The Art of Drowning by E.M. Denning

A beautiful, emotional, and moving romance story about two men who couldn't help but fall in love with each other.


From the blurb:

Once upon a summer, Callum Weeks rescued his brother's best friend and things were never the same.

Damien Flynn was a little bit younger and a lot more popular. He was also the constant companion of Callum’s brother, Sam. From a neglectful home, Damien was a constant fixture at the Weeks's house, often hanging out poolside whether Sam was there or not.

The two boys get in over their heads, literally, when Callum saves Damien from near drowning. The course of their relationship was changed forever, but neither of them expected things to get so serious. Sam was possessive by nature and his best friend should have been off-limits, but that was not enough to keep Callum away. The love that grew between Damien and Callum was also not enough to keep Sam from eventually tearing them apart.

Hell hath no fury like a teenage boy scorned.

One summer day, Callum taught Damien how to swim, and without Callum, Damien has spent his life mastering the art of drowning. He moved away and moved on. He built a life, found a new best friend, a pet rock. Things are good. But Sam dies and turns Damien's life upside down for the second time. Without a good reason to be apart, Callum and Damien are brought back together for the first time in years.

Time can heal many wounds, but history repeats itself. Sam is not done interfering with the lives of the people around him and the secrets that he's left behind threaten to drown everyone who loved him.


Katriana Prey's review:

I'm going to try to keep this review short and sweet because I don't want to spoil the magic of this story. I will say that the writing was exceptional, the characters were fantastic, (except Sam, I hate that guy), and the flow of the story was incredible. I loved getting to see the MC's past and their present, that was very cool to read about and done well too. Each time the timeframe switched it was clearly marked which I appreciated.

On the angst scale I'd rate this about a 3.5/5, there is some angst, but for me, this is more of a moderate angst level book. (Which I liked!) I appreciated how EM didn't just have these MC's get their HEA as soon as they reconnected. EM made them work for their relationship and to have a place in each other's lives, I really enjoyed that aspect of the storyline.

All in all, a fantastic book!


The Art of Drowning is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription