My first book by Rachel Hawkins was The Wife Upstairs. I loved it, which is why I sought out this one upon hearing about it.
This is a murder mystery, within a thriller. I liked that there was something to "figure out", while navigating the present time narrative.
There were two twists in the story. The first underwhelmed me, the second was a little better. I think this was a good read, as it kept me captivated the whole way through and I really enjoy the author's writing. But nothing stuck out in a big way, which is why this sits at 3 stars.
Am I glad I read it? Yes. It was fun. I'd recommend giving it your time.

The setting, history and feel of this book was, for me, the most interesting and enjoyable part. We have a dual timeline going on in this book and I had a minor preference for the past timeline and characters but to be honest, I felt like I needed more time with each set of characters in order to be truly invested in their storylines. I loved the slow burn pacing in Hawkins’ previous book, The Wife Upstairs, but in this case, while the pacing is similar it somehow felt too slow. This might be because, as I mentioned, I didn’t feel fully invested in the characters but I also didn’t feel like any of the twists had much bang. As a result, I have to admit this didn’t have the “thriller feel” to it, maybe more a gothic woman’s fiction but with murder haha.

All in all, interesting setting and concept but this one was a miss for me. I do still plan on checking out this authors other books since I truly did enjoy The Wife Upstairs.

Content warnings: death, drugs and alcohol use.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and Libro.fm for the ARC/ALC for review. All opinions are my own.

Wow! This kept me hooked right from the very beginning. Rachel did it again!!! I didn’t not guess the thriller this time so she got me. I would highly recommended to my bookish friends. I am going to tell everyone in my book group to read it. Happy to get an advanced copy. I will buy it win it comes out so I can reread it. I don’t usually reread books either

"Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind."

Hawkins has crafted a story that balances between the present and the past. There are intricate clues that the reader and present characters are able to follow to determine the past. I loved reading the story of the past because there was so much depth and even character growth despite their lifestyle. I loved the multi layer aspect to the story but the present day characters really ruin the big picture. Present day Emily and Chess are both insufferable MC's and it caused the whole book to be a rather average read. They just felt too messy and not enough ground for the big actions that happen in this book.

I think this book works great for people who tend to like thrillers, but I don't think it is a great start for someone who has never read thrillers. I think this particular book may turn them off from the genre. However, I do have some great comparisons for people who did enjoy the book and think there are many people who would love this one.

Thank you NetGaley for an earc of this book, all opinions are my own.

I'll read anything by Rachel Hawkins, and while this one was not my absolute favorite of hers (that's way too hard to decide), I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it is a fantastic addition to her stable of thrillers. I was actually kept guessing the entire time, and was convinced that it would end differently than it did, which is just not easy to do these days with the thriller market so saturated. So anytime a new and original plot comes up, I am incredibly impressed. I will absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves a great book with strong, clear characters.

I haven't read any other books by this author, and this was the perfect one to start with! It sucked me in and I read late into the night. The story follows two different timelines with different points of view, the first follows Mari and her life with musician Pierce Sheldon while they are vacationing in Italy at The Villa, and the second is Emily while she is vacationing at the same Villa with her best friend Chess. Both POVs were perfect and utterly fascinating, and I couldn't wait to get back to each one. This book took me on a twisty, suspenseful, and unexpected ride, and I loved every minute of it!...

Emily has come from a divorce, and she's currently working... or not working on her next book in her Petal Bloom cozy mysteries series. When her best friend Chess blows back into her life and invites her to an Italian Villa. This is the perfect place for her to relax, recharge and work on her book, which is woefully behind schedule.

When Emily does a little research she finds the Villa is the place of a famous murder, and when she arrives she finds a book that piques her interest in the crime even more. As Emily digs into the crime, secrets are revealed from the past, and within her own relationships, and nothing is what it seems... I can't wait to read more by this author!

I believe this was my first time reading a book by Rachel Hawkins. The Villa is the story about 2 friends, or are they really rivals or enemies? Emily and Chess, both writers, head to Italy to spend a summer in a villa to work on their perspective books. Chess writes self-help motivational books while Emily writes cozy mysteries. Emily is in the beginning of divorce proceedings. The villa where they stay was once the scene of a brutal murder back in the 70’s involving a rock-n-roll icon. Once there Emily discovers some truths about said murder and she starts to write a book about it. This was an interesting storyline which was actually a dual timeline with 2 different sets of characters. It held my attention and I was surprised with the little twist that comes out in the end. I thought the murder went one way when really it went another. The author put a lot of thought into this plot and I really enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to others. I would classify this books genre to be a mystery. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc to read and review. I’m giving this a 4 star rating and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Already a fan of Rachel Hawkins I was super pumped to dive into The Villa. At first glance I thought it was pretty easy to see what was going to happen. Nope, nope, nope. There were definitely a few twists that got me. I loved how the story was structured, with dual timelines centering around a summer house in Italy, and the book tying the two stories together was a lot of fun.

Summary:

Chess and Emily have been best friends for over 30 years, but due to some life changing events, the friendship has been strained.

Emily is going through a recent breakup with her husband after a mysterious illness. Chess has quickly became a famous author.

Chess invites Emily to a villa in Italy with her to rekindle their friendship. This particular villa named Villa Rosato has a long history of a murder back in 1974.

In 1974, Mari and her stepsister, Laura, travel to Villa Rosato to follow her boyfriend who is a musician. That summer her boyfriend is murdered. This murder resulted in Mari writing a bestselling horror novel, and her sister also wrote a bestselling album. The details of that summer with the rock band filled with drugs and sex was never detailed.

