I enjoyed this one quite a bit! I loved the alternating timelines, it added a lot to the story! I wasn't overly interested in the storyline, but I thought it was creative. I definitely preferred the present day timeline, I felt more invested in it. Overall it was a good read, but nothing super special in my opinion.

This was a really good book. I really liked the two timelines. I always get pulled into those kind of stories and this one really pulled me in. This is definitely a slower thriller but I does pick up. I find most thrillers get that way. But I would recommend this book. I can't wait to read more of Rachel Hawkins books.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC.

Book Summary:

Emily and Chess were the best of friends growing up. But like many friendships, theirs faded as they grew up. That didn't stop Emily from readily agreeing on a vacation to Italy with Chess. Perhaps this will be the time to reconnect that they've been needing?

Their destination is the infamous Villa Aestas, where a famous murder once happened. Staying on the grounds, Emily can't help but get sucked into the story. In turn, this investigation fuels a new novel and a new rivalry.

My Review:

Huh. There are SO MANY layers to The Villa. I'm honestly almost uncertain where to begin. It's tempting to say that this novel has two main plot lines, but honestly, it feels more like three. You probably know what I am referring to if you've read the book.

This adds a certain amount of complexity to the story, which I think was sorely needed. Emily's story could have gone the way of a stereotypical domestic thriller if not for the intervention from the past.

I had several theories throughout the course of reading The Villa. One was never technically proven incorrect, so I'm going to hold onto that one and consider it at least partially accurate. If you're looking for a mystery that'll make you theorize, this is the one to read!

Highlights:
Mystery/Thriller
Historical Fiction Elements
Book within a book
Layers

Trigger Warnings:
Illness
Affairs
Gaslighting

The Villa is a completely bingable story about secrets, lies, love, and the truths the storytellers want you to see. Told in dual timeline following stories the mirror each other eerily. Emily’s life has experienced major changes recently- an impending divorce, a health crisis, and a major case of writers block leaves her stationary until her childhood best friends invites her away to Italy. In the past timeline we meet Mari and learn of the events in her life that has lead her to the villa where her life takes a drastic turn.

I liked the story but I didn’t love it. It reads easily with each timeline drawing you in but little things in each timeline bothered me. I absolutely could not stand Chess and wholeheartedly believe she’s the villain of this story; she has no remorse for any of her actions and I can’t believe Emily falls for her act time and time again. It’s a toxic cycle that clearly neither of them are going to break. I think Mari’s storyline was more interesting but also sad. I felt for her and the situation she put herself in and although it ends in tragedy I think it was for the best.

I will say this is the best cover out of all her books.

Rankings
1. The Wife Upstairs
2. The Villa
3. The Reckless Girls



Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

While I have enjoyed previous books by Hawkins this one fell flat for me.
I truly did not enjoy any bit of it.

The two timelines? Nope.
The characters? Ugh
The ending? Cliché

So much potential but the execution was off.
I'll try her next novel but sucks I wasn't into this one.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Another enthralling thriller from Rachel Hawkins! Toxic friendships, ambitious artists, the dark tension of infidelity and murder in the air... all of it told in two timelines, both set at a beautiful Italian villa, over the course of two different summers.

Both storylines are relatively slow burn, with a heavy emphasis on atmosphere and the tensions between characters. The resemblance to the Shelleys and Lord Byron are pretty explicit, along with traces of Fleetwood Mac, and they work beautifully to weave this pair of entwined stories. I read it in a day, and definitely recommend to anyone who's ever wondered what Daisy Jones and the Six would be like as a thriller.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advance review copy.

The Villa tells the story of Emily and Chess, two long-time best friends that are feeling stressed in their everyday lives and decide to take a trip to Italy for the summer. They stay in a famous villa in the hopes that they will both be able to work on their new books while there. In 1974, this Villa was rented by a famous rockstar for the summer, and over the course of that summer, a famous horror novel is written, a platinum album is written, and a brutal murder happens. The Villa intertwines the present day story of Emily and Chess, as well as the past story of 1974, even including some other pieces of media such as journal entries from the people staying in 1974, excerpts from the horror novel, song lyrics, and news articles about the murder.
The Villa does a great job at weaving together these stories. I really enjoyed both timelines, as well as reading the different multimedia, my only critique is that in the version I had, differentiating between the different perspectives was a bit difficult because the spacing was incorrect. Overall though, I really enjoyed reading this novel, and I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

Told from the two female narrators from two different time periods. I did have a little trouble with how the stories were being told, but I eventually got the groove. I really did enjoy how the stories were woven together, and both main characters were likeable-I was rooting for them both. Good thriller.

