Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance copy of The Lake Escape by Jamie Day in exchange for my honest review. I'm here to tell you that your summer thriller is arriving on July 15th!
.
.
Could a friend group have enough secrets to turn what should be a fun, relaxing weekend into one of lies, deceit, and a missing person? The answer is...yes, of course! It happens to be this very friend group in this book!
.
.
Julia, David, and Erika spent the summers by a Vermont lake as kids and now do so every year as adults. David brings a new nanny to help with his kids this year and she apparently has a hidden agenda. The lake is also the place where 2 women went missing from 30 years ago...and when someone else goes missing, is there more to this lake lore...
.
.
Told in multiple POVs, this was a great thriller with a web of lies that were all tangled. There were a few things going on that had you questioning where to look...absolutely fantastic 5 star thriller!

Will post on Instagram on July 4, 2025 at 6:00am Pacific Time.

This might be my favorite Jamie Day book to date. I don't know if it was the idyllic setting or the way nothing was as it appeared almost immediately. I was hooked by Izzy's story right away and could not wait to find out her motives and the secrets she was keeping. There were a lot of unexpected twists and fascinating storylines to follow and I was completely captivated by the writing and storytelling. The lake went from a lovely holiday place to a dark dangerous place full of secrets. I love the way things were wrapped up in a unique format.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with Izzy preparing to pose as a nanny at a lake in Vermont. The person she is going to work for is one of three families that are going on their annual two-week vacation. David, Julia and Erica have been coming every summer to this like for quite a long time. Izzy will be taking care of David's children who are 5 tear old twins.

Follow along as the disappearance of Fiona, David's girlfriend, goes missing as it brings to light the fact that twice before in at this lake, 2 other girls disappeared exactly 30 years apart and the year is 30 years since the last one happened. Read along and learn the stories of why this annual visit is so important for each. Follow the police in their search for Fiona. Learn what reason Izzy is really there for and why it is so important for her. Fiscover the hidden stories that each of the three families has kept hidden.

The ending will summarize the facts quite well. If you like suspense and other types of thrillers, then this is a book for you. Don't miss out!

The lake is supposed to be relaxing and an escape from reality. But not in this book. The trip to the lake is a reality to catch a killer and to do so quickly before someone else dies.

Overall this wasn't for me. There were some pros and cons within the story
Pros - The lakehouse setting was great
There is a come around moment at the end of the book that is pretty fun given how it starts

Cons - The characters are all extremely unlikeable.
There is simply too much going on. The story feels convoluted.
There are areas where the dialogue was a little cheesy and borderline immature.

The twist was interesting but I didn't think it made up for the list of cons to provide an overall really enjoyable thriller to me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked this book just because for once an author resisted the urge to have 2o POVs to get to a plot/ending. Day stuck to two main characters which I think helped with the plot and flow. I thought that there were a couple of minor holes here and there, but nothing that bothered me that much. I do think that at one point there was just too much stuff happening though that didn't quite worked, hence the 4 stars, really a 3.5 star read. I really couldn't put it down at one point and thought the ending just cried out for even more information.

"The Lake Escapes" follows three childhood friends (now adults) Julia, David, and Erika who go to the lake that their respective families went to every summer. Now that they are in their late 40s with some small and in some cases teens, one of the friends (Julia) is angry her long-time friend David has built a glass monstrosity and has ruined the perfection of the lake. David, brings along a new girlfriend and his new nanny too (Izzy).

The majority of the story is told via Julia and Izzy's perspectives. We occasionally get some newspaper articles, etc. read but it stays at that level throughout. I did like the insight we get into both of these characters and Julia's slow realization that she really doesn't know her friends just as much as she doesn't see or know her husband. I think at times she was blinded by the reality of what her life actually was. Her hands-off approach to her business and daughter was head shaking inducing to me.

Izzy was good, it takes a while to get at what she is there for (outside of her love of true crime podcasts). I thought once that was firmly established her character worked more.

The plot of two women going missing at the lake and David's recent girlfriend going missing too was interesting. I was curious how they would all tie together. I think Day did an okayish job with that. The flow of the story works too.

