Who wouldn't want to spend a summer at an Italian villa with a best friend? Em has been dealing with a tough divorce and struggling with her health and writing her next cozy murder mystery, so she jumps at the chance to join her best friend, Chess, in Italy. Once there, she learns that the villa is the site of a murder that took place and she begins to try to unravel the mystery of what happened there in the 1970s. And then tensions arise in her interactions with Chess–it's unclear: is she a best friend or a foe?

Although it took awhile to get into it, I enjoyed the alternating timelines, centring on Em and Chess in the present day and on Mari in the 1970s. I wasn't totally in love with the ending, but it seemed fitting for this story. It was a fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel.

If you’re looking for a delicious page-turning read that begs you to devour it in one sitting then allow me to shout out THE VILLA by RACHEL HAWKINS.

I just binged the heck out of this book and loved every minute of my time in Villa Aestas, an Italian villa with a dark history of murder. It’s the setting for a present-day girls trip where childhood best friends Emily and Chess try to mend their relationship.

They are both writers (love that!!) and when Emily learns that the Villa was not only the scene of the 1974 murder of the musician Pierce Sheldon, but also the inspiration behind one of the greatest horror novels of all time, she can’t help but dig into the past.

Gothic suspense. Complex female friendships. Dual timelines and multiple POVs. And secrets and lies and lots and lots of wine.

Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle––the birthplace of Frankenstein––Rachel Hawkins weaves a deadly legacy and we’re all invited. LOVED IT!!

This is my second read by Rachel Hawkins and I'm such a fan of her writing, her wit, her snark and snappy banter. The characters felt so real to me and the friendship between Chess and Emily relatable both in the clear love they have for each other and the at times challenging dynamic of female friendships.

I was hooked by the past mystery and not quite sure what led to the shocking murder. I loved all the twists and turns and was delighted throughout my read of this book.

Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I am absolutely picking up a finished copy for my shelf (and so I can tab it up - so many great lines!)!

Unfortunately I didn’t like The Villa. Although there were a lot of interesting aspects to the plot line (flashbacks of 1970s rock stars and poets that then connect to modern day- all primarily based in an Italian Villa), the execution fell short. For a fairly short novel, I struggled several times to push through. The writing was fine, but the way the story was told and the web of how it wrapped up I found to be too dragged on (even for such a short novel) and fairly messy. The previous thrillers/mysteries I have read from Hawkins (and really enjoyed) have been pretty tight in terms of execution, so I’m disappointed this latest book from her didn’t live up to my expectations.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the chance to read this ARC.

A psychological thriller with plenty of suspense. The story begins with a mystery of the villa and all the events that cumulate during and after a murder. This story will grab the readers attention from the start and will not let go until the thrilling conclusion. Electrifying storytelling. The plot was titillating and the characters riveting.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

So many great things to say about this one! Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders and Mary Shelley, this one will grab you from the first page. The story gives off a “Daisy Jones and the Six” vibe as it tells about 4 talented artists and a drug dealer all staying in an Italian Villa together one summer in the 70s. . The second storyline is about two modern day best friends who rent the same Italian Villa for a summer and get pulled into the drama that unfolded there so many years earlier. Both stories are riveting. And both stories tell of a summer that none of them will ever forget. The events that take place there will haunt them all forever. The rest of the world will never be privy to the “behind the scenes” story about the album and book the world adores. Creating music, writing a horror novel, making these contributions of art that will last longer than any of the people in the house….we get a peek at their love triangles, secrets and inner demons. I read it in one sitting. I was ready to give it a five star rating but the ending didn’t pack the punch I needed. 4.5 stars though! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book is over the top, uncomfortable, and full of drama--but I had the best time with it!!! It's exactly what I needed at just the right time. Loved how it all came together in the end. (And I really think I LOVE books that take place at a vacation home in Italy 😍)

Another great breed by Hawkins. Her stories are captivating and full of good mystery. I enjoyed this one as well as her previous books. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a solid 4 for me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been drawn into a book and stayed up into the late hours of the night reading. I loved and hated these complicated characters, and I’m glad they kept me guessing throughout.

I felt the bit with Em and Chess during the climax of the book was a bit forced. It was hard to believe Chess after everything.

The twist at the end, though, was beautifully executed!

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I feel like the dual timeline could have been done better- it got a bit convoluted at times. I *hated* the theme of girls sneaking around with the other’s significant other & then being like “oops, I did it for us”. Major eye roll there. However this book held my attention.

I was pleased to learn that I was correct in guessing that Fleetwood Mac & Mary Shelley served as inspiration. .

I appreciate the publisher & Net Galley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my review.

“The Villa” by Rachel Hawkins is a duel tale, set in a beautiful Italian home during two separate eras. Present day Emily is trying to move on in the midst of a messy divorce and her friend suggests the trip as a get away so Emily can get back to her job, writing novels. In the past, Mari is invited to the Villa along with her boyfriend and sister so that her boyfriend can collaborate some music with a famous rockstar. But as the two friends Emily and Chess dig into the past they discover that there’s something more to the tragedy in this house and that history might find a way to repeat itself.

