, didn't do). It's hard. He wasn't a gay-basher but he certainly didn't stand up for Vince when Vince was getting stomped. He also has an asshole religious father to deal with - who is elderly now and whom Tack is caring for. The father-plot was pretty undeveloped and quickly brushed aside, I feel Stover could have done more with that angle.
Both men have to come to terms with their pasts and their presents.
WEAKNESSES
QUEER UTOPIA: Vince maintains that New Hope is not a queer utopia, but come on. It totally is. This almost reaches the level of parody. Of course our MCs are gay men, but Tack's child is genderfluid (they/them) (might be transgendered, but too young to really know so far), Tack's ex-wife is a lesbian, 95% of the supporting characters are gay, lesbian, transgendered, genderfluid, etc. I liked Anita - the butch lesbian who uses a wheelchair. But the idea that everyone is queer (or at least 95% of people) is a bit strange to me. But I guess this is going to be a series and Stover wants to establish a gay utopia here in Pennsylvania where he can write his series comfortably.
It's kind of like when I read The Bull Rider's Son and three women in the novel (THREE) had secret babies they were hiding from the fathers. Three. I mean, that's pushing it. I'm willing to buy one secret-baby (reluctantly) but not three in one book. That was beyond stretching it, and I feel the same way here.
DRESSING IN DRAG Maybe I don't know enough about this, but it seemed to me that pressuring Vince to do the charity run in drag and saying that he was a 'bad gay man' if he refused to do it was bad form. He's not allowed to be unwilling to dress in drag? Refusing to dress in drag to do a charity run makes him a bad person? I wasn't really on board with this message. But then again, I'm not a gay man, so perhaps there's something going on that I don't grok. He was bullied for wearing eyeliner as a kid, so he has an innate desire to dress in drag and forcing him to dress in drag is a way of getting him to accept and love himself? I don't buy it and I don't agree with bullying people into doing things they are uncomfortable with. Just my take.
NEUTRALS
Stover published a warning in the beginning of the book about the use of the word "faggot" in the novel. He says his editor was hesitant to publish a romance novel with this word in it. It's a great little write-up. I'm not a gay man, but the use of the word in the novel didn't bother me (YMMV), it's not used by anyone except for the villains and Stover talks in his warning about how he's been called this word and how it shapes gay men's lives to a certain extent. He says Harlequin asked for authenticity and he gave it to them. I tend to agree with him. Again, not a gay man so if you want another perspective please read other reviews that might touch on this topic. If you think you can't handle a book that has this word in it, you are warned up front and I am warning you right now that it's in there.
Language doesn't bother me for the most part, but if it matters to you this book does have more swear words than your typical Harlequin. Expect words like fuck, cock, asshole, and shithead. Doesn't bother me (obviously, if you are at all familiar with me or my reviews) but if it bothers you, don't pick this up. It's not offensive or trying to be offensive IMO, but you know the way I "talk" on GR and you know I'm not afraid of the word "fuck." LOL YMMV.
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
I really can't review gay sex. For one thing, I'm not a gay man. For another thing, I'm not the kind of straight woman who gets excited about two men fucking (or two women for that matter). So I can't even assess it as someone who is aroused by gay porn. I know some straight women love gay porn, and masturbate thinking about two men fucking, but it's never done anything for me and I'm afraid reading gay romance love scenes has about as much sexual effect on me as reading Consumer Reports. There IS sex, more than one sex scene, and it IS detailed. So you've got that going for you. Beyond that, I have no critique.
TL;DR Can't tell you how tickled I was that Harlequin has a LGBTQIA+ imprint now. Bought a book immediately. I wanted to support this. I wasn't expecting as good of a book as I was presented with. That means props to Stover. Props to Harlequin for seeking authentic voices and props to Stover for having good writing skillz. The book is engaging, not stupid, actually funny - mildly funny - and Stover surprisingly gives his characters some depth. That's not a given in the romance world. I was impressed.
I would recommend this book if you are looking for m/m fiction. My only caveat is that Vince is an asshole for about half of the book. You can understand WHY he's being an asshole - but that doesn't excuse it and it might be a major turn-off for some people. Use your own judgment. Other than that, this is a 'recommend' from me. Give it a chance if my review makes it sound appealing to you at all.
ROMANCE CATEGORIES
#OwnVoices Romance - gay man
Contemporary Romance
LGBT+ Romance
Second Chance Romance - Kind of. They flirted and hung out in high school, but didn't date or get physical.
He's a something. Big-shot, something with Investors and working for a Firm; Tack is a farmer and a Chef-in-Training.
Vince is a gay man; Tack is a bisexual man.
Takes Place In: New Hope, Pennsylvania and a little bit in Manhattan, New York City. U.S.A.
NAMES IN THIS BOOK
April 27, 2020
how do i unread a book
May 23, 2020
On my blog.
Rep: gay mc, bi mc, wheelchair-using Indian American wlw side character, trans wlw side character, wlw side character, nonbinary side characters
Galley provided by publisher
About a quarter of the way through this book, I started hate-reading this book. And that’s because the main character said of the love interest “I can’t help toying with his insecurity”. If you think I can sympathise with a character who thinks this, you got another think coming.
Up until then, the main character had just been sort of frustratingly arsehole-ish, but that had mostly been understandable since he had experienced some form of trauma at the hands of the potential love interest (or so I thought, but more on that later).
And then that line.
I just don’t see how I can get past a line like that and come to even like the protagonist, let alone love him. But that is exactly what this book required me to do.
Most of my review notes, understandably, centre around just how much of a dickhead Vince was, and just how much better Tack deserved. But I’m not going to say Tack was an angel in all this - obviously how he treated Vince impacted on him fairly severely - but in the story being told in the present, he all but was.
But anyway, I was all set-up and ready to sympathise with Vince on finding out just what Tack had done to him. And then I did find out. And.
And.
There is, of course, no telling what will deeply impact on a person and how they’ll take it, sure, but I have to say I was expecting a little more than what I got. As I understood it, (This last part is the only thing that I can sort of sympathise with Vince on, but Vince’s complete inability to even try empathise, over fifteen years on? I got stuck on that.)
But Vince and Tack never even really had anything beyond friendship. That’s what gets me. To all intents and purposes, this is an unrequited love on Vince’s part, and yet he takes it all in so deeply as to become even more of an arsehole to Tack than Tack ever was to him.
Vince has some excellent grudge-holding abilities.
It’s that grudge that leads him to be unable to forgive Tack for what he did years ago, on first meeting, and then treat him like shit throughout, until he does apologise (necessarily, obviously). At which point, Vince forgives him but never apologises himself for being such a dickhead. They get together and Vince never apologises. What this book gets right is that what you might do and who you might hurt while closeted is not excusable because you are closeted. What it gets wrong is, I think, refusing to treat any such shitty behaviour after the fact as inexcusable.
And then, like a car crash you can see coming about fifty miles off, the angst comes.
It’s not really spoilery to say that the angst centres on Vince’s desire to flip the hotel (it’s in the blurb). But what really annoyed me about it was how it’s on Tack to initiate the big get-back-together. Vince is all ready to run off and sell the hotel and never fucking apologise. It’s Tack who starts it. It’s Tack who forgives Vince so easily.
And all throughout, Vince has still not really apologised.
I don’t know how much of the commentary on toxic masculinity was intended (probably only about half to two-thirds of what I took from it), but in the end, it turned out a very good one.
If only I hadn’t been so pissed off for the majority of it.
Rep: gay mc, bi mc, wheelchair-using Indian American wlw side character, trans wlw side character, wlw side character, nonbinary side characters
Galley provided by publisher
About a quarter of the way through this book, I started hate-reading this book. And that’s because the main character said of the love interest “I can’t help toying with his insecurity”. If you think I can sympathise with a character who thinks this, you got another think coming.
Up until then, the main character had just been sort of frustratingly arsehole-ish, but that had mostly been understandable since he had experienced some form of trauma at the hands of the potential love interest (or so I thought, but more on that later).
And then that line.
I just don’t see how I can get past a line like that and come to even like the protagonist, let alone love him. But that is exactly what this book required me to do.
Most of my review notes, understandably, centre around just how much of a dickhead Vince was, and just how much better Tack deserved. But I’m not going to say Tack was an angel in all this - obviously how he treated Vince impacted on him fairly severely - but in the story being told in the present, he all but was.
But anyway, I was all set-up and ready to sympathise with Vince on finding out just what Tack had done to him. And then I did find out. And.
And.
There is, of course, no telling what will deeply impact on a person and how they’ll take it, sure, but I have to say I was expecting a little more than what I got. As I understood it, (This last part is the only thing that I can sort of sympathise with Vince on, but Vince’s complete inability to even try empathise, over fifteen years on? I got stuck on that.)
But Vince and Tack never even really had anything beyond friendship. That’s what gets me. To all intents and purposes, this is an unrequited love on Vince’s part, and yet he takes it all in so deeply as to become even more of an arsehole to Tack than Tack ever was to him.
Vince has some excellent grudge-holding abilities.
It’s that grudge that leads him to be unable to forgive Tack for what he did years ago, on first meeting, and then treat him like shit throughout, until he does apologise (necessarily, obviously). At which point, Vince forgives him but never apologises himself for being such a dickhead. They get together and Vince never apologises. What this book gets right is that what you might do and who you might hurt while closeted is not excusable because you are closeted. What it gets wrong is, I think, refusing to treat any such shitty behaviour after the fact as inexcusable.
And then, like a car crash you can see coming about fifty miles off, the angst comes.
It’s not really spoilery to say that the angst centres on Vince’s desire to flip the hotel (it’s in the blurb). But what really annoyed me about it was how it’s on Tack to initiate the big get-back-together. Vince is all ready to run off and sell the hotel and never fucking apologise. It’s Tack who starts it. It’s Tack who forgives Vince so easily.
And all throughout, Vince has still not really apologised.
I don’t know how much of the commentary on toxic masculinity was intended (probably only about half to two-thirds of what I took from it), but in the end, it turned out a very good one.
If only I hadn’t been so pissed off for the majority of it.
June 23, 2021
I loved this, and the fact it included some types of characters I normally completely shy away from is telling—and I'll go into that in a second—but first I want to admit I bought this one ages ago, and then forgot about it, and then decided to read it because I was fighting my way through why I sure as heck didn't feel celebratory about the announcement of "Harlequin's First Ever Gay Category Romance!" (Short answer? Here.) But at the end of Jack Harbon's thread was a reminder of this book, done by Carina Adores, which was Harlequin's queer line, written by a queer guy and so I took it as the sign it was to bump it up the reading pile.
"The Hideaway Inn" includes two things that normally send me running to the hills: a character who thinks of himself as 'alpha' and a kinda-sorta reunion (and romance) between two people where bullying was a factor. But here's the thing: both of those were handled with this incredibly deft touch in this book, and ended up being so full of verisimilitude they could have been people I know.
Let's start with Vince. Growing up, he was "Skinny Vinny" and treated to pretty much endless harassment at school as a queer kid for any facet of himself that remotely stepped out of the narrow confines of what people considered masculine. That whole "alpha" thing? Even he knows it's 100% a persona, and he's completely aware it's an act (or, at least, he knows it's a thing he performs, a thing he does, not who he is). He's definitely bought into it, and it's the armor he's chosen to use to exist in a world without feeling vulnerable, and I cannot tell you how many straight-acting queer guys I've met in my life who've used—or continue to use—that projection to get through their day to day. And even within the queer community, men like this are often held up as some sort of top-prize, because we grow up with all the same garbage about masculinity as everyone else, alongside the extra heaping dose of queerphobia on top, and that leaves a mark.
