Although the synopsis really doesn't really give you a good idea of the story, it becomes obvious right away what this one is all about. Five college friends decide to take a girls' trip to reconnect since they haven't seen each other for some time due to their busy lives. They end up at a ramshackle cabin close to a lake -- there's no mobile or internet service and only one very creepy dude close by. Things don't look good for the ladies. Instead of backing out and heading to a different resort for their reunion, they decide to stay. That's when things start going wrong.

I struggled to finish this one. For one thing, I totally disliked all the women. The second issue was that it was totally predictable and I never found that "gripping psychological thriller" that the blurb promised. Their interaction was banal and lame and, once things started going from bad to worse, their actions bordered on simply ridiculous. I always hate it when I have to write a review of a book that didn't work for me, so I'm just leaving this here. My advice: skip it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

This was a really good book. It captivated my attention from page 1! I did sorta figure out the end. I would definitely recommend this book!

The story had a locked room suspense to it where 5 friends met after 5 years and start dying one by one. Someone had drawn a bull’s eye on their backs.

Author Laura Wolfe’s writing was hooking. With 6 characters, I knew it had to be one of them. But who? The whole story was more about the motive than the perp, at least for me. That made me turn the pages faster.

I liked the sense of danger and desperation layering the scenes. There was always a need to look over the shoulder. With them in the middle of nowhere with no internet or mobile network in a ramshackle lake house, the claustrophobic feel to the story soon set in.

I got to know all the friends, but the story was told mainly from the POV of one. The vibe of the plotline may seem familiar, the macabre aura wasn’t. Fast paced and engrossing the book was, no doubt, but I had to laugh at the motive.

A fun afternoon…

The Lake House is a twisty psychological thriller, evoking echoes of Agatha Christie's masterpiece And Then There Were None and the many homages it has spawned, including Ruth Ware's One by One, Gretchen McNeil's Ten and C.A. Larmer's And Then There Were 9. Reunion-based mysteries such as Lucy Foley's The Hunting Party and Ruth Ware's The Lying Game also spring to mind.
The book opens with Megan, from whose first-person perspective the narrative unfolds, meeting up with her college possé, Sam, Charlotte, Jenna and Kaitlyn. The women have decided to meet up after a break of five years, to celebrate their fortieth birthdays, travelling to an isolated cabin situated on a picturesque lake in a remote corner of Wisconsin. Immediately upon their arrival, the women are disconcerted by the dilapidated condition of the house (it doesn't live up to its online photos), the complete lack of telephone signal or wi-fi and the intimidating demeanour of owner Travis. Laura Wolfe builds a feeling of hidden menace and tension as the women spend their first, uneasy, night at Crooked Lake.
The first half of the novel builds the reader's understanding of the complex relationships and shared history between the central five characters. Resentments, secrets and feelings of guilt lurk just below the surface of their reminiscences and bonhomie, occasionally breaking through into small confrontations and revelations. Flashbacks to the friends' lives at college are told through Megan's lens, and we're aware that she has more than her fair share of secrets and regrets. We also know that she's had misgivings about coming to Crooked Lake from the outset, and is subject to crippling panic attacks - how far can we rely on her perspective on events, both past and present?
The tension is ratchetted up several levels after the women explore a nearby abandoned holiday camp, where a suspicious death occurred a year previously. One woman is injured in an avoidable accident and they return to the lake house to find both front tyres of Charlotte's minivan, their only transport, irreparably punctured. They're trapped at Crooked Lake and will need to rely on Travis's co-operation to communicate with the outside world, at the same time suspecting that he is behind the damage to the vehicle. When one of the women is found strangled the following morning, the remaining four realise that they're engaged in a fight for their lives. While Travis makes a convenient focus for their fear and blame, they each begin second-guessing whether the culprit might actually be closer to home...
I imagine it's quite difficult to construct a plot which maintains mystery while the pool of suspects is gradually reduced, and Laura Wolfe achieves this well, withholding just enough information at each stage to leave the reader questioning the motives of each of the surviving protagonists at each stage. It's a well-worn basic plot idea, but I felt Wolfe maintains reader interest with her well-developed (albeit dysfunctional) character relationships and wonderfully oppressive setting.
The conclusion is a satisfyingly thrilling race for survival, with just a few little extra twists towards the end to reward the reader.
I found The Lake House a riveting read, perhaps only slightly let down by occasionally unconvincing dialogue and character behaviour that really stretches credibility at times. At some points, the action seems to mirror more teenage slasher movie fodder than a group of mature, successful women facing a hidden threat.
Since my reading of the book as The Lake House, it has been released under the title Her Best Friend's Lie. While I think I can see the reasoning behind the change (there are a multitude of books out there called "The Lake House"), I must admit I'm not convinced that the new title really works as well as the more ambiguous original.
I'd recommend The Lake House / Her Best Friend's Lie to readers who like twisty psychological thrillers and dramas arising from the complex webs that are female group relationships.
My thanks to the author, Laura Wolfe, publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Five girls meet at university twenty years later they are all turning 40 they decide to have a girls weekend away.
When they arrive at the cabin it doesn’t look anything like the one they had booked plus there’s no internet.
The story is told by Megan it takes us back to when they where at university
Each one of them has secrets .
They learn that a summer retreat that’s for wayward youngsters which is nearby has been closed due to one of the staff dying under suspicious circumstances.
But they decide to stay.
Until one ,two of them are killed.
Can the others get out before they are three, four and five.
Thanks NetGalley

