I typically enjoy Rachel Hawkins books but to me this one fell short. It was good but it did. Not hold my attention. Seemed like a lot of fluff from beginning to end.

I loved the idea of this book, but I just don’t think the premise totally worked.

Two best friends decide to rent a villa in Orvieto for the summer. Emily, in the midst of a nasty divorce, needs a change of scenery and some motivation to resume writing her cozy mystery novels. She needs the money they bring in. Chess, a successful non fiction writer has secrets and ulterior motives for wanting to be at this villa. She too is working on a book.

What follows is a tale of bitter rivalry, jealousy, and some undesirable secrets. This might have worked if the characters were likeable, but they aren’t. They end of coming off as immature teenagers in my opinion.

I didn’t really care for the 1970’s section of the book telling the story of a murder that had taken place at the same villa. None of these characters were likeable either. This part of the story just didn’t have the characteristics of a thriller for me. Nor did it have a really good plot twist.

The cover art though is amazing. The book is just ok.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the blurb for this book, I had high hopes! I thought it would be filled with suspense and expected the villa itself to have some more sinister elements. Unfortunately, this book fell short for me. I’ve rated it 3 stars but I feel if it was marketed solely as general fiction or a drama I would’ve easily given it at least 4 stars. As a thriller, it just didn’t meet the mark.

The story follows two different time lines and two different sets of villa guests.

The first timeline is set in the present and follows Emily and Chess, two childhood friends and authors who rent a villa in Italy for the summer. The setting leads to some inspired writing for the two authors, until the dark secrets of the villa and their own friendship begin to come to light.

The second timeline is set in the 1970’s. Stepsisters Mari and Lara, Mari’s musician boyfriend Pierce, famous Rockstar Noel Gordon, and Noels dealer Johnnie spend their summer at the villa. During their stay, the drama ramps up – ultimately coming to a head with the untimely death of one of the guests.

Nothing much happened for the first 60% of the novel. Lots of character development, but nothing shocking. However, it was a fast paced read and it did keep me intrigued as I became more invested in the characters as time went on. It felt more like a tale of sisterhood than a thriller to me. I loved witnessing the relationships between the two pairs of women and how their connection was tested during their stay at the villa. It showed that the bond of sisterhood can truly weather any storm. The novel also illustrates the brilliance of artists in their various forms and how that creative energy can deliver the highest highs, and the lowest lows. It definitely gives Daisy Jones & The Six vibes.

Overall, I do believe this book is worth the read if you are in search of a dual timeline drama. It just won’t give you your suspenseful, sinister fix.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Netgalley and Rachel Hawkins for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I loved The Villa! Every character felt fully realized and entirely independent of the others, and I thoroughly enjoyed the relationships that were explored. I thought the idea of the main character reading a book by another main character and then writing another book was such a clever idea (book-ception?). Looking forward to Rachel Hawkins next one already!

I absolutely loved this book! It’s definitely more of a mystery than a thriller but it had some great twists and turns throughout the story. So very intriguing!

I loved the dual timelines and thought the author weaved in and out of them flawlessly. It kept me engaged throughout and I had to keep reading to find out what happened. How everything ties together was perfect! If you’re just getting into mystery/thrillers (like me) this is the book for you!

Thank you to St. Martins Press for the advanced copy and to Rachel Hawkins, I can’t wait to read more of your work!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

I really enjoyed Rachel Hawkins' new thriller, The Villa. There are two storylines - the first follows Emily and her best friend Chess in present time as they summer at a villa in Italy together. The second takes place in the 70s and follows Mari, her boyfriend Pierce, and a handful of other rockstar friends as they spend time at the same villa. Mari and her friends' stay ends with a brutal murder that Emily is now puzzling together from the journals Mari hid in the villa.

I loved the dual timelines. The parallels between them were so interesting and well-thought out. This was definitely more of a slow burn thriller, but I liked understanding how all of the pieces came together. I loved Emily and my heart broke for Mari and all she had endured (check content warnings on this one, there are several heavy topics). Emily's relationship with Chess was so interesting and well written, swinging back and forth between toxicity and dependency. I think many people will probably relate to having a friend like Chess at some point in their lives.

