This is probably my favorite Rachel Hawkins yet! I loved the dual timelines, and how the author wove the two stories together. I also enjoyed the addition of the podcast on the audio version! I would have liked more of that angle, I think, and maybe more with the current day timeline, but overall I was pleased with how this one turned out! I finished within 24 hours of starting.


I received an advance audio and digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

I ended the 2022 in a reading slump, but kicked off 2023 with this great new read from Rachel Hawkins. Her books continue to get more interesting with each new one.

Out today is “The Villa” – a book within a book. When Emily, a cozy mystery writer, and her best friend, Chess, a self-help author, travel to Italy for the summer to write and relax – things don’t turn out the way Emily expected. Their villa was the location of a gruesome murder in 1974 and the inspiration for both an album and a horror novel written by the sisters who were witnesses to the murder.

As Emily learns more about the villa’s history, she begins to suspect that Chess is not being truthful about her motives. By the end of the summer, Emily’s life will never be the same and she will learn that getting what you want isn’t always what you think it will be.

The Villa is a dual-timeline story that started out wonderfully. I like Emily and was intrigued by her unusual friendship with "Chess." When the timeline changed to Mari's story that took place many years before in the same Italian villa where Emily and Chess are staying. Mari was okay, but I really didn't care for anyone in that story or the direction it took. Mari is writing a book, so there are some passages included from her work in progress. There are also some excerpts from books that are supposed to be about Mari, her sister Lara, and some of the other players in the 1974 story and then a transcript from a true crime podcast. I usually enjoy these kinds of details in books, in this case it was just too much and took away from the flow of the story without adding anything to it.

I don't want to spoil anything, but there are some interesting plot twists that make you look at some of the things that happened in a different way. In the end, some things do come together in a clever way between Emily and Mari's stories. Not everything added up when Emily and Chess's part of the book comes to a close. I have a couple of theories that would help make sense out of some of the loose ends, but I'm not sure what the author intended. I would give this book an overall rating of 3.5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of St. Martin's Press at no cost. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

"Houses remember."

At a life crossroads due to her current writer's block and ongoing bitter divorce, Emily accepts an invitation to Italy from her childhood friend/current frenemy Chess. Hopefully, in her new idyllic surroundings, she'll. be able to relax and reevaluate her life choices.

But Villa Aestas has a dark and infamous history. In 1974, Pierce Sheldon, an up-and-coming musician was brutally murdered within its walls and his girlfriend Mari and her stepsister Lara bore witness to the horror.

In the aftermath, Mari penned Lilith Rising, a trailblazing feminist horror novel and Lara produced Aestas, a beloved platinum album.

As Emiy reads Lilith Rising and starts to investigate the villa, she's not so sure the murder was just a cliche of sex, drugs, and rock and roll gone wrong.

As she starts to break through her writer's block and put her thoughts to paper about the case, Emily grows increasingly paranoid about Chess and her true motives for inviting her to Italy.

But is Chess just defaulting to childhood rivalry or is something much more sinister afoot?

The novel definitely has shades of Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth and Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid-both novels I loved.

If you love dual timelines, a story within a story, and psychological thrillers, definitely get this novel immediately!

This one was not for me. It was difficult to get into.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Rachel Hawkin’s writing. Combined with Whelan’s narration, this was a solid read for me. I’ll definitely continue picking up her thrillers and romances!

This is a fast-paced mystery that takes place in an infamous Italian villa. The story is told in two timelines, a past gathering that ends in murder and a current reunion between estranged friends. Both plot lines are built on really dysfunctional and toxic relationships so I found it a bit hard to get into. I cannot imagine why Emily and Chess (the current timeline) would ever travel together for such a long period of time. The past mystery was also a bit hard to follow with connections and betrayals and affairs all over the place. It was a quick read and held my attention for the most part. It just wasn't the thrilling read or atmospheric story I was hoping for. Although this was not the best fit for me I think it will interest a lot of readers and mystery fans specifically. I will be excited to read what Rachel Hawkins writes next though! Thanks to Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

This story follows two POV’s, one is from 1974 and it’s Mari who has gone to the Villa Rosato with her boyfriend Pierce, stepsister, Lara along with up-and-coming musician, Noel. They are all looking to reignite their creative spark. However, the end of the summer ends with Pierce’s brutal murder!

We also follow Emily in current time who spends the summer at the same Villa with her best friend Chess. Who are also trying to find their creative spark and write a book. Emily starts to dig into the murder that happened and starts to find hidden clues. As they get closer to the truth, another murder might also happen.

I gave this book 4 stars. It was an enjoyable read but nothing really jumped out and impressed me. There were times when one POV had me more hooked than the other. I did enjoy that it was an easy and quick read. I liked the writing style but in the end I just needed more.

