I admit this book started slow for me, but about halfway through I became much more invested. I always enjoy a good dual timeline story. The 1970's story, though, was what really held my interest and without revealing too much, I really enjoyed the twist of that piece. Em and Chess... well, can you just say gaslighting? Yikes. I would've liked to see that piece of the story end a little differently, or at least not gloss over how the situation was resolved. While this book was less of a thriller and more a slightly suspenseful women's fiction, it was mostly a quick, pleasant read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

Great quick read! I loved the dual timeline. Early on, I was able to figure out the present day love situation. I was doubtful of Chess and still am. The 1974 timeline was fantastic! Loved the dynamic between everyone at the villa that summer.

I was able to access this book through my public library. I love Rachel Hawkins and this book was no exception! I love anything horror or anything that hints at 1970s rock and roll. Loved this story!

3.5 I enjoyed this thriller. It didn’t really thrill me tho, but I loved the 1970s part of meri and the villa in the 70s if I could of had a book of just that I would loved it, the chess and Emily part I was honestly just wishing it to be over so I could get back to Meris part or if it told me more about meri part. I thought the writing wasn’t bad, but I really think what lost me was Emily’s part. I would still recommend this to people who enjoy thrillers and i would still read what Rachel writes next!

Emily and Chess were childhood best friends, but they grew apart their lives diverged. Emily married and started writing cozy mysteries, but recent health problems led to writer’s block and a separation with her husband, Matt. Chess became a bestselling lifestyle guru so busy she rarely visits their hometown of Asheville. Emily can’t stand to admit her emotional or financial troubles to Chess, so presents a satisfied façade, and when Chess suggests they spend a summer together in Italy, Emily agrees. Not only will it allow them to reconnect, she can get some distance from Matt and hopefully be inspired to write.

When they arrive at the beautiful Villa Aestas in Orvieto, Emily learns that it was the site of an infamous murder. In 1974, rock star Noel Gordon rented the villa and invited the up-and-coming musician Pierce Sheldon to collaborate. Joining them were Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and Mari’s step-sister, Lara, as well as various members of Noel’s entourage. By the end of the summer, Mari had drafted a famous horror novel, Lara written a ground-breaking album, and Pierce had died.

Even though Emily is supposed to be completing a cozy mystery for her contract, she’s drawn into the story of what happened decades before in the villa. As she researches and writes about the fateful summer, her relationship with Chess becomes strained. Emily learns secrets not only about the house and what happened there but about Chess and her plans, proving the villa is as dangerous in the present as it was in the past.

Inspired by the summer during which Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein (the parallels which were evident) as well as the band Fleetwood Mac (the connections which I didn’t see), THE VILLA is told in two timelines, 1974 and the present. It offers interesting commentary on female creators and how we are often relegated to the background or forced to compete rather than cooperate. I highlighted many great quotes about the artistic process and about confining relationships. The Italian summer setting is presented vividly, along with food and wine. Some of the most interesting action, though, takes place off-page and is presented through “mixed media.” I thought this lessened the impact of these big events. Additionally, although Chess is an interesting character, I found it very hard to like her and so difficult to understand Emily’s loyalty to her. THE VILLA is an ambitious novel, and I give Hawkins props for weaving multiple themes and narrative threads into a cohesive story!

I liked this book a lot!

To preface, I want to say that I'm usually more of a romance reader, but I enjoy a good thriller from time to time. And this was definitely the kind of good thriller that I enjoy. It read like a Taylor Jenkins Reid book, if Taylor Jenkins Reid had characters who were murdered and creepy old houses in addition to rock stars and compelling time jumps.

This book did one thing extremely well: morally gray characters. I love morally gray characters who are compelling despite being frustrating, and who you can root for while still realizing that their actions are... probably not the smartest. It took a really interesting perspective on female friendships and sisterhood, and while I think the actual murder and mystery behind it was a bit simplistic, I appreciated the twists and thought that the story that accompanied the mystery was strong enough to compensate for whatever was lost in the lack of complexity of the mystery.

Overall, if you're someone who likes Taylor Jenkins Reid and is interested in a thriller that isn't too complicated but still has depth and strong, well written characters, I think you'll really enjoy this book!

Huge thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this mystery/thriller! It was two storylines, one in 1974 and one in present day. I like that it was a book about books! It was exciting and kept me wanting to read another chapter. It was interesting, with well developed characters and I loved the twists and turns!

Like Rachel Hawkins, "Reckless Girls", this book just didn't really do it for me. It was entertaining enough, but also very predictable to me (this may just be a "me" problem, as I read a lot of crime fiction). The characters felt a little too cliched for my liking and I was a disappointed that the setting, a villa in Italy, never really came to life. All in all, not a bad book by any means, but one that I suspect will not linger very long in my memory either.

It's a good vacation book.. Fun setting with female-female friendship at the focus--take it with you on your girl's trip and try not to give your friends the side eye.

This one was super-engaging and kept me up late reading. There are dual-timelines, and I was reasonably invested in both of them--never felt any annoyance when switching between Emily and Mari's stories, which is always the risk. The plot felt fresh--I appreciate when mystery/thriller authors try to do something different, but the ending was a little off. It felt like it was trying to be bold and divisive, but it was just "fine".

I did enjoy this book however, the “mystery & thriller” part never quite showed up. The book is told in two timelines, the present where two best friends stay at a villa in Orvieto, Italy, each friend using their time there to pen their new books. The second timeline takes place in 1974 when four Brits stay at the villa during one summer and a murder occurs.

