3 struggling ghost artists out of 5

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

This sizzling summer escape is more easily described as the possible lovechild of Daisy Jones & The Six and your middle-of-the-road domestic thriller. In the end, this could've-been-delightful mix came with its share of caveats.

Chess and Emily are childhood best friends who are now both well-known authors.. one maybe more than the other. And the other maybe a bit envious of the prior. Their dysfunctional, often toxic, friendship comes to a crucial milestone when they decide to leave for Orvieto, Italy in search of inspiration (and dare I say a little sensationalization).

Honestly, I was not a fan of Em, and I was definitely not on Team Chess. At all. 😂 Emily felt like the opposite of a strong, capable protagonist for the entirety of the book, without much character redemption. I really think she had the spark, her dénouement could've been way more badass. Alas, it felt a little vanilla.

Chess is.. y'all just message me if you want to know my opinion, 'cause I don't want to spoil anything!

The drama is juicy, the setting is beautiful. I guess I was just looking for more depth.

This book's redeeming quality is in the flashbacks. The second component of this novel happens in excerpts of 1970s Orvieto, Italy with a group of lavish musicians in for a very dark retreat. Feeling my Daisy Jones reference now? The vibes 👏🏻 are 👏🏻 on 👏🏻 POINT.

"Houses remember."

And thank God they do. The 70s characters are way more palpable and heartfelt. I thoroughly enjoyed Mari's parts of the story, to the point where I'd say I really just stuck around to find out the result of her storyline more than Chess and Em's.

Big thanks to St. Martins Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Villa starts by introducing us to Emily, a cozy mystery author going through a messy divorce. Chess is her lifelong best friend, and is a famous influencer/self-help guru and author. When she invites Emily to spend the summer with her at a villa in Italy, she jumps at the chance to get away from her crappy ex and hopefully find the inspiration for her next book.

The villa has its own interesting history - most notably, being the site of the murder of a famous musician and inspiring an equally famous novel. The dual storyline takes us through Emily and Chess' vacation, along with the events leading up to the murder.

Overall, I enjoyed this more than I expected to - this isn't the type of book I normally reach for, but I'll definitely be reading more by Rachel Hawkins going forward. I thought the characters were interesting, even though they weren't always likeable. I also thought it was interesting to see how the stories intertwined. That all said, I didn't love the ending - it felt a little easy, and I would have preferred to see another twist.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC. Available in January!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins started off with a strong premise but didn’t exactly follow through how I’d hoped. I liked this book, but didn’t love it.

The Villa begins with two friends spending the summer at a Villa in Italy. Throughout its alluded there’s a dark and twisty past explored via past and present POVs.

This is definitely kind of book you would want to read in a few sittings and not drag it out. It wasn’t overly exciting. That being said, this is my first Rachel Hawkins book and I won’t be dissuaded from trying another.

Book Summary
BFFs Emily and Chess decide to spend the summer in Italy at Villa Aestas, an upscale vacation retreat in modern day, but flashback to 1974 and it was where a murder among a group of friends happened.

In 1974, a Pierce, Mari and Lara – musician, author and aspiring musician, respectively – vacationed at Villa Rosato (present day Villa Aestas) with rebel rock star, Noel. The summer was meant to spark inspiration for the various artists, but a series of events and weird love triangles (or love squares?) snowballed into bigger issues that lead to Pierce being murdered.

In present day, Emily and Chess are both authors working on their latest books while at the villa. After going through hard times with her husband and health, Emily has had a bit of writers block. However, as she uncovers some of the history of what happened at the house, inspiration sparks and she thinks there may be more to what happened at the house in 1974 than was originally uncovered.

My Thoughts
I was given an e-book advanced reader copy of this book and was super excited about this one since I’ve enjoyed Rachel Hawkins’ The Wife Upstairs.

There was sex, drugs and rock and roll. Love it.

There was multiple timelines. Love it.

There were well-developed characters. Love it.

But, there was something about this story fell a bit flat for me. Without giving away spoilers it’s hard to describe exactly what made it fell flat, but at a high level it was an overall slow burn with an anti-climactic ending.

