This book is like reading two stories in one book. You have the story of Mari and the musicians in 1973 where she writes the book Lilith Rising. Then there is the present day story of Emily and Chess, friends forever, both writers but of different genre's. I loved that the book took place in Orvieto since I have been there and loved it there. The villa is a house where a murder has taken place. " Houses remember". The modern day story of the BFF's is intertwined with the story of 1973. There is suspense & intrigue. There is an interesting plot. Did I mention murder? Not one but maybe two. The book is well written with a lot to take in. The two different stories are very intriguing. I felt that the first third of the book was slow but after that it held your interest. Mari and Lara half sisters from 1973 and Emily and Chess from present day actually have a lot in common. They were all writers but Lara wrote music not books. I did get a little Fleetwood Mac vibe from the story but I did not get any gothic vibes that I read in some reviews. Is it worth the read? Yes! Would I recommend it? Yes.
Thanks to #netgalley, #stmartinspress and @ladyhawkins for an ARC of this great read

I keep wanting to like Hawkins books I really do but then I just don't and I don't know why. I'm not blaming her, obviously tons of people like her books I'm just not one of those people. This book was particularly tough for me because I did not realize that half of the book would be set in the 70s and that's another thing I just can't come around to, books set in the 70s. I just never like them and again I don't know why. So it is what it is. It's probably a good book, it's fine, but Its not for me. I was bored, I didn't really care about the characters, even the setting seemed flat. I was all around disappointed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, finishing the last half in one night.
Two best friends with a little dysfunction thrown in and a trip to a foreign country, staying the summer in a villa where a murder took place.
I loved the alternating timelines.
Already recommended this book to family and friends!

Not as good as Hawkins’s other books. Hated all the characters and the mystery wasn’t that good. I did want to know what happened so I kept reading. The sex, drugs, rock n roll thing has always seemed boring and childish to me and this was no exception. Also found the Lilith Rising story within a story boring. The pace is fast and I did appreciate the female solidarity aspect but it was eclipsed by all the jealousy and backstabbing. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

An interesting and compelling thriller, yet another excellent thriller from Rachel Hawkins! While this novel was a little bit different than her other two thrillers with similar covers, the gothic vibes and haunting suspense are sure to thrill Hawkins' fans.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book within a book, you get a look into both timelines from the women writing books about the villa they are staying at in Italy and the twisted dynamics of the relationships unfolding. Both sets of women have unique relationships to each other and the men in their lives but honestly I wanted more time with Mari/Lara over Emily/Chess.


Could I have been more thrilled? Yes.
Is the cover of this book 10/10 aesthetic? Also Yes.

This is me second Rachel Hawkins book after reading Reckless Girls. I was so excited to get this arc, and the story did not disappoint. The dual timelines between the past and present storylines added a fun element to this book. Something I’ve noticed with Rachel Hawkins is that she writes more of a slow burn thriller which isn’t something I’ve read much of. However, I think it works very well with her writing style and the story she tells. As readers, we get to hear from Emily in the present and Mari in the past as we learn more about the history of the Villa EMILY and Chess are staying at. I was fully invested in the muster and finding out the truth, and I can’t wait to read more by Rachel Hawkins!

I read this book incredibly quickly. It was just such a quick and fun read. However, I don't think this was anything to particularly write home about either for me. It was a great read in the moment but I don't know if this is going to stick with me for long. I much prefered the past storyline over the present one as well. I thought that was so much more interesting and I wanted a little bit more of it. I do like all of the different parallels between the two timelines though. That was fun to figure out. I also thought this book had some interesting things to say about toxic relationships, even if I wasn't the biggest fan of some of the messages this book ended up with. I also wasn't the biggest fan of how things all ended up. I mean, it wasn't bad it's just that I had these theories and then when things got revealed it was way less interesting than what I had come up with in my head and I was convinced was actually happening. So that was just a bit dissapointing to me but other people might not have that experience reading. So yeah, despite all that I still had a fun time reading this book. Don't get me wrong.

A gothic thriller with dual timeline, past and present. I found the timelines confusing and it was a slow paced book. I found it boring and struggled to finish it. This book was not for me. I have heard good things about this author and it was my first read by her. I think i will give some of her other books a try.