Vinny leaves his home town, never looks back, and does everything in his power not to feel like that scared/broken kid who got punished every time he dared to show himself as he really was. And it worked for quite a while, which is the thing I really appreciated about Stover's writing here: men like Vince only exist because we reward them for following the role. He's made it in finance, he's sought-out, he's considered hot, he's worked out and buffed up and modulates his voice when he speaks and you can tell it's a constant effort, but that's the coping mechanism he's got and he's sticking to it.
Until it kind of blows up in his face and he has to drop everything and start over and as luck would have it, his best opportunity is in the home town he ran away from after the one guy he thought he was able to be himself around, Tack, rejected him and never stopped anyone from hurting him. This time, though, he's got his armor up, and he's coming back to town with a purpose: there's an Inn he's bought, he's going to flip it for a major profit, and then he's going back to New York to regain the life he's worked so hard for.
Tack, that one guy who Vinny cared about and who wasn't there for him? Tack ends up being the one person in town who can help Vince achieve his goal. Now, I've talked many times before about how I can't handle a former-bully-as-love-interest, and what Stover does here that's so perfect is he dodges Tack just along the outside of former-bully. Yes, he let Vinny down, 100%—and he does own that—but he never took part in the bullying. He was adjacent, and he didn't stop it, either—and, once again, he does own that—but this came from a very different place of fear. Tack's own queerness wasn't apparent to the bullies, or his father, or anyone else in town, so he had a completely different kind of experience than Vince did, but both are incredibly common queer youth experiences: Tack able to remain in hiding, Vinny not able to hide no matter what he does. And both are set on paths that felt 100% like the paths I've lived (or seen my queer friends live) and it was so damn refreshing to see it handled with the kind of complexity it really has.
The two men who meet now aren't the kids they were, but they are the products of the childhood they lived and the trajectories those experiences sent them on thereafter. For Tack, queer becomes something he wishes he could be—and so when he grows up, is away from his father, and his friends aren't the major factor in his life, he does. And to really draw a line under this, I need to point out how for him, being queer was something he couldn't be and felt so much better when he finally could be himself. Which is the inverse of how queerness felt for Vinny, who couldn't hide, and learned a very different lesson. Part of Tack's journey is based on him seeing the strengths of Vinny that Vinny didn't see in himself: of being himself, and the power there is in that, even if it costs you, but Tack only kinda-sorta experienced any of those costs, and second-handedly so at best.
Vince, on the other hand, had a childhood only worthy of escape, so that's what he did. He had a few allies, and Tack not turning out to be one of them is still devastating, but Vince's desire to not be the person he was makes complete sense, even as we see Tack frustrated that Vince seems to have taken all the best parts of Vinny and buried them. Tack can't see it because he didn't live it, and Vince can't see it because he did.
Tack, for example, thinks nothing of assuming Vince would be willing to take part in a drag-like event run, and Vince can't grasp why Tack would think he'd ever consider it. Their dawning understanding of each other feels real and takes time and effort on both their parts, and I loved how often both of them used their words, be it from a simple "I'm sorry," to more declarative statements of what it was like to exist as them back in the day. And I love how complicated and complex this journey is for both of them because holy flying fuck that's what it's actually like for so damn many of us.
There's so much more to love in this book beyond those two facets, but I really, really wanted to underscore how wonderful it was to read these living, breathing experiences done so damn well. The cast of characters around them, in a part of a town that's super-queer friendly, also hit so many of the notes of my own lived life I can't tell you: the queer male couple in the romance are centre stage, of course, but around them other queer people orbit, and they're not all just handsome queer men. Lesbians! Nonbinary and trans people! Supportive queer parents trying to do best by their queer kids who are flexing their own identities! It's so damn nice to see a community.
I'm so glad I read this, and I'll be hopping forward onto the next in the series.
"The Hideaway Inn" includes two things that normally send me running to the hills: a character who thinks of himself as 'alpha' and a kinda-sorta reunion (and romance) between two people where bullying was a factor. But here's the thing: both of those were handled with this incredibly deft touch in this book, and ended up being so full of verisimilitude they could have been people I know.
Let's start with Vince. Growing up, he was "Skinny Vinny" and treated to pretty much endless harassment at school as a queer kid for any facet of himself that remotely stepped out of the narrow confines of what people considered masculine. That whole "alpha" thing? Even he knows it's 100% a persona, and he's completely aware it's an act (or, at least, he knows it's a thing he performs, a thing he does, not who he is). He's definitely bought into it, and it's the armor he's chosen to use to exist in a world without feeling vulnerable, and I cannot tell you how many straight-acting queer guys I've met in my life who've used—or continue to use—that projection to get through their day to day. And even within the queer community, men like this are often held up as some sort of top-prize, because we grow up with all the same garbage about masculinity as everyone else, alongside the extra heaping dose of queerphobia on top, and that leaves a mark.
Vinny leaves his home town, never looks back, and does everything in his power not to feel like that scared/broken kid who got punished every time he dared to show himself as he really was. And it worked for quite a while, which is the thing I really appreciated about Stover's writing here: men like Vince only exist because we reward them for following the role. He's made it in finance, he's sought-out, he's considered hot, he's worked out and buffed up and modulates his voice when he speaks and you can tell it's a constant effort, but that's the coping mechanism he's got and he's sticking to it.
Until it kind of blows up in his face and he has to drop everything and start over and as luck would have it, his best opportunity is in the home town he ran away from after the one guy he thought he was able to be himself around, Tack, rejected him and never stopped anyone from hurting him. This time, though, he's got his armor up, and he's coming back to town with a purpose: there's an Inn he's bought, he's going to flip it for a major profit, and then he's going back to New York to regain the life he's worked so hard for.
Tack, that one guy who Vinny cared about and who wasn't there for him? Tack ends up being the one person in town who can help Vince achieve his goal. Now, I've talked many times before about how I can't handle a former-bully-as-love-interest, and what Stover does here that's so perfect is he dodges Tack just along the outside of former-bully. Yes, he let Vinny down, 100%—and he does own that—but he never took part in the bullying. He was adjacent, and he didn't stop it, either—and, once again, he does own that—but this came from a very different place of fear. Tack's own queerness wasn't apparent to the bullies, or his father, or anyone else in town, so he had a completely different kind of experience than Vince did, but both are incredibly common queer youth experiences: Tack able to remain in hiding, Vinny not able to hide no matter what he does. And both are set on paths that felt 100% like the paths I've lived (or seen my queer friends live) and it was so damn refreshing to see it handled with the kind of complexity it really has.
The two men who meet now aren't the kids they were, but they are the products of the childhood they lived and the trajectories those experiences sent them on thereafter. For Tack, queer becomes something he wishes he could be—and so when he grows up, is away from his father, and his friends aren't the major factor in his life, he does. And to really draw a line under this, I need to point out how for him, being queer was something he couldn't be and felt so much better when he finally could be himself. Which is the inverse of how queerness felt for Vinny, who couldn't hide, and learned a very different lesson. Part of Tack's journey is based on him seeing the strengths of Vinny that Vinny didn't see in himself: of being himself, and the power there is in that, even if it costs you, but Tack only kinda-sorta experienced any of those costs, and second-handedly so at best.
Vince, on the other hand, had a childhood only worthy of escape, so that's what he did. He had a few allies, and Tack not turning out to be one of them is still devastating, but Vince's desire to not be the person he was makes complete sense, even as we see Tack frustrated that Vince seems to have taken all the best parts of Vinny and buried them. Tack can't see it because he didn't live it, and Vince can't see it because he did.
Tack, for example, thinks nothing of assuming Vince would be willing to take part in a drag-like event run, and Vince can't grasp why Tack would think he'd ever consider it. Their dawning understanding of each other feels real and takes time and effort on both their parts, and I loved how often both of them used their words, be it from a simple "I'm sorry," to more declarative statements of what it was like to exist as them back in the day. And I love how complicated and complex this journey is for both of them because holy flying fuck that's what it's actually like for so damn many of us.
There's so much more to love in this book beyond those two facets, but I really, really wanted to underscore how wonderful it was to read these living, breathing experiences done so damn well. The cast of characters around them, in a part of a town that's super-queer friendly, also hit so many of the notes of my own lived life I can't tell you: the queer male couple in the romance are centre stage, of course, but around them other queer people orbit, and they're not all just handsome queer men. Lesbians! Nonbinary and trans people! Supportive queer parents trying to do best by their queer kids who are flexing their own identities! It's so damn nice to see a community.
I'm so glad I read this, and I'll be hopping forward onto the next in the series.
August 7, 2020
"But what does it mean? Was it the ending to something that started a long time ago or was it an invitation to a beginning?"
📚 Series? Yes. Book 1 of Seasons Of New Hope.
📚 Genre? LGBT Contemporary.
📚 POV? Dual POV.
📚 Cliffhanger? No.
⚠ Content Warnings: Homophobia. Use of a slur (addressed in author's note). Bullying. Lots and lots of sexual content.
⚠ Book Tags : Gay main character. Bisexual main character. Non binary rep. Trans rep. Second chance romance. Small town. Forced proximity.
⚠ This Book In Emojis: 👨🍳👨💼🌈🏡🚎👨👩👦👨👨👦🍽📚
The book is about:
The Hideaway Inn tells the story of Vince Amato, who comes back to his hometown, New Hope, after a drastic self and image transformation. He reinvented himself and is now a success but has to go back and flip an old hotel/restaurant after doing some questionable career decisions. On his journey back, he meets Tack, an old 'friend' aka the guy who unknowingly broke his heart in highschool.
What drew me in:
I have been struggling with reading books and have been relying on audiobooks to get my fix of stories. But, when I picked this one up, I was excited and the pages kept on flying for some reason.
The author is new to me and I don't normally see #ownvoices M/M books, too. I love how Carina Adores allow stories like this to be told by people who actually experienced this stories and are most equipped to tell them.
Characters & connections:
I loved both of our main characters and their dynamic. Some people, based on some reviews I have read, disliked Vince and the way he handled the situation.
However, in my opinion, Vince has the right to feel what he wants to feel and no one can really blame him if that is how hurt he was about the things that happened.
On the other hand, I love how Tack matured and how the author portrayed him as a father. I loved his side of the story more, because seeing his thought processes was a sweet and touching experience.
My favorite character is Jules and I love all the scenes that they were in. The other side characters also made this story more fun... though I wish the author shed a little more light on Evie and the dynamics of here relationship with both Tack and Vince.
Everything I liked:
This author, Philip William Stover has a very readable writing style. I enjoyed the humor and the flow of the story through his word weaving. I liked the banter between the characters and there were really funny parts that made me smile.
I also liked the premise of the story. I am a sucker for a little hate-to-love, and the story even mixed in the forced proximity trope.
Another thing I liked here is the sexual tension. This author mastered the teasing and anticipation, and I was actually not expecting that this read will rank high on the steamy scale.
Finally, the last thing that I liked was how this book educated me. It was refreshing to see many scenes on various aspects of the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Personally having no idea on most of their struggles, this book made me see a glimpse of a person's experience and their thoughts on these things.
Overall thoughts:
Overall, I enjoyed this read and I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series. I am curious on who's story will be next.
