Just like this author's previous book, Reckless Girls, this book was published at the perfect time for me - I could **feel** the Italian sunshine while reading this, keeping me warm even when it was 30 degrees and raining outside.

Chess and Emily are childhood besties, and they both grow up to become authors - although one is more celebrated than the other. Chess becomes a self-help guru, landing a spot on Oprah's talk show. Emily, on the other hand, is going through a divorce while trying to force herself to write the latest novel in her cozy mystery series, which has a small but devoted following. When Chess offers up a free trip to an Italian villa for a summer of writing, Emily can't say yes quick enough.

Only, the villa is actually a ~murder villa~ 👀 In 1974, Mari and her step-sister, Laura, follow Mari's musician boyfriend, Pierce, to the same Italian villa at the invitation of famous rock star Noel to spend the summer. Things happen, someone dies, and someone gets sent to jail. The events of the 1974 murder become intertwined with Chess and Emily's trip in the present-day 👀

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and read it SO fast. I loved the idea of this - the dual timelines, the murder house - and I thought this was really well-paced (which is saying something considering slow burns are very hit or miss for me). I thought the plot could've been way more twisty and I was able to guess a ton of the "twists" pretty early on. Even so, I was able to enjoy the ride for what it is - a slow burn, suspenseful, fun escape - and appreciate the author's writing (I loveee Rachel Hawkins writing). Plus, there were a few final twists you get at the very end of the book, which I did NOT see coming and had a bit of a Verity vibe? TLDR: this book would make for a perfect beach/poolside read!

I am a fan of Rachel Hawkins writing and I do enjoy the stories she tells. When I read that this was a gothic tale, that was enough for me, I wanted to read it. I do enjoy the trope of a person revisiting someone's letters, items, etc left behind for clue on what happened to a cold case years before. I enjoyed this one too, however I will say that it was very predictable. There were a few times I was also a little confused with the back and forth. Overall, it was a solid read and I think there will be some definite fans of this one.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. We are following multiple timelines and stories in this book that all take place in the same Italian Villa. The first timeline is the present day and we are following two best friends who are both writers and decide to take a holiday to Italy. The villa they end up staying at was the setting for a brutal murder durning a stay with some rockstars from the 1970's. From this disaster we get a famous book and a very famous record Album. Woven in between the timelines we also get snippets of the both the book and the album. Overall I enjoyed this one, I always know what I am going to get with a Rachel Hawkins book and that is an enjoyable read. I think I would have maybe liked it a little more if the entire book was set in the 1970's versus the two timelines but it was still a fun read. Thank you St.Martin's Press for my gifted copy for review!

The Villa was a great read: a story within a story. The two different storylines were so interesting going between the 70s and present day. I very much liked the characters Lara, Mari, Pierce & Johnnie and then Chess and Emily. At some point I thought Chess was totally horrible but once the truth was revealed I was ok with her. The ending was a little confusing with Mari’s story. What really happened? I like that I still kind of wondered which ending was the real one.
I was sad for Emily that she was stuck with Chess in the end but hopefully she makes it work for her.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this book. It was excellent.

I have enjoyed all of Hawkins’ books so far so it was a joy to read another novel with so many twists and turns. I enjoyed the two timelines and the way that they enter twined throughout the novel. I felt that the “sickness” part was a bizarre red herring, but other than that I thought it was a fast, entertaining read.

A quick and satisfying thriller that skips between time periods. I really disliked the mess that was Hawkin's ode to Jayne Eyre book (The Wife Upstairs) but I'm glad I gave her another chance.

Thank you St. Martin's Press & Netgalley for a copy of this book.

I think this took me so long to finish because I didn't really like any of the characters.

It's hard to review a book where you really don't like any of the characters. Here we have a dual timeline story set at the same villa in Italy. Our modern day story involves Emily, her "best" friend (who I detested) Chess, and her ex-husband, Matt. The historical story, set in the 1970's involves Mari, her musician boyfriend, Pearce, her step sister Lara, a drug dealer named Johnnie, and a rock star that is just past his peak and looking for a come-back, Noel Gordon.
The story is written from Emily and Mari's point of view. Emily is a cozy mystery writer, who had a bought of illness and is now suffering through a contentious divorce. Chess is Emily's childhood best friend, who grew up poor in a duplex, but who is now quite rich due to her "self-help" books and a strong social media presence. Matt is Emily's husband, who is divorcing her, cheated on her, and is now trying to claim half the royalties of her cozy mystery series. Emily who is struggling with writer's block accepts an invitation from Chess to spend a summer at an exclusive Italian villa that was once the scene to a murder. The flashbacks, written from Mari's point of view, pertain to that time period. You find out quickly that Mari's lover, Pierce, is the murder victim, and through her chapters we find out how the sex, drugs, and rock and roll crowd got to the awful moment.
The uncanny thing is, both Mari and her step sister used this horrible time to become successful in their own right - Mari with a blockbuster horror novel, and Lara with a platinum selling album. (I kept thinking of Carol King's tapestry). The last chapter seemed off, and did not add anything to the story for me.