I thought the setting of the lake which at times felt dark and ominous worked with the story. When Day gives us details about the two women who went missing before and the one who is missing now at times you imagine a monster of the lake going about its business.

The main issue I think I had was the ending and there should have been some cuts here and there to make it worked. Way too much information dumping and the explanation behind one major incident which served as the catalyst of the events today did not work at all. I legit went what in the world is happening? This is some Days of Our Lives Marlena is possessed by the Devil mess. It just did not work for me at all and I had to go back a few times because it just felt really out of flow of the rest of the book.

I enjoyed this book; it was a fun story with varied characters. The back and forth between Izzy and Julia gave very different viewpoints: someone who grew up at the lake and a newcomer working as a nanny for another family. The mystery of Fiona going missing and the other missing lake girls kept the story moving forward at a good pace. I had part of the mystery figured out before the ending but not all the parts. I thought the book was finished but then there was a twist and the last few chapters revealed most of the answers from the story. I didn’t love the epilogue but it mostly worked.

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book.

This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced thriller. It has a beautiful setting, an intriguing mystery, murder, suspense, secrets, relationship drama, and an unexpected conclusion. My favorite quote from this novel is "Your happiness depends on your actions, not your wishes". Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Jamie Day, and NetGalley, from whom I received an advanced reader copy of this fantastic novel. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. 2 women disappeared from the lake. But families keep coming back... some with secrets.

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day was a fast-paced thriller that immediately pulls you into a tense reunion at THE lake, where we focus on three families with lake houses right next door to each other. Old friends come together for what's supposed to be a relaxing trip, but the calm quickly shatters. The cast includes David, a super-rich guy who's a bit of a player, and his girlfriend, Fiona. David has just built another expansion onto his house that now blocks the view from his neighbor Julia, who is also one of the friends present, along with Erica. The new addition becomes an instant point of contention for Julie, and she can't figure out why Erica doesn't seem as upset by the property blocking their beautiful lake view. Julia, meanwhile, is struggling financially, but her husband keeps evading clear answers and just reassures her everything will be okay... until it's not.

Things take a dark turn when Fiona goes missing, and it's believed she may have fallen victim to the lake. The lake itself has a chilling history, having previously claimed the lives of two other women, exactly 30 years apart. Adding to the mystery, David has hired a new nanny, Izzy, after his previous one mysteriously quit just days before the trip. It's clear that Izzy has some ulterior motives for being on the job and at this lake house. There's a lot going on here, and secrets are absolutely all over this lake and the people who enjoy it. These secrets run deep, stemming back years and years among this small group of lake-goers.

Jamie Day always does a great job tying the characters together in the end, and this book was no exception. I found I was able to follow along with just seeing us, despite the complexity. This was a fun read that revealed many secrets among this small group. It's a quick, fun thriller!

Star Rating: 4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 7/15/25.

I really thought I had this one figured out, but I was off by just a little. This new addition to the thriller/mystery list is a fun summer read. I was thrown off in a few parts as there was a lot going on, but I enjoyed it.

I requested to read and review from St. Martin Publishing Company. This book will keep you guessing until the very end. Just when you think you have this storyline figured out a twist comes along and what you think you know makes you say hmm. There is drama, romance, mystery and suspense in this storyline. Julia has a lot going on in her life and just when she thinks she has a plan life gives some big speed bumps. Christian is the money man or so he thinks will he get things figured out or will life take a turn. Taylor is struggling with things that are happening to her and things around her. Will she make the right decision? Erika and Rick have the look like they have it all together but do they? Lucas has plans he wants to do with his life will he accomplish those or will life decision get in the way? David looks like he is a wealthy and have everything he wants or needs but does he? This is a roller-coaster of a story and will keep all of their lives interesting. This book is for a mature audience but can be ready anywhere!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and alc.

This book may very well be the best thriller to come out of summer 2025! I finished this book in under a day, it was that addictive, Jamie Day's books have been a mixed bag for me, if I am being honest, but this one may very well be my new favorite. If you enjoyed The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager, then this book is a must-read for you!

The audiobook is Narrated by Lisa Larsen and Phoebe Strole and both voice actresses did a great job with their respective roles. I spent some parts of the book wishing more characters in the story were featured as narrators, but in the end, I think everything wrapped up nicely like a chef's kiss if you will...

