This was an interesting, entertaining book.
Laura was jilted at the alter, when she discovered her fiancé with her best friend!
Now living in an idyllic community, on a lake. However, her peaceful life is in chaos after new neighbors move in next door. To her horror, the couple is the same pair that ruined her life!

The book proceeds to unravel multiple schemes, including several murders, love triangles and deceptions.

Thanks to Inkubator books and NetGalley for the ARC.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Net Galley and Inkubator books for the e copy of this book to review.

While it was a decent thriller to read to see what would happen next, by the half way point, it seemed to become more and more far fetched, and the characters got more annoying the more I kept reading. But I think most of all, the pacing and writing of the book, I thought could use a few more rough edits and revisions.

The lake house by Theo Baxter that was published April 28th 2024 by incubator Books.

We meet bride to be Laura who walks into her bridal suite to find her fiancé Tony on top of her Vera Wong wedding dress screwing her best friend Mary needless to say it's devastating and this is why Laura packs up and moves hours away to a quiet Lakeside neighborhood where she can recover and recoup. It has been two years and she loves sitting on her deck watching the lake and has even become friends with Brandy the quiet hermit next door. It is when Brandy is found dead that Laura's life becomes a crazy mess. Brian owns most of the homes in the neighborhood and after the death of Brandy he buys her home as well and tells Laura she will soon have a new neighbor something Laura isn't happy to hear in any happiness she had soon vanishes when she sees the new couple next-door is Tony and Mary. Laura is so freaked out by having them as her neighbor she doesn't even stop to think what are the chances that these two would find the house right next to her hours away from their hometown and by the time she does stop to think about it someone will be dead and her new boyfriend will be a suspect.

I’ve never read anthing from this author but it will definitely not be my last !!

I was so excited to check out The Lake House by Theo Baxter. I had never read any of his books previously, and I love a good suspense novel, so I couldn’t wait to dig in.

The premise of the story was unique and had so much promise, but unfortunately, that was the extent of it for me. The characters were not really likable, even Laura being the main character. I did love the small town backdrop, but the overall writing felt very flat and rushed. I’m not sure if this is the Authors general writing style, or maybe just this particular novel.

Sadly, I just didn’t enjoy this book that much. Thank you so much to NetGalley & Inkubator Books for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was so good! I was addicted to it instantly! Immediately in the prologue it sets up for such a great psychological thriller! This book has a little romance, gaslighting, great banter, and so many twists and turns! It starts with Laura on her wedding day walking in on her best friend and maid of honor sleeping with her fiance. So Laura uproots her life to move to a quiet, serene mountain town and live on lake to find some peace to heal from her trauma. Three years later her ex-fiance and friend move in next door after the mysterious death of her neighbor. It clear both have become a little unhinged since Laura has last talked to them. Then more and more crazy events start happening. Laura is convinced someone is out to get her and confides in her friend Celene and landlord/love interest Brian. Initially she is suspicious of Graham who was hanging around her dead neighbor's house and grave, but it turns out he is just grieving his friend and joins her to help figure out what is happening. Laura instantly starts to feel comforted by Graham and that he is more trustworthy than Brian. As things evolve Laura isn't sure where to turn or what to do and leads to an explosive ending! I loved it all so much! It felt like a really good lifetime movie storyline! I did predict the ending but it didn't change the fun of reading this book and I would definitely recommend it!

It was a good read, this is my first time reading a book from this author. I kept me entertained and the plot was good,

After Laura catches her fiancé Tony cheating on her (on her wedding day to make things even worse), she flees to the idyllic Pine Lake. Her life is peaceful and calm. Until her ex fiancé and girlfriend move in next door.

This was a really interesting read with twists and turns galore. I could see what was happening from quite early on in the book (well I had a hunch anyway), but in a way it almost added to the drama. I grew to really hate a few of the characters and was praying for Laura to quickly work out what was going on. I love a book that gets me invested in the characters.

Would highly recommend!

Laura’s life is turned upside down when she finds her fiancé and best friend in a compromising position. She decides to leave town rather than put up with them. She ends up n a small town where odd things start happening. This was a good book. I did figure out who the bad guy was but I went back and forth with it unsure if it really was him. I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and keep track of the charecters and had enough twists and turns to be interesting. Good read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I recently had the pleasure of diving into "The Lake House" by Theo Baxter, and it's safe to say I was pleasantly surprised. Having previously read Baxter's "Vanished" and feeling less than enthralled, I approached this ARC with cautious optimism. To my delight, "The Lake House" showcases a marked improvement in execution, with a compelling plot and well-rounded characterizations that drew me in from the start.

First and foremost, kudos to NetGalley for providing the opportunity to explore this gem, and heartfelt thanks to both the author and Inkubator for crafting such an engaging tale. While "Vanished" left me wanting in terms of execution despite a promising premise, "The Lake House" more than makes up for it with its cohesive storyline and believable character development.

