The Villa is an interesting book with a not so mysterious mystery. I admit, I expected a story revolving around a haunted Villa in Italy with a tragic and horrific past. Well part of that is what I got but this is not a traditional haunted house story.
I enjoyed it, the parts from the 70s more than the current relationship between the 2 life-long friends. My only complaint, and that is more personal than any fault of Ms. Hawkins, is that the story started slowly and continued at that slow, onion peeling pace. I would have prefered more to happen in the time it took to read this.
But none the less, I do recommend this.

This one was a DNF for me. I will not be posting a review of it but thank you for sending I think people would like this one it just wasn't for me. Thank you again for the copy.

I enjoyed The Villa by Rachel Hawkins! This is my favorite of hers to date! With jaw-dropping twists, this novel threw curveballs left and right for the entire book! The story takes place during two different timelines – one is present day and the other is 1974, but both stories occur in the same Italian villa.

Emily and Chess are longtime friends and both of these women are authors in the present day timeline. Chess makes plans for the two to spend the "best part of the summer" in the Villa Aestas near Ovierto in Italy.

“Houses remember” is the current theme in this story and the individuals’ actions involving a past murder are brought forward to present day, so very gothic, and I loved it!

Another theme throughout the story is the line used by Pierce in the 1970s timeline, “she’s inevitable.” I loved this because the story’s ending will take you by surprise, but the actions of the women involved seem to be, truly, inevitable…”seem” being the operative word here.

I absolutely loved how Rachel Hawkins put this story together and I love that it centers around writers and writing. 4 solid stars out of 5!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for advance access to the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a great fast read! I started this book not really sure what to expect. It jumps back to the 70s and follows the story of 5 people staying in a Villa in Italy when one of them was murdered. It also included current day when Emily and her best friend Chess stay in the same Villa. Emily is a divorcing writer who is suffering from writers block until she starts to dig into the mystery of the Villa and soon realizes she is in her own mystery.

Really enjoyed this audiobook! The narrator does a great job and the story was easy to follow. Two friends visit an Italian Villa to work on their novels. The house has a history of its own and secrets to be discovered. But the house isn’t the only one with secrets. Big fan of Rachel Hawkins and love her twists. The Villa is sure to please!

This page-turner introduces us to Emily & Chess, childhood best friends who have had life get in the way and are excited to reconnect during a summer spent together in Italy. They are staying at Villa Aestas, a gorgeous rental but also the scene of a gruesome murder in 1974. Hawkins hops between Emily & Chess's stay and the stay of the 70's rockers, their muses, and their friend. Full of unexpected twists, this one will keep you guessing until the end!

This was an interesting thriller and I have some mixed feelings on it! We follow Chess and Emily who have been best friends for years. Chess invites Emily on a girls trip to a beautiful villa in Italy. This villa happens to be famous because it was the scene of a murder in 1974. Emily and Chess start to uncover the villas secrets as well as some of their own.
I did enjoy the present timeline of Chess and Emily, although Chess was very unlikeable. The 1974 timeline was interesting but with the past and present timelines there were a lot of characters to keep straight. The pacing also just seemed off to me? I was bored at the beginning and then when the drama started getting good I just wasn’t as invested.
I think you’d enjoy this book if you like duel timeline mysteries. Thank you to Macmillan audio for my advanced listening copy!

The Villa was a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. As it switches back and forth between a past event and present day, you wonder where are the ties between these two groups of people, asides from the obvious: The Villa. With an eerie feel that 'houses remember,' this story sweeps you into the Italian scenery with the feel of when is the next ball going to drop?

The tension Emily seems to have with everyone is a constant presence that she has to deal with. Between her navigation of a separation, writers block and conflicting feelings of her best friend, things just heighten to the point where you're waiting for the volcano to explode!

Thank you to @NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first Rachel Hawkins' book. I liked the dual timelines of the present day and 1970s. Ms. Hawkins did a great job weaving the 1970s murder to the present day. Throughout the book I had several theories going and none of them were right. She kept me guessing. I feel the Villa was a character itself. “Houses remember." Love how she wove this line into the story. I loved the narrator of this audio book. If you are looking for an intriguing mystery/thriller, give this one a try.

A trip to Italy with your bestie! What could go wrong? Oh you know, just the fact that the Italian villa is known as a murder house!

Emily & Chess have been best friends for 20 years, even through life’s ups and downs. Emily writes cute, cozy mysteries, but has been in a writing slump since dealing with separation and divorce from her husband Matt. Chess writes best-selling self-help books and has been on Oprah several times. Their storyline is told from Emily’s POV.

The alternating storyline is from Mari’s POV, who comes to stay at the villa in 1974 with her lover Pierce, step sister Lara, and rockstar Noel Gordon. This storyline is a bit confusing and has extra characters as well as fictional podcasts and news articles pieced together, all talking about the murder house.

I liked the past and present stories, but felt more attached to emily and Chess. The characters in the past storyline were a bit flat and unlikable. I definitely got the “sex, drugs and rock & roll” vibes, but I think I was expecting more horror. I was expecting Pierce’s murder to be built up more, but I did like the little twist in the end. Emily & Chess have a revelation in the end of the book, and those two are bound together for life, whether they like it or not.

Overall, I liked the premise of this book and the setting sounded phenomenal. I think I had too many expectations with the murder/horror aspect of the book, and I wasn’t surprised by some of the twists in the book. The flip-flopping storylines kept me engaged and wanting to read more & I enjoyed Emily’s POV.

Side note-I LOVE Julia whelan and I was so excited to listen to hear narrate this book!!

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for this ARC!!

Thank you to Rachel Hawkins, McMillian Audio and Netgalley for the ALC copy of The Villa.

