This is my third by Rachel Hawkins' other two books by her pen name Erin Sterling. I will say this was by far my favorite of the five I've read by her, I really liked how both timelines weaved together and enjoyed the different perspectives. I  was all in for the first 75% or so but then the ending felt rushed with too many questions and knocked a star off my rating. This is a solid, entertaining escape read, but don't look too closely at the holes in it!

This was SO much better than I was expecting after being disappointed in Reckless Girls. Even with a slow start, I had a hard time putting it down. Told through dual timelines and the perspectives of Mari and Emily, as they stay at the same Villa (known as the murder house) in Italy, many years apart.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc of this book that releases Jan 3,2023!

The Villa is not just one, but two incredible psychological thrillers rolled into separate stories, the first from the 1970's and the second from present day. Both are filled with mystery, death, puzzles and revenge. And the main character is the house itself because in the end, the house always remembers...

In 1974 Villa Rosato in Italy was rented by a group of musicians. Mara and Lara are stepsisters who tag along because Lara is seeing the host, famous rock star Noel Gordon and Mara is seeing up and coming song-writer Pierce. Mara is in love with Pierce and Lara sort of falls in and out of love easily, including an affair with Pierce which Mara chooses to overlook. This complication along with sex, drugs and making music become the setting for an almost inevitable disaster.

And what happens during their time together at The Villa is just that, a tragedy with one of them being murdered and one of them imprisoned. But for Mara and Lara their time together at the house will push both of them into stardom. Mara with a bestselling novel called Lilith Rising and Lara with an album titled Aestas which still haunts those who listen to it to this day. But even until both their deaths, they refused to ever discuss what happened at the house that summer.

Flash forward to best friends Emily and Chess. They have been friends since childhood. Even though their lives took them in separate directions with Emily marrying and becoming a cozy mystery writer of a series and Chess becoming a famous lifestyle guru, they remained in each other's lives. Emily is in the midst of a divorce as well as a year of horrible health issues and writer's block when Chess suggests they go away for a month to Italy. Chess is also supposed to be writing a book. Emily agrees.

When they get to Villa Aestas, Emily realizes that this is the house where horrible things had happened years ago. They had changed the name when Lara became famous to Villa Aestas after her best-selling album which they believe she wrote after the killing. While browsing the library Emily discovers a copy of Mara's famous novel, Lilith Rising. As she begins to read the story, she sees a resemblance as to what happened that summer years ago. Fascinated, she develops a theory and begins to explore the house for clues that her thinking might be correct. Emily's obsession with finding out the truth leads her to decide to start a book about her findings.

Chess realizes what Emily is doing. Their relationship begins to fracture and by the end of their time at Villa Aestas there will be another death and their lives will suddenly change forever. You see, houses really do remember.

The Villa is a well-written, mesmerizing story with a built in who done it and a shell-shocking ending you will not see coming.

Thank You #NetGalley #St.Martin'sPress #TheVilla #RachelHawkins for the advanced copy.

This was an okay read. There were aspects of this book that I really enjoyed. It was fast paced and was invested in the story and really enjoyed the dual timelines but I didn’t love how it ended.
I would rate it 3.5 but rounded it up to 4 stars

Closed out 2022 with this 5 star read!

Reckless Girls was a miss for me, but THIS, this was DEFINITELY for me.

I devoured this story (within a story) told between two time periods. I LOVED that we got a sneak peak into the "sex drugs and rock n roll" era and that it was equally told from the present as well.

Any book set in Italy could do no wrong in my opinion. I imagined this villa was gothic-chic with lots of horror lingering over it. I would have liked to hear more description of the villa, but perhaps it would have not been relevant.

Watching the two time period weave together was haunting and beautiful!

Thank you so much for this ARC!

I liked this a lot better than the previous work I read by the author. However, Chess was nigh on insufferable, so that was a lot to take. Overall, though, it was worth reading.

The Villa is very different from Rachel Hawkins previous books. The setting takes place in a very picturesque Italian village. The villa as a history of previous murders that have happened. The most notorious one taking place in the summer of 1974. When two best friends Chess and Emily rent the villa for the summer, Emily embarks on writing a true crime story about the people involved with 1974 murder and how the novel Lilith Rising came to be. I liked that it had the story of Mari, Lara, Pierce, Johnnie, and Noel intertwined with Emily. Emily saw the clues that Mari had left in her novel Lilith Rising to find the missing pages of Mari’s diary to find out what happened that fateful night. Even though you find out in the end that it was all fictional. This is the best one yet from Rachel Hawkins yet!

For this my last book of 2022 I did a blend of listening to the audio and reading on kindle. I liked the narrators and thought they brought their characters to life. I did have a harder time getting to Mari’s parts, but as I got further into the story those were actually the parts that had me more interested. I felt bad for Emily. She picked a poor husband and an even poorer BFF. I didn’t like Chess through the whole story and wondered why they were friends, especially by the end. This book wasn’t exactly the thriller I was expecting, but it was a suspenseful story told in dual timelines which I’ve always liked. This is the story of a Villa in Italy and two women who stayed there. Emily is surprised to hear a famous murder of a famous musician occurred in the villa Chess has for them to stay in that summer. But as Chess says someone has died everywhere. But the more Emily learns the more interested she is.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4873375427

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!