Most Memorable Moment
“Later she’ll look back on this moment and wonder why there was no warning, no sense of the horrors that would unfold in that house.”

TLDR
Book: The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Release date: January 2023
Genre: thriller, suspense
Stars: 3.5/5
Burn speed: medium
Steam level: 1.5/5
Suspense level: medium
Conclusion: it was ok

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins.

I liked the modern storyline a lot more than the 1974 storyline. The Villa itself felt like it's own character. I really like Emily & Chess's friendship. I wish the book hadn't been dual timeline. But it was a fun and quick book that in enjoyed reading!

Chess and Emily have been friends since childhood. Chess is a richly successful writer of self help books. Emily is the moderately successful author of cosy mysteries, but her life is a bit upside down as she is getting divorced from a vengeful husband and has suffered from a mysterious illness. When Chess invites her to spend the summer in a villa in Orvieto, Italy, she accepts despite some tension in their friendship. Emily discovers that in the 1970s, the villa was the scene of a gruesome murder involving drugs, sex, rock and roll and a writer. A parallel storyline tells of that fatal summer.

As noted, there are two time/storylines here plus a book within a book and snippets from other fictional nonfiction books, a podcast, and a blog. All of that could be confusing, but they are clearly demarcated. There is an acknowledgment by the publisher that the setting/theme pays tribute to the events surrounding Mary Shelley’s penning of Frankenstein.

Much of the story, except for one big twist, was very predictable and I enjoyed the contemporary story more than the past one. Yet, I thought it a creative, engrossing read. I would characterize this story more as women’s fiction than a mystery or thriller. I’m sure it will be another best seller.

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the ARC

I had a hard time getting into this one. It was slow moving and didn't keep my attention as well as Hawkins' previous books.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a story within a story about manipulation. Em and Chess are childhood friends and published authors: Em writes cozy mysteries and Chess is an Oprah-approved self-help guru. Em, who is going through a divorce, accepts Chess's invitation to spend the summer at an Italian villa, where, in the 1970s, and up and coming guitarist was murdered. The 1970s story of sex, drugs, alcohol, and rock is mirrored with Em and Chess's present-day love-hate friendship. Readers will enjoy or despise Chess and how she pulls Em into her world and sways her life.

I really enjoyed this book . It did take me a while to get into. But overall enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley for the free arc . My honest review is it definitely is a 4 stars and I would recommend

The Villa is a well crafted book with layered stories. It centers around The Villa in Italy where a famous murder took place many years before. Two friends rent it in present time. Tensions build. Trust is a central issue. Old and new stories are woven together to create a great ending.

This was a story about a novelist, recently separated from her husband, who visits Italy with her best friend. The villa they stay at was also the location where a celebrity murder occurred in the 70s and the main character gets swept up in to that story.
The book is told in dual time lines between the two eras and held my attention throughout. The ending was VERY disappointing, though.

I really didn’t like Chess and was upset that everything worked out for her in the end. She did not deserve her happy ending and continued success. I also was confused and thought she was poisoning Emily along with Matt and that the affair was more than she described. Was it not? This was very unclear.
The final twist with Mari’s character seemed unnecessary. The idea that she was the real murderer was already a surprise to the story, so to reverse the lie seemed odd.
I also found several typos in the book which was distracting.
However, I still send out a big thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy. If you love a mystery, check this out when it is released in January!

Instagram post now linked!

I absolutely LOVED this so much!!!! Wow it is probably one of my fav reads for 2022 so far and I doubt it will be beat in the next few months. Just absolutely amazing.

Another hit from Rachel Hawkins! She does so well at building a sense of dread and drawing you towards the inescapable conclusion! Her thrillers are the perfect length to keep the readers’ attention, and the idea behind all her books really work for me. Although I loved all the parts included in this — including two timelines, a book, and manuscript/journal pages, it at times felt a little messy. But the intrigue these parts all provided more than made up for that.

The ‘villains’ were all cleverly crafted and deliciously hate-able. The ending didn’t tie everything up in a neat little bow and I always love that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

While the rest of the family sat around on a holiday weekend to watch football, I read this is one day!

