Wow, that was a ride! I read this in the span of a couple of hours without stopping (I had time and I was intrigued). Mari's story was by far my favorite portion of the whole novel. I really liked the use of different mediums (song lyrics, Mari's story, podcast narratives, forum posts, the current day narrative).

This, for me, was much better than Reckless Girls. Four stars rather than five because I felt like the ending was really abrupt. I even checked to make sure my digital copy wasn't missing a chapter. It was a pretty big twist, and I thought it was interesting that it was inspired by how Emily and Chess thought Mari's story ended, but it was pretty farfetched, and if you blink, you'll miss it. I really liked Emily as a character until the last chapter... THAT was her choice? I guess what Chess wrote in her self-help book was accurate.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have liked Rachel Hawkins' books in the past, but this one was slow and drug out in my opinion. When two friends take off to spend the summer in an italian villa, they discover it has a very dark past. Together, they set out to find themselves and their careers as they learn the truth of what really happened in that house all those years ago.

The Villa hooked me in from the very start!

This book follows two sets of best friends, each set in a villa in Orvieto, Italy. The first is present day, frenemies Emily and Chess spend 6 weeks to get away from the troubles at home to focus on writing their books (Emily who writes cozy mysteries and Chess who writes self-help). While in the villa, they discover the mysterious past of the house where a murder took place. The book flashes back to 1974 to follow two stepsisters, Mari and Lara whose works in the villa gain tremendous popularity.

Pacing: 3/5 - I loved the initial pacing of the book. It was more of a slow burn, but still grabbed me. The last ~25% seemed to go too fast for me. There were details that could easily be missed if not read carefully and I would have liked to see this slow down just a bit.

Characters: 5/5 - each character seemed well thought out and I enjoyed learning more about them. I especially liked the two sets of “frenemies”.

Plot: 4/5 - I couldn’t put this book down! I was fascinated by the fuel plots. However, by the end, the twists started to get a little more predictable.

Overall: 4/5 - I LOVED the first 75% of this book, it completely sucked me into this world. But like I’ve stated, the last part just seemed inconsistent with the mood/pace of the rest of the book.

Definitely look out for this book when it’s published in January 2023! This is a great summer read to warm you up. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

In true Rachel Hawkins style, she has once again managed to write a fabulous book. It’s full of secrets, a past and present timeline, and suspicious friends. This book was highly suspenseful and has me racing through the pages.
This book will be a huge hit once it’s published, no doubt about it! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I highly recommend others read this book. It’s a fun ride!

This story is about 2 best friends, Emma and Chess, who are both writers who get away to a villa, which is known as a murder house, with the hopes of spending time reconnecting and to spend time writing their books. Emma discovers a book in the library of the villa telling her all about the past and the reputation of the villa. This book goes back and forth seamlessly between the past and the present. Although this book was not a scary book as I expected, it did turn out to be more a book with spirits. If you like books with ghosts and spirits then this book would be for you. The beginning of the book was fast paced and really got my interest. As the book went on, I felt it drug on a little for me which is why I gave it 3 stars.

Rachel Hawkins had me hooked on her style of writing ever since I read "The Wife Upstairs". In, "The Villa", you are reading two different story lines that are occurring at different places in time, both based at "The Villa". I really was able to picture the villa in my head and it gave off a mix of spooky and beautiful. I had to finish this book in one sitting because I NEEDED to know the ending. I HAD to know how these two stories intertwined. Not only did I gasp at the ending, I double gasped at the real ending at the end. I did not see that coming! A true keep-you-guessing thriller. 5/5 stars from me. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy. Best book of the year for sure.

Dual timelines? Yes please! Dual narrators? Also yes. Set it in Italy? Perfect.

I really enjoyed this book. The present day time line about two friends off to Italy immediately had my attention. I went back and forth so many times about who could be trusted.
The timeline in the past gave me Daisy Jones vibes and I just had to know!! I thought this book was stressful and clever and exciting. I tore though it because I had to find out!

Damn, I seriously loved this book more than I thought I would.

