I’ve enjoyed Jamie Day’s previous books so I was excited for this one. I loved the idea of creepy Lake Timmery. The characters were interesting even if they were a little bit exaggerated. I did predict all of the twists, but I still enjoyed the ride. Izzy exaggerates her skills as a nanny in order to get a job as a temporary nanny for a family vacationing on Lake Timmery. The twins are a handful but she is desperate to do some investigating while she is there. Three old friends all vacation together but when the father she’s working for’s girlfriend disappears on the first night it becomes apparent that secrets are hidden at the lake, starting with the fact that three women have gone missing exactly 30 years apart. I listened to the audiobook and liked the narration a lot. I also really enjoyed that this book was told in the perspective of a couple of characters which is always more interesting to me. I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up because it was a fun summer read.

The next riveting summer suspense by the author of THE BLOCK PARTY and ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY, Jamie Day.
WILL THIS BE THE BEST WEEK OF THEIR LIVES... OR THE LAST?

Jamie Day knows how to write a totally twisted suspense tale! Two generations of summer lake escapees gather again this summer but things are different. There is tension from day one that never eases. The temp nanny takes note but continues to mind her charges and works on a true crime podcast of her own. Every thirty years a young girl disappears and guess how many years have gone by? You won't want to put this book down!

3.5 summer at the lake stars

Three friends grew up spending summers at Lake Timmeny, in Vermont. They are the best of friends and look forward to this summer retreat all year long, and now, as adults, they bring their kids along. It’s all about to change, though, this particular summer.

David has a brand-new house that happens to block the view of the other two cabins. Why did he build this monstrosity? He arrives with his twins and a new nanny. His girlfriend arrives shortly after. By the way, the nanny, Izzy, is my favorite character in the book!

Julia is livid about David’s new house, and she can’t understand why Erika isn’t also angry. What is going on?

The teens seemed to be close on a recent college touring trip, but now they are avoiding each other.

There is tragedy associated with the lake, too, with two women disappearing 30 years apart. No trace has ever been found. Did the lake claim them?

Then tragedy strikes with David’s younger, gorgeous girlfriend going missing after a night of way too much to drink. Is she the third victim?

I loved Izzy’s point of view and her movie modeling way of taking care of the twins. Of course, Mary Poppins knows best!

With lots of secrets and twists, there was a lot to explore here. A tad slow in a few areas, but an easy beach read!

Julia, David and Erika grew up spending their summers at the same lake where two women disappeared. When their families get together for their annual trip, another woman goes missing and secrets start to unravel.

The story is told through the POV of both Julia and Izzy, David’s new nanny. Unfortunately a lot of the dialogue/character thoughts (Instagram captions, Mary Poppins references) throughout made me cringe. The story felt a little all over the place but the ending did tie things up nicely. Ultimately, it was just an OK thriller for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing a free ARC for review via NetGalley.

I went into this book not expecting it to be spun the way it did. I felt like there were several plot lines going at once instead of focusing on one. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book.

Erika, Julia and David all grew up spending summers together at their respective Vermont lake houses. Now as adults, they are meeting up to share another summer together with teenage children included. David has a new young girlfriend, and a nanny he has added to the mix, as well as all the secrets that this trio has built up over the years. Things start to unravel when David's girlfriend goes missing, and leaves them wondering if the lake has claimed another victim. Thirty years ago, two other women disappeared from the same lake, is it happening again? I enjoyed both of Day's previous novels, and I really enjoyed this one, as well. The characters are well developed, there are several great twists that I did not see coming, and this keeps you on the edge of your seat right up until the very end!

Welcome to Lake Life ...

The Lake Escape serves up petty adult drama, salty old friendships, and a whole lotta “who the hell can I trust?” vibes. Julia and Erika just wanted a chill summer getaway, but David rolls in with his age-inappropriate girlfriend, a nanny who’s too nosy for comfort, and a house that blocks everyone’s view and serenity. Rude.

Then boom—girlfriend gone. And what started as rich people squabbling over lake views turns into a decades-deep mystery that drips tension like sunscreen on a dock. This is the kind of story where everyone’s lying, no one’s safe, and the lake itself feels like it’s holding a grudge.

Twisty, messy, and darkly juicy—this isn’t your average summer escape. It’s a cautionary tale: don’t bring secrets to the lake. They float.

The Lake Escape is a fun, atmospheric summer thriller set at a Vermont lake with a haunting history. It follows a group of childhood friends reuniting for their annual getaway—until one of their girlfriends vanishes and long-buried secrets begin to surface.

Told through the POVs of Julia, one of the original friends, and Izzy, a teenage nanny with her own secrets, the story is easy to follow despite a big cast. The first half is a slow build, but the second half is packed with twists—some of which worked better than others. A few reveals felt a little over-the-top, but it still kept me engaged.

While it won’t be a favorite of the year, I enjoyed the setting, pacing, and suspense. A solid pick for readers who enjoy twisty, summery mysteries with drama and secrets

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review

Great summer thriller! I loved the multiple points of view and the pacing of the story was perfect. The lies, secrets, and mystery will keep you guessing. My only dislike was the ending. I was left with a lot of questions. Overall another book by Jamie Day.

