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!

Invite Me In is a decent domestic thriller with a few twists along the way.
Eliza Curran seems to have it all, two children a doting husband and a lovely home but not everything is as it seems from the outside. Martin her husband was involved in an accident and has been left wheelchair bound, he portrays a successful businessman in the outside world but behind closed doors he is mean and controlling, needing to know where Eliza is every minute of the day. Dan one of the tenants in their flats they own appears to want to help Eliza out of this situation but things change when he falls for her au pair.
This was a well written thriller that I enjoyed from start to finish. There are some unlikeable characters but that adds to the enjoyment in my view and the twists are well thought out.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK Transworld Publishers for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

‘Invite Me In’ By Emma Curtis - publication date - 2nd Sept 2021

Eliza lives with her husband Martin and her two children. They seem to have the perfect life but as they say, no life is perfect.

Eliza is getting a flat ready for rental, when the front door goes.....: a man stands at the door “I’m your new tenant!”....., things unravel hugely from this moment.

Lots going on in the book to keep you interested and not too many characters for me to get confused. A couple of good twists but there was just something...... I felt the storyline could have went a bit sadder pace - that’s just me! Over all a good book .I like the character Emma, no matter what she tried her best for her kids!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this arc .....

#netgalley #blackswan #emmacurtis #imvitemein

https://www.instagram.com/Bookstagramshaz

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I’m a big fan of Emma’s books so was thrilled to read.

I raced through most of this tonight in the bath…just wow what read.

On the surface they look like the perfect family but appearances can be deceiving. When a new arrival turns up one day it has devasting consequences.

Completely unpredictable and addictive. Twisty and gripping this will have you hooked.

I have been in a relationship like Elizas so I of course was cheering her on throughout. Its thought provoking and puts you in her shoes .

Cleverly written and excellent in terms of pace and plot. I highly recommend this if you love a good psychological thriller that you can really get your teeth into.

Published 22nd July

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

Eliza Curran has it all: two healthy children, a stunning home, and a wealthy, adoring husband. However, what people do not see is that her wheelchair-bound husband Martin is controlling and she is trapped in a unhappy marriage, longing to find a way out.

Their lives change when new tenant Dan Jones arrives on the scene and quickly becomes close to the whole family, including their French au pair, Isabel. However, he has as many secrets as Eliza and threatens to upset their world.

Wow! With lies, addiction, abuse, and murder all thrown into the mix, this was dramatic from start to finish.

None of the characters are likeable: Martin is abusive, Eliza is her own worst enemy, Dan is untrustworthy, while Isabel is just plain rude. But this just makes the book even more brilliant, tense and exciting!

This is a very cleverly plotted page-turner.

This book had all the elements of a perfectly written pyschological thriller. Controlling husband, new love interest, and the sister in law that we all secretly want!
Well written if a little bit far fetched in places. But that’s why I love fiction! You can really just push the boundaries.

Someone calls at your front door. He is friendly, polite and handsome. He is enquiring about a flat you have to let. Why on earth wouldn't you invite him in?
Eliza does just that when greeting Dan Jones but it could turn out to be the most disastrous decision she has ever made.
This thriller follows some previously cracking good reads by author Emma Curtis so I knew I would be in for a treat with her latest offering and have no problem devouring page after page.
Curtis has created a fascinating psychological exploration of how death changes us and how we react to it in such different ways. The cast are hugely unlikeable, at times cold and calculating and there is plenty of manipulation going on which is abusive, traumatic and toxic. How and why we can allow others to treat us this way depends on our vulnerabilities and Eliza, struggling with a dark past so deeply buried, is a prime target for such behaviour. Or is she?
Property developing husband Martin is not able to move freely and relies on a wheelchair to navigate the soulless concrete home, Winterfell, which he designed and built with brother-in-law Pete, and this is where he resides with Eliza and their two children and where much of the action plays out.
When one door is opened, many more slam shut in the face of truth where Invite Me In is concerned. Victim, perpetrator? Hunter or the hunted? And how much does our desire to be loved or the thrill of the chase blind us to reality?
If you decide to take the invitation to step across the threshold, will you be deceived or see everything as clear as daylight?
Thank you to Pigeonhole, Netgalley, the publisher and Emma Curtis for the opportunity to read the novel. Highly recommended read.

It started off as intriguing, a wife of a controlling disabled man who falls for a tenant....then quickly got far fetched and slightly bonkers...however I certainly didn’t want to stop reading and wanted to see where it ends! Very readable if you don’t need reality!

