Many Are Invited by Dennis Cuesta tells the story of the complex relationship between Steve (the narrator), John, Mary and Lauren right before Y2K. I kept reading to find out what happened on the fateful night of December 18th at the house warming party. All through the story I couldn’t figure out if I liked Steve or disliked him. I made up my mind at the end. The ending just ended but it did make a punch. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I chose this book because it seemed like a good mystery thriller tied to Y2K and Northern CA. I lived in the Bay Area most of my life and remember Y2K all too well. Unfortunately, the storyline did not live up to my expectations.

I received this ebook as an Advances Reader Copy from NetGalley.

I would actually give it 3.5 stars, because I felt the book ended abruptly (just when the betrayal and murder were getting good).

My initial reaction was that I was going to not like this book. I found the first 75 pages or so felt heavier on tech jargon (which is not my background).

What the author is doing is setting the backdrop of the book. The book starts in the early 1990’s and ends in 2000. There is a big focus on Y2K.

Steve is the MC and we see him struggling to keep interest in his job. His best friend John meets a woman (Mary), falls in love and gets married. Steve goes along for the ride. We also are introduced to Mary’s crazy roommate Lauren.

I don’t want to give too much away, but once the we see the jealousy, pride and listing over what another has (the grass is NOT greener on the other side) the MC’s are left with their worlds shattered and broken friendships and bonds.

The irony of what happens to John is wrapped in the Y2K issue - the irony is not lost on the reader!

Like I said, once I got through the technical jargon at the beginning I flew through the interpersonal relationships with the characters and tangled web of deceit.

Steve, John, Mary and Lauren all play equal rolls in how everything ends in disaster. We see everyone pointing fingers.

At the end, we really don’t know how or why, but I guess that’s for the reader to decide!

(This review is copy and pasted from Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4940245874

In Many Are Invited, Dennis Cuesta immediately transports the reader to 1999 South Bay. The clever plot revolves around best friends as they work, play and survive among the newly rich and powerful.

Cuesta has an easy, intelligent style. He weaves loyalty, ambition, envy and secrets together to craft a compelling mystery, leading up to a shocking and satisfying ending. I never saw it coming! I enjoyed Many Are Invited so much that I read through it twice in one week! Highly recommend!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions contained herein are mine and mine alone

..The main character. Steve Galanos, recalls his time in Northern California during the 1990s when the two-digit year was to be a Y2K problem The Internet was exploding and the dot-com world brought wealth to many in different areas Despite these things its a party that affects him the most..

This book is fine if you like this type of story. I personally am not interested in this storyline. . It was difficult for me to read simply because it isn't my type of book. If the topic interests you this may be your cup of tea..

This was a satisfying enough book. It took a few chapters to understand the style - an interesting narrator, and some jumps in the timeline. But it kept my attention and was a quick and easy read. I did find myself wondering what the point was somewhere in the middle - but I feel like I caught up with it by the end.

“Many Are Invited” is an interesting tome. It felt like a mystery at the beginning, but then the story became a diary-like read that bounced all over the place. I enjoyed the writing style very much. Too bad it wasn’t featured in a strong story line.

Worth a read.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

This book centers on Steve Galanos, going back and forth between his job working on Y2K at a phone company, his tumultuous relationship with John, and the housewarming party that changed everything.

It took me awhile to figure out how I felt about this book. I didn't enjoy the book, but it took awhile to figure out why. The writing itself wasn't bad, and something about it kept me connected until the very end. I think the things I struggled with most were the characters and the plot. I didn't like any of the characters- most of them were pretty unlikable people, especially John, Steve, and Lauren. Mary was probably the only decent character, and I wasn't that big of a fan of hers by the end. I also didn't really like the plot. The tease about the housewarming party was intriguing, but the characters were so unlikeable that I just didn't care. I'm not sure why Y2K was made a part of this story, as it could've easily been taken out and some other reason for these characters meeting and working together inserted instead.

This is a deceptive book which begins by telling a seemingly mundane story of four casual friends. Steve (the narrator) and John meet in the mid 1990s while working at an unnamed phone company in California. Both are on a team that is working to avoid the upcoming Y2K disaster. John soon seeks a better job at a dot.com start up while Steve labors on at the phone company. John's life seems charmed and soon Steve develops a case of schadenfreude but continues to get together with him occasionally. On one such night they meet two attractive young women, Mary and Lauren, who happen to be co-workers and roommates. John, of course, wins Mary's affection and ends up marrying her. Steve is disappointed but keeps in contact nonetheless with disastrous results.

The lead up to the supposedly shocking event which turns lives upside down is presented slowly and innocuously. From the beginning the reader knows something horrible happens at John and Mary's housewarming party. However, the ending leaves a few things murky and the reader wondering what the point of the whole story was. The author metes out some surprising details regarding each character's life but they seem to go no where. At the end, I was left scratching my head and wondering if I missed the whole point of the tale.

Thanks to NetGalley and author Dennis Cuesta for my chance to read this novel early.

There were so many great reviews, and the premise sounded really good. But.. I struggled a little with this one.

I didn't get the understand the significance of Y2K,
I didn't really like any of the characters and didn't get the friendship.

The lead-up to the ultimate scene was loooong, the ultimate scene was loooong, and the resolution was boom, done.