The Lake House" follows Laura, who, after enduring the heartbreak of infidelity, seeks refuge in a picturesque small town. As she strives to rebuild her life, she encounters a tapestry of intriguing characters and forms unexpected connections. However, the tranquility of her new surroundings is shattered when long-buried secrets begin to surface, thrusting Laura into a web of deception and danger. With twists and turns aplenty, the novel delves into themes of redemption, resilience, and the enduring power of hope in the face of adversity. As Laura grapples with the complexities of her past and present, readers are taken on a gripping journey of self-discovery and emotional upheaval, culminating in a finale that will leave them breathless and longing for more.

One of the highlights for me was the protagonist, Laura, whose journey felt refreshingly relatable. Her struggles with infidelity and the subsequent quest for a fresh start resonated deeply, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. Additionally, the supporting cast, including the romantic interest, the small-town backdrop, and the endearing best friend, added layers of depth to the narrative, enriching the reading experience.

I particularly enjoyed the small-town trope, expertly delivered by Baxter, and appreciated the quirky charm of the setting. Moreover, the redemption arc afforded to Mary was a commendable narrative choice, adding nuance to her character and addressing initial perplexities surrounding her actions.

However, I must acknowledge a minor hiccup in an otherwise delightful journey: the motives of the antagonist felt somewhat rushed and underdeveloped. The revelation at the end seemed abrupt and disconnected from the rest of the narrative, detracting slightly from the overall immersion.

Despite this small flaw, "The Lake House" remains a captivating read that showcases Theo Baxter's growth as a storyteller, offering an immersive experience that will linger in the reader's mind long after the final page is turned. Highly recommended for fans of compelling mysteries with heart!

This book is like stepford wives meet desperate housewives. I read it in a day and a half. I loved the descriptiveness and felt like I was in the book. The only thing for me was I figured out what was going on before the plot told you. That could also be how much I’m into this type of genre.

This was the first book I've read by Theo Baxter and I really enjoyed it. To me it seemed more of a domestic fiction book than a thriller, but since I enjoy that genre as well I wasn't bothered by this.

Main character Laura is likeable and down to earth. I found myself liking her and rooting for her from the start. The lake town she moves to sounds friendly and gives off cozy vibes. It's a place we would all love to set down roots.

I look forward to reading more by Theo in the future

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkubator books for an advanced copy of this book

This book was just alright! in my opinion it was more of a domestic drama than a thriller still entertaining and a fun time nonetheless.

I really enjoyed this book! It started off strong with a good story and learning about the lead character, and kept me intrigued to figure out exactly what was going on and who done it. I'm certainly a sucker for a house on the lake in a small town, and this book had it all! I will certainly be picking up more books by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for very providing me with an ARC copy of this book to read and review.

This is the first book i have read by this author.

It was a bit bouncy and all over the place. Unfortunately i cannot say i loved this book but it was readable. More YA than thriller

The perfect marriage and twin peaks met and had a baby! This is a very interesting read for sure. For fetched? Yeah but books are meant to pull you from reality not always give you a realistic story. I read the whole book in one sitting! This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I have to say it was pretty good! There were a few points on personal preference while reading I didn’t super enjoy but others very well may! Over all I give this book a 4/5! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Lake House follows the story of Laura, who packs up and moves from the city to a small lakeside town after finding her finance cheating with her best friend on the morning of their wedding. We explore the darker side of small town living, with everyone knowing each others business and a murder thrown in for good measure.

For me this was really a book of two halves. The first half set up a really intriguing story, a character I started to feel empathy for and kept me wanting to keep on reading. But sadly the second didn’t continue in this way. I found it became far fetched and silly, the characters became annoying, and the narrative played out in such a way that I found it difficult to finish the book and by the end i had pretty much lost interest. A strong premise and idea but sadly missed the mark for me.

First, thank you to NetGalley, author Theo Baxter and Incubator books for the ARC of The Lake House.

This was the first book I have read from this author and sad to say I didn’t really care for it. I felt it bounced all over the place and had more of a young adult theme as opposed to adult thriller.

It started off with a bang but that was pretty much it for the excitement and thrills. It was very predictable and the plot was more of a drama than a thriller.

It was very repetitive and honestly if I had to read about the main character being ‘hit on’ one more time I probably would have just stopped reading. While I understand the author was trying to make a storyline of these men and the main character it felt like a high school classroom.

I feel this book had so much more potential in regards to developing the characters more and creating more suspense in the plot.

Overall, a ⭐️⭐️ but I would like to read on her books he had written as maybe this was just a one off.

This was an ok read. About half way through I had a pretty good idea about what was going on. Overall I would give this author another try.

This was an unusual book but I liked it. The country setting was both glorious and creepy and although at first the plot dragged a bit, it soon found its rhythm and pulled me in.
Humorous at times, slightly tongue in cheek but very entertaining and well written.
The back story explained everything well and the present unfolded satisfactorily, with a couple of decent twists.
Characters were descriptive, I found I either loved or hated them, but that just added to the charm of the book.

The Lake House was an enjoyable thriller for those who don’t like their stories too scary. I enjoyed the read and the surprises that unfolded throughout the book, but I was not on the edge of my seat.