Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced copy of The Villa. Emily and Chess, best friends since a young age, are both authors. Emily has been dealing with a divorce and health issues, when Chess suggests a summer vacation in Italy. Emily learns that the villa they are staying at has a history of its own. Told from dual time lines and dual points of view. While a quick read, this book was missing the wow factor. I feel that some of the big parts toward the end were brushed over. I also think that there was more to Chess as a “villain” than was let on. Overall I enjoyed this book.

3.5 stars rounded up

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This was a pretty good mystery/thriller that involves two best friends and their summer at a high-end holiday home in a small town in Italy. Emily is a successful author of a cozy mystery series going through a painful and expensive divorce. She has recently recovered from a mysterious illness and is going through a bad case of writer's block. Her best friend Chess is a successful self-help author and influencer.

In 1974 the home was rented by famous rock star Noel Gordon. He invited an up and coming rocker named Pierce Sheldon, Pierce's girlfriend Mari and Mari's stepsister Lara to stay with him. This puts into motion a series of events that culminates with Pierce's murder, Mari writing one of the world's greatest horror novels, and Lara composing a platinum album. As Emily starts to dig into the 1974 murder, she starts to think that there is something more to the story. This starts her creative juices flowing, resulting in her writing a story combining elements of the murder, her life and her imagination. But while Emily's spark of creativity is lit, it seems that Chess's is diminished. As the summer wears on, secrets and betrayals emerge.

I enjoyed this book. The first 1/3 of the story set up the rest of the book and flowed pretty well. Just as I started to get creeped out and thought the book would get spooky, however, the author pulled back and the story became a typical mystery/thriller. The middle stalled a bit, especially the sections about Emily's marriage. The last 1/3 of the book was unevenly paced and became predictable when dealing with Emily and Chess' relationship.

I enjoyed Mari's story the most, especially the dynamics of the 1974 characters, although even this became repetitive after awhile. I appreciated the twists at the end of the book, which helped raise the book another 1/2 star.

This is a quick and easy mystery read that I recommend you pick up. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, & Rachel Hawkins for giving me this ARC for an honest review.

Emily and Chess are both best friends and authors. Emily writes cozy mysteries. Chess is a best selling self help author. Emily has been going through health issues and a divorce. Chess tosses the idea out that what Emily needs is a summer away from everything and an adventure to Italy where they can both focus on writing their next books. Emily discovers the villa they are staying at has a history of its own— involving sex, drugs, rock n roll… and murder. Told from dual time lines and dual point of views, a story of betrayal unfolds.

This started out very, very slow for me. I felt like it took 50-60% of the book for things to actually start happening, and things really didn’t peak my interest until the last 70%. I feel like some big parts towards the end were brushed over and left out. I think a little more could have been added without spoiling. I also think there was way more to Chess as ‘a villain’ than what was led on. I feel like there could be another story out there from Chess’ POV that could shed more light. However, I would imagine that’s not in the plans.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. I was interested to see how it was going to play out and that kept me reading even if it was a slow burn for me. A solid 3 stars… had it been a little more riveting… I could have done 4 stars, but the slowness was too much for me. I would read more by Rachel Hawkins, as this was my first book by her, but I did love her writing under Erin Sterling!

This book releases on January 3rd, 2023.

I was a big fan of the wife upstairs and reckless girls but COULD NOT get into this one. I might be the problem because I’m a bit burnt out but this just was not it for me. I feel like I was a bit confused and found myself caring more about the present timeline than the past. I think it took a long time for the two timelines to connect which was a bummer. I’ll still for sure read her next thriller though

**4.5-stars**

A fantastic, paranoia-filled romp in Italy following two sets of women over two timelines. I really enjoyed watching the dual-dramas of The Villa unfold.

Villa Rosato, 1974: Step-sisters, Mari and Lara, are on an artist's holiday along with Mari's boyfriend, Pierce. The trio are staying at the lavish holiday home at the invitation of rock star, Noel Gordon. Mari is a writer and both Lara and Pierce are musicians. There's a lot of creating going on at the home, but also a lot of other things. It's sex, drugs and rock-n-roll, baby!

It's during her stay at the villa that Mari pens one of the greatest horror novels of all time, her magnum opus, Lilith Rising, with the opening words, 'houses remember'. This creative retreat ends with Pierce's brutal murder. Will the house remember?

In the present, Villa Rosato is now known as Villa Aestas, a luxurious holiday retreat, in spite of the fact that it's a murder house. For best friends, writers, Emily and Chess, it's the perfect spot for them to go and reconnect. Emily, the author of a Cozy Mystery series is in a bit of a rut after the recent separation from her husband. It hasn't been easy and with him going after her money, she's financially strapped and emotionally at wits end.

