| Title | : | Counter Culture |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781626499218 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 344 |
| Publication | : | First published November 4, 2019 |
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.
Counter Culture Reviews
-
I Liked it
My first book by this author and sure enough it will not be my last. It was sweet and just right for my teeth.
The story revolves around Robin and Archie two guys on the opposite sides of everything. Robin a guy who works at a store which he seems to hate and Archie a Victorian wearing steampunk obsessed guy. I liked the characters so much. They were well developed and so much fun to read about.
The writing was solid enough, the story flowed so well. The banter between the characters was enjoyable to read, i got some laughs out of it. The chemistry between the MCs was believable.
So why not all the stars? I felt like it was too long, and there was so much info filler. Things took too long to happen and ones it happened it was towards the end of the book. Good thing the characters were still interesting enough.
The side characters fit so well with the main characters. They added some spice to the story.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. Recommended for when you are in the mood for some light cute story.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley. -
Robin and Archie meet by chance in the street, while one came back from work worried about Black Friday, and the other determined to crumble an old refrigerator in search of steampunk pieces.
It is a romantic comedy with a social message could be said, against prejudices and preconceived ideas. The protagonists are from a very different environment, but they get to connect and discover that their interests are not so diverse after all. It had the grace to make me laugh a couple of times and that always raises points in my case.
---
...that was the perfect moment for Archie to walk in, debonair as always—for about a nanosecond. Then his eyes (which, even in his mortified state, Robin noticed were the same rich shade of brown as his mum’s) widened comically as they took in Robin sitting down with his mum like the stalker who came to tea.
There was only one thing, Robin thought in a detached way, that could possibly make this more embarrassing, and that was if he’d blurted out “You’re not married!” to the unwitting object of his affections.
---
The best friend is rather annoying, and her comments are very unkind. In the other hand, Archie's mother is adorable and one senses what has happened to her. The great revelation of the end was seen for miles, so there are no big surprises.
Likewise, it is a light reading and I especially love the steampunk part because the art of that style has always caught my attention, and the fashion style excuse the splendid (although I confess that the novels don't) -
This was sweet and warm with the author's usual gentle humor. I enjoyed the look at steampunk culture with small touches of language and attitude that made it appealing. Archie is a great MC, a big guy who loves steampunk and kids, doing his best to figure out his life now that he's fully separated from his infant child's mother (who was more a friend than a lover). He's determined to play a big role in the baby's life, but needs to figure out space for himself as well. His own mother lives with him, and her innocent whimsy and occasional lack of competence make him in some ways her caretaker too.
When he meets Robin, he's charmed, fascinated, and hopeful. But between work and home responsibilities, and a hesitation on both their parts, dating doesn't happen immediately.
Robin grew up with cold parents who insist they want the best for him while also insisting on defining that "best" - which doesn't include being gay or independent or anything they disapprove of. He has moved out, but he's still building a life of his own, working retail in a modest local store. He likes his coworkers, likes his job well enough, and has plans for moving up. And when a thoughtless promotion at his job comes into conflict with Archie's difficult past, he struggles to do right by both sides.
The story hinges on misunderstandings, but in a gentle and plausible way - the tendency we have to make assumptions and to hide our flaws, which feeds into misperceptions. The secondary characters were a big part of the story, and added a lot of the humor.
This felt a little lightweight for the theme of homelessness and Archie's backstory. I wasn't sure I knew the main characters as well as I would've liked, or that they knew each other fully. Merrow is capable of making me connect deeply with her characters, and I wasn't quite there by the end of the book. But it was an easy read with a bunch of chuckles and a fairly satisfying ending. -
1.5 rounded up
Frankly, I'm not entirely sure why I didn't DNF this one. Maybe because I generally enjoy this author and was hoping it would get better? It was way too fucking long, and the main characters don't even have a proper conversation until 40% into the book. The connection between them is lukewarm, and the book really felt like it was more about their random lives and *other* relationships than a romance. It was just really boring and honestly a massive disappointment. -
A delightfully humorous, yet poignant, story about two young men who have a chance meeting late one night when one spots the other removing a coil from an old refrigerator someone has trashed. Odd? Bizarre? Robin Christopher (cruel parents picked that name!) is intrigued enough with Refrigerator Guy to learn more.
