I often keep notes when I am reading an ARC for review, and according to my notes, by the time I was 19% of the way into The Villa, I had figured out every twist and turn that was coming. Predictable as it was, however, it was still a decent ride.

The plot is split into dual timelines - Mari and her rock star friends and family in the 1970s, and Emily and Chess in the modern day. I FAR preferred the 70s storyline and characters, and I frequently found myself racing through the comparative blandness of the Chess and Emily chapters to get back to the 70s timeline. I didn't find Chess or even Emily to be particularly likable or realistic characters, so I found it harder to care about what was happening in their [really predictable] storyline.

I wished that the actual villa itself had taken on more of the qualities of an actual character and become much more haunted and atmospheric, but all of that just fell a little flat for me. Still, The Villa was a quick, easy read, and the 70s plotline was interesting enough - just save it for a poolside day when you're not in the mood to think too deeply about anything.

What a journey! I really enjoyed the flash backs expanding as Emily discovered the bits and pieces and started unravelling the truth. It was interesting to see how both the past and present centered around people looking after their own self interests. I still am not quite sure who the villain was, though. Was Chess so selfish that she rejoined Emily's side, condemning Matt, just as soon as the realization that they could make a lot of money together hit? I can't help but feel sorry for Emily as she once again is tying herself to a master manipulator. One thing I feel like was missing was someone still alive from the original murder. I expected someone living to have the final piece of the puzzle. Still, I very much enjoyed this book!!

I loved this story. I was really invested, especially in the tale from the 70's of Mari, Pierce, and Lara. I really thought this story was going to go in another direction and I'm kindof disappointed that it didn't. I was underwhelmed with the ending, it could have been so much better. However, I did enjoy this better than the author's previous novels and I would absolutely pick up another novel from Hawkins in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC! I was a big fan of “The Wife Upstairs” so I was excited to read Hawkins’ new book!

I would describe this as a slow burn mystery. I enjoyed the Italian setting and how the two women’s stories intertwined. Once I got 50% through, I was very invested in the characters- Mari in particular. I don’t know if the Villa gave off “creepy, haunted” house vibes, but I liked it’s history. This was a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for me!

Wow this book! This book drew me in from the first chapter until the last. I personally don’t love long chapters and these chapters are long but how the author breaks up the story is fabulous. Leave it to the end to throw me for a loop…. Just when you believed all the twists and turns were over we get yet another. By far this authors best book and my favorite, it was a quick 24 hour read and now I regret flying through and not savoring some of the details a little more.

This book has great potential: mostly interesting characters, a fascinating era, wonderful settings, and two storylines that weave together well. But vaguely improbable, repetitive and her work falls short for me is twists and characterisation. A light mystery read, but my total lack of emotional investment undermined my enjoyment.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Emily has been friends with Chess for years. Chess asks Emily to travel to Italy for a vacation. The villa they are staying are is hiding many secrets in which Emily would like to uncover and write about. Thus book was well written and was a delightful read.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rachel Hawkins for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed The Villa and the two connecting stories. It’s set in Orvieto, Italy and follows two POV’s - one in 1974 and one in present day. A terrible murder happened at the house in 1974, which inspired a book and album, and Emily and Chess become fascinated by what happened and try to find out the truth, while also dealing with their own problems.

This book had such a strong start and I was immediately hooked by it. I really loved the dynamic between Emily and Chess and learning more about their past and friendship. I also thought Mari’s POV in 1974 was interesting, but it was a bit slower in my opinion. Parts of the story were predictable, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment. The ending was a little strange and not exactly was I was expecting, but it fits the story and makes sense!

Overall, this is a great mystery thriller and it combines a creepy and interesting plot with complex female friendships and a beautiful setting. I’m giving this one 4 stars and recommend it!

Love. Love. Love. This book helped me out of a reading slump. Read it in one setting. Perfect thriller.

The Villa was a fun, creepy book with a story in a story almost in another story. The author did a great job of making you root for some characters and root against others. I wish there were a part two so I can find out how what happens next!

This has been by far my most favorite Rachel Hawkins book!

From the very beginning, I was hooked. This story is about two best friends who rent a Villa with a shady past. While their own stories unravel, they are simultaneously uncovering the events the Villa has protected for decades. The author is exceptional at moving the reader through multiple timelines seamlessly. This book is literally a story within a story about a story and so on. Believe me, the potential for confusion was high but this book is flawlessly executed.

I found a majority of the characters complex and fascinating. Sometimes books with multiple timelines tend to bore me in one or the other and I find myself dreading when past/present come around. The storyline itself was so good, I couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter. If you love Rachel Hawkins or want a fun summer read, put this on your To Be Read now!

