Invite Me In has been waiting patiently on my NetGalley list for far too long. My apologies to the author and publisher. I am working my way through my list slowly but surely.
This book was more than worth the wait. What an emotional rollercoaster of a read!
I have to say that I found Eliza a difficult character to like, especially to start with. I did feel for her as I got to know her more though. Her husband is not a likeable man at all. He thinks far too highly of himself and treats Eliza as though he owns her. No amount of money, fancy houses and/or fancy cars are worth what she puts up with daily. She has her secrets though and her husband holds knowledge of them over her. She is trapped and she’s miserable.
It isn’t at all surprising that Dan attracts Eliza’s attention. I admired her attempts to deny that attraction though. Everything else aside, Eliza’s priority is always her children. That I did like about her.
This story is so full of twists I didn’t know what to think for the most part. I love that! It makes me even more determined to find out where the story is going to end. I wouldn’t have guessed in a million years what I learned about these people as the story progressed. There are some amazing characters in this book. Most aren’t particularly likeable, but all are compelling. Such clever writing!
To say this story is full of tension would be an understatement and it has a jaw-dropping conclusion.
Brilliant! I highly recommend.

A domestic thriller about a couple and their lives and the happiness they radiated. But all was a facade. The writing was sharp and the story pulled me in. The characters were unlikable, but I expected that from the blurb. Overall, a fun read.

This story starts slowly but the pace gradually builds with lots of twists right up to the explosive and revealing ending. Once again, a great read from this author. Thoroughly recommended.

A twisty tale that will keep you looking over your shoulder. This is the first book I have read by Emma Curtis and I will definitely be reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley for the loan of this book.
The first book I read by a Emma Curtis, Keep her Quiet, blew me away, so I was expecting a lot from this book and although it was very good, it didn’t grip me in the same way. That said, it was still a very entertaining read.
I did struggle to feel sympathy for the main character at times, but at the heart of her was a loving mother who did everything she could to protect her family, and this helped me warm to her. Her husband is a violent, controlling character, who at times had me infuriated with his bullying ways. The charming new tenant of her flat offers her a ray of hope, but is he all he seems? Or is she stirring up further trouble for herself? I recommend you read it and find out. A thoroughly enjoyable read that kept me interested throughout.

This book has me hooked from the very first page. I found the twists and turns of the storyline very exciting and the characters very relatable. Five stars from me. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to netgalley and Emma Curtis for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

This was definitely one of the best books I have read this year... I did managed to finish this book within a few hours. It was captivating and difficult to put down.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND

I have read Emma’a previous work, bar one, and have loved them. I was very excited to receive a proof of this book
This book is the perfect domestic noir
It is hard to review this book in order to avoid spoilers.
There were times throughout the book that I just wanted to scream at Eliza. She was annoying in her own little way, but not so much that you hated her
To feel so passionate about the character, shows just how invested I was in the book
I had so many theories about this book, all turning out to be wrong
There were so many red herrings in this book and the book is highly recommended

Invite Me In Emma Curtis

5 stars

I couldn’t put this book down!

This is the second book that I have read by this author and the second book that merited 5 stars. Ms Curtis is an expert at writing a story that grips you and keeps you reading through to the very end.

Eliza is, on the surface, a happily married woman with 2 beautiful children, a lovely house and an extravagant lifestyle. Her husband, Martin, is in a wheelchair as a result of an accident where a complete stranger ran into his car but he seems to have adjusted to his disability. However, as in most of these types of stories things are not as they seem. Martin has become very controlling and rules Eliza’s life in every way including putting a tracker on her mobile so he knows where she is at every moment. So why does Eliza put up with this, surely she could escape taking her children with her? Unfortunately Martin knows secrets about Eliza’s past that would ensure he had custody of the children should she attempt to leave him so she is trapped.

Her life starts to pick up when a complete stranger, Dan Jones, enters her life. He is hoping to assist Martin in his work and wins him over with his charm. Eliza is immediately attracted to him and he seems to reciprocate. He starts to date Eliza’s young French au pair in order to see more of Eliza and leads her to believe that he is in love with her.

The story is brought to a head when Martin is found dead having been drowned in the swimming pool and Eliza is accused of the murder. One of Eliza’s secrets is that she is an alcoholic and that particular night she had been drinking, had fallen, hit her head and passed out, however she cannot remember anything more. Could she have murdered her controlling husband?

The story moves from one revelation to another with many twists and turns as the truth about all the characters is slowly revealed. I thought I had worked out what had happened and then suddenly everything changed, the author is very skilled in slowly building up the plot and the characters, especially Eliza are very believable.

