Publishers Weekly
10/16/2023
Hall follows up Glitterland with a poignant brace of interconnected novellas about exes each being saved by a different stranger. In the eponymous opener, Edwin Tully meets Adam Dacre, a civil engineer in flood management, after Edwin’s Oxford apartment comes under threat by rising waters. Lonely-hearted after breaking up with Marius, his boyfriend of 10 years, Edwin just “wants someone to make tea for.” Patient, burly Adam may be just the man—but Edwyn feels unworthy of his love. “Chasing the Light” turns the focus onto Marius, who sees Edwin and Adam together at a Christmas Eve party and flees the event. In his haste, he injures his ankle and is rescued by ex-con Leo, who lives on a nearby houseboat. The men act on their instant attraction, but Marius “is not really a staying person,” and anticipates their tryst will be short-lived—even if Leo exacts an inexplicable pull on him. A final reunion with Edwin wherein both men seek closure may be just the push Marius needs to get out of the way of his own happiness. Each of these slender tales move from melancholy to joy and Hall makes the emotional arc satisfying. These tender love stories are sure to please the author’s many fans. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
"Hall makes the emotional arc satisfying. These tender love stories are sure to please the author’s many fans." — Publishers Weekly
"From the acclaimed author of BOYFRIEND MATERIALcomes a deeply moving romance about losing thelife you always thought would be yours...and findingsomething beautiful in the wreckage of the past.Quietly heartbroken, Edwin Tully lives alone in thehouse he used to share with the man he once loved.He tends to damaged books and faded memories,trying to build a future from the fragments of thepast. Then the weather turns, and the river spills intoEdwin’s quiet world, bringing with it Adam Dacrefrom the Environment Agency. An unlikely knight,this stranger with roughened hands and wornwellingtons offers Edwin the hope of something hethought he would never have again.As the two menare drawn together in their struggle against therising waters, Edwin slowly lets down his guard as hecomes to accept he can’t shield his heart fromeverything—and perhaps he doesn't even need totry. Because love doesn’t only leave scars…sometimes, it heals them, too.This lyrical, movingLGBTQIA+ romance contains never-before-seencontent and exclusive bonus material—including aNEW novella, Chasing the Light, following Marius ashe rediscovers love and the complicated joy of beingtruly alive." — Publishers Weekly
MARCH 2024 - AudioFile
Will Watt expertly performs the second in the Spires series. A re-release of a previously published book, this audiobook includes additional stories and background materials featuring Edwin; his ex, Marius; and their new loves. As a flood hits his Oxford neighborhood, Edwin meets Adam, the ginger civil engineer who is trying to lessen the impending damage on the community. After leaving his parents' home in an agitated rush, Marius falls, spraining his foot and losing his phone in the nearby river. When Leo rescues him, the two spend Christmas in his boathouse, discovering something neither thought possible. Watt's knack for capturing characters' uniqueness shines brightly, most notably in his portrayal of Edwin. Watt's expressive delivery transports listeners to these slices of Edwin and Marius's lives. A.L.S.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
