I don’t usually read ghost stories, but as a fan of Jennifer McMahon, I automatically read her latest book without even knowing what it was about. Even if it wasn’t what I’m used to reading, I was far from being disappointed!
Helen and her husband make a life-changing decision to leave city, buying 44-acres of property out in the sticks and building their own home in pursuit of a much simpler life. Once they find out that the land has been reported as haunted, and they each begin to experience very strange occurrences, their lives become anything but simple. As Helen attempts to uncover the full story of the property’s original owner, she finds herself pulled into a very complex history. Again, these types of stories aren’t usually what I gravitate toward, but this one definitely held my interest and made me want to continue reading until I could find out the full story right along with Helen.
NOTE: Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Helen and Nate abandoned their city lives for rural Vermont, where they will build their dream home on their new property, amidst the woods and the nearby bog. Helen, formerly a history teacher, is intrigued when learns about Hattie Breckenridge, a woman who lived and died there nearly a century ago. Hattie's tragic story becomes merged with the house when Helen used materials related to Hattie (such as a wooden beam made from the oak tree where she was hanged) to decorate the interior of the house she's building, unwittingly inviting Hattie in. Hattie wants something from Helen, and she can't rest until she gets it.

The Invited draws you in right from the start, with a prologue from 1924, told in Hattie's perspective, relating the events that lead up to her death. At the end of it, two mysteries remain—the location of the Breckenridge "treasure" (if it even exists) and what happened to Hattie's daughter after her mother's death.

Decades later, the subject of Hattie and her treasure has dominated the imagination and gossip of local residents. They say Hattie's ghost roams the bog, luring unsuspecting victims into its depths, never to be seen again, and people are warned to stay away from the area when darkness nears.

Newcomers Helen and Nate are unaware of the legend when they move to the area, learning about it only after experiencing several unexplained events that leave them feeling uneasy. Meanwhile, their teenaged neighbor Olive relentlessly searches the bog for the elusive treasure, hoping that finding it will result in her missing mother returning home.

The story is told in the alternating perspectives of Helen and Olive. It was intriguing to follow Helen in her mission to discover everything there is to know about Hattie and her descendants, and interesting to see her relationship with Nate alter somewhat as they go through the stress of building their home. Olive's treasure hunt, as well as her search for her mother, and her relationship with her father and aunt, were equally enjoyable to read about, and I felt a great deal of sympathy for her every time she faced obstacles in finding out what really happened the night her mother left. It was Hattie whom I was most interested in, however, because she was the most fascinating character of all.

Overall, this was a great read. Layers of mysteries, lots of unexpected twists, and a cast of characters that will long linger in my memory. If you enjoy reading books were dark histories of the past affect the lives of those in the present, then this is definitely a book for you.

This is the first novel of McMahon's I've read, and I'm not sure how her work managed to escape my notice until now, but I'll absolutely be reading more of her books in the future!

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Doubleday via Netgalley.

Thank you Doubleday Books/Netgalley for allowing me to read this! It was my first Jennifer McMahon novel, and I was not disappointed.
My actual rating is a 3.5.
This novel is about a couple who pick up their lives and move to a piece of land where they want to build their own home. It turns out that their little bit of heaven has a chilling past. Helen, a former history teacher, is naturally drawn to figuring out what exactly happened. The legend has it that Hattie Breckenridge lived and died on that property a century before. As she collects pieces for her future dream home, she also conjures up the answers to what happened to the three generations of Breckenridge women.
That synopsis drew me in as soon as I read it. I love a GOOD ghost story. This didn't disappoint as far as the story goes. The writing style, on the other hand, was not my favorite. It was very repetitive, and choppy at times.
I enjoyed the journey that Helen went through in this novel. She annoyed me a little at first, but then she grew on me. I would have wanted to know about the past of the place I was building my dream house on. In case you didn't know, the story has a witchy vibe to it! She unravels all of this in-depth information that I found very interesting. There is a lot of murder, and burning of buildings. I didn't want to read anything about the present day, but it did eventually catch up to the current times. In the present is a young girl named Olive, who would like to find out where her mother is. She left and never came back. This story is just one big vicious circle.
It was a very average book, but I didn't hate it. I would definitely read other books from McMahon. I'm interested to find out what her older books are like. If you're thinking about reading this I recommend that you at least give it a try!

