3.5 stars // This book bordered on being great but didn’t quite get there for me which has seemed to be the case with the others I’ve read from this author.

Main character Emily is an author of cozy mystery novels and going through a messy divorce when her longtime best friend and now incredibly famous self-help guru invites her on a trip to a villa in Italy so they can write their upcoming books and spend time together. The villa has a bloody past that sometimes mirrors the present circumstances.

Lots of questions left unanswered for me throughout the novel that could have made it MUCH more interesting. It just left enough to be desired for me in a bad way. I still liked it for the most part, though!

Loved this book!
The main characters were so real and I felt all of their emotions !
I love all of Rachel's books! The cover is beautiful And I loved the different timelines !! Definitely will recommend this book to my book club!

I've enjoyed every book I've read by this Rachel Hawkins, and The Villa was no exception. This book took a bit for me to get into (only about 30 pages), but once I did, I read the entire book in a day.

The Villa tells two simultaneous stories in different eras. The first is the story of Emily and her elusive best friend, Chess. Both are authors, one struggling and one wildly successful. Emily, the struggling author, is going through a difficult divorce when Chess invites her to spend the summer at a villa in Italy. The same villa was the site of a murder in the 70's, and the book tells that story in parallel to the first.

Emily starts to find her place again, in the world and as an author while also unraveling some less-than-desirable news, both in today's story and the story of the past.

This book kept me interested and guessing. Thank you, Rachel Hawkins, for another great book!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is a dual-timeline mystery thriller set in Italy. I loved this suspenseful thriller that kept me up until I finished the book.

Story Recap:
Emily and Chess have been best friends since they were kids. Now in their 30s, they have grown apart as they each have followed their own separate career paths. Chess calls Emily and suggests they spend a few weeks in a villa in Italy. Emily is at a point in her life where she needs a break and can’t resist such a generous offer.

Chess rents out Villa Aestas in Orvieto, a high-end holiday home. The Villa used to be known as Villa Rosato. In 1974, Villa Rosato was rented out by famous rock star, Noel Gorden. Noel invited up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon, his girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara to spend the summer at the villa. When the summer is over, Mari has written one of the best horror novels of the time, Lara has written a chart-topping album and Peirce is murdered.

Emily finds hints of the earlier murder in the Villa and searches for more clues. What she finds is shocking, but equally shocking events happen in the present that can change the direction of her friendship with Chess.

My Thoughts:
I just loved the setting of this book. A villa in Italy with a haunted history makes for a rich and mysterious setting for this thriller. I didn’t like any of the characters very much, but that’s expected in this type of book. I enjoyed the 1970s timeline the most as it has that sex drugs, and rock and roll theme, and there were more interesting characters. I was excited to see what would happen to these characters while staying at the opulent villa.

The modern-day timeline started a bit slow, but by the end of the book I was fully invested in these characters and loved the way they unraveled the mystery of the earlier timeline. Although, nothing is as it first appears, so hang on, the ending for both timelines is the best part of the book.

So, although the story drags a bit in the middle, the ending it totally worth it and made the slower parts worth the wait.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Villa to anyone who enjoys contemporary thrillers. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

✨BOOK REVIEW✨
The Villa
By Rachel Hawkins

This book annoyed me! I love the other books that this author has written, but this one was just SO frustrating.

The first half of this book dragged on, and I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, and it was just not playing out how I thought.

The characters were very difficult to like, and the timeline at times felt choppy.

Sadly this one was not for me!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The plot of The Villa had be very intrigued but ultimately this one just fell flat for me. I think it held a lot of promise; loved the dual timelines, the setting, and that the house itself was a bit of a character in the story, but didn't love how disjointed it felt at times and the characters of the present timeline annoyed the crap out of me.

A quick read that I won't really remember much of in the coming weeks.

I had previously enjoyed other Rachel Hawkins books, but this one was a bit boring. The writing felt rushed.

THE VILLA by Rachel Hawkins

Two best friends, two writers, one murder mansion, one summer under the hot Italian sun, and a whole host of secrets and mysteries that will be uncovered slowly over the course of 288 pages, bit by bit by bit.

This book contains the POV of our main character Emily, but also flashbacks from Mary, the infamous teen author of one of literature's most famous pieces of feminist gothic horror, LILLITH RISING, which was written in the 70s following a gruesome murder that took place in one rockstar's Italian villa.

This was like Daisy Jones meets your favorite gothic mystery, and the vibes were definitely there. I preferred the current timeline POV over the flashbacks, but that's my personal taste. I didn't love the ending or the justifications for some things that happen in the end, but you be the judge!! I will give it to Miss Hawkins, things take a WILD turn.

The best book I read in 2022. This book was unlike many of the ‘typical thrillers’ out there, with such a unique story line. The book was well written, unique and really loved it! Highly recommend! Thank you for the advanced copy.

Chess and Emily are childhood friends whose relationship strained as adults. Chess is a self help guru, while Emily is a mystery writer, struggling to write her next book in her cozy series. So when Chess offers to bring Emily along to an Italian Villa in Umbria in hopes that it will kick start her book, Emily says yes. But when she get's there she finds out the Villa was once the spot of a murder of a celebrity murder. As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind. Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge––and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.

