* Blog Tour post will appear on August 9th *

Thank you to Berkley for inviting me to be a part of this Blog Blitz!

You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa is a fun destination wedding thriller that starts off with a bang! The story revolves around Amaya, who has been invited to her childhood best friend Kaavi's lavish wedding in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, it turns out that the groom is none other than Amaya's ex-boyfriend. Amaya is determined to stop the wedding. But when the bride goes missing, it's up to Amaya to prove her innocence. Can she figure out who else wanted the bride dead and why?

Here is a gripping excerpt from the Prologue, which is from Amaya's perspective:

"I WOKE UP with bruised knuckles and blood under my fingernails, more rested than I have been in years. I guess this is who I am now. The kind of person who would finally get a good night’s sleep after attacking someone else. The kind of woman who would fly halfway around the world to stop my ex–best friend from marrying my ex-boyfriend. If that’s one too many exes for you, well, it certainly is for me. But I’m also the kind of woman who does whatever it takes, so here I am.
I opened the sliding door that led out onto the small balcony attached to my room at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. It overlooked the expansive private beach, which was deserted.
Of course it was. It was too early in the day for anyone to be out there. Maybe later on, but then again, who knows how things will pan out? The wedding would definitely be canceled now."

Overall, You're Invited is a lovely #ownvoices thriller that will appeal to fans of Lucy Foley or Jesse Q. Sutanto. One highlight of this book is that it is an #ownvoices book by an author of Sri Lankan descent. As a reader of Asian descent, I love to see more diversity in the thriller genre. I am so happy to support this book and this author. Another highlight of this book is what a great mystery it is. There were lots of suspects at the wedding, and it was so fun to make guesses about "who did it." Also, there were many twists that I did not see coming. If you're intrigued by the excerpt, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in August!

You're Invited
by Amanda Jayatissa
Pub Date: August 9, 2022
Berkely Books
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
* Thriller *Mystery
What could be worse than your ex-boyfriend marrying your childhood best friend? Getting accused of her murder…
From the author of My Sweet Girl comes a dangerously addictive new thriller about a lavish Sri Lankan wedding celebration that not everyone will survive. Readers of Riley Sager, Lucy Clarke, and Sarah Alderson might enjoy this book too.
She's back! The author is back with another gripping read! Whip smart and expertly plotted with perfectly arranged clues and an explosive finale, YOU'RE INVITED will have readers guessing who they can trust and who the real villain is in this wickedly good thriller. I recommend this book. 5 stars

Would you answer yes to this expense-paid wedding invitation? Guests will be flown from around the world to Mount Lavinia private beach in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for seven days of a wedding celebration and only possible for billionaires. Would you not?

The protagonist, Amaya, has lived and worked in LA for the last five years and lost touch with the bride over time; she receives a wedding invitation from Tehani, the bride’s sister. The invitation was merely of passing interest until she heard that Kaavindi was marrying Spencer, Amaya's ex-boyfriend. Amaya reacts strongly to the news about Spencer and became obsessed with stopping the wedding. Not a typical reaction?

On the wedding morning, the bride was missing, and there were signs of a struggle in her room. Tehani accused Amaya of coming to the wedding uninvited. The bride's father, Nihal, hired Eshana Padmaraj of the Silverhawk Securities service to investigate the disappearance and possible murder of Kaavindi Fonseka.

In a beautifully structured novel, Amanda Jaytissa entices us with a classically large number of suspects. She provides the reader with the reports made by the suspects, thereby structuring and clarifying the evidence in easy assimilation. The author mesmerizes us with descriptions of the aunties, the elegant saris, the traditional wedding attire; also, the cultural tendency to gossip, and the numerous unwritten social rules of Sri Lankans.

I liked that the investigation is thorough, and we hear different points of view from the aunties, the wedding party, the servants, and the vendors; with each report, a few more clues are revealed to the reader to be unearthed and thought through. “You’re Invited” is not a case of “the butler did it”; this is a much more cryptic story.

There is a strong feminist viewpoint running through the narrative, which contrasts brilliantly with the victorian-era social rules. I am not sure if I liked all the characters, but I am confident that the depth and variety of characterization adds to excellent readability and balance.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars for the authenticity I felt reading about this island country, formerly Ceylon, in the Indian Ocean. Also, for the intricate plot involving many suspects. From the first page to the concluding page, the ambiance of Sri Lanka is woven warp by weft into this mystery; making it a supremely enjoyable read for this reader.

I recommend this book to mystery lovers, travelers, history buffs, and those who enjoy a challenging psychological thriller.

This was not the book for me. Usually I like twists but, these were predictable for me, which is not usually the case. I also didn't care for the characters. I am in the minority but this was not my cup of tea. I believe this is one of those cases of not every book is for everybody.

WOW. I was kept guessing until the very last page, and I'm usually pretty good at figuring things out quickly. This book was absolute fire, and I'd recommend it to anyone!

