I received this book for free from the TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Published by MIRA on February 5, 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Psychological Suspense
Pages: 432
Source: TLC Book Tours
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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 bestseller Adele Parks.
Adele Parks is a new-to-me author, and I enjoyed her domestic suspense novel, I Invited Her In. Thirty-eight-year old Mel is happily married with three children, living a contented life in suburban England with her husband and working in a shop. But when an old college friend that she’d lost contact with suddenly emails her out of the blue, hinting that she’d like to come for a visit since her life is falling apart due to divorce, Mel doesn’t know that Abigail is going to tear her happy life to shreds.
I Invited Her In is a slow burn for the first half of the book, and as Mel happily accepts Abigail into her home and into her family’s lives, the cracks in the rich, Hollywood-polished surface that Abigail portrays start to surface. Melanie can’t do enough to make sure that Abigail is welcome and comfortable in their home, and Abigail runs shod over their hospitality. While Mel doesn’t have many close friends in the seventeen years since she’s lost touch with Abigail, she gravitates to Abi once they’re in the same home. Mel’s husband thinks that his wife’s need for Abi’s acceptance and friendship has blinded her to Abi’s true colors, and he can’t wait to get her out of their house and lives. He just wants his wife and home back.
Told in points of view from either Mel, Abi, husband Ben, and another character so you get a good idea of what’s possibly going on, the unraveling of sensibilities and friendships get worse as the book goes on. Abi is unlikable from the start, whether in her point of view or any one else’s, and her self-absorption, manipulations, and wickedness knew no bounds. I wasn’t surprised by Mel’s responses to her so-called friend’s actions, but her husband Ben’s solutions really surprised me.
I give I Invited Her In a four out of five. While a bit predictable, the tension and exposure of quite explosive lies kept me reading, just waiting to see what would happen to the deplorable characters next. The writing was excellent and I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and use of unreliable narrators. This is really a story about getting what you don’t have no matter who you have to take it from, and boy, was this a ride.
Find I INVITED HER IN
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
About Adele Parks
Adele Parks one of the most-loved and biggest-selling women’s fiction writers in the UK. She has sold over 3 million books and her work has been translated into 25 different languages.
1500+ 5 star reviews have kindly been written by her fans on Amazon.co.uk 🙂
She has published 15 novels in the past 15 years, all of which have been London Times Top Ten Bestsellers.
Adele was born in the North East of England, in 1969. She enjoyed a traditional 1970’s childhood, watching too much TV and eating convenience food because nobody minded if kids did that in those days. Since graduating from university, where she studied English Language and Literature, she worked in advertising and as a management consultant. In 2010 Adele was proud to be awarded an honorary doctorate of Letters from Teesside University.
Connect with Adele Parks
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
Adele Parks’ TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS for I INVITED HER IN:
Monday, February 4th: Jathan & Heather
Wednesday, February 6th: Cheryl’s Book Nook
Thursday, February 7th: Seaside Book Nook
Monday, February 11th: @thecityofdarkclockwork
Tuesday, February 12th: Bewitched Bookworms
Tuesday, February 12th: From the TBR Pile
Wednesday, February 13th: @thepagesinbetween and The Pages In-Between
Sunday, February 17th: Lori’s Reading Corner – Guest Post
Monday, February 18th: @jessicamap
Tuesday, February 19th: @thesaggingbookshelf
Wednesday, February 20th: @novelmombooks
Thursday, February 21st: @girlsinbooks
Friday, February 22nd: @readingbetweenthe_wines
Monday, February 25th: @scaredstraightreads
Tuesday, February 26th: @shereadswithcats
Wednesday, February 27th: A Chick Who Reads
Thursday, February 28th: Books and Cats and Coffee
Friday, March 1st: Rad Babes Read and @radbabesread
Monday, March 4th: Tar Heel Reader and @tarheelreader
Tuesday, March 5th: Books and Bindings
Wednesday, March 6th: Kahakai Kitchen
Wednesday, March 6th: @hollyslittlebookreviews
Thursday, March 7th: The Lit Bitch
Thursday, March 7th: Thoughts from a Highly Caffeinated Mind
Friday, March 8th: Novel Gossip and @novelgossip
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I want to read this! Take my money! Thank you for being on the tour!
Sara @ TLC Book Tours
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