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.

Children best friends reconnect on a trip to an Italian villa that’s best known for a famous murder.

Emily and Chess have know each other since 4th grade. Both went to UNC and ended up on a writing path. Where Chess’s life went viral, Emily’s is having trouble getting back on track. She’s drowning in missed deadlines and being held down by a brutal divorce. The two decide a spontaneous trip to Italy is just what they need to rekindle their friendship and spark their creative energies. But they they’re in store for much more than that at Villa Aestas.

Plot: 4.5/5

The story follows two timelines, one in the “present” with Emily and Chess and one in 1974 with Mari, Pierce, Lara and Noel. The way the two stories are layered is so engaging because you’re constantly searching for some answers about what really happened.

Minus half a star cause the ending absolutely threw me and I’m not sure how I feel now.

Characters: 5/5

There two character archetypes in this book apart from the side characters. There’s the grumpy writer who has complicated feelings towards her best friend (jealousy mixed with admiration). The other is the sunshine life of the party writer who is flighty and wants something the other one has. This is Emily and Mari for the former and Chess and Lara as the latter.

Each character is so gloriously flawed but the central themes are proven so well, nothing is stronger than the bond between chosen sisters and men aint shit.

Writing: 5/5
Rachel Hawkins is such a versatile writer but I have to say I think she does thriller/mystery best. Anytime someone asks for a rec in those genres, she’s the first author that comes to mind. From the first chapter, she lays the seeds of resentment between Emily and Chess. And the parallels she creates between the current plot and what happened in the 70’s are chilling.

I think the whole concept of this book is absolutely brilliant and was executed perfectly. (Apart from the ending as I have established my unsure feelings about that)

Overall: 4.5/5

This is a story of two best friends vacationing together in Italy, and two stepsisters vacationing in the same location decades earlier. Each chapter navigates between the two different time periods.

In present day Emily and Chess have had a lifelong friendship that hasn't been as close recently. Chess surprises Emily with the trip to Italy as an attempt to get their creative juices flowing and back into writing - Emily with cozy mysteries and Chess with self-help books. But Emily wonders if there is an ulterior motive.

In the past Mari and Lara are invited to join a popular rock star, Noel, at a summer villa in Italy, and Pierce, Mari's boyfriend joins then, to help Noel and write music together. Mari uses this as an opportunity to write a novel, and Lara, her own music. But tragedy happens, and that tragedy is the focal point for Mari's novel.

Back in present day, Emily thinks there might be story about the tragedy that happened at the villa decades earlier and she believes secrets may have been left behind by Mari and Lara. In her search for information, she discovers her voice and a new novel is formed.

I enjoyed the two timelines, though much preferred the present day story. And as with all good thrillers, little pieces of the puzzle are released along the way, including a twist at the end that surprised me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.

Wow I was not expecting that ending! I thought I had it figured out early on, boy was I wrong .
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is told in 2 POVs Emily (present day) and Mari (1974). Both ladies have a stay at a Villa in Italy that ends up changing the courses of their lives . There’s a few things I’m still left questioning at the end and I think that makes it even better .
I really enjoyed this book overall and how the timelines seemed to mimic each other as well.
It was a bit of a slow burn and some of the chapters seemed awfully long but it was worth it in the end.
Thanks to NetGalley and of course Rachel Hawkins

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC. The Villa is a thriller that takes place at a Villa in Italy that describes a crime from the past that intertwines with the future. I thought it was a little slow going and the friendships between the female characters were infuriating at times. Overall, it was a decent book.

Really enjoyed it. It had me at the edge of my seat! Creepy atmosphere, just something totally different than what I usually read. Totally outta my comfort zone, gave it a try and totally worth it.

I wanted to like this one so much but it just didn’t do it for me. Unlikeable characters are hard for me to read about.

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review

This was the first book I've read by Rachel Hawkins and I really liked it! Friends who may be enemies, a jerk ex, and a whole lot of weird stuff going on. It definitely had Manson family vibes and the ending left me wondering just what was going to happen after all was said and done. Enjoyed it!

4.25 stars

This dual timeline, atmospheric story was so much fun! It captured my interest from the very beginning, and I couldn't wait to read the next chapter. I did find myself drawn more to the past timeline story of Mari and thought the present timeline could have used a little more excitement, but it was still a fabulous story that I very much enjoyed!

To be honest, Villa Aestas might have been my favorite character of all. It takes a talented writer to bring a home alive and make it feel like a character in the story, and Hawkins did just that.

This is the first book of Rachel Hawkin's that I have read, and it will definitely not be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an intriguing read that had me guessing until the very end!

This was my first Rachel Hawkins and let me tell you, I'm in love with her writing style. The story follows childhood friends, Emily and Chess, who take a trip to Italy to reconnect and focus on writing their individual writing projects. Upon planning the trip, they find out that the villa that they will be staying at is where an infamous murder happened in the 70s. Following the murder, the two stepsisters who were there at the time, Mari and Lara, quickly rose to fame with their perspective works; Mari with a gothic thriller - Lilith Rising, and Lara with an acoustic album - Aestas. The story bounces on dual timelines, the present with Emily and the 70s with Mari.

I really liked the dual timelines. As Emily is exploring the house, she begins to think there's more to the murder than what was told to the press - so she starts her own investigation which leads her to Mari's hidden journal. She's also dealing with her own problems, her tense divorce from her ex-husband and her strained friendship with Chess. As Emily slowly finds out the truth about what happened during the rock-n-roll group's stay at the villa, the tension between her and Chess becomes more pronounced and mysterious. I loved the fact that as you're finding out the truth of one murder, another mystery is being revealed. Mari's journal plotline was probably my favorite part of this entire book.

There are a lot of shocking reveals, but I was a little disappointed with some of them. It annoyed me that one aspect of the story wasn't fully explained. I felt like the author was rushing to tie up the story and the plotline was left hanging. And then it wasn't mentioned again. In addition, Emily and Chess's relationship at the end of the book also seemed off. That also might have something to do with the plothole. All in all, the story was exciting and I had fun reading this book!

Everything about this book exceeded my expectations! I love Rachel Hawkins. I stay guessing until the very end and she’s so quick to grasp your attention and keep it.

I loved the gothic 70s vibes of this murder mystery.
I really liked the similarities between the past and present day main characters too.
Really enjoyed this one!

I finished this book in 2 days - I really liked it! I kept thinking it was over and then a new twist would happen. I really enjoyed the complexity of the character’s relationships (specifically Emily and Chess) and found each character’s motive for their actions to be really interesting. I do wish that the author had been more descriptive about Italy and the scenery. I was excited to hear more about where the villa was but it felt like it really could have been anywhere remote and it wouldn’t have made a difference to try sorry. Would definitely recommend!

Thank you #netgalley for this advanced copy!

I was anxiously awaiting this book but the verdict is: not my favorite Rachel Hawkins book. The friendship between Chess and Emily and the shady ex-husband seemed a little cliche and monotonous. The transitions between present and the past story line and characters felt clunky and it was hard for me to really get into either one or connect to any of the characters. Overall, the story seemed forced and recycled and I just didn't love it as much as I wanted to.