So we have Emily, our main character who writes cozy mysteries. Her best friend is this influencer/help guru type who constantly changes her name to whatever fits her current brand. She's at the Chess era of her life, and I immediately despised her. She's passive aggressive, condescending and thinks she knows everything. Emily isn't perfect, but Chess is just something else. The thing is that they've been best friends for years so they eventually set off to a Villa in order to get the creative juices flowing.

Cue the chaos.

The Villa is told from dual timeline POVs: the one in the past belongs to Mari, the girlfriend of a rockstar with delusions of grandeur and commitment issues. The present belongs to Emily. I loved seeing the parallels between both of their lives and how they connected through Mari's novel, Lilith Rising. This book offers a story within a story, with bits from Lilith Rising, articles and podcasts but it doesn't derail from the actual story. My favorite chapters were honestly Mari's and it was mostly due to the fact that her character and her arc were an homage to Mary Shelley and the time spent in Geneva involving a certain competition.

I genuinely think this is a really good book and I'd gladly read it again. It's a thriller with a somewhat unhappy ending that I truly appreciated.

4.5 rounded up

This is by far the best Rachel Hawkins book so far. The story feels a lot tighter and more accessible than her previous two novels.
Both Mari and Em's stories kept me turning pages as I tried to guess the whys and hows of the murder in the 70's and what exactly is going on with Em's friendship with Chess. Without spoiling anything I have to say I really enjoyed the endings in terms of the final reveal of Mari's story and how things turned out for Emily.

Wow. This was so good!

“The Villa” is presented in dual timelines - Mari in the 70’s and Emily in the present along with news articles, podcasts, interviews and excerpts from books and songs. If that sounds confusing or annoying, it would have been in the hands of a lessor writer. Here, Hawkins weaves everything together seamlessly, never revealing too much at once to keep you guessing.

There are an incredible number of parallels between the two storylines, both exploring the connection between love and hate and the messiness that ensues when the two combine. Many times, I thought I knew what was going to happen and then was wrong, which made me delightfully uneasy.

I also loved that the Villa itself plays a starring role in the book. It’s gothic and creepy and made me wonder if houses really do remember.

Thanks to St Martin’s Press, Netgalley and especially Rachel Hawkins for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

First off, this cover is absolutely gorgeous. I want a dress with this print on it, ASAP! I'm obsessed. But onto the book review...

When childhood friends and successful authors Em and Chess vacation in the Italian countryside for the summer, they stumble across the more hidden history of their quaint villa.


While I will admit that <u>Villa</u> was more predictable and a little less of a wild ride than <u>Reckless Girls</u>it was still so much more enjoyable than the mess that was <u>The Wife Upstairs</u>, so I am rounding up from 3.5 to 4 stars. The premise was a little over the top and the Mari chapters were so stereotypically quintessential 70s (from drugs, to sex, to underage relationships, to cheating and more) that I may have rolled my eyes a few times, but the story was an extremely fun and fast paced read. With elements of the toxic relationships/friendships of <u>Reckless Girls</u> and a twist similar to that of <spoiler><u>Verity</u> (I'm putting that under a spoiler tag since I know everyone and their Mom has read that book and therefore will understand what I'm alluding to...)</spoiler> this was an entertaining thriller and well worth the read.

One of the things I like most about Rachel Hawkins is that no matter what she writes, her writing style is always consistent and intriguing. The Villa was a solid read. I enjoyed the past and present intertwined and I like the contrast between the two main characters.
However, this didn't really read like a mystery or a thriller to me. The ending felt rushed and without any payout, the way I would've loved. It would've been great to see the story and the house driving Em to darkness, and having that decision at the end work.
That said, I will still continue to read Rachel's books, as she has a very appealing storytelling style and I look forward to what she comes out with next!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review this book early! This book was amazing! Rachel Hawkins best effort to date. A cross between 'Daisy Jones and the Six' and 'The Plot', the suspense and story kept me turning pages late into the night.
So much to discuss here. We have a beautiful Italian villa in Orvieto, the setting descriptions alone make you want to take a visit there; multiple timelines; a murder mystery to solve; a mysterious illness, and jealous friends each with a different agenda.
The character development is excellent and as the story progresses you are sucked into their worlds, one set in the 70s, the other in the 90s. This also touches on revenge feminism (is that a thing?), and the role women play as muses to men, often putting aside their talent and ambition. Both main characters here rise above that and turn out to be very successful, but pay a price in the end. Highly recommended and I'm already imagining the movie casting!