☁ THE CRITERIA ☁
🌼 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Significant Other: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
☁FINAL VERDICT: 4.18/5 ☁
Much thanks to Stephanie from Carina Adores / Carina Press for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and opinions are fully my own. Also, all quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
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October 10, 2024
THE HIDEAWAY INN was a bit of a struggle for me and I have some mixed feelings about it. I'll start with the good -- the writing was great and I really liked Stover's voice. New Hope really comes alive and the descriptions of the town and surrounding areas were beautiful. I also loved how much LGBTQ+ rep was included and it was nice to see more than just cis gay men in a LGBTQ+ romance. Since most of the other characters we met were already in relationships or married, I'm curious who the next story will be about.
I really liked Tack, our hometown farm boy turned chef. He's easy going, loving, open, and a great father. He wasn't always comfortable in his own skin and he came out late in life but he's not afraid to be himself now and embrace everything life has to offer. Though his marriage didn't work out it was nice to see that Evie wasn't the terrible ex-wife and instead they have a great relationship as they co-parent their child. It's obvious that Tack is the kind of character that gives all of himself, whether it's his job, friendships, or romantic relationships.
Where I struggled was with the other hero, Vince. Tack and Vince had a secret friendship as teenagers but Tack wasn't ready to be out and pretended like they didn't know each other once school started. Tack made a lot of mistakes as a teenager but he learned from them, vowed to do better as an adult, and started living his life authentically. Vince had a very different experience as an out gay teenager. He was bullied often -- for being gay, for being really skinny, for wearing makeup -- and when Vince left town he did everything possible to turn himself into a hyper-masculine man who's successful, rich, attractive, and always in control. This means that when Vince returns to New Hope he spends about half the book acting like a snob, arrogantly believing he knows best about everything, and in a few cases belittling the opinions of the love interest and others.
Simply put, Vince was not a nice person and he's pretty unlikable for a good chunk of the book (at least for me). I don't begrudge Vince for his choices because I completely understand wanting to distance yourself from your perceived weaknesses and start over. And as time goes by, Vince does begin to let his walls down and he does treat others with more respect and care. There's definitely growth in Vince's story but for me it was a little too late in the book to fully recover my feelings toward Vince.
While this wasn't the best story fit for me, I think a lot of readers will connect strongly and enjoy this, especially fans of small town LGBTQ+ romances. I'm also still very much interested in reading more by Stover because I really enjoyed his writing style.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Content Warning: References to bullying; use of homophobic language against the hero
I really liked Tack, our hometown farm boy turned chef. He's easy going, loving, open, and a great father. He wasn't always comfortable in his own skin and he came out late in life but he's not afraid to be himself now and embrace everything life has to offer. Though his marriage didn't work out it was nice to see that Evie wasn't the terrible ex-wife and instead they have a great relationship as they co-parent their child. It's obvious that Tack is the kind of character that gives all of himself, whether it's his job, friendships, or romantic relationships.
Where I struggled was with the other hero, Vince. Tack and Vince had a secret friendship as teenagers but Tack wasn't ready to be out and pretended like they didn't know each other once school started. Tack made a lot of mistakes as a teenager but he learned from them, vowed to do better as an adult, and started living his life authentically. Vince had a very different experience as an out gay teenager. He was bullied often -- for being gay, for being really skinny, for wearing makeup -- and when Vince left town he did everything possible to turn himself into a hyper-masculine man who's successful, rich, attractive, and always in control. This means that when Vince returns to New Hope he spends about half the book acting like a snob, arrogantly believing he knows best about everything, and in a few cases belittling the opinions of the love interest and others.
Simply put, Vince was not a nice person and he's pretty unlikable for a good chunk of the book (at least for me). I don't begrudge Vince for his choices because I completely understand wanting to distance yourself from your perceived weaknesses and start over. And as time goes by, Vince does begin to let his walls down and he does treat others with more respect and care. There's definitely growth in Vince's story but for me it was a little too late in the book to fully recover my feelings toward Vince.
While this wasn't the best story fit for me, I think a lot of readers will connect strongly and enjoy this, especially fans of small town LGBTQ+ romances. I'm also still very much interested in reading more by Stover because I really enjoyed his writing style.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Content Warning: References to bullying; use of homophobic language against the hero
April 21, 2020
The Hideaway Inn (Seasons of New Hope #1) by Philip William Stover is a 5 star read. It’s an extraordinary gay m/m romance novel that deserves to be read and reread.
In choosing The Hideaway Inn to initiate their new monthly series, Harlequin-Carina Adores has set a high bar to meet for all those books that follow.
The Hideaway Inn is one of the best character driven novels I’ve read in a very long time. The principal characters, Vince Amato and Tack O’Leary, are wonderful. And practically everyone else in the diverse set of characters Stover has created is just as captivating.
As the story opens, Vince is returning to New Hope, PA where, as a gay teenager, he’d been badly bullied. It’s now his intention to flip the town’s decaying Hideaway Inn, make a bundle of cash, and get back to Manhattan as quickly as he can. His plans immediately go awry as the first two sentences of the book explain:
“This isn’t New Hope,” Vince tells the bus driver. “No, it’s Pittstown. Last stop”
Stepping off the bus into a sea of mud during a drenching rain storm, the last person Vince expected to see was Tack O’Leary, his high school crush. In fact Vince had previously decided, “I’ll make sure I don’t see Tack again while I’m in New Hope. I’ll avoid him with the same enthusiasm I avoid porta potties at outdoor music festivals.’
But not only does Tack rescue Vince from the storm, Tack and his extraordinary child, James/Jules, continue to rescue Vince time and time again.
There are so many wonderful lines in this novel. Lines such as Tack’s when he says, “Vince, for being the smartest person I know, sometimes your logic is pretty messed up. Don’t you understand? In school you were your own person and that’s what’s important to me.” Being honest with yourself is an important theme of this book.
And, for me at least, there was an introduction to Shinrin-yoku (森林浴), which literally means forest bathing. The term originated in Japan in the early 1980s and is regarded by many as a form of nature therapy. It absolutely works for Vince and Tack.
As I finished the story, I knew I really want to see more of these people. I hope the author will decide to develop a full series with Vince, Tack, their families and friends.
This is the first book written by Stover I’ve read. It definitely won’t be the last.
I received an Advance Review Copy of ‘The Hideaway Inn’ from NetGalley and Harlequin - Carina Press in exchange for an honest review. #TheHideawayInn #NetGalley
In choosing The Hideaway Inn to initiate their new monthly series, Harlequin-Carina Adores has set a high bar to meet for all those books that follow.
The Hideaway Inn is one of the best character driven novels I’ve read in a very long time. The principal characters, Vince Amato and Tack O’Leary, are wonderful. And practically everyone else in the diverse set of characters Stover has created is just as captivating.
As the story opens, Vince is returning to New Hope, PA where, as a gay teenager, he’d been badly bullied. It’s now his intention to flip the town’s decaying Hideaway Inn, make a bundle of cash, and get back to Manhattan as quickly as he can. His plans immediately go awry as the first two sentences of the book explain:
“This isn’t New Hope,” Vince tells the bus driver. “No, it’s Pittstown. Last stop”
Stepping off the bus into a sea of mud during a drenching rain storm, the last person Vince expected to see was Tack O’Leary, his high school crush. In fact Vince had previously decided, “I’ll make sure I don’t see Tack again while I’m in New Hope. I’ll avoid him with the same enthusiasm I avoid porta potties at outdoor music festivals.’
But not only does Tack rescue Vince from the storm, Tack and his extraordinary child, James/Jules, continue to rescue Vince time and time again.
There are so many wonderful lines in this novel. Lines such as Tack’s when he says, “Vince, for being the smartest person I know, sometimes your logic is pretty messed up. Don’t you understand? In school you were your own person and that’s what’s important to me.” Being honest with yourself is an important theme of this book.
And, for me at least, there was an introduction to Shinrin-yoku (森林浴), which literally means forest bathing. The term originated in Japan in the early 1980s and is regarded by many as a form of nature therapy. It absolutely works for Vince and Tack.
As I finished the story, I knew I really want to see more of these people. I hope the author will decide to develop a full series with Vince, Tack, their families and friends.
This is the first book written by Stover I’ve read. It definitely won’t be the last.
I received an Advance Review Copy of ‘The Hideaway Inn’ from NetGalley and Harlequin - Carina Press in exchange for an honest review. #TheHideawayInn #NetGalley
September 25, 2020
I wanted very much to like this book more than I did. And it's another candidate for the "Books that make you go hmmmm" shelf because I can't quite put my finger on what didn't work. On its surface the story of Tack and Vince, teenage friends with a difficult past who reconnect as adults, is a really lovely second chance romance. But there's a level of suspension of disbelief here that I just couldn't adjust to.
Vince had a rough go of it as a kid. Though he was secure in his sexuality he was still horribly victimized by local bullies who used his homosexuality as an excuse to basically torture him for years. While Tack, who hadn't yet really worked out where he fell on the Kinsey scale, felt bad about what was happening to Vince but never rose up in his defense when he was bullied. Vince went on to way overcompensate by becoming a hard core "alpha" real estate flipper (god how I hate that term) with a rocking bod and a propensity for aggressively sleeping with everyone and making sure everyone else knew about it. Tack does some growing, figured out he was gay and rebuilt his own life as a budding chef.
They meet up again in "New Hope," which I can only describe as this kind of queer mecca in the middle of Pennsylvania of all places where every single character you encounter is non-binary, trans, gay, bisexual etc.
I think I just got very hung up on what author Philip William Stover was trying to do. I'm a straight cis woman so initially I thought maybe his point was 99.9% of the time a queer reader picks up a romance they're going to be staring straight into the face of heteronormative romance. Hetero cis couples for days and days. So the idea of setting a queer romance in a place where everyone is everything but cis and straight would be both eye opening for hetero readers and a breath of fresh air for queer readers.
My other thought was that Stover was kind of going for a Provincetown feel, where New Hope has become a community that people are gravitating toward because it's so open, diverse, and welcoming to anyone. Great, I love that. But, it never really feels like a real place where real people live.
I found myself getting constantly pulled out of the story as I got redirected to Tack's gender non conforming six year old and a weird feud with the local LGBTQ history committee head reminding everyone what their pronouns were all the time.
On the one hand I think books like this are really important. We need things spelled out sometimes. I also totally get the idea of a romance set in a world that is totally accepting of love and gender identity in all its forms. But on the other I kind of just wanted a nice, sexy romance between two hot guys and instead kind of found myself feeling really tense, sort of waiting for one character to misgender another and get into a fight with whoever they upset. I found myself thinking more than once "can we get back to the romance?"
I'm very, very happy that Harlequin is finally on board with an imprint that not only supports queer romance but queer romance writers and I fully intend to keep on reading the books they produce. I also accept that this book wasn't really intended for me and I'm genuinely thrilled for all the people who I sincerely hope take total delight in it. It just didn't quite work for me.
Vince had a rough go of it as a kid. Though he was secure in his sexuality he was still horribly victimized by local bullies who used his homosexuality as an excuse to basically torture him for years. While Tack, who hadn't yet really worked out where he fell on the Kinsey scale, felt bad about what was happening to Vince but never rose up in his defense when he was bullied. Vince went on to way overcompensate by becoming a hard core "alpha" real estate flipper (god how I hate that term) with a rocking bod and a propensity for aggressively sleeping with everyone and making sure everyone else knew about it. Tack does some growing, figured out he was gay and rebuilt his own life as a budding chef.