Thank you to Netgally and publisher for this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5/5

This is one of my most anticipated releases for January! I love all of Hawkins books, and her covers are always so gorgeous! I will say that this is definitely not like her previous books in that it has more of a gothic and atmospheric tone and setting.

The fact that this book is inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson Murders, and the birthplace of Frankenstein caught my attention right away and I knew I had to read it.

This book is definitely a slow burn, so don’t go into thinking its a fast paced thriller! Emily & Chess are best friends and writers who have had their share of ups and downs and they more so have a love/hate relationship—and they decide to take a girls writing trip to Italy, where they stay at the Villa, which has a mysterious and haunting history. The You see…a horrific murder happened at this Italian Villa in the 1970’s, which makes for a very intense and suspenseful girls trip indeed!

This definitely has just the right amount of tension & suspense. It alternates between two timelines-that of the present day and then 1970’s, and the two ultimately intertwine. I really enjoyed Emily’s character from the present day timeline, but did not care much for Chess.

The ending was underwhelming and disappointing, so that definitely knocked off a star from me.

Overall, this was a gripping, atmospheric, suspenseful gothic novel that takes place in beautiful Italy and was a fun read. It is definitely not my favorite of the authors, but it was still enjoyable.

You know, this book totally inspired me to start planning a girl’s to Italy. However, unlike the the case of main characters Emily and Chess aka Frenemies4Life!, I’m actually going to vacay with my true best friend. 😜

Rachel Hawkins once again puts her gothic storytelling skills to the test in her newest novel and I am so glad because this is where she shines. “The Villa” is told from a dual timeline and connecting them both is Villa Aestas. More than 40 years ago it played host to the grisly murder of up and coming rockstar Pierce Sheldon. At the center of his murder are half sisters Mari and Lara, who go on to become famous artists respectively. Presently, the manor is where Emily and Chess temporarily reside while they are away on their writing retreat. Emily finds herself stuck in her career as a serial cozy mystery writer. Mediocre appeal and a scarcity of the accolades that she feels her talent deserves. Chess on the other hand is a world famous bestselling author of self help books. While Emily is going through a nasty divorce in which her husband is trying to take everything she’s earned from book sales , Chess enjoys relationships with high profile men who compliment her glamorous lifestyle.

When comparing herself to Chess Emily cannot help but feel inadequate and more than a little resentful. Chess is no better when it comes to fostering good will in their friendship because unbeknownst to Emily, she has been harboring resentment towards Emily ever since they were in elementary school. The frenemy struggle is real!

In gothic fiction the past always haunts the present. As soon as Emily and Chess step into Villa Aestas the similarities between their story and Mari and Lara’s become clearly defined. For starters, like Mari and Lara, Emily cannot help but let the ethereal presence of Villa Aestas play muse to her craft. It doesn’t take Emily long to become fixated on the villa’s dark history as it relates to Mari and Lara and their role in Pierce Sheldon’s death.

Soon, Emily becomes so enraptured by Mari and Lara’s story that she deviates completely from her latest cozy mystery project and works on a true crime novel detailing the murder from all those years ago. As she puts words to Lara and Mari’s story Emily pushes herself as a writer and she knows that she is on to something that will finally give her the large scale recognition that she craves as an author. Unfortunately, Chess realizes the potential of Emily’s novel as well and because she cannot allow her best friend to have her moment in the spotlight, she decides to use Emily’s idea as inspiration for her own novel. Again, the frenemy struggle is real!

At a pivotal moment in the story when Emily gets combative with Chess over her stealing her book idea and an even bigger one involving her soon to be ex husband Matt, Chess manages to convince Emily that despite her lying and cheating,the universe has brought them together to write Emily’s book together. Total BS but Emily is dumb enough to buy it. However, Emily is not as innocent as she pretends to be. Knowing that Matt is will try to collect a portion book sales that her new writing project will generate, she convinces Chess to help her eliminate the threat. Once Matt is no longer in the picture these two ladies can focus on their book partnership, which result in tons of publicity and millions of dollars.

