This was an amazing book, and definitely one that stood out to me from all the rest. It had some Daisy Jones vibes, mixed with Helter Skelter, mixed with…Oh, just trust me, it’s fantastic! I was sucked into this one from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting. This is my favorite by this author!

Once the story got going, I could not put this down. With interesting characters and a fascinating premise, this was a quick read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Villa tells the story of Emily and Chess, friends since childhood. They take a trip to a Villa in Italy which was once rented by a 70's rock star and the book flashes between Emily's perspective and the perspective of Mari, one of the girls who stayed in the 70s.

As always, I found the writing by Hawkins to be atmospheric and gripping. She has a talent for writing books that I don't want to put down! I did enjoy this book but didn't like it quite as much as others I've read by Hawkins as I didn't find Emily or Chess very likable. I probably would have liked it more with just the storyline of the 70s as I found those characters more compelling. I give this one 3.5 stars.

3.5 stars.

I found this one really interesting with the dual timelines and secrets unfolding. Much like with the wife upstairs, Hawkins gives us main characters to root for even if they’re not the best people deep down.

Emily is a stalled writer going through a divorce where he ex wants to receive payment for his “inspiration” of her beloved 9 cozy murder novels. Superstar self help guru and childhood bestfriend, Chess, invites Emily to go with her to Italy to write for the summer in a villa with a notorious past. Someone in the 70’s was brutally murdered there, making it a murder mystery lovers paradise. While there, the two friends bicker and reconnect while uncovering the mystery of the past linked to the famous death.

I felt like Emily & Chess’s relationship was toxic and in some ways, reminiscent of childhood friends who hold on only for the fact that they’ve been friends forever. Despite being in two very different phases of life, the two cling to each other when there’s not much love still left to keep their relationship afloat. Chess’s betrayal of Emily is justified and all is forgiven which I just cannot see being such a quick decision to make. I feel for Emily as she is forced into a lifelong partnership now unable to escape without repercussions.

Laura and Mari step sisters who love the same awful man have a similar love/hate relationship. While the 70’s were more open with relationships and monogamy, the sting of Laura with Pierce never leaves her mind. Mari, a young 19 year old with her married boyfriend Pierce, who lost their baby, feels herself shift at the Villa as she begins writing her best selling novel Lilith Rising. At the time, she doesn’t know that her life will forever change at the villa, she allows herself and Pierce to free fall into the moment of free love and self discovery. Laura, forever looking for comfort in men is rejected by Noel, a famous rock star who is at the villa with them and discovers her voice within her music. She goes on to produce a staple in music that is stepped in heartache, love, and loss. Together they undergo the hardships of becoming women while holding on to their girlhood affection for one another. Their world forever changes when Pierce ends up dead in the villa.

I enjoyed the pieces news pieces and podcast blurbs in the book and the fact that it all interconnected, but felt that the characters lacked a true depth. Their actions seemed off and Mari’s rewriting of the true story of Pierces death didn’t make much sense to me.

THE VILLA by Rachel Hawkins is maybe more mystery than thriller (although DANG did it have a twist at the ending!). Set in an Italian villa (obvs) and told in two timelines, the story revolves around the creation of art and complicated female friendships. In present day we have Emily and Chess, both authors and longtime friends, who escape to the villa for some much needed rest and relaxation – and hopefully some writing inspiration. In 1974 we have Mari, her musician boyfriend, stepsister, and rock and roll star Noel. Mari, like Emily, was hoping to write amongst other artists, but that’s not how things turned out (of course!). And present day Emily is hoping to solve a horrific murder – from 1974, naturally – and the mystery behind Mari’s success as a writer.

Lots of twists and turns in this one, and a dang spooky atmosphere. There’s so much angst within/between Emily and Chess (and then Mari and the others) that you can feel it. Keep your friends close and your frenemies closer, am I right? This book uses the artist/creation storyline to discuss jealousy, competition, and misogyny and is an oh-so-accurate illustration of toxic friendships! While not strictly a thriller, the overall sense of foreboding will keep you unsettled the whole time.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I’ll be completely honest and I kind of wanted to read this purely for the gorgeous cover. We all know the saying about books and their covers, I know.

The Villa bounces back & forth from a present day storyline and one in the seventies.