They meet up again in "New Hope," which I can only describe as this kind of queer mecca in the middle of Pennsylvania of all places where every single character you encounter is non-binary, trans, gay, bisexual etc.
I think I just got very hung up on what author Philip William Stover was trying to do. I'm a straight cis woman so initially I thought maybe his point was 99.9% of the time a queer reader picks up a romance they're going to be staring straight into the face of heteronormative romance. Hetero cis couples for days and days. So the idea of setting a queer romance in a place where everyone is everything but cis and straight would be both eye opening for hetero readers and a breath of fresh air for queer readers.
My other thought was that Stover was kind of going for a Provincetown feel, where New Hope has become a community that people are gravitating toward because it's so open, diverse, and welcoming to anyone. Great, I love that. But, it never really feels like a real place where real people live.
I found myself getting constantly pulled out of the story as I got redirected to Tack's gender non conforming six year old and a weird feud with the local LGBTQ history committee head reminding everyone what their pronouns were all the time.
On the one hand I think books like this are really important. We need things spelled out sometimes. I also totally get the idea of a romance set in a world that is totally accepting of love and gender identity in all its forms. But on the other I kind of just wanted a nice, sexy romance between two hot guys and instead kind of found myself feeling really tense, sort of waiting for one character to misgender another and get into a fight with whoever they upset. I found myself thinking more than once "can we get back to the romance?"
I'm very, very happy that Harlequin is finally on board with an imprint that not only supports queer romance but queer romance writers and I fully intend to keep on reading the books they produce. I also accept that this book wasn't really intended for me and I'm genuinely thrilled for all the people who I sincerely hope take total delight in it. It just didn't quite work for me.
April 23, 2020
I was so very excited to read this novel. It looked perfect for these times: a cozy romance, one of second chances. What I got was more angsty than cozy. What I got was more do-over than romance. In short, this felt forced.
I felt the author pushing the characters to behave how he wanted them to behave rather than letting them do their own thing. Had they done their own thing, though, there wouldn't have been a novel because one MC would have told the other MC off early on.
So, the MC's...one I did not like at all. He was not a good man. Sure, the author lays out the reasons he had for acting ultra-straight, but I didn't like him. I don't see how anyone could like him, let alone his love interest. Why he thought this jerk was worth pursuing, I don't know. I didn't even want them to get together!
So, forced chemistry and want leads to very little that made me want to see these guys together in the end. Still, I read it. Although has it not been for an ARC review, I would not have finished it.
It's a shame, I always look forward to new-to-me authors and especially those who are men writing MM romance.
My rec? Make reservations somewhere else.
**I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.**
I felt the author pushing the characters to behave how he wanted them to behave rather than letting them do their own thing. Had they done their own thing, though, there wouldn't have been a novel because one MC would have told the other MC off early on.
So, the MC's...one I did not like at all. He was not a good man. Sure, the author lays out the reasons he had for acting ultra-straight, but I didn't like him. I don't see how anyone could like him, let alone his love interest. Why he thought this jerk was worth pursuing, I don't know. I didn't even want them to get together!
So, forced chemistry and want leads to very little that made me want to see these guys together in the end. Still, I read it. Although has it not been for an ARC review, I would not have finished it.
It's a shame, I always look forward to new-to-me authors and especially those who are men writing MM romance.
My rec? Make reservations somewhere else.
**I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.**
May 15, 2020
The Hideaway Inn is a tender, sweet, second-chance romance that I devoured in one sitting and really enjoyed and I can't wait to read about the next romance that sparks in the Seasons of New Hope series.
May 10, 2020
2.5 rounded up to 3
"It's not you, it's me."
How many times has that line been used in books or in real life to convey a person's incompatibility with a love interest? There's typically nothing wrong with the other person, and there most certainly is someone out there who can better appreciate their qualities.
That's exactly how I feel about The Hideaway Inn, and my feelings have me conflicted. Honestly, I couldn't put it down; I had to continue reading because I hoped for redemption. Unfortunately, it didn't get there for me.
At face value, I appreciate the queer rep. However, there was a lot that left me unsatisfied.
Vince was very much unlikable. While I could emphasize with the struggles he went through in high school, I couldn't forgive the person he became as an adult, a stereotypical, macho "power top". He would be the perfect villain in another story. Here, his character doesn't work as the main character and love interest of the other MC, Tack.
It seemed everyone too easily forgave Vince's flaws, when they should have at least called him out on his behavior. In my opinion, he deserved to be kicked out of New Hope.
I also disliked Tack, in the beginning. Unlike Vince, he did redeem himself as the story progress, but then I felt sorry for him. I felt bad that he was so attached to being in a relationship with Vince that he completely overlooked Vince's personality. The connection/romance/sex all felt forced. I wasn't able to believe these two belonged together.
Warning, potential spoilers ahead.
A few things that stuck out and/or made me uncomfortable:
I was confused about the age of Vincent and Tack. I think it's mentioned that Tack is thirty-five, which would make Vince the same age? I thought they acted much younger, more immature than thirty-five. I would put them at least ten years younger based on their actions and attitudes. Tack is by far the more mature of the two, though.
The reader is told that Vince and Tack had a connection brewing back in high school, but we're never shown that. We get very bare bones glimpses into their interactions back then, but I never felt like they were more than acquaintances because they happened to be neighbors.
We're also told that Vince and Tack suddenly want to be a family with Jules. Jules is a cool kid, no doubt, but I was uncomfortable with the inclusion of them as what I felt was basically a plot devise, something to "prove" to the reader that Vince had changed. Jules felt like a tool to show that Vince and Tack belonged together. There wasn't enough progression of the relationship between Vince and Jules for me to believe they would work as a family.
That brings me to Evie, another throwaway character popped in to tell the reader SOME THINGS. I needed more time with Evie to believe she played an important role. I felt like she was just there to be a potential conflict in the beginning and to be the womb for Jules, with no other real reason for her existence. Also, the reader is told she said something ugly to Vince and then it's never brought up again. It was hard for me to accept that Vince didn't hold a grudge against Evie, that Evie didn't show any remorse or attempt to apologize to Vince, or that Evie didn't mention this interaction to Tack.
I appreciated that New Hope was a queer mecca in this story, where all types of queer people are represented. However, a lot of the characters' queerness felt forced and not authentic at all.
In short, I know there are readers who will enjoy this story but, unfortunately, The Hideaway Inn and I are not compatible.
***ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.***
"It's not you, it's me."
How many times has that line been used in books or in real life to convey a person's incompatibility with a love interest? There's typically nothing wrong with the other person, and there most certainly is someone out there who can better appreciate their qualities.
That's exactly how I feel about The Hideaway Inn, and my feelings have me conflicted. Honestly, I couldn't put it down; I had to continue reading because I hoped for redemption. Unfortunately, it didn't get there for me.
At face value, I appreciate the queer rep. However, there was a lot that left me unsatisfied.
Vince was very much unlikable. While I could emphasize with the struggles he went through in high school, I couldn't forgive the person he became as an adult, a stereotypical, macho "power top". He would be the perfect villain in another story. Here, his character doesn't work as the main character and love interest of the other MC, Tack.
It seemed everyone too easily forgave Vince's flaws, when they should have at least called him out on his behavior. In my opinion, he deserved to be kicked out of New Hope.
I also disliked Tack, in the beginning. Unlike Vince, he did redeem himself as the story progress, but then I felt sorry for him. I felt bad that he was so attached to being in a relationship with Vince that he completely overlooked Vince's personality. The connection/romance/sex all felt forced. I wasn't able to believe these two belonged together.
Warning, potential spoilers ahead.
A few things that stuck out and/or made me uncomfortable:
I was confused about the age of Vincent and Tack. I think it's mentioned that Tack is thirty-five, which would make Vince the same age? I thought they acted much younger, more immature than thirty-five. I would put them at least ten years younger based on their actions and attitudes. Tack is by far the more mature of the two, though.
The reader is told that Vince and Tack had a connection brewing back in high school, but we're never shown that. We get very bare bones glimpses into their interactions back then, but I never felt like they were more than acquaintances because they happened to be neighbors.
We're also told that Vince and Tack suddenly want to be a family with Jules. Jules is a cool kid, no doubt, but I was uncomfortable with the inclusion of them as what I felt was basically a plot devise, something to "prove" to the reader that Vince had changed. Jules felt like a tool to show that Vince and Tack belonged together. There wasn't enough progression of the relationship between Vince and Jules for me to believe they would work as a family.
That brings me to Evie, another throwaway character popped in to tell the reader SOME THINGS. I needed more time with Evie to believe she played an important role. I felt like she was just there to be a potential conflict in the beginning and to be the womb for Jules, with no other real reason for her existence. Also, the reader is told she said something ugly to Vince and then it's never brought up again. It was hard for me to accept that Vince didn't hold a grudge against Evie, that Evie didn't show any remorse or attempt to apologize to Vince, or that Evie didn't mention this interaction to Tack.
I appreciated that New Hope was a queer mecca in this story, where all types of queer people are represented. However, a lot of the characters' queerness felt forced and not authentic at all.
In short, I know there are readers who will enjoy this story but, unfortunately, The Hideaway Inn and I are not compatible.
***ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.***
April 19, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really sweet story about characters with real world issues. Vince is back in the town he grew up in to try and revive an inn so he can flip it and sell it to a chain and make back some millions. He doesn't expect to run into his childhood crush Tack and all the feelings that his presence revives.
Vince was bullied quite badly as a teen and Tack never acknowledged him in school or stood up for him, so there are quite a few walls to overcome as they get to know each other again and try to work together for the success of the inn. Tack is also co-parenting a precocious 6-year-old named Jules with his ex-wife. Jules perfers the pronoun they and is effortlessly helping everyone to accept their true selves.
This was a great contemporary read. If I had one complaint it would be I wanted more after they got together at the end. There is an epilogue, but I wanted the Halloween party and the group s'more costume. I wasn't ready to let these characters go.
It looks to be the beginning of a series, so maybe?
This was a really sweet story about characters with real world issues. Vince is back in the town he grew up in to try and revive an inn so he can flip it and sell it to a chain and make back some millions. He doesn't expect to run into his childhood crush Tack and all the feelings that his presence revives.
Vince was bullied quite badly as a teen and Tack never acknowledged him in school or stood up for him, so there are quite a few walls to overcome as they get to know each other again and try to work together for the success of the inn. Tack is also co-parenting a precocious 6-year-old named Jules with his ex-wife. Jules perfers the pronoun they and is effortlessly helping everyone to accept their true selves.
This was a great contemporary read. If I had one complaint it would be I wanted more after they got together at the end. There is an epilogue, but I wanted the Halloween party and the group s'more costume. I wasn't ready to let these characters go.
It looks to be the beginning of a series, so maybe?
December 9, 2020
2.5 Stars for Tack
This is a second chance/ enemies to lovers romance between Tack and Vince. Vince is the primary protagonist of the story. He used to be bullied in high school, and our other MC used to be his friend who didn't stand up for him when people bullied him for being gay.
Now, in the present, because of how Vince was bullied, he has turned himself into a very hyper-masculine guy who is built and full of muscles, doesn't show emotions, is an asshole to people, and dresses only in suits. And Tack on the other hand has learned from his wrongdoings in his childhood, and has turned around his life.
I absolutely loved Tack. He was such a good guy. He apologized for being an asshole, and it was truly heartfelt. Today, he was a wife who he co-parents his child with. They're divorced, but Tack is an absolutely wonderful father.
