With Emily’s life in freefall, she impulsively jumps at the chance to join her bff, Chess, at a beautiful villa in Italy, though they’ve grown apart in recent years due to Chess’ success as a self-help guru and Emily’s recent illness. However, it turns out this isn’t an ordinary villa. It was once the site of the “Rosato Massacre,” when some musicians were staying at the house in the summer of 1974, a one of them was murdered, but two of the women on the trip ended up producing masterpieces in their fields - a horror novel and a musical album that changed the world. As Emily and Chess’ stay goes on, Emily begins to feel there are secrets in the walls of the house, and that she’s beginning to unlock them. But can she trust Chess with them, and with her life?

The story is told from two timelines: the present day with Chess and Emily; and in 1974 from Mari’s (the novelists).

Having greatly enjoyed Reckless Girls, I jumped at the chance at the chance to read another from Rachel Harding, who really ha a great way with creating complicated characters and great, deep storylines that just draw you in. This one is no different. Both timelines were really great, with the characters in both being very intriguing and very different from each other. But somehow these two very different stories came together and created one really amazing thriller that I was super into until the very end.

Bother Emily and Chess were flawed and there were things that I liked and didn’t like about both. In that way it was hard to understand who to root for as the book went on, which made things interesting. Both were really tied up in their own worlds, and they were trying to outthink the other. But I can’t say too much more.

This book was well worth the read for anyone looking for a good thriller with plenty of atmosphere - I mean who can beat a villa in the Italian countryside?! Add in murder, mayhem, sex, and rock n’roll, and you’re set!

I wanted to like this one more than I did. It was a slow-building story, but without the payoff I was expecting. On paper, the elements seem strong: a bunch of famous people in a glamorous setting. But nothing was fully fleshed out to make it all come alive. A disappointment for me this time, I’m afraid. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the how this book made me feel like I was in Italy--having not been able to travel over the past three years, it satisfied my need for armchair travel, as well as the need for a thrilling mystery. I read it in just a few days, and was so pleased to receive it after loving "Reckless Girls." I like when books focus on female relationships, and this was well done in that sense. I will definitely be purchasing this, and placing it on display as the gorgeous cover is sure to catch reader's attention.

What a book!!! A book where a writer is inspired by a gruesome event in a place that where another writer was part of said gruesome event while reading bloody tragedy written with The Villa as its backdrop! One may think this is likely to make for a convoluted and confusing story, but Rachel Hawkins manages it like no other. Each character unique, with his/her own voice.

Victoria, Mari and now Emily have all experienced their evolution in The Villa - a villa that has become the backdrop of many a tragedy, and even more secrets. But while secrets are incendiary and can burn down existing relationships, they also have the power of tying people together, bound by secrets unrevealed. What will happen when Em and her best friend Chess come to this same villa? What secrets will bind them together? This book kept me turning pages like my life depended on it. This is a MUST READ - another clever hit by Tachel Hawkins!

Thank you NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins, and St. Martins Press for this ARC of the Villa.

Intertwining stories, an idyllic setting, and a slow-burn thriller made this one impossible to put down for me. But, as I look back on it, I felt like this book had some pieces missing.

Chess — no redeeming qualities, got more than she deserved in the end.

Matt — maybe this makes me sick in the head, would’ve loved some details on how that all…resolved. I love some sweet, sweet justice.

Emily — more specifically, Emily’s sickness. This is a thriller! The whole “your husband’s presence is toxic?” snooze. “Your husband is poisoning you because he’s a manipulative narcissist?” Now we’re talking.

Lilith Rising & Mari’s journal — I love a clean, honest resolution, but this was one of those occurrences where if it had been left up to the reader to decide what to believe, it could’ve made a lasting impact on me.

Overall, glad I read it and will definitely continue to read more of Rachel Hawkins work in the future.

Oh my god.. I've been anticipating this read so thank you NetGalley & St.Martin Press for this ARC. This was definitely my favourite book from Rachel Hawkins.. This had two stories in one and the way I read this all in one sitting because I could not put it down! The Villa kept me on edge the entire time and I was sooooo invested in the characters. I can usually guess twists in thrillers but not for this one.. it was something I wouldn't have expected at all. I am really sad that I finished this one so quick but so happy that I got to experience this wonderful book! Thank you again!

This book is my new favorite Rachel Hawkins books for sure. Such a neat ride through this mystery. I love the cover art as well. You follow this down on her luck girls journey through finding family in friends and living off the streets, to marrying rich and then finding herself locked away in time deprivation. You're never sure who the suspect is and will continue guessing everyone. You root for this intelligent main character the entire way. She's a super loveable character who is smart and works hard, I was never annoyed with her. The cliff hanger ending killed me a bit but leaves you being able to create the ending you want. Overall such a well put together and well written book. I highly recommend it!

The format for this novel was quite interesting. The present storyline introduced two friends and in the past storyline we met two sisters. The house (Villa) was (IMO) the central character in this well written, fast paced thriller.
I think this book is the best Rachel Hawkins book that I have read thus far. I highly recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

This was the change of pace in a book that I’d been waiting for! We’re presented with two stories, from two different women, told decades apart yet they interweave for solve a mystery dispersed throughout the book. The characters came alive that I felt annoyance, anger, and the pain they suffered. I really enjoyed the twists and turns that came from both decades that then came together in the end where both shocking twists were revealed. This is definitely a “book club” worthy read!

