I enjoyed this two stories in one book. Emily and Chess in today's timeline and Mari in 1974 (actually reminded me a little of Diasy Jones). I've read all of Rachel's books and always look forward to the next one.

I really enjoyed this tale within a tale by Rachel Hawkins. I admit to a bit of burnout on the nested story/flashback format that has been in wider use in modern fiction, BUT this is an excellent use of the same. The parallels are compelling and additive to the plot. This is my favorite book so far by the author.
I received a free copy to review from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

I liked it but definitely didn’t love it. Honestly I think I’ll forget it tomorrow. I loved loved loved the wife upstairs so I was really looking forward to this one but I just didn’t hit for me.
There definitely were some great parts where I was sucked into the book, but a lot of it I was zoning out and wasn’t all that interested. I kept waiting for something bigger to happen.

Hawkins does it again! Different for her, this book does revolve around a murder mystery. It also explores difficult relationships and the importance of art and creation as a method of autonomy, especially in women. I will be honest here and say that the relationship between Emily and Chess reminded me so much of an unhealthy relationship I had in my own life until I was in my mid-twenties - it was almost disconcerting. The frenemy dynamic is one that we all relate to (I think) but is rarely communicated about well. This book examined the love/hate relationship that often (but not always) accompanies our oldest friendships. I really enjoyed the author’s acknowledgements in which she promises that none of her real friends were the inspiration for Chess!

Emily and Chess were best friends who have lost touch and haven't spent much time together lately.
Chess gets the idea to have a girls getaway at a Villa in Italy.
While digging into the Villa's history, Emily has uncovered a murder, while doing so, something is happening with Chess and her friendship.
Betrayals galore!!!


I just reviewed The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. #NetGalley

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Netgalley, and Rachel Hawkins for an advance copy of The Villa in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting and atmospheric story told in dual timelines with both timelines focusing on A Villa in Italy. I felt like this was a very character driven story with a very slow burn. It was interesting to me to see the dynamics in Chess and Emilys friendship but it also was just so toxic to me, which turned me off from wanting to get to know the characters more. I didnt see the twist coming which is always a readers dream and I was happy with the ending. I think Im chasing the readers high I felt when reading this Authors first novel so this one just fell a little flat for me. This one is available now! 3.5 stars!

I went into this book blind and I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that it involved authors.
Two long time best friends go to a Villa to get away from life’s stressors and spend the time writing together as they did during school.
Told from two POVs and different times, this was a great read.

I enjoyed this as a good beachside thriller to read on my vacay. Was it literary genius. No. Was it entertaining.. yes. I liked the dual timeline story with Em and Chess escaping to Italy as Em goes through a divorce and they both have writing deadlines to meet. I enjoyed the sort of book within a book and the parallels drawn from the old and new story.

I’ll read a Hawkins thriller any day. Pick this up for an easy thrill.

Fairly predictable. The Villa has two contrasting timelines: a present-day timeline with Jessica “Chess” and Emily “Em” and a 1970’s timeline with rockstars, Pierce and Noel who bring along stepsisters Mari and Lara. Even though there are few characters, the different timelines made it kind of difficult to remember who was connected to who. A few plot holes, and too much unnecessary info dumping also made this a mediocre read for me.

Predictable, full of plot holes, I expected a better storyline with....more. It felt like a giant info dump that I didn't care about.

I’d read The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls before and wasn’t wowed by either of them. I went into this with low expectations and was actually surprised because it ended up being my favorite of the three. I loved the setting and the jumps between Emily and Mari and seeing the connections. It wasn’t groundbreaking and I wouldn’t read it again but I enjoyed it as a lighter fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in return for an honest review

I really liked this one! It was fun and twisty and had just enough Daisy Jones- vibes in the 70’s timeline. I loved the character of Mari & the setting of the book.

The way the book was written was so smart- the snippets of podcasts, album lyrics, and Lillith Rising, combined with the back & forth timelines, made a relatively short book really pack a punch. Great on audio!

Don’t hate me but this book was not it for me. I really didn’t enjoy this one and it’s so rare that I only give 2 stars, but it had to be done.

I was super bummed because I enjoyed The Wife Upstairs but I found this plot so boring. I did not care about a single character nor was I dying to know what happened. It actually was a struggle to get through the whole book.

Is there a book you’ve read recently that you’ve been disappointed by?

Thank you to Netgalley and Libro.Fm for the books!

I really liked this book. This was my first by this author, and I thought it was twisted, in a fun way, and a really fun audiobook. I loved how it switched back and forth between the seemingly fictional story and present day.

This one was entertaining. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. I enjoyed the timeline swaps and the different POVs. I just felt the story overall lacked that spark that I need to just HAVE to read the story. I wasn’t especially impressed with the ending, but it wasn’t the worst either. Overall just an okay read.

Wow! I loved everything about this book! The dual time lines keep you guessing until the end with their multilayered twists and turns.

I read this in one sitting and now feel I want to start all over again to find all the little clues I might have over looked the first time.

Great read!

This was kinda meh for me. Not what I’ve come to expect from Rachel Hawkins. I think there was just too much going on. Dual timelines, multiple storylines, unlikeable characters throughout, and what should be a great plot involving rock and roll in the 70s that just falls flat. I forced myself to finish hoping for a great ending but I was disappointed.

The Villa is definitely Rachel Hawkins’s best book yet. There was so much depth and story packed in to one book with the two story lines. I was fascinated by the parallels between the past and present story lines. The book read like a true story and I wanted to learn more! This is the perfect book for anyone in a reading rut because it pulls you in immediately.

Thank you to Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another good novel by Rachel Hawkins.

The Villa is narrated by two characters: Mari in 1974 and Emily in the present.

Emily and Chess have been friends since they were kids. Through the years, they have stayed in touch but they haven't been able to spend quality time together in a long time.

Emily is a writer of cozy mysteries. Her series' love interest is based on her ex-husband and because of it, she is having a hard time starting her next book without killing the character. On the other hand, Chess has become a very famous and successful self-help writer. When Chess invites Emily to spend a few weeks in Orvieto, Italy, Emily decides to go. Not long after arriving in Italy, Emily becomes quite intrigued by Villa Aestas' history. She learns the house has been the site of a murder in 1974. Emily starts thinking that a book and an album might have clues about what really happened that fateful day.

In the 1970s, Villa Aestas was known as Villa Rosato. Here a famous singer Noel Gordon stayed with Pierce Sheldon, his girlfriend Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. After Pierce is murdered, Mary writes the greatest horror novel of all time and Lara will compose a platinum album that everybody has heard and most own.

The question is:

Is the person who killed Pierce really the man accused of the crime or perhaps there is more to the story?

I enjoyed the two timelines and the two main characters. I liked how the story progressed. We are able to learn how things occurred in 1974 although when you think you know everything, you really don't.

I've been a fan of Rachel Hawkins since her Hex Hall series and now I'm a fan of her thrillers.

Lastly, if someone from Netflix is reading this review, I think the Villa could be a great movie!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been reading Rachel Hawkins for a long time, all the way back to her Hex Hall days which, I might add, remains one of my YA favorites to this day. For all those who haven't read the series should definitely do so. It is excellent!

Rachel Hawkins does it again. This has the tropes of an old Agatha Christie novel and the author has done a fantastic retelling if I can use that word.
There is an isolated setting where everyone has a secret and everyone is lying.

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. Perhaps Pierce's murder wasn't just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but something more sinister might have occurred and there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind.

I mean Secrets! Lies! A Gorgeous tropical island with a sinister vibe? What is not to love?
If you enjoy supremely flawed characters with a fast-paced twisty plot, give this one a read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.