Rachel Hawkins always has a way of keeping me on my toes! I loved The Wife Upstairs and had a lot of fun with The Villa, I am always intrigued by Cults and this was giving me White Lotus vibes! Thanks to the publisher for this review copy.

This ended up being a mediocre thriller. I loved the sex, love, and drugs vibes of the past timeline. However the ending was lame in my opinion. I didn't appreciate how the author backtracked.

I have mixed feelings on this one, I didnt LOVE it, but didnt' hate it, it was just " Okay" Could have been a bit faster paced with more twists, I had to make myself finish. 2.5 stars

I have mixed emotions about this one. I felt like it was all over the place. I liked the different storylines but it felt confusing at times. It was jumping from one story to the next too fast. There were a lot of characters too so that just made it more confusing. I just couldn’t get into this one. It was very different from her other books.

Set in dual perspective and dual timeline, both surrounding their own trials and tribulations. a story within a story, similar character plots, but in different happenstances. We read along as the story unfurls slowly, each page giving more detail, more insight. Some storyline is predictable, but that seems intentional. Some of the storyline twists, but not in a jarring way that leaves you shocked to your core…it’s more the kind that makes you sit back and go, “who would thought"

I loved the settings and the alternating timelines. The story was so compelling and I just did not want to put it down. I loved Emily and Mari as the main characters, and suspected everybody. There was one part of the storyline that I didn’t love, and I guessed what was happening. Overall, loved it! Looking forward to reading this author again.

The Villa is a story within a story told in the two different timelines when they occurred.

Current day, Emily, a mystery writer undergoing a nasty divorce from her husband Matt, is invited to spend 6 weeks in Italy with her childhood BFF Chess, now a famous author and motivational speaker. It's been awhile since the two have gotten together. At times, they seem able to pick up the natural rhythm and laugh together as they once did, but overall, each sees the growing differences that now lie between them.

The "WOW factor" villa that Chess has reserved for their stay is an infamous "Murder House". In 1974, a group of 5 friends (well-known or soon to be well-known) stayed there, partying hard. Present were two men who were famous musicians/rock stars; two sisters, one who would go on to write an album that becomes one of the best of all time, the other a dark best-selling book; and another man, the fifth wheel. There has always been much talk and interest about what really happened that summer, which ended in the murder of one of the group. A murder which captured the attention of the world.

Emily and then Chess become caught up in the house and what happened there. As they become more familiar with the events of that long ago summer, they find that their relationship with each other is affected. Could it really be the house, as locals say?

A slow-burner, this is an ok read, but I was hoping for more. The characters never really resonated with me, though truly this might have been influenced by my timing of the read.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and ARC via NetGalley. The novel is to be published 1/3/23. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Full review and recipe match: https://bakingthroughbookclub.com/2022/12/14/che-macello/

We all have that one friend that we love to hate. Maybe she is too perfect. Maybe she seems to have it all. Maybe she is living out your dreams and getting rich off of them while your own life seems to be spiraling down the drain.

That is exactly what is happening to Emily. She’s in the midst of divorcing her husband of seven years, trying to recover from severe health problems, living with her parents, and struggling to reinvigorate her career as a writer. Emily has had moderate success writing cozy mysteries and is trying to get the next book in her somewhat-popular Petal Bloom series to her publisher. However, life does not seem to be going her way. She meets her lifelong best friend for lunch one day and can’t help feeling a little disgusted.
“Somewhere around the time she started calling herself, ‘Chess,’ I realized I might actually hate my best friend.”
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

Girl, can’t say I blame you. Chess “fell into” a job writing an advice column and became the queen of the self-help section. Before Emily knew it, Chess was giving TedTalks and appearing on Oprah. After their lunch, Chess calls Emily and invites her to come with her to Italy for the summer. Chess is trying to finish her next book, and she knows Emily is struggling with writer’s block. So, she thinks that they can both spend the summer writing and drinking wine.