I will be looking out for any further books by this author, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Dexter

Elite Book Group received a copy of the book to review

Emma Curtis returns with her latest,gripping psychological thriller, the captivating tale of a mother's battle not to relapse back into addiction whilst living under the control of her abusive husband. She was also struggling with the intensity of her feelings for the handsome, mystery man Dan who had suddenly walked into her apparently perfect life and turned her world upside down. Eliza was desperate to escape her unhappy marriage and is certain that Dan is also attracted to her. But was Dan really the charming man he appeared to be or was he a dangerous, manipulator who had his own personal reasons for working his way into the Curran's lives and was harbouring just as many secrets as Eliza herself.

The story is written entirely from the perspective of Eliza, a complex, flawed individual who I struggled to feel sympathy for at times as the story unfolded. She quite often didn't do herself any favours due to her actions and behaviour and I felt that her only redeemable quality was her obvious love for her young children. I have never suffered from a addiction (unless you count books) so I can't imagine what it is like trying to resist temptation from the minute you wake up in the morning until the minute you close your eyes at night but, to me, the author's descriptions of Eliza's struggles against temptation came across as realistic. But exactly how reliable was her narrative and what secrets was she so paranoid might be uncovered and exposed. The people in Eliza's life were a mixed bunch of realistic, relatable individuals most of whom were not very likeable for different reasons. I really liked and felt a lot of sympathy for Ali who was Eliza's sister in law and I could fully understand her reactions to the events that were unfolding in her life.

Invite Me In is a very well written, riveting, character driven thriller that hooked me in from the first page, kept me captivated and glued to my kindle. The cast of characters were realistic and believable and the plot had some unexpected twists and turns and a gripping, intense conclusion. I liked how the author ended the story by informing the reader what had happened to the characters after the events of the main story and how relationships had been affected. This is a enjoyable, entertaining read and very very highly recommended.

Honestly one of the best psychological thrillers I've read in a long time. Heart in mouth moments a-plenty. I was gripped from the start and never lost interest. Right up to the closing words that were so deliciously satisfying.

Loved it.

The Currans seem to have everything, a nice house, a good business, money and two children a boy and a girl. Martin is in a wheelchair after an accident which nearly killed him, but made him more determined in some ways, he didn’t want pity from anyone, he was determined to not let the wheelchair dictate his life. Eliza his wife was beautiful, but he liked to know where she was at all times. To the outside world the marriage looks perfect, but us it really? No one sees what happens behind closed doors.

Eliza is just finishing the final decorating on a flat they own which will be going out to rent, when Dan Jones claims he is passing by and wants to view the flat. Eliza feels attracted to him. He becomes a tenant but then starts to put himself in their lives in more ways than one. Isabel is the Au Pair she likes Dan and it seems like they are dating. But the Dan also kisses Eliza. Is Dan to be trusted?

This is a well written and well plotted domestic noir, that makes you wonder who is telling the truth and who is lying. When someone ends up dead who is the killer? They all seem to have secrets that they don’t want anyone to know. You find yourself trying to guess what has happened in the past to make these characters the way they are. There are so many layers to the relationships, why is Eliza still with Martin when it’s clear she doesn’t love him? What hold does Martin have over Eliza? She just seems to be his property.

I enjoyed the way this story gradually unfolds, the pace is not fast but not slow either. Definitely an engaging read. If you like a psychological thriller this is definitely one to read. The characters are all believable, relatable, not always likeable.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #RandomHouseUk for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

A very different read to what I usually get my teeth into. It took me a good while to get going however, when I did I was mildly entertained, very creepy read but I don't really feel anything that surprising happened to be honest, entertaining and it held my attention, the writing was decent too, but that's it for me.

The characters could have done with being a little bit more plausible, the main character came across to me as a push over, a bit of character development would have done this story the world of good, aside from that it was an enjoyable read just not an amazing one.

Many thanks to netgalley, publishers, and the author for the chance to read this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A creepy book! Be careful of whom you are letting in your house - things may not always be as they seem! Don’t let this book keep you up at night…. You could regret it…..

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Eliza is trapped in an unhappy and controlling marriage....she begins to see some hope for a better life when her new tenant Dan moves in. Secrets and lies between them make for a captivating read. Add this book to your TBRs ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #emmacurtis #invitemein #netgalley #tea_sipping_bookworm #litsy #goodreads #amazonkindle#thestorygraph #bookqueen #bookstagram #thriller

This is a great read
A brilliant psychological thriller
Will have you hooked from the first page
And you won’t want to put it down until you finish it
Thanks NetGalley

Eliza is looking for a tenant and Dan turns up. Through Eliza’s narration we learn that her husband Martin is a really nasty man, but through reading further it becomes hard to trust the narrative.

