This is an entertaining story about a couple who gives up their "boring City life" to build a home in a small town. Except things aren't all what they seem. They are a normal loving married couple. Its relatable but sometimes a little much. I've not built a house from scratch but I've gutted and rebuilt from that. And while we did it, it was hard! I cannot imagine two DIYers building a house from bottom up. No matter how much the wifey knows from her dad.

Moving on, it was an interesting story. You have this cute couple, a rogue high schooler, small town gossip, a mystery, oh and a ghost. I'm not spoiling anything don't worry. The dynamic between all of the characters was built upon as the story went on. I like that. It's not thrown in your face from the start. You grow and learn with them. While it was slow at times, and annoying others the story was good. It got really good as all the pieces started to fit together. I'm glad I read it and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery with some history, and a touch of supernatural.

I got this book for free from Net Galley to read and give my honest review.

Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me. I read a few chapters and it just was not keeping my attention. Had the pace been a bit faster, I likely would’ve read more and enjoyed it more. There was nothing else wrong with the writing otherwise, it just wasn’t a great story for me at this time. I really need to connect with a character or some other aspect of the story if it’s a slow burn, and that wasn’t happening with this book. I would definitely try another novel from this author, as I did read The Winter People, and enjoyed that one.

The townspeople never fully accepted Hattie Breckenridge or her daughter Jane, even though they would come to Hattie for a healing potion or a love charm, or to learn what their futures held. Hattie had a vision that the schoolhouse would burn, and kept Jane home that day to keep her safe. When the townspeople swarmed Hattie’s cabin by the bog, angered and saddened at the loss of three children, some were determined that Hattie should pay with her life.

Helen and Nate were certain they had located the perfect piece of property on which to build their dream house, a vintage saltbox with all the modern conveniences necessary in rural Vermont. Both had left their teaching jobs and were building the house themselves from the ground up. Helen, who taught history, was fascinated by the area and wanted to know more about this supposedly haunted land they had purchased. Nate was spending his time chasing an elusive white deer.

Olive hated school and refused to go most of the time, barely passing ninth grade. She and her mom Lori had always hunted for the treasure Hattie was rumored to have buried, and with Lori’s disappearance, Olive had two mysteries to solve. She spent her time searching for the treasure and harassing the new people for daring to build on Hattie’s land.

I have a healthy respect for haunted locations; I agree that objects can be possessed, and that there are many things in the world that we don’t understand. Helen’s determination to figure out the entire story through researching Hattie’s family brought unexpected results, and her purchasing items for the new house that had some relationship with Hattie or Hattie’s family gave them a safe space to be heard.

I love a good ghost story, so the phrase "chilling ghost story with a twist" in this book's description immediately grabbed my attention. But, while aspects of the book are indeed chilling, this one didn't really hook me.

The book opens with a riveting prologue. Then the pace and intrigue immediately drop off and we spend a lot of time on domestic matters. While there are hints of strange activity on the land, we don't get into the actual ghost story until around the halfway point.

I didn't care all that much for Helen's and Nate's characters. They're the dream couple; well educated, financially set, and ready and able to make a huge move on a whim. All that's fine, but I didn't get much depth from either of them. I was more drawn to Olive, the young girl who lives near them and whose life becomes tangled with theirs.

The second half of the book picks up considerably. The plot brings us a few twists that might be more surprising for some readers than they were for me.

My favorite part of this book was Hattie's story. I'd have liked to spend more time exploring her life.

I love a good ghost story and this one had me engaged from the start.
Helen and Nate buy land in Vermont and build a haunted house from scratch. They later find out Hattie Breckinridge lived and died there a century before. Then there is Olive, a neighbor girl whose mother is missing. I love the way the author tied all the characters and details together. Many thanks to Doubleday Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was not expecting to love this book like I did. The story started out the gate with drama, fear and love. It turned into a story that I shared with my friends and family. If you want a book that makes you fall in love with every single character, pick this one up! A little bit of horror, a little bit of drama, and a whole lot of love!

My thoughts about this book are jumbled mess. I've been holding off on writing a review because, truth me told, I just couldn't pinpoint what about this story it was that didn't resonate with me. This isn't a poor story, by any means. It has a gorgeously rendered setting, and characters that feel like real people. The Invited even has a mystery that was complex enough to keep me guessing for a good portion of the story. Still, this book and I didn't really ever mesh and that was a pity.

Although Helen and Nate were excellently rendered characters, I had a hard time falling for them. They drove me a little bit crazy with their incessant bickering and wild spending habits. Helen especially grated on my nerves at the beginning. I know it's probably just me, but I have a hard time with a character who constantly overreacts. She did grow on me as the book progressed and, in fact, as the mystery started to unwind I found myself drawn more and more to this couple. I definitely appreciated that they cared so much about their new home, and the nature that surrounded it. The fact that the home that they were building was also steeped in such terrible history had me rapt.

As I mentioned above, the mystery was actually fairly well structured also. There were just enough clues peppered throughout to really keep me guessing as to what the ending would be. Unfortunately I did figure out the twist about halfway through and, after that, I was more just reading for the glimpse of any haunted happenings. I love stories that have rich atmosphere, especially when there are ghosts involved. In this case, all the atmosphere was there. The potential for a really excellent ghost story was just in sight. It just never panned out the way I hoped it would. This story meandered, and lacked the bite that I desperately wanted.


I suppose that the fact of the matter is that this story just wasn't for me. I love ghost stories. I love horror. The Invited doesn't really meet either of those marks, in my opinion. This is honestly more like a really well written mystery that happens to have a ghost as part of the plot. There's a lot to love here, and I know that there are plenty of readers out there who are going to adore this book. I'm unfortunately just not one of those people. For a lovely setting, well written characters, and the fact that I did indeed finish it, I'll happily give this three stars.

This book is further evidence that Jennifer McMahon never disappoints. In The Invited, she delivers a ghost story with a mystery twist complete with all of the odd delights and chilling atmosphere her fans have come to expect. I was completely engrossed in this novel from start to end.

When Helen and Nate come into money, they decide to chase down a dream and use the funds to build a saltbox house from the ground up in a remote part of Vermont. Helen has visions of embedding herself into the town and absorbing all of the local history she’ll find there, while her husband will spend his time birding and communing with nature. Together, they’ll homestead, blog about their experiences, and prioritize eating, drinking, and shopping local.

Not long after they set up camp and begin their adventure, they come to find that perhaps their new locale isn’t quite as idyllic as it seemed. For one, locals are deeply distrustful of outsiders. There’s also the fact that their land appears to be haunted.

A short distance down the road is Olive, a teenage misfit deeply invested in finding buried treasure said to be on Helen and Nate’s land. Proximity, local lore, and a ghost bring them together in chilling and powerful ways.
Trigger warnings for domestic violence.

One last note—this book spends a good chunk of time going into detail about the process of building a house from the ground up—everything from pouring the concrete foundation to installing copper pipes to putting in drywall to how they sourced the building material. I found all of that fascinating, but I watch too much HGTV and my family runs a construction company. I could see how those details might slow things down for other readers.

I loved this book. I have read The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon and loved it. I was not sure of this one at first, but once about 15% in I was hooked! She weaves such a tale, her characters are well written and memorable. I really could not put this one down, once I got going. If you love and eerie, atmospheric tale, this one delivers! I highly recommend this author and this story The Invited.

Greetings from, what I like to call, the black whole, a.k.a. my living room sofa.  Where I lay down and it literally sucks me into it's over sized cushions and I find myself unable to get off of it for a good 5 hours once I've come home from work and find myself either reading, sleeping or watching TV.

https://giphy.com/gifs/cartoonhangover-sleep-couch-sinking-2fT17AX4EbyBxLDkva

Today I got to work from home (and I make it sound like that's a rare event, when in all reality I get to work from home every Monday and Friday.  I know... be jealous) and was able to finally finish up the ARC I received from Netgalley (as always for free in exchange for an honest review).  The novel is Jennifer McMahon's "The Invited", a new and awesomely well composed ghost story  which I could not get enough of.

