A lovely story about believing in one's ability to love again.

Fantastic! Waiting for the Flood is one of my favorite novellas and I am so pleased with what the audiobook brought to the whole experience. Alexander Doddy did a lovely job bringing this wonderful story to life and I know that this will become one of those books I listen to quite a few times.

6 people found this helpful

😍 Narrated by Alexander Doddy 😍

Any additional comments?

Alexander Doddy was absolute perfection as Edwin and Adam. Finally, a young British voice that I've been desperate to hear happened in this sweet charming tale of a young man taking a chance at happiness again.

Everything was done right with this story and I so want more of a story with Edwin and Adam's happily ever after.

Alex...Alex...Alex! Alexander Doddy's accent, the sweetness of his voice, and that deep melodic timber at moments had butterflies fluttering around in my belly. I swear I could just listen to him speak all night long. And as Edwin, that stutter was so believable!

Lovely tale, performed excellently.

5 people found this helpful

Perfect marriage of story and narrator

Whenever I need to feel good about life and people and the world this is the book I turn to.

Every time I listen to this or read it I fall more in love with it. It is the most beautifully quiet simple love story about two average men falling in love in the rain. The pictures Alexis Hall paints with words make me joyful.

Alexander Doddy is the perfect narrator for this book. His presentation of Edwin and Adam is outstanding. It fits the mood of the story and the characters in the best way.

4 people found this helpful

What a treat to listen to

What a treat! Alexis Hall is such a wonderful writer. This is a short story about grief and self discovery set in the back drop of potential flooding in England. There really is no "action" in the story and it is a slow burn. Both the MCs have great warmth and depth and there are wonderful supporting character that just made this story great. This is anew narrator for me and he does an excellent job. The combination of Mr. Hall's writing and the wonderful narration, really made this a joy to listen to.

3 people found this helpful

So, so rich, fulfilling

This is my second book by this author. I fell in love with him after listening to Glitterland. This book is different but still so enjoyable. It's melancholy but not in a down way, just quiet. And the source of its richness is varied and immense. So many times, while listening, I thought, "I should use that as an example of its richness." But I kept thinking that, and, therefore, would've ended up quoting the whole book as examples of its richness. I think the author has something for everyone, but this book may not be for everyone. But if it's your flavor, you can hardly find better. I felt the same way about Glitterland too. But the latter was considerably more sexual. This book has nothing beyond kissing and minor words of desire near the end.

3 people found this helpful

Thoughtful, Poignant, Quietly Triumphant

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Most definitely! Though not all my friends. This is for those who are looking for less romance and more of an internal life journey. There is romance and its one I loved and cheered for, but it isn't the focus. It's also very introspective with a limited setting and few in the cast of characters. I loved it and I know others will, too.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked how every element of the story was working to tell the story. I know that is an odd thing to say. What I mean, is that this is the story of an isolated man who faced the devastating life altering fact that the man he loved didn't love him back any more. So the small set, small group of characters, lone narration, introspection, and writing all start in his dark, dreary, isolated world.
And then with the flood comes a catalyst for change. In the end, Edwin's world is colorful, open, and full of possibilities as he plunges into life.

Which scene was your favorite?

Edwin in the attic having his dark hours epiphany. And of course that innovative choice for the ending.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

One Man's Personal Journey Through the Floods of Life

Any additional comments?

I received this book from Riptide Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

5 people found this helpful

How to let go of an old relationship

This short, told from Edwin’s POV, Is an angst filled tale of Edwin trying to let go of the future he thought he’d have with his now ex. He is helped along this path by his neighbor, his ex’s mom (a great MIL), and Adam, who comes with the flood, bearing Wellingtons.

I love the descriptions of Edwin’s saved ephemera. I love how matter of fact his elderly neighbor is. I love how patient Adam is with Edwin’s stutter, in that he doesn’t seem to think of even needing patience. Having a stutter isn’t the thing keeping Edwin from moving on but it doesn’t help the process. I like that it ends happily, in ephemera and marginalia.

Steam: Low. M/M. No sexytimes on page, some thoughts about it. A sexy picture exists because the ex is a painter (Marius, a bit character in For Real).

Narration: Soothing yet devastating. Don’t know if I could have read this through the flood of tears. It’s not upsetting because of great tragedy, but the banality of one partner moving on in a separate direction being made profound. How he could read empathetically without bawling is a mystery. Slight background static noticeable when I turned up the sound to leave the room but was very minor for me.

1 person found this helpful

Simply beautiful.

Don't miss This little Pearl. I confess that I didn't under standand everything (I'm italian), but I Loved the accent and the interpretation. I found myself misty Eyed a time or two...

1 person found this helpful

Lovely narration, slow story

Edwin’s lover of a decade has left him, seemingly without much notice, leaving him a very lonely and slightly bitter almost-hermit. He loves his job/hobby – restoring old books – and that’s about it.

When Edwin’s little cottage faces the immediate danger of encroaching flood waters, he meets the engineer in charge, Adam. Adam is everything Edwin isn’t. He speaks well and frequently, he’s outgoing and sunny and - for whatever reason – he likes Edwin!

**
This is a short story and most of it is spent inside Edwin’s head. He has literal holes in his life where Marcus, the ex, was that gape open, wounded, and this occupies much of his thoughts. Edwin’s self-esteem, which has never been high due to his stutter, is at an all time low, so this is a pretty depressing place to be.

We don’t get to see much of Adam or really understand his attraction to Edwin. Their romance happens with a few chats around a kitchen table and on the street and goes from zero to sixty almost over-night.

Alexis Hall’s writing is poetic and graceful and full of wonderfully lyrical words and unique phrasing. To that end this is a lovely story.

What didn’t work for me was the distinct lack of any real struggle, the fact that Edwin really didn’t feel at all ready for a new romance, and the absence of much relationship building.

I appreciated the significance of the link between re-making the books and re-making Edwin’s life and it was pretty and poetic, but I wasn’t ever convinced of his repair nor was I that involved in his new “relationship” as it felt a minute old.

Audio

One thing that absolutely elevated this experience for me was the fact that I wasn’t reading this book but listening to it and the new-to-me narrator, Alexander Doddy, totally won me over! He did an amazing job with this. His stutter was fantastic and he gave both MCs very distinct voices and accents without going over the top. I loved his pacing and cadence and felt far more immersed in the story than if I’d read it as I’d have been tempted to skim, whereas he held me captive.

Book 3 of 5

Narration 5 of 5

Overall 4 of 5

1 person found this helpful

Perfectly tender and sweet

I am a bit destroyed by this little novella. It is such a gentle yet moving story about finding hope again. The clear infatuation Adam had with Edwin from their very first encounter and him using ‘petal’ as a term of endearment had me melting. Alexander Doddy narrated this with so much warmth. I plan on listening to this again the next time I have a rainy day at home.