I enjoyed this book and, for much of it, would have given it a five star rating.

The start is a bit difficult but by staying with it, you’re able to catch on quickly so by chapter 4 you can flip between the decades and who’s who easily.

A good knowledge of the romantics is quite useful, and I don’t know how really one would actually understand it easily otherwise.

The background for Mari, though it is fine as far as it goes, does not deal with the enormity of Wollstonecraft’s influence on the women's movement nor give any context as to the shift the romantics were involved with on a larger scale- pushing the edges of political, social and gender experimentation. European world was erupting with revolution, a precursor to the sixties, so Hawkins has it right there, but doesn’t quite talk about that much here. She just sets it in rock and roll. Sort of. And focuses on haunted houses.

The idea that the time of the romantics as an alternate time to the sixties is a valid and often thought of topic. That we are seeing a resurgence of the impulse today toward equality, egalitarianism and freedom in the contemporary novel of Chess and Emily is stretching it a bit. We probably aren’t there yet. And I do not really see it reflected in their story, either.

But I think this is a novel not weighted down with ideas, but simply trying to tell a spooky story.
I have to hand it to Hawkins for trying such a difficult structure, rather than doing just a contemporary read on an older book, like her previous one. It works.
It’s great until, unfortunately, we get to the climax.

I would have loved to see more on Mari’s group’s involvement in a revolutionary/ utopian undertaking, rather than it all seeming so random and lost.
The melding of plot in the denouement leaves something to be desired.

I may revisit this review later, as I find it an admirable attempt to put a historical event into a contemporary landscape.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third Rachel Hawkins read (fourth if we’re counting Erin Sterling) and it might just be my favorite! I absolutely adore her writing style and this story was just what I was in the mood for. There’s a lot going on with the plot, but it worked for me and everything ties together really well.

I think Hawkins really shines in writing this book. I loved reading about her inspiration for The Villa: “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.”

This wasn’t exactly what I’d classify as a thriller, but there’s a decent mystery here and I couldn’t put it down. I loved the mixed media narrative (those podcast girls were hilarious!) and alternating timelines, especially the sections set in the summer of 1974. The characters are not good people, but I’ve come to expect that from Hawkins at this point. The Villa explores complex friendships, toxic relationships, and betrayal. While there are definitely some gothic themes, this isn’t an overly dark read and I devoured it in a day.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to be an early reader.

Any Gothic fan already knows that “houses remember.” So, when Rachel Hawkins uses that line to open her latest novel, The Villa, expectations are immediately raised. The dual-narrative moves from present to past and back again, each time jump revealing more intricacies of the relationships in both eras.

In the present, childhood best friends, Emily and Chess, both successful writers, decide to rent a villa in Orvieto, Italy to relax, recharge, and reconnect. Em, a mystery series writer in a slump, is intrigued by the idea of living in the infamous Italian murder house. Chess writes aspirational, live-your-best-life non-fiction. Her name is her brand and she has a bazillion followers hanging on every word of advice, but an imperfect person can only write perfection platitudes for so long before the well runs dry.

Almost fifty years earlier, another group of young, creative artists spent the summer seeking inspiration in the same villa. It ended in one horrific murder and two legendary artistic achievements. Teen-aged Mari and her married lover, struggling musician Pierce. Noel Gordon, dissipated and disillusioned long before age 30 and the most famous rock star on the planet. Poet Lara, Mari’s stepsister, desperate for Noel’s attention. Johnnie, who loves Mari and despises the selfish Pierce. The phrase “sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll” might have been invented to characterize that summer and these young creatives who are as damaged as they are gifted.

As Em settles into life at the villa, she finds subtle signs of Mari’s presence and is mysteriously led to discover some explosive unpublished writing about that infamous summer. Meanwhile, Chess finds hidden meaning in Lara’s lyrics. Secrets about the disturbing nature of friendship, love, and betrayal are revealed in both timelines.

In this modern Gothic, Hawkins poses the question, what does it mean to create? What happens to the blood, sweat, and tears expended during creation? Do they reside within the final product or do they remain perpetually embedded in the atmosphere of the creative space, undiminished, waiting. Long after the artist is dead and buried, the art survives, and houses remember.

Thank you St. Martin's Press ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
I loved the setting and the dual timelines. There was a bit of ambiguity woven into the story but (mostly) everything was resolved in the end. I think this will do very well when it's released next year. My favorite Rachel Hawkins book to date.

Great read!

