The Invitation, Lucy Foley
The Invitation, Lucy Foley
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
Club: $13.99

The Invitation

Author: Lucy Foley

Narrator: Emma Gregory

Unabridged: 11 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/02/2016


Synopsis

From the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Paris Apartment and The Guest List, an evocative love story set along the Italian Riviera about a group of charismatic stars who all have secrets and pasts they try desperately — and dangerously — to hide.

Rome, 1953: Hal, an itinerant journalist flailing in the post-war darkness, has come to the Eternal City to lose himself and to seek absolution for the thing that haunts him. One evening he finds himself on the steps of a palazzo, walking into a world of privilege and light. Here, on a rooftop above the city, he meets the mysterious Stella. Hal and Stella are from different worlds, but their connection is magnetic. Together, they escape the crowded party and imagine a different life, even if it's just for a night. Yet Stella vanishes all too quickly, and Hal is certain their paths won't cross again.

But a year later they are unexpectedly thrown together, after Hal receives an invitation he cannot resist. An Italian Contessa asks him to assist on a trip of a lifetime -- acting as a reporter on a tremendous yacht, skimming its way along the Italian coast toward Cannes film festival, the most famous artists and movie stars of the day gathered to promote a new film.

Of all the luminaries aboard — an Italian ingénue, an American star, a reclusive director — only one holds Hal in thrall: Stella. And while each has a past that belies the gilded surface, Stella has the most to hide. As Hal's obsession with Stella grows, he becomes determined to bring back the girl she once was, the girl who's been confined to history. An irresistibly entertaining and atmospheric novel set in some of the world's most glamorous locales, The Invitation is a sultry love story about the ways in which the secrets of the past stay with us — no matter how much we try to escape them.

About Lucy Foley

English author, Lucy Foley resides in London, but is an avid world traveler. Her love of different places is many times reflected in her writing. She says this passion is responsible for the appearance of some far flung locations in her writing.

Her latest novel is set in the Italian Riviera and uses the film world of the 1950's, which might be considered by some to be the heyday of the film industry. In her debut novel, she chose another interesting venue to write The Book of Lost and Found in 2015.

On a trip to Connemara, where half of Lucy's family came from, the idea came to her to write The Hunting Party and three other novels. Lucy was in awe of the wild and rugged landscape on the islands, but they also seemed cut off creating thoughts of danger. Lucy immediately began plotting a new murder mystery about an island wedding, with no escape. Old friends and family are reuniting, with emotions running high.......what could possibly go wrong? Thus, sets the scene for The Guest List.

Lucy writes fiction for periodicals such as Sunday Times Style, Grazia, ES Magazine, Vogue US, Elle, Tatler, and Marie Claire.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sandra on August 24, 2019

A wonderful historical read that evokes the period of the 1950s. Rome 1953: Hal and Stella meet by chance at a glittering party hosted by the Contessa, a fundraiser for her film project. They spend the night together. Hal feels he has met someone special but to his dismay, Stella disappears as quickl......more

Goodreads review by Bill on March 28, 2018

Reading The Invitation was another experience of time travel such as I’d enjoyed with Anton DiSclafani’s The After Party. But on this round the time warp was vicarious. Lucy Foley’s book reminded me so much of another that affected me hugely as a teenager, Lawrence Durrell’s Justine, which some sixt......more

Goodreads review by jv on August 14, 2024

The Invitation is not a typical Lucy Foley book, in that it is not a twisty-mystery/psychological thriller. I found it to be a well-written, bittersweet book about hope and happiness.......more

Goodreads review by James on June 13, 2023

The Invitation is an early novel written by Lucy Foley, an author whose thrillers and family dramas have entertained me many times the last two years. Set in 1950s Italy, the story revolves around a film being produced and all the intricacies of behavior in the time period. An older woman, The Count......more


Quotes

"Can I find words eloquent enough to describe this novel? Lucy Foley's THE INVITATION is so exquisite in its writing that it may take a place among the classics -- but it was the combination of the glittering, glamorous setting and the magnetic characters that mesmerized me. This book is luminous.--Elin Hilderbrand, bestselling author of Here's To Us

"Pop this tale of love, secrets and obsession right into your beach bag."--People

"Certain that they'll never meet again, journalist Hal and socialite Stella indulge in an illicit rendezvous. But when they're reunited on a yacht in Cannes a year later, temptation is everywhere."--Cosmopolitan

"Lucy Foley crafts a subtle, dramatic story of guilt, desire and long-held secrets.... Lushly described settings and Foley's keen but compassionate eye for her characters combines to make The Invitation a beautiful, bittersweet journey of loss and redemption."--Shelf Awareness

"THE INVITATION is a riveting, dazzling romance, set in the most beautiful places on earth. I wanted to go wherever Lucy Foley took me."—Anton DiSclafani, New York Times bestselling author of The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls and The After Party

"Richly atmospheric and emotionally resonant, The Invitation is a compelling love story that takes us far beyond the alluring Italian coast and the film festival at Cannes to a darker place, where the wounds of war are still fresh, and secrets hide just below the water's surface. Lucy Foley's lavish depictions both immerse and transport, inviting us to cruise along with this glamorous and enigmatic cast of unforgettable characters. A great read."—Brunonia Barry, New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader

"I loved THE INVITATION. Foley has such a visceral writing style, and her rich descriptions made me feel as if I could dive into this book and be amongst the glittering characters in the Italian sun. A beautifully complex and vivid story, full of repressed longing and secrets. An absolutely enchanting tale."—Lucinda Riley, New York Times bestselling author of The Orchid House

"Glamorous and romantic and bittersweet all at once, this is a fabulous story with such wonderful, intelligent prose."—Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of A Hundred Summers

"I love The Invitation. The setting is so powerfully evoked that I found myself browsing holidays on the Italian Riviera for days. But while it definitely ticks all the boxes for those after a glamorous, mid-century romance, it's actually much more than that, with dark, sensuous undercurrents that lingered on in my mind, long after I'd reluctantly left Stella and Hal behind."
Kate Riordan, author of The Shadow Hour

"A seductive love tale set on the Italian Riviera in the 1950s"—Sunday Times Style (UK)

"The perfect summer read... Gorgeously compelling"—Good Housekeeping (UK)

"Oozes glamour... Lush, romantic and cleverly crafted - a brainy beach read to relish"—Sunday Mirror (UK)

"In her second novel, Foley weaves a very satisfying love story, and readers will be especially taken by the luxurious Mediterranean setting."
Publishers Weekly