Emily becomes deeply invested in the story of Mari, and she hopes it will inspire her to get out of her writing slump.

The storyline bounces back and forth from 1974 to current day with many parallels becoming truly evident.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book even more than Reckless Girls! I enjoyed the characterization and the details of the summer and the villa.

Hawkins does an excellent job of writing these parallel plots. It was really well done!

I wouldn’t necessarily call this a thriller-it is more of a dramatic suspense mystery. The first portion was slower, but it was definitely needed in order to set up the storyline and provide the background info about Mari and Laura.

I gave The Villa 4 out of 5 stars.

The Villa will be available in January 2023.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Villa!

I have never read a Rachel Hawkins book but devoured it in like a day! I really enjoyed this book. I like the different timelines of current day and the 70’s. I also liked the mirroring and parallels between Mari and Lara and Emily and Chess. It was also not that long of a book so it was really easy to get into. The twists were pretty good. And also what was the truth and what wasn’t. I wish Aestas and Lilith rising were real to be even more immersed with the book. All in all a pretty good read.

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC copy of The Villa!
This book is told in 2 timelines, one in present time told from Emily’s perspective and the second one from Mari’s perspective in the past time. I have to say, I enjoyed Mari’s story a bit more than Emily’s, it had some Mary Shelly’s vibes and kept me very interested throughout the book… and that ending, wow! This is the first Hawkins’ book I read and it will for sure not be the last one. I enjoyed the plot twists as well, If you are into suspense novels with dark twists, make sure you pick up this book! It will be out on January 2023.

There was nothing overly thrilling or suspenseful about this book and honestly, the twist was a bit confusing.

The friendship between Emily and Chess was super toxic. The relationship between Mari, Lara and Pierce was tumultuous. The characters were hot messes and I found it agitating living in their world.

I don’t necessarily hate it but it’s a far cry from Reckless Girls. Now that book was a wild ride!

I was so excited to give Rachel Hawkins a try and I’m sad to say that book was so slow and lackluster. I felt that there was no thrill and it was so drawn out. I was expecting some twists and turns but it was a SLOW-burning mystery with a predictable ending. I did enjoy the atmospheric setting and the dual timeline.

If you are into slow-burner reads, then this book might be right for you!

***** Many thanks to St Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, Rachel Hawkins, and NetGalley for the #gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.

Rating this 2.5 stars but rounding up to 3 stars on Goodreads.

I thought this book could be similar to other thrillers I have read, but it is nothing like other thrillers. It is more of a captivating slow burn that is part drama and part thriller alternating between the current and past.

The novel was interesting right away. We are introduced to Emily, who was in the process of a messy divorce, ends up going to Italy with her childhood best friend, Chess. They weren’t as close as children as it happens growing up, so this trip was a good opportunity to reconnect at an Italian villa. Emily hopes to find inspiration for a novel she is working on, and it ends up coming in unexpected ways at the villa. The novel continues to flips back to the 1970s where a murder happened at the villa. While more is unraveled with that tale, more drama is unfolded between Emily’s estranged husband and her friend Chess. I was interested in both stories and without spoiling anything, the author did a great job intersecting the two. There was a few times I thought I knew what was going to happen, but was blind sighted when I was not expecting it. I was very satisfied with the ending.

Overall, this book was filled with plenty of drama and mystery with twists and turns along the way. This was not my first book by Rachel Hawkins, and it hopefully won’t be my last.


Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Rachel Hawkins, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced reader’s copy.

The Villa is a classic Rachel Hawkins novel. Many twists and turns and well written unlikable characters along the way. I did find this book a little more confusing than her others, it wasn’t a book that you could listen to, or read, while focusing on anything else, it definitely required complete attention. I had to look at other reviews to understand what was going on at points, but I did read some very interesting theories that I wish Hawkins could have included in the book. Based on the theories I’ve read, I already want to reread this book because it definitely opened to many interpretations.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy reading Rachel hawkins! Her books are always fast-paced and emotional. I really enjoyed this book I wish there was a little bit more of a twist but overall it was a really good read. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this

Houses remember.

What a great, great line. Unfortunately, because of this line, I was expecting something that I didn't get. I was expecting the house to be a central character, to be a bit haunted. While the story alternates between the past and present (with some rather interesting parallels), the house really isn't all that important. That being said, I did enjoy this book overall, and in fact, it may be my favorite by Hawkins. The real focus of the story is the relationships between the characters, both hidden and seen. I loved getting tidbits of the book Mari was writing- I love books within books. Honestly, I want to read Lilith Rising- sounds fascinating!


Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for the opportunity.

Rachel Hawkins has very quickly become an author I will instantly pick up whenever she has a new novel. I am impressed with how each of her books can be totally different but have that same creepy, thrillery feel. The Villa is no different. But what it unique is that it is set in Italy in- as you might have guessed- a Villa. Except the Villa was the place of a murder years before. Better yet- the second narrative of our novel was present at that murder.

What I loved: the quick pace, I was very intrigued from the get-go and that lasted through the entire novel.

What I didn't: I was expecting more of a plot twist. I think there could have been more for the build up we had of the murder house and the friends who vacationed there afterward.

Overall 4 stars!

I am very thankful for getting to read this early copy of The Villa through NetGalley. Overall, I thought this book was really good! Mysterious and emotional. I really liked how the two stories intertwined from past to present. I thought it was a little slow at first but had a good ending. I would definitely recommend to others.

Thanks to the Publisher & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of the Villa in exchange for an honest review.. Two things I love the most are mysteries & stories told in alternating time periods, so The Villa did not disappoint!! I finished this book in just a few days.. Highly recommend this book.. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫stars for The Villa!!