Overview
Being a 38-year-old pool boy is pathetic. As is your boyfriend dumping you for a younger man, or divorcees discarding you after fulfilling their fantasies. And not being certain you're a ""boy"" in the first place is even worse. It's why Westy McLeigh doesn't believe he's worthy of love. That is, until life puts a jiggly redhead in his path. Like the rocks she adores, Suzy Klein is precious and strong as hell. But between snark costing her a job, ailing joints, and her mother's constant criticism, Suzy's hard surface starts chipping away. Until a slip of fate lands her in the arms of a lackadaisical pool manager. From smoking weed in the storage shed to rock hunting at the North Shore, Suzy and Westy's days are full of sunshine. But as time brings poverty, trauma, and tragedy, the pair struggles to keep the shadows at bay. With circumstances weighing down their relationship, will crystals form? Or will Suzy and Westy's love be crushed into dust? Treading Water is a high-heat/heavy angst/happy ending contemporary romance about real-world problems featuring a genderfluid bi guy wrestling with his identity and a fat babe battling chronic pain, written in third person POV from multiple perspectives.
Full Product Details
Author: Dean Robert Holmes
Publisher: Hadorien Books
Imprint: Hadorien Books
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 2.30cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.544kg
ISBN: 9798295687891
Pages: 408
Publication Date: 08 May 2026
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Author Information
Dean Robert Holmes (he/him) is an aegosexual, transmasculine author and artist who uses creativity to manage schizoaffective disorder. Like many alphabet porn purveyors, he got his start in the wonderful world of fan fiction. Through his saucy stories, he often explores psychological themes and the power of queer love. As someone who is autistic, fat, and disabled, he makes a point to represent those communities and possesses a strong belief in the healing potential of kink. After writing over 350 fan fics, including almost 200 requests and a feature on the celebrated podcast Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend, he recently self-published his first collection of short stories, ""Unlocked: Seven Titillating Tales of Gay Trans Love and Lust,"" which is available at multiple indie bookstores and wherever you get your smut online. His debut novel, ""Treading Water"" was released in May 2026. Currently, he lives on stolen Dakota/Anishinaabe land, also known as St. Paul, MN, and enjoys spending time with his lovely partner, Mae.
