Alexis Hall's distinct style is apparent in this book. The writing is gently funny and emotional in this low-stakes cozy read. I enjoyed this book, for the most part, and found it to be a pleasant listen. It was easy for me to like Edwin's part of the story, but I had a really hard time liking Marius.

I found him so troubling and abrasive that it made it really hard for me to see the characters around him as "real" people. What stranger wouldn't see Marius's behavior as a red flag? Who on day three of knowing someone would fight for them to stay when they clearly and repeatedly say they don't want to? It just required too much suspension of disbelief for me for a realistic contemporary novel, and made Leo fall flat.

Overall, I did like the book and will offer it as a suggestion for a cozy m/m romance, but it isn't going on my list of personal favorites.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you book gods (NetGalley, Dreamscape and Sourcebook Casablanca) for giving us Alexis Hall's genius work.
Waiting for the Flood is a short story set in a rainy Oxford about to get flooded. Edwin lives alone in his dream house he bought with his ex, the one he thought was the love of his life.
Adam is an engineer working the prevent the flood, he is also a redhead and that was such a nice bonus for me!
The premises are really peculiar and just for that I applause the author.
Like always Alexix's writing doesn´t disappoint. In all his books, and in this one too, I found myself laughing so much it hurts. The love stories are always super sweet and never boring. His sense of humor helps to convey everyday life struggles and I want to live in his world. His characters are everyday people, not too polished and not too perfect and that it´s the real gem of this book. I loved it!

Chasing for the Light is the bonus novella inside Waiting for the Flood and even if I was skeptical about reading a story about the one who broke my little Edwin I actually ended up loving Marius and Leo´s story.
Leo is such a sweet man, with his past giving him some perspective he is able to help a lost Marius in more ways than one.

The thing about this is that Alexi´s basically gifted us two books in one and they are both so good that he should be ashamed of himself. I cannot even write a review without the help of Grammarly and he dares to do this????? I´m shocked.


Also, the fact that the audiobook is narrated by Will Watt definitely makes this story even better. He is such a talented voice actor, his tones, the accent, the comedic times.... PERFECTION!

I’m so glad this new edition joins both Waiting for the flood and Chasing the light, because these stories are kind of one.

I’ve read romance novels before that start with a break up, the MC finding a new love during the book. But I’ve never read anything quite like this.
Two people breaking up a long term relationship. Sometimes you just grow apart, it just doesn’t work out, no matter how much you want it to. No one is the villain, but there is still pain and grief and loss.
I think it’s so cleverly done, that this book includes both stories, because none of the two were “responsible” that the relationship didn’t work out. None of them is “the bad one”. It just didn’t work and now there are new paths to find.

Waiting for the Flood tells the story of Edwin, who’s still alone two years after the breakup, lonely and believing he’s not capable to love again.
But then he meets Adam, the nice civil engineer who helps him while his house is suffering a flood.
This story was so melancholic and beautifully written, my heart ached. It’s so hard to let yourself open up again after a decade sharing your life with someone. I would have loved to read even more!

Chasing the Light tells Marius story, full of self hatred and unspoken secrets.
I don’t know how he and Edwin ever were a couple, because while Edwin is soft and sweet Marius is the exact opposite and often quite mean.
When he slip and fell on an ice patch and needed to be rescued by a stranger living on a boat I rejoiced because he kinda deserved it.
This story was filled with much more passion and steam, Marius being completely closed off from his feelings.
But in the end he finally thawed and opened up as well.

I love that the audio also includes the “Aftermath” story, because I think it again adds so much more closure to the story, same as it did in Glitterland.
The two MCs meeting again, showing how their lives progressed apart from each other, while still staying in each others lives, just not as a couple.

What a cute read!! I read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down! I loved the characters, the story, the narrator.. everything! I highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Alexis Hall has such a distinct writing style and characterization, and this book was no exception. I didn’t get as attached to these characters as I have to previous Hall characters, but I still found this to be an engaging romance.

Vibes: RAINY DAYYYYS, indoor guy/outdoor guy, recovering from a breakup, redemption of the douchey ex

Heat Index: 3/10

This audiobook is actually a bind-up of two novellas. In Waiting for the Flood, we focus on Edwin, who's dealing with the dissolution of his decade-long relationship by being a shut-in (in the house he bought with his ex, Marius) and restoring old books. When the flood of the century begins to hit his neighborhood, he meets the gentle, charismatic, and undeniably hunky Environmental Agency employee Adam. The question is, can he open his heart to a new risk?

