Read/Listen If You Like:
🏰 Houses with Sordid Histories
⏳Past and Present Timelines
🧐 Unreliable Narrators
🇮🇹 Italian Settings
✌🏻Dual POV

My Thoughts:
I have seen reviews of this one of there are a lot of characters and that it could get confusing, but for me, I was able to keep things straight with knowing one POV was past, and one was present and that made things so much easier to track.

I loved the weaving of truth and lies, reliability and unreliability, past and present, writing and music, all around a mystery surrounding the villa and it’s sordid past.

I loved both timelines and how they were weaved to perfection that kept me wanting more, the way the ending was done was so satisfying as well for those that are okay with a little sprinkle of mystery still lingering.

Just remember… there are two sides to every story…

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for my ARC copies of this one!

I loved the duel timelines with Mari in the 1970s and Emily and Chess in the current day.
This book was full of twists , different points of view and unreliable narrators. It was a fast read and I couldn’t put it down!


Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Narrated by Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell, Shiromi Arserio
Published by St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, January 3, 2023

★★★★☆ (4.0 stars)
Positive!

"The Villa" (2022) is my second book by author Rachel Hawkins, following "The Wife Upstairs" (2021), her exquisite psychological thriller loosely based on Charlotte Brontë's beloved bildungsroman gothic romance "Jane Eyre" (1847), with Brontë's Jane, Rochester, Blanche and Bertha cast by Hawkins in a contemporary "Thornfield Estates" London setting.

(Rachel Hawkins is, of course, not to be confused with Paula Hawkins, writer of the 2015 bestseller "The Girl on The Train".)

(This review is both for the audiobook and eBook.)

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Audiobook narration: Tops!
Formidable cast of voice actors led by the mellow, soothing voice of Audie award-winning Julia Whelan, one of the most sought after female voices with credits to over 400 audiobooks, including her work on Gillian Flynn's thriller “Gone Girl” (2012), and Tara Westover's memoir "Educated" (2018).

Better as an audiobook.
The commendable performance of Whelan and colleagues vividly voice out visceral emotions and ethereal sentiments intrinsic to the essence of the novel which may not be as well-perceived in print by the reader.

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// "The Villa" (2022) by Rachel Hawkins //

Villa Aestas
Orvieto, Province of Terni,
Southwestern Umbria, Italy.
An hour's drive north of Rome.

In an upscale Italian villa, two tragedies decades apart are intertwined.

1974.
It is the height of the so-called "British Invasion". Think Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Who.

A British rock star, son of an Earl, invites a fellow rock musician to a villa in Italy for a respite. Perhaps to do a collaboration. They bring along their guitars, and their girlfriends. The latter so happen to be stepsisters. One, a budding writer; the other, a newbie guitarist.

The Muses become the Creators.
The parties' Italian sojourn unfortunately shudders to an abrupt end, with someone murdered. No new era of rock music is born. Instead, shortly after, the stepsisters both blossom. One, into a best-selling author; the other, an awarding-winning musician...

PRESENT DAY.
A successful top Instagram influencer, invites her long-lost friend to the same upscale villa in Umbria. Her friend is a published author struggling to complete her next contractual novel.

Theirs is a complex relationship, ebbing and waning with childhood year reminisces, distant affection, rivalry, and deep resentment. They find out presently that they have one common denominator:
A leeching ex-husband /paramour.

Through a manuscript hidden in one of the Villa's parlors, the "rock star" tragedy in 1974 come to light. With this new knowledge comes the potential for a historical fiction blockbuster.

The friends struggle to find the best path forward for their relationship - and to perhaps to develop a new one as professional collaborators.

But first, the women agree they'd need to surmount an obstacle.

They'd need to squash none other than the leech...

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// The House Remembers. //

I enjoyed reading this book, a well-constructed, dual-timeline psychological thriller with its share of dark humor, of moments that take your breath away, along with some which, at extended times, hover in a holding pattern.

Overall, fine literature packaged in a well-executed audiobook.

Review based on an advanced reading copy courtesy of St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley.

Thank you to the publisher for a Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well this was highly enjoyable. After DNFing Hawkin's 2022 novel, I was hesitant to pick this one up. But I am super happy I did. I flew through this novel. Though I found the present day timeline to be a little more intriguing than the past timeline, I found myself wanting to know how the story ended for both.

This truly was well put together-- weaving all the plot lines neatly. My biggest "issue" was the "reveal" about Em. This fell a tad flat for me, but the web between her and Chess was well done.

“Houses Remember."

I found The Villa to be a smooth and easy read I would have loved to pick up during a summer holiday. It's a gothic thriller, not a slow burn, but not a fast paced suspense novel either, it lies just in between. Hawkins does an excellent job of building suspense throughout the novel, and I found myself turning pages quickly to find out what happens next.

