Emily and Chess were the closest of friends when they were kids but they slowly started seeing a strain on their friendship. They are both struggling with the demands of being an adult and the challenges that come with it. At a meet up one day Chess suggests a trip to Italy all of a sudden and both girls are given the chance to reconnect and see if their friendship would last. The location they go to has a sinister history and after arriving Emily decides to dig a little deeper. As she starts to find more she also discovers the underlying tension between her and her friend. Even as she discovers the past secrets of the villa she also discovers current secrets and deceptions by her supposed friend. Could this turn into a repeat of the 1974 tragedies?

I was on the edge of my seat the entire book. I felt like the beginning did start a little slow but I think that was because they were trying to give us some back story to help us understand. The change between the two different times was interesting and kept me questioning what the truths were. This was a very gothic mystery thrill and it was perfect for the story line. When the book first starts it is a very light and sunny Italian feel but it takes a dark turn and at moments gave me chills. I had this uneasy feeling throughout the entire book and it kept me reading. There was that feeling of something getting ready to happen but not knowing what is was and the impending doom. And the ending! OH MY GOSH. I did not expect it and I high suggest this novel!

Emily and Chess have been friends since childhood, but their lives and careers have put a bit of a strain on themselves and as well as their friendship, so when Chess suggests a trip to Italy Emily sees it as a chance to reconnect with her best friend and maybe get some writing done too. Soon Emily finds her creative juices flowing when she discovers that the villa she and Chess are staying at has a bit of a history. It seems that in the 70s a rock star named Noel Gordon, also looking to find some creative inspiration, stayed at the villa with three others: Pierce Sheldon, his girlfriend Mari, and her stepsister Lara. By the end of their stay one had written one of the greatest horror novels of all time, and one composed an album that went platinum, and one was murdered. It seems the villa has a deadly past. Will Emily’s attempts to unbury the truth lead to history repeating itself?

The story was just ok to me. I liked that there were duel timelines, as well as excerpts from things like writings and podcasts. I felt I had a more complete picture of the characters and what happened/was happening, and I found it interesting how the two timelines connected to, and mirrored, each other. Lara and Mari’s history was more interesting to me. I found Emily and Chess to be rather annoying–I didn’t really like either character–which took away from the story. Parts of the ending surprised me, but other parts seemed unnecessary and to almost come out of nowhere. I wanted more from The Villa.

The audiobook fell into the ok category as well. When I only listened to the story, without the words in front of me, it was hard at times to know who the speaker was, even with different people narrating the timelines, a difficulty that I feel would be frustrating to someone who only had the audio version. While I liked the emotions given to the characters through changes in the pace and inflection given to words, overall the narration was way too slow for my tastes and if I had been unable to increase the speed I feel that the book would have dragged for me.

Duel timeline set in an amazing vacation villa?! Yes! Except the characters didn’t draw me in and I wasn’t really invested in either timeline. The writing was good but the plot and character development felt like it needed something more. Even though this wasn’t a favorite, I’d read more from this author.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is the 5th book I’ve read by this author and what can I say besides I really enjoy her writing style. I was given an advance digital reader’s copy audiobook from NetGalley & St Martin Press. exchange for my honest opinion. I LOVED it. Bonus, it was narrated by my FAVORITE narrator Julia Whelan. Stunning performance. Between the author’s writing style and the narrators she uses I couldn’t stop listening.

I will say I did enjoy the second half of the book way more. Overall, if you love a dual time line, some twist and turns and a quick & gripping read than this is most definitely for you. Another bonus, the Italian setting was so cool. It was very atmospheric at times I felt like I was right there. I highly recommend picking this up via audiobook when you get the chance. Happy listening!!

This was a very intriguing mystery read. I really enjoyed the twists and turns. It was a bit slow in the beginning but really picked up about half way through. I really like the narrators as well.

What appealed to me most about The Villa are the parallels between Gordon’s summer of ’74 where Mari writes Lilibeth Rising, and the summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at his castle. It’s easy to spot who resembles who among the assortment of characters (there are a few others involved, too). Emily gets caught up in the history of the Villa and that infamous summer which leads to tension and complications with Chess.
The book moves at a slow pace, yet somehow despite nothing much happening until several twists and turns at the end, the story is still a page-turner. It’s a book to read and soak in, not one to breeze through.

