Chess and Emily were best friends as kids, but have drifted a bit over the years. After her husband leaves her, and she struggles to finish her latest novel, when Chess suggests they head to Italy for the summer, Emily just can’t say no. When Emily arrives however, she finds out that the house was the location of several murders. Suddenly Emilys writer block is broken, but not with the book she should be working on.She is determined to figure out what happened in the past. As she gets closer to \what happened in the past, the present with Chess is becoming more and more uncomfortable.

I did this one on audio and listened to it in a single day. I mean, we have @justjuliawhelan how could I not do the audio for this one?! I was immediately drawn to the idea of Emily and Chess taking this trip together. I think we all have friends that over time we have changed in different directions, but our pasts keep our friendship alive. While Chess made me really mad at times, I still loved the look at their friendship through the years. I preferred the present day storyline, but the past was fascinating as well. I just wanted to know what had happened that summer and if Emily would ever find the truth. Also, Matt was the biggest douche canoe ever, and I hated him. That is all!

After The Wife Upstairs (which I loved) and Reckless Girls (not my favorite), I was excited to read the Villa to see what Rachel Hawkins had in store. The description had me intrigued with influences from Manson and Mary Shelley, and I can truly see the resemblance in this well thought out new mystery.

"Houses remember". The opening line says it all. Told in dual timelines, a murder from the past eerily creeps into the present-day vacation of Emily and her childhood best friend Chess as these writers are hoping for a getaway and inspiration for their next novel. Emily finds her inspiration in Lilith Rising, a novel written in the '70's after Mari and her friends stay at the villa, only not all of them leave alive. Truths of the past come literally colliding with the present as Emily seeks answers. Tensions rise as Chess' true intentions are questioned, putting pressure on Emily to discover the truth while it's still in her hands.

I really enjoyed this, it felt like pieces of a puzzle coming together as answers were revealed one by one. Reading Mari's description from the past as Emily tries to reconcile with it in the present was entirely engaging throughout. The characters and the writing style really drew me in, and I found that this one I could not put down.

While I was entirely engaged and enjoyed it from beginning to end, the ending did feel a bit rushed for me. It felt like things were coming together in a slightly unbelievable way, and some pieces were confusing. Without spoiling too much, I was a bit confused and did not entirely trust Chess' revelation (although I'm not sure we were meant to), and Mari's was a bit confusing as well. However, I was quite surprised and did appreciate the irony of it all. Might just be one of those books that had so much well thought out detail that I should read it again to catch it all!

Overall, definitely my favorite Rachel Hawkins and a thriller that should be on any thriller lover's TBR this upcoming January!

If you love sex, drugs and rock stars this may be for you!!

This was a DNF for me at 60%!! For me the story within a story in this book didn't work for me. I liked the present storyline better but didn't like the characters enough in either story to continue.

This was a buddy read with Jan and Marialyce and none of us liked it, I made it a bit farther but in the end I just didn't care about what happened to these characters!

Since I did not finish the book I will not review it on any purchasing sites. Thanks for the opportunity to try this one!

The Villa takes you into the past and present where nothing is as it seems. It’s two different worlds colliding into one. The story takes place in Italy where two best friends Emily and Chess decide to spend a few weeks decompressing from their work pressure. Both writers one more successful then the other they are looking for their next book. Emily is going thru a divorce which is putting more pressure to succeed. The Villa they are staying has a past that won’t let go. In the seventies four friends were staying there and only three left. Clues to the past are found in corners which gives Emily inspiration. But does she need to be careful with her BFF? Is she trying to steal her ideals?
What I love about this book is that it keeps you guessing time after time. You are never sure who is guilty or innocent. Like a quilt each story is woven piece by piece until the real story emerges past and present with a satisfying ending.

This book holds true to everything we expect from the author. I have loved all her other books but this one topped with intensity and suspense. An absolute page turner
When you expect one thing, it's something different. This book had me glued to it and I didn't want to put ot down!
While I was at first a little confused on who is who in the story and what time frame, it became clear quickly and all tied together. The only "bad" thing about this book, the ending came way too fast. I would have liked to keep reading and reading. Highly recommend this book!

