I was really excited to read this book from the synopsis and especially the setting. A creepy murder house in Italy? Sign me up!
I was intrigued from the beginning, but I did find the first 50% or so pretty slow. Not much was happening but there was enough mystery to keep me going. The second half, however, really picked up and I had a hard time putting it down!

I enjoyed Mari’s storyline from the start and found her to be an interesting and sympathetic character. It took me a while to get into Emily’s story, and she annoyed me at times. I enjoyed when the two storylines start coming together, and I became really invested in both.
I liked the ending a lot, excluding the final chapter which felt like an odd step back. I wish that part had been left out.

Overall I enjoyed this thriller and recommend it, I’m glad I stuck it out through the slower beginning!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Listen, this is my third Rachel Hawkins book and I wasn't too crazy about the other two. I will say this is my favorite one out of all of them and her book covers still hook me in. It does follow suit where I really liked a part of the story and felt like the other part felt flat.

Was it perfect? No. Was it pretty predictable? Yes. Did I still enjoy it? YES.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the Chess and Emily's story plot, but I loved Mari's and the mystery of what happened during that summer in a beautiful Italian villa. It's more than the usual story of sex, drugs, and rock & roll and that was probably my favorite aspect. I can totally see the various inspirations sprinkled throughout the book and that was fun to see.

The ending of Mari's story will probably live rent-free in my mind for quite a bit and I'm curious to hear your thoughts on that.

Got an eArc on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my fifth book by Rachel Hawkins/Erin Sterling let me just say, my favorite thing about her books is that they are so incredibly readable. The books are always fast paced, the plot is incredibly fast moving and you just don’t want to put the book down. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen in this book until really late into the book, but I did not mind because I was so invested in the characters and their stories both in current day and in the 1970s.

It could have been very difficult for Hawkins to be able to give us compelling characters in both time periods considering that there were so many in the 1970s and their relationship dynamics were messy, complicated, and overlapped with one another quite a bit. I appreciated how complicated and complex the characters and their relationships were. I thought it was incredibly realistic and compelling that chess and Emily were both best friends and Frenemies, I think had they just been best friends who had fallen out of touch the story would not have made as much sense or even had been as realistic.

The only problem I really had with the book might have just been because of the format of an arc and it in the published book it might not be an issue. However, I found that sometimes when there was a time jump or when we moved from listening to the point of view of one of our characters to a newspaper article or a book excerpt, or even the podcast transcript I was a little confused and it took me a second to really understand what was going on, but that might’ve just been a formatting thing with this copy being an advanced readers copy and might not be an issue whatsoever within the book.

Lastly, and this might just be me being a little selfish, I wish we found out more about what happened in Italy at the very end with Chess and Emily. I understand why it would be open ended and left up to the interpretation of the readers, especially when we end with Mari’s Story, but I wish I knew what really happened.

I think people will really enjoy this book when it comes out in January. It is the perfect setting to give a little escapism from winter, but has mystery elements that everyone enjoys when it’s cold outside.

I liked Rachel Hawkins' take on Jane Eyre from a few years ago, but I really enjoyed this history/present day, life imitating art imitating life storyline.

Villa is three dimensional, smart, claustrophobic, women empowerment story with a creepy and engaging plot.

Two stepsisters in 1974 changed The Villa forever! Mari created her gothic novel: Lilith Rising and Lara created her most popular album, Aestas at the same eccentric place while something tragic unfolds. The place is a gorgeous, homey villa located in Orvieto: a small town in Italy.

Its name was changed to Aestas after Lara’s album. But this place is not known by inspirational sources for newbie artists, it is known as a murder house. Mari and Lara came to the Villa accompanied by Mari’s musician boyfriend Pierce to be guests of famous rock star Noel Gordon. During their stay, things became tense and somebody was murdered, and another was sent to prison.

The Villa is the only place that really knows what happened behind closed doors. From toxic relationships, lies, the pain of creativity and loss, numbness of drugs! “Houses remember.”

Now two best friends since their childhood came here for the whole summer at the villa to write their next novels and to take a break from the real world. Emily and Chess were inseparable friends till Emily marries Matt. Emily became popular with her YA cozy mysteries and Chess moved to the big city, becoming a self-help guru with her bestselling nonfictions.

Things didn’t go well for Emily in her picture-perfect life. She is dealing with an overwhelming divorce case: her husband Matt demands royalties from her novels because he thinks she couldn’t write them without his support! She struggled with an unknown sickness for a long time that made her dizzy and dysfunctional, causing Matt to cheat and leave her.

As soon as they arrive, Emily gets affected by the eerie energy of the villa, which pushes her to learn more about the villa’s history but her investigation will reveal more ugly secrets about her own life.

