This was a unique story, taking place at the same villa during different time periods. There were a couple of twists and the twists at the end got me the most, I'm still thinking about them.
I liked how the main characters are writers and the idea of mixing the truth with stories.
This is my 2nd book by this author and I like her writing style a lot, I will definitely read more of her books and recommend this one to people that like a mystery with lots of character development.
I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book for my honest review thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press.

Rachel Hawkins’ “The Villa” has gotten a LOT of buzz on #bookstagram and #Goodreads. I am skeptical when the buzz is THAT good, but the description is intriguing and the reviews have been exciting. Therefore, I was very glad to get an ARC to read.

I read. And read. I could NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN. It’s worthy of the buzz.

“The Villa” is told as a dual timeline story with BFFs Emily and Chess in the present day and a cast of rock and roll stars, wannabees, and others trying to find their way in the 1970s. Both timelines take place at an atmospheric villa in Italy. Emily, a cozy mysteries writer, is trying to cope with a messy divorce while Chess is looking for space to finish her latest best-selling self-help book. While at the villa, Emily and Chess learn more about the murder that took place there on a stormy night in 1974. As they get closer to finding out what really happened that night, long-simmering tensions build to a boiling point between the two friends.

This is not JUST a dual timeline story. It is a story within a story that keeps the reader engaged and lulled into a sense of security until…WHAM!...something unexpected happens. I can’t say much more because I am in mortal fear of giving something away!

This book would be fantastic for fans of thrillers and mysteries. Do not delay. Get a copy as soon as it hits shelves.

Thanks #NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are my own. “The Villa” will be on shelves in early January.

Rachel Hawkins has done it again!! The Villa might be my favorite (so far ). Told in the past and present in a beautiful and maybe haunted Villa. Em and Chess spend a summer away to write and reconnect. Houses Remember… I literally devoured this book. Artists stayed in the house in the 70s and someone was murdered. Os it the plot for a new book of will history repeat itself

“The Villa” is a tale of two stories, of the past and the present, that have one thing in common: the mysterious Italian villa where our characters were all guests at one time. The lives of these six individuals were shrouded with jealousy, love and untimely deaths. The past invades the present and the villa is the catalyst that would forever bind them together because it grasps onto all that enters and never lets them go.

No one knows if the villa was cursed back in 1974 when Mari, Lara, Pierce and Noel arrived to create beautiful music, but it certainly was when they left. The peaceful and picturesque setting was the host for this troubled group who were searching for musical stardom, personal happiness and for one of them, the chance to finally chase away the nightmares from her past. Their days were filled with sunshine, sight-seeing and a drug induced haze that clouded their judgment. Were any of them really happy or were they just getting by, one day and one dream filled night at a time?

As we fast forward to the present, we meet Emily and Chess, childhood friends, who had recently grown apart until Chess proposed a trip to Italy for a six week stay at a beautiful and secluded villa that held secrets that were dying to get out. Both women are successful authors who thought a change of scenery would reignite their writing. Emily, especially, was looking for a sign as to who or what she should write about. The villa, with all of its sordid and scandalous history, was just the place for Emily to create a masterpiece that would change both of their lives forever.

“Houses remember.” ✨

Title: The Villa
Author: Rachel Hawkins
*pub date: January 3, 2023

This was unlike any other thriller I’ve read - I really enjoyed the dual POVs/timelines and how they were separated by 40 years. The news articles, podcasts, and magazine snippets were great additions to the story telling. 👏🏼

The first 30%ish of the book was a little slow for me, but it definitely picked up and turned into a good page turner! I didn’t think the twists were super surprising, but I also felt like the plot might not have really needed those! Also, is it really a thriller if most of the characters aren’t unlikeable lol?! 😅

I’m hoping there will be a second book to come that follows what happens in the villa, because the book truly does leave the end of our MCs story up for interpretation 🤔

If you are a true crime & thriller lover, then this book is 100% for you! 🙌🏼

read if you like:
- historical thrillers 🕵🏼‍♀️
- slow burn thrillers 🔥
- horror 🔪
- dual POV 👥
- dual timelines ⏳
- books about books 📖
- suspenseful writing ✍🏼
- domestic suspense 🫦

Rating: ☀️☀️☀️💫/5

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book!

