"Houses remember."

Those are the somber words that begin Mari Godrick's critically-acclaimed horror masterpiece "Lilith Rising," which, decades after it's publication, still echo in the present-day world of Emily and her celebrity best friend, Chess Chandler.

A wellness guru taking the world by storm, Chess brings Emily along on a summer escape to Villa Aestas in Orvieto--the very same villa where tragedy struck for Mari Godrick and her loved ones in 1974. As the summer pulses on, Emily--a writer herself--finds herself enthralled not only by the mysterious roots of "Lilith Rising," but by Mari's story as well.

If you couldn't tell by that brief synopsis, "The Villa" is a layered story. It's a book, within a book, within a book, and yet none of the plot lines felt developed enough to really hold my interest. The premise here was beyond promising; an Italian gothic setting, a past-revisited storyline, and the fuses of suspense lit in the first few chapters. However, the burn of this book was entirely too slow for me, and by the end I felt that it all had developed into hardly anything at all despite the buildup.

If you're new to Rachel Hawkins, you might find this story good or even great. For me, it's an easy least favorite of her recent books; simply a great idea with underwhelming execution.

This was the first Rachel Hawkins book I’ve read, and I am hooked. This was the perfect summer read with the ocean, boat living, and secluded island setting. So many twists that I wasn’t expecting and the relationships between characters and how they grow and change is sure to draw readers in like it did me.

A beautiful story of two friends going on a breathtaking Italian vacation, in a horror house, to only come out of it stronger than ever, and richer.

This is the first book I've read by Rachel Hawkins and I was instantly captivated by Emily and Mari's stories, though I definitely preferred the latter's. Ms. Hawkins did a wonderful job of creating a dreamy 70s vibe for Mari's story without cluttering it with obvious references. I really enjoyed the slow build up and there were several scenes that left me feeling tense and uneasy. Unfortunately, I wasn't fond of the ending. I loved where I thought Mari's story had ended but ultimately the story' true ending left me disappointed. I understood what the last chapter was attempting to do but having enjoyed Mari's story so much and not loving Emily's ending already, it fell flat for me.

On another note, the excerpts from Lilith Rising had me wishing it were real!

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This book is extraordinary. A marriage of the decadence of the seventies, of Mary Shelley’s turbulent life, and female friendship.

I was captivated from the first line, drawn further in by the frame story element: story within a story within a story. And it was all so glamorous and lush, so layered and thrilling that I gobbled it up as fast as I could.

It’s so cleverly written; there are slivers of such agonizing destruction, of the way people become when they think they’re trapped, how desperation can drive people to extremes. How differently and yet similarly inspiration can strike people.

Rachel Hawkins is a master class at work, and she absolutely thrives with this book.

Brilliant stuff, will read anything this author produces because it is captivating.

Every bit of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

It is established almost right away that we’re going to have two different stories being told throughout the book with the Italian Villa being the first obvious common thread. In the present timeline there is Emily and Chess, and the past is Mari, Pierce and Lara. Adding to the narrative, there are various formats of “media” pieces. At first, it was a bit confusing with the time shifts and the media, but a pattern does form with most of the chapters beginning in the present, shifting to the past, and ending with media piece(s).

Thoughts on the present timeline: When we first meet Emily, it’s easy to feel sympathy for her and hope something good happens for her soon. Then we meet Chess. Chess, Emily’s “best friend” and Rachel Hollis-type self help author, is horrible. She’s the definition of a toxic friend. She’s selfish, manipulative, and fake. Without being outright spoiler-y, there’s a part of her character storyline that’s incredibly predictable, particularly if you’ve read almost thriller in recent years with a female main character and a best friend in the picture at all. Honestly at this point in the genre, it would be more of a twist to not go there. However, as much as I dislike her, it’s a testament to the writing that she elicits strong feelings while reading. After meeting her and seeing how Emily handles her, I wanted to shake Emily. She makes too many excuses for Chess and her toxic behavior, and rolls over too easily to her. It made me proud later on when she finally started to see Chess for what she was and stood her ground a bit more. Whether it’s enough in the end…that’s complicated and best answered on the pages.

Thoughts on the past timeline: What started out as a difficult storyline to get into ended up being the part I was most interested in reading. There’s a lot of drama and turmoil building up to murder and unreliable information being shared that left me wondering what was true, what was imagined, and what was kept secret between those characters who were there. Mari was a complex, intriguing character, as was her stepsister Lara. The dynamic with the two of them and Pierce was already complicated, and then throw in Noel and Johnnie and it’s a recipe for trouble. I would’ve liked spending more time with these characters of the past.

Overall, there were things I liked and thought were unique, but there were also things I didn’t like or have read more than once before. I did end up liking the media pieces mixed in to help tell different pieces of the story in both timelines. I’m not sure if the final copy will end up having those formatted in a way that makes them more distinct from the rest of the text, but it would help for clarity if so.

