Told from multiple perspectives, Lori Roy's Lake County offers readers a noirish glimpse into 1950s Florida. The story is rich with suspense and atmosphere, blending elements of the Tampa Mafia and a reimagined Marilyn Monroe.

As a fan of reimagined stories featuring Hollywood celebrities, I found Lake County to be captivating. While Marilyn's reimagined life adds intrigue, the true stars are Truitt and Addie. The narrative unfolds like a movie, rich in emotion and character. Lori Roy's storytelling prowess shines through each page and character.

This book was an absolute page-turner for me, and I was thoroughly engrossed from start to finish. I especially loved the ending and the prologue. If you enjoy reimagined stories set in fictional towns and are a fan of old-time Hollywood stars, I highly recommend Lake County by Lori Roy.

4.5/5

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

A reimagining of what could have been.

Perhaps in some ways this beautiful tribute to a talented person who will remain forever in our hearts might be closer to the truth regarding the lovely delicate being known as Marilyn Monroe/ Norma Jean than we could ever imagine.

I especially enjoyed the female empowerment in this novel as well as the organized crime historical side-story (well written and fascinating).

Great job by the author, and the first book I have read of this type, a fictional re-imagining of a nonfiction character.

A 'what could have been' story about the beloved Marilyn Monroe and her 'niece' Addie Anne who dreams of stardom and fame.

Addie Anne lives in Florida and is days away from turning 18. The day after her birthday, she and her "Aunt Jean" will board a train bound for New York and Los Angeles. Her family has no idea that Addie has plans to never return to her small town. Aunt Jean comes to visit every few years. Her fame is a burden and her time away allows her rest and the time to just be a person.

This story includes the mob and it's hold on the community and ultimately, on Addie and "Aunt Jean". The story does touch in female empowerment, as well as a good mix of dealing with a 'bad crowd.'

Overall, it was a quick read, but honestly, didn't leave too much of an impression. I'm not going to be thinking about it a year later.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love lakes and anything to do with lakes…and of course an occasional Southern Gothic.
The book is based in a small Florida town and involves Marilyn Monroe and her niece. Both are about to break free of their small town but the mob and romance gets in the way their dreams and freedom. It was a little slow and dry but had all the Southern vibes going on. Enjoyed reading this for something different and thank you for the advanced copy

This isn't the type of book I would normally choose to read (historical fiction, mob stories), but in my adventure to try new genres and authors, I gave it a go. I really enjoyed this book. From start to finish, it kept me wanting to keep going to see what happened next. With twists and turns, you never knew what was coming next. Definitely one to pick up!
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC.

This was a very well written and believable story about what could have been Marilyn Monroe's life had it taken a different road. Addie Anne lives with her family in Hockta Florida, her dad grows oranges and the smell of orange blossoms during growing season are strong. Addie Anne wants to be famous like her Aunt Jean (Marilyn Monroe), who is visiting them and has told Addie Anne that on her 18th birthday she'll take her on a trip to Hollywood and New York before returning to Hockta. Addie Anne has no intention of returning though, she has aspirations of becoming an actress and thinks she just has to get in front of a director and she'll become a star. Addie Anne's boyfriend Truitt has no such aspirations, he wants to marry her, have babies and live in Hockta forever. After a brief bit of intimacy, they argue and Truitt says he wants nothing to do with her. This leads him to getting very drunk and staying out much later, where he runs into Marilyn's sometime boyfriend and another woman who have a flat tire. Truitt starts to help, but some other men stop and he realizes these are mob men from Tampa, likely looking for him because of a type of gambling game he does to keep him and his mother alive. Things go very bad after that, and the body count rapidly rises, although not enough to deter the story. I would recommend, I very much enjoyed. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Thomas and Mercer for the ARC.

I was very intrigued by the blurb and really wanted to love it, but was really put off by the first person narrative style that sounded too much like a diary. Wasn't for me

Lori Roy's latest book is her most propulsive yet! With her elegant prose and jaw-dropping plot twists, Roy marries literary and commercial in a story that is impossible to put down. Readers may be drawn to the Marilyn Monroe angle, but all the characters in Lake County are magnetic. A two-time Edgar winner, Roy is certain to garner more awards for this effort.

A southern thriller? Count me in. Lake County follows Addie Anne, and her dream to leave Florida and make it out in California. Her boyfriend has other plans, wanting to remain in Florida, and gives Addie Anne an ultimatum. Trouble ensues. Mob-related trouble! This book explores many themes, including female empowerment, dreams realized and forgotten, and running with the wrong crowd. I enjoyed the twists, both unexpected and not, and really was rooting for Addie Anne through the entire book.

I didn't love this one but I also didn't hate this one. However I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

Lake County has got that rare feel good factor. Different form Lori Roy’s previous books it combines an episode in an alternative life of Marilyn Monroe with a story of morality, power and long held secrets. Most of all it’s about Addie Anne a strong young woman and the mythical niece of Marilyn her role model who she knows as Aunt Jean. Annie is not quite Mattie Ross but shows similar determination and courage. There are some colorful characters Wiley the wily sheriff, Siebert Rix a Dickensian villain and gangster boss Santo Giordano. It’s quite an enjoyable read but it isn’t a great book. I expected more from an Edgar winning novelist.

“Lake Country” by Lori Roy was a fictional story taking place in southern Florida in the 1950s. It’s an easy to read thriller about an 18 year old girl whose goal is to get to Hollywood. Her aunt promises to take her and that Aunt happens to be Marilyn Monroe. Lots of bad guys, mob characters and a few twists keep the story moving. I felt it was a bit predictable which is why the 3* rating.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Take me to the country side and let’s go finishing at my country lake house! Feel the pace of life! Smell the adventure, and enjoy the lemonade on the swing of my porch as we share stories of hope and joy.

This southern thriller was easy to read and kept me engaged. I could smell the orange blossoms and feel the sweltering heat of the small town of Hockta Florida while I was reading it. I love historical fiction and this story, which takes place in the 1950's, was excellent.
The key players were Addie Anne Buckley, who wanted nothing more than to go to Hollywood and become someone like her Aunt Jean, and her boyfriend Truitt Holt who wanted to stay home and keep his mother safe. Truitt ran a bolita game that ended up causing more problems than he expected, with the mob showing up and bodies piling up.
Aunt Jean, as you can guess, was none other than Marylin Monroe, who came to Hockta whenever things got bad for her in Hollywood, to visit her childhood friend who happened to be Addie Anne's mother. This summer, Addie Anne was turning 18, and Aunt Jean was gifting Addie a trip to Hollywood. Addie could not wait to get the dust from Hockta off her shoes.
There were some twists and turns keeping me reading to see how things would end up. I have not read this author before and will be looking up her other books.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC, allowing me to read and review this book.

Fantabulous! I simply couldn't put this fantastic tale down!
I was pulled into this story from page one.
I really enjoyed this novel a lot because it was from Addie's point of view. These are my favorite kind of stories.
I've read a lot of great novels from Netgalley and this book was no exception.
I like reading novels set in my mom's era the 1950's. Things really weren't that much different than now.
I feel that I've gotten to know Marylin a lot better. I had no idea that she had another name so I looked it up.
This new to me author has hit this story spot on. I loved every minute of it. I didn't want it to end.
I didn't like Seibert Rix. He was too slick for my taste.
Lots of secondary characters were wonderful too. I felt that they were well rounded out and got their fair share of the book too.
5 stars for a well written story. I highly recommend