The Villa by Rachel Hawkins follows Emily and her friend Chess who are both authors. The girls take a summer trip to Villa Aestas in Orvieto, Italy to write their next projects and rekindle their childhood friendship. While there, Emily uncovers the secrets of famous horror writer Mari and the mystery surrounding the home and the tragedy that befell it in 1974. The story has a dual timeline between now and then from the perspectives of Emily and Mari. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and the layers Hawkins weaves within the tale. The fast moving and intriguing story kept me interested until the end. I highly recommend!

What have I learned? This author just isn’t for me.. This is the second book from Rachel Hawkins that I just didn’t vibe with. This story was SO slow and I caught myself skimming the pages after getting bored. I had to DNF it at 40% because I was completely miserable and begging for another book to get my mind off this terrible one.

Rachel Hawkins has done it again. I absolutely love her writing style and I was on the edge on my seat in this slow burn thriller. It kept me interested and entertained through the entire book. I could not wait to see what twists and turns she had in store. Would definitely recommend

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In the summer of 1974, there was a group of five staying at Villa Rosato: Mari, an aspiring author; Lara, Mari's sister and an aspiring musician; Pierce, Mari's husband and up-and-coming musician; Noel, a world-famous rock star; and Johnnie, whose reasons for being at the villa are not immediately clear. The summer of 1974 ends in one of the group being murdered, and inspires two of the most influential works of the century: Mari's groundbreaking horror novel and Lara's platinum album.

Cozy mystery author Emily is recently divorced and struggling to write her next book, so when her childhood best friend Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to get away for the summer. When they arrive at the villa (now known as Villa Aestas) in present day, Emily starts looking into the murder and begins to suspect there was much more to the story than sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

The story is told in alternating timelines, which is a trope I absolutely love in mystery/thrillers and certainly worked for me in this case as well. In terms of the 1974 storyline, I really liked that we started off the novel knowing a murder took place but not knowing the identities of the victim and murderer, nor their motive. I was really engaged as we went back in time and pieced together the chain of events leading up to that notorious crime. In the present day chapters, we gained insight into Emily and Chess's toxic friendship. These chapters often made me really mad as I thought Chess was absolutely intolerable, but it's to the credit of the book that it was able to make me experience such strong feelings towards her character.

The aspect of this book that I arguably loved most was the setting. I could easily envision the beautiful Italian villa and it made me desperately want to be there. This is a perfect beach or poolside read and although I think it's worth reading at any time of the year, I would highly recommend reading this novel this summer!

I also appreciated the message of the story, which boiled down to the men in 1974 treating Mari and Lara like side characters in their story, when ultimately it is Mari and Lara who end up having the most important impact on culture. I thought there was a lot of unique commentary surrounding this concept.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading The Villa! If you like mystery/thrillers with toxic friendships, novels with feminist commentary, or are just looking for a good beach read for this summer, I would highly recommend this one.

I was lucky to get The Villa on Netgalley. I'm a fan of two stories interweaving and both having a mystery of sorts. While I saw a few things coming, other things kept me engrossed. The manipulation around every corner and not knowing who to root for or who to trust was infuriating, yet again, kept me reading! Interesting, unsatisfying, overall hard to put down.

This book was very meh for me personally. I tried doing the book and the audio to see if it would help move the story along for me, but the time jumps were jarring through the beginning with the different stories and I went into it expecting more of a thriller theme and it definitely wasn’t very “thrilling”. I think others could like this, but it just wasn’t a book for me.

Thank you NetGalley and st. Martins Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

I was slow to start this one because I'd read some mixed reviews, but I really liked it! I was invested in the present day storyline and LOVED the Gothic feel of The Villa (past and present). If you're looking for a good mystery with a creepy vibe, a bit of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, or (my personal favorite) a girl-power (seriously, do not mess with these women) book, look no further than The Villa.

I read quite a bit of it and listened to some. The narrators did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life.

Thanks for NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced review copies.

I have enjoyed reading Rachel Hawkins' novels. I really enjoyed the set up with this one. I liked the element of a past event occurring in the villa and the connections with the current visitors. I also enjoyed the old rocker element of the story. I liked how there were articles as well as snippets of a book interspersed throughout the novel. These elements added to the story for me. I felt that I was able to imagine the villa and put myself right alongside the characters. The women were well formed and interesting and their tense relationship added to the suspense of it all. I would recommend this as a great beach read or for fans of a suspenseful novel.

This one took me awhile to get into and had to put it down around 44% into it. It wasn’t holding my attention, slow, and didn’t care for the characters.

I loved it. It’s a slow burn thriller. I just like the build up of information and discovery. Some people say that the ending was rushed and unbelievable but I enjoyed it

In Rachel Hawkins latest book she shows that a house can remember and affect many things:

In 1974, five people enter the Villa Rosato in Orvieto Italy but only 4 will make it out alive. But in the time that they were in some great artistic works were made during that time and some of those works continues to inspire those in present day. Emily's life is in shambles, after a strange bout of sickness no Doctor seems to be able to explain, her husband wants a divorce and the next novel in her book series is due and she unable to write it. When her lifelong friend Chess, who is a successful self help author, suggests a summer in Italy to get away, Emily jumps at the chance. The place that Chess chooses the same place of the famous 70s murder and though it may be strange Emily is finding inspiration in the Villa. But Chess is acting really strange and she's not sure why but the Villa is sure to change her life.