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book coming January 2023!

The Villa is a story about friendship, betrayal, and murder. Then and now.

Em’s struggling as her life seems to be falling apart and her oldest friend Chess, a famous self-help guru in the vein of “girl, step into your power,” whisks her off to Italy for the summer.

They stay at a gorgeous villa which is also the site of a famous murder in the 70s. Both intend to spend the weeks writing, but it’s clear from the beginning there’s something much more sinister going on.

This book started out a little slow for me but it soon had me hooked. The way it unfolded was captivating, though I figured out nearly all the twists early on and the ending felt rushed, more like a summary.

At its core this is a book about friendship and betrayal. About seeing someone for exactly who they are and having to live with your choices.

I’ve been thinking a lot about friendship betrayals lately and the inexplicable choices people make that hurt the ones they love. Hawkins did such a perfect job exploring that.

I really enjoyed this book!

Phenomenal read. Gets you hooked from the very beginning and has you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next twist. BFF’s vacationing together in Italy and discovering all of their secrets while getting glimpses of the past and a murder that happened there one July in 1974. Rachel Hawkins is quickly becoming an author I want to read more from!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin’s Press and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

The plot is set in both present day, and 1974, in Orvieto Italy. It follows the story of two best friends taking a summer trip to stay The Villa Aestas, , to rekindle their relationship and hopefully let Emily get into the right headspace to finish book 10 in her cozy mystery series, and for Chess to get some work done for her new up an coming self help book. But when Emily finds out that a murder occurred in the exact Villa they are staying in back in 1974, she wants to find out more about that! This is where the dual timeline comes in, in 1974, rockstar Noel Gordon rents the then known Villa Rosato for himself , up an coming artist Pierce Sheldon, Sheldon’s gf Mari, her sister Lara, and Groupie/drug dealer Johnnie. Events unfold that summer. When one of them end up dead.
Emily feels a connection to the house, and when she reads Maris famous horror novel, Lilith Rising, she feels a connection to Mari, but she also believes there are more truths within that novel about the events that unfolded that summer and tragic night. She spends her Days uncovering things left behind, and reading in between the lines of Mari’s book, and Lara’s song verses of her popular album , Aestas. Many secrets are revealed through all of this, not just secrets of Maris and the Villas in 1974z
Spectacular, gripping, and twisty! I couldn’t put it down, this was one of the rare two day reads for me! I’ve just started dipping my toes in psychological thrillers, and this one did not disappoint! The author did such an amazing job at intertwining the past and present time! I especially loved the snippets of books, song verses, podcast dialogues, and margarine articles that were played throughout the book!

The Villa is set on a beautiful estate in Orvieto, Italy.

Dual time lines follow Mari and Emily who have both been to Villa Rosato and experienced it’s ability to keep secrets.

Vacationing with her best friend, Emily explores The Villas history at first as a distraction from the rollercoaster that is her life, only to become obsessed with the truth behind the murder that took place in 1974.

This novel is full of secrets, old and new.

It’s a fast-paced read that keeps you guessing, with interesting characters, and an amazing setting!

What an exciting read. First, the setting. A beautiful villa in Italy. Pool and pond. Medieval type city to explore. In 1974, a murder occurs. Young talented people with secrets. Betrayal runs among them. Two of them produce their greatest works as a result. Move ahead to present day. Chess and Emily have been friends forever, but their lives took different paths. Both are successful writers, but different types. Chess is all glamour and fame. Emily is series novels. Emily is married, but that is ending. We learn one has betrayed the other. One finds the journal pages that expose the truth to what happened in 1974. What was the truth?
Thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this

I really enjoyed this book. It was the first Rachel Hawkins I've ever read, and I'm not usually one for thrillers. I liked that this almost didn't feel like a thriller, but it was fast-paced and twisty and kept me hooked until the end. Right from the start, I was grabbed by the characters and I thought she incorporated the dual narratives seamlessly.

This book kept me guessing until the end! I was caught up in the story if friends & the sisters & they circumstances they found themselves in.

You are led to believe their struggles mirror each other until the very end when you find they are in a trap of their own making.

Although I appreciated and thought the plot good, and the characters of both timeline compelling, the fact I couldn’t find anything redeemable or likable about them diminished the book significantly in my eyes. I

Rachel Hawkins is always a must read for me so I was thrilled to receive an e-ARC of her newest one from NetGalley and the publisher!

I read this in ONE day. I loved the setting, the characters, and how it all wrapped up! This was a super fun read.