I really liked The Wife Upstairs & Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins but The Villa is definitely my favourite read from her. It started off strong & immediately had my attention. The writing in this book was incredible. The past & present timelines weave together perfectly & I liked both of the main characters. I loved that they were both authors & we got to experience them work through the writing process. I wish I could read the books, especially Lilith Rising!

I totally want to visit the murder house, Villa Aestas. It’s creepy & intriguing at the same time - plus who doesn’t want to visit Italy! I had my suspicions throughout the book & I’m pleased to say I was wrong. The story twists totally rocked me & they were even better than I could’ve imagined. That ending was everything & this book gets an easy 5 stars from me 👏🏼

A little predictable. I wish it went in a slightly different direction but it was so fun and quick to read. A perfect summer/poolside read! Loved the true crime aspect and 70s vibes that came along with the beautiful atmosphere of The Villa. I will definitely be adding a physical copy of The Villa to my library with the rest of my Rachel Hawkins books!

I loved The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls, so I had high expectations for The Villa. Unfortunately it fell a little short for me. The ending was super confusing and i had to go back over it a couple of times to work it out. I found Mari and Lara’s story more interesting than Chess and Emma’s, but it was a good read nonetheless.

When I saw this book I immediately requested it as I am a fan of Rachel Hawkins and the premise of the book was incredibly intriguing!! Overall I enjoyed this but the last 20% or so became quite confusing and the two different storylines didn't really seem to converge. Personally it felt like there were just way too many ideas all crammed into one book. I do enjoy the writing of Rachel Hawkins and the description of Villa Aestas/Rosato felt very authentic, I only wish there was more about Italy that would have made for more of an immersive experience. Thank you to Rachel Hawkins, St Martins Press and NetGalley for this arc to review.

Book synopsis:
As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.
Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.
As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind.
Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge––and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.

Having just read Hawkins’ The Wife Upstairs, I was hoping The Villa would be just as twisty. But unfortunately, this novel fell a little short for me. I struggled with the 1974 storyline, not sure of how the two timelines lined up together. I also kept expecting something big to happen, and by the time it finally did, I had figured it out. Hawkins’ writing is great, and her pacing helped move the story along - I just wanted to care more about the characters and what happened to them.

Another excellent read from Rachel Hawkins! Emily and her friend Chess take a summer vacation to Italy following Emily’s messy divorce. They both plan to relax and finish the books they are writing and get away from their normal lives. Emily notices the Villa they are staying at has some “baggage” and the book follows her investigation. 5/5 stars. I finished it within 2 days! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Villa stars Emily, an author fresh off the breakup of her marriage. At the invitation of her frenemy, Chess, she takes a summer vacation at a beautiful Italian villa famous for a shocking 1970s murder involving a group of celebrities (though some would reach their fame after their visit).

As Emily starts researching the events that took place over 50 years ago, she begins to suspect that, if possible, something more sinister than just a murder occurred at this villa. And as tensions between her and Chess simmer and a betrayal is exposed, maybe the house is ready to claim yet another victim.

I very much enjoyed Hawkins’s previous book, Reckless Girls, and the premise of The Villa sounded too good to pass up. It’s a great example of characters I really didn’t like, but didn’t need too—I was drawn to the writing and the story enough so that I could overlook how awful this lot behaved (though I will say, Emily and Lara were fairly sympathetic). I liked how the past was woven together with Emily and Chess’s present narrative and thought the two tied nicely together.

The only thing I found a bit awkward (for lack of a better word) was how quickly Emily fixed her “problem” (I don’t want to give anything away here). The book had been nicely drawn out and prior consequences explored and expanded, but then it’s a bit unsettling—we get to the big explosion and everyone just wipes their hands and moves on with life. And I began to question how sympathetic Emily really was…

All in all a satisfying read and I’ll be looking forward to more from this author.

Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for inviting me to read this book through NetGalley in exchange for a review.