This is definitely Hawkins’ best book yet! Such an interesting premise and something that hasn’t been done before. I loved the alternating POV and trying to unravel who to trust and who to suspect. And then the twists! Oh my gosh the twists just kept coming and I’m SO here for it! Definitely a must read!

I have read a couple books by the author now and I think I’ve come to the conclusion that her work just isn’t for me. I didn’t really enjoy this one but it’s likely just a me problem not the book itself.

Alternating timelines about 2 writers and 2 close ladies at the same villa. Right from the beginning I wanted to know the whole story of what happened at the Villa. The two writers write similar stories about their memorable stay at the Italian summer rental. Murder, Love, and Friendship are all experienced thru the story.

This book had so much potential-the setting was perfect for a creepy mystery. However, this book was not what I was expecting. I wanted Mari’s story to be more mysterious and intertwined with Emily’s story. Instead, it read as a story of friendship and finding yourself amidst a murder background, which left me feeling disappointed. The end was such a jump from the build up that it felt disjointed and rushed. Sadly, this book just didn’t work for me.

This was our bookstore's book club pick. Overall, we collectively agreed that this was not good. We found the premise interesting, but we wanted more. Set in Italy, but the beauty of Italy was missing. You follow two timelines. one in the 70s and the other in the present. Two friends with secrets that you uncover along the way. But overall, it lacked.

I plowed through this book in less than a day. I loved the dual storylines and time periods. Daisy Jones with a murdery twist. So good. This author never disappoints!

The Villa tells two stories, in two time periods that give off the same vibes. It took a little bit of time for me to get into the story of Emily, but once the plot started to thicken the pace kept me going! I've been a fan of Hawkins other works, and this fits in really well with her style.

I’ve read quite a few books by this author and enjoyed each one, so I was excited to get to this one. This author writes amazing thrillers in my opinion. Also the idea of staying in a house where murder occurred always intrigues me.

I enjoyed Chess and Emily’s friendship, it seemed so pure. Having their story unfold in the gorgeous Italian back drop was an excellent choice. The backstory was a great addition as well.

I thought the parts of the book we got to read, the podcast and the rest of the multi media aspects. I will absolutely be reading everything by this author, especially if it’s a thriller.

No. The Villa was not a read for me. The book felt disjointed and truly, just odd. Not what i was hoping for in a mysterious adventure read.

This was my favorite Hawkins book. I really enjoyed the Italian villa settings and the characters were well developed and fun to follow.

3.00 stars
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TW: Murder, Child death, Infidelity, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Abortion
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For such a bright cover - the contents of this book are dark and twisty! Emily and Chess were two peas in a pod as kids, flash forward to the present and both of them are in their 30s trying to thrive as writers. When Chess offers Emily an offer to visit a villa in Italy where both can work on their latest books, Emily can't say no. As soon as the girls arrive, things seem off. We find out that the villa is well-known due to a brutal murder that took place in 1974.

As Emily tries to focus on her latest cozy mystery novel, she can't help but dive into the villa's history. This book is told via a dual timeline as we bounce between the present and the events of what took place in 1974. I wouldn't consider this one a thriller, but the plot does add an aspect of suspense.

I think what is lacking in this book is a plot. Other than the girls working on their novels and "what happened in 1974" nothing happens until the end of the novel, and even when the twist is exposed, it's nothing that you wouldn't see coming.
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I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Rachel Hawkins for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book was published on January 3rd 2023

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. This book is marketed as a psychological thriller, but I would be hard pressed to agree with that. There really wasn’t much that made it a thriller, in my opinion. It is told in dual timeline, which I generally like in books as it gives the reader the perspective from both time periods. I can’t say I liked either character, Emily or Chess, and by the end I pretty much despised Chess.

The story has a very intriguing premise, but it was super slow for me in the beginning, and by the final chapters it was super-fast, so the ending felt rushed and unfinished, leaving me very unsatisfied.

I struggled with the premise of Emily and Chess going on a vacation together to Italy. They used to be best friends but by this point in their lives, they are more enemies than friends, and I can understand wanting to reconnect or whatever, but do it a bit closer to home, in case it all blows up, yeah? Maybe Emily was just so desperate to get her writing mojo back that she was willing to try just about anything.

This story was just too slow moving in the plot department for me, and there were none of the thriller elements I expect in a book to satisfy being able to call it a psychological thriller. Sadly, this story was a fail for me.

I absolutely loved the setting of this book in beautiful Italy and the descriptions included. The Villa was overall an entertaining and enjoyable suspense book that I will recommend to others. However, the modern day characters were so blah and hard to connect with or enjoy in a way that made me feel for them overall. I loved the 70s storyline so much more. Also, not a big fan of the ending in terms of the Matt situation and what transpired with the modern day characters.

Rachel Hawkins is a auto reas author for me. This book drew me in with the setting and kept me here with the mystery. It was a page turner right to the end.

4-stars. Good character development. Engaging story. Kept me reading and wanting to know more from the very first chapter.

This is the first I have read from this author. Overall, I enjoyed the story. The different points of view from past and present kept me interested and invested in the story. There were many twists and turns which I really enjoy in a story. The ending did fall a bit short in my opinion. There was so much going on throughout the story that there could have been a better, more climactic ending. Overall, I would recommend this book to a friend and give it 4/5 stars.

I found that this book was a very slow burn. Nothing exciting happened until towards the end of the book. I also found the characters incredibly unlikable. I was surprised by the ending and didn't see it coming

I absolutely loved The Wife Upstairs, and was really excited to read this book. However, I tried 4 different times and simply could not get into it. Maybe it's the name Chess? Maybe it was the historical character who seemed awful? I was just completely uninterested. At this point, I simply need to admit that its' not happening. Maybe next time, Rachel Hawkins.

Love a story set in a villa in Italy. Enjoyed the relationship between sisters, Lara and Mari. Love and crime make this an interesting and twisted read.

Two timelines, one incredible story! Mari is in the past and Emily is in the present. Two parts to make a whole story. I preferred the present timeline over the past just because of the husband. It was so good!