In the present, Emily writes cozy mysteries and is in a rut and Chess, her childhood best friend is now a very famous self-help guru. Chess invites Emily to stay with her at the titular villa in Italy for the summer where they can reconnect and write their own respective books.

Emily googles the villa and finds out that it was the scene of a famous murder back in the 70s.

Which takes us to Mari, her boyfriend Pierce, and her stepsister Lara. The three stay at the villa for the summer with an up-and-coming rockstar. It’s not a spoiler to say that Mari is not the one who dies.

We find out early on that Mari goes on to become famous for writing one very famous book about a haunted house.

In the present, Emily spends her time finding connections between Mari’s book and the villa that she is staying in, and in the 70s, the reader gets Mari’s story in real time.

So for the most part, I thought this book was fine. It’s not really my jam. But there is some decent stuff in there. I liked Mari’s story better than Emily’s. There seemed to be more that I enjoyed reading in her story. But the book is chock full of toxic relationships: male and female, platonic and romantic - that I just don't love

It does do a cool thing where the chapters are interspersed with “articles” about Mari and her book or “podcast” excerpts that talk about the murder and the problematic nature of Mari and her boyfriend’s relationship.

But I also find it very unrealistic that Emily is the first person to discover the connection between Mari's very famous book and this house. That the house was a murder house was figured out after a quick google. There is at least one podcast about this case. In this day and age of true crime lovers and arm chair detectives, I was expected to believe that Emily was the first to make that connection. I think even the maid said that true crime people have stayed at the house before.

Oh and yeah, this book is not a gothic suspense novel like its marketing is claiming it to be.

TW: child loss, sex trafficking, drug use

SPOILER, SPOILER, SPOILER

But the thing that made me drop this book from a 3 star to a 2 star rating was the author’s manipulation of her audience at the end of the book. It made me so mad and I wanted to throw the book against the wall. I hate the concept of an unreliable narrator.

3.5 stars

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is about two best friends, Emily and Chess, who spend a summer in Italy togetherliving in a villa that is full of secrets. The story flashes back and forth between Emily in the present day and Mari, the girl who lived in the villa in 1974.

This story was a slow start for me. Jumping back and forth between the two timelines and I wasn't fully connected to either part of the story. But as the book went on, my interest grew and I was invested by the halfway point!

In this genre (I call it psychological thriller chick lit), I always find the endings to be kind of wacky and far-fetched and this one is no different. But I kind of liked the ending here and was willing to just go with it-- even if it did leave a few plot holes and some lingering questions and require me to suspend my disbelief for a bit.

I've read several books by Rachel Hawkins now, and while they may not be my most favorite books, I do always find them entertaining and easy to read.

Two timelines, a book within a book & one Villa—super fun!

What I enjoyed:
-The setting itself felt like its own character. Loved the descriptions and felt like I was there with them.
-Dual timelines and perspectives! I loved the book within a book and hearing what really happened in the timelines. Super clever!
-Emily and Chess were interesting characters, their friendship extremely complex.

The book started kinda slow and the ending was a bit predictable. I think this will definitely be a favorite this summer though! 3 stars for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC! 💛

I really enjoyed Reckless Girls so I was super excited to get to read The Villa and it did not disappoint! The story is told in two timelines and sometimes that really bothers me but I thought it was really well done here. I enjoyed the transitions and I think they added to the story really well. I think part of the twist was pretty obvious early on but the ending still packed a major punch in ways I didn't see coming. Highly recommend!

4.5/5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Rachel Hawkins for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book is well-written and the characters are super interesting. The dual story lines are both interesting and watching the stories unfold and intertwine is very interesting and will keep your attention throughout the entire book.

This book also gives Verity by Colleen Hoover manuscript vs. book feelings. However, it is a lot less vulgar, but still very horrifying. The mystery of it all is a lot of fun to try and figure out as you read.

Although, I am not a fan of how the dual storylines are laid out in this book, it may just be because I am reading it on Kindle instead of a physical copy. Other than that, I absolutely loved this book.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a gripping thriller/mystery, anyone who loves watching two storylines intertwine, and people who liked Verity but not the explicit scenes.

