I wish I could give this book so many stars! I had already read it but I wanted to see how the audio compared to my own inner dialogue.

Hooked from the very beginning. Something about the back and forth between decades and storylines had me fully invested.

While Emily and Chess’ story felt like your modern day bff adventure thriller, Mari’s side was utterly fascinating to me. Mari’s decade gave me Manson Family gothic esque vibes and I couldn’t get enough of it. I only wish there was more to it. I could have read about their group for many more chapters.

A littttttle predictable towards the end on the Emily/ Chess side, but I was completely blown away by Mari’s. Not sure if this is considered a spoiler, but the novel Lilith Rising was a huge part of the story (imo) and I would give anything to read a full length version of the book! Please make it happen.

I received an ARC audiobook from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for review!

Childhood friends, Emily and Chess, go on a summer trip to The Villa Aestas in Italy. In 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato where summer getaway of artists turn into the brutal murder of an up and coming musician Pierce Shelden. Emily digs into the complicated history of the villa as she believes that there may be more to the story.

I loved the setting that this book took place in. I could imagine the beauty of the villa. I did get a bit confused with the multiple POVs along with the dual timelines but I was reading in the form of an audiobook. Although that didn’t keep me away from the story. I was still hooked to see where the story of both timelines go and how it all ties together in the end.

I look forward to reading more of Rachel Hawkin’s work in the future.

Rachel Hawkins knows how to write a good mystery! I loved the way The Villa switched between narratives and how Emily's story complements Mari's. Aside from the mystery, this book does a great job of delving into the complex relationships and creating interesting and complete characters. The mystery itself was captivating and well-written. Overall, The Villa was a great read!

This is my first Rachel Hawkins book and I have to be honest I was left a little underwhelmed. The Villa is a multi-faceted story, drawing from two different timelines and different modalities of media to create a historical mystery/thriller. Life long “best” friends, Emily and Chess, are both writers. Chess is a multi-millionaire with her self-help books, while Emily found modest success writing a cozy mystery series. Emily is currently facing an unknown illness, divorce, and a serious case of writer’s block when Chess invites her to Orvieto, Italy for 6 weeks to reset and write at the Villa Aestas. Emily discovers that the villa, formerly known as Villa Rosato, was the scene of a gruesome murder in the 70’s from a typical sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll scandal. From this scandal, two famous works were produced by the women involved; a feminist horror novel, Lilith Rising, and a music album, Aestas. Emily finds a copy of Lilith Rising on the bookshelves of the Villa and becomes obsessed with reading it and researching the murder. She slowly starts connecting things that were described in the book with actual places in the house and in the town of Orvieto. She puts aside thoughts of writing another cozy mystery and fully focuses on unraveling the true story of the famous murder that night. While Emily falls into this new obsession, Chess has a secret motivation of her own for inviting Emily to Italy that summer. The story unfolds with the current timeline of Chess and Emily, supported by the 70s timeline being told from a third person perspective and occasional news articles and podcasts that give background. While the premise was promising (I mean doesn’t all this sound exciting?) the execution was lacking. To start, the characters (from both timelines) were incredibly annoying to the point of exhaustion listening to them whine about all their problems. All the female characters talk about “feminism” and “empowerment” but the author wrote them as insecure and meek. The story itself dragged for the first half, slowly picked up steam, and then fell completely flat at the end. I mean, I want to talk about the ending… but I won’t. However, kudos to Audio Macmillan for getting an absolutely stellar narrator for the audio book. Thank you to NetGalley and Audio Macmillan for the ARC.

After previously LOVING The Wife Upstairs and feeling very "meh" about her most recent release of Reckless Girls, I was excited to see where this book would land in my overall author ranking. I am happy to report that while it wasn't as high as a 4.5 stars as TWU, I definitely enjoyed it overall and gave it a solid 4-star rating, landing right in the middle of her three mystery thrillers so far.

