You know what they say: What happens at the Villa stays at the Villa.

Vacationing at a Villa in Orvieto, Italy sounds like a dream come true. One night in 1974, something sinister happened at Villa Aesta, and Pierce Sheldon was murdered. Now, over 40 years later, the Villa, now known as Villa Rosato, is available for rent. Best friends and writers, Chess and Emily decide to go for it, hoping to rebuild their friendship, write, and be inspired. Little do they know..

A slow/burn mystery that left much to be desired, I admit to skimming a good portion of the book when I got towards the end. I didn’t care much for either storyline and chalk this up to my not being the right reader for this novel.

A buddy read with Kaceey.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc and Macmillan audio and Libro.fm for the alc

Another winner from Rachel Hawkins! I enjoyed her books growing up, and more recently liked her Ex Hex series (under pen name “Erin Sterling”).

This story follows two timelines. In the present, Emily is vacationing in Italy with her childhood bestie-turned health-guru-phenom Chess. Emily is going through a messy divorce and is having a hard time writing her next book. In the same villa 40-50 years ago, Mari and Lara are on vacation with their partners on a song-writing retreat. By the end of the summer, Mari’s boyfriend turns up dead.

Emily and Chess; Mari and Lara. Hawkins shines at crafting the relationships between these women, demonstrating the complex feelings of sisterhood paired with competition; love paired with spite. This was described to me as a gothic novel, and I don’t think it fits that bill. While there was a hint of a psychological thrill, this was mostly about the relationships between these four women. I was not fond of any of these characters. They’re all deeply flawed. Even still, they were compelling, and I listened through the whole book in a day.

4 stars because this fell short on the “deliciously wicked gothic suspense” promised in the book description. Would still recommend to anyone looking for a somewhat twisty story that also focuses on the book-writing process.

Content warnings: suicide, infant death, murder, drugs, alcohol, infidelity

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Villa by NetGalley/Macmillan Audio as I’ve been a fan of Rachel Hawkins since her Hex Hall days and Julia Whelan (one of the narrators of the audio) never disappoints.

My excitement was warranted because the depth and tone of the narration of the story (which is said to have been inspired by Mary Shelley, The Manson Murders, and Fleetwood Mac), added to the overall mood and my thorough enjoyment of this duel time-lined gem.

The present day story is told from the point of view of Emily, a cozy mystery writer going through a messy divorce, who has been invited to spend the summer at an Italian villa with her childhood best friend Chess. This particular villa was also the setting of a murder in the 70’s that involved a rockstar and his travel companions.

That murder is the basis of our second, flashback timeline as told by Mari, a young author in love with an aspiring musician. Though her time spent in Orvieto ends in tragedy, it also results in the greatest success of her career.

I loved many of the aspects of this gothic suspense done right. The characters are complex, and not one of them is 100% likable (a plus in my opinion). The setting is also rich and textured. The descriptions of the villa itself actually became one of my favorite parts of the story. Some of the plot twists in the book were slightly obvious, but I read a lot of suspense/thrillers, so it takes a lot to keep me guessing. Overall, the characterization, excellent narration and overt (but not obnoxious) feminist flair made this a very solid four star listen!

What a wild ride! Great for fans of slow burn thrillers and true crime. I really enjoyed this audiobook! I think once again, Hawkins did a great job at creating main characters that are pretty unlikeable but you also feel bad for their situation. I think the duel storyline was really well done and I enjoyed both stories. I like that multiple narrators were included in the audiobook. It made it easy to differentiate between Laura and Emily as I was listening. At some points in the story I even felt as though was reading Taylor Jenkins Reid (I am a big TJR fan so this is a huge compliment!)

*Thank you again to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange for a review!*

WOW! This was so good! I listened to this in a span of two days. I really loved the multiple timelines, the multiple perspectives, and the setting of the villa.

This audio had me hooked. As in cleaning, work, gaming on my phone. I needed to listen - quickly entranced by the plot and the women. These women are all badass- well maybe with the exception of one.
Emily needs a vacation- her pending divorce draining all of her - confidence, her bank account. Her bestie Chess - a self help bestseller books a trip for them both. Villa Aestas.
My favorite narrator- Mari, daughter of a talented woman who died in childbirth. Her stepsister. Her partner. His friend - plus his dealer. Complex. Women in superficial roles, yet about to hit their creative peak.
Mari to pen a book about women, power, betrayal. Survival.
Based on Mary Shelley's own excursion to Lord Byron's estate - towing a despicable partner; befriending Byron's friend, a dr rather than dealer. And her stepsister. Always her stepsister. On the brink of Frankenstein.
Massive swoon.

