The Villa is such a refreshing storyline for a suspense novel - I honestly haven’t read anything exactly like it before, and that’s high praise in a genre that often feels oversaturated.

The book follows two storylines. The first is modern day Emily and her childhood best friend Chess spontaneously decide to spend the summer at a villa in Italy. Chess and Em have a complex relationship; they’re both writers, but Chess has become an icon of self help and is now making the big bucks…while Em writes a cozy mystery series that does fine, but doesn’t exactly bring in a ton of money. Additionally, Em is going through a nasty divorce where her ex is trying to take a large portion of the earnings from her series. So…it has her feeling uninspired, to say the least.

The second storyline takes place in the the 1970s, following 19-year-old Mari and her stepsister Laura as they spend a summer in Italy with Mari’s musician lover and another famous rockstar. Their role is simple: be muses to these great men of rock n roll. But when a tragic murder happens at the villa, everything changes. Out of that tragedy, Laura and Mari both produce two pieces of art - a novel and an album - that become high acclaimed.

Both storylines are fully fleshed out and captured my attention; either one could have been it’s own individual novel, but Hawkins manages to give the right amount of attention to each. The book seems to be inspired in part by Mary Shelley, which I loved! I also loved the idea of flipping the feminine muse idea on its head.

Additionally, the female friendships throughout the book are incredibly complicated, evolving relationships. I loved seeing the intricacies of both main friendships, and while certain decisions were shocking to me, Hawkins made them believable through her storytelling and character development.

This is definitely not a thriller, so don’t go in expecting that. I absolutely loved this one & can’t wait to purchase a physical copy!

I found this to be interesting from the very beginning. It kept me intrigued and it was entertaining. Was i able to predict some of the twist before it happened, yes! But sometimes a book can be a 5 star without it being ground breaking. I did gasp and cover my mouth several times. It was def giving daisy jones and the six mixed with the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo but better.

This was a little hard to follow at first. Maybe if I read the book version, I could have kept up with the changing viewpoints. I could do without the podcast girls that randomly showed up in the middle of the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me an opportunity to listen to The Villa by Rachel Hawkins.

Summary: Best friends & authors Chess and Emily go on a trip to Italy and stay at the infamous Villa Aestas. The Villa is shadowed by a murder that happened in 1974 when a group, made up of musicians & groupies, stayed there. The story follows 2 POVs, Mari in 1974 and Emily in the present. The 1974 story involves sex, drugs, and rock n' roll that spins out of control. The present involves Emily discovering clues of what happened in the 1974 murder while at the Villa and hints of her own life; both seem to parallel in likeness.

What I liked: Rachel Hawkins is excellent in creating fleshed-out characters, relationships, and drama. I have read one of her other books, "Reckless Girls", and it was the same way. Loved the multimedia throughout the story that contributes to telling the story and solidifying details. I loved the podcast! I have to believe that Rachel was mimicking the show 'My Favorite Murder', which I found to be entertaining. I would have loved to hear more of that versus some of the other reports provided.

What I disliked: I will admit that the story at the beginning was hard to get into. I cannot pinpoint one reason specifically. I think it was a mixture between having many characters, lots of details, and getting into the different narrators & accents. However, after about 40-50% of the way through, I was finally really getting into it. Also, I feel like it would have been more thrilling if something happened between Emily and Chess at the very end of the last chapter of those two.

Other thoughts: Rachel's stories feel mostly contemporary with a slight mystery/thrill that builds at the end. I think people who love contemporary fiction would easily transition to Rachel Hawkin's thrillers because of this. I know that the author compares this to Fleetwood Mac, Mason Murders, and Percy/Mary Shelley.....I think due to the Fleetwood Mac/rock star part, it gave me a Daisy Jones and the Six feel with a murder mystery twist.

The Narration:
What I liked: There were multiple narrators in this audio, which I love because it makes the story more 3-dimensional and fleshes the characters out even more.

