I downloaded this eARC on a whim to be honest, but as soon as I started it I was invested. So today I want to share my thoughts on this adult psychological thriller. Let’s jump in!
What could be worse than your ex-boyfriend marrying your childhood best friend? Getting accused of her murder…
From the author of My Sweet Girl comes a dangerously addictive new thriller about a lavish Sri Lankan wedding celebration that not everyone will survive.
When Amaya is invited to Kaavi’s over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised and a little hurt to hear from her former best friend after so many years of radio silence. But when Amaya learns that the groom is her very own ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by a single thought: She must stop the wedding from happening, no matter the cost.
But as the weeklong wedding celebrations begin and rumors about Amaya’s past begin to swirl, she can’t help but feel like she also has a target on her back. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, all evidence points to Amaya.
However, nothing is as it seems as Jayatissa expertly unravels that each wedding guest has their own dark secret and agenda, and Amaya may not be the only one with a plan to keep the bride from getting her happily ever after…
You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
Published by Berkley Books on 09/08/2022
Pages: 384
Goodreads
Our main character in this psychological thriller is Amaya. And she just found out her ex-bestfriend is getting married to her ex-boyfriend. You can maybe imagine how she’s feeling. The book starts the morning of the wedding and it is clear something has happened and Amaya is involved. From that first chapter I was invested. I love dark and twisted thrillers and this was one of those for sure!
The book is set in Sri Lanka which made it pretty unique right away, I loved that we got a different setting. You can also tell that the author herself is from Sri Lanka. There was quite some commentary on Sri Lankan culture and traditions, which I found fascinating. It also reminded me a bit of Crazy Rich Asians in that regard.
“More like over her dead body. I mean, I could just kill that bitch.”
Amaya does not come off as a likeable person, just how I like my thriller main characters to be honest. She is obsessive, her thoughts scared me a bit at times, she self harms and is involved in BDSM. But there were also this little mentions of her past that made me question how she became the way we see her now. And are Spencer (the ex-boyfriend in question) and Kaavi (the ex-bestfriend) who they are portrayed to be. You mostly see Kaavi through her social media account and through Amaya’s eyes and that never gives an accurate portrayal of someone.
After that initial chapter we start three months before the wedding and we slowly make our way to the day off. In between chapters however we read investigator interview transcripts. And those definitely made me question what happened. I loved the twists and turns in this book. There were something I did see coming but others I was for sure surprised by. And isn’t that the best feeling? I also thought the ending was very satisfying and not what I was expecting.
“I’ll never be a victim.”
For me, at the core this book was about a -strained- friendship. There was quite some talk about the heartbreak that comes after breaking up with your best friend and I wish there were more books, movies or songs about that. Wherever you look you can find something about being heartbroken after a romantic breakup but we need meer about friend breakups!
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it down and finished it so fast. It was a compelling psychological thriller with an interesting setting, good twists and an unique setting. I highly recommend this one!
Had you heard of this one? And have you read this previous book by this author? I’m definitely keeping a look out for her next work. Do you plan on picking this one up? Let me know in the comments!
