I’m just going to say I don’t get the raving reviews. It was so boring for most of it and nothing happens until the very end. Once things do pick up, everything happens so quickly and then the book ends. It’s kind of just glossed over and everyone moves on. I found that entirely unrealistic. None of the plot twists particularly shocked me and I was hoping to be blown away.

The past timeline was also extremely boring and a waste of time. Specifically with journal entries or song lyrics. I started skimming those once I realized they don’t bring anything to the story except for that history repeats itself and houses remember, etc.

🏡Book Review:
Title: The Villa
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4 stars

I've always enjoyed Rachel Hawkins books, so I was excited to receive this #arcbook to review! It took me a while to finally read it because, ya know... the #tbrstack is absolutely ridiculous.

Girls' trip to Italy would be an instant "YES" for me! Childhood friends, Emily and Chess, embark on this adventure together after being distant from one another for a few years. Adulting-geesh! Villa Aestas aka Villa Rosato has a dark history, but hey, that just adds to the allure... right? These young ladies end up joining well-known rockstar, Noah Gordon, aspiring musician, Pierce Sheldon, and Pierce's girlfriend, Mari. As well as Mari's stepsister, Lara. So we're talking about a full house of potential suspects when things start to go awry. I did think that it started to get a bit confusing at times with so many characters involved. Regardless, I did enjoy it!

Published: January 3rd, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and @stmartinspress, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an interesting novel. The Villa was moody, atmospheric, and explored different types of toxic love so well. Not only that, but the homage to a very important point in literary history was so cool!

The Villa is heavily (and I mean <i>heavily</i>) inspired by the Summer of 1816, which any English major worth their salt knows to be the summer Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. Mary Shelley is one of the most interesting, most talented authors in literature history, in my opinion. She wrote one of the most influential pieces of literature of all time when she was only 16, for goodness sake! As for the other two famous writers there, Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley were also talented writers but they were both philandering, narcissistic asses so they don't count. Anyway, reading this book reignited the love I had in college for Mary Shelley, her relationship to her husband and Frankenstein. Now I'm right back in the rabbit hole I was in when I was 20.

So because of the similarities to Mary Shelley's life, I'm so tempted to give this book five stars, but if I'm being honest with myself, this book wasn't THAT good. The Villa was fascinating and moody, but the past chapters trumped the present day chapters. I didn't care for the present day chapters with Emily at all; in fact, all I could think about during her chapters was getting back to the past chapters.

If I wasn't so interested in Mary Shelley and Frankenstein, would I have liked this book as much as I did? Probably not. The Villa isn't particularly memorable nor is it very original. I could name a handful of very similar books off the top of my head right now.

I can't deny that this was a fun, engrossing read, though. I liked it so much I read it in a few hours.

<i>Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. (Even if my review is months overdue, thank you all the same)

Mary's review Mar 21, 2023
it was amazing

I really enjoyed this book. I thought both timelines worked well and all of the characters were believable. I certainly was not expected the two twists in the story! I would recommend this to anyone!

This was a great read. Rachel Hawkins doesn’t disappoint. I always enjoy the mystery and suspense with her books.

I made it halfway through this thriller and could not keep reading it. I did not connect with it and felt that it dragged for me. I am a fan of Hawkins other thrillers but this one just was not for me. Thank you, publisher, for the early copy!

Loved it! Such a fabulous cast of characters and gripping all the way through. Would definitely recommend to a friend & especially book clubs.

While I did enjoy the dual timeline storyline, I was a bit let down about the premise of the story in general.

Two best friends go to Italy in hopes to reconnect and work on their next book since they are both authors. They find out a murder took place in the Villa they are staying in and the story goes from 1974 (the time of the murder) and present day.

While the premise was a good one, it fell quite flat for me and there were even times I didn’t really care to find out what happened.

I'm going to be honest -- I sat on this book for wayyyyyy too long because the premise sounded complex and confusing. Even going into the first couple of chapters I wasn't sure if this would be the book for me.

Spoiler alert: It was definitely up my alley!

The Villa centers on Emily and Chess, both authors and best friends from Asheville, NC. After reuniting, they agree to spend the summer in Italy in an infamous villa with a sordid history -- someone was murdered there in 1974. The book bounces between dual timelines set in the present and 1974, where five musicians and artists are also renting the same villa for the summer. While the murder was solved and someone paid the price for the crime, Emily finds herself inspired to do her own research... but it appears things weren't as it seemed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

In The Villa, Emily and Chess attempt to rekindle their friendship by taking a trip to Italy together. Emily and Chess were inseparable growing up but have since grown apart. Chess is a popular self-help influencer and author and Emily is a writer of cozy mystery novels struggling with writer's block. While in Italy they stay in a villa known for brutal murders that take place in the 1970s. The narration switches between the present day and the group staying in the villa in 1974. There are many parallels as each group focuses on their creative endeavors and navigates conflict.

