The Invitation

By: Lucy Foley

Narrated by: Emma Gregory

Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2016 Lucy Foley (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"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

awesome entertainment

I loved it. it made you want to be there innitalty, france, spain. start packing!

My least favorite of her books

I was so excited to see she had a new book out. I loved the Guest List and the hunting party. This one dragged on at parts and I didn’t find myself sneaking in a listen when I shouldn’t like I do when I get sucked into a book. I was good, but not my favorite.

Really great character development

I wasn’t sure I liked this story in the first third of the book but then I realized how well she had described the cast and how much I liked (most of) the characters. Fun people, glamorous places and great historical context. Didn’t want it to end.

A Mediterranean Escape

Fascinating, creative, beautiful prose and description. Evokes moods of places beautifully. I felt like I had escaped on a wonderful trip.

Superb

Lucy Foley has captured my imagination and love. She has truly made me a lifelong reader of her work.

Predictable and boring

The story was never really went anywhere. Also could have been much shorter. Narrator was ok

Good not great.

Very slow moving. Characters were quite good but the plot was lacking. Ending was predictable and very similar to a movie from the ‘90’s.

Slow start but it gets good

I've listened to the majority of Lucy Foleys books, this one is pretty good but far from her best story. This one had a pretty slow start but picked up in the middle and kept me guessing on what would happen next.

Disappointing

Slow if any plot. I've enjoyed other Lucy Foley books and was looking forward to a new book, but I had to bail after the first half of the book. I came back to it several months later and started from the beginning and again can't get past the first half.

An Absolutely Beautiful Story!

Less than 24 hours after finishing this book, I started it again. To relive it and pick up things I missed the first time around.

A beautiful, well-written story. This authors ability to captivate and describe the environment and the actions is remarkable.

Truly a treat!