I loved this story about a mother doing everything she can to find her daughter.

What worked for me:
- likable main characters
- strong female characters
- an authentic mother-daughter relationship
- a beautiful setting
- a twisty but not overly complicated plot
- dual points of view and timelines

What didn't work for me:
- nothing

I received an audiobook of this one on Netgalley in exchange for reading and reviewing it. I liked the narration of the book and I thought both of the perspectives telling the story were brought to life well. The story is also told in two timelines which is always nice. Rose is a mother whose daughter went missing in Guatemala and after weeks of searching was determined to have drowned. Rose knows that her daughter’s employer has answers despite refusing to talk to her and her daughter’s father, so she books a writing retreat with the woman, a famous memoirist who has a fancy retreat that her daughter briefly worked at. Jules wanted to see the world and experience things. After one round of rejections from grad schools in writing she doesn’t finish her applications and instead decides to travel through South America. Eve has always been her favorite author, she has read her first memoir dozens of times since she was in high school. She didn’t dare to hope, but is beyond excited when she gets a job as Eve’s assistant. But as Jules learns no one is only one thing and not all memoirs tell the whole story of a person. The big twist at the end wasn’t super surprising. I didn’t like the epilogue at all. I get it, but I didn’t find it really plausible (or satisfying). The story moved pretty well and it was a story I kept wanting to listen to just a little more of.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my opinions.
This thriller set at a luxury memoir-writing workshop on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. A mother goes in search of answers to find out what happened to her missing daughter. Authorities say it was an accidental drowning so no body was found. It has been three months and this Mom has no clue where to start because her daughter is in her early 20's has her own secrets she has been keeping from her Mother as well. There are many characters and storytelling is tight and concise and every detail is important to the plot. This beachy Novel will be a great Summer read for sure. I listened to the AudioBook and the voices were not annoying and were easy to listen to and understand. I would recommend this book and I give it 4 stars. It does start a little slow but this is an easy read and not very long.

If you love over-the-top plots as I do, you will really enjoy The Deepest Lake. Mostly what I am looking for when I read a book, is drama that has me holding my breath with suspense, and keeps me reading late into the night with riveted attention to find out what happens next. Any minute that I had to do something responsible (like go to my job) that kept me away from this book, I was just waiting for it to be over, so I could get back to this story.

Our three main characters, Rose, Jules, and Eva, are all strong and interesting women. Watching them interact and was fantastically entertaining. Eva’s dangerous charisma is like that of a cult leader, and the whole dynamic of her devotees at her writing workshop is tremendously well written. The psychology of hero-worship fascinates me and that’s mostly what The Deepest Lake is about. It examines how leaders get followers, and why the followers need to idolize someone and how they will do absolutely anything to get their idol’s approval.

Thank you so much Netgalley and R&B media for giving me a free audio download in advance of publication. I really love this book and I’m recommending it to anyone who likes drama!

If you love a slow burn thriller The Deepest Lake by Andromeda Romano-Lax is right up your alley! Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC. This story is told from the viewpoints of Rose and Jules. Rose is a mother desperate find out what happened to her missing (and presumed dead) daughter Jules. Rose visits the last place Jules was seen Lake Atitlan in Guatemala at a writer's workshop held by beloved famous writer, Eva. I felt the first two thirds of the book had a lot of character and story building, but I was not truly drawn in until around 65%. The last third of the book I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen, and I couldn't stop listening. This was also great as an audiobook! I highly recommend checking out this unique thriller!

This book definitely took me by surprise.

We start with a young woman named Jules who is 'finding herself' on her travels across the world. She is hoping to become an author and has recently landed in Guatemala, where her favorite author, Eva Marshall has been hosting writing retreats for aspiring writers. She is doing everything in her power to work her way in to her inner circle, to not only work with her, but possibly 'friend' her and pick her mind... Surprisingly, she finds a way in...
But, the closer she gets to her, the more she realizes that her idol is not worth her affections and time.
The more she discovers, the more frightened she becomes...and with good reason.

Once Jules' parents stop hearing from her, they launch a search party in Guatemala...only to be told that she drowned in the deepest lake in the world, and her body would probably never be found.

Unhappy with this, her mother Rose decides that she is going to enlist and actually GO ON the retreat that Eva is hosting. Once she gets there she realizes that things are not as they seem, and she thinks that Jules probably realized the same thing.

