Thank you to Jamie Day, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I can’t think of a more perfect summertime cottage read! Set along a trio of lakefront cottages (let’s be honest—more like mansions), this thriller follows three childhood friends—now adults—who return to the lake with their families. What begins as a picturesque getaway quickly unravels as old secrets rise to the surface and the calm waters turn dark.

From the first chapter, I was hooked. This was a true page-turner that I didn’t want to put down. The twists felt believable without being predictable—a refreshing surprise in today’s thriller landscape.

A solid four-star read, perfect for tossing into your beach bag or reading dockside with a cool drink in hand. It would also make a fantastic pick for book clubs heading into fall.

I listened to this after loving a previous book from Jamie Day. Upon listening, I felt like I had already read the book. It turns out I did. I read it on kindle, completely forgot every single thing, and then listened to it. It was fine. Not remarkable but interesting.

I loved the atmosphere from the start. The setting on a quiet Vermont lake was eerie but also beautiful all at once, and it gave the story that haunting, claustrophobic feel I love in a thriller. Jamie Day did a great job making the lake feel like its own secretive character. The dynamics between the longtime friends were messy in the best way. I liked how flawed everyone was, carrying their past mistakes and resentments into the present. The tension of loyalty versus betrayal kept me guessing who I could actually trust, and I enjoyed how those complicated relationships fed into the suspense. The mystery itself is compelling. There's disappearances tied to the lake, secrets bubbling up, and people you thought you could rely on turning out to be something else entirely. A few twists were predictable if you’ve read a lot of thrillers, and the pacing started a little slow, but once things picked up I couldn’t put it down. This is a moody, character driven thriller that delivers. There's secrets and just enough twists to keep the pages flying. Definitely one worth picking up.

I love the setting of a New England lake in summer. I loved the mystery element there instead of a summer romance. I found things to be a bit predictable though, so it ended up just okay.

Thank you to Netgalley, Jamie Day and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While this initially made me want to read it by the description, I found this book to be boring and unengaging. For some reason, I didn't love the characters (any of them) and found that the plot was slow and confusing. A disappeared girlfriend, and an undercover "journalist" just really didn't grab me, for some reason. This was my first attempt at a Jamie Day book, but this may just not have been the one for me.

This was a miss for me. After living Block Party by this author I was so excited to dive into this one. I ended up putting it down at 50%. Nothing had really happened yet and I found the characters to be whiney and incredibly immature. This felt nothing like the previous book I mentioned. Too far fetched and I was bored.

I also received a copy of the audio which I paired with the physical book. Unfortunately that was a miss too. The audio was okay. It wasn’t my favorite. I did like that there were multiple narrators though.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for the gifted ARC!

One thing about Jamie Day books (I've been reading her since her debut) is that the drama will be REAL!

I love all things friendship drama, domestic suspense, etc. and Jamie Day's books always lead up to the most dramatic endings !

I brought this with me on a lake vacation which felt like the perfect place to read it!

Overall, I am sad to say that I struggled to become invested in these characters as much as her previous books. While her previous books instantly caught my attention, these ones didn't captivate me in the same way.

I still will read what she writes next!

"The Lake Escape" by Jamie Day is a gripping and emotionally charged thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Day’s writing vividly brings the lakeside setting and its secrets to life, creating an immersive reading experience. The characters are complex and compelling, with motivations that feel authentic and relatable. The plot is full of tension, twists, and suspense that make it hard to put the book down. Overall, it’s a captivating and satisfying read that will stay with you long after the last page.

Day has a knack for turning a peaceful family vacation into a chilling nightmare and I mean that in the best way possible. I was hooked by every element of this story, from the eerie pattern of women going missing every 30 years, to the mysterious nanny with questionable motives, and the constant sense that every character is hiding something just waiting to be uncovered. A fantastic summer thriller that keeps you guessing and absolutely does not disappoint.

*Thank you to Jamie Day, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

The book moved at a snail’s pace, it took 30% before someone even went missing and by the halfway point we still had zero clue why Izzy (the nanny and one of two POVs) was even on the trip. The whole thing leaned way too hard into the characters’ personal drama and not nearly enough into the actual mystery. If the pacing had been quicker and the characters more interesting, I probably could have pushed through to the end.

While I did find the end a bit predictable, I did appreciate that this book had me engaged and interested to see how the story would unfold.

A trio of long-term friends reunite at their respective lakeside cabins. 60 years and 30 years ago, women disappeared.

When someone goes missing again, everyone goes from judgmental to suspicious.

Scenery that's equally idllyic and creepy, characters with mysterious motives and dodgy character traits, and a complex history that unfolds... I like how the story moved - good pacing and kept me guessing.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

This is Jamie Day’s third book and I’ve yet to read one I didn’t enjoy.
As with Day’s other books, The Lake Escape is set in the idyllic northeast with a full cast of characters and intense drama throughout.
There’s multiple perspectives, all done very well, and through them all, a little piece at a time, the story unfolds with a slow build of tension and suspense until the second half where things pick up and great twists are revealed.
Combined with the mystery of the atmospheric lake, this made for a great summer read.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me a digital copy via NetGalley.
Publication date 7/15/25

Ever since they were children, friends Julia, David and Erica return each year to vacation at their summer homes at Lake Timaney. Now in their 40s with families of their own there is more than enough drama to go around including missing girls, corruption, sex, infidelity and teenage angst. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. 3 1/2 ⭐️ rounded up to 4. This ARC was provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one took me a few chapters before it hooked me. The story is told from Izzy and Julia’s POVs. Izzy is a journalism major who is interested in Lake Timmeny for reasons we learn later. In order to get there, she poses as a nanny for David Dunne. David, Julia, and Erika spent their summers together at the lake. There are many twists and turns in this story. Some I saw coming, others I did not. The ending is fast paced, but everything wraps up nicely. This was a suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Jamie Day really delivers on the thrillers and "The Lake Escape" is no different.

This book is fast paced and will keep readers on the edge of their seat. I read this in one sitting and I have no doubts that that will be the case for many thriller lovers.

I thought the storyline was so interesting and will definitely be recommending this one.

Thank you St. Martin's for selecting me for this ARC.

"I watched Mary Poppins" to learn how to be a nanny and take care of children. I have no words for this. I cracked up when our little nanny said this as a credential. She was a star. Her reference point was a children's favorite.

There are two storylines in this book merging at the end. I was less interested in adults' views. They will always be doubting each other because all grow up to be someone our childhood friends don't think we would turn into. However, the nanny and her story was far more intriguing. Her integrity, her push to find the truth and do the right thing is medal worthy. She saved lives a lot of people, literally and figuratively. Most importantly she saved the kids she was looking after from lifelong trauma. She was the voice of reason when all the adults were busy saving their own asses.

As amazing as this nanny was, the rest of the adults were revolting. Revenge porn rings, blackmailing left and right, murders - can you be normal for a second and have dignity?! Nope! All of them were blinded by either money, life in comfort, or privilege. Adults here were cancelled for a good reason. I wish them all happiness in their little jail cells and dark consciousness.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC. The premise sounded interesting, but unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. I found the characters annoying and the story fell flat. Thrillers can be hit or miss for me, and this one was definitely a miss. I just couldn’t bring myself to care about the outcome.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. This is a story about 3 friends who grew up together and their reunion. There are some twists and turns that keep the story interesting.

I absolutely loved Jamie Day’s latest suspense novel. Gripping from the first page to the last, it’s a true page-turner that kept me guessing all the way through.