This is a must read! Both stories are equally enticing, first I was very into the present time. I wanted Emily to make sure her ex would not take advantage of her and I never knew if Chess was trustworthy....but then, I got lost on Mari's drama with Pierce and everything going on at the Villa in the past.

Cleverly written, it throws your suspicious out the window, it's like Rachel Hawkins lead us to develop some suspicions and then, told us how wrong we are! I love how both stories are intertwined.

The narrators were amazing!

Thank you so much to Rachel Hawkins, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this awesome ARC!!

The Villa is not very thriller-ly, I would even say it's more literary fiction than a thriller, but it really shone in the ways that mattered more to me. While a bit slow, not much happens, it's still enthralling, with very astute commentary on the true crime industry, women's stories and traumas and friendship. While I do wish it've delved deeper into the suspense aspect of the story, I still really enjoyed this.

"Reckless Girls" and "The Wife Upstairs" were five-star reviews for me. I knew I would love anything written by Rachel Hawkins.
I loved the dynamic between Emily and Chess. Two strong female characters fight for what they want. I highly recommend this book.
The reviews were right when they said fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley would love this book.

I expected more from this well- known author. While the dual timeline and plot kept things interesting, the content left much to be desired. There were dry chapters and little suspense. The narrator was great though so I would recommend it on audio.

Thank you @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for my #gifted copy of this audiobook!

Imagine your long time childhood best friend asks you to take the summer and spend some time with her to clear your head, write your book, and just get out of the day to day depressing situation you’re in. Sounds good right?! What’s better? The summer location being in a villa in Italy! Yes please!

That’s exactly what happens to Emily, a recently single woman who a mildly successful writer. Her childhood friend Chess is a much more famous writer and knows that her friend just needs a change of scenery to snap back into the life she is meant to live and lead. What better place to do it than in a Villa in Italy. The Villa isn’t without its own history where a death in 1974 happened which made headlines at the time. It involved a famous rockstar, sex, drugs and rock and roll. As Emily spends time in Italy. she becomes engrossed in the history of the house and the clues that were left behind. The more Emily digs the more secrets she unravels from the past and current day.

Thoughts: I was so thankful to have been given the opportunity to listen to this book. I would definitely consider this book a slow burn mystery. I do enjoy books that involve last history of a location or house so can appreciate the storyline from the 70’s.

At times, I did confuse the relationship between the characters in the 70s but eventually did work those out as I continued to listen.

I did enjoy the current story timeline a bit more because Emily herself was so invested in finding out what really happened in the Murder House in the past. Also, I did enjoy the tension between Chess and Emily throughout the book. Overall, I had the ending figured out about halfway through the book but it didn’t take away from the story because the added details kept it interesting. This is my 3rd book by Rachel Hawkins and will definitely grab the next one!

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

Full disclosure: I toggled back and forth between the book and the audiobook. This review is of the audiobook. Great narration. I love Julia Whelan and always look forward to finding something she's narrated. I liked the multiple narrators. It helped me keep track in a story that had a lot of characters. The narration was the best part of the book. My review of the actual book is below:

This book was good. Not great, but it definitely kept my attention throughout. I enjoyed the dual storylines and putting the stories together. Rachel Hawkins writes good mysteries.

I did not enjoy this one as much as I did Reckless Girls, but it was good nonetheless. My only complaint was the ending. I just thought it fell flat, which is why I give it three stars. Great story, half done ending. I didn't like Chess, Mari or Lara. They were awful characters, but I did like Emily. I felt that she was the most relatable one of the group. Some of the scenarios seemed a bit far fetched, but it was a fun read. Recommended, but not one that I would reread.

The description of this book caught my attention but I have to say it was just ok. There were a few twists and suspense but I was expecting more of a thriller. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was good. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

I loved the narrator of this audiobook, especially to keep track of the dual timeline and multiple newspaper clippings, etc. Overall, this was a fun, quick thriller to read. I enjoy stories about best friends, especially when there seems to be a lot of underlining tension and toxicity (at least, I enjoy this trait in thrillers)! I kept thinking that something more sinister was going to happen and I would have loved more details around the ending in the present tense timeline to really bring it home, but overall this was an enjoyable read!

Thank you to @netgalley and @ladyhawkins for my gifted ALC. The audiobook made it such an amazing listening experience to me.

This is a wonderful book written by Rachel Hawkins. This was my first book read by this author and she left me speechless with the ingenuity and creativity. Such an amazing storyline

Amazing narration and production by Macmillan Audio production By St Martin’s Press. Book releases on Jan 5, 2023

THE VILLA by Rachel Hawkins

Two best friends, two writers, one murder mansion, one summer under the hot Italian sun, and a whole host of secrets and mysteries that will be uncovered slowly over the course of 288 pages, bit by bit by bit.