I read a review that said this was a retelling of the Great Gatsby. I wish I had read that before I requested this book because I hated the Great Gatsby...lol

I did finish this, so i will give it at least 3 stars - for average. But would I read it again? Nope.. not for me.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Many Are Invited takes place in the years leading up to Y2K and it was interesting to think back to that time of uncertainty. John and Steve are two friends that have a friendship that contains a lot of competition and envy. They're both in IT and are working on resolving the Y2K issues. John becomes more successful in work and his personal life and Steve's resentment and envy grow. This is a quick read, but it's not suspenseful at all. It drags a bit until the last few chapters, then the plot moves rather quickly. I don't think I'm the book's target population, but I'm sure others would enjoy it more. Many thanks to NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for the ARC.

I found this book to be quite dull and boring in the beginning but the pace and content picked up halfway through and I found it quite enjoyable after that.

Steve works at a phone company and gets tasked with working on the Y2K problem of the late 1990’s. In this capacity, he becomes friends with John, who he feels outclassed by in every way. The two become quite close and meet some women, Mary and Lauren, who round out this friend group. John and Mary not only get engaged but make millions from John’s stock options from his new job. Steve becomes increasingly disenchanted with John, finding him to be lucky in every aspect of his life, while Steve remains stagnant in the same job and with no real love life to speak of.

It isn’t until John and Mary’s housewarming party that things take a real turn. At this point in the book, you can’t really put it down. Things happen fast and it’s an exciting ride. I give this book 4 stars. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Celestial Eyes Press and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


Suspensful, thrilling, you won't want to put this fast paced novel down.

I finished the book about an hour ago, and I've kind of let my mind wander about how I felt about it. Sometimes this helps. In this case, it didn't. I didn't get the purpose of the book, I didn't get the significance of Y2K, I didn't feel any nostalgia from a time gone by, and I didn't get any sense of depth in the "friendships" portrayed in the book. The lead-up to the ultimate scene was long, the ultimate scene was long, and the resolution was short, and none of it was very interesting.

I tried to like it and get some redeeming value from it, but I didn't. The author's writing style was ok - it didn't feel forced or cliched, but the story didn't do anything for me.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had to really really struggle to finish this book 1st of all the lead up to the party just dragged on and on. I didn’t care about the characters. I really didn’t get a sense of who Mary or Lauren were supposed to be. And no I didn’t think the end was so fantastic., The entire read was a struggle.

This is a brilliant and quick read. Without spoilers, it’s about friendship and the consequences of jealousy and greed. The story centers around a house warming party where you learn early on something tragic occurred. The time setting for the story is a flashback to the 90’s and was a reminder of all the dot com talk and Y2K technology fears that were discussed back then.

I loved the ending! Very unique and clever. Bravo!

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of Many are Invited. This is my unbiased review.

Pub Date: October 6, 2022
Pages: 242

Not gonna lie, this wasn’t a book I’d have chosen on my own. With that said, was a nice solid read.
It took me a minute to get into a groove with the writing style. The first bit was a bit confusing for me but once I got the rhythm going it was much better.
The writing is compelling and it does suck you in. I liked the dialogues between characters. Sometimes I feel like conversations between characters aren’t believable but the author did a great job making it feel like two people were actually having a conversation.
I wasn’t old enough to really be affected by Y2K so I may have missed some of the suspense but overall, liked the book and would recommend it.

I have to say that is not a book that I would have chosen, but was asked to read, and I am glad that I! It is a moral on envy, and how it can destroy your life, and those around you. Steve and John work at a large phone company in California, it is Y2K time, if you don't know, every corporation in the world was bracing for catastrophe! It is during this time period that Steve and John meet, form an unlikely friendship, that is headed for a collision that we know is coming, like a hurricane, it has to have the right conditions and then it implodes! I liked the book, the story kept me entertained, do I think more could have been done with the ending? Yes, but I am looking forward to more books by this talented author! I expected something far worse, I have an over active imagination, but it was
very believable, which I consider as my number one priority when reading a book! Interesting cast of characters.
I highly recommend! Thank you, #Netgalley #Celestial EyesPublications

Do you remember the anxiety in the late ‘90’s as the years moved closer to the Year 2000? Would the Millennium bug or more popularly known at the time the Y2K bug (for the Year 2000) create the risks computer programmers began talking about? Could the bug be fixed in time?

It’s 1994. John Goertz and Steve Galanos work at a phone company with John as the lead of the Year 2000 Conversion Team and Steve as delivery manager, a direct report to John. Almost despite himself, Steve becomes friends with John but it’s hard not to envy John as his life seems to move forward with all the right moves. But it’s time to put envy aside and celebrate another milestone in John’s life. Newlyweds John and his bride are hosting a housewarming party in mid-December 1999. It’s party time – a new home, the holiday season, and it’s almost 2000. So what could go wrong?

I finished the last page and surprised myself as I had exclaimed out loud, “WoW!” Whether you were listening to the news or in meetings at work conversations were filled with the repetitious drone (to many of us!) of the Y2K bug. It was interesting to read this novel and remember that time.

The author created realistic colleagues to friends, socializing after work and/or on weekends with dialogue touching on a variety of topics including religion and politics. It was an easy read to immerse oneself in earlier years. For me, it was more drama than suspense or thriller although the psychological component is present. After this introduction to the author’s writing, I wouldn’t hesitate to read more.

My sincere thanks to Dennis Cuesta, and Celestial Eyes Press for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

#ManyAreInvited #NetGalley