I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. It held my attention from beginning to end. Love reading books like this. Looking forward to more.

Five friends from college decide to take a weekend get away and enjoy themselves. Although they were friends in school can they keep up the friendship now in the real world? But something isn't right about this place in the forest that they have went to stay at. Slowly things start to happen. The real person creeps out for all to see.
This was very suspenseful and I loved it!

Laura Wolfe is a reliably interesting author with great stories. No two are just alike, which I love. Get this book, you won't be disappointed. Wow!

Thank you Netgalley for an copy of THE LAKE HOUSE by Laura Wolfe.
The description sounded so much better than the actual story. It just dragged on did not like the characters at all.

Between the book description and the reviews I was really looking forward to this book unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t like any of the characters, found the pacing far too slow, and I wasn’t intrigued by the women and their wild imaginations.

Laura Wolfe has become one of those authors i watch for, as I know her books are sure to keep me in suspense and thrill me! This was no exception! Well written, fast paced, full of chills, thrills, twisty turns, and shocks! This one is one that you definitely need to grab, if you enjoy thrillers, as it’s sure to keep you up way late trying to finish!

This was my first book by this author, Laura Wolfe, and I don't believe it will be the last. I did not form close relationships with the people I went to college with and after reading this I am glad! This is about 5 college friends getting together for their 40th birthday, they want to get away from the city and save money. I can say if I had been in this situation and saw the cabin the way it was described, I would have taken the keys and driven myself back to town! To be stuck with no phone in the middle to no where, no thank you. This book had a lot of twist and turns, I thought I had figured it out but was surprised in the end. Good read, thanks NetGalley for the copy.

Five friends reunite to celebrate their 40th birthdays. They excitedly rent a remote cabin to have some quality time together. But the cabin is run down and the owner seems odd. When one of the friends dies, can the rest of the women trust each other to stay safe?
The Lake House is an entertaining thriller featuring five women who have been friends since college but recently lost touch. I had to suspend my disbelief as the whole plot is completely and wonderfully crazy.
The tone of the novel is set by the lake house itself which has a creepy and dangerous feel. The women feel ill at ease with the secluded location and lack of communication with the outside world. They are also trying to negotiate relationships with each other that have lapsed over the intervening years. There are also secrets they have been keeping from each other and the very last line of the book made my jaw drop!
The book is written from the first person perspective of Megan, a relationship therapist whose own marriage is in trouble. The majority of the plot is delivered in the present day but we also see Megan's memories of events that are relevant to the current events as secrets are revealed.
The author cleverly hints at potential secrets form the past which may be behind the events in the present. She also provides a range of potential suspects and motives so that we can try to figure things out for ourselves, increasing our involvement with the plot and characters.
Overall, The Lake House was thoroughly entertaining and engaging.