It sounds too good to be true. When the women pull up to Villa Aestas, the scenery is breathtaking. However, this particular villa holds a dark secret: It was the site of a brutal murder back in the 1970s. Chess doesn’t want Emily to talk about the murder, but Emily can’t help but research. She finds that the murder occurred while a group of friends occupied the villa in the summer of 1974. Throughout the book, narration switches between Emily in the present day and Mari in the past.

Before we go any further, we should probably introduce the 1974 cast. Mari, a writer, became famous for her horror novel Lilith Rising shortly after that summer. She traveled to the villa with her married boyfriend, Pierce. Pierce is a rising guitarist that got linked up with international rockstar Neil. Neil is responsible for bringing all parties involved to the villa. Accompanying Neil is his drug runner, Johnnie, who is later arrested for the murder. Finally, Mari’s stepsister, Laura, tags along on the trip. She is largely unwanted and ignored by the rest of the group. After the murder, Laura goes on to become a famous musician in her own right, releasing a sad, soulful album entitled Aestas, from which the villa is renamed.

Now back to the present day. The more Emily researches the murder, the more entrenched she becomes in its mystery. Putting her cozy mysteries aside, she decides to write a true crime book about the case. As she is trying to unravel what happened, she begins uncovering clues from around the house. However, Chess begins asking pointed questions, and something is telling Emily that she needs to hide her new writing endeavor. She’s not sure why she feels so suspicious of Chess. Secrets have a way of coming out, though.
The Villa is a fun, easy read that transports people into the publishing world more than it does the Italian countryside. I wish that the setting played a larger role in the book. Instead, it felt like the characters holed themselves up in a hotel for the majority of the story. This book could literally be set anywhere and it would barely affect the outcome.

While the mystery surrounding the murder was fun to read, it didn’t exactly blaze any trails. If you enjoy reading thrillers, the plot will probably feel familiar. However, familiar isn’t always bad– it was still an entertaining story. What I REALLY wanted to read was Lilith Rising, though– the fictional book that Mari wrote while staying at Villa Aestas. It was painted as a terrifying horror, and I found myself longing to read IT instead of the book I had in my hands.

Overall, this is a great book to read while you’re on a plane or trying to check out for a few hours. It has a few twists and turns to keep your interest, but it doesn’t have much that sets it apart from other books in the thriller genre.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Can a house retain memories of violence in its very walls?

Cozy mystery writer Emily Sheridan is asked by her best friend, the self-help guru Chess Chandler, to spend the summer with her at a fabulous villa in Orvieto, Italy. Emily is recovering from the breakup of her marriage that followed on the heels of a serious illness and so she jumps at the chance for a change of scene. She soon learns that Villa Aestas has a violent past: a murder committed in 1974 during a summer of sex, drugs and rock-and-roll that ended in one man dead. It's curious that the two women who were only there to be muses for the men and their music became wildly successful in their own right after that tragic summer--Mari Godwick, for her novel of gothic horror; and Lara Larchmont, her step-sister, for her heart-wrenching album.

Emily, who has been plagued by writer's block, finds herself fascinated by this dark tale and begins to write a new book based on Mari's story, reading her novel, Lilith Rising, over and over to find clues. Might there be something more she can unearth in the villa itself? Some clues to the real story left behind?

The Villa then is told in two timelines--the present and the past--and both are equally intriguing and toxic. Once the reader thinks they've learned the whole story, there are yet more twists to both the present and the past. Personally, I gobbled up every page of this suspenseful mystery, caring so much for both Emily and Mari and booing and hissing at the villains.

I received an arc of this new mystery from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out! Really, excellent read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC.

This books ending took a different turn than I expected but still enjoyable. A story within a story, we have present day as well as 1974 where a gruesome murder happened. Between the two stories are each a bond of two women and just how far they will go to get what they want and overall protect what they want in the end.

