I invited her in - Adele Parks

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Mel hears from a long-lost friend out of the blue; they are in need of help and so lovely Mel  doesn’t hesitate to invite her to stay. Mel and Abi were best friends at Uni, sharing the highs and lows of student life until Mel’s unplanned pregnancy made her drop out .
Seventeen years later, Mel and Abi’s lives couldn’t be more different. Mel is happily married and has a chaotic but happy family home, with three children. Abi married and moved to LA for a glamourous life of celebrity. Everything was perfect, until she discovered her partner had been cheating. Abi needs a true friend to lean on, to share her grief over a glass of wine, and to have some time to heal. Thinking of her dear old friend Mel, she realises there would be no better place to heal than in a family home. 'I invited her in' is a dark tale of the reunion of long-lost friends and is a gripping exploration of wanting what you can’t have, jealousy and revenge. 

This story is predominantly told from Mel’s point of view with occasional chapters focusing on other characters. I enjoyed seeing certain parts from another characters perspective, I think it definitely adds something extra to the story - you get a more well rounded view of events - for good or bad. 

The story line for this book is a good idea, its definitely full of little twists and turns - some may be a little predictable but you are still caught off guard at times - some events in this book are not at all what I imagined.  It isn't always a fault of the writer that we can predict some of the story, all book lovers read enough to be able to do it - the twists that you don't necessarily coming in 'I invited her in' are gripping and well placed. 

It took a few chapters for it to really get going but once it did I was committed in seeing what exactly what happening.I was well and truly invested in finding out exactly what Abi was planning to do and how Mel fit into her scheming.

I thought the characters were good, if frustrating. Mel did come across as a bit of a damp squib in many ways, a bit pathetic - she is very easily led by Abi - for a 'friend' she hadn't seen for a very long time she was soon siding with Abi over Ben and forsaking their relationship for the one she is rebuilding with her friend. You want to like Mel, and I did pity all she went through, but I felt she could have been stronger, she should have listened to her husband Ben. Ben on the whole is a nice man, hard working and can see that Abi is not someone to have around for long but I felt he could've tried harder to pull Mel away from Abi and trusted his gut instinct.  I didn't trust Abi from the beginning, her whole appearance and demeanour put me on edge, early on you realise all is not what it seems with her and soon you see how she enjoys her hold over Mel.

This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster - experiencing the turmoil of the characters involved. Adele Parks provides a dramatic tale - a story full of revenge and betrayal that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page. It gives us a look at how we are so eager to trust, especially if it comes from a place of regret and that you never really know what anyone is willing to do to get exactly what they want. 

I am not 100% sure I would agree with this as just a 'thriller' - perhaps a darker chick-lit with added extras but I enjoyed it anyway. Once I'd got into it I was very eager to see how things progressed and couldn't put it down. I would recommend for a good, well written book by a very popular and respected author.

Comfy Rating: 👍👍👍👍