Hawkins is a local author, so I've read most of her work. This novel is an interesting one because of the dual timelines and the 70 vibes of the story that inspired two iconic works of art--a blockbuster horror novel, a best-selling album, oh and one murder! As Emily jaunts off to a once in a lifetime trip to an Italian villa, with a old and dear friend with a weirdly competitive streak, she realizes there is more to the story of what happened at the Villa both then and now. Loosely based on a collection of historic events including the Shelleys' stay with Lord Byron, when Frankenstein is thought to have been conceived, the Manson Murders that shocked the nation with their brutality and occult ties and the hit music of Fleetwood Mac. It definitely reminded me a little bit of Daisy Jones and the Six. Thanks to netgalley for the read!

Best friends Emily and Chess, bother writers, decide to spend the summer at a gorgeous Italian villa to get their creative juices flowing. In the 1970s, a murder happened at this villa, involving a famous musician. While working on their books, Emily and Chess learn some disturbing facts about the past.

The book alternates between the 1970s timeline, told through Mari, and the present, told through Emily. I did not really care for either of these characters, especially Mari.

This is definitely a slow burn. I honestly found it somewhat boring at times. There is also a story within a story, which I usually do not like, and I especially disliked in this novel. I did not care about this other story and it was boring. I found myself skimming these parts. The Villa picks up somewhat towards the end, which is why I gave this 3 stars instead of 2 stars.

Overall, I wouldn't really classify this one as a thriller. More of a drama or women's historical fiction, perhaps. Rachel Hawkins follow-up novel, the Heiress, is infinitely better. I would not waste your time with this one. But definitely give the Heiress a read!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this slow burn mystery, thriller. It was super easy to read in one sitting. I enjoyed the two contrasting timelines of the past and present, her pros is what I probably enjoyed the most, her use of language had me captivated.

November 6, 2023
Suspense and mystery meets Italy?! Count me in! I really loved the fact that you get two stories in one novel with dual narators. First, there's a modern-day timeline told by Emily—whose estranged childhood best friend, Chess, invites her to an Italian villa. She thinks it could be just what they need to reconnect and rekindle their bond.

Then, there's Mari—who published a bestselling feminist horror novel while staying at the Villa back in 1974. In her company was her step sister Lara, a famous rock star Noel Gorden, and Pierce Sheldon. Pierce was murdered that summer, and there are a lot of unanswered questions surrounding his death.

Emily digs in to the history of the villa, and begins to find some clues in relation to Pierce's murder. The more she discovers, the more her and Chess's relationship unravels. It was an interesting frenemy dynamic that I think many of us with childhood friends can relate to, as much as it's sad to admit. I couldn't have picked a better setting for this story, and I loved the rock-and-roll vibes and the Fleetwood Mac influences. I just think there were parts of the plot itself that were a little slow and drawn out for my liking.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Villa is a dual timeline novel set in the 1970s and modern day. In the current timeline, best friends Chess and Em book a stay at “the murder house” in Italy to hopefully cure Em’s writers block. In 1970, two couples and a resentful fifth wheel spend the summer at Villa Rosato. Three are musicians and one is a writer, and too much time drinking and smoking leads to tension that ends in disaster.

The story of what happened in 1974 unwinds as Em becomes increasingly fascinated by the house and what really happened between the group of friends. We also learn more about that fateful stay through the eyes of Mari, who documents what happened in a book that made her and the house famous.

I really enjoyed the audiobook of this one! The narrators kept me interested from the first chapters, and I didn’t get confused between the timelines despite there being a lot of parallels. In typical Rachel fashion, there are twists and turns in the story that build up to a satisfying conclusion.

I thought this was a really interesting look at friendships in both timelines. The “story within a story” kept the plot moving and is one of my favorite storytelling devices. I highly recommend this one! I would call it gothic suspense more than a mystery/thriller.

I love that Rachel’s books are inspired by classic works of fiction, and the 1974 storyline is inspired by Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein.

Thank you to @stmartinspress for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

While not my favourite Hawkin’s read, The Villa offered my favourite novel setting, Italy. I loved the haunted house feel and dual plot lines of this book. Hawkins always provides entertainment and suspense.

The Villa starts out pretty slow but If you can keep going it picks up and the thrill begins and Rachel Hawkins doesn’t disappoint.

3.5 stars for this book. I enjoyed the story and found myself hooked from the beginning. I enjoyed the two timelines and narratives unfolding. The transition between the two timelines did at times feel abrupt and choppy. I really wanted to give this one 4 stars, but the last third if the book fell short for me. I felt like the ending was rushed and wrapped up way too quickly. I wanted more and was left with questions. Great audiobook narration and enjoyable to listen too. Thanks NetGalley and McMillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook.