*3.5 STAR BUT ROUNDING UP*

I have read both The Night You Left, and Keep Her Quiet by Emma Curtis, and I loved them, so when her new release Invite Me In was available to request on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance. After reading, I can say that it wasn’t what I had expected, but I did enjoy it.

From the very beginning of the story, it is clear that Eliza is in an unhappy and definitely unhealthy relationship. Her husband, Martin, is controlling, manipulative, and abusive, and I immediately felt sorry for Eliza. She has to deal with things that no-one should have to go through. The mental abuse (and occasional physical abuse) she is subjected to is something I can’t even imagine dealing with, but unfortunately is a reality for many.

Eliza is also having difficulty with her Au Pair, who seems to hate her for no reason at all, and is doing her best to make Eliza’s life hell. Given her situation, it’s no wonder that Eliza is struggling, and when Dan, who is seemingly lovely and caring, shows up, you can’t really blame Eliza for being interested. But Dan’s arrival is about to change everything.

It’s clear that Eliza is hiding a lot of secrets, which are hinted at throughout the story, and I was desperate to find out what they were. One particular secret comes out in a very eventful manner, that I wasn’t expecting, and causes a huge amount of damage for Eliza to try and fix.

There are some interesting characters in this story, but I didn’t feel much of a connection to any of them in particular. I did feel very strongly about Martin though, my dislike for him was so real. Regardless of what he had been through, it was no excuse to be the person he was, or to treat Eliza the way he did.

This is more of a slow burn than an action packed thriller, however, the ending is explosive. Climaxing in a tense, and exciting showdown. Although I had figured out the situation before it was revealed, I never expected such a brutal ending. This was a fantastic way to tie up the story.

There were points in the story where I would have liked for the pace to pick up a bit more, but overall, I did really enjoy this book, and would definitely recommend it if you enjoy slow burn thrillers. I’m looking forward to seeing what else Emma Curtis has in store for us in the future.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, and Transworld, for my copy of the book, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well written book which kept me entertained for a couple of days. It was a thrilling read and I loved it. The twists and turns of this domestic story was a great read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

From the outside, Eliza seems to have the perfect life - money, children, a handsome husband and a designer home. But Eliza is trapped in her life but her abusive husband who knows her darkest secret. She is decorating one of their rental properties when she answers the door to Dan who announces he is their new tenant. Months later, Dan is an every day part of their lives - but who is he and can he be trusted?

I was actually about to start another book, but knowing I was late reviewing “Invite me in” (sorry guys 🤦‍♀️), I thought I had better have a look at the first chapter and BAM that was all it took for me to be hooked! I couldn’t get enough of the book from that point on. I would happily have sat and read the entire book that day if real life hadn’t got in the way. Emma Curtis has a gift for writing characters that are so awful they evoke a real emotional reaction in her readers. Three of the characters in this book made my blood boil. Whereas in other fiction this may have caused me to abandon the book, such is the author’s talent that I HAD to read on to see if they got what was coming to them.
I loved the heady, sexual tension between Eliza and Dan even though I didn’t trust it. I did guess what was going on and because of this, towards the end the pace felt a little slow because I was impatient to see if I was right. All in all though it’s a brilliant addition to the domestic thriller genre. It will be perfect for any reader who is a fan of psychological or domestic thrillers. A great read for book groups too.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an excellent, gripping and multilayered psychological suspense thriller that had me engrossed from the very first page!!!!
The story was very well-written and tightly plotted, all of it seeming so real and realistic.
Overall one of the best thrillers I have read this year.

Wow what a book. Loved it, it made me feel all sorts of emotions including screaming at the book, screaming at Eliza.
I really felt part of the story when reading this, felt all the characters, and just couldnt put the book down.

Eliza Curran has everything or so it seems; two lovely children, plenty of money, a state of the art home and an adoring husband. Why, then, when Eliza takes on a new tenant for one of their properties, does she find Dan Jones to be quite so charming? He quickly works his way into Eliza’s personal life and it's not long before her world is rocked and knocked off balance as well as her family and friends.

This reader was hooked from the first paragraphs. Straight away I was drawn into the characters lives and the unfolding story with steady pacing throughout. Eliza was a fascinating character and my opinion of her oscillated on a frequent basis. I felt sympathy and empathy for her, but oftentimes she was incredibly irritating. The Curran's live in French au pair was a piece of work but played her role excellently.

The story was told from Eliza’s perspective and its tone and impeccable plot flowed well. I became totally immersed in Eliza’s life and her feelings to the extent that when she questioned herself, I found myself doing likewise. With a stack of red herrings, Emma Curtis had me totally engrossed whilst the planted seeds of doubt grew and expanded. This was my third book by Emma Curtis and for me, it was a belter. The edge of your seat conclusion polished things off superbly.