Refrigerator Guy turns out to be Archie Levine, an avid steampunker and new father. After the usual “misunderstanding” scenario, Robin learns Archie and the baby’s mother aren’t married and aren’t even in love, so all is clear. Except—Archie’s mother is heading a protest march against the store where Robin works as she and her fellow protestors assume the well-known store took advantage of local homeless persons in their holiday ad campaign. Unfortunately, Robin doesn��t tell Archie where he works; instead, saying he’s an accountant.
The story is long, complex, and full of JL Merrow’s unique style of humor, and of course, Robin’s lies are found out, he and Archie break up, and both are devastated. Will they find their way back to each other? You know it!
What I loved most is the author’s humor and the way the plight of the homeless was portrayed. Readers are subtly presented with the facts through meeting a few of the “rough sleepers” who have their own places in the doorways and alleys surrounding the area. The author doesn’t preach but readers are certainly given food for thought and a nudge toward increased awareness of the problems facing those who live on the street.
MM romance readers who love steampunk should certainly enjoy this story, as would those who simply enjoy a sweet romance between two engaging characters.
A copy of the book was provided through
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -
This was a harder story for me and I hate it, because I have always loved J.L. Merrow’s books. I still do, don’t get me wrong. But this one just wasn’t really for me. Most of the characters needed the sticks pulled out of their rears and it just seemed a jumble for me. I felt for Archie and Robin, too, because they are caught up in being interested in each other but there are things going on behind the scenes that either no one knows anything about, or they know and it’s causing a rift.
When Robin first encounters Archie, it’s because he was in a fridge with his legs hanging out and Robin thought the worst. But after he pops up and seems fine, the conversation between them was just weird. They seem to keep bumping into each other in odd places and the more they do, the more things are getting misconstrued. And when Robin’s place of employment makes a big deal for a ad in the paper, it sends things into overdrive. Misunderstandings, miscommunication, and people being buttheads over something they shouldn’t be. It’s caused an uproar and any chance that Robin and Archie had of being together, was now thrown to the wind. If they have any hope of getting together and staying that way, they are going to have to figure out how to get past all the mess going on in their lives. But when it involves loved ones and wrongs that were done, how are they going to get past it all?
Robin and Archie just have had a mess of things since the minute they laid eyes on each other. They were so interested in each other, but they knew nothing about the other and when they start seeing things, they are always with certain people and miscommunication and misunderstandings go overboard. I hate that too. People are always so quick to jump to the wrong conclusion instead of trying to actually talk and figure things out. But I feel bad for them too, because every time they did try to talk to each other, they both seemed to get tongue tied. Which made it worse. It was a hard situation they were in. Archie wanted to protect his family when he finds some things out, and Robin felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. It just seemed like there was no way out for any of them. It was a mess.
It’s a good book. Angsty for sure. And the steampunk parts for those fans, are great. It just wasn’t the book for me. I still love J.L. Merrow. I hope you all will read this and form your own opinion. It deserves a chance.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/ -
This one saldy wasn't for me.
-
A
Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
J.L. Merrow has released a new novel, Counter Culture, and once again fans of this author will be able to immerse themselves in the humor and pathos this writer is known for creating. Poor Robin has never really had anyone in his corner—his parents are less than supportive and mostly condemning of just about everything he does, his best friend Azrah is negative and caustic on her best days, and his job has just announced he’s going to have to work a major sale the day after Thanksgiving—a holiday their country doesn’t even celebrate. Probably the only good thing that’s happened to Robin was seeing that guy dismantling that fridge on his block. But then he sees the same man with a child and possibly a wife and that means Robin’s fantasies of being with the guy are just that—fantasies.
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety
here. -
So, okay, this book had its imperfections. It did take a long time until things really started to get going. It was very predictable in relationship progression and timing (less expected, but very very appreciated were the underlying topics of steampunk and homelessness). An epilogue or some such might have been nice (although the ending is fine as it is!).