When given the chance to read The Villa early, I was ALL about it. I've read Reckless Girls by this author and absolutely loved it so couldn't wait to dive into this one. Overall though...I was a tad disappointed.

I love this author's writing so this was a quick and easy read. However, I had a hard time with the present timeline and the utterly toxic friendship of Em & Chess. I couldn't stand either of them, but maybe the author meant for it to be that way? 🤷‍♀️

I did love Mari and Lara and really enjoyed that thread of the story. I had a feeling there was more truth to the murder than Em had uncovered so the ending was not surprising. It is, however, darkly twisted once the truth is revealed and the chains of Em & Chess' friendship have been locked into place.

While I didn't love this one, I didn't hate it either. It reads more like a mystery than a thriller, and I was hoping for a lot more. I would still say fans of this author and genre should give it a read and see where you land at the end.

I sincerely appreciate St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Fantastic book that I couldn’t put down!

What to expect:
*Dual timelines-past & present
*Italian setting

Final thoughts: I was captivated by this book and really liked the dual timelines and dark exploration of friendships. I did enjoy the parts from the 70s more than the current day story lines & the ending was not what I expected. Overall I enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this dark exploration of friendship. A fabulous setting of a gorgeous Italian Villa & 2 timelines, alternating between the present & 50 years prior, make for a compelling read. I loved how the past & present plots echoed each other & I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next.

This was an unputdownable thriller for me. Past and present timelines, sex drugs & rock and roll, Fleetwood Mac vibes, Manson murder inspo, and a gothic Italian setting made this an enticing story that hooked me from the start.

We have Emily and Chess. They are both writers, and to cheer Emily up due to her impending divorce Chess whisks her away to an Italian Villa. The intent is to drink, have fun in the sun, reconnect since their friendship has been on the rocks, and to also get some writing done for their books. However, the Villa has a dark history.

What’s the dark history? Well, that’s the past timeline told via diary entries. There’s Mari, Lara, Pierce, Noel, and Johnny. Mari and Lara are step sisters, Pierce is Lara’s boyfriend, Noel is an international rock star, and Johnny is Noel’s friend. They stay together as a group at the Villa in 1974, but their time there ends with a brutal murder.

Chess and Emily have their secrets and conflict, and so does the group from 1974. This book was gripping from the very first page with gorgeous scenery, while also having a sinister undertone. The characters were largely unlikeable, but that didn’t ruin the story for me. This was a fast paced story that I couldn’t get enough of.

I can’t rate this 5 stars simply because the ending took a huge turn and I am not sure if I loved the twist. I felt like there was a lot of ambiguity with Emily’s story, and I feel like I was left with too many questions, and too many of the “answers” felt flimsy.

Aside from those complaints, one of the narrators for the audiobook is the fabulous Julia Whelan. You can never go wrong when she narrates a book!

🗓️ This book is being published in January 3, 2023 so mark your calendars because this is going to be another thriller best seller that you’re going to want to get your hands on!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins, and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy, and advanced listener copy for this book.

I found this book to be pretty slow paced; while I had enough interest in it enough to keep reading, it didn’t keep my attention enough to devour it the way I often do with similarly themed books. While I don’t mind a slow burn when done well, I didn’t find the payoff to be completely worth it in this case.

I did enjoy the dual POV, and found myself equally interested in both stories. I liked the structure of having both the 1974 and present narrations in every chapter and enjoyed the parallels between the two stories as they played out. The author also included fictional media excerpts in many of the chapters to provide additional context into the events that occurred in the villa in 1974, which I thought helped tie the story together even more.

The reveal of many events towards the end of the novel (in both the past and present) were fairly predictable, and there wasn’t anything that surprised me until the very end.