I loved the idea of the villa and its history. Emily searching for the truth and all the dirty secrets she uncovers I didn’t like how both two stories unfolded. I loved having all these glimpses into the past and how much history a villa can really hold. The setting and plot line was great but the ending could have been so much better.

Rachel Hawkins writes the best kinds of thrillers. They're quick, easy, and entertaining! Great summertime vibes.

I could not put this book down!

Bouncing back and forth between two timelines, Emily is in the middle of a messy divorce from Matt, while getting over health issues and trying to write the next book in her series when her best friend (and famous self-help author), Chess, invites her to the infamous villa in Italy, to write together and get away from life’s demands.

While there, Emily stumbles upon the greatest horror novel of all time, written by Mari while also staying at The Villa, that Em cannot put down. The book may, or may not hold secrets of the murder that happened in that villa in the 1970s. It propels Emily to write a standalone as she deep dives into the world of Mari and the famous book she wrote, her step-sister Lara, famous rockstar Noel, current boyfriend and up-and-coming rockstar, Pierce, and the murder during that summer of sex, drugs, and rock & roll.

What I loved: two timelines! I love when two paths collide, and when the past influences the future. I loved Mari - a truly likable character, and I love the setting. Give me all things Italy!

What I didn’t love: Matt gave me hives. Hated him. Also, the relationship between Emily and Chess confused me at the end, still scratching my head as to how they were able to get past a main obstacle so quickly and easily. Also, and maybe the final copy the transitions will be smoother, but I did find the book a bit choppy. I was still able to follow though, so it wasn’t a huge deterrent.

Overall, I give this 4/5! I really enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this book!

Another amazing read by Rachel Hawkins! I've read all of her books and The Villa is in my top 3. The cover is fantastic; sucks you in with the bright colors even if Ms Hawkins is a new author for some. She takes us back to the 1970s in this one in a picturesque Italian setting. Murder mystery and a dark past for this villa. LOVE!!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of friendship, family, and relationships. It explores what these things should look like by highlighting the toxicity of each character. It basically acts as a what not to do in a lot of places. This novel also has a story within the story, and neither stories are what they seem. It isn’t until the very end that the truth is revealed in its entirety, and that truth is still hard to come to grip with for the characters. I will say that the ending wasn’t what I was expecting, and was even frustrating at one point. Despite that, I still enjoyed my time reading this and will definitely pick up more novels from this author.

My expectations for this novel were met and surpassed! The author did a spectacular job with this one, it as a quick two day read for me! This is definitely one I will have to purchase in order to have a physical copy on my shelf!

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

The Villa is a dual timeline story set in present and 1970’s Italy. This book had me flying through it for about 80%, but then something shifted. With a tag line of “Houses remember” I was expecting the setting to play a little bit of a larger role in the plot. Perhaps the ending was what let me down. I really enjoyed how the present day storyline ended with just a hint of foreboding however I just wanted something more sinister I suppose.

I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone looking for a quick and intriguing read!

3.5 ⭐️

First of all - this COVER! I love the cover art for this series (but not a “series”) of books that Rachel Hawkins has been publishing these last few years! This one is definitely my favorite cover so far.

I really wanted to love this one, but it wound up falling a bit flat for me. We’re reading from two separate timelines, but with similar stories. But in the end, the characters wound up not feeling fully flushed out. I truly would have been happier reading only the Mark/Lara storyline, as family drama-thrillers are usually right up my alley.

That being said, this was a fun book once I got past the halfway mark, part of this could be my unfortunate book burnout (I swear nothing is shaking me out of this slump!).

As with the last few installments in this series (but not a series), this was a fun read, and kept me very entertained while I work on finding my bookish groove again.

The Villa is a story of a home where four people shared a summer there that ended in tragedy but also lead to the writing of a prolific story and a musical album for the ages. Many years later two best friends, Chess and Emily, both of whom are writiers decide to visit that same Villa. Emily who is currently going through tough times both personally and professionally finally starts to find some inspiration in the history of the Villa. She starts to write her own novel based on what happened in the past. Will their present times haunt their future…

This is certainly a unique read and a departure from the other books I’ve read by this author. I find the beginning to be a bit slow and didn’t hook me right away. The book has a slow build but by the last third I was completely entranced and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. I liked the present day storyline much better than the past story but the characters of Chess and Emily were great. I’m not sure I would call this a thriller but it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book*

The Villa is a dual timeline thriller set at a fictional Italian villa. The story follows Mari's vacation to the villa in 1974, and Emily's vacation to the villa in the current day.

In Mari's timeline, she travels to the villa with her boyfriend, Pierce, and stepsister, Lana, to meet with Noel, a famous rockstar. Villa Rosato seems like the perfect place for Pierce and Noel to write music, and for Mari to write her first novel. This trip definitely generates some creativity, but it also ends in murder.