Oh where do I start- this book was great! It hooked me in from the beginning, and kept twisting as the plot lines grows. This book feels like a mix of Daisy Jones & the Six and Verity, two books with their own set of drama. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a domestic thriller with a historical twist thrown in.
Set in Italy, the book follows two friends/authors who spend the summer in a villa that was once the scene of a murder in the 70s. The book bounces back between present day and the summer of 1974 when a group of up and coming rockers take over the place for the summer. There were a variety of plot twists, some that I predicted as I read the book, and others that I did not see coming. The rock n' roll backstory seemed quite similar to DJ & the S, and the "which book/journal version is the accurate one?" + the main character being an author had Verity undertones in it.
My only flaw with the book was one of the plot twists with the modern day story- it just sort of happened without much detail given to how it happened.
Overall a book that I would recommend- Rachel Hawkins has become one of my go to authors, and in my opinion this is her best novel yet!

@mysistermademereadit: The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a mystery/thriller about two very complicated female relationships. Set in a gorgeous Italian villa, the story switches back and forth between the modern day friendship of Emily and Chess and the sibling relationship/friendship of Mari and Lara and a murder that occurred while the sisters stayed in the villa in the 1970s. Rachel Hawkins excels at setting a mood and fleshing out the complicated relationships of women. The book seamlessly weaves back and forth between the past and the present (although I would have liked to read a chapter or two from Chess and Lara’s perspective). I enjoyed the book overall, but really felt like there was one chapter too many in the Mari/Lara story and one chapter too few in the Emily/Chess story. Overall, I would recommend this book; heck, the setting alone was worth it!

A very big thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

#bookstagram #sistergram #thevilla #rachelhawkins #netgalley #bookreviews #bookstagrammer #booklover #instagramreads #readersofinstagram

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this thriller that takes place in the lush countryside of Italy, but with shadows of the past encroaching on the present.

Dwellings take on the auras of those who stay inside of them. Artists have an aura that is creative and leave that kind of aura. Corporate types emit an almost unhappy atmosphere, a we will never be happy no matter how many baths we have, leaving a sterile, incomplete feeling. Some families make a house a home, others just a lodging. Acts that happen inside the walls both loving and murderous can radiate for years, affecting all that enter, making a young woman doubt herself, her family and the truth that she was told about events in the past. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a story set now about events in the past and how these events permeate the walls and people's minds.

Emily and Chess were close as children but find that time, life and life choices have created a distance between them. Emily is a mystery writer of the cozy sort, who has had a rough patch with writer's block caused from her recent divorce. Chess is a social influencer, who has invited Emily on a trip to Italy, which Emily accepts hoping for a change of scene, and a chance to reconnect. They plan to stay in a villa that was used by a rock star almost 50 years earlier, also to get past a creative block and work on a new album. Invited were 3 other people, one who became a bestselling author, and another a hit artist. There was a also a murder. As Emily looks into the affair, she finds that Chess is not happy with her investigations. And that that things might not be how they were told.

A big thrill ride with lots of twists, turns and a lot of influences. Frankenstein, a famous poet or two, strange relationships, and more appear in the novel. There is some time jumping which can be a little tough to follow in the beginning, but by the mid point the story has really kicked in and readers won't notice. The characters are interesting, with a narrator or two that might not be the most trustworthy, but that is to be expected. The plot moves well, with a few red herrings tossed in, but mostly the author plays fair, with a few big scares and a big surprise or two. Recommended for fans of Hawkins, and for readers who like a lot of big ideas, and cleaver influences in their story.

This duel timeline was incredibly interesting. I haven't read a book like this yet!

Overall, I enjoyed the book but there were some parts where I wasn't impressed/almost DNF'd.

The past sections were difficult to read and I found myself confused by what I needed to pay attention to vs what was just fluff.

The present day parts kept me interested and wanting more.

Overall, 3 stars. Thank you netgalley for the eARC!

This is a must read! Both stories are equally enticing, first I was very into the present time. I wanted Emily to make sure her ex would not take advantage of her and I never knew if Chess was trustworthy....but then, I got lost on Mari's drama with Pierce and everything going on at the Villa in the past.

Cleverly written, it throws your suspicious out the window, it's like Rachel Hawkins lead us to develop some suspicions and then, told us how wrong we are! I love how both stories are intertwined.

Thank you so much to Rachel Hawkins, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this awesome ARC!!

Rachel Hawkins writes some of the most bingeable thrillers out there. Are they earth shattering and completely blow you away?? No! But they are highly addicting and quick page turners. This one is no different. I loved the dual timelines and enjoyed solving the mystery. Overall, it was a little on the predictable side, but a winner nonetheless.