The Villa flips between present day and the 70s- painting a twisty story of events at a picturesque, countryside Italian villa in both.

This is my first read from Rachel Hawkins, and when I was researching the book/author, I realized that she was from the same city I am, which was a fun surprise! I loved her writing and the twist at the end.

The Villa will be out January 3, 2023.

The villa takes you on a journey through the past and what happened the summer of 1974 when 5 people rented it out to work. There’s a lot of drinking and drugs going on when tragedy strikes and someone ends up dead. In the present day Chess and Em are staying in the Villa to work on their own books. Chess is a famous self help guru who has been best friends with Emily since they were young. Em is going through a nasty divorce with her greedy soon to be ex. She is supposed to be working on the next book in her series when she starts researching the tragedy determined to figure out what happened that summer and write about that.

When I first started reading I didn’t really like that is alternated between 1974 and the book Mari was writing then and the present day, but as you learn more information is hooks you in. There are a few twists that occur in this book. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC copy to read!

Source: DRC via NetGalley (St. Martin's Press) in exchange for an honest review
Pub. Date: January 3, 2023
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

Why did I choose to read this book?

I enjoyed Hawkins' The Wife Upstairs so when I saw The Villa pop up on NetGalley I decided to get another taste of her writing. Both books are based on classic novels and the history of their authors, but since I haven't read any of them before these novels are lovely introductions to older stories.

What is this book about?

This book is about two things: trust and the pattern of male artists stealing from or taking the credit for the work of female artists. Perhaps more broadly is the idea that all artists "steal" (are inspired by?) each other and the book asks when this is okay and when it isn't.

I think this book wanted to be a haunted house story, but it missed the landing and ended up being a murder mystery/scavenger hunt book instead. Both are good, but as I've said before it really ruins my enjoyment of a book when it's heavily marketed as one thing, and then turns out to be something else entirely (see Kiersten White's Hide). The book is amazing wrapped in a thin cling wrap of disappointment, which is unfortunate.

What is notable about the story?

This is going to sound weird but this book was pretty run of the mill for me. It actually reminded me a bit of the first Knives Out movie (which I LOVED) without the character development. This story kind of stays at one volume the entire time, it's fairly predictable, but like your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant, familiarity with the structure and elements doesn't make it bad it just makes it reliable.

Was anything not so great?

The very mainstream nature of this book is what made it not so great for me. This was the kind of book that I immediately forgot once I was done. I read the entire thing, then I moved on to the next book and didn't think about Chess or Emily or the vacation house again until I sat down to write this review. It's a little heartbreaking for me when this happens because I enjoyed it while I was in it, but I could have just not read it at all and ended up in the same place afterwards. In a life where I have limited energy and time for this amazing hobby, it's kind of a kick in the gut.

What's the verdict?

3 stars on Goodreads. It's a ham sandwich, it's a James Patterson, it's bread and butter. Try it if you want, it's okay.

Emily and Chess are childhood friends and successful writers. Emily has a more steady career with a backlist of cozy mysteries while Chess is a no holds barred non-fiction, self-help guru. Both are looking to get started on their next project but are a bit stalled. Emily is also going through a divorce so Chess suggests a trip to Italy. She books them into a famous villa which was the site of a notorious murder in the 1970's.

Generally I enjoy a story with two timelines. This one didn't really work for me. The two timelines just didn't vibe for me in any real way. The people were all super unlikable, which was true of Hawkins last novel as well but they grated on me a bit more here. There was a ton of cattiness and gaslighting which really distracted me from the murder mystery. I did like the atmosphere and the parts about the writing but any interactions between Emily and Chess was like nails on a chalkboard for me. It's a quick read though, would definitely be perfect for a beach or pool read to keep you entertained for a few hours but it's not going to wow you or stick with you in any way.

Thanks to St Martin's Press for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

All these opinions are my own. **
So many things about this book really drew me in. I loved both of the story lines and would get completely lost in the story while reading. I love stories like this where there is a slow burn, but I can feel the anticipation in the words. I kept reading because I was dying to know what happened that summer in Italy. Reading the words Mari wrote in her journal gave me Fleetwood Mac vibes and I love anything like that. I honestly wish the story could have been longer because I felt the ending was a little rushed... I wanted more. I have been a fan of Rachel's writing and her stories and this one was no exception. I look forward to a hard copy.

It was good! Nothing groundbreaking, but Rachel Hawkins certainly knows how to deliver a thrill. Really enjoyable, as can be expected!

I was excited to read this as I loved The Wife Upstairs by the author. I also love that she adds a gothic take in her books.

