I normally enjoy books by this author but I struggled with this one. I actually started in earlier this year but had to put it down because I couldn't get into it. I picked it up again this week, and I did finish but didn't love it.

The writing at the beginning was kind of strange, and it took me a long time to get into the rhythm of the book. I was a bit surprised, because Alexis is an amazing writer! Once I got past the first few chapters, I really enjoyed the writing style.

Edwin is still not over his ex when he meets Adam, He's basically mentioning the ex (Marius) every other paragraph. Yet...it's instant love with Adam.

And I'm not a fan of insta love. I never really felt true chemistry between them, so I had a hard time believing it moved so quickly.

Waiting for the Flood actually has two stories: Waiting for the Flood, Edwin's story; and Chasing the Light, Marius' story (Edwin's ex).

I enjoyed both stories, they had a lot of sweet or heartfelt moments. I just didn't particularly like either Edwin or (especially) Marius. Everything moved very quickly as well, so no chance to really get invested

Overall, pleasant, but it didn't really stand out for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC! I've been wanting to get into Alexis Hall's writing for some time, and while this wasn't a pure hit for me I enjoyed the humor and the two characters. I'd love to read more by this author in the future. This was a nice, M/M romance!

Relationships are never easy and when you're the one left behind, as Edwin is, things can be challenging. This novel focuses on the timely topic of flooding in areas near rivers, a real-life scenario that we've seen in real life too many times. The upside of the flooding is that Edwin meets a wonderful man during the crisis. The only question is, can he open himself up to the possibility of a new relationship?

I loved this so much I went back and read all the other Spires books! Cannot get enough sad British boys right now!

A truly special pair of novellas. Alexis Hall is a master of the genre and it shows in both books. The characters are fully flawed and fully beautiful in their flaws. I devoured these as I do all of Hall's books!

Waiting For The Flood is a wash of emotions. It’s sweet, it’s sad, it’s poignant, it’s sexy, it’s even funny sometimes, because this is Alexis Hall.

We meet Edwin and Marius at a crossroads in their lives. They have just ended a ten-year relationship, which makes it uplifting yet sad to watch them find love without each other. Waiting For The Flood is about Edwin’s healing journey. But we also briefly get to see Marius’ as well.

I love the way Alexis Hall writes. His characters are so deep and nuanced. They’re never the same, always made up of believable strengths and weaknesses. Edwin is a serious character struggling to find himself outside of a ten-year relationship. He’s strong and tragic all at once.

While Edwin is waiting for the flood to sweep away his house full of memories it sweeps Adam into his life. Adam’s the quintessential British saviour. He’s not Superman, but he’s a civil response engineer and he’s pretty handy with a sandbag and drinking tea.

Hall’s writing is as beautiful as ever. It’s not a comedy like Rosaline Palmer, but there’s some excellent dry wit and poetry in heartbreak and healing.

The extra short story about Marius at the end is also stunning. In this small glimpse into Edwin’s ex, we get to meet the magnetic man who thrilled Edwin so much. Marius struggles with his demons, causing him to lash out and hurt the people closest to him.

Edwin’s story is about sweet kisses and quiet conversations, but Marius’ story is where we find the heat. His instant attraction to his saviour, Leo, is hot and so is the sex.

It’s also quietly heartbreaking to watch Edwin and Marius come together after four years and finally begin healing from the breaking of their relationship.

Waiting For The Flood and the short story at the end Waiting For The Light can be read separately, but they’re beautiful together. I loved the descriptions in both books; The poetry of Edwin’s job restoring books, and the heat of the sex between Leo and Marius.

Waiting for the Flood is one of my favourite books of all time. This new version has expanded the old one slightly, new content is always good content.

I never thought Marius needed a story; but the second novella in this book was everything you come to expect from Alexis Hall. Dreamy landscapes, well defined characters, beautiful language and a well earned ending for the two main characters.

So no, I didn’t think I wanted a Marius story but by the time I finished, I knew I needed it.

DNF at 15% - I am struggling to connect with this one even though I really enjoy the author. I just can’t bring myself to continue because I haven’t taken anything in. After reading 15% I couldn’t tell you anything that’s happened because it won’t stick in my brain.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t loved the more recent Alexis Hall books that I have read but I really liked this book and how perspective were used in it! The way that Edwin saw the world enchanted me and I absolutely loved the contained setting of connection where him and Adam met each other. Marius’ point of view was much needed, especially him interacting with his parents, and it was so interesting to be in his head after knowing how Edwin conceptualized him and their relationship. The conversation that the two of them had was the necessary closure and airing of the truth that they both needed, and I really enjoyed how they both grew. The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was how the relationship between Marius and Leo progressed since it seemed a bit rushed. Overall, this is definitely a book that I will be thinking about for a while!

Another poignant Alexis Hall win!
I adored Glitterland’s raw honesty and couldn’t wait to read the next one in the series. Such a touching and moving romance. This series should not be slept on!

Waiting For The Flood is a tender and poignant tale of love, loss, and unexpected second chances. Through the lens of protagonist Edwin Tully's journey, the novel beautifully captures the complexities of healing and finding hope amidst the wreckage of a broken heart. As Edwin grapples with the aftermath of a past love and the solitude of his present existence, the arrival of Adam Dacre brings a ray of light into his world, offering him the possibility of rediscovering joy and connection.

