thank you, netgalley, for an advanced copy of the villa.

This story is about Em and Chess, who goes to italy to a villa. In 1974, there was an incident at the villa, and someone died. You get a dual timeline of what happened now and then at the villa to see what led up to death.

This book was good, but I found myself at times bored, especially during the 1974 timeline. I felt like although it was nice to find out what happened during 1974, it felt almost unnecessary as I was more interested in the now timeline.

Two childhood best friends head to a villa in Italy to reconnect. A villa with a dark history. As the two attempt to repair their friendship, one finds herself sucked into the history of the house as she tries to solve the murder.

Rachel Hawkins does it again with a twisting, suspenseful thriller against the gorgeous backdrop of Italy. Told in alternating storylines that combine the pst and present, you won’t be able to put this book down.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Wow, I wasn’t expecting this story! Loved the back and forth story between Chess and Em visiting the Villa and their rival author best friend dynamic, and the story they were discovering of what happened at the Villa. Or at least what was written. I really enjoyed it!

You know what they say: What happens at the Villa stays at the Villa.

Vacationing at a Villa in Orvieto, Italy sounds like a dream come true. One night in 1974, something sinister happened at Villa Aesta, and Pierce Sheldon was murdered. Now, over 40 years later, the Villa, now known as Villa Rosato, is available for rent. Best friends and writers, Chess and Emily decide to go for it, hoping to rebuild their friendship, write, and be inspired. Little do they know..

A slow/burn mystery that left much to be desired, I admit to skimming a good portion of the book when I got towards the end. I didn’t care much for either storyline and chalk this up to my not being the right reader for this novel.

A buddy read with Kaceey.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc and Macmillan audio and Libro.fm for the alc

This is my third book from Rachel Hawkins and I have enjoyed them all. I have to say Hawkins’ book covers are always gorgeous and definitely an attention getter. I really enjoyed The Villa. I enjoyed the different POVs and alternate timelines. Looking forward to more from this author.

There was so much potential for this slow burn thriller. I feel so conflicted with this one - while I really enjoyed the plot of the past timeline, the present one was rather boring until almost the end of the novel. I wished for more from the setting - in both the timelines. It seemed like it could have become a character on its own but was left alone.

While the twists made sense in the context of the story, they weren't surprising.

Mari was probably the most interesting to following but I found my attention waining when it switched between timelines.

Overall, this was a middle of the road read for me. I do intend to read more from this author as I could see loving something else from her in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this novel.

Sex, drugs, and rock and roll!
When Emily and Chess reconnect on the trip of a lifetime they stay at a villa where a murder took place. Emily, a writer, discovers an old novel and starts to see clues from the murder right before her. As she becomes more involved in this novel she starts to imagine other things are going on in her life.
Flashing back to the early 70's when the slow burn of this thriller took place. Two sisters and their lovers on a summer song writing adventure that goes south leads to big changes in their lives.
I personally would have liked a little more of the present story.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins press and libro.fm for my ARC

This one wasn’t my favorite. I felt pretty uninterested in most of it but was interested enough to read (sometimes skim) through to the end. I enjoy Hawkins’ writing style and enjoyed the dual timelines but didn’t feel connected or invested for past or present

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I have a tendency to get lost when a story contains two stores within it, but this author made it easy to navigate both narratives, though they are vastly different. I like how there is a small tie between present and past and it was captivating figuring out how they interconnect with one another. Having this story told with a past, though they are truly not related, does provide the reader with a bigger picture and a fuller picture of the present.

This author has a way of sucking you in because her writing is so captivating and she evokes a wide range of emotions. There are times in this book that I was genuinely frustrated, annoyed, and angered at the characters surrounding the story yet I could not get enough. You want Emily to succeed, but at the same time she doesn’t make it easy to be on her side.

