Rachel Hawkins does it again! Two longtime best friends head to Italy for a trip they won’t ever forget. Set from 2 perspectives set 30 years apart, this thriller is a quick read and so worth it.

4.25/5⭐️

Wow, this was a wild ride, and my first Hawkins’ book. I won’t give a lot of specifics here as it would be easy to disclose spoilers.

It’s a dual timeline story (1974 and present day) set at an Italian villa. The ‘74 bit involves two sisters (Mari and Lara) with complicated relationships (with each other and with others) and lots of drugs, sex and (you guessed it) rock ‘n roll (and also a tragic event). The current story follows two best friends (Emily and Chess), again with complicated connections/events, both with each other and with others.

Both stories are set up for comparisons to be made between the two…similarities in characters/situations/moral dilemmas/consequences.

It’s a thriller with a Gothic feel, a mystery within a mystery and feminist fiction all in one. While I wasn’t sympathetic with a single character and had issues with each one, I did find them fascinating, both as individuals and in their various relationships. There’s jealousy, greed, fame, betrayal, secrets and big surprises…lots going on in a book that felt longer than it actually was. There’s lots to say about decisions made (both those spur-of-the-moment and those meticulously planned), and how they affect the rest of our lives, both pros and cons. It’s one with lots of nuances, and I’m sure I’d ferret out more from it with additional readings.

Recommended.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing the free early arc of The Villa for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

"Houses remember."

Another great story by Rachel Hawkins! She is absolutely my go-to author to know I'll have good charcter devlopment, a tensioned filled plot and fast paced read.

So this is a story in 3 parts. Each chapter is easily broken out so you know when you switch storylines so it doens't get confusing or feel like you lose a thread of one or 2. The main story is Em. She's had a rough year with her marriage crumbling, a mysterious illness and a stall in her writing. But her best friend, Chess, is having an amazing year full of success, money and touring for her self-help book. Chess misses her best friend and decides to invite her to a villa in Italy for the summer. Em jumps at the chance - especially when she realizes The Villa comes with a dark past of a previous murder.

The second story is the story from the 1970's. It's the previous story of the people staying for the summer, the ones that ends with a murder. I loved these parts because I loved the characters and just how tangled and angry they all were. The POV here is Mari.

Thirdly, while Mari is in The Villa in the 70's, she writes a very dark, blood filled horror story caleld Lilith Rising and you get tidbits of this story mixed in.

The melding of the three stories was perfect. Each chapter fed off the next and really drove the unease and tension higher and higher. It was a fast read because I kept wanting to know more - more about Mari and how it all went down, more about Em staying with Chess and the building mysteriously ominous feeling there, and then Lillith - the dark horror story and how Mari's curent fed in to her writing. The final conclusion was so well crafted, I loved it. As always, now I will be hungrily waiting for more from this author!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

As much as I enjoyed The Wife Upstairs, I have to say The Villa might be my new favorite by this author. It's kinda like a mystery within a mystery type read. The ending is really what made the book for me as it's way more complex than first meets the eye.

Emily is a writer of cozy mysteries and is in the middle of a messy divorce. Her best friend, Chess, is a famous self-help guru and has invited Emily to spend the summer with her at an Italian villa. The two women aren't as close as they used to be when they are kids but hopefully the vacation will go smoothly and Emily will be able to finish writing her latest book. The Villa itself might provide inspiration as it was the scene of a murder back in the 1970s. The story follows Emily in the present day and the past in which Mari in 1974 is spending time at the villa with some musicians.

So you have the obvious mystery taking place in the 1970s but there's also suspense going on with Emily's storyline. It was fun in a 'I don't quite know what to think so I better keep reading' way. When it comes to the conclusion I give the author credit as she came up with something that practically begs for discussion among readers. An excellent book club selection for sure as I know I'm eager to hear other readers' thoughts as it's not a simple ending. I've spent the last week since I finished reading the book to try and wrap my head around it.

A fantastic slow burn gothic style thriller with a unique story line. In many ways it reminded me of the thriller version of Daisy Jones & the Six. The Mary Shelley influence gave the book its own unique voice though. I read this book in an entire day while on the beach and regret nothing. (Spooky books and the beach needs to be a new trend. Just saying.) The ending came full circle and made me wonder what the MC will do to escape the web she trapped herself in.