Thank you again to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for an advanced reader's copy of this book!The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a gothic suspense that is told in dual timelines. Mari is a young British woman in the 1970s, and Emily is an American woman in her 30s during present day. The majority of the book takes place for both narrators at a beautiful Italian villa. During the present day timeline, the villa has undergone a name change due to the publicity that arose after the horrific murder that happened on site while Mari was visiting. I appreciated both timelines, enjoying the familiarity with the present day timeline and enjoying the Fleetwood Mac vibes of the earlier timeline.
Emily and Chess have been best friends since childhood, and are now both taking some time to write their books while luxuriating in Italy. I liked learning about their dynamic and seeing the history behind their friendship. I think it could be very relatable to those who've had childhood friends who seem to be going off in different directions while still attempting to maintain closeness. I found it frustrating when Emily seemed to have distain for Chess in terms of the names she went by throughout the years. I think it is totally normal to experiment, reinvent and try to figure out who you are. That being said, I think Rachel Hawkins completely named Chess as a character, the quint essential spiritual/ motivational influencer.
There were some "ick" moments when learning that Pierce ran off with his first wife while she was 15 and basically did the same thing with Mari, but I think that was an intentional choice. I enjoyed the character building and could envision them all. I think i figured out almost all of the twists ahead of time, but I'm not holding that against the book. Overall, I had a good time and would recommend this to anyone interested in a cozier thriller, and for those into literary fiction.

Set in both 1974 and present day, the dual timelines take place in an enchanting villa near Orvieto, Umbria, Italy. Longtime friends, Emily and Chess, decide that a summer in Italy is what each of them needs to finish their respective books. Emily discovers that there was a murder in the villa decades earlier, and she becomes fascinated by it. The 1974 timeline tells the story of that murder during a sex and drug-filled summer. Everyone’s lives are changed after their summer at Villa Aestas. I really enjoyed this slow-burn thriller and its twists and turns.

I read this book with my book club and we all loved it!

I think Rachel Hawkins has mastered the "bingable" thriller. The writing style and amount of drama keep you turning the pages at the speed of light. I read this book in three sittings, but could easily have read it in a day.

The ending gives room for a little bit of interpretation and it was actually a really fun discussion with our group. If you enjoyed The Wife Upstairs, you'll love The Villa!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins was a most compelling audiobook. It was told in alternating timelines. Over the years, I have become a big fan of Rachel Hawkins and so I was excited to see that she had written a new thriller. The Villa certainly lived up to my expectations! Rachel Hawkins was able to develop intense and intriguing characters for both time lines within her book. The Villa was well plotted and paced just right. I found it interesting and appealing that Rachel Hawkins had chosen to base the earlier time line of The Villa (1974) on the influences of the music of the 1970’s especially resembling that of Fleetwood Mac and the poetry and literary influences of Mary Shelley, Summer Percy and Lord Byron. Having had spent those years of the early 1970’s at college, I can agree that 1974 was definitely a time known for rock ‘n roll, drug experimentation and sex. The other time line was present day. Rachel Hawkins had chosen to set The Villa in Umbria, Italy at a villa originally called Villa Rosato and later changed to Villa Aestas. The Villa was located in Orvieto, a quiet, beautiful and romantic spot. As I mentioned, I listened to the audiobook that was very well narrated by Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell and Shiromi Arserio.

Emily and Chess (Jessica) had grown up together and were best friends all during their younger years, through high school and even through college. Then their lives took different paths. They still remained friends but they tended to get together less and less and their correspondence was in the form of text messages. Both Emily and Chess became authors. Emily wrote cozy mysteries that centered around the character of Petal Bloom. Chess had gotten herself involved in a podcast and she had written a self help book entitled, “Things My Mama Never Taught Me” which became an instant best seller and made Chess a small fortune and very popular. Emily had married the man of her dreams but she learned the hard way that she was very mistaken. She found herself dealing with her divorce, writer’s block and an illness that she was finally recovering from. When Chess called Emily and proposed that they do a girl’s only trip to Italy for the summer so they could reconnect, concentrate on their writing and relax, Emily was all in. A change of venue would do her good she thought until she discovered that Chess had rented the Villa where a murder occurred back in 1974.