Another great read by Jennifer McMahon. Would be an excellent title for a book club read. The Invited is a work history combined with the small town drama, wrapped up in a well written ghost story. A smooth, easy read from start to finish.

Cannot wait to order this title for our patrons!

Jennifer McMahon does it yet again with another unputdownable book. . The novel centers around Nate and Helen who leave their teaching jobs to build their dream home in rural Vermont . Helen begins seeing ghosts and Nate becomes obsessed with a white doe. They become acquainted With Olive whose Mother is missing and father is distraught. Legend of Hattie Breckinridge a woman who hanged a century ago ties all these together . Thriller , ghost story and tragedy makes another must read by this fantastic author

Thjs was my first experience with this author, and I was blown away. Her writing was flawless, and the story came together seamlessly. The chapters alternative between a couple different perspectives, but not so much that I lost my place or lost any interest. While I figured out about halfway where the story was heading, I didn't figure out how it would get there until it was basically spelled out for me, which was kind of nice, since it kept me fully invested in the mysteries at the core of the story. I love the fact that after experiencing so much tragedy in life, several decades of women have a "home" they can all return to in death. A VERY strong five stars.

This was an interesting ghost story with some twists and turns.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for this advanced readers copy.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Invited by Jennifer McMahon. I loved the Winter People - and McMahon's next installment is just as eerie.
Although there are two timelines, McMahon keeps the reader mostly in present time with a young couple, Helen and Nate, that buy land in a small Vermont town.. They want to build their own home. They find that the land was once owned by a woman who was hanged many years ago - a woman that the townspeople said was a witch.
Strange things start to happen to the couple as they start to settle into their new home.and they hear the whispers that the land they own is haunted by the past.
McMahon weaves characters like a loom - they are interesting and add to the story line. This is a good read and I was not disappointed.
Recommend.

I loved it. If you like books with a little supernatural element to them then this is for you. I scare easily so I don't read horror, but Jennifer McMahon adds just enough "spook" to keep you on edge, but not terrify you.

Right off the bat, I have to say I LOVED this novel!! In full disclosure, I read the synopsis for The Invited and was a little hesitant because I had a feeling it wouldn’t be up my alley. Well being that I am a huge Jennifer McMahon fan, I decided to dive in anyway and boy am I thankful I did!!!

It’s been a long time since a book has drawn me in the way The Invited has. The storyline was extremely original, which is what initially hooked me. As I got deeper in, I found myself entranced by the fascinating characters and the multi-layered plot— so much so that at one point I found myself staying up into the wee hours of the morning because I simply could not put this book down!! The Invited is a 5 star read that could quite possibly be my favorite from Jennifer McMahon to date! This novel is an absolute must read- you definitely won’t want to miss this gem!

Jennifer McMahon knocks another one out of the park with The Invited! I have read every book she's written but this one was the most creepy of them all. I typically devour her books in one sitting but this one I savored and read strictly during the day because I was afraid Hattie was lurking outside my window at night. In true McMahon style, she expertly weaves past and present in this alluring ghost story with an ending that blew my mind. I really came to love Opal and Helen, feeling towards the end that they were long-time friends of mine. Jennifer McMahon has a knack for scaring the daylights out of me and connecting me with her characters. This book was stellar!

I love Jennifer McMahon's creepy, compelling novels and THE INVITED is no exception. Its unique premise puts a fun spin on a classic ghost story. Even though I saw a lot of the twists coming, I still couldn't look away from this addicting page turner. I'm already a big McMahon fan and this is one of my favorite of hers ...

A full review of THE INVITED will be posted on my blog (www.blogginboutbooks.com) on April 30, 2019.

Honestly, this book went in a different direction than I had anticipated. However, I really loved it! I found myself eating up the history behind the property. Not to mention, the Breckenridge women. Each chapter pulled me a little bit deeper. There was a lot of great story telling and a lot of paths that were intertwined. The main characters were all very memorable and believable. I think that the author did a great job building both the characters and the settings. While the action took quite a while to build up, it was worth the wait. Once the ball got rolling it really moved. Each character really kept the plot going forward allowing the reader to keep interest.