This book definitely takes you on a wild ride, questions your morals, and leaves you with feelings of unease. There’s a lot of gray area to this story and a lot of questions you will end up with at the end. Readers will either enjoy this book for what it is or it will leave you feeling irritated, but either way you will be engaged until the very end. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press for this ARC and Libro.fm for the ALC

I loved the dual perspectives/timelines - one gave me Daisy Jones vibes, the other reminded me of Firefly Lane - and the story itself was intriguing. My only complaint is the very end of the book: I could have done without the last few pages. But I don’t know, I might be in the minority there. And regardless, I think this is my new favorite by Rachel Hawkins.

Emily and Chess have been childhood friends and use to spend all their time together. As they have grown older and apart their lives still are similar as both are authors. Chess has found mega success with self help books, Emily has found limited success writing cozy mysteries. Trying to reconnect Chess books a villa in Italy where they can both work on their new books and bond. This villa has a dark past thought that threatens to derail their lives.

In 1974 rock legend Noel Gordon, looking to reignite his fame arrives at Villa Rosato with upcoming rock star Pierce, his girlfriend Mari and her stepsister Lara. There is lots of sex, drugs and rock n roll and as things get out of hand a murder leads to Mari writing a famous horror novel and Lara writing a multiplatinum album. What really happened in this villa?

This book had me thinking I knew what was going on and then not, then again I thought I knew what was going to unfold and then again, I had no idea. A fabulous ending that left my mouth agape and me thinking about if for days after. I loved the 2 timelines told from years in the same villa and I looked forward to both perspectives. An added bonus was the excerpts from Mari’s famous horror novel, Lilith Rising. This is my 3rd book by Rachel Hawkins and I have loved every one of them, and their covers.

WOW! This was so good! I listened to this in a span of two days. I really loved the multiple timelines, the multiple perspectives, and the setting of the villa.

Grabbed me from page one and never let me go.

Emmy and Chess have been best friends since fourth grade. Over the years they have slowly drifted apart. Chess is a massively successful self-help guru and Emmy is a semi-successful author of a cozy mystery series who is going through a financially devastating divorce from her cheating husband. That’s when Chess suggests a summer in Italy at a villa where a struggling rock star, Pierce Sheldon, was murdered back in 1974. It was a murder that spawned a famous horror novel written by Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and sky-rocketed the career of Mari’s sister, Lara.

When they arrive, Emmy finds Mari’s journaled pages, written the summer the murder happened, and begins a book of her own. But as Emmy writes what she is sure is the manuscript that will relaunch her struggling career, the cracks in her friendship with Chess begin to show through and Emmy is forced to look at her life and her choices through a different lens, one that begins to parallel Mari’s from so many years ago.

I’ve enjoyed many of Rachel Hawkins previous books and this was no exception. The characters were well developed, the plot strong, and the tension palpable.

This book had me hooked - quickly entranced by the plot and the women. These women are all badass- well maybe with the exception of one.
Emily needs a vacation- her pending divorce draining all of her - confidence, her bank account. Her bestie Chess - a self help bestseller books a trip for them both. Villa Aestas.
My favorite narrator- Mari, daughter of a talented woman who died in childbirth. Her stepsister. Her partner. His friend - plus his dealer. Complex. Women in superficial roles, yet about to hit their creative peak.
Mari to pen a book about "women, power, betrayal. Survival."
Based on Mary Shelley's own excursion to Lord Byron's estate - towing a despicable partner; befriending Byron's friend, a dr rather than dealer. And her stepsister. Always her stepsister. On the brink of Frankenstein.
Massive swoon.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins tells the story of two women from two different eras whose time at a renowned Villa in Orvieto forever alters the course of their creative lives. Multiple genres combined make up this book, but you’ll especially recognize the gothic and suspense elements. The story is told in dual timelines from Emily (present) and Mari (past) and, as promised, taps into pop culture with inspiration coming from the Manson murders and Fleetwood Mac. There is also a clear nod to Percy and Mary Shelley’s time at Lake Geneva and the birth of Shelley’s gothic classic Frankenstein. There is a dark, unsettling tone to this story of murder and betrayal, with morally ambiguous characters you’re never quite sure you can trust. Secrets of the past repeat and reveal themselves in this haunting setting, leading up to a shocking climax where the two timelines collide. The Villa is an addicting and thrilling read about the arts, friendship, legacy, and women stepping into their power.