I read and reviewed My Sweet Girl last year, and instantly fell in love with Jayatissa's writing.

Her second novel You're Invited has been sitting high on my most highly anticipated read of 2022!
And Amanda Jayatissa did not disappoint me either!

Woah! What an intense, suspenseful, and clever story!
This book had me hooked from the opening line.
A remarkable book! Thrilling, chilling, and utterly mesmerising!
The plot is genius, the writing gorgeous and characters that will pull you into their world and hold you tight!
The skilled author is in complete control of the narrative, pacing, and her characters. They are vivid and come alive on the page, and you can envision this train wreck with a strong sense of foreboding and darkness but not sure where it is headed.
Creating an intricate and compelling mystery.
It will not doubt keep you guessing until the very end.
The rich layer of storytelling is something special and I felt like I was sitting there the whole time watching it all unfold right before my eyes!
I can’t wait to read more from this talented author!
Seriously wish I could give it more than five stars.
The most explosive read I've read so far this year!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Berkley,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

You are invited! To a lavish wedding in the wealthy area of Colombo, the largest city in Sri Lanka. Live vicariously through Amaya as she travels from the states back to her home country for her friend Kaavi's wedding.

There is one problem, or maybe two. Kaavi and Amaya haven't spoken in years and Kaavi's groom to be is Amaya's ex - the longest relationship Amaya ever had. When she receives this new and the invitation she plans to stop the wedding at any cost. There's murder, mystery, glamour and backstabbing. This is a novel that you might one to read in one sitting! If you like lavish weddings, backstabbing best friend stories and are always in the mood to solve a murder then You're Invited is for you!
#berkley #netgalleyreads #YoureInvited #amandajayatissa

There was a lot of drama, for sure. However, the storyline felt extremely far-fetched, even for fiction. I never really cared for any of the characters, which made it hard for me to stay engaged and care about the outcome. There were a few interesting twists, but it didn't make up for the other issues I mentioned.

Amaya hears from an old friend named Kaavi after a long time with no communication between them. Kaavi is getting married in Sri Lanka and invites Amaya to her wedding. When Amaya figures out that the groom is her former boyfriend, she decides to intervene and tries to stop the wedding. The Kaavi suddenly goes missing and all fingers point to Amaya! How will she escape this terrible situation?

I was excited to read this book as I knew it was set in Sri Lanka and I was eager to hear about the place and culture. The author does an excellent job to set the scene and created characters with real depth. The mystery swirling throughout the story is great and I did not predict the ending!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

This is an absolutely bananapants book in terms of all the little twists and turns and the piles and piles of red herrings. One of the most challenging things about reading this novel is that the book blurb makes it clear that Amaya is not guilty of murdering Kaavi. So all of the little vague, dark details about Amaya's actions start to become tiring. While early guesses as to what her motivation might really be will prove to be correct, there's still more to the story I wasn't expecting.
Amaya is hard to like until you spend time with everyone else, because everyone else is doing their best at being the absolute worst.
I found the beginning a little hard to get into but I'm glad I kept reading as it was darkly fun and surprising by the end.
The Sri Lankan setting was a different experience for me, with seeming endless amounts of thrillers set in the UK or NYC. I found myself googling some of the things described in the novel, like the traditional wedding clothing worn by the bride and groom.

You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa invites the reader to attend a wedding that too many people do not want to see happen.
Set in Sri Lanka it is to be an elaborate wedding. Amaya is asked to attend even though she hasn't had contact with the bride-to-be in many years. As she comes to attend she discovers the groom is her ex. It is not a discovery that goes down lightly. Amaya seeks to keep this wedding from happening.
Except that the bride-to-be is murdered. Amaya becomes the main suspect. Yet is she?
In her investigation to clear her name, Amaya finds that many others have deep secrets and personal reasons to stop the nuptials.

The descriptions of Sri Lanka are delightful and I felt that I was there. The mystery itself engaged me from page one.

Thanks so netgalley for the arc

𝑺𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒊𝒇𝒕. 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔...𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒖𝒑 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅, 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒖𝒑 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚. 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕? 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑲𝒂𝒂𝒗𝒊 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅? 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒗𝒂𝒊𝒏?

She dazzled me with MY SWEET GIRL, and Amanda Jayatissa did it again with YOU'RE INVITED. Amaya and Kaavi had a falling out years ago, so Amaya is shocked when she receives an invitation to Kaavi's lavish wedding in Sri Lanka. She is relieved to see that the entire family wants her there, and she's looking forward to putting the past behind her. Amaya religiously visits Kaavi's Instagram and leaves comments under varied assumed identities, but she was not prepared for one thing--the identity of the groom. She knows that she must stop this wedding at all costs, even if it means she's accused of her best friend's murder.

