The Lake Escape by Jamie Day has two narrators, Lisa Larsen and Phoebe Strole. The story is told in multiple POVs. Both narrators do an excellent job.

The story is about Julia, David and Erika, who grew up spending their summers together at a lake in Vermont. Each character has complex things happening in their lives - divorce, financial worries, teenagers, etc., but are looking to enjoy a couple weeks relaxing.

This relaxing (or not) vacation spot happens to be the spot where two women disappeared in the past.

The story was engaging. Two of the characters have teenager which added another layer to the story and another character brings along the nanny who surprising has ties to the lake. There were some twists and some surprises along the way. Overall, an entertaining listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillion Audio for the advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Audiobook. This was a ARC book. I liked the narrators of this book and the book kept me interest. I like being interested in a book and seeing where it’s gonna go. The characters were mostly likeable especially the Nanny. Her ulterior motive was a surprise. I would definitely recommend this book.

This was good. I love the mystery, the setting, and the characters. There is a lot going on but it blends well. The ending was really good. I really felt for our nanny.
I love the narration.

3.5⭐️

"The Lake Escape" is a twisty domestic thriller that is perfect for summer. It's hard to believe Jamie Day only stepped onto the scene a couple of years ago, because she has written some solid suspense/thriller books. This was another intricate novel full of secrets, lies, and family drama. The book started off strong, and I was hooked. Around the halfway mark it lost its momentum a bit, but the pace picked up again toward the end with several surprising twists. There are a lot of characters in this story—many of whom are quite unlikeable—and it was hard at first to keep track of who was who. I really enjoyed the dual perspectives of Julia and Izzy, which created a lot of tension and suspense. I also loved the immersive and atmospheric lakeside setting. While this was not my favorite from Day, I liked it overall and think it will definitely make a great lakeside or beach read this summer.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lisa Larsen and Phoebe Strole. They both did a great job bringing the characters to life and building suspense through their narration. They were able to expertly convey the appropriate tone and emotion. Strole's voice was a nice contrast to Larsen's. The audiobook was well-produced, and I especially enjoyed the sounds of the lake's waves lapping the shoreline, which created an immersive experience.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

THE LAKE ESCAPE was enjoyable to listen to. It had a little bit of everything that tend to like in a book…drama and mystery/suspense. The story is fast paced and left me contemplating the plot, until I picked it up again. It’s perfect for the summer if you want something fun to listen to at the beach or pool. Get ready for a wild ride!

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my gifted ALC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to the publication date.

I enjoyed this author’s previous books, and was so excited for this one, but this one was a bit of a miss for me.
I thought the story dragged, and I struggled to connect to any of the characters
I did appreciate the alternating perspectives that the story was told from. The twists were pretty good, even though some were a little over the top.
Overall I would say this falls more on the average end for me. The narrator for the audiobook did an amazing job!
I look forward to reading the author’s books in the future.


Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Somehow I was bored and overwhelmed with this one. Part 1 seemed longer than it needed to be. A lot of words for a basic set up with minimal/superficial character development. Part 2 was action packed, but the reveals were quite over-the-top in my opinion.

While this won’t be a summer favorite of mine, I think will still be a good vacation beach read for other people.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio
for this ALC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date Jul 15 2025

I really enjoyed Jamie Day’s last book, so when I received this arc, I was very excited to get into it.
60% in I was worried this was just another family drama. 61% in, things started to take an interesting turn.
I just struggled to engage with these characters, and the plot was a bit all over the place for me.
Old friends, family lake houses, and so many many secrets. This read does make for a great summer read.

Thank you netgalley for this arc!

Great start to a book - but it lost momentum quickly. It seemed to have too many stories that did not add up. I wanted to like it, but really didn’t love it.

Just like Day's first "One Big Happy Family" and "The Block Party" - this book delivers a twisty summer mystery/thriller packed with family and neighborhood drama. My attention and interest were grabbed right out of the gate and I couldn't stop listening (audiobook).

I will say that you need to be ready to pay attention - their are quite a few characters and so many different dynamics at play, but that being said, it's not hard to stay engaged!

