The Villa 🍋
@ladyhawkins
Pub Date : coming 🔜 1/3/2023 @stmartinspress
Page Count : 288 pages

First, huge thank you to @netgalley & @stmartinspress for the galley! Also, 👒 off to @ladyhawkins on her gripping novel 👏🏻

“The world warns us about putting toxins in our body, and assumes toxic people can only hurt our souls. But there are people just as poisonous to us as any chemical.”

Back to back books taking place in Italy! Although, this one was quite different than One Italian Summer.

I will start by saying that at first, it’s one of the novels where you really have to pay attention because the plot is laid out almost immediately, which is great, but can be hard to follow initially. However, Rachel did a great job bringing it all together to follow the dual timeline!

Emily & Chess were your classic childhood best friends that simply grew apart as time passed and adulting got in the way. Emily & Chess are both writers however, two completely different writers. Emily rights cozy mystery & Chess rights more self help. Chess throws the idea out to take a girls trip to Italy and Emily, being at a crossroads in her marriage with Matt, decides, why not?

Not only are they going to Italy, but they will be staying in an extremely well known villa. Villa Aestas, formally known as Villa Rosato in the 70’s. A tragedy occurred here with a group of friends, surrounded by sex, drugs & rock n’ roll. We will later discovered all the intertwined relationships between Mari & her stepsister Lara. Pierce, Mari’s boyfriend, Noel & Johnnie. Without giving away too many spillers, these two stories, although decades apart, end up being more connected than Emily ever would have thought. She doesn’t really discover this until her writers block is broken with a whole new story that opens an entirely different world for her and her career as a writer. You will never believe how much is uncovered by the end of this story and where these two best friends end up after this summer.

Houses remember 🍋

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins tells an intertwined story in two timelines staying at a villa in Orvieto, Italy. Chess and Emily and Lara and Mari. Chess and Emily are summering at the villa in Italy as they become interested in digging deeper into a murder at the home in 1974 when Lara and Mari were residents. Both of the stories are both pro-women while still having a thriller-true crime plot. Rachel Hawkins has become a must read author for me! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a stay up until 2am and read the book in one sitting book. By far my favorite Rachel Hawkins work yet.

A house with a creepy history? Check
A back and forth viewpoint between past and present? Check
Morally ambiguous characters? Check

Great read, especially for fans of Kate Morton.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

I was so excited to get this eARC copy from @netgally and @stmartinspress - excellent story but I do wish they added a haunting at the Villa and more depth to the relationship between Emily and Matt.

Overall 4.25/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you for the opportunity to review this advanced copy!


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I was Over. The. Moon. when I found out that I was approved to read and review The Villa. I love Rachel Hawkins’ Reckless Girls and The Wife Upstairs and I just knew that The Villa would be equally as suck-you-in-able and twisty. Boy, was I right!

Dual timelines, two stories that converge. The big reveal in each storyline felt predictable but also NOT, if that makes any sense, because it was interesting in how each was led up to and divulged.

In my experience, Hawkins always has one line that is, like, chilling and perfect and criminally great, and The Villa definitely has one. “We all are” made me shriek with joy when I read it.

The Villa is an excellent story about friends, sisters, relationships, villains and victims and everyone in between. For me, Rachel Hawkins can do no wrong and everything she touches turns to gold. The Villa is a 5/5 and I’ll recommend it to everyone I know! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. My thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

This book hit on a lot of current trends, with a Rachel Hollis -esque self help guru inspired character, true crime at the center, and the nostalgia of 70's era musicians á la Daisy Jones and the Six. I felt like the flashbacks to Mari's story and the original murder at the villa were abruptly interspersed, though that is probably due to raw editing. There was some vagueness in plot points that never quite got cleared up as to the real reason behind Emily's sickness, and the source of Matt's affair was obvious. I do enjoy seeing a bad man get his comeuppance, but didn't find it quite believable how quickly Emily forgave Chess and conspired with her to emulate the original tragedy at the Villa. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and for Chess to do something truly diabolical, but it never came. The big reveal at the end was anticlimactic, but served to prove the point that those who want to be led astray will find any small justification, even if it turns out to be false. Very quick, enjoyable read, and I felt myself wanting to read the books within the book as well.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4853659984

Got this as an ARC on Netgalley. Loved the duality of the story between narrators Emily and Mari. The description of the Italian countryside made me feel like I was soaking up the sun in Orvieto. One of my favorite Rachel Hawkins books! I would recommend for anyone looking for a fast paced twisty thriller with a side of beautiful imagery.

The Villa is an intense novel about an Italian villa where a murder occurred in the 1970’s. In the present day, best friends Chess and Emily decide to take a trip to the villa to work on their respective writing projects. As their stay advances, they discover more about the villa’s history and the author of a horror novel that was written in the house.

