You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa was a twisty, fun read. The summary is that Amaya's childhood best friend and ex-boyfriend are getting married in Sri Lanka, and Amaya is surprised to be invited to the wedding. As she ventures to Sri Lanka for the big event, we learn a lot more about their past and what led to their falling out.

I love to be surprised by the plot twists in a book, and this one really delivered. The way the story was told led the reader down one path only to veer down a different path in the next chapter. I thought I knew where it was going, but I was wrong!

The characters of Amaya, bride Kaavi and groom Spencer are developed in a crafty manner. They turn out to be very different than they first appear, adding to the plot twists. This was a fast-paced and cleverly told story of suspense. The setting of Sri Lanka was very interesting to me. I don' think I've read another book that takes place there, so learning about the country, its social structure and wedding customs was fascinating.

I will recommend this book to readers who like domestic suspense.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Favorite Quotes:

Often, things we were in awe of when we were younger feel oddly unimpressive as adults. I used to think my house was a palace. I used to think my mother was the tallest woman in the world. Food laid out for me was a feast. Things change as you grow. As you understand the world for what it is. That we overcompensate in our memories because we didn’t know any better at the time.

Why was I like this? Why could I never be the Amaya that existed in my head? The version of myself that never made an entrance when I most needed it, instead of this watery, half-boiled counterpart?

A little mountain of, of course, Louis Vuitton clutch bags was nestled on the table between them, and they were all dressed in some variation of colorful, flowy maxi dresses. I couldn’t have felt more out of place— a crow in the middle of a flock of exotic flamingos.

Why was it so wrong that I tried to seek out a trophy husband? The only difference was that my golden trophy turned out to be cheap old brass underneath his glossy exterior...

It’s all a bit cliché now, of course. I didn’t see it at first. It was almost like, well, like those rocks that get shaped by the river. How could something as soft, something as beautiful as a river have the ability to change the complete structure of something as hard as a rock?

My Review:

Silly me, I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this one but I was soon sucked into a baffling, prickly, complicated, and distressingly compelling vortex filled with a vile and shallow cast of characters. This was an uncomfortably intriguing tale with storylines that eventually connected and entwined.

I was tossed into an intricate and unfamiliar caste system that had me looking in one direction and then another while no one was above suspicion and everyone was disappointingly annoying and guilty of at least subterfuge. I wanted to stick pins in fetish dolls for every one of them.

The main character was critically OCD and constantly looking for numerical patterns to determine if the time was going to be lucky for her or not by whether the numbers were repeated or sequential while she took deep breaths and counted to five. She also distracted and amused herself by visualizing the somewhat gruesome demise of people she found vexing. There must be something wrong with me to have found that entertaining, but I deflect all blame to this author’s sly and evocative word craft.

I devoured Amanda Jayatissa’s debut novel, My Sweet Girl last year and her second novel, You’re Invited was exactly the same! It was a great book to read this week as it takes place around a wedding and I’m headed to Colorado to see a college friend and Bookstagram buddy @debeliahreads get married this week! Hopefully her wedding is less drama! 😂

Amaya is invited to the wedding of the year! It also just happens to be for her ex best friend who is marrying her ex boyfriend. She’s devastated… until she decides to destroy the wedding so they don’t get married.

I loved learning all about the Sri Lankan customs and wedding etiquette. The wedding itself sounds like an incredible several day extravaganza with several costume changes. The MC of the story is Amaya and she definitely has some flaws. She participates in self harm quite often and one memorable instance she uses a hot curling iron! 😳

Amanda is a gifted story teller and this one unravels in such a good way. The interviews with the security team were perfect and they bring in lots of characters for further investigation. As with My Sweet Girl, there are several twists I didn’t see coming. Amanda is definitely a must read author for me.

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to @berkleypublishing for my gifted copy.

BOOK REVIEW: You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
2022 Publication Date: August 9

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

T.I.M.E. Best Books By Genre | Thriller
T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2022

CONNECT WITH A BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
Keep your friends close... And your enemies on a leash...

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW:
Looking for a book that is a cross between Crazy Rich Asians and My Best Friend's Wedding? But takes a very dark turn?... Welcome to You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa!

There are so many things I loved about this book: Super creative imagination on how to "off" those that really push your buttons (Be warned to those in my life that love to teeter on my buttons... I took lots of notes!). Gorgeous setting. Strong female character leads... And multiple narrators that served as a puppeteer troupe providing so many twists and turns that I marvel at the storyboard this author had to constantly keep in her head to pull all these "strings" together in an ultimately successful puppet show ending.