The audio narration was great and this would make a fabulous beach read!

Who doesn’t love a good annual friends’ trip? Julia, David, and Erika have been spending their summers at their family lake houses ever since they were young and they have carried on the tradition into adulthood. What is normally a fun-filled relaxing weekend for the crew, becomes a bit more chaotic this year … even deadly.

When David’s girlfriend goes missing, and it aligns with the spooky lake lore (two other women disappearing exactly 30 years apart), things start to get tesnse and the friendships start to crack.

The story swaps back and forth between the POVs of Julia and Izzy (David’s nanny). As it progresses, we learn that Izzy has ulterior motives for nannying David’s adorable twins. We also learn that David may have some ulterior motives himself … in fact, does the entire group have deep dark secrets that they’re keeping from one another?!

I definitely enjoyed this story! While I wasn’t a huge fan of the asshole misogynistic characters, I also realize that they exist IRL, so it makes sense. Thankfully, to balance that out, I absolutely LOVED the female empowerment/girl power that develops as the story goes on. I’m always on board for a badass woman (pr a few). If you like any of Day’s other books, or even if you haven’t read any of them, I suggest you give this one a read!

Day writes a fantastic summer thriller. I've read their previous two releases and enjoyed them as well. Perfect setting with tons of drama. Definitely recommend! Audiobook was done really well!

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day
Narrated by Lisa Larsen, Phoebe Strole

Julia, David, and Erika spent their summers together at the Vermont lake homes of their families thirty and more years ago. Since their teen years they've been through so much, together and apart, and things have not always been smooth sailing. Still, each of them look forward to their summer vacations at their summer homes although their friendships are going to sink to the bottom of the lake once all kinds of things come to the surface.

For one, David has rebuilt his home so it blocks the lake views of Julia and Erika. Julia is furious, why doesn't Erika care? Plus David has brought another of his endless parade of younger and younger girlfriends to the lake and this one is WAY too young and immature for David. There there is the brand new nanny because David has run through his supply of former nannies somehow. Plus there are the fears about two women going missing after a certain number of years. Is it time for that to happen again?

We get two POVs, that of Julia and that of the nanny, nineteen year old Izzy. I liked them both, Julia seemed to be the most reasonable and down to earth of the older trio. Izzy is a smart, conscientious teen, and her parts were the parts I liked best. She was funny, a bit snarky, but really trying to do the best she could as a nanny with no nanny skills other than watching Mary Poppins every year. She has never even babysat before and now she's got two rambunctious and more than a little spoiled twins on her hands. And she's really there for another reason but can't let anyone know the real reason she is there.

Pretty quickly bad things happen and also bad things are found out, and also bad things are confessed. Lots of bad things. I just sat back and watched (and listened to) the great big Titanic size mess run into the iceberg that had been growing for a very long time. Who, if any one, will come out with their heads above water by the time this story is over? I was fortunate enough to have both the ebook and the audiobook and both are good ways to go with this story. I did really enjoy listening to the narrator of Izzy, she really put life in the part and sounded like the smart and curious teenager she's portraying.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC

A great summer beach read! The characters were all flawed and so secretive and there was a lot of drama. I loved the setting on the lake and history there. This was a fast read or listen because you wanted to find out what happened. There were some good twists I did not see coming. The narration was very well done. I recommend this book and all Jamie Day books!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for my gifted ALC!

What an intricate sh*t show! And I mean that earnestly. This was so deliciously messy, and I could not get enough. Missing persons? Yes. Plural! Money problems? The MOB?? It’s all here. And it seems like it would be too much or outlandish, but it was the reality TV-like escape that I needed. It was juicy, and I was honestly surprised at how diabolical this group of friends has been for forever.

I was waffling between 3 and 4 for this one, as I'd put it right around 3.5, but decided to round up for the fun of the premise and the delivery of the drama.

Premise- Julia, David, and Erika have spent every summer at their Vermont lake homes since childhood. The tradition continues into adulthood, but charming David has aged into a nouveau rich prick, complete with a hot, young post-divorce girlfriend, Fiona. and a home upgrade that annihilates his friends’ views. Also along for the summer is David’s twins’ new nanny, Izzy, who has exactly zero childcare experience and a secret agenda.