3.5 stars rounded up - I enjoyed this book! It was a quick read, that jumps from past to present, and is told from two perspectives- Emily in the present and Mari in the past. This is one of those books where I found myself more invested in one perspective. I liked Emily’s more, as I found Mari’s perspective a bit confusing, especially at first.

This was overall an engaging read. I liked the setting, and the idea of two sets of friends living in a murder house. However, I did find the end disappointing. Without spoiling, the main ending for Emily and Chess was extremely disappointing. I didn’t like the “friends” over anything theme, and I think more was needed to fully flesh out what they did.

For fans of Rachel Hawkins, I think readers will enjoy this one, but if you are just starting out with Hawkin’s books, I liked Reckless Girls the best.

The Villa will release in early January 2023, so make sure you keep an eye out for it then!

I don’t read a ton of thrillers, but once in a while I grab one on audio in the hopes that it will be the perfect kind of story to capture my attention, and The Villa was perfect for that! Plus it’s narrated by Julia Whelan, so I knew it would be good.

This book takes place at the same Italian villa in two timelines - on a best friends writing trip in present day, and with a group of artists and musicians in the 70s when a terrible murder occurred.
The Italian setting was lovely (I pictured the house from Under the Tuscan Sun), and I found myself pretty equally invested in the different timelines and layers of this story. It was really easy to differentiate because one timeline is told in an American accent, and the other is British, which helped keep things straight! There’s also a book within a book element that I loved, plus some news articles, emails, and podcast episodes, that really added to the audiobook experience. Ultimately, I found the details of the 1970s murder a little less than satisfying, but the author leaves a few pieces unsaid at the end for the reader to put together, and I like how that made me keep thinking about the book after I’d finished. I don’t think this book is particularly groundbreaking, but I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining listen that will hold your attention!

I loved this book! It checked so many boxes for me- friendship, love, true crime, mystery, literature. Rachel's words truly took me to the villa in my mind. The style of two timelines is one of my favorites to see, and this one is a can't miss.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

The Cast:
Emily: cozy mystery writer going through a rough divorce
Chess: friend to Emily, social media star, writer of self-help books.

Mari: aspiring writer
Lara: aspiring musician
Pierce: Mari's boyfriend, musician
Noel: Famous musician

Emily and Chess embark on a vacation to Italy. Upon arrival Emily discovers that there has been a murder in this Villa in the 70's. She becomes very interested in the murder and the people involved.

Told in alternating timelines of now and back in the 70's

I loved the 70's feel to Mari's story and the mystery surrounding it.
I did not like the back stabbing vibe of some of the friendships, but they also helped make the story.

Overall, a good read.

I read the print book and listened to the audio book. The narrators were fantastic and helped to keep the characters and timelines separate. I got more out of the audio book version than the print version.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc.

I’ve been a Rachel Hawkins fan for a while, and “The Villa” does not disappoint! Full of the drama and thrill we can expect from Hawkins, this is a must read for all domestic suspense fans.

Thrillers are not the first genre I gravitate towards but I am fan of Rachel Hawkins/Erin Sterling so I jumped at the chance to check The Villa out early!

I listened to the audiobook while at work and the amount of times I audibly gasped and drew attention to myself is laughable. I was more enthralled with Mari's side of the story and it did take me a little time to get used to the back and forth but by the end I can't imagine the book being done any other way.

I did feel some of the new/magazine articles, PodCast and email exchanges were a bit disruptive while listening but would probably have been less so if reading the actual book.

The ending gives off Verity vibes which leaves you a bit "WTF just happened?"

I thought I had it all figured out but I didn't.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m so mad I didn’t read this poolside in Italy. Brilliantly paced and swiftly executed, THE VILLA grabbed me by the heart and didn’t let go! I was literally gasping with every twist!

Long time friends Emily and Chess have rented an Italian Villa in order to re connect as well as get some writing done as well. They are both successful writers, Chess being world renowned and even having been on Oprah, and Emily having written a successful 9 book series but is stuck on the 10th as she goes through a painful divorce.
There are also chapters told from the POV of the characters who lived in the Villa in 1974- young, star crossed lovers who were looking for musical inspiration, only things ended up taking a dark turn.
As Emily and Chess spend their summer trying to work on their projects and their relationships, they find that history often repeats itself.
I wanted to like this more than I did. It wasn’t terrible or anything, it just wasn’t anything super memorable. And the brief addition of podcasters that were never mentioned again was kinda weird.
The narrator did do a good job with differentiating the characters and keeping me engaged in the story.
Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review

This was an interesting story. I liked going back into time when the murder took place to present time for while the friends are at the Villa. I will say though that I really didn't care for either Jessica or Emily. Neither of them were real likeable characters and their relationship is so messed up. I did think it had an interesting plot though and kept my attention the whole time. I liked that narrator for this story too. Overall I enjoyed it.

Who doesn't love Rachel Hawkins?

I know for sure, I do.

Rachel Hawkins puts out some of the most gripping thrillers I have ever read and always leaves me fully satisfied and begging for future books! I can tell you that I loved this one so much, not only did I read it, but I also listened to it on audio and it was absolutely exceptional.

What I really appreciated was that the audio was told with three different narrators. Sometimes when an audiobook is done with one narrator doing multiple POVs and they just try to disguise their voice, it sounds a bit "corny" and it could be hard to follow because you really don't know which one is speaking. The way The Villa was narrated left zero room for error.

The plot was impeccable and left me completely engrossed in what was transpiring. The characters were multi-dimensional and really came to life and the twist was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!

I will be shouting from the rooftops that everyone, and I mean everyone, needs to go out and purchase this book. The Villa is not one to miss!!!