#FirstLine - Houses remember.

This book was something! I loved the alternating timelines because it seamlessly and beautifully tied past and present together. I was so engrossed in the stories of all the characters. They all were flawed and interesting in their own right. All were worthy of their story being told. It is amazing how the actions of others can change the trajectory of another life. It was a wild ride of intrigue and suspense. I loved that I never really knew the full truth of what really happened at the Villa past or present until the very end of the story. I also loved that it was not tied up all perfect at the end. It was unsettling and illustrates how every action has a consequence!!! A must read for everyone in 2023!!!

I will start by saying that I absolutely drank this book up fast reading in one day. I love Rachel Hawkins writing style and the story was very intriguing. I was a little disappointed by the very end and felt that it was a complete book but left me with a feeling that not everything was finished when it should have been.

The dual time lines is always a fickle concept but I think for the most part it worked here. There is always, at least for me, a pull towards one or the other but I will say for the most part I was wanting more from each equally. The characters all had flaws which I absolutely love because no one is perfect. You are left with that feeling of who the hell am I supposed to be rooting for when everyone is got some bad going on.

The inspirations mentioned are all very well put together and even if I had not read that prior I would definitely have picked up on them all.

I was not only disappointed with how the book finished (ie the last couple of pages) but also I was wanting something more gothic or psychological almost and in the end just felt let down in that aspect. That being said I thought it was a good read and kept me turning pages unto the wee hours of the morning.

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

3.5/5

"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." I mean, how could you NOT want to read this!?

Alternating between the past and present, The Villa details the goings on in a gorgeous Italian villa. The past focuses on a group of people who visit the villa to work on themselves and enhance their creativity. Some of those people see wild success in the future, but others have far more tragic endings. The present is about Emily and Chess, who have been besties since they were kids. Emily is going through a divorce and Chess is a famous writer. When Chess suggests to Em that a summer at the Italian villa is just what they both need, Em can't help but agree. Em becomes enthralled in the history of the villa and the tragedies that occurred back in the 70s. She finds that once she starts looking into the villa's past, she can't stop digging. As their time in the villa continues, some tension between the two women begins to develop. The Villa starts off with the line that "houses remember." Does this Italian villa remember its tragedies and will history continue to repeat itself?

I loved the alternating stories, the unlikable and somewhat likable characters, and the setting. There was mystery, suspense, and secrets revealed. Not all in The Villa is as it seems and I was unsure of which characters could be trusted. This was my second read by Rachel Hawkins (Reckless Girls was the first) and I definitely want to check out more from this author.

I went into this book unsure what to expect because I loved Wife Upstairs, but wasn’t a huge fan of Reckless Girls. For me, this book fell right in the middle of the two- I didn’t find it as compulsively readable as Wife Upstairs, but I did love the use of the dual timeline/story within a story devices. Overall this was a different twist on a thriller- I love books that don’t focus on a domestic dispute.

Two best friends, Emily and Chess, spend a summer in Italy at a villa where a murder took place in 1974. Both friends are writers and Emily is going through a rough divorce. Emily gets a new idea for a book by piecing together clues she finds in The Villa from the murder as well as a horror book called Lilith Rising, written by one of the women who witnessed the murder, Mari. The book also jumps back to the '70s, focusing on Mari and a group of musicians and their experience at The Villa, as well as the way the murder actually unfolds.

I did not want to put this one down! I loved so many aspects of it, the Italian landscape and meals, the build up to the murder and whodunit, as well as the description of the horror book, Lilith Rising (I wish I could read it!). I also liked seeing the history of Chess and Emily's friendship as well as secrets that unfolded between them. This was not a page turning thriller but rather a slower & gothic vibe, along with some predictable twists.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

This is definitely one of the best books I've read this year, if not the best. Rachel Hawkins has pulled from real life influences to compose a story about friendships, secrets and the power of both. The main protagonists are Emily and Chess, lifelong friends now in their 30s, each successful writers in their own way. They decide to spend a summer in an Italian villa determined to write, separately and possibly together. The villa has its own history, complete with secrets. Emily's determination to learn more about the secrets ignites a new passion in her, and could either bring her closer to Chess or drive them apart.
This book has a gothic feel to it and is a must - read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc of The Villa!
I’ve been excited for this book for a while but unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I loved all of the mentions of articles, song lyrics, and book excerpts. They all felt so real! I just couldn’t get behind the characters. They were all so back and forth and annoying, in my opinion. I did love Lara’s character though. All and all, the story was very slow but seemed rushed at the end.

I enjoy this author so I was excited to get my hands on this. It didn’t disappoint. Good storyline with some unexpected twists. The dual timelines was interesting.

I didn’t like the friend Chess. For starters, the name? I cringed every time I read it.

But overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

There are so many things I liked about this fast-paced read!
1) The 70s retrospective
2) The dual author storylines (as a writer, the struggles resonated a lot!)
3) Emily's hunt for the real story of the villa and coming into her new/true self

I was going to give it 5 stars until I got to the end. 😞 Some things were wrapped up too nicely (Matt) and I was disappointed about where Emily ended up. I thought it was too similar to where Mari/Lara ended but maybe that was the point.

I couldn’t believe I got approved for this title! I did a little happy dance when I got the email 😂

I enjoy Rachel’s novels, however, I was a little hesitant about the synopsis. It said it had a more gothic theme to it, which isn’t really my cup of tea. But nevertheless I jumped right in.

To me it didn’t seem like there was a gothic theme at all. There are basically two stories within this book. One in the present and one in 1974. There are very few chapters but in each chapter there is the telling of both past and present.

I absolutely loved the 1974 story, I was so invested. You find out halfway through what happens but you don’t know how. But I wanted to keep reading to see how it all went down.

The present, wasn’t as exciting I found as the past, but nevertheless, it still was building into something you knew wouldn’t end well…


Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced reading copy.

The Villa is available January 3

This book was very intriguing with 2 time lines but multiple story lines happening all at once. You had the current day Em and Chess story, the past Mari, Lara, Pierce, Noel, and Johnnie story, the articles about the Villa and the tragedies that happened there, the Lyrics from the Aestas album, and the books being written by Mari and Em in their own lives. It was a lot to keep track of but it all.came together in a way that wasn't as confusing as I first thought. This book is a well woven tapestry of love, fame, fortune, lies, and secrets. It is Firefly Lane meets Mexican Gothic meets Daisy Jones and the Six, and it is all good.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for both the audio and ebook ARCs of The Villa. I enjoyed the multiple timelines of the novel, especially since they were read by different audiobook narrators. Each story kept you hooked and guessing at what might happen, although a few of the plot points were a little predictable. I enjoy Rachel Hawkins writing and look forward to what else she puts out.

3.5⭐️ Told in two timelines:

1974: follows a love triangle of talented young people who rent and Italian Villa only to fall on tragedy. A few musicians and then Mari who is a writer and on her road to writing the next great American horror novel.

Present day: follows Emily and her childhood best friend Chess. Both are writers, Emily writes cozy mysteries and Chess is the new self help guru. Chess rents the same Italian Villa and invites Emily who is way behind on her new book, to spend the summer to relax and write and be inspired.

The book switches perspectives between Emily and Mari and is also told through different news sources such as articles and interviews.

It is not a fast paced thriller, but does leave you wanting to know what happens. I did find the characters a little hard to connect with, but that is just my opinion. I was also expecting the book to be a bit creepier since it was inspired by the Manson murders.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. This was the first time I read from this author and it did not disappoint! This book was PHENOMENAL! It was unputdownable! I loved the language, the way it was written (usual narrative style, fragments of diary entries, podcasts, and articles), the plot, the imagery, the twists and turns, the characters, the dual timeline narrative, the parallels between them, the feminism, and everything else! By far one of THE BEST BOOKS, I have ever read!

I need to preface this by saying that I am so happy that I don't choose books based on reviews, because the lackluster reviews of this novel on Goodreads would have turned me off. However, I choose books based on A) the premise B) the author (if I know who the author is and have read them before, although the premise is always the most important) and C) the cover (I know, I know). Thankfully reviews don't really do much for me, because I would have missed out on one of my favorite books of 2022!

I loved everything about this book - two besties in the present day who have a complicated relationship. Two stepsisters in the 70s, also with a very complicated relationship. All are creative types, all are trying to rise above the men that try to hold them back, and they are tied together by one villa - known is the 70s as Villa Rosata, known in the present day as Villa Aestas.

Like Emily in the present day, I found myself quickly falling into Mari's story in the 70s. I almost felt like I was there with both women, in a beautiful villa in Italy, discovering myself and discovering secrets. I felt for Emily, marrying someone and thinking her life was going to be a certain way, and then finding herself blindsided and unmoored. And so maybe that's why I fell so deeply in love with this book - I am a woman who has been held down by the men in my life, and I want to discover my powerful, true potential (my goodness, I sound like Chess).

This book has so many good things. So please don't go off the lackluster reviews. You need to check it out for yourself.

Unless you're scared...

Loved this one! It was a mixture of Daisy Jones and The White Lotus. It kept me on my toes and surprised me with a twist at the end.

Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. And thanks as well to Macmillan Audio and Libro.fm for the advanced audio copy. { partner } All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my blog at tacklingtbr.home.blog

TW: death/murder, mention of suicide, loss of children, violence, drug use, infidelity

It is no secret to folks who look at my Instagram or list of finished books on Goodreads that I love Rachel Hawkins books, so I was THRILLED when I got early access to her newest story. And y'all, when I say that this book did not disappoint, it is an understatement.