This was the first Rachel Hawkins novel I read and I'm a little underwhelmed. Maybe it's because i was listening to the audiobook but i was getting very lost in the flipping between Mari, Emily and the various news reports. The narrators didn't do a great job distinguishing them from the overall narrative.

The story overall was pretty predictable and i didn't love the ending. The narrators were mlstly good but like i said before, it got a little confusing at times. I definitely was getting that Fleetwood Mac / Manson murder vibes at the start but it fizzled out my the end.

I didn't hate the book, but i also didn't love it ya know

Thank you for this arc!!

This is a great tale of vulnerable yet powerful women who have chosen to push past their insecurities and make a name for themselves.

Rachel Hawkins does a great job of weaving in a multitude of current social issues to create a story that pulls at your heartstrings. This also adds another depth to the creepiness of the story.

There were so many times throughout this book that I wanted to go read the book she referenced or search the internet for anything about what happened in the 1970's but have to remind myself that it didn't actually happen. She is just that good.

The audiobook was a joy to listen to. The voices they chose to represent the different time periods and types of writing really made the book come alive. Really loved the stark contrast between the voice for the 1970's timeline compared to the current timeline. I was coming up with every excuse I could to listen to the story longer.

Two women spend a summer in Italy in a murder house - what's not to love?

I loved the premise of this book and had high hopes of liking this story. Unfortunately I never really liked any of the characters and struggled to keep some of the relationships straight throughout the book. Still the story was captivating enough that I wanted to know how it ended.

I listened to the audio version of this book, which was beiatifully read by Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell and Shiromi Arserio.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins will be available January 2, 2023. Many thanks to Netgalley, MacMillan Audio, and St Matins Ress for the gifted copy.

“Sometimes we don’t really know we’ve won until we see the reflection of that win in the loser’s eyes.” I LOVE this quote.

The audio narration was awesome, anytime you have Julia Whelan narrating you can’t go wrong.

I liked the story of Chess and Emily, and the stuff with Matthew…ok I didn’t “like” it but that was an interesting storyline. The dynamic between the friends can be good, annoying, frayed and solid…all of these things, all at once. It’s a complex relationship that’s for sure.

I loved the individual storylines that were mixed into this story but I kept getting frustrated because I’d get interested in one part of the story and then there would be a time jump to another storyline. That’s just a personal preference thing, time jumps are tricky and I like when they flow a bit more. It’s almost like the author was just doing too much. It was a little convoluted for me.

A lot of write ups about this book compare the writing to that of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware, I’m not a big fan of either of their writing, not that it’s bad it just doesn’t flow for my brain…it’s just not for me. I’m guessing all of her books don’t have a similar writing style because I liked Reckless Girls (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️).

I’ll definitely read more books but this author since I enjoyed Reckless Girls and I have The Wife Upstairs on my shelf. I can’t fully endorse The Villa, but it did keep my attention. I was left wanting more of a seamless flow.

I really enjoyed this one. It gets more exciting as the book goes on. By the end your mind will be blown.
The narrators are perfect for this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to get an early copy of this great audiobook.

✏️ARC Alert!✏️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚97/100
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Format: 📖 (thanks, @paperheartsbooks for letting me review this!)

Honestly, I was a little hesitant about this one after not being the biggest fan of “The Wife Upstairs” when I read it. This novel, however, really found its stride, and was inspired by Fleetwood Mac’s story and the Helter Skelter events, (but with the vibes of Verity, even a little dash of Devil Wears Prada). I know, I know. That’s a lot. But I promise when you read it, that’ll make sense.

It’s coming at you from @stmartinspress January 3, 2023, and if you like a dual timeline thriller with a unique setting, you won’t want to miss it!
—————————————————————————————

Estranged childhood friends Chess and Emily have entered their 30s with a lifetime of dissension and relationship strain. So when the opportunity to getaway together in an Italian Villa arises, the two jump at the chance to reconnect.

But they’re not the first creatives to spend time in the Villa Aestas. The home has a past including the 1974 murder of rock musician, Pierce Sheldon.

In the present, Emily seeks inspiration from the home. Will she uncover more than she bargained for?

#bookstagram #bookreview #thrillerbooks #readersofinstagram #booksta #4starreview #noshelfcontrol #bookish #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #bookworm

The Villa will appeal to readers who like a complicated two-timeline story, with elements tying together the two timelines. I found it a bit confusing for a while, as the narrative bounced back and forth while also including excerpts from a book written in the earlier timeline and articles about the book and the people involved.

