This one, unfortunately, didn't hit the mark for me like her others. It started off strong and I really thought I was going to love it but it left some open ends and I found it just okay. I will still recommend it to others because it's only one opinion and I did love elements of this book (Mari!)

Thank you for this ARC read!

I was so excited to see an advanced copy of a book by Rachel Hawkins as her The Wife Upstairs was a fantastic read. This book was just as fabulous! I particularly enjoyed the character development. The characters captured me—even amongst the different storylines and perspectives. I was so invested in their lives and challenges and truly couldn’t put this one down.

Me: …Turns to the final page…
….reads through to the end…
**GOOSEBUMPS**
I’ve had access to this advance copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for over 2 months now, and - I’mma be bluntly honest - I didn’t really want to read it. I absolutely hated Reckless Girls and obviously didn’t have high hopes for this one. BUT I WAS SO WRONG!
There was mystery, suspense, a little sadness and romance, some utter despair and self-help. The story flowed seamlessly between the two timeframes, and while I had moments of thinking I had the ending pegged, the real one wasn’t even close and was so much better.

This story, while highly anticipated, fell a bit flat for me. The Villa is a dual-timeline story about a villa. In the first timeline, a group of rockstar types are staying at the villa when tragedy occurs. In the other timeline, 2 best friends/authors are staying at that same villa. They come to learn about what “really” happened that tragic night by finding clues within a book and within the villa itself. Based on its description, I was expecting a thriller and while there was a few twists, I left the book feeling like nothing really happened. There was a lot of comparisons between the 2 timelines but they rushed those comparisons at the most important parts.

An intriguing look inside the secrets that best friends or family can share. At times it did feel as though there could have been a bit more character development, but it didn't dampen my interest to learn what happened to Chess & Em or the 70's crew.

Rachel Hawkins simply does not miss for me. The characters, the timelines, the SETTING!! All beautifully developed, kept me on my toes until the end.
Characters: Honestly, none of them were overly lovable but they were all highly intriguing. The dynamic between Chess and Em was constantly evolving and kept me guessing as to what side of the line Chess was going to fall - is she ultimately going to betray Em or be on her side? Is she as selfish as we're initially led to believe or is there still the best friend that Em grew up with contained within the mask/persona of Chess' fame? Even at the end, we're not entirely sure. Mari was my favorite overall because really, without her there would be no story. She was the main driver of the lore surrounding The Villa, which continued long after her death as Em analyzed her novel "Lilith Rising" and uncovered the parallels between Mari and her main character, Victoria.
Setting: I loved the villa and the way that it transforms over the course of the book. For both Mari and Em, their first impressions of the house are that it's an escape from the mess their lives have become. Eventually, this perception starts to change and the house begins to feel like more of an oppressive entity that they're eager to get away from.
I think my favorite aspect was the way Mari left pieces of herself in the villa for someone equally invested in her story to find, which Em was then able to use to re-energize her writing career as well as her personal life. The idea that our actions can have ripple effects through time has always been an intriguing concept for me.
The ending (mainly as it pertains to Em's marriage) felt too.. convenient, I guess? Unbelievable? Like Hawkins tried too hard to make the arcs of Mari's story and Em's line up too perfectly and have them be "freed" in the same way. The rest of the ending, though, felt fitting with the trajectory of Em and Chess' friendship throughout the book - happy on the surface but with an undercurrent of unease because of Chess. The fact that the book left off on what is supposed to be a very happy time for Em, but with the idea that all might not be as happy as it seems from the outside, was a great ending.

Aw, Hawkins, there you are! After “Reckless Girls” I thought the brooding, gothic, smart storyteller I fell in love with during “The Wife Upstairs” was gone forever, but “The Villa” brought you back! I think Hawkins is at her best when she echoes classic books from a bygone era through modern characters and settings. Make no mistake though - this book is not a thriller, but rather a slow burn gothic with a few interesting but not shocking surprises thrown in. Even though the characters weren’t overly likable, their flaws made them more relatable, more human. Likewise, since the reader isn’t necessarily rooting for a particular character, she can root for the true star of “The Villa” - the creative works of the characters. Inherently meta, “The Villa” not only is a story within a story, but is also about the sacrifices necessary to produce truly great pieces of literature or music; sacrifices of love, friendship, self, and morals and wondering at the end of it all - was it worth it?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

It was a little bit of a slow start but once the story got going I really enjoyed the parallel time lines. One happened back in the 70's,thenotjer is morenpr sent day. I really liked the twist at the end about how things really happened, didn't see that coming at all.