So why the five stars? Because this was FUNNY. It made me laugh out loud several, delicious times and it's been a long time since a book has done that for me. It was light-hearted and funny and entertaining and exactly what I needed. I don't have a lot of time to read books these days (three little ones will do that for ya), so when I do find something that gets me away from my endless, inner to-do-list, I appreciate the hell out of it! -
I love JL Merrow’s writing so it breaks me to have to say this, but I DNF'd this. Even though I liked the MCs, it was SO slow. I got to 62% and realized the characters barely knew each other and hadn't even been on an actual date yet. 2/3 of the book was gone before anything had even happened yet. Also, while the secondary characters did provide a little comedic flair, besides the MCs and Archie's mom, they were all kind of dicks to each other, which got old really fast considering nothing else was happening in the book...
Some might love this, I'm not saying don't try it, but it definitely did not work for me. -
It's been a while since I have read any new-to-me books. I just haven't been buying a lot of books lately...figures since it's 2020 right?
So, I was in the mood for something UKish and I have a few go-to authors when I want a contemporary British read. JL Merrow is one of those authors. I did really enjoy this story! Loved the characters, and as usual I was entertained until the very last paragraph. -
Unfinished
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ARC courtesy of Netgalley
Another chuckle-filled m/m romance from British author Merrow, but one that simultaneously manages to convey deeper messages about homelessness, mental illness, and the many layers that lie behind the pleasant facades that people show the world. The "counter culture" of the title refers to many different things: the differences between working class and middle class cultures in a small British city that is definitely not London; the world of the college-educated vs. those without a uni degree; the world of old white Britain vs. the multicultural amalgam that is current-day Britain; and the mundane quotidian world vs. the fantasy world of steampunk.
On his way home from a rough day at work, college grad and current department store sales clerk Robin Christopher (white, gay) runs into a strangely-dressed but really hot guy scavenging parts from an abandoned refrigerator, not quite sure if he's a homeless man, an alien, or an escapee from a Doctor Who set. But as Robin's path keeps crossing with "Fridge Bloke," he discovers the man is steampunk (NOT steampunker) Archie (white, bisexual), who is currently living with his counter-culture mum, sharing the child-raising duties of a new parent with his former girlfriend (with whom he doesn't live), and working in the local workhouse museum. Which leaves him only a few spare hours to indulge in his predilection for dressing up as a Victorian gent and messing around with cogs and gadgets. The two begin an awkwardly sweet courting, but when Robin, discovering that Archie's mom is planning a protest against his department store (due to a publicity campaign that unintentionally insults the homeless, or "rough sleepers") lies about where he actually works, first to Archie's mum, and then to Archie, things get a bit messy in their budding romance. Secondary characters (especially Robin's co-workers Azrah, Heath, and Gail) are as fun, and as layered, as are Robin, Archie, and his mum Lyddie.
The models on the cover aren't quite right: Robin's hair is supposed to be blond, and Archie is meant to have a "moustache with curly, waxed ends, like a Victorian dandy or cartoon villain." Still, it does a great job of conveying the surprised, funny tone of Merrow's story. -
Originally published on my blog:
Nonstop Reader.
Counter Culture is a new M/M humorous romance by
JL Merrow. Released 4th Nov 2019 by
Riptide, it's 244 pages and available in paperback format.
This is a light romance with mismatched protagonists who are sweetly silly. The story arc is standard (misunderstandings and well meant lies threaten to tear the star crossed couple apart, complicated by loving and well meaning family and friends on both sides... can they find their way to happiness despite the drama... you know they will). The dialogue is unbelievable, but never truly wince-worthy. In short, it's a well written M/M feel good romance.
The author slips in some good points about the changing face of society with some comments about wealth inequality, power, respect, class divide, and culture. It's not heavily balanced toward social commentary, there's enough misunderstandings, drama, and kissing to keep romance readers pleased. It was nice to see some substance and not just fluff. (Don't get me wrong, I like fluff too).
There is explicit sexual content (very well written, adult, consensual, and in context). The language is rough (liberal sprinklings of everything from damn to bollocks to the f-bomb), but also used in context. The spellings, slang and constructions are British English, but shouldn't present any problems for readers who are used to American vernacular.
Three and a half stars, rounded up for the steampunk, and the very well written secondary characters.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. -
Counter Culture
By JL Merrow
Riptide Publishing, 2019
Four stars
Always lovely to read one of JL Merrow’s quintessentially English novels, and this one is particularly nice because, in addition to its romantic arc, it spends a good deal of subplot on the complex issues surrounding homelessness. Oh, and also steampunk. We learn quite a lot about steampunk.
