Author: Adele Parks
Publisher: Mira
Date of publication: February 2019
Imagine the worst thing a friend could ever do.
This is worse.
When Mel receives an unexpected email from her oldest friend
Abi, it brings back memories she thought she had buried forever. Their
friendship belonged in the past. To those carefree days at university.
But Abi is in trouble and needs Mel’s help, and she wants a
place to stay. Just for a few days, while she sorts things out. It’s the least
Mel can do.
After all, friends look out for each other, don’t they?
I Invited Her In is a blistering tale of
wanting what you can’t have, jealousy and revenge from Sunday Times bestseller
Adele Parks.
Excerpt #9
A small part of me would like to meet her for a drink. I’m
not sure which force is driving me the most. Curiosity or kindness. It doesn’t
matter, because I don’t live in London. Funny that she should think I do. She
clearly hasn’t read my Facebook profile in any detail.
I’m based in Wolvney, on a housing estate that’s sprouted up
halfway between Coventry, where my parents live, and Northampton, where Ben
works. I suppose it’s not entirely out of the question that I go to London to
see her for an afternoon. It’s only just over an hour on the train. We
sometimes take the kids there for a daytrip at the weekend but we tend to only
do so for a special occasion. The last time we went was to see Matilda the
musical. It was Imogen’s birthday. We all loved it, even Liam. Bless him. It
would take a bit of organisation to hoof down there on my own but I’m sure Ben
wouldn’t mind holding the fort up here if it was something I really wanted to
do.
But is it?
It’s been a long time. Too long? Long enough? I don’t know.
Suddenly I have a better idea. Or is it a worse one?
I could invite Abi to come and see me here in Wolvney. That
way she’d meet the kids and Ben. I’ve never had the urge for her to meet my
family before, quite the opposite, but now she’s made this move, and under
these circumstances, it seems the right thing to do.
She probably won’t accept anyway. I can’t imagine her coming
all this way out of London. Not that it’s far but there are certain types that
think anywhere out of zone three is abroad. Is she that type? I won’t know
unless I invite her.
Before I change my mind, I draft a quick email back to her.
Hello,
Abi,
Wow,
it’s so lovely to hear from you, although I’m sorry it’s under such awful circumstances.
I
would love to meet up. Actually, I don’t live in London, I live in Wolvney,
urban sprawl outside Northampton. It’s just a zip on the train. It can take as
little as 51 minutes if you get the fast train, no changes. I was wondering,
would you like to come here? You could meet my family. I could pick you up from
the station or you could get a taxi—there are always plenty available. You
could come for the day or stay for a weekend. Well, whatever works, stay as
long as you like!
Love,
Mel
I read through my message once and wince at the slightly
needy, girlish tone I fear it strikes. I feel disloyal referring to Wolvney as
urban sprawl; it makes it sound much worse than it is. It is in fact a very
well thought through, quite attractive housing estate, a mile from a pretty
village. I guess its biggest crime is that it’s ordinary.
I find a certain comfort in conforming; an unplanned teenage
pregnancy can do that to you. Our house was built ten years ago and is
identical to seven others in our street; a four-bedroom (well, three and a box
room) semi-detached, its best feature the quite spacious walk-through kitchen
diner. Still, I like to think it has warmth and integrity.
However, for some reason, I feel I need to undersell it so
that when she sees it, she’s more likely to be pleasantly surprised. If she
ever sees it. Also, do I sound desperate? All that detail about the travel
arrangements. Possibly, saying “stay as long as you like” is a bit over the
top. A bit keen. I hope she doesn’t think I’ve turned into the sort of person
who is being particularly nice because she’s famous now. I’m really not. I’m
being particularly nice because she’s going through a difficult time. I’m not
some nosy curtain-twitcher, desperate for the gory details on the death of her
marriage.
I consider redrafting but don’t. I press Send without overthinking
the invite.
She probably won’t accept. After all, she is famous,
I don’t doubt she has countless people she would rather stay with. More
exciting people than me. Trendy, waiflike women, men with groomed beards and
abs. Don’t get me wrong: I love my life, I adore my family and am proud of our
home, our own little enclave, but when all’s said and done, we’re not
especially interesting to anyone other than each other. We like it that way.
Purchase Links
About Adele Parks
Adele
Parks one of the most-loved and biggest-selling women’s fiction writers in the
UK. She has sold over 3 million books and her work has been translated into 25
different languages.
1500+ 5 star reviews have kindly been written by her fans on
Amazon.co.uk
She has published 15 novels in the past 15 years, all of
which have been London Times Top Ten Bestsellers.
Adele was born in the North East of England, in 1969. She enjoyed
a traditional 1970’s childhood, watching too much TV and eating convenience
food because nobody minded if kids did that in those days. Since graduating
from university, where she studied English Language and Literature, she worked
in advertising and as a management consultant. In 2010 Adele was proud to be
awarded an honorary doctorate of Letters from Teesside University.
Connect with Adele
Excerpt Tour Stops
Thursday, November 1st: Helen’s Book Blog
Friday, November 2nd: Chick Lit Central
Monday, November 5th: Novel
Gossip
Tuesday, November 6th: A Holland Reads
Wednesday, November 7th: Broken Teepee
Thursday, November 8th: Cheryl’s Book Nook
Thursday, November 8th: The Lit Bitch
Friday, November 9th: Books a la Mode
Monday, November 12th: From the TBR Pile
Monday, November 12th: Books and Spoons
Tuesday, November 13th: Palmer’s Page Turners
Wednesday, November 14th: Girls in Books
Thursday, November 15th: A Dream Within a Dream
Friday, November 16th: Rad Babes Read
Monday, November 19th: Bewitched Bookworms
Monday, November 19th: Stuck in Books
Tuesday, November 20th: Books and Cats and Coffee
Tuesday, November 20th: The Book Diva Reads
Wednesday, November 21st: She Reads With Cats
Thanks for featuring this excerpt for the tour!
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