Thank you to Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of a digital advanced reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 60 percent.

I originally put this book down at 30 percent with no intention of going futher. After going through the GoodReads reviews and seeing a 4 star average, I decided to keep going and give it a full chance. I finally quit when I got to 60 percent and that was pushing it. If the chapters weren't so long, I probably would have stopped sooner. I did not feel there was any thriller aspect of this book, other than the villa being a murder scene in the 70s that the protagonist is traveling to. The novel goes between present timeline and 1970s. I had zero interest in reading the 1970s timeline because it did not have any character development or driving plot line. I found myself skimming through the book when it hit the 70s timeline.

This is the first Rachel Hawkins book I have read and from the other reviews I have seen about this book, this is one of her better novels. I am no longer in a rush to read her other books.

Rachel Hawkins does it again!

This woman has perfected the art of storytelling so that the story starts slowly, with a subtle burn that sneaks up on you until suddenly you find yourself sucked in, unable to put the book down until it wraps with the wildest twists and turns. Every book of hers, I find myself re-reading pages because there is no way that such things actually occurred.

The multiple viewpoints throughout the story are a great way to keep your attention hooked until the very end. This is a must read when it comes out in 2023.

Thank you St. Martins, NetGalley & Rachel Hawkins for allowing me to read this fantastic book!

The Villa
⭐️⭐️⭐️

🍋I went into this book pretty blind, and I always feel like that’s what I prefer to do when it comes to a suspense. This book kept my interest, and I was eager to find out what was going to happen. I really enjoyed the writing, the storytelling, the characters, and the dual timeline. I did however feel the uncovering of the story/ “the twist” felt average to me. This book did have an interesting way to empower women as well.

🍋Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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I was easily caught up in the murders at The Villa. Eagerly read for more details, both past and present. The players and atmospheric Italian setting added even more suspense. All contributed to the mysteries.

I will say overall this was a good book.
However it was a bit predictable and I wish the twist at the ended was elaborated more rather then just an seen through an excerpt. Also I think the story could have really gone in deep between the complexities of the two friends since we left still feeling a lot of resentment on Emily's behalf.

I loved the entanglement of the two stories and I thought they fit their timelines culture in a refreshing view point. I just wish we got to see a bit more.

I wish I could give this more stars. This story pulled me in and I couldn’t put it down! Two parallel stories, actually, one in the past and one in the present which mirrored each other. The common factor - the Villa. I’m a sucker for stories about fake famous people and the mystery surrounding the past events was intriguing. I did guess a couple of the twists but there were still plenty of surprises, even within the twists I guessed at, to keep me interested. One of my favorite reads this year, honestly! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy.

The premise if this book is great. The setting is perfect.. However I couldn’t connect with Emily or Chess, it was a little better with Mari., but Lara was an issue too. I think part of the issue is my heat friend and i have been “sisters” since 1st grade, that is 35 years of ups and downs, periods of distance and periods if inseparability. So while i can relate to helping her hide a murder, i cant relate to the way the two sets of women treated each other. I wasn’t able to disconnect myself from my reality because it was too jarring of a change for me personally. I suspect others may not have the same issue. I also found some of timeline and article switches a bit jarring, by the end it was easier but the first third of the book it was difficult for me to switch perspectives. However, the ending was great, I like that Hawkins took the typical thriller twist ending and turned it upside down. Overall this was good solid read, and i suspect that for other readers the character disconnect will not be an issue, therefore pushing their star rating higher.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

Spoiler Free Review:

“Houses Remember.”

Hawkins, takes on inspiration from Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein in The Villa. I was so excited to read this one; told through a dual povs and timelines.

We get two stories merging the past and the present. One from Emily in present and one from Mari in 1974. I typically love stories told through this type of narrative but, this fell flat for me.

There were some plot holes and I wish the novel had taken a few different routes. The characters were a bit dull, the chapters long, and the book didn’t engage me enough.

Still, I wanted to know where the story was going to take me…

A big thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress for sending me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This had a good build up and interesting back story but ultimately I was disappointed in the execution and saw the end coming a mile away. I enjoyed the modern story and found the backstory dragging a bit and I found myself putting it down and not wanting to pick it back up. None of the characters felt fully likable to me, and I couldn’t root for anyone especially. Just not my cup of tea. 2.5-3 stars

I really enjoyed this one - I thought it was definitely slower paced but had a spooky element to it. Well done!