⭐️ Lots of characters.
⭐️ Lots of emotions.
⭐️ Lots of truth being dragged out of people who were not looking to share.
⭐️ Lots of dark, shady stuff going on...

For all of that, 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RecordedBooksMedia for an ARC of the audiobook which will be released on 5/7/24 (so about 2 months from now)...so look for it then!

#TheDeepestLake by #AndromedaRomanoLax and narrated nicely by #SusanBennett and #RebeccaQuinnRobertson.

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading!📚⭐️📖

This story is set against the backdrop of a luxury memoir-writing workshop on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. A grieving mother, Rose, delves into the mysterious death of her daughter, Jules. Despite an official ruling of accidental drowning, Rose is unsatisfied with the answers and goes undercover at the workshop to investigate further. Jules, an aspiring writer, was found dead after swimming alone, and her abrupt end in communication in the days before her death adds to the intrigue. As Rose navigates the literary world created by her daughter's idol, Eva Marshall, a renowned writing teacher, she unravels the events leading up to Jules's disappearance. The idyllic setting conceals dark secrets, raising questions about whether the retreat is a place for healing or inflicting deeper wounds.

This one was pretty middle of the road for me. It’s less suspense/thriller and more of a slow burn drama. It’s such a slow burn that it’s quite literally unfolding in the final seconds/on the final page. I think I would have liked it better if it had been about three hours shorter; this was pretty drawn out. Overall, I liked the story as it’s told from alternating POV’s (Rose and Jules) and different timelines with Rose in present day and Jules prior to disappearance/death. If you like Lisa Jewell’s work, I think you’ll enjoy this one, and it will be obvious as to why if you read it.

This book held multiple surprising changes in the plot of this story of a mom and daughter walking somewhat parallel paths. It is a smart story and it seems the author did quite a bit of research. I appreciate that the women in this book both fight for life and relationships rather than letting life run over them.

This is an interesting perspective about the consequences of lying online and what that could lead one to do to protect a brand as well.

I was hooked right from the beginning. Jules is traveling and finds herself in Guatemala applying for a job with her writing idol, Eva Marshall. Jules starts doing social media work for the writing retreats and is excited to have Eva as her mentor. When Jules goes missing, her parents start a search party to find her but she's presumed dead from drowning in the lake. Jules' mother, Rose, needs more answers and decides to go to Guatemala on the next writing retreat so she can be in the same place as her daughter before she passed. I found the book to be engaging and thrilling, and it made me want to keep reading to find out what happened.

This book is told in the POV of Rose and Jules. I listened to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed the story, it shows the immense bond between a mother and daughter. I enjoyed the narration by Susan Bennett and Rebecca Quinn Robertson, it really made me feel like I was in the story.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for the ARC for my honest review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6332686034

The Deepest Lake by Andromeda Romano-Lax

Set mostly in Guatemala, this thriller looks deeply at mother-daughter relationships. When Rose’s daughter, Jules, gets a dream position as famous writing instructor Eva Marshall’a personal assistant, things seem like they are going well for Jules. Until she is missing then presumed dead. Her heartbroken mother travels to the writer’s retreat under an assumed named to find out what really happened to Jules. Alternating chapters narrated by Jules and Rose ratcheted up the tension. As Rose gets closer to the truth the stakes get even higher. Can she find out what happened to Jules and stay alive to tell the story?

I listened to the audiobook which really made the story come to life. Different narrators portrayed Jules and Rose, so their chapters were distinctly different. There were lots of tense and uncomfortable moments with plenty of action and build up to the action. This book had a tense, atmospheric feel, in a similar vein as Liz Moore’s Long Bright River or the Black Harbor thrillers by Hannah Morissey. To be honest, I had a hard time getting into it and had to restart part way through to try again, but that may have been more about my personal attention span than the book. Overall, I was glad I persisted because I ultimately ended up enjoying the book quite a bit.

I really love this!!! I listened to it on the plane to Costa Rica and it kept me entertained. It had a really good mystery that captivates you until the end. The voice acting was pretty good too.

The Deepest Lake follows the story of a mother who attends a writing retreat in Guatemala with the hopes of unraveling the mystery surrounding her daughter's disappearance, and presumed death.

