I read this a bit ago! It was BORING! Nothing really happens. It's actually pretty forgetable. Thank you to Netgally for giving me this audiobook in exchange for my thoughts. Sorry to say that I didn't really like it. I don't think that Rachel Hawkins is the author for me.

thrillers can be hit or miss for me, but this one caught my attention because it had a built-in girl's trip. and Italy! who wouldn't want to read that? overall, it was a slow burn and while I won't post any spoilers, I just don't feel like all my questions were answered by the end. I need more closure.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

First, I absolutely LOVE the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and in the last few years more information has come out about her real life and I have delved into those biographies and so forth, thus, right off the bat I was VERY excited about this novel.

Second, if you know the history about Mary Shelley and how Frankenstein came to be, then you will sort of know how this story plays out. But only sort of because their were some AMAZING twists and turns in this novel that just made me want to keep reading until the very end.

I really like how this novel was written as well, where we have the chapter beginning with modern story, then flashes back to either the 1970s and/or different articles/podcasts and the like discussing the murdery villas history. I thought this was super unique and I do love how the two stories of the 'sisters' play out in the way it does being so similiar in the 1970s and modern times. This novel as a whole was just REALLY entertaining and enjoyable and I am excited to pick up the next one by Rachel Hawkins!

OHHHHHH The drama! Have you ever had a friend that you feel you have grown out of? But you are not sure if its you feeling some kind of way or if you really need to let go? Well Emily feels this and she is not sure what to do soooo she goes on a vacation with her high school bestie. BUT that's when the fun begins!

The narrator was excellent! She told the story in such a way that was easy to follow along.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my copy of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins Narrated by Julia Whelan; Kimberly M. Wetherell; Shiromi Arserio in exchange for an honest review. It published January 3, 2023.
First off, the narration was top notch, which is obviously expected with the previously credited talents!
Second off, Rachel Hawkins brings another unputdownable story to the table. I think it's impossible for the books not to be devoured. Simply impossible! That being said, there were a few things that were hard for me since it was an audiobook: All the coarse language. I know that is not a problem for most, but listening to it constantly bothers me. Secondly, there was what I presume was a graphic sex scene. I do not know though, because I just skipped ahead, because that is not my jam. Something I loved about the audio was the podcast! It definitely enriched the book experience!

While I did enjoy the dual timeline storyline, I was a bit let down about the premise of the story in general.

Two best friends go to Italy in hopes to reconnect and work on their next book since they are both authors. They find out a murder took place in the Villa they are staying in and the story goes from 1974 (the time of the murder) and present day.

While the premise was a good one, it fell quite flat for me and there were even times I didn’t really care to find out what happened.

I did enjoy the audiobook narration by Julia Whelan.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins was delightfully atmospheric--as someone who longs to spend a summer in an Italian Villa, I loved the setting of the book. I also appreciated the back and forth between the journal and the main narrator. The story isn't completely shocking, it was definitely predicatable, but it was a good read. I loved reading it and couldn't put it down. It was a book I kept talking about & couldn't forget.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This was a great story. I loved the sort of gothic setting and the alternate timelines. The main characters were great, and I thought I knew where the story was going but I was wrong, there were plenty of twists to change and evolved the story. I could not put this one down and I have read all the author's books and I believe this is my favorite one hers yet. The narration was clear and easy to fall. It made the story immersive.

I got about halfway through before I stopped listening. It just didn't capture me. I didn't connect with any of the characters or care about the story.

I highly enjoyed and recommend this high pace thriller! I loved the past and present scenes and didn’t predict the twist ! A memorable read.

This was my first book by Rachel Hawkins. I had actually read the blogs and say how Popular this one was. It took me a week to finish. I had a love hate relationship with this one.

While the premise and the setting of this book are very intriguing, ultimately, it didn't deliver.
I wish the author had picked a lane and told the story of the first group of people at The Villa in the 70s. It would have given the characters the time they deserved and would have been much creepier and more compelling. The present day story was sort of weird and random in comparison to the story in the past. The present day people were kind of terrible and too away from the very interesting historical situation.
I will read Rachel Hawkins again, but I think her previous novels were better summer reads than this one!