The author skillfully weaves together themes of resilience, redemption, and the transformative power of human connection. Against the backdrop of a rising river and the metaphorical flood of emotions, Edwin and Adam's burgeoning relationship unfolds with sensitivity and authenticity. "Come as You Are" is a moving exploration of the resilience of the human spirit and the beauty of embracing life's unexpected twists and turns.

Waiting for the Flood - I really enjoyed this sweet and slow romance between a book restorer and a civil engineer during a flood. It highlights grief and loneliness and a broken relationship but not in a depressing way, leading to a sweet happy ending.

Chasing the Light - from the ashes of a broken relationship comes a second chance for Marius (ex of the book restorer in Waiting for the Flood) with a man who rescues him from a mishap and cares for him. It's yet another chance for the writing of Alexis Hall to shine, in highlighting characters who are not perfect but who still deserve love and affection.

Both stories together make for an exceptional duet.

4 stars!

"Waiting for the Flood" by Alexis Hall is full of seriousness, laughs, brooding, and tenderness. The characters here are multilayered, interesting, and well-developed despite being such a short book. I loved Edwin and Adam so, so much. I think, in the beginning, Edwin's hurt is vocalized so well, in such a relatable fashion. His ex, Marius, has fallen out of love with him, and Edwin must pick up the pieces of his shattered heart. His loneliness is palpable. Enter Adam. Despite not being a fan of insta-love, for some reason, with Alexis Hall's tremendous, evocative words, I felt invested in their romance thriving even though they just met. I appreciate how Adam and Edwin seem like such opposites of one another, yet feel strangely fated to be together. I also loved reading Marius and Leo's story. Everyone is worthy of a second chance at love. My initial dislike of Marius completely turned around in "Chasing the Light," where he turns from bitter and resentful to Wha you come to realize as the reader of these two novellas is that there are no "bad guys" or "good guys" in their stories. Sometimes, people just aren't good together, aren't their best together, such is the case with Edwin and Marius. Edwin moved on to someone who appreciated him and picked up the pieces of his tattered life, and Marius met his match in Leo during their awkward, lovely, special coupling. We see how Marius was always protecting himself first instead of loving Edwin first, but with Leo, he learns to break down his walls little by little. Some readers will never get over Marius's seemingly endless string of ungrateful, brash, rude comments and attitudes, but I know self-preservation when I see it. I love how Alexis Hall takes care of their characters' wants and needs in a poetic, beautiful manner. I love their writing so, so much, and this double feature is no different.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alexis Hall, and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Two m/m romance novellas in one - connected by a shared past of two of the main characters - with typical Alexis Hall quirky, flawed characters who are working through their past, current challenges all while keeping it real.

The stand outs for the first novella was just how much I wanted to hug the main characters and cheer them on.

The stand out for the second novella was how much I initially disliked one of the characters (how was Alexis going to get him to at least somewhat redeem him??/ yes, he made it work!) and a gentle ex-con who I totally routed for,

Edwin is moping like Eeyore about the recent demise of his decade long relationship with his ex, until a city environmental worker, Adam, shows up during a flooding crisis on his street. Adam's cheerful friendliness starts to break through Edwin's doom and gloom as they get to know one another during the crisis, and Edwin finds he may be ready to move on with someone new. Endearing characters!

Two stories in one! As always, Alexis Hall is a master of dialogue and making you fall in love with his characters. You don't need to read the other Spires books to jump in here.

Alexis Hall has done it again! This is the fourth book that I have read from Hall and it is the fourth book from him that I have absolutely adored.

In this 2024 re-release, the reader is treated to 100% extra content as we get Marius & Leo's story as well as an epilogue AND recipes - Hall has really spoiled readers!

I really enjoyed following both of the couples that we see in this book and found their love stories to be totally charming. I was also blown-up away by the spice because this was the first Hall I have picked up that features on-page sex and Hall truly has an incredible talent for writing such scenes!

Pro-tip, flip to the back of the pierogi recipe before picking up this book so you can grab the ingredients beforehand because I can guarantee that you will have a serious pierogi craving after reading!

First let me say that about half way through there was large title page "Chasing the Light" and I was surprised to find that I was reading a story from a different character's point of view, Marius who was Edwin's ex from Waiting for the Flood. It took me a little to realize this was a combination of two novellas. It is 100% on me that I did not realize this going it but it was a bit shocking.

I really enjoyed both novellas. "Waiting for the Flood" tells the story of Edwin when his neighborhood is flooding and he meets an Engineer who is there to help the neighborhood prepare. Adam is everything that Edwin is not and getting to know them was patient and urgent. "Chasing the Light" tells the story of Marius who was Edwin's ex from the first novella. Marius is bitter and disillusioned. I didn't expect to like his story as much as I did after getting to know Edwin and seeing the hurt he caused. However, I really enjoyed Leo and their relationship was the the opposite of Edwin and Adam from the first story. It was heat and crashing together. I some ways I think I enjoyed it more than I did the first novella which surprised me. Marius's parents were fantastic.

I'll recommend this to readers who have enjoyed some of the LGBTQ British romance that has been so common of late.

Rating: 3.75 rounded up.

I am so unbelievably glad that I gave this book a shot. I tend to go back and forth on Hall's writing, but I loved this one. Both Marius and Edwin's characters were wonderfully done and wonderfully complicated just like people are in real life. Though I wanted to continue reading Edwin's story I was pleasantly surprised by Marius', and found myself wanting more from his story as well (I thought I was just going to hate him because of what he did to Edwin). I hope there's a continuation of both of their stories, I would love to read more about them!