This is the third book that I have read by Hawkins and it was not the book that I was expecting but I’m okay with that as I became wrapped up in the both stories of the women in two different times. This book is a slow burn of the book and I do not think that it is a thriller/haunted house (villa) as some people have touted it to me. I would classify it more along the line of a contemporary novel with a side of murder, as you know someone is going to get murdered in the 1970s, its more about how it will happen.

I think this book was so much more than the house and the murder in the 70s, it really was about these two women trying to find themselves. For Mari in the 70s this was trying to find her voice in a male dominated environment and her life being dominated by men and for Emily in the present trying to find herself again after her life has imploded around her as well as find a new voice that she never had before.

This book has two main characters and dual timelines and I really liked the way that it was presented in the book and even the interaction with the past and present. Especially how the past shapes the present throughout that timeline. I like both of the main leads, and I feel like you get to know them very well and how similar they are even though decades separate them.

I was able to figure it out most of the twists that Hawkins was going to throw my way in this book but that is okay as I wrapped up in the characters and the Story.

I think my one criticism of the book is that I wish that Hawkins would have went a bit darker in the present time, especially with the ending.

I really enjoyed this book and really have enjoyed all the books that I have read by Hawkins so far (I have not read her YA books) and I look forward to reading another book by her and what story she is able to come up with next.

Enjoy!!!

Well, this book certainly kept me engrossed in every chapter. You're really getting 2 mysteries in this book. The present day involves 2 best friends trying to reconnect in a gorgeous Italian villa and the other story is in the 70's with 2 stepsisters, great music references and murder, The book is thrilling and has just the right number of twists to keep you guessing.

A paranoia filled slow burn thriller set in dual timelines with two alternating points of view. Told by Mari in 1974 and Emily in the present day they both tell of their stay in Villa Rosato/Villa Aestas It is written as a story within a story. While staying at The Villa Emily becimes obsessed with revealing the truth about it's scandalized past of murder while staying there.

I was much more intrigued by Mari's story. Her story unfolded slowly but the characters and issues were much more entertaining than Emily's.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and it was an easy read. Though I didn't have much attachment to the characters I still was interested in what would be revealed about the haunted Villa.

I am grateful to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this book filled with friendship, betrayal and murder in exchange for my honest review.

This book did not seem like the usual writing style of Rachel Hawkins. I found the storyline to be dry and slow-moving. The elements of surprise and mystery were lacking.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Villa by @ladyhawkins . It just worked for me - the Italian setting, the dual timelines, the rock and roll, and the book within a book.

There are definitely twists and turns in this one with lots of surprises. The ending was exactly what I would expect from Hawkins - it left me a bit unsettled.

Definitely recommend this one!

This was my first Rachel Hawkins book and it won't be my last! I read this one very quickly and it kept me engaged the entire time. Will highly recommend this book!

Emily, an author struggling with illness and a recent divorce, accepts her childhood friend Chess's offer to spend time at an Italian villa. Although the two are not as close as they used to be, they venture to the Villa Aestas, formerly known as Villa Rosato, where rock star Noel Gordon once rented and where a murder occurred in the early 1970s involving musician Pierce Sheldon. Mari, Pierce's girlfriend, wrote a famous horror novel following the incident, and her stepsister, Lara, composed a famous album.

The novel, THE VILLA, is a captivating page-turner, with multiple layers of stories interweaving through the present and past. The narrators and their stories are complex and often unreliable, making it difficult to discern the truth. The gothic setting of the Villa adds to the suspense and intrigue. While the characters are not entirely likable, their dark and twisted personalities make for an interesting read. I gave this book a 3 star rating.

Loved the premise behind this book. I needed a little more action to keep me interested . Will definitely try this author again.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins.

Everything in cozy mystery writer Emily’s world has fallen apart beginning with a mysterious illness that led to her husband leaving and a difficult writing slump that she can’t seem to shake. So when her best childhood friend, Chess, suggests a month-long vacation at a villa in Orvieto, Italy, Emily jumps at the chance for a change of scenery and the possibility of rekindling their friendship. But Villa Aestas holds some dark secrets within her walls, which will cause Emily to question everything she knows about friendship, fame, and betrayal.

I am way late in my review of this book, to the point that my ARC expired – so I ended up purchasing The Villa on Audible. Listening to Julia Whelan is always a treat, and, honestly, the whole audio cast of this book is amazing. I really liked the story, but at times, I wanted to take Emily by the shoulders and shake her. The dual timelines were interesting, but I thought the connection between them could have been stronger. My thoughts on Chess would give away too much of the story, but I was thinking the ending would take a different turn with her. I still have some unanswered questions as to why Emily’s sickness really returned while in Italy, and that phone call in the kitchen… however, I do recommend The Villa for those looking for an easy thriller beach read.

First, this cover is amazing! Second, I will read anything by Rachel Hawkins and I was excited to dive into “The Villa.”

Unfortunately, this was not my favorite novel by Hawkins. There was a lot of characters and timelines to keep straight. I enjoyed the plot but personally it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my digital arc in exchange for my honest review.