Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC of Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall.

I went into this not realizing that it is technically two stories combined into one book. I enjoyed both the romances and Alexis does such a good job making you emotionally connect with the characters. I do wish the two books had been more integrated instead of being one book ends and another starts.

We start with Edwin who is still mourning the loss of his 10 year relationship with Marius when he meets Adam. Adam is there with the Environmental Agency to help the town prepare for a flood that is going to happen. The relationship between the two happens rather quickly but I loved that we see Edwin struggle with moving on with someone else. We also see Edwin co0ntinue to struggle with his stutter that has gotten somewhat worse since the break up. This book really highlights how hard it is to move on from a relationship when the break up is due to one falling out of love with the other. Once Edwin gives himself permission to move on we see the two have a wonderful and beautiful relationship.

Book two follows Marius who we discover actually still loves Edwin and left due to being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. He panicked when he realized he was going to go blind and would no longer be able to paint and felt like he had nothing to give to Edwin. After running away from a Christmas family get together that included Edwin and Adam he injures himself and finds himself in the company of Leo. Leo is currently living on a boat after having been released from prison for fraud chargers he did not commit. Slowly Marius realizes he is still lovable even with his diagnoses and Leo shows him he still has a life to live.

Alexis Hall always manages to write beautiful stories that show true life and makes you connect to the characters. While I did love both of these books I again think it would have been better if they were more integrated and didn't feel like you were reading two books in one. There are some trigger warnings for both books so check those before reading.

There is something magical in Alexis Hall's prose that when he writes a history you feel like you are living it and when I listen to this audio version it was like being in the skin and pain of these characters, even to the point of being surprised in the same unexpected way.
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My only problem was that when I started the story it was about Edwin and his second chance after breaking up with Marius but suddenly it was book two, and the focus changed from Marius and his second chance and I had a hard time putting myself in his shoes after hearing all the feelings Edwin have for him, although in the end I was very on board in Marius story, and that end, was just beautiful
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It was a change of structure that I really liked, the story left me thinking about Edwin and Marius, how you can find other paths to continue loving each other
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simply beautiful, and reading it narrated is a complete turnaround. It puts together the story in a way where there are no good guys or bad guys, just beautiful characters navigating their perception of themselves and giving themselves permission to try to find love again.
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Also the narrator, Will Watt , perfection . I didn't even notice that it was the same person, his handling of accents and the character he put into each voice was incredible. I audio/read this book and I imagine that physically I would spend it highlighting phrases until the end but the memory that stays with you when you hear a character say “To gather up the dust of my heart and scatter it again on the winds of hope.”, I mean…is the first it cames to my mind but so many good ones that would stay with Will Watt voice in my head and thinking of this beautiful characters breaking and falling in love
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Thanks to Alexis Hall and Dreamscape Media for give a copy of this beautiful audiobook in exchange of my honest and voluntary opinion

I loved the first novella even more this time, it's beautiful, lyrical and precious as its protagonist Edwin, lonely and heartbroken after breakup with a long time partner. And I was glad that Edwin got another chance of being loved and treasured with a sweet and caring man.

The second novella is focused on Edwin's ex. Though I loved the setting, the way Marius sees the light in the surroundings, he is quite a dick, and I may understand his reasoning for his behavior, yet I couldn't warm up to him. I doubt that he deserved Leo, this strong, kind and quiet man, but I absolutely adored Marius's family, especially his mother, and I'm partial to his Polish roots (borscht, matka, pierogi, ponczek - not sure about the spelling, though). And here I got to meet with Edwin again, very happy about it!

But the best thing about this audiobook is Will Watt's narration. I just looove his voice, intonations, accent, the portraying of different characters. It's soothing, it speaks to my heart, it's pure therapy, sheer pleasure, and perfect self time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC in exchange of an honest opinion.

