I found that this book was a very slow burn. Nothing exciting happened until towards the end of the book. I also found the characters incredibly unlikable. I was surprised by the ending and didn't see it coming

I absolutely loved The Wife Upstairs, and was really excited to read this book. However, I tried 4 different times and simply could not get into it. Maybe it's the name Chess? Maybe it was the historical character who seemed awful? I was just completely uninterested. At this point, I simply need to admit that its' not happening. Maybe next time, Rachel Hawkins.

Love a story set in a villa in Italy. Enjoyed the relationship between sisters, Lara and Mari. Love and crime make this an interesting and twisted read.

Two timelines, one incredible story! Mari is in the past and Emily is in the present. Two parts to make a whole story. I preferred the present timeline over the past just because of the husband. It was so good!

THE VILLA – by Rachel Hawkins

‘Houses remember.’

‘Now the line makes more sense to her, now she knows how to use it.
Not a love story at all.
Or yes, a love story, but there’s horror inside of it. There’s death
and loss, blood and sweat. Just as there is in every love story, after all . . . .’

As I follow the story, with its alternating timelines, I can’t help but feel like I am experiencing the journey through a mise en abyme lens— And I Love IT!

Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with an eBook of THE VILLA at the request of an honest review.

Rachel Hawkins is one of those authors that is hit or miss. The Villa was a hit that is worth a read. A great story that draws you in from the beginning to the very last page. A strong 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins in exchange for my honest review.

Childhood best friends that both became writers decide to spend a summer together in a villa that was the site of a murder. Chess is a successful self-help writer and Emma writes cozy mysteries. Emma is going through a divorce after finding out her husband was cheating with an unknown woman much closer to her than she knows. Both women become interested in writing a book about the murder that occurred years ago at the villa. The house holds clues within it to what really happened that night and history begins repeating itself.

I enjoy all Rachel's books. This one was no exception. It was entertaining I loved all the characters in it. She has a wonderful writing style and creative stories. This one was a five out of five stars for me would highly recommend it

I found this book hard to follow & I struggled to find the connections. I wouldn’t have considered this a psychological thriller. I’m a fan of Rachel Hawkins but this one wasn’t my favorite of her books.

This was such a fun, twisty mystery! Frankenstein is my favorite book, so I loved that one of the timelines was a modern day version of Mary Shelley’s story (mostly) and I loved the feminist aspect of two women overcoming the men who had held them down. However, I really struggled with the relationship between Chess and Emily…and I think you were supposed to….I just wish for Emily’s sake there had been more closure at the end for her. But it was still a great read!

I usually don’t read mainstream popular suspense, but I loved the cover and the premice for the story. Suspense with some mystery. An intersting story kept me searching for the truth. The characters, for the most part are interesting. However, I wanted more. The story flips between the 60’s and modern times that has “the villa” at its core with the relationships driving the story. Honestly, Rachel Hawkins could have dove deeper into the story from the 60’s and left out the modern story all together and I would have enjoyed it. The modern story line did not hold the same interest for me and wasn’t nearly as fleshed out or intriguing as past.

Thank you Netgalley and #StMartinsPress for the eARC of The Villa in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Hawkins is a favorite of mine and I only wish I started this one sooner. She takes you on twists and turns like you would not believe. I highly recommend this one!

Rachel Hawkins' works always deliver. Looking for a bingeable read that's suspenseful, mysterious and has a great location? You found it in THE VILLA! Overall a solid read with a unique edge and very cool throwback vibes.

I liked Rachel Hawkins other books but this one was a bit disappointing for me.

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.

At first I was pretty into the characters and the setting who doesn't love an Italian villa. I also really like the dynamic between the two women and I think the author captured the essence of female friendships pretty well. Ultimately it's the flashbacks that really didn't work for me I found it took me out of the story and I didn't really care so much for it. I just wish there was more substance.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I really enjoyed this!! My first Rachel Hawkins and will not be my last. I was hooked from the beginning to the end!

Emily and Chess are childhood friends. After Emily's divorce, Chess invites her to Italy for a summer getaway to clear her mind and let her focus on her writing. When they arrive at the summer villa, they learn there was a murder there in the 1970's, which sparks Emily's interest in writing.

I found most of the book to be predictable. There were no "oh!" type moments or twists that took me by surprise. I just don't feel like this book did much for me, like other Rachel Hawkins books.

If you’ve ever wondered what Daisy Jones and the Six would be like if it was a murder mystery, look no further. The Villa is the answer to that question.

I absolutely loved the gothic feel of this one. It was like someone took all those bright, happy, fun, “let’s-go-on-vacation-to-Italy” books, but said “Hmm okay yes, but let’s make it dark.” Highly recommend!

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A huge thank you to Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this gothic thriller! I’m a huge fan of Rachel Hawkins’s work. This was creepy, atmospheric and I loved the twists! I didn’t love the ending, but overall, a great read.

This is my first Rachel Hawkins book, and it didn’t disappoint. I finished it within a day and didn’t want to put it down. It was a solid 3.5-star read for me; I enjoyed the characters and set up, even the reveal at the end, but it was a little lacking for me. I preferred the present day to the past timeline and was eager for more suspense that never came.

Fun and atmospheric with twists and interesting characters, Rachel Hawkins solidifies her unique place in the fish-out-of -water thriller genre. Fun escapist mystery, well-written with a great sense of place and time.