A story told in two timelines, The Villa follows a group of musical artists in 1974 who rent an Italian villa as a getaway. The other timeline follows friends Emily and Chess who rent the same Italian villa to reconnect and get some writing in (both are authors). Once Emily and Chess arrive at the Villa, they discover a murder took place among the group of musicians back in the 70's. There is also some drama from Emily's past thrown in and conflict with her and Chess.

Overall, I just didn't connect with this book. I found that I didn't care about any of the characters or the plot lines. It took a while for anything juicy to happen so the first half dragged a bit. My favorite part was that the book was set in Italy. Not my favorite, but I think it will work for many others out there.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Rachel Hawkins for an ARC of this book.

When I read the blurb for The Villa and saw that it was being compared to Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and Mary Shelly, I was interested. While I enjoyed the book, I was disappointed by it. Mari and Emily’s stories didn’t grab me the way I had hoped.

The Villa starts in present-day North Carolina. Emily is a successful author who has been battling a mysterious illness. She also is in the process of divorcing her husband, Matt, who is as greedy as they can get. So, when her best friend, Chess (who also happens to be a best-selling self help author), suggests a girl’s trip to Italy, Emily jumps at it. Emily discovers that the villa they are renting was the scene of a murder in 1974 and where a best-selling turned cult classic novel, Lilith Rising, was written. Jumping headfirst into investigating it, Emily soon uncovers clues that show a different story than what reporters told the world. She also discovers that things are different from what they seem with Chess. What did Emily find about the murders? And what is going on with Chess?

The other part of this book takes place in 1974 in London and Italy. Mari is in a questionable (to me, at least) relationship with a singer/songwriter. Pierce, desperate to hit it big, accepts an invitation to party/work at a villa in Italy. He would be working with one of the biggest rock stars in the world. Mari and her stepsister, Lara, come along and are swept into a world filled with sex and drugs. As tension rise, Mari starts writing a book, which will become an instant bestseller/cult classic, Lilith Rises. Then the unthinkable happens, and Pierce is killed. But, all isn’t what it seems. What happened the night Pierce died? Who killed him and why?

The Villa is a fast-paced book that mostly takes place in a villa in Italy. The author did a great job of keeping the book flow as it hopped from past to present.

The main characters were what made this book a meh book for me. I found them annoying to read. Even when everything was revealed (in both timelines), I still couldn’t care.

Emily—I did feel bad for her at the beginning of the book. She was going through a rough patch with writer’s block and her husband wanting half of her book’s earnings. Plus, she had been very sick for a year. But I started not to like her when she got to Italy and started becoming paranoid. Plus, she was boring. The only exciting thing she did was at the end of the book. Also, and I will discuss this later in the review, I couldn’t understand how she didn’t see what was going on with her soon-to-be ex. It was pretty obvious.
Chess—I didn’t like her. She rubbed me the wrong way for the entire book. I think she had good intentions, but how she did things was suspicious. She did another thing that is a massive spoiler if I said too much about it. It was an enormous breach of trust to do what she did, even if her heart was in the right place. I also felt she deliberately made it so Emily could never leave her.
Mari—My heart freaking broke for her. I couldn’t even imagine the pain she had gone through. The what-ifs were sprinkled throughout the book, more so towards the end, and she was getting sick of Pierce’s antics. I liked that she channeled all of her rage and pain into Lilith Rising. My only quibble was that she was almost too cool with things. Does Pierce want to sleep with Lara? Sure, but only once. Does Pierce want a threesome with Noel? Sure, Mari will do it.
Lara—-I didn’t care for her. I felt that everything she did up to a crucial scene was to hurt Mari. It is so hard to explain what happened between Mari and Lara that summer without giving away spoilers.
The secondary characters portrayed in The Villa did add some depth to the plotline. But I felt that Noel and Johnnie’s characters were fillers. Same with Emily’s agent and her ex-husband.

This book was a good fit for the mystery/thriller genre. The thriller angle was very slight and mostly overshadowed by the mystery angle. If the author had expanded the thriller angle to encompass the earlier parts of the book (or even the middle) instead of just the end, I would have enjoyed it more.