This was my first book by this author. I found it really enjoyable. It was a nice balance of mystery without being too explicit or graphic. The central Italian region was such a fun backdrop and the villa itself seemed like such a fun trip. I loved the dual stories that unveiled perfect pieces as the story went on. I sympathized with Emily and her health struggles, while Chess was perfectly written as this kind of obnoxious self help guru with a bit more motive. I will definitely be going back to read the rest of Rachel Hawkins backlist! Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review! This book releases 1/3

The Villa was a great mix of an atmospheric suspense and problematic friendship thriller. I liked this one more than Rachel Hawkins last novel: Reckless Girls because the ending was more satisfying. It is similar though in the dysfunctional friendships between women. This one kept my interest and I liked it, didn't love it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoyed Rachel Hawkins first couple of adult books, especially "The Wife Upstairs," but I felt the pacing of "The Villa" was far too slow for my enjoyment. Also, the whole alternating timeline plot device is really getting worn out with so many books, especially in the suspense/thriller genre using it so frequently.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

My rating:
3.5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Emily is a writer, who just went through a life change and is struggling to come up with inspiration for her next novel. When her best friend, Chess, invited her to decide to spend 6 weeks in Italy, Emily agrees and stumbles upon a story that she can finally write about.

Emily becomes obsessed with the Villa that they are staying at and it’s history, known as a Murder House. From there, she discovers what happened at this villa while trying to avoid her own personal issues going on in her life.

This story was really good and had potential, but I was definitely bored at times and very confusing. The book jumped from story to story without any warning and I had to figure out what was going on after a couple sentiences. If it wasn’t so jumbled, I think it would have had a better flow and overall would have been a better story.

I absolutely loved the end of the book and it was tied up nicely. I think there were many parallels to the story that happened in the 70’s and Emily’s life, so that was interesting to me!

Overall I would suggest reading, but because of the weird format and slow burn aspect, I couldn’t give it a 4 star rating.

Thank you netgalley and St Martin’s press for the ARC! You can read this one when it is published on January 3rd, 2023!

Houses Remember.. Immediately had me curious. For me this was a slow burn but it didn’t necessary feel like a thriller more of a mystery maybe. I liked that It has the pov from past and now. Mari, her sister, and musicians in the 70’s and then Emmy and Chess now.. I found I was more invested in the story from the past and who was the murderer. I really enjoyed the true crime aspect of the story. I liked the way that Emmy was so interested in the what happened at The Villa and her need to write its story. That is the part that had me interested the things she discovers and how she writes it.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for my review copy.

I always love a great gothic suspense novel and what could be better than one set in an Italian villa?

Emily’s husband filed for divorce and she cannot seem to get her life and career back on track so when her childhood best friend and hugely successful writer, Chess. suggests they spend a summer together in an Italian villa where they can write and reconnect what could go wrong?

Oh, did I mention the mansion has a history that includes murder? This is one of the new book releases from January that I read and loved.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by Rachel Hawkins, wonderfully narrated by Julia Whelan; Kimberly M. Wetherell; Shiromi Arserio - 4 stars!

Emily and Chess were best friends when they were young but that friendship fell apart. Now in their 30s, Chess proposes a trip to Italy and Emily is anxious to reconnect and possibly break her writer's block. The villa is now an exclusive rental home but in the 1970s it was rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. Noel invites an upcoming musician, Pierce, his girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara, to join him. It was a notorious time - Mari writes a famous horror novel, Lara composes a platinum album, and Pierce is murdered. Emily is enthralled with the house's history - because houses remember - but her investigations bring up more trouble.

This was an intriguing story, told in dual timelines by various narrators, and was kind of a story in a story book. The villa added to the atmospheric tension, and was inspired by many real life groups and murders. There is a lot going on here but the multiple narrators really helped me keep track of people and timelines. Another good suspense thriller by Rachel Hawkins!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins follows two timelines: in the present day we are introduced to Emily a cozy mystery writer who has writers block finishing her 9th novel in her series while dealing with her ex who wants to steal all her earnings. Her best friend from childhood, who is a famous self help author, Chess randomly asks her to join her at Villa Aestas to get Emily out of her funk with beautiful scenery.

Emily writers block stops once she discovers the history of the villa and the murder that took place there in the 1970s. As Emily learns more about the people who lived in the house Chess becomes distant and competitive.

The second timeline as you might have guessed it takes place in the 1970s when the murder occurred. Mari and Lara are stepsisters following Mari's musical boyfriend Pierce as guests at the famous musician Noel's rented villa.

I found myself enjoying the present day storyline more than Mari's perspective but I loved The Villa just as much as Rachel Hawkins' other books and would recommend! Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy

I've read a couple other books of Hawkins (Reckless Girls and The Wife Upstairs), and I think this one might be my favourite. I was hooked from the beginning and became invested in the storyline.

Chess and Emily have been best friends since childhood. As they entered their adult years, busy schedules and work demands started to distance them. Chess plans a girls trip to Italy so the girls can reconnect. They vacation at Villa Aestas, which has a disturbing and complicated history. During their time on this vacation, the girls are determined to uncover truths about the Villa. But what they find within the walls, and what was left behind, is more than they bargained for. They also begin to reconnect and share secrets they've kept from one another over their adult years. Will the girls figure out what happened at the Villa during that fateful summer of 1974? Will they reconnect and return home closer than ever?

This novel is full of thrill and suspense. It's not as dark as I'd thought it be, but I almost liked it that way. It still kept me on the edge of my seat without the gory details found in other suspense books. Rachel does a great job moving between the past (1974) and present (the girls' vacation), and intertwining the times while telling the story of Mari in 1974, and Chess and Emily in today's world. If you're a fan of Hawkins' other books, you'll enjoy this one.

This one was just okay for me! With two storylines, I enjoyed one over another and then the end kind of unravelled.

This book sadly disappointed me. I have read and enjoyed books by Rachel Hawkins in the past and I was just expecting more than what this book gave me.

Firstly, this book was written with two timelines and right from the very beginning I was only interested in the one in the current time. The part of the book that involved the past and what had happened in this house before, didn't intrigue me.

While I did enjoy the part of the book in the present I was hoping for more tense moments and stress. I sadly didn't get any of that and didn't feel much as I read the story, which meant that I wasn't racing towards the end to find out what had happened.