The Villa is another win from Rachel Hawkins. I couldn’t put the book down once I started! Emily, a cozy mystery writer recently recovered from a mystery illness and dealing with a nasty divorce, is whisked away to an Italian villa by her childhood friend. Chess, a self-help influencer with fame and fortune, says this trip will help with their writing and deepen their friendship. The villa is mildly infamous for a murder in the 70s, where a group of bohemian artists gathered to create and spawned a successful album and horror novel. What I loved most about this book was the allusions and homages to Switzerland 1816 and Mary Wollstonecraft’s life that led to Frankenstein. Mari is Wollstonecraft in disguise with her own Byron, Shelley, Clairemont, and Polidori. Hawkins adds murder, mystery, and an updated rock and roll glamour to a literary moment and makes it her own. The relationship between Emily and Chess, the love and bitterness, was also good. The structure and how it affects the climax and final twist is something I’ll be thinking of for a while. Overall, this book shows definite growth in Hawkins’ narrative finesse, and I’ll never complain about being entertained. Retreat into The Villa as soon as you can.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. A longer, critical review can be found on my blog.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Villa is a split-timeline novel centered around the history of Villa Aestas in Italy. The primary storyline revolves around two longtime friends Emily (cozy-mystery novelist) and Chess (lifestyle guru and chart-topping self-help author). The two set off to Italy after reuniting for a sort of writer's retreat. In parallel, we get the perspective of Mari (also an aspiring author) who was staying at the Villa in 1974 when tragedy struck and made the property infamous.

When Emily starts uncovering the darker history of the Villa through Mari's work, inspiration strikes for a new novel. However, not everything is what it seems.

While I appreciated the concept, I found the execution a bit lacking. I often found myself bored by one of the two parallel storylines, rushing to get back to the other. I liked the inclusions of excerpts from fictitious novels, magazines, and podcasts, but at times they felt a bit excessive and disruptive to the main plot.

Overall this was just an okay read for me. If you like slow-burn mysteries or books about writing/creation it still may be worth picking up, but it wouldn't make the top of my recommendation list.

Crossposted to Goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5180418674

I very much enjoyed Hawkins’s prior books, especially The Wife Upstairs, so I had high expectations and this did not disappoint!

Emily and Chess are best friends in a complicated friendship. Mari and Lara are stepsisters with a fraught relationship. They’re separated by nearly fifty years but there are many parallels between their lives. Emily and Chess have rented an Italian villa for the summer to rekindle their friendship after some difficult years - Chess is looking for the next topic to write one of her self-help books, and Emily is coming to terms with her difficult divorce, healing from a mysterious illness and attempting to overcome writers block on the next book in her cozy mystery series. The luxury rental house is known as Villa Aestas, renamed after the seminal ‘70s album Lara wrote back during her time in the house - back when her and Mari spent the summer here with Mari’s boyfriend, up and coming musician Piece, and notorious rockstar Noel - that resulted in murder. As Emily dives deeper into Lara and Mari’s time at the villa, which also resulted in Mari writing one of the greatest horror books of all time, she begins to see the parallels between Lara and Mari and herself and Emily. And when she picks up a copy of Mari’s book off the bookshelf and further analyses the fictional story of a house and the murder that took place there, she begins to suspect that Mari might not have completely made up her story and has left clues to what really happened that summer in her writing. So when secrets begin to emerge between her and Chess, the lives of these women fifty years apart begin to overlap.

“Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer party Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Bryon at a Lake Genova castle” The Villa is a perfectly paced suspense about the lies that bind us together and the secrets we keep and what we’re willing to do to save ourselves and our dreams and the ones we love.