On the other hand, Vince was an awful character. He was an asshole for 85% of the book. Every time he felt something, he just shut down. He hurt multiple people throughtout the book with his constant refusal to be nice just because he wasn't treated well. I understood his feelings, but he just took it too far. I constantly had to roll my eyes at his behavior.
I wish we'd seen more character growth of Vince throughout the book, and not just at the end. I wish he had apologized for being awful to Tack. Even though the conflict happened because of Vince's mistakes, Tack was the one who had to apologize. That just didn't sit well with me. Vince had run away from the small town in the childhood, and he ran away at the conflict. It was only because of Tack that these two got together. So, yeah. I don't like it when only one person is majorly accountable.
Yes, the ending is cute and they have an important conversation, but that could have happened early on too.
The writing though is good.
This is a second chance/ enemies to lovers romance between Tack and Vince. Vince is the primary protagonist of the story. He used to be bullied in high school, and our other MC used to be his friend who didn't stand up for him when people bullied him for being gay.
Now, in the present, because of how Vince was bullied, he has turned himself into a very hyper-masculine guy who is built and full of muscles, doesn't show emotions, is an asshole to people, and dresses only in suits. And Tack on the other hand has learned from his wrongdoings in his childhood, and has turned around his life.
I absolutely loved Tack. He was such a good guy. He apologized for being an asshole, and it was truly heartfelt. Today, he was a wife who he co-parents his child with. They're divorced, but Tack is an absolutely wonderful father.
On the other hand, Vince was an awful character. He was an asshole for 85% of the book. Every time he felt something, he just shut down. He hurt multiple people throughtout the book with his constant refusal to be nice just because he wasn't treated well. I understood his feelings, but he just took it too far. I constantly had to roll my eyes at his behavior.
I wish we'd seen more character growth of Vince throughout the book, and not just at the end. I wish he had apologized for being awful to Tack. Even though the conflict happened because of Vince's mistakes, Tack was the one who had to apologize. That just didn't sit well with me. Vince had run away from the small town in the childhood, and he ran away at the conflict. It was only because of Tack that these two got together. So, yeah. I don't like it when only one person is majorly accountable.
Yes, the ending is cute and they have an important conversation, but that could have happened early on too.
The writing though is good.
July 29, 2020
I understand that many readers are turned off by the portrayal of one of the main characters as a toxic, entitled prototypical alpha male, yet this was one of the novel's most curious and risk-taking formulas for me. There are all sorts of reasons people are drawn to reading romance novels, and analyzing the unpalatable, damaging aspects of the human psyche might not be one of them.
This, though, is how I spent my time with Vince, thinking about his incredible woundedness, and the further damage he's done to himself in an order to course-correct his 'weakness', and what that does to someone when they are in a journey towards/away from love. For that alone, The Hideaway Inn felt worthwhile, even if it didn't feel like I was engaged with a romance novel in the 'usual' terms, not even the usual terms for me. Vince displays a sometimes-chilling cruelty towards Tack, and unquestionably towards himself, that brought up questions of what we deem loveable, what kind of behaviours we expect to be brought towards the table of love, and what we do with our wounded selves when we've rejected or evaded mechanisms to be better.
Ultimately, I found this to be more of an engagement than the relationship between Vince and Tack, but there are absolutely moments of romance in here that give pause, create sparks, strum chords. I'm envisioning a post-novel world, maybe set six months to a year after the events of the tender epilogue: a world in which Vince has worked on the ability to be radically gentle with himself and his loved ones, has made overtures of contrition to Tack for his past cruelty, has committed to long, soul-searching conversations down by the swirling, eddying riverside, no reservations.
This, though, is how I spent my time with Vince, thinking about his incredible woundedness, and the further damage he's done to himself in an order to course-correct his 'weakness', and what that does to someone when they are in a journey towards/away from love. For that alone, The Hideaway Inn felt worthwhile, even if it didn't feel like I was engaged with a romance novel in the 'usual' terms, not even the usual terms for me. Vince displays a sometimes-chilling cruelty towards Tack, and unquestionably towards himself, that brought up questions of what we deem loveable, what kind of behaviours we expect to be brought towards the table of love, and what we do with our wounded selves when we've rejected or evaded mechanisms to be better.
Ultimately, I found this to be more of an engagement than the relationship between Vince and Tack, but there are absolutely moments of romance in here that give pause, create sparks, strum chords. I'm envisioning a post-novel world, maybe set six months to a year after the events of the tender epilogue: a world in which Vince has worked on the ability to be radically gentle with himself and his loved ones, has made overtures of contrition to Tack for his past cruelty, has committed to long, soul-searching conversations down by the swirling, eddying riverside, no reservations.
September 2, 2025
No one in the charming river town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, needs to know that Vince Amato plans on flipping The Hideaway Inn to the highest bidder and returning to his luxury lifestyle in New York City. He needs to make his last remaining investment turn a profit…even if that means temporarily relocating to the quirky small town where he endured growing up. He’s spent years reinventing himself and won’t let his past dictate his future. But on his way to New Hope, Vince gets stuck in the middle of nowhere and his past might be the only thing that can get him to his future. Specifically Tack O’Leary, the gorgeous, easygoing farm boy who broke his heart and who picks Vince up in his dilapidated truck.
Vince spent a lot of time recreating himself. As a kid he had been bullied and then let down by the person he thought was his close friend. He ran from his town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, as soon as he could and became a much stronger man, both physically and emotionally. At least, that’s what he thought before he headed back to flip an old, run-down Inn. Vince believes that he can get in and then escape from New Hope without being hurt or even thinking much about his old life and old tormentors.
Vince no sooner has arrived in town than he runs into the “friend” from his past...the very one that broke his heart, Tack. Sweet, funny, solidly built and suddenly rescuing Vince from the side of the road.... Tack! Let's just say that things didn’t end well between them back in the day, and Vince has tried to put all his feelings behind him, but now seeing Tack is more...much more, than he had bargained for.
Vince finally gets to the Hideaway Inn and finds that things are much worse than he had expected. He is without a chef and quickly discovers his only option is …you guessed it... Tack. Tack has changed a lot more than Vince ever thought was possible. He’s been married and divorced...and now is the father of a 6-year-old son, Jules... whose pronouns are "them & they" and who is sweet, adorable and absolutely marvelous.
At first working together with Tack is hard for Vince. The last thing he wants is to be attracted to him; he doesn't even want like him. However, as they spend more time together, Tack finally manages to apologize for how he had treated Vince when they were younger. He admits to the things he did wrong; the things he has spent his entire adult life trying to change for other kids. Finally, he wears down Vince’s protective walls and they become close.
Of course, there are issues… Vince fails to tell Tack about his plans to sell the Hideaway and make a profit and possibly get himself a new fancy, high paying job in the city. Now he goes over in his mind the questions...what if he has changed his mind? What if there’s a possibility of him learning to love life in New Hope…. What if he wants to create an “us” with Tack and Jules? What if Tack finds out about the plans t sell before Vince has a chance to figure it all out himself?
This isn’t an unfamiliar or new plot for a gay romance, but it was well written, and I really liked the dynamic of Vince and Tack. Tack had changed. He has tried to raise his son with an open mind and create a loving environment. This was a demonstration that he had indeed changed. In some ways, we can see that it was Vince who hadn’t been able to move past what happened in his and Tack's younger days.
This book touches briefly on the bullying in Vince’s youth, but it’s not an angst-ridden story. I'm really looking forward to book two.
Vince spent a lot of time recreating himself. As a kid he had been bullied and then let down by the person he thought was his close friend. He ran from his town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, as soon as he could and became a much stronger man, both physically and emotionally. At least, that’s what he thought before he headed back to flip an old, run-down Inn. Vince believes that he can get in and then escape from New Hope without being hurt or even thinking much about his old life and old tormentors.
Vince no sooner has arrived in town than he runs into the “friend” from his past...the very one that broke his heart, Tack. Sweet, funny, solidly built and suddenly rescuing Vince from the side of the road.... Tack! Let's just say that things didn’t end well between them back in the day, and Vince has tried to put all his feelings behind him, but now seeing Tack is more...much more, than he had bargained for.
Vince finally gets to the Hideaway Inn and finds that things are much worse than he had expected. He is without a chef and quickly discovers his only option is …you guessed it... Tack. Tack has changed a lot more than Vince ever thought was possible. He’s been married and divorced...and now is the father of a 6-year-old son, Jules... whose pronouns are "them & they" and who is sweet, adorable and absolutely marvelous.
At first working together with Tack is hard for Vince. The last thing he wants is to be attracted to him; he doesn't even want like him. However, as they spend more time together, Tack finally manages to apologize for how he had treated Vince when they were younger. He admits to the things he did wrong; the things he has spent his entire adult life trying to change for other kids. Finally, he wears down Vince’s protective walls and they become close.
Of course, there are issues… Vince fails to tell Tack about his plans to sell the Hideaway and make a profit and possibly get himself a new fancy, high paying job in the city. Now he goes over in his mind the questions...what if he has changed his mind? What if there’s a possibility of him learning to love life in New Hope…. What if he wants to create an “us” with Tack and Jules? What if Tack finds out about the plans t sell before Vince has a chance to figure it all out himself?
This isn’t an unfamiliar or new plot for a gay romance, but it was well written, and I really liked the dynamic of Vince and Tack. Tack had changed. He has tried to raise his son with an open mind and create a loving environment. This was a demonstration that he had indeed changed. In some ways, we can see that it was Vince who hadn’t been able to move past what happened in his and Tack's younger days.
This book touches briefly on the bullying in Vince’s youth, but it’s not an angst-ridden story. I'm really looking forward to book two.
July 4, 2020
Thank you to Carina Adores for access to this book. One of my favourite tropes is a second chance romance and this one didn’t disappoint. Vince returns to his hometown to flip an Inn in need of repair so he can make money and head back to his life in NYC. Enter Tack, the boy Vince had a crush on for years. Tack has remained in their hometown and is a beloved member of the community. Sparks fly and a great romance begins. I flew through this book! Looking forward to more great books from this imprint.
April 29, 2020
4.5 Stars
I loved the blurb and the book did not disappoint. Vince needs to make a profit by flipping The Hide Away Inn he recently purchased. If successful, this will get him out of the financial hole he is in and allow him to return to the life style he craves in New York City. He hates returning to New Hope, PA where as a child he was horribly bullied.
Naturally he bumps into the one man he hopes to never see again. Tack is a farmhand who has been taking classes on cooking. He rescues Vince when he is stranded and takes him to the Inn. Tack is so down to Earth and sweet natured. I loved his sincerity and outlook on life. There are unresolved issues between the two men and Vince is plainly not thrilled to meet with Tack, the only man he ever had feelings for.
Vince was apparently the town geek that was brutally picked on because of his sexuality. Logically he knows he has come a long way and doesn't fit that mold anymore but deep down he still feels an outcast. His manners are horrific as pushing people away prevents him from getting hurt again. Tack let him down when they were teens and he is stuck in gear. Tack has evolved into a decent man that is very interested in the prickly businessman. He becomes a chef for the Inn and really has a passion for developing beautiful meals for the guests.
Miscommunication and ghosts from the past threaten to sabotage the two. I wanted to shake Vince at times and hoped he would see the future and not dwell on past mistakes.
A wonderul story of second chances that I enthusiastically recommend.
