La historia ha estado bien pero no me ha atrapado del todo como con libros anteriores de esta autora. A lo mejor influye que mi cabeza estaba con demasiadas cosas personales pasando. Normalmente me gustan mucho las historias contadas a dos voces y con dos lineas temporales y seguramente es una historia que releeré en un futuro y mi calificación cambie para más. Porque es un thriller que tiene parte es muy interesantes y que te invitan a seguir leyendo, aunque no puedo dejar de mencionar que también hay otras que me parecían tediosas, demasiado lentas.
Pero como siempre digo, leerlo y formarse su propia opinión.

The Villa is told with two story lines that weave together to bring light to a murder that occurred in a Villa in Italy. I liked one story line over the other and wasn’t invested in the latter story. I felt like there was too much going on. To me, this wasn’t really a thriller like Hawkins others books.

I really enjoyed this book but the ending felt rushed and I wanted more for the present day story. Overall, I enjoyed this book and Rachel Hawkins writing.

3.5 ⭐️ I went in blindly with this book. I didn’t know what to expect except I saw it often in social media.

It’s a slow burn suspense. Dual timelines which made it confusing at times. The characters were relatable but the relationship between the ‘best friends’ was a tad annoying and complex..

Despite all that, I still enjoyed it until the last few pages. What I thought it was the final conclusion, the author added a different scenario. It was baffling and unnecessary.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in return for an honest review.

Not my favorite book by Rachel Hawkins. This has a lot to do with the fact that I felt like the synopsis that accompanies the book is kind of misleading. I went into this book expecting some very twisted things to happen and I kept reading and reading waiting and waiting and then when I was about 3/4 of the way through I re-read the synopsis sure I must have misunderstood, but nope...still got the same vibes so I went back to reading and then FINALLY boom...there it is....

Now, let me back up. I need to be fair. This is a book written in dual time lines-I am not a huge fan of dual time lines and usually get very easily confused about which time period we are in. This is not the case here. Rachel Hawkins does a phenomenal job of writing this story in such a way that readers are able to experience both of the stories without any of the confusion. I LOVED the parts of the book that were written in the past.

It's the present story that I struggled with. It's very obvious that while Emily and Chess may claim to be best friends they have A LOT of baggage between them. I figured out part of the twist early on but I was not expecting the outcome of the story to be what it was. However I also found the twist to be a huge let down because there was just no build up to it and then after it was kind of just left hanging. Like ok this happens and we aren't really going to give any indication it's happening prior and we aren't going to talk about it after. Taking the whole book into account and the past story with the present story it's very possible this is intentional on the author's part but I found it to take away from the story quite a bit because it seemed to me like a very sloppy tie in and so not even close to what the synopsis is suggesting the reader is going to get out of reading this book.

This book is an excellent example of how to combine historical and contemporary fiction. The parallels drawn between the stories and within the stories are creative and clever. I particularly liked Mari and Lara coming to the villa as muses and becoming the creators. I thought the connections between Pierce and Matt and the way their deaths freed their girls. The plot twist was unexpected but the overall story was more realistic that Reckless Girls but less shocking than The Wife Upstairs. So far we’ve had three settings for Rachel’s thrillers that are incredibly different but she manages to do a PHENOMENAL job of capturing the setting and ambiance of each place. My favorite setting of hers and my favorite collection of characters although maybe not my favorite plot. Highly recommend.

I enjoyed the book while I was reading it but honestly once I finished it nothing about the book really stayed with me. I usually take a couple days to do a review and after 3 days I could barely even remember the main characters name. This is the second book by this author I've read and both left me underwhelmed so I don't think I will be reading anything else by them.

4.5⭐️

<b> And, I realize, I like this story the best. The story where every mistake, every bad day, was leading me here.</b>

Emily is a writer of cozy mystery novels who is going through a divorce with her ruthless ex Matt who is out to take all the money she’s made from her book series. Chess is Emily’s oldest friend who writes self-help books, and invites Emily on a writing retreat for a summer in Italy at a famous murder house.