This book was such a pleasant surprise for me, as I really didn't know what to expect going in, nor was I super invested during the first few chapters. However, it continued to get more and more interesting as I kept reading. I truly enjoyed this dual-timeline mystery/thriller set in the present day, and the 70's at......the same Italian villa. I enjoyed both stories and seeing how things all tied together in the end. The Villa seems to be getting some mixed reviews thus far, but having gone into reading it with an almost blind synopsis, I found it super engaging and couldn't put it down. I also found it to be so much better than The Wife Upstairs, which means I will give more of Rachel Hawkins books a try!

The Villa is a dual timeline between the 70s of rock and roll, sex, drugs and current day. Our MC is a soft murder mystery writer struggling with writers block and whisked away to Italy with her social media and writing geru best friend. Having the advantage of being at the site of a murder that happened during the 70s that revolves around a famous horror novel and album written after the events, this is the opening door of writing something completely different while uncovering a tragic truth.

The Villa was not what I expected and that is what fell flat for me. I wanted more suspense, thrill, possible ghost story along with the murder. But it was more domestic drama from both timelines. The revelations towards the end was a trope I just did not care for and felt could have been written so much better. This was a book I just read through so I could know the ending and hoped for a strong finale.

If your looking for a very suspenseful story, this is not it. A more domestic drama, then this is for you.

A definite miss for me. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad but I was continuously bored and unfulfilled. By the end, I wondered what the point was of it all. The plot, characters, pacing and twists gave nothing to sprout any intrigue. As if just going through the motions. Whenever anything "interesting" happened, it still was just as boring as the rest of the book.





Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy for an honest review.

Verity meets Daisy Jones & The Six!

We basically get 2 stories in one with the dual timeline and POV's. First, in the present time with two friends. Em, a cozy mystery writer and Chess, a famous influencer. Second, in the 1970's with a group of musicians working together. Both of which stay at The Villa to enhance their writing and music careers.

How the stories intertwine and weave together with lies, mystery and darkness had me completely invested. Secrets, betrayals, drugs, sex and rock and roll gone wrong! The ending was a little confusing, but had you guessing which provided some great discussions with fellow readers.

This is my first book by Rachel Hawkins. I have a few others on my TBR and am anxious to get to them.

Thank you to #Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the early E-Copy!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was good. Not great, but it definitely kept my attention throughout. I enjoyed the dual storylines and putting the stories together. Rachel Hawkins writes good mysteries.

I did not enjoy this one as much as I did Reckless Girls, but it was good nonetheless. My only complaint was the ending. I just thought it fell flat, which is why I give it three stars. Great story, half done ending. I didn't like Chess, Mari or Lara. They were awful characters, but I did like Emily. I felt that she was the most relatable one of the group. Some of the scenarios seemed a bit far fetched, but it was a fun read. Recommended, but not one that I would reread.

The Villa is full of mystery, rich people behaving badly, and some insufferable characters (Pierce... ugh!)

Emily is at a low point. Her husband left her, she has major writers block and has drifted apart from her childhood friend Chess. When Chess invites her to spend the summer in Italy at a beautiful villa she takes the opportunity to clear her slate.

This villa was actually the spot of a famous rock n roll murder scandal in the 70s that Emily gets obsessed with. There are some parallels and Emily finds a kindred spirit with Mari, one of the women there that summer.

Overall this one kept me entertained. I liked the length and locale (hello beautiful Italy). I didn't love the ending and way it wrapped up but I think it did work with the story.

I will say that I almost didn't keep reading because I don't like reading stories where young children have died but I kept reading and did okay but if you are sensitive to that subject matter this book may not be for you.

content warnings: death of a child, drug use, suicide (off page)

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this in advance in exchange for my review via netgalley!

Warning: This may be an unpopular opinion and I’m sad to say it.

This book was inspired by Fleetwood Mac and the Manson murders, so I was more than down for it. It’s written in multiple POVs and timelines which I always enjoy. I liked getting to know Mari and Emily during their own separate life journeys. Chess was an ugly reminder of self-centered girlfriends I’ve had in the past where you’re unsure of how close you two actually even are or how much you can relax in her presence. Her character was written phenomenally well.

I was INTO this book.... until 86% in.
What a turn of events.

I’m not going to spoil it, but the route this plot took at that point was so below the content I read up to that point. It was so frustrating. I almost DNF’d because of it but I had hope it was just a bad plot twist leading into a great one, but I’m glad I didn’t hold my breath.

I’ll give it three because I thought it was good until that point. Absolutely devastating 🤦🏻‍♀️

This wasn’t great but it was entertaining enough to distract me from a bad headache. The ending was sadly predictable so that was a let down. The writing flowed decently making it an easy read, good for the beach or relaxing.

The description of this book caught my attention but I have to say it was just ok. There were a few twists and suspense but I was expecting more of a thriller. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was good. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.