A paranoia filled slow burn thriller set in dual timelines with two alternating points of view. Told by Mari in 1974 and Emily in the present day they both tell of their stay in Villa Rosato/Villa Aestas It is written as a story within a story. While staying at The Villa Emily becimes obsessed with revealing the truth about it's scandalized past of murder while staying there.


I was much more intrigued by Mari's story. Her story unfolded slowly but the characters and issues were much more entertaining than Emily's.

The audiobook is narrated by Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell and Shiromi Arserio, they all are fabulous at bringing the characters to life. The audio is easy to follow and comfortably read at 1.5 speed.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and it was an easy read. Though I didn't have much attachment to the characters I still was interested in what would be revealed about the haunted Villa.

I am grateful to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to an audio copy of this book filled with friendship, betrayal and murder in exchange for my honest review.

I read the authors first book and loved it so was very happy to get to read this one. While I enjoyed the book, it was a tad slow starting but I'm glad I forced myself to finish it at least just to get to see how she tied everything together up. Sex, drugs and rock and roll is not my thing. Her first book was so much better.

I truly loved listening to the audiobook and once again, Julia Whelan, one of the narrators, did a fantastic job. A thriller filled with deception, revenge and lies that entwines crimes of the past and present. Thanks to NetGalley I was able to give my honest review of the book.

It took me a bit to get into this book, but it really came together towards the end!

I enjoyed the dual timelines, though, as usual (for me), I found the past more interesting. My only “complaint” is that I would’ve liked more of Em’s Villa book; I really liked the book-within-a-book concept in the past timeline and was expecting it in the present-day one as well.

Still, I did not see either ending coming so bonus points for that. This was my first Rachel Hawkins book and I will definitely be reading more!

Rachel Hawkins knocked my socks off, with her book The Wife Upstairs. I jump on every chance to get her new books once they are released for ARCs. While I loved the Wife Upstairs, and like the Reckless girls, I found this title: The Villa, Quite boring and dull.

Two life long friends, separated by everyday life, finds themselves wanting to reconnect in a girls trip to italy. However, both being "famous" and writers could cause more turmoil than rekindling anything. Once they get to the old mysterious villa where the famous rock-star Pierce had once stayed, More spirals into play than just writing or rekindling old friendships. Thank You to Netgalley for allowing me to read this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

Former BFFs Emily and Chess, both writers, spend the summer in an Italian villa to spark their creativity. The villa happens to be the same one in which a famous murder in the 1970s occurred, involving a rock star that captivated the world. While the two former friends work on their new books, a deep-seated rivalry emerges. At the same time, their investigation into the infamous murder leads to some startling consequences. Told through the eyes of Mari and Emily, the narrative alternates between the past in the 1970s and the present. I enjoyed this book over all but there were certain parts that were a bit dull to me. I liked the narrator so that was a plus.

I really enjoyed this audiobook and having it narrated by Julia Whelan only made it better! The many twists were hard to predict and the alternate narration was easy to follow!

I was slow to start this one because I'd read some mixed reviews, but I really liked it! I was invested in the present day storyline and LOVED the Gothic feel of The Villa (past and present). If you're looking for a good mystery with a creepy vibe, a bit of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, or (my personal favorite) a girl-power (seriously, do not mess with these women) book, look no further than The Villa.

I read quite a bit of it and listened to some. The narrators did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life.

Thanks for NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced review copies.

The Villa was a dramatic thriller like no other. I was hooked from the start. I had no idea where this story was taking me, but I was happy to sit back and enjoy the ride. It was told in multiple POVs. Two best friend authors take a trip to the infamous villa in present day. They learn more about those who made the villa infamous in 1974 when there was a murder, and from the murder was born a best selling author and extremely popular singer/songwriter. Among that were snippets of articles, books and lines to songs written about that summer of 1974.
As I was reading, I sometimes got confused with the retelling of the past - was what I was reading from their POV or from something written about the time. You see, I quickly learned that the facts were sometimes embellished and the true narrative was changed. With a story encompassing characters who know how to manipulate the written word, you start wondering what they are trying to make you think and is is fact.
I am still not convinced that the stories told were embellished and without giving away any spoilers, I don't think I can say more except, I don't know if I trust Chess. Her story was too neat and pretty and Emma never gave us the impression that she had that much forethought. I guess The Villa will be the only one to know the real truths that happened during those two visits.

