It's a simple story, told from different perspectives, in a unique way. I found the characters of Danny and Prescott to be both fun and funny. It isn't in your face romance to start with. The two guys are enemies and then lovers with the romance being slowly woven into the story. They are such polar opposites I was beginning to wonder if anything was ever going to bring them together. Prescott was socially awkward, and Danny was...well, gregarious would be a good word for him. Both are hiding painful vulnerabilities that was constraining their happy now, let alone ever after. The author simmers their unlikely pairing and covert lusting for each other until a cold winter's night and some hot chocolate work their magic. The Beautiful Things Shoppe is not about people who buy expensive things for the sake of social status or prestige. Danny and Prescott are collectors who love disparate things that simply brings them joy. By the end of the story, both men do find love...but also, they share a passion for artifacts like a Cunningham pewter mug or a Snoopy cookie jar. We find that beauty is indeed truly in the eye of the beholder. Overall...we have a breathtaking love story that opens your eyes to all the beautiful things in the world we might otherwise have missed. ( )

The Beautiful Things Shoppe is one of those magical enemies-to-lovers romances in which neither character comes off like a jerk. Danny and Prescott end up sharing an antiques shop and have completely opposite approaches to the venture. Danny sells old bits of pop culture including a cartoony cookie jar and Prescott prefers high-end furniture and housewares. They have an immediate dislike for each other, but it's a flimsy thing that quickly gives way to respect and then those inconvenient feelings.

The Beautiful Things Shoppe is a softer book than the first in the series, The Hideaway Inn. The setting remains the same--a diverse, queer small town full of wonderful secondary characters--but while the first deals heavily with toxic masculinity in the gay community, this is just a soft story with moments of humor. As Danny introduced Prescott to everyone in town and he's welcomed in, I felt welcomed as well. I'm rather envious, honestly. Who doesn't want a super queer town full of annoyingly friendly people who want the best for you? There's also a campaign to save a couple of historical buildings in New Hope and I liked being reminded that a small group of people can accomplish things if they work together. (Prescott's real-estate developer ex is an ass who sexually harasses him, just a heads up about that.)

One of the characters prefers to take his time with physical intimacy so the romance is fairly low heat, but the author has done a great job--with both books in this series--of letting the characters lead the relationship development. Everything feels natural rather than forced, with no obligatory sex scenes that feel out-of-character.

I enjoyed The Hideaway Inn, but I loved The Beautiful Things Shoppe. It's a big warm hug and I hope Philip William Stover writes a hundred more.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review. ( )