Chess is a very successful self-help author, who rents the villa in the hopes that her best friend, Emily, will join her there for the summer. Emily is concerned, you know about the murder house part, but it does sound like a nice escape. Chess always seems to be able to make her feel better, so maybe it will good.

Once at the villa, Emily is taken with the house and its history; more specifically the events of 1974. She begins researching and believes that the truth may be more sinister than what is currently believed. She also feels like the truth may lie within Mari's writings. It becomes a bit of a project for Emily. She's fascinated by the topic and begins writing about it.

The murderous events at the villa have already been of interest to True Crime aficionados and podcasters for years, but how many of them have actually had the opportunity to go live in the house. Emily could have insight nobody else has ever been privy too before. It's exciting to her and definitely reinvigorates her creative juices.

When Chess begins sniffing around the same story, Emily gets a little miffed. This is her thing. Doesn't Chess have enough already? Why can't she leave this alone? The seclusion of the home and foreboding nature of the house itself seems to be having an effect on the women. They're snapping at each other, running hot and cold, are they just going stir-crazy, or is there something more eroding their relationship? More importantly, will they be able to make it out of the murder house alive?

I was greatly anticipating The Villa and had so much fun listening to the audiobook. The narration was fantastic and absolutely channeled the slow-intensity of the story. I loved the initial set-up. Getting to know the cast of characters, both past and present, kept me fully engaged and present. I was very quickly invested.

One of my favorite aspects was watching Emily's character looking into the events of 1974; how those events intrigued her and gave her new focus. Emily was at a place where she really needed somewhere to focus her energy outside of her failing relationship and bad financial circumstances. The villa helped with that.

The relationship between Emily and Chess was complicated, as many friendships are, but I found it to be 100% believable. Friendships can get messy and this one definitely had its moments.

The 1974-timeline was giving me heavy Daisy Jones & the Six energy and I wasn't mad about it. It was interesting, with great characters and well-structured reveals. Personally, I could have gone a bit darker in that time period, but I understand the choices made by the author. It didn't need to get super dark to be effective and it kept it more evenly-balanced between the two time periods.

I also sort of wish there were more detailed excerpts from Lilith Rising included. I'm so intrigued by Mari's book. I wish it actually existed in real life so I could read it. That should giving you an inkling of how interesting it was, the whole concept of the ultimate Feminist Horror novel. This feeling also reminded me of Daisy Jones because I would have sold my soul for a copy of their nonexistent album.

I loved how this wrapped up. The influence of the one on the other; the permission granted in a way for the present to happen the way it did because of the past. It's really difficult to talk about this without spoilers, so I will just say, I found this to be incredibly clever. The final twist left me with that evil grin I love so much. It was just so well done.

Rachel Hawkins is crushing this gothic-infused mystery genre. I'm loving it. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. <i>The Villa</i> was a ton of fun and a great way to start off a new reading year!!

"The Villa," by Rachel Hawkins, mashes up relationship woes, female rivalry, writer's block, mystery illness and a glancing nod to "Frankenstein," all set to a soundtrack of music for the heartbroken. It's kind of a mess. It's also sure to be popular.

Best friends Emily and Chess (as she has renamed herself) both became writers, but they had grown apart until Chess, author of mega-selling advice books, invited Emily, writer of garden-themed cozy mysteries, to vacation at a villa in swanky Orvieto, Italy.

The villa, as Chess knew but Emily didn't, was the scene of an infamous 1970s murder spawned by sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. "Houses," we're told, "remember." Soon, Emily becomes haunted by the old case, which is revealed in a parallel story, and sets out to make it her next book. Meanwhile, Chess behaves more and more as if she's keeping secrets, with potentially dangerous results.

Hawkins, author of "Reckless Girls" and "The Wife Upstairs," specializes in tales that pit women against each other and twists that can seem too contrived. "The Villa" is her most ambitious work, but the back-and-forth format robbed it of the focus that could have made it her best.

Fantastic! Another hit by author Rachel Hawkins!

MC Emily is reeling from a failed marriage, unknown illness and slow moving writing career. Enter her former childhood BF, Chess, who has a multi million dollar non-fiction writing career as a self help guru. Over the past few years, they start to lose touch, until they decide to travel to Italy together. Told between multiple timelines (1974 and present), the story twists and turns around the sordid past (murder) at Villa Aestas. Past timeline features characters Mari, Pierce, Noel, Lara and Johnnie. Emily becomes engrossed in the history of the Villa and the crime that took place there, only to realize that past and present may collide and change her life forever!