I really enjoyed this one. I like the way it switched between the past and present and the way both time periods ended up connecting in the end. It was fast-paced and suspense filled. I think fans of Sally Hepworth's previous books will also enjoy this one.

Chess and Em were best friends who drifted apart and have now reconnected for a vacation at an Italian Villa. This same villa was the site of a death in the 70’s which spurred a famous novel about the events. We get the two stories in dual timelines.

You can definitely see the inspirations that lead the author to write the books, but she made it her own. She did a good job of creating a gothic thriller that keeps your interest the whole time.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

“How is it that someone can bring out the very best and the very worst of you all at once?”

This was a solid 3 star read for me. The plot is told in two time periods, one in set in modern day, the other set in the 1970s. Modern day we have two “best friends” Chess and Em staying in a villa that was the site of a rock n roll murder in the 70s. In the past we have the origin story for two major works of art, sex, drugs, and Rock ‘n Roll, and said murder. I usually love this type of format, but I hated the relationship between Chess and Em in the modern day POV, and found myself just hoping for more of the juicy, past POV.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The Villa
by: Rachel Hawkins
read by: Julia Whelan; Kimberly M. Wetherell; Shiromi Arserio
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio and St. Martin's Press for the early listen and ARC. This review applies to both the audio and digital ebook.
Suspenseful, thrilling, and shocking!
This book will definitely take you on a thrill ride and will keep you hooked until the very end. Loved all the characters.
The author did an amazing job with this story holding the reader captive until the very end. The narrators did a fabulous job telling the story

Don’t let the sunny vacation destination fool you. This turned into quite the chilling story giving me all the spine tingling sensations that something foreboding from the past was going to present itself. Loved the suspense and liked it better than The Wife Upstairs. Always look forwArd to these releases.

Mini Review 💫
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins was so intriguing that I couldn’t stop swiping. It kept me on the edge of my seat! The dual timelines, the secrets, the suspense and the first line “ Houses Remember” ( if you read the book , you’ll know ) caught my attention immediately. I just loved the setting of this book. A villa in Italy with a dark past makes for a mysterious setting with believable characters. This was another thriller that I really enjoyed and it was brilliant! Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the digital copy.

#read #reader #reading #bibliophile #bookcover #mystery #booksaremagic #bookstagram #book #bookreview #bookworm #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks #smpinfluencer #thriller #netgalley #italy🇮🇹 #thevilla -

This book was good. It started off slow enough that I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue with it. I just didn’t feel connected to any of it. Halfway through though things ended up getting better and I think that the ending redeemed it all! So I would recommend this book, just give it a chance if the first half is slow. It ends up worth it!

Stunning story. Keeps you on your toes. I did not want the chaos to end. From the cover to the words between, you will be hooked. Definitely a great read.

The Villa follows two timelines: One, in the present, follows two friends, both authors, who go to an Italian Villa for a writing retreat of sorts. In the second, in the 1970s, a group of creatives gather at the Villa, where a famous murder takes place. I absolutely devoured this book. I'm not always excited about historical fiction, but the 1970s timeline was captivating for me, so don't let that stop you. This is the perfect book for anyone who loves Rachel Hawkins' twists and turns.

The Bad on Paper podcast hosts described this book as Daisy Jones meets Verity meets The White Lotus, and they're not wrong! The multi-level storytelling made it a page-turner, but the ending fell a bit flat for me -- a bit rushed and unexplored? Still, a solid thriller that's perfect weekend read when you're wishing you were in a "murder house" in Italy instead. ;) Thank you to #NetGalley for my copy!

Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

I kept seeing rave reviews for this one, and I was a little nervous my expectations were going to be too high going into it, but nope. This one is just SO DAMN GOOD.

I loved everything about this story - the messy female protagonist and the messy female friendship that is the center of the story; the moving timelines and POV from present to what took place before the murder at the villa in the 70's; the intertwining storylines and the almost supernatural-esq vibe to it. Literally it is all done so well, and combines so beautifully that I stayed glued to this one, and just had to finish it in one day, because I really, really needed to see how it all played out.

This is a must for those who like a good thriller with a good dose of character drama. It will not disapoint!

The Villa was absolutely fantastic. This book had suspense, mystery, twists and some freaking great characters (even the bad ones). Rachel Hawkins is a master at drawing out suspense but not making it overly done. Her writing is truly captivating and can transport a reader anywhere, at any time. While some points were a bit obvious majority of Hawkins story was original and twisted. I loved the concept of stories being written within stories. I would give this book a 4.5 stars out of 5! I am so grateful to have received this book as an ARC and will definitely be purchasing this book, now that it is out!!