Huge thanks to NetGalley and st martins press for an advance copy of the book.
I love a good thriller with dual timelines. I especially love one that has an epic house as its center. The way Rachel Hawkins weaves them together for a great story demonstrates why she’s an auto buy author for me.
1974- a group of musicians and an author spend a summer in a villa working on their craft. Sisters Mari and Lara compete against each other for attention and recognition with disastrous consequences.
Present day- friends Emily and Chess spend a summer in the same villa to reconnect and recharge their creative batteries. Both writers, they’re interested in the history of the infamous villa. What each one doesn’t know is the plans the other has for the house and their careers.
Secrets and betrayals keep this thriller moving along to a satisfying ending.

I truly think this book will appeal to a wide range of people. Like stories of 70s rock excess? Check. Like realistic female friendships? Check. Like page-turning thrillers? Check check check.

As a lifelong Mary Shelley stan I absolutely loved this unique take on 'The Year Without A Summer' and the infamous events in Geneva. If you are familiar with her life and/or the life of her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft there are so many fun easter eggs to look out for.

Everything from the timeline shifts, the snippets from biographies, Lilith Rising, and the song lyrics are all excellent and help create a rich, layered setting. I flew through this book and still didn't want it to end.

3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins.

Read The Villa if you want a slow, psychological mystery/thriller, and you like all the messy relationships: family, friends, marriage.

I struggle with my rating because I did like the overall book; however, at times, there were a few quick, jarring timeline and storyline jumps, that made it hard to follow.

For the better part of book, I was more invested in the summer of 1974 storyline, because the dynamics between Mari, Lara, Noel, Pierce and Johnnie at Villa Aestas/Rosato were so murky; I do wish that who died hadn’t been revealed quite so early though.

Although their storyline was captivating, it seems to me as if Chess and Emily were almost there as a way to facilitate the 1974 story. They had always had an uneasy and unequal relationship and that was fully on display during their vacation.

Ultimately, I certainly didn’t see the twists coming in either timeline; although I wish that the present one had gone in a different direction/further.

Hawkins' writing style is fun and light, and the Italian setting is beautifully described. The characters are likable and well-developed, but I found the plot to be somewhat predictable and not as engaging as I had hoped. While the mystery aspect of the story was interesting, it didn't quite hold my attention as much as I would have liked.

Despite these issues, I still found "The Villa" to be a pleasant and entertaining read. The romance between the main characters was sweet and the friendships were well-written. Overall, I would give the book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. If you're in the mood for a light, summery read with a touch of mystery and romance, this book might be a good fit for you.

Thank you for the advanced copy! I read some mixed reviews on this book so I was a little hesitant when I started reading but I could not put the book down. I loved the dual story/time lines and very quickly became obsessed with what happened and the ending blew me away.

Before starting, I heard this book described as Verity meets Daisy Jones. I was intrigued. I knew I had to read it.

With this comparison I was hoping it would knock my socks off. It didn’t. BUT it was a page turner that I couldn’t put down and now I can’t stop thinking about it. So maybe it did what it was supposed to do?

If you enjoy books about books and writing this is for you. This was easily my favorite part of the read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is out NOW!

While I have seen many differing reviews on this one, I truly enjoyed it.

The audiobook is narrated in part by Julia Whelan, Kimberly Wetherell and Shiromi Arserio this version truly brings the story to life. When childhood friends Chess and Emily decide to re-kindle a troubled friendship by spending a summer at a Villa in Italy, Emily becomes intrigued by a murder taken place there in the 1970's. An author herself, Emily finds herself drawn in to the life of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll, that the 70's were known for and the death of Pierce Sheldon.

My suggestion is that you go in blind for this one. There is so much going on with a lot of characters. The plot bounces between present day Emily and Chess and 1974 when the death takes place. I also read part of the physical book while listening to the audio and the audio steals the show.

A cleverly written murder mystery with lies, deceit, murder all wrapped up nicely in what feels like a scavenger hunt for our MC Emily. I loved Reckless Girls by Hawking, which also seemed to be a story you either loved or hated. So far, I am a Hawkins fan.

This book would be for anyone who enjoys:
*Dual POV's
*Books about books
*Thriller suspense
*Twisty endings

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Villa is my third book that I have read by Rachel Hawkins and is by far my favorite! It is full of twists & turns and when you think you have things figured out, there is another twist! I absolutely LOVED this book!!!

This book is told from dual POV’s and alternates between timelines...Mari in 1974 and Emily is present day.

Mari starts the story off - she is an aspiring writer who is in love with a free loving musician, Pierce. When Mari’s step sister, Lara, invites them to go to Italy and spend the summer at Villa Rosato in Orvieto so that Pierce can work with the famous rocker, Noel Gordon, they jump at the opportunity in hopes that it can launch Pierce’s career Lots of drama happens that ends with a murder! After returning from that summer, Mari writes an award winning book called ‘Lilith Rising’ which loosely tells the story of what happened at the villa.