This book contains the POV of our main character Emily, but also flashbacks from Mary, the infamous teen author of one of literature's most famous pieces of feminist gothic horror, LILLITH RISING, which was written in the 70s following a gruesome murder that took place in one rockstar's Italian villa.

This was like Daisy Jones meets your favorite gothic mystery, and the vibes were definitely there. I preferred the current timeline POV over the flashbacks, but that's my personal taste. I didn't love the ending or the justifications for some things that happen in the end, but you be the judge!! I will give it to Miss Hawkins, things take a WILD turn.

I enjoyed this story a good deal! The author created a layered mystery and I enjoyed the dual timeline aspect of it. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed trying to figure out how everyone was connected and who was capable of killing. The setting of the old villa is rather mysterious, but the fact that it was in Italy really didn’t affect the story; it could have been in any country and had the same effect. The narrator of the audiobook did a great job - not too fast or too slow, and easy to listen to! I’d recommend it!

A solid 3 star read for me.
I wanted to love this book. It was my first time reading anything by Rachel Hawkins, and the publisher blurb is so enticing, so I expected a twisty thriller- a roller coaster of a read. Instead I got a middle of the road suspense with a couple of somewhat predictable twists. It held my attention, but I was left wanting a lot more. Nevertheless, I appreciated the theme of female empowerment. I liked the alternating timelines, and I enjoyed the rock n’ roll, 1970s time period of Mary’s story.
The “murder villa” aspect could have been so much stronger and played a more prominent part in the story- in no way did I find this book “creepy”.
The ending of both stories left me wanting more, and it felt somewhat hurried.
Overall, it wasn’t bad, it just could have been much better.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Hawkins deftly knits events of the past and present together and creates an entertaining plot in her latest book, The Villa. Set in the Italian countryside, Villa Aestes is an idyllic sunny getaway that best friends Chess and Emily rent for the summer of 2022. While there, they research what happened almost 50 years ago, when another group of best friends stayed in the villa for the summer. That trip ended when one of the group was bludgeoned to death.

The narrative rotates between Emily’s first person account of her stay and the experiences of Mari, one of the group of friends who lived in the villa in 1974. Interspersed between the two main stories are excerpts of the true crime podcast that Emily listens to, chapters of the book Mari wrote, and passages of essays and articles Emily sources throughout the course of her research.

Overall the plot moves quickly, although sometimes when I was reading I thought “let’s hurry through this 1974 distraction and get back to the more interesting story about Chess and Emily.” Hawkins included some humor to balance out the tense sections, and I laughed out loud at several passages. She’s a good writer and my favorite sentence was “people who think Chess is the most enlightened being since Gwyneth Paltrow’s vagina.”

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for giving me a free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by Rachel Hawkins, wonderfully narrated by Julia Whelan; Kimberly M. Wetherell; Shiromi Arserio - 4 stars!

Emily and Chess were best friends when they were young but that friendship fell apart. Now in their 30s, Chess proposes a trip to Italy and Emily is anxious to reconnect and possibly break her writer's block. The villa is now an exclusive rental home but in the 1970s it was rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. Noel invites an upcoming musician, Pierce, his girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara, to join him. It was a notorious time - Mari writes a famous horror novel, Lara composes a platinum album, and Pierce is murdered. Emily is enthralled with the house's history - because houses remember - but her investigations bring up more trouble.

This was an intriguing story, told in dual timelines by various narrators, and was kind of a story in a story book. The villa added to the atmospheric tension, and was inspired by many real life groups and murders. There is a lot going on here but the multiple narrators really helped me keep track of people and timelines. Another good suspense thriller by Rachel Hawkins!

A murder at a beautiful Italian villa. Two best friends who are writers staying there. What could go wrong? I enjoyed this book. It has some great twist and I loved the two narrator’s voices doing the two time lines. It made it easier to follow.

Finding inspiration at the villa in Italy. Chess invited Emily, her long time friend. to spend the summer at Villa Aestas. The Villa is well known for the murder that occurred in the house in 1974.
Both Emily and Chess are writers. Emily writes cozy mysteries and is working on Petal Bloom book 10. Chess writes self-help books. Back in college they talked about co-writing a book. Chess thinks they should use this summer together to make it happen.
Emily is torn between writing another cozy mystery and a real crime novel. Since she’s been at the Villa she’s come across a diary left behind by Mari.
Back in 1974 Mari visited the villa in the summer with her step sister Lara and boyfriend Pierce. Woven between the pages is a story about the past mingling with the present. Mari Godwick is the author of Lilith Rising, a famous horror fiction novel published in 1976. It’s about a girl named Victoria Stuart who kills her family in the middle of the day.
Meanwhile, Chess is listening to music. She came across an album produced by Lara Larchmont, the album Aestas (1977). The song lyrics from this album are clues about what happened at the Villa in 1974.

