Loved it from start to finish it was amazing it gave me Jesse from this man vibes for sure. Can’t wait to see what happens like always Jodi leaves us wanting more.

Amelia goes with some friends to a spa day at the posh Arlington Hall. She meets the temping owner Jude and her life is in full upheaval afterwards. Will she keep accepting the invitations or let him go?

The chemistry was so hot I thought it might burn my screen. I would love for someone to come in and sweep me off my feet like Jude, but then the mystery of all kept me turning the pages. The spice was very nice and varied from the usual.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I am saddened and annoyed by the ending, but it was a cliffhanger to be continued in the next book (I hope) so I am going to hold out for a better resolution. I need to know things!

Okay, JEM. You pulled me in with the bathroom scene. IYKYK. Jude and Amelia are hot, hot, hot!
I love that Amelia is a career-driven, empowered woman who knows what she wants. I was a little put off by Jude's anger issues and hoped that he wouldn't end up being toxic. The ending brought me to tears, and I wanted to check this book at Jude's head.
Will I read the next book? Abso-freaking-lutely!

Jodi knows how to write a billionaire romance and she proves it again with this one. The MMC? A total rollercoaster. One moment you're swooning, the next you're screaming @ him.

Amelia is a total boss—ambitious, driven, and unwilling to let anyone stand between her and her career goals.

And don’t even get me started on the secrets still lingering in the background... 👀

Can’t wait to dive into the next book and see what unfolds next.
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Back when Jodi announced this new duet, I said that the cliffhanger would be devastating, since she was giving us two months between each book.
FML, was I right.
But back to the beginning.
We have Amelia, who is turning thirty (boy, the fact that I’ll be turning thirty the day before the release of The Surrender is something else) and is pretty much all about her career. Which, nowadays, at thirty, is quite common and not a bad thing at all. Immediately, however, you see the cracks in her, the real motifs behind her need to succeed, and they crack you - especially as they are just as common in our society. The last thing she needs, in fact, is someone as persistent as our beloved Jesse was with his Ava. Here comes Jude. Hey Jude!
He’s the chaos to her perfect life, and I mean, if you’ve ever read anything by Jodi, you know as well as I do that her alphas are stubborn and nothing is as it seems.
However, in pure JEM style, you don’t get anything out of Jude, merely bits of a story that you put together, only to discover you’re smacking right against a plot twist - as I said, pure JEM style.
Jude is intense, and dare I say, even more intense than Jesse, although there is a very specific reason for this. Of all the scenarios I came up with, none prepared me for what happens at the ed of The Invitation, and I do invite you to come to me and yell over it because holy damn, was I left just like Amelia.
The chemistry between Jude and Amelia is out of this world; no, it sets the whole world ablaze, and I’m suddenly needing a full-on spa day. Although I might end up highly disappointed if I don’t get Amelia’s treatment lol Well, after that ending…
But back to Jude.
He’s charming, rich, hot - good Lord, it’s freaking hot where I live already, it’s like an outdoor sauna, and then here he comes (ha! I wish!) striding in and the smut… *yells something incomprehensible* I felt like putty in his hands, and what I wouldn’t give to actually be in his hands. Aehm.
Jude is also enigmatic, and the more you read, the more you want to know about him - he is addicting, as much for us as he is for Amelia (my girl, how did you resist him that long?!). And then—
Well, as I said, you’ll need to read it, because I was in shock, and I’ve not overcome it yet either. That kind of ending is the one that has you wanting to hurl the book out of the window, scream and tear your house down.
So what did I do? I went to the blurb of The Surrender, and got back to yelling because I need that book now, I need it like I need air!
The fact is, besides the whole romance and the mysteries of Jude, there’s something I want to see above anything else: Amelia’s true happiness.
(Same timetable, though, I want that happiness now!)
(Please!!!)

I liked it enough because the spice was good. I don't normally like reading books set in the UK because sometimes I have a hard time following along with the way it's written. It was a good story and I gasped a couple of times. I will read #2 in the Arlington Hall series as it ended on a cliffhanger.

