I really enjoyed The Villa. It hooked me from the start and kept me turning page after page. The jumping back and forth of the timeline was a bit confusing in the first part of the book, but once I got into the flow, became much easier. Rachel Hawkins has become one of my favorite authors. Definitely recommend!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this one 😭
I felt like it lacked the twists and turns of a suspense novel. I wasn’t able to really connect with any characters. I did love the fact that this story took place in Italy! The way the authors described the villa totally transported me there!

I have loved all these author's books but I think this is her best so far! Gothic suspense combined with twists that you won't see coming, I couldn't put this down until the very end. And then wanted to read it again to see if I could notice any clues I had missed! What a great thrilling ride all set in an Italian villa! I highly recommend this book!

You know the old saying, never judge a book by its cover, well, in this case it is definitely true. When I saw this book by Rachel Hawkins, I almost didn't read it, but I love Rachel Hawkins, so I gave it a chance and I am sure glad I did! The two main characters are great and their friendship is realistic. The book is almost like two books within one going from present time, to the past, and almost another book within. That means home confusing but it totally works out! And the end was excellent, thank you to netgalley and the polisher for this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. I LOVED it!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Rachel Hawkins for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I personally think this book was a little slow to start, it took awhile to grab my attention. Once I got into it, the storyline kept my attention and had me trying to figure out what was coming next. I loved the dual, connecting storylines of Emily and Chess in the present and Mari’s story in the past. I also loved the idea of the murder house, I just wish it had more twists and “adrenaline rush” to it. I felt like something was missing from the story. There was nothing that grabbed my attention and refused to let go. The ending to me felt rushed and a tad predictable, with the exception of the ending to Mari’s story.

Overall, this book kept me interested enough to make me question what was next and want to finish. A solid three star book I would recommend to friends!

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for an ARC of The Villa.

This was a very quick read for me. I found it very intriguing from the get go and was definitely sucked into the storyline. It jumped around from present day to past, which at times was slightly hard to follow.

I landed with a solid 3 stars for a few reasons... I felt like the ending was lacking some oomph. I envisioned something grander and more captivating, and quite honestly felt slightly let down. I also got hints of Verity from the ending, and I didn't *love* Verity.

All in all this was a good read, and interesting. I enjoyed the characters, although even by the ending I didn't trust Chess one bit.

I absolutely loved this domestic thriller by Hawkins. Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Chess and Emily were the best of friends….until they aren’t. Emily doesn’t fully trust Chess, but Chess invites her/convinces her to go to an amazing villa in Italy for the whole summer. Since Emily is divorcing this seems like a good idea.

But this villa has a past…and a memory. The storyline splits into a dual storyline between present day and the 1970s when another group stayed at the villa. These people were sex, drugs, and rock and roll….and one of them died.

Chess becomes enamored with the original tragedy in the house and starts researching. Then things between her and Chess become even more strained. Will history repeat itself?

The Villa is tells the history of Villa Aestas bringing the past and present together. It's full of twists and secrets that will leave you wondering what the real truth is behind the mystery of The Villa Aestas. The relationships between the characters kept me wanting to know more about each of them and the ending left me questioning what really happened at the Villa..

For some reason this book felt like the perfect beach read to me, so if your idea of relaxing is curling up in the sun, reading about murder, this is the thriller for you. (It’s possible that I just categorize every book I read in July as a “beach read”)

The mystery of a musican murdered in an enchanting Italian villa told through journal entries discovered decades later by two “best friends” who seem almost likely to add to the villa’s violent history. I was initially interested in this book for the historical fiction/“true crime” element, but what truly drew me in was the toxic friendship between Chess and Emily - they claim to love each other, but they’re so competitive that I couldn’t help but wonder how far either one of them would go to stay on top.

I honestly thought I had it all figured out, but I was completely thrown for a loop. In fact it took me two days to actually sit down and write this review because I just couldn’t stop thinking about the ending for long enough to write a complete sentence. I loved it!

4.5 rounded up. Devoured this in less than 24 hours. Loved the dual timelines and book within a book. Without spoilers there was 1 subplot I thought seemed implausible and like it was thrown in at the last minute, which is why it's 4.5 not 5. Was ARC from netgalley.

The Villa Review!!

