By Invitation Only
Alexandra Brown Chang
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published September 2, 2025

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About By Invitation Only

A hard-working teen hoping to land a college scholarship and a nepo baby looking to prove herself collide at the world’s most high-profile debutante ball in Paris in this young adult romance perfect for fans of American Royals and Better Than the Movies.

Every year, a hand-selected group of young women travel to Paris to make their debuts into high society at La Danse des Débutantes, the most exclusive debutante ball in the world. Being wealthy, royal, or famous gets you into the pool of potential debutantes, but only La Danse decides who is truly worthy of attending.

Chapin Buckingham, the daughter two Hollywood legends, is one of the lucky few chosen to attend. Chapin’s not usually a society girl, but she has her reasons for wanting to be crowned Debutante of the Year. Her chances seem good…until a fellow debutante creates a PR nightmare that has the eat-the-rich cohort calling for La Danse’s cancellation.

Enter Piper Woo Collins. As the daughter of an EMT and winner of the International Science Fair Prize with a profile in Teen Vogue, Piper is the perfect, down-to-earth person who could restore La Danse’s reputation. But Piper isn’t interested in becoming a debutante—until they offer her a college scholarship…if she wins Debutante of the Year.

In competition for the crown, Piper and Chapin have every reason to clash. But at La Danse, everyone wants something. Piper and Chapin might just need each other to go from pawns in a game to ruling the board…

My Review

I was a little nervous going into this book, because I am hardly a person with a knowledge about fashion. I didn’t know if I was going to be lost among all the glittery descriptions and references. Not to worry, though. The descriptions are so accessible that even someone with only a very passing knowledge wouldn’t be lost. (I do know about hidden zippers… Poor Piper.)

I like both Piper and Chapin as characters. Piper’s enthusiasm is a lot of fun. Her openness works as a perfect contrast to Chapin, who has been burnt too many times to make new friends easily. There’s a sweet, slow burn romance between Piper and another character, and that was a lot of fun to root for, too.

There’s one character who goes by a nickname that I have to say one hundred percent lives up to my expectations of him. Oof. I was glad he was unmasked as a jerk, but sorry for the people he hurt along the way.

I like that the story pushes back on some stereotypes about high fashion and turns what could have been a shaming experience into something empowering. The ending of the book wraps up a little quickly. Otherwise, the plot unfolds smoothly, and I found it easy to jump from one chapter to the next.

I think fans of reality competition or stories about female relationships will find lots to love in this powerful debut.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used moderately.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. In one scene, two characters partially undress and make out. Nude photos of one contestant get leaked to a gossip magazine.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Nude photos, taken without consent, get leaked to a gossip magazine.

Drug Content
Teens drink champagne at social events. Characters try a cocktail. They are of legal drinking age (18) in Paris.

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