This was an ARC read. Thank you so much to St Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this. Wow! I could not put this down. This book had so many twists and turns, I had no idea where we were going to end up.
“There was the beauty of the breath. Each one gently reminded her that she was still here, that she had another chance to make her inner world calmer, more centered.”
And trust me, when you finish this book, you will be taking those calming breaths just as the character in this book did.

The Lake Escape hosts a cast of complex characters struggling with unresolved murders, money issues, and other problems in their personal lives. There is a lot to keep track of in this thriller! My least favorite thing about the book was how long and pedantic it was in certain places. It should be a bit shorter, even though a slow burn can have its merits.

My favorite thing was how complicated the ending was! I genuinely was not expecting that, and Jamie Day did their due diligence to tie up all the loose threads and have many different intersecting problems come to a head at once. That was very skillful and rewarding! The ending is much more complex than you think it will be, and I loved how the author wove so many narratives together into a satisfying close.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my e-ARC!

Three lifelong friends come back to their family lake homes for their annual vacation. Shocked when David has built a glass and metal monstrosity in between both Erika and Julias homes. He also brought along his new young girlfriend, his young twins and the quick hire nanny. unbeknownst to all, the nanny and the girlfriend have deep connections to Lake Timmeny. When the girlfriend, Fiona, disappears in the middle of the night- secrets start pouring out that no one would have guessed.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC 📕
Expected publication
July 15, 2025 by St. Martin's Press

They've been coming to Lake Timmeny in Vermont since they were babies. Now, Julia Crawford, David Dunne, and Erika Miller are returning for their annual summer getaway, a family tradition they've continued into adulthood. But for all its beauty, Lake Timmeny harbors a dark past. Two young women with no known connection to each other, aside from their shared vacation spot, vanished without a trace exactly thirty years apart.

This is my third book by Day and my least favorite. For people who grew up together as kids they all seemed very awkward around one another. They didn't seem to know anything about each other and overall, they just didn't feel like friends. Julia and Izzy were probably discussed the most but I didn't care about them. David just seemed old guy creepy and even the "friends" didn't seem to like him and the rest of the characters were just annoying. It's hard to say much more without giving away the few decent parts. I was really looking forward to this as I feel like Day's books are almost there but seem to miss the mark each time. I'm giving it 3 because I did read the whole book without skimming and I wanted to confirm my prediction. 🧐

I've never read anything by this author, but the premise sounded interesting. However, the storyline was all over the place. I found this book to be way too far-fetched, even for fiction. Character development was lacking, and the pace was too slow. I never connected with the characters, and thus I didn't care about what happened to them. The book had potential, but it fell short.

3.75⭐️ {ARC}
(ARC review) — Thank you to author Jamie Day and her publisher St Martins Press. I received an Advanced Reader Copy for the July 2025 release of The Lake Escape. It’s gonna make a fun Summer Killer Thriller {especially if you’re reading with some lake views}. I loved that it starts out with that feeling of getting back to your happy place. Ours just happens to be the lake too. Don’t let that fool you though. These friends and family got some serious deception and secrets happening. Felt a bit predictable in parts but still enjoyed how it all unfolded (or should I say unraveled) and all came together. 3.75⭐️ Rounding up to a 4! You’ll want to keep turning those pages…. fun mystery thriller to add to your summer TBR stack.

This was a wild ride, I honestly did not see most of it coming. There were a few too many characters for my liking, I often found myself forgetting details about certain people. But I felt the story flowed well and kept me hooked.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book. This did not affect my review of the book.

To be honest for some reason I had a hard time getting into this book. Maybe because I had a hard time trying to figure out where the story was going. However, once the action started my interest definitely increased. Had to get back up last night to finish the last few chapters. I did like
how the book ended, for the most part not a lot of loose ends.

I would recommend this book to any of my friends.

I had a hard time putting this one down. I stayed up late to finish the last 60% of the book. The pacing was good and I found myself pulled into each character's story. I found Izzy to be the most interesting. I liked the younger characters a bit more. Not only is there a mystery of multiple disappearances, but there is a lot with family and life long friendships. This year's trip to the lake house doesn't turn out like anyone thought. There was possibly be a killer and it's just the three houses/families there. There are some heavier topics, so please check for trigger warnings if you need them.

This is my second book by the author and I'll definitely read more.

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for my earc.

After enjoying Jamie Day’s, “One Big Happy Family,” I had high hopes for “The Lake Escape.” Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to expectations. While the premise had potential—a seemingly idyllic lakeside retreat unraveling with secrets—it lacked the gripping suspense and unpredictability that made One Big Happy Family so compelling.

The plot unfolds in a fairly predictable manner, with twists that are easy to see coming. Instead of the tension steadily building, the story moves along at a more sluggish pace, never fully delivering the edge-of-your-seat moments that the genre demands. The characters, while interesting, don’t feel as deeply developed or engaging, making it harder to become fully invested in their fates.

That’s not to say it’s a bad read—Jamie Day’s writing is still immersive, and the setting is atmospheric. However, for those looking for the same level of intrigue and suspense found in One Big Happy Family, The Lake Escape may feel like a bit of a letdown.