I loved the blurb and the book did not disappoint. Vince needs to make a profit by flipping The Hide Away Inn he recently purchased. If successful, this will get him out of the financial hole he is in and allow him to return to the life style he craves in New York City. He hates returning to New Hope, PA where as a child he was horribly bullied.
Naturally he bumps into the one man he hopes to never see again. Tack is a farmhand who has been taking classes on cooking. He rescues Vince when he is stranded and takes him to the Inn. Tack is so down to Earth and sweet natured. I loved his sincerity and outlook on life. There are unresolved issues between the two men and Vince is plainly not thrilled to meet with Tack, the only man he ever had feelings for.
Vince was apparently the town geek that was brutally picked on because of his sexuality. Logically he knows he has come a long way and doesn't fit that mold anymore but deep down he still feels an outcast. His manners are horrific as pushing people away prevents him from getting hurt again. Tack let him down when they were teens and he is stuck in gear. Tack has evolved into a decent man that is very interested in the prickly businessman. He becomes a chef for the Inn and really has a passion for developing beautiful meals for the guests.
Miscommunication and ghosts from the past threaten to sabotage the two. I wanted to shake Vince at times and hoped he would see the future and not dwell on past mistakes.
A wonderul story of second chances that I enthusiastically recommend.
May 21, 2020
there is a lot i enjoyed about the hideaway inn, but one thing i didn't like, and one that created this super visceral reaction from me, was the fact that no one in the freaking town of new hope called vince by the name he asked to be called. even people who had transitioned and had changed their identities called him vinny, when he expressly asked to be called vince.
did no one pick up on the absolute hypocrisy of that?? i have spent most of my life correcting people's pronunciation of my name. and i have never felt smaller when people just refuse to say it right. i understand the occasional mistake or slip. but there are people who i consistently have to correct and who consistently fail to make the correction and what that says about our dynamic to me is that they don't respect me.
no one in this town respects vince. they think that whatever changes he's made in his big city life are wrong and they know better and he is really vinny and should reject vince. and that is such a load of bullshit. are some of his attitudes completely wrong. yes!! yes, they are.
but also could people in this town be gentler and show him some basic respect and not be so freaking aggressive with this small town, we know best and the big city crap you have to bring to the table is all bad?? i just have such a problem with this. and maybe it's because all of this hits so close to home...the way people say my name, the fact that i live in a small town after living in a big city and guess what...unlike what the books will tell you, small towns suck!! i hate living in a small town. i want to live in the city every single day of my life. but i live here because i can afford it because i chose a career in publishing and i wanted a place to raise three kids. and as much as i hate this small town for me, it is a good place to raise kids.
anyway, reading the hideaway inn made me all sorts of angry and defensive and upset, but it's definitely a me thing, i think. i haven't read other reviews so i'm not sure how others are reacting to it. i still liked the story of these two guys reconnecting years after a confusing high school experience. i just wish that some different choices had been made about how everyone in the stupid town of new hope acted. because oh man, i hate when everyone else but the main character knows best. it's the fucking worst.
yeah characters need to grow and whatever during the course of a book, but like this was basically everyone in town pushing vince to be who he was before and discounting everything he could bring to the table now. and like the time away had evolved them into some superior beings. like that's just bullshit. they were wrong in the past, and there's no way they were suddenly this perfect queer paradise. i just, i like to see growth and understanding happen in a more balanced way. and i find it very difficult to be in the main pov and always feel like the character i'm supposed to be rooting for is always wrong. that isn't enjoyable for me.
**the hideaway inn will publish on may 27, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/carina press (carina adores) in exchange for my honest review.
did no one pick up on the absolute hypocrisy of that?? i have spent most of my life correcting people's pronunciation of my name. and i have never felt smaller when people just refuse to say it right. i understand the occasional mistake or slip. but there are people who i consistently have to correct and who consistently fail to make the correction and what that says about our dynamic to me is that they don't respect me.
no one in this town respects vince. they think that whatever changes he's made in his big city life are wrong and they know better and he is really vinny and should reject vince. and that is such a load of bullshit. are some of his attitudes completely wrong. yes!! yes, they are.
but also could people in this town be gentler and show him some basic respect and not be so freaking aggressive with this small town, we know best and the big city crap you have to bring to the table is all bad?? i just have such a problem with this. and maybe it's because all of this hits so close to home...the way people say my name, the fact that i live in a small town after living in a big city and guess what...unlike what the books will tell you, small towns suck!! i hate living in a small town. i want to live in the city every single day of my life. but i live here because i can afford it because i chose a career in publishing and i wanted a place to raise three kids. and as much as i hate this small town for me, it is a good place to raise kids.
anyway, reading the hideaway inn made me all sorts of angry and defensive and upset, but it's definitely a me thing, i think. i haven't read other reviews so i'm not sure how others are reacting to it. i still liked the story of these two guys reconnecting years after a confusing high school experience. i just wish that some different choices had been made about how everyone in the stupid town of new hope acted. because oh man, i hate when everyone else but the main character knows best. it's the fucking worst.
yeah characters need to grow and whatever during the course of a book, but like this was basically everyone in town pushing vince to be who he was before and discounting everything he could bring to the table now. and like the time away had evolved them into some superior beings. like that's just bullshit. they were wrong in the past, and there's no way they were suddenly this perfect queer paradise. i just, i like to see growth and understanding happen in a more balanced way. and i find it very difficult to be in the main pov and always feel like the character i'm supposed to be rooting for is always wrong. that isn't enjoyable for me.
**the hideaway inn will publish on may 27, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/carina press (carina adores) in exchange for my honest review.
April 27, 2020
I love this sweet little romance! Also, final a gay romance written by a gay author! I'm really loving the move towards "own voices" for the genre. Let's keep it going and support this super cute and fun read!
February 20, 2021
There were things that I loved about this book and there were things that I found really problematic about this book. So I won't go in too much more details than saying that. I don't have the energy to write another borderline grumpy review this week...
Might come back for a better review later.
Might come back for a better review later.
April 24, 2020
Vince has spent a lot of time recreating himself. He was bullied when he was a kid then let down by a person he thought was a close friend. He fled “New Hope” as soon as he could and became a strong man, physically and emotionally. At least, that’s what he thought before he headed back to flip an old, run-down Inn. Vince figures that he can get in and out of New Hope after a few months… unscathed by his old life and old connections.
When Vince returns to New Hope he immediately runs into the “friend” from his youth that broke his heart. Tack – sweet, funny, built and suddenly rescuing Vince from the side of the road. Things didn’t end well between them and Vince has tried to put all his feelings behind him, but seeing Tack is much more than he bargained for.
When Vince finally gets to the Hideaway Inn, things are much worse than he expected. He finds himself without a chef and quickly discovers his only option is … Tack. Tack has changed much more than Vince would have ever thought was possible. He’s been married, and divorced.. .and even has a 6-year-old named Jules who uses they/them pronouns and is marvelous.
Working together at first is difficult for Vince. He doesn’t want to be attracted to Tack, nor does he want to like him. But, as they spend more time together, Tack finally manages to work in time to apologize for how he treated Vince when they were younger. He admits to the things he did wrong, the things he has spent his adult life trying to change for other kids. He wears down Vince’s protective walls and they become close.
Of course, there are issues… Vince neglects to tell Tack about his ultimate plan to flip the inn and make a profit and possibly secure himself a new fancy job in the city. What if he has changed his mind? What if there’s a possibility of him learning to love life in New Hope…. Where he’s on the verge of creating an “us” with Tack and Jules? What if Tack finds out about the flipping plans before Vince has a chance to figure it all out?
This isn’t an unfamiliar plot for a gay romance, but it’s well written and I really liked the dynamic of Vince and Tack’s child. The way that Tack has tried to raise his child with an open mind and a loving environment is a great demonstration that he has changed. It shows that in some ways, it’s Vince who hasn’t been able to move past what happened in their youth.
This book touches briefly on bullying in Vince’s youth, but it’s not an angst-ridden story. Enjoy this one while you’re in isolation! All the writing about the outdoors and farms made me feel like I’d been on a refreshing trip!
When Vince returns to New Hope he immediately runs into the “friend” from his youth that broke his heart. Tack – sweet, funny, built and suddenly rescuing Vince from the side of the road. Things didn’t end well between them and Vince has tried to put all his feelings behind him, but seeing Tack is much more than he bargained for.
When Vince finally gets to the Hideaway Inn, things are much worse than he expected. He finds himself without a chef and quickly discovers his only option is … Tack. Tack has changed much more than Vince would have ever thought was possible. He’s been married, and divorced.. .and even has a 6-year-old named Jules who uses they/them pronouns and is marvelous.
Working together at first is difficult for Vince. He doesn’t want to be attracted to Tack, nor does he want to like him. But, as they spend more time together, Tack finally manages to work in time to apologize for how he treated Vince when they were younger. He admits to the things he did wrong, the things he has spent his adult life trying to change for other kids. He wears down Vince’s protective walls and they become close.
Of course, there are issues… Vince neglects to tell Tack about his ultimate plan to flip the inn and make a profit and possibly secure himself a new fancy job in the city. What if he has changed his mind? What if there’s a possibility of him learning to love life in New Hope…. Where he’s on the verge of creating an “us” with Tack and Jules? What if Tack finds out about the flipping plans before Vince has a chance to figure it all out?
This isn’t an unfamiliar plot for a gay romance, but it’s well written and I really liked the dynamic of Vince and Tack’s child. The way that Tack has tried to raise his child with an open mind and a loving environment is a great demonstration that he has changed. It shows that in some ways, it’s Vince who hasn’t been able to move past what happened in their youth.
This book touches briefly on bullying in Vince’s youth, but it’s not an angst-ridden story. Enjoy this one while you’re in isolation! All the writing about the outdoors and farms made me feel like I’d been on a refreshing trip!
May 26, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.25 stars
This book is part of the new Carina Adores line, and it certainly lives up to the tropey romance the line promises. I had some definite issues with the story as a whole, but going in I expected some of the formulaic plot progression and there’s a definite comfort in that.
While the story is told largely through Vince’s first person POV, there are some chapters in Tack’s POV as well. I would have liked to see a better balance between the two, as it was mostly Vince, and I felt like Tack got lost a little throughout the story. Which is a shame, especially because Tack was the far more likeable character. Vince is, unfortunately, rather unlikeable through most of this book. I wanted to be sympathetic toward him, as his life was not easy growing up due to bullying and homophobia. He perceives his self-worth as now being a “manly man,” but Vince takes it to an extreme. I mentioned he had a chip on his shoulder, and it was rather large. He’s hostile a lot of the time, he doesn’t communicate well, and he doesn’t see people’s actions for what they are. Over time, he softens a little, but I still spent most of the book thinking he was basically a jerk and wished he’d use that big brain of his to actually think.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
3.25 stars
This book is part of the new Carina Adores line, and it certainly lives up to the tropey romance the line promises. I had some definite issues with the story as a whole, but going in I expected some of the formulaic plot progression and there’s a definite comfort in that.