The Lake House was my first Laura Wolfe book, and it definitely won't be my last! I really enjoyed this novel, and all the twists and turns kept me guessing. I had a hard time putting it down and stayed up way too late because I was so excited to find out how it would end. The characters were relatable, and I really cared about what happened to them...though reading about people stuck in a remote, rundown cabin with no way to contact anyone gave me major anxiety. I highly recommend The Lake House...thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read a great new thriller! : )

Friend who met over twenty years ago are now celebrating a milestone birthday. They plan to go away to a lake to relax an celebrate. What could go wrong right? Well lets just say a whole hell of a lot. What makes this story so good is that they are isolated with no link the outside world- every horror story and gridlfiends getaway rolled into one. There are lots of creepy characters- there cabin owner Travis made me want to lock myself in my house and stay there and never go on girls trip again. As the story unfolds it is clear that the girls all have their secrets. There are a bunch of twists and a really bonkers final twist that kept me glued to this book. ENJOYED.

How well do you know your friends?

That was what our main character, Megan learn when she and her four old college friends spend a quick vacation in a secluded lakehouse.

Each ladies have different personalities that can easily relate to anyone in real life. What draws me to keep reading this is the suspense that is enveloping the story. I like that the author included some flashbacks that later on will be important to the entire story.

I rate it 3 out of 5 stars because...

In the first few chapters, I can already guess who the killer is without some flashbacks.
Some of these flashbacks felt a bit too detailed that I almost skip the pages.
I felt that the whole story is lacking some important plots and felt a bit flat.
I was not expecting that ending!
Overall, I did enjoy reading it. It may not be that "putting you at the edge of your seat" feeling, but it is something worth reading.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing this e-ARC for me to read and give an honest review.

This is the first book I have read from Laura Wolfe. I thought this was good psychological thriller but it did take me while to get into the book and read it. The story is about Megan and her four friends who going away for the weekend. They have been friends for long time but they don’t seem as close as they should be. I must admit I thought the killer was one of the friends and continuity was her but was surprised when it wasn’t.
Thank you NetGalley letting me read this book.

When I started reading this book it was reminding me of one of those corny American films - bunch of friends pitch up at a remote cabin - and you know it's not going to turn out well. And it doesn't - just not in the way I first thought. Got a bit confused with the friends and who was who, married to who and their back story. Couple of red herrings thrown in for good measure. Definitely a bit creepy. Thank you to the author and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and for the invite to the blog tour.

Five friends who meet in college and have slowly drifted apart decide to reconnect for a weekend getaway. An isolated cabin on a private lake sounds absolutely perfect online, but reality is much different. The cabin is dilapidated, there's no cell phone reception, and the rutted road has destroyed their only vehicle. What could possibly go wrong?!
The setting of this book is super creepy without even factoring in the terrifying landlord. A run-down abandoned summer camp sits across the lake, one of the cabins still with police tape where a counselor died. No contact with the outside world. Lock the doors and leave all the lights on to read this book!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This has been an interesting read which I have devoured in just one sitting. I love this author and this is a book which really hasn’t disappointed.

I adore how this author writes, I find the books well written and completely engaging. This has been an addictive read which I have been completely pulled into and unable to predict where this was going.

This is a book that is full of suspense and certain parts of this book have given me Friday 13th vibes. This has really made me enjoy this book so much more. I am excited to read more by this author and I am a huge fan.

The only negative I have of this book is that the plot hasn’t felt real, but even with that factor I have enjoyed this one. A strong four star read for me.