Emmy’s life wasn’t going great. With an impending divorce and her ex threatening to extract royalties from her popular book series, she was more than happy to jump at a summer in Italy with her childhood best friend at a private villa. Dubbed the murder house; a tragic night in the 1970’s left one person with a famous book, another with an infamous album, and yet another dead. As Em begins finding out more about that fateful night, she begins writing their story in fury, falling deeper down the rabbit hole as she goes. Even to the anger of her friend Chess who is already a famous author when she refuses to let her co-author her new book.
This story twists A LOT. Jumping between Em’s story in present and Mari in the 70’s. On top of these stories there’s all Em’s research towards that night; so there’s podcasts, newspaper and magazine articles, book excerpts. The book became overwhelming at moments and hopefully the transitions play out in the physical book better than my phone. The story itself is solid with one final twist at the end.

** spoiler alert ** I just finished my first Rachel Hawkins book. I couldn't put this book down and I liked how there were many twists (even though I anticipated some of them coming). The one thing that I didn't like was how Chess managed to convince Emily that her and Matt getting together was a blessing to Emily, but I didn't mind that too much as I like unlikeable plot lines. Overall, this book was the perfect length to keep my attention on it and was a super easy read!

**To be released in January 2023**

A heart pounding thriller from a big name in the genre right now. I couldn't put this down, and found myself GASPING at the twists and turns. Look out for THE VILLA... and check your surroundings when you enter.

I was excited to read this book as I have loved her last two novels. However, this book was hard for me to get into. It was very slow at the beginning but I pushed through and enjoyed it. I loved the back story of the villa but the relationship between the two girls drove me crazy. So manipulative! Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for providing me with a eARC of this book to read and review.

I found this book gripping and hard to put down. I would classify it as a combination of suspense and mystery with several strong female characters.

There are two main narrators, Emily in the present and Mari in the past. Emily,a writer at a low point in her life is invited to a beautiful Italian villa by her former BFF/frenemy Chess (also a writer). When the get there, they discover that the villa was the site of a famous murder in the 70’s. In the 70’s Mari, the reclusive author of femme horror novel “Lilith Rising” stays at the villa with several musicians, including her boyfriend Pierce. By the end of the stay, Pierce ends up murdered and a man named Johnny gets charged with the crime. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the murder, is it a case of sex drugs and rock and roll gone bad, or something more.

As Emily becomes fascinated with the murder, and unravelling with the mystery the tension between her and Chess escalates.

I really enjoyed this book, and binge read it in 2 days. I’m my opinion it was better than the authors previous novels. Most novels by this author I would rate 3/5, but this one was a solid 4/5 for me.

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 about—and then write about—Mari and the Villa Rosato Horror, which she suspects was more complicated than 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 I found less compelling. Both Mari and Emily are effective narrators in very different circumstances. Mari knows she’s in a bit over her head, staying with her step-sister and three grown men in a secluded Villa in a time famous for sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. Emily, on the other hand, knows she’s adrift. Both of them (and Lara too) find inspiration at the Villa to escape their backstories and the shadow of the men in their lives—dangerous men, not everyone survives the “Villa Rosato Horror,” after all—and create their art.

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 each adds a bit of depth to the other. An absorbing, successful novel. Recommended.

The book started off kinda of slow for me and there was a lot of bouncing around. But the ending was soooo good! The ending was great! Some twists you can see coming but some you can’t! So far I’ve really enjoyed all the books I’ve read by this author. Emily and her best friend Chess spend 6 weeks in a beautiful villa in Italy. Emily is supposed to be writing the 10th book in her cozy mystery series and Chess is writing another one of her self help books. But the best friends have secrets and so does the house. Will they be uncovered?

Excellent book, loved following both story lines as they were told. Adore Rachel Hawkins books. They never disappoint!

The Villa is a slow-burn thriller/drama about a crime from the past that intertwines with the present.

“Houses remember.” That line definitely pulled me and I was intrigued how the past events that took place in this Italian Villa were intertwined with the present.

Childhood friends Chess and Emily reconnect to go on a trip to Villa Aestas. Both writers, Emily struggling to write her next book and going through a divorce stumbles upon the book “Lilith Rising” and immediately making connections to the villa from the story. She soon begins to dig into the villa’s past to unravel secrets that inspire a new book based of of real life events that took place in the past.

Overall, I really enjoyed the idea of a murder villa and Emily’s search to find the truth but I found myself wanting more and the twists just weren’t enough for me. I felt like the story of the past and present that was connected to the villa wasn’t suspenseful enough and fell a little flat for me.