A creepy, immersive page-turner, strong from start to finish. I loved the dual storyline format. A good read!

4 stars. This book was so interesting. I really enjoyed the book within a book within a book and seeing the parallels/differences between what was real and what was fiction in the past storyline, as well as how it all ended up effecting the present day storyline. The Villa gives some similar vibes to One of the Girls with elements of Daisy Jones and Verity. The beginning was a slow build but it paid off in then end. The twists kept coming until the very end!

Ahh. I’ll start by saying that I have only read one other book by the author, The Wife Upstairs, and I absolutely disliked. Lol I mean, IT’S ALL GIVEN AWAY BY THE TITLE?! - anyway,
This was so different. It had me from the beginning, and I was so scared that something stupid would ruin the book at any turn, but I’m happy to say that nothing did. It was a low burn mystery, which I don’t mind, it was extremely interesting and intricate, with 2 timelines, books and music lyrics as a means to navigate this story.
The story, about a villa where some things “have gone down” more than once, about relationships and friendships and the price you pay to protect those you are bound to the most.
This was a surprising 5/5 for me!
*thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the ARC*

I really enjoyed this title. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could. The dual POV and dual timelines I thought were incredibly effective, and drew you into two stories that were both twisty, creepy, and perfectly anchored by book writing! It just WORKED. I also thought the 'twist' ending was well thought out, well delivered, not cliche, and not "out of this world" twist that is so outlandish it doesn't work. Just the right amount of twist to make the ending of the book very compelling.
What didn't: I didn't love the snippets of poetry/lyrics/rolling stone interviews sprinkled throughout. I'm not entirely sure how they are intended to add to the storyline, and they were additional POV's that just didn't serve the purpose of the book. I did not love the reveal of Em's illness...that was a bit strange, and not really explored in a way that kept it impactful. Finally, while the twist is really great, I don't think it was well delivered, and I had to flip pages a few times to really figure it out.
BUT I couldn't put this book down. I flew through it, it kept me guessing, and both story lines were intriguing, which is really the measure of a good dual POV in my opinion.

I loved this. I loved the alternating POVs, the very realistic excerpts from Rolling Stone, People, etc.,, and I especially loved that one of the main characters was a cozy mystery writer! An easy, quick read that kept me engaged throughout. Highly recommended.

OMG. I am so excited I was able to read this book! It really did throw me for a loop towards the end. I love Rachel Hawkins' writing style and cannot wait to read her next story! This one will definitely give you all of the thrills and suspense!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Mystery/Suspense
Publication Date: January 3, 2023

Emily and Chess were best friends as children but grew apart as they became adults. Following Emily’s illness and divorce, Chess suggests a getaway to a villa in Italy. The same villa which was rented by a famous rockstar and his friends in the summer of 1974. During that fateful summer Lara creates a hit-album, Lara writes one of the most famous gothic novels of their time, and Pierre ends up being murdered. The story alternates between the two timelines and the horror novel that connects them both.

I was attracted to this novel because Hawkins’ previous book Reckless Girls was a really fun melodrama with a splash of murder and a side of ridiculousness. I ate up that book as someone who ordinarily does not enjoy a mystery/thriller novel. The Villa has its share of melodrama but for more than 50% of the book it reads more like women’s fiction delving into inner monologues about their failed friendships and relationships.

As I said, I’m not exactly a connoisseur of thrillers but I recently learned of the term “slow-burn thriller” and well this kind of fits that description, I didn't think the payoff as to what happened was enough to justify the “slow burn.” There were absolutely no surprises or head-turning moments in this book however I feel that was Hawkins intention but plainly stating the “obvious” at the beginning. The murder is revealed along with person found guilty of the murder quite early on in the novel but the unravelling of the mystery as to why and how is something that is revealed later on.

The real mystery for me was finding out the futures for both Emily and Mari and that’s what kept me reading. Are Emily and Chess going to fall out again? Is Mari finally going to leave Pierre? I was more invested in the perceivable wrongs committed against these women then the actual mystery surrounding the novel and the murder.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to read this book from the moment that I saw that the villa of the title was in Italy, just outside the town of Orvieto. It is a magnificent setting for a novel about a house, and the people who stay there at two different points in time: a group of 1970s musicians (and a writer) and two modern-day best friends, both of whom are also writers. The house and its tragic history looms large over all of the characters, and the books that these women write about it, directly or indirectly, form the basis of this fascinating story. I loved that there was a fairly small cast of characters; each one distinct and playing a specific role,. I also loved the setting, both Orvieto itself and the villa that each group comes to love over their respective summer stays. There are many uncomfortable moments in this book. Most of the characters veer between likeable and unlikeable, which is very human, but readers may not feel especially drawn to a particular one. It is a wonderful character study, however, filled with thoughtful reflections on human behavior and the consequences, and a truly engaging novel. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!

