The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a fantastic gothic suspense.

Set in an Italian Villa, there was a dual timeline that i think really added to the story.

The characters were well written and fleshed out.

This was well written and kept me guessing.

This story was very well done. I'm not usually a huge fan of split timelines and dual POV's but it worked well in this case. Both POV's were interesting and kept me reading but they also ended at good points were I was ready to slip into the other timeline. Both mysteries were great, I loved the way they concluded. The end was a tiny bit open ended but it worked. Overall I loved this book and recommend it.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when Rachel Hawkins writes an unhinged popcorn thriller, I will read it. 😂 [laughing emoji] Thank you to the publisher for passing along her latest…⁣
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THE VILLA is the story of Emily, a struggling writer in the midst of a messy divorce, who travels to Italy with her childhood friend Chess who is now a wellness guru and inspirational writer. The villa they stay at with once the site of a brutal murder in 1974 when notorious rock star, Noel Gordon invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. ⁣
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After that fateful summer, Mari wrote one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composed a platinum album and Pierce was very dead… Once Emily starts uncovering the past, her present relationship with Chess takes a rocky turn…⁣
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THE VILLA takes its inspiration from the summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron where Mary first wrote Frankenstein and mixes it in with Fleetwood Mac-esque 70s drama and a touch of murder. The setting is fabulous and Hawkins’ writing is just entertaining as always, but I must confess this is not my favorite of her novels. The plot is a bit predictable aside from one concluding zinger that I’m still chuckling over. And although I share Hawkins’ dislike of Percy Shelley (aka Pierce), I also dislike Byron and felt like the reimagined character of John Polidori got the short end of the stick. (He wrote the first vampire novel! Give him some credit!) ⁣
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I’ll always be here for stories about sisterhood, female friendship, and revenge but this one was just 3 stars for me. (Also please note this is an adult novel with plenty of graphic content including drug use, sexual situations, and language.)

Another great story from this author. I loved the flashbacks and the excerpts from Mary’s book as well as reading about her time at the villa. I didn’t know where this one was going but thought it was great and well told.

This was such a great read for me! I usually feel like books need to be edited down, but I actually wanted more time with theses characters. I loved the dual timelines - the quippy, modern friendship of Chess and Emily and the slow and thoughtful timeline of Mari. I appreciated the exploration of art - writing and music, the Italian setting, and the murder mystery all wrapped in one. Rachel Hawkins is quickly becoming one my favorite authors with consistently enjoyable, unputdownable reads.

The Villa is a fun, easy, compelling romp that will keep you entertained and then surprise you with startling twists. If you're looking for an enjoyable thriller that celebrates the importance of female friendships despite jealousy and competition, this one's for you.

The plot of the novel is a delightfully complicated envelope in an envelope, with the modern-day characters-- bff writer friends staying in an Italian villa for a summer -- looking back on stepsisters, a writer and songwriter, who stayed in the villa in the 1970s -- one of whom is writing a novel of her own about yet another character staying in that same villa. The best part is that this sounds confusing but is actually easy to follow because Rachel Hawkins knows how to juggle.

The narration of the audiobook is a whole production with three actors reading the different parts. (Perhaps this helped with keeping the different stories easily separated.) I am grateful to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance copy of the audiobook and to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of the ebook. (I preferred the audiobook for this one.) Enjoy!

In 1974 rockstar Noel Gordon, rents Villa Aestas with his new upcoming musician buddy and his girlfriend and her stepsister. What’s supposed to be a summer of rock n roll ends in a gruesome murder, that no one to this day knows the exact details of. When aspiring writer Emily is offered to stay at the villa with her successful best friend, there’s only one thing on her mind, Yes! But soon Emily starts to dig into the past and sometimes the past is better left untouched.⁣
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What a book! I really enjoyed The Villa it was easy to immerse myself in the story and I even found it haunting. The relationships in this story are very complex and at times toxic, which adds to the appeal of the novel. ⁣
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I definitely prefer The Villa over last years novel Reckless Girls, if you’re a Rachel Hawkin fan make sure to grab yourself a copy on release date!

