I went into The Villa expecting a thriller, but was moderately disappointed by the lack of thrill. It really seemed to be more of a drama with a bit of mystery. That said, I enjoyed the book and it was a quick read.

Pros:
- Dual timelines
- Descriptive depiction of the setting (Italy!)

Overall, while The Villa wasn't my favorite book of all time, I would be willing to give another of Rachel Hawkins books a try.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to ARC read The Villa by Rachel Hawkins!

I really enjoyed the different timelines in this book, and the atmosphere of the villa itself. I am interested in reading some of the author’s other books, but this one was a bit ‘middle of the road’ for me. It is quite slow in the beginning, but the strained relationships between our characters and some of their interactions literally had me rolling my eyes in annoyance, and I’m not fond of that it books I want to read.

I loved the intertwining of the past and present in this beautiful book. However, the dysfunctional relationship between the two best friends really bothered me and had me rolling my eyes throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. This book takes place with 2 timelines - One in 1974 and one present day, set in the Villa Aestas in Orvieto, Italy. 1974 - Noel, a famous musician, invites Pierre, his girlfriend Mari and her stepsister Lara to this beautiful Villa so Noel and Pierre could write music but tragedy strikes. Years later Emily and her best friend Chess run to the Villa to each write their new books. When they happen upon the story of the house. Emily has a great idea to write a book about it. Will the story finally reveal itself? This story kept my attention!!! #TheVilla #RachelHawkins #Jan2023

WOW! Rachel Hawkins did quite a job writing a story that has a story within a story. I will definitely be looking for other books by her.

The characterization is extremely well done. I felt drawn into the world Rachel created and the lives of the people that resided there. Through actions and words the characters were brought to life in a way that showed their weaknesses and strengths. There were times I really wanted to give them advice because their decisions weren't often good. It takes a very talented author to help the reader feel these are real people!

On top of that, the parallels that ran between the two stories added an additional, intense layer to the book.

There aren't a lot of five stars on the market, but this one definitely makes the grade.

(ARC READ FOR NETGALLEY) I love all of Rachel Hawkins other reads! They’re quick and good thrillers! This one is the same, just a little slower to start and a little harder to follow.

2 best friends end up at a Villa in Italy where a murder happened back in the 1970s! Em, recently divorced and healing, starts to dive into the murder mystery of the house and finds out what she believes is the truth! This leads her to write a nonfiction thriller! All the while, the 1970s murder is happening behind the scenes, allowing the stories to run congruent. Both lovers die at the end, whether you know the truth or not about how it really happened!

Rachel Hawkins leaves you seconding guessing what actually happened to Mari’s lover and how Em and Chess are forever stuck together.

I was a little disappointed in this book. I love Rachel Hawkins books and was so excited to get this one. I really enjoyed Reckless Girls and had high hopes for this. I feel like vacations to europe have been done so much lately. I was ready for a unique plot.

I requested this book without even reading what it was about - I will want to read any book written by Rachel Hawkins! I love how this books starts out, two bffs going away on a writing retreat….until one day it’s not so much of a retreat. I also love how the story goes back in time to the 70’s.

This is the first book I have read by Rachel Hawkins and I definitely need to read more of her books I really enjoyed reading it and couldn't put it down.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins (January 3, 2023)

Self-help author Chess Chandler and mystery writer Emily Sheridan have been best friends since childhood. After Emily’s divorce, Chess and Emily rent a majestic villa in Italy and plan to spend the summer writing together. When Emily finds out that the murder of a famous musician happened at the villa, she begins to look for clues about the crime in contemporary literature and music lyrics and in the walls of the house itself.

Hawkins’ The Villa has a clever plot with twists and a good ending. It is atmospheric, has well-developed characters and is a murder mystery that is not gruesome or scary. I enjoyed this book; Hawkins does a great job of keeping the reader guessing until the very end. I would recommend The Villa to readers who enjoyed The Woman in the Window, Daisy Jones and the Six, and Eat, Pray, Love (if only for juxtaposition purposes!).

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance reader copy for purpose of unbiased review.

You know, I think this is my favorite Rachel Hawkins book yet. Her first novel pulled me in, but the followup left me a little...lacking. However, The Villa has dragged me right back in. I can't wait to see what happens when this hits shelves!

All I can say is that Rachel Hawkins has done it again! I don't know what to say without spoiling the book. It's amazing and an ode to female empowerment. It's thrilling and exciting.

This is my favorite Rachel Hawkin's book so far! It had me hooked from the first page. Then I proceeded to fly through the rest of the book. The alternating timelines were each intriguing with their own unique characters. It was very atmospheric and had a Gothic feel to it. The ending left me thinking about it. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!
Expecting publication is January 3, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy.

CONTENT WARNING: mention of death of a child, grief, murder, mention of suicide, mention of drugs, violence, blood

I’ve become a fan of Rachel Hawkins without even realizing. I’ve read a few of her books and absolutely loved them, and this one looked too good to pass up. So while it isn’t out until January 2023, I figured I’d get a jump on my NetGalley reading while I can.

This book hooked me immediately, and I couldn’t put it down. I flew through this in less than three hours, and literally sat with my nose glued to my Kindle, ignoring everything and everyone around me (including things that needed to get done) so I could see how this ended.

The story is told in two mirrored plot lines, which works really well in this book. Hawkins pulls this off beautifully, and it’s never confusing.

In the present day, we have Emily and Chess, two frenemies—Chess is a fantastically successful self-help author, while Emily is currently at a low in her life. Emily writes a cozy mystery series, but she’s stalled and behind deadline on book 10, she’s going through an ugly divorce after her husband cheated on her, and she’s only just starting to feel better from a mysterious illness that no one had been able to diagnose. So when her oldest friend Chess suggests that they go away for a few weeks to a villa in Italy, Emily decides it might be a good idea. Turns out, the villa is a murder house.

