Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Paperback

For the majority of this book, I really enjoyed the story. I loved both the main characters and the supporting characters. And it had a top-tier meet-cute.

The Invitation centers on Stella, who decides one night that she is going to crash a wedding with her best friend, Fisher. While at the wedding, she sees this attractive guy, and the two strike up a conversation. Unbeknownst to her, he is the bride’s brother and when he finds that she is an uninvited guest, he puts her on the spot. Stella rushes out of the facility and leaves her phone behind. Hudson finds it and when they come face to face again, it gets a little complicated.

I found this premise to be very fun, and I must say that my favorite parts of this book happened in the beginning. I enjoyed the dynamic between Stella and Fisher, and their reasoning for crashing the wedding in the first place. They were such a great representation of best friends, and I felt that closeness with them. All and all, I thought this book had a great representation of friendships.

It was unexpected but Stella and Olivia (Hudson’s sister) become friends. And I like their friendship too. Although it was new, it felt genuine. Olivia was a major cheerleader for Stella, and a major role in Stella and Hudson relationship evolving from strangers to the next step.

Okay, so Stella and Hudson- the chemistry was off the charts. Like mentioned earlier, I enjoyed their meet-cute. I found it entertaining, and it was a perfect introduction to them. Unfortunately, the magic does wear off of them a little as the book continues. They lose some of that banter, but nevertheless, they were still cute and there was still chemistry.

They were great and unique characters individually. Hudson is a swoon-worthy businessman. And he has the most adorable relationship with his daughter. He writes corny jokes on her bananas, and it was very cute.

Stella is a smart and creative heroine. She has an interesting hobby where she buys used diaries off of eBay. I wished that detail had stayed a hobby and not turned into a major plot point. Although interesting at first, towards the end of the book, it triggers a plot twist that felt very lackluster. The story could have survived without it.

Final Analysis

The Invitation starts off strong but unfortunately, a plot twist ruins the quality of the sprint.