True Crime? Best Friends? Vacation? Who wouldn’t want to read this book cause I certainly could not stop listening! Following Emily and Chess on their vacation to the Villa in Italy was a very interesting story, especially with the dual POV in different years and seeing where the past meets the present. This is the second novel I’ve read from Hawkins and I would say I enjoyed this one equally at the first. One thing I love about Rachel Hawkins's writing is that it feels realistic especially when it comes to characters' conversations and thoughts and how they would react to certain events. It’s one of my favorite parts about her books is that they feel real. Thank you NetGalley and @Rach for my copy of The Villa

Two friends, Emily and Chess, decide to go to Italy on a girls trip. Both ladies need a break from work and life. They are hoping for time to reconnect.

They stay in Villa Aestas and try to enjoy a long and much needed vacation. Once there, they learn the history of the Villa and its deep, dark secrets. It is discovered that betrayal and death once took place here with others. As an author, Emily begins to write again. The two friends reveal deep secrets with each other and the reader finds out why Chess orginally wanted to take the trip.

The story is told in present and past tense. The reader learns of the mysterious happenings at the Villa from long ago, while reading about Emily and Chess in the present.

I personally found the book confusing. This was not the thriller that I was hoping it to read. In my opinion, it is not the author's best book.

Hawkins does it again! This book combined a past and present story line at a beautiful setting in Italy. The house was basically another character in the story. One of the things I love about reading is that it allows me to travel without leaving my house and this book was great for that. The scenery could be felt. Also, what woman can’t relate to having a frenemy, especially in this time of social media comparisons? The story line that took place in the past kept me questioning what really was going on and captured the drama of fame and artistic temperament. The modern twist felt a bit rushed to me but that may have just been because I was reading so fast to see what happened and how everything was tied together. Overall, I feel like this story really captured a place, a time, and my imagination.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book simultaneously explores two storylines. Emily and Chess are best friends who are trying to reconnect on a girl's trip and write the book together they have always wanted to. The villa they stay at is connected to a murder in 1974 and another book was written there by Mari. As they start to uncover what happened in the past you also learned what happened in the present.
This book very quickly draws in the reader and the twists and turns made it difficult for me to put it down. The two stories being told side by side push each other forward in a way that keeps the reader wanting to know what happens next.
Towards the end, the characters are less likable as you realized what they had actually done and what had happened. The book as a whole is definitely more plot-driven and if that is what you enjoy as a reader then this book will keep you entertained.
I found myself more intrigued by the Lilith Rising and Mari storyline and it felt adjacent to reading a Taylor Jenkins Reid book.
Overall I enjoyed the book and I would read it again and recommend it.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC from netgalley.com.

This is my third Rachel Hawkins book, and it did not disappoint. I love how it follows two best friends who need to have a reconnection and go on a trip together. Also, the past timeline with Mari and Lara and how two step sisters are fighting over the same man. All of this takes place at the same Villa, just many years apart. I preferred the storyline of Emily and Chess to the one with Mari and Lara. Only because Mari and Lara came off very catty with each other. The story definitely kept me intrigued and wanting to figure out why this Villa that was once the crime scene of a murder was still so scary to this day.

I picked this up bc I really enjoyed Reckless Girls. This was just ok for me. The last 80% was great but the 1st part was honestly a struggle. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

The Villa’s strength was in the atmospheric setting In both timelines. I really enjoyed the old villa and it’s vivid presence in the book. I preferred the historical timeline to the present day one, as it felt more gripping and tension-filled. The toxic friendship explored in the present day was well written as it was frustrating to read!
Overall, a quick and fast-paced suspenseful read that I enjoyed. My first read from this author, I will keep my eye out for more of their work in the future.
Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read multiple books by Rachel Hawkins and this has the best character development backstory out of the ones I’ve read. The twists were not as wild as I wanted, so I couldn’t give it more stars. I would rate this as 3.5.
Emily and Chess were best friends growing up. Now that they are older there see each other when time allows. Emily has always been the more reserved reasonable one while Chess tends to be more wild and extroverted.
Both are authors. Emily writes cozy mysteries while Chess writes self help. When Chess asks Emily to go on a summer long vacation to The Villa Emily decides she should go as she has been dealing with a messy divorce and needs a break.
When Emily starts to research where they are staying she realizes it’s called the Murder House. She starts deep diving into the history and gets motivation to write about it,
The book flips to the past 1974 when Mari and musician boyfriend Noel get invited by a famous musician to The Villa. Mari tells her story and what leads up to the murder of one of the summer guests.