After a shouting match Fiona goes missing, forcing Julia and Erika to ask themselves how well they really know David. Two young women disappeared from the lake thirty years earlier, never to be seen again - does something connect the three disappearances?

This was such a fun premise and the plotting did a solid job of letting the 'what ifs' and the 'and thens' spiral with (mostly) increasing stakes. The box thing and the Lucas plot lines didn't work for me at all (felt too YA) but there were enough other plot points that they were a little blip.

The three main friends, David, Julia, and Erika, were well crafted as not-quite-likable characters that were interesting to follow all the same (especially David and Julia). That said, Izzy was the most intriguing character to me from the start, followed by Fiona. Maybe I do go for empathetic/likable characters after all, even though I loudly and proudly stan unlikable protagonists?

Fiona disappears before she can be developed enough to get *really* interesting, so my allegiances shifted entirely to Izzy by pretty early on. Why was she there? What could possibly make the lie worth it?? When the big reveal finally happened, I was entirely unimpressed. I just don't buy Izzy's motivation at all, there are too many degrees of separation to believe it would be urgent/important enough to make her fake a resume, lie to her family, and put herself in the hands of a possible murderer for months on end in his territory.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Lisa Larsen and Phoebe Strole. They did a great job! It was a delightful read and I definitely would recommend this format for this book, especially as it helps gloss over some of the cheesier writing. Melodrama works when you experience it as a radio soap opera.

Thanks, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Block Party so I jumped at the chance for this one. It was not better than it's predecessor to me but it was enjoyable. The audio was good, a little confusing at times with the narration but that is NOT on the narrators - more on how the story lays out. The family drama was good but a little dragged out. Other than that, the twists were twisty!

In The Lake House, a summer mystery unfolds on the shores of a Vermont lake. The story centers around childhood friends Julia, David, and Erika, who reunite at the lake house with their families. Things a dark turn when David's new younger girlfriend vanishes without a trace. As suspicions rise, secrets are revealed, and we learn the nanny has a hidden agenda. Does she know something?

This is a captivating summer read that's perfect for fans of suspense and mystery. We have lifelong friends who all carry their own secrets, the tension is real, the suspicions are high, and no one really trusts anyone.

Although the numerous characters can be challenging to keep track of initially, the author's writing style and pacing make it worthwhile. I was able to hybrid reading and listening to the book. The narrators bring the characters to life, making it easy to distinguish between them.

Overall, 'The Lake House' is a captivating summer read that's perfect for fans of suspense and mystery. It’s a slow burn start but a satisfying conclusion. With engaging writing and interesting plots, Jamie Day has become an author I'm eager to follow and read more from!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and Jamie Day for the opportunity of the ALC of The Lake Escape!
I enjoyed the Narration of the book! Nicely Done. I enjoyed the dual POV throughout the book. It was an enjoyable & entertaining read. I do however think it would have been better if it wasn’t so filled with the extra family drama. I was also able to figure out who done it easier than I had hoped for. Overall a decent listen/read!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook.

I have loved every novel by Jamie Day and this latest book did not disappoint. A novel that takes place at a lakefront cottage with three friends who have been going there since birth is a great way to kick off one’s summer reading list. Add in the disappearance of a new guest that is eerily similar to disappearances that have occurred at the lake before, plus a nanny with a secretive background and you have the recipe for a great mystery/thriller!

The plot keeps the reader engaged throughout the story. A great job is done introducing the various characters and explaining their back stories. I found this added to the storyline, rather than making it drag. It also helped that there were little twists and turns all throughout the story that keeps the readers engaged.

The story is told through dual narrators - one being Julia, one of the original lake habitants. Julia’s POV is told via third person. The other narrator is Izzy, the young college-aged nanny, which is told via first person. Both POVs offer great insight into the story. As I listened to the audiobook, I liked that there were two separate narrators for Julia and Izzy.

I highly recommend this book along with the two previous novels that Jamie Day has written. I feel that readers will be happy with this selection!