Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have a couple of books by this author sitting on a bookshelf but I had yet to actually read anything by her at the time I received this ARC. I went into the story with no idea what it was about or what to expect. The beginning of the book grabbed my attention. After that, the book is kind of a slow burn with a subtle creepy factor. Still, I found no degree of suspense to keep me wanting to continue reading. There was no danger, no urgency that had me unable to put it down. But it was a steady story, written well, flowed nicely and the characters are easy to like and identify with. The book picks up speed about 70% in. I am not huge into ghost stories and overall, I enjoyed it. One thing which was a huge plus for me – the story has an end. It may (or may not) be the ending the reader wishes for – but at least it doesn’t leave one up in the air, forced to buy the next book to see some type of closure. It is for this reason I round my 3.5 rating to a 4.

Nate and Helen decide to leave their life in the city and buy land to build their dream house. They settle in an area known to be haunted by Hettie, an alleged witch who was hanged from a tree nearby. Helen and Nate both become somewhat enchanted with the history, Nate more interested in the wildlife and Helen more interested in learning more about Hattie. As Helen learns more about Hettie, she is sure that she has a link with her and Hettie is asking her to find someone or something. The local residents are not happy that Nate and Helen seem to be stirring things up. A good spooky story!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"The Invited" is a fun, quick read for anyone who loves ghost stories. Even though there are a lot of coincidences and "that would never happen" moments, it's still a good read, with enough twists to keep you guessing.

When Helen and Nate find the perfect place to build their dream home, even the vague rumors about the spirit of a woman hung as a witch in the bog just beyond their property can't dampen their enthusiasm. The idea of hand-crafting a home of their own design is compelling - they're doing it all themselves, learning as they go, living rough in an old trailer until it's finished. But strange things are happening - tools and materials disappear, a fire nearly destroys the half-built house, and the townspeople in the village seem to have taken a dislike to them. Level-headed Nate seems compelled by the strange miasma emanating from the bog; Helen, the more impressionable of the couple, is frightened by the hold the bog seems to have on Nate. And who is the shadowy woman they glimpse at the edge of the woods? Is it Hattie, the rumored witch ? And the child they hear crying at night - is she the girl the villagers tore from her mother's arms before they hanged her ? A spooky, tightly written ghost story that will keep you awake, shivering and on edge, until the last page.

The Invited has an element of paranormal intermingled in the mystery, however, I didn't feel like it distracted much from the story. After receiving an inheritance from her father, Helen and her husband Nate decide to head to the woods of Vermont and build a house together. The property they find to build on sounds like a great deal, but there are also rumors that it is haunted. Helen was a history teacher, and therefore decides she wants to research the history of their land and discovers the legend of Hattie Breckenridge and her family that once lived there.

While she becomes obsessed with finding out more about their land, Nate becomes obsessed with a white doe he sees on their land. Helen and Nate also both experience very odd things happening to them, but is it supernatural or are there other things going on?

I went in to this book thinking there was more horror / paranormal in this book, but I felt like it was more about the story of Helen and Nate and their obsession that drew me in to this book. It definitely made me never want to live in the woods of Vermont!

This was the first I have read from this author. I was instantly intrigued with the cover and the prologue pulled me in further. It was a unique storyline and told in third person following Helen who was taking a leap to build a new home in Vermont when she meets Olive, the girl intrigued with the property that lives next door. I did find it to be a bit flat at point but felt there was quite an intriguing twist I didn't see coming. The ending seemed a bit abrupt. After everything that happened, I wanted to know what came of it all instead of just hanging a bit.

The Invited, by Jennifer McMahon, just might keep you up all night. It's the suspenseful story of a couple who buy a piece of property where a woman was hung for being a witch. They start to build their dream home there, only to find that the land is still haunted. Soon things are moving around in their new, and they're seeing things that may or may not be there. This is a good choice for a reader who enjoys a spooky story and doesn't want one that is violent and gory. I enjoyed the characters' voices and the way they were developed.

When Nate and Helen buy land to build their dream home, it comes with a haunted history. Helen finds out about Hattie who was hung on the property in the 1920s because the townspeople thought she was a witch. Hattie begins learning more about Hattie and her descendants and begins unraveling many mysteries. She begins collecting building materials for the house to bring Hattie and her descendants together. Most of the chapters are written from Helen's viewpoint and from Olive's viewpoint, a 14 year old neighbor. A few chapters are written from Hattie and her descendants viewpoints throughout time

This is just another amazing book from an amazing author. I have not read a book by Jennifer McMahon that I have not loved. I am always sucked in right from the beginning. I say it is a definite must read for anyone who wants a book who will take you on a wild ride. You will not regret it!

I enjoy reading all of Jennifer McMahon's books. She is a great suspense author. This book "The Invited" doesn't disappoint. The opening chapters grab your attention and keep you turning pages. I would recommend reading this author.

I read this one rather quickly. Very interesting and unusual. Hattie Breckenridge is hung from a tree in 1924 accused of a crime she did not commit and of also being a witch. Nearly a century late a young married couple buy the land where she was killed and later discover the terrible past. Helen, a history lover, becomes consumed with Hattie's story. She literary builds a ghost house by using materials connected to Hattie's tragic past. Very creepy without being overly scary or violent. I have read all of McMahon's books and this is her best yet. Highly recommend.

