I really enjoyed this book. I constantly found myself intrigued by our main character and wanted to keep picking it up to follow her story. I was, however, a bit disappointed with the ending. I was anticipating this book to be a bit more of a thriller, but the murder of the main character’s husband happened off page and felt kind of glazed over. It felt like there was a lot of build up for something to happen that I never quite got out of this book. Of Rachel Hawkins' three books, this one wasn't my favorite, but I’m still a fan of this author and I’m excited to see what she writes next.

I enjoyed this book. I loved going back to the past and then to the present. Mari's story was so interesting. So was Emily's story. I did not see that ending coming at all. This has the books within books that I love and true crime. If you too enjoy those things, check this one out. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Main character is a gothic Italian Villa. The descriptions of the house and surrounding Italian countryside are lovely. There are dual storylines of visitors: a group of rock and rollers in the 70's and two best friends, reconnecting in present day. Each storyline features a pair of women, both storylines are filled with relationship explorations, jealousy, and death. The characters are well developed and the women likable. The phrase "Houses Remember" recurs and helps to create the eerie atmosphere and paranoia that run through both storylines especially when the two start to connect and history appears to repeat itself on an emotional level. This is a compelling read that keeps the reader on edge and turning pages.

#TheVilla is another fantastic book from a #rachelhawkins. A big thank you to #netgalley and #macmilliamaudio for the chance to listen to this audiobook. It’s a terrific mystery/thriller about a villa that two best friends rented for a month during the summer. They were there to work on their books. Secrets are found out. This is a audiobook I’ll be telling my friends about it and suggesting they buy and give it a listen.

A fantastic, paranoia-filled romp in Italy following two sets of women over two timelines. I really enjoyed watching the dual-dramas of The Villa unfold. I started off LOVING this book, thinking it was going to be my favorite thriller of the year, but then something happened that took a turn that leaned towards something else… I am now flipping back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars.

When Emily is going through a rough divorce, her lifelong best friend, and fellow author, Chess invites her on a once in a lifetime trip to Italy. The only catch is that they will be staying a villa where a gruesome murderof a famous rockstar took place almost 50 years ago. Once Emily arrives in Italy, she can't help but be capitvated by the murder story, and she begins some investigations of her own. But will the past repeat itself? Jumping back and forth between the present day story of Emily and Chess, and the 1970s story of rockstars gone wrong, an unbelievable story unfolds, begging the question - is the villa destined to be a murderhouse?!

I loved Rachel Hawkins book, Reckless Girls, so I decided to pick this one up. I did not love this book nearly as much as, and the main reason why is because I could not connect with the characters from the 1970s storyline. The sex, drugs and rock 'n roll story brought about by the British rockstars was not my cup of tea. But this is also why I never read "Daisy Jones and the Six". I just don't find this hedonistic lifestyle story glamourous and usually it's just sad. I can't relate to any of the characters and I found myself just waiting for the next chapter with Emily and Chess to come about.

I did listen to this book on audio, and the narrators did a great job.

Special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, MacMillan Audio, for this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the almost Gothic setting to this story. Fun read. And the narration was great!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in a change for an honest review

Childhood best friends Emily and Chess take an unforgettable trip to Italy where lies, secrets and the history of The Villa threaten what seems to be a girls writing trip. Set with dual perspectives of the murderous history of The Villa and present day, it leaves readers wanting more as the pages pass by.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell and Shiromi Arserio. I listened at a 1.5x speed which is my usual speed and the pace was good. I enjoyed the emotion they each brought to the story and found the character voices to be clear and entertaining without being annoying. I listened at a 1.5x speed which is my usual speed and the pace was good.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

In a Daisy Jones & the Six meets Verity style book, Chess (a big time celebrity memoir author) and Em (a big time cozy mystery author) spend a summer in an Italian villa rekindling their friendship and working on their respective novels. The girls get wound up into the villa’s tragic past when a rock star was murdered at the villa 50 some years before.

