What have I learned? Rachel Hawkins is not the author for me. This is the second book of hers that I have given a try and it's just not going to work.

I was really intrigued by the setting and mystery storyline about this villa. However, this story drags and I found myself skimming. Characters are forgettable and unlikable. Plot twists could be seen from a mile away. I didn't understand the character's motivations and choices throughout the story.

The Villa is the newest suspense mystery from Rachel Hawkins. Cozy mystery writer, Emily, is going through a rough time and her best friend since childhood, Chess, offers her a chance to get away to Italy for the summer to reset. With the money from her fame as a self-help guru, Chess rents them the famous Villa Aestas, site of a tragic murder from the 70s. While their stay doesn’t spark Emily’s cozy mystery mojo, it does ignite a creative interest in the villa’s complicated history. As the summer continues, Emily begins to question not only the betrayals of the past, but those close to her as well. Will the Villa claim another victim this summer as well?

I enjoyed this book much more than the last two Rachel Hawkins books I’ve read. I liked how she wove in the story of the famous tragedy with the story of Emily and Chess’s summer, weaving the parallels so that you are constantly questioning what is happening to Emily. I wasn’t in love with any of the characters but I was very invested in their story. It was a quick, fast-paced read and I thought I had it figured out…but it kept me guessing and I like that I’m still kind of questioning how it ended. If you liked Hawkins’s other books, I would definitely check out The Villa.

Summary:
1974 - Mari, her married boyfriend Pierce, and step sister Lana, are invited to a villa in Italy by rock star Noal Gordon. During the summer, Mari writes a best selling horror novel, Lara records a platinum album, and Pierce is brutally murdered.

In present day, Emily and Chess rent the same notorious villa to write their next novels. But Emily is drawn to the history of the place and wants to find out what really happened that fateful summer.

Thoughts:
This was a wild ride. Told in alternating chapters with Mari and Emily as narrators, the story of the two timelines weaves together. Honestly, the similarities of the events in both times sometimes made it feel like I was reading the same story twice. The way this was written was reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins Reid but not done as well. It wasn't until the very end that I considered googling events to see if any part of this story was based in truth. The ending was not the payoff I had hoped for, but it was entertaining.

I absolutely loved this book and this is just another 5 star for me done by Rachel Hawkins!! This book gives you the present timeline of Emily and Chess, childhood best friends almost like sisters until adulthood when their relationship is strained so Chess suggests a trip to Italy that literally changes their whole lives. The trip to Italy leads to another timeline in the story between stepsister Mari and Lara who stayed at the same villa as Emily and Chess are at now.
Villa Aestas formerly known as Villa Rosato, is a house in Italy that has so much history and where history was made. What happened there in 1974 comes alive in present time as Emily starts to discover and unravel the past that led to a famous horror novel written, a platinum album on its path to creation, and a brutal murder that happened that fateful summer in 1974 when Mari's boyfriend Pierce was murdered!! Sex, drugs, and rock & roll that went way past the limit to lead to murder at the villa! With the past rearing its ugly head in the present there is bound to be another victim and "houses remember" in the words of Mari and her infamous "Lilith Rising" novel.
There was two alternating timelines and the book Mari was writing added a small storyline of its own in, but it was pretty easy to follow once you realized the flip between the past, present, and the novel within the novel which I found to be creative and genius! This was a slow burn but the different go between helped to keep me intrigued between the past and present coming into one. I liked the aspects of the complicated relationships between friendships or being relatives and how much of a mess and entanglement it can be it felt to be more realistic than just a perfect setting between friends or sisters.
I wanted more for Emily in the end, she grew so much from the beginning of the book but I also didn't hate how it was written, maybe it could even eventually turn into a sequel of Emily and Chess and see if their friendship can keep withstanding their differences?!?! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC to read and review, for me this was another 5 star from Rachel Hawkins!

“Houses remember.”

I picked this up because I’ve had okay luck with Rachel Hawkins but I think I may skip out on her next one (that’s what I said about this one though lol). I was drawn in by the Italian setting and the cute cover to go along with it. The “houses remember “ line and concept was fire and wasted potential.

I’m just going to say I don’t get the raving reviews. It was so boring for most of it and nothing happens until the very end. Once things do pick up, everything happens so quickly and then the book ends. It’s kind of just glossed over and everyone moves on. I found that entirely unrealistic. None of the plot twists particularly shocked me and I was hoping to be blown away.

