By Invitation Only by Geneva Lee

By Invitation Only by Geneva Lee
Release Date - May 31, 2016

Publisher Website - Ivy Estate
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 300 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**purchased**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In a world with too much money and not enough rules, anything goes. Welcome to Belle Mère, the most exclusive zip code outside the Las Vegas Strip. It's every sinner's fantasy and every good parent's worst nightmare.

Emma Southerly doesn't belong at Belle Mère Prep despite her new stepfather's money. Not after she shunned her invite to the popular table, and especially not after what happened last summer. So when her best friend begs her to crash an invite-only, end of the year party, she should say no with a capitol H-E-L-L.

It's just a party. What could go wrong?
Getting kicked out to start. Running into the man who destroyed your family.
Everything.

Until she meets Jamie, who's also hiding from the in-crowd. After spending the night with the cute stranger, Emma barely makes it home before news hits Belle Mère's brunch tables. A body's been found on the West estate, and Jamie is the number one suspect. But he couldn't have done it…right?

Emma isn't sure she can trust him or the rest of Belle Mère. After all, no one is safe when everyone is a liar.

I have a weakness for books set in Las Vegas, especially if the people within them are being scandalous. If you're a fan of CW shows, novels filled with beautiful people doing bad things, and books that heat up your summer this is one you'll not want to miss. It, like its setting, is filled with sin and its characters are intriguing enough to capture your interest.

Secrets and lies are the currency of this novel. Everyone has something to hide, and therefore it's impossible to trust any of the characters. This kept me, as a reader, on my toes. The break neck speed pacing of the plot, along with the engrossing mystery ensures that this novel's 300 page count flies by in record time. The mystery is the heart of this novel, and it is only heating up as we close the first chapter of this story.

The setting pairs perfectly with the plot and Las Vegas' scandalous side is definitely brought to life within these pages. We're treated to exclusive private schools, penthouse parties on the strip, and even Mt. Charleston serve as a backdrop to heighten the story. The setting also sets the story with a cinematic vibe. It is easy to envision this as a television show or movie. All the elements of an addictive series are there and Geneva Lee makes sure that is captured with her writing.

This novel has more than its fair share of sexual chemistry and tension. Jamie and Emma heat up the pages (including one very sexy elevator scene) even as deception plague their potential romance. Gambling with your heart is ill advised  but Jamie is just the right mix of bad boy who is, hopefully, hiding a heart of gold. It's tricky having your romantic lead be the prime suspect in a murder case, and still manages to make your readers swoon for him. Geneva Lee pulls it off flawlessly and makes sure her reader lose their heart to him in the process.

A novel that is as sinfully decadent as its setting and twice as captivating. It is just as juicy, just as sexy, and just as twisty as you hope it'll be. I turned the final page desperate for book two as Geneva Lee leaves you begging for more. This series does for Las Vegas what Gossip Girl did for New York and I for one cannot wait to see what secrets unravel next.