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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
I could not seem to put this book down! A gripping page turner with a complicated plot. I had guessed where it was going but I found myself questioning the entire time because there were so many twists. One if the most frustrating husband characters that I’ve read.
Wow Wow Wow! This is one deviously wicked read that still has my head spinning! Where do I even begin with this outstanding piece of work? Whatever I next say will not do this book justice, but here it goes. The Invitation is one invite that you must accept and read in 2020 if you dare…
Rachel immediately drew me into this web of lies, secrets and deceit and I could not tear myself away and devoured this book it in one sitting. I could not flip the pages on my kindle fast enough and if I had of been reading the paperback, there would have been a number of paper cuts. I actually had to force myself to slow down and take a breath so I would not miss anything.
I am not going to rehash the plot in this review as the blurb does its job here and I don’t want to accidentally give something away in my excitement, but I will say which I didn’t realise, is that it is the second instalment in the Stephanie King series. There is no doubt that this can be read as a standalone and Rachel does give the reader a bit of background into Stephanie and Gus. I will be going back and reading And So It Begins so I can get a bit more insight into Stephanie’s character.
The characters are a diverse bunch in this story and have been written so well and Rachel has you second-guessing each of them right to the very end. Though not all likable, they were very believable in the toles they were given to play. I enjoyed Stephanie’s character and look forward to getting to know more about her and her relationship with Gus in future books.
If there ever was an author that is the perfect match to the psychological thriller genre, Rachel is it! The way she is able to get into the readers head and mess with it is nothing short of amazing. The tension and suspense that is also built up throughout had me on the edge of my seat and if that wasn’t enough there are twists and turns aplenty to keep you on your toes!
Ok, so now I must confess and say that this is the first book I have read from Rachel. I know right, I couldn’t believe it either after I read this book. I am so glad and excited that I have now been exposed to her work and I am now the proud owner of her back catalogue, which I can’t wait to get stuck in and read. I also can’t wait to read what she comes up with next and will be eagerly awaiting it.
The Invitation is a fast-paced chilling read that will have you hooked right from page one until its thrilling conclusion. It was an absolute pleasure to read and review The Invitation which I can’t recommend highly enough and is one of my best books for 2020!
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Rachel Abbott for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Invitation which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Rachel immediately drew me into this web of lies, secrets and deceit and I could not tear myself away and devoured this book it in one sitting. I could not flip the pages on my kindle fast enough and if I had of been reading the paperback, there would have been a number of paper cuts. I actually had to force myself to slow down and take a breath so I would not miss anything.
I am not going to rehash the plot in this review as the blurb does its job here and I don’t want to accidentally give something away in my excitement, but I will say which I didn’t realise, is that it is the second instalment in the Stephanie King series. There is no doubt that this can be read as a standalone and Rachel does give the reader a bit of background into Stephanie and Gus. I will be going back and reading And So It Begins so I can get a bit more insight into Stephanie’s character.
The characters are a diverse bunch in this story and have been written so well and Rachel has you second-guessing each of them right to the very end. Though not all likable, they were very believable in the toles they were given to play. I enjoyed Stephanie’s character and look forward to getting to know more about her and her relationship with Gus in future books.
If there ever was an author that is the perfect match to the psychological thriller genre, Rachel is it! The way she is able to get into the readers head and mess with it is nothing short of amazing. The tension and suspense that is also built up throughout had me on the edge of my seat and if that wasn’t enough there are twists and turns aplenty to keep you on your toes!
Ok, so now I must confess and say that this is the first book I have read from Rachel. I know right, I couldn’t believe it either after I read this book. I am so glad and excited that I have now been exposed to her work and I am now the proud owner of her back catalogue, which I can’t wait to get stuck in and read. I also can’t wait to read what she comes up with next and will be eagerly awaiting it.
The Invitation is a fast-paced chilling read that will have you hooked right from page one until its thrilling conclusion. It was an absolute pleasure to read and review The Invitation which I can’t recommend highly enough and is one of my best books for 2020!
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Rachel Abbott for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Invitation which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
While this book was a compelling read, I had guessed the main twist far too early on. The book was well written, and I found myself sucked into the story with a need to get all the answers. Then it ended and the answers were unsatisfying.
The characters were dramatic and rich (money wise) and all about keeping secrets from each other which, honestly, was annoying. At first it had me thinking there were some juicy reveals coming, however the big reveal wasn't even believable. The obsession the other characters had with Lucas was weird as he didn't seem to have much to hold over them. His whole "game" to get answers seemed unnecessary, and he would have been more successful confronting everyone with the truth when it happened.
Not sure about the representation in this either as the only Asian character is described as "she only eats kimchi." And this was said over and over again. By multiple characters. Also her dad arranging her marriage by buying her husband a boat in return was strange. IDK the characterization stood out to me and not in a good way.
The way it took our main character so long to figure things out - and that she was the only one to do so - had me rolling my eyes. It was pretty obvious from the start, which I could have forgiven if there were more secrets from the other friends that mattered and if the ending added some other twist.
Overall, this book disappointed big-time. 2 stars for the writing and multiple character POVs that kept the story moving.
The characters were dramatic and rich (money wise) and all about keeping secrets from each other which, honestly, was annoying. At first it had me thinking there were some juicy reveals coming, however the big reveal wasn't even believable. The obsession the other characters had with Lucas was weird as he didn't seem to have much to hold over them. His whole "game" to get answers seemed unnecessary, and he would have been more successful confronting everyone with the truth when it happened.
Not sure about the representation in this either as the only Asian character is described as "she only eats kimchi." And this was said over and over again. By multiple characters. Also her dad arranging her marriage by buying her husband a boat in return was strange. IDK the characterization stood out to me and not in a good way.