Overall, I liked the structure of the novel and generally enjoyed the two stories (and how they intertwined), but expected and was hoping that the novel would grab my attention more than it did.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read, enjoy, and review an ARC copy of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins! This review and opinions expressed here are solely my own. First, I have to say I love the mystery/thrillers Rachel Hawkins writes! They haven't disappointed yet😊
The Villa takes place in the Italian hills of Orvieto, where Villa Aestas is located. The story is a dual timeline. There's Mari, Lara, Noel, Pierce, and Johnni who stay at the Villa Summer of 1974. But something very bad goes down. The facts and supposed truth that comes out during the trial of Pierce's murder are believed. Fast forward to present day where best friends Em and Chess visit the same Villa. Em gets caught up in discovering the truth of what happened that day in the Summer of '74. Both girls are authors and so was Mari who stayed there 50 years earlier in 1974. Em researches Mari and her hit novel she had written while visiting in summer of '74. As she does, Em starts to realize that novel wasn't all fiction. Tension is rising between Em and Chess. Em is recovering from illness, a divorce, and a struggling writing career. Chess is doing a bit better, but wanting something new.
As the story progresses, truths are revealed in both timelines- what actually happened during Pierce's death and secrets between Em and Chess. At first, I thought I had it figured out, but nope! There were some surprises!!! The first half of the novel was quite slow with a lot of background information for both timelines. But the second half of the novel flew by!!! I couldn't put it down! I had to find out what secrets Villa Aestas needed to reveal!!! The book will be published January 3, 2023.

This is my third Rachel Hawkins book, and, just like the others, it held my attention in true thriller fashion. The setting and the history behind the villa was captivating, and the story kept me guessing, but ultimately I found both main characters to be pretty unlikable. Chess's affair with Emily's husband was predictable, but I still hoped I didn't guess correctly. It was an entertaining read but not one that really made a big impression on me.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded down to 3

Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress for early access to this book. It publishes on January 3rd!

I have read a couple of books by this author, and I really enjoyed them. This one was good too, but didn’t quite capture me like the others. But I absolutely love this cover (I’m a lemon freak - both as food and decor 😜)

I did love the Italian setting and the dual timelines (present day and the 70s). Both timelines were easy to get into, but it seemed like not much happened in either until the end of the book. Then, they both kind of ramped up too quickly at the end and it became a bit convoluted. I especially wish the last chapter would’ve been completely omitted. It reminded me of a certain other popular thriller’s ending but not as effective. The book would’ve ended better without it, IMO.

This one was just okay for me. Not bad but not the best. However, I’ll still be picking up other books by this author because you can’t win em all, right? 🤪

THE VILLA by Rachel Hawkins is a thriller about two best friend authors with a bit of a rivalry. One friend has made it big while the other is struggling to write, has just divorced and is generally not feeling great about her position in life. The two go to Italy and rent a villa for the summer where they intend to write and forget about the rest of the world. Soon both become obsessed with the haunted past of the villa and things start to get dire from there.

I liked the concept of this book, absolutely love this gorgeous cover and thought the book had a good pace. It did keep me wanting to know more but I have a big complaint about this book and I find this is true of too many thrillers, but I did not find the relationship between the two characters to be all that plausible or relatable.

I get it that as we get older we grow apart from old friends and our values or life goals can change, etc. But there was tension between these two characters from the beginning and the idea that they would want to spend a whole summer in Italy together when they did not really trust (or barely even like) each other seems far fetched for me. I love to travel but I choose my travel partners wisely and certainly would not want to be alone in a foreign country with someone who I wasn't sure what the score was between us.

The lack of trust is a theme throughout and I also think that there are too many portrayals of adult female friendships like this that just perpetuate this idea that women always have to compete with each other. Maybe it is just me but is anyone else tired of this?

Anyway, this was my first Rachel Hawkins book and while I thought the writer did a good job of creating an intriguing story and atmosphere I just could not get into these characters and their surface level relationship.

Have you read any Rachel Hawkins? If so, which is your favorite?

Thank you to the author, @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the audio ARC. This title is out in January 2023.