While the story is told largely through Vince’s first person POV, there are some chapters in Tack’s POV as well. I would have liked to see a better balance between the two, as it was mostly Vince, and I felt like Tack got lost a little throughout the story. Which is a shame, especially because Tack was the far more likeable character. Vince is, unfortunately, rather unlikeable through most of this book. I wanted to be sympathetic toward him, as his life was not easy growing up due to bullying and homophobia. He perceives his self-worth as now being a “manly man,” but Vince takes it to an extreme. I mentioned he had a chip on his shoulder, and it was rather large. He’s hostile a lot of the time, he doesn’t communicate well, and he doesn’t see people’s actions for what they are. Over time, he softens a little, but I still spent most of the book thinking he was basically a jerk and wished he’d use that big brain of his to actually think.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
September 29, 2021
"Skinny Vinny" was a quiet kid in school, just trying to graduate without incurring the wrath of homophobic bullies. The summer before graduation he became friends with popular Tack O'Leary - as Tack says "We fit like opposite pieces of a puzzle that click when joined" and from Vinny: "The only time I felt normal was when I was with him that summer." But after Tack ghosted him senior year, Vinny couldn't wait to get out of town, and on his way to a college degree and a powerful job, Vince "erased any aspect of [his] personality that [he] though was a weakness."
Vince returns to New Hope in a last grasp attempt to save himself from financial ruin. He's purchased the Hideaway Inn with plans to quickly rehab it, sell it to the FunTyme hospitality chain and get out of town with enough money to start again. Along the way he reconnects with Tack, who is in culinary school, and reluctantly hires Tack as his chef.
Bottom line - Vince is an arrogant jerk. "Every breath I take is a controlled study in hyper-masculinity, from my voice to how I hold my body to my lack of overly expressive emotion." We get Vince's POV throughout, but he is a difficult character to like, much less cheer for his HEA. and I really struggled with his cold demeanor and continual putdowns of Tack in order to build up his own low self-esteem.
Tack, on the other hand, is a stand-up guy who has embraced his bisexuality, gets along with his ex-wife and is joyfully co-parenting a great six-year-old named Jules who loves tutus and dump trucks equally and uses the pronouns "them" and "they." Tack is a great character who deserves a happy life ... just not with Vince. However, the author does a beautiful job of crafting Tack and developing his character and I loved Jules and the community that Stover gives us in New Hope.
I really loved Stover's first book The Evolution of Love -- which apparently has been republished as There Galapagos My Heart -- and I am looking forward to reading more about the nurturing Bucks County community and hope we'll get glimpses of Tack and Vince that show their relationship growing and evolving. 3.5 stars for "The Hideaway Inn."
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Vince returns to New Hope in a last grasp attempt to save himself from financial ruin. He's purchased the Hideaway Inn with plans to quickly rehab it, sell it to the FunTyme hospitality chain and get out of town with enough money to start again. Along the way he reconnects with Tack, who is in culinary school, and reluctantly hires Tack as his chef.
Bottom line - Vince is an arrogant jerk. "Every breath I take is a controlled study in hyper-masculinity, from my voice to how I hold my body to my lack of overly expressive emotion." We get Vince's POV throughout, but he is a difficult character to like, much less cheer for his HEA. and I really struggled with his cold demeanor and continual putdowns of Tack in order to build up his own low self-esteem.
Tack, on the other hand, is a stand-up guy who has embraced his bisexuality, gets along with his ex-wife and is joyfully co-parenting a great six-year-old named Jules who loves tutus and dump trucks equally and uses the pronouns "them" and "they." Tack is a great character who deserves a happy life ... just not with Vince. However, the author does a beautiful job of crafting Tack and developing his character and I loved Jules and the community that Stover gives us in New Hope.
I really loved Stover's first book The Evolution of Love -- which apparently has been republished as There Galapagos My Heart -- and I am looking forward to reading more about the nurturing Bucks County community and hope we'll get glimpses of Tack and Vince that show their relationship growing and evolving. 3.5 stars for "The Hideaway Inn."
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2022
The Hideaway Inn in a character-driven LGBT romance that follows Vince Amato. We learn that as a child, Vince was bullied quite severely because of his sexuality. The moment he graduated, he blew town, and during his years away, completely reinvented himself from the skinny, frightened kid he used to be to a domineering muscular power alpha.
Now he’s back, but only because he recently purchased an inn called The Hideaway Inn. He plans to renovate the inn, flip it, make a gigantic profit, and then return to his life in the city. But what he didn’t count on was his childhood crush, Tack, a charming farm boy who broke Vince’s heart in high school. We also learn that Tack stood by and did nothing during Vince’s bullying.
But Tack has changed, and he’s determined to win Vince’s heart. But Tack unaware of Vince’s plans to sell the inn. So the question is: can Tack win Vince’s heart and cause him to change his mind?
This was a sweet, tender, and endearing novel about redemption and second chances. I really enjoyed getting to know these two characters and enjoyed how they both grew throughout the pages of the book. Character development was certainly among The Hideaway Inn’s list of shining accomplishments, and the author really brings them to life here, letting all of them thrive in their complexity, both haunted by the ghosts of their past. I loved the tension and chemistry between our two main characters, and they both tried to figure out how they fit into the other’s life.
I really, really cared about these two guys making it to a happy ending and thought the journey that takes them there is an utterly remarkable read. This is the kind of book that makes you laugh, makes you sad, and even makes you pine for lost love and lost opportunities. I thought that this is a beautifully rendered contemporary story of love and friendship, with all of its exhilaration, disappointments, and mistakes, and if you’re in the mood for a sweet and cozy read, then The Hideaway Inn is surely worth checking out.
A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this book.
Now he’s back, but only because he recently purchased an inn called The Hideaway Inn. He plans to renovate the inn, flip it, make a gigantic profit, and then return to his life in the city. But what he didn’t count on was his childhood crush, Tack, a charming farm boy who broke Vince’s heart in high school. We also learn that Tack stood by and did nothing during Vince’s bullying.
But Tack has changed, and he’s determined to win Vince’s heart. But Tack unaware of Vince’s plans to sell the inn. So the question is: can Tack win Vince’s heart and cause him to change his mind?
This was a sweet, tender, and endearing novel about redemption and second chances. I really enjoyed getting to know these two characters and enjoyed how they both grew throughout the pages of the book. Character development was certainly among The Hideaway Inn’s list of shining accomplishments, and the author really brings them to life here, letting all of them thrive in their complexity, both haunted by the ghosts of their past. I loved the tension and chemistry between our two main characters, and they both tried to figure out how they fit into the other’s life.
I really, really cared about these two guys making it to a happy ending and thought the journey that takes them there is an utterly remarkable read. This is the kind of book that makes you laugh, makes you sad, and even makes you pine for lost love and lost opportunities. I thought that this is a beautifully rendered contemporary story of love and friendship, with all of its exhilaration, disappointments, and mistakes, and if you’re in the mood for a sweet and cozy read, then The Hideaway Inn is surely worth checking out.
A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this book.
May 10, 2022
So, I mostly liked this, but it did have the flavor of the thing I like least about small town romances, i.e. the person coming home is unreasonable for having negative feelings about a place and their unwillingness to engage in all the quirkiness is a thing that must be gotten over. It was a perfectly reasonable line for Vince to draw to not want to participate in a drag charity race after he was extensively bullied for experimenting with makeup as a teenager. But of course the book ends with him embracing it wholeheartedly and that's just such a toxic message to send, it's not this book, but it's every book that does this.
May 22, 2020
For kids who were unpopular in high school, returning to your hometown should only be under a flag of success with your head held high. Returning with your tail tucked between your legs and still flying the rainbow coloured flag is not how Vince Amato wanted to return. He's made a success of himself in the "big city" NY. A couple of questionable career limiting moves later and a risky business deal, he seems to have lost it all. His only hope to rise from the ashes and return to NYC is to flip a hotel/restaurant.
This story has all the marks of a Hallmark Christmas Movie special... if Hallmark actually acknowledged LGBT lifestyles. A story filled with painful childhood memories, it sets up for a re-look at history from an adult point of view. Vince blows into New Hope with a large chip on his shoulder and his plans going awry from the start of the trip. As the story progresses, with his growth and reconnecting with his true self, he start becoming a more likeable character. His interactions are all predictable with his high school crush, Tack.
The plot of this story is rather idealistic and a dream people have that are usually infeasible. Still, it came together nicely with it's rosy coloured glasses look at leaving behind the fast pace lifestyle to live in an organic, locally sourced slower pace farm-life existence.
What made this story good for me was Tack and his patience. Tack has grown up. He's made peace with his father, ex-lover and is working towards a life that he wants. His hard work including a child and co-parenting is realistic. It showcases the hardships of the common man in America. His interactions with Vince are patient, loving and understanding. As a character, he brings out the best in everyone and this is what makes him so likeable. He shows his vulnerability to Vince in hopes of rekindling their feelings and develop into something more.
The romance blooming between Tack and Vince are expected with no surprises. Even the "tiff" is expected and resolves sweetly into a happily after. This feel good romance is recommended to mm readers who love second chance themes.
*provided by Carina Press via NetGalley
This story has all the marks of a Hallmark Christmas Movie special... if Hallmark actually acknowledged LGBT lifestyles. A story filled with painful childhood memories, it sets up for a re-look at history from an adult point of view. Vince blows into New Hope with a large chip on his shoulder and his plans going awry from the start of the trip. As the story progresses, with his growth and reconnecting with his true self, he start becoming a more likeable character. His interactions are all predictable with his high school crush, Tack.
The plot of this story is rather idealistic and a dream people have that are usually infeasible. Still, it came together nicely with it's rosy coloured glasses look at leaving behind the fast pace lifestyle to live in an organic, locally sourced slower pace farm-life existence.
What made this story good for me was Tack and his patience. Tack has grown up. He's made peace with his father, ex-lover and is working towards a life that he wants. His hard work including a child and co-parenting is realistic. It showcases the hardships of the common man in America. His interactions with Vince are patient, loving and understanding. As a character, he brings out the best in everyone and this is what makes him so likeable. He shows his vulnerability to Vince in hopes of rekindling their feelings and develop into something more.
The romance blooming between Tack and Vince are expected with no surprises. Even the "tiff" is expected and resolves sweetly into a happily after. This feel good romance is recommended to mm readers who love second chance themes.
*provided by Carina Press via NetGalley
April 10, 2024
I've given this a B for narration and a C for content at AudioGals.
The Hideaway Inn is one of the first titles published in the new Carina Adores imprint from Carina Press, which they’ve introduced as a trope-driven LGBTQ+ contemporary romance line. They’re publishing one title per month and each will be available in audio as well as in print, and I’m definitely planning on picking up more of them over time. The Hideaway Inn is a small-town, enemies-to-lovers/second chance love story, and while both author and narrator are new-to-me, I liked the sound of the story and the Audible samples I listened to of Mr. Cavanaugh’s work on other titles sounded more than decent, so I decided to give it a go.
When Vince Amato loses his job in spectacular fashion (he’s caught fucking one of his firm’s biggest investors), he returns to the hometown to which he never planned to return in order to pursue a business opportunity. He sells practically everything of value he owns and purchases the dilapidated Hideaway Inn in the small Pennsylvania town of New Hope with the intention of fixing it up and then selling it to hospitality chain Fun Tyme Inc. at a massive profit. Besides making him a lot of money, he’s fairly sure that once Fun Tyme sees what he can do, he’ll land a job there, too.
Things go wrong immediately when his planned journey doesn’t… well, go to plan. The bus he boarded terminates several miles outside New Hope, leaving him stuck in the middle of nowhere with no idea of how to continue further. He’s started walking when, lucky for him, a pickup truck stops on the side of the road. Unlucky for him, the driver happens to be Tack O’ Leary, the high-school crush who broke his heart.