Mari accompanies her boyfriend, Pierce, her step-sister, Lara, and Lara’s rockstar boyfriend, Noel, and his drug dealer, Johnnie, to a villa in Italy in 1974. The group butt heads and the drama is high, but they all hope to leave the villa with new completed works. Mari uses the villa and the events that transpire as inspiration for a book, and Lara creates her first album. The book follows the two groups in tandem as we learn what really happened lead up to that night in 1974, and tensions run high between Emily and Chess.

I really liked this book! It’s fun and easy to read, and the style of it is very cool because it makes it seem as if the characters have written it. All of the men in this book absolutely suck, and their good moments are overshadowed by how awful they are. The book hints a lot that Emily’s mysterious illness and recovery were caused by Matt poisoning her, and my biggest gripe with this book is that it was explained away that Emily was just so miserable with Matt that it was making her physically ill. I guess that would have made the ending too predictable if he were poisoning her. By the end, I definitely hated Chess wholeheartedly, and I still hate her because now she will continue to manipulate Emily.

<b> Heroine is villain, villain is victim, and that colors everything that comes before in a new light.</b>

I have such a mixed bag of ratings for this author but her books are so entertaining and atmospheric that I will always pick up her newest release

Emily is struggling. Struggling to rid herself of her greedy ex-husband, struggling to finish her next book in series by her deadline, and just struggling to find happiness in her life. Then her best friend of over two decades calls her up and offers the escape Emily needs: six weeks in a beautiful Italian villa, with nothing to do but soak up the beauty, drink wine, and write freely. Emily immediately takes Chess up on the offer, despite knowing that there’s tension in their friendship after many years of their paths diverging - and despite knowing the history of the villa. In 1974, in the exact home the women plan to stay in, a murder occurred. Five friends had vacationed together, but only four had survived. While Chess brushes off the infamous murder, it sticks with Emily, and as their stay in the villa progresses, she finds herself immersed in the story.

I’ve always loved the way that Rachel Hawkins writes: simple, straight-forward, but well spoken. The style of this book was fascinating, as it goes back and forth between present-day first-person narration from Emily, third-person perspective of Mari from the past, and articles and emails from the both then and now. When Hawkins does this, she has a way of very subtly intertwining the different stories, so you slowly start to see their connections. I loved the way the story jumps around, causing you to second guess what really is going on at the villa.

I absolutely BINGED this one. This is my first true Rachel Hawkins book (I read her 2 books released under a faux name) and it did not disappoint. Now, i will warn you, it may not be for everyone with the slow burn. But that was actually the part that kept me hooked! I HAD to know how the story ended.

With that being said, I enjoyed the multiple viewpoints. Hawkins did a great job intertwining the past and present characters with their similarities. I could just see myself in Italy at Villa Aestas with Emily and Chess! And the ending… I did not see that coming! Multiple shocks, twists and turns.

Perfect read for vacation, summer time, or any time of the year honestly!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC of “The Villa”.

Wow what a great page-turning story. Loved it from start to finish. Rachel Hawkins is becoming a fav author of mine. Highly recommended!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I’ve read two other books by Rachel Hawkins and was excited to read her new one. It did not disappoint! Past and present were well developed and cohesive. The author pointed out the obvious connections between Mari and Lara with Chess and Emma, without being too cliche. Everything wrapped up satisfactorily at the end and I’ll continue reading more by this author in the future.

I quite enjoyed this book. It was interesting and I definitely could not put it down. The plot, characters and overall writing was amazing!I READ IT IN A DAY. Thank you so much to the publisher and net gallery for this advance copy.

This is a wonderful story that alternates between the 1970s and present day - both primarily at a villa in Italy. Mari & Lara are sisters from the past while Chess and Em are best friends, may as well be sisters. This story has it all - sisterhood, love triangles, betrayal, and murder (more than one!). Interesting from beginning to end.