Here you follow both Helen and Olive.  Helen has just recently moved to Vermont with her husband, Nate, after they both quit their secure teaching jobs, to pretty much live off the land and not do the normal 9-5 grind anymore (now I'm jealous).  They decide to build their own home, even though neither of them are carpenters.  Olive is a 14 year old girl who is in search of a treasure, left by, as legend tells it, the towns witch, Hattie Breckenridge.  The lives of these two characters collide and McMahon takes you on an awesome rollercoaster, filled with witches, ghosts, seances, and buried treasure.  What more can you ask for?

I was just recently introduced to McMahon's work and I have no idea what took me so long  to find her.  I love a good ghost story and found myself loving "The Winter People" and so when I saw this title on NetGalley's list of books I had to request it, and I definitely am not sorry I did.  I loved the characters in this book, the back story of Hattie Breckenridge was intriguing and McMahon did a great job of connecting everything and everyone together.  This book is worth the read.  I also found myself, at times, a little unnerved by the story, feeling the anxiety I get when something is scaring me.  I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of ghost stories.  I gave this 5 stars!

-Brit
@callemarie- Litsy
@bookreader_craftbeerlover- Instagram

I’m going to be the oddball review here! This book just did not work for me. I stuck with it to the end but I really struggled. The characters continually irritated me – their actions did not seem consistent or believable. And the surprise ending was one big let-down. Usually when I’m surprised by the culprit I’m impressed that the author fooled me – but I just didn’t think this one was set up well so I couldn’t buy into it. I wanted to like it since I usually love ghost stories – but this was disappointing for me. 2 stars.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I do not know what I was expecting prior to reading this book, but overall it was an interesting premise. I loved the idea of building a haunted house. What kept me from loving the story was its lack of darkness. I believe I was expecting the story to be creepy, twisted, and scary. I enjoyed the major plot twist at the end. I definitely wanted all my answers solved, so this book did keep me turning the pages, which was enjoyable. The characters were written very well and the writing style of the author was wonderful. I look forward to more from this author. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Doubleday for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The description of this book touted it as a ghost story and it did not disappoint. Helen and Nate decide to move to the country and build a house of their very own. What they don't know, but quickly learn is the land has a tragic history. The past life and death of Hattie Breckenridge and her descendants is expertly woven into the present story as Helen uncovers it piece by piece. With the help of a teenage neighbor, Olive, and her aunt Riley, the history comes to life leading to a shocking ending!

This was a fantastic read that delivered exactly what was promised!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Right from the beginning, you're pulled into the story of Hattie, who has been killed for sins she never even committed. And while you're yearning to hear more about her daughter, you find yourself forgetting about her as you delve into the world of Helen and Nate and their quest for the perfect house, on Hattie's haunted bog.

While I was able to guess the family lineage, I wasn't quite able to piece it together until it was given to me. But, that made it all the more interesting and I loved how Helen incorporated the old pieces of the past into her new home and her desire for the truth to be revealed about Hattie. There was just enough ghost story, just enough drama with the characters and their lives, and just enough town history to tie in with the mystery of Hattie and her treasure to keep you wanting more.

The story never seems to tire and holds your interest throughout, without a twist in the end that I definitely never saw as a possibility. But best of all, it felt true and real. The paranormal never went so far as to make you believe it couldn't be real and the realism of Nate was always there to ground you, if you aren't a believer.

McMahon put together an amazing novel that makes you wonder about the old objects of the past and the people that will forever be tied to them, for good or bad. She also makes me wonder if curses could be true since some families, like Hattie's, never seem to be able to escape them.