What I disliked: Emily's narrator sounded more like a reporter, especially at the beginning. It was hard to get into.

Overall: I give this story 3 stars. It was a good time. I would have liked more twists and thrills along the way, but I know Rachel likes to build up on the drama until it bursts at the end.

I wanted to love this but it was kind of boring. The idea was good and the story between the ladies in the present was interesting but I didn't love the back and forth time line. I usually do ... This one just didn't work for me. Not terrible though. 3.5
Thank you NetGalley

This book reminds me of 'If These Walls Could Talk'. Now if you have read this you are probably thinking "seriously?!" but I think it's because it generally took place in one setting and two different mirroring storylines that take place decades apart.

That being said, this mystery was alluring and interesting. It was definitely a slow burn. You start to understand the people who stayed in the Villa both in current days as well as in the past. You know people die but you don't know when or how it comes about. It is definitely a slow paced book and it takes its' time telling the story. By the end you find yourself wondering what exactly happened current day. And was the right decision made or did our character get into bed with a different devil.

I don't want to spoil anything so I will leave it at that. Definitely a good read.

Although I did find this book gripping, the back and forth timelines were slightly confusing. I wanted to know about the murder in the past so it kept me hooked and intrigued to keep listening but then finding out that there was actually a different ending tot hat then they made you believe was true several chapters earlier was confusing. Overall it was 3 stars but I think it could have been 4 stars if it was slightly different and also did not have the murder in present time.

(Audiobook) Do you really like your bff? Emily and Chess are old friends, both writers Emily of cozy-mystery and Chess self-help. Emily’s life is in chaos so when Chess offers a trip to the Villa in Italy, Emily decides this is just the place she needs to be. Struggling with writers block she hopes to find her inspiration.

Oh she finds her inspiration and more .. the Villa hides a dark past and Emily is obsessed to figure out what happened. A rocker, a writer and some friends, stayed in this same Villa in 1974. Only not all of them left.

The Villa will test Emily and Chess and their friendship in ways they didn’t expect. With alternating timelines, we read/listen about the guests at the Villa of the present and past.

This book won’t be for everyone. There’s a lot of sex, drugs, and swearing. It’s more of a slow-burn than thriller. And has gothic elements to it.

The narrators were exceptional! Although it was often difficult to assess what was happening, as a voice and tone change would happen, but it wasn’t stated what was happening. A journal entry being read? Without the book version, I couldn’t say.

I received an advanced audio copy for an honest review. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this novel prior to it's official release date!

I sought after this novel personally after having good experiences with her previous works, "The Wife Upstairs" and "Reckless Girls." This, however, didn't hit the mark for me.

"The Villa" follows multiple timelines and multiples strong female artist, all finding inspiration from Villa Aestas in their own, unique ways. The Villa ended up housing a murder in 1974 and when childhood best friends, Emily and Chess, come to visit for their own type of writing retreat, Emily starts to uncover what really happened that murderous night.

I was impressed with Hawkins concept of having the females produce the art and males serve as the muses in both timelines. It was a refreshing spin for a novel that started with two young girls being taken advantage of by older men. However, I was disappointed with the lack of character development for seemingly every single character. I don't feel they were any different from when the book truly began and, honestly, left me with more questions that answers.

In true Hawkins fashion, Rachel weaves together a tale of twists and turns but sometimes, it was hard to gauge where the story was going. More focus on the past and delving into those characters would've made for a stronger finish for Hawkins' third novel in the thriller realm.

I don’t know where to start with The Villa. We have two storylines and the narrative jumps back and forth. In 1974, five people stayed at the villa. Two women came out of it with career-defining works. One man was killed. In the present day, Chess and Emily are spending the summer at the villa, each working on her next book. Emily becomes interested in the events from 1974 and starts researching and piecing together that story.