The Villa was an intriguing read as it followed the journey of two friends reconnecting in an Italian Villa that had previously been the setting of a brutal murder. I loved the way Hawkins intertwined the story of the original murder with the present day storyline between the two friends, Emily and Chess. The friends were able to take the history of the tragedy at the Villa and connect in an unforgettable way. I found that the storyline was a little predictable towards the end - however, if you’re looking for your next thriller/mystery quick read, this is it.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Rachel Hawkins for the ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are of my own volition.

After enjoying The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls, I jumped at the chance for an e-arc of Rachel Hawkin's newest book. I was so excited to get approved and was not disappointed with the twisty story that is The Villa. I read this book in under two days. The story tells multiple stories and I found both equally riveting, In the present, Emily has been suffering with a mysterious illness and a complex relationship with her best friend Chess. In the past, Mari struggles with her own complex relationships with those at the villa. Her story is very sex, drugs and rock and roll that gives me Daisy Jones vibes, but make it murder-y. Each timeline presented suspense met with quality twists that I didn't see coming.

Synopsis: Emily finds herself flying to Italy to spend the summer in a beautiful, but mysterious villa with her childhood friend turned best selling self help guru, Chess. Despite some tensions in their relationship, Emily is glad to escape home for the summer where nothing is waiting for her but an impending divorce and writer's block as she struggles to finish her overdue novel.

While in the villa, Emily starts to dig into it's rather gruesome past. In the 70's a famous murder took place in the house. This story is told from the perspective of Mari who stayed at the Villa Aestas in 1974 with her boyfriend Pierce, her sister Lara along with their host- the famous rockstar Noel Gordon and his friend Johnnie.

As Emily uncovers secrets from the past, her time with Chess threatens that there are more secrets in her present, leaving us wondering what to believe and if history will repeat itself at the Villa Aestas.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

The Villa is one of those books that has a few stories within a story---that all come together. i did find it a bit confusing in the first 20% I would say, but once it all clicked, I was hooked.

This is the story of two friends that both became writers. One is a very successful, self-help writer. The other writes cozy mysteries that have done well in the past but her future is not looking so bright. Wealthy self-help writer invites cozy mystery writer to spend the summer with her in a beautiful villa in Italy. This, my friends, is where the story gets good. We learn that the villa is a "murder house" and has a very dark past. There is a book within a book (in this book---love it!).

Rachel Hawkins does a great job of writing a compelling story (with just a few story loopholes that are implausible). I loved this title!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏, 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔.

With THE VILLA, Rachel Hawkins has returned to the darkly Gothic vibe first established in THE WIFE UPSTAIRS.

Chess and Emily were once the best of friends but have drifted apart due to the demands of adulthood. When Chess suggests a girls' trip to an Italian villa with a dark history, Emily, eager to reconnect with her friend, agrees. Neither woman has any idea what they have just set in motion.

Told from alternating points of view and utilizing dual timelines, the reader is brought back to 1974 when the villa was known as Villa Rosato and rented for the summer by notorious rock god, Noel Gordon. Joining him in the villa are budding musician Pierce Sheldon, his girlfriend Mari, and her step-sister Lara. During their summer at the villa, Mari writes one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composes a platinum album, and Pierce is brutally murdered.

Emily is captivated by the tragic history of the villa and is convinced that the tragic tale is much more than just a cautionary tale of rock & roll excess. She not only thinks clues are hidden in the now iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind, but she also believes the clues are hidden somewhere in the villa, just waiting on a keen eye to discover them.

The more engrossed Emily becomes in solving this mystery, the more distant Chess becomes. Is a decades-old feud about to rear its ugly head and claim another victim?

The Amazon description includes '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' and SO many things made sense after reading that!

I found this book to be nostalgic, deeply atmospheric and unsettling, and a great addition to the Gothic genre. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my early read. THE VILLA publishes January 3, 2023.

A stellar mystery novel set between two time periods. The characters are unique and just awful. You don't cheer for any of them. The mystery was well written and clear. There was just enough suspense to keep you wondering. The setting made it all the better. I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did but I will be recommending it to everyone.

3.5 stars A story told across two different times, but all relating back to the same house. Emily and Chess have a friendship that dates back to childhood. Although the years have seen Chess rise to fame and Emily trudge through some hardships. Chess invites Emily to spend the summer at a Villa in Italy. Emily accepts. This villa was also the scene of a murder many years before. That part of the story is told by Mari. She and her step sister, Lara, stayed at the house with Mari's boyfriend, Pierce and a famous rock star, Noel. Pierce is an up and coming musician and Mari hopes this time with Noel will rocket him to fame as well.
While staying at the villa, Emily begins to uncover details of the murder that happened there all the years before. She feels a connection to Mari and begins to write her own story about that time.
There is suspense and I wanted to know what was going to happen. There is a huge twist at the end that changes what you have read and thought throughout the book.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Rachel Hawkins and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This is my second gothic novel I’ve ever read. Liked it, but didn’t love it. The writing was great and the story/setting/characters were engaging, but I just personally prefer rom coms! 🤪