TW/CW: Cheating, language, drinking, alcoholism, underage drinking, animal death (not graphic), blood, violence, toxic friendships, rape

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
JULIA, DAVID, AND ERIKA grew up together spending summers at their idyllic Vermont lake homes for as long as they can remember. Now adults—with their own sullen teens, endless mortgages, and low-voltage sex lives—the three friends have amassed secrets over the years.This summer, David is eager to show off his newly renovated home—which now blocks his friends’ cherished lake views—and his much-younger girlfriend. He also, unwittingly, brings a nanny with a hidden agenda. What could possibly go wrong?When David’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes after a shouting match, Julia and Erika wonder just how well they know their lifelong friend. The lake harbors a harrowing two young women, with no known connection, vanished without a trace thirty years ago. Did the lake take another?
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 368
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Summer lake atmosphere
2. Rich messed up people vibes
3. Writing style was good

What I Didn't Like:
1. Too many characters intersecting in confusing ways
2. Ridiculous ending

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Wait wait wait we aren't holding Lukas responsible for leaving Izzy behind in the woods, but blames the dad instead. Lucas isn't a child. He is 18 years old and knows that young women are disappearing here but he leaves her. Apparently according to his story he did indeed look for her but it's Izzy's fault she got lost because she walked away from where they were. She was so lost that she never heard Lucas yelling her name. Yeah, right. I don't trust him.

Izzy didn't do anything. Her mother says she's thankful for her help in catching him but she really didn't do anything. It was all luck. Luck that Julia went to a bar and ran into a bartender that told her everything she needed to know.

Why is Izzy's only choice to tell the police that David killed Susie? She could throw them all under the bus. Erica and Rick both got to live a life of privageb too! Oh thank God Izzy actually said something and told the police about who killed her aunt. Honestly though are we even sure that Erika and Rick didn't kill Fiona? She just happen to disappear so well that no one can find her... I know it's not the real ending but I like to believe they really killed her to frame David.

I am so mad that Julia forgave Christian for the cheating and now for him losing her Lake house. There is zero way I'd be letting this guy back again to ruin more things. I am so annoyed. She has to go figure out everything and get back into the corporate world (which in movies and books they make look so easy - yeah you haven't worked in 15 years but here's this CEO position) to somehow pay off her house. I have no idea how that will work.

Erika and Rick get no real punishment and for some reason the family forgives them for covering up a murder and also murdering Susie. They claim that because of David raping Susie it put into motion her getting herself killed which dare I say it is ridiculous. There can be more than one person here responsible for the murder of Susie. Oh and David just disappeared. No one knows what happened to him other than his shoes just being next to the lake.

Final Thoughts:
Gosh, I'll be honest with you I thought we had a Gone Girl moment here. David was a terrible boyfriend so who would blame her. He did admit to sleeping with the other nanny so I was shocked to think back on why Fiona would agree to let David hire another nanny. David doesn't even remind me of someone that would want to take his kids to the lake house.

This book was fine. I found the characters on the annoying side. I got to the ending only to find everything before it was pointless feeling. Julia forgives Christian. Susie's murderers go free. David just disappears. All these moments just added up to nothing. I found it just meh and just there.

There was a scene in the book where Izzy goes into David's office and he catches her. I get she's scared and doesn't know if David killed Fiona but the way the scene is written felt so much like a soap opera. She's staring at him he's staring at her and they keep staring at each other. She's thinking he's going to kill her and she keeps staring at him. It went on like this for a while. I laughed.

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun read, perfect for summer! I really enjoy stories of childhood friends reuniting as adults and when you add in a mystery it's hard to resist. This book had so many twists and different paths. I wasn't sure how all of the drama with Julia, David, and Erika plus their families would connect but the author did a great job pulling the storylines together. I really enjoyed Izzy's backstory and learning about her motives. She ended up being a very layered character. There is one subplot, between David and Julia, that I did not really enjoy but overall I understood how it led to the storyline overall. That is just personal preference though! I think this will be a great escapist read for the beach or poolside. Thanks to Jamie Day, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was not a fan of the dual POVs or the characters in general. This is also a slow burn, which I did not enjoy.

This one had a strong start for me—the lake setting, the mystery, and the early character dynamics were intriguing, and I appreciated the slightly YA tone woven into an adult thriller. It felt like it was building toward something really twisty and dramatic.

But around the halfway point, the pacing slowed significantly. By 60%, I found myself wondering what the rest of the book was even going to be about. While some twists did come, they didn’t land quite as hard as I hoped, and the final connections felt a little too convoluted to fully buy into. It lost momentum just when I expected things to ramp up.

That said, I really enjoyed the creative podcast-style format used toward the end—it was a fresh and clever way to bring things full circle.

Overall, this was an okay read for me—more of a slow-burn domestic suspense than a heart-pounding thriller. I’d still be interested in checking out more from this author.

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day takes us to the seemingly idyllic shores of Lake Timmeny—a place of sunshine, shared summers, and just enough darkness to keep things interesting. For Julia Crawford, David Dunne, and Erika Miller, the lake has been their go-to retreat for years. It's where memories were made, friendships were cemented, and, of course, where secrets quietly simmered beneath the surface.

