⭐️⭐️⭐️- {THE VILLA - Rachel Hawkins}

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Emily is finally starting to feel like herself after spending the last two years plagued by a mysterious illness, her husband leaving her, and hitting a writers block on the last book of her series. To add insult to injury her childhood best friend Jessica (now Chess) has turned into a self help sensation and is sitting pretty at the top of the bestsellers list. In an attempt to pull Em out of her slump, Chess plans a spontaneous trip to the breath taking Villa Aestas in Italy where they can focus on their writing and get some much needed R&R under the Tuscan sun. When Em finds out that a gruesome murder took place in the very same villa she abandons her series for an entirely different type of book. She delves into the past, unearthing clues and piecing together the story of a group of bohemian artists and their own summer at the villa decades before them. Drug fueled escapades and twisted relationships amongst family and lovers ultimately lead to the death of one artist but the rise of the others. Will history repeat itself?

💭 I was really let down by this one because I loved Reckless Girls. No shocking plot twists, the whole thing felt predictable and the ending felt rushed. Just overall anti-climatic. If you cant even describe the murder that we have waited the whole book for then what am I here for!!! 😡 The majority of the characters were so self centered and did such horrible things to the people they supposedly loved I thought the author could have done a better job evening the score and giving a little more justice to the good guys. The way its written is fine I just think the story deserved more development.

This was a good thriller! A little slow to start but than it got good! Lots of drama! I definitely recommend

I really enjoy Rachel Hawkins books, and The Villa delivered! This was a thriller/drama set in Italy with two best friends visiting a famous villa. While the first half started slow, I could not put it down after the halfway point! I didn't love that the book switched timelines frequently, but overall it was a good read.

3.5 stars rounded up


Thank you to St. Martin's Press, the author and NetGalley for providing a copy to review!

This is my first novel that I’ve read by this author and I was extremely underwhelmed. The novel was very predictable - I wouldn’t even consider it a mystery, it’s more of a drama. The story switches between present time and the past in the 70s. Neither story line kept me engaged or intrigued. Maybe if you don’t like thrillers or mysteries and just want a story about friendship and sisterhood, then give it a try. But if you like actual mysteries/thrillers then this one will most likely disappoint you. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This was definitely the best thriller I have read all year. I loved the concurrent storylines between two time periods. I loved that there was so much ambiguity and unreliable narration. It was definitely fun to decode what was real and what was not. And, there were some lovable characters I was rooting for throughout.

Okay, honestly, I enjoyed this WAY more than I expected to. I don’t always love an alternating timeline, but this was done really, really well. The back and forth between today and Mari’s journal entries were so interesting and so well balanced. The twist was wonderful. I read this whole book in a day and was obsessed.

i thoroughly appreciate netgalley, st. martins press and rachel hawkins for granting me a copy of the villa for an honest review!
the villa had a really intriguing plot that intertwined two separate narratives involving murder and mystery. although i found some of the plot predictable, the ending had a really good plot twist I wasn’t expecting. the writing was great and there were points in the novel where i didn’t want to put it down. i would definitely recommend this book to other mystery and thriller lovers!

Synopsis:

Distant childhood friends Chess and Emily are reuniting on a summer long vacation at the beautiful Villa Aestas (formerly Villa Rosato) in Italy. While they are there Emily starts digging into the history of The Villa, their friendship is put to the test, and surprising revelations could mean history repeating itself. 

Rewind to 1974 - Mari and her boyfriend, upcoming musician Pierce, are invited to Villa Rosato by rockstar Noel Gordon to work on music for a new record. Mari's step-sister Lara is tagging along as always. Unbeknownst to them, their summer will end in a brutal murder.

Review:

Let me start by saying: if you are into domestic thrillers add The Villa to your TBR today. There are two storylines with two equally powerful climatic confrontations. The resolution will stay on your mind well after you're done reading. 

Alternating between two timelines and using excerpts from a podcast, news and magazine articles the story is fluid and easy to follow. The character development had me invested in Emily before she even arrived in Italy. 

The interpersonal relationships between the 1970's crew... wow. There is so much distrust and love simultaneously between Mari, Pierce, and Lara. I was eager to see how their conflicts resolved and what was the final straw that resulted in murder. 

As soon as I got to the middle of the book I knew I wasn't going to be able to put it down until I found out what happened. I was absolutely engrossed in how everything was going to play out.

I wish I could give this book so many stars!

Hooked from the very beginning. Something about the back and forth between decades and storylines had me fully invested.

While Emily and Chess’ story felt like your modern day bff adventure thriller, Mari’s side was utterly fascinating to me. Mari’s decade gave me Manson Family gothic esque vibes and I couldn’t get enough of it. I only wish there was more to it. I could have read about their group for many more chapters.

A littttttle predictable towards the end on the Emily/ Chess side, but I was completely blown away by Mari’s. Not sure if this is considered a spoiler, but the novel Lilith Rising was a huge part of the story (imo) and I would give anything to read a full length version of the book! Please make it happen.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for review!