This book was great, I somehow chose to read it while I was in Italy lying on the beach reading and the backdrop and overall vibe could not have been more perfect.

I loved Em and hated Chess and loved that the book didn’t end in a way that was satisfactory to me, I wanted to get in there and yell at everyone involved (I don’t know why I always say this, I have never and would never yell at someone in real life).

The book provided interesting commentary of friendships and relationships, and I loved that it was told through real time, diary entries, news articles and songs. It was unique and I’ll be remembering it a lot longer than most mystery/thrillers I read.

Could be great for the screen too? 👀

Just as Chess and Emily’s story began to pique my interest (RATHER QUICKLY), Hawkins reveals a parallel storyline from the past that deepened the hook for me. Intriguing and conniving through and through.

I was kept guessing as the women’s time in Italy became more intentional, serious and they surprised me in return.

I found myself consumed in what felt like a mashup of the Manson murders, best friends and Under the Tuscan Sun. I could not wait to see the conclusion and I imagine you’ll be unsolving the mystery as quickly as you can too.

The Villa is a slow-burn thriller that at some points felt more like a combination of mystery and historical-fiction with a heavy interpersonal relationship focus. There are dual timelines/storylines that mirror each other throughout the book, which I actually really enjoyed. I personally had a little bit more interest in the storyline set in the 70s but overall, I think they went well together.

Pros:
Loved the build in paranoia in both timelines
The parallels between Mari and Mary Shelley
I loved the creepy house vibe
The complexity of Mari and Laura’s relationship
The narration of the audio version was really well done

Cons
I do wish the house or the community played a little more of an active role in unraveling the story than it did at points
Emily and Chess’ relationship. I did not care about them staying friends throughout the book, which I do think hurt my interest in that timeline
This is a bit of a slow-burn and the pacing at the end is a bit quick, so the final twist can get a little muddled

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is an excellent novel telling the story of two close friends who vacation in Italy at the site where a famous murder had taken place years before. This novel tells the two stories in alternating timelines and both are engrossing. Don't miss it!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel Hawkins keeps her Gothic suspense crown locked firmly in her grasp when THE VILLA launches next Tuesday…it’s a perfect dark and creepy atmospheric book for some of you to kick off your New Year of reading with, surrounding two best friend writers who go on a retreat to a villa in Italy where a murder took place 50 years ago…and it gives one of them some inspiration to go digging…. I’m a total sucker for any fictional books about fictional writers and if you know me at all you know I’m obsessed with books in the thriller genre that explore the complexities of the female friendship dynamic so really this book just had my name written all over it.....

Rachel Hawkins solidified herself as one of my auto-buy authors with this one, she's great for that atmospheric popcorn read thriller.

Im only doing 4 stars because the timeline in the 70s got a bit boring to me at times, but the dynamic between Em and Chess in present day made up for it.

Rachel Hawkins has done it again! Thank you Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to review this audiobook!

Emily and Chess have been best friends since they were little girls. They always leaned on each other during rough times and found themselves fighting like sisters, but that didn't deter them from loving each other. As they have gotten older, they have found themselves drifting apart and decide to take a month long writing vacation in Italy.

The Villa that Chess chose for them has a mysterious and dark background, where the death of a famous musician died. Emily and Chess might have grown apart in their adult lives, but they know how to keep secrets even if it makes them resent each other in the process. Though the resentment they have will ultimately push them closer together in the end.

This book has a fantastic audiobook. I loved the different narrators and the shifts going back and forth in time. Getting the story of Mary and Laura was a great parallel to Emily and Chess's friendship. The storylines of the past and the present intertwined so well and it kept me wanting to know more. I loved all of the messiness and drama. I loved the little twists and turns you get throughout the story. I loved the side media you get as the story progressed. This book was just fabulous all together and I can't wait for the next Rachel Hawkins book to come out!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
A thriller with two timelines.