The Villa
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook and Audiobook
Date Published: 1/3/23
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Julia Whalen and Kimberly Wetherell
GR: 3.81

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: The story is narrated by Emily, through her POV and also Mari in the past, through alternating timelines. The book pulls you in from the opening chapter. I read Hawkins last book, Reckless Girls, and was hooked. I knew I would have to read any future novels and when I got approved for both the audio and ebook, I was overjoyed. I really loved how Hawkins portrayed Emily and Chess as strong, empowering women, making there mark in the writing world. The backstory from 1974 instilled creepiness and awe in the Villa for the present day story. The characters were fleshed out well, even the 1974 characters, had depth, were mysterious, and creative. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, creepy, and kept me absolutely engaged throughout the story. The author does a wonderful job at building up the characters, delivering the plot in various twists, and having a fantastic ending. This book would be perfect for those who love Ruth Ware or Lucy Foley (both of whom I also adore). This book releases today and I would highly recommend the audiobook.

Netgalley ARC Review

The Villa follows best friends, Emily and Chess, as they go on a summer trip to Italy. Their friendship has not been as close in recent years and they are hoping to change that on this trip. This book follows two time lines. The second one is 50 years in the past, when rock stars stayed in the villa and a infamous murder took place. Emily discovers the history of the villa and becomes obsessed with finding out what happened.

I absolutely adored this book. It has amazing true crime vibes and I kept almost feeling like I was reading a true crime novel. As Emily became sucked into the obcession of the past murder, so did I. I couldn't put this down and finished it in record time.

Rating: 5 stars

I loved following bffs Emily and Chess throughout their friendship and seeing them rekindle during a trip to Italy. Though the trip and their accommodations aren’t exactly what they were expecting. I don’t love to give a lot away in reviews, I think it diminishes the novel but this was a solid read. I’m sure it’ll be loved by many even if it was the perfect book for me. I was expecting and hoping for something a little more gothic and spooky. Either way Rachel Hawkins is a fantastic writer and I look forward to reading more from her.

Childhood friendships often fail to stand the test of time. Emily and Chess know how much a toll a career and personal life can take on a friendship. Chess has become a wildly popular self-help guru who is building her empire. Emily is the author of several cozy mysteries but hasn’t found ‘fame’ in the literary world.

Chess suggests the duo heads to the famed Villa Aestas in Italy for a little rest, relaxation, and power writing. Emily decides this is the perfect chance to find the momentum she is lacking in her writing career. With her marriage on the rocks, Emily decides to head overseas to try to regain the bond that she and Chess once shared.

Upon traveling to the Villa, Emily soon discovers that the house holds its own secrets. The villa was formerly known as Villa Rosato and housed several wildly popular 70s rockers who met a questionable fate years ago. As Emily begins to dive deeper into the mysteries surrounding Villa Aestas, she finds more about her own personal life than she could have ever bargained for. Will the Villa claim another victim?

An interesting turn of events are hidden behind the walls of Villa Aestas. As Emily and Chess pulled readers deeper into their story, I found myself reflecting a few similarities with Fleetwood Mac and the fictitious rockers in this novel. The story hops back and forth between the present day and the 1970s. Sometimes a little confusing, I still found the premise of the plot very interesting. Emily was a character that I desperately wanted to find her ‘ever after’. Will Villa Aesta claim another victim in this sordid tale of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll?

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

Swipe for the GoodReads synopsis.

DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE MINOR SPOILERS!!!!!

I want to preface this with, I wanted to love this book, but it fell flat for me. I understand that others loved this book, but I personally wanted more.

THE VILLA is supposed to be a dual POV and dual timeline book. We have Emily and Chess in present day with Mari and the gang in the past. However, I found that in the eARC, the structure of the book made it difficult to recognize that in the beginning. Especially since there were parts of the book where you would read various “media sources” about the crimes that took place at the house. I’m sure that the final printed version was updated to help readers understand the pacing better though!

This book frustrated me a lot. I don’t like the trope of “pitting best friends against each other” which made it difficult to like Emily and Chess. And the “reveal” between them was anticlimactic for me. I felt as though Chess was trying to keep her facade of “life guru” and Emily had pushover vibes to me.

I loved the idea of “is the house cursed? Did it drive the women mad or were they mad to begin with” themes throughout the book. It made the book very enjoyable to try and uncover that between both the present and past perspectives! I wish that there could’ve been more of this throughout the book because those little kernels throughout the book kept me going! Because the concept of those themes at a villa in Italy during the summer was super intriguing to me!