This is a good domestic thriller, but some of it could be tightened up to make it great.

Nonetheless a good read.

Eliza is busy preparing a flat for rental, when a strange man turns up on her doorstep, as her new tenant. While things seem great at first, Dan starts to involve himself more and more in their lives. But Eliza little realises how much worse things can get, when her disabled husband Martin is found dead in the pool.

Invite Me In is a complicated thriller, in a good way, with several different stories tied up together: Martin’s abusive relationship with Vanessa; her infatuation with Dan, and his past life. Gradually as the story progressed, links start to emerge and the drama increases.

Really enjoyed reading it and would recommend to fans of dark thrillers.

When we first meet the narrator Eliza, she alludes to the fact that her husband Martin is abusive and cruel to her behind closed doors. Martin, who was paralysed in an accident several years before, is now a wealthy businessman and is highly regarded by everyone around him. Eliza is obviously very unhappy in her marriage but she says that he has a hold over her that prevents her from leaving. When we eventually encounter Martin, we see immediately that he is indeed gaslighting his wife and is an immensely nasty character.

When Dan Jones comes into her life, Eliza is immediately drawn to him. He is charismatic, charming, and friendly but, the more she grows to like him, the more her brother-in-law Peter warns her to stay away. He is convinced Dan has an agenda and is using Eliza. As the novel progresses, we question how much we can trust Eliza's narrative and exactly who she, Martin, and Dan, are.

Invite Me In is a domestic thriller that focuses on the damage gaslighting and psychological abuse can cause, in this case, within a marriage. I always enjoy Curtis' books and this is another impressive thriller in which we can't trust anyone. No matter how innocent they seem.

Martin Curran's wife, Eliza knew that she had to be home to make his lunch for one o'clock on the dot, despite the fact that she was actually painting one of their properties prior to it being let. If she didn't get home, there would be trouble. There was some excuse: Martin was a paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair, but don't be too quick to be understanding. He was also a very unpleasant person: he once told Eliza you're good at being a disappointment. All this was in Eliza's mind when she first met Dan Jones who arrived, unannounced, at the flat just as Eliza was about to leave: he wanted the lease of flat 2, 42 Linden Road and he was desperate to get in before it was advertised as being available.

Martin was initially against the idea: he didn't like the thought of a reasonably attractive man getting around his wife and gaining an advantage. He might just have been feeling contrary - it happened with Martin. Then Dan was on hand when Eliza was mugged in the street and Martin changed his opinion. Dan got the flat - and stole a bit of Eliza's heart in the process. Life with Martin hadn't been easy for a long time and Eliza had been dreaming about moving into the flat she was painting, along with just six-year-old Lucas and three-year-old Aurora, even before she encountered Dan Jones.

There was a snag, though. Malcolm knew something about her. She'd told him about it in the heady days of first love when they vowed to have no secrets from each other - and this could mean that she lost the children if she tried to leave. Then, to complicate matters, the Curran's French au pair, twenty-one-year-old Isabel Gardin took a shine to Dan Jones and life started to go wrong for the Currans.

Invite Me In is tightly plotted but gloriously easy to follow. Immediately after Martin had his accident, Eliza had an ill-judged, one-night stand with his best friend, Peter Gordon, who subsequently married Martin's sister, Ali - who also happened to be Eliza's best friend. All the children are best friends too: one hint of what happened all those years ago is going to affect a lot of lives. Eliza's security is hanging by a very thin thread.

It's a cracker of a story - one of those that you really can't put down until you find out what happens. The characters stay in your mind and are so remarkably well-drawn without reliance on a physical description that I have my own images of them all in my mind. I didn't really warm to Eliza but I understood her and could empathise with the actions she took. I knew that I could well have done the same. Martin was a brave character to introduce: capturing how a paraplegic feels could not have been easy, but Emma Curtis goes one step further. Martin Curran is not needy and grateful: he's proud and confident of who and what he is. He's not likeable and you don't feel in the least bit sorry for him - but that's exactly the way that Curran would want it. Superb.

I read the book over a couple of days and didn't want it to end. It was a great read and I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

For more from Emma Curtis, we can recommend Keep Her Quiet - another one that was unputdownable!