In the modern day, Emily and her childhood friend Chess vacation at a fabulous villa in Italy with plans to write. Emily has always loved writing and she has found success with a cozy mystery series but coping with a recent illness and the breakup of her marriage has led to writers’ block.
Chess, meanwhile, has unexpectedly become a bestselling author and influencer. Her fun and breezy writing style has made her rich and guest appearances on Oprah have made her famous.

They’ve drifted apart over the years and Emily isn’t sure she wants to rekindle the friendship but thinks a change of scenery may inspire her to write. And it does but she’s not working on her cozy mystery but instead writing about a murder that took place in the villa in 1974.

Past:
Mari and her musician partner Pierce, her half sister Lara are invited to spend time in Italy with famous rock star Noel Gordon. The house is full of drug dealers, users and hangers on. Pierce who had hoped to impress Noel with his music, is distracted by all the random chaos. Mari and Lara, however are both inspired to create legendary art. Unfortunately, the combination of drugs and personalities leads to murder.

This is a good choice for people who enjoy books exploring the creative process, friendship. I connected more with the modern day story but others may feel differently.

The narration by Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell, Shiromi Arserio made the characters come alive.

Another audiobook review courtesy of Macmillan Audio!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins felt like a very timely book to be listening to while I watched White Lotus. Both set in Italy with murdery vibes and friends being shady to each other? Yes, please! Listening to the audiobook made this go by in the blink of an eye. The performances by Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell, and Shiromi Arserio were cohesive and didn’t jar you out of the story when switching between narrators. I love when we have multiple narrators and this really helped with the jump in timelines. I kept wanting to get back to the audio and found myself looking for reasons to turn it back on.

The Villa feels like a drama and historical fiction with some thriller aspects thrown in. The beginning really sucks you in, towards the end I found myself just a bit skeptical. I think I was a little sick of the miscommunication between friends but it made sense for the story, at the same time. If you’re looking for a fun book that you can listen to while doing chores around the house, this is perfect for that!

Rachel Hawkins has become an auto-read author for me, and I just love that she can write both a capturing mystery and also a fun romance. I've enjoyed so many of her books now, and so I was excited to read her latest, savoring it for my first read of the new year.

THE VILLA is a gothic suspense set at an Italian villa with a dark history, featuring childhood friends, Emily and Chess, as they reunite in their 30's to vacation at this historic high-end holiday home, now known as Villa Aestas.

Pacing can always be a deciding factor for me when reading a mystery novel, but I was drawn into the storyline and alternating setting right away. The twists were solid, and I thought the characters were well developed. My only complaint would be that I felt like the initial steam and pacing started to fizzle out halfway through the book, but it was an enjoyable read overall.

I switched back and forth between the physical and audio copies, and really thought the narrator was great!

*many thanks to St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy

I really enjoyed this thriller. I liked how the different stories, past and present, intertwined throughout the book. It allowed the reader/listener to see both sides.

The Villa, by Rachel Hawkins, is being promoted as a twisty thriller – or so they would have you believe. It’s hard to classify this book. Is it a domestic drama? Women’s lit? Historical fiction?

The book goes back and forth between two timelines. In the 1974, Mari and her step-sister spend the summer in an Italian villa with their musician boyfriends. Their summer of sex, drugs and rock and roll ends in murder.
In the present timeline,

Chess and Emily spend six weeks in the same Italian villa. Chess is a best-selling author of self-help books. Emily, who is embroiled in a nasty divorce, is struggling to write the next book in her cozy mystery series.

The first two-thirds of the book was fast-paced and interesting. It felt like I was reading a book with a slow burn leading up to a surprising twist. And then it completely went off the rails and what was a strong 4-star book shattered into a complete mess.

On a positive note, the audiobook was fantastic. Julia Whelan is always superb and I really enjoyed listening to Kimberly M. Wetherell for the first time.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins - Short Review

- Mystery & Thriller

- A Breezy Fiction

- Story of two sisters, 1974

- Story of two best friends, 2022

- Super easy to listen if you are listen to the Audiobook

- Solid Twists at the end!



Glad that I heard the audiobook instead of reading the paperback and liked the dramatic narration. Have you read the book or planning to?



Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.