I was given an ARC I’m exchange for an honest review.

This one was just okay for me. It was easy to follow and interesting enough to keep me listening, but most of the plot points were predictable and I didn't care much for any of the characters. The sex drugs rock n roll setting also isn't my fave so that made that POV harder to stay engaged for. This would be an easy vacation read or something easy to listen to on a road trip. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

"houses remember"
I love that opening line and I loved this book. The tone of this book is addicting, once I started it I couldn't put it down. If you like the show White Lotus I think you'll love this book. I can see how some people may find it a little slow or boring but I loved the way it's written. I couldn't decide which POV I loved more Emilys or Maris but the way Rachel Hawkins overlapped their stories was brilliant. This was giving all the Gothic vibes you could ever want out of staying in an old Italian villa that you know someone died in.

The Villa is a slow burn mystery/thriller, with almost gothic feel, involving a past crime that lingers into present day. At first, Mari's 1970s storyline is more interesting than Emily's present day one. Mari is an aspiring writer and is surrounded by rock stars. Emily is also a writer but her stay at the villa is more calm, even though she's sharing a space with her "best friend" Chess. It wasn't until the last 25% of the book that Emily's story began to pick up. It then became very hard to put down with a few intriguing twists. I was anticipating for the villa to play more into a dark, creepy vibe. Instead it was just a place where things happened and not a place that caused things to happen. Overall, I loved the idea of the murder house. If you enjoy more of a domestic drama with a gothic vibe, this one is for you.

Although this story starts off as a slow burn, the pay off at the end is worth it. There are 2 timelines and 2 stories being told in this book. One takes place during the present time where Emily & Chess re- kindle their friendship as adults after so many years. The other story line takes place in the 1970's during the rock & roll era where rockers would party hardy. The drama that ensues between the characters in the 1970's was one for the books! Everyone was practically sleeping with one another.....

At first the book dragged for me. It wasn't until almost 60% into the story that I really started to enjoy the storylines. This book has been described as gothic. I wouldn't categorize it in that genre as a whole, but the story from the 70's did give off gothic vibes. The rainy, thunderous nights in a Villa in Italy. The way the stories connected in the end was satisfying. I thought it was bittersweet that Mari & Noel parted ways the way they did. I felt sympathy for Mari & how her and Lara's relationship fell apart of that night at the Villa.

Overall, I really loved the premise of the book. I did see one of the twists at the end coming, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

Hm - I really wanted to like this book, and parts of it kept me riveted, but I was turned off by the main friendship/relationship, and couldn't feel much empathy toward or interest in either character. That said, it was a quick beach read, which is what I wanted and expected.

This was my first Rachel Hawkins book and I had no idea what to expect from this author, only knowing about her success in this genre of suspense/thriller, I guess you would say. I don't particularly enjoy thrillers or suspense, but I thought I would take a chance with this one, as the setting won me over. I went in with an open mind, not sure what I would find, but curious and hoping for lush writing about the Italian villa and countryside where the two main characters were staying. What I didn't expect is not just the multiple timelines but also the shadowing of the Percy and Mary Shelly story plus the introduction of a podcast episode thrown in. In some parts, it felt bloated (esp the podcast portion) and detracted from the story.

I did enjoy it, though it was a lot in many directions. Some of my more basic questions were not answered, which always bothers me when I am reading a book where the author has chosen to be ambitious in its scope. I feel that when you take that on, the primary story must be solid first or it feels as if the author is layering on to hide the defects.

That said- I enjoyed the ride well enough to rate it a three star.

Thanks to the publisher for granting me access to the digital arc via NetGalley in return for a fair review.

The Villa read like a modern gothic, with the atmosphere oppressive, foreboding, with a stunningly described setting that makes you feel like you’re right there with the characters. Rachel Hawkins deftly explores complex friendships, toxic relationships, and creative tension in a way that was so engaging I just didn’t want to put it down. The twists had me absolutely gasping and the dual pov with shifting timelines just added to the dread and drama of each storyline.