The Villa
By Rachel Hawkins

I fell in love with the concept of this story right away: "Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle––the birthplace of Frankenstein". The present timeline characters, two lifetime girlfriends, are both successful writers. Chess is single and wildly famous on social media as a 'live your best life' style self-help guru and author. Emily is struggling with her marriage to Matt, and with the writing of the current episode in her popular series of novels. So best friend Chess whisks distracted Emily away to the Italian villa that is famous in 1970's music, literary, and rock and roll true crime history. Initially it is like old times, but then an awkward mistrust develops and invades the friendship. It is over Emily's busted secret that she is writing a different book: not another episode in her old series, but something fresh and her own; about the historic summer at this inspirational villa. Things get awkward when Chess suggests they write the book together and Emily turns her down. Many twists and turns arise - and connections start to develop to the historic timeline. And, about that fateful summer of 1974: What really happened? Will a pattern of 'betrayals and alliances with young women struggling just to be seen' emerge (and turn deadly) in both timelines? I warn you. Once you start reading, you will not be able to put this story down. Recommended for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for a fair review. Pub Date 03 Jan 2023

This book was fascinating and so well written. Rachel Hawkins is an absolute genius when it comes to writing thriller novels. The writing was beautiful and such a joy to read. The plot twists were perfect and took the book to a whole other level. Every single time I thought I knew what was happening, Rachel Hawkins makes me question everything I knew about the book. I absolutely loved that! I couldn't put this book down and I wish I could read it for the first time again. I absolutely recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this free arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Villa By Rachel Hawkins
Although this does not release until Jan 2023, I feel compelled to get my thoughts out before they are no longer fresh in my brain. I loved this book! I think Hawkins is such an under-rated author. This book in particular gave me Lisa Jewel and Taylor Jenkins Reid Vibes (I know, weird combo right?) Pulled in from the start, the characters are very much alive early on. I feel like Hawkins knows how to give her characters these defining traits that really give you a sense of who they are. The story is told in alternating timelines that blend perfectly. Alternating timelines can get annoying, particularly when you're just getting into a good scene or big reveal, but she times them so well! It’s hard to sum up a story this big but here are some highlights:

Dual TImelines
70’s Sex, love and Rock and Roll vibes
Spooky Villa in Italy
Main characters who are writers
Bad-ass female leads

I think this book would have been a 5 star read for me, if not for how things panned out with Emily/Chess /Matt. I thought there would be more involved in the issue if her being sick and not just Matt being toxic. The big reveal feels like Chess was making it all up and Emily just bought her line of events so it was a little anti-climactic. That being said, I think this Hawkins best writing yet. I felt so immersed in this story.

An exciting return for one of the best contemporary thriller writers! This is a slower burn than Hawkins’ previous thrillers. Think Daisy Jones with characters reminiscent of Brene Brown. The ending was satisfying and the connections between the two eras of the story at the finale was haunting. A tale unique from the author’s other stories.

THREE STORIES IN ONE. I AM NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT. ITS A LITTLE CONFUSING AT FIRST. BUT THEN IN TRUE HAWKINS STYLE THE MORE YOU READ, THE MORE IT STARTS TO MAKE SENSE. THE CHARACTERS COME ALIVE AND THE STORY BEGINS TO UNFOLD. OLD FRIENDS COME BACK TOGETHER. STARTING TO PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF. TRAGEDY AFTER TRAGEDY UNTIL THE VERY END. WHO IS TO BLAME ON THAT ONE NIGHT AND DID IT TRULY INSPIRE THE WORKS OF AUTHOR AND MUSICIAN. THEIR STORIES BLED INTO THE THEIR WORK AND ULTIMATELY MADE THEM FAMOUS. BUT WHAT WAS THE REAL TRUTH. IT WAS JUST AS TRAGIC. THE HOUSE REMEMBERS.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of The Villa in exchange for an honest review.