The second, Chasing the Light, brings Marius into focus--he's basically lost himself and is trapped in apathy both personally and artistically. Until, that is, Leo comes into his life... and they end up truly stuck together (forced proximity fans, this one's for you).

I love Alexis Hall, everyone who knows me knows this, and while these novellas aren't Glitterland level excellent (I mean... it's hard to follow that book) they're gently funny and emotional in a way that, as per Alexis, feels so real. And frankly, I love the concept of reading these novellas in sequence. Because like. When two people get together as young as Edwin and Marius did and stay together for TEN YEARS, the breakup is very rarely this truly one-sided thing.

To me, Edwin's side of the story, which I did love, makes it easy for people to classify Marius as this villain. As they would! While Edwin never makes Marius sound horrible, this is the ex that he's spent literal years moping over. Seeing Marius's perspective really humanizes him, and like--sometimes, the person who broke up with you deserves love, too.

Quick Takes:

--These are very easy, mellow reads, and I LOVE SO MUCH THAT THEY'RE LITERALLY CENTERED AROUND A FLOOD. Look: floods bad in real life. But rainy days? So good. And this is a perfect rainy day read (or listen). And I finished it on a very rainy day! I win! Alexis describes the weather in conjunction to the general mood of the story so well. I love his prose. I love love love it. You know this.

--Again, I find it really cool that Alexis added this novella about Marius that doesn't take away from the bad place he's in (a lot of the deterioration of his relationship with Edwin clearly had to do with his own deadness to the world and general issues) but also humanizes him. He's prickly. He's not an easy guy to like immediately, the way Edwin is, while very sad, and easy cuddly sad boi to feel for. But... I liked 'im. I liked his love story.

--Because these are novellas, those love stories are quick, reliant on you buying into immediate chemistry, and sort of set up the romances versus telling the whole story. However, I totally believed that we were basically being introduced to people finding their soulmates. It worked for me. Novellas can be tough, but these sold the relationships.

--As much as Edwin is Baby, I also appreciate that like... The story called out him moping a lot. It called out the fact that sometimes relationships just END. Sometimes, people, or one person, falls out of love. You can't do anything about it. Eventually, you must break up.

That doesn't make it any less painful, especially when a relationship is as long as Edwin's and Marius's. But acknowledging that reality made it a lot more impactful to me.

--I'm focusing a lot more on Marius and Edwin because the novellas are from their perspectives. But Adam and Leo were also very charming--I mean, especially Adam. He was a like, competently hot and sweet and ooooooh I was into it.

I really enjoyed these funny, sweet, snarky novellas. They aren't my favorite things Alexis has ever written, but they are very comfy and snuggly and rainy day perfect.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a wonderfully gentle and lovely novella. This was my first time reading this updated edition, but my fourth read overall. I first read it during election night in 2020, when I needed comfort and companionship, and it was perfect for that task.

I find this a little tricky to review, because it now has so many parts, and the new bonus novella, Chasing the Light, does have its own entry on Goodreads. But I think it makes sense to review the whole kit and caboodle here, as it all comes as one package.

I adore Will Watt's audio narration, so I was thrilled to listen to him narrate this. He did a fantastic job, though there were a few occasions in Waiting for the Flood when I couldn't tell which MC was speaking while they were having a conversation because they did sound somewhat similar.

This is a book with a good deal of ambling conversation, it feels very authentic but occasionally struck sort of an odd note for me. On the one hand, it does add to the cozy nature of the book and give us insight into the characters, on the other hand, for such a short book, there's rather a lot of it. And while I found all the stuff about book binding and etymology captivating, I admit I was a bit lost during some of the game theory bits. Some of the jokes were also lost on me. But, actually, that did make me feel more like it was a real conversation I was just listening in on.

I adore both MCs in Waiting for the Flood. There's only one featured side character, but I loved her as well. It's just a really soothing book. One of my top comfort read recommendations.

Bonus recipes!! I'm such a sucker for recipes, and these are written in the voice of the characters, so they are great fun. My favorite kind of bonus material.

The second, new novella is Chasing the Light. Again, the narration was wonderfully done for this portion. Marius, the MC, is Edwin's ex. We hear a good deal about him in Waiting for the Flood, so I was interested to get to know him better. I think he's changed a good deal in the four years since he and Edwin broke up. In WFTF, it seemed like Edwin and Marius were two people who had drifted apart. I didn't get the sense that Marius was cruel or especially closed off. But the Marius we meet in Chasing the Light is practically wrapped in barbed wire. He hurts himself and the people around him, including Edwin. He is not a likeable character, but I did find him a relatable one. I know what it's like for discomfort to turn to prickliness, especially around family. I certainly don't think I'm as much of an asshole as Marius is, but I did understand many of his reactions. He's going through something that feels life shattering, and hates himself for the way he's handling it, and hates anyone who tries to offer him what he feels he doesn't deserve, what he tells himself he doesn't want. He's an interesting, infuriating character. I don't know if he's purposefully written as being neurodivergent, but there were definitely times his feelings about things reminded me of my own.

Chasing the Light is higher heat than Waiting for the Flood, as is Aftermath, the short bonus at the very end that mostly features Edwin and Adam. Chasing the Light also has a lot of those intricate details about a subject, as WFTF did with book binding and game theory, this time about living on a boat. And pierogi :) Again, I felt it gave the story a cozy aspect that I really enjoyed. Though Chasing the Light is certainly less soothing than WFTF, because Marius is who he is, I'd still classify it as comforting. I laughed a good deal during Chasing the Light and Aftermath.

I think my one slight disappointment with both novellas is that I wanted Leo and Adam, the love interests of the MCs whose POV we get, to be a bit less... perfect? I mean I love that both Edwin and Marius get these wonderful people to care for them. And I loved what we got of their characters. But I wanted them to have a few more flaws. And I actually loved that Aftermath shows us Marius is still very much Marius.

It is also worth noting that Marius has what I would classify as an eating disorder. I'm guessing this is listed in the CWs but I don't think my audio ARC had them.

Again, in Aftermath, there is some conversation that seems sort of unnecessary? There's another chunk of game theory math stuff (expecting my invite to Mensa anytime) that only bothered me because it went on for so long and it's such a short story. And then there's a big section about Edwin's family that felt oddly out of place? I think for me it just didn't offer a lot that I didn't get in WFTF. I didn't dislike it, I just found it odd to devote so much space to both of these conversations when it's such a short story.

All in all, I very much enjoyed this whole package. Will Watt did an excellent job with the narration. I would absolutely recommend it.

I had read two of Hall's previous books so the spiciness in this one was a bit of a surprise and the Boyfriend/Husband books were much more 'behind doors'. The hysterical, too-forward, mother character was v. familiar and funny as ever. I wasn't expecting to hear two sides of the story and ultimately enjoyed both though I was glad to go back and spend more time with Edwin and Adam at the end. I really liked all the etymological references. Would read again just to lap those up.

Book 2 of the Spires Universe series- not related to book one (though related to book 2.5)
1 star

This is a very short novella. You have Edwin who is pretty fresh off a breakup (a relationship that lasted 10 years) and his home is in a flood zone. He meets Adam, who is an engineer out helping prepare the area. Edwin has a stutter- paired with the recent breakup, he has a lot of insecurities. Adam doesn't seem to notice or care about the stutter. Edwin slowly realizes that he may be relationship material after all.

I am glad this was so short- otherwise, I'd have likely DNFed it. Edwin's ex dominates the story. It is already a novella, meaning not time to establish the relationship between Edwin and Adam. Yet we spend 2/3 of the book thinking about Marius, the ex.

Will Watt narrates the audiobook and does a great job.


********

Book 2.5 of the Spires Universe series. It is connected to book 2
3 stars

When Marius shows up at his parents' house on Christmas Eve, he finds his ex and his new boyfriend there. He makes an excuse and gets out of there. He broke Edwin's heart and still feels guilty about it. While walking near the river, he slips and sprains his ankle. To make matters worse, in his fall, he drops his phone and it falls into the river. Suddenly, a man appears to help him. Leo takes Marius to his boat to administer first aid and allow him to rest. Marius is in a weird place- since he broke up with Edwin a few years ago, he has lacked purpose. He couch surfs and no longer creates art. He is just existing. Leo is fresh out of prison for insider trading and trying to break away from his billionaire family. In their forced proximity, both men share things they've really never told anyone before.

After reading book 2, I hated Marius. I almost passed on reading it (especially because I didn't like book 2). But I am glad I did. While still short, I feel the characters and their relationship (though very new) are better developed than Edwin and Adam's relationship was. Both Marius and Leo have issues, but they seem to help each other with them. Marius is far more likeable once you learn more about him. Still can be a jerk, but he has some reasons.

Will Watt narrates the audiobook and does a great job.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a perfect Alexis Hall book. I especially loved the addition of the ex's romance. Some how this certified jerk took my heart. 100% recommend.