Helen and Nate decide to leave their busy lives behind and build a home in the woods of Vermont....get into a small community and live a simple life. Little do they know they have chosen a spot where an unspeakable crime happened many years ago, and that they are about to be involved in a ghost story. But....there is more to the ghost story than that crime to Hattie Breckenridge....and Helen finds the need within her to study the history of the crime and find any descendants. She begins to bring relics from Hattie’s life into the home they are building, but with that she brings the ghosts. After witnessing the ghostly apparition of Hattie, Helen comes to understand that it is Hattie that is leading her and her husband to the end game. The community has its share of characters who believe that Hattie left a treasure, and try to communicate with her to find it. There is Olive, the teenager whose mother disappeared mysteriously a year ago, and in spite of the rumor that she ran away with another man....Olive isn’t so sure of that. And Riley, Olive’s aunt, who tries to help both Olive and Helen in their search for truths. While there was a point when I felt I knew where this story was going....twists took it another direction. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to others who enjoy a good book about supernatural happenings and ghostly visits. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, the author and publishers for an honest review, which this has been. #NetGalley, #TheInvited

Jennifer McMahon can certainly tell a good ghost story! I was interested from the very first page of the book and could hardly wait to finish it to find out what really happened.
This is one of my favorite mysteries so far this year.

When Nate and Helen move from the city to the Vermont countryside, they find themselves in for a bigger change than they expected. They soon learn that everyone in town believes their land to be haunted and some even think their presence on the land has conjured up an old ghost.

Helen is a history teacher, so she decides to research the background of the land and its former occupants. While doing so, she unwittingly is gathering clues to a recent disappearance.

For readers who love ghost stories and mysteries, this one is a great choice for reading.
It’s one of those stories that has you wondering if the ghosts are real and who can be trusted.

My thanks to Net Galley and Doubleday Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

This is what I'd call a traditional ghost story! Set in a secluded Vermont forest, complete with a deep bog, eerie sounds, and mysterious creatures, the story gave me chills more than once. The Invited contains just the right amount of predictability to be a satisfying read; I feel like ghost stories can be cheesy unless the author knows how to pace the surprises and keep the characters guessing. McMahon allows the reader to discover things along with the characters, so the reaction is genuinely shocking. I enjoy stories that allow me to join in on the hunt - that's why I read mysteries!

I kind of wish I had this for my annual ghost story reading back in October, but it was still surprisingly good even in spring!

I always wanted to build a house but not after reading this book! As Nate and Helen start to build their dream house more and more mystery and tragedy starts to unfold. This is a must read but I would say make it a daytime read!

Unfortunately I had to DNF this. It wasn't poorly written- I was just going in expecting a ghost story, and while I think it would get there, it was quieter than I was expecting. I don't love small town secrets with a slow build, so I don't think I would have enjoyed finishing this. I'm also generally not interested in multi generational mysterious. The set up reminded me of Into the Water- not a good one for me at all.

"A chilling ghost story with a twist: the New York Times bestselling author of The Winter People returns to the woods of Vermont to tell the story of a husband and wife who don't simply move into a haunted house - they build one...

In a quest for a simpler life, Helen and Nate have abandoned the comforts of suburbia to take up residence on forty-four acres of rural land where they will begin the ultimate, aspirational do-it-yourself project: building the house of their dreams. When they discover that this beautiful property has a dark and violent past, Helen, a former history teacher, becomes consumed by the local legend of Hattie Breckenridge, a woman who lived and died there a century ago. With her passion for artifacts, Helen finds special materials to incorporate into the house - a beam from an old schoolroom, bricks from a mill, a mantel from a farmhouse - objects that draw her deeper into the story of Hattie and her descendants, three generations of Breckenridge women, each of whom died suspiciously. As the building project progresses, the house will become a place of menace and unfinished business: a new home, now haunted, that beckons its owners and their neighbors toward unimaginable danger."

Because even with the best intentions, things can go to the bad.