The other timeline is set in 1974, at the same villa, when rock star Noel Gordon invites a rising star of a musician, Pierce Sheldon, his girlfriend Mari, and her stepsister Lana to join him for the summer. Also at the villa is his “entertainment manager” aka drug dealer, Johnnie. But nothing goes as planned when you toss sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll into the mix. By the end of the summer, Pierce is dead, Mari has written a bestselling horror novel, and Lana tops the charts with an album of her own.

The narrative shifts between the two stories, and we’re also treated to snippets of Mari’s novel, which provides clues to what actually happened, as Emily sees it. As the two women in the present day start to dig a little deeper into the history of the villa, they also dig up some secrets from their own, more recent past. And they don’t necessarily like what they see.

I love a good fast-paced story, and there were some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. There was one or two that I saw coming a mile away, but more importantly, I liked watching the characters evolve throughout the story. Initially, Mari’s story was the more intriguing one, while I didn’t really connect as strongly with Emily. But towards the middle and end of the story, I started finding Emily just as interesting, and looked forward to both aspects of the story, and couldn’t wait to hear all sides of what was happening. All of the characters have no shortage of flaws, but it made them feel more realistic, and while they weren’t necessarily likable, they were relatable.

Overall, this book was easily a one-sitting read, the kind that gets its claws in a reader and doesn’t let go until the shocking end. It’s the kind that keeps me wondering after I’ve finished, and keeps my mind twisted, thinking about what motivates people and what goes on in other people’s minds.This is one that I thoroughly enjoyed and will be recommending highly.

Just finished The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. Don't start this book unless you have cleared your schedule for several hours! You won't want to put it down. Set in idyllic Italy and filled with richly developed characters, this is a gripping novel of love, loss and deceit. Two stories, past and present, intertwine to make a deliciously haunting tale. Told in a fascinating style, this book was thoroughly engaging and entertaining. Well-placed twists and turns kept me guessing. Five stars for this mystery thriller!

4.5/5

This was such an addictive and fun popcorn thriller! I know it’s early for me to be reviewing it but it was entertaining enough that I figured getting it on your radar early would be a good thing. One of the things I’ve come to enjoy the most about this authors books is the way she creates unsettling settings for her books and this was no exception. It flips back and forth between present day when Emily and Chess are vacationing in Italy and then back to the 1970s when Mari spends a summer at the same villa as Emily. I was very drawn to the past timeline because you already know the summer comes to a violent and deadly end but the lead up to the tragedy was so fascinating. The author did a really great job with these two timelines showcasing such similar and parallel experiences but it was still easy to keep things separate in my head. I think I expected a slightly more explosive ending after such a strong lead up but I appreciate what the author was doing and why she made the choices she did. Overall a solid read with a unique edge and very cool throwback vibes.

<i>I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley.</i>

So, I love Rachel Hawkins thrillers. I think now that I'm three books in, I can say that definitively. While there were points where it felt like a slow burn and the murder is on a much smaller scale than other books in the genre, I found the intimacy of both time periods gripping. The Villa has a decadent feeling to it, but the way its characters are written keeps it grounded. We're in a million dollar mansion, but we're eating pizza on the couch and watching true crime documentaries together. Anyone who comes in expecting a retelling of Charles Manson will be disappointed, but if you want a clever thriller with multiple nods to gothic horror and classics like Frankenstein with a modern true crime twist, there's nothing better than this book.

It's exactly what I was looking for and I devoured it in about a day.

I'm not sure what category I would put The Villa into. It's labeled as suspense, and to some degree that's true, as Emma uncovers what happened that led to the death of someone staying in the same villa in 1974, and to some degree feels distrustful of her best friend Chess, whom she is staying with at the villa. But it doesn't really feel fully like a mystery or a suspense, despite me wanting to find out what really happened. It feels more like a tragedy about to happen in both story lines. The reader knows this about the early storyline because of Emma's pursuit of it, but you can just feel the intensity ratcheting up between her and Chess. Also part of the storyline is Emma's husband Matt, whom she is separated from after they have a difference of opinion on having a baby. That situation is already acrimonious as he's demanding royalties from the cozy mystery series that Emma writes. The story is interesting and reads quickly, and I enjoyed it. But I can't say that I loved it. It never really felt like Mari or Emma was ever really in danger, and it was more about the relationships of the people staying at the villa. I can't say that any of differences anyone had felt like it justified murder, although the last chapter from Mari at the end creates a thought-provoking conclusion on how the story between Emma and Chess ends. Basically, the book was just not enough of a certain genre to elevate it to an exceptional book for me. A complimentary copy of the book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Emily and Chess are childhood best friends who have grown apart but decide to take a trip to Italy to rekindle their friendship. The Villa they rent for the summer has a complicated history, which Emily is drawn to investigating. Jumping from the present to the year 1974, famous rock and roller Noel visits the very same villa with his friends and fellow musician Pierce in hopes to reignite his creative spark to write new music but the infamous trip ends with the murder of one of its occupants. Emily is determined to uncover the villa's sinister past, but the longer they stay there, the more Emily's relationship with Chess is affected. Is it the house and will Chess and Emily's vacation have the same result as Noel's years prior?

This book is what you would get if Daisy Jones & The Six were a mystery/thriller. It was a very slow burn and because of this I had a hard time getting into it until it picked up towards the end as the mystery unfolded. I did enjoy the alternating timelines, but wish we spent more time with Emily and Chess in the present. The ending was solid, but 3 stars due to my overall lack of interest in characters and past storyline.

I enjoyed most of this book and the two storylines. However, I felt the ending lacked something and felt rushed. I usually enjoy Rachel's books as well.