I received an ARC from St. Martins Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for my review. All thoughts are my own.

This story follows Emily's life after getting a divorce from her husband. Her husband split up with her after she got sick and apparently needed too much from him. Emily has a best friend named Chess who is a famous author of self help books. Emily is also an author who is struggling to write the 10th book in her cozy murder mystery series. Chess decides she and Emily need to go to Italy for a summer to get some writing done and reconnect. As they do Emily gets a spark for a new novel after reading and learning about a murder that occurred in the house they are staying at. Between Chess and Emily there are a lot of secrets. Will they be able to be friends after the truth comes out?

The Villa was not my favorite by this author however, I really enjoyed reading it still. This book had a really unique structure. I thought it was interesting that there was a mystery within a mystery within a mystery. I found that I was a bit more interested in the modern day mystery versus the murder mystery set in the 1970's. I thought it was a cool concept to follow Emily on her journey of self discovery as a writer and person. I really liked the way that part of the book showed a lot of growth from the main character. The contrast between Chess and Emily as best friends was so intriguing to read about. I did not quite understand how they were friends because they were so different. I did feel like there were a few parts that kind of lagged at the beginning. However, I was able to finish it fast once it picked up. I did not enjoy reading the 1970's part of a murder because of the sex scenes. They were brief however kind of unnecessary. I understood that the author needed to establish the way that these young adults were living. I just felt the specific details were not necessary.

Content: Murder, Sex, drugs, illness, infant death, and manipulation

Read if you like to read about:
Murder Mysteries
Dual timeline
Friendships
Writers
Italy

This was my first Rachel Hawkins read, and man am I glad I chose this. The very beginning of the book left me wanting more and I wasn't sure Hawkins could turn it around. Chess and Emily's departure for Italy post Emily's divorce rang of a typical contemporary novel. Something you've read time and time again. The redemption comes with the mystery and thriller tie-in.

Throughout the novel, there are flashbacks to the 1970s and the deaths/murders that surrounded Aestas. Emily (a writer in a slump) decides to research into the villa and the murders. Ultimately, Emily uncovers more of Mari's (one of the 1974 houseguests, and later a successful writer) writing and journals. There are twists and turns along the way. Multiple betrayals by friends and lovers. The uncovering of what really happened in those 1974 deaths. And of course, more death.

Although it took me a while to get into the flashbacks to the 1970s, it helped to reveal and uncover more plot than Emily alone could have uncovered with her research.

**I received this advance copy free from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I really enjoy everything I've ever read by Rachel Hawkins. This was no exception! I don't want to spoil anything, so please please please read this one to see for yourself!!

I was so excited for this one, and while it wasn't bad, it just missed the mark for me. The first half I was very bored, I had to really motivate myself to pick up the book and keep going. Eventually, it definitely picked up speed and I had to get to the end-the twist was good. It was a good read...not a great one, just good.

Now I want to go to Italy.
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At least I get to travel through the pages of a book. The Villa, my favorite so far by Rachel Hawkins, takes place at a lovely Villa in Italy. It follows two timelines, tells three stories, and blends together beautifully to connect it all.
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Chess, a character who seemed to be so inspired by Rachel Hollis that I immediately dislike her, and her forever best friend Emily, a writer in the middle of health concerns and a divorce, take a summer retreat to Villa Aestas in Italy. They hope to use the time to reconnect and do some writing on their respective books. Chess is writing her latest self help book while Emily is struggling to finish the latest in her cozy mystery series. For two best friends, they certainly have some big secrets from each other.
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Emily is fascinated to learn that the Villa was once named Villa Rosato, the scene of a famous murder in the 1970’s. What happened that summer in 1974 is the story of stepsisters, Mari and Lara, rock star Noel and an upcoming musician, Pierce. There seem to be some secrets between them all amongst the sex, drugs, and Rock and Roll that made the murder so famous.
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The third story is contained in the book and journal Mari left behind and in the lyrics of Lara’s famous songs. That third story might be my favorite, although I enjoyed them all.
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I read and discussed this with the #SaturdayBookstaClub and was happy to read and share it. I felt it was very atmospheric in both timelines and I really didn’t prefer one to the other. It had just the right amount of tension and a drop of creepiness, it is a murder house, after all. I liked the ending, but I am not sure if the entirety of it was necessary. I can’t wait to discuss this and see if my Booksta friends feel the same .

The Villa is an enjoyable, beach read-type thriller that, as a baby when it comes to scary things, I can say never actually got scary. The narration switches between two groups staying at an Italian villa at two different times, the much more interesting 1970s rock star and artist crew and the current day best frenemies, Emily and Chess. The book was somewhat slow at parts, particularly the sections about Emily and Chess, but it did picked up towards the end. It also left me feeling a bit sad about the depiction of female relationships… it would have been more interesting to dive into that more because there could be A LOT more to say. I’m a bit disappointed with the end but overall, I thought it was a fun read.