The Villa is the third thriller from Rachel Hawkins and I have read and enjoyed them all. A villa in Italy? A hidden mystery? A deceitful best friend? What more could you ask for.

I am always a fan of the story within a story concept and enjoyed the two parallel storylines in The Villa as well as the friendship between Emily and Chess (who was a little too Girl, Wash Your Face-esque for me) and while at times predictable, I did enjoy seeing how their friendship played out.

While I overall enjoyed The Villa, it was not my favorite of Hawkins books, but it was ultimately a quick read which I'd recommend.

3.5 Stars.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley + St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

THE VILLA is told through two separate timelines - the first, in present day Italy at the Villa Aestas where two childhood friends take a vacation to reconnect with each other, and the second at the same location in 1974, when it was known as Villa Rosato and was the Summer home of several musicians, one of whom is found dead by the end of their stay. As Emily spends time in the villa, she uncovers some clues that lead her to believe that the death in 1974 was something far more sinister than just an accident fueled by sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. As Emily gets closer to uncovering the truth, her relationship with Chess gets more and more strained, until it becomes clear that Villa Aestas may be hiding just as many secrets as Villa Rosato.

When I tell you I could not put this book down, I mean I could *not* put this book down. I was actually at a lake weekend with friends when I was reading this and I was very antisocial and kept sneaking in pages. The atmospheric writing, both when describing the setting and the overall creepiness of Villa Rosato instantly hooked me. Unfortunately, the ending for me just fell really flat - I was hoping for something more from a plot standpoint. It also felt like we took a big jump away from reality at one point, which was hard to get past. I think the writing is awesome, and I will definitely read whatever the author puts out next!

i don't know if i liked the ending but the mari storyline was more interesting than emily's, i don't understand emily and chess's friendship

The plot is just so contrived and derivative I could not get into this book. It seemed to be three novels in one.

Thanks for the digital review copy.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a suspenseful novel that switches between narrators. The setting is in Italy and in addition to dual narratives, the timelines also alternates. In the present, the story is told by Emily, a writer who has been invited to Italy and is hoping to focus on her tenth novel. Her adventure to anther country inspires her to research a murder that had occurred at the villa they are staying at. Mari's perspective is from 1974 when the murder occurred, and all of the events that led up to it. The timelines and narratives are seamlessly woven together, and they are both beautifully written. It was a slow start for me personally, but overall I really enjoyed the book. I would definitely recommend!

The Villa was my first Rachel Hawkins book but it will not be my last. The Villa was a fun read (if you can call a book about murder fun). The Villa has two storylines, both set in an Italian villa, both involving creatives trying to get out of a writing slump, and both taking lots of twists and turns. Rachel Hawkins writes interesting characters, some likable, some not so much; providing the perfect mix to keep you reading. The Villa would make for a lively book discussion or just a great read for gothic mystery fans. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. Wow! I loved this book! It has more twists and turns than a roller coaster! The characters are all flawed - and totally unforgettable. Rachel Hawkins continues her writing of good people doing things and bad people actually doing good things. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a great psychological thriller with non-stop action and. a HUGE creep factor!

Short synopsis: Childhood best friend Emily and Chess go on a summer trip to The Villa Aestas in Italy. The same home where in 1974 a tragedy took the life of up and coming musician Pierce Sheldon. Emily is determined to find what really happened in 1974.

My thoughts: I had no idea what to expect with this one other than i loved the cover and knew it was about a Villa. This is a fun one to go into somewhat blind, but I got a little confused at the very beginning on the flashbacks, diary entries and fictional published pieces. Once i got a handle on it the plot moved very quickly.

I did enjoy the current timeline somewhat more than the 1974 timelines. I was more anxious to see what happened with Emily and Chess, but loved the separate stories and how they both tied together at the end.