The book starts off with a great premise... And although the pacing slows a bit in the middle, it was one "aha moment" after another as the final third of the book gathered steam.

Perfect for readers looking for a cautionary tale for love lost... love found... and love uninvestigated!

Amanda Jayatissa is an author to watch... and read! As for me, I can't wait for her next puppet show!... ✨😎✨

Pages: 384
Genre: Thriller
Sub-Genre: Psychological Thriller
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Sri Lanka

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
Movie: Crazy Rich Asians

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When Amaya is invited to her former best friend Kaavi's extravagant wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised, to say the least. But when Amaya learns that the groom is her very own ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by a single thought: Stop the wedding. No matter what. No matter how.

But upon arrival, things are not as they seem. Rumors abound about Amaya's past and presence at the wedding. And Amaya can't help but feel like she has been lured here with a target on her back instead.

When Kaavi goes missing, all evidence points to Amaya. Can she clear her name and figure out what happened to her friend before it's too late?

You're Invited is a suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Bestselling author Amanda Jayatissa delivers a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and The Girl on the Train.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION:
Be careful who you trust
Friendship and relationships can be complicated
Never underestimate the power of jealousy and revenge
Appearances can be deceiving

BOOK QUOTE:
“When two people belong together, someone had to leave this earth for that bond to be broken.” -You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa

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All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

When your ex best friend (who you’ve been stalking online) announces she’s marrying your ex boyfriend and then invites you to the wedding, despite you not having spoken to either party in years, what could possibly go wrong?

This is the scenario Amaya find herself in in this wedding themed thriller. This book is a rollercoaster ride as it keeps you guessing the whole way through. There’s definitely more to the story than we first realise. Gripping, expertly paced, I loved the turns it took and could not put it down.

The setting of this book in Sri Lanka really added to my enjoyment as I loved reading a thriller set somewhere new to me and especially hearing about the wedding customs there.

I haven’t read this author’s first novel but will most definitely be going back to read it now as I found her writing style to be really distinctive and one that I definitely loved.

Unreliable narrators are one of my favorite thriller tropes. And while we aren’t sure Amaya, our narrator, is unreliable, you are led to think that. She is a little OCD, paranoid and spends a lot of time making decisions based on auspicious signs.

We start with a missing bride on her wedding day. Need we mention the bride is Amaya’s ex best friend and is marrying her ex boyfriend? I love when we are led down a path with what seems like facts, but we really aren’t sure of the details surrounding the facts. Amanda Jayatissa is really good at those build ups. There are layers upon layers to what is actually going on and the reader is left to assume facts based on what is given and some will be right and many will not be.

Another favorite of mine is learning about other cultures through my fictional read. The wedding takes place in Sri Lanka and is an elaborate multi day celebration.

With an easy to read style and many surprise revelations and twists, I couldn’t put this down and wanted to know about these characters. It’s a great read for suspense and thriller readers.

A lot of characters at a wedding. Someone dead. No idea who the killer is. Yes, please!

This thriller is non-stop and full of fun turns and twists. I'm so glad I read it and will read more from this author.

I read, You’re Invited, and was it one heck of a roller coaster ride! As adults we all have those best friends we had while we were kids, sometimes even college, but as life goes on, so do our friendships. Amaya is invited to her childhood, and college, former best friend Kaavi’s lavash wedding in Sri Lanka. Amaya is shocked that she got invited when she learns the groom is her ex-boyfriend, Matthew. Much like a thought from My Best Friend’s Wedding, she has the goal of stopping this wedding. But there the similarities end. This is not some loving rom-com. This is a book with a twist you never see coming.

Everyone has secrets, much like House famously says, “Everybody lies.” Many of these characters are unlikeable, and even our narrator can be unreliable. This just adds to the mystery of it all. But it also adds to the suspense. There is, however, a trigger warning for self-harm, along with other things such as domestic violence, but the self-harm has a lot of focus.

I really enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait to get the audio version to share with my family as well! Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

• fast paced wedding-gone-wrong thriller
• ruthless characters
• keeps you guessing through the very end

This book hooked me instantly! I really enjoyed getting to learn more about the Sri Lankan culture, especially the wedding traditions. The interview transcripts added so much to the story and made me question who I could trust! Some of the plot points didn't seem necessary (no spoilers, so DM me if you've read it). Overall, a fun ride with some unexpected twists!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Berkley Books for gifting me a digital copy of this very intriguing mystery novel by Amanda Jayatissa - 4.5 stars!

