3.5 stars

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is about two best friends, Emily and Chess, who spend a summer in Italy togetherliving in a villa that is full of secrets. The story flashes back and forth between Emily in the present day and Mari, the girl who lived in the villa in 1974.

This story was a slow start for me. Jumping back and forth between the two timelines and I wasn't fully connected to either part of the story. But as the book went on, my interest grew and I was invested by the halfway point!

In this genre (I call it psychological thriller chick lit), I always find the endings to be kind of wacky and far-fetched and this one is no different. But I kind of liked the ending here and was willing to just go with it-- even if it did leave a few plot holes and some lingering questions and require me to suspend my disbelief for a bit.

I've read several books by Rachel Hawkins now, and while they may not be my most favorite books, I do always find them entertaining and easy to read.

Two timelines, a book within a book & one Villa—super fun!

What I enjoyed:
-The setting itself felt like its own character. Loved the descriptions and felt like I was there with them.
-Dual timelines and perspectives! I loved the book within a book and hearing what really happened in the timelines. Super clever!
-Emily and Chess were interesting characters, their friendship extremely complex.

The book started kinda slow and the ending was a bit predictable. I think this will definitely be a favorite this summer though! 3 stars for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC! 💛

I really enjoyed Reckless Girls so I was super excited to get to read The Villa and it did not disappoint! The story is told in two timelines and sometimes that really bothers me but I thought it was really well done here. I enjoyed the transitions and I think they added to the story really well. I think part of the twist was pretty obvious early on but the ending still packed a major punch in ways I didn't see coming. Highly recommend!

4.5/5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Rachel Hawkins for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book is well-written and the characters are super interesting. The dual story lines are both interesting and watching the stories unfold and intertwine is very interesting and will keep your attention throughout the entire book.

This book also gives Verity by Colleen Hoover manuscript vs. book feelings. However, it is a lot less vulgar, but still very horrifying. The mystery of it all is a lot of fun to try and figure out as you read.

Although, I am not a fan of how the dual storylines are laid out in this book, it may just be because I am reading it on Kindle instead of a physical copy. Other than that, I absolutely loved this book.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a gripping thriller/mystery, anyone who loves watching two storylines intertwine, and people who liked Verity but not the explicit scenes.

Thank you again to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for an advanced reader's copy of this book!The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a gothic suspense that is told in dual timelines. Mari is a young British woman in the 1970s, and Emily is an American woman in her 30s during present day. The majority of the book takes place for both narrators at a beautiful Italian villa. During the present day timeline, the villa has undergone a name change due to the publicity that arose after the horrific murder that happened on site while Mari was visiting. I appreciated both timelines, enjoying the familiarity with the present day timeline and enjoying the Fleetwood Mac vibes of the earlier timeline.
Emily and Chess have been best friends since childhood, and are now both taking some time to write their books while luxuriating in Italy. I liked learning about their dynamic and seeing the history behind their friendship. I think it could be very relatable to those who've had childhood friends who seem to be going off in different directions while still attempting to maintain closeness. I found it frustrating when Emily seemed to have distain for Chess in terms of the names she went by throughout the years. I think it is totally normal to experiment, reinvent and try to figure out who you are. That being said, I think Rachel Hawkins completely named Chess as a character, the quint essential spiritual/ motivational influencer.
There were some "ick" moments when learning that Pierce ran off with his first wife while she was 15 and basically did the same thing with Mari, but I think that was an intentional choice. I enjoyed the character building and could envision them all. I think i figured out almost all of the twists ahead of time, but I'm not holding that against the book. Overall, I had a good time and would recommend this to anyone interested in a cozier thriller, and for those into literary fiction.

Set in both 1974 and present day, the dual timelines take place in an enchanting villa near Orvieto, Umbria, Italy. Longtime friends, Emily and Chess, decide that a summer in Italy is what each of them needs to finish their respective books. Emily discovers that there was a murder in the villa decades earlier, and she becomes fascinated by it. The 1974 timeline tells the story of that murder during a sex and drug-filled summer. Everyone’s lives are changed after their summer at Villa Aestas. I really enjoyed this slow-burn thriller and its twists and turns.

I read this book with my book club and we all loved it!

I think Rachel Hawkins has mastered the "bingable" thriller. The writing style and amount of drama keep you turning the pages at the speed of light. I read this book in three sittings, but could easily have read it in a day.