4-star read for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion?

Two friends (frenemies?) go to Italy to write and discover secrets about the past and present in this mystery based loosely on the time Byron and the Shelleys spent at Lake Geneva. It's an ambitious concept and most of the time it works, though the conclusion of each timeline's mystery felt rushed.

Thank you to the author & St. Martins Press for an ARC of this book. It was a fast binge read and the Italy atmosphere was lovely. However, I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction, so this was not a favorite for me. I enjoyed the multiple point of views.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

Villa Aestas is haunted by the ghost of 1970's rock stardom. Emily Sheridan is haunted by her current divorce, recent health struggles, and monumental writer's block. So when her childhood best friend, women's self-help guru Chess Chandler, suggests a summer getaway to the notorious villa in Northern Italy, Emily agrees to come along. What unfolds is a twisted tale of toxic friendships, both present day and in the past, and slowly, Emily chips away at the secrets the wall of the villa holds.

I really enjoyed this, completing the novel in less than two days. I loved the mixed media form of storytelling and found both Mari and Emily to be deeply complex, complicated women, the truth of their respective stories dying to be heard.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this mystery, but I wouldn’t consider it to be suspenseful. The format of the writing was great, switching timelines between 1970s and present day. I liked how the story slowly unfolded, but I was able to figure things out from both timelines pretty quickly. There was one twist thrown in the end, but it was anticlimactic.

Overall this was a fast paced, fun read.

I really enjoyed this book. My favorite scenes were the present day ones between the main character and Chess. I didn’t understand why she was friends with Chess and that made me want more. The twist at the end was unexpected.

Fleetwood Mac rock 'n' roll drama + 1970s feminist horror novel + gothic Italian villa + frenemy friendships = "The Villa," the best suspense novel Rachel Hawkins has written yet.

I’ve read and enjoyed both of Hawkins’s previous novels, "The Wife Upstairs" and "Reckless Girls," but "The Villa" is in a class of its own. Featuring dual timelines, the novel follows two writers, Mari in 1974 and Emily in the present day, as they summer at the same gorgeous villa in Italy, decades apart. The women’s days are spent writing, and while Mari’s time in Italy ends with the murder of her musician boyfriend, Emily unexpectedly finds herself uncovering the mystery of what really happened the night Mari’s boyfriend died.

I was taken with "The Villa" immediately. By far, it has the tightest plotting I've seen from Hawkins to date. Both Mari and Emily’s storylines are intriguing and written skillfully, allowing Hawkins to draw interesting parallels between the lives of the two lead characters. She also does a great job of ratcheting up the intrigue by inserting news articles, song lyrics, and excerpts from Mari’s horror novel into the narrative.

It's not often that I rate a suspense or thriller novel five stars, but after devouring "The Villa" in three days, I can think of no reason to rate it any lower. It’s a riveting read. Complex and multilayered.

It's surprising, too. Watch out for that ending.


My sincerest appreciation to Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

This book grabbed me from the first chapter and didn’t let go until the last word. I loved the dual timelines and the shifting points of view, they worked seamlessly together. I loved that this book was female focused and I felt connected to them in a really unique way. The parallels between the two sets of women and the way their stories played out was really well done. Also, that ending was so perfect, I was not expecting that last bit and it really surprised me in the best way! Solid thriller!

I did like the book within a book storyline, but I had trouble caring about any of the characters. The story dragged a little too much but did ramp up towards the end, which was the best part of the book.

Chess and Emily have been friends since elementary school, both are writers. Chess writes self help books and is wildly successful while Emily writes cozy mysteries about Petal Bloom. Emily has been ill the past couple of years and her husband couldn't handle it, had an affair and now they are going through a messy divorce. Chess rents a villa in Italy for her and Emily to relax and get back into writing. Villa Aestas was the scene of a murder in 1974 and Emily becomes fascinating with the story. There were two time lines, one in 1974 with Mari, Pierce, Lara and Noel. The second is present day with Chess and Emily. Throw in the transcript of some podcasts, magazine articles and a book and it could be confusing. I didn't find any of the characters likeable although the setting of the Villa and the town of Orvieto were very good. There were no big aha moments, a lot of the twists didn't feel like twists at all but kind of cliche. Quite honestly I didn't know what to make of the ending.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy to read.

