Reviews: The Invitation (4)

This story of love, loss and history with an interesting mix of characters will make you want to read this book. The setting takes centre stage, it could not be more picturesque. A central theme is the importance to follow your own destiny and live for each moment. "Not all that glitters is gold..."

This elegant love sory between Hal the troubles journalist recovering from the effects of war and Stella the beautiful, rich socialite lady.

Hal and Stella's stories are told so beautifully with every page, their intimate lives unravel and secrets come surface, then we see what sort of people they were before the war.

The setting of this novel is absolutely breathtaking, the glamour of the Italian Riviera takes you there instantly.

This cleverly written haunted love story will be the great summer read of 2016.

It's 1950's Italy and many people are scarred, trying to re-build their lives after World War Two. A chance invitation turns journalist, Hal Jacobs, life upside down and he ends up aboard a yacht on a promotional tour of a new Italian film, heading for Cannes.

Lucy Foley paints a picturesque image of Italian coast and it made me want to hop on a yacht and take the same journey. But beneath the glamour and cocktails, each party member is hiding their own tragedy and pain. This makes for an intriguing read, as their boat tour progresses their stories are revealed and I found myself struggling to put this down. A great read for summer.

When Hal Jacobs is invited to a party in place of a friend, he finds himself set apart from the other guests, who are mingling effortlessly in their smart evening-wear. Another guest is also alone, Stella, and the two of them spend the rest of the evening exploring some of the lesser known sites of Rome. It was a one-off for the two of them, or so they imagined.

As fate would have it, Hal is invited onto a yacht bound for Cannes, tasked with reporting on the premier of a film. He recognises one of his companions and is startled to see it is Stella, who has boarded with her husband. Swept into a dangerous love affair, Hal and Stella slowly begin to uncover the aspects of each other that are hidden from sight – from the lasting impact of war to the marriage that isn’t as perfect as it appears.

Lucy Foley drew me into the Italian Riviera with ease and created a perfect summer novel. It blends romance with mystery in a style I would liken to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. I was captivated from the very first page, kept in a state of intrigue and, ultimately, surprised by The Invitation’s conclusion. Read on a dreary English day, Foley swept me away with her setting and her storytelling.