If you want to hear more about this story you are just going to have to trust me and pick up this book because it is JUST that good, and I think it is best to go into this one knowing as little as possible...

This book was right up my alley. It was suspenseful and the characters were very likable.

The main character, Izzy, wants to be a true crime podcaster and has some hidden secrets that get revealed about halfway thru her time at the lake house. When a member of the crew goes missing, Izzy is set on finding out what happened to her, along with some help from her new found friend, Taylor. Taylor and her family also have many hidden secrets and other members of the long-time friend group become people you don’t expect!

A house of glass may appear open and inviting, yet it can still harbour secrets. No matter how close you grow up, you may still have your own secrets! This summer, a group of friends are in for a surprise at their annual vacation at the lake house. Every year, they have vacationed at their houses lined up next to each other, but this year is different. When they first reach the lake, the brand-new glass house blocks their views, causing a rift in their lifelong friendship. As if that weren’t enough, the new girlfriend goes missing, revealing even deeper cracks in their bond. Each family has its own demons to face, and the poor nanny who has joined their crew to investigate a murder that occurred 30 years prior finds themselves entangled in the unfolding mystery. This is a truly captivating summer read that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I have read and enjoyed all of Jamie’s books and this one was no exception! She writes great domestic thrillers that are great for summertime binging, this one was no exception! I loved the nostalgia that came with the lake setting and how the drama starts right away! The way Jamie masterfully writes multiple POVs makes the story read like a complex puzzle, building tension each time we switch perspectives. I enjoyed the two different mysteries that were playing out side by side! The two narrators did a great job bringing this book to life! Definitely recommend audio!

SYNOPSIS
-Julia, Erika, and David have spent their summers together at a Vermont lake since they were kids.
-Now in midlife, they return with kids, drama, and secrets in tow.
-David brings a new younger girlfriend and a nanny with a hidden motive.
-When the girlfriend vanishes, old traumas resurface—including two unsolved disappearances from 30 years ago.
-The lake might be hiding more than just memories.
⸻
MY THOUGHTS
-This is my third Jamie Day book (I gave The Block Party and One Big Happy Family 4 stars), and I still really enjoy her writing style. It’s easy, engaging, and fast to get through.
-The setting was great. A quiet Vermont lake with a haunting history is always a vibe.
-The story switches between Julia (third person) and Izzy, the nanny (first person). I liked the contrast. It kept the pacing fresh.
-Julia and Izzy both stood out as strong, flawed, relatable women. They’re easy to root for, even when they make questionable choices.
-The mystery builds slowly but steadily, with just enough tension to keep you flipping pages. There’s family drama, simmering resentments, old wounds, and secrets layered throughout.
-That said, the plot gets a little chaotic toward the end. Some twists feel a bit much, and a few plot points stretched believability.
-I’m a sucker for a closed ending, and this one delivers. However, the final wrap-up monologue wasn’t my favorite. I always prefer when an author lets us see what happens instead of explaining everything at the end.
-Still, if you’re in the mood for a summer mystery with a little nostalgia, a little darkness, and a few surprises, this hits the mark.
⸻
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5 stars rounded to 4. Slow-burn lake mystery with solid characters, layered secrets, and a satisfying (if slightly over-explained) ending. A good summer pick.
⸻
Thanks: Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on July 15, 2025.

The Lake Escape is a great summer mystery. The setting, a missing woman on a lake, was done well, with a creepy atmosphere that pulled me in. I enjoyed the tangled, dysfunctional relationships between the three families who have spent summers at the lake since they were kids. While I didn’t really like any of the adults, I did enjoy watching the young adults’ friendships develop.

The mystery of the missing women, each vanishing 30 years apart, was the perfect backdrop for the eerie lake setting. Even though I started piecing together the mystery as I read, I loved getting small clues and putting everything together before the big reveal.

Overall, it’s an easy, enjoyable book to read while floating in a lake or by the pool this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Due to medical reasons, I was unable to fully read this book but I throughly enjoyed what I did read, however I cannot write a proper review due to this. I apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

captivating summer thriller which was definitely at points predictable, but which generally worked quite well. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.