I loved the concept of The Villa and, ultimately, enjoyed the ride. I was way less invested in the plot that took place in the 70s - and was more interested in the present day, and how the past impacted/influenced the modern plot.

I will say, I saw the plot going in a different direction with the two "best friends." I definitely thought Chess was way more sinister - and I was frustrated that Emily ultimately sided with her.

However, I enjoyed this read and think others will as well.

The Villa takes place, obviously, at a villa in the Italian countryside, where you'd imagine everything to be charming and idyllic. However, at this particular villa, there is a certain darkness. Told between two different timelines, it feels like multiple stories that become intertwined in a truly seamless way. I loved the mysterious aspects, as well as the very relatable personal aspects between Em and her forever best friend, Chess. Just when I thought I had the book figured out, I was quickly proven wrong. My favorite part might actually be the unforseen ending! This book could have taken place anywhere as I didnt fully connect to it being in Italy, but I loved the story that was told!

I liked The Villa, but unfortunately I didn't love it quite as much as I had expected. The story is told between two different timeline (the 70's and present day) but take place in the same Italian Villa. I started by reading an e-copy of the book, but thankfully received an audiobook which made it easier for me to follow. Yes, at times it's atmospheric and mysterious, but I was left feeling like I wanted more from it. The story is told by three narrators. And as usual, Julia Whelan was amazing.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the arc and the alc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher (St Martins Press) for the ARC!

This was my first Rachel Hawkins book written under this name. (Also known as Erin sterling). I enjoyed the setting of this book, the dual timelines (past and present) and the ending was well written.

I give this 3.5 stars rounded to 4. While I liked the dual timeline it was confusing that the dual timelines were within one chapter, and it took some getting used to. I also found myself hoping for more “Italian atmosphere” and how this could have played into this gothic novel. I also wasn’t invested in the characters.

I still recommend this if you like gothic thrillers, and main characters who are writers.

Check out my Instagram @murphy_overbooked for a post of my review in the future when it’s closer to pub date.

Houses remember. The Villa was a suspenseful gothic novel about an Italian Villa cursed with tragedy. Two friends - Chess and Emily - decide to spend the summer at Villa Aestas to dedicate creative time to their writing careers. Chess is a successful self-help author and Emily is reeling from her recent divorce and stuck on the 9th installment of her cozy murder mystery series. While there, they dive into the villa’s tragic history involving the death of a famous musician in the 1970s. In the 1970’s - Mari, her boyfriend Pierce, and her stepsister Lara join famous rockstar Noel Gordon at The Villa to focus on his next album. It’s all fun until sex, drugs, and rock n roll turns deadly. As secrets come to life between storylines, it’s a rush to the finish to find out what happens!

I found this book to be very interesting! I liked the way the two timelines were woven together and loved the twists and turns along the way.

Thanks to #NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins, and St Martins Press for the e-ARC of #TheVilla in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel Hawkins for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

Chess and Emily are two friends who agree to go to a villa in Italy to help them both get a new view and break up writer's block. Emily is coming off a health crisis and divorce. Chess is trying to find more of that self-help guru writing she's been doing. In an alternate timeline we have Mari, her boyfriend, and her stepsister joining a rock star at the same villa back in 1974. What unfolds is a mystery that will have you guessing.

I wanted to love this book because I have loved all of Rachel Hawkins books before. I was sucked in immediately then it seemed to hit a lull for me. So I requested the audio-book. Julia Whelan is a wonderful narrator and it hooked me back in. The only reason I'm giving it 3 stars is because I honestly expected a little more. I won't spoil any details but it did not go where I thought it was gonna go. I will still add this to my collection but I am looking forward to Hawkins' next book!

A villa in Italy and parallel storylines. Very well done. Two friends, writers, go to Italy and rent a villa for over a month to work on their novels. Instead, one of them discovers that the villa has an interesting history. In the seventies, 3 musicians and a writer rented the villa, and only 3 of them lived. The two stories progress and quickly intertwine making for a very good ending and adding to or repeating history in the villa. Definitely a great read!