I honestly should have DNFed this one 🫤🫣🥴

when I got to about 25-30% in this book and thought to myself “wow this seems like the family upstairs meets we were never here,” I should have stopped

for me, the story would have been stronger if it stayed in a single timeline, rather than a dual (I know, who am I!!!), especially since the present day timeline reiterated the past timeline once the MCs worked out a clue

I loved the parts of the present day timeline - the two former best friends were so clique-y I loved to hate it 🤭 as much as I flew through their chapters, I wanted more of their experience on the villa and less of what drew people there back in the day

I get what the story was trying to do, but the plot seemed to fall apart about halfway through and it just felt rushed 🫠 I really wanted to like this one because any remote location in italy is a win

thank you to st martins press and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! this one’s out in january!

rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: trentino moscatop

The book alternates between the present and the past. I found the first half of the book to be kind of dull and put it down a few times. I finally picked it up again and the second half was much better and felt more like a thriller. The “twist” in the present was obvious but I still really enjoyed the themes running in the book. The Italian setting was cool too.

"As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 3o's, the bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives..."
The Villa is a slow burn drama about a crime from the past that weaves its way into the present. Childhood besties, Emily and Chess spend their summer in an Italian Villa to foster their creativity. We soon find out the villa is the scene of a famous murder from the 1970's!! This murder involved a famous rock star beloved by all. The narrative alternates between the past and present.
The characters were flat, at first, I found Mari more likeable, but in the end, I didn't like either of the narrators. The twist were not very suspenseful but somewhat interesting. The friendship was contrived. This was not hit for me but may be a bit of fun for Rachel Hawkins fans! 2.5 stars for keeping me reading.

i liked this a lot more than the only other book i’ve read by this author, “the wife upstairs.” it had a lot more substance to it: an interesting cast of characters, interspersed quotes from (fictional) songs/books/articles, and better writing overall.
however, what this book did have in common with its predecessor is that the ending fell a bit flat. it was predictable and not really twisty or interesting. i didn’t really get the reason for the final reveal, either: seemed a little pointless?
i thought the combination of influences was cool, i wish there had been more connections to the aestas album, but i thought it was a neat idea.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital galley in exchange for my honest review.

If you crossed Daisy Jones and the Six with a thriller, it would be The Villa. Equal parts Fleetwood Mac and Mary Shelley the summer she wrote Frankenstein.

Friends betray friends in this story inside a story, relationships crumble, lines are crossed, and people die. The current timeline mimics the past timeline, so if you’re thinking ahead, you can guess how this one ends.

I didn’t find myself meshing so much with the voice of the narrator but the story swept me away so quickly that it didn’t really matter. I like how it is told in two timelines and the twists that mimic each other in every chapter.

Best friends who have grown apart over the years go on an Italian vacation slash writing retreat to a villa with an interesting past. It was the location of a grisly, convoluted, Manson-like murder.

Emily writes cozy mysteries and is going through an ugly divorce and Chess is a self-help guru who writes the same book again and again and makes millions. The story of the murder takes them both under it’s spell and tensions arise as they realize that they are both writing about it’s events.

Can the vacation end without history repeating itself?

An unforgettable read that will make you lust for a vacation to a haunted villa in the Italian country side.

Overall, the book was just okay. I wish the house had more to do with the story (more than just a setting) and the characters were more interesting. The two story lines were just not engaging and it took half the book to get to a point where it was actually interesting. The confrontation and resolution between Emily and Chess was frustrating and unrealistic and left me not really liking either of them. Would you really forgive your friend for sleeping with your husband that quickly, regardless of the circumstance?
The most interesting part of the book would have to be the twist at the end when you find out what truly happens in the villa in 1974. Finding out that Mari didn’t really kill Pierce washed away the only part of the book that really seemed thrilling…not sure why the author took that turn.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Emily and Chess have been friends since they were children, but 30 years later, adulthood and divergent paths have kept them apart. Chess is a successful published self help author and has a glamorous life. Emily is a successful author in her own right, but her personal life has fallen apart due to illness and her husband leaving her. So when Chess suggests a summer trip to Italy to spend time together, Emily jumps at the chance. During their time in Italy, Emily pursues the history of their villa reigniting her passion for writing. She also evaluates her friendship with Chess and must face truths about her failed marriage.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy.
Wow. Great book. A page turner to the very end.
The perfect winter storm day book. Must Read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third Rachel Hawkins story. I’d rate this one somewhere in between Reckless Girls and The Wife Upstairs, which still takes the cake as my favorite of Hawkins’ novels.

I really enjoyed the dual timelines in The Villa but especially found myself drawn to Mari’s story set in the 70s. I did start to become more invested in Emily’s timeline about 60% of the way through.

Overall I did find the ending slightly anticlimactic and not extremely satisfying. There were parts I predicted but I didn’t have everything figured out. I did enjoy this story and would recommend it to thriller lovers, although I feel it may be more accurately a mystery than a thriller.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: January 3, 2023

Two lifelong best friends who have recently drifted apart are suddenly reunited when a villa in Italy becomes available for the summer. When Chess invites Emily to join her, Emily thinks it is just what she needs to recover from her recent illness and marriage problems. But there is sordid history of the villa, a rock star was murdered years earlier, and Emily becomes consumed with what really happened that night. Will the history of this home bring these friends closer together? Or tear them apart? And if it’s true that houses remember, what will that mean for them?

PROS and CONS:
Excellent, excellent, excellent! I loved the dual times of Emily and Chess/Mari, Pierce and Lara. The gothic setting, the rivalries (past and present), the horror novel, the dreams, the trauma - gosh it was good! I think this one is a winner (and I love anything set in Italy!)

READ IT?
If you’re looking for…a mystery with a bit of a twist, and love the past/present timeline type of story, then you’ll definitely love this one!

5 Stars

Rachel Williams is one of my favorite writers! This is my second book of hers that I've read and it was so good! I couldn't put it down! I was hooked immediately. It is such a good thriller. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!