This is my second book I have read by Rachel Hawkins; the first being Reckless Girls, which I wasn’t the biggest fan, but after reading The description I decided to give this a try. Written in dual pov, dual timelines. This book explores the mystery of what happened during a mysterious rock-roll murder that happened during the 70s at an Italian villa, and two life long friends trying to reconnect while writing their novels in that same Italian villa. I thought that the sex, drugs and rock and roll of Maris timeline was more interesting than Emily’s. Truthfully I think I might have enjoyed reading Maris book, Litlith Rising more. I felt that the Emily plot had a out of potential, it had a great buildup but fell flat in the end. I give this book 3.5/5. Thanks NetGalley for giving me an opportunity for reading this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A mystery/thriller set in a villa in Italy that flips back and forth in time providing the reader with two separate stories that convene in the end but is sometimes hard to follow along.
   Emily and Chess: two college besties, now older and successful, come to this villa to rekindle their friendship and find inspiration for their next book projects.
   But this villa was the site of a murder forty years ago and is haunted by old rumors and stories that Emily starts researching the who and why were involved.
   Along the way the friendship that was supposed to reconnect these woman isn’t happening and tensions rise between the two……..much like what happened years ago in this “murder house”.
   The drama that unfolds slowly keeps your attention till the end.

While I feel like I liked this book, I am feeling conflicted about the ending. The ending made me drop a star because I did not care for it. I did not hate it, but it left me wanting more. I had enjoyed the dual timelines and even wished to have been able to read the infamous book and listen to Lara's album. I would still recommend to read it because I liked Mari's timeline. I just wish that Chess hadn't gotten away with so much.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Villa is my first book by Rachel Hawkins. Of course I have heard about her, but didn’t have the chance yet to read one of her other novels
“Houses remember”, I loved that line and theme from the start. I do believe myself that a house observes the essence of its owners. Why else are some houses just so creepy?

''As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

I wanted to like this story a lot more, but I found it was dragging onnn. I forced myself to finish it, but 70% of the plot was not necessary. There wasn’t much development in characters, nothing that stuck out to excite me and I felt like I was left high and dry and wanting a lot more.

I received an Arc from Netgally for my honest review.

“That summer, the last good season of her life, was such a glorious one, full of blue skies and lemon yellow sun, and there was no sign of all the horror to come.”

That line- yes!! Once I read that, I just knew this would be a good one. I will admit, this book started off a little slow. I didn’t love one of the characters and it made me wonder if I would like the book. But I kept reading on and then the pace picked up and I could not set it down!! The setting was perfect- a murder house in Italy!

My first thoughts of Chess was that I was not going to like this character. She seemed fake and over the top. I do not think she’s a good friend and I’m disappointed with how she basically got a hall pass for doing what she did.

I enjoyed the premise of the book- A murder in the 70s and then present day two best friends vacationing at the same house to get some writing done. Little did they know, the historic events would pull them in and offer a lot of inspiration.

I LOVED being in this book and the comp titles are 100% accurate - Fleetwood Mac (I’m looking at you, Daisy Jones and the Six fans!) rings sooo true and I even mentioned it to friends while reading prior to seeing that.

Similar to Reckless Girls, Rachel Hawkins wove not only dual POVs full of characters who jump off the page but also includes podcast episodes, snippets from interviews, articles, song lyrics, and a book! The album, book, and musicians all felt SO real I had to stop myself from googling them. I would say that the excerpts in this book felt MUCH more relevant to the overall story than the Reckless Girls did.

The ending was resolved a bit quick for me but I’m hoping that gets ironed out in the final copy. While the twist isn’t the craziest thing you’ll ever see, it was satisfying enough for me to live in the 85% book of vibes.

I am SO impressed with Hawkins and how she created this incredible book while steadily pushing out two books a year (the Kiss Curse release is just around the corner!). Every book I read from this author impresses me more and more.

Even though I received a copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press (THANK YOU!), I will be purchasing the final copy in January 2023.

t's happened! After three attempts, I've found a Rachel Hawkins book that I truly enjoyed.

The Villa, borrowing heavily from Percy and Mary Shelly + Fleetwood Mac, is a story within a story. Emily and Chess are best friends and writers. Emily is recently separated and Chess - a Goop-type influencer--and Em's best friend, invites her to spend the summer in Italy at a famous 'murder' Villa. The two women decide to spend the summer working on their next books, Chess is working on her next non-fiction motivational girlboss book and Em is scheduled to finish her 10th book of her cozy mystery series.

The villa was the scene of a famous murder in the 1970's and we also follow along that timeline, and Emily becomes enthralled with this story as well. There are parts that start to intersect and overlap a bit and Emily finds inspiration in the story. While this is a twist or 15 in this story, I think I was most interested in the story of Mari and Lara and would have read a stand alone story just about them.

Thanks to Rachel Hawkins, NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Oooo I loved this book so much! My first Rachel Hawkins book and now I am running to order all of her other titles. I loved the setting of The Villa, the dual timelines, the characters. It was like if "Daisy Jones and the Six" was a thriller, and I loved it! Some triggers, so check TW if you are wondering about the content. But I read this one in 2 days because I just didn't want to put it down. Murder, Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

''As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.

As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind.''

*SPOILERS*

I never care much about books with multiple timelines so to find out that this one was like this it was a bit of a let down but I read it anyways and it was an okay book. Some parts I didn't enjoy like the slow burning, so many characters can be confusing sometimes and the plot was a bit boring to me... The characters aren’t particularly likable, but I was sympathetic towards Emily. The only good thing about it is the main character getting a decent ending but overall, this book wasn't all that for me

Thank you netgalley, st. martin’s press, and rachel hawkins for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

First off, thank you to NetGalley for graciously sharing an Arc e-copy of this book. I believe this is my first Rachel Hawkins read!

I wanted to like this story a lot more, but I found it was dragging onnn. I forced myself to finish it, but 70% of the plot was not necessary. There wasn’t much development in characters, nothing that stuck out to excite me and I felt like I was left high and dry and wanting a lot more.

I am sad to say I was disappointed in this book, but I will definitely give Ms. Hawkins another try in the future.

This story is about two lifelong author friends, Chess and Emily, and how their lives diverged and then came crashing back together during a summer at a villa in Italy known as a "murder house." The author takes you on this reconnecting journey of Chess and Emily as she weaves in the story of the villa's guests back in the 1970s when a musician was murdered. Emily's storyline had parallel points to Mari's storyline in terms of their ultimate literary success. I enjoyed the 1970s characters, Mari and her stepsister, Lara, a little more than Chess and Emily because they seemed to be truer to themselves. I loved how the contemporary storyline was intertwined with the past as multiple timelines and historical fiction are favorites of mine. If you enjoy a quick mystery, give this one a try.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins for an honest review.

The Villa is a slow-burn thriller ( but I am going to put it in the suspense category ), that is written in a dual timeline of past and present.

Emily and Chess have been best friends for as long as they could remember, but life, careers, and marriages have taken them in separate directions causing them to grow apart. Both are writers and decide to meet up at an Italian Villa to give them a change of scenery and help them write, catch up with each other and help Emily heal from a broken marriage.

The two narrators of the story are Emily ( present-day ) and Meri ( the past which is set in the 1970s). I myself have become a bit bored with the dual timeline trend, but I know a lot of readers who love it, and I will admit that this one seems to work with the story well. I did become bored with Emily's present timeline, t did pick up toward the end, but I enjoyed Meri's through most of the book. I have found that this is usually the case with me, for some reason I enjoy the past much more.

I thought none of the characters were that likable. Emily appeared overly jealous of Chess, and honestly, I found no redeemable qualities in Chess at all. I did feel slightly bad for the situation Meri was in with Lara and Pierce but also felt she could have easily left and improved her situation.

The book caught my attention because one of the influences was Mary Shelley's weekend at Lord Byron's where she wrote Frankenstein in a contest. Yes, there was a story written within the story, but to me, that was the only similarity, but of course, it was only an influence and not based on anything more. I am not sure if they were hoping for a gothic feel with the Italian Villa, but there was not enough mention of it to be a gothic story, nor did I think it had a creepy or foreboding feel about it. It only had the previous murder, but even with the line The House Remembers, which was stated several times, I did not get a creepy feel. I wish it had been written with more of that gothic imagery, I think it would have been a great story.

Don't get me wrong, The Villa wasn't a bad read, I think I just went into it thinking it would be something other than it was. It had some great parts so please read it and do not let my review prevent you from doing so.

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕍𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕒
𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹 𝗛𝗮𝘄𝗸𝗶𝗻𝘀
Psychological Thriller
288 Pages

Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs

The Villa is told by alternating between the past and the present. Both were at the same location, The Villa.

In the present, Emily is at The Villa with her best friend, Chess, who is a famous author. They are both there to work on their current books. Chess writes self-helpbooks, and Emily has a series that she needs to add to.

Emily isn’t feeling excited about her book and ends up digging up the past to write about what led to the murder of Pierce Sheldon at The Villa many years ago. Naturally, she becomes obsessed with figuring out the truth.

In the past portion of the story, Mari, Pierces’s girlfriend, tells the true story as it occurs. This allows the reader to see what happened as it happened through her eyes.

When Chess wants them to write the story together, Emily right out refuses. It is hers, and she doesn’t want to share it. What will she decide, and does she learn the entire story of days gone by at The Villa?

Mʸ Tᴴᴼᵁᴳᴴᵀs

The Villa is a gripping story that weaves a tale of past and present together. I couldn’t put this book down. Buy it right now!

I was enthralled with The Villa, especially Mari’s story. There is a surprise after reading about the “truth.” This is what made the whole thing pop for me!

A perfect blend of the past and the present, they go together like chocolate and strawberries! What happened in the past affects the present. The ending was a real zinger.

The characters are multi-faceted. I felt like I got to know each one as the story went on. Some of them did some questionable things. Those things are what made the story what it is though.

I was thrilled to be approved for this book by NetGalley. Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher. I certainly enjoyed reading this and definitely recommend it.