Emily and Chess’s relationship isn’t the only one simmering with backstabbing and resentment. Their predecessors Mari and Lara share a rather hostile kinship as well. Lara comes into Mari’s life when they are teenagers. When their two widowed parents marry each other they become stepsisters. Whatever sisterly bond they form immediately deteriorates once Pierce enters the picture. The moment he marries Mari, he enters into a weird love triangle with both girls. Pierce is living his best life because he has two women vying for his attention and stroking his already inflated ego. Mari and Lara are so busy competing for his affections that it takes away their own focus from their own aspirations; they narrowly miss achieving greatness in their creative careers because they’re so busy worrying over a man who is totally not worth it. Pierce literally has to die in order for these two girls to be able to separate from his influence. Once that happens they are able to achieve their own creative greatness.

I’m not quite sure what message Ms. Hawkins in trying to convey. I think she wants readers to get a strong sense of feminism as expressed by the main characters. All I got was toxic women making extremely bad choices. I will say that unlike Emily and Chess who choose to keep their damaged relationship going, Mari and Lara are smart enough to part ways.

I enjoyed “The Villa”. It is definitely worth checking out.

Thank you Netgalley for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

this novel was actually really interesting, I did end up opting to listen to the audiobook and I did absolutely loved it. It was a really fun and fast paced triller. I would recommend it to anyone who is just getting into thrillers. It is mildly predictable for people who read thrillers often but it is still enjoyable.

THE VILLA is, without a doubt, my favourite of Rachel Hawkins' work thus far. Give me a gothic thriller any day, but especially give me the ones that achieve the deliciously dark tone and vibe that Rachel was so successful in creating here. The ending wasn't a win for me, but I immensely enjoyed the journey getting there.

Told in alternating timelines between 1974 and present day, we hear from the perspectives of two women reclaiming their power, going for (literary) gold, and exploring the parameters of some seriously unstable relationships. Add in Rachel's incredible ability to create a perfect tension-filled scene, and you've got yourself your first read for January 2023.

Fun tidbit: The Villa is "inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle––the birthplace of Frankenstein"!!

♡Huge thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for approving the egalley for review!

More of a domestic drama than a true thriller or mystery, this was a quick and easy read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC!

While I would have preferred to stick in the present timeline because the cat and mouse game was just SO fun, I appreciated what Hawkins was doing with the past timeline, and she definitely made it all come together in the end. A fun read!

"Houses never forget" - I guess they don't! I enjoyed this story that intertwined between the past and present and how the past seemed to come back to haunt the future, but there were no paranormal vibes at all! I loved reading about the setting and I could actually imagine myself there and possibly being a part of the story! I did enjoy the few twists towards the end! I'd recommend to others!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC! I didn’t know what to expect with this book when I first started reading, but I really enjoyed it. The time hopping POV between present day Emily and 1974 Mari took me a bit to get used to and understand how it all tied together, but once I did, I was captivated. I enjoyed the different perspectives and the characters that the POVs gave rise to. The characters felt real, and their selfishness was made almost tangible.

The Villa is a story of betrayal, revenge, love, selfishness, and the binds that tie people together in an instant. This is a thriller/ mystery that is told in a way that I haven’t read yet, and it gives it that much more believability to the story.

I posted my initial reaction to my Instagram on 1/3, but I will be posting my actual review at the end of the month. I will share the link once I do.

The Villa was a pretty good thriller that read a lot like historical fiction to me. It blended history, music, and mystery together in an Italian villa. Overall I felt like this was an enjoyable read and I flew through it. There were several different twists and turns. I also love a dual POV and this one was set 40 years apart in the Villa. The middle was a bit slow, but Hawkins landed the ending. Overall, I would recommend this book if you like domestic suspense with some history thrown in!

The Villa is a suspenseful book that blends the past with the current lives of friends. This is my second book to read by Rachel Hawkins. I loved The Wife Upstairs and equally enjoyed The Villa. I highly recommend.

The Villa is another thriller by Rachel Hawkins that has you riveted to the page to find out what's going to happen next! It's told in dual timelines of the present day and the 1970s. Each timeline features guests at an Italian villa who should be having the time of their lives but instead get caught up in drama and maybe even ghosts. Best friends, Emily and Chess, are both authors. Chess invites Emily to join her in Italy for a retreat. They can both focus on their current works in progress and enjoy the Italian countryside. Emily joins Chess not knowing that the villa has a hunted history involving musicians from the 1970s and the death of one of the musicians. Read and enjoy!