From the beginning, it’s a complex and complicated read. Setting the story to reflect both periods of time was challenging to navigate through the early chapters. Once I gained my footing on what Emily stumbled upon I transitioned easily into the story.

What I took from the premise didn’t quite measure up with what I envisioned. After delving into the pages I found myself immersed in history about a horror novel written by Mari and an album performed by Lara. As Emily discovers both of these historical pieces she blends the two as some sort of treasure hunt. There were times the connecting pieces weren’t locking into place as Rachel Hawkins had intended. Eventually, Rachel ties it all up with a nice bow at the end.

I must admit I imagined a house of secrets with ghosts haunting each room, but that isn’t the case. When Chess and Emily stay in the villa it’s to fortify there friendship. Both of them are writers. Chess writes self help books while Emily writes cozy mysteries. Together they discover the album and book left behind by Mari and Lara. All in all Rachel created a unique and original story of betrayal and friendship within the villa.

The Villa is a book within a book. The focus is on the murder that occurred in 1974 and the Villa holds its secrets. Emily searches to uncover the truth about what transpired all those years ago.

Infographics:
Lara Larchmont, the album Aestas (1977)
Lilith Rising, Mari Godwick, 1976 Lilith Rising is about this teenage girl,
Victoria Stuart
The Villa Rosato Horror (story about Mari)
Diary written by Victoria
Podcast Two Girls, One Murder:
Writers: cozy mysteries and self help books
Women, power, and betrayal

Audiobook:
I had hoped listening to the audiobook would enhance my experience. Listening did expand my understanding of the content, but I still wasn’t compelled by the writing of the Villa. I audiobook helped sort out the complicated first few chapters although given that the audiobook was my second time reading the Villa I’m certain that helped gain my footing better. With knowledge came the ability to focus on key aspects of the story.
Julia Whelan was a superstar performer. More and more these days I find myself investing in both the ebook and audiobook. This way I get to experience the story the way the writer intended for readers to hear the characters. That’s exactly what Julia accomplished. It was the full experience having a great voice acting skills and good writing.
Kimberly M. Wetherwell and Shiromi Arserio were two other female performers that provided great voice acting skills. Unfortunately, I’m unfamiliar to all three of these narrators so I’m not sure which one of them performed the voices of Emily, Chess, and Mari.
I listened using the Netgalley app listening at 2x speed.

I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrating was excellent and the storyline was enticing. The setting at the Villa seemed so real and the the flashbacks just kept you guessing. One of the best audiobooks I have listening to in a long time.Definitely a 10 out of 10.

I was so looking forward to this book. I even pre-ordered it before knowing I would get an ARC from @stmartinspress. This was my first ARC and I can’t begin to explain my excitement to have been chosen. Thanks @NetGalley and @stmartinspress again for the ARC.

Title: The Villa
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Suspense, Mystery
Rating: 3 Stars 
Vibe: Slow Burn Suspense
Review:  

The Villa is a story about 2 lifelong friends, Emily and Chess. They have drifted apart over the years and decided to get back together when Chess rents an Italian Villa. Emily has been through some domestic issues and this would be the perfect opportunity for her to work on her novel.

They discover that the Villa was the place of a previous murder in the 1970’s. The plot goes back and forth in the people that rented the villa in the 70’s and Emily and Chess in present day.

I really enjoyed Emily and Chess’ story line and couldn’t wait for the timeline to get back to them. I was less thrilled with the 1970’s characters. I gave this book 3 stars because it was well-written and is a great fiction story. However, it was NOT a thriller or that suspenseful in my opinion. It lacked twists and build up. I was expecting it to be like #RecklessGirls, one of my favorite books.

This book would be great for anyone that enjoys a slow-burn, slightly mysterious fiction friendship storyline.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins releases January 3, 2023!
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#booksofinstagram #book #booklover #booknerd #readersofinstagram #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #read #readmorebooks #bookish #bookaddict #bookclub#bookworm #bookaholic #RachelHawkins #TheVilla

While I have read and really enjoyed books by Hawkins in the past, this one dragged and I found both of the main characters super irritating. It’s hard to get invested in characters like that. I’ll try Hawkins again for sure but this one was disappointing.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this title by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Absolutely loved the flow and execution of this book, had just enough mystery, human interest and splendor to make for a most engaging read.