The Invite by Sheryl Browne
- Published on March 7, 2022
- Shalini
- in Book Posts, Book Reviews, Digital Reads Media, Digital Reads PR, Digital Reads Reviews, Fiction
Blurb
The invites went out weeks ago, and tonight, at a lavish manor house surrounded by friends and family, Kaitlin couldn’t be happier.
But as the champagne corks pop, her dream party becomes her worst nightmare…
Staring at the stunning diamond solitaire on her finger, Kaitlin is finally getting the chance to introduce her best friend Zoe to her perfect fiancé.
She hasn’t known Greg long, but he looks after her, and he loves playing dad to her young daughter.
How could she say no when he’s already planned their elopement?
As guests arrive, why is Greg acting so shifty?
And is that a flicker of recognition on Zoe’s face?
And why does she look terrified every time her phone rings?
Kaitlin watches as Zoe knocks back her white wine and makes a beeline for Greg.
After a heated conversation, Zoe stumbles towards the door and flees the party without looking back.
Days later, the police knock at Kaitlin’s door – Zoe is missing.
Kaitlin wants to believe her loving fiancé is not to blame, but she knows what she saw the night of the party.
And when he lies to the police, can she trust the man she’s marrying?
Could Kaitlin and her precious daughter’s life now be in danger too?
My Review
What was it all about
The Invites to the birthday party had been sent by author Sheryl Browne, and I was given the front row seat. A story about best friends and betrayal over a fiancé, but not exactly so.
A harsh set of words caused a chasm between two best friends when the one who left the party disappeared.
How it made me feel
With multiple POVs, I was confused, as I had the cops putting in their two cents and the story of their lives along with the main character, Kaitlin and her fiancé.
I liked the lies interspersed with stress and worry. It added to the spice of the story.
The Good
The plot line was convoluted with many twists adding to the fun. Some I could predict, others made me gasp.
The blurb did give a teaser of the story, but the main plot line was quite different and enjoyable.
Not this author’s best, it still had the power to want to read till the end. Just to know where it all ended.
The Bad
Quite slow and the prose was not gripping enough for me, though it improved down the pages.
Many subplots and characters added to the pot and caused me to stew about it. Though I could keep them in line in my mind, I was not fond at the way the subplots were written in. Maybe it was deliberate to give a feeling of murkiness to the story.
Unlikable characters with a naive main character. What more could I say about it?
The ending was rushed. I wished it too received careful treatment as the rest of the story.
The Conclusion
Overall, it was an interesting read. Not this author’s best work.
Book Links
Book Details
Publication Date: February 2022
I downloaded the digital version of the book from an online retail, and this is my journey down its pages, straight from the heart. STRICTLY HONEST and UNBIASED.
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