The parallels between the 70s and the present day become clearer as the novel progresses. Friendships are tested. Tempers boil over. Secrets are revealed. Both storylines grabbed my attention. The book slowly leads up to the defining moments, moments that are both inevitable and shocking. I honestly didn’t like any of the characters though, in either time. While the women especially, were strong and bold, they were also manipulative and did more damage to each other than the men in their lives did.

I listened to the audio, which was done quite well. The narrators did an excellent job and I enjoyed the feeling that Mari and Emily were telling us their stories, letting us see their feelings and the events from their points of view.

The Villa was absorbing. It touches on competition between friends, where inspiration comes from, and how damaging some relationships can be.

Rachel Hawkins is an incredibly talented author. I really enjoyed her previous books and this one did not totally disappoint. I am not one to usual enjoy a story within a story but Rachel did this so well and I was so interested in every one of them. The characters are interesting and believable, for the most part. I don't think I would have been able to sweep things under the rug as quickly as Emily does, but Emily is still my favorite character. I was really hoping for the Villa to be more of a character than an important setting but I really enjoy how all the story lines tie up. I love the concepts of this story but over all it fell flat for me to give it a five star review, it is a solid 3 stars. I enjoyed listening to the audio, I mean "Hello, Julia Whelan" and that did help me to keep going. I knew Rachel would give us a good ending, as she does so well!

I don't read too many thrillers, and I really enjoyed this one! I should prioritize this genre as this was a great read.

I absolutely loved this book! This is actually my first Rachel Hawkins book, but I am going to add her others to my list right now! This was so so good and had a big twist at the end. Back and forth between the past and the present, I just loved the styled of writing so much. Get this book!!

Well!
<img src="https://thumbs.gfycat.com/UnacceptableOccasionalDeermouse-max-1mb.gif"/>

The word "switcheroo" popped into my head, more than once, when I finished listening to the Audiobook ARC of <u>The Villa</u> by Rachel Hawkins - ably narrated by Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell and Shiromi Arserio.

<img src="https://wwwcache.wralsportsfan.com/asset/voices/2015/12/30/15205353/things_that_didn_t_happen-728x376.gif"/>

I did a few double-takes during the final chapters: at one point, I actually protested: "Come on now! Seriously?!?! Again?!?!"

Oh dear: that's as far as I can go without spoilers folks!
<img src="https://media.tenor.com/CVnBdFjSfpQAAAAC/spoiler-not-listening.gif"/>

I did guess some of the plot it, and I groaned disbelievingly at the numerous twists.
I actually fast-forwarded the audiobook toward the end, just to make sure that there wasn't yet another twist waiting to ambush me unawares! I just couldn't take that never-ending ending anymore!

Again, you will have to experience this well-written thriller to understand this rather cryptic review. The story was a bit repetitive in some places, hence the one point deduction, but the premise was interesting and kept me hooked to the very end.
You will have to read it to believe it... or not!

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My thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

✨ The Villa ARC Review✨
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Gothic suspense
Pub date: January 3, 2023
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This cover is deceiving. It’s a gothic suspense is all about a murder Italian villa. Emily and Chess are childhood friends that have a strained relationship. They decide to take a girls trip and get away. What they didn’t know is they were walking into a villa where a murder took place in 1974 for the up and coming rock stars.
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Ugh I hate Chess is the WORST! Sneaky slimy. I LOVED the dual timelines and how the past story merged with current day. The narrators were fabulous! I am a sucker for multi-narrators. It’s so fun, when you think you know what’s happening the whole plot changes. It’s full of suspense, secrets, complicated relationships surrounds real life issues, romance, and best of all REVENGE!!

Read if you like:
💥suspense
💥Fleetwood Mac (love,sex,drugs)
💥Manson Murders
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Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for this audioARC. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Follow @mom_booked_a_vacation for more!

This is my third Rachel Hawkins novel, and sadly probably the weakest one. That is not to say that it was bad, or unenjoyable by any means, but I found it to be very slow to start, and I don't think I was as invested as I should have been until at least 5o-75% in. I enjoyed the parallels to the Manson murders, and other true crime allusions, but I just think the main plot got lost. I think The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls were both a lot more engaging and twisty.

Absolutely her best yet! With gothic Daisy Jones vibes, I loved the old school rock and roll murder storyline and the modern old friends trying to solve the mystery. It was dark and creepy and really kept me guessing.

Just when I thought I had the plot twist figured out (and it was revealed), the author had one more twist in her back pocket!

The characters are surprisingly complex for a thriller and there is definitely a large women's fiction genre-type component to this thriller!

Julia Whelan is spectacular on the audio as always!

Having visited Orvieto in 2018 and fallen in love with the town, this was a no-brainer read for me. The book's plot was solid and so much better than "Reckless Girls" by Hawkins. Unlike her previous thriller, this one was written in a way less choppy writing style and the transitions from past to present POVs were much smoother.

Childhood friends Emily and Chess spontaneously rent Villa Aestas in Orvieto, Italy for the summer in the hopes of reviving their friendship and writing careers. Steeped in history now forgotten, Villa Aestas was the infamous site of musician Pierce Sheldon's murder. Emily is fascinated by this tragic event and begins to search for clues as to what really happened that fateful summer. The more she uncovers, however, the more she begins to question her own secrets she's hiding.

While the ending was predictable and wrapped up almost too neatly for my taste, it at least left no room for doubts or questions. Overall, I liked the protagonists and thought there were well-developed, something I didn't get the feel of in Hawkin's "Reckless Girls".

intriguing, Immersive, and with a Gothic twist, this was a fun read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ALC of this 2023 release!

Ok so i literally loved this book! I listened to the audiobook, which I would highly suggest doing. It was soooo well done. There are multiple time lines and also throughout the story there are newspaper articles, song, lyrics, a whole, podcast segment, etc. and so with the audiobook it’s just such a fun way to experience all of that, especially since the narrator use different voices for each part.

The story is told in two timelines which I’m a huge fan of! I loved and loved to hate each and everyone one of these characters. The literal gasps and oh no she didnt’s I audibly released while listening to this story we’re not in short supply. There was many a time I was seeing red while listening to this, but I would recommend it to everyone. It’s about so much more than the synopsis gives you on this : it’s about the relationships between friends, family, and lovers. It’s about what we’re willing to take and what we aren’t. It’s about coming out of feeling lost. It was just so good! It isn’t even 2023 yet and as of right now, this is sitting as my favorite book of the new year.

Rachel Hawkins is not an author to be slept on, and I am so excited to dive into her stories I haven’t uncovered yet.

3.5 stars, rounded up for a solid twist at the end.

The Villa has two (actually three) storylines. The main two are in the present day, from the point of view of Emily. She's the author of a popular cozy mystery series, but after suffering some health issues and now going through a divorce and separation, her writing has stalled. When her lifelong friend since childhood, Chess, proposes they travel to a villa in Italy for the summer, Emily jumps at the chance. They stay at Villa Aestus, where a murder occurred in 1974, which is the timeline for the second point of view of Mari.

Mari and her stepsister Lara join some musicians for a summer filled with sex, drugs, and music. During that time, Mari begins to write a horror novel (the third point of view, the pages from the novel) and Lara begins work on music, which both of them later turn into huge successes. Yet during this summer, someone ends up murdered.

When Emily finds out about the murder, she is inspired to do research and some writing of her own. But things aren't necessarily as they seem...

Once I got into the flow of the story, it turned out to be a decent thriller. It was fairly predictable throughout and I thought it was a solid three-star read. Good, but not earth shattering. Yet once all of the storylines coalesce at the end, there's a big reveal that I absolutely did not see coming, and that elevated the book for me.

I listened to the audiobook, and Julia Whelan does a fantastic job with voicing Emily, and the other two narrators for Mari and the novel are wonderful as well. I was able to keep the narrators straight because their accents are different and their voices are unique.

Overall this was a decent read although fairly predictable for the most part. Worth reading, but not remarkable.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.