I was really excited about the premise, but the content didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s a dual timeline and I couldn’t get invested in past one at all. It got more interesting towards the very end but then it was so absurd. Overall, it was underwhelming for me.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration.

I was thrilled to read an advanced copy of this book, Rachel Hawkins is one of my favorite authors and I usually read her books in one sitting.

This one thrilled me even more! I am a big fan of books set in Italy and I adored the parallel stories of past and present.

I was hooked in from page one and was hungry to find out the truth of what happened that summer. I will be buying a physical copy at release for sure!

I was hoping this would be the first Rachel Hawkins novel that I really loved, but like The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls, this was three stars for me. The thrills in The Villa don't happen until the end of the book, and the entire time you're going back and forth between two storylines, one interesting and the other tedious. Reading about Emily and Chess was mostly fine, but the 1970s storyline was so dull with no likeable characters that I would dread the parts of the book where it would come up. But the gorgeous cover gets five stars. Thank you St. Martin's Press/Netgalley for the ARC!

Thanks St.Martin’s Press for the advance copy of this book. I liked the pace of it. It’s two women that have been friends for years. Chess is a famous self help guru and Emily is also an author, but recently divorced and sick. They take a 6 week trip to Italy and end up staying in a villa that had a celebrity murder in it. They decide to write their own tale about it.

Chess and Em have a very toxic relationship. It’s interesting to see how much they fight but still stay together. Chess has control of that relationship and I feel bad for Emily that she doesn’t see it. At the end, you realize the truth about the murder and maybe what these two did 40 years later wasn’t the best advice.

This book is fantastic! Oh ny gosh I loved the lore of the Villa mixed with the two time lines. Each character was perfection. Thank you for this early copy!

What a great and exciting read. The way Hawkins weaves the past and present seamlessly, a d gets us intrigued in both stories, and mysteries. It’s terrific and intend to tell everyone.

So, so, so good! This "double-story" entwines plots from the present and the past into an absolute masterpiece. I love Rachel Hawkins and this is without a doubt her best yet!

The dual timeline and storyline was interesting. Especially since I was way more invested in Mari’s storyline and then by the end switched to enjoying Emily more.

I will say the villa was a bit of a let down. It wasn’t nearly as gothic or creepy as it should have been according to the lead up.

To be honest, I was a bit bored as it’s a VERY slow burn and I found both main characters a bit annoying the entire read.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publishing team in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel Hawkins did it again! An incredibly unique dual tale, one with secrets, sex drugs and rock & roll.

Set 50 years apart, best friends who are like sisters and sisters who try to be best friends but have a man in between, have many similarities.

All set in an old Villa in Italy. In an over saturated thriller genre, Hawkins manages again to find a unique angle.

Thanks for the ARC!

I’m unintentionally on a roll with reading fiction that has some multimedia components to it, with novel excerpts/ podcasts/ emails interspersed into this haunted house/ true crime novel by one of my favorite thriller authors, Rachel Hawkins. This is my third read in a row featuring this kind of style alongside characters that are writers/ artists themselves. I loved how “bookception” this felt with multiple layers of “books within the book”: Both Mari’s “Lilith rising” excerpts as well as Emily’s conceptual take on it. It takes a lot of talent to build that many layers!

I also love how Emily and Chess’s friendship that is rife with competitiveness and rivalry mirrored Mari and Lara’s, the same story that they both get drawn to, the same villa they reside in, and the same tensions present. The threads and echoes between the past and present keep intertwining throughout, and I loved how the ending made me want to go back and re read with a new lens.

“Heroine is villain, villain is victim, and that colors everything that comes before in a new light”.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced access to Hawkins latest!

I adore Rachel Hawkins books and writing style. Her previous works have been some of my favorites and this one started off just as strong. Although I enjoyed the story and the different past and present timelines, the ending just didn’t work for me. However, I still highly recommend it to anyone looking a page turning gripping little thriller.

Rachel Hawkins’ The Villa is one of my most-anticipated books for next year so I was thrilled to get an early look at it. After flying through it in two sittings, I can safely say it’s my favorite of her mystery novels.

I would describe The Villa as Daisy Jones meets Home Before Dark. It has lots of 70s vibes thanks to flashbacks to the crime that was committed at the titular villa, and also has select passages from fictional podcasts and novels mentioned throughout the story.

It’s clear that Hawkins was inspired by people and events throughout history (the Manson Murders and Mary Shelley come to mind), and she blends these elements together exceptionally well, making clear allusions, but also taking creative liberties to build out the world she has created.

The ending admittedly threw me off a bit. I was confused by some parts and wanted more from others, but the conclusion didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. If you like true crime, books about books, and haunted houses, I’d highly recommend adding this to your TBR ahead of its publication in January.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!

It was good, but not exceptional. It jumped around quite a bit and didn’t hold or grab my attention. The premise is great and I’ve loved her other books. This one is a miss unless you are a deeply devoted fan.

Wow I loved this story. I thought the time hopping was perfectly done - and it kept me guessing as to what happened next.

I enjoyed the concept of the two friends of today experiencing something similar to years prior. I was not expecting the ending 💀

This story was so creatively written though - whenever books reference fictional books or music in detail, that takes an art and Rachel Hawkins delivers again!

I could not put this one down. I absolutely devoured it, reading over half in one night. I would absolutely recommend this book, though a little predictable, I did get some nice surprises and really could not put it down until I was done.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Villa! Love the premise of a story within a story. Told in the present and also in the mid 70's, early 80's, two female authors who's lives are somewhat similar, both landing themselves in a glorious Italian manor for the summer. The characters were wonderfully flawed and real and the twists were definitely not predictable. I highly recommend!

The Villa is the latest book by powerhouse author, Rachel Hawkins. Since much of my reading time has been spent catching up on a backlog of series and collections, I only recently began reading new releases again... and thanks to NetGalley, one of the first new authors on my list was this book about a woman who travels to Italy with her best friend to recharge a dreary life. Given I loved my trip to Italy, the protagonist is a cozy mystery writer (as I am), and there is an old house with secrets, it was right up my alley. The book delivered on its promises and kept my interest all day long. I would definitely recommend it to others.

Emily's recovering from a strange illness, stuck in her writing career, and divorcing a difficult husband. Chess is on top of the world, penning her next successful book and multi-media career with backing from Oprah. They've been friends on and off for years, so what could possibly go wrong on a summer-long trip to Orvieto (a beautiful place). Hawkins offers stunning settings and bold characters who know each other well. The plot, while a little light or perhaps handled a little too lightly for my taste, is memorable and layered with complexity. My only reluctance was the presence of a huge mega-reveal moment. Several shockers appeared without build-up; some were beefy and important to the plot... but the ending felt as if it were more about relationships and characters than plot. Since I'm primarily a plot guy, that could explain why I landed at 4 rather than 5 stars. But trust me, it was quite good overall and just a bit of personal taste that kept it at that rating. I'll definitely read more of the author's prior work so I'm caught up before her next release.

Of course Hawkins is a good author to look out for from her previous novels - I was ready to devour this one. This novel combines two stories in two different timelines - and it will pull you in. Definitely would recommend this one and she doesn't stray for her other novels.

Not typically a huge thriller fan, but I LOVE historical fiction, so I had to pick this up. The Villa was an INCREDIBLE read and now I need to check out Rachel Hawkins' entire back catalog. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advanced copy.

This book was not my favorite by this author. I had a hard time connecting with the past timeline and thought those chapters drug on a bit too much. I didnt find the characters very likable. I thought the setting was done well and the details were good. The cover was gorgeous and its a good summer read.