I don’t read too many mystery/thrillers, but when I do Rachel Hawkins is one of my go-to writers. This one had the mystery from the past and the writer exploring that, both of which are things I love to read about. My one complaint would be that I didn’t care too much while reading sections about the past characters at the villa, these seemed lacking in much depth for me. That said, I loved the current events with Chess and Em so much that I was still very much invested in how things turned out.

Note: ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for honest review.
4 stars

Having visited Orvieto in 2018 and fallen in love with the town, this was a no-brainer read for me. The book's plot was solid and so much better than "Reckless Girls" by Hawkins. Unlike her previous thriller, this one was written in a way less choppy writing style and the transitions from past to present POVs were much smoother.

Childhood friends Emily and Chess spontaneously rent Villa Aestas in Orvieto, Italy for the summer in the hopes of reviving their friendship and writing careers. Steeped in history now forgotten, Villa Aestas was the infamous site of musician Pierce Sheldon's murder. Emily is fascinated by this tragic event and begins to search for clues as to what really happened that fateful summer. The more she uncovers, however, the more she begins to question her own secrets she's hiding.

While the ending was predictable and wrapped up almost too neatly for my taste, it at least left no room for doubts or questions. Overall, I liked the protagonists and thought there were well-developed, something I didn't get the feel of in Hawkin's "Reckless Girls".

intriguing, Immersive, and with a Gothic twist, this was a fun read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ALC of this 2023 release!

I loved this book so much until Chapter 13 to the end of this book. It held so much promise. A gripping story, villains you emotionally hate, dual timelines, multiple POVs, and a horror novel within the book. However, I hated the ending of this book. It was not satisfying. One of the villains does not get what is coming to them and I found that so disappointing.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

I tend to really enjoy Rachel Hawkins' books, and this one was no exception.

I LOVED the dual timelines, and the overall feel of it. It was like Daisy Jones and the Six meets true crime, I really enjoyed that. The atmosphere of the villa was really cool to read about, as well. All the historical aspects throughout, super neat to read. I loved the parallels between both sets of women. Mari and Lara, and Chess and Em.
I really hated Chess's character, though, I think that's mostly why this review wasn't five stars for me. I couldn't overlook how manipulative and toxic she was, even if she was doing what she thought was best for Em. I don't care what the intent was, she was awful.
But then again, so was Lara. To try to justify sleeping with your stepsister's boyfriend because you're in love with him? Gross. I realize they were both young, but yuck. IMO, both of those girls deserved better. They deserved real men, not the pathetic excuses of Noel and Pierce. If I were Mari, I would have bounced as soon as he slept with Lara after their son passed in her arms. Inexcusable.

I really enjoyed the unique storyline of this, and the fast pacing of it all. It had a very satisfying ending, too. Highly recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for my gifted review copies.

The Villa is told in two timelines. We have Chess and Emily in the now, best friends when they were younger but over the years they have gone in different directions. Chess has a successful career while Emily is going through a devastating divorce. When Chess invites Emily to come to Italy with her for the summer, she jumps at the chance to reconnect and maybe even find the inspiration to start writing again(she’s an author with a serious case of writer’s block).
Chess has rented Villa Aestas,a beautiful place with a tragic past. We then travel back to 1974 when it was known as Villa Rosato. Emily becomes quite interested in understanding what happened then and we learn about the events that led to a tragic death.
I figured out one of the major reveals rather early in the story and I had a hard time relating to the story that was sent in the past. Neither story line initially grabbed me and wouldn’t let go, but I have to be fair and say I had a lot and I mean a lot of personal and medical issues going on. I wound up picking this up and putting it down over the course of months. That was most likely the main problem for me and the fact that I just didn’t love, love or root for even one character.
I loved The Wife Upstairs,so this time it might’ve just be me. I’ll look forward to her next book.

I enjoyed the audio readers. The voices were excellent and helped keep all the characters POV straight. Unfortunately, while I enjoy this author, and will continue to read what she writes. this book fell short for me. I didn't connect with the story and really didn't enjoy any characters. It was also confusing at times with all the characters.