In a way, the main character of this book is the long deceased Hattie Breckenridge. Helen and Nathan have left their Connecticut life behind to move to Vermont and build their own house in a small town. As it happens, their new land was the site of Hattie's hanging for being a witch in 1924, and she lives on in the memories of the town, certainly as a spirit, perhaps even as an actual ghost. Helen and Nathan's progress is overshadowed and spooked by the property's history as well as the stand-offish townspeople who resent the arrival of outsiders. Olive is the girl next door who initially tries to sabotage the newcomers but then befriends and helps them, at the same time trying to deal with the abrupt disappearance of her mother a year previous. The characters' dialog is a strong component of this novel, and the author has a good ear for the conversations of young couples as well as fourteen-year-olds. The fuzzy line between reality and the occult is bridged by the contemporary dialog, and although definitely creepy, and very suspenseful, this book never became too gory for this reader.

**4.5-stars**
Helen has always dreamed of a simpler life. One day, after a discussion with her husband, Nate, they decide to make that happen. Using money she has recently inherited after the death of her Father, they make a plan to move to a rural area and build a house of their very own.

Ultimately, they decide on a large plot of land in rural-Vermont with a rich history. Leaving their cushy-CT lives behind, they move into an old trailer on the new property and commence building their dream home.

Olive, a young girl, and new neighbor to Helen and Nate, is missing her Mom, who left home one night and never returned. Rumor has it that she has run off with a boyfriend but Olive doesn't believe it. Acting out and skipping school, Olive is on a path to nowhere, if someone doesn't step in an help her.

McMahon has such a haunting way of writing. There is an overriding sinister ambiance to her stories, that make them an absolute joy to read for any horror fan. She adds just the right amount of chilling atmosphere and occult references to give her stories a genuine horror feel without being gaudy or overdone.

Some of the plot elements I found were a little too easy to figure out, too simplified if you will, which is why I decided on a 4.5-rating for this as opposed to a 5-star. That is totally my opinion however and I would highly recommend this book. A ghost story with a twist.

McMahon has quickly become an autobuy author for me. I feel like people are definitely going to love this one.

A big thank you to the publisher, Doubleday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and are review. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to reading more from McMahon in the future!

This was my first novel to read of Jennifer McMahon's, but I can say that I did enjoy it! The premise of the story was what compelled me to request an ARC. I do not usually read spooky stories, but this one ended up being quite interesting. I am glad I took the chance and decided to read it. The author's words kept my attention in the beginning enough to make me want to keep reading, but the book really picked up about the second half. If you are a fan of Stephen King, I would recommend reading this!

A wonderful book that took a great mystery added in the supernatural and characters that you wanted to know personally and you have this book. Learning about all the twists and turns of the generations of the decendents of Hattie in a thought providing way. I greatly enjoyed the time spent with this book.

This is an advanced copy readers review
A couple decide to change their lives for the better and leave the hectic city life behind to live the way they want. They buy a piece of land rumored to be haunted by the locals to build their dream house. However, not believing in ghosts does not save them from the messages that drive them to build into their home tortured pieces from the past. Ignorance and fear have driven events that have affected woman in the family line for over a century. Can Helen and Nate navigate the doubt, fear and obsession that has come with the land, or will they succumb like so many before to the witch of the bog? The story begs to question, is the past ever really gone?

Nate and Helen have decided to change their lives. They have resigned from their teaching jobs and moved to rural Vermont where they are going to build the home of their dreams. They purchased the forty-four acres of land from a man who was extremely motivated to sell. So happy to have a good deal, in a beautiful setting, they soon learn that their land once owned by Hattie Breckenridge. A woman who the town chased down and hung for being a witch. Rumors about the land all around. Rumors about towns people having sightings. Undeterred, they build. When Helen purchases materials for her home, strange things begin to happen. Intrigued by the history of the land and tales of Hattie Breckenridge, Helen decides to learn all she can about her and her descendants.

Olive, a local teenager, is looking for answers about her Mother's disappearance. She is also obsessed with finding lost items in the bog. To right a wrong she agrees to help Helen and Nate build their house.

As the trio continue to build Helen and Nate's dream home, it becomes evident that the past is not ready to rest, that items can act as conduits, and that Hattie and her descendants need help.

The Invited beings with a thrilling scene which got my attention right away. When the tension of that scene is over, things slow down as the story in the present day is being told. I found the first half of the book to be on the slower side as McMahon built her story, introduced her characters and set up the book for the second half. Speaking of the second half, things picked up and became interesting as there are more sightings and the back stories of Hattie's descendants are told.

I can't say that this was my favorite McMahon book. (My favorite being The Winter People) but this book was atmospheric and the bog was eerie. This book was not spooky, scary or even creepy. But it was enjoyable. It was also well written, and things came together nicely in the second half of the book.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer McMahon and Doubleday Books for this ARC.

This was a great ghost story, with a very surprising ending. It was suspenseful, and I loved how the story is being told from different characters. A very enjoyable read.

In The Invited, the story revolves around the tragic death of Hattie B., an accused witch from the early 1900’s. In present day, Nate and Helen buy Hattie’s property strange things begin to occur. This novel started slowly, with character building and storyline. Its about 40% into the story that the tension begins building and things really take off. This was a really good story and a compelling read.

Helen and Nate decide to pick up and move from their cozy Connecticut condo to Vermont - where they plan to build their dream house. The land that they purchase comes complete with a swamp...and a ghost. As they begin to build, Helen becomes more and more preoccupied with finding out more about the ghost and her family, while Nate is obsessed with finding and photographing the elusive white deer on their property...

This book was terrifying. I generally read late at night and I found myself jumping at every creak and rustle in my house. At the same time, I couldn't put it down. I love Jennifer McMahon, and while I figured out the ending pretty early on, I enjoyed the journey on the way to the reveal.