This book was different than how I imagined it going. Emily and Chess have a lot of past history and potential issues to work through (okay, so I guessed some of their issues), but I found myself most captivated by Mari. Normally flashbacks and the past storyline doesn’t tend to keep my interest, but Mari became this character that was completely fascinating to me.

This book was twisty and filled with drama all around. Emily and Chess seem to be so distant and yet so close at the same time, it makes their friendship feel mildly uncomfortable, meanwhile the past is such a tangled mess of relationships it feels odd. In the middle of all the turmoil though remains one mystery and it was worth every second to figure it out!

Overall, it was really the ending that did it for me. That last little twist, really pushed this book over the edge for me to give it a solid five star ranking. Sometimes it’s the most simple twists that can really throw a person!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

For fans of Daisy Jones & The Six, but with some major twists - I definitely recommend The Villa, a dual timeline mystery/thriller that takes us to Italy to question loyalties, reminisce about youth and question the motives of those closest to us.

I REALLY enjoyed this book by Rachel Hawkins (more so than her previous "The Wife Upstairs"). The rock and roll component really drew me in, and I loved the inclusion of clues in the artists' work of the past. I wasn't super keen on the ending, which took away the fifth star for me, but this was still a fun read that I had a hard time putting down!

Thank you @netgally for the ARC!

I struggled to get through this one. While I can understand that it would appeal to some people, it was not my cup of tea.

This book is full of unlikeable characters in both timelines.
The twisty plot lines keep the story moving. The plot lines go between 1974 and present day with two main characters POV. The plot twists are good and I thought it was a great read!

Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, Gothic heroines, and the fateful summer that Percy and Mary Shelley spent on Lake Geneva with Lord Byron — this book had so many things going for it that are right up my alley. In fact, I could've lived in an even longer version of this book, which is I think what kept it from being a completely 5-star read for me. The slow burn pacing suddenly accelerated very quickly, and before you know it you're at the end shortly thereafter. I would've enjoyed at least 100 more pages dedicated to spooling out the twists and turns. But I really enjoyed the dual timelines, the emphasis on female friendship, and the undeniable Shelleys/Byron AU RPF. Hawkins' thrillers are always engaging for me, and this one was no exception to that rule.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dual timelines are usually enjoyable. Unfortunately for The Villa, I only enjoyed one the timelines. The current timeline with Chess and Em was only 🌟🌟🌟 for me. The past timeline with Mari and Lara was 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟. This story what the whole book should have been.

Readers can decide for themselves, but I’m disappointed that I read the whole book to find I only liked one of the storylines. Rachel Hawkins is turning out to be hit-or-miss for me.

“Houses remember.” (1 & 276)

Thank you NetGalley for sharing this with me.

3.5 stars

I really hoped that more would happen in this book and I did enjoy the writing and it held my attention but I think that's because I just kept waiting for more. I even bought the audiobook cause I was enjoying it so much I wanted to continue to read while doing other things and while still being a good book it did fall a little flat for me.

Emily, I don’t know if you are just a hurt woman who figured out the genius way to make people who hurt you, belittle you pay for what they have done or if you are a psychopath who knows how move hurdles from your way. Knowing that you hid last bit of story written by Mari and understanding what it says, I’m not sure what to make of you.

Emily didn’t want a baby, but her husband wanted. He forced her to be domesticated cat. Emily started to get sick and no one could tell why. Eventually her husband losing all hope that Emily would make him father of so many started to cheat on her and finally leave. But since he couldn’t get his babies out of this marriage, he wanted loyalties from Emily’s books. Emily was it up for any of it. When her bff from childhood asked her to stay with her in the villa in Italy, she jumped on the opportunity. Her friend was foreign to her all this time with her wellness empire, but this could be a time to get back together.

This villa they are staying at was a murder scene in the 70s. Rockstars lived and murdered. New rockstars and aware wimping authors were born from the ashes of that murder scene. With the mystery surrounding Her and her friend, Emily found the opportunity of a life time in pages hiding in the villa and at the tip of her fingers. I still cannot get over what’s in the last pages Emily found and I hope you won’t either.

I always love a great gothic suspense novel and what could be better than one set in an Italian villa?

Emily's husband filed for divorce and she cannot seem to get her life and career back on track so when her childhood best friend and hugely successful writer, Chess. suggests they spend a summer together in an Italian villa where they can write and reconnect what could go wrong?

Oh, did I mention the mansion has a history that includes murder? This is one of the new book releases from January that I read and loved.

I decided to give her writing another go after only semi liking Reckless Girls last year, and I’m glad I did! It was a fun ride and I really liked the twists throughout.

It took me a bit to keep all of the characters straight from each storyline, but once I did, I became invested. Especially in Mari’s story. What a wild time, the 70’s!

The friendship between Em and Chess is a kooky one. I don’t know how I feel about them being friends after everything that happened, but I’m glad they came together the way they did.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc in exchange for my thoughts!

Wasn’t a fan of this. Pretty much guessed the twist less than halfway through. It was a quick read but not shocking.