**Netgalley Arc***

( 3 stars)

Content Warnings: Murder, Child death, cheating/infedelity (mentioned), death during childbirth

Characters
Chess: A self help author who is known for always
being late and frequently changing her name.
Emily (Em): A struggling cozy mystery writer. Who
is getting over a recent mysterious sickness
and a recent divorce. She is not very fond of
her best friend Chess.
Matt: The shitty ex
Mari: a writer in the 70s dating Pierce a married
musician. She was born to famous parents.
Pierce: Mari’s musician boyfriend
Lara: Mari’s stepsister who lives with Mari and
Pierce and is sleeping with rockstar Noel
Gordon
Noel Gordon: rockstar
Johnnie: entertainment manager who has a crush on Mari

General Summary: Chess and Emily have been best friends since 4th grade. As they grow up Chess becomes famous and Emily begins to realize that she’s not actually very fond of Chess. In the midst of Chess being a famous Self Help influencer and Emily a struggling writer Chess suggests they take a trip to Italy. 6 weeks in a poolside Villa in Italy where they can enjoy being writers. And only one murder has ever occurred there. What’s the worst that could happen?

In the past Mari is a writer who ran away with her musician boyfriend Pierce. They have sort of an open relationship. Her step sister Lara came with them. One day Lara says they should take a trip to Italy. They would be at a Villa with famous rockstar Noel Gordon. In this past a murder occurs.

Review:
I’d like to preface this with I am a huge Rachel Dawkins fan and have been since reading the Wife Upstairs. This book was slow to start. There was a lot of introduction the the point where I’m not sure when the story actually began. I wasn’t a huge fan how the chapters were structured to be half present half past and then part inside someone else’s book and I wish they had been structured more distinctively. The book never really picked up and I wasn’t as dedicated to the people of the past as I was to the people of the present. Overall I just didn’t love it. The mystery was a but predictable which I didn’t mind but the story didn’t pick up at all till it was almost over. I really liked the twist at the end. I loved the past ending. And thought the present ending was okay. Overall I give the book 3 stars.



Thank you to netgalley and publishers for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Emily and Chess were best friends, but with an underlying air of competition, as they were both authors, just in different genres. Emily has found a name for herself writing cozy mysteries, and Chess is a self help guru (and more successful author). When Emily goes through a personal crisis, she accepts an invitation from Chess to go to Italy and write for the summer. When Emily arrives in Orvieto, she becomes fascinated with this history of the villa they are staying in, and does a deep dive into the history of the place, and the death of a famous song writer that happened in the 1970s.

This story is told in dual time lines, from Emily's point of view in the here and now, and from Mary's in the 1970s. This dueling timeline breaks up the story, and definitely kept me interested for the duration of the story. I really enjoyed both settings, and having the house as the connection between the settings was a fabulous move that helped me see the continuity in the story.

Overall, this story flowed well, and I really enjoyed it. I felt like it was easy to get into it, and it was great to see which way the story would take you. Suspicions were thrown at different characters, including Emily's husband and Chess herself, but the conclusion of the story really made you enjoy what was happening in the whole of the book.

I find myself struggling to write a review for this novel, not because of anything wrong, I highly enjoyed and recommend The Villa. If I am being honest, and that is the point of reviews any ways, right? It was just a weird book for me in the fact that I didn't want to put it down, but nothing was happening in the story and yet I had to keep reading to see how the drama all played out. And maybe that is the key... the drama. Told in dual timelines we have a past story that involves a murder, in the current story we have two friends vacationing in the house of said murder. Both timelines have a bit of mystery to the plot, but it is more about the interactions between characters. I thought it would lead up to an explosive end and while it wasn't explosive, it was still a bit twisty and dark. My apologies to those reading my review as I don't think it is much to go on, but all I can really say is yes, pick up the book and read it. I have read a couple other novels by Rachel Hawkins, and I really enjoy her style of writing.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advance digital copy in trade for an honest review, All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rachel Hawkins is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I love an unreliable narrator. My favorite part of a book is watching it unfold with the characters and Rachel excels at that.

The Villa weaves a story of past and present, with a sprinkle of fiction. At first, I stumbled through keeping the storylines straight, but it didn't take long to get me back on track.

I particularly enjoyed the parallel "frienemy" relationships. Sometimes in your life you love someone you don't really particularly like. Mari and Lara were sisters by circumstance. Em and Chess were "sisters" in the toxic childhood friend sense. Both sets were toxic, there were feelings of responsibility and obligation as well as a touch of exploitation and manipulation. These pairs of "friends" took being indebted to one another to the next level.

The story twists and turns, creating a tapestry of lives interwoven. Villa Aestas feeds the creative minds of those who visit, a sort of muse, but at what cost?

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Rachel Hawkins for this ARC.