This is a rerelease of Waiting For The Flood with additional material: WFTF and Chasing The Light. 
In WFTF, Edwin Tully lives alone in the house he used to share with Marius, his partner of 12 years, who left him. He lives a quiet life, tending to damaged books and his crotchety neighbor. When a flood comes, it brings Adam Acre, a civil engineer who's in charge of avoiding major damage to the area. They connect over tea, sandbags and "wellies". The prose in this one is quite lyrical and a bit different in tone from more recents works by Hall. Chasing The Light is the added, longer novella that shows what happened to Marius. We find him on Christmas Eve when he flees his parents's house after seeing Edwin (and Adam) at their Christmas dinner. A dinner he wasn't expected to attend. When walking about, he slips on ice, sprains his ankle and lets his phone slip into the river and doesn't know how he'll get out of this pickle. He's rescued by Leo, a man-bun wearing bearded man who lives on a boat. The attraction is instant, Leo is lovely, but Marius is lashing out like a wounded animal - one that Leo has no problem tending to. The style of this one is more in the vein of Hall's more recent works and it's great to see the two sides of a love story that's over and how these two people find new love in their lives. A very interesting take.
Narration: Will Watt is quickly becoming the voice of Alexis Hall and I'm very good with that. He's particularly amazing in this one, going from stuttering Edwin to Adam's gentle voice and from Marius's sarcastic tone to Leo's calm and kid of sad demeanor. Amazing work!
Thank you, NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Dreamscape Media for allowing me early access.

AUDIO REVIEW - 5*

I enjoyed reading the ebook ARC, but really loved the audio version. It also included additional chapters and an epilogue not in the ebook.

This is the first book narrated by Will Watt that I’ve listened to and I thought his overall narrative and individual character voices perfectly matched the personalities and feel of the two stories. Much emotion is portrayed throughout and really helped to draw me into the storylines.

EBOOK/STORY REVIEW

I haven’t read the first edition of this book, so I have nothing to compare. This new version contains two novellas: Waiting for the Flood and Chasing the Light. The first is told from Edwin’s POV and the second, Marius’s POV, and is a new story.

Edwin and Marius were a couple until a few years ago, but neither of them have ever really moved on since their split. In fact, Edwin still lives in the house they shared, along with his memories.

These are the stories where they possibly meet their forever person, but they also get a chance to finally say goodbye and make amends.

Waiting for the Flood is Edwin and Adam’s story. It’s a sweet, gentle romance, but I was left wanting more.

I enjoyed Chasing the Light. We gain a glimpse into Marius’s life and rather selfish character, his reaction to his break up with Edwin, and his beginnings with Leo on a canal boat.

Both characters seem to have met a partner who is perfect for them. So all is good.

The two stories offer a heartfelt romance; the chance of falling in love again, moving on, and making peace with the past. There’s some subtle humour and parts that made me smile. The characters are real and thus imperfect.

I’m glad we received Marius’s POV - it seemed to balance out Edwin’s POV of what happened.

I like the almost lyrical writing style and the feelings the story created. It is beautifully written and wonderfully British.

This is an absolutely gorgeous audiobook. The audiobook includes the updated and expanded edition of Alexis Hall's Waiting for the Flood and a new novella Chasing the Light with bonus materials. Will Watt does a magnificent job creating distinctive voices for each of the main characters: Edwin Tully & Adam Dacre in Flood and Marius Chankseliani and Leo Dance in Light. His performance is absolutely wonderful and infuses each character with warmth, quietness, humor, and snark (hello Marius). An instant favorite! I listened to the ALC 3x.

I like the writings of Alexis Hall, especially the Spires Series, I’ve read “For Real” (excellent), “Pansies” (excellent). Highly recommend. “Waiting for the Flood” felt different, like it was set just after WW2, maybe it was that camaraderie of all fighting off the effects of the flood. But also because of the two MC, especially Edwin, he sounded so old fashioned in his mannerisms and thinking. I thought he was much older that his 31 years. Then when he mentioned David Cameron was coming to visit the flooded area the penny dropped as to the actual timeline of the story. Plus the line dancing song. So it must be in the early 2000’s. “Waiting for the Flood” is quite a short read, completely angst free, just a gentle story set in a quiet little town at a time of local crisis.

This is a grittier, darker version of the Alexis Hall stories I adore. It's very well written but I do find the characters rather unlikeable, I was hoping for something a bit more redeeming before the happy ending, so it fell a little flat for me.

This rereleased edition of Waiting for the Flood includes the novellas Waiting for the Flood and Chasing the Light, as well as “Aftermath,” a short story epilogue. The compilation itself encompasses what happens after the dissolution of a relationship and how past relationships bleed into the beginnings of new ones.

I do so adore Alexis Hall’s writing. It truly is lovely how they craft stories and characters. If you are more familiar with the London Calling or Material World books, expect things to be a bit heavier here. There are some comedic quips and moments in Waiting for the Flood but not as much levity as in some of their newer works. This book made me think and put me in my feels.