I loved the setting of this story. I feel like I could vividly imagine it. I also loved the parallel story lines of past and present. The ending WOW!!! Loved every page!!

I got it in my head that I was not going to like this book. For whatever reason, I just knew that I was going to be bored while reading this one. I am so happy to say that I was SO wrong! Once I started, I couldn't put it down. I will say the beginning was a little dull but as soon as we got to Mari's story, I was hooked. I thought it was so unique and I loved how the stories intertwined with the phrase "houses remember" connecting everything together. I read several reviews complaining that the house itself wasn't spooky enough, but that actually didn't bother me at all. The people inside the house were spooky enough for me! I really really liked this book!!

Emily, an author of a popular mystery series and Jessica (a.k.a. Chess) who is an author of numerous self-help books and a social media star, decide to spend the summer at a villa in Italy where a famous murder took place. Emily, initially trying to cure her writer's block, finds a book called Lilith Rising which seems to provide clues to the murder that happened at the villa. Emily soon becomes obsessed with the story and she and Chess fall out when she wants to write about it. Good plot which flashes back in time giving insights to the situation leading up to the murder.

First of all, thank you St. Martin's Press, Rachel Hawkins, and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this thrilling read.

This was a quick read for me. I enjoyed the characters and enjoyed the historical murder from the summer of 1974. I could personally pinpoint early on the issue with Chess and Emily. I was more consumed by the 1974 murder mystery than I was about the present day issues with Chess and Emily. I didn't have much of a connection with the characters as their present day struggles kind of drug on for me. Dual timelines, which I always love. This was a good read, didn't blow me out of the water though. Rachel Hawkins always writes so well! Will always read a book from her.

Summary: Emily is a writer in her 30's who is going through a divorce from her husband, who she found out was having an affair with some unknown woman. Stuck in a writing/life rut she isn't sure where to go from here. Chess is a famous writer of "self help" books and is extremely busy these days. Emily and Chess are childhood BFF's and have let their busy lives come between their friendship. Chess has an idea to get Emily out of her slump and spend some time reconnecting with her best friend. She invited Emily to Villa Aestas in Orvieto Italy for the summer with her. The Villa has it's own history. A famous murder in 1974 occurred at this very same Villa. Emily stumbles into the Villa's history by uncovering bits and pieces of what happened that summer in 1974. Chess and Emily have their own complications rising as the summer goes on. The reader will learn about past secrets of this home and present secrets of two best friends.

Overall I really liked it. I didn’t love the end where they killed the ex husband. I would have preferred Emily solving the mystery of what really happened and ditching Chess.

While I did enjoy this read, I felt it was underwhelming. This book did keep my interest, but the gruesome murder that took place in the Villa was pretty tame if your typical reads are thrillers. The twist in the present read with Emily was pretty predictable. I would have liked to seen more with the whole Emily/Chess/ Matt situation. I was not a fan of the abrupt ending as I feel like that part of the story could have played out more. Emily freed herself from one situation just to end up in another situation.





SPOILERS:

Some spoilers that I've had on my mind since reading the book:
How are we sure Matt wasn't really poisoning Emily? Chess had the opportunity to poison her with the drink right before she called Matt. It was stated that Matt was upset when he found Emily's birth control pills that had recently been filled when they were "trying" for kids. Clearly he had a reason to. I already knew something was up between Matt and Chess when he commented on Emily's social media to have fun with her "bestie". You can not tell me that Matt and Chess only slept together one time! Chess was jealous of Emily having everything so you know she enjoyed doing this behind her back. I wanted more of what happened after Matt arrived in Italy at the Villa. How did he react when he knew the tables had been turned on him? How were they able to pull off the murder? Chess knew she had Emily in her pocket when Emily mentioned Matt wanted money off her Petal books. What better way to get rid of Matt to get Emily to write this book her. In the end Chess got exactly what she wants and she has a hold on Emily. Best Friend or Frienemy?

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Villa is about a woman, Emily, and her life as it intertwines with her childhood best friend, Chess. Both women are writers but while Emily has a popular 'soft" mystery series, Chess has become a worldwide self-help book guru. The story starts when Emily is at her lowest. Her husband left her while she was battling a mystery illness and her next installment in her book series is way past due. She meets up with her superstar friend, Chess, for lunch and the next day, Chess asks her to go away for the summer to a Villa in Italy. Emily agrees to go and both women plan to use the vacation as a writer's retreat. This is where things get a little juicy. The Villa they rent is famous for a murder that occurred there many years ago and for the famous book and music album that were released after the summer of the murder from two ladies who stayed there during the infamous summer. Emily becomes fixated on the book written during the time of the murders- Lilith Rising. She follows clues in the book that lead her to long hid mystery pages left by the author of the book. She begins to plot a new book, one about the murders and the mystery surrounding the Villa several decades before. At the same time, she is beginning to distrust her friend, Chess, after it's revealed that Chess may be trying to steal Emily's new book idea. There are more twists and turns as the story leads to a grand scheme at the end. Although I didn't particularly like the characters in the book or find myself drawn towards any one of them, the story was interesting enough that I read the book quickly.