Man oh man did this book hook me but then 75% in and it just took a nose dive. I could not understand the friendship between Julie, Eliza and David and what held them together as friends. When the reveal with Taylor occurred I just shook my head as it was so outlandish and the reactions did not make sense. Rating this book is tough because I just enjoyed the beginning so much and not the end.

I'm giving this 4 stars based on the fact I think it is one of the authors better novels. I dove into it thinking psychological thriller (not sure why I was in that mindframe) but it is more of a mystery than anything. It has all the ingredients needed for a mysterious story. Entertaining to read, I finiahed it quickly.

Thanks to the publishers for an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would recommend to some.

A girl who takes a job in search of answers from the past.
A woman stuck between the things she wants and has: for her marriage, her friendships, her daughter, the lake home of her memories.
A couple that seems bonded closer than most.
A wealthy friend whos' fortune seems shrouded in mystery.

Two women have gone missing by the lake each 30 years apart. Now, almost as if on cue, one guest of the visiting party has gone missing for a third time after 30 years. Is the lore true?

I'm glad I got to read this thriller/mystery set in a lakeside setting as the weather here is starting to get better.
I enjoy books with mutiple POVs and the character changes provide layers to the story that build onto the mystery aspect of the story well.
There are a number of conflicts occuring externally and internally for all of the characters to give them depth - alcoholism, debt, estranged parents, parental death, young love, tragic disappearances.... I found the pacing and build-up for the story well developed.

I didn't find any of the twists or turns predictable which is good for this genre of book. Nothing is graphic or extreme, but it still manages to set enough expense. I don't have any major criticisms for the book and would recommend it to anyone!

Sometimes books like this go in a completely unexpected direction and I end up finding it too unbelievable/not what I signed up for.

Julia, David, and Erika have been vacationing around the lake together since they were teenagers. Despite the changing landscape of their families -- deaths, divorces, marriages and births, they have always made the time to be together for this summer escape.

Their routines haven't changed even with the disappearance of two young women around the lake, thirty years apart. That timeline means another woman is due to go missing this summer -- but it almost feels unbelievable when David's young new girlfriend Fiona is nowhere to be found after their first night of vacation.

Told between the alternating viewpoints of Julia and Izzy, who has been hired as a nanny to David's young kids, the suspense and the drama definitely builds in a natural and compelling way throughout this book.

I can honestly say this book kept me on my toes in the best possible way! I was genuinely surprised by some of the twists and it kept me completely engaged until the end. Would make a great summer beach read when it releases later this year.

I enjoy anything Jamie Day writes. This book is perfect for that summer weekend getaway! I couldn’t put it down, it captivated me from the very beginning. Thank you NetGalley, Jamie Day and St. Martin’s Press for this digital arc.

Three lifelong friends & their families go to their lake house to unwind every summer. This summer, everything is different, filled with secrets and tension.

This is less of a thriller and more of a suspense/ murder mystery. It kept me intrigued the whole time even though it was a slow burn and I really enjoyed it! If you’ve liked other books by Jamie Day, I think you’ll like this one too!

Unfortunately, this never managed to spark much excitement for me. The pacing drags, dialogue is awkward, and the writing made it tough for me to stay invested. If you really like the popcorn thriller formula and don’t mind the writing style it might work for you, but this one was a slog for me to get through.

Energy: Petty. Suspicious. Diminutive.

🐺 Growls: The story meandered from one half-baked twist to another. The characters were underdeveloped and annoying (one POV came across as whiny and entitled but was written like we’re meant to sympathize with her). The constant bickering and over-explaining bogged everything down. A lot of random plot points were thrown around but introduced without depth or development. It read scattered and I got bored.

🐕 Howls: Contrived twists overshadowed any genuine suspense. The dialogue was stilted and flat, everyone sounded the same. Chapters ended on cliffhangers then jumped into a different POV, usually to reveal a half-hearted fake-out, which killed the momentum.