The past timeline was also extremely boring and a waste of time. Specifically with journal entries or song lyrics. I started skimming those once I realized they don’t bring anything to the story except for that history repeats itself and houses remember, etc.

On top of that, There weren’t any characters I cared about either to keep me going so I don’t know how to finished and I don’t really know how to rate this either.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book

This story follows a cozy mystery author who has been friends since childhood with a famous self help author. They stay at a villa to visit and write that happens to be a murder house. Betrayal and inspiration ensue which is where some bumps occur. The chapters alternate between the current vacation and the past unfolding of the murder story. Entertaining and a quick read with a few flaws.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

Sadly, this was not for me. Unlikeable characters and disappointment that the “wicked gothic suspense” was an overpromise at best did me in. I switched between reading and listening to the audio version, The narrators did a fantastic job and that’s why I listened to the end. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.**

If you love a book set in gorgeous Italy, the 70's and its sex/drugs/rock-and-roll vibes, and one heck of a thrilling story - this is 100% for you. PLUS there was a bit of mixed-media and I am a sucker for a book with some articles or other things like that thrown in for additional context.

Rachel Hawkins did an amazing job creating a lush background and interesting characters. While the book starts off a bit slow, you are thrown into two story-lines both with friendships unravelling and mysteries afoot. I don't want to say much more as I don't want to give anything away. When I get excited, I tend to spoil things - just read this. You won't regret it!

Houses remember.

Didn't draw me in as quickly as her other books, but still engaging and fun to read! I can envision this being very popular now that White Lotus S2 is out

A book by Rachel Hawkins….. I don’t even bother reading the blurb. When I see her name, I know I want to read it! And another bestseller it will be!! There’s suspense, murder, red herrings, you can imagine. However, this is the first Hawkins book (that I recall) that delves deep into female friendships…This book seemed a bit more “womens fiction” than her previous books, IMO. I think it added to the story. Wonderful read!!

Yay! Rachel Hawkins is back. Usually when I read a novel that has past and present timelines, I enjoy one timeline far more than the other. With this novel, I found myself happy with both. I felt this leaned more on the mystery side than her usual genre of thriller.
Both of the main characters, Mari and Emily, are equally brilliant. There is moderate sexual content. Moderate mention of recreational drugs. Side note: The transcript of the true crime podcast is hilariously accurate. Hawkins was spot on with the tone for podcast listeners. Millennials behind the microphone all day.

4.5 stars rounded up

The Villa was a great suspenseful read that grabbed my attention from the very first chapter.

Childhood best friends and authors Emily and Chess spend a summer at a gorgeous Italian Villa with a horrifying past. In 1974 there was a brutal and mysterious murder of a famous rock star. As the women explore the houses history, the more their own personal secrets come to light.

The way the timelines weaved together in this book was my favourite part. The Villa gave us Emily’s perspective in the present day, Mari’s perspective in 1974 and excerpts from Mari’s book and her step sister’s songs which also gave us clues to this story. It was such an interesting way to weave everything together, and though this book had some exceptionally long chapters, I didn’t find it off-putting like I normally do because every moment of this story was so engaging!

Present time: Emily and Chess were the closest of friends as they grew up but now in their 30’s are busy with their day-to-day lives. Emily is recovering from an unknown malady and is separated from her husband as a result. Chess talks Emily into a girls trip to Villa Aestas in Orvieto, Italy to rekindle their closeness but also their writing - Emily has had a successful series of cozy mysteries while Chess has a big self-help career. 1974: rock star Noel Gordon is also trying to kick start his creativity. He invites another musician, his girlfriend Mari and her stepsister, Lara to join him at Villa Rosato (which will be renamed Aestas). The first trip has several significant events - Mari writes a best selling mystery, Lara composes a best selling album (Aestas!), and there is a murder. Emily decides to deviate from her cozy mystery and discovers some clues in Mari’s book and the villa that there is more to the history of the villa and its visitors back then than has been disclosed. When Emily’s husband shows up, things get a tad messy. I really struggled to assign a rating to this book. What appeared to be an interesting premise turned into a bit of a slog. The bouncing back and forth between 1974 and the present time would normally be an interesting way of connecting two stories but it took way too long to bring them together that made sense, although the ending almost had me rate the book one star higher. Overall just not a great read. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my review.