Honestly, this book made me want to go back to Italy so badly! The setting is so well-depicted, it filled me with so much nostalgia for the Italian countryside. I actually studied abroad in a neighbouring province (Arezzo) to Orvieto and I can attest to the landscape and architecture is as described in this novel.

Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this gem. I loved Reckless Girls by the same author, so I was delighted when my arc application was accepted for this one—and it did not disappoint!

*A note on the reading format: I did read this book half as an ebook and half on audio, and while both formats were good, I think I preferred it in ebook form, as I wasn’t a huge fan of Mari’s narrator. That being said, Julia Whelan is one of the narrators in this cast, so for those of you who are a fan of hers, you might want to pick up the audio version based on that alone.

I really really really wanted to like this one. I have tried it on several different times with different moods. I don't think ultimately this one ended up being for me.

I’m not sure what I was expecting with this book, but it definitely surprised me!

What really worked for me was the dual timelines the book used. I loved that the story was told through current day, where the reader gets to learn about what is unfolding at the villa today, but is also told from the past where the reader gets to learn about the tragic history of this Italian villa.

Another aspect I loved was how the meaning of the title seemed to change throughout the reading of the book. This gave me an appreciation for the author, and how she was able to transform the significance the the words ‘The Villa’ from the start, to the end of the book.

Now, what didn’t quite work for me were the characters. None of the characters from either the past POV or present POV were all that likable. it made the story hard to read at some points, as I just felt no connection to the characters.

Overall, this was a great book by this author! I loved the creative story and how there was a lot going on to keep my attention. I would recommend his book to anyone who likes a good dark thriller, or who likes any of Rachel Hawkins previous books.

Thank you to St. Martin Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the ARC, in return for an honest review.

The Villa is a dual-timeline thriller set in a gorgeous, Italian villa that reads like a game of cat in mouse. Emily wants to reconnect with her best friend and write again, but the house with a history only 70’s artists could imagine has other plans for them. We’re taken back in time to a famous murder, with only the doting eyes of writer, Mari, to tell us the truth of one fateful summer in 1974. Friendships, romances, and secrets tumble together for both women in this intoxicating read.
It was the perfect thriller read for me, we all know I love a good vacation murder, but my love of old rock really solidified this for me. I know there’s a huge trend in stories about famous artists in the 60’s through 80’s, but you won’t hear me complaining. This is a book I could reread and not get bored of, as well as totally see being a hit for my family, friends, and book clubs.

I really enjoy the way Rachel Hawkins writes a thriller. Her stories suck you right in and they’re hard to put down! I love how she writes her characters and their relationships and their morally grayness. Her endings leave you questioning morality and what you might do if in the same situation.

In The Villa we get to follow two timelines, present day between two writer friends and a mix of musicians and women in the 1970s that spend the summer at an Italian Villa. Hawkins weaves a tale of family, friends, love, and betrayal all combined with artistic undertones. This was a great story, but I did think some parts got a bit convoluted. Some of the plot turns didn’t seem to add to the story and seemed unlike the character we had come to know, which reminds me of Hawkins’ writing in Reckless Girls. This is a small critique and I’m still a fan of her writing and stories and can’t wait to read what she puts out next!

The Villa, by Rachel Hawkins, is a stunning novel that absolutely captivated my attention and held it throughout the entirety of this fast-paced thriller. This dark, gothic mystery is told from two points of view and two timelines that blend together seamlessly to create a complete and enthralling story of the secret events that occurred at a picturesque villa in Italy. This story is not only atmospheric, but also eerie and chilling in it’s unique plot.

We get one perspective from 1974 that tells the tale of a group of young creatives, three musicians, an author and an extra, odd-man out, who spend a summer at a Villa in Italy. We have love triangles, sordid behavior, manipulation, drugs, sex, ambition and jealousy. You know it can’t end well and it doesn’t. But you can’t help but feel empathetic towards some of the characters and their predicament.

We also have the present day perspective with two estranged friends. One, a wealthy, renowned self-help author, and one a successful, though less well-known cozy mystery writer. The two are unexpectedly drawn back together and decide it’s high time to reunite and enjoy a summer together to refresh and reignite their passion for writing at a villa in Italy…the same notorious one known as the murder house.

This story has layers, surprises, deceit and well-placed twists and turns. It’s well-written, nicely paced, creatively plotted and deliciously entertaining. The Villa is a definite 5 star read for me and Rachel Hawkins is now an auto-buy author for me!