In 1974, Rock musician Noel Gordon rented out Villa Rosato in Orvieto for six weeks and invited Pierce Sheldon, an up and coming singer songwriter, along with his current and much younger girlfriend, Mari Godwick and her step sister, Lara Larchmont. Noel was hoping he and Pierce might write songs together. Mari was just sixteen when she met the already married Pierce Sheldon. She had had a good upbringing and came from a family that was quite wealthy. Mari’s mother was an author and had written and published a book. Mari left the comforts of her home and joined Pierce on the road where he was performing. Pierce was talented but had little ambition. Mari and Pierce had had a son together but he had died from a respiratory illness that might have been avoided if they had had the money to consult a doctor and if Pierce had taken it more seriously. Mari never really recovered from the loss of her son. He was always in her conscious thoughts. Then one day, Johnny appeared. He made it no secret that he was attracted to Mari but Mari’s heart belonged to Pierce. Mari began writing that summer. She authored a book which she titled, “ Lilith Rising”. Although the characters were different, the plot of Lilith Rising mirrored the summer at Villa Rosato. Lara, Mari’s stepsister, also proved to be a very talented singer songwriter. Her album, Aestas, was comprised of sad lyrical songs. Both Mari and Lara eventually found fame from their accomplishments. That summer, though, changed the lives of all those that shared the Villa. There were drugs, music and sex. There were arguments and physical and verbal violence. There was a murder. Pierce Sheldon died that summer. Who killed him?

Emily had always been an avid reader. Was it a coincidence that a copy of Lilith Rising was one of her favorite books and that she chose to reread it while she and Chase were at Villa Aestas? Emily’s thoughts began to question the type of books she might want to write. She was tired of Petal Bloom and cozy mysteries. Could she figure out what really happened all those years ago by dissecting Lilith Rising. Suddenly, her motivation came to fruition and she found herself pounding away at her keyboard. She had written more in just a few hours than she had in a very long time. There was one problem, though…Chess! Although Emily was the one with the idea of changing genres to true crime and writing about what really occurred at Villa Aestas in 1974, Chase wanted to coauthor it with Emily. What would Emily decide to do? Emily suspected that Chase was keeping secrets from her. Was she? Why had Chase really invited Emily to join her for the summer at Villa Aestas? What would they discover about the events that led up to the murder in 1974?

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins was suspenseful and even chilling at times. It was twisty, creepy and dark at other times. The Villa was about friendship, betrayal, secrets, strong female artists, jealousy, influences from literature and music and inspiration. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Villa and highly recommend it highly. Publication was January 3, 2023.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of the book is intriguing and set in a beautiful village in Italy made me want to book a trip. The characters fall short of feeling fully fleshed out. I did enjoy the minor twist toward the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! I liked this story that intertwines murder, mystery, and a toxic relationship (or two). The Villa hops back and forth between two story lines in different times - and paints the full picture of The Villa, and it’s background. This read like a slow burn dramatic murder mystery that was enjoyable enough to read. Overall, I would recommend this book.

This is probably my favorite Rachel Hawkins book!

I liked the whole “murder house” theme surrounding Emily and Chess’s girls trip. I also really enjoyed the dual time lines and getting the actual story of what happened from Mari’s perspective.

Chess was, in my opinion, unworthy of Emily’s friendship. But this book did showcase the struggles of friendships and forgiveness

Rachel Hawkins knocked my socks off, with her book The Wife Upstairs. I jump on every chance to get her new books once they are released for ARCs. While I loved the Wife Upstairs, and like the Reckless girls, I found this title: The Villa, Quite boring and dull.

Two life long friends, separated by everyday life, finds themselves wanting to reconnect in a girls trip to italy. However, both being "famous" and writers could cause more turmoil than rekindling anything. Once they get to the old mysterious villa where the famous rock-star Pierce had once stayed, More spirals into play than just writing or rekindling old friendships. Thank You to Netgalley for allowing me to read this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

Kept my attention. Thoroughly curious and intrigued. Juicy right up until the end. A real lascivious guilty pleasure kinda read.

I tried really hard to get into this one! It was a DNF for me. I do not think it was the story by any means, I just was not in the mood for this type of book. I am giving it 4 stars, since I have to rate it. But again, it was me not the book.