Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC!

SUMMARY

La Danse des Débutantes is the most exclusive debutante ball for young women where debutantes are often of high society, exclusively famous, wealthy, or of royal status.

Chapin Buckingham, daughter of the most famous celebrities, is honored to be selected, don’t get her wrong, but it’s just not her style.

Piper Woo Collins, awarded the International Science Fair Prize, a profile in Teen Vogue and promised scholarship to Columbia receives an invitation to La Danse unexpectedly.

Each girl has a reason for attending, forced into a competition and from wildly different worlds, but soon they realize they have to control the narrative.


REVIEW

Honestly this was fun and unexpected! Piper and Chapin were refreshing main characters. Original and interesting plot. It was new and fun, a resurgence of fashion.

The only problems for me though was the beginning and end of the book. Everything else flowed nice and made sense, written well. The introduction and ending felt off and didn’t match the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Disappointing despite a promising premise.
As striking as the cover is and as intriguing as the blurb sounded, By Invitation Only fell flat for me. I struggled to connect with the characters and found the story slow and unengaging. Unfortunately, the writing didn’t pull me in, and I found myself bored more often than not.

Perfect for fans of The Selection series. This book is about a modern debutante ball, great for YA book lovers. Includes modern commentary about differences between classes, femininity, and societal expectations.

Some of the slang terms at the beginning made me feel old (I'm in my early 30s) and I worry these will age the book quickly. This wasn't as prominent throughout the rest of the book.

The world watches the rich and the underdog collide at a debutante ball in this lighthearted but heartwarming story of friendship, romance, family, and the upper class. Piper is a nobody from Pennsylvania until a scandal causes the most exclusive debutante ball to replace another girl with her, a science genius who is nowhere near rich. Chapin is unhappy. As the scrutinized daughter of a famous actress and a rockstar, she's used to a life of luxury and disapproval from her mother. Piper keeps being thrown at Chapin, from rooming with her to getting cozy with her brother, and even though she's new to the rich life, she's a natural in front of the cameras. Chapin is jealous and her mom pits them against each other, but as their reputations become threatened, they realize they might be each other's only allies.
This book really reminded me of a reality TV show, except this is in no way reality. I loved all the haute couture and fashion references. The interview where Chapin rants about how fashion is art but looked-down-upon because many women enjoy it is one of my favorite scenes. I also adored Chapin and Piper's friendship arc. They're true friends even though they had every reason to stay enemies. Chapin's kindness and Piper's empathy really oozed off the pages. Chapin's romance wasn't as prominent as Piper's, though romance wasn't that big in this book at all. It's really focused on all the drama at the debutante ball instead of individual pairs, which I didn't mind. In fact, I might prefer it this way. I loved Chapin. She's an amazing character, easily misunderstood and quite flawed, but that's what makes her lovable. Piper is quite smart, academically and socially, but I wish we saw more of her. She has so much potential and is very admirable.

By Invitation Only follows Chapin Buckingham and Piper Woo Collins, two young women from contrasting backgrounds, competing for the coveted title of Debutante of the Year at the prestigious La Danse des Débutantes in Paris. Chapin, the daughter of Hollywood legends, seeks to prove herself beyond her celebrity background, while Piper, a science prodigy from a modest background, is drawn into the competition when offered a college scholarship contingent on her victory. As they navigate the complexities of debutante life, both women confront personal challenges and unexpected alliances, leading to a narrative rich with themes of identity, ambition, and the pursuit of self-worth

Thank you Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!

EEEEE!! This was so fun and a mishmash of all my favorite things! To start I have to say that making this book not entirely about developing a romantic relationship but also about making a new friendship made it SO much better. It's been a long time since I've read a book that did this as well as Alexandra Brown Chang did!!

Just like all of the praise said this truly was a love letter to fashion. Everything about the ball and the dresses and Paris was to DIE FOR. And I can't express how much I loved both couples.

