Emily and Chess were inseparable growing up, but in their early 30s, their relationship is no longer what it was. When Emily’s life begins to fall apart after her recent divorce, Chess invites her on a girls trip to a beautiful Italian Villa. The Villa itself has a dark history that Emily becomes fascinated with and inspired by during their visit.

I really enjoy Rachel Hawkins’ writing style. The way her settings play such an integral part to her stories and the way she slowly builds suspense makes her books so fun to read, and The Villa had so many of the aspects of her previous work that I loved. I particularly enjoyed the small flashbacks to the Villa’s past and how they were interwoven throughout Chess and Emily’s story. The mystery kept me intrigued from start to finish, and while there were a few plot twists I saw coming, the book still surprised me in many ways. I was so engaged, I read this one in one day!

The audiobook was narrated by Julia Whelan which means it was phenomenally done!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the advance copies!

I don’t even know where to start here. This is a story within a story within a story. And there’s authors in different timelines writing more stories. It was so confusing I didn’t even understand what the story was. Shaking my head. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review.

I generously received a copy of this book through Netgalley. I’m typically a big fan of Rachel Hawkin’s work but found this one a bit lacking. I liked the overall plotline of the book but felt the crammed too many story lines in. The ending also felt super unrealistic. Overall not my favorite, but still a quick and fun read!

In The Villa, Rachel Hawkins has crafted a mesmerizing story on two levels.

The first story revolves around Maddie and Chess, two women who have been best friends since elementary school. I got the impression that although they are "life long friends" their relationship has always included a heavy dose of competition. Both have achieved a level of success as authors, although Chess is by far the more famous of the two. When they decide to hide themselves in a chateau in the Italian countryside for the summer to work on their current projects, we begin to see where their relationship is successful, and where the cracks in the relationship are. I found this story to be an interesting illustration of the relationship between two successful, driven, adult women. On the one hand they will do anything for each other, on the other hand they view each other as the competition, and sometimes maybe even the enemy. As such, the story works well with good writing and interesting characters. The drawback for me revolved around each woman's ability to ignore certain things pertaining to the background of their story, but which seemed obvious to me. I just couldn't see how they were each unable to draw the same conclusions that I did.

The second story that unfolds is the story of the murder of a rock star which took place in the same chateau in the 1970s. This story was the more appealing to me. It had a very gothic-y feel to me, which hooked me right away, yet it also had the vibe of a 70s tell all. The cast of characters in this part of the book had more interesting backgrounds and their relationships to one another were more complex and difficult to figure out. We learn early on about that a murder took place, and the twists and turns regarding that plot line really kept me hooked all the way to the end, which was not quite what I expected.

Although I felt more pulled into one part of the book than the other, I'm not sure the story would have worked as well without both parts, which made the shortfalls of the one part worth sticking with for me.

A big thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this novel through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

3.5 stars

This book was in my top anticipated reads of 2023 and unfortunately it left me disappointed.

Throughout the book I just knew it was gonna be a five star read, but the ending left me annoyed and frustrated. I still enjoyed the book leading up to the reveal, but thats what ultimately knocked my rating down.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and Author, Rachel Hawkins for this advanced reader's copy.

This is a psychological thriller novel layered with a suspenseful dual story and timeline. We are a story within a story told decades apart.

The two timelines intertwine and get more interesting when Emily begins to find secrets and clues inside the villa about the murder that took place there in the past. These discoveries lead up to an unexpected turn and a few surprise twists in the story.

The Book is largely told from Mari’s perspective in the past, and Emily’s perspective in the present. Both Mari and Emily are effective narrators in very different circumstances. In 1974, a time famous for sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll, Mari knows she’s in a bit over her head. She is staying with her stepsister and three grown men in a secluded Villa. Emily, on the other hand, knows she’s directionless. After coming to terms with her pending divorce, financial difficulties, and the pressure to finish her upcoming book. Both find inspiration at the Villa to escape their pasts and the shadow of the men in their lives. Emily begins to read about Mari and the Villa Rosato Horror. Emily suspects that this was more complicated than people were led to think…
Overall, was a dual narrator that was easy to follow, and suspenseful! It’s about friendship/sisterhood and it makes you think about the lengths you might go for that certain bond. This was another great one by Rachel Hawkins. I love The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls and now…The Villa.

In The Villa, a dual timeline creatively brings together the characters past and present, diving deep into the bonds between best friends. This novel creates doubts in loyalty and picks at whether we really know our true friends. It is a fast read simply because you need to know what happens!

Chess and Emily are best friends from elementary school chess always the dreamer starts her whole self help books and brand while Emily becomes a cozy mystery writer. Both have very successful careers, but Chess just has a different lifestyle set all over the world. Emily is slightly jealous as she sees her jet set all over while she’s at home sick and going through a divorce. Chess has the wonderful idea to reset at an Italian Villa with a known murder history as a girls trip. I love the intertwined stories of past and present! The story of lovers Mari and Pierce and the on and off again step sister drama of Lara. In the present villa tenants we have the on again off again drama of Chess and Emily friends since school. The story we know is about a murder in 1974 and the book slowly unwinds what happened that night in 1974. Chess and Emily are at the same villa in present day and learn some secrets about that night as well as secrets between the best friends. Great twists kind of apparent as the story unfolds, but the last past twist was not expected in the life of Mari! I would recommend this mystery to anyone who likes the back and forth timeline mystery.

If you are into murder mystery, hunting for clues and gathering evidence then this is one for you. With a trip to rebuild and reconnect a friendship that has grown apart one of them begins digging into the murder that may have been more than discovered at the time. I would say if you have read any Hawkins novels before then this one will not disappoint!

