*Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* From the very first page, I knew something was going to go wrong in Melanie's well-ordered life. I just wasn't sure what it would be, or how very wrong it would go. Melanie seems to have it all - a loving husband, three adoring children and a quiet life in suburban England. Suddenly, her calm and controlled life is turned upside down by the surprise return of university friend, Abigail. Suddenly, Melanie is living it up and making up for her lost youth after falling pregnant at a young age. Abigail is fleeing a messy divorce in the United States moves into the family's home and seems to show no signs of leaving. Not all that glitters is gold, however... This was an engaging and fascinating read. This is the first book I have read by Adele Parks and I look forward to exploring some of her previous novels.

*Thank you to Netgalley and HARLEQUIN - MIRA for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

Such a good interesting story! Yeah so I was expecting more of a thriller than a drama based story with this book but you know what, it really didn't matter that it wasn't a thriller at all because the story itself was that good! It held my attention the whole time, with each page. Once I started to find out what Abigail's real thoughts and feelings towards her apparent 'friend', right away I did not like her and my opinion on that matter didn't change throughout the book. I did like Melanie and the rest of the characters. This is definitely a story I'd recommend if you are wanting a drama with a few surprises here and there.

This book is told from a number of different perspectives. It begins with Melanie, in the first person. We are given an intense insight into her family/past life and you really feel like you get to know Melanie and her way of thinking. The author has done an amazing job at creating such a vivid character, someone you can picture is a real person and can very much relate to! The chapters then switch to the third perspective from multiple characters. These are:
Abi – Mels best friend
Ben – Mels husband
Liam – Mels son
Tanya – Liam’s girlfriend

Although the chapters switch multiple perspectives a number of times it is done extremely well and in a smooth manner where you tend to not notice it is happening. In my opinion, it enhanced the storyline and allowed the personality of each main character to shine. The chapters are fairly short which makes the storyline easy to follow and a fast-paced read.

The story was intense, exciting and twisty which are all things I look for in a psychological thriller! Trust me when I say it will completely infuriate you!!!! At times, I just wanted to jump into the book and shake the characters and say NOOOOOOO!! But all in all, it was a great story which really showed how one can fall under the traps of another’s manipulation. It was one of those story’s where you think to yourself ‘Wow, this could actually really happen!’ Which made it all the more relatable.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a psychological thriller which isn’t about murder and a husband or wife cheating. It has a unique storyline and will catch you off-guard. I always love being surprised by a book that I haven’t seen have anywhere near as much hype as it should have by Instagram!

When Mel hears that her university best friend is getting divorced, she invites her for an open ended visit. It wont take long (but it kind of does) for Mel to regret inviting Abi back into her life.

I found this book to be long and painfully predictable.
Not in a ... "ohh I hope this happens",more of a ... "UGH I bet THIS is going to happen."
The characters did not pull me in... they frustrated me and were not likable.
The plot was ok, but as I said predictable.

With so many books in this genre it can be tough to stand out and I'm afraid this book did not.
Unfortunately in a few weeks I will probably forget all about it.
I think if the book had been shorter, I would have enjoyed it more.

I Invited Her In by Adele Parks is a compelling look at a toxic relationship that is hidden under the guise of friendship. This is an unputdownable read that immediately drew me into the dark domestic drama. The tension is tangible throughout, making for an addictive and thoroughly fun read, and I devoured every word with voyeuristic pleasure.

Melanie Harrison is settled and content with her husband, Ben, son Liam, and two adorable daughters. Having become an unwed mother at age nineteen, Melanie has struggled to raise Liam on her own after dropping out of university. When she eventually meets Ben, he raises Liam as his own son and, following the addition of two daughters, the family meshes into an impenetrable unit. Then, out of the blue, Melanie receives a Facebook message from Abigail Curtiz, an old university friend she hasn't spoken to in almost 20 years. Abi, a successful television presenter in the States, is going through a painful divorce and asks her former chum Mel for a place to stay when she returns to the UK. Melanie welcomes Abi with open arms, hoping to recapture some of the fun of their carefree university days. Mel happily extends an open-ended invitation, and Abi takes her at her word, long outstaying her welcome. Abigail, it seems, has revenge on her mind, and Mel and her unsuspecting family soon become the pawns in her diabolical scheme.

I was fully engrossed in this novel from the very first page. The alternating points of view, primarily those of Abi and Mel, were strongly written, and the reader feels the inclusivity, and intimacy, of each woman's perspective. Melanie, in particular, is a character who pulls you into her reality, and she evoked, for me, both empathy and frustration in equal measure. Abi, of course, is both loathsome and compelling as the villain of the piece. The plot contains enough surprises to keep you guessing at every turn, and the pace of the narrative was, for me, exactly right for delving into this level of character analysis.

I have read several of Ms Park's novels, and I rank this one as the best of a very impressive lot.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Mira for this wonderful ARC.