I was thrilled to realize a few chapters in that this story is a reimagining of the haunted summer of 1816 when Mary Shelley, her lover Percy, legendary poet & rake Lord Byron and others from their bohemian circle lived together in Geneva and Mary conceived her most famous work, Frankenstein.
I’ve always been captivated by this bit of literary history and Hawkins does a brilliant job creating a different version of an already fascinating story. Told from the perspective of Mari (Mary) and taking place in the 1970s in Italy instead of 1800s Switzerland, the story stays mostly faithful to actual events as they’re known until it comes to the ending.
While I loved the summer flashbacks told from Mari’s point of view I connected less with the modern-day plotline and characters and found myself racing through Chess and Em’s chapters to get back to Mari’s story.
There were a few twists at the end that took me by surprise that I won’t spoil but I will say I was felt Mari’s fate was infinitely more just than that of the author she emulates.
I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend checking it out especially if you like layered mysteries with a gothic undertone.

This is my third Rachel Hawkins' book, and like the two others, I immediately took to the story. In my book, you can never go wrong with a Rachel Hawkins book! She is on my auto-purchase list and she will stay on this list after this book!

The Villa involves two parallel stories: one that takes place in the present, and the other that takes place in the 1970s. It is the place in which the story takes place - an Italian villa - that is a common variable between the two storylines.

Several of the characters are also writers, and some of their own writing comes into play in this mystery. There are two mysteries taking place - one in the contemporary timeline, and another in the 1970s timeline. While I found this particular plot somewhat predictable, I thought the characters were interesting and I was invested in what was happening until the very last page. I will say I enjoyed the contemporary storyline a bit more and would have liked to have had more backstory with those two characters. I could even see reading a prequel with those characters.

If you are looking for a quick and engaging thriller that has a cast of interesting female characters, this book is definitely for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced reader copy of The Villa.

This story was told in two separate timelines and followed two sets of women. Both involved love, friendship, sex, betrayal and of course, murder. I did find the link between the two sets of women interesting. I think the book had a lot of potential. However it fell flat for me. I was waiting for a huge plot twist and it just didn’t happen. I felt like there were holes in the story that should have been filled. The book was anticlimactic. I do typically enjoy the books by Rachel Hawkins, and will continue to read her work. I believe she has a very unique perspective and I do enjoy her style of writing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

As soon as I saw the cover for this one, I was intrigued. I have read a few of Rachel Hawkins' books before and the synopsis for this one sounded pretty interesting, so I was excited.

This story follows two friends, Emily and Chess, on their girls weekend. They are both writers and are hoping not only to spend time with each other, but also to get some inspiration for their latest drafts. The villa they rented i gorgeous, but also has a dark past. There was a murder there in 1964. Emily is intrigued by this, while Chess doesnt care much for it. As Emily begins to unravel the story of what really happen, tensions rise between the friends, and their own secrets are revealed.

This story is told from 2 perspectives: Emily in the current day, and an author from the past. I felt that the alternating timelines were done really well in this one! I felt that both the past story and present were interesting and I wanted to read both.

I did feel that the twist was a bit underwhelming though. I felt like there was a huge lead up to the ending and then didn't feel like the twist was worthy of it. It was still interesting, but I felt the twist just didn't match the story well.

Overall, I did really enjoy the book. Like I said, I enjoyed both the past and present stories, and I personally love the 'detective' stories where you are finding out what happened along with the character. Will be recommending this to friends for sure!

“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––The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy.” Come on, after reading that can you seriously say you aren’t intrigued? I know I certainly was.

Trying to keep this as spoiler free as possible. Using dual storylines/timelines, Rachel Hawkins weaves a wild and complex thriller. (I suppose you could actually say two thrillers.) Life is a little rough at the moment for childhood BFFs Emily and Chess. Hoping to reconnect/reset, the two head off on a trip to a villa in Italy. A villa that they discover has quite history. As Em explores the mysteries and twisted secrets of the past, she realizes there are equally shocking secrets to be uncovered in the present. This is a solid thriller with a lot of twists, many you’re not likely to see coming. Between this and The Wife Upstairs I am definitely becoming quite the fan of Ms. Hawkins. I’d like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to rad and review an eARC of The Villa.

https://www.amazon.com/review/REM5QNRANNKLQ/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv