Sex, drugs and rock & roll... and murder? I really enjoyed this book. She set the scene so wonderfully! I love the dual timeline, and seeing the modern day women search through to figure out the past. You never know what you might find!
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a novel that is far above any other she has written before in the mystery thriller genre and very well be the best read of the year and it has only just begun!

Summary -

"...Houses remember.
That was what Mr. O'Hare had said to Victoria the first day she and her family came to Somerton, the day that began the end of everything.
At the time, she liked the sound of that. Somerton was an old house, after all, and the idea of its papered walls and mullioned windows holding the secrets and dreams of all who had walked its halls appealed to her. She hadn't thought that perhaps houses hold on to the bad with the good, just as people do.
But why would she ever have thought that there might be bad memories in such a place? That summer, the last good season of her life, was such a glorious one, full of blue skies and lemon-yellow sun, and there was no sign of all the horror to come. There were only warm, lazy days, the soft hum of bees in tall flowers, the silky feel of grass against her calves as she walked through the fields surrounding the house.
She had forgotten, as we all do, that beautiful things can contain their own darkness..."

Growing up, Emily and Chess were best friends. But as adults their relationship has become strained and distant. Career and a failed marriage are making demands on Emily's life and the seemingly easy success that Chess has achieved has created a simmering jealousy. But they were once the best of friends and when Chess suggests a girl's trip to Italy Emily jumps at the chance to get away.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a beautiful high end rental home now but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato and the notorious rock star Noel Gordon rented it for a summer. Gordon invites up and coming musician Pierce Sheldon and well as Pierce's girlfriend Mari and her stepsister Lara.

"....This place will be good for him, Mari thinks. Noel will make him focus on actually producing something. She looks up at the villa, the windows winking in the sunlight. And it'll be good for me, too.
Later, she'll look back at this moment and wonder why there was no warning, no sense of the horrors that would unfold in that house.
But on that bright June afternoon in 1974, Mari just basks in the promise that here, in this beautiful place, things might finally be different..."

That summer changes their lives forever. Mari writes one of the greatest horror novels of all time. Lara composes a platinum album and Pierce is brutally murdered.

"...What are you two gossiping about?' she asks, and Guilia laughs, gathering up her purse.
'She wanted to know all about the muuuuurder,' she replies, wiggling her fingers like claws, and Chess shoots me an indulgent look that makes my teeth itch.
'Are you still thinking about that?' she asks.
'I'm writing about it, actually,' I say. 'Already have a couple of chapters.'
I don't know why I tell her, and it's not technically true, anyway-what I've got so far is mostly freeform, nothing organized into sections yet. But saying it out loud makes it feel real, and I want desperately for this to be real. An actual book, a thing I've made..."

Emily dives into the history of the Villa and begins to realize that there was much more to the tragedy of the summer of 1974. Just maybe it wasn't just sex, drugs and rock and roll. Just maybe it was sometime far more sinister. How is it that only the women came out of that summer and became two of the most successful women in their field and the men ended up in jail, forgotten or dead.

But the further Emily digs into the past, the clearer the present becomes. Betrayals from lovers and friends turn this idyllic vacation into a cruel and tense time. Emily begins to wonder, was the tragedy of 1974 really due to drugs and sex or is it to with Villa itself?

Review -

The Villa is actually two stories in one and Rachel Hawkins weaves them together into one tense and moving thriller. The story of Mari and Lara and the summer of 1974. The story of Emily and Chess and what happens to the women in the Villa. There is a murder mystery here that seems to be solved that unravels to reveal an even deeper truth. There is also the world that Emily lives in and the part Chess played in it spiraling out of control.

Rachel Hawkins has written several really good novels but with The Villa she has taken it up to another level. This is a one sitting, can't put down, going to miss supper and pour me another glass of red kind of novel. Read it. Enjoy it. You will love it.

The Villa was a slow move for me. It picked up in the second half, but I struggled to really get into it.

This book had me hooked right from the very beginning! It’s so good, you won’t want to put it down. It gets a little slow during the middle, but then it picks right back up again! Theres so much in this book! Theres a little bit of mystery, historical fiction, and domestic suspense. It’s also told in dual POV, 40 years apart! There’s so many twists and turns in this book, you won’t be able to figure them out! If you’re looking for a great mystery read, I recommend checking this one out!

This was a quick, easy read and one that kept me vested throughout the book. It's the third book I've read by Rachel Hawkins and is probably my second favorite. She manages to keep you interested in where the story is going.

I binged this audiobook in just two days. I loved the atmosphere, the duel POV's between the past and present, and how all the mystery came together in the end. I wasn't sure how the ending was going to go, or if motivations and intentions were going to be what I thought they were. The narration was perfection and added so much to the story that I had a difficult time stopping.

I don't know why I waited so long to jump into this one but I'm so glad I did because I loved it! It was exactly what I was in the mood for and offered everything I look for in a good mystery/thriller. I can't wait to dive into more of Rachel Hawkins books!

This was my 3rd Rachel Hawkins book and I was not disappointed. She writes such engaging and fun thrillers!

I enjoyed this audiobook, but I think I was expecting a little more from the story itself. I loved the use of multiple narrators and felt they did a good job bringing the story to life, and the mystery along with the past/present timelines had me intrigued from the very beginning. I found myself needing to know how the different story lines would fit together, and the use of elements like music, podcasts, etc. within the audio was a nice touch too!

In terms of the story itself, I found the characters to be somewhat unlikable and underdeveloped, and I didn’t feel an emotional attachment to them or the story. The pacing was decent, but I felt the ending missed the mark and didn’t have the impact that I enjoy from a strong thriller. I also found it to be a little bit confusing via the audio, and I wished I had the physical book to pair with it.

Overall, I did feel like this was a good audio experience and I think it would be great for someone just dipping their toes into the thriller world, but I would recommend having a physical or electronic copy to pair with it to follow along with the different timelines and elements.

Incredibly engrossing! This book is one you won’t be able to put down. The two stories in one keep you entertained with twists that keep you reading! The #audiobook is narrated by three amazing talents:
@justjuliawhelan @voxkimberly @Shiromi.Arserio.

Thank you, Rachel Hawkins, MacmillanAudio & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

I reviewed this on Book Riot's All the Books podcast. Here is a rough transcript.

I don’t read a lot of mystery or thrillers, but I really enjoyed this.
It’s a gothic suspense story set at an Italian villa across two time periods, the present and the 1970s.
Emily is an author of cozy mysteries, she’s behind on her latest deadline.
She’s on book number ten or so in the series, and she can’t seem to get herself to write.
It doesn't help that the love interest is inspired by her now ex-husband.
So, when her best friend proposes they spend weeks at in Italian Villa together, she goes for it.
Her best friend, Chess, is a successful, wealthy self-help author — think Girl, Wash Your Face — with a devoted following.
They’ve been best friends since they were kids, but they drifted apart when Chess got famous.
She’s always been a bit of a flake, and now Emily can’t help but resent her a little for her success.
But they also love each other, and this is an amazing opportunity for a little writing retreat in a gorgeous location.
So Emily says yes, and they find themselves rekindling their friendship between writing sessions and lounging by the pool.
Meanwhile, we’re also getting point of view chapters from Mari.
I had to keep reminding myself that these chapters were set in the 1970s, not 1800s,
Which makes sense, because this storyline is partly inspired by the summer Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron spent together at a castle.
It also takes inspiration from the Manson Murders and Fleetwood Mac.
Mari is 19, but she feels like she’s lived a much longer life than that.
A few years ago, she ran off to be with a married musician, Pierce.
She’s a writer, but they’re both a little stuck in their creation process.
So when rock star Noel Gordon invites them to his Italian villa for the summer, they jump at the opportunity.
Mari imagines this as an artist’s retreat, where they’ll all be creating together.
But it’s not just the three of them.
Mari’s stepsister, Lara, convinces her to let her come along, and there’s another man there named Johnny, who Noel says is his “entertainment director”.
It turns out that means drug dealer, and Mari is disappointed that this is less of a creative endeavor and more of a never-ending party.
She doesn’t have much space or quiet to write, and she’s still stalled out.
She can’t seem to crack what the story she’s writing is really about, or what will happen next.
In the present, Emily is investigating the infamous murder that happened in this same villa back in the 1970s.
Especially at the beginning, this definitely has gothic vibes, despite being set in a sunny Italian vacation destination.
We know something terrible happened in that house in the 70s, and there’s a real sense of foreboding.
It also feels like echoes of what happened there are also playing out in the present between these two friends.
I listened to this as an audiobook and highly recommend it.
There are two main narrators, and there are also a few other pieces of media, including newspaper articles about the murder and a snippet of an obnoxious true crime podcast.
My favourite thing in books is complicated, layered relationships, especially non-romantic ones, and this book really delivers on that.
Chess and Emily have such an interesting dynamic.
They love each other, but they also both carry a ton of resentment towards the other.
Emily is suspicious and judgemental of Chess, but she’s also devoted to her.
They’d do anything for each other, but they also have the most capacity to hurt and betray each other.
This story is also exploring misogyny, and how women are pitted against each other.
Mari and Lara are brought to this villa as muses for the serious male artists,
Not recognized as artists in their own right.
They’re basically decoration.
They were used as teenagers.
And in the present, Emily is being used by her ex-husband.
Just like Emily and Chess, Mari and Lara have a tangled, thorny relationship with each other,
And they’re being pitted against each other by the men in their lives.
It's also a story about art and creating, and having someone try to take that away from you.
The vitality of creating and the cruelty of having that denied.
From a structural perspective, it was really interesting following Emily as she tries to figure out the mystery of what really happened in that Villa in the 70s just as we are.
And like I mentioned before, I loved the relationships — they’re caught in this tangled web of relationships with people that you love but are also trapped by.
And I thought the ending was really interesting. I think this would be a great book club read, because it would be fun to discuss with others.
And that’s The Villa by Rachel Hawkins.

I'm a little divided about this book. It's told in dual timelines and I liked the present timeline much better than the past one. That part of the story I really enjoyed and loved the storyline and the twists. I was a bit confused about the past storyline, maybe it was just me, maybe the different accents made me lose the thread, but overall, I really enjoyed tis book.

Thank you Netgalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The audiobook version of "The Villa" by Rachel Hawkins offers a delightful and immersive listening experience that complements the engaging storytelling. Rachel Hawkins' tale of mystery, romance, and family intrigue is well-served by the narrator's skillful performance, which brings the characters and the scenic Italian setting to life.

The narrator's voice is both engaging and easy to follow, making it an enjoyable experience for listeners. She effectively captures the essence of each character, adding depth to their personalities through distinct voices and nuanced emotions. This makes it easy to become emotionally invested in the story and its characters.

The pacing of the narration is well-suited to the book's plot. It keeps listeners engaged, especially during moments of suspense and discovery, and provides a natural flow to the storytelling. Whether it's the sense of adventure, the complexities of familial relationships, or the blossoming romance, the audiobook version captures the nuances of the story effectively.

The audiobook also excels in conveying the vivid descriptions of the Italian villa and the lush landscapes, allowing listeners to easily envision the settings. This sensory element enhances the overall experience, making it feel like a true escape to Italy.

"The Villa" is a delightful audiobook that brings the novel's charm, romance, and intrigue to life in a way that engages the listener's imagination. Whether you're a fan of contemporary fiction or looking for a captivating story to get lost in, the audiobook version of "The Villa" is a superb choice for those who enjoy a blend of mystery, romance, and family drama.

I read this a bit ago! It was BORING! Nothing really happens. It's actually pretty forgetable. Thank you to Netgally for giving me this audiobook in exchange for my thoughts. Sorry to say that I didn't really like it. I don't think that Rachel Hawkins is the author for me.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

First, I absolutely LOVE the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and in the last few years more information has come out about her real life and I have delved into those biographies and so forth, thus, right off the bat I was VERY excited about this novel.

Second, if you know the history about Mary Shelley and how Frankenstein came to be, then you will sort of know how this story plays out. But only sort of because their were some AMAZING twists and turns in this novel that just made me want to keep reading until the very end.

I really like how this novel was written as well, where we have the chapter beginning with modern story, then flashes back to either the 1970s and/or different articles/podcasts and the like discussing the murdery villas history. I thought this was super unique and I do love how the two stories of the 'sisters' play out in the way it does being so similiar in the 1970s and modern times. This novel as a whole was just REALLY entertaining and enjoyable and I am excited to pick up the next one by Rachel Hawkins!

OHHHHHH The drama! Have you ever had a friend that you feel you have grown out of? But you are not sure if its you feeling some kind of way or if you really need to let go? Well Emily feels this and she is not sure what to do soooo she goes on a vacation with her high school bestie. BUT that's when the fun begins!

The narrator was excellent! She told the story in such a way that was easy to follow along.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my copy of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins Narrated by Julia Whelan; Kimberly M. Wetherell; Shiromi Arserio in exchange for an honest review. It published January 3, 2023.
First off, the narration was top notch, which is obviously expected with the previously credited talents!
Second off, Rachel Hawkins brings another unputdownable story to the table. I think it's impossible for the books not to be devoured. Simply impossible! That being said, there were a few things that were hard for me since it was an audiobook: All the coarse language. I know that is not a problem for most, but listening to it constantly bothers me. Secondly, there was what I presume was a graphic sex scene. I do not know though, because I just skipped ahead, because that is not my jam. Something I loved about the audio was the podcast! It definitely enriched the book experience!

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 did enjoy the audiobook narration by Julia Whelan.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins was delightfully atmospheric--as someone who longs to spend a summer in an Italian Villa, I loved the setting of the book. I also appreciated the back and forth between the journal and the main narrator. The story isn't completely shocking, it was definitely predicatable, but it was a good read. I loved reading it and couldn't put it down. It was a book I kept talking about & couldn't forget.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This was a great story. I loved the sort of gothic setting and the alternate timelines. The main characters were great, and I thought I knew where the story was going but I was wrong, there were plenty of twists to change and evolved the story. I could not put this one down and I have read all the author's books and I believe this is my favorite one hers yet. The narration was clear and easy to fall. It made the story immersive.

I got about halfway through before I stopped listening. It just didn't capture me. I didn't connect with any of the characters or care about the story.