In The Villa, Emily is newly divorced and in a writing rut with the next book in her series. She accepts an invitation from her friend Chess to spend the summer at a villa in Italy. Chess and Emily aren’t as close as they once were, but Emily sees the trip to Orvieto as a chance to reconnect. ⁣
⁣
The villa was once a summer home to a rockstar and his friends in the 1970s, who included author Mari Godwick, who went on to write “Lilith Rising” a well-known horror novel, and her sister, Lara, who went on to record a platinum album. ⁣
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Emily becomes very intrigued by the villa’s history and attempts to learn more while there. Tensions are also building between her and Chess and Emily isn’t sure if she can trust her at all. ⁣
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Told in a dual timeline format, The Villa reveals its secrets, in time, of both past and present guests. I enjoyed the story though I was able to correctly predict multiple elements and I think I preferred The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls by Hawkins just a little more — 3.5 stars

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
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Emily has been stuck in a rut, dealing with her husbands demands for a divorce while struggling to write her next book. So when her childhood best friend invites her to spend the summer in Italy with her, she decides to go.
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What I liked:
-I loved the back and forth from the present with Emily and the past with Mari in the same Villa.
-This book wasn’t suspenseful but there was still a lot of tension in it for me. At one point I had to read it in smaller chunks because it was stressing me out.
-I thought the book was leading up to something different so the ending was not what I expected, but I liked it. And the end to Mari’s story surprised me a lot.
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What I didn’t like:
-Matt
-Chess
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fun mystery for fans! I would recommend for sure.

The Villa tells the story of two writers, in different times, who both stay at the same villa in Italy. We have Emily in the present day, who is in Italy with her best friend Chess, trying to write the 10th book in her cozy mystery series after suffering an unexplained illness and her husband divorcing her; and Mari, in the 1970s, writing a horror novel inspired by the Villa itself, while staying there with her boyfriend Pierce, stepsister Lara, rockstar Noel, and Johnnie.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline here. As the book went on, you could really see the parallels between Emily and Mari and their relationships with Chess and Lara respectively. It was also really interesting to see the villa itself as a character, with its own story. Houses remember and history repeats itself in The Villa. Overall, this book was suspenseful and twisty, and even when I thought I had things figured out, I wasn't 100% correct in my assumptions, and I enjoyed being surprised by the ending.

So I had high hopes for this book, I have read 3 others by this author and I just find them to be too predictable. I felt like everything that happened my response was “ok cool makes sense”. There was one chapter cliffhanger that I was like “oh yay something exciting” and then it was a joke. I was really looking forward to this one with the setting and everything, it just didn’t work for me. I will say it was a quick read even if it wasn’t super enticing to me. Also, I’m kind of furious at the main character and her lack of ability to stand up for herself. You’ll understand what I mean once you read it but like stand up to someone, tell them no, don’t just let life happen to you and accept it.

This review has been added to Goodreads, Literal and Storygraph, as well as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. This was posted to my instagram (@busywithmybooks_) this morning!

Thank you for allowing me to read this story!!

This review will be posted on January 3, 2023 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

Happy pub day to The Villa! Sisterhood, creativity, and competition collide in two timelines in this neo-Gothic mystery. I'm forever a fan of multiple timelines and its execution was good. This novel will surprise you. Whatever you think is going on, you're wrong. Where the novel soured was the ending. I didn't *quite* buy the decisions the main character in each timeline made. The decisions felt a little too convenient and rather disbelieving. #TheVilla Rating: 😐 / meh, it was ok
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This book is scheduled for publication on January 3, 2023. Thank you @stmartinspress for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars

My first book of the year did not disappoint - this book was so good!

Emily and Chess, two friends who have drifted apart, decide to reunite and go on a girls trip to Italy and stay at Villa Aestas, perviously known as Villa Rosato. The villa happens to be where a famous murder occurred in 1974 which led to a great horror novel and platinum album. While Emily and Chess take their time at the villa to work on their respective novels, a rivalry emerges between them, and many secrets about the murder along with their own lives begin to emerge.

I loved the intertwining of the story lines of past and present as well as multiple POVs. This added a lot to the story and made it really enjoyable to read. At first, I will admit, I was confused with the way it jumped back and forth, but I got used to the more I read the story. I did love Hawkins’ writing style, but just found it a little confusing the way it jumped timelines at times.

It was very slow at the beginning of the book and hard to get into. However, about halfway through, I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t put it down because I wanted to see what would be revealed next! Some of the twists were predictable, however, I still found myself hooked by them.