This one was a pleasant surprise! I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve seen some very differing reviews! This one worked for me, though!!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝

• an Italian villa
• frenemies
• alternating timelines
• dual POVs
• murder mystery
• a book within a book
• a bestie you will love to hate!
• main characters are authors
• kept me very engaged
• house full of rockstars gave me major Daisy Jones vibes

The plot was promising, but the execution felt flat. I appreciated the present day storyline more than the past.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC of The Villa. Rachel Hawkins is a must-read author for me and I was so excited to be approved for this book!!!

Dual timelines in 1974 and present day that have two completely engrossing stories. I was racing to the end to finish this book and find out the ending. This book did not disappoint.

1974 timeline with Mari, Lara, Noel, Pierce and Johnnie is a juicy story about beautiful people doing lots of bad things. Jealousy fueled by drugs and alcohol lead to a tragic night that changes the course of their lives forever.

Present day finds Chess and Emily stay in the same villa. When Emily finds Mari’s notes/journals it begins a very intriguing look into what really happened on that 1974 night and fuels what happens to Emily and Chess during their stay.

Amazing author and amazing read!

“Sometimes we don’t really know we’ve won until we see the reflection of that win in the loser’s eyes.” I LOVE this quote.

I liked the story of Chess and Emily, and the stuff with Matthew…ok I didn’t “like” it but that was an interesting storyline. The dynamic between the friends can be good, annoying, frayed and solid…all of these things, all at once. It’s a complex relationship that’s for sure.

I loved the individual storylines that were mixed into this story but I kept getting frustrated because I’d get interested in one part of the story and then there would be a time jump to another storyline. That’s just a personal preference thing, time jumps are tricky and I like when they flow a bit more. It’s almost like the author was just doing too much. It was a little convoluted for me.

A lot of write ups about this book compare the writing to that of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware, I’m not a big fan of either of their writing, not that it’s bad it just doesn’t flow for my brain…it’s just not for me. I’m guessing all of her books don’t have a similar writing style because I liked Reckless Girls (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️).

I’ll definitely read more books but this author since I enjoyed Reckless Girls and I have The Wife Upstairs on my shelf. I can’t fully endorse The Villa, but it did keep my attention. I was left wanting more of a seamless flow.

The Villa will appeal to readers who like a complicated two-timeline story, with elements tying together the two timelines. I found it a bit confusing for a while, as the narrative bounced back and forth while also including excerpts from a book written in the earlier timeline and articles about the book and the people involved.

The two timelines are the 1970s and the present day. Most of the action takes place in a villa outside the Italian town of Orvieto, the scene of a famous murder in 1974. The modern day timeline focuses on Emily, a fairly successful writer of cozy mysteries who is in the middle of an ugly divorce and has writer’s block. She reunites with an old friend, Chess, who has become very successful in a self-help guru fashion. Chess invites her to spend the summer at the same villa, where Emily winds up fascinated by the story of the murder 50 years before.

The 1970s sections are focused on a small group of young people who are renting the villa for the summer: two male musicians (one famous), a female aspiring writer, a female aspiring musician, and a male hanger-on, who apparently is there mainly to serve as a source of drugs. It’s mostly a “sex, drugs and rock & roll” situation. I didn’t find any of those characters to be particularly likable or engaging. The 1970s section also has a book-within-the-book and that added to the convoluted nature of the story.

This was my first book by Rachel Hawkins. I don’t know if this is typical Hawkins but if it is, I probably won’t search out her other books.

I bounced between the print version and the audiobook, which was narrated by three different narrators, mainly the wonderful Julia Whelan.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martini’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.