Reader Wanderlust: The Lake
There is nothing like a lake day. I never really got the appeal because I didn’t spend a lot of time at lakes growing up on the ocean, but my really good friend’s grandparents had a stunning lake home in Connecticut. We spent a number of wonderful weekends there and then Nick and I started spending time in Lake Placid and I think I finally “got” it.
There’s just something different about life at the lake. It’s a little slower, a little quieter, a little more secluded. The water is clear and the bottom is a little rougher, but the sounds of it lapping on the shore are completely transportive. I love that there are huge lakes, like The Great Lakes, and there are smaller ones, like in the Adirondacks and all over the nation. Lakes are special and the time spend at them is just a little different than the typical beach town.
So, transport yourself to the lake with these 10 books!
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
One of my very favorite books of all time. It takes place in Barry’s Bay, which is north of Toronto and it’s totally idyllic. This books is so nostalgic and filled with magic. It’s a second chance romance and childhood friends ti lovers and I like to call it “literary romance” and it’s told in dual timeline!
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
Carley’s second book is also told in dual timelines, but in this book the “then” is about the chance encounter between two people in their twenties who agree to meet one year from their first meeting. One of them doesn’t show up, but they meet again 9 years later at Fern’s family resort in Muskoka.
At the Lake by Jim Landwehr, Memoir
I haven’t read this but I am definitely intrigued by it! I love the idea of a family vacation home that’s been lived in and loved throughout the years.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Despite it’s name, this is a lake read! It takes place on Lake Michigan which I know might be controversial to some, but the Great Lakes are called the Great Lakes for a reason! Lake Michigan is truly stunning.
The Lake by Natasha Preston
A lot of books set at a lake seem to be thrillers and this one is no exception. It’s about a group of friends who attended camp together and are back as counselors-in-training…but their past continues to haunt them.
One Night at the Lake by Bethany Chase
I haven’t read this one so I’m going to let the publisher’s blurb do the talking: “A tragedy on a hot summer night at a lake house forever alters the lives of two best friends - and the man they both love. But the truth isn’t as simple as it appears in this intricate novel of love, friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness.” (Amazon).
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Make It Sweet by Kristin Callahan
I haven’t read this yet but it’s been on my TBR for years! It’s a hockey romance and takes place during the Summer off season.
The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle
I adore the book and it’s another that’s set in Canada! It’s about a teacher and avid romance reader who falls for the bodyguard next door, who happens to be there for a Harry and Meghan esque royal couple.
Meet Me at Midnight by Jessica Pennington
Another book I LOVE. It’s an enemies to lovers/childhood friends to lovers set in a lake town that two families visit every summer. It’s full of pranks and fun. I read it during the Summer of 2020 and it has stuck with me!
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Oh this is a book that will make you weep, but I still love it. It’s about Taylor, who hasn’t been back to her family’s lake home since an embarrassing moment a few summers before. But her dad is sick and he wants to spend the Summer at the lake as a family. TW for cancer and loss of a father.
Check out this post for more lakeside summer reads!