Scene: 🇺🇸 Lake Timmeny, Northern Vermont, USA
Perspectives (2): A spouse and parent who grew up along the lake and inherited the cottage; they are pissed a neighbour / friend renovated and changed their view of the lake. A recently hired nanny who has ulterior motives for taking the position of overseeing twin kids for a single parent at the renovated cottage property.
Timeline: Linear. Mid 2020s. ☀️ Summer.
🔥 Fuel: Will Julia be able to stir up sympathy after her neighbour modernized his cottage? Why is Izzy lying about why she took the nanny position and why does she want to be in the area this summer? What happened with the cold cases in the area? Is someone’s missing girlfriend connected? What is going on with Julia’s husband and the family finances?
📖 Cred: Suspend all disbelief

Mood Reading Match-Up:
Glass house. Sunsets over water. Fresh air. Fire pit. Loons calling. Country and rock tunes. Wind through leaves. Sunscreen.
• Overhearing character conversations and thoughts, reader kept in the dark (third person and first person)
• Simplistic, verbose writing style
• Summer cottage vacay domestic drama
• Nanny in over her head
• Frenemies feuding and scheming
• Foolish, insufferable, self-righteous characters (maybe a likeable one here or there)
• Cold case revisited
• Corruption, crime, fake-outs, feuds, indecision, lies
• Missing girlfriend
• Relationship on the rocks
• Did-he-or-didn’t-he doubts
• Amateur journalism sleuthing
Content Heads-Up: Alcohol (partying, recreational; intoxication). Alcoholism (in treatment, relapse and recovery). Financial insecurity (failing business, bill collectors). Gun violence. Infidelity, serial cheating. Loss of parent (as teen; brief mention). Organized crime. Parental abandonment (as child; brief mention). Pornography (mentions). Pregnancy. Sexual harassment (from employer).

Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Olive, fair, pale, and golden skin tones.

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley

This is one of those books where you can easily see it as a movie. From the nanny who isn’t really a nanny to the three childhood friends who meet at their lake houses every year. A rich man’s girlfriend goes missing and the mystery snowballs into an amazing who done it or where is she, story. Very good!

This is a slow burn. Recent events and questioning those from 30+ years ago start things unraveling. The story is told from multiple POVs. There are lots of crumbs and twists, and enough intrigue to keep you reading to discover just how all the pieces were woven together.
Might not be my favourite Jamie Day title but I liked it.
Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the invitation to read this ARC.

This book started off a little slow, then exploded! There was so much going on, it was a little hard to keep up. The characters (other than Taylor and Izzy) were not very likable, so it was difficult to feel much empathy for them as they kept making poor decisions. There were a few decent twists, but fairly predictable. That being said, this would be a fun lakeside read during the summer! The setting sounds delightful, and the descriptions of summertime cookouts made me hungry! Thanks so much to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

I couldn’t get into this. It sounded good but just fell flat for me. I tried reading at different parts but nothing gripped my attention. I feel like her other books do this as well.

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

This has been by far one of my favorite books.. it kept me on my toes and kept me guessing 💜 when I thought i had it figured out, I didn’t and to me, that makes an amazing thriller!

Who doesn't love a good summer mystery? The Lake Escape brought back so many memories for me of my own time out in the woods every summer, soaking up the sun, meeting new friends, connecting with old ones, and breathing in that fresh pine smell. Of course, we didn't have a mysterious lake that took someone every 30 years, but you get the idea.

This was such a fun read that kept me on my toes and truly was so reminiscent of childhood summer days; with a sinister edge, that I couldn't help but just soak it all in and read it in one sitting. Fans of the genre, are going to love this one.

Jamie Day's latest novel, The Lake Escape, is a gripping summer read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The story centers around three lifelong friends - Julia, David, and Erika - who return to Lake Timmeny every summer since childhood. But this year, their annual getaway turns into a nightmare when David's new girlfriend goes missing. As they search for her, long-buried secrets begin to unravel, revealing a web of lies and betrayals that span generations.