The first half of the book is told from Amaya's point of view, including interviews with family and guests about the disturbing state of Kaavi's hotel room, which leads investigators to believe foul play. Little by little, family secrets come out, casting a shadow of suspicion on just about everyone, guest and family alike.

Things really heat up in the second half of the book, told from Kaavi's point of view. The reader is left reeling from the confessions she makes, and when both halves merge together for a shocking climax, I wasn't prepared at all for what was revealed.

Many thanks to the publisher and for NetGalley for this stunning early read. This is an author who just made my auto-buy list. Releases August 9, 2022.

Stephannie's 5 Star Review:

Wow, what did I just read?!?! This was a very interesting story that keeps you guessing until the end. There are so many twists and turns that gave me whiplash.

Amaya and her best friend Kaavi stop being friends 5 years ago but we aren't given all the details of their falling out until later in the book when everything starts to make a lot of sense. Amaya has been keeping up with her friend via Cyberstalking and then she gets an email invite to her wedding to her ex-boyfriend from 5 yrs ago is the groom; Amaya must go to this wedding and stop it. When she gets there no one is expecting her and it's like she crashed the wedding instead of being invited.

Kaavi is missing and there are signs of a struggle in her hotel room. Now everyone is on lockdown in their rooms and there is an investigation into her whereabouts; their prime suspect is Amaya. There are chapters of interrogations of different people who give the readers more clues and insight. It was an interesting and good read. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4688504000

Full of ruthless characters, You're Invited will keep you guessing about who the real villain is! An entertaining thriller, for sure!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Amaya hasn’t spoken to her ex best friend, Kaavi, in 5 years, but keeps up with her on social media. Then Amaya finds out Kaavi is getting married… to Amayas ex boyfriend. When she receives an email inviting her to the wedding back home in Sri Lanka, she decides to go. But she has an agenda, stop the wedding at whatever cost. The night before the ceremony, Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead. All the evidence points to Amaya.

Nothing is as it seems. Everyone has secrets. Everyone is a suspect. Who should be trusted?

This book was SO good! I thought I knew what was coming but I was wrong. This book really looks into the lives of the elite and how money and power can make or break lives. I liked the style of writing and how the perspective changed. I am not familiar with Sri Lankan culture, but this author did a great job of explaining and describing. I will definitely be reading more from her. I highly recommend this, especially if you are looking for a thriller that is a bit different.

Special thanks to Net Galley for sharing this book in exchange for an honest review!

Former Sri Lankan socialite Amaya learns through social media that her former best friend Kaavi is set to marry her ex-boyfriend, Spencer in just 3 short months. Amaya desperately believes that this wedding simply cannot happen. Once she receives her invite, she puts her plan in place to make sure it does not, because their is no way in hell that she will allow Spencer into Kaavi's life. Will Amaya be able to stop this wedding before it is too late. Pick up the deliciously messy thriller You're Invited and find out for yourself.

You're Invited was incredibly good. The character development was quite well done and extensive especially for a thriller and mystery element was nicely plotted. I was guessing about what would happen until the very end. I loved the subtle social commentary throughout this book from mental health, to the fake life of social media darlings, to the social infrastructure of the elite in Colombo Sri' Lanka's capital city. All of these elements combined made You're Invited a riveting page turner full of twists and turns that thriller lovers, like myself, will not be able to put down.

This was… wow. Drama to say the least! The first thing I noticed was a lot of this story line felt pretty far fetched. It didn’t really seem plausible, which for me, wasn’t something I enjoyed reading.

Every single character was horrible. There wasn’t a single character that I could even somewhat tolerate. This made reading a bit tough as well.

There were some twists, most of which I guessed. Some, the ending in particular in which I didn’t. The ones I didn’t guess were the reason for 3 stars in an otherwise 2 star book. I know I’m in the minority, but this just wasn’t for me!

Amaya is shocked when she's invited to her former best friend Kaavi's extravagant, Instagram-ready wedding in Sri Lanka after not speaking to her for years. Then she finds out Kaavi is marrying her ex-boyfriend and Amaya is determined to stop the wedding from happening. When Kaavi disappears and everyone thinks she's been murdered, Amaya seems like the most likely culprit, but everyone at the wedding has secrets.

I loved this book, especially love how it's structured with police interviews interspersed throughout and the way Jayatissa slowly reveals the truth behind each wedding guest's secrets. In this follow up to her brilliant debut, My Sweet Girl, Amanda Jayatissa further proves she is a master of writing lovably unlikeable female protagonists and creating uniquely twisty thrillers.

This was so much fun to read. Think Crazy Rich Asians if the bride mysteriously disappears before the wedding. I've read so many thrillers so when an author can bring a fresh spin on things and add some unexpected twists, I'm all for it and I'll be coming back for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of this novel for the E-Arc copy. I am rating this book based on my own personal opinion and was not given anything in return. I am not leaving a entire review because I read so many at a time that I physically cannot right now.