28 August 2025

This book was a gift to my mom, which I added a note to asking her to share it with me when she was done. (I love gifting books to my family that I want to read too.) I was intrigued by the blurb. I am new to Adele Parks, but since reading this one, I have added a few more of her books to my ever-growing TBR.

I Invited Her In is a gripping domestic drama that explores friendship, betrayal, and how easily trust can be exploited. Adele Parks takes a seemingly simple premise—an old friend showing up in need of help—and twists it into something dark, unsettling, and impossible to look away from.

Mel is instantly likeable: warm, generous, and perhaps a little too eager to please. When she welcomes Abi into her home, it’s clear she’s doing what any loyal friend would do. But the tension creeps in slowly as Abi’s charm begins to mask something much more toxic. The way Parks peels back Abi’s true intentions kept me hooked, page after page. I found myself both fascinated and horrified at how easily she slipped into Mel’s family life and began to unravel everything.

The pacing is excellent—building steadily from awkward houseguest moments to full-blown nightmare—and the family dynamics add extra weight to the story. I particularly enjoyed how Parks explored the complexities of female friendship: the nostalgia, the unspoken resentments, and the vulnerability that comes with opening your door (and heart) to the wrong person.

That said, Abi’s manipulations do become a little over the top at times, almost pushing believability. Still, I was completely invested in the fallout and couldn’t put the book down.

This is a chilling yet addictive read, perfect if you enjoy domestic thrillers that dig into the darker side of relationships. Parks reminds us that sometimes the biggest danger isn’t a stranger—it’s the person you once called a friend.