The way it took our main character so long to figure things out - and that she was the only one to do so - had me rolling my eyes. It was pretty obvious from the start, which I could have forgiven if there were more secrets from the other friends that mattered and if the ending added some other twist.
Overall, this book disappointed big-time. 2 stars for the writing and multiple character POVs that kept the story moving.
Muito boa premissa, mas algumas frases a meio do livro levam a suspeitas que estragam por completo o plot twist final. A pensar bem, só duas pessoas tinham motivos e um deles soube-se pouco antes de se descobrir o culpado.
A escrita é interessante e ambas as personagens principais são super amigáveis relatable. De resto, as outras são só irritantes.
A escrita é interessante e ambas as personagens principais são super amigáveis relatable. De resto, as outras são só irritantes.
I couldn't put the book down, well my kindle but still. I read the entire thing in one sitting in multiple areas.
The clues that wer're dropped to figure out the initial crime were clever. Little pieces where I was thinking "AHA! I know who it is." The amount of layers and craziness that Rachel was able to put into this is what made it so enjoyable to read. Some of the smaller mysteries that were entangled with the dinner I would have never guessed. Then to throw a murder mystery dinner party to figure out the actual murderer a year later, for me at least it was very original. I appreciated all the characters and how they interacted even in insanity.
Poor Jemma though to not know these people at all and have to be thrown into every thing. It affecting her marriage and the amount of lies I would like to know though if she stays with Matt because there's a lot of love there but he left her majorly in the dark. I enjoyed how strong of a character she was, there was any "woe is me" from her.
Matt was a sly dog. That's about it he was the wimp but did show how much he cared about Jemma... at the end of the book.
Isabella pegged her from the moment that I learned what she did for a living and then in the pub so long ago.
Lucas/Rachel was a mastermind of a character you really got a feel for who he was perceived to be. The knowledge and thought he put into the envelopes and the digging that he did into his friends lives so that he could reveal the truth for his sister and too everyone else. Too prove to himself that he was going insane, I did wish we got to know his fiancee/Wife a bit better.
Dear Rachel Abbott,
I would like to request a series of short stores pretty please.
1. What happens to Gus and Stephanie.
2. Does Jemma decide to stay with Matt??
3. A little love story on Lucas and Nina.
4. What seedy things did Isabella squeeze her way out of.
5. A happy ending for Andrew and Chandra???
The clues that wer're dropped to figure out the initial crime were clever. Little pieces where I was thinking "AHA! I know who it is." The amount of layers and craziness that Rachel was able to put into this is what made it so enjoyable to read. Some of the smaller mysteries that were entangled with the dinner I would have never guessed. Then to throw a murder mystery dinner party to figure out the actual murderer a year later, for me at least it was very original. I appreciated all the characters and how they interacted even in insanity.
Poor Jemma though to not know these people at all and have to be thrown into every thing. It affecting her marriage and the amount of lies I would like to know though if she stays with Matt because there's a lot of love there but he left her majorly in the dark. I enjoyed how strong of a character she was, there was any "woe is me" from her.
Matt was a sly dog. That's about it he was the wimp but did show how much he cared about Jemma... at the end of the book.
Isabella pegged her from the moment that I learned what she did for a living and then in the pub so long ago.
Lucas/Rachel was a mastermind of a character you really got a feel for who he was perceived to be. The knowledge and thought he put into the envelopes and the digging that he did into his friends lives so that he could reveal the truth for his sister and too everyone else. Too prove to himself that he was going insane, I did wish we got to know his fiancee/Wife a bit better.
Dear Rachel Abbott,
I would like to request a series of short stores pretty please.
1. What happens to Gus and Stephanie.
2. Does Jemma decide to stay with Matt??
3. A little love story on Lucas and Nina.
4. What seedy things did Isabella squeeze her way out of.
5. A happy ending for Andrew and Chandra???
Could not put this down, holy moly. Realizing i haven’t read enough thrillers to spoil anything for myself yet but this was a hit. A really fun read.
A year earlier on the day of Lucas and Nina’s wedding his sister Alex was found drowned. Alex’s death was ruled as suicide and the wedding was cancelled but Lucas was sure that one of the guests had murdered his sister .Now one year later Lucas has all his friends gather at his Polskirrin stately home his house once more. He has devised a weekend where they play The Murder Game in the hope of finally finding the killer.
The Invitation by Rachel Abbott is the second book in the Stephanie King series. It’s a well written , gripping fast paced psychological thriller with lots of secrets and unexpected twists and turns that makes it a highly entertaining read . Cannot wait for the next book in the series !
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
The Invitation by Rachel Abbott is the second book in the Stephanie King series. It’s a well written , gripping fast paced psychological thriller with lots of secrets and unexpected twists and turns that makes it a highly entertaining read . Cannot wait for the next book in the series !
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did not really like this book. I did really like the titular murder game element of the story and I thought it was the most interesting thing about this book. Unfortunately, those elements weren't in the majority of the book and it never really followed through on the game aspect of the plot.
This book is also part of a detective series which I did not know going in and you wouldn't know just by looking at the synopsis. I found the inclusion of the detective character in the main story to be very clumsy and I think it could have been integrated better, especially in the second half.
I also didn't really like the big twist in this book (which I had also managed to figure out at the halfway mark) and the ending felt like a let down.
Overall, this is not a book I would recommend and honestly it was disappointing.
This book is also part of a detective series which I did not know going in and you wouldn't know just by looking at the synopsis. I found the inclusion of the detective character in the main story to be very clumsy and I think it could have been integrated better, especially in the second half.
I also didn't really like the big twist in this book (which I had also managed to figure out at the halfway mark) and the ending felt like a let down.
Overall, this is not a book I would recommend and honestly it was disappointing.