I was confused off and on through this book. I really enjoyed it but I kept getting the characters and their connection to each other mixed up in my head. The story is told in two time frames interspersed with excerpts from books and words to songs. It was almost like a book within a book within a book. Overall I liked the book better than Reckless Girls and found it to be a smooth read. Also, there aren't quite as many f-bombs as in Reckless Girls but still quite a few.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own. This book was published January 3rd and is available for purchase now.

I wouldn’t say this is a thriller really. It is a story of two friends writing together, and I really enjoyed it! There is a dual timeline going on which I did not expect. I couldn’t put it down once I got about halfway through it really picked up. Enjoy!

As an avid (and rabid) Frankenstein fan girl, I can say that I was very much ready to hate this book. I’d read Rachel Hawkins’ other work, including The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls. And yeah, she’s definitely an excellent thriller/horror writer, but some things just shouldn’t be touched. The book begins with two writer friends, their books and a summer at an Italian villa which is very much in the same manner in which Mary Shelley conceived the story of Frankenstein. One of the characters is a famous writer. Another one is the daughter of two famous intellectuals—sound familiar? To top it off, Hawkins has given many of the characters Frankenstein inspired names such as “Pierce Sheldon”, “Victoria”, and, of course, a nineteen year old girl named “Mari” 😬 —it’s a bit too much. Despite Hawkins’ heavy wink and nod, readers “in the know” will be impressed with Hawkins’ echo of Shellian themes and concerns. Her novel engages with many of the themes we enjoy in Frankenstein, such as preoccupation with fame and discovery, competition, ego and youth. I’m especially interested in how Hawkins’ Villa is yet another adaptation of what Mary Shelley titled, “Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus”. Like Frankenstein, The Villa is a with story inside of story. The layers seem infinite. At the end of the day, it’s very well done and all together a worthwhile read. I highly recommend reading it and not paying too much mind to its occasional cheesiness.

I’ve struggled a lot lately with staying invested in thrillers with duel time lines but this one was very well done. I was equally interested in both Mari’s and Emily’s story. I thought the characters were well done, and the plot didn’t hinge on them making obviously bad choices which I definitely appreciated. The historical aspect, being based on Mary Shelly was a neat concept and has been a great talking point when hand selling this book.

⭐️⭐️.5

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙐𝙥𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙘 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙄𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮.

📍 Read if you like:
• Gothic Thrillers
• Dual Timelines
• Confusing Endings
• Italian Settings

I loved The Wife Upstairs and found Reckless Girls to be a quick enjoyable read, however, The Villa just wasn’t my cup of tea for various reasons.

I had such high hopes as Rachel Hawkins's books are quick reads and interesting stories. Unfortunately, the story as a whole was such a disappointment.

I love when books have an Italian setting, but in this particular story, the plotline was off. I didn’t care too much for the dual timelines, especially in the past. I was more invested in what was going on in the present.

The mention of sex, drugs, and rock stars was too much for me, it started boring me and even though this book isn’t too long - it still felt like it dragged.

I think there was so much potential with the premise, but the mystery side of it was disappointing. It could’ve used some more twists as well.

I loved the inspiration this book got its story from, but ultimately it was such a letdown. The first half of the book was so full, not much happened… and the second half had major plot holes. I was also so confused with the ending. I had to ask a friend and we were both super confused… what was the point?

I, unfortunately, didn’t love The Villa. It had so much potential but not much happened regarding the mystery. I didn’t get anything out of this one after reading it, it may just be me but ultimately this book didn’t work for me.