In Emily's timeline, she is also trying to find inspiration for her next novel in the villa. She travels to what is now known as Villa Aestas with her estranged best friend, Chess. When Emily reads a copy of Mari's novel, she finds that there are some clues hidden within the story about the murder that occurred at the villa in 1974.

I want to start by saying that I love the premise of this story. Want to go on vacation and stay in a murder house? Umm... yes! I love the descriptions of the villa and the town of Orvieto. The mystery surrounding the murder was intriguing and kept me guessing for awhile. My biggest issue with this book is where the story went. The ending was a little lackluster for me personally. Also, I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. They weren't particularly likeable, so I found myself not really caring about their story that much.

Unfortunately, this ended up being an average read for me, which makes me sad because I loved Hawkins' previous two novels. This book definitely has it's audience! I'm sure people that enjoy this type of thriller will love it. It just wasn't MY type of thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: January 3, 2023

Mark your calendars because Rachel Hawkins is back! I loved the Reckless Girls and look forward to reading The Wife Upstairs. When I saw this ARC, I figured it would be the same vibes as Reckless Girls so I requested it.

I learned that it takes me a little bit to settle into Hawkin's books until I'm fully invested and sucked in. Unfortunately, this didn't happen with The Villa. I loved all the descriptions of Italy and the villa itself. However, this book didn't fit into my category of "thriller". This was more like a mystery with ameteur sleuths for our main characters (Emily & Chess) in 2023.

I found that it was easier to put this book down and harder to pick it back up. The long chapters dragged it out and I found myself losing interest. I think fans of Hawkin's other works should still give this a try because it is a mystery book. I wouldn't classify this as a gothic thriller or spooky but rather a light mystery read.

I still like The Wife Upstairs the best of Rachel Hawkins books but she consistently writes stories that hook you in and feel you with unease.

The relationships between the characters are always tense and complex. Are they friends or do they secretly hate each other.. or both?

I wasn’t sure I’d like the split narrative between past and present but I found myself getting into both stories by the middle. I could take or leave the extra bits of info but the two stories and their characters were interesting.

Rachel Hawkins is definitely an author I’m going to keep coming back to.

Another win by Rachel Hawkins! The Villa utilizes an alternating timeline between the 1970s and present day taking place at a beautiful villa in Orvieto, Italy. In present day, Emily has been faltering in her personal and professional life, writing cozy mysteries and going through a recent divorce. She knows there is more for her, but is struggling to get there.

When Emily's forever friend Chess, a famous self-help writer and life coach, invites Emily to the villa over the summer, Emily goes hoping for some inspiration in writing. While there, Emily stumbles upon a book that has connections to the villa they are staying in. As Emily continues exploring the book and its author, as well as the villa's history, she begins putting pieces together and also begins to find inspiration of her own.

Though not my absolute favorite Rachel Hawkins, this is a great, fast read, and one I would definitely recommend.!

I enjoyed the beginning of this book as well as the general premise. I did not enjoy going back into the past to learn more about what happened. I really liked the relationship between Emily and Chess, but the pieces from 1974 detracted I think from what I wanted the story to be. Parts of it were great, but it didn’t work for me. I thought Id get through the book quickly, but found it hard to pick back up.

The Villa is a story of suspense and backstabbing, all taking place in the picturesque Italian countryside. Both the historic and contemporary timelines feature authors, which provides a way to explore the boundaries between narrative and reality. The first half of the book is almost entirely dedicated to flushing out the relationships between these characters - Chess and Emily, Mari, Lara, Pierce, and Noel - so that it becomes even higher stakes when they consistently keep secrets, tell lies, and prioritize their own interests. I think having two interspersed narratives can sometimes cause one to overshadow the other, but this was definitely not the case here - the suspense and mystery in both Emily and Mari's sections were equally compelling. Each character was inherently flawed and it helped keep things interesting.

There are a few major twists at the end and for the most part, they were a satisfying end to the mounting suspense throughout the book. The only time I felt a little disappointed was when we find out the cause of Emily's underlying illness, which has been haunting her since the very beginning. Otherwise, the ending kept me guessing, especially since there is no clear-cut resolution; it is more of a tentative peace than a happy ending, which seems fitting for a story so drenched in self-absorbed authors and musicians.

Two childhood friends spend the summer at a possibly haunted Italian villa. They are at very different places in their lives, and have grown apart, but they ostensibly see this as a way to refresh their friendship. The book reveals secrets, and that things are not as they seem. There is also murder, and a historical murder revealed. Even though it's a suspense novel, it's a pretty light read. This was three stars for me. #Thanks to @netgalley for the book.
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