The ending gives room for a little bit of interpretation and it was actually a really fun discussion with our group. If you enjoyed The Wife Upstairs, you'll love The Villa!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins was a most compelling audiobook. It was told in alternating timelines. Over the years, I have become a big fan of Rachel Hawkins and so I was excited to see that she had written a new thriller. The Villa certainly lived up to my expectations! Rachel Hawkins was able to develop intense and intriguing characters for both time lines within her book. The Villa was well plotted and paced just right. I found it interesting and appealing that Rachel Hawkins had chosen to base the earlier time line of The Villa (1974) on the influences of the music of the 1970’s especially resembling that of Fleetwood Mac and the poetry and literary influences of Mary Shelley, Summer Percy and Lord Byron. Having had spent those years of the early 1970’s at college, I can agree that 1974 was definitely a time known for rock ‘n roll, drug experimentation and sex. The other time line was present day. Rachel Hawkins had chosen to set The Villa in Umbria, Italy at a villa originally called Villa Rosato and later changed to Villa Aestas. The Villa was located in Orvieto, a quiet, beautiful and romantic spot. As I mentioned, I listened to the audiobook that was very well narrated by Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell and Shiromi Arserio.

Emily and Chess (Jessica) had grown up together and were best friends all during their younger years, through high school and even through college. Then their lives took different paths. They still remained friends but they tended to get together less and less and their correspondence was in the form of text messages. Both Emily and Chess became authors. Emily wrote cozy mysteries that centered around the character of Petal Bloom. Chess had gotten herself involved in a podcast and she had written a self help book entitled, “Things My Mama Never Taught Me” which became an instant best seller and made Chess a small fortune and very popular. Emily had married the man of her dreams but she learned the hard way that she was very mistaken. She found herself dealing with her divorce, writer’s block and an illness that she was finally recovering from. When Chess called Emily and proposed that they do a girl’s only trip to Italy for the summer so they could reconnect, concentrate on their writing and relax, Emily was all in. A change of venue would do her good she thought until she discovered that Chess had rented the Villa where a murder occurred back in 1974.

In 1974, Rock musician Noel Gordon rented out Villa Rosato in Orvieto for six weeks and invited Pierce Sheldon, an up and coming singer songwriter, along with his current and much younger girlfriend, Mari Godwick and her step sister, Lara Larchmont. Noel was hoping he and Pierce might write songs together. Mari was just sixteen when she met the already married Pierce Sheldon. She had had a good upbringing and came from a family that was quite wealthy. Mari’s mother was an author and had written and published a book. Mari left the comforts of her home and joined Pierce on the road where he was performing. Pierce was talented but had little ambition. Mari and Pierce had had a son together but he had died from a respiratory illness that might have been avoided if they had had the money to consult a doctor and if Pierce had taken it more seriously. Mari never really recovered from the loss of her son. He was always in her conscious thoughts. Then one day, Johnny appeared. He made it no secret that he was attracted to Mari but Mari’s heart belonged to Pierce. Mari began writing that summer. She authored a book which she titled, “ Lilith Rising”. Although the characters were different, the plot of Lilith Rising mirrored the summer at Villa Rosato. Lara, Mari’s stepsister, also proved to be a very talented singer songwriter. Her album, Aestas, was comprised of sad lyrical songs. Both Mari and Lara eventually found fame from their accomplishments. That summer, though, changed the lives of all those that shared the Villa. There were drugs, music and sex. There were arguments and physical and verbal violence. There was a murder. Pierce Sheldon died that summer. Who killed him?

Emily had always been an avid reader. Was it a coincidence that a copy of Lilith Rising was one of her favorite books and that she chose to reread it while she and Chase were at Villa Aestas? Emily’s thoughts began to question the type of books she might want to write. She was tired of Petal Bloom and cozy mysteries. Could she figure out what really happened all those years ago by dissecting Lilith Rising. Suddenly, her motivation came to fruition and she found herself pounding away at her keyboard. She had written more in just a few hours than she had in a very long time. There was one problem, though…Chess! Although Emily was the one with the idea of changing genres to true crime and writing about what really occurred at Villa Aestas in 1974, Chase wanted to coauthor it with Emily. What would Emily decide to do? Emily suspected that Chase was keeping secrets from her. Was she? Why had Chase really invited Emily to join her for the summer at Villa Aestas? What would they discover about the events that led up to the murder in 1974?

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins was suspenseful and even chilling at times. It was twisty, creepy and dark at other times. The Villa was about friendship, betrayal, secrets, strong female artists, jealousy, influences from literature and music and inspiration. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Villa and highly recommend it highly. Publication was January 3, 2023.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of the book is intriguing and set in a beautiful village in Italy made me want to book a trip. The characters fall short of feeling fully fleshed out. I did enjoy the minor twist toward the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! I liked this story that intertwines murder, mystery, and a toxic relationship (or two). The Villa hops back and forth between two story lines in different times - and paints the full picture of The Villa, and it’s background. This read like a slow burn dramatic murder mystery that was enjoyable enough to read. Overall, I would recommend this book.