But Lake Timmeny isn’t just a backdrop for lazy afternoons and laughter. It’s also the site of two chilling disappearances—women who vanished decades apart, their fates unknown. That lingering unease settles over the latest summer like a storm cloud, and when something terrible happens once again, the cracks in this long-standing friend group start to show.

Jamie Day weaves a story full of tension, buried betrayals, and the kind of emotional undercurrents that make you wonder just how well people really know each other. Old flames, jealousy, and long-held grudges bubble up as each character fights to hold on to their sense of control—and to their beloved place at the lake.

I was hooked by the tangled dynamics and the slow unraveling of each person’s carefully guarded truth. The pacing keeps the tension alive, and the lake itself becomes a character—beautiful, mysterious, and unforgiving. My only gripe? The ending left me with more questions than answers. It didn’t fully land for me, feeling a bit murky after such a strong, suspenseful build-up.

Still, this was an entertaining summer thriller with just the right mix of sun-soaked nostalgia and psychological suspense. A solid pick for anyone who enjoys mysteries wrapped in old friendships and scenic settings that aren't as peaceful as they seem.

The Lake Escape reunites three childhood friends—Julia, David, and Erika—now adults, at their shared summer retreat on Lake Timmeny in Vermont. An idyllic getaway suddenly turns ominous when David’s much-younger girlfriend vanishes in the early hours after a tense fight, reigniting a chilling local legend, as two similar women disappeared years ago in the same manner. Is there a copycat kidnapper/or potential murderer? We'll soon find out as we get each characters' perspective on what happened, their motives, and realationships between the three friends. A lot has changed since their childhood days, and they all have adult problems now-surly teenagers, terrible jobs, money woes, etc..

David has recently built a house of glass, blocking all the lake views of his friends houses, but is this enough to harm his girlfriend? This is a slow paced book, but then picks up quite a bit in the 2nd half. There are lots of characters to keep track of as well which may or may not be to your liking. Some of the twists seemed very implausible, but I was along for the ride so just strapped in and held tight.

The perfect thriller to get you into the summer reading vibe!

The Lake Escape hooked me from the start with its mix of tension, secrets, and that uneasy feeling that something isn’t quite right. The pacing was solid, and I found myself constantly wanting to know what would happen next. The characters were what really pulled me in. They felt believable, with just enough flaws and hidden layers to keep me guessing about their true motives. I liked how the story slowly peeled back their secrets, making me question who I could really trust. The setting added a lot, too. The lake and the surrounding area had this slightly claustrophobic vibe that made the whole story feel more intense. It’s one of those books where even when you think you’ve figured it out, you probably haven’t. I enjoyed the twists and the way the story built up to a satisfying ending.

Having read both of Jamie Day’s previous novels, I was thrilled to be sent an ARC of her newest book. While the book was a slow burn for the first 2/3rds, overall it did not disappoint.

The Lake Escape is set on a lake in Vermont, where 3 friends: Julia, David and Erika all have houses next to each other and have been going to the lake in the summer their entire lives. The lake carries secrets where two women with no connections both vanished exactly 30 years apart and now David’s new girlfriend has vanished as well exactly 30 years after the last disappearance.

The story is told with dual POVs, coming from Julia and Izzy, who is the nanny hired by David. The story started off slow and it felt like it was going to be very straight forward and nothing surprising would happen until about 70% of the way through. Then the story really took off and I was shocked by the twists it revealed. While I had a small inkling that was partially correct in the end, I was completely wrong about the actual direction the disappearances went in.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Lake Escape
By: Jamie Day
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub Date: 7/15/25
Three childhood best friends, Julia, David and Erica now own the lake homes their parents once did and return for vacation with their children every year. Being close as children was easy but as they have aged they hide more and more secrets from each other and those secrets are going to be exposed.
When David’s Izzy has a connection to the lake she isn’t sharing. 30 years ago her aunt went missing at this lake. She’s determined to give her mom peace by trying to solve the case. But will she, just a teenager, be able to figure out what happened and what these people are hiding?
I really enjoyed the two part narrative for this one. Izzy tells her store and Julia tells the adult side. The settings for this book were on point; you could almost put yourself in the environment that was described.
#jamieday
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #netgalley #booksofinstagram #netgalleyreader #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreviewer #bookworm #bookish #bookaddict #bookreviewer #bibliophile #ireadromance #instabooks #booknerd #arcopies #romancereads #advancereaderscopy #booklover #readersofinsta #igbooks #bookclub #fiction #womensfiction #historicalfiction #contemporaryromance #read #readers #bookaholic

After enjoying Jamie Day’s debut, The Block Party, I was excited for The Lake Escape, but it fell flat for me. The pacing was painfully slow, with only a missing person revealed by 33%, leaving little to hook me.

The dual points of view felt shallow, lacking the depth or finesse needed for a gripping suspense story. The build-up was dull, and with no compelling breadcrumbs to keep me engaged, I was disappointed. A one star DNF at 38%.

I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. This review is my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.