It was still a fast paced read and I found myself wanting to read on to see what unfolded but I was just expecting something more surprising and eerie.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press who provided me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a page turner! Keep me reading way past bedtime. Loved the dual storylines and the format. Highly recommended!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins, is a quick thriller that won't disappoint fans. I really enjoyed the two stories; set 40 years apart in the same setting; the Italian Villa. Both stories were equally engaging for me and they interacted quite well.

Two friends spend the summer at a beautiful Italian villa that just so happens to have been the scene for one of the biggest murders in rock & roll history. The story jumps from present day and the summer of 1973. Another riveting story from Rachel Hawkins. Couldn’t put it down!

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

I had high hopes for this book. I wasn't a fan of Hawkins work in The Wife Upstairs. However, I'm always willing to give an author another try.

I'm beginning to feel like Hawkins just isn't the author for me. The Villa was a misfire unfortunately. I was really hoping for a page turner. But instead I was bored. I wasn't invested in the characters and found myself skimming the book to get to the end. Oh well. Onto the next read!

I was so excited to read another Rachel Hawkins book, however this one let me down a bit. I felt like there was a lot going on at one time, that just didn’t flow quite right. I was expecting a little bit more. The first half of the book seemed a little slow and not necessarily a thriller. I did enjoy the second half and found it a little more edgier like the previous Hawkins books I have read and loved.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc copy of this book!

I had a hard time getting into this book. Found myself struggling to stay engaged. However once I got going it did get a little bit better. Overall good!

I wanted to like this book. And it wasn’t horrible. But it was so predictable and cliche that it made it hard to finish. This idea, theme, plot has been done a million times with just slight tweaks each time to make it the author’s own and I have a hard time with books like that. I know it might be difficult to come up with something completely new, but this much predictability is what gives this the low rating for me.

If there is one thing about Rachel Hawkins books’ is that I will want to finish it in one sitting. The Villa was so much fun! 2 writer best friends with huge parallels to the murder that occurred in the villa they’re staying?? What a way to connect the two. I never knew if I wanted to change POV because of how much I enjoyed finding out how the murder happened but also what was developing with Emily and Chess.

I was able to guess what and who would happen but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment. I felt a connection to Emily the way she did with Mari and I think it’s what quickly had me invested. I loved the horror elements even if it was the talk about another story that helped the present. The relationships between all our characters felt so believable.

This was a fun read on a flight and I know others won’t want to put down until they know what will happen.

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for a review!

This might be more of a 3.5, but I'm rounding up because the pros outweigh the cons for me.

This book is a twisty, turny good time. I've read another book by Rachel Hawkins (Reckless Girls), and I can say she has certainly improved between the two.

I think what satisfied me the most about this book were all the layers to it. We have the current story, the one of Emily & Chess, two best friends off on a luxurious vacation to an Italian Villa where they plan to each work on their respective novels. There are occasional tensions, but that is just the cycle of their friendship, and the ebb and flow is natural - or at least that is what Emily thinks.

Meanwhile, we are presented with another story from the 70s, that of Mari Larchmont. She too stayed at the villa, and while she was there a murder occurred. Her story charts the conflicts, the layered emotions of love, hurt, and betrayal. Emily learns of this murder, and it intrigues her.

Mari also wrote a novel during her stay, and this is yet another tale. <i> Lilith Rising </i> is the title of her famous horror tale, and excerpts from this novel are peppered in, adding a gothic flavor to the text. Of course a copy of this book is at the villa, and Emily becomes enchanted by it.

Chess meanwhile, has become fascinated by the other Larchmont sister, Lara, a musician who created breath-taking music when she too was in the villa. It is her story that lingers in the background, often overlooked by Emily. Emily, who seems to miss so very much.

I think that perhaps, my favorite part of all was the nods and winks to the original tale of Frankenstein and its creation - the time Mary Shelley spent with famous creatives and wrote a story that haunts us to this very day.

Overall, it was really well done with only a few moments that took away from the overall experience for me. (In the end, it felt like there were one or two twists too many.)

I'd like to thank Netgalley for the ARC. In exchange, I present my honest review.

( 3 stars )

The characters were very hard to follow in the beginning, but Mari began to intrigue me and kept me somewhat interested. I was expecting a little more history or darkness about the Villa. This book was more of a drama than a thriller to me. I struggled to finish,

Many thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

| About |

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.

| Thoughts |

Gripping, slow burn, suspense filled gem.
Pieces infamous aspects from real life horror into a summer at The Villa. Couldn’t put this down. I devoured it entirely in one afternoon. The depth of the characters and the world woven so vividly, I could imagine myself watching this play out in front of me like a fly on the wall. friendship’s, sorrows and betrayals are twisted into this mystery; Four women, two time periods interweaving to tell this chilling tale. The end was a complete 360 from what I thought I knew!