Now the thing about the 1974 time that kind of annoyed me is that it was an absolute rip-off of Mary Shelley’s life, as Mari stood for Mary, Pierce Sheldon for Percy Bysshe Shelley, the rock star Neil Gordon was obviously Lord Byron, and Mari’s stepsister Lara was ripped off from Mary’s stepsister Claire Clairmont. The author used details about Mary Shelley’s life to stand in for Mari’s life (how her father married a next-door neighbor, how her family disowned her when she ran away with the married Percy and even used the death of Mary’s child in Mari’s backstory too). This wasn’t just a little too on the nose, it was a complete sledgehammer. However, if you’re a writer, you might enjoy these tidbits of information.

The present timeline wasn’t as fascinating as the one in 1974, because I really couldn’t stand Em, the cozy-mystery writer who’s too hung up on her best friend Chess’s recent success as a motivational writer. In fact, I don’t even know why these two are friends when they seem to dislike one another.

This book was interesting, I won’t deny that, but at the same time, it didn’t deliver on the thriller aspect that was promised in the beginning. But since I did read the book in about two days, I will say that the author has a way of having you want to stay up to read until you’ve reached the end, so I’ll give her props for that.

All in all, this book is good if you’re looking for a cozy mystery – because it’s in no way a thriller or true mystery. The location is gorgeous and the 1974 timeline of groupies and rockstars was fascinating, despite the blatant rip-off of Shelley’s life.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love this book. Rachel Hawkins is an amazing author and this book just solidifies that. I really appreciate the depiction of female friendships in this book. It’s so difficult to find a book that depicts female friendships in an accurate way but this book does that.

This was a slow burn for me. I enjoyed the way the author described the villa and created the setting. At first I had trouble keeping track of all the characters as it was a bit confusing. I did enjoy the dual timelines. I struggled to connect with the characters and find them likable. I was hoping for more twists.

A beautiful cover for a thriller! Rachel Hawkins does not disappoint.. Her insight into female friendships and relationships is unparalleled. I can't wait to see what some comes up with next!

This was another great read from Rachel Hawkins! This felt so different then anything she has every written. This story, within a story, within a story, was intriguing and the setting was incredible. There were so many twists and turns and you gotta love an unreliable narrator! Always here for a Rachel Hawkins mystery/ thriller and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing me with a e-ARC of this book!

I loved the Italian setting of the book, it gives it very atmospheric vibes as you are reading. I also love the juxtaposition of the bright and summary vibes while the actual story is moody and dark. I always love a dual timeline as well.

One thing I wasn’t a fan of was how the author tried to keep you guessing on which story line of Mari’s was the true story line. It’s hard to explain without giving away the ending so if you’ve read this you’ll probably understand what I mean.

I love this author! I seem to enjoy all books she has written. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

I loved this book! "Houses remember" is the prevailing quote here, and Rachel Hawkins did a fantastic job of weaving this tale of a murder house, best friends reunited, paranoia and real time life drama.
I breezed through this one in a night! I couldn't put it down!
Something about it just sucked me right in and I did not predict some of the twists that occurred.

A solid four star read for the mystery/thriller/women's fiction buckets.
Thankful for the ARC !

Two best girlfriends take a summer trip to Orvieto, Italy -- but things don't go exactly as planned.

Emily and Chess are in their thirties now, but they have a bond that has kept them connected even with life's ups and downs. Emily is recovering from a broken marriage and is struggling to finish a cozy mystery installment she owes the publisher. It seems that Chess's star is on the rise as her self-discovery books have made her a supernova, but she's also dragging her heels to complete her own nonfiction book.

As the women settle into Villa Aestas, they discover that their luxurious accommodation was once rented by a group of young people -- a famous rock musician and 4 others who were there to create music, write, and relax -- with the help of some drink, drugs, and sex. Their sojourn ends in tragedy and what happened there becomes part of the villa's history.

Emily is fascinated by the events from summer, 1974, and as she explores the villa and digs deeper into the past, she finds herself coming alive even as her relationship with Chess becomes strained. Long held secrets come to light and it seems that there will be a reckoning between the two friends.

I enjoyed this novel that simmers with tension and a bit of gothic influence that enhances the suspense. The twists and turns were interesting as well as how the author wove the story of the past with what was occurring in the present. Although I really didn't care for either Emily or Chess as characters, the plot was interesting and kept me engrossed. I did wish for more details about the villa itself and about Orvieto.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. 3.5 stars rounded up.

This was my third book from Hawkins. All of which have been in this genre, and each time I think they can't get any more out of pocket they do.

I really enjoyed the juxtaposed of Emily and Mari's stories and how their relationships paralleled each other. I do wish we had more depth with each of these characters. Something was lacking in the modern timeline. Especially with Emily's friendship with Chess.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC of The Villa in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first time reading a Rachel Hawkins book, and it was quite the absorbing time. It's appropriate that her Gothic thriller has been marketed as being evocative of the Manson murders, Fleetwood Mac, and the notoriously grim summer vacation of 1816 at Lord Byron's castle near Lake Geneva that included Percy Shelley and Mary Godwin (who would be known as Mary Shelley after the two of them got married) in the group. All of those inspirations can be strongly felt throughout the atmospheric novel as we follow a roster of morally gray characters who possess varying levels of unlikability and keep us on our toes over the mysteries unfolding in both timelines. The Italian backdrop and the theme of the desire to reimagine our lives to suit our own idealistic preferences are pluses, too.

Overall, if you're looking for some good old Gothic entertainment, I think The Villa would be an appropriate choice.