Chapin and Piper were both such great mcs and I loved their story SOOOOOO much!! I reccomend this book to anyone who loves fashion and a good romance!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I found By Invitation Only to be a YA story that captured the magic of some of the non fantasy series that were extremely popular in the early aughts while bringing more substance than its predecessors had.

When a world famous Parisian debutante ball gets heat as one teen attendee gets caught shoplifting, Piper Woo Collins is recruited to attend as her brand, scholarly and brilliant young woman, is what the ball needs. Unfortunately she’s the polar opposite of the well heeled young women attending, but finds friendship with her roommate Chapin, daughter of a world famous musician and actress. From sharing the eye popping experience of Piper in a different world to Chapin’s emotional and familial growth, the story is engaging and well balanced even without the additional mystery of someone trying to sabotage the ball at Piper’s expense.

I highly recommend this for tweens, teens, and young adults who I think will love this marriage of two different worlds wrapped in romance and friendship.

This was such a quick, snappy read, very reminiscent of Gossip Girl and Lisi Harrinson's series The Clique but for a new generation!

This book is a very interesting young adult novel. It tells about Piper who’s a winner of the International Science Fair Prize and Chapin, a daughter of two Hollywood legends. Both of them are roommates in a Paris hotel. They have also made a debut into a high society at La Danse des Debutantes for a competition. Piper and Chapin have to manage their way in order to win the crown.

La Danse des Débutantes is THE ball, a kind of coming out party for young women who are rich or wealthy or famous (or a combination of all). Chapin Buckingham is a shoo-in as she is the daughter of a famous actress and an uber-successful rockstar.

When a scandal disqualifies one of the debs, the powers that be invite Piper Woo Collins who fits into none of the traditional categories, but has recently won the National Science Fair. The two are made to be roommates and they immediately begin to clash. Things continue to go wrong--will they both make it to the ball? And who will be the debutant of the year?

This book was a frothy, fun time. It reminded me of an early-aughts Amanda Bynes vehicle. Think The Devil Wears Prada meets What A Girl Wants.

Told in alternating POVs between wealthy, experienced Chapin and naive newbie Piper, we get to experience the world of high fashion/debutante balls through two completely different lenses. By Invitation Only focuses a lot on the haves vs have nots and gives the reader something to think about as it lays out classism and the wealth-gap. A fun time is had by all (including the reader) in this YA novel. 4.25 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

A fun and touching YA read that takes in the glittering world of high-class fashion, By Invitation Only follows Piper and Chapin as they participate in a high-profile debutante ball in Paris. However, the once-in-a-lifetime experience takes unexpected turns as Piper faces new situations and falls for someone who is off limits, Chastin struggles with familial expectations, and both become mixed up in an attempt at sabotage.

The story is told from both Piper and Chapin’s perspectives, which gives you an in-depth look at both characters. Piper is an underdog and a total fish out of water, whereas Chapin is comfortable in the setting but not happy to be there. Each has a compelling personal journey, and it was easy to become invested in and root for both of them. Piper and Chapin’s relationship starts off super rocky. Strangers and competitors, they are often forced together, much to Chapin’s displeasure. But their relationship changes as they get to know each other. I loved this. There are definitely some great messages about friendship, trust, and loyalty.

Though there are a couple of romances in the story, I was really interested in the friendships and the family relationships, all of which are complicated and messy and ever-evolving. It was interesting to see how Chapin and Piper dealt with toxic behavior, family pressures, precarious relationships, and other situations all while trying to impress and win an exclusive, high-pressure contest and appease the woman who runs it.

The story also has a bit of intrigue as Piper and Chapin are victims of sabotage. It’s clear someone is targeting them, but they don’t know who. This, as well as Piper’s journey to honor her late mother, a forbidden romance (love it!), and other wonderful friendships, add so much depth to the story. The Parisian setting is great too, and it was fun to experience it from a first-time tourist’s (Piper) and a frequenter’s (Chapin and Dalton) perspective. Definitely an interesting contrast.

I thought this was a great read. It was fun and layered with strong messages, some wonderfully poignant moments, and great characters. Special thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.