I liked this a lot more than Hawkins' previous books, but this one just didn't work for me. I found the ending unsatisfying and it didn't fit some of the characters. I can't say more without spoiling the book, but it was disappointing.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Rachel Hawkins for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.

"The Villa" is a captivating and thrilling novel that takes readers on a journey through time and secrets. The story revolves around Emily and Chess, childhood friends who embark on a girls' trip to Italy to reconnect. However, their vacation takes an unexpected turn when they stay at Villa Aestas, a holiday home with a dark and mysterious past.

The author skillfully weaves together two timelines, transporting readers to the summer of 1974 when Villa Aestas was known as Villa Rosato and rented by the famous rock star, Noel Gordon. The arrival of up-and-coming musician Pierce Sheldon and his girlfriend, Mari, along with her stepsister, Lara, sets off a chain of events that leads to tragedy and the creation of iconic works by Mari and Lara.

As Emily delves into the villa's history, she becomes convinced that there is more to Pierce's murder than meets the eye. She uncovers hidden clues within the works of Mari and Lara, suggesting a sinister truth behind that fateful summer. However, as Emily gets closer to the truth, tensions arise between her and Chess, and present-day betrayals threaten to claim another victim.

The author's inspiration from Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the summer spent by Percy and Mary Shelley with Lord Byron adds a fascinating layer to the story. The Villa is not just a tale of mystery and suspense but also a homage to these historical events and figures.

The pacing of the novel is excellent, keeping readers engaged and eager to uncover the truth alongside Emily. The characters are well-developed, with complex relationships and hidden motivations that add depth to the story. The atmospheric setting of Villa Aestas adds to the sense of intrigue and danger, making it feel like a character in its own right.

Overall, "The Villa" is a gripping and atmospheric thriller that seamlessly blends past and present, secrets and betrayals. Fans of mystery and suspense will find themselves enthralled by this deadly legacy and the journey of Emily and Chess as they navigate the dark secrets of Villa Aestas.

A slow start, but give it time. Once the mystery starts to unravel, you’re in for a ride. I do prefer her romance novels over the mysteries.

Excellent book that has four woman and an Italian villa at its core. How one tragedy that happened in 1974 will influence what happens in present day. Rachel Hawkins is a master at weaving so many parts into a brilliant novel.
Thanks Netgallwy for the ARC.

Thank you SMP for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars rounded up

This started a little slow, and I wasn’t as invested a confused at first. Once I realized what was going on with the dual POVs and timelines I couldn’t put it down! It was one of those where I ended up rereading the first part to see what I had missed the first read. I think I ended up enjoying Mari’s story and timeline the best! I wish we could have gotten a chapter at the end from Lara’s pov! It ended up a little predictable, but I still overall enjoyed it.

At the beginning, I was really into this book. The present day main characters were really unlikable. I was really interested in the past tense story line, and I liked the way the two story lines connected. I just couldn't get past the toxic friendships and relationships, and the ending was too far fetched.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
I’ll be honest this book took me a bit to get into. There is present and past stories going on simultaneously so you have to really pay attention. Present story is about Emily, an almost divorced mediocre author and her over achiever self help guru best friend, Chess. Chess invites Emily to stay the summer with her at beautiful yet morbidly famous villa in Italy. Past story is about a famous musician and four friends that stayed there too in the 70s. One of them was also murdered there. Eventually the two stories intertwine and that’s when things get really interesting. A very good read.

This story was semi-engaging and I did not figure out the final twists of the novel. I was much more invested on what was occurring with the present-day best friends than the flashbacks to Mari and crew. It took me in and out of the novel, as a result, but overall three stars. Thank you to netgalley, Rachel Hawkins, and publisher for my copy!

Rachel Hawkins is a must read/must buy author for me. I think this is one of the best she has had in the last few years. I loved the switching between the past and the present and the two different perspectives. This one kept me on my toes until the end, even when I thought I knew what might happen. A great summer thriller!

This was a fantastic slow burn suspense/thriller, up until the very end, where I felt the author fumbled the landing.

But I was enthralled in both timelines, and related to Emily in many ways that had me feeling viscerally attached to her and her tumultuous friendship with Chess.

This was a great, quick, summer read for any others looking for a great balance of suspense and mystery that will keep you turning the page until the very end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced read copy.

I wasn't really expecting the direction this book took but I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to more by this author.