The Villa was wonderful - I read it in one day. It is the story of two "besties" - Em and Chess who go away on a vacation to a villa in Italy to write their own (or possibly collaborate) on a book. While there, they read a novel written in 1974 by Mari and her married boyfriend staying at the same villa with their intertwined group of people. Em also discovers a hidden diary left behind by Mari that uncovers more mysteries of the villa. Secrets are uncovered, relationships are tested, lies are told - I highly recommend The Villa!

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc of The Villa. Think part Daisy Jones, part Rock Paper Scissors, part the Most Likely Club. I’m a Rachel Hawkins fan so I was excited for her newest book.
So this book is a story within a story. The timeline goes between the 70s and present day. While the storylines are very different, they also have similar themes: Female bonds, romantic relationships and creating art. Daisy Jones vibe comes in with the 70s sex drugs and rock and roll substory. Present day, there are friends competing ala The Most Likely Club and two friends writing books a tiny bit like Rock Paper scissors in the meta nature of writing books within books.
I didn’t love any of the characters. I’m not sure if I was supposed to, though. Part of the theme of the story is how flawed the characters are and how those complexities can serve different purposes.
This book earned a solid 4 stars from me. It was an amalgamation of thriller, female friendships, and pop culture. However, because the characters weren’t compelling to me and sometimes their reactions were so far from what I would expect from most people, it took it down a notch for me. The main character’s paranoia could definitely have been played up more, too.
Overall, I am definitely going to be recommending this to my book loving friends. I devoured it in two days. If you have read her other books, this will rise above them.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning. The alternating timelines between today and the summer of 1974, in addition to the different media forms included (podcast, books, music lyrics) was a little jarring at first, but I ended up loving it and thought it helped tell the story.
The Villa explores complex family relationships, friendships, betrayal, and how life can veer off course of how we think and believe it should turn out. I loved how morally gray these characters were and I did not guess the ending, which I loved even more!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to be an early reader.

I was so excited about this book because I’ve loved the last two books by this author - but this one was really just meh . Overall the story seemed very slow; the current story of the two friends often seemed repetitive and at time kind of boring - and like who needs friends like these two ? The author did throw in a few unexpected twists here and there that kept the story a bit more interesting but overall it was too slow for my liking .

The Villa comes with a murderous history from the 1970's, and two best friends have just booked it for the summer. The haunts of the past begin to infiltrate its inhabitants as one slowly uncovers manuscripts of what truly happened nearly 50 years ago with a group of rockers.

The 70's vibe, the Italian setting and the mysteries had me hooked. And, throw in two complicated friends with a messy relationship, guess what you've got a suspenseful winner. I couldn't stop reading as I was anxious for the resolution to the twist and turns from the past to the present.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy.

I loved the Reckless Girls so I couldn't wait to dive in to the Villa. Once I started reading, I discovered the focus of the story was a Villa in Italy near Orvieto. Having stayed in a Villa in Italy and having had visited Orvieto, I knew I was going to enjoy this story even more.

The Villa features two timelines that both center on the villa. The modern day story line follows best friends Emily and Chess, both writers. Chess invites Emily to the villa for the summer so they can both focus on writing. The second timeline takes place in the summer of 1974 where several musicians are staying at the villa to write music. We soon learn that a murder had taken place at the villa in July 1974. Emily soon becomes immersed in figuring out what exactly happened that fateful summer, and then starts suspecting that Chess isn't who she thought she was.

The Villa started off slow, and I didn't care too much for most of the characters. But half way through the tensions started to ratchet up and you just know something is going to happen. There were a few things about the ending that left me feeling a little bit unsatisfied, and a few things that just felt a little not very plausible. But there were some twists at the very end that I totally wasn't expecting. Overall I really enjoyed the Villa and it kept me on the edge of myseat. I found there was a lot of depth to the characters and the plot but do wish a few minor things were different about the ending.