There were a couple things i called early, but definite plot twists I never saw coming. This was such a fun one for October, in love books about houses with history, and this one delivered! Don’t forget… “Houses Remember”

Read if you love:
* Multiple timelines
* Story within a story
* Books about authors
* Houses with secrets
* “True crime”
* Italian Villas

Thank you so much @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy of this book. Publication date is set for Jan 3, 2023 so be sure to add it to your New Years reading list!

I always enjoy Rachel Hawkins' thrillers—they're my particular brand of literary catnip. Her THE WOMAN UPSTAIRS was a fun contemporary retelling of JANE EYRE; RECKLESS GIRLS paid homage to AND THEN THERE WERE NONE with a last act feminist twist. As for THE VILLA, it's a really clever pageturner inspired by the famed summer of 1816 at the Villa Diodati, only updating it into 1970s Orvieto with rock stars and writers. If you're at all familiar with the saga of Mary Shelley, Byron, Clare Clairmont et al, you'll have a blast picking out all the references.

This is my second Rachel Hawkins book and I really enjoyed the first “The Wife Upstairs”. Many thanks to Netgally and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Villa started out so very well for me. Women and friendship, summer in a villa in Italy, newly single Emily having time away from everything to regroup and get her life back on track.

Also the tale of Mari and her sister Lara and their rock star friends and lovers staying the the same villa in the ‘70s. Rocker boyfriends drugging and drifting while Mari and Lara get in touch with their talent and creativity.

It all sounds so fascinating and yet it just didn’t work well for me. Didn’t hold
my attention as it shifted between stories and the ending fell flat. However, I’m glad I read it and see that many others really loved it.

Thank you St Martin's for the copy of Rachel Hawkins' The Villa on NetGalley. I really appreciated that idea around women's creativity and being not just muses but being creators themselves, I found that theme really added depth and hooked me in to this layered, very atmospheric story. The theme of Lara and Mari being somewhat overlooked by their male partners was well done... while the men (fell apart?), the women were writing and creating, a kind of gothic like coming of age story in a way.

This is going to be a perfect get you out of the winter blahs book, I read it on two flights this past week and it was just what I wanted as I barely noticed take off and landing because I was so caught up in the story. I admit I found the backstory with Lara and Mari to be more engaging than the present day story with Emily and Chess but I felt that the melding of the two plots came together really well and offered some interesting themes on female/sister relationships. Themes on secrets, fame, and trust and identity/art and creativity were well executed in both timelines and I think book clubs could really have some great chats about the underlying themes and relationships in this story.

mildly spoilery comments:
I would actually love to go back to Emily and Chess again, see what next steps really do unfold for them... The end left me wanting more in a good way. I wanted to quibble with one part of their story, 1-2 points felt rushed given how slowly the Mari/Lara story played out (in a good way, slow burn) but I also felt that was leaving the door open for a really interesting follow up, lean into their story and secrets, and secrets they don't know about, and see what happens.

✨Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ✨

The Villa 📚 by @ladyhawkins

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This was my first Rachel Hawkins book (I have some of her others sitting in my #tbrpile) and I'm definitely looking forward to reading her others! I enjoyed how she alternated between two story lines and I enjoyed the characters in each. Add in a good plot twist at the end...I'd definitely recommend! 👻
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(Thank you to @stmartinspress for this #arc!)
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I have loved Rachel Hawkins other thrillers but this one was a bit of a disappointment. I think there was not enough plot and not enough of a connection between the two timelines. I've seen it described as a slow burn and it was definitely that but the ending wasn't exciting enough to make up for it. I will say it was still very readable, I read it in two sittings. This one was not for me but I will still definitely read her next one!

This book was great ! Love reading books by this author and was very excited to read this one. I love that the story is about two best friends trying to figure what happened in the past and I also like that the book does go back to 70s.

Emily and her best friend Chess travel to Italy for the summer. They stay in a house known for a tragedy. As the summer wraps up they find out more about this tragedy and in turn about themselves. I did not particularly enjoy this book. It took me forever to read (mostly because I read some other books in between). It was a very slow read. I did not enjoy the back forth parallel stories of Emily and Mari. That made it hard to follow. I definitely wouldn’t call this book a thriller. There was nothing really exciting or mysterious about it. I just don’t think this book was my cup of tea.