The Villa is a story told in two timelines. In 1974, 19-year-old Mari is invited to spend the summer at an Italian villa with her lover Pierce, her stepsister Lara, a famous musician named Noel, and his drug connection Johnnie. On July 29, 1974, what would later be known around the world as the “Villa Rosato Horror” takes place, leaving one of them dead. But from that sadness grew two stunning pieces of art: Lara’s 20-million-copy selling debut album Aestas (think Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors), and Mari’s feminist horror novel masterpiece, Lilith Rising. Meanwhile, in the present, Emily is a 30-something novelist struggling with her latest entry in her cozy mystery series and going through an ugly divorce. Her childhood best friend Chess is a more successful self-help author, who persuades Emily to join her for a summer getaway where they can both focus on their writing. When Chess books their stay at the very same Villa Mari and Lara had stayed at all those years ago, Emily begins to read aboutt—Mari and the Villa Rosato Horror, which maybe was not as straightforward of a crime as people think.

The Villa is largely told from Mari’s perspective in the past, and Emily’s perspective in the present. There are occasional other sections of text (quotations from other books, transcripts from podcasts about the 1970s characters) which provided more information and background and I found their inclusion added to the story. Mari and Emily both essentially function as narrators in their own timeline's story as they somehow weave together. Yet there is also a 3rd layer to the story that slowly reveals itself.

The Villa is a layered, suspenseful story, in both timelines. In the past, the mystery is straightforward: the who and the why of the murdered and murderer. In the present, the mysteries are more subtle: the tension in Emily’s relationships with Chess and with her soon-to-be ex-husband Matt. Both stories work individually, and also somehow weave themselves together at the end. The end also presents a surprising turn but you'll have to read this one to find out.

After enjoying The Wife Upstairs and not loving Reckless Girls that much, The Villa captured my true crime loving heart and this was an easy 4 star rating for me!

Great book. I enjoyed the author’s last book, Reckless Girls, and this one was even better. I liked the back and forth between present time and the original people that stayed in the villa years earlier. Wasn’t a big fan of the ending but she tied it all together nicely. Thank you NetGalley and St. martin’s Press for this book.

Did someone say girls’ trip to Italy? That was the hook for me. THE VILLA follows two timelines, one in the present year 2023 and the other in 1974. Emily, a mystery writer and Chess, a self-help guru and bestselling author, are childhood friends. I loved the narrative between the two women and the backstory describing their past friendship. When Chess invites Emily to the notorious Italian villa in Umbria that she's rented for six weeks, Emily jumps at the offer, hoping that a change of scenery will break the writer's block she’s suffered for months. She is also eager to put an ocean between herself and a vicious soon-to-be ex.
Within the enchanting villa, Emily discovers hidden pages from the book LILLITH RISING. Believing that the story actually took place in this house, she starts digging into the Villa’s history. As the Villa’s dark secrets come to light and present events begin to follow the pattern of the past, Emily and strong-willed Chess clash.
This story has been described as a slow burn. Be patient. Once the ball starts rolling, several unexpected events will keep the reader flipping the pages. Rachel Hawkins has done a remarkable job of blending some infamous works: Fleetwood Mac music, the Manson murders, and the famed summer that literary greats Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley spent together vacationing in a castle in Geneva. And their spirits just may live there still. “Houses remember.”

When Emily's childhood friend Chess offers her a summer at her rental in Italy, Emily looks at her failed marriage and her stalled writing career and can't come up with a reason to say no. When she learns that the Villa is the sight of an infamous murder, Emily is even more intrigued.

Told on alternating timelines-- both present day and the days leading up to the murder-- this story grabs your attention from the start and hold it until the very surprising end!

🍋 The Villa 🍋
By Rachel Hawkins

💗 Thank you @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @ladyhawkins for the Advanced Readers Copy! 💗

🗓 Publishing date: January 3, 2023 🗓

🍋 DESCRIPTION 🍋

From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.

As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind.

Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge––and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.

Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle––the birthplace of Frankenstein––The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy.

🍋REVIEW by @seattle.katie.reads 🍋

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The story was woven through two different timelines to build the perfect amount of suspense. I literally sat on the edge of my seat reading the entire book. Fantastic read & PERFECT for a cozy evening in front of the fireplace with snacks & records playing in the background.

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