EEEEK!! Jodi’s back with a new duet.
The Invitation is book 1 one of Arlington Hall Series and if book two is anything like this one I cannot wait. At times I felt a bit of a Jesse vibe while reading this book but found The Invitation to be so much more intense to me. And the ending shook me to the core!!

MMC, Jude Harrison, is everything that Jodi’s alpha males are known for their stunningly handsome good looks. Yet he’s also obviously wealthy, a lot mysterious, aloof, persistently unrelenting and quite possessive. There is a lot unknown about Jude but as the story unfolds, I found it hard figure him out but did feel a sense of entitlement from him.

MFC, Amelia Lazenby works as a financial advisor. She is career driven and excels at what she does and with hopes of moving up in the company. It’s when Amelia’s boyfriend, Nick, of the past few years lets it be known that he is ready for their next step to getting married and having kids that she realizes that’s not what she wants. She breaks up with him much to her parent's disappointment but also realizes that they weren’t right for each other.

It’s Amelia’s thirtieth birthday and her besties Abbie and Charley celebrating with a spa day at the renown Arlington Hall. It’s here that Amelia finds herself spellbound by an intoxicatingly hot stranger at the bar. From the moment their eyes met the sparks between them begin and there is definitely some palpable chemistry between them. So much so that Amelia was not able to get him off her mind.

Then begin the relentless calls/texts from this stranger to have dinner with him. Amelia’s adamantly refuses to be coerced into accepting his offer. Yet it’s when she attends a partner’s meeting at Arlington Hall the questions of who the stranger is answered!! Jude Harrison is revealed as the owner of Arlington Hall when giving an opening speech.

This time around Jude is finally able to break through Amelia’s resistance. Their heat/chemistry is uncontrollable with this meeting and all barriers fall away as Jude and Amelia fall into all consuming, torrid and passionate relationship. You want angst…you got it in spades but I’m warning you to hold on to your seat because Jodi is gonna leave you dumbfounded!!

Sadly I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. I used to love Jodi Ellen Malpas back in her This Man series but being completely honest, those were different times and the way romance was written was completely different. Now the genre has evolved and I fear Jodi has not yet stepped up her game. The invitation felt like it was written back to those years, the characters were annoying and didn’t have depth nor development and pretty much the story was just the same. So disappointed.

This book ends on a cliffhanger, I didn’t realize that when I started or I would have waited to read it. Jude and Amelia’s story is full of angst. And I was curious where the story was going. I liked Amelia and that she was a strong women. Now I’m left waiting to see how it plays out.

Rating: 5⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Media: eARC

Reading has been a bit tough for me lately as my family is going through a loss right now. I’ve been trying to catch up on eARCs that I am weeks behind on and even though they’ve been great stories, I just haven’t been as intrigued which in turn has slowed down my reading.

All of this to say(anybody else sing this in TS Fortnight song) that I did not have this issue at all with The Invitation. I had not read @jodi_ellen_malpas before but I was locked in as soon as I saw the book’s dedication.

When we first meet Amelia, the FMC, she is driven, enjoying life, and dedicated to her job. Her friends are treating her to a spa day at a gorgeous hotel where she is transfixed by a mystery man. The mystery man being the MMC, Jude, who makes his intentions clear as well as his attraction to Amelia very clear. And so starts the explosive push and pull between them. Initially Amelia denies the chemistry as she just left a relationship. Jude, however, proves to be an emotional adversary she cannot keep away.

Look, is their relationship toxic AF? Yes but I still wanted it to happen. Both Amelia and I could easily explain away all of Jude’s 🚩. The tension and chemistry between the characters was palpable. Jude is dangerous and sometimes a woman wants a little danger in her life 🥵

The spicy scenes were HOT but then Amelia started feeling more for Jude and that’s where I knew this was going to end badly.

I am still angry thinking about it. I even apologized to the FMC for what was happening out loud to my Kindle!!!