Waiting for the Flood, the novella, is Edwin’s side of the story. Four years after Marius broke up with him, he’s still in the home they bought together, living with the ghosts of their relationship. He’s earnest and loving and lonely. And, well, there’s a flood coming, for which he is not entirely prepared. And then a giant of a ginger comes into his life. Adam is one of the engineers tasked with mitigating damage from the flood. He’s there with sandbags and pumps and wellies. And he keeps turning up in Edwin’s periphery and at his front door. As it turns out, he may be exactly what Edwin needs.

Chasing the Light is Marius’s side of the story. Marius was never entirely honest with Edwin, so when he spies his former, longtime partner along with the new boyfriend, Adam, at his parents’ home at Christmas, Marius retreats, and, well, he isn’t entirely paying attention to where he is going. Or to where he is stepping. And he manages to sprain his ankle in the dark alongside the river. And to lose his phone. And that’s not entirely how he intended to spend his Christmas Eve.

But, as luck would have it, a gentle lion of a man emerges from a narrow boat docked alongside the path. And this man, Leo, takes Marius into his home and takes care of him. Both have things from their pasts that they are not proud of, but they find acceptance in each other.

“Aftermath” is a candid glimpse into both couples’ lives months later. It’s a nice affirmation that things will be okay.

Will Watt’s narration is fantastic, and he captures the personalities of Edwin, Adam, Marius, and Leo so well. I especially enjoyed his portrayal of Marius’s parents.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Dreamscape Media and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

This audiobook is truly special. It's a story narrated by a man with a stutter, who has to think carefully about every word. Being able to hear his narration, in the stutter-free voice in his head, is a remarkable and beautiful experience.

*An audio ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Clearly one of Hall’s earlier works- you can see the threads of her unpolished brilliance coming together- but I enjoyed it all the same.

I wouldn't recommend starting your Alexis Hall addiction with this title because I don't think it was Hall's best (see A Lady for a Duke) but I would definitely add this to your list if you know Hall's books make you giggly and weepy all at once and need that in your life.

Normally I always say Alexis Hall can do no wrong but this book just wasn't for me. I really wanted to like this book but i just couldn't do it. I finished this book but I had to push through. I found this slow and boring and I just didn't like it.

The Spires series was actually the series that got me into MM and then the wider 2SLGBTQ+ book community of readers and writers and I am forever grateful to Alexis Hall and these stories.

Waiting for the Flood
This is a short story following sweet Edwin who recently went through a rough breakup with his boyfriend of ten years, Marius, and is trying to find his way back to himself. Alexis Hall portrays Edwin with beautiful intention given to every word, because Edwin is a book conservationist who also has a speech impediment which affects his ability and willingness to speak and connect with others. The story has so much love and positivity and I remember loving it when I first read it a few years ago and I loved it just as much now.

Chasing the light
This is a new novella that was released alongside the new paperback edition (featured here!) I was so excited to get to read Marius’ story, and as always Alexis Hall did not disappoint. What I wasn’t expecting was the heartfelt emotional tenor of the story. It follows Marius after he takes a bad fall on the Thames river and is cared for by Leo - a patient, sweet man who cracks Marius’ already broken shell and gives him the chance at his own happiness. TW for an ED and description of a sprained ankle.

Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall is the second book in the Spires series, and this rerelease includes exclusive bonus material—such as the novella Chasing the Light.

I'll read just about anything Alexis Hall writes, and I'm loving the opportunity to get a closer look at his earlier works through the rerelease of this series. Both of these stories deal with heartbreak and grief (over relationships, over lost time, over sickness) and I really enjoyed the way that Hall explored that theme in different ways as each protagonist processed what they had been through and began to hope for a different future with a new partner.

It was especially fun to see the couple from the first novella appear in the second and know that they were happy and doing well.

I'm looking forward to more from this series!

This republication of Waiting for the Flood is really a combo of two novellas and a short story - Waiting for the Flood, Chasing the Light, and Aftermath (as well as some other bonus content). Edwin and Marius dated for 10 years and have broken up and we get to see both of their "happily ever afters" with different people. I've never read two sort of competing novellas like this but I'm really glad that we got both stories and then the short story at the end that gives both characters closure.

As with much of Alexis Hall's contemporaries, these novellas are deeply emotional and incredibly complicated. I have to be in a certain mood for them but when I am, boy do they hit me in the feels! And as much as these are emotional, they also include a soft humor that just feels like Alexis' humor.

I perhaps didn't feel quite as connected to the characters but I think that's likely down to the fact that these are novellas so you spend less time with the characters. And because they're novellas, they are both relatively insta-lusty.