Robin Christopher, despite his whimsical name, has survived a childhood that was oppressive, if not precisely neglectful or abusive. Newly independent, living in a flat in one of the sketchier parts of town, Robin is pursuing a career in retail at Willoughby’s, his small city’s surviving local department store.
Archie Levine, curator at the local Workhouse Museum (that is so utterly English, and dark, that it made me shiver – me, a lifelong curator). Archie lives quite happily with his mother Lyddie in a fine, if somewhat ramshackle, house in what was once an elegant street. Both Archie and his mum, however, had troubled pasts, and as the reader can readily imagine, these involved both mental health issues and homelessness. Archie is also a steampunk enthusiast, as is his ex-girlfriend Bridge, with whom he is helping to raise their infant son.
The other broad theme in “Counter Culture” is people’s tendency to make judgements about others without actually knowing the facts – a human failing that has fueled the plots of endless novels. Not just Archie and Robin, but Robin’s co-workers Azrah and Heath, his boss Gail, and even Archie’s mum all fall into this trap in the course of the narrative. Merrow’s gentle perceptiveness about human frailties flavors the entire book with a sweetness that minimizes the angst and undergirds the wry humor. -
This was a book that took me longer to finish than usual, but I can't say I didn't enjoy it.
Robin works for the department store the guy he's into seems to hate, to the point his mother is organizing a protest on one of their busiest days. Who wouldn't pretend he's a boring accountant when he finds the placards in their living-room? While Robin discovers Archie's hobby as a steampunk, the two fall in love and things only get more complicated.
I think we have two great main characters, other great side characters and even interesting side stories, but it took too long for things to happen. In fact, it takes too long for most things, even though it was an enjoyable reading. What I mean is that it's not that I didn't like it, I did. I just expected to feel more excitement.
Still, this is really a JL Merrow. You can expect round characters and interesting discussions to bring depth to the plot. I loved Archie's family too, though his mother is my obvious favorite.
I keep loving what this author writes, but I wish this had better dynamics considering the great elements.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity. -
Thanks Netgalley for this arc!
This was so cute! The steampunk! The really nice Robin (full name Robin Christopher btw!), the adorable Archie (real name Mars!!). Archie's mum was such a fresh character and, while I thought I was going to hate Bridge (the ex and mum of Archie's baby), I came to like her a lot!
It was something like a slowburn romance with tons of little cute moments mixed with bits of serious stuff, like the homeless situation in the UK. I loved that Archie was unapologetically bisexual and nobody had anything to say about that. And how Robin was really opened about being gay even if his parents were really infuriating. They are cancelled!
This book flew in my hands. One moment I started it, then it was over! Some scenes had me giggling nonstop!! I just really enjoy Merrow's writing and storytelling. I've read three times her The Plumber's Mate Mysteries series! All of it!
Do I want to attend a Steampunk event? Of course I do. Can you imagine how cool that'd be?? Yes, please! -
Sweet holiday read with witty, fun characters. ;)
This is one of those books that keeps you smiling from the start. Both characters are a bit on the quirky side and I found myself falling in love with them both. To make this book even more appealing, the supporting characters are just as lovable and quirky as Archie and Robin. For the record, I’ve come to expect that from J.L. Merrow 😉
Silliness aside, Counter Culture was a real story full of love, devotion and even touched on some tough issues. It was as sweet as the description hints at. There were even a few little twists at the end that I didn’t see coming, but probably should have. Basically, this book was a sweet read with characters I found myself rooting for from the beginning and even more so the more I got to know them.
I received Counter Culture in exchange for a fair and honest review. -
Very cute, often funny, book about a store clerk falling for a steampunk. There are a lot of fun, but also sometimes annoying, side characters - so the book feels more like an ensemble. While I liked the side characters (mostly), I felt like all the time spent on them took away from the romance. We didn't get to see enough of the two guys together, especially in the first half of the book. I also think the book could have been shorter, it dragged quite a bit (again, especially in the first half).
This is probably a stupid complaint, but it's one of my pet peeves, the cover is great except the non-steampunk guy is described as blond in the book and he is definitely not blond on the cover.