I DEVOURED this book. Along with the galley that I received via Netgalley, I also received an early audio copy from Libro.fm and Macmillan Audio. So this morning I thought it would be a perfect thing to start while working away on filing and mindless tasks throughout my work day, and that I would likely go back tonight and continue reading it in it's written form, curled up on the couch.

But instead I listened to the entire audiobook cover-to-cover, for lack of a better term, throughout my day. I couldn't put it down.

I loved the dual timeline, set in the present with Emily and Chess and in the past with Mari and her famous group. I thought that the two stories wove together in such a seamless way, and I equally enjoyed both - which I don't always feel is the case. I think in books with more than one story I tend to have a favorite, and no matter how much I enjoy the others I always feel a bit like I'm waiting to get back to what I've decided is my primary timeline. That was not at all the case with this book.

I also thought that the different mediums in which the story was told made it incredibly engaging. There were the more typical chapters with Emily and Chess, but then there were also different tidbits throughout - there were excerpts from Mari's novel, and lyrics from Lara's songs, and background information from podcast episodes and biographies all centered around them and their time in the villa. I would read an entire series written in this way, and I would love every minute of it.

The characters were all imperfect, but I found them really interesting to read about. And a note on the audiobook itself, the acting was really great! All of the characters felt really distinct and separate, and it sounded as much like I was listening to a fully cast show as anything else. While I enjoyed this book enough that I will be buying a copy to keep on my bookshelf, I would highly recommend this one in it's audio format as well.

It will come as no surprise that I will absolutely recommend this book to readers, friends, and basically anybody who will listen. There are obviously some pretty serious trigger warnings that I've listed above, and while few of them are really delved really deeply into, I would still keep those in mind if you choose to pick this one up. But otherwise I have very little negative to say about it.
I think that the perfect way to read this book would be with a very large glass of a deep red wine, next to a roaring fire, and listening to the rain pounding on the windows. It would set just the right mood for murder.

mily and Chess were best friends growing up and have drifted apart and come back together over the years. Emily and Chess are both authors, although Chess has had more success than Emily. Chess has rented a villa in Orvieto, Italy for the summer. She invites Emily to spend the summer with her. In 1974, the villa was rented by a rock star and a murder took place there. The story goes back and forth between 1974 and Chess and Emily. However, in 1974, there was another author there, who wrote a book that went on to become a bestseller. A song writer was there also and she wrote an album that went on to become one of the best known albums of all time. Chess and Emily are hoping they can have the same success writing this summer.

The story bounces back and forth between each timeline. There are also some parts of the book that was written at the villa in 1974 thrown in as well as some reviews of the book and the album from 1974. Actually made it a little confusing instead of adding to the story.

While the ending was good, if not a little confusing, it was an OK book. Not exactly a thriller but you aren't sure what's going to happen. Keeps your attention but not an edge of your seat book.

“People are never just gone, after all. There are always marks, always signs.”.

Emily has hit a rough patch in her personal and professional life, and when she reunites with her best friend, Chess, she agrees to spend six weeks at the infamous Villa Aestas. It’s well-known for the place where musician Pierce Sheldon was murdered in 1974. Subsequently, two of the women who stayed there produce two massively important works. Emily can’t help but dig into the story and analyze the boiling tension between herself and Chess.

I loved the dual timelines and the addition of podcast transcripts and magazine articles. It was easy to fall into Emily’s point of view. Staying in a house that was the site of a gruesome murder proves to be creepy, but it sends Emily down a rabbit hole as she tried to uncover what really happened in 1974. She becomes increasingly paranoid about Chess and her motives for the trip, dissecting the things she says and how she acts. There are a lot of moving parts, but that only served to keep me invested.

The 70s parts were some of my favorite parts. I was so fascinated by the juxtaposition of the true story and Emily trying to figure everything out in the present. The combination works so well. Having Mari and Lara produce such important works following the murder added such an interesting depth. Not only are we, as readers, trying to figure out what is happening in the present, we’re trying to figure out what happened in the past and how Mari’s book and Lara’s album could provide insight. It’s a question of how much is autobiographical and what was sensationalized.

Emily and Chess’s relationship is so interesting. They seem so different on the surface, but there are things that keep them tied together. It’s easy to see why Emily is so paranoid around Chess; she seems so fake. The build up of their tension, the story from the last, and the ending really tied the story together and kept me interested through the end.

I will say it was a but slow going for me at the beginning and I didn’t feel invested until I was about a third of the way through, but once I was invested, I flew through the rest of the book. Some smaller plot points are a hit predictable and there were some things I wish had been expanded on a bit more. But, overall, I really enjoyed this one.

2.5 stars

It took me a while to get into this book, but it was intriguing once I did. I enjoyed the jumps in time, the articles & book pages and that it featured an author. + the setting was perfect.

However, for being under 300 pages, it felt too long and I should have DNF'd after falling asleep numerous times while trying to read. Parts of it were interesting and well done but overall it just didn't work for me in either format.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press & MacMillan Audio for advance copies in exchange for an honest review.