If you liked the rock-n-roll vibes of Daisy Jones and the Six, you'll love the Villa. It's a mystery and a feminist tale that proves that you can write your own ending to any story.

The only thing that got me a bit was the relationship between Chess and Emily. I think that there's a whole boatload of crazy there to explore.

While this wasn’t my favorite Rachel Hawkins book, it was still a solid read. It started out a tad slow for me, but I found myself intrigued at the end. Definitely a slow burn!!

Third time's a charm! This twisty tale of a luxury Italian Villa hit all the marks for me. Both POVs were interesting, multifaceted, and suspenseful until the end. While I am not sure I agree with all of Hawkins' decisions as far as the ending of Mari’s tale goes, I appreciate the story that she spun and enjoyed the ride. The creative interludes of a podcast transcripts and newspaper articles weren’t superfluous, thank god, but rather a fun nod to the current popular media around true crime.

This is my third Hawkins book and while her Jane Eyre adaptation was a hit for me (most likely due to my soft spot for anything related to Jane), her island thriller was not. I was concerned going into this title that my enjoyment of any of her previous work was a fluke, but I was pleasantly surprised by ‘The Villa’! Ultimately, all three of her books have the same message: men suck. While I generally agree with the sentiment, I would like to see her dive deeper into the complex relationship between misogyny and patriarchy. ‘The Villa’ is definitely a step in the right direction and would be the first book I suggest readers pick up if they are interested in Hawkins.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

My first Rachel Hawkins read and it was so good! Loves how the timeline alternates between past and present. I’m also a sucker for thrillers so this one was right up my alley! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc review.

As a fan of The Wife Upstairs, I was so excited to dive into this book! While this was a slow burn drama, I really enjoyed how the past intertwines with the present. This was such an eerie read, which is right up my alley. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I will be recommending it to other friends as well!

This suspenseful read had such a clever and unique concept. It had a far more complex plot than Hawkins last two novels and that definitely helped it stand out!

I enjoyed how we got duel timelines and duel points of view, separated by the present and 1974. I also really liked how the characters were authors and the idea of stories within stories and a behind the scenes experience of a writer.

I rotated this one between my physical copy and the audiobook and I must say the audio was extremely well done and it certainly kept my attention!

While I was slightly underwhelmed by the ending, I was completely intrigued throughout and it’s surely a quick read nonetheless!

3.5 rounded to 4 - review to come

Wow, I did not think I would like this book as much as I did, being that it was a thriller. Rachel Hawkins deserves all the stars though. This story was set up as two different stories, well three if you include the book within this story. At first, I thought it was going to be another jealous crazy best friend story, and while it does have hints of that it's so much more, especially when you get further into the story and realize everyone is not as good as they seem. Also, I'm one of those people, who get anxious and read the ending first, before I carry on with the rest of the story, but I still wasn't expecting the plot twist, and it left me speechless. Overall, it was a fantastic read.

I enjoyed this slow burn suspense that alternates between the present day and 1974. (To be honest, I felt 1974 was a little slow and enjoyed the present day story more). The story is brought together through the setting- an Italian Villa, and through the creative mindsets of artists. Everyone in the story is some sort of author-either writing books or songs. The present day story takes a turn I didn't see coming and kept me turning the pages!
I read this book and listened to it on #audio and enjoyed both versions. Available now!

Out now !

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the #gifted copy.

There is nothing I love more than “true” crime, gorgeous settings and dual timelines. The Villa delivers all three with the stories of Emily and Chess (present day) and Mari, Lara and their “rockstar” crew (past).

The Villa was the right book at the right time for me. The plot and writing just clicked with my energy and it was an absolute delight.

What I loved most about the book were the relationships between the women and how Mari and Lara’s legacies integrated into the present day timeline.

While I was easily able to figure out the truth about what happened that fateful night at Villa Rosato, that didn’t bother me at all.

For me, the “whodunnit” wasn’t as important as the why it was done.

It’s about generations of women who have been manipulated and controlled by men and societal norms, stifling their art and creativity.

It’s about how even in our progressive time, women compete against each other for recognition. There’s still the underlying feeling that female artists need to fit into a box, whether it’s as a wellness writer or author of true crime. We see this in real life when actors or writers try out new things.

It’s also entirely possible that I’m reading way too much into an enjoyable thriller set in paradise :)

This book, by Rachel Hawkins, consists of two stories, same setting, but several decades apart.
Emily and Chess are best friends and successful authors, who spend a summer together in Orvieto Italy. The Villa they rent has some history- a murder took place in the 1980’s. While trying to work on new books, Emily hits a writing block, but becomes obsessed with the old murder, and decides to write her book about it.
Thus, the two stories unfold, one the story of the murder and the other Emily’s unfolding story.
I found this book to be a bit slow, and dragging at times.
The characters weren’t particularly likable, either in the old story or new one.
I gave it 3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was really looking forward to “The Villa” by Rachel Hawkins — I flew through her book “Reckless Girls.”

“The Villa” is the story of two longtime girlfriends, Emily and Chess, who rent an Italian villa where they can work — Emily is a novelist and Chess is a self-help influencer. The villa they’re renting has a storied past: it was rented by a group of musicians and writers in the 70s, where an iconic horror novel and platinum-selling album were both written and one member of the group was brutally murdered.

The book switches between Emily and Chess and the 70s artists who stayed at the villa, tying the two timelines together through the horror novel. I found myself wanting more of Emily and Chess — I loved their storyline! I think if you go into this one recognizing that it’s a slow-burn — and you’re fine with the story-within-a-story plot that’s popular — you’ll enjoy this one.