I am a huge Rachel Hawkins fan, so I was delighted to receive an ARC of The Villa. This one brings childhood friends together in Italy (fabulous setting!), and there's great perspective with a dual timeline.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Rachel Hawkins never fails to keep you guessing. This duel timeline story will have you hooked from the beginning. A friendship with undercurrents of distrust and jealousy, an old murder with several players, and an Italian Villa where it all happened. Two friends, one highly successful, and the other struggling for her next story, staying in a dream villa where the earlier famous murders took place. What really happened in the past? What is really going on in the present? You won't have a clue until the very end.

Thinking it may have just been wrong book, wrong time, but just didn’t love this one like I’d hoped. A fun and unique mystery, but just moved a bit slow for some reason.

Authors and Childhood friends Emily and Chess decide to go on an extended girl's trip to the Villa Aestas in Orvieto, Italy. Emily and Chess seemed to have grown a bit apart in adulthood but are taking the time to reconnect on their girls trip. Even though the Villa is gorgeous, it has a dark past. In the summer of 1974, a group of friends stayed at the Villa, and history was made. Not only was it the site where one of the most famous horror novels was written but The Villa was also the scene of an infamous murder that same summer. As secrets come to light and the friendship between Emily and Chess begins to fray, will history repeat itself?

The story alternates between the present through Emily’s point of view and the past through an author who stayed at The Villa in 1974.

The gorgeous cover art and the setting is what drew me into this story. I mean who wouldn't want to vacation at an Italian Villa! The story focuses a lot on the power of female friendships, the good and the bad. I enjoyed the setting and the story was atmospheric at times. I also really enjoyed the stories pov from the 1974 decade where the murder originally happened.

Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed with this one. The twist was underwhelming and the ending felt a bit hurried. The plot and thriller elements have been done before but nevertheless I still found the story entertaining. I would have loved to of seen something unique or original to make this one stand out. But I still see this one being very popular and a bit when it is published.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley for my early review copy of Rachel Hawkins’ new thriller! Even though I am almost a year late, that’s better than never!

I needed a book for my alphabet challenge for the letter V to complete it, and I needed something quick and fast paced to cleanse my palate a little. This book definitely delivered that. I was hesitant going into it because I did not like her last book, Reckless Girls, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Overall, I liked it. It wasn’t anything super impressive but it was still good. I probably wouldn’t read it again 🤷🏼‍♀️

This book is super short (276 pages) and the chapters are short. The chapters go between the present and then from a character in 1974’s POV, and how it all connects. Not only are the chapters short, but they draw you in right away.

While all of the above made the book enjoyable, Chess was absolutely an awful character and friend and made me so irritated at times, it was hard to get past the page. She treated Emily like actual crap.

The ending was a little confusing to me at first and blended the two timelines, so it took me a second time to reread it see if what I was reading was accurately there because I could not process it for the life of me.

Rachel has always been a “meh” author for me but I do keep picking to her books. Probably because the covers are always so pretty and colorful. We shall see what I think of the next one. This is my third book by her and I’m not super impressed, so the next one will probably be the deciding factor for me if I continue with her.

I loved The Wife Upstairs a few years back so I was excited to receive The Villa as an ARC and dive into it.

I found the pacing to be a bit slow for my taste initially though it does pick up significantly in the final third. I love books that delve into the dynamics of friendships, especially long-term ones, and how those evolve over time…for better or in some cases worse. The MC wasn’t my favorite as she at times came off naïve and weak which annoyed me at points.

The ending felt a bit rushed though I did enjoy the ultimate conclusion.

I gave this a 3.5 (rounded up).

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel.

I had a hard time connecting to this book. I found the plot a bit confusing. I expected to like the characters more. It was not my favorite.

Staying at the villa became about women, power, betrayal and survival.

A double narration of a Villa in the heart of Italy. Where a group of artists stayed. Set in the 1960's, the music industry was exploding. Mari and her group of friends were staying to reset their art. It all goes wrong when a terrible accident results in a murder. Does anyone know what happened. What lead to it and how it affected everyone that was staying in the villa. In current time, Em and her best friend take a vacation at the Villa to reboot writing a new book. Knowing the history of the Villa, Em uses that knowledge to get a new ideal on a book. However, she is pulled by Mari's story when she finds her manuscript. Art seems to repeat itself. The narration has ironies on the relationships of women. How women compete with each other and support each other in the end.

The stories pulled you in the parallels of Mari and Em's past. Their insecurities and their strengths. There is always the question who is the victim and who is the manipulator.

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

It was difficult to connect with the characters that I felt were unlikeable and the story line fell flat for me. I loved her debut novel but this one fell flat for me.

I found this book very hard to get into. It wanders from past to present, but doesn't seem to get anywhere. I did not feel that I was in Italy. The characters and story seemed familiar to books i have read before.

Incredibly engrossing! This book is one you won’t be able to put down. The two stories in one keep you entertained with twists that keep you reading! The #audiobook is narrated by three amazing talents:
@justjuliawhelan @voxkimberly @Shiromi.Arserio.

Thank you, Rachel Hawkins, MacmillanAudio & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

Enjoyed this book, loved how there was a story inside of a story makes it more interesting! I definitely enjoyed getting to know the different characters and how it all summed it up at the end.