I very much enjoyed this novel that had many gothic elements to it and tells the story of two friends thrust into trying to discover the truth behind a 1970s murder mystery that occurred on the premises of a gorgeous villa.

Hawkins does it again with another juicy and drama filled thriller! I can’t get enough of her twisty and compulsively readable style. It’s not too terribly deep and the characters aren’t too developed, however the plot was intriguing. The mystery kept me entertained and the drama kept me flipping pages. This was a quick, atmospheric read. However, I’m not sure how memorable it will ultimately be. 3.5/ 5 stars!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for sending me an e-arc of this book to read and review. I can always count on Rachel Hawkins' books to be nice and fast-paced. I liked the dual timelines and how they were kind of intertwined. I thought Chess was super unlikable as a character, but I did think she was important to the overall storyline. This one didn't pull me in as some of the her books have. I thought it was a bit catty at times and sometimes I got slightly lost in the timing of everything. Overall, it was quick, but didn't really keep me guessing.

This may be my favorite from Hawkins yet! The story telling was a little off putting in the beginning for me. It was like reading a story within a story… about a story. But let me tell you, once it got rolling I couldn’t put it down. The present day ‘Em and Chess parallels with the past Mari and Lara. So good! The ending was a shocker and I loved it. All of it.

The premise was very interesting however none of the characters were likable or engaging. The background and history of the villa were more engaging that the characters and their issues. The twist at the end was unexpected and gives the reader pause. There were some loose ends that did not quite add up.

This was an interesting mystery with two stories set in a famous villa, alternating between a murder in the 70s and two friends escaping for a summer holiday in the present.

In the beginning it was hard to get into and keep straight the alternate stories and why they were relevant, but once you're hooked in the pace picks up. The characters weren't very likeable but there was always an air of suspicion that kept me intrigued waiting for the truth to be revealed.

Overall I enjoyed it but it's not a standout or particularly memorable.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 4.5/5 stars

The Villa is an excellent, twisty thriller that has a premise made for me. I have always found the story of the summer that Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron and came up with Frankenstein to be so interesting, but then Rachel Hawkins goes and combines that with Fleetwood Mac and the Manson Murders to make the perfect thriller premise. We have two timelines - one in 1974 that follows Mari during a summer that changes everything and one in present day following writer Emily as she goes on a trip with her best friend to an infamous villa. Mari and Emily’s stories become intertwined in the most thrilling ways.

This is by far my favorite of Rachel Hawkins’ adult thrillers. It was addictive and a change of pace from the thrillers I’ve read lately. I absolutely loved the ending and the pace was consistent throughout. I will say that this is a must on audio. The excellent narration added so much to the story.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Okay!! I didn’t like Reckless Girls but I did enjoy this one and The Wife upstairs. I enjoyed the frienemies and the flash backs with the other storylines. This one a good one to look out for in the beginning of the new year!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Available January 3, 2023!

Houses Remember…

A brilliant opening line of the fictional novel of “Lilith Rising” that perfectly sets the tone of this book.

For some reason, I thought this wouldn’t really be my cup of tea, but it gave me everything I didn’t know I wanted.

I mean, when you have a blurb like “Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle––the birthplace of Frankenstein––The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy.” how can you not be intrigued??

The Villa definitely delivers on this promise. We follow dual timelines in 1974 and the present day. Emily and her childhood bff Chess come to Villa Aestas as a writing retreat and a way for Emily to get her mind off of her stressful and messy divorce. Villa Aestas also happens to be the place of a murder in 1974, of which afterwards two of the renters became renowned artists (author and singer/songwriter).

We get to follow parallels of the two timelines and see the complexities and loyalties of friendship. I was so pleasantly surprised by this I actually went and bought Rachel Hawkins two other thrillers. Her writing is so addicting and fresh and I couldn’t get enough!