I would have DNF’d this had it not been an ARC and on my NG shelf. It just solidified for me that I don’t love reading books that are about rich people behaving badly,

A tale of two writers (okay, more than two, but roll with it) in two different timelines, an idyllic Italian villa with a haunting history, and several deeply flawed human beings. I enjoyed how the two timelines twisted around each other, dovetailing here and diverging there. The details of each storyline unfolded slowly, allowing me to contemplate the possibilities of what might happen next. I did not expect the final twist, and I'm still trying to decide if I liked how it ended, but I'm leaning toward a "yes." All in all, an enjoyable read.

Emily is going to spend the summer in Italy with her friend Chess at the Villa Aestas. Before it was known as the Villa Aestas, it was the Villa Rosato. During its days as the Villa Rosato, a rock star named Noel Gordon stayed there with up-and-coming musician Pierce Sheldon, Pierce's girlfriend Mari, Mari's stepsister Lara, and Noel's friend Johnnie. When the four of them were staying there, things so terrible occured that Mari wrote the most popular selling horror novel of all time, Lara wrote a platinum album leading to the renaming of the villa and Pierce ended up being murdered.

Emily begins to suspect there's more behind the murder than was originally reported, so she starts doing some research. As Emily begins to dig into the past of the Villa Rosato, things become tense between her and Chess. Soon secrets from Emily and Chess' past come out. Will someone become victim of the villa this summer?

The Villa is a thriller that's told in alternating timelines of the present, told through Emily, and the past, told through Mari. We also learn pieces of information from song lyrics, magazine excerpts, excerpts of the book written by Mari, and talk show transcripts. It took a little while for me to get into the storyline of Mari, but once I did I actually began to like her story more than Emily's. I thought Emily's story was interesting at first, but then it became too predictable. I was hoping for a much darker story, especially with such a compelling opening line, but for me this book was just OK. There wasn't any huge plot twist, no big wow moment for me. The Villa is a really fast read, so it's definitely worth a read if you are a thriller lover.

I DNF'D this at 30%

I don't like the back and forth between timelines. I don't care about any of the characters within either timeline. Though Chess seems interesting, she's not interesting enough to carry the story.

This was a super intriguing plot - I love that it was inspired by true stories (Manson Murders, Fleetwood Mac, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein birthplace). I also enjoyed the multiple times and strong themes of female friendships. I did feel that the ending wasn't thought out well and felt rushed. In my opinion, it could have been better written,

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Hawkins does it again. I LOVED The Wife Upstairs, but did not care for Reckless Girls. I went into this book cautiously optimistic and I'm so glad I gave her another chance because I devoured this one. it was so good. The multiple points of view were great, the tensions between Chess and Emily felt like it was built jump and paced perfectly and I loved learning the back story of Mary and crew. I pretty much guessed the tie in with Matt and Chess, but it was still a satisfying ending! It was binge worthy and I loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a review!
This is my first Rachel Hawkins book, and it was not what I was expecting! I did really enjoy it. I love novels with multiple POVs and this one uses a few different ones; a current day narrator, a narrator from the past, and some snippets from a novel and music that are all tied together by the same house. I liked reading the progression between the characters in both periods of time. The past POV was very reminiscent for me of Daisy Jones and the Six, but less romantic, and the current day one was also interesting the way Hawkins wrote these two characters who are navigating what its like to have a "best" friend for that long: the complicated history and the uncomfortable present. However, each POV had a moment near the end that I just didn't really buy. One of them I think is just trying hard to be like one specific author's popular thriller, but I dont want to give that away and spoil things. I do think it's worth the read, just not the best thriller I've ever read.

This was a FUN read/listen! Someone described it as Verity meets Daisy Jones and Six and I couldn't agree more. The Italian villa setting added to the mood of the book which at times was sunny and inviting, but could quickly turn dark and mysterious. The alternating timelines, plus the addition of the podcast script and the novel excerpts, made this fast-paced and exciting. I had to pause the audio often to grasp what was happening and to think about how everything was connected before moving on to read and learn even more. I loved The Wife Upstairs, but didn't enjoy Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. She definitely redeemed herself with this mystery thriller and once again, I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Life has taken Chess and Emily, childhood best friends, down different paths, but now in their 30's, they have decided to reconnect during a summer girls trip to Italy. They stay in Villa Aestas, the home where a murder too place in 1974. Emily is a cozy mystery author who is stuck in a rut, but as she digs into the history of the villa, she finally becomes excited about writing again. Chess, a nonfiction author and social media influencer, finds herself interested in the mystery even though Emily would like to keep the project to herself. As Emily gets closer to the truth about the murder that happened during the summer of 1974, tension grows between the two friends. Betrayals from both past and present come to light and it looks like another murder may take place in the villa because "houses remember".