3.5

This updated version of Waiting for the Flood also includes Chasing the Light, a novella following Marius, Edwin’s ex, which I don’t think existed in the original version of this story. To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about it. I liked that the inclusion of Marius’s story made the book feel more complete, but I think the two storylines could have been brought together a bit more cohesively. As it stands, it reads almost like two connected novellas with an epilogue, and I’m not sure it worked for me. I enjoyed the listening experience, but my favorite part was the end where Edwin and Marius were able to get some closure.

I appreciate what Hall is doing here, but I didn’t enjoy this as much as Glitterland, though Will Watt’s narration was excellent.

Thank you @dreamscape_media @netgalley for a copy of the audiobook. Will Watt always does a great job with narrating and I love how he brings the characters all to life. The story is told in 3 parts and almost 3 separate novella which I wasn't expecting. I enjoyed Edwin and Adam's story and how caring Adam was. I liked that the second story gives us Marius' back story and him finding his love. The third installment is both their HEA.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This second installment of the series brought more emotional depth and vulnerability that the first book was missing in my opinion compared to the author’s more recent work. More enjoyable story and relatable characters as a result.

These two novellas are a part of the Spires series. The books in the series are in the same universe but they’re total standalones.

WFTF is a story of Edwin and Adam. Edwin was dumped a couple of years ago after a decade long relationship, and he’s not having the best time dealing with it, basically thinking he’s unlovable. Until he meets Adam, a Civil Engineer who is the most special person in the world (can you guess I loved Adam?) The story is quite short, to the point that I was surprised when it ended, even though it had a definite conclusion. Everything literally happens in a matter of days — a tiny slice of an ordinary life. And by “everything” I mean a mild non-life-threatening flood. But it’s written with a sort of quiet beauty that makes you smile at every page. I’ve learned enough about Edwin and Adam to fall in love with them completely and helplessly. Also, I’ve never seen a personal struggle of a hero — a stutter in this case — written into the story in such a caring and imaginative way.

CTL is the story of the guy who did the dumping mentioned in WFTF. He is lost, angry and generally has a personality of a wounded dog: he lashes out at everyone who tries to help, including himself. He lost his art, which is a scary thing to happen to an artist. I don’t have a problem with a wounded hero. I have a problem when said hero dumps all his shit on an angel of a person who just wants to love him. I wanted way more grovelling from Marius, but I still enjoyed this raw and beautiful story.

Oh and what a delight to listen to Will Watt bring Edwin, Adam, Marius and Leo to life in his comforting melodic style! Perfection as usual, made me smile all over again, even through tears sometimes 🫠 I'd give it 6 stars if I could. His talent is undeniable, and I will gladly listen to anything he narrates!

Additionally, the audio version contained an hour of bonus material that was somehow missing from my eARC. It had a wonderful epilogue scene with Edwin and Adam that I believe belongs in the main story.

Rating WFTF:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️ (fade to black but quite hot)
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

CTL:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
❤️❤️❤️❤️

Alexis Hall is an author I fully plan to eventually read all of the backlist for, and as the Spirals books are being rereleased, I was able to get my hands on the new audiobook, yay! I really enjoyed Glitterland and it was a nice intro to AH's more dramatic works. This one also is a little more serious than what I think new AH readers will be expecting if they're coming from Boyfriend Material or Something Fabulous. Note that you don't have to read Glitterland in order to read Waiting for the Flood. Each book follows a different couple, so you're not missing any important info.

I kind of have mixed feelings about this book! I really liked Ash and Darian and I didn't know this would follow a different couple, so I started off a bit different disappointed, but as always, AH has such an incredible talent in storytelling and inevitably I fell in love with these characters as well. The story follows both Edwin and Marius and their journey through their breakup, as well as the new men in their lives. It's a bit melancholic, I think. Pretty emotionally driven (which I love) and plenty of family bonding and intimacy, which I also love, but the characters and their choices didn't particularly stick with me in this one. The book is split into parts and we bond with Edwin and Darius as they form new relationships, so it felt a little bit odd to have two love stories going on while knowing that one of each couple used to be a couple themselves and reminisce over that. But classic to AH, we go in knowing this is going to hit heavy on the emotional points, and it does. So there's plenty of drama and emotion-driven thoughts, feelings and actions.

One thing I always say about AH that I love is that his books have a lot of emotional maturity in them (not saying the characters ae emotionally mature, per se, but that the story is written in a way that allows growth and understanding, and it's so ridiculously beautiful!)! He really understands the consequences of struggling with mental illness and how it affects not just us, but the people around us. It's part of why I love his books and why they feel so special to me.

I absolutely loved the audio narrator, and he did such a phenomenal job at hitting the emotional points with feeling and emotion. Alexis Hall has a way with words, and the writing in this book is so beautiful and emotional, as always, but hands down to Will Watt as well for excellently portraying these characters!

