As a bookstore owner, I’m always on the lookout for thrillers that will grab readers' attention, and Lisa Unger’s latest certainly delivers on suspense. While the premise leans heavily into modern influencer culture—something that may appeal more to younger audiences—it still offers enough mystery, atmosphere, and high-stakes tension to keep any thriller fan engaged.

Adele, Blake, and Violet are dealing with an overwhelming personal and financial crisis. Adele’s husband vanished over a year ago, taking with him not only their financial stability but millions in stolen money, leaving her to fend off the FBI and a mountain of debt. Just when it seems there’s no way out, Blake presents her with a last-ditch opportunity: a live-streamed, high-stakes game of hide-and-seek hosted by Maverick, a wildly popular WeWatch influencer. The last person found wins a million dollars.

Maverick has built an empire on viral challenges and jaw-dropping stunts, but behind the scenes, his company isn’t as stable as it seems. This latest game, set on a storm-ravaged, eerie island, is meant to be his next big spectacle—but things quickly spiral out of control. With a murder, a growing sense of paranoia, and the ever-present question of what’s real and what’s for the camera, the story unfolds at a breathless pace.

I found myself completely engrossed in the tension and pacing, and I appreciated the eerie, cinematic setting. However, I did struggle at times with the premise. The influencer culture aspect, while timely, may feel a bit over-the-top for readers who don’t follow that world. And the idea of a mother willingly risking her life in an internet challenge for money was a stretch. That said, if you can suspend some disbelief, the thriller elements more than make up for it.

Overall, this was a fast, fun, and unsettling read—perfect for fans of modern suspense with a digital-age twist. ★★★★☆

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advance copy—I’ll definitely be recommending this to readers looking for a high-energy, eerie thriller.

The Homemade God follows four English siblings—Netta, Susan, Gustav “Goose,” and Iris—who, now between the ages of 33 and 40, return to their childhood summer retreat, an Italian villa on Lake Orta, to navigate the aftermath of their father’s death. Vic, a semi-famous painter, drowned under somewhat suspicious circumstances shortly after marrying Bella-Mae, an artist nearly 50 years his junior—making her younger than all four of his children. Having lost their mother when they were children, the siblings are left to grapple not only with their father’s passing but also with the complex legacy of their fractured family.

What initially drew me to this book was its focus on the relationships between the siblings. I found this refreshing, as many novels featuring characters in this age range tend to center primarily on romantic relationships and/or parenthood. While the siblings’ romantic entanglements are present, they serve more as a lens through which their childhood, their father’s influence, and their connections to each other are explored, rather than as the primary focus of the story.

However, the execution of these dynamics fell somewhat flat for me. The siblings' reactions to certain events—such as their confrontations and emotional outbursts—often felt so heightened that they strained believability. Additionally, there is a moment where one of the female siblings is described as ugly, which I found off-putting—regardless of whether it was meant to reflect a sibling’s internal thoughts or harsh judgments.
Bella-Mae’s character, in particular, felt underdeveloped. I understand that she was meant to be enigmatic and detached, but the resolution of her arc didn’t fully justify her actions in a way that felt satisfying. I also felt the novel’s final chapter was a bit too heavy-handed, making its message less impactful than it could have been.

That said, Joyce’s writing is strong, and the story was engaging enough to keep me reading until the end. I also appreciated the inclusion of queer representation. While the themes didn’t resonate with me on a deeper level, and I don’t see myself revisiting the book in the future, I still found it a worthwhile read.

Final rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press (an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House) for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Four siblings reunite after their father's sudden death. Prior to his death, he had married a much younger womam to the dismay of his children. Talk about a dysfunctional family, this one is definitely one! Fighting over everything; who was his favoite child, what happened to his art work, who would inherit what was all covered in this novel.. I had a hard time with this book, I finished it but I will not be recommending it.

God, where to begin with this book? For starters, i LOVE families behaving badly and there is no shortage of that in this novel. That being said, the book surprised me and I think it's going to keep me thinking for a long time. What I was expecting to be more comical was much more thought-provoking - sometimes hopeful but in many ways bleak. Families are complicated ecosystems and this book is very illustrative of the phrase, "we hurt the ones we love the most." Joyce does an absolutely stunning job of creating vibrant, rich, deeply flawed and vulnerable characters. She sets up, what I was expecting to be a riveting mystery, but in the end what we see is a pressure cooker exploding with self-realizations and characters who come to learn some very hard truths. Absolutely in love with the character Gustav and I'm so thrilled with the way the novel ended. Go in with no expectations - this one is very disarming and surprising.

Rachel Joyce is simply marvelous, and for me, the latest novel was a cut above the rest. While her books always have a sense of humor and joy about them, I found this one to be a serious crack at literary fiction, and she passed with flying colors. The characters and family dynamics between Vic and all the children is so nuanced, fragile, real, and multi-layered. The descriptions of the island were both suspenseful, as well as hypnotic--the novel has something for everyone, and is a powerful read about the complex human condition.

Four siblings with an unhealthy attachment and reverence for their father are shocked when he suddenly marries a much younger woman and dies soon after. They are determined to find out what really happened to him, and even more determined to find the masterpiece painting he assured them he was working on…

Overall, this is an uneven yet interesting read. I struggled with the adult siblings’ reliance on and obsession with their father and was glad I kept going as the shift in perspective and conclusion is satisfying. I somehow found myself rooting for Bella-Mae and for Goose! I think readers looking for an inventive family drama full of dysfunctional characters may enjoy.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Rachel Joyce is someone whose writing I will devour anytime I get the chance. I have read everything I know to be published and will always continue to do so.

When I started this book, I began to feel dread, almost from the very first page. For the first three chapters, I kept pausing and telling my husband, “I don’t think I’m going to like this and you have no idea how terrible that is for me.” It was rambling and jumping back in forth in time with no notice, and too many characters were introduced too quickly, and in such a haphazard way, my head was spinning. I couldn’t find anything to grasp on to and if this wasn’t Rachel Joyce, I’m not sure I would have kept going. So in the end, I guess it was her I grasped. She was the thing that kept me going. I’m very glad I did.

This book will not be for everyone, and likely not even for all Rachel Joyce fans. She has so beautifully written, over and over again, about hope amongst the flames of grief and tragedy, and finding beauty in the smallest moments of our lives, and she does so again here, but this one is different.

I know that part of what I loved most about this story was that it is so strangely a mirror of my own life, and that can’t be true for many. And I have to wonder, if you don’t find yourself in The Homemade God, will you still be able to feel it as it was meant to be felt? I don’t have that perspective, so I can’t really say. But with a good enough author, it will not matter, and I truly believe her to be one of the best. Her books have always had so much meaning without being obvious. They hit below the surface, but unexpectedly, because they are so often written in such a way that you think you are reading something light and superficial and then suddenly, you’re not.

I wish she could go back and rewrite those first few chapters. I really do. Too many people will put the book down far too soon and for that, I had to remove a star from my rating. I hope people read this review and are talked into sticking to it until the end.

This is the story of adult siblings, who were "brought up" by their artist father in a motherless home. "Brought up" in this case is used loosely and sarcastically. The instability in their childhood shows in the adults that they have become. While they have always watched over each other, they have held their father in high regard. When he remarries and then drowns, the siblings aren't able to find solace in each other. This is not one of the hopeful, warm and uplifting books that the author has written in the past. If you are looking for that, you may well be disappointed. I was. I won't let my expectations get in the way of what is a firm 3 star read, regardless of what I hoped for. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC. This review is my own opinion.

Rachel Joyce’s The Lake House Summer is a layered story about the complicated ties of family, the weight of secrets, and the struggle to understand the people we love. Set during a sweltering heatwave in Europe, the novel follows four siblings as they come together to unravel their father’s mysterious final days while confronting decades of buried emotions.

The story begins with the siblings—Netta (Antoinetta), Susan, Iris, and Goose (Gustav)—returning to their family’s lake house. Their father, Vic, a larger-than-life artist with a reputation as much for his eccentricities as for his paintings, has passed away. Adding to the intrigue, his new, much younger wife, Bella-Mae, is missing, and the masterpiece he promised the world is nowhere to be found. As the siblings try to uncover the truth, and a will, they are forced to examine not only their father’s choices but their own fractured relationships.

This novel is as much about the bonds of siblinghood as it is about the legacy of a man who both shaped and scarred his children. Each sibling brings their own unresolved issues to the lake house: rivalries, insecurities, and unspoken grievances. While Vic’s life casts a long shadow over their gathering, it’s the interactions between the siblings that form the heart of the story.

While the mystery surrounding their father’s death and the missing painting moves the plot, the story’s deeper focus is on the siblings’ reconciliation with their own identities and histories. The narrative weaves together moments of humor, heartbreak, and revelation.
Joyce’s writing is thoughtful and immersive and shines a real light on family love.

In The Lake House Summer, Rachel Joyce delivers an introspective tale about the complexities of family. This novel is a rewarding read for anyone who appreciates stories about the messy, beautiful connections that define us. #randomhouse #racheljoyce #thehomemadegod

Talk about your dysfunctional families!

A famous father who is what holds this family together, it seems, and also holds the power to destroy all of them.

This was painful to read and there was a lot of second hand embarrassment for them all.

This story has been done before and I think this was not the best representation of that.

NetGalley/ Random House Dail June 24, 2025

A darker story than he previous, but with the same powerful characters. We follow the four adult siblings returned to a childhood vacation home in Italy to retrieve the body of their father, who died shortly after a rushed wedding to a woman younger than them. We follow each of the siblings, and gradually learn their pasts and how the impact there present. Happily, we get what amounts to a good amount of future as well. It took me a bit, but I also couldn't help but route for these beautifully damaged siblings.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!