I love that the setting of the book is in Wisconsin where I live. I could picture the environment vividly. A group of college friends get together after not seeing each other for five years. They decide they wanted to go off grid and destress from their everyday lives so they rented a cottage deep in the beautiful Wisconsin woods. They arrived and the cottage was nothing like it was described. It was creepy and decrepit. The area was very isolated except for the caretaker living close by and it was near an abandoned childrens camp. The women decided to make the best of it until they met the owner and he was not what anyone was expecting. Then horrible things started happening. Can the friendships survive? I enjoyed the twists in the book and especially the very last one!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Lake House' by Laura Wolfe.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 17th March 2021.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It most definitely won't be my last.

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. The synopsis stated this book is perfect for fans of Shari Lapena and others. I am a huge fan of Shari's books so am interested to see if it will live up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 31 chapters. The chapters are medium to long in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Wisconsin, USA 🇺🇸 .

This book is written in first person perspective with the protagonist being Megan. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them.

This book is very well written with vivid descriptions capturing the imagination. The synopsis and cover suited the storyline perfectly.

The storyline was filled with suspense and completely gripping. It was also realistic which makes it even easier to picture. An absolutely sensational read which had me hooked from page one. It had me guessing throughout and I would have never worked the out, especially the shocker at the end!!! I love it when books shock me as it gets harder and harder with all the crime books I read. Every chapter seemed to end on a cliffer and it was definitely unputdownable and addictive! I completely devoured it. Laura has filled this book with suspense and you can feel the tension bubbling throughout.

The characters were solid and completely realistic. They all had their own strong personalities and it was intriguing reading the memories of what happened in their past which was woven into the storyline perfectly.

I am looking forward to reading more books from this very talented author and I would also love to see this one turned into a movie!!

Overall a completely addictive psychological thriller that will have you hooked until the explosive ending.

Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction and Psychological Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Shari Lapona, Jess Ryder and Shalini Boland.

302 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Thank you to both #NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an advance copy of Laura Wolfe’s latest mystery novel, The Lake House, in exchange for an honest review.

#TheLakeHouse is yet another story premised on the hackneyed idea of a college reunion gone awry. Five women nearing their 40th birthday decide to plan a four-day trip away from the stress of family life to reenact their glory days from college. What was supposed to be a relaxing weekend in a remote cabin set off-the-grid turns into a poorly constructed reboot of Agatha Christie’s novel, And Then There Were None.

Between the unimaginative plot, the tedious writing, and the stupidity of the characters, I started to wonder if this novel was a satirization of the entire horror genre. As nitpicky as I am about grammar and word choice, for once this was not the issue with the writing which is unfortunate because those types of problems can be easily corrected. I slogged through character descriptions that I have not seen on paper since the third grade (my own) like “light streamed…gleamed in emerald irises.” I kept wondering whether I had selected a YA novel by mistake.

The only redeeming point that I could find in this novel was the fact that it condemns hate crimes and pushes the idea that white supremacy is wrong. Other than that, I found it was a giant waste of time. Then again, it appears I am in the minority since the average reviewer rated it four stars. I suggest you form your own opinions about this one; especially, if you are a fan of the author.

This seems to be a whole genre of books now, I’ve recently read several of this theme but this was definitely one of the better ones. A group of female friends from school / college days decide to have a reunion and choose an out of the way remote location to have a few days away together and rekindle and celebrate their friendship, plus throw in a significant birthday to add a bit of life reflection to the mix. Handily enough the area is so remote that there isn’t even any mobile phone coverage and the landscape is unforgiving and rugged. Slowly secrets from the past start to be uncovered and the body count starts to mount, but who is doing the killing? I enjoyed the pace of this book and the fact that I didn’t guess the ending.

3.5 rounded up

Sam, Charlotte, Kaitlyn, Jenna and narrator Megan met twenty two years ago at university are are now celebrating their fortieth birthdays. They plan to go on a weekend away to a secluded cabin on Crooked Lake, Wisconsin. What could possibly go wrong as they’re such good friends, right? Well, jump on board the crazy train for an entertaining ride.