Her friend group, Charley and Abbie, were so much fun and I loved how they balanced Amelia out. I did not enjoy her family and the dynamics there but I understood as someone that grew up in a similar household. There were just so many aspects of this story I loved and I cannot wait for Book 2!

Thank you to @jodi_ellen_malpas and @valentine_pr_ for this eARC.

The Invitation had me fuming at the end!!!! I knew all along. I had this gut feeling that Jude wasn't all he was cracked up to be. But how dare he, claim her, punch, intimidate and scare off men from her when he knew he was doing that all along?!!! I am so furious. I was also very confused with what angle Katherine was playing at because.... she knew, but then, why was she trying to ward off Amelia? Did she see feelings starting to develop there? Amelia seems so sweet, but just too unsure of herself because even though by the end she was all in, she had these reservations all along. The cliffhanger actually made me sad because I needed more! I can't wait for book 2 because at this point, there's no redemption for Jude. He can't come back from this. Can he?

JEM fans will devour this entertaining (albeit slightly familiar) romance between a budding financial advisor and an alpha-male club owner who fall hard and fast in lust. If prefer you closed door romances, this is not for you! Sexy and swoony, The Invitation gives readers everything they love about JEM's books: great writing, exciting plot lines, a strong Apha-male who is sinful in a suit, and a feisty heroine needing a bit of taming. This book does end on a cliffy, and I'm excited to see what's next for Jude and Amelia!

I got an arc of this book but I also got it on Prime first picks for free.

Amelia is career focussed, she just ended a relationship because she didn’t want marriage and kids and wanted to focus on making partner. She meets Jude when she visits Arlington Hall and the chemistry is automatic from shared looks.

Amelia continually shuts him down as she’s not looking for a relationship but he’s persistent and possessive and doesn’t take no for an answer. She has no self control when she’s around him either.

The possessiveness and temper he shows as well as his inability to listen when Amelia says no, didn’t sit quite right for me. I like Amelia’s friends but Jude has big secrets and when Amelia finds out one of them the book stops.

I am not patient, I don’t like cliffhangers when I have to wait for the next book but I am intrigued how this story will play out and I will read the next one in the series.

I enjoy this authors work and know everything will be resolved in the next book(s) which I will definitely read.

This book is a smooth, engaging read. When Amelia arrives at Arlington Hall and meets Jude, their connection is immediate and intense. What begins as a charming getaway gradually deepens into a layered mystery as Amelia uncovers pieces of Jude’s past. The story keeps a steady pace, with just enough tension to make you wonder whether Jude is truly who he seems.

One thing I would’ve appreciated is more insight from Jude's point of view. Seeing everything through Amelia’s lens works well, but hearing from him directly might have added a bit more nuance. Still, it’s a engaging story that’s easy to get into, and I’ll be curious to see where their relationship heads next.

🖤 Billionaire Romance
🖤 British Alpha Hero
🖤 Boy Obsessed
🖤 Revenge
🖤 Tortured lead
🖤 Accidental Pregnancy

Bloody Fucking Hell! I can’t even describe the way I felt when I finished the book. Way too many emotions, shocked, disappointed, angry, heartbroken and lots of WTF!!!

This is my first read by Jodi and let me tell you she does not disappoint. I literally could not put this book down. Stayed way past my bedtime to finish it in one sitting. Fair warning, this book does end in a cliffhanger and I am counting the days to read book 2.

Jude is an over possessive British billionaire, touch her and die alpha that is obsessed with making Amelia his. Jude and Amelia have this insane chemistry that they can’t take their eyes off of each other. When they finally give into their desires, they are explosive together. They are both fighting their feelings for each other. There's so much build up in their character's story and I can’t wait to read how it ends.

✨I received this book as an ARC for free in exchange for an honest review✨
Thank you Jodi Ellen Malpas and Valentine PR for this ARC!

It’s Amelia’s 30th birthday and her best friends since childhood, Charley and Abbie, treat her to a fancy spa in Oxfordshire. Abbie got an offer for the day package for a steal which seems somewhat mysterious when they arrive at the ultra luxurious Arlington Hall. And when Amelia meets the most gorgeous stranger first in the Library Bar and later in a steam room it’s even more unsettling when he calls her by her name and asks for a date.