The Villa was mainly set in an extremely scenic Italian villa and alternated timelines and POVS, which kept me hooked throughout and kept the overall story moving quickly. It was extremely atmospheric and I enjoyed the all too familiar relationship dynamics that were woven into both timelines. Some of the characters I really wanted to punch in the face sometimes but overall I still really enjoyed this one. If you enjoyed previous books by this author, I definitely recommend picking this one up when it publishes in January!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my review copy!

Where to begin with this book. I really enjoy this author and the audiobooks had excellent narrators. This book personally, was a no for me. It was too many characters and I enjoyed none of them. The Chess and Emily relationship was the most interesting. I did not enjoy Mari and Lara storyline at all. I felt the book had potential but it just fell short and I thought boring.

Childhood friends Emily and Chess were a besties, but as with adulthood, lives changes and people have other obligations. Chess is doing well and offers her friend Emily a trip of a lifetime, to stay in a Villa in Italy to reconnect.

1974-The Villa has an interesting history and there have been a murder involving sex, drugs and rock and roll and one eventful summer.

Emily becomes intrigued with the Villas past and the people involved in that summer have written a novel and an album. Emily finds clues in what is left behind and this causes more tension in her relationship with Chess. What secrets will they find out? Will someone else be murdered? Is the Villa to blame?

I simply adored The Wife Upstairs so I was looking forward to this latest novel. It started off strong but then just kind of fell flat for me. I didn’t really like the story within a story. I read both the e-copy of the book and listened to the audio. Three stars is my rating

Pros: The cover of this book and the title caught my attention—a book set at an Italian villa (with a bit of murder mixed in) sounded like lots of fun! I’ve also enjoyed some of the author’s other books.

I read this book both on kindle and audiobook, and I liked both formats. I preferred the audiobook because Julia Whelan is one of my very favorite audiobook narrators. When I see her name on a book, that in itself is a reason for me to read it. If she’s reading it, I assume it’s a new “it” book that a lot of people will be reading and talking about. (I liked the other narrators as well!)

Cons: This book was fine. It did not stand out as anything new or exciting. Like so many other books in this genre, it’s told in two timelines and the main character is a writer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this book.

I’ve shared a review on Goodreads and Storygraph.

This is a unique and enjoyable listen with dual time periods. The narrator does an excellent job of conveying drama and suspense and is easy to listen to. I loved the Italian villa setting and the murder mystery which was interwoven with a present day examination of a friendship gone awry. Hawkins deliberately reveals secrets throughout, adding intrigue and suspense.

I'm a big fan of Rachel Hawkins books. And once again she did not disappoint. This is a dual time line story going back and forth between the 1970's when a murder took place and current times. It's mainly told from the point of view of Mari in the 1970's and Emily in current times. It is a bit slow paced and I didn't feel like it picked up until about halfway through the book. But it did hold my interest. Also, given the title of the book, I thought the Villa itself would be the main focus of the book. I was expecting more of a creepy haunted house vibe. But the Villa itself didn't really have much role in the book. It was just the location where the lives of the characters intersect. Overall this is a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this novel in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars

CW: pregnancy loss, suicide, murder, infidelity, miscarriage

FORMAT: 🎧

THE GOOD: I've now read three of Hawkins's books and this is the one I enjoyed the most, but it's because of the friendship between Emily and Chess. I was most interested in their storyline and not Mari's from the 70s. Overall it was enjoyable and if you're into gothic fiction you're probably going to want to pick this up when it releases.

THE BAD: This was a slow-burn and I didn't like the endings for either timeline. There were two storylines and I found them hard to keep track of, especially the one from the 70s. Honestly this could be because I'm still not feeling well though and I also think it would have been easier to follow along if I had physically read this, so I can't fault the book for that.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audiobook!

The Villa was a really fun audio experience - I loved the full cast and fast-paced, easy listening. I also really enjoy stories that center around authors, past murders, and vacation homes, so this had a lot of winning elements for me. In general, I’ve found that Rachel Hawkins thrillers are good for when I need something entertaining and easy to listen to, where I don’t have to think hard about what’s happening. They’re predictable and perfect for my brain on hard weeks. Definitely recommend saving this one for an overwhelming week when you just need to escape a bit!

