Something Old, Something New: A Sweet Contemporary Romance

Written by Amy Clipston

Narrated by Lauren Berst

Sometimes treasure can be found where you least expect it.

In the decade since high school graduation, Christine Sawyer has realized her dream of opening Treasure Hunting Antique Mall, the place where shoppers find gems that are new to them. Between her store, her house, and her role as a doting aunt, she’s happy with her life—if a bit lonely. But she’s used to being less lucky in love than her fraternal twin sister. Britney was always the popular one, the head cheerleader who dated the homecoming king and quarterback, while Christine stayed in the shadows.

Brent Nicholson is still trying to come to grips with the shambles his life has become. After leading his football team to a state championship, he suffered a career-ending injury. Now he’s lost his construction business thanks to his so-called best friend. So when his great-aunt Midge asks for his help readying her home to put it on the market, the opportunity to spend time with his biggest fan is a balm to his bruised soul.

But the antiques Brent finds in his aunt’s house lead him to an unexpected partnership with Christine. After being blind to her for so many years, is it too late for the former high school jock to win the heart of the self-proclaimed “nerdy twin”?

As they shift through items of the past, Christine and Brent learn to let go of the pieces they don’t want to bring into the future—and realize the value of what’s in front of them today.

“Hometown charm and swoon-worthy second chances make this a must read.” —Kristen Mckanagh, author of Snowball’s Christmas

• Sweet, stand-alone contemporary romance
• Book length: approximately 90,000 words
• More contemporary romance to love by Amy Clipston:?The Heart of Splendid Lake and The View from Coral Cove

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jan 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9780785252986

Amy Clipston

Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She's sold more than one million books, and her fiction writing "career" began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and four spoiled rotten cats. Visit her online at AmyClipston.com; Facebook: @AmyClipstonBooks; Twitter: @AmyClipston; Instagram: @amy_clipston; BookBub: @AmyClipston.

Reviews for Something Old, Something New

[Diamond Jones · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book so much! I love books that have a small town vibe and heart warming characters.

[Joy Mayor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my first audiobook of Amy Clipston. And i want to listen to more. It entertained me so much.

[DevotedToHope · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Something Old, Something New by award-winning, bestselling author Amy Clipston is an enjoyable, relaxing read! I certainly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a clean, contemporary romance.

Family, friendships, humor, work ethics, finding one’s purpose, self-sacrifice making others’ needs a priority, and so much more are all portrayed in this sweet, entertaining, small-town romance set in Flowering Grove!

Something Old, Something New introduces and develops each character wonderfully as the author draw the reader into the small-town setting and the sphere of lovable characters. The two main characters are Christine and Brent. Christine, a business owner, is unexpectedly helped by Britney’s (Christine’s twin sister) many-years-ago ex-boyfriend, Brent. His assistance with one of Christine’s customers starts their journey of run-ins, witty banter, stolen glances, anticipated interactions, friendship, and romance.

Although there is a bit of repetition throughout the story and the author’s special gift of demonstrating faith through everyday life is not in Something Old, Something New, it is genuinely a lovely read. The Discussion Questions provided after the Acknowledgements were insightful, thought-provoking, and appreciated.

The source and reasons for Brent’s insecurities, self-worth, and struggles are different than Christine’s. Their struggles of either feeling not good enough or always being in the shadow of someone else, brought to my mind Genesis 1:27, Proverbs 3:5-6, and Ephesians 2:10. How comforting, exciting, and encouraging it is to know that each of us were created by God with unique talents and gifts to bring Him glory and to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do! I hope and pray I remember these truths when I encounter struggles similar to our beloved characters, Christine and Brent.

I appreciate the eArc of Something Old, Something New I received from Thomas Nelson - Fiction through NetGalley.com. I was not required to write a review or paid to do so. The words above are my honest review.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Something Old, Something New by Amy Clipston is a sweet small-town romance. I like Amy Clipston’s casual writing style. It makes the story easy to read. I enjoyed getting to know Christine Sawyer and Brent Nicholson. Christine operates an antique mall in Flowering Grove, North Carolina. Christine is a fraternal twin. She always felt she was the nerdy twin compared with her pretty, outgoing sister, Britney. Britney has fraternal twin girls, Maddy and Mila (“the M&M’s) whom Christine loves dearly. Maddy and Mila are cuties. They are active little girls who love the color purple. Brent dated Britney in high school. He was the star quarterback, and she was the popular cheerleader. Brent’s life has not turned out as he expected. He has returned to town to help his Aunt Millie get her house ready so she can list is for sale. Brent has no intention of staying in Flowering Grove because he cannot stand listening to his father’s criticisms. The chemistry between Brent and Christine was obvious from the beginning. The two are attracted to each other. They each have a different reason for not reacting to the attraction. I enjoyed the descriptions of Flowering Grove especially Christine’s shop (I could spend hours exploring). I wish I was Christine when she found the Nancy Drew’s packed away in Aunt Millie’s house. I am glad the romance was not rushed. I like how it progressed (become friends first and then move forward). Christine and Brent got to know each other as they worked at Aunt Millie’s house. I was not a fan of Britney. She reminded me of the cheerleaders in my school (the pretty, stuck-up blonds who thought they were better than everyone else). I thought the characters were realistic and relatable as was the town and situations. The Friday night high school football games which are attended by everyone in the town is something that occurs in small towns all over the south (I lived in one for twenty years). The story had some drama which kept things interesting. I would have liked less repetition of details regarding the characters. I just loved Aunt Millie. She is a kind woman who does not hesitate to help bring Brent and Christine together (she would get the mischievous twinkle in her eye). In Something Old, Something New we get to see that someone or something may have a beautiful exterior (or seems to have it all), it does not mean they do not have troubles. I like how the title played into the story. Something Old, Something New is a charming tale with Friday night football, a disparaging parent, lilac loving twins, an aunt in need, an improbable pairing, a twin conflict, and an abundance of antiques.