But Amelia just ended her long term relationship a week earlier when Nick continued talking marriage and babies. Amelia wants to focus on her career and her chances to become partner in her firm are high. The guilt she feels over her decision weighs heavily, even if she suspects Nick’s proposal was partly quelled by the fact that she was starting to overtake him career wise. How can the feelings the encounter with this handsome stranger ignites, are feelings she can’t recall in her five-year-relationship? At all?

Jude Harrison wants a date with Amelia and he’s bold and relentless. Amelia refuses call after call, ignores text message after text message. But when the pull gets too much, she finally gives in and accepts his invitation to a first date. At Arlington Hall. As it turns out Jude is the owner of the prestigious hotel and spa.

They both fall fast and hard. Their time together is buzzing, electric, obsessed. While Jude easily accepts how important her career is for Amelia, he is otherwise over the top possessive, controlling and has a very short temper. And what role does his ex-lover, vicious Katherine play?

This ends on a dramatic cliffhanger. September 2nd’s The Surrender can’t come fast enough to find answers…

Wow, I just devoured this book, and let me tell you, it was a wild ride! I can’t believe I’ve been meaning to read this author for so long, and I wish I had dove in sooner. I’m still reeling from the seduction, the foreplay, the angst, the secrets, and the betrayal. It’s unbelievably good!

Can we take a moment to appreciate Amelia? This girl knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to stick to her guns! It’s so refreshing to see a strong character hold off a certain someone like Jude for as long as she did. She’s reliable and sensible, but that pull towards him scares her. Lust at first sight? You bet! When these two finally give in, it’s like fireworks. But my heart was in my throat when I started picking up on his red flags like that volatile jealous temper and those oh-so-casual remarks that felt way too loaded. Honestly, I was screaming at the pages for her to push for answers harder. When everything blew up, all I could think was, “Oh man, not this!”

Jude is a complex guy. He’s mysterious and wrestling with his own demons. You can just feel his vulnerability hiding behind that charm, and it’s clear he’s falling hard for Amelia. But, let’s be real, something is definitely off. His possessiveness? Yikes. The seductive dance he does is both delectable and torturous, especially when his messy past starts to unravel, putting their entire relationship in jeopardy. Seriously, what the hell, dude?

And as for Amelia’s career aspirations, no wonder she’s fighting to prove herself! It’s hard to shine when the men in your life, especially her manipulative father, seem determined to overshadow her. I felt for her when her achievements were ignored by her family. Thankfully, her friends Abbie and Charley are a total riot, giving her just the support and reality checks she needs to navigate her life.

Ms. Malpas absolutely knows how to make that sexual chemistry burn. I was captivated by the characters and felt the secrecy hanging thick in the air. But let me tell you, the cliffhanger at the end? Exasperating! I need book two, like, yesterday!

Thank you to Ms. Malpas for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

I love Jodi Ellen Malpas books, huge fan! This book did not disappoint. Full review copied below! Thank you!

Magnetic! The pull between Jude and Amelia was mesmerizing. You could feel their all-consuming attraction to each other through the pages! I didn't want the book to end. Thankfully, there is another one to come! Ms. Malpas has a writing style that grabs your attention and sucks you in!

I read and reviewed a copy of this book.

t was a very up and down high emotion level romance, I am intrigued by the MMC as this book reveals little about him. Jude is a mystery for Amelia who had just left a relationship and is nervous about going into another as she wants to focus on her career in this point in her life. Jude Harrison is not what she expected.
As you read on, you feel uneasy about him and how they met, but their romance is irresistible. Amelia is a hardworking businesswoman, and Jude is a possessive man with lots of secrets. Unfortunately, the story ended on a cliffhanger ( grrrr ), and there isn’t much romance between them. He often acts in a controlling way I am uncomfortable with. While it’s not my cup of tea kind of romance, I did get sucked into the story quickly.
Thank you to @netgalley , and the author for this arc.