The storyline with Emily, Chess, and her ex-husband made me want to gouge out my eyes. I got very frustrated because I figured out both things (the sickness and the spoiler) reasonably early in the book. I couldn’t understand how Emily didn’t figure out the illness (or even her family!!). As for the other thing, Emily did figure it out shortly after I did, but she didn’t want to admit it to herself.

The storyline with Emily, Chess, the murders, the story Emily was writing, and the villa was also frustrating. But in a good way, well, most of the time. I understood why Chess wanted to change her brand and felt that co-writing with Emily would help her. I also understood why Emily didn’t want to do it. The mystery of the murders did help break Emily’s writer’s block, and she was possessive over it. But she also saw why having Chess’s name attached to her work would be good. The villa, in both storylines, did feel very calming to me. It did help both Mari and Emily to heal.

The storyline with Mari, Pierce, Noel, Johnnie, and Lara was my favorite storyline. Mainly because I knew what was coming; I wanted to see the events leading up to it. And you know what? It was good there. It was how I figured it would be. A disorganized mess of a storyline (and that is meant in a good way) that kept me guessing. And the twist at the end of that!!! I was not expecting it.

Mari, Pierce, and Lara’s storyline made me nauseous when reading it. I was surprised to find out Mari was as young as she was (barely 19). When I did the math, I couldn’t believe Mari was under 16 when she ran away with Pierce. Lara was, too (it just occurred to me). It made me sick to think about that.

Mari’s writing of Lilith Rising was very intense. As I said above, she channeled all that rage and pain into this book. I wish it were an actual book because I would have loved to read it.

There are trigger warnings in The Villa. There is semi-graphic sex, drugs, cheating, alcohol, attempted murder, graphic murder, talk of abortion, and talk of a miscarriage. If any of these trigger you, I highly suggest not reading this book.

I wasn’t sure if I liked the end of The Villa. Emily didn’t make the right choice. But I did love the twist on the 1974 plotline. Talk about leaving the best for last!!

Three Things I Liked About The Villa:

Mari. She was the most likable out of all the characters.
Chess and Emily’s friendship.
The 1974 storyline before Pierce was murdered.
Three Things I Disliked About The Villa:

Emily’s soon to be ex-husband. He was a dirtbag.
Chess. She came across as super fake.
Pierce. Ugh, so many things, but see my paragraph about the Pierce, Mari, and Lara storyline.
I would recommend The Villa to anyone over 21. There is language, sex, and sometimes graphic violence. Also see my trigger warnings.

Rachel Hawkins’ newest title had me hooked by the creepy gothic setting alone. An old Italian villa is the perfect girls trip destination for Emily and Chess. Friends since childhood and now in their thirties, adult life has created some distance in their relationship. Both are authors but of very different genres with different levels of financial success, Emily writes cozy mysteries and Chess specializes in self-help books. The brutal murder history of Villa Aestas has sparked their creative juices into new directions and fueled the underlying competition between the two.

The 1970s murder at the villa is a story within this story. Written with alternating timelines, Hawkins reveals the past events in the villa and the secrets held within the home. Events that occur during that 70s summer will influence the lives of the two sisters who have traveled there. Invited as the muses to aspiring musicians, their own creativity will be inspired and their futures affected by the dramatic events of the summer.

Hawkins weaves her newest thriller with gothic vibes and multilayered characters. An excellent storyteller, the twists in this book have you guessing until the end. You won’t want to put this book down but you also don’t want it to end!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this title in return for an honest review.

This was a good story about creative people, conflicts and murder. Lots of twists and turns and good character development!!

I really enjoy when an author creates something just a little different. And, that's what Rachel Hawkins has done with The Villa. I've recently had a small binge of reads centered on musicians, particularly '70s musicians; so this read fit right in! This gothic mystery has all the dark moody vibes for an autumn or winter read.

"Houses remember" and Villa Aestas / Villa Rosato has plenty of stories to tell. Two timelines and two sets of women pull this story into a tale that will consume the reader to the end. Everyone has a secret in this book and you never know when those secrets will wreck someone. The characters are compelling (even when they aren't likable) and the scenery and setting are well written. The jumps between timelines fit together nicely and the reader is always eager to enter into either one.

Don't let the cover deceive you... notice that crack in the wall? Grab a cozy blanket and a mug of something hot. This is a perfectly moody winter read!

My thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Rachel Hawkins for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first read by the author and I must say I’m impressed.

I enjoy when authors seamlessly intertwine two stories in one book and Rachel achieved this. Theres a complicated friendship, a mystery and a bit of suspense.

Overall I enjoyed this read.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third Rachel Hawkins book and it has to be my favorite. I’m not sure what I had envisioned for it but what was written was a gothic mystery set in Italy. There weren’t so much as alarming twists as lots of secrets and deceit among people and characters.

I enjoyed the parallelism of the stories and enjoyed the last chapter the best. This book is written in dual timelines and I enjoyed the past story about Mari and Lara just slightly more. That timeline was rockstar vibes and reminded me of a dysfunctional Daisy Jones and the Six. Emily and Chess’s timeline was enjoyable but there were times where I was annoyed with both Emily and Chess. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more books by Rachel Hawkins

Publisher's blurb: "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."

Told with alternating timelines, I loved jumping between the rock & roll lifestyle of the 70s to present day. Mix in the mysterious past of the villa + Emily's research to write a new book + what's the real story between Chess and Emily and I was all in!

Side note, anyone else think that Rachel Hollis was the inspiration for Chess' character?!?!

This is probably my favorite of Hawkins’ last few books. It was a slow, simmering burn, but every chapter had me very interested to see what would happen next. I felt like the pacing was very steady. It wasn’t too quick, but not so slow that I was ever bored. Character wise, I absolutely related more to Emily and Mari, but I found Chess and Lara very intriguing, even during the times I wanted to throttle them. All the men absolutely sucked, but I liked seeing the women realize that and find their way out of being muses or playthings. I LOVED the dual timelines of Mari and Lara in the 70’s against Emily and Chess in the present day. I thought the intertwining of those timelines was done so well. Really the only complaint I have is the ending. It wasn’t a bad ending, but I was hoping it would go another way for Emily and Chess and in more detail. I can absolutely see how some people might not like this one, but it was right up my alley. This would make a GREAT limited series.
TW: drug use, death, mention of child death, infidelity, violence

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

“As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.”

I enjoyed a lot about this book. I LOVE the cover. I enjoyed the deep (ly flawed) characterization of both Emily and Chess, and their friendship. I enjoyed the location. I enjoyed the dueling timelines, both in that there were two of them, but also, the parallels between the two sets of characters.

I guess I just wanted MORE from this story. I wanted to SOAK in the surroundings, instead of the brief glimpses. I wanted the Villa to be its own character in the novel. Living. Breathing. Maybe pushing you down the stairs.

As for the end, it was fine. It wasn’t a huge leap, considering the trail of breadcrumbs, but I was still interested. I’d be even more interested in checking back in with Emily and Chess in a few decades, where, over dinner, they have a similar scene to Mari and Lara.

6.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this twisty ARC.

Set in dual perspective and dual timeline (one in the 70’s and one present day), both surrounding their own trials and tribulations.

This is essentially a story within a story, similar character plots, but in different happenstances. We read along as the story unfurls slowly, each page giving more detail, more insight. Some storyline is predictable, but that seems intentional. Some of the storyline twists, but not in a jarring way that leaves you shocked to your core…it’s more the kind that makes you sit back and go, “who woulda thunk? That’s actually fitting and kinda brilliant”. I enjoyed it and didn’t find this slow at all.

I gave this four stars because it was decently good, but it didn’t leave me breathless. It was a journey with scenery kind of a read, one that I really enjoyed.

If you want a smooth read while highlighting the struggles of different relationships, sprinkled with intrigue, this’ll do it. It’s not what I’d call a slow burn, but it’s not a fast paced suspense novel either, it neatly lies just in between.

4.5 stars.

Couldn’t put this one down — seriously, I was reading every chance I got over the last two days! This is one of those page-turners that you just have to know the ending to, as soon as possible. I really, really enjoyed the back and forth between present day (Emily and Chess’ story) and 1974 (Mari and Lara’s story) — it didn’t feel convoluted whatsoever and the story seamlessly flowed between the two time periods, as the two different plots sort of lined up perfectly. I loved the bold ending for the present day storyline, though I wasn’t as into the short last chapter with the twist ending in Mari’s storyline. It was good and threw me for a loop, but it would have been just as good of an ending had Hawkins not included those last few pages (though I get why she did, as it ties in perfectly with the whole gothic theme of the “house that remembers”). But still a really good gothic literary fiction read, nonetheless! Look forward to reading her other two most recent books now!