All that said, I really did enjoy the book and laughed out loud more than once (startling my dog who barked as if the house were being invaded). -
I remember, once upon a time, with my NetGalley stats way over the 80% feedback ratio, and the rest of my profile spot-fucking-on, and I would always get declined from this publisher's material. Now this is the second title I requested that I got approved for. *Insert Megan Parker "Interesting" image*
Review:
It was entertaining, given the circumstances. It helped me pass the time. I wasn't a fan of the drama, and that put a dent in my liking of the MCs. But overall, it wasn't that bad.
#QuarantineRead (I'll be using this tag to review all the books I fit in during however long this self isolation business lasts, for posterity) -
Romance about steampunk, lying and social justice. Robin Christopher is a retail worker with a hideous parents and streak of bad relationship behind his back. Archie Levine is a full-time museum worker and full-time steampunk(er) with moustache and all. They meet over the discarded fridge and the story goes on.
It is sooo difficult to write the review of the book you liked. For me it was perfect: the slow dance of love, the typical for J.L. Merrow humour, parents issue, friendship and Death Doctor! And I sincerely don't know what to add. Per-fect. -
This book was full of almost meetings, just about passing each other, seeing at the wrong time, slowly coming train wreck, for the whole time. It gave of feeling of constantly harking back to the start, when you knew that if they had just passed at that moment or just seen that act things would have been great. But of course instead they meet in a moment just a bit later when things are wrong, or embarrassing, or everything has gone to hell. Even once they do get together there is this looming doom over their heads from their mutual lies that threaten to rip them apart at any moment even as they each seek to fix it and try to give what they have together a proper go.
The pair in this book were so similar and just so different all at the same time. Archie is very close with his mother and absolutely loves her, living with her to take care of her and be close. But though he loves her very much his childhood was unorthodox and at ties very dark. Meanwhile, Robin has parents that are both overprotective and uncaring. His mother never truly wanted children and he had a very strict upbringing that has extended to a rather loveless relationship now as an adult. Yet his childhood was stable and not exactly unhappy, just perhaps a bit cold and lonely at times. They have such different experiences growing up that have truly shaped who they are, but at the same time they have some very similar values. Both caring and loving, they look out for their communities and truly enjoy looking out for other people and being out with them. It has just come about in different ways and for different reasons from their pasts.
As their orbits begin to intersect more and more Robin and Archie become quite interested in one another and it seems that they would be perfect together as you see their shared values and the strong spark of attraction. But Archie is a father in a co-parenting situation that is still new and fresh, with his ex-girlfriend Bridge not looking too happy about him wanting to move on to a new relationship for exactly that reason; the moving on. Meanwhile Robin works for Worthington's, a department store that Archie and his mother have a grudge against (for some reasons that become fairly obvious before the end) and Robin soon finds himself lying about his job and scrambling to make the whole situation better. But despite their lies both of them are trying to make things better, both for a relationship and for their community. There is a little bit of the whole part that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, because these two seem to be full of good intentions but poor choices. However they never really seek to hurt anyone and do their best to find a way to come together that will allow both love and understanding. It was a book full of dramatic tension and an oncoming train wreck that can't be missed, but also plenty of sweetness and love from these quintessentially good men. -
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! One of the funniest books I’ve read lately. Full of the wonderful British humor (very very good humor), smart humor! I had a blast with this book. Excellent dialogues, dazzling banter, quirky and interesting characters (STEAMPUNKS, people, STEAMPUNKS!!!) and fun fun fun. And Robin, oh,my, I LOVED Robin-one of my favorite MM characters EVER!! Archie was supposed to be the more interesting MC and he was , just not as lovable as Robin. Actually, Archie kind of pissed me off at times;he seemed a bit pretentious,entitled and patronizing to sweet Robin but I might be biased because I truly loved Robin. The side characters were amazingly brilliant too and Heath was a hoot,loved him! The romance was sweet and the sex (just one scene ,unfortunately 😞 ,the book was pretty low on steam ) was HOT and beautiful. And the meet cute was exactly that- CUTE!!
I wish I had a liiittle more of Archie and Robin together because they were wonderful and it would have been 5 stars.
The other reason I took away one star was because , as it happens, this is the second book I’ve read this week where one of the MC had to have his ex permission and approval to start dating again and kept his interest in the other MC a secret for fear of upsetting the ex and honestly it bugged the shit out of me so ,yeah , I won’t forgive this one. -
MM romance between two opposites in a small English city. There's an awful lot of slang. Even though I lived there a couple years, I still had to look some up or guess at it.