This book was a fun and thrilling read that was full of lies, secrets, unreliable friendships, betrayal and ultimately jealousy and revenge. The characters and plot were well planned and even though the twists were obvious to me they were still page turners. it was well written so after reading this I will be reading more from Adele parks.

A great read which took me a bit of time to get in to but in the end I was enthralled. A captivating story which kept me awake a night or two.

Thank you for this ARC of this book from Net Gallery and the publisher in return for an honest review.

The story of Mel and her family who reunites with an old friend from Uni after many years only to discover that things don’t turn out quite as expected.

This is a well written novel with characters that I did care about ... in various ways. It was a good book and one that I would recommend to others. The story was interesting and definitely had me hooked!

I was hooked on this book, merely from the title and cover. Reading it, I loved it even more! This is the story of two college friends Abi and Mel. The women have lost touch over the past 17 years, and suddenly Abi shows up at Mels door needing a place to stay. I was hooked form the beginning. Mel had a secret, Abi had a reason for showing up. I loved how this played out, and would recommend to anyone looking for a good story of friendship, betrayal, and surprises

I immediately recognized the name Adele Parks when the book came across my desk for review. I haven’t read any of her books, but it was a name that I had seen before. I had meant to pick up one of her books long before this, but for some reason I just never did.

I decided to remedy that and read her latest thriller, I INVITED HER IN. I liked that this book was not only a thriller, but one that featured two female best friends but late in their friendship.

It didn’t sound like it was going to be one of those ‘I just met this girl and we are friends but she turns out to be crazy’ books. This plot sounded a lot more in-depth and multifaceted than that traditional troupe.

Review

Imagine the worst thing a friend could ever do.

This is worse.

When Mel receives an unexpected email from her oldest friend Abi, it brings back memories she thought she had buried forever. Their friendship belonged in the past. To those carefree days at university.

But Abi is in trouble and needs Mel’s help, and she wants a place to stay. Just for a few days, while she sorts things out. It’s the least Mel can do.

After all, friends look out for each other, don’t they?

I Invited Her In is a blistering tale of wanting what you can’t have, jealousy, and revenge from Sunday Times best-seller Adele Parks (summary from Goodreads).

Review

This was a great revenge story. The plot had a lot of twists and I loved how the timelines in the story intertwined. There were flashbacks that helped guide and shape the story which I found enjoyable.

However, at times I felt that the overall plot moved more slowly that I had anticipated plus it was a little overlong. It had all the elements for a fast moving story, but in the end there were just too many places that it stalled or lost momentum and felt longer than necessary. I think what bothered me most was that this book wanted to be a psychological thriller. It was marketed as a psychological thriller, so I went in to it with the idea that it would be a psychological thriller.

But in the end it felt more like a domestic suspense mixed with some women’s fiction themes like marriage, friendship, and motherhood. So in a lot of ways I felt that it was misrepresented.

I did like the family and friendship dynamics in this one. Had this book been marketed as something along the lines of domestic suspense or women’s suspense I think I would have felt different about it. In the end what saved this book for me was the family and friendship dynamics which I felt were original enough to keep me reading.

Over all, this book probably wasn’t for me, but I think the author has a lot of potential based on some of the reviews I have read about her other books. I am probably in the minority when it comes to this one, but in the end it was just ok for me. I have heard a lot of people recommend her books to I think I will try something else by her instead.

Book Info and Rating

Kindle Edition, 432 pages
Published February 5th 2019 by MIRA
ASIN B07BMVYG12
Free review copy provided by publisher, MIRA as part of the TLC Virtual Book Tour, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 3 stars
Genre: domestic suspense

When Mel invites old school friend Abi to stay with her family following a break up, all seems well to begin with despite their differences. Mel is now a mum of three and happily married to husband Ben whilst Abi has had a very different life as a celebrity living in America. The first half of the book is quite long and slow moving however about half way through a major plot development is revealed and the book builds momentum. The book becomes more interesting and despite the stereotypical characters reveals some unexpected twists and turns. Overall, it is a decent, if somewhat slow domestic thriller.

Favorite Quotes:

Some people whispered that she was pretentious; they resented the fact that she only enjoyed listening to music on vinyl and was fussy about the strength of coffee beans; she refused to drink beer, sticking exclusively to French red wine; she rarely ate. She was, by far, the most interesting person I’d ever met.

“You’ll still get the fairy tale,” Abi said with her usual cool confidence. “I mean Snow White had seven little fellas hanging off her apron and she still netted a prince.”

Her body leaned into his when he walked into a room, like a compass pointing north.

He’s lucky if I pluck my eyebrows. I just find life busy and tricky enough without having to inflict extra pain on myself for an aesthetic that precisely one person is going to benefit from. I mean, I’d never ask him to put hot wax on his best bits. Ben has never complained about my lack of grooming in that area; it’s not as though he needs help finding his target.

I’m not the sort of shape that’s considered typically desirable. I only stop traffic if I press the button and the lights change.