I won a copy of this ARC in a Goodreads Giveaway & was also provided an e-ARC by St. Martin’s Press on NetGalley. Thank you to the publisher for providing both copies in exchange for an honest review.

This was a definite slow-burner of a book for me.

Emily (cozy mystery writer, in the middle of a messy divorce) and her long-term best friend Chess (famous self-help book writer) take a 6 week-long trip to Villa Aestas (once known as Villa Rosato) in Orvieto, Italy. The idea of the trip is to help Emily get over her writer's block and her divorce and get back into the swing of writing the latest book in her series.

Villa Rosato was the site of a murder back in 1974, when 5 young musicians and writers spent the summer there. Mari wrote a famous horror novel "Lilith rising" and her step-sister Lara wrote a musical album "Aestas" while visiting the villa along with Mari's musician boyfriend, Pierce, as guests of rock star Noel Gordon, and his friend and drug dealer Johnnie.

The plot is told as snapshots from the two timelines, as Emily finds an old copy of "Lilith rising' and becomes inspired to write a novel based on the 1974's story. Her deep-seated rivalry with Chess is uncovered, and various secrets come to life.

I found it hard to follow the story from the 1970's - the characters seemed flat and I struggled to stay engaged in these parts of the book. The modern-day timeline was much more interesting and eventually took what I felt would be the inevitable turn.

This was not the best of Hawkins novels for me. A three star read.

This book is definitely the best thing I've read by Rachel Hawkins! Truly, her books just keep getting better and better!
Emily and Chess have been best friends since they were children. Both writers, Chess has gone the self-help route and Emily the cozy mystery route, they have since grown apart. Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, to stay at the infamous Villa Aestas. Emily jumps at the chance to get away and reconnect with her writing and her bestie.
In 1974, Villa Aestas was known as Villa Rosato and housed a rock star and his guests, another struggling musician, his writer girlfriend, her step-sister and his drug dealer. That summer ended in a horrific murder, but for Mari and Lara, huge success in a horror novel and a platinum-selling album.
Instead of focusing on her cozies, Emily starts digging into the Villa's jaded past and begins to believe there may be more to the story than was told in 1974.
You will absolutely devour this novel!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

Houses remember … 🏚️ 👀!!! “The Villa” by Rachel Hawkins is atmospheric, gives off major gothic vibes & is a dark and twisty dual timeline that will take you by surprise!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Childhood friends Emily and Chess who have drifted apart over the years, will be spending the summer together in Italy at a villa where they can both work on their newest book releases. The Villa will act as a writing retreat and a chance for the friends to catch up with each other and rekindle their relationship. It will be a healthy change of scenery for them … or so they think 👀

Villa Aestas (formerly known as Villa Rosato) has a D A R K history - in the 1970s a famous rock star brought his friends to the villa to hang out and make music. This getaway ended in MURDER. The surviving women (sisters Mari and Lara) went on to become a famous horror author and a record breaking solo artist. They are bound together forever by what happened the night of the murder. Are the secrets of the Villa hiding in Mari’s book pages or Lara’s song lyrics?

This story is told in dual timelines and jumps back and forth from the past to the present. The Villa is full of secrets from the night a musician was murdered 50 years prior. Emily and Chess have a rocky friendship to begin with and must learn to trust one another. But as the past becomes tangled up into the present, the idea of a retreat becomes much more SINISTER ⛈️

Thank you kindly to St Martin’s Press, Net Galley and Rachel Hawkins for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! You can get yourself a copy of this book on January 3, 2023!!!

Established cozy mystery author, Emily (Em) Sheridan has hit the proverbial writing wall. In the throes of a nasty divorce, Em has lost all focus on her latest manuscript and is again facing a missed deadline.

Unlike Em’s best friend and self help author, Chess Chandler, Em is struggling for a spot in the same limelight as Chess. If only Em could regain her confidence and concentration. And if only Em’s cozy characters were unlike her soon to be ex-husband.