As for the villa itself, I felt that it wasn’t as creepy and haunting as I had anticipated when reading the description. I felt a little let down but this, but still enjoyed it nonetheless.

Overall, this was a good book! If you’re looking for a quick, suspenseful read, I would definitely recommend this!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story was somewhat interesting but I never really got that invested into it. I could not connect with the characters at all. The cover is beautiful and I really enjoyed this author’s other books, but this one was not for me.

Chess and Emily have been best friends since childhood. Chess invites Emily to vacation with her in Italy for inspiration. They are both writers. Chess writes self help books and Emily writes cozy mysteries. The Italian villa is already booked and Chess just just needs to talk Emily into the trip. Emily needs the time away. Chess is enjoying stratospheric level stardom and success. Emily though, is struggling. She is in the middle of a divorce, her manuscript is due, and she has nothing written so far. To top that off, she is just starting to feel better after battling an unknown illness. Emily does agree to the girls trip. She quickly discovers that the villa Chess rented is where a murder occurred in the 70’s.

The story alternates between two different timelines. The Villa explores the past history of the house and it’s inhabitants and how the secrets of the house and what happened back then are influencing and affecting Chess and Emily today.

I thought the beginning was well paced, exciting, and intriguing. The book has a very atmospheric feel with its heavy gothic vibes. Very reminiscent of a Victoria Holt novel. The latter part of the book wasn’t as solid as far as pacing, but I like that there are some surprises especially one I really didn’t see coming. 3.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Villa (eARC) — 4 ⭐️

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: January 3rd

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: What a great book to start 2023! I liked the different perspectives and the multiple timelines. For some reason, reading about authors and books is one of my favorite things, so I was pleasantly surprised that some of the main characters were writers.

This story gave me Daisy Jones and the Six and Verity vibes, so if you enjoy reading TJR and CoHo’s stories, this book is for you!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 —
🤩 Addicting Read
👩‍🏫 Ambitious MC
👀 Multiple POVs
😨 Twists and Turns
⏳ Multiple Timelines
✍️ Book about a Writer
🔍 Mystery
😧 Historical Thriller

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐟 —
🧺 You enjoy picnics
🎸 You want to be friends with a famous musician
📝 You want to write self-help books
🚪 You enjoy finding hidden spots in houses
⚔️ You have a love/hate relationship with your BFF

𝐓𝐖: murder, infidelity, blood, child death, abortion, miscarriage, suicide

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for providing me an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had really high hopes for this book but found I had a hard time getting into it. About half way through it finally grabbed me but the intertwining storylines at time left me with whiplash and confused. The characters seems to be lacking in their depth, or maybe there were just too many of them to expand on.
Overall I gave this a 3.25 stars. Not sure I would read it again.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for my review copy!

Since this book took place in Italy, I feel like it’s best to describe this book by using a pasta analogy:

Nothing is wrong with a plain bowl of pasta. right? BUT we can all agree that to make a pasta dish spectacular it needs sauce, cheese, spices, oil, veggies, and protein.

This read felt like a boring plate of plain pasta - bland, not exciting, and left A LOT to be desired.

I didn’t find anything overly problematic - I did think the friendship between Chess and Emily to be toxic and very unhealthy for both parties.

It also had super long chapters which are not my favorite. At all.

While I enjoyed the present timeline, the past “rock and roll” storyline was not my cup of tea,

The Villa was more of a mystery novel, than a thriller. It definitely had an element of “gothic suspense” which was somewhat interesting, but not a sub genre I gravitate towards.

Most of the “action” happened the last twenty percent, and what I THOUGHT was going to happen (which would have made the ending exciting!) didn’t happen and I was left EXTREMELY underwhelmed.

I didn’t hate reading this, just like I don’t hate a boring bowl of plain pasta. Would I recommend you order the same thing at Olive Garden? No.

SIMONE SAYS READ THIS IF YOU LIKE

creepy villas in Italy
dual timelines
toxic childhood friendships
< 300 page reads
a story within a story
books about authors

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinpress for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Childhood friends, Emily, and Chess, have weathered ups and downs, fame and misfortune, happiness and heartbreak in their decades long friendship. After one of their lunches to catch-up on each other's lives, Chess poses the idea they spend the summer at an Italian villa to reaffirm their bond and maybe get some work done on their individual projects. The story is intriguing and engaging though at times, a bit far flung. The mysterious murder that happened in 1974 quickly draws Emily into its intrigue and Chess is eager to cash in on the idea too. Will Chess and Emily’s friendship last the summer in the Italian Villa or will the villa’s history be the killing force behind another tragedy? Definitely a solid 4 stars with enough backstabbing and mystery to keep me questioning the characters all the way to the end.