But ultimately, this book was not for me. I felt that the pacing was off and the reveals were anticlimactic. However, it was actually the ending that sent me over the edge. It reminded me of why people were mad with the ending to Verity. I liked how it played out in Verity but not in this one. It made me really mad at Mari and I had more questions than answers with that ending.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date 1/3/2023

Happy Publishing Day to Rachel Hawkins and her newest novel, The Villa! The Villa is not a fast-paced thriller, but it is a compelling slow burn of a page turner. We begin the story knowing that there’s been a murder, and the mystery of “The Villa murder” unfolds through a dual timeline. The first timeline being that of the murder victim and his acquaintances. The second timeline being many decades later when an author becomes intrigued by the murder mystery. There are various smaller mysteries within the story that move the plot along. That said, I was most enthralled by the way Rachel Hawkins constructed the story. For me, the mystery became not so much about the people involved. Instead, it was much more about how the plot would reveal each motive and notable event. I loved that this mystery was so unique from many others I read, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys slow burn mysteries. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion in exchange for an advanced reader’s copy.

THE VILLA
Rachel Hawkins
https://bit.ly/3BFJYE6
Mystery Thriller
Release Date: January 3, 2023

When Chess and Emily go to the Villa Aestas to try to rebuild their lifelong friendship. The secrets that both they and the house are harboring will either be a friendship deal breaker or knit them together with a tight bond.

Rachel Hawkins does not disappoint in her upcoming new book. There are shocks all around them and the Villa’s dark past. This book will leave you guessing even after you stop reading it. I give this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars!

Gothic Noir meets Daisy Jones - this was a quick read for me - a little travel by book to a villa in Orvieto, Italy - not necessarily a thriller but solid literary fiction, lots of allusions to the Frankenstein origin story and that famed mountain retreat !
The story alternates between the present through a cozy mystery writer experiencing writer’s block point of view and the past through an aspiring author’s eyes who stayed at The Villa in 1974.

The gorgeous cover art and the setting are what drew me into this story. I mean who wouldn't want to vacation at an Italian Villa but maybe not a murder house ! The story focuses a lot on the power of female friendships and female creatives and muses - the good and the bad. I enjoyed the setting and the story was atmospheric at times. I enjoyed the twists and the connecting points in the dual timeline !

I found The Villa to be an entertaining story and read it in just two days !

Although the premise of this book was great. The characters were annoying, but also very well thought out. I found this book to move way too slowly. I wanted more drama, more mystery, more romance than the book gave. It wasn't until the last 30% of the book that I found it to be an un-put-downable read. That being said, the ending, although so frustrating, was well played and definitely left the reader wondering what actually happened and which story they should believe.

Emily and Chess are best friends, enjoying a summer in Italy. The Villa they are staying in was the location of a brutal murder, while being rented by a famous rock star. While staying in the Villa, Emily starts digging into the villa's history and finds clues left behind by the women staying there at the time. Emily is also struggling with her relationship with Chess and their ever growing tension. Will these two women survive the Villa?

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copies.

A bestie summer at a murder house in Italy (this is a haunted/ghost free murder house).

Liked:
The chemistry bw the two main characters, Emily and Chess.
Podcast elements
The cover is gorgeous
The twist!

Eh:
The time jumping seemed a little hard to keep up with at times. I almost wish it was just the bestie plot line.
Lots of characters, also hard to keep track of.

This author seems to genre bend a little. This is part mystery, part drama. I found her last one Reckless Girls also blurred the genre line, too.