i was so uninterested in the 70s timeline that i found myself skipping through most of it. i wish we got more of the current timeline. i found that timeline to be 10x more interesting even though, altogether, i wasn’t that invested or interested in any of the characters. plus, i feel like the twists weren’t nearly as big enough. i didn’t really feel thrilled, i guess. i am interested in possibly reading more by hawkins since i’ve heard so many good things about her, and she is such a well known author !! overall, i would give this 2-2.5 stars. i think it could’ve been far more interesting, but i’m sure a lot of people would absolutely love this.
thank you to netgalley/st martin’s press for the ARC <3

Overall enjoyed the book and the intertwined stories for the majority of the story. At times it was a bit confusing to keep up with which story was which, particularly with Mari and Lilith Rising. The cliche’d ending was a bit disappointing but enjoyed the main character and getting to know and understand her. Also too many attempts at name-dropping pop culture references.

Was gifted this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Villa was a definite winner in my book! It is a fantastic read with a complex intermingling of 2 main characters trying to better their life, but who keep getting brought down by others around them. It's about friendship, deceit and love with some twists thrown in. I would recommend this book, it's a great story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an eARC of this book! I really enjoyed this. I thought that the way Mari and Emily’s stories intermingled was super interesting, and I loved reading each of them equally. I also thought it was interesting that Hawkins had the reader feel incredibly suspicious of Chess (a strange nickname) and then completely redeem her. The men who did objectively wrong things are the ones who get punished. Lastly, I’m confused by the ending — was it supposed to be jaw-dropping? I wouldn’t describe it as such, but definitely a satisfying take.

"Welcome to Villa Rosato, and the beginning of it all!"
Newly divorced and mysteriously ill, Emily agrees to go on a summer trip with self-help guru and her long-time friend, Chess. When Emily finds out this trip includes staying at an Italian murder villa, she is wary but intrigued. In 1974, 19-year-old Mari found herself on a summer trip as well. This trip would lead to the infamous murder and set off a chain of events leading to Mari's best-selling novel, Lilith Rising.

I've read 2 other books by Rachel Hawkins and enjoyed both of them (Reckless Girls and The Wife Upstairs). Hawkins has a way of grabbing your attention right from the beginning of the book. This is definitely a page turner and I was so into the plot for about 3/4 of the book. I absolutely loved the way that Hawkins combines news articles, song lyrics, and clips from Mari's book. This was a great way to keep me going even if I wanted to take a break. I also think it's very impressive that Hawkins was able to show both Emily and Mari's perspectives. This was such a cool way to tie the stories together. Toward the end of the book is where I felt like the plot became a little bit more confusing to me. I know that there is definitely a theme of feminism throughout the story, but I feel like the twists were somewhat hard to follow. I think my main feedback for the plot would be that it doesn't seem believable and there was a lot going on at the end. My questions for the plot are:
* Why would Emily be so loyal to Chess? I really thought there might be a twist where they fell in love, but that was not the case.
* How do 2 women decide murder is the answer? And what exactly was their book about?
* Is Emily plotting some revenge against Chess or something?
I was left with a lot of questions and it may be purposely written that way, but I feel like there's so much I am questioning. I like to think that Emily is going to get some revenge on Chess, but it did not seem that way to me.

The characters were written so well I found myself getting annoyed and irritated with some of them. I know that's when a character is written well. I wish I got to hear more about Emily and her past. Emily's name was not mentioned much and I realized this when Emily read Chess' manuscript and it was "Emma" and I was like "wait, what is the MC's name?" I also want to state that I hated Chess from the very beginning, which is quite possibly intended based on the opening line: "Somewhere around the time she started calling herself 'Chess,' I realized I might actually hate my best friend." Chess slept with Emily's husband, repeatedly lied and withheld information, gaslit Emily on several occasions, tried to steal her book idea, and then admitted she was being manipulative and knew what she was doing the entire time. I mean, I expected terrible things from her right away, but I cannot fathom how Emily went on to stay best friends with her. I was hoping for some revenge at the end, but it never came. I love how Mari was described and I found the switching back and forth to be so cool. However, I feel like I didn't fully connect with characters in a positive way. This could be on purpose as well, but it left me feeling more confused at the end.

I know that Lilith Rising was described as ambiguous and I'm assuming this book was supposed to somewhat mirror that. Hawkins' writing is so incredible and I love the way she writes, but I think the plot is what stopped me from giving this a higher rating. Overall, The Villa is a thriller that you won't be able to put down.