This is probably my favorite Rachel Hawkins book!

I liked the whole “murder house” theme surrounding Emily and Chess’s girls trip. I also really enjoyed the dual time lines and getting the actual story of what happened from Mari’s perspective.

Chess was, in my opinion, unworthy of Emily’s friendship. But this book did showcase the struggles of friendships and forgiveness

Rachel Hawkins knocked my socks off, with her book The Wife Upstairs. I jump on every chance to get her new books once they are released for ARCs. While I loved the Wife Upstairs, and like the Reckless girls, I found this title: The Villa, Quite boring and dull.

Two life long friends, separated by everyday life, finds themselves wanting to reconnect in a girls trip to italy. However, both being "famous" and writers could cause more turmoil than rekindling anything. Once they get to the old mysterious villa where the famous rock-star Pierce had once stayed, More spirals into play than just writing or rekindling old friendships. Thank You to Netgalley for allowing me to read this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

Kept my attention. Thoroughly curious and intrigued. Juicy right up until the end. A real lascivious guilty pleasure kinda read.

I tried really hard to get into this one! It was a DNF for me. I do not think it was the story by any means, I just was not in the mood for this type of book. I am giving it 4 stars, since I have to rate it. But again, it was me not the book.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins follows Emily and her friend Chess who are both authors. The girls take a summer trip to Villa Aestas in Orvieto, Italy to write their next projects and rekindle their childhood friendship. While there, Emily uncovers the secrets of famous horror writer Mari and the mystery surrounding the home and the tragedy that befell it in 1974. The story has a dual timeline between now and then from the perspectives of Emily and Mari. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and the layers Hawkins weaves within the tale. The fast moving and intriguing story kept me interested until the end. I highly recommend!

What have I learned? This author just isn’t for me.. This is the second book from Rachel Hawkins that I just didn’t vibe with. This story was SO slow and I caught myself skimming the pages after getting bored. I had to DNF it at 40% because I was completely miserable and begging for another book to get my mind off this terrible one.

Rachel Hawkins has done it again. I absolutely love her writing style and I was on the edge on my seat in this slow burn thriller. It kept me interested and entertained through the entire book. I could not wait to see what twists and turns she had in store. Would definitely recommend

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

In the summer of 1974, there was a group of five staying at Villa Rosato: Mari, an aspiring author; Lara, Mari's sister and an aspiring musician; Pierce, Mari's husband and up-and-coming musician; Noel, a world-famous rock star; and Johnnie, whose reasons for being at the villa are not immediately clear. The summer of 1974 ends in one of the group being murdered, and inspires two of the most influential works of the century: Mari's groundbreaking horror novel and Lara's platinum album.

Cozy mystery author Emily is recently divorced and struggling to write her next book, so when her childhood best friend Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to get away for the summer. When they arrive at the villa (now known as Villa Aestas) in present day, Emily starts looking into the murder and begins to suspect there was much more to the story than sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

The story is told in alternating timelines, which is a trope I absolutely love in mystery/thrillers and certainly worked for me in this case as well. In terms of the 1974 storyline, I really liked that we started off the novel knowing a murder took place but not knowing the identities of the victim and murderer, nor their motive. I was really engaged as we went back in time and pieced together the chain of events leading up to that notorious crime. In the present day chapters, we gained insight into Emily and Chess's toxic friendship. These chapters often made me really mad as I thought Chess was absolutely intolerable, but it's to the credit of the book that it was able to make me experience such strong feelings towards her character.

The aspect of this book that I arguably loved most was the setting. I could easily envision the beautiful Italian villa and it made me desperately want to be there. This is a perfect beach or poolside read and although I think it's worth reading at any time of the year, I would highly recommend reading this novel this summer!

I also appreciated the message of the story, which boiled down to the men in 1974 treating Mari and Lara like side characters in their story, when ultimately it is Mari and Lara who end up having the most important impact on culture. I thought there was a lot of unique commentary surrounding this concept.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading The Villa! If you like mystery/thrillers with toxic friendships, novels with feminist commentary, or are just looking for a good beach read for this summer, I would highly recommend this one.

I was lucky to get The Villa on Netgalley. I'm a fan of two stories interweaving and both having a mystery of sorts. While I saw a few things coming, other things kept me engrossed. The manipulation around every corner and not knowing who to root for or who to trust was infuriating, yet again, kept me reading! Interesting, unsatisfying, overall hard to put down.

This book was very meh for me personally. I tried doing the book and the audio to see if it would help move the story along for me, but the time jumps were jarring through the beginning with the different stories and I went into it expecting more of a thriller theme and it definitely wasn’t very “thrilling”. I think others could like this, but it just wasn’t a book for me.

Thank you NetGalley and st. Martins Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!