While some readers may find the ending a bit over-the-top, I felt that Day expertly weaves together multiple plot twists and suspenseful moments that kept me engaged. Although this one didn't hit me the same way as her previous works, I still feel the intense thriller vibe, complex characters, and well-developed setting made for a nice read and is definitely worth checking out!

The Lake Escape is about three friends who grew up together on the lake. Julia, Erika, and David vacation to the lake takes a haunting turn when David’s girlfriend Fiona goes missing. The story goes between two point’s of view Julia’s and Izzy who is David’s nanny. Izzy is David’s nanny who is at the lake for her own reasons.

I enjoyed most of the characters. Julie was annoying at times with her poor me stories. There did seem to be a lot or repeating in this book, so at times the story seemed drawn out. The ending did have some suspense but there were parts that seemed really far fetched.

Jamie Day's new novel The Lake Escape is the perfect summer read! The premise of the book and the twists that occur will keep any thriller reader hooked until the very end. The story centers on three lifelong friends—Julia Crawford, David Dunne, and Erika Miller—who have returned to Lake Timmeny every summer since childhood.

But the lake has a haunting history: two young women vanished there, thirty years apart, spawning a local legend that “the lakes take them.” This year, the past crashes into the present when David’s new, much-younger girlfriend disappears after a night of drinking and tension. As the trio searches for her, long-buried secrets unravel, revealing a web of lies and betrayals stretching across generations.

I thoroughly enjoyed the multiple points of view from the characters, and I believe this added a lot of suspense and tension in the novel. If you have enjoyed Jamie's previous books, you will love this one!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC for review. I have read other books from Jamie Day before so I knew this would be a solid thriller. There is a community of families who all have grown up spending summers together at their lake houses in
Vermont. Over the years, 3 friends, David, Julia, and Erika, have become especially close and their lives have intertwined. The lake holds secrets that these friends would prefer stay buried, but this summer, David has a much-younger new girlfriend and a new nanny. Secrets can’t stay buried forever.

I recently read this ARC, thanks to NetGalley, and have such mixed feelings.
The story didn’t grab my attention in an “unputdownable” way., and I didn’t really like any of the characters much. It was. A bit confusing because there were a lot of different narratives and timeframes. Despite those drawbacks, I DID want to find out whodunit and I DID want to find out what happened between Taylor and Lucas. And I DID want to find out what happens to Fiona. So overall, an entertaining read that scores a solid a 3.5.

This is a mystery without much originality. A good vacation read.

I felt as if I’d read it or something very similar before. The characters were pretty much stereotypes and mostly unlikeable with the exception of Izzy, the nanny. She has spunk and personality. We learn early on she's at the lake on false pretenses.

The three main characters are middle aged now with families but have spent summers growing up in adjacent houses on a Vermont lake. Julia, along with her husband Christian and daughter Taylor, are first to arrive and see that David, whose family owned the middle house has built a modern monstrosity that obstructs their lake view.. Erika, the friend from the other side, is not as enraged as Julia at the eyesore. Hmmm.

It seems that’s the least of their problems. David, brought his young twins to be cared for by a nanny and new girlfriend, Fiona. The first night is a rocky reunion and the next morning, Fiona is missing.

Coincidentally, two girls have gone missing, were never found, and presumed taken by the lake, each of the last thirty years. Unfortunately for Fiona, her disappearance fits the timeline.

The story ambles along, backstories included—a troubled marriage, financial issues, a fraught relationship between Julia's teen daughter and Erika's son, until it reached a very quick conclusion. The reveal came fast and seemed a bit much to me given the story’s meandering flow. The book ends with transcripts of a true crime podcast describing the aftermath. Perhaps the entire book would have benefited from that format.

I’d say if you’re looking for a TV show type mystery, this book might be a good choice. I would have liked more intrigue threaded through the story, rather than piled on at the end.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.