Emily, an author struggling with illness and a recent divorce, accepts her childhood friend Chess's offer to spend time at an Italian villa. Although the two are not as close as they used to be, they venture to the Villa Aestas, formerly known as Villa Rosato, where rock star Noel Gordon once rented and where a murder occurred in the early 1970s involving musician Pierce Sheldon. Mari, Pierce's girlfriend, wrote a famous horror novel following the incident, and her stepsister, Lara, composed a famous album.

The novel, THE VILLA, is a captivating page-turner, with multiple layers of stories interweaving through the present and past. The narrators and their stories are complex and often unreliable, making it difficult to discern the truth. The gothic setting of the Villa adds to the suspense and intrigue. While the characters are not entirely likable, their dark and twisted personalities make for an interesting read. I gave this book a 3 star rating.

This book is marketed as a gothic, suspenseful novel, really? I don't think so. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story, the writing, and the few twists. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advance copy.

Emily is a cozy mystery writer who has a bit of writer's block. She has just recovered from a mysterious illness and is dealing with a divorce from a man who hadn't "signed up for this". He is now suing her for a major cut of her royalties and income from her books, stressing out both Emily and her bank account. When her on again, off again BFF, Chess, invites her to Italy for a summer of writing and being a tourist, she agrees to go. Chess is a successful self help author, so they have that in common. Doing some research on the Villa Aesta before going, Emily finds out it is a murder house. The second timeline in the book is set in 1974 where Mari and her stepsister, Lara, arrive at the Villa Rosato that had been rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon, and his guest, Pierce Sheldon another musician. They are in for a summer of parties, drugs, sex and rock and roll. Before the summer is over, someone is dead. Emily finds this story fascinating and begins her own research. What really happened in 1974 and how does that affect Emily and Chess now?

The Villa is a thriller, but it has a gothic vibe with the house and the mystery surrounding it. The story is told in dual POVs of Emily and Mari. Mari was also a writer and became famous writing a horror classic while staying at the Villa. There are also a few podcasts interspersed in the story. It was interesting to see how obsessed Emily became with Mari's story and found clues in the villa to what might have really happened. With Emily and Chess in the present, there seems to be something going on, but I couldn't figure out what it is and why did Chess really invite Emily to Italy? The setting of a gorgeous villa in a small Italian town was inviting. This is a story of friendship, romance and secrets with a couple of huge twists that kept me guessing right to the end. This one started slow, but picked up as the story progressed and it pulled me in. I did a read/listen with The Villa and enjoyed both formats. I loved that there were multiple narrators for the audiobook and Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell, and Shiromi Arserio do a wonderful job giving voice to the various characters. If you enjoy a good psychological thriller, I recommend you pick up The Villa.

I feel like Rachel Hawkins has branded herself as a kind of campy thriller author with her first three releases in the genre. And while The Villa has that same kind of tone - it lacked a little of the dramatics of the previous two releases. But where that makes it a little less silly, it’s also just less interesting and reads very paint-by-the-numbers. Two best friends on an overseas retreat with a long standing tension between them. A parallel plotline in the past with two sisters competing over the same man that ends in murder. It’s really not hard to connect the dots.

If the Wife Upstairs suffered from being too derivative of its Jane Eyre source material and Reckless Girls suffered from just being kind of ridiculous, this book’s biggest issue is that it’s just boring. Which is maybe the most fatal flaw of a thriller in my opinion. It wasn’t even a pacing issue - it really just felt like nothing notable was happening in either timeline. I guess if you like reading about a woman's toxic best friend gaslighting her for 300 pages until a few moments of intrigue at the end it at least provides that.

This book may suit fans of Rachel Hawkins previous releases in the genre. As someone that didn’t love either and was even more ambivalent about this latest release I have to say it’s not my brand of thriller however.

Thank you to the publisher Macmillan Audio for providing an audiobook ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Rachel Hawkins have been a hit or miss for me, however, I was really looking forward to this book because I thought the summary sounded good. However, even with the audiobook, I was very bored throughout the novel. I found the characters were rather dull and didn't have any relatability. And while the plot sounded interesting at first, the pacing of the book was really frustrating for me to be interested in it.