The narrative unfolds steadily, drawing listeners into the mother's journey, with moments of flashbacks to Jules' experiences working/interning at the retreat. Ava (Eva?), the writing retreat guru and leader, is narrated impeccably. The audiobook is a worthwhile purchase for libraries to supplement their physical collection. The ending of the book wraps up quickly compared to the steady--slow pace of the first three-quarters, though still a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so interesting and I loved the dual perspectives because at first I believed Jules to be dead. It took a while to figure out the motives behind all of the events in the book, but that really helped with setting the scene because Rose has no clue what is happening. I really enjoyed this book and everything that happened.

"The Deepest Lake" is a poignant drama that revolves around the bond between a mother and her daughter. The story follows a young writer and daughter who travels to Guatemala in search of inspiration from her favorite author. She's thrilled when she gets selected as an intern at the author's unorthodox and pricey retreat but soon finds out it's not what she had expected.

The story is told through multiple perspectives and dual timelines. We also follow her mother's journey as she sets out to uncover the truth about what happened to her daughter. The author's description of the lake and the setting is both enchanting and ominous, and I found myself completely absorbed in the audiobook until the very end. The female characters who attended the retreat were diverse and well-defined.

Thanks to Recorded Books for providing this audiobook through NetGalley. As always, all opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

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Rated it 3.5⭐️
I am grateful to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of The Deepest Lake by Andromeda Romano-Lax in exchange for an honest review. The story follows Rose as she searches for answers about her daughter Jules, who is presumed dead after going missing near Lake Atitlan. I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrators did an excellent job, especially with differentiating the characters' voices. While the novel started off as a solid mystery, it dragged in the middle and ended abruptly. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy slow-burn literary fiction with a hint of mystery in the subplot.

Such an engaging story, coming of age meets the reverse roles of Misery. The story of what lengths someone will go to for their image and to get what they want at any cost.

I wouldn't say this was an edge of your seat, spine tingling thriller, but I definitely couldn't wait to see what happened next.

I will say that I was not completely satisfied with the ending. While well written, it was not the closure I wanted. That is an absolute personal preference.

Thank you, NetGalley and RB Media, for the advanced audio version of this novel.

The Deepest Lake (audiobook)
3⭐️

Jules’s disappearance in Guatemala is ruled a suspected drowning, but that doesn’t sit right with Rose, her mother. Local police and the private investigator have closed the case so Rose is going to take on the investigation herself by traveling to Guatemala. She travels under her maiden name as she doesn’t want her relationship to impact her ability to find answers. She plans to immerse herself in the areas Jules spent time and participates in a writing retreat to look for clues and find people who interacted with Jules prior to her disappearance.

This is a well written novel. It’s another example of a book that just didn’t grab me this time around, but I feel like if I read it at a different time, or with a different mindset, it would hit different in a good way. There was nothing bad with The Deepest Lake, just average for me. It was a slow/causal read for the majority of the book. The ending had a bit of excitement. I recommend people give it a read if you enjoy exotic settings, dual POVs, past/present timelines, female lead characters, and easy-going reads.

Thank you to NetGalley, Andromeda Romano-Lax, and RB Media for providing this audio ARC. This review is being shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would! I sort of expected an average thriller that wouldn't knock my socks off, but I was pleasantly surprised!

I have to start by saying that I imagined Eva Marshall as Gwyneth Paltrow, which was very fun for me. I think she embodied the kind of wealthy woman who would appeal to other wealthy women wanting to stay in a luxurious place to write their own memoir.

I thought I knew where this story would go, I love it when I'm surprised. Without spoiling, I was very pleased with the way the plot progressed. It was a book that also made me want to book a plane ticket to Central America.

A small criticism for me is just that the cast of characters was too large. I couldn't keep any of the women in the writing group straight and just gave up. Luckily that didn't detract from the plot, but it was hard to keep a firm grasp on who was who.

I enjoyed both narrators! I think they fit their characters, and their voices were easy to understand.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the premise of this one (setting in Guatemala, writer's retreat), but the execution just fell short. The author just did not do a good job of building tension through her writing.....until about the last 25 percent......but then the ending was just flat. The characters were fairly two dimensional, and I did not find myself really rooting for anyone. I just was not really invested in the story overall.

The Deepest Lake by Andromeda Romano-Lax is quite an interesting thriller. It took me a while to get into it and get acquainted with the cast of the characters. It is well written and the story is actually well thought-out and complex. It really picks up around the middle but the first half is a bit slow. At first I wasn't sure if I'd finish it but I did end up enjoying it. I also did not anticipate the twist so that was also good. I'd read more books by this new author. Thank you RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this audiobook.