Undefined Terms

by Alex W. Wells

Ronan Carrick is twenty-seven, broad-shouldered, and built for work. His plan is clean: two years in Manchester on a good construction job, close to his brother. He's planned for less.

Then he meets Celyn at a corner table in a bar. Red nails on a keyboard. A mouth that keeps talking about a bloke who sent back his steak at a steakhouse. Hands that move fast, precise, completely indifferent to the fact that Ron's stopped tracking words.

Celyn Biggs is twenty-five, Welsh, and exists on their own terms. They wear what works that day: skirt and Dr Martens, or stubble and eyeliner, or both. They don't fit the files Ron's been building his whole life. They make peace with the people who can't hold that. They're working on a novel and serving weekends and they don't know the tall man at the bar is trying to sort them into a space that doesn't exist.

For weeks, Ron watches. For months, he sits at the corner table and learns that the thing between them has no name in his head. Celyn doesn't ask him to name it. They just ask: stay.

Office hours become flats. Manchester becomes London. And the space between two people who were shaped for different lives becomes the only space that fits.

What readers will find:


First person narrated, single POV: Ronan's concrete, body-forward voice from page one
An opposites-attract slow burn with a Welsh main character who exists without explanation
British setting: Manchester Northern Quarter, Bermondsey, Peckham — named places, lived spaces
Construction worker meets writer: blue-collar and literary, worlds that shouldn't touch but do
Contemporary literary love story with explicit on-page intimacy, vers dynamics, full consent, no fade-to-black
HEA guaranteed

A non-binary opposites-attract MM romance with a Welsh main character, slow-burn intimacy, vers dynamics, and a guaranteed HEA. Book 2 of the Carrick Brothers Duet. Can be read independently of Book 1.

436 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 6, 2026

About the author

Alex W. Wells (they/them) writes contemporary MM romance: slow burn, open door, and men who are much better at observing than asking for what they want.

Their books follow characters figuring things out late, badly, and with more precision than necessary: academics, bricklayers, commuters, exes, fathers, teachers, artists. Very specific food. Tea that means something it shouldn’t.

They write queer romance with sharp dialogue, emotional restraint, and heat that arrives after far too much thinking.

They say very little about the rest.

Reviews

[Jine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I like this book more than book 1
I don’t know what it is about Ron and Celyn but they have my heart
Ron is like Ewan in a lot of ways how they categorize things they don’t just say what they want too they have to take their time and actually think about it
Ron watched celyn for a year before they talked it was slow and methodical but it worked
This is all new for Ron and not just because celyn is a them it’s all of it he watched Ewan go through all of this and the hurt and he took his time
I loved how slowly celyn became a part of Ron’s flat
The toothbrush the mug the clothing
I loved how Celyn wrote Ron in his book and how they just fit together
He took his time with everything telling his work friends letting Ewan know his mom his dad was another story but he’s trying
They did things different and that’s just their way
It’s emotional but it fits the story
We do get spice and it’s the perfect amount I do love that they switch it lets them both be emotional and vulnerable
I’m glad we get to see a part of their life in London the proposal done rons way the only way he knows how!

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading Ewan's story, and when I heard there would be one for Ronan, I was a little hesitant about it, as how he went about "handling" the situation between Ewan and Laurence.
The issue was discussed between the brothers and things are better.
I did actually love this one, considering.
Celyn (a Welsh name that can be used for either male or female) is a wonderful they. Every time their appearance was described, I wished I could see it.
Even though Ronan was too in his head about what others would think of him and Celyn, everyone accepted it with an easy air, minus Sean (Dad). Perhaps one day he will be able to be a father again to both his sons, but for now, he just struggles so much with them both.
You really saw how Ronan grew into a better self. He loves every version Celyn gives. He files things in his brain, and Celyn was not able to be filed. "But it's all of it. Every version. All of it is Celyn and Celyn is, I don't have the word." Ronan's the one who's good with his hands while Celyn is the one good with their words. They both opened up parts of themselves hidden by most, and I love where they ended up at the end.


I received an ARC from Book Sires for my honest review.

[Lois Karasek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm actually being generous with four stars on this one. The premise of the story is good. The characters are interesting and compelling. I somewhat struggled through the first Carrick Brothers book but still liked it… perhaps because I was familiar with the theme (professor/student).

But Undefined Terms was more than I could handle. I don't know. Maybe I'm just a little dense yet with some of the M/M relationship definitions, but I practically needed a gay dictionary next to me while I was reading to understand "who" was "what."

And this time the writing style was just too broken to enjoy the read. Too many single-word "sentences."

Ronan and Celyn are an "odd couple." Each a good person in their own right, and together they meshed like puzzle pieces. There was some angst, caused mostly due to misunderstandings that were eventually resolved, but it was touch-and-go for a while (no pun intended).

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, challenging read

I loved so much about this book. The writing style wasn't always easy reading for me but even when I got a bit lost in the metaphor and the allegory, I understood the emotion and felt compelled to read on. We journey with Ronan as he grapples with his identity, with societal norms, his parents' love and acceptance, as he straddles two worlds and struggles to reconcile the two, as his beautiful relationship with Celyn grows and challenges him to step out of his safe life. I gained a new perspective of what non-binary could mean to one person who identifies as such. I never thought I'd see beauty in concrete being poured and learn the science behind it setting properly, but here we are. The story within the story was captivating. Can we actually get to read 'The Threshold' please, Alex. W. Wells? So much more to say and I can't articulate it adequately. I'm a fan.

[Cheryl Rusy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fighting the pull of attraction and becoming who you are meant to be is quietly told in this story. Understanding diversity and the challenge of owning oneself are magnificently written brilliantly. At times a bit hard to follow with the writing style. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.