The journey to New Hope is awkward and uncomfortable, for Vince anyway, who can’t ignore the fact that Tack looks as good now as he did back then but is determined to show him that while Tack might not have changed much, he most definitely has. No longer the puny, bookish kid that everyone made fun of, Vince has bulked up and turned himself into a controlled study in hyper-masculinity, from my voice to how I hold my body to my lack of overly expressive emotion. In other words, he’s become a total dick who treats people like crap as a kind of defence mechanism; hurt them before they can hurt you.
Arrived at the Inn, Vince finds the kitchen in chaos. The restaurant is due to host a big Memorial Day luncheon that afternoon, and the chef has just quit. It’s a disaster – until Anita, the restaurant manager, asks Tack if he can help out, prompting Vince to demand: “What makes you think some redneck farm boy knows anything about cooking?” Quite a lot, as it turns out. Tack is at Culinary School training to be a chef.
Lucky for Vince – again – Tack doesn’t turn around and tell his condescending, judgmental arse to fuck right off, and instead gets to work and saves the day. As the restaurant is the only part of the hotel currently open for business, Vince decides to concentrate on it first of all – and for that he needs a permanent chef. No prizes for guessing who takes the job. Or for guessing who end up as roommates, sharing the owner’s apartment.
The story proceeds as you’d expect. Vince tries hard to remain a cold and distant arsehole, but eventually starts to unbend, growing attached to the hotel, the town and, most importantly – to Tack.
The tropes are handled well, if not especially originally, but my main problems with the story are to do with the character of Vince and the lack of any real spark between him and Tack. From the moment they meet again, it’s clear that Vince is holding one helluva grudge over something Tack did some fifteen years earlier, and I was waiting eagerly for the reveal; given the intense bitterness Vince displays, and the strength of his determination to freeze Tack out and not be at all friendly or even behave in a vaguely decent manner, I thought it must have been something truly horrible. But… it really wasn’t. Vince obviously had a crush on Tack when they were younger, and when Tack let him down – not standing up for Vince when he was bullied – Vince was desperately hurt, but that didn’t warrant almost two decades of resentment – during which he appears not to have once considered that Tack might have had problems of his own – and his current dickish behaviour. Vince comes across like a petulant man-child, while Tack – a far more engaging character – has matured and learned to own his mistakes and to want to put them right.
The conflict in the story is, of course, centred around Vince’s intention to flip the hotel, so it’s easy to see the Black Moment coming a mile off. But it’s Tack who initiates the reconciliation, while Vince is all set to bugger off and sell the hotel – and he never apologises. He never apologises for being a dickhead either, but Tack forgives all without the slightest grovel.
There are a handful of secondary characters in the story, but none go beyond the two-dimensional, and Tack’s ex-wife and child (six-year-old Jules) felt like little more than plot devices, especially Jules who feels as though they’re in the story simply to show that Vince and Tack are meant to be. Plus, the author made the odd decision to write the epilogue from Jules’ PoV; they’re supposed to be six and they sound like a teen.
James Cavenaugh is an experienced narrator and he delivers a strong performance here. His pacing is good, if a little slow in places (not horribly so), and he portrays the two leads distinctly and in ways that accurately reflect their personalities. He adds a cold, harsh edge to his voice to portray Vince, gradually losing the edge and adding warmth as the story progresses and he starts to fall for Tack and for his new life. Tack’s voice has a softer timbre and is pitched slightly higher than Vince’s, and the audible smile in his voice serves well to show him as a kind, good-hearted man who is confident in his own skin. Mr. Cavenaugh injects an appropriate amount of expression and emotion into his performance and differentiates effectively throughout; his female voices are more than decent and while he can’t quite sound like a six-year-old, his portrayal of Jules is nicely-judged and doesn’t resort to falsetto.
Despite my criticisms, The Hideaway Inn wasn’t all bad. I liked Tack a lot, the story is well-narrated, and the representation is good (there are a variety of queer characters and Anita is a wheelchair user). I can’t give it an unqualified recommendation, but I may give the next in the series a try.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
The Hideaway Inn is one of the first titles published in the new Carina Adores imprint from Carina Press, which they’ve introduced as a trope-driven LGBTQ+ contemporary romance line. They’re publishing one title per month and each will be available in audio as well as in print, and I’m definitely planning on picking up more of them over time. The Hideaway Inn is a small-town, enemies-to-lovers/second chance love story, and while both author and narrator are new-to-me, I liked the sound of the story and the Audible samples I listened to of Mr. Cavanaugh’s work on other titles sounded more than decent, so I decided to give it a go.
When Vince Amato loses his job in spectacular fashion (he’s caught fucking one of his firm’s biggest investors), he returns to the hometown to which he never planned to return in order to pursue a business opportunity. He sells practically everything of value he owns and purchases the dilapidated Hideaway Inn in the small Pennsylvania town of New Hope with the intention of fixing it up and then selling it to hospitality chain Fun Tyme Inc. at a massive profit. Besides making him a lot of money, he’s fairly sure that once Fun Tyme sees what he can do, he’ll land a job there, too.
Things go wrong immediately when his planned journey doesn’t… well, go to plan. The bus he boarded terminates several miles outside New Hope, leaving him stuck in the middle of nowhere with no idea of how to continue further. He’s started walking when, lucky for him, a pickup truck stops on the side of the road. Unlucky for him, the driver happens to be Tack O’ Leary, the high-school crush who broke his heart.
The journey to New Hope is awkward and uncomfortable, for Vince anyway, who can’t ignore the fact that Tack looks as good now as he did back then but is determined to show him that while Tack might not have changed much, he most definitely has. No longer the puny, bookish kid that everyone made fun of, Vince has bulked up and turned himself into a controlled study in hyper-masculinity, from my voice to how I hold my body to my lack of overly expressive emotion. In other words, he’s become a total dick who treats people like crap as a kind of defence mechanism; hurt them before they can hurt you.
Arrived at the Inn, Vince finds the kitchen in chaos. The restaurant is due to host a big Memorial Day luncheon that afternoon, and the chef has just quit. It’s a disaster – until Anita, the restaurant manager, asks Tack if he can help out, prompting Vince to demand: “What makes you think some redneck farm boy knows anything about cooking?” Quite a lot, as it turns out. Tack is at Culinary School training to be a chef.
Lucky for Vince – again – Tack doesn’t turn around and tell his condescending, judgmental arse to fuck right off, and instead gets to work and saves the day. As the restaurant is the only part of the hotel currently open for business, Vince decides to concentrate on it first of all – and for that he needs a permanent chef. No prizes for guessing who takes the job. Or for guessing who end up as roommates, sharing the owner’s apartment.
The story proceeds as you’d expect. Vince tries hard to remain a cold and distant arsehole, but eventually starts to unbend, growing attached to the hotel, the town and, most importantly – to Tack.
The tropes are handled well, if not especially originally, but my main problems with the story are to do with the character of Vince and the lack of any real spark between him and Tack. From the moment they meet again, it’s clear that Vince is holding one helluva grudge over something Tack did some fifteen years earlier, and I was waiting eagerly for the reveal; given the intense bitterness Vince displays, and the strength of his determination to freeze Tack out and not be at all friendly or even behave in a vaguely decent manner, I thought it must have been something truly horrible. But… it really wasn’t. Vince obviously had a crush on Tack when they were younger, and when Tack let him down – not standing up for Vince when he was bullied – Vince was desperately hurt, but that didn’t warrant almost two decades of resentment – during which he appears not to have once considered that Tack might have had problems of his own – and his current dickish behaviour. Vince comes across like a petulant man-child, while Tack – a far more engaging character – has matured and learned to own his mistakes and to want to put them right.
The conflict in the story is, of course, centred around Vince’s intention to flip the hotel, so it’s easy to see the Black Moment coming a mile off. But it’s Tack who initiates the reconciliation, while Vince is all set to bugger off and sell the hotel – and he never apologises. He never apologises for being a dickhead either, but Tack forgives all without the slightest grovel.
There are a handful of secondary characters in the story, but none go beyond the two-dimensional, and Tack’s ex-wife and child (six-year-old Jules) felt like little more than plot devices, especially Jules who feels as though they’re in the story simply to show that Vince and Tack are meant to be. Plus, the author made the odd decision to write the epilogue from Jules’ PoV; they’re supposed to be six and they sound like a teen.
James Cavenaugh is an experienced narrator and he delivers a strong performance here. His pacing is good, if a little slow in places (not horribly so), and he portrays the two leads distinctly and in ways that accurately reflect their personalities. He adds a cold, harsh edge to his voice to portray Vince, gradually losing the edge and adding warmth as the story progresses and he starts to fall for Tack and for his new life. Tack’s voice has a softer timbre and is pitched slightly higher than Vince’s, and the audible smile in his voice serves well to show him as a kind, good-hearted man who is confident in his own skin. Mr. Cavenaugh injects an appropriate amount of expression and emotion into his performance and differentiates effectively throughout; his female voices are more than decent and while he can’t quite sound like a six-year-old, his portrayal of Jules is nicely-judged and doesn’t resort to falsetto.
Despite my criticisms, The Hideaway Inn wasn’t all bad. I liked Tack a lot, the story is well-narrated, and the representation is good (there are a variety of queer characters and Anita is a wheelchair user). I can’t give it an unqualified recommendation, but I may give the next in the series a try.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
December 29, 2020
Somehow, this story was not written for me. I found the main character unbelievable and the chemistry none-existant. I loved the setting and the side characters, but the fact that it took me six months to finish this gay romance should tell you all there is to say... It has potential, but it really did not grab me.
June 13, 2020
Based on the blurb and imprint, I expected a romantic, sweet and cuddly romance to warm up my heart. However, The Hideaway Inn is nothing like that: it's hardly sweet and barely a romance, I'd describe it more like erotica with feelings because there's plenty of sex and Vince seems to spend half of the time describing how sexy he, Tack and any other guy he comes across are. Now, there's nothing wrong with that and if the characters had been great, I wouldn't had any squabbles.
While Tack is a great guy, he's considerate and apoplectic of his past misdeeds, and I enjoyed his perspective, Vince is borderline disgusting. He's the main character with most POVs and he's a poster boy of alpha male from a business world - and he won't let anyone forget it. It's toxic masculinity and while it stems from him being bullied for being skinny, gay and different, it's too in your face. It's not a part of him, it is the only part of him and any suggestion that he's not the ultra male is met with a lash-out. I honestly hated Vince, and Tack deserved much better.
Since the whole book is about their second meeting and relationship, I couldn't enjoy the story while hating the main character. I think the only reason I finished the story was because I listened the audiobook while doing chores and it's relatively short (and I guess, I was waiting for some kind of redemption arc). Tack alone gets the two stars.
While Tack is a great guy, he's considerate and apoplectic of his past misdeeds, and I enjoyed his perspective, Vince is borderline disgusting. He's the main character with most POVs and he's a poster boy of alpha male from a business world - and he won't let anyone forget it. It's toxic masculinity and while it stems from him being bullied for being skinny, gay and different, it's too in your face. It's not a part of him, it is the only part of him and any suggestion that he's not the ultra male is met with a lash-out. I honestly hated Vince, and Tack deserved much better.
Since the whole book is about their second meeting and relationship, I couldn't enjoy the story while hating the main character. I think the only reason I finished the story was because I listened the audiobook while doing chores and it's relatively short (and I guess, I was waiting for some kind of redemption arc). Tack alone gets the two stars.
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