Emily is an author struggling to get her next book out while dealing with a divorce. Her childhood best friend, Chess, tempts her with a summer in beautiful Italy! Once Emily finds out that they will be staying in the murder house, she becomes obsessed with the murder. She reads ‘Lilith Rising’ multiple times and thinks there is more to the story that needs to be told. Instead of continuing her cozy mystery series she decides to go a different direction!

This book kept me on the edge of my seat! I think the characters are very well written and the story is very captivating…I finished this book in a day! I absolutely love how both timelines blend together to tell this story!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Rachel Hawkins for the Advanced Readers copy of this book for my honest review!

The Villa a wonderfully twisty mystery about female friendship and the creation of art, and my favourite Rachel Hawkins novel so far.  

Curl up with some wine and a Carole King album, you’ll be reading this in one sitting.

The Villa is a mystery in two time periods. Present-day childhood friends Chess and Emily are staying at an Italian villa, each working on their own writing (Emily writes cozy mysteries, and Chess is a self-help guru). In the 1970s, Mari and Lara are stepsisters staying at the same villa with their rock star sort-of boyfriends, discovering their own art (Mari is a horror writer, and Lara a songwriter). 

The mysteries intertwine, of course.  

I was immediately drawn to Emily’s voice and her love-hate relationship with Chess.  I expected this one to be a typical woman vs. woman thriller but it wound up being so much more complex and thoughtful than that.  

Hawkins had a lot to say about how female artists are dismissed and pitted against each other.  At the same time, The Villa is also a quick, breezy read that took me zero effort to glide through.  Loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my review copy of this novel.

This intriguing reinterpretation of the Italian stay that birthed Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein does some truly audacious things with storytelling, as it transports that famed historical episode of 1816 to the 1970s, and further brackets it within the pages of a modern-day domestic thriller.

Here in the 21st century, Emily Sheridan is reeling from the seeming collapse of, well:

QUOTE
<i>Everything.</i>

It’s the only word that can sum up what a complete and utter shit show this past year has been for me, but it still comes nowhere close to touching it.

Career stalling out? Check.

Health suddenly terrible for no reason that any doctor can figure out? Check.

Husband deciding to leave after seven years of seemingly happy marriage?

Fucking <i>check</i>.

It’s been over six months since Matt left, and I keep waiting for all of it to hurt less, for it to be less messy, less… I don’t know. Clichéd. Humiliating.
END QUOTE

Now in her thirties, she’s single, childless and in the middle of an increasingly expensive divorce. She’s also stalled on writing the tenth installment of the cozy mystery series that made her name. The main problem is that the bulk of the series was written based on the good times of her relationship with her soon-to-be-ex-husband. Attempting to continue it in a manner that will satisfy both her agent and her fans, even while her personal life is in ruins, is an excruciating chore.

So when Chess Chandler, her childhood best friend turned bestselling self-help guru and influencer, invites her for an Italian writing retreat for two, Emily knows that she should be leaping at the chance. Sure it would put a slight strain on her budget, but the change of scene would be refreshing, if not outright inspiring. The real problem is that Emily isn’t really sure how to deal with Chess’ continuing success, even as her own star seems to be on the wane. But when she discovers that Chess has rented the Italian villa where noted horror author Mari Godwick wrote her groundbreaking novel Lilith Rising, she’s intrigued enough to finally say yes.

Back in the 1970s, Mari had traveled to the Villa Rosato with her boyfriend Pierce Sheldon and her stepsister Lara Larchmont, at the invitation of rock royalty and actual member of the English aristocracy Noel Gordon. They were all members of a bohemian set with ambitions of making their mark on history with their art. Mari, a prolific writer in the childhood she’s just barely left behind, has only recently found out that adulthood, alas, affords her less time and opportunity to write than she desires, especially after setting up house with Pierce:

QUOTE
She’d thought the words would always be that easy, that free.

That’s what life with Pierce was supposed to be about, after all. Both of them pursuing their art: Pierce through his music, Mari through her writing.

A lovely idea. An idyllic one.

The only issue was that it didn’t bloody work.

It was hard for two people to be artists when the rugs needed hoovering, and food needed to be purchased, dishes washed. And somehow, those things kept falling to her.
END QUOTE

A summer’s stay in Italy sounds like just the thing to both refresh her and help repair the growing cracks in her relationship with free-loving Pierce. But even as she uncovers a rich new seam of creativity, the people around her begin to fall apart, resulting in a gruesome murder that will change her life forever.

