Counter Culture
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5.0 • 5 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Customer service has never been this personal.
Robin Christopher, beleaguered retail worker, isn’t having an easy November. His boss is raising stress levels planning a Black Friday to end all Black Fridays, his family doesn’t understand him, and his best friend thinks his new crush is a hallucination brought on by watching too many episodes of Doctor Who.
Archie Levine dresses in Victorian style and divides his time between caring for his young son and creating weird and wacky steampunk gadgets from bits of old junk—when he’s not looking after his mum and trying to keep on good terms with his ex. The last thing he’s got time for is a relationship, but the flustered young man he met while disembowelling a fridge is proving very tempting.
When his mum’s social conscience is roused by a local store with a cavalier attitude to the homeless, former rough sleeper Archie shares her anger. Little does he know that Robin works for that same store. When Archie finds out he’s sleeping with the enemy, things could cut up very rough indeed.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Merrow (Love at First Hate) delivers a delightfully nerdy gay romance. Harried 24-year-old retail worker Robin Christopher feels an instant spark with single-dad and steampunk fanatic Archie Levine when they happen to meet, and then keep running into each other, on the streets of Hitchworth, England. Though Robin knows nothing about steampunk, he finds Archie's odd clothes and archaic manner of speaking charming, while Archie believes he is coming on too strong by not tempering his enthusiasm. Archie's mom, Lyddie, intervenes, knowing Archie and Robin will never act on their feelings on their own, and the two embark on a relationship. But when the store where Robin works faces backlash over an offensive newspaper ad, socially conscious Lyddie becomes one of its chief detractors. Robin lies about where he works to avoid her disapproval, but as he and Archie grow closer, he worries his secret won't stay hidden for long. This breezy, low-stakes novel showcases Merrow's bright humor and strong voice. Readers will find plenty to love in this sweet romance.