This book was weird. I thought it was going in one direction and then it completely went the opposite way. I often found myself forgetting which timeline I was reading at the time and having to double check. The ending was so dissatisfying that I think it made me like the book way less. I loved the last book I read by this author but this one missed the mark for me.

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

The Villa
by Rachael Hawkins

The Murder House Remembers

New York Times bestselling Author Rachel Hawkins is at her best in the soon-to-be-published dual-timeline Neo-Gothic, and oh so elegant, twisted murder mystery within a murder mystery, “The Villa,” a page-turning meta-fiction about writers and musicians creating their arts in a 16th-century Italian country estate cursed with a dark legacy of death—and ghosts—because houses remember.

Occurring 50 years apart at the same Italian locale, Villa Aestas, the deaths of two different men replicate each other—not in the way they died, but by the resulting outcomes experienced by the women who loved them. These women, freed from the men’s possessiveness, gain self-esteem and the confidence to launch successful careers as writers and musicians. However, their liberty comes with a steep price, that of perpetual atonement and the guilt of sacrificing their souls.

Throughout the novel, Hawkins demonstrates her talent for creating complex, three-dimensional characters, as well as a fast-paced story-driven narrative. Particularly fun is the colloquial dialogue for the British characters; it’s spot-on.

Hawkins is also extraordinarily clever with the structure of “The Villa” by starting it with a ‘book review’ of a pseudo-novel, ‘Lilith Rising,’ written by ‘Mari Godwick’ and attributed to a legitimate sounding source. The ‘Lilith’ story will also tease and captivate readers' imaginations long after the last page of “The Villa”—a terrific read and masterful execution of meta-fiction! Brava!

========================///=======================
Title: “The Villa”
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers | General Fiction (Adult)
Publication Date: 02 January 2023
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

STAR RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Book Maven’s Journal—Reviews for Word Connoisseurs

Reviews are posted promptly on NetGalley, GoodReads, and Twitter; then, upon publication, also to appropriate sales channel sites.

#TheVilla #RachelHawkins #StMartinsPress #NetGalley TheBookMaven @maven_book

My sincere thanks and appreciation goes to NetGalley, Author Rachel Hawkins, and Publisher St. Martin's Press for this Advance Reader’s Copy (ARC) for review.

Emily is healing from a mysterious bout of illness, mourning the end of her marriage, and repeatedly pushing back the deadline of her next novel, when her childhood best friend Chess offers her an out. Chess, a famous self help guru, invites Emily to join her for the summer at a rented villa in Italy. In the 1970's, another group of friends stayed in the villa for a summer, and that summer ended in murder. Emily becomes obsessed with learning more about the villa's past.

I read this book at just the right time -- though it doesn't come out until the winter, its setting suited hot summer days perfectly. Chapters alternated between Mari, a writer staying at the villa in the 1970's, and Emily's perspective in the present. The parallels between the two were strong, perhaps a little too strong at times, because I was able to predict most of the twists. But the alternating perspectives interspersed with excerpts of the character's writing made for a very quick, propulsive read. Plus, the final twist was a shock and really made me question my interpretation of the novel's themes and who the "good" and "bad" characters were. Totally redeemed any earlier predictability for me!

This was my first Rachel Hawkins mystery, and I'll definitely be going back for more. (I can't believe this is the same author who wrote Her Royal Highness, an LGBTQ YA romance!)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book grabbed me from the very beginning, and I had a hard time putting it down. I enjoyed all the different storylines and the way they all tied together. I'm pretty sure I will be thinking about this one for a while.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC. I loved it!

A dark twisted version of Daisy Jones and the Six meets an Italian Villa in this new book by Rachel Hawkins!

This was fun. The writing in this was definitely a stand out in terms of how lyrical and beautiful the prose was (half of the time, we’ll get into that later). There were two storylines that diverged so much that it felt like two separate books. Em was flat, boring, typical “thriller” MC with no depth, but Mari was a brilliant character IMO. Both characters are dealing with a ton, but Mari felt so sad, so lost, and so realistic for that time period where women were often trapped in toxic, abusive, cheating relationships.

My main issue with this is two fold: it’s slow and it has a lot of filler for a thriller. Actually, I wouldn’t call this a thriller in my opinion. It was 50% toxic-friendship-drama and 50% character study into a depressed young girl. It did feel disjointed a bit, and I didn’t quite like the ending (it’s one of those flip flop ending where I feel like the author is trying to keep it twisty and interesting but I end up feeling a bit confused).

This was so close to nailing it. So close. I think this could have JUST been Mari’s story, and it could have developed those characters, relationships, and reveal more. This definitely has an audience, and even thought it comes out in January, there is something about this that screams late Spring vibes.

"Houses remember" that line hooked me from the start and kept me going throughout the book. I liked the story within a story. While it was a good read and kept me interested the changing viewpoints sometimes gave me a disconnect to the story. I do think it is a good book its just more middle of the road for me. This book was given to me by netgalley for an honest review.