Amaya is surprised to get a personal invite to her ex-best friend's lavish wedding in Sri Lanka, especially since she and Kaavi haven't spoken in five years. And because Kaavi is marrying Spencer, Amaya's ex-boyfriend. But how can she not go? She must stop this wedding. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, Amaya quickly becomes the top suspect.

This was an expertly crafted mystery novel and I couldn't put it down. It is told in the alternating voices of both Amaya and Kaavi, interspersed with interrogation transcripts of family members and other wedding guests. There are plenty of secrets and lies among all the characters, in addition to the social media perspective thrown in. Trust me, you will never see all the twists and turns coming your way, not until you turn that last page! Lots of interesting facts about Sri Lanka weddings as well. Definitely a must read!

3.75⭐ rounded up.

Amaya and Kaavi were childhood best friends. They had a falling out and haven't seen or spoken to each other in five years. Amaya is quite the stalker though and has been keeping tabs on Kaavi anonymously via social media. When she learns that Kaavi is to marry her ex-boyfriend, Spence, she's upset. But she is upset enough to harm her just a day before the wedding?

It's told mostly by Amaya leading up to the wedding. We have some transcripts of the police investigation that really show how the rumor mill can be and keeps you guessing about what happened to Kaavi. Then later on we get Kaavi's perspective. I like how it was done this way because it kept me wondering what was going on. It took a while to find out why they haven't spoken in five years though.

I'm not a fan of when money is wasted and it seems there was way too much spent on this wedding. A backup wedding dress?! craziness! But I did enjoy learning about Sri Lankan culture. And I'm sure gossiping Aunties are found all over the world, not just there.

Overall, a good drama filled read that was suspenseful and twisty with a perfect wrap up.

This started out strong but then fell flat to me. I guessed a lot of what was going to happen. I will say it’s an easy read, I read the majority of it on a plane. One pet peeve the cover says “shouldn’t have rsvpd” but in the book she didn’t rsvp she just showed up.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved the tension of this one and of Amaya. I just couldn’t get a hold of how I felt about her and what she had going on. There were some parts I was like woah did I read that right! Yep I did, I love a great unreliable MC. You get this feeling the whole book of you know something bad is coming but in what way! So much lies and gossip that had you sucked in!

Amaya goes to her estranged best friend’s wedding weekend in Sri Lanka for one reason.. to stop the wedding at all cost. When the bride goes missing, the evidence points to Amaya, but not all is as it looks.

It took me a bit to get through this one. While I really loved the set up, with the interviews dispersed through out, I felt it was a lot longer than it needed to be. It did do a great job of building the suspense. I almost got whiplash at the end; twist after twist. At a point it becomes too far fetched for me, but you can’t call it boring that’s for sure. Don’t even try to figure out what is going on, just enjoy the ride.

“They say that what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. I say that’s a lie. What doesn’t kill you can sometimes leave you paralyzed. That’s what happened to me.”

You’re invited comes out 8/9

Have you ever heard of the instrumental version of Kendrick Lamar's Untitled 2 | 6.23.2014? It's an assortment of foreign sounds, alien waves, and instruments clashing against each other, trying to form a recognizable melody. As it starts to crescendos, it's as if the production figured out it needs to work together to produce something decent an audience can familiarize with. It's a dizzying walk through the park until we hear Kendrick yell, "GET GOD ON THE PHONE," and the beat drops, tying every piece of the instruments together to create … This. That's what it was like reading Amanda Jayatissa's sophomore debut, You're Invited.

The story comprises multiple POVs and personal one-on-one interrogations when the Bride-to-be goes missing. We are to navigate through the unhinged thoughts and reasonings of the main character while also trying to weed out the gossip provided by the guest's cross-examinations. It was a bit of a slow burn in the beginning and middle, but by the time we got to the meat of the story, it became a fun game of "Who's Crazier?"

I rated 3 and some quarter stars (my first time doing that ever!)

Its rare I read a debut and it cements an author as an auto buy but, @amandajayatissa did just that with My Sweet Girl so I looking forward to this.

As per usual-knocked it out of the park! There are so many twists in this book it will leave your head spinning. I honestly did not see the ending coming and found it wicked, smart and very good. It was juicy, dark, dramatic and had some sarcasm thrown in with regard to humor that I just loved. It made me giggle a lot. The characters are all larger than life and extreme which added to the atmosphere.