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

THE WIFE UPSTAIRS and RECKLESS GIRLS were both 4⭐️ reads for me, so this one was definitely one of my anticipated reads for 2023! I also enjoyed THE EX HEX and THE KISS CURSE under her pen name Erin Sterling 🫶 But unfortunately THE VILLA missed the mark for me, and here’s why —

🍋 it was too much of a slow-burn for me
🍋 unlikable characters
🍋 I wanted it to be a page-turner with more shocking twists. I read a lot of mysteries & thrillers, and this one just didn’t wow me like I had hoped it would

What I enjoyed —
🍋 the Italian villa setting (“murder house”) with a mysterious past
🍋 main characters who are writers
🍋 alternating POVs

Overall I just wasn’t “wowed” by the story, but I’ve seen rave reviews, so don’t let my thoughts stop you from picking it up! I love that we can all have different opinions on books 😊 and I’ll still be looking forward to what this author writes next!

I adore Rachel Hawkins and The Wife Upstairs was my first introduction to thrillers, so if you haven’t read that one, go read it!

The Villa is filled with twists and turns and mysteries. I really liked that there were multiple stories and time periods. The audiobook does a great job of differentiating the different characters. I never felt confused about who was who.

There is so much manipulation, I don’t know that there is a definitive good person in the book. Some of the characters really bothered me, but by the end, I’m positive that was the point.

I enjoyed this read. It was suspenseful and kept me wanting to know where the story would go.

Thank you to NetGalley for this free book.

The Villa is told in dual timelines -- the present day with Emily and Chess, and in 1974 with Mari and her group of rock-and-roll friends. This was a slow burn, and I think I'd categorize it more as a mystery than a thriller, but I absolutely tore through this book. It was interesting. The female friendships seemed real, especially that of Emily and Chess. And nothing was quite as it seemed. I loved the idea of "houses remember," and I think it was executed really well in this story. I can definitely see how this might not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. Pierce, however, I was not a fan of at all, and once you read it, you'll know why.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for my e-ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is another suspense filled thriller that kept me guessing! Unfortunately, it wasn’t my favorite of hers.
The story is told in two different times about two different sets of friends. I did like the characters and the story kept my interest for the most part but just fell a little flat for me.
I’m still sure many will really like this one.
I definitely recommend it on audiobook! The narration was incredible.

A breezy, page-turning haunted house thriller

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.

The Villa is a bit different than Reckless Girls or The Wife Upstairs. It has more of a haunted house vibe, and it took a bit longer for me to get hooked into the story. I read the first 1/3 in one day and the other 2/3 the following day. The other books I read in about a single sitting.

Hawkins knows how to write. Her prose is so smooth that it feels almost breezy. Her books are easy to read. There are no page-long paragraphs or tedious descriptions to wade through, yet she still manages to sprinkle in some nice vocab words.

In terms of her characters, I enjoyed that her characters were not one dimensional so I was always guessing as to how they would react, particularly Chess and Mari. The relationships between the characters are also pretty interesting and unique.

There was one “reveal” that I saw very early in the book, and I just wanted the author to reveal it already.

This is also a really minor thing, but it bothered me. In The Villa, when Em lands in Italy, Chess picks her up at the airport in a red Fiat. Later, Em talks about how she would have to drive the Fiat if she wanted to go anywhere. Here’s the thing: All Fiats in Italy are stick shifts. However, the author doesn’t mention this. I would have been pretty impressed if an American knew how to drive a stick shift over the incredibly steep hills in Italy. That would have been worth mentioning in the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Villa, and it was difficult to put down after the first 33% (so don’t give up if you are in the first part of the book)!

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I picked up The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. I just know that every story of hers that I have read has blown me away. The storyline and the intensity of her characters and events always propel me thorough her stories.

The Villa did not disappoint. A story within a story is revealed as Emily and Chess go away for a vacation in a villa in Italy. It will be nice to get away and reconnect, maybe work on their respective creative careers. Little did they know that their lives would mirror those of events of the past. That's where the intensity comes in.

The two storylines, the present and the fateful summer of 1974, weave an intriguing tale of love, jealousy, distrust, and death. Will history repeat itself?

I highly recommend The Villa. But be prepared to lose yourself in the story to the detriment of life all around you. You will not be able to put it down!

I loved this book!!!!!!! Instant hit with this one and instant bestseller in my opinion. I didn't think this author could top her previous book but she has definitely done that.