A fantastic, tense and intriguing, very highly recommended psychological thriller.

A special thank you to Random House, Emma Curtis, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Eliza and her husband look like they have a near perfect life, living with their 2 children. Martin overcame an accident which left him paralysed and has gone from strength to strength both physically and financially. But is their life as perfect as it seems? What goes on behind closed doors?
Martin and Eliza have recently completed a renovation and when a stranger comes knocking asking if he can rent it, Eliza thinks they’ve found the perfect tenant. Martin is soon drawn in too as Dan has ideas of another project which he thinks they can do together.
Their family life soon changes and things begin to spiral for Eliza
With the tension building as the story and secrets are unraveled I found it difficult to put down at times wanting to know what would happen and how things would turn out. Another great read from Emma

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title

Eliza is trapped in an abusive marriage that no one suspects is anything but happy. She is shown attention by a young man, Dan, and is tempted. The situation spirals out of control and the writing and character portrayals keeps the reader on edge and engaged throughout.
Well paced, tense and compulsive reading.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Emma Curtis/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to @emmacurtisbooks and @TransworldBooks for this advanced copy of Invite Me In in return for an honest review.

Description 🔖

Eliza Curran has it all. Two beautiful children, wealth, a state of the art home and an attentive and adoring husband. What people don’t know is that she’s trapped in an unhappy marriage with a hugely controlling man.

When Eliza takes on a new tenant for one of their properties, she doesn’t expect Dan Jones to be as charming as he is. He quickly works his way into Eliza’s personal life and infiltrates her family and friends. However all is not well. When someone has as many skeletons in their closet as Eliza does, it is never destined to end well.

General Thoughts 🤔

If you read this book, be prepared to be hooked from the moment that you start. Straight away I was drawn into the characters lives and the story that was unfolding and I couldn’t put it down. I thought that the middle dropped off a little bit and the pace somewhat slowed before picking up again towards the end when I was back onto the edge of my seat.

As much as I was engrossed in this story, I was able to predict how it was all going to unfold. There were plenty of clues to guide me as a reader in the right direction however I still really enjoyed the crescendo and following the characters through the drama.

Characters 👭👬👫

My thoughts about Eliza changed a lot. A lot of the time I felt a lot of sympathy and empathy for her. She was definitely in a terrible relationship and her husband treated her despicably. There were a couple of moments where I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and give her a shake. I felt like she had opportunities to get herself and her kids away from the family home but she did not take them. I appreciate though that it’s not quite that simple when you are the person living it.

Isabel the au pair that stayed with the family irritated me immensely. She was over confident and cocky and really didn’t understand the severity of her actions. My feelings towards her are likely because I cannot relate to her. Even at such a young age I would never have stayed in someones home and treated them the way that she treated Eliza. She was disrespectful and I think that her immaturity was a big reason for the mess that she found herself mixed up in.

Writing Style ✍️

I really enjoyed the tone and pace of this book and I thought that the whole thing flowed really well. The story was told from Eliza’s perspective which was done really well. I became so invested in Eliza’s life and her feelings that when she questioned herself, I also questioned myself. I appreciate an author than can write characters with such depth that I start to feel like I know that character personally.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖️

I really enjoyed this book and I feel like I got lost in it and it’s characters. I can imagine this translating quite well into a drama for TV and it’s something I’d really like to watch. I’ll be recommending this to friends, for sure.

This is a fantastic physiological thriller. Once again Emma Curtis does not disappoint. So many twists in the lives of Eliza and Martin Curran. Everything goes down hill when a new tenant for one of their properties moves in. Is he trying to lure Eliza into an affair or is there more to why he wants to infiltrate her life.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an arc

A perfect psychological thriller that won’t disappoint!!

To everyone Eliza has the perfect life BUT not everything is always as it seems. Mother to two lovely children, a husband that adores her and a state of the art home, what more could she ask for. However, since his accident Eliza’s husband wants to control her every move and she just longs for a way out.

One day a new tenant leases their flat and Eliza’s world suddenly seems to change. She is attracted to the lodger, Dan, and the feelings seem to be mutual but could it really be possible that she could leave her controlling husband with all the secrets that they share ?!

This is a great psychological thriller that had me hooked from the very start. Lots of domestic drama, secrets and lies. A book where you just don’t know who or what is as it seems. If you love psychological thrillers then you will love this. Another fab book from Emma Curtis.

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.