One element of this book that really stood out was the characters, more specifically the relationships between characters. One storyline this book centers around is the Italy trip best friends Chess and Emily take. While Emily and Chess present as close friends, tension builds between them as the book progresses. The interactions between Emily and Chess add depth to the story and take many turns.

This novel focuses on the storylines in two time periods occurring in the same Italy Villa. Woven throughout the book is the storyline occurring in the 1970’s. This focuses on Mari and her friends staying with her at the villa. Mari is writing a horror book during her villa stay. As the novel progresses, Emily and Chess’s story starts to merge and mirror Mari’s story. The structure of The Villa is captivating, creative, and leads to a well-crafted ending.

Rachel Hawkins does a great job making this novel engaging and weaving multiple stories together. The connection between storylines was done differently than any other book I’ve read which made it really interesting. The characters she’s created are layered and interesting, the plot is gripping, and the structure is engaging. While The Villa is different from other Rachel Hawkins books I’ve read, I would recommend it.

This is a fun, moderately paced thriller! <em>The Villa</em> finds protagonist Emily Sheridan (née McCrae) at loose ends. Her loser husband Matt has just left her, she has writer's block for her latest cozy mystery, and she's been dealing with a mysterious illness. When Emily's childhood best friend Chess offers her a chance to spend the summer at Villa Arestas in Orvieto, Italy, she's eager for a fresh start. In proper thriller fashion, it turns out that the villa in Orvieto was the site of an infamous murder in 1974 when a group of musicians and writers gathered at the house.

Rachel Hawkins alternates the action between the present day with the distraught, somewhat wet blanket Emily and Chess, who is an obnoxious Rachel Hollis-style influencer and self-help book writer. I think the dichotomy between the innocent Emily and the irritating Chess was too neatly drawn, but it's clear that the toxic, complicated nature of their friendship is part of the book. I was more so interested in the 1974 scenes from the perspective of Mari Godwick, a 19-year-old woman involved with a married musician who's in the process of writing her feminist gothic horror novel. It was fun to see how the past and present interweave in the book. Some of Hawkins's character and plot devices were well-trod and predictable, though, so the thriller isn't altogether dazzling. Overall, it was easy reading — though the pacing could have been a bit quicker in spots. And while some of the plot twists were easily predictable, some of the ending twists were the kind of delectable fun I hope to see in easy-reading thrillers like this.

The Villa has a super interesting premise and engaging characters, but didn't quite live up to its potential for me. The story is very layered, and includes two eras in the same house, as well as transcripts from a podcast, documentaries, historic excerpts, and more. While I wanted to love this book, I found it to be not quite satisfying in the end. A fun read along the way at times but it did leave me disappointed.

I have never read a story by this author, but I have heard a lot of good things about the way the author presents a story, allowing the reader a unique view into the lot and how the stories come to fruition. I can now see why her stories are so popular. This one was so much fun. It was not only entertaining, unique, and easy to digest but it had the right amount of intrigue, spookiness, feminism, and downright gripping moments.

Murder, music, mystery, rock stars, ego, and more, this story is sure to delight. The setting was about perfect. I mean an isolated villa in Italy in the mid 1070’s with sex, drugs, rock, and roll? What more is there to want?!

What a story this was, no spoilers, just grab yourself a copy and enjoy the ride.

*I will say this story is not a Gothic story, in my opinion, and leans much more towards women fiction than anything else.

I received an ARC via Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press and I am leaving an honest review. 3.75 stars.

Thank you for this copy of The Villa in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel Hawkins has written several really good books, including The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls. I expected quite a bit from this book but unfortunately, it left me hanging. Page by page, I was disappointed with this book. While Rachel has very strong techniques as an author in terms of her attention to detail, the storyline was less enthralling than I thought it would be. This will not be a book that I add to my library.

When two friends rent an Italian villa, nothing seems amiss, aside from Emily's contentious divorce and writer's block. When Emily discovers the journal of an author who used to live there, suddenly she's writing again, and with a fervor that shocks even her. But darkness lurks in the villa. Fans of psychological suspense will enjoy this twisty tale.

The Villa
Rachel Hawkins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The past always has a way of repeating itself, and sometimes best friends aren’t the people you really think they are ( after reading this I’m glad my best friend is true!). If your looking for a good summer read ya know before all the hustle and bustle of mom lives take back over with school, and sports running. I would totally recommend this book! It was a fun read but had it moments…. I did figure out what was going to happen but it was still a great read!

