Who knows what fate is holding: ONE NIGHT AT THE LAKE.

One Night at the Lake by Bethany Chase

My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars


When Leah Tessaro heads to Seneca Lake in Western New York with her boyfriend Ollie for the 4th of July, she's hoping he will propose. They've been together for four years, and she's madly in love. Leah's best friend, June Kang, joins them on the vacation. Instead, something happens and Leah doesn't survive the trip. Seven years later, June and Ollie are headed back to Seneca Lake. It's June's first trip in seven years and she's hoping Ollie, her fiance, can make the trip a little easier. The lake and Ollie's family home are haunted by memories of Leah.

This was an interesting read that I enjoyed more than I thought I would. It's told between alternating timeline and narrators--we get Leah, seven years ago, telling us the story leading up to her death, and then June, in present-time, as she deals with being back again at Seneca Lake and Ollie's house.


"I hate it like I have never hated anything else on earth. And now I have to go back."


Tension basically oozes from June's every pore, but we don't learn what happened to Leah for most of the book, except that occurred at the lake seven years ago. I usually find that trope a bit annoying, but it wound up working here, as I got caught up in the story and the characters.

You definitely had to get past the slight ick factor of this odd threesome--first Leah and Ollie--now June and Ollie--but it's basically the book's entire premise, and I think it's dealt with fairly well. This is a character-driven novel at its core, though there is the tension and the mystery swirling as to what happened to Leah. Throw in Ollie's troublesome stepbrother and June's past love, and you've got plenty of characters to keep the story interesting and moving.

Overall, I found this to a be a surprisingly enjoyable read. It's easy to find yourself lost in the story, wondering what happened to Leah and how Ollie and June found each other again (they retreated to separate coasts after Leah's death). It's emotional and serious, but sweet too and a strong story of love and friendship. 3.75 stars.

I received a copy of this novel from Random House/Ballantine and Netgalley in return for an honest review.

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