The plot of this one is completely barking mad, bonkers, insane, nuts but it sure makes for interesting reading! So put on your disbelief suspenders and just go with the rapid and twisty flow!! The setting is good, it is very isolated, no phone signal,no WiFi, it feels claustrophobic and there’s a sense of unease from the start. You get bad vibes right from Megan’s unwillingness to commit to the trip. The cabin is a dump and you wouldn’t have seen me for dust with all the cobwebs and creepy crawlies! The cabin owner Travis is as creepy as hell and you want to yell at the friends to get out of Dodge and check into the nearest hotel, preferably luxury with a spa. The friendship of the women is well portrayed and it becomes apparent they’re hiding things from each other and there are stresses and strains over the years, although there’s nothing unusual in that as all relationships have ups and down. Tension and suspicion grows between them and they make bad decision after bad decision as they panic. The motivation for the dramatic events is a bit spurious, thin and somewhat loony tunes and the ending is abrupt but I did like the final twist. I didn’t see that one coming!

Overall, I dare say it’s not the most original of plots but it’s easy to read and is good escapist reading.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the arc for an honest review.

Five college friends who haven't seen each other in a few years go to a secluded cabin for a long weekend getaway.The cabin is near a children's camp that has closed under suspicious circumstances. Add in a creepy cabin owner and not all goes as planned. Then the first body is found. The mystery continues from there. A locked room type of vibe with lots of things happening. A few surprises at the end too. I will look for more books by this author.

Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the intriguing read.

This book is exactly what I needed — a captivating thriller with a plot that unwinds at a dizzying pace. I sat down to read it and didn't move until I finished. It was that good.The summary doesn't give much away, which I loved. While I had a guess about what might happen, it was fun to not know what to expect.

Clearly the characters in this book have never watched a horror movie.
Five college friends decide to reunite and catch up. They have been friends for twenty-tw0 years after all and haven't been together in awhile. So they decide to spend a weekend together in an isolated cabin in the woods, at a lake, near an abandoned summer camp with a dark past.
See where this is going? I can tell you...It's nowhere good, and I'm living!

This has a major Friday the 13th vibe. (THE best slasher franchise IMHO)
If you're a big fan of slasher, like myself, give this one a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off a big thank you to the publisher Bookouture , the author Laura Wolfe and to NetGalley for inviting me to join the blog tour for this book as well as letting me read and review it.This was the first time I read anything by this author and after reading this it won't be my last one of hers, in fact I have one other to read from NetGalley that I can't wait to get to. As soon as I started reading the prologue, I needed to know more and the more I read the more I was hooked. Another thing I loved was the atmosphere of the story and how it reminded me of the movie Friday the 13th ( which is one of my favorite horror movies) and my all time favorite book And Then There Was None. If the two was to have a kid then this would be it, because the entire time I was reading it , I was on the edge of my bed saying no don't do that, stay together, why aren't you listing to me ( yep I was mentally scream at the characters ), and asking myself haven't these people ever seen a slasher movie. What can I say I love a good thriller that keeps that gives me goose bumps and has me so hooked that I can't stop reading , and it was the perfect read as well since doing the time I was read it , it was storming out side me house. So if your into this types of thrillers , you might want to check this one out

The Lake House by Laura Wolfe is a fast-paced whodunit that kept me holding my breath until the very end, at which point I took a very sharp intake. The premise of this one is familiar, but with enough fresh twists added to keep you on your toes.

Five former college friends reunite to spend a weekend at a secluded lake house to commemorate their year of turning forty. From the moment they arrive, the scene is set for the terror that is about to be unleashed. Told exclusively from the perspective of Megan, we alternate between the women's current reality, and the history of a friendship that has not been without secrets and festering resentments over the past two decades. As the women realize that their lives are in danger, the bonds of friendship will be tested as they must rely on each other in a fight for their very survival.

This is a compelling read that you will want to devour in a single go. I am very much looking forward to what Ms Wolfe has in store for us next. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

Suspenseful does not even begin to describe this mystery! Make sure you have enough time to finish this in one sitting because you won’t be able to put it down! And don’t think about reading The Lake House at night if you are alone.