I have read several of Rachel Hawkins's other books so I was very excited to receive an early copy of "The Villa". I was immediately drawn into the story, a mysterious murder in an Italian villa. Several perspectives of the story taking place through different time periods and different elements of poetry, articles and fiction. I really enjoyed the characters of Mari and Lara and how their relationship shifted over time. I understood how Rachel wanted to find a similar experience in Chess and Emily's relationship, not quite sisters, but much more than best friends.

I found the story to be a bit too predictable. Perhaps that was the author's intent, however, I wanted a little more of an explanation. The last 15% of the book felt a little rushed. I wanted more to be drawn out about Matt and Chess' relationship. And more on what happened with Matt at the villa. I loved the setting of an Italian villa with secrets. I would've liked to hear more about Elena and the women who kept the house and witnessed so much.

Overall, I will definitely recommend this book. I loved the theme of women taking back their power against men and creating something out of it.

Rachel Hawkins is such a delight to read. I've enjoyed all of her books! The Villa was a great read, even a bit creepy! A fun book, well written, atmospheric and some good twists! Terrific ending!

Wow, I stayed up way too late last night to finish this book! The Villa is my first Rachel Hawkins read, and it certainly didn’t disappoint! This story follows the story of two lifelong friends taking a summer getaway to an Italian villa that has a dark history. As the main character, Emily begins uncovering the secrets of the villa’s past, she also begins to realize that maybe her “best friend” has some secrets of her own.

I love how this book not only gave the “present day” storyline of Emily and her friend Chess, but also the 1974 storyline of what exactly happened at the villa when someone was brutally murdered years ago.

I didn’t know how this book was going to have an ending that I was happy with, but Hawkins pulled it off, and I really enjoyed it. Definitely recommend!

Read if you like:
•Mysteries/Suspense
•Dual time periods
•Books about books/writing
•A bunch of plot twists

And a huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted ARC and opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review!

I may be the only person left on this 🌎 who hasn't read The Wife Upstairs or Reckless Girls.

When I hear the word villa, I think of sun and sand and water and I'm sorry, did someone say Italy?!?! ✔️ please.

I liked this one.

Some didn't care for the dual timelines and the way they were organized (within the same chapter), but it didn't bother me.

I enjoyed the premise of this book. A murder house? Come the hell on...let's go!

It was a short, quick read and anything under 300 pages gets a chef's kiss from me. 💋💋💋

There were a lot of characters, but I thought they were weaved into the story well. I didn't find things confusing and we all know that's a MF miracle.

I found the writing atmospheric at times and did feel some suspense, however, things lost a little bit of luster for me at the end. I was left wanting more and I did feel like there was a missed opportunity with this story, but all in all, still an enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Emily and Chess (the latest name chosen by her long time best friend) became friends as children and only grew apart after they were out of college. Emily married and Chess became a well-known author. Emily's dream was also to be an author and she did write a series of mystery books that brought her a steady income but by no means the fame of friend Chess.

Emily became bogged down in a marriage that was falling apart and a husband who wanted all the money she had or would have. When wealthy Chess offers Emily a free trip to a famous Italian villa, she jumps at the chance to get away. The villa was the scene of a scandalous murder years ago and that's the story within the story. That murder involved a rock band and two sisters--both of whom became famous and both of whom were involved with the same man. Emily finds notes in the house about the murder and decides to write about it instead of working on continuing her series. Chess finds out and wants in. She's tired of her self-help books and wants to do something different. Emily doesn't want to share, especially after she learns she's already been sharing more with Chess than she ever wanted to share. The plot thickens as the two women battle for control over the things they share and unravel more of the story of the mysterious villa.

Recommended for those who enjoy mysteries like du Maurier's Rebecca.

Thanks St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is not my first Rachel Hawkins book, having read The Wife Upstairs last year. I honestly did not like that book as I found it a bit stodgy and almost hokey. I even skipped Reckless Girls.
However, the Villa is a MASTERPIECE!!!

Love, sex, and rock and roll, all wrapped up in a stately villa in Italy. What can go wrong when a famous young musicians, a drug dealer, and their female muses rent a villa in Italy over a summer in 1974? Better yet, we have the present day, insanely famous, life coach, Chess, and Emily, her struggling bestie from grade school, spending a summer in the same villa present day.

The story seamlessly switched back and forth between the 2 timelines in such a way that the past and present fed off each other, which sounds insane but there is no other way to describe it! There were so many twists that I had anxiety reading this....it was only alleviated by reading faster to find out what happens!

Great plot driven story with characters developed so well, you have a mental picture of them which I loved. This is a story easily plucked from the headlines with true crime, drug fueled mayhem, jealously, infidelity, and of course, murder!

This is a 6+ star book and kudos to Rachel, its a winner!!!