Robin and Archie are attracted to each other. They randomly run into or just miss each other the first third of the book before they have a chance for a proper conversation, which was engineered by Archie's meddling mom. There's a deception (isn't there always in fictional romances?) on Robin's part due to an animosity. The deception gave me anxiety. I correctly guessed the source of the animosity, but I suppose it wasn't difficult to figure out before it was revealed.
Robin's a bit of a geek, and Archie is a steampunk with a rough childhood. The two get on well and find common interests.
There's a lot of humor and clever phrasing throughout the book.
Typos: These were either errors or puns that went over my head. On page 166 when they were discussing waistcoats (vests) there was a reference to a "three-piece suite." Should that have been "suit," maybe? On page 195 a leather crafter said he "upped the river count" on his gauntlets (armored gloves). I though it should have been "rivets." -
Robin is stressed, his family makes life hard, his boss is planning a Black Friday to end all Black Fridays. Archie dresses like he is from the Victorian era. When Robin sees Archie for the first time, he is intrigued by the guy taking apart a fridge. While Archie is attracted to Robin, he doesn't feel he has the time for relationship, with caring for his son, dealing with ex and building steampunk gadgets. Archie's mom drags him into her newest social injustice, a store that has a cavalier attitude towards the homeless. Little does Archie know this is the same store Robin works for, when he finds out they are an opposites sides of the fence, things get tense.
I absolutely loved Archie, he was quirky, but what wanted to do the best he could for his young son as well as maintaining a good relationship with his ex for the sack of his son. Robin was a doormat for his family and boss, but you could see his potential throughout the book. I enjoyed the buildup between Robin and Archie. -
I wish I could say I loved this meet cute contemporary romance, but I did not. There’s a four star book trying to get out, but the pacing was way way off. First off, they meet cute, then they meet cute again, then they meet cute again. Seriously, the book is a third done before they stop meeting cute and start spending time together. Then the second they get involved the Big Misunderstanding upends everything. So the story was slow slow slow, then too fast.
The couple were very cute in addition to meeting cute, and it was nice that the author tried to address some social issues in the plot. There were some fun pop culture references. Although the adorable cover is what originally caught my eye, it did annoy me when I realized the guy on the right should be blond.
The best part about this book was definitely the steampunk aspects. From the page before the table of contents: “Steampunk is what happens with Goths discover brown.” Ha. -
Full of wonderful lines like “ritual fridge disembowelment” that had me laughing all the way through.
Robin’s at that stage in his life where he’s finally out on his own and free of his family’s rules and opinions. Sure he wears the sweater his mum got him, that makes him look like a teenager, when he meets the folks for lunch, but the rest of the time he’s a young man free to make his own decisions and spread his wings. He’s discovering how deeply he cares about people, even those society has thrown away, and he’s dedicated to making his workplace care just as much.
Archi’s way past the stage of self exploration. Now he’s busy caring for his mother and son. Having been one of the “throw aways” himself he’s pretty touchy about anything that seems to exploit those who can’t speak up for themselves.
Both a little hesitant when it comes to the other, this story follows the slow, but inevitable development of a sweet little romance. -
This book is very funny in the best British way, but the romance aspect falls short. The two MCs barely exchange a word until almost halfway through the book (although they have several awkward meet-cutes and do a lot of pining), then they have a few days together, but are quickly separated when lying and misunderstanding come between them. Both MCs are likeable, and Archie's involvement in the steampunk culture is fascinating, but I'm here for books that explore two people building a relationship over time and that aspect was sadly lacking. I felt very anxious as I read, waiting for the lies to catch up to them, and frankly I don't need any more anxiety in my life these days. YMMV if you can just sit back, enjoy Merrow's humor, and have more faith than I did that it will all work out in the end.
-
It was a sweet book and I liked how the plot was developed. The only problem was how the main characters were on a date for the third time and they kissed for the first time wich was cute... and then they started having sex. So far, everything has been great and I really liked the slow-burning romance, but after the sex scene, everything started to go downhill for me. And even when they have quarrel (because it's obviously not a romance novel if the main characters don't quarrel before the end) was this big drama, not just a fight between two people who knew each other for a week or two and were attracted to each other.