Villa Aestas was the site of a brutal murder of a musician fifty years ago. In present time, Emily and Chess are childhood friends who spend a summer writing at the villa. Chess is successful self help guru and Emily, the writer of a cozy series. However, her recent illness and messy divorce have caused her to fall into a slump. She uses the mystery of the villa to revive her creativity. Chess is hiding something though, and as we follow their story, we come to realize that things are not necessarily what they seem. I was shocked by the ending but also satisfied. I enjoyed that the story is about writing. Its amazing how people keep secrets. Very enjoyable and entertaining.

*4.5 stars* Thank you Netgalley for the arc and audio arc! Rachel Hawkins delivers again! I have loved every mystery/thriller from this author and I will continue to support them. Highly recommend.

The Villa is a quick popcorn thriller about two best friends (who are also both authors) who stay the summer at an Italian Villa. The catch? A high profile murder took place there in the 70s. But maybe it’s exactly what these writers needed for inspiration.
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Look, I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. I mean - look at that gorgeous cover! It’s not bad, the storyline flows and the bouncing back and forth in the timelines makes sense. I didn’t trust any of the characters which is something I generally like in a thriller. I listened to this on audiobook and very much enjoyed the narrators’ reading style. But when it comes down to it, this thriller was just lacking in thrills. The things I didn’t see coming weren’t even much of a surprise and at the end I felt the lack of umph. I keep giving this author a chance and I think for me, she’s middle of the road. But just remember- that’s just one reader’s opinion! This book is out now so check it out for all the murder and limoncello. |Brit|
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Thank you @macmillan.audio for a complementary copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was my 3rd novel by Rachel Hawkins and it was my least favorite. It was a slow burn that I would not classify as a thriller. Told in duel timelines of the present and the past it intertwines a crime. Former best friends who are both writers, Emily and Chess, spend the summer in an Italian Villa in the hopes to each get some writing done on their new books. The villa they are staying at is where the famous murder in the 1970s happened, involving a rock star. Emily researched this murder once they arrived at the villa and was intrigued to write her own novel of the occurrences. I preferred the storyline set in the present as I was a little bored with the storyline of the past. I also didn’t find any of the characters particularly likable.

The Villa was by far much more enjoyable than her last writing, Reckless Girls. I really enjoyed the disection of the time spent at the villa and what the complicated relationships that transpired there really indicated for the characters in that time and in the present day. I really enjoyed it, and was captivated by the plot all the way to the end.

The Villa was a great read by Rachel Hawkins. Emily and Chess were inseparable as kids. They are now in their 30s and their relationship has been strained but their adult lives. Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy and Emily jumps at the chance to go with her best friend. The Villa Aestas is a high end holiday home. But in 1974 it was known as the Villa Rosato and rented for the summer by rock star Noel Gordon. He wants to reignite his creativity and invites another musician Pierce Sheldon to join. He also invited Pierce's girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. A chain of events there leads to Mari writing one of the best horror novels of all time, Lara composed a platinum album, and Pierce was brutally murdered. Emily digs into the history of the Villa and thinks there may be more to the story of that Summer in 1974. The closer Emily gets to the truth, the more tension develops between her and Chess. Secrets from the past come to light, and dangerous betrayals emerge. It begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends. I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read more by the author.

The Villa is a pageturner! Imagine Daisy Jones and the Six, but in Italy, plus murder AND a book-within-a-book. Rachel Hawkins' thrillers keep getting better! The audiobook production was very strong, and made the reading experience even more immersive and suspenseful!

This author is skilled at psychological thrillers. This is the third book I have read from her and it was the best of them. This story weaves multiple story lines in a way that keeps you intrigued with an explosion of the story in a way you least expected it. This story is about love, loss, friendship, betrayal, secrets, murder, death, and a house that remembers.