Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall

Source: NetGalley – Thank you to Forever!
TL;DR: I really enjoyed the first novella in this collection but the second one didn’t connect for me in a great way.

Plot: Two stories, one of Edwin who is recovering after his divorce from Marius. And then Marius’s story who is just… the worst.
Characters: Edwin was sweet and Leo from the second story was a doll. Marius was too close to me at my worst though so I couldn’t stand him.
Setting: Confined mainly to an house and a boat, Alexis did a great job making these feel bigger than they truly were.
Romance: These seemed alllllmost too insta-love for me at times, but I chose to ignore it. I especially wish Leo had a different partner, but that’s just due to my deep dislike of Marius.

Thoughts:

Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall is the Spires short story collection that comes after the first book, Glitterland. This collection follows Edwin and Marius in their respective stories. Edwin is pretty much a shut in after his messy divorce from Marius and he finds love in a gentleman who comes to assist when a flood threatens the neighborhood. In Marius’s story we find him hurt and stranded next to a row of boats. A lovely man rescues him and a relationship develops.

I really enjoyed Edwin, though at times I found him a bit too pretentious. Marius’s story is what actually destroyed this for me, and that’s entirely on me. Marius is very hard edged, sarcastic, unlikable, and takes it out on everyone and himself via an eating disorder (not named, but plainly visible on page). That was a little too close to home for me so I connected in a bad way to that.

These stories were fun, I’m not sure how or where they’ll plug into the main story overall but I enjoyed them (mostly). I do recommend if you’re following the story and enjoy Alexis’ style and unlikeable leads.