I've sat on an advanced copy of this book for about 3 months before it was released. I think it was the cover. It's pretty and eye catching but something about it made me keep passing on it. The books release came and went and I still hadn't cracked a page. And now that the book has been out for over a month I keep hearing about it. So I finally decided to give it a try.

The first night I read about 10%. The second night I read the ENTIRE rest of the book. Its very well written with complex, well developed characters. There are separate dual timeline stories. Each story is interesting on its own. Its complex and multilayered and I'll probably be thinking about it for a little while now that I'm done.

***Advanced copy obtained from St Martin's Press via Netgalley****

I feel like I’ve heard this story before. Maybe it was a movie I saw? Or was Hawkins story good enough to give me deja vu about something I was currently reading?! I don’t know- maybe “friends” claiming one another’s writing/art/music is a common thing in the creative world. I really want to like Rachel Hawkins. Her blurbs are always so compelling, but the stories themselves always leave me a little wanting.

Would you book a stay in a place where you knew people had died from foul play? How about if it was set away in a stunning destination like a villa in Italy?
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I wouldn't, but I feel like I've experienced it now! This book was wild. It was fast-paced and fun but had moments where I was taken aback. Like, wait .. what happened? Oh my!. I suppose that's a thriller for you. It takes you on that rollercoaster of events and dear reader you're just hanging on for the ride.

So if you're into dual timelines, that rock'n'roll lifestyle, "true" crime, characters that you're unsure if you love or love to hate, plus weird old buildings that seem to be at the centre of it all then this is the book for you! Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson Murders and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at Lake Geneva castle - the birthplace of Frankenstein. Add it to your tbr because this vacation destination novel publishes in early January! Perfect for fans of Lucey Foley and Ruth Ware.

This is another winner by Rachel Hawkins. I read the book eagerly and quickly then forgot to post my review…. Aargh! Emily and Chess have become distant over time. Still friends but not the close BFFs they once were.

Now Emily is a cozy mystery writer and Chess a rich and famous social media influencer. When Emily is invited by Chess to an infamous villa in Italy, she eagerly accepts, hoping it will help her forget her disastrous divorce and eliminate her lingering writers block

The Villa is the site of a strange murder in the 1970s and is described as a mix of the Manson murders and the infighting of Fleetwood Mac.

A really interesting book, very unique! I thoroughly enjoyed it and apologize for the review getting lost. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Rachel Hawkins is an extraordinary author! I adored her debut novel, Reckless Girls. The Villa did not disappoint. I am a little late with my reviews and this novel has been on hold since before it was delivered to my library! There's currently a 40+ week wait! this book is truly a breath of fresh air!

5 stars out of 5!!

At once haunting and addictive, The Villa will leave readers spellbound and positively stunned.

Lauded as one part murder house, one part Fleetwood Mac, loosely inspired by the Manson Murders and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron. Enough said!

I am a huge fan of Rachel Hawkins. One of the top reasons I like her work so much is that she brings the same sense of humor, snappiness, sass and quirkiness that you find in Young Adult fiction to adult fiction, and in this case, gothic suspense. I just find her writing so playful and fun. The other top reason I'm a fan is that she creates specific, bold and flawed characters that are somehow still so likeable.
Both of these things are definitely at play in THE VILLA. In addition, I thought the two main characters - Emily and Chess -- were both idiosyncratic and so different from each other. Their relationship was complex, their feelings about each other constantly shifting. It seemed like a true, old friendship between to women who had a strong bond yet grew up to see things so differently. Their relationship stood out to me as the highlight.
I've read other reviews that mention that there may have been a few too many layers to this one, and I can understand where readers may be coming from on that. There's the past, there's the present, there's text from a fiction book and there's a podcast, which is quite a bit to juggle and weave together. While I do wonder if the book may have been tighter with a little more simplicity, I thought Hawkins did a masterful job weaving it all together in a way that made sense and flowed.
Lastly, I'm a huge fan of gothic fiction, which is often heavy and serious, so it's refreshing to see Hawkins bring a sense of lightness and play to gothic suspense.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

This was my first Rachel Hawkins book that I read. I have a couple of her books, and this one persuaded me to pick another one up soon! The inspirations behind this book really pull it together, and I loved how it was set in Italy! Emily and Chess have very interesting characters, and I loved the twist!

Emily and Chess have drifted apart as best friends, so when Chess proposes a summer getaway to Italy to work on their writing, Emily jumps at the chance. She soon learn that the Villa they are staying at was the scene of an infamous murder in the 1970s. Emily begins to dig into the Villa’s history, suspecting that there is more to the story than what meets the eye.

Told in a dual timeline format, the story intertwines Emily’s and Cessa’s present day getaway with the villa’s murderous past. While this wasn’t the most thrilling of thrillers it was a good drama and {albeit somewhat predictable} mystery. Overall, while not my favorite of Rachel Hawkins’ novels, it was a decent read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my gifted e-book!