A story within a story, a house that doesn't forget, and a betrayal that opens the door for the future and the end for everyone involved.

I have to say this one took me a little bit to get into, and while I enjoyed the story of Emily, and Chess, the one that I felt drawn to was Mari and Lara.

While it may not be a popular opinion, to me at least that was the story that kept my attention within this dual timeline. There was something about those pages that Mari left hidden in the Villa that just gave it so much more depth.

With complex characters that have their own issues and a setting that is a character in itself, The Villa weaves a haunting tale that will have you questioning everyone around you and wondering who if anyone you can trust.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing an advance copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

"The House Remembers" What a chilling line to start off with. This is a dual timeline thriller that has a lot of similarities and tragic endings.

This book slowly ramps up. I did enjoy that in the current timeline, Em and Chess try to uncover more details from the 1970s timeline. Writing and song lyrics hold clues and all of the characters express themselves via writing.

One wish I had was to have gotten more of a creepy vibe from the house itself, it seemed to be a bit more ordinary other than a couple bad events. The characters are truly what makes this book though.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a story within a story suspense novel, with a gothic vibe, that builds slowly into a tale of tangled relationships and betrayal.
“Houses Remember.” This opening sets the stage with the Italian villa, the setting for the core action of this story. Told in alternating timelines, by Mari in the 70s and Emma in the present, the story unfolds in fits and starts. Emma is newly divorced, and looks forward to a restorative summer in Italy at the Villa Aestas with her childhood friend Chess.
Mari, in 1974 London, is a writer involved with wild, self-absorbed rock musicians whose drug use and promiscuity cause her much heartache as they all summer in the same house, known then as the Villa Rosato.
I like the juxtaposition of two very different stories occurring in the same setting. Although the house did not feature strongly as a character, it provided continuity and an atmospheric vehicle which propels the story along in both timelines.
The female protagonists are the most developed characters, with Mari being complex enough to be interesting and sympathetic. None of the other players were particularly likeable. Some of the events in the early timeline were difficult to read about, although in context and contributory to the story line. I particularly liked the clever twists near the end of Mari’s tale.
All in all, this is a well plotted tale of human frailty, dark motivations, and intrigue. I usually enjoy this author’s works, and I believe this is one of her strongest novels to date. Highly recommend!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.

Emily Sheridan is a writer of cozy mysteries, but ill health and the collapse of her marriage has her suffering from writer's block. Her best friend Chess Chandler, a very successful writer of self-help books, whisks them both away to a villa in Italy to write and reconnect. Emily is immediately intrigued by the knowledge that Villa Aestas (formerly Villa Rosato) was dubbed the Murder House after the 1974 murder of a guest staying with rock star Noel Gordon for the summer. While up and coming musician Pierce Sheldon would perish, his girlfriend, Mari, would soon emerge from the fateful summer as the author of a groundbreaking horror book and her stepsister, Lara would end up recording one of the greatest solo albums of the time period. Once Emily uncovers secrets about the murder hidden in the house, she is inspired to start writing again while it appears that Chess has plans of her own. The story effectively shifts back and forth from the present to that tragic summer of 1974.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins, with its gothic ambiance, was a satisfying read. And while this is a mystery, the appeal was the dynamics between the two main characters in each time period - Emily and Chess and Mari and Lara. Each pair cared deeply for the other, but competition and jealousy complicated the relationships. Some books, like this one, seem perfectly suited for movie adaptations - Netflix, are you listening? 

It's a good one to start the new year.

Oooh this was a fun one to listen to! I loved the back and forth between the 70s and now. So much chaos and sex/drugs/rock and roll. The twist tho? Holy shit - that was epic and so satisfying.

I have really enjoyed Rachel Hawkins so far, even Reckleas Girls, and her new one did not disappoint! I love that it wasn’t your typical domestic thriller storyline and any book that brings in travel always has a leg up for me. This was one I didn’t want to put down.

The perfect mix of fiction, a little mystery, and a glamorous getaway. The story travels time with ease, linking you between two friends in a vacation villa in the present as they try to unravel what happened in the same villa years ago. You’ll read it quickly because you have to isee how it ends. Great read!