Thank You NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was predictable and very boring. I have not read anything by this author before but had high expectations. The cover looked so good. I don’t recommend this book to family and friends.

I was disappointed in this book. It seemed very contrived and predictable. I’ve read earlier books by Day and I enjoyed them.

This is the story of Izzie who seeks to unravel the mystery of her aunt Susie and sets into motion a very elaborate story of multiple kinds of betrayal, from marital to criminal to murder. I feel like tge author tried to cram too much into this novel which diluted tge essentially mystery.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

"The Lake Escape" was an easy read. This was my first read by Jamie Day. I'm not familiar with the authors writing style. Therefore, my opinion is not based on other work. This book was an ok read about three friends who all lakefront homes where they spend Summers. I enjoyed the secrets and the setting. My letdown was the story becoming predictable early in the book. I find I do not enjoy the story as much because the intensity is no longer there. My opinion is mine alone. I would encourage others to always read for themselves.

I wanted to love this one so badly. The premise was so fun and I love a lakeside mystery book. However, it just felt like twists and turns were shoehorned in just for the sake of being shocking. The killer felt obvious and random to me and I just felt almost like they had to throw a random character out to make it make sense.

Thank you for the ARC!

Told from multiple point of views, The Lake Escape was a decent weekend read. The story follows three childhood friends, and their families, who have all returned to their family homes on the lake. Each family is keeping secrets, some they’ve held onto for decades. There are quite a few characters, but it is easy to follow along. With that comes multiple story lines, some too far fetched to believe (*SPOILER* mobsters) and some I just didn’t care for. (*SPOILER* jail time served.). Overall, I enjoyed the authors writing style and look forward to more from the author.

Another great story from Jamie Day! I absolutely love her style of storytelling.

Julia, David, and Erika are lifelong friends who share a tradition of summer retreats at their neighboring lakefront homes. This year, however, Julia is frustrated as David’s newly renovated property has obstructed her cherished view of the lake.

The story masterfully alternates between Julia’s perspective and that of Izzy, a determined college student majoring in journalism. Izzy has landed a job as a nanny for David’s five-year-old twins, despite lacking any prior childcare experience, which raises questions about her true intentions.

The lake holds a chilling legend, haunted by the mysterious disappearances of two women exactly thirty years apart. As the clock ticks on another thirty-year cycle, suspense builds: will the lake claim yet another victim? Are Izzy's hidden motives for coming to Lake Timmeny a threat to her own safety?

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the gifted ARC copy provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

The Lake Escape
Jamie Day

There are some great themes in the book. Trust yourself. For truth, you have to have transparency. Of course, everyone in The Lake Escape is hiding something. They are lying. They all think they have good reasons but who is wicked and who isn’t. Nostalgia is one of things that people who have had it good cling to and maybe trust people they shouldn’t. Charm and appearances are distracting. Even the word, escape can be played on here. Is it a vacation or a desperate attempt to get away?

The Lake Escape is about the annual summer vacation of 3 friends, their families and others who come along with them. This annual vacation does not start on harmonious notes and their lake houses themselves start to give us clues. Young women have gone missing at the lake over the years but only every 30 years so no worries there. One of our narrators is Izzy, a nanny who is outsider with her own reasons for being there and Julia, one of the 3 friends whose life isn’t stacking up so well next to the others. When you know better you do better, in the spirit of Maya Angelou is something some characters come around to and others do not. This is a twisty tale where ones to trust are questionable until they start helping each other. Enjoyed the ride and can’t wait for the next one this author has to offer. I have recommended Jamie Day before to friends and will certainly recommend this one. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for an advanced digital copy.

I loved this! So twisty and didn’t expect the end at all. Great storytelling and compelling narrators! Thanks for the chance to read it early!

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for the chance to read Jamie Day's new novel, The Lake Escape.

I very much enjoyed this book. We are introduced to three lifelong friends who, as adults, now all own the family homes on Lake Timmeny, where they spent childhood summers together. With families of their own, they are returning for the summer, with the addition of David's new young girlfriend, Fiona, and his new young nanny, Izzy. Izzy has lied her way into the position to get closer to the lake, as she is actually a true crime junkie looking for more information on the infamous "lake lore" surrounding the disappearance of two young women, 30 years apart. The story is told in alternating viewpoints, Izzy the nanny, and Julia, one of the three returning friends. The chapters build a slow burn suspense around a heated argument between David and Fiona that happens upon arrival to the lake. When Fiona can not be located the morning after these events, everyone becomes suspicious, and David becomes a suspect. What secrets does the lake hold? We learn how events from the past and present ties these families together forever, for better or for worse, and the end reveal makes it all worth it. It's a bit of a slower start to this one, but there is a lot going on with each and every member of all three families, plus Izzy. I really enjoyed the ride. Will continue to read Ms Day's work in the future!

Jamie Day is a queen when it comes to writing thrillers!
Her latest book had it all- mystery, suspense, interesting characters and a well written story. This was a fun one to read- I flew through the pages once I got a few chapters in. The ending was excellent, I had no idea how the story would play out. Definitely check this book out if you’re a fan of a good mystery with lots of surprises and some very solid writing.

Thank you to the publisher and also NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.