Review: The Invitation

Title: The Invitation
Author: Lucy Foley
Publisher: August 2nd 2016 by Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 432 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical/general fiction, romance
My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

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 ingenue, 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.

My Thoughts

“You know, my friend, I have found that the best way to come to terms with one’s past is like this, through talk. It is painful, but, little by little, it helps to diffuse its power.”

This is a beautifully written book, with rich descriptions of settings along the Mediterranean - from the coast of Italy, to the south of France. Having read Lucy Foley’s first book and enjoyed it, I was eager to see what she would come up with next. Although I was interested to read to the end, I have to confess to skimming some sections, at times never fully engaged, feeling somewhat detached from characters and actions.

“It is only afterwards, with the clumsiness and misunderstanding of speech, that the distance grows once more.”

I had trouble connecting with the two main characters of  Hal and Stella, and indeed, felt that even they lacked that deep connection that was supposedly apparent to justify their actions.  I didn’t feel their passion. In fact, many of the characters lacked depth with only Stella being given flashbacks (interesting why only her past was deemed necessary). I did, however, enjoy the character of the Contessa, reminiscent of some famous film star. She was the one who demonstrated real warmth and understanding. Alternatively, Truss - a major player - was seriously underdeveloped. It would have been so beneficial to understand his motivations to better appreciate his role as the ‘bad guy’.

“I mean, you only have to look at us all. Apart from Giulietta, perhaps. We’re quite a ragtag bunch. She collects hopeless cases.”

This book took some time to get going and dragged a bit in the middle. I also found the ending to be inconclusive/confusing in some ways, as it was open to interpretation. Overall, however, it was an enjoyable piece of historical fiction and like I stated, Foley does write beautifully. Sadly, however, I was not as enamoured with this tale as I was with her first book.

“When you find something that rare, amico, it is seldom a matter of choice. If you find it, you must hold to it, fast.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

Review: The Book of Lost and Found by Lucy Foley

Title: The Book of Lost and Found

Author: Lucy Foley

Publisher: 1^st February 2015 by Harper Collins Australia

ISBN: 9780007575343

Pages: 330 pages

How We Read It: ARC ebook

Genre: historical fiction

Our Rating:  four and a half cups

Synopsis:

In many ways, my life has been rather like a record of the lost and found. Perhaps all lives are like that.

It’s when life started in earnest
HERTFORDSHIRE, 1928 The paths of Tom and Alice collide against a haze of youthful, carefree exuberance. And so begins a love story that finds it’s feet by a lake one silvery moonlit evening . . .

It’s when there were no happy endings
PARIS, 1939 Alice is living in the City of Light, but the pain of the last decade has already left its mark. There’s a shadow creeping across Europe when she and Thomas Stafford – now a world famous artist – find each other once more . . .

It’s when the story begins
LONDON, 1986
Bequeathed an old portrait from her grandmother, Kate Darling uncovers a legacy that takes her to Corsica, Paris and beyond. And as the secrets of time fall away, a love story as epic as it is life-changing slowly reveals itself . . .

Sweeping and heartrending – the perfect read for fans of Victoria Hislop and Kate Morton.

Our thoughts:

This book is good. Real good. It’s hard to believe this is Foley’s first novel! A sign of a good book? You simply cannot put it down, it is irresistible:

“The past called to me, staked its claim once more upon me. And the lure of revisiting that time – both the good and bad of it – was, in the end, irresistible”.

The prose is so beautifully written, you will be drawn in and not want to leave.  There is just so much to love about this book. The characters and varying time periods are dramatically bought to life and a story of love and loss, and how decisions made impact upon not just the individual, but those around them and those that follow, is highly enthralling.

Before you know it, you will be swept away through space and time, from the carefree days of the roaring twenties, to occupied Paris, remote Corsica and flamboyant New York. Each location vividly bought to life by Foley.

“There was a kind of alchemy to photography back then….we were attempting to collect some fragment of what we saw with no guarantee that we would bring back anything of worth”.

Telling a story that moves between time periods is no easy task. Foley does it seamlessly, making subtle and clever links as the story progresses. You ride along with Kate as she desperately searches to unravel a mystery from decades before.  There is such strength displayed by so many of the characters – Alice is quite extraordinary – that Foley is to be commended for the depth and complexity that they demonstrate. And I can’t forget about Thomas either who I found fascinating:

“There was no doubt in my mind that Thomas Stafford was a rare and wonderful man”.

This is a novel that will stay with me for some time, so I have no hesitation in highly recommending it. Yes it is romantic and some will state obvious and predictable, but its such a satisfying and rich tale that one cannot help but become immersed in it. It’s the realism that pulls at your heartstrings not a sugary happily ever after. It is an exceptional debut novel and I can’t wait to see what Foley will come out with next. 

“In many ways, my life has been rather like a record of the lost and found. Perhaps all lives are like that.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.