Read this if you like:
- Messy relationships
- Gothic horror
- 70’s rockstar vibes
- Houses with secrets
- True crime

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for the purpose of this review. I've had The Villa in my TBR stack for about a month or so. I knew Hawkins is a talented writer and wanted to be prepared for her latest book. I was so pleased that it was an interesting story and thriller as well.

Hawkins takes us to The Villa and you become invested in the main characters and their friendship and their writings. I like books about authors so this was a nice twist for me personally. I'm starting to let my thriller lovers know all about this book!

Does Rachel Hawkins know how to mess with your head more than anyone? Yes. Yes she does.

This book less suspense than the wife upstairs, but it has similar vibes. I liked the alternating storylines & the sudden shifts in story were little unsettling, but in a good way- like you were always just a little behind.

There were a several storylines left unresolved- intentionally, I’m sure. Bur I would have liked a little more that what we got.

Overall this was very enjoyable and left me thinking about it long after I finished!

I would characterize this as a light horror, historical fiction novel and I loved it. With a dual timeline and the right level of suspense and foreboding, it was not TOO scary, but definitely enough to keep turning the pages. I preferred the current timeline to the 1970s, but appreciated the historical (fictional) context and media outtakes. Very artfully done. Recommend!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins takes place at an Italian villa with a dark history resembling the Manson murders. Main characters Emily and Chess were inseparable as kids, but as they got older, they drifted apart as their adult lives took over. Their careers were the same, both authors, one a writer of a popular series of cozy mysteries, the other, a well known self-help guru. When Chess suggests Emily join her in a girls trip to Italy, they think this is the perfect chance to rekindle their friendship. The well known villa, has a dark history dating back to 1974, when famous rock star Noel Gordon stays there in an attempt to create a new album. Noel brings some musician friends along, including Pierce Sheldon and his girlfriend Mari, and Mari’s stepsister Lara. The trip is filled with sex, drugs and rock and roll, which also leads Mari to writing a famous horror story novel, Lara composes a platinum album, but one of the guests ends up dead. The dark history of the villa is too enthralling for Emily to pass up, as she starts to search for clues as to what really happened in 1974, the secrets of the past begin to intertwine with betrayals of the present. Is the villa just cursed with a deadly legacy no one can escape?

The story is told in alternating sequences of events by Mari and Emily, past and present. I preferred Mari’s story to Emily’s story for most of the novel. The beginning half of the book was rather dull and boring, but it picked up in the second half. I honestly didn’t like any of the characters, which is probably why it took me so long to get through this. I stuck with it, even though it was more of a slow burn than suspenseful. The last few chapters finally threw in some dark twists, but they weren’t exactly surprising. I thought the idea of the murder house was going to be more sinister, more satisfying, but it tuned out it was more of a feminist pow wow, involving a murder here and there.

I would like to thank Netgalley, St Martin’s Press and Rachel Hawkins for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I don’t think this was one of Ms Hawkins best books, but I do still appreciate her other books. Generous 2.5 + stars.

Superb!
I was hooked from page one. This is my first book from this author, and it will not be my last. Phenomenal, I couldn't put it down.

Characters all perfectly intertwined from past to present, with the greatest of ease. Intriguing from beginning to shocking end.

One gorgeous Villa, two friends, tons of secrets, nothing will be the same.

Big Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Rachel Hawkins and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

What a wild ride this book was! The story switches between the past and present, with each setting having different characters and a different story, but the same setting of the Italian villa. At first the dual timelines was confusing and hard to keep the characters and stories straight, but this got better as the story progressed. There were definitely some suspenseful moments throughout, particularly in the present day sections. I liked the female MCs in both timelines, but thought the rest of the characters were pretty unlikable (which was kind of the point, so good job there). I didn’t see the twists toward the end coming, in either timeline, even though I thought I had one of them figured out. There were a few things that weren’t totally cleared up that I wish were, but I’d say this was a minor issue. This was my first Rachel Hawkins and I can’t wait to read more of her work!