The Invitation

Arlington Hall, Book 1

By: Jodi Ellen Malpas

Narrated by: Shakira Shute

An ambitious career woman. An enigmatic billionaire. There’s more to their affair than meets the eye in this scalding romance by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the This Man series.

Amelia Lazenby deserves a breather—from work and from the stress of a recent breakup. Courtesy of her best friends, she gets a day of pampering at a posh country spa called Arlington Hall. Instead of finding calm, she finds her pulse racing when she sees flawlessly rugged Jude Harrison. Hand on heart, she’s never laid eyes on such a stunner. And an unexpected steam room meet takes their instant attraction to a whole new level.

Amelia wasn’t looking for an intense new affair. But the passion Jude ignites is off the charts. Even if he is a little possessive. Even if his temper can be as formidable as the influence he has on her body. He becomes all the more intriguing when Amelia discovers that Jude not only owns Arlington Hall but that their meeting was no accident. It was planned. But to what end?

That’s a mystery as irresistible as Jude himself. Is he worth the risk? Or is this the man who could break her?

©2025 by Jodi Ellen Malpas Ltd. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Shakira Shute delivers a performance perfectly matching the emotional tone of this romance novel.... Shute's portrayal of Amelia combines strength and vulnerability, while her interpretation of Jude radiates control, intensity, and a sense of mystery. Shute's pacing, vocal nuances, and ability to convey both tension and passion make this audiobook a captivating listen. The depth and intensity of her narration linger well beyond the final chapter."—AudioFile Magazine

Hey Jude <3

A bit of a slow start with this one, but I had faith in Jodi to pull me in as she always does. Jude, the enigmatic, short tempered dom captured the career focused Amelia in his tangled web. The unresolved ending has me wanting more and hopeful that Jude redeems himself.

Caught By Surprise

I selected this book on my Amazon first reads!!! I actually really enjoyed it! Romance and suspense!

Love the narration and non stop chemistry

I absolutely love this story. I cannot wait til the sequel comes out. You must listen to it. It’s worth it. 5 Stars.

The Invitation

WOW!!!! Amazing!!!

The Invitation is the first book I read by Jodi Ellen Malpas and I loved this book! 🥰 It sucked me right in and I couldn’t put it down. This was a real page turner!

Jude Harrison is a walking red flag 🚩🚩mysterious, arrogant and possessive and in pursuit of Amelia Lazenby a strong, ambitious, and focused career woman. The chemistry between Jude and Amelia is undeniable. Im glad I read this book because that CLIFFHANGER sure has me wanting to read book 2. I can’t wait to see what comes next for Jude and Amelia in the second book! I would definitely read this author again. I highly recommend this book!!!!

Show of hands please….

How many, after completing the book, had to REREAD to understand what they had missed? I did.

Strong FMC

JEM has done it again! This is a must read/listen. Can’t wait for book 2!

Brilliant

JEM doesn’t disappoint in this new series. Jude is another perfect alpha male and Amelia won’t be able to resist even though she knows she should.

Must listen to book 2 to appreciate this one

I originally felt very triggered by this one. I listened to the second book and I ended up really appreciating both. It's a Rollercoaster but it's more like real life on that emotional level.

Great ending!

You won’t go wrong listening to this story! I was surprised with the ending. Excellent story; 5 starts!

The narrator

Everyone who played the parts kept thus book alive! Please get her to do more