Almost five decades later, Emily will arrive at the villa, looking for her own chance to recharge and forget the cares of the everyday world. But what she uncovers during her stay could change not only the accepted biography of Mari Godwick, but also Emily’s own relationship with Chess, who’s practically a sister to her. What lengths will Emily go to in pursuit of the truth, no matter how uncomfortable or even downright dangerous?

This examination of the impact of fiction on the real world is twisting and surprisingly deep. I really loved how Rachel Hawkins transposed the origins of Frankenstein to a more recent fictional, if no less salacious, milieu. While we’ll never really know Mary Shelley’s most private musings on the relationships that simmered during her famed stay at Lake Geneva, Mari’s thoughts are both believable and highly relatable stand-ins, even if the outcome of her fictional stay differs significantly from its historical model’s.

Emily’s thoughts are no less well-detailed, as she faces the collapse of her marriage and her own complicated relationship with Chess. Watching as she gathers her confidence once more, as her life intertwines with Mari’s, makes for a thrilling, compelling read.

The Villa was such an enjoyable read! It flipped from current times to past times….. where this Italian Villa is the center of love, murder, and suspense! All I wanted to do was read and discover more about these characters! Part of me felt like it gave off Daisy Jones and the Six vibes….. 70s rock stars and all the drama they seemed to attract! Then we flip to current times where two writer friends go and stay at the same villa, and end up researching the history deeper to write a book….. they discover secrets and the mystery of what may have really went on at the Villa in 1974! It’s intriguing….. I love the characters Hawkins writes in her novels and her story lines are always 👌🏼!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Trade for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The Villa” is the first modern gothic that I enjoyed reading. Author Rachel Hawkins understand it’s the atmosphere is what creates a good gothic thriller. The backstory of the previous events at The Villa smoothly blends into the contemporary story which creates a chilling double decker plot.

Take a trip “The Villa” to warm up on a cold winter’s day..

Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. There was 1) present day, 2) past timeline, 3) a novel, 4) a podcast … it was all just too much to follow. I also felt like there was a lot of details that didn’t bring anything to the story (Mari’s parents relationship, for one.)

I found the two present day main characters Chess and Emily to be unbearable. Toxic female friendships aren’t fun to read about. They were both petty, manipulative and cruel to one another and had few redeeming qualities.

I did like the 70s timeline and could’ve read an entire book of those events without the present day narrative!

Not my favorite book of Rachel Hawkins. I found the book to be slow and dragged out even thought it had a good plot and the capability of really drawing you in. When we finally did get to the twists at the end I found them to be a bit predictable. Still overall a good read, i just really struggle with books that are drawn out with no excitement until the end.

Thanks netgalley and st. Martins press for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this one! Told in dual timelines, this story will keep you guessing until the very last page. Just when I thought I had figured it out, the author pulled the carpet out from under me again!

The setting was perfect. A villa in Italy with a sinister past. It had all the feels, all the creepy vibes. I loved the characters from the 1974 POV, but I wasn’t a fan of one of the characters from the present day. I still feel like something is off – but maybe that was the point?

I don’t want to give a single spoiler, so I ‘m going to leave this review very vague. It’s definitely one I think readers will enjoy more going in blind to!

**Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC of The Villa**

Ultimately, this was a bit disappointing. I think there's a bit too much trying to happen and it doesn't feel put together enough for me. The relationship between Chess and Emily was far too toxic for my enjoyment with little to no retribution for either character in the end. I was rooting for the twist and then a reverse twist comes in and mucked it all up.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Just like The Wife Upstairs, this book by Rachel Hawkins is addicting and hard to put down. The story is told in two different decades involving artists of their time on holiday. The books quickly captures your interest as you watch the story build to the main event: the murder at the Villa in 1974. The twists will make you uncomfortable as you want to scream at the characters to run. If you’re into culty, twisty stories with creepy vibes, pick up the book immediately.

I will follow Rachel Hawkins anywhere and The Villa was no exception! I loved the way this novel weaved together multiple stories and mysteries. It’s one of those novels that you have to stay up all night reading in order to get to the bottom of the mystery. Perfect for a long winter night! I absolutely loved this book!

This book took me on a roller coaster. I found the beginning intriguing but hard to follow due to the three separate narratives but once I had my bearings - I couldn’t stop reading. It was fun throughout the book to notice the parallels between the multiple narratives. Just when everything clicks and you think you have the twist figured out, Rachel Hawkins throws a curveball. This book gained a four star from me.

‘The Villa’ followed Rachel’s formula for thrillers to a tea. There were a lot of characters and nobody was trust worthy. I liked that the book took place in NC and Italy, but I wish it was a bit more descriptive about both. The strong female POV kept me interested. This was a quick read not too scary, if you’re new to thriller books. I really didn’t like the predictable ending. The twist was fitting and a nice touch, but didn’t take me by surprise.