A review by growplantsreadbooks
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

A wonderfully atmospheric gothic novel. The crumbling house of a dead author with an unseen widow, and brooding son still haunting it? Count me in! It was not without its faults though.  
The author put a lot of effort into the worldbuilding, but the world wasn't different from ours in any significant way. It was so clearly inspired by real, specific regional folklore. It felt like the author changed the names so she could have a reason for her protag. to be weirdly very prejudiced against her future love interest without the reader getting uncomfortable by the implications of it being real cultures. 
The romance was sweet, but it took them too long to get together so
them having sex at the end felt rushed and unnecessary. It didn't quite fit their characters or what was happening in the plot, and it didn't center female pleasure.
I think this story actually could have benefited from her being more interested in the author's son at first. His character could have been developed better
but that poor doomed soul just gets the shit end of the stick

Lastly, the plots reliance on "happenstance" to find evidence was... a bit much! It felt a little Scooby Do at times. 
Regardless, I really loved reading it and will recommend it to any teen who likes gothic romance. 
It handled trauma in a very sensitive way and I did really like Preston as a love interest - though reading this did make me want a cig lol.
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