Megan, the narrator, and friends Sam, Charlotte, Jenna and Kaitlyn, have planned a long weekend getaway and reunion. They’ve been friends for 22 years and are all turning 40 this year. Charlotte has found the perfect place, a charming cabin decorated with pots of red geraniums and marketed as “Secluded Cabin on Crooked Lake Sleeps Six” and, in smaller type “a no-frills escape to rustic living”. The latter is true, if no-frills means cobwebs, dead squirrels, and no TV, internet or cellphone service. Soon after they arrive, they are visited by Travis, the cabin’s owner. He’s a skinhead with a gun and swastika tattoo. He has a key to the cabin. Obviously, this is not going to be the weekend they had planned.

And it isn’t. Over the next three days, there are disappearances, escapes and murder. Secrets from long ago are revealed, as are more recent ones. Lies are told, as is truth. And you won’t know it all until the last page. The Lake House is a TV movie waiting to be filmed. It’s a quick exciting read and deserves 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Laura Wolfe for this ARC.

I was hooked the moment I read the description: a girls’ reunion getaway at a secluded lake house owned by a creepy guy.
It all started fun – long nights by the lake, lots of wine, laugh and reminiscing about college years. And then everything starts going terribly wrong when one friend is found dead. Who killed her? The creepy cabin owner or one of the friends? Who’s got secrets? Why?
This is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. I highly recommend it to anyone that likes a good suspenseful story that can be finished in one evening.
Thank you to Net Galley, the author and Bookouture for an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest review.

A girls' trip where you know something is going to go wrong. The awkward comments made between friends even as they claim to be looking forward to the weekend getaway. The long approach to the cabin. The cabin and the eerie woods themselves. Secrets from years ago start coming out as the women settle into the cabin. But it's hard for them to relax when there is someone lurking outside their window...

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This was a really great thriller, and it kept me guessing until the last page. It’s not the most original plot premise (a classic “who done it” with 5 friends at a secluded weekend getaway), but it was very well executed with enough twists to keep my attention. I did not enjoy the flashback portions of the book as much as the present day parts, but I thought the author did a good job with building suspense. I felt that the characters could have been a bit more developed, but overall I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it!

Five college friends head to a secluded lake house to celebrate their fortieth birthdays. Their lives may have changed since those heady college days with marriage, kids and successful businesses but they were determined to have four days together ‘off grid’. Megan especially is determined to escape suburbia for a few days and what could possibly go wrong?

I found this book impossible to put down. It’s full of secrets, lies, twists and turns. Utterly compelling and had me hooked from the first page, I’m eager to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

This was an entertaining read. It started out like a B grade horror movie - a group of friends going to a rundown cabin in the woods - and the tension built from there. However, I felt it lost something about halfway through, and the ending was a bit of a letdown. However, I didn't see that last paragraph coming!

A reunion weekend for a group of 40 year old ex college friends takes a sinister turn in the creepy, isolated lake house. Friendships are strained due to lies and deceit and a race against the clock ensues to find a way out of the nightmare!!
I found this a fairly good read with good background history and dramatic moments but I finished it feeling something was missing hence the 3 stars. Sorry

A group of girl friends from college decide to go celebrate their 40th birthday’s in an off the grid lake side cabin.
One by one they start disappearing. There is a creepy guy that owns the lake cabin that they suspect, but how well do they know each other?
This is a made for TV movie!

Holy cow, this was so good! I felt like I was reading a modern reboot of Friday the 13th. Five college friends set out on a weekend reunion five hours away at an isolated cabin with a lake that is near a closed down camp, Camp Eventide. After a night of catching up and drinking, bad things begin to happen. I received my copy today and was done in two hours! This is so twisty with many omg moments, it’s fast packed and unputdownable. I just bought She Lies Alone, can’t wait to dig in! Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley, and to the author for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

My review is on Goodreads and Instagram.

It was supposed to be a girls only weekend for 5 old college friends. They rented a cabin that turns out not to be what they expected and the landlord is a sketchy character. All is not as it seems and there are secrets. Who can they trust. This is a fast moving story full of twists and turns with a surprise ending that I really didn’t see coming. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.