I liked The House on the Lake because it's one of those books that you feel completely lost in for most of the novel. I felt so confused, which was kind of cool since it made me feel connected to the main character as she tries to figure out what's going on at this secluded lake house. The less you know, the better because the payoff is great. The writing style was just ok, the dialogue especially came off as unnatural. Overall, 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Based on the synopsis for this book I thought that I would be hooked from the start and would really enjoy it. While it was an easy read it was quite slow to start with and I found that I had predicted what would happen at the end before I was half way through the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this story of a haunted house. Personally, I was hoping for something a bit darker, but it was still a quick, spooky reader.

Readers who like creepy tales without too much darkness, or too many twists, will enjoy this one.

I recently finished reading "The House on the Lake" by Holly Hill Mangin, and I have to say, it was a captivating and atmospheric read.

This novel tells the story of a mysterious lake house and the secrets that it holds. The author's vivid descriptions brought the setting to life, and I found myself immersed in the haunting beauty of the lake and its surroundings.

The characters were well-developed and kept me guessing throughout the book. Mangin masterfully weaves together multiple timelines, unraveling a gripping tale of love, loss, and family secrets.

I particularly enjoyed the suspenseful atmosphere that permeated the entire story. It kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth behind the house on the lake.

If you're a fan of atmospheric thrillers with a touch of mystery, I recommend "The House on the Lake." It's a captivating and haunting read that will leave you wanting more.

''An island is the last place Eve Beckett ever thought she’d end up. Deathly afraid of water, she has no memory of arriving at the foreboding Lakeview Manor on the Isle of Esse. Her love for a good mystery, however, especially when it comes to strange houses and the paranormal, has her second-guessing her desire to leave.

But there’s something odd going on at Lakeview. Dark and dusty rooms shift location, and there’s a mysterious woman only Eve seems able to see . . .

When Eve’s mirror twin shows up, also with no memory of how she arrived on the island, and the manager of the property warns them away from his brother—one Eve has no wish to avoid—the number of mysteries surrounding Lakeview becomes too much. As she learns more about the manor and its inhabitants, the question becomes not just how, but if Eve will ever leave the island.''



I did enjoy this so much. I can honestly say that I won’t forget these characters. This is one of those books that you will keep thinking about for a long time. I’ve never read anything like it before. I particularly liked reading the author’s acknowledgements at the end and the journey she experienced while writing it. I can just imagine how attached she became with these characters.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end

I honestly don't know how to review this one. Conflicted. I cried. Hard. It hit a nerve, I believe it needs a trigger warning. But 80% of it was so unreadable, dull and cringey. The last 20% is the most existential, sorrowful and impactful. It's kind of brilliant, in a really... f***ed up way. And you had to navigate through vapid romance and pointless dialogue to get to the part that finally made sense. I predicted the plot from the start, and wished the story would get to the point. The ending was beautiful.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced readers copy.

Thanks first must go to Netgalley, the publisher and Holly Hill Mangin for the ARC of ‘The House on the Lake’.

A well written debut, with write ingredients for a thriller cum paranormal/horror. Developed story line and well rounded characters.

I’m not the hugest fan of paranormal hence the 4 starts, but overall a great read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
The information provided about this story attracted me because of the mystery surrounding how Eve got to the strange house and the other characters. Gail is most peculiar, frequently worried and alternating between nice and nasty moods. Lynn, Eve's sister, disappears frequently and the house sounds like a decaying Hogwarts with moving rooms. I read about 50% of this book but nothing much happened, just more of the same confusion and meandering through descriptions without uncovering any mystery. I found this so uninteresting that I flipped through to last few chapters to see if my hunch was right, only to find that I was completely correct - so, no mystery then! I think the blurb built this up to be something it didn't turn out to be as it didn't uncover a mystery, it only thinly-disguised a straightforward plot by trying to create confusion.

Paranormal spookiness at its best - I was hooked from the first few pages - a proper page-turner if ever there was one.

Eve wakes up in a house with no memory and learns that she is there on a retreat. She also has an overwhelming fear of water and she struggles with why she is there and how she is going to get off of the island retreat. The premise of this book and the creepy factor drew me towards this book. The story, however, could have benefited from some editing because I felt that it tried to do too much. While I appreciated the purpose of the love triangle and felt that it enhanced the ending the whole triangle interactions were odd and took away from the story.

This book is a kaleidoscope of mystery, darkness that just fills your mind and leaves you wanting for more. I devoured this book in one day.

Interesting story that was a bit predictable but I enjoyed it! I thought it could have had a bit more creep factor.

An island is the last place Eve Beckett ever thought she’d end up. Deathly afraid of water, she has no memory of arriving at the foreboding Lakeview Manor on the Isle of Esse. Her love for a good mystery, however, especially when it comes to strange houses and the paranormal, has her second-guessing her desire to leave.

But there’s something odd going on at Lakeview. Dark and dusty rooms shift location, and there’s a mysterious woman only Eve seems able to see . . .

When Eve’s mirror twin shows up, also with no memory of how she arrived on the island, and the property manager warns them away from his brother—one Eve has no wish to avoid—the number of mysteries surrounding Lakeview becomes too much. As she learns more about the manor and its inhabitants, the question becomes not just how but if Eve will ever leave the island.

The story of this book wasn't quite one i've read before and I appreciated having something new to read as opposed to the same old thriller/horror tropes. Kept you guessing until the very end!

Thank you NetGalley and the Pubs for this early review. This book was a debut for Holly Hill Mangin and thought it was an ok read. I didn’t Iove it but it wasn’t terrible. I liked the concept more than I actually liked the book. I went in thinking this book would borderline on thriller/horror but felt it was more paranormal than anything. I thought the book was a bit confusing and at points hard to follow. I’m giving it 2.5 stars but I’ll round up for this being her debut.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
- twisty thrillers
- dark island vibes
- creepy “haunted” mansion setting
- short chapters

Eve Beckett cannot believe that she ended up on island. She is terrified of water and has absolutely no recollection of how she got here. Straaaaaaaange things are going on at this place … rooms that seem to shift and move .. secret passageways .. a mysterious woman that only Eve can see ….
The story begins with Eve realizing she’s in a house on an ISLAND with a couple that apparently invited her to stay there and her twin sister Lyn, except she has no memory of wanting to come to this place or actually getting here. She is terrified of water so she’s just like “Meh this is fine, we’ll just stay here with these creepy people” 🤣🤣 WHAT?! That part was a little far-fetched lol but moving along with the story …
I was honestly lost and confused as to what was going on with this story for most of it, but obviously that was done on purpose. It all came together in the end though and the pieces all clicked in to place and it all made sense.
I did not really like a single one of the characters, not sure if that was done on purpose. I literally did not care at all what happened to any of the characters 🤪
There was even some romance sprinkled into this mystery! That’s perfect for me because my second favourite genre is romance (after thriller/mystery obviously) so it was nice to have kind of like 2 different books in one ❤️
The ending was a little crazy 😜 but I have to admit it’s definitely something I haven’t seen before. I enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and story kept me wanting more and more. A very enjoyable read overall.

I enjoyed this book but I can’t quite say that I loved it. Though I would still recommend people give this book a read!

I was looking for a thriller to keep me hooked with some twists. The pace was perfect and it definitely had a twist to keep me surprised!

This was definitely a quick read. I enjoyed it. Found myself unable to put it down! I was drawn to it by the cover art, and the fact that I love all things spooky, and I was not disappointed.