I throw the phone at the hall wall. It makes a satisfying dent. I can’t believe I once painted that especially for her arrival. More sensible preparation would have been barricading the door, heating tar, sharpening knives.

My Review:

This stunning book was highly addictive and totally consuming; once I got my teeth into it I couldn’t seem to put it down. The writing and storylines were simply phenomenal as start to finish the multiple POV narratives were intensely intriguing, well-crafted, cunningly paced, and just crazy good with jaw-dropping twists that had my digestive system in knots. I was taut with tension, deeply invested and couldn’t read fast enough while also wanting to fully relish every tantalizing detail and shocking revelation. The compelling characters were irresistible, uniquely flawed, and captivatingly nuanced. I was absorbed, fascinated, annoyed, beguiled, frustrated, and horrified, yet I remained overwhelmingly curious while cycling through a variety of reactions to their encounters, inner musings, and shrewd insights. I didn’t think I could have been more impressed or profoundly engaged when an eye-popping and breath-stealing disclosure halfway through actually caused me to gasp, wobble, and nearly fumble my Kindle. I was rocked, and it was sensational! Adele Parks has mad skills and new fangirl.

When Mel received an email from her best friend in college, she was beyond excited! abi was getting a divorce and Melanie invited her to come to her house for a visit. Abi agreed and ended up staying way past her welcome! Mel had dropped out of college when she found herself pregnant. She was a great single mom to Liam and then met Ben. Ben and Mel were married and they had 2 girls together but to them Ben was always Liam’s father. I do not want to give away any spoilers but things got pretty twisty once Abi arrived! You will be hooked when you start reading.
This is a must read if it is on your to read list! This was a new author for me but I will be looking for more of Adele Parks’ books! I was intriqued from the beginning to the end. I loved the characters and I had to keep reading to see what happened next. Mel was my favorite! She did all the right things! Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book! Now, do yourself a favor and grab a copy!

Wow I couldn’t put this down! I couldn’t sleep until I’d finished it!! This thriller is an absolute must read and will keep you hooked until the end and you be screaming at every page!! I’d never read anything by this author and I can’t wait until Adele Parks comes out with her next book!!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The description of this book intrigued me. Unfortunately, I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. I love a good thriller with a twist. While the author’s writing was good enough to keep me invested in the story, I correctly predicted the plot. I wish it could have been a little less predictable; if it had been I’d have probably liked it a little bit more.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Adele Parks and HARLEQUIN - MIRA for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I invited her in... and she took everything...

This was a carefully written story with some predictable and drawn-out moments.
Manipulation and betrayal being its prime focus means that it's dark and brings out negative emotions from the reader, which seems to be one of the reasons this book is being reviewed negatively.
I, on the other hand, prefer darker themes, so this book kept me entertained for the most parts.
It does, nonetheless, have a slow pace, which means that sometimes it's hard to not skip parts that seem mundane.

One part that is heavily criticised is the Epilogue, in which Abi realises that she'd gone about things the wrong way yet is at peace because, in the end, she got what she wanted, ignoring the consequences.
This can be argued as little character development, however, I feel that this reflects how hard it is for a person to change, and if they get what they want using their own methods, they believe that it's reliable, therefore continuing to use it.

I feel that this makes the story more realistic and therefore is a strong point of the story, equally memorable as it turns out to be different from the usual "What have I done! I just ruined my best friend's life!" conclusion, and equally average "I'll change for the better" 180 personality change that accompanies.

Overall, I found this book to be a worthwhile read, although I don't know if I would recommend it to other people.

When Mel hears from a long-lost friend in need of help, she doesn’t hesitate to invite her to stay. Mel and Abi were best friends back in the day, sharing the highs and lows of student life, until Mel’s unplanned pregnancy made her drop out of her studies. Seventeen years later, Mel and Abi’s lives couldn’t be more different. Mel is happily married, having raised her son on her own before meeting her husband, Ben. Now they share gorgeous girls and have a chaotic but happy family home, with three children. I thought the book was good, if not really predictable. I have read my fair share of thriller/suspense novels that I was able to figure out the plot twists pretty early on. To me, it didn't feel like a thriller and it never really "grabbed" me like most of this genre does! I wish it had been a bit more fast paced than it was.

2.5 stars

#netgalley #iinvitedherin #adeleparks
Thank you Netgalley & Adele Parks for this ARC.

This book just shows how wicked some people can be.

This was a wonderful read & I couldn’t put the book down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The storyline and plot is so good and is filled with revenge. I recommend this book for people who like mysteries with a little bit of revenge. :)

This is a difficult one to review, as the book started out with promise. I thought it was going to be one of the better thrillers I’ve read lately, but I found it started to become too unrealistic and silly as I read through. While it could be considered a fun, light read, it’s a little too far-fetched to take seriously. Or for that matter, to contend with some or the greater thrillers out there.

This was a slow starter for me, but I'm glad I stuck with it. A fun, twisty-turning read that I will be sure to recommend to friends who enjoy suspense.