Rachel Hawkins is starting to become a favorite author of mine. I absolutely loved Reckless Girls and Hex Ex (both 5 stars) and The Wife Upstairs was a fanatic domestic thriller as well. The Villa was a solid 4 star read and perfect for the summertime! This book just breathes summer and sunshine and citrus and it makes me really want to visit Italy. I did feel like this one lacked the suspense that her other books had and I was just left wanting more at the end. I enjoyed the different pov and times, it made it a quick read. This one was a dark read and I really want sure where it was going!

Synopsis: Emily has been going through a lot. Her health, marriage, and writing have all gone down the drain. So when her best childhood friend asks to spend the summer with her in Italy, Emily immediately agrees. It turns out that the Villa they are staying at though, is also a murder house.

I often keep notes when I am reading an ARC for review, and according to my notes, by the time I was 19% of the way into The Villa, I had figured out every twist and turn that was coming. Predictable as it was, however, it was still a decent ride.

The plot is split into dual timelines - Mari and her rock star friends and family in the 1970s, and Emily and Chess in the modern day. I FAR preferred the 70s storyline and characters, and I frequently found myself racing through the comparative blandness of the Chess and Emily chapters to get back to the 70s timeline. I didn't find Chess or even Emily to be particularly likable or realistic characters, so I found it harder to care about what was happening in their [really predictable] storyline.

I wished that the actual villa itself had taken on more of the qualities of an actual character and become much more haunted and atmospheric, but all of that just fell a little flat for me. Still, The Villa was a quick, easy read, and the 70s plotline was interesting enough - just save it for a poolside day when you're not in the mood to think too deeply about anything.

What a journey! I really enjoyed the flash backs expanding as Emily discovered the bits and pieces and started unravelling the truth. It was interesting to see how both the past and present centered around people looking after their own self interests. I still am not quite sure who the villain was, though. Was Chess so selfish that she rejoined Emily's side, condemning Matt, just as soon as the realization that they could make a lot of money together hit? I can't help but feel sorry for Emily as she once again is tying herself to a master manipulator. One thing I feel like was missing was someone still alive from the original murder. I expected someone living to have the final piece of the puzzle. Still, I very much enjoyed this book!!

I loved this story. I was really invested, especially in the tale from the 70's of Mari, Pierce, and Lara. I really thought this story was going to go in another direction and I'm kindof disappointed that it didn't. I was underwhelmed with the ending, it could have been so much better. However, I did enjoy this better than the author's previous novels and I would absolutely pick up another novel from Hawkins in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC! I was a big fan of “The Wife Upstairs” so I was excited to read Hawkins’ new book!

I would describe this as a slow burn mystery. I enjoyed the Italian setting and how the two women’s stories intertwined. Once I got 50% through, I was very invested in the characters- Mari in particular. I don’t know if the Villa gave off “creepy, haunted” house vibes, but I liked it’s history. This was a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for me!

Wow this book! This book drew me in from the first chapter until the last. I personally don’t love long chapters and these chapters are long but how the author breaks up the story is fabulous. Leave it to the end to throw me for a loop…. Just when you believed all the twists and turns were over we get yet another. By far this authors best book and my favorite, it was a quick 24 hour read and now I regret flying through and not savoring some of the details a little more.

This book has great potential: mostly interesting characters, a fascinating era, wonderful settings, and two storylines that weave together well. But vaguely improbable, repetitive and her work falls short for me is twists and characterisation. A light mystery read, but my total lack of emotional investment undermined my enjoyment.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Emily has been friends with Chess for years. Chess asks Emily to travel to Italy for a vacation. The villa they are staying are is hiding many secrets in which Emily would like to uncover and write about. Thus book was well written and was a delightful read.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rachel Hawkins for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed The Villa and the two connecting stories. It’s set in Orvieto, Italy and follows two POV’s - one in 1974 and one in present day. A terrible murder happened at the house in 1974, which inspired a book and album, and Emily and Chess become fascinated by what happened and try to find out the truth, while also dealing with their own problems.

This book had such a strong start and I was immediately hooked by it. I really loved the dynamic between Emily and Chess and learning more about their past and friendship. I also thought Mari’s POV in 1974 was interesting, but it was a bit slower in my opinion. Parts of the story were predictable, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment. The ending was a little strange and not exactly was I was expecting, but it fits the story and makes sense!

Overall, this is a great mystery thriller and it combines a creepy and interesting plot with complex female friendships and a beautiful setting. I’m giving this one 4 stars and recommend it!