The ending fell a little flat for me - it wrapped up too neatly, and I still have unanswered questions. I didn't get the sense of a real resolution - but I won't say any more to avoid spoilers.

All in all a fun thriller, I really enjoyed it!

A mystery more than a thriller, although thrills are present, The Villa tells two stories simultaneously and ends with a twist I never saw coming. In the 1970's, a motley assortment of people vacations at an Italian villa. One of them is brutally murdered, and in subsequent years two of the surviving vacationers create some of the most culturally important creative works of that era. Decades later, two authors/lifelong friends embark on a weeks-long working vacation at the villa. As the narrative switches from timeline to timeline, the stories of each timeline weave together in an exploration of the way that close relationships can breed resentment and foster misunderstandings.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book!

I really enjoyed this book! I loved how they went back and forth between Emily and Mari’s stories. The stories were both similar but also different enough. The book is set in Italy and followed two stories, one set in 1974 and one in present day. There was a murder in 1974 that two friends Emily and Chess became da images with while they were in Italy rekindling their friendship.

The book kept me engaged the whole time wanting to learn more about what was happening in the house. It was mysterious with some twists and turns but nothing that was so far out there or unbelievable. Overall, this is a great mystery thriller and it combines an interesting plot with complex female friendships. I’m very glad to have been able to read this and can’t wait until it comes out to share with others.

Firstly, thank you Net galley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of the latest Rachel Hawkins book coming January 2023.

I found it a bit difficult at first to get into the book with the dual timelines and stories. The chapters from the past were very long in comparison to the chapters present tense. I found myself wanting more detail of the present. The integration of news articles / excerpts was difficult to follow when randomly in the chapter or with the headline coming at the end instead.

I enjoyed the seemingly parallel storylines of past and present and how the characters of past and present were almost mirroring each other. I saw this more of a mystery than a thriller but enjoyed the twists and uncovering of the truth (for both storylines). There were several one liners I loved from Emily and actually laughed out loud. The author did a good job at making frustrating and unlikeable characters!

I do wish the ending wasn’t as rushed / explained a little more in detail. It took a turn I wasn’t exactly expecting and a bit unbelievable.

I will continue to read any adult novels that Rachel Hawkins puts out and will more than likely have an enjoyable reading experience.

Just finished an ARC of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins (thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress)

This book had Daisy Jones and the Six meets murder in a creepy house vibes for me. It's a book within a book that weaves the events of the past with the present.

The villa doesn't play as important of a role as I thought it would. My horror loving ❤️ was probably hoping for more murder as I read it. It was also a bit of a slow burner.

However, if you like Hawkins' writing and her ability to twist at your gut even though you knew what was coming- look out for this book.

Overall, I love a quick, light, and fun murder read and this hit those marks for me.

I absolutely loved this book! I could not put it down so I read it in one sitting. It’s a book that literally has a little bit of everything.

Rachel Hawkins, award winning author of books such as "The Wife Upstairs", has crafted another compelling mystery in "The Villa." "The Villa" centers around two long time best friends, Emily and Chess, who have both become bestselling authors. When Emily is going through a hard time (medically and with her marriage falling apart), Chess convinces her to go to Italy with her and enjoy a few weeks at a luxurious villa. However, the villa has a history of its own: a gruesome murder occurred there decades ago. While in Italy, tension grows between Emily and Chess until finally something snaps. Will history repeat itself at the villa?

I enjoyed the first 75% of the book (and the side story as well!), however I don't believe that Emily would have continued being friends with Chess after discovering the truth, much less tie herself to her indefinitely. The ending was a little unrealistic to me, and wrapped up a bit too neatly. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Villa is set in Summer in Italy and follows a group of 5 in 1974 and two woman in the present. The story in 1974, builds to understanding how the summer came to a close and the death of one of the members, while the present time covers the history of the two women, their present careers/lives and what brought them here. The two become enthralled in the murder that occurred in the house in 1974.

Honestly, I can’t say that I was truly invested in any of the characters but the mystery behind both stories was captivating. Interestingly, in the beginning I was more interested in the present story about Chess and Emily and slowly made my way through the 1974 sections, but about half way through the book the tables turned especially when the climax of the book starts to unfold.