As if on cue, her best friend Chess makes contact with Em on the premise of reconnecting. A welcome surprise for Em and a much needed distraction. Even more so, it’s an invitation for Em to join Chess for a summer stay at a villa in Italy — all expenses paid with the exception of Em’s airfare. It’s just the right remedy for Em. But is it really? The villa now known as Villa Aestas had a sinister past and was home to a gruesome murder. The Murder House they called it…

The Villa is the second novel that I’ve read from author Hawkins and I thought it was better than her previous work, Reckless Girls.

There are just a handful of characters. Each character had distinguishing features and personalities. I liked the main characters of Mari and Em because of their steadfastness. Though at times I felt that their determination was a little misguided. I had a love-hate relationship with Em’s best friend, Chess. Chess came across as a woman with alterior motives, but yet she also had some sage advice. The men in this novel were just plain cads and thought of themselves as god’s gift to women. Puleese!

The story unfolds between two timelines — past (hippie era) and present. For the most part, the transitions were clear due to the chapter headings. Occasionally, however, there were a few spots that I had to read into the chapter to determine the time period.

The plot is complex due to the different timelines. But everything converges neatly toward the end for a surprising finale. Four awesome stars.

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Emily is having a bit of a rough patch. Her doctors can't figure out what is wrong with her, her current book in the Petal Bloom cozy mystery series is way overdue, and her husband has left her and is now demanding a portion of her book money in the divorce settlement. Then her best friend Chess (formerly Jessica) swoops in and invites her to Italy to stay in the famous Villa Aestas, where a famous murder happened in the 70s. She agrees and soon finds herself inspired in a way she's never felt before, but can't shake off suspicions about the people closest to her in her life....

This book was SO MUCH FUN! It did start out feeling a lot like the Graves Hollows books (because our main character, Emily, is a cozy mystery author), but it quickly shakes off the cozy mystery sweater and sinks down deep into the mystery/thriller wrap. It grabs you and sucks you in because who wouldn't want an all expenses paid trip to ITALY paid for by your wildly successful best friend? Especially since you're just on the other side of a health crises and in the middle of a nasty divorce? Who cares if your best friend is acting just a little bit (ha!) shady like...all the time?

If you liked Verity by Colleen Hoover, especially that twist at the end of Manuscript vs Letter, you are absolutely going to ADORE The Villa.

This was a middle of the road read for me.
I liked the setting of a picturesque Italian villa. I also enjoyed the alternating timelines. However, the overall plot was quite slow and I found myself skimming much the chapters. Finally, the ending was predictable and did not wow me.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for opportunity to read and review this arc.

Ok I freaking loved this book SO much!!! Even though I have books on my shelf by this author, this was my first to read by her and now I’m hooked!!!
I was obsessed with the story within a story. We have Emily’s story being told as well as Mari’s - who stayed at the Villa many years prior. I loved the character development - the rollercoaster friendship between Emily and Chess was done so well and I loved how it almost mirrored the relationship between Mari and Laura. Ok and the ENDING!!! Ahhhh I couldn’t stop thinking about it for so long! So so so good.

3 star

The Villa is a very slow-burn thriller. It's much more tell/discover rather than action-packed drama. I don't mind this type of style, and found Rachel's writing to be very engaging, but the overall story just fell a little flat. The setting in Orvieto was exciting, but the dual-timeline was a little choppy and it took me a minute to get into it and understand who I was hearing from and when (this could've also been the arc formatting and would likely be solved in a hard copy). There were a few different ways we digested the story - Emily's present day POV, Mari's 3rd person perspective in 1974, and the excerpts from Lilith Rising as Mari wrote it. There were also a few emails and press snippets throughout, but I didn't mind all the different types of writing.

My main problems with the book were that every single character was so incredibly unlikeable. I didn't really feel that anyone redeemed themselves or even started off good (except maybe Emily was a little likeable in the beginning) which made it so I didn't really care what the hell happened to any of them. Chess was horrible and one of my least favorite characters I've read about. Because the story was somewhat ambiguous in the build-up, I expected some big grand reveal or intense twist but then felt underwhelmed when we eventually got to that. Overall the book was okay and I liked reading it, but I don't think it'll stick with me much beyond the immediate future.