Will Watt's narration as always was fantastic - he's quickly becoming one of my favorite male narrators! The voices for each character were distinct and added so much to my reading experience.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Its absolutely no surprise to me that I really enjoyed this updated version of Waiting for the Flood, which is comprised of two novellas ( Waiting for the flood and Chasing the Light) as well as some bonus material and Aftermath, a short bridge novella between the two.

I have read MANY of Alexis Halls books, as a favorite author of mine, and i've really come to love AH's audiobooks. Alexis has a way of writing that is fast paced, quirky, emotion filled, and full of character. Without fail i've been impressed with the narrators chosen to perform these books, and this one is no exception!

The performance was done with multiple accents, cadences, and a real feel for WHO the character being performed is! I was transported to watery winter days and I absolutely LOVED it! highly recommend the audio and im so thankful to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to enjoy this ALC!

This is my first audiobook I have listened to from this author and I am pleasantly surprised by this. Also, I feel like I am in an audiobook heartbreak. Edwin one of our main characters is living in his UK home that him and his lifelong partner shared, until Adam left him. Edwin a bit of an introvert doesn't want to live adventurously. like Adam does. I feel like I am Adam, a bit introverted myself, but due to the Pandemic I don't want to venture out. Anyways, Edwin realizes from his past relationships he's not truly living and takes the steps to live outside the box. Where it takes him to Adam's front door. I am glad I took a chance on the author and audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this audiobook arc in exchange for my honest review.

There is just something about the way Alexis Hall writes first person POV that, combined with a good narrator, is like poetry to the ears.

This re-released version includes two stories--the original Waiting for the Flood and then another novella, Chasing the Light.

Waiting for the Flood
Edwin and Adam are so precious, so soft, so gentle, and their story is just as good. They're like two balls of sunshine and I adore them both. I was not expecting it to end where it did but it was absolutely perfect.

Chasing the Light
Marius is Edwin's ex. He is prickly, difficult, and sometimes downright rude. He is also the complete opposite of Leo, who is kind, tender, and patient. Both of them sharing a narrowboat together at Christmastime gets a little... steamy.

Hall's prose is truly beautiful and lyrical, and I could listen to it time and time again and never get tired of it. And definitely do not miss reading or listening to "Aftermath" at the end. It wraps everything up beautifully, and if you don't end the book going, "squee!" I don't know what to tell you.

I like the idea of this more than I actually liked it, I think. We have a couple who have broken up after 10 years (Edwin and Marius). We have two novellas, one the story of Edwin and Adam, and the other the story of Marius and Leo. Even as each of them is moving on, however, Marius remains a ghostly third party in Edwin and Adam's dawning relationship, and Edwin remains a ghostly third party in Marius and Leo's. And finally we have a short story of Edwin and Marius coming to a sort of peace and understanding.

It's Alexis Hall, so it's complicated. Edwin and Adam's story is sweet and gentle and inevitable, but tinged with sadness. Marius and Leo's story is rough and heavily sex-focused and bitter, tinged with regret.

I loved Edwin and Adam's story. They're easier to love. Edwin is sweet and nice and honestly a little too good. Adam is adorable and kind. Their story rises like the floodwaters around them, slow but inevitable, washing away past hurt in lazy waves of flood preparation, etymology, and game theory.

I didn't realize it was a novella, however, so I was thrown when suddenly it switched to Marius and Leo's story. Leo is kind of bitter about his past but he's making his peace with it. Marius is abrasive and mean (to himself and those around him) and really really hard to like. He keeps shoving away all intimacy but the physical in his self-loathing and I have no idea how Leo found the patience to put up with him. I did come to understand him somewhat, and I appreciated seeing that Leo was able to wrangle him only somewhat-unwillingly into a sense of peace as well by the end.

Overall I appreciated this book but I didn't feel as connected to it or the characters as I do with most of Alexis Hall's work. I think part of that is the novella format, which often doesn't work very well for me. I need more time for characters to grow on me, especially the difficult ones.

The audiobook was excellent. The narrator used easily differentiable voices and accents for each of the characters and really brought them and their personalities to life. I really enjoyed experiencing the story in audio format.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing an early copy for review.

This book is practically two books in one, focusing on a pair of ex boyfriends and their journeys. Divided into two main parts and an ending, one main part for each of the ex boyfriends, this is a somewhat uniquely structured book. Both of these men deal with mental and/or physical hurdles to building relationships and living life. I LOVE that the main characters aren't picture perfect. However many of the characters came across as annoying to me. That being said, the reader of this book did a fantastic job.