Also, based on the original description, I went into the book expecting a little more mystery and haunted house vibes, but really its just a location of unfortunate events. I was looking or expecting more haunted house versus a location where vacations ended poorly.

Despite my opinions above, I really did enjoy reading this book and I think its one of Rachel Hawkins best. Ultimately, there a couple points lacking in the story or setting and it fell a little flat during the climax and outcome of the present scenario; however, it does end with a pretty interesting twist that bumped up my overall rating.

Houses remember. What a line! This was my first Rachel Hawkins book and it won’t be my last! I’m not usually a fan of dual timelines but this book kept me on the edge of my seat and awake past my bedtime.

OMG THIS BOOK!!!!! Houses Remember.....The twist after twist that didn't let me put this one down!!!! I finished it and am still thinking about it and telling EVERYONE! It was an amazing book. This book did not disappoint and I felt like just when I thought I had it figured out.....another twist, more is revealed and your mind is left spinning but then more is revealed and you're like WHAT???!!! I liked the correlation between Mari and Emily, Lara and Chess and even Pierce and Matt. I'm not going to give any spoilers so GO BUY THIS when it comes out!!!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a gothic thriller. Emily and her best friend since childhood, Chess are spending the summer in Italy in a famous villa. Famous because of a horrible murder that took place there in the seventies. The books is told in the present time and the past when the murder took place. I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down still I finished it. Thanks Netgalley for this Arc.

Rachel Hawkins' books are not thrillers and for some reason I always think they will be! The Villa is similiar to her other books - well written, atmospheric, too many characters and intriguing cover. Other than that her books seem to be the same type trope over and over with a few minor details changed. Wasn't a big fan of this one - actually skimmed it, sorry to say.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and Rachel Hawkins for this ARC of The Villa!

This story was absolutely gorgeous. A perfect definition of summer gothic. I loved the descriptions of the food, wine, and scenery!
The overall plot was very intriguing. However, I found that, in the beginning, I wasn't a fan of the flashback sections. It was hard for me to keep all the characters straight in the flashbacks, but that issue cleared up as the story progressed. With that being said, the story was a bit slow at times. The action didn't start until about 60% but continued to swell until the end. Pretty on par for a gothic story.
I wish things would have ended differently with Emily and Chess; regardless of my personal opinions, their storyline wrapped neatly enough. On the other hand, I LOVED the ending of Mari's story. It really was lovely. I have such a soft spot for any kind of story about writers.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this, Rachel Hawkins's newest novel. This was by far my favorite of hers. There are two story lines intertwined - the present day story of two friends and writers who spend a summer at an Italian villa and the mysterious events of a group of friends who spend a summer at the same villa in the 70s. There's a lot going on as the suspense slowly builds: secrets, jealousy, love, heartbreak, friendship, and trust. I liked the characters - all were well developed and interesting. The story was smart and well paced; I even thought for sure I had one detail figured out but I was wrong. All around, a fun great story and quick read!

The Villa is a dual timeline book. The present timeline follows two women who have been BFFs since they were kids. Now adults, they take a summer girls trip to Italy and stay in a villa in Orvieto. The second timeline, based in 1974, follows a group of friends staying at the same villa and may explain why their stay ended with murder.
This book starts out as a very slow burn. I kept wondering when something was going to happen especially when I realized I was halfway through the book and not all that much was going on. And yet I felt invested in the story and kept hoping it was going to pay off in the end.
There were three main twists, two of which I saw coming. The one at the very end I did not realize was going to happen and yet I was slightly disappointed with it.
In my opinion, the 1974 timeline completely made sense. The how and why and whodunit made sense. The present timeline made no sense whatsoever. You can’t go from not trusting someone at all, to finding out they’ve screwed you, to trusting them so completely you’ve now hitched your wagon to them permanently. Also, I hate it when books use legalities to scare someone. The legal issues that the main character, Emily, had, while very real, would not have ended up being as bad as she was imagining. The threats made by the other party were completely bogus, no judge would have ordered her to do those things, therefore rendering that whole part of the story senseless.
All said and done, I’ve given the book 3 stars. I was entertained, it kept me interested but fell short of what I was hoping and wanting it to be. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for this arc in exchange for my honest review.