As per her previous novel, I loved the Sri Lanka setting and all of the cultural references. Lots of the custom around marriage was included and some foreign words/phrases are sprinkled within the novel however, all of it is explained to the reader in such a way it flowed very nicely. Personally, I love when we get pieces of language in novels.

This was fun and I really enjoyed it! I cant wait for what Amanda has in store for us next! Thank you @netgalley for my advance copy!

You're Invited is an intense psychological thriller that will grab your attention from the beginning. A story about a woman who is determined to stop the wedding of her ex-best friend to her ex-boyfriend. You're Invited is a great blend of secrets, lies, manipulation, and gaslighting. This was full of surprises, and in the end, I liked how twisty and surprising it was.

While Amaya Bloom is stalking Kaavi Fonseka's Instagram, she discovers that her former best friend has gotten engaged to her former boyfriend Spencer. The two women grew up together in Sri Lanka and remained best friends through college in the U.S. The Fonseka family, at the top of Sri Lankan society, has planned an over-the-top wedding, which is exactly what Kaavi wants as she has carefully cultivated her public persona to be the epitome of wealth, beauty and perfection. But Amaya, who is shocked that she has been invited to the multi-day festivities, is determined to stop the wedding. Amaya heads to Sri Lanka and is ready to face the Fonseka family, who she had thought she'd never see again. 

Starting with the day of the wedding, You're Invited is told in flashbacks to three months before the big event to the days leading up to it. The story plays out from the perspectives of Amaya and Kaavi. Before Kaavi and Spencer tie the knot, we learn that the bride is missing, and everyone fears she has been harmed or worse. Amanda Jayatissa has skillfully created an interesting cast of characters who all seem to have something to hide. Some of their actions may make you uncomfortable. And with the exception of sweet, 5-year-old Nadia Fonseka, no one is especially likeable. As she did with her debut My Sweet Girl, Jayatissa has written another intelligent, dark, suspenseful, and twisty story. It will keep you guessing and will keep you very entertained.

Rated 4.25 stars.

Let me tell you, you absolutely MUST add this to your TBR! I loved the format too, it is told mainly from Amaya’s POV, but there is also a bit of procedural POV mixed in after each chapter, giving us either a new suspect or a red herring, who’s to say? The other POV is from Kaavi prior to the wedding, but we don’t get this until later in the story, and oh she comes in hot with her own secrets as well. I am getting ahead of myself here but good grief this is SO well done, the twists are fantastic, and I simply could not get enough!

Amaya and Kaavi used to be bff’s, Spencer dated Amaya, they all went their separate ways in the most abrupt manner, and now Amaya learns that Kaavi and Spencer are getting married and to say she is hurt is an understatement. THEN, she gets an invite to the festivities and off we go. Note this is a slow burn in the beginning but in the best way possible as secrets are slowly beginning to ooze out like gunk from this family, and the town of Columbo is devouring it all but they don’t even know the half of it, yet. Then Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, and Amaya is our suspect numero uno. But as we know with these types of stories, nothing is easy or ever as it seems, and even though generally I thought I had it figured out there were still many things I got wrong.

I won’t say any more, but hopefully this is enough to hold your interest and you rush to buy this one ASAP! I also hope you trust me when I say that you do NOT want to miss this one! I absolutely LOVED it, and after also loving My Sweet Girl, Jayatissa is now firmly on my auto buy list, she is just amazing. (P.S., As a bonus, the cultural references and descriptions in here re Sri Lanka are equally as wonderful as the plot itself!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for the digital copy to review.

maya leaves Houston to attend a wedding in Sri Lanka. Custom dictates a week long celebration for the new to be married couple. Perfect. This gives Amaya one week to make sure that the wedding does not take place. She is prepared to move mountains to stop Kaavi Fonseka from marrying Matthew Spencer (thereafter referred to as Kaavi and Spencer).

Amaya will stop at nothing, planning sabotage after sabotage. However, one major event has truly stopped the wedding, but what was leading up to it?

This thrilling read was in first person from Amaya’s point of view. While the mystery is slowly unraveling as to Amaya's motives, one thing is for certain. Amaya is a dark person, a dark person with very dark thoughts. In fact, she often thinks to herself the things she wants to do to people, and it is these very thoughts that are woven into the pages of this fast-paced novel.

The twists in this book are shocking, and even though I guessed one plot direction correctly, there was so much more that I didn’t catch, and that only made this book that much better. This is one of those books where nothing is as it seems, and that is precisely what makes this such a compelling read.

Many thanks to and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

* TW - self-harm.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/vWQ_MaV0Uc4