This mystery follows childhood friends Emily and Chess. They used to be inseparable, but have grown apart in recent years due to demands in their professional and personal lives. However, after meeting one day for lunch, Chess invites recently divorced and writer's blocked Emily to a trip to Italy to kick start the creative juices. They're staying at Villa Aestas, a high-end vacation rental now, but was the scene of a murder in 1974 involving a notorious rock star, an up-and-coming musician, his girlfriend, and her sister. As Emily digs into the Villa's history, she realizes the horror novel written by one of the 1974 group might be more related to the events of that summer than she originally thought. As Emily's investigation deepens, the tension grows between her and Chess - and when secrets from the past are revealed, the villa might claim another victim.

The dual timeline was used to perfection in this story. I absolutely loved both timelines and the ways they intersected. We are told the general outcome of the past timeline early on - someone ends up dead, there's a murder trial - but we don't know the details until later on in the book so it was fun following that timeline and trying to guess how it would all play out. The present day timeline was more focused on the interpersonal dynamic/tension between Emily and Chess rather than Emily's eventual research into the events in 1974. I thought this difference was a nice touch because then we don't have too much duplication of seeing something happen in 1974 in the past timeline and then having to read about it again when Emily finds out about it.

We have a handful of very colorful characters in this read which made it even more fun. Emily is the most bland of the characters - but not in an underdeveloped way. She's just simply the most regular person in contrast to all of these very colorful and enigmatic other characters. Since she's the most 'normal' person as well as our main character, she easily acts as bit of a reader stand-in. I think we get a good amount of Emily and Chess's backstory but I would have liked a little more from their relationship. Early on in their stay at the villa, we do get a little bit of them reminiscing and I think more of that would have really strengthened their connection on-page for me. I loved all of our 1974 characters and found them to be pretty colorful characters but managing to still feel believable and not cross the line into caricature.

There's a really interesting mix of tones in this book. We get some good creepy gothic house vibes, especially when Emily is at the height of her investigation and she's searching the house. But that is contrasted with the rest of the setting being a luxurious Italian villa during the summer. I really enjoy these stories that have this mix, especially when the darker, gothic parts are the unexpected undertones. This is my third read from Hawkins and I think this is a balance that she does well in a lot of her books and it always works well for me. This balance is also present in both timelines to different extents which, again, made this a really fun read.

The ending reveal I think is going to be pretty divisive, but I absolutely loved it. We get a couple of big reveals in pretty quick succession toward the end and while some were what I was expecting, a few were not. We also get a bit of a timejump at the end that I wish we had gotten a bit more of those events on page. It felt like we fast-forwarded over the climax of the book and I was a little bummed. However, we do get the after-effects of those events which were interesting and left the ending a bit open.

Overall, this was a really fun read and solidified Hawkins as an insta-read author for me. I loved the use of the dual timeline and the setting was fantastic.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC

Expected publication date is January 3, 2023

I'm a little torn on how to rate this. I love Hawkin's writing - it was a really easy read and enjoyable. However, I didn't really care for the plot all that much. It switches timelines and at first I didn't care for the 1974 version but then as I was reading it really grew on me! I didn't like Chess and while that was the point I felt like it triggered me a little bit. This was probably a 4 star read but just some parts just didn't sit well with me.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a luxury rental known for a murder of an up-and-coming musician in the 1970s.

Emily and Chess have been best friends since they were kids, Although their relationship has been a bit strained during recent years. The two seem to have a competitive streak; more frenemies than anything. When Emily begins going through a divorce, Chess invites her to Villa Aestas for the summer to reconnect and hopefully give her some inspiration to start writing again. Both being writers, they are simultaneously working on their next books while on this mini vacation.

While at Villa Aestas, Emily starts to become obsessed with the story of the group who stayed there that fateful 1970's summer that ended in murder. The two women who were thought to be muses during that time, ended up writing an acclaimed horror novel and an iconic music album. Emily specifically feels a kinship with Mari the writer, being a writer herself. The story switches between the two timelines with Emily finding hidden letters from Mari that give a little more insight to what happened that fateful night. Or do they?

I thought this was an interesting and enjoyable read. I liked the alternating timelines and the sisterly/best friend tension between the two sets of girls. Although it includes some mystery and dark scenic vibes, I'm not really sure what to classify this novel as. Originally I thought it was a thriller but it was actually much more than that. This story intricately focuses on relationships and how they affect each others lives and decisions. Also, the twists give you something to think about even after the story is done. This was my second Rachel Hawkins read and I like what she did with each novel. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A solid 3.5 stars. This book was a fun mystery thriller that gives White Lotus vibes while pulling from multiple timelines. Mostly set in Italy, we have 2 sets of creatives finding themselves inspired by the same villa 50 years apart. Everything can be found by these artists during their stays; sex, drugs, rock n roll, sisterhood, secrets and murder. Check this one out for a nice breezy vacation read