This book was good! I honestly did not read the description so I went into it blind. I thought it was fun. It was a bit of a slower thriller and the plot twists were not too intense and kind of predictable. That being said though, I still enjoyed the story and my time reading it!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a story with a little bit of mystery and intrigue with a few little twists and turns here and there. Alternating timelines kept me on my toes while reading this. With two of the female characters sharing a love for writing, I sometimes confused them. I much preferred the present day timeline over the past. This book is definitely a slow burn and does not have the edge-of-your-seat holding-your-breath moments that other thrillers do, but I still found myself looking forward to finding out what might happen next.. Rachel Hawkins wrote a solid story here and I think it will be enjoyed by many.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a middle of the road read for me.

I liked the setting of a picturesque Italian villa. I also enjoyed the alternating timelines. However, the overall plot was quite slow and I found myself skimming much the chapters. Finally, the ending was predictable and did not wow me. It was more fiction than mystery / thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for opportunity to read and review this arc.

Bestselling Author Rachel Hawkins returns following Reckless Girls with her latest, THE VILLA —a Gothic-inspired cozy mystery where the past and present collide when two friends spend a summer in an Italian villa with a tormented and haunting history.

PRESENT: Friends, Emily and Chess (best friends) since childhood, decide to rent an Italian villa for the summer. It is a luxury villa but is also famous for the scene of a murder in the 1970s. Chess recommends it and pays for the trip. She became famous for her self-help books and her IG posts.

Emily and Chess were BFFs until Emily married Matt. Emily writes cozy YA mysteries, and Chess moved to the big city and writes self-help books (non-fiction).

PAST: Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday luxury retreat; however, back in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato. It was rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. To reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. There was also Johnnie the dealer and plenty of sex, drugs, and rock n roll.

Things got out of hand. Some died. Someone was sent to prison. A young woman writer finds inspiration for her horror work, a husband, and a famous aristocrat who pulled them there. Also, some ghostly stories.

Emily digs into the complex history and thinks there might have been something more to the story. Did they leave clues of something more sinister? Emily is trying to get away from her husband (lots of drama with her impending divorce) and has an illness that is worse with stress and deadlines.

Chess always wants to write together. The trip was for six weeks so they could finish their novels. But can Emily trust Chess? A betrayal.

Will the villa claim yet another victim in the present?

Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, the usage of podcasts, newspaper clippings, and the atmospheric past/setting added to the intrigue and some surprises, even though I was expecting something more sinister and shocking.

Atmospheric, an evil, wicked ending, and a cozy mystery with a Gothic flair and a "house that remembers."

AUDIOBOOK: I loved the front cover and thoroughly enjoyed the e-book and especially the audiobook, which was highly engaging and entertaining with narrators (love Julia Whelan) and the other two, Kimberly M. Wetherell and Shiromi Arserio, for a wide range of voices for the characters, both past, and present.

I also enjoyed her other two previous books. For fans of authors Lucy Foley, Carol Goodman, and Ruth Ware.

Thank you to #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers #Netgalley for a gifted ALC and ARC.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 3, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Jan 2022 Must-Read Books

I liked this one a lot and really enjoyed the format of past and present. I was torn with both liking Ches and despising her. Satisfying ending!

I could not put this book down! It grabbed me from page 1, and I couldn't stop reading til I finished it, which is why it only took me 2 days to get through!

I really enjoyed the dual story-lines, and being able to get pieces of the past as well as the present. Although I do wish certain aspects were explored more and given a better explaination, such as Em's mysterious illness, and a certain "drowning", overall this was an incredibly atmospheric and fast paced read that kept me guessing about what really happened all those years ago til the very end.

This was another great inspired hit from Rachel Hawkins, and I really can't wait to see what she writes next!

Wow! This is, by far, my favorite Rachel Hawkins book (compared to The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls).

It has a darker, more gothic feel than those stories. It was highly immersive and enticing, and I loved the messy female friendships. I thought I knew where the story was going, but a surprise in the final act completely threw me off.

I also appreciate the cohesiveness of the floral motifs on the covers of these three releases!

If you are looking for something that has the same vibes as White Lotus definitely consider adding to your reading list!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In the book, former childhood best friends turned authors, Emily and Chess rent an Italian villa to spend time together and to both work on their books. Emily is going through a divorce with her ex-husband and discovers secrets about her ex while in Italy. At the same time, a story is told about the villa’s complicated history and about others who have stayed there before. This was a great thriller, I seemed to end a little abruptly, but that’s my only complaint!

I loved the wife upstairs, but the last two books from this author were just disappointing. She needs to stick to her rom coms under her pen name because they are amazing. These are just ugh.