Present Day: Once inseparable friends, Emily and Chess have slowly drifted apart. Trying to revive their friendship to what it previously was, Chess invites Emily to stay the summer at the Villa Aestas. Having recently recovered from a mysterious illness, and currently going through a difficult divorce, Emily finds the Villa full of provocation, especially considering its history. As Emily dives deeper into the infamous history, she begins to question why Chess has brought them here.

1974: Villa Aestas, originally called Villa Rosato, hosts notorious rock icon Noel Gordon. Noel has invited fellow musician Pierce Sheldon to collaborate on new material. Accompanying Pierce is his girlfriend Mari and her stepsister Lara. What happens that summer is only known by those who were there but sets off a chain of events that lives in infamy yet also allowed Mari to write one of the most highly regarded horror novels of all time, and Lara to compose one of the most haunting records ever released.

This book intrigued me so much that when I went to pick out my next read I knew that this had to be it. The intersections of past and present are woven together so well and are driven one, by wondering what will happen between Emily and Chess in the present, and two, by seeing the events leading up to the night everything went past the point of no return for Mari.

Told in alternating "voices" between Emily and Mari, I was probably more intrigued with the past events, but I liked how the present really enhanced and informed what happened in the past.

Ultimately, I loved the idea of getting to tell your own story. Mari (being the main character in the past sequences, but Lara also fits the bill) is still a teenager when she runs away with Pierce. Being cut off by her family, and without Pierce's musical career having taken off just yet, means they're living hand to mouth. At a young age, Mari is put through a lot of tough times, and then she's only viewed as an extension of Pierce. She's trying to carve out her own agency, but this gets overshadowed by Pierce. However, the summer of 1974, coupled with other more recent tragedies, proves to be the turning point. She finds a voice within her writing even

Similarly, Emily has lost her voice. Her ex-husband is trying to take everything she's built for herself in the divorce. She's lost the desire to keep writing the series she's known for, and she's lost the ideas. It doesn't help that she's confronted with an extremely successful Chess during this time, but she weighs the idea of getting away from her current life and spending a summer in Italy over the jealousy she's feeling.

These two different women under the influence of the men in their lives are reclaiming things for themselves. Of course, one does inform the other as Emily is kind of chasing Mari's story in a spark of inspiration. In the background, although no less significant, are the women they find themselves competing against. By this, I mean Lara and Chess.

I loved that we get three narrators on this, that the distinction is made between Mari and Emily, past and present, and the articles and news about both. I love these characters getting their own voices which I personally thought was a big part of the narrative as a whole. I thought that each narrator did a great job in making their characters and their respective sections immersive. It's one of the best multi-narrator audiobooks that I've listened to recently.

It's interesting as I write this how much the past and the present compare and contrast. How certain situations arise in a similar way and seeing the differences or similarities between how things transpire.

I don't want to give anything else away as it's a great story to experience first-hand with little to no influence behind it. While I think that some of the revelations aren't too surprising, the building up and piecing together information kept me interested throughout.

Such a fun read! I loved this! The narrators was of course fantastic. I love Julia Whelan. I enjoyed the back and forth of the timeline back to the 70s. I think i preferred the present days story tho, even tho it was less drama. Sooo much craziness tho in the backstory. I liked the mystery of it all and wondering what happened back then and solving that puzzle with the MC and being surprised by it too in the end.

I wasn’t totally shocked by all the twists tho. Some i suspected. Some evil characters here. Maybe just a couple. But it was a fun popcorn thriller that was a quick read and i couldn’t put it down!

Emily and Chess were inseparable growing up, but their friendship has drifted and is strained. Emily jumps at the chance to have a girl's trip to Italy when Chess suggests one. Their location, Villa Aestas in Orvieto (once known as Villa Rosato) has a dark past. In 1974, rock star Noel Gordon, invited an up-and-coming rocker, Pierce Sheldon to join him at the Villa along with his girlfriend, Mari and her stepsister, Lara. The trip ended in murder.