Dual timelines - is this a cool literary device or a writer who is writing two stories and finds a way to link them together to make a complete novel? I don’t care. I love it. And this one was just as good as any that I’ve read - maybe better.

Shifting between the 1970s and present day, both stories are fascinating and kept me guessing. Without giving anything my away, the last twenty or so pages made me go from four stars to an enthusiastic five.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

** spoiler alert ** I was ready for a good thriller and this just wasn’t it. It felt predictable almost from the very beginning. I didn’t really like either the present or past storylines because I just didn’t care about the characters.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.

This book was not one where I was ready to review immediately after reading. I really had to take in the ending and decide on what I thought it meant. I mean, I knew what it meant but I was hoping that my mind didn’t land there. But it did. If you saw the movie Inception with Leo DiCaprio you kind of get the jist. The ending is amazing, but it also leaves you with unanswered questions. This book did that for me. Not to the fullness that Inception did, but it reminded me of how I felt after I watched that movie. This is not a bad thing at all. This is great thing. A book that gets your mind working in overdrive. I love those types of books. And this book did just that. I’m a fan of Rachel Hawkins and this book delivered.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for providing an advanced copy to read and review.

This was my favorite from Rachel Hawkins yet! I think it’s the epitome of what a modern gothic fiction should be.

I loved the mirroring of the historical story with the present. Both stories were captivating and included interesting and quirky characters. It also really made me want to read the other “books” and listen to the “album.”

I enjoyed the dual time lines of the lives at the Villa. This was one of her better books but I do still find her a bit wordy and can easily put the book down and pick it back up later, sometimes even a week or two later before i finish it. i do recommend this book as it was enjoyable.

What a fun thriller! I had a wonderful time with The Villa, and have enjoyed several of this authors previous titles as well. The story is presented in dual timelines, both taking place in an atmospheric villa near Orvieto, Italy with reflections of past events showing up in the present day timeline. I really connect with Rachel Hawkins writing style. It feels easy-going and breezy and the humor very much connects with me.

If you like stories about famous people or toxic friendships/relationships, this is definitely a good one to try! Even though all of the characters in the book were part of the rich and famous, something still felt relatable about them.

As far as plot development goes, nothing much in this story came as a surprise. It was pretty easy to surmise what was going to happen in the end. However, the strength of this book lies within the ominous, suspenseful atmosphere and toxic tensions between the characters and I felt that I didn't really need a good plot twist in this book.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. May favorite aspects were the lush Italian setting and the sheer amount of toxic behavior within the friendships. Oh, and I forgot to mention before,. there is a murder mystery! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. 4.5/5 stars

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

⭐️⭐️⭐️

* Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for providing a digital copy of The Villa in exchange of a honest review.

A great suspense, without a big twist but so enjoyable to read! I love reading books about books. It was a very good summer soft thriller.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #booknerd #bookcommunity #canadianbookstagrammer

This was a great story within a story. I love the similarities and also the ambiguity to what really happened. I have enjoyed Hawkins other novels and this did not disappoint.
Thank you to NetGalley and thr publisher for thr advance reader copy.

“Houses remember.” What a great opening line that will keep you on the edge of your seat in this whodunit. It is reminiscent of the phrase, “if only the walls could talk.” Besties, Emily, a cozy fiction writer and (Jessica) Chess, a writer of self-help books are spending the summer at an Italian Villa that is notorious for being the place of a horrific murder in the early 70’s. Having grown distant, both are looking for time away to reconnect with each other what with Chess’ fame and Emily’s dissolution of her marriage amidst her dry patch in writing. They need a break and inspiration to write their own next book. In the library, Emily finds a book, written by Mari who was present during the famous murder of her musician boyfriend in 1974 and becomes obsessed with the connection to the Villa. Emily feels there may be more to the story than drugs and sex triangles involved, and believes that the house has clues. Chess is looking for new direction and wants to cowrite a book with Emily, which Emily resents. The more Emily becomes immersed in the mystery, the greater the tension blooms between Emily and Chess. Both Emily and Chess have secrets, but will that help them reclaim their close friendship or end it all?
I felt it was interesting to have a story within a story and one where they intertwined. This is a story that grabs you almost immediately and makes you second guess what you think you knew. What the author tells you is not always the actual story, introducing parallel narratives. Hawkins feeds you a bit of the story from one, only to switch narratives and have you find the connections and then later return to add more. The characters are well developed and lead to surprises you don’t see coming. I read this book fairly quickly as I couldn’t put it down. I was not disappointed. Grab this one today, it will be a great one to cozy up with and enjoy.

