"The Lake House" by Laura Wolfe

 

I thought of the long history with my friends—the lies, the slights, the betrayals, and the five-year gap since our last get-together. Five of us had arrived at this desolate cabin. Now, only three of us remained.

It was supposed to be the perfect vacation: a secluded cabin by a private lake; late nights, wine and laughter. Megan hasn’t had time for herself since her second child was born, and she knows her friends need a break too—Jenna from her demanding job, Charlotte from marital problems and Kaitlyn and Sam from busy families. Between all their commitments Megan was afraid this trip would never happen, and she needs the comfort and familiarity of her oldest friends now more than ever.

They have known each other since college—there are no secrets between them.

But things change in the woods. As they reminisce, bad memories as well as good are dragged up, and old wounds are reopened. It seems not everyone remembers those college years as fondly as Megan, and a trip planned to bring them back together might just drive them apart for good.

Someone has been hiding a lie for over twenty years. And now lives are in danger.

Gripping, addictive and totally unputdownable, The Lake House will have you wanting to sleep with the lights on. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window and Big Little Lies. ~ taken from Goodreads

This book caught my attention because of the premise. As an almost 40 year old with a family and busy life, I could relate to wanting to get together with my girlfriends for a weekend of fun and reminiscing. Though I have no deep, dark secrets of my past, the overall feel was something I thought I could relate to. I looked forward to reading this thriller.

I was quickly disappointed. The characters were completely unrelatable. There as not a single character I even liked or wanted to root for. It read like a bad teen slasher movie from the late 90s. Predictable and eye rolling at every turn of the page. 

The author does a good job setting the mood, as the story starts with excitement and anxiety and quickly turns into frustration and fear. The scenery was nicely described and I could perfectly imagine a decrepit cabin in the remote woods surrounded by a glistening lake. The overall plot wasn't anything unique, but I was willing to overlook it for a fun read.

This story got to be laughable after not one but two characters die. It was just so silly and simultaneously cringe-worthy that I really did want to put the book down and call it quits. I am trying hard not to give away any spoilers, but the behavior of the remaining characters went from reliable, 40 year old women needing a weekend away and morphed into some drunk teenagers who have no clue how the world works or what to do in a time of crisis. 

The ending was unexpected and was the saving grace of this novel. A horrific past experience simply caused someone to snap, and the last paragraph in the book made my jaw drop! 

I was wavering between 3 and 4 stars on this book, and decided to settle with 3.5. It was a quick read with a good ending. "The Lake House" is set to be released on March 17, 2021 here in the U.S. so pre-order now!  

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest review. 

Happy Reading!