The two timelines are the 1970s and the present day. Most of the action takes place in a villa outside the Italian town of Orvieto, the scene of a famous murder in 1974. The modern day timeline focuses on Emily, a fairly successful writer of cozy mysteries who is in the middle of an ugly divorce and has writer’s block. She reunites with an old friend, Chess, who has become very successful in a self-help guru fashion. Chess invites her to spend the summer at the same villa, where Emily winds up fascinated by the story of the murder 50 years before.

The 1970s sections are focused on a small group of young people who are renting the villa for the summer: two male musicians (one famous), a female aspiring writer, a female aspiring musician, and a male hanger-on, who apparently is there mainly to serve as a source of drugs. It’s mostly a “sex, drugs and rock & roll” situation. I didn’t find any of those characters to be particularly likable or engaging. The 1970s section also has a book-within-the-book and that added to the convoluted nature of the story.

This was my first book by Rachel Hawkins. I don’t know if this is typical Hawkins but if it is, I probably won’t search out her other books.

I bounced between the print version and the audiobook, which was narrated by three different narrators, mainly the wonderful Julia Whelan.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martini’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

First of all I must say that the narrator they picked for this was perfect. I loved her tone of voice it matched the tone of the story.
This was a dual timeline and the story of two sets of women who both spent a summer at the same Villa in Italy. I enjoyed all the twists and trying to figure out what was the actual truth and what were the lies. I’m still not quite sure if I figured them all correctly. It was entertaining but that being said the ending did not satisfy me.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.


CW: Death, Infidelity, Loss of child, Strong Language, Drug use.

“Houses remember.” This riveting novel has dual timelines, 1974 and present day, revolving around at Villa Aestes in Orvieto Italy.

In 1974, Mari, her musician boyfriend Pierce and her stepsister Lara, are invited to spend the summer with Noel, a rockstar looking to regain his spark. This summer inspires Mari to write her famous feminist horror novel, Lilith Rising and inspires Lara to create a legendary folk rock album, called Aestes. While Noel and Pierce, struggle to write even one song and begin to use drugs to avoid their failure to create. Passages from Lilith Rising and lyrics from Aestes begin each chapter. By the end of summer of ‘74, someone is dead, someone’s in jail and all their lives are changed.

Current day, Emily, a cozy mystery writer fresh from a divorce and her lifelong bestie, Chess, a glamorous self-help bestseller writer, decide to stay at Aestes, now an Airbnb called Villa Rosato. Emily finds a paperback of Lilith’s Rising and becomes obsessed the murder. As Emily get inspired, Chess struggles and all past lies, grudges and deceits emerge.

This was fascinating to listen to. The jealousies of the stepsisters in 74, the pettiness of the modern bestie writers, the inspirations of all the writers in all storylines were fast-moving and brilliantly intertwined. As the women embark on regaining their strengths and releasing their grief, they find peace.

I flew through this book and loved every minute of it! Well-written, well-paced with empathetic as well as a-hole characters that make@the reader CARE what happens to them. But I still don’t trust Chess, lol.

This one was sort of a flop for me. Too clean. Typical RH style which I am not entirely sure is for me. The book within a book concept was good but not enough twist. I found the two characters sort or annoying.

Didn’t love this one. Didn’t love the dual timeline.

Thank you NetGalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review

4.25 stars

This dual timeline, atmospheric story was so much fun! It captured my interest from the very beginning, and I couldn't wait to listen to the next chapter. I did find myself drawn more to the past timeline story of Mari and thought the present timeline could have used a little more excitement, but it was still a fabulous story that I very much enjoyed!

To be honest, Villa Aestas might have been my favorite character of all. It takes a talented writer to bring a home alive and make it feel like a character in the story, and Hawkins did just that.

The audio narrators for this story were absolutely fantastic. I found myself relistening to a few chapters just because I enjoyed their portrayal of the characters so much.

This is the first book of Rachel Hawkin's that I have read, and it will definitely not be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

This one was just OK for me. The concept was intriguing, however, I had a tough time connecting with the characters.

Twists upon twists upon twists! Just when I got comfortable thinking I had a hold on where the stories have gone (and wondering why there was so much book still left), there would be another turn. As with any rollercoaster, I am dizzy, slightly nauseous, and delighted.

A cross between Rebecca, Daisy Jones, and thriller books I can’t name at the risk of giving anything away…

Characters were well-written, especially their insecurities & ambitions. Great first line, indeed! I loved the themes and the unexpected places Hawkins took us to explore them: what makes a heroine, perspectives/ painting yourself in different lights, the nuances of friendship with competition, ambition within the patriarchy, & controlling the story or being controlled by it… (dah-dah-DUUUUNNNN).

This baby’s publication date is January 3rd & there is a giveaway right now on Goodreads. Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the advanced copy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClP2cCLLX6V/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5112926224