I don't know if it's possible, but this felt like a fast-paced, slow-burn thriller. It was a quick read/listen (under 300 pages and less than 8 hours) and kept me entertained from start to finish. The narration of the audio was amazing! Thanks NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for the advanced digital and audio copies of The Villa!

Not a favorite of mine.
The duo time lines were easy to follow the story from then to now. Didn't find myself loving any of the characters really. More into the now time line than earlier but knowing why both had to be included.
Well written and great cover.

Thanks to the author,the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Told through alternating viewpoints of Mari in the 1970’s and Emily in the present tense, The Villa is a smartly interwoven tale of complicated relationships and murder. Both narrators are managing interpersonal trauma, both escape to Italy, and both use their writing to carve a therapeutic path through their struggles. I would say this is less of a gothic thriller and more of a psychological suspense narrative. The Villa, while beautiful and captivating, functions less as an impetus for action and more as a link between these two time periods. Rachel Hawkins handles the time and perspective shifts deftly and the ties between Mari and Emily are expertly knotted

Two timelines of women staying in an Italian villa while dealing with different forms of grief and looking for a surge of creativity to help them write their books. I could really see the Mary Shelley influences here - the 1970s timeline is essentially Shelley’s story the summer she wrote Frankenstein except with a murder thrown in 🔪 This book didn’t feel so much like a thriller or mystery to me. Yes, I wanted to know exactly what happened in the 1970s timeline - which is often the focus of the present-day timeline - but I didn’t feel it was all that mysterious. That wasn’t a problem at all for me, because I found both timelines compelling on their own. I really enjoyed this one!

This book is about 2 lifelong best friends - both authors who stay in a Villa in Italy for the summer to reconnect their friendship. Not just any Villa though - it was a "murder house" back in the 70's. The book is also a "book within a book". I did find myself enjoying Emma and Chess' story more than I did the flashbacks to the story from the 70's. I think that Emma was my favorite character - Chess was a bit hard to like.
Overall this was a good book even though it was somewhat predictable. It is worth your time reading, but not a book I would consider remarkable or unforgettable. This will be my 3rd book by this author - I do think that she is a talented writer. Whoever designs the covers for her books does an amazing job - they are always so beautiful and eye catching.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's for letting me review this book!

Its well written, there is no doubt that Hawkins is a talented writer for sure. The dual timelines are easy to follow and the characters well developed. My issue is that the story didn't hold my attention. I skimmed a lot. It isn't the taught thriller I thought the blurb was going to deliver.

Overall its a great concept, good writing but I found it a little underwhelming.

A creepy dual time line tale that moves between 1974, when there was a murder at the Villa Aestas, and the present when Emily and her childhood BFF Jessica are spending the summer there hoping they can both finish their books. Emily writes cozies, she's recently separated from her husband Matt, and she's been struggling with her health even as Jessie who writes self help has turned into a worldwide brand. Em is fascinated with the murder at the Villa- the summer that Mari turned into a best selling horror novel. Mari was 19 and struggling as well with death of her baby, her relationship with her partner, and a bit of jealously of her step sister Lara. There's a sex, alcohol, and rock and roll aspect to the 1974 strand while the present day is focused largely on the relationship between Em and Jessica. I wasn't sure how the two time lines would merge and to be honest they feel like two different books (well, three since there are some excerpts from Mari's novel) with some plot points from the 1974 period completely irrelevant to the present (but which ones?). I felt for Em, could visualize Jessica (there's a terrific comment about Jessica's linen clothes never wrinkling). Mari, on the other hand, was intriguing but unfinished. There's a surprise and a twist or two so no spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A page turner.