Emily, a cozy mystery writer, who has been ill and dealing with her soon to be ex-husband's greedy demands, needs the time away. Chess is a famous author of self-help books. They both will use their time at the Villa to reconnect, write and get their creative juices flowing. Emily is inspired to learn more about the Villa, it's murderous past and history. While at the Villa, Emily, and Chess, are having issues/tension/strain in their relationship. Secrets are about to come out not only about the Villa but about the women's lives.

This book is told in two timelines. Mari went on to be the author of the feminist horror novel masterpiece, Lilith Rising. Mari was at the Villa that fateful summer when a murder took place. Emily is telling the present day. Both women have a connection in that they both spent time at the Villa, both are inspired by their time there, and both are dealing with issues with men in their lives.

I had both the book and the audiobook and enjoyed both but listened to the audiobook slightly more. I enjoyed both the past and the present storylines but at times enjoyed the past one more. I thought it was a nice touch having both Mari and Emily sharing details. I did enjoy the tension between Chess and Emily, former best friends who have a strained relationship as adults.

I also enjoyed the narrators of the audiobook. I felt they did a very good job at telling the story.

I thought this book was very nicely done and enjoyable. I look forward to reading more of Rachel Hawkins books in the future!

3.5 stars

An eerie mystery set at a vacation villa in Italy where an infamous murder happened decades before. There are some nice twists, I liked the framing device, & I loved the ending.

[What I liked:]

•Interspersed with the main narrative that takes place in the present day, we get excerpts from the diary of Mary (who was present when the 1973 murder happened), Mary’s novel, & news articles/podcasts about the murder. I actually really enjoyed this framing device, & the parallels between the past & present found in between all the layers add a lot to the suspense & mystery.

•There is a lot of depth to this story, & while it is mainly plot driven the character development is pretty good too. I especially enjoyed Mary, Lara, Johnny, Pierce, & Noel’s storyline.

•I really loved the ending, when Mary’s final twist is revealed!


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Why does Emily trust Chess once she finds out what Chess did? That was the weakest part of the story to me. She didn’t have a good reason to, & there were huge risks involved.

CW: infidelity, substance abuse, suicide, murder, terminal illness, death of a child, miscarriage

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

The Villa is a dual time line thriller, present day and 1974. In the present day, Emily and her Best Frenemy Forever, Chess, are both writers and head to an Italian Villa to write.
In 1974, a rock musician and his entourage are at the same villa.
I only connected with the modern story line which I found moderately interesting until the last 25% or so, and then I was pretty bored by both story lines.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy.

I have always enjoyed Rachel Hawkins books - so was very excited to be approved for her. next book coming out in Jan 2023! I really enjoyed the villa and the two connecting stories. it’s set in Orvieto, italy and follows two POV’s - one in 1974 and one in present day. A terrible murder happened at the house in 1974, which inspired a book and album, and Emily and Chess become fascinated by what happened and try to find out the truth, while also dealing with their own problems. This may be. my favorite of all her books so far! and. enjoyed the audio version that I read along with the written book
Thank you to Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ARC

Does a house remember? When Chess invites Emily on a summer retreat to a villa in Italy, she jumps at the chance to reset her life. Maybe this will be good for her after so much turmoil and will help her write that next novel? However, this isn’t just any house, it is a villa that is notorious for what happened there in the 70s. But what DID happen in the 70s and what is really happening now?

This is my favorite Hawkins book to date. The Villa is a suspenseful tale woven across two timeframes and multiple art mediums. Many are comparing this book to Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. I completely agree that this one is more mysterious than the author’s other books. Fans of true crime, pop culture, and podcasts will find lots of content that has a vague familiarity and it makes the story even more intriguing. The way Hawkins pulled the threads of the events together was wildly entertaining. Put this one on your list for beach or poolside reading.

I listened to The Villa on audio and it was very well done. Special nod to the podcast sections. That performance was right on the nose and perfectly fit the writing.