As a side note, my husband and I are almost in the same position as Helen and Nate. Well, minus the haunted property bit. So I found myself really getting in to the story and the details of the home being built. I found myself inspired to bring some antiques into our building now!

Overall, I was thoroughly pleased with this book. In fact, I would love to pick up another book by Jennifer McMahon!

This book starts with Hattie and her daughter Jane being accused of witchcraft as Hattie had an idea something terrible was going to happen at the school and told her daughter to stay home. The schoolhouse ended up burning down, and Hattie and her daughter are blamed for the fire. Hattie tells Jane to run, and Hattie is sadly burnt at the stake. Centuries later, a new couple has moved into the property that once housed Hattie's house. Helen and Nate have decided to move to a quieter backwoods town from the bustling city life. As they start building strange things start occurring at the house, some townspeople have said it's Hattie's ghost. Nate as a logical one believes it's nonsense but for history professor Helen, she loves everything old and sets out to research the property. As she does, she starts to learn about Hattie and her descendants and that the bloodline was cursed with powers and gifts that killed them in the end. Currently, there is one female descendant left, and Helen has been getting messages to save her and keep her safe. Can Helen track down the last female descendant and save her before it's too late? In doing so, Helen will also help a young girl Olive discover the truth about what happened to her mother Lori years ago when she vanished without a trace. I have to admit I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did, but the writing and storyline drew me in and kept me captivated and yearning to find out what incidents happened to each of Hattie's descendants and whether the treasure existed or not.

A really enjoyed this book. It’s a super intense paranormal story, written absolutely beautifully. The story has many twists and turns and a pretty wow BAM of an ending.
Definitely not a cheesy ghost story. I give it 4 stars!
Thank you #Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my free arc in exchange for my honest review. Posting to goodreads and Amazon as well.

This is a slower, but ultimately satisfying read.

In The Invited, McMahon brings us a tale of ghosts, witchcraft, and a terrible family legacy.

Told in multiple points of view, we follow the women of one family through lives of heartbreak and ostracism. Their stories hurt.

I did love most of our characters, though our main character’s husband frustrated me immensely.

Some readers may find the novel’s pace a bit frustrating – and ghost or not, the story is never, never frightening. But the story is a good one and well worth the read.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley.

I was truly entertained by this book. Parts of it truly spooked me and freaked me out, I tried not to read it too late at night! I enjoyed the history and science lessons scattered throughout as well. I think the only issue I have is that I strongly disliked the character of Nate and I found most of his conversations with Helen to be super awkward and not like a married couple should sound. I didn't get a good handle on their relationship. I loved the parts of the book that had to do with Hattie an Olive, I was both creeped out and intrigued. 4 stars!

I am always thrilled when Jennifer McMahon writes a new book! They are always original, eerie, and downright unputtdownable! This is no different with The Invited and I found myself riveted to the pages. I loved this book. I want to rave about it over and over and will be doing so to anyone who will listen closer to release date! I highly recommend it.

I’ve read and loved all of Jennifer McMahon’s books, but The Invited has become my favorite. Helen and Nate buy property in Vermont, which includes a bog and lots of acreage, where they plan to build their dream home themselves. The land long ago belonged to Hattie until she was hanged on one of her trees for predicting a fire at the schoolhouse. She vowed to stay around, and the townspeople believe the land to be haunted.
Olive and her mother would hunt on the land for Hattie’s buried treasure, until one day her mom left her and her father. Olive thinks if she can find the treasure her mom will once again come home., so she’s not happy to see new owners, and neither are the townspeople.
Helen soon discovers the land is haunted and has visits from Hattie, who wants something from her. She’s very curious to learn everything about Hattie and her descendants so Olive introduces her aunt, who helps Helen in her quest.
It was a great read, and the plot kept getting better and better, I hated to have it end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday books for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Helen and Nate have moved to the middle of nowhere and are building the house of their dreams. They soon discover that their land has a dark and violent past. Helen finds herself deep in the mystery of Hattie Breckenridge, drawing everyone into danger.

Spooky! A solid ghost story mystery that kept me engrossed in the story. Some of it was a little predictable. However, I was greedily reading page after page trying to figure out what happens with Helen and the house next. It's told from two POVs -Helen's young neighbor who is on a quest to find her mom - and Helen, who searches for links to Hattie. Good, solid read!