Many thanks to #netgalley #thevilla #rahcelhawkins #st.marinspres for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Loved reading this zippy engaging story set in Italy while I’m n Italy. Hawkins again delivers a well told story about two friends. In a villa an hour from Rome that has a murder in its past. Switch to a group of rockers in the 1970s and someone is sure to be in deathly trouble

This is not my favorite Hawkins book. I really liked Reckless Girls and The Wife Upstairs. I didn’t like any of the characters in this one. And, Em made my head explode. I could not stand that she stayed friends with Chess and shared the book. I didn’t believe a word that came out of Chess’s mouth.

The back story of Mari and co. was slow and a bit boring. And, ultimately very confusing. Why write a false narrative? I don’t get it.

I was also frustrated that we never found out what was making Em sick.

And, Matt? What, are the police in Italy dumb or something? No tox screen/autopsy? No way they get away with that.

Overall, just ok.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Villa is a can't put down read that easily fuses two plot lines in a single thrilling tale. Hawkins easily transitions the reader between the events at "the murder house" in 1974 and those taking place in the present day summer as two best friends visit and investigate the history of the Italian Villa.

The writing is beautiful and the characters are each mesmerizing; the reader cannot help but empathize with each of them, no matter how flawed. The historic, cultural, and literary nods are perfectly woven with the narrative, so as not to seem forced. Although the plotline of the 1970s foreshadows some of the present day events, there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader wanting more.

This is my first Rachel Hawkins novel, but it surely will not be the last. I cannot wait to pick up her earlier works. The Villa is a winner!

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

In 1974, Mari Godwick, her step-sister Lara Larchmont, and her boyfriend Pierce Sheldon accept the invitation of famous rocker Noel Gordon. Ostensibly, Noel and Pierce will be collaborating to write some new music. While they work on their music, Mari plans to write.

In the present day, Chess Chandler and Emily Sheridan, best friends since fourth grade, are at different ends of the writing spectrum. Chess’s successful self-help books have brought her significant recognition; Emily is struggling to finish the latest book in her Petal Bloom cozy mysteries series. And, adding to her difficulties, she’s embroiled in a disputatious divorce with her soon-to-be ex-husband, Matt.

Chess convinces Emily to join her at a villa in Italy for the summer; Emily hopes a change of scenery will provide some desperately-needed inspiration. Soon she finds herself ensconced in Villa Aestas where, she soon discovers, a murder took place many years ago.

Will they discover that houses really do remember?

=========

Told in two timelines, the story of Villa Rosato and the musicians takes place in 1974; the story of Villa Aestas and the women writers takes place in the present day. The intertwining of the events in the two timelines makes for an intriguing dual narrative that keeps those pages turning.

Well-developed, interesting characters, a compelling plot that brings a few surprises as the story unfolds, and a strong sense of place all work together to pull the reader into the telling of the tale. The intertwined timelines play out, often in unexpected ways, but the parallels between the past and present make for a masterful narrative.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#TheVilla #NetGalley

Rachel Hawkins' "The Villa" follows best friends Emily and Chess--both authors--on a summer abroad. Emily is healing both from a mysterious physical illness and a devastating breakup, and Chess is at the top of her game but wants a break with her bestie. They settle on six weeks in a villa in Italy, and soon learn that The Villa has a sinister (read: murderous) past.

This book took me four hours to read. I literally couldn't put it down. It's the perfect mashup of the way that "Helter Skelter" and "Daisy Jones and the Six" made me feel: both that fingernail-gnawing anxiety that comes with a murder among musicians, and the homey, dizzy feeling of wanting to be in the room with those musicians as they made magic before the mayhem.

Rachel did an excellent job of killing you (ha--pun intended) with the torture of switching POVs (and, in turn, timelines). Just when you were at the edge of your seat with one character, she'd pull you back to another person and time, only to snap your focus and concern on them so much so that you forget you cared about the previous POV at all. Until it was time to go back, that is. It was a lovely, at times maddening (in the best way!) back and forth.

(Also, I have to point out that I coincidentally read this book on July 29. If you know, you know.)

I SWORE I saw what was coming... I was so confident I could and I could see it all laid out in front of me only to experience some back to back whiplash in the last tenth of this book.

I loved this book! It kept my attention with twists. Told 2 stories side by side, but wasn’t confusing at all.