I love Rachel Hawkins and this one did not disappoint! Empowering, suspenseful, beautiful setting, great characters.. this book had it all!

The Villa was billed as gothic suspense. In my opinion it was neither. The suspense, what there was of it, came very late in the book. The setting, an Italian villa outside Orvieto, was really very ungothic, as it contributed nothing to the ‘atmosphere’ of what occurred there.
This dual timeline book, present day and 1974, told two stories with various commonalities, the most obvious being Emily, a present day character, becoming obsessed with a murder that took place at the villa in 1974. I guess in the author’s mind this constituted ‘gothic’. Both storylines have ‘weak’, insecure characters who are overwhelmed by shallow, self-absorbed ones who think their social status puts them above the fray. Pseudo-family, betrayal and revenge play parallel roles. There is an element of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll in the 1974 storyline, but not the wild parties or orgies one anticipates given the timeframe.
Much of the book was way too slow and at times boring interlaced with bits of interestingness, mostly centered around backstory character development. The final 20% was quite different. Things really pulled together with amazing force and dynamic writing followed by a relatively satisfying afterward. This part of the book salvaged it and made it a worthwhile read.
Based on the description, I thought overall the book had more potential than it delivered, except as noted above. Had I been more engaged earlier, I would have rated it higher than 3.5 stars. I enjoyed Ms Hawkins earlier work, The Wife Upstairs, and would give her another try.
Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

Set at a lush, Italian villa, a dual-perspective villa that centers around two groups of creatives and the complicated relationships that ultimately both end in shocking tragedy.

In 1974, rockstar Noel Gordon invited up-and-coming musician Pierce Sheldon and his girlfriend Mari and her stepsister Lari to spend the summer in Orvieto, for a creative refresh. A summer in a luxurious villa sounded like paradise but their stay ended with a bloody and brutal murder that ultimately spurred Mari into writing one of the most notable horror novels of all time.

Years later, two old friends Chess and Emily share the very same villa in the hopes of reconnecting and finishing their own looming literary projects. Soon Emily becomes pulled into the mysterious history of the villa and begins to uncover the secrets of both the original group who made the villa notorious and of her and Chess. As Emily gets closer and closer to the truth, tensions rise and betrayals are uncovered culminating in another shocking tragedy.

So this read like a bad fan-fiction about the unholy trinity that was Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley (née Godwin), and Claire Clairmont (Mary's stepsister). Barely changing the names, Hawkins re-envisions the infamous villa that Lord (George Gordon) Byron rented in Lake Geneva which he shared with the Shelley entourage, even including the doctor, revamped in Hawkins's book as a drug dealer, John William Polidori.

From the lack of creativity to the predictable nature of both perspectives, I felt a gradual and then definite disconnect with the plot. One borderline plagiarized the life of Mary Shelley, adding a murder for the sake of creative divergence while the other perspective was about as formulaic as a bad day-time soap plot. There was an excess of whining and melodrama in both perspectives that just grinded on my gears.

If you are new to Rachel Hawkins as a thriller writer, I am so jealous! This is a true gift for those that seek their thrills between the pages. I read this nearly a year ago and I still think about how cleverly it comes together.

I love a book about a Book. One that requires the Other to become something magnificent. That book that lets you believe that you may own such a Book and the adventures that could be found both between the pages and by simply owning it. That’s The Villa. It’s about Emily and Chess, and their inseparable friendship, even into adulthood. It’s about the lengths we go to as adults to hang on to those friendships that shape us and define us humans.

Emily and Chess, have been friends for years. The type of friends that should transcend everything. When they find themselves renting a villa in Italy for a much needed vacation and chance at reconnection, they discover the villa is the home to a legacy far deeper than either woman believed. Found in the villa’s library is a journal from the time the villa was home to some of rock and roll’s most famous murders.

This one is so good! Hawkins is so skilled at amping up the tension until you can’t possibly believe it will all work out and then, deliver a twist so sharp you can’t but help to be humbled by her skill. I loved this book. It’s full of complicated, sympathetic characters; kind of? Or at least, not feel guilty for supporting. There are some very real reasons for Emily to do what she does. While Chess was who I thought she would be, I was still shocked by the ending and fully invested in the story and characters. This is also one of those magical books that gives you two compelling stories: we get the complicated relationship between Emily and Chess and the intriguing story or what actually happened at the villa all those years ago.

It’s so, so good!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

The Villa had some good mystery vibes as Emma and Chess take a summer getaway to Italy to write. The villa where they are staying is also a notorious "murder house." Emma gets caught up in the mystery of what happened there so long ago while dealing with her own emotions. The plot and characters kept me guessing as to who was being "real" or not. Thank you NetGalley for a copy of The Villa.