In true Rachel Hawkins fashion - The Villa will keep you guessing until the very final page. Explore the parallel lives of characters separated by decades, diving into the competitive nature of friendships, sacrifices made for creative outlets and what aspects of a personality can be brought out by those around you surround yourself with.

The Villa takes part place in Orvieto, Italy with dual timelines; one taking place in the present and one taking place in 1974. In 1974 we follow Mari, an author, her sister Lara, a singer, and her boyfriend Pierce, a musician, as they take a sort of creative retreat with rockstar Noel Gordon. That summer leads to Mari writing a best-selling horror novel, Lara writing a world renowned album, and Pierce's murder. In present day we follow best friends Emily and Chess as they take a retreat of their own to individually work on their next books. Emily gets wrapped up in the decades old mystery and uncovers new information as her and Chess's relationship also starts to strain.

I really enjoyed reading this book! The thriller aspect ended up being pretty minimal, but the mystery surrounding the villa and the relationship between Emily and Chess was enough to keep me turning the pages. I appreciated reading about how a single event can inspire multiple different kinds of art and how the present mirrors the past. Hawkins also kept it interesting with the dual timelines and throwing in snippets of interviews and articles pertaining to the group of 1974 artitsts. The ending is an interesting thought experiment of how far someone might go for a friend and also how media like books and music might shape decisions we make.

This was my first Rachel Hawkins book and you can consider me a fan! Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of this book.

This was a 3 1/2 stars for me. I'm not sure if it was because it was an ARC but I found the flow of the text confusing in parts when it jumped from the actually story to other writings. I wasn't sure what was going on. The story itself was good, told in two time periods. I enjoyed the 70's tale of sex drugs and rock n roll the best. The modern day scenes were a bit over the top, but it was a fun entertaining read.

Wow! I really liked this and read through it quickly as it was so hard to put down. Loved the complex dynamics between all the characters and their relationships, and loved the mix of past and present. This gave me some Daisy Jones & the Six vibes at parts, but was still so very original, which I loved. Would highly recommend this! Thanks, NetGalley for allowing me to review this e-ARC!!

This was a quick read for me. I could have devoured it in one sitting at just under 300 pages.
A slow-burn, mystery - I loved the dual timelines and how the two storylines intertwined with one another.
I had high hopes for this one because it sounded so good and let me tell you - the hype is real and completely correct. This was everything I expected it to be.
"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."
This could not be a more true statement. The minute I had read that I knew I had to read it. You can clearly see the inspiration of these throughout the story and made it almost even more exciting to read.
Do not go into this expecting a thriller in the traditional sense though. Every "thrilling" aspect is basically laid out from the get go and you get what you thought with very few twists.
With multiple timelines, mixed media narratives and characters who are relatable, this is an enjoyable read and I highly recommend picking this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Was really hooping to love this but I didn't. Way too many twist and turns especially in the end. You have to know when to stop. Could have been a great book.

Good book! This book was a decent read! It had light suspense, intrigue, action, drama, and a few crazy twists! The storyline was interesting and flowed nicely! I will recommend reading this book, it wasn't one of my all time favorite but still worth reading! Thank you netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This book may be one of my favorite reads of 2022. Hawkins crafts a perfect book that made me cry, laugh, scream, and gasp. The ways in which she manages to update and transform Mary Shelley’s story is incredible, comparable to the likes of Taylor Jenkins Reid with Noel and Pierce (or Percy and Byron) as 70s rock stars. The Villa is perfect not only for fans of thrillers and Gothic tales but I imagine classic literature enthusiasts would also find something to enjoy in this novel as well - I know I did. And while The Villa will most likely be one of my favorites for 2022, it will also be one of my favorite for a long time.

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Just a little slow and unbelievable at some points. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Villa is another twisty suspenseful novel by Rachel Hawkins and as with her previous books, I was sucked in right away and was swept away by the story the whole way through. The Villa follows two timelines that occur in the same house in Italy. One story line takes place in present day, when two best friends, Chess and Emily, head to the Villa for a summer of writing and bonding. The other story line takes place in the 70s when Mari and her step-sister Lara, and 3 men head there for a summer where they planned on making music and having a blast. Both storylines have their own mysteries and tragedies. However, the second storyline is very much wrapped up in the original one, as one of the women tries to uncover what truly happened in the house all those years ago. This was a very creative, original novel. I love Hawkin's writing style and she creates characters you can truly see in your mind's eye and care about.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

A great story of a house that was part of two writer's lives in a tragic, but rewarding, way. A house that remembers it all.

I loved the way this was written, having Mari's story of the past unfold alongside Emily's story of the present. Emily picking up on the clues and finding motivation in her discoveries really pushed this story along. It added to both writer's inspiration at the villa. There were several times I stopped to Google if this was based on a true story. The twisted ending that revealed what we think we knew versus what we now know made for a strong ending that really wrapped up both stories.

I found myself enjoying the story of the past more than the story of the character's of the present, possibly because Chess was made to be so unlikable and selfish while Lara was made to be more sympathetic. Overall, really great read.