Overall, I want to say it took me awhile to bond with this story since I was confused and didn't quite understand what was going on or the point of writing these characters interconnected in this way, but I did end up enjoying it, and overall I think the story is hard-hitting and emotional. I always love AH's characters, and it's not different in this one. Edwin is absolutely the most darling and deserving of the world, and I'm so happy he found happiness. As for Marius, it took me awhile to connect with him, but ... just the characters are always so beautiful and special. Again, the story took me awhile to appreciate, but I think this is one of those books that I'll come back and give a higher rating to after a few days of thinking about it.

I didn't love this one purely due to the story, but as a character-driven reader, the characters were darling and sympathetic, as well as the beautiful writing, still keeps AH in the audio-read category for me!

I love Alexis hall so I jumped at the chance to read an arc of this! And it was so so cute and charming. I loved the narrator and how he spoke for all the different characters. It was such a quick and fun read!!

4.5 stars!!

An utter and complete joy. The words, plus Will Watt’s narration, are magic. I’ve read “Waiting” many, many times and read an arc of “Chasing,” and this alc added a whole other layer to this tender, gentle, nuanced story. It’s one of the best I’ve ever listened to.

Let me preface by saying that the blurb did not make clear that this was 2 novellas, which made things a bit confusing when Edwin's story was wrapping up so early on. I think it would have been helpful to have that info included.

That said, I enjoyed listening to these a lot! Personally, I was drawn in to Edwin's story more than that of Marius, because I found him more relatable on a deeper emotional level.

Edwin is soft-spoken, struggles with a speech impediment, and has been deeply wounded by Marius leaving him years ago. When flood waters rise, enter Adam: tall, ginger-haired, lumberjack type who is instantly taken with Edwin.

In the second half, we are able to delve deeper into the reasoning behind Marius' prickly exterior, and why he choose to leave Edwin, seemingly without cause, years ago. As much as I wanted to dislike him initially, it was easy to empathize with his situation.

I really enjoyed connecting with these flawed characters and their respective love interests. The stories are very emotionally-driven, which is something that I enjoy. The side characters (looking at you, Mrs. P, boat neighbor, and Edwin's mum) were a much needed dose of comic relief.

Special shout-out to Will Watt as narrator, I think he is exceptional! I have listened to many of the books that he has narrated, and each one has been incredibly well done.

Overall, these were a really enjoyable and engaging listen for me.

I very much enjoyed the first version of WftF, narrated by Alexander Doddy. This one differs in two important ways: it adds Marius's post-Edwin story, and it's narrated by Will Watt. Will Watt narrated -- performed, really -- 10 Things That Never Happened; he was wonderful, and I'm pleased to say that he's wonderful in this as well. As a USian, I can't judge how accurately he renders regional accents, but to my ear he's terrific. Each character voice is distinct, and Adam calling Edwin "petal" is outright swoony.

Having read that first version of Waiting for the Flood, you might think there's no way you could ever feel sympathy for Marius. Prepare to have that expectation undermined: Marius's reasons for leaving Edwin and for his generally obnoxious, not to say unkind, behavior broke my heart. If I jam my critic hat down hard I will admit that it's hard to see why someone who grew up in such a loving (if often overbearing) family would be chock-full of self-loathing; but perhaps this comes back to the devastating knowledge that has undone him in many ways. No spoilers: you have to read or listen. I'll just say that I actually cried out in distress when Marius told Leo the truth.

The last section of this new Waiting for the Flood returns to Edwin's POV, in which he's (of course!) happy with Adam and, if not quite friends with Marius, at least in a condition of more-than-truce. Unlike most epilogues, this one adds value, with Edwin's perspective on Marius as he is "now," and also in seeing how different Marius's barbs feel once he's let go of the self-protective wish to hurt everyone who comes near.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC, and I hope Will Watt narrates more m/m romance: he's already a favorite of mine.

This is a review for the audiobook, which contains two intersecting love stories: Waiting for the Flood and Chasing the Light.

I quite liked Waiting for the Flood with soft, bookish, sadsack Edwin and affable civil engineer Adam. Very sweet, kind of a cup of hot chocolate of a love story. I was a little less enamored with Marius (I know he's mean because he's hurting, but also- he is mean) and Leo, who for some reason put up with Marius.

Both good reads if you like a hopeful romance with charming, funny dialogue.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape for access to the audiobook. Will Watt was the reader, and I quite enjoyed his reading. Never over the top but with lots of personality.