When it comes to thrillers or suspense novels, I tend to prefer dual pov narratives. What made this book so interesting and engaging was the dual perspectives taking place in the same villa, separated only by the 40 years between Mari’s visit and Emily’s. In addition, the book contains news articles and podcasts that give you yet another perspective on what is occurring and help to fill in some of the missing details.

I really liked this book, and am adding Rachel Hawkins to my list of "must-read" authors!

The Villa follows 2 storylines. Current day story follows that of bff's who have grown distant over time. Chess invites Emily to stay with her at the Villa in Italy, where a famous murder occurred in the 1970s. The women, both writers, begin to write a book about the incident. As the book progresses, Mari, the women involved in the 1970s murder story emerges. I found the book engrossing; however, the ending didn't work for me. I was expecting more. Despite the ending, a decent read

I was a huge fan of The Wife Upstairs, so I was really excited to start The Villa. It did not disappoint! Rachel Hawkins continues to impress.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me this ARC.
This thriller/drama is about former best friends who spend the summer at a villa in Italy hoping to get their creative flow going. Both are writers working on their own new books. In 1974, a murder occurred in the villa where they are staying. The narrative alternates between the 1970s and present day. They both dig into the past and investigate what happened. The answers surprise them. This book was ok for me. When there are so many characters in a book and with all the timeline switching, I get tired, and I don’t read to get tired. I’m awarding 3 stars.

I really enjoyed this mysterious and twisted book! It's a story told in two timelines, present day with best friends Chess and Emily at a villa in Italy and in the past with sisters Mari and Laura at the same villa I enjoyed the parallels between Chess and Emily and the story of Mari and Laura. I loved all of the relationship drama both in present day and the past story as well. I thought the Chess and Emily twist was a little predictable, but the great thing about this story was that I was so invested I could not stop listening because I had to know how it would end. The ending was a total shocker. What a fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital copy of this book to read and review.

"When in Rome (Don't Do Murder)"

The book was so good! One of those suspense books you can't put down. It's a dual storyline, a book within a book with history eerily repeating itself. Takes place in a beautiful Villa in Umbria, Italy. The story shifts between the 70s following 2 sisters ( Mari and Lara) and their musician boyfriends (Pierce and Noel) taking a holiday in Italy hoping they can create new music and 2 best friends (Emma and Chess) that are writers finally taking a girlfriend's vacation to get their creative minds flowing and reconnect. Just so happens this Villa brings out the murderous truth in all that visit.

When Chess starts diving into the dark history of the villa she starts to connect the dots to the truth that might have happened decades ago but it also hits too close to home to her current situation.
Lies, betrayals, Rock and Roll 70s, and murder make a perfect quick read that will keep you wondering what actually happened and keep you on edge.

Perfectly written, I am a FAN!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Publication date January 3, 2023

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

There was a lot going on in this book, but the two storylines ending up coming together well in the end. I definitely suspected that Chess and Matt were having an affair (which they were) and I did think that they were poisoning Emily (which they weren't). I was shocked by the ending - they killed Matt! Although it never told exactly how and I would have liked to know. I was also surprised that Mari's diary turned out to be a lie and she didn't actually kill Pierce. And now Emily is stuck with her psycho friend Chess writing books and keeping secrets together forever lol.
Side notes:
I love that they are from Asheville, NC, (near) where I live!
I hate books that have a character commit suicide and blame it on other people (Pierce's wife).

This was a pretty good, very fast-paced thriller by Rachel Hawkins. I've read both of her adult thrillers and both times I'm left with a slightly-off feeling even though I enjoyed the books. The Villa bounces between deadly events in the 1970s and modern day. It's not so much a who-dun-it, but more of a study in women pushed to the brink by those around them that they love. At times it got a little confusing, but overall, it was wrapped up nicely, though not necessarily on a positive note.

An atmospheric book, focusing on the effects of a house on its cccupants. But in this story, it's not so much the house itself, but the drama and prior entanglements that are brought into the house itself, and how the house can help to hide secrets that could cause even more chaos. By goign back and forth in time, one sees how the house itself may hold onto the drama or as we more likely see it , the energy that occurred there. It's a true page turner psychological thriller and one not to be missed!

Emily and Chess have been best friends since childhood. Now, going through a tough divorce, Emily can’t help but say yes when Chess invites her to spend the summer with her in Italy. But the Villa that Chess has rented has a history. As Emily becomes more interested in the murder that occurred decades ago, things start to feel odd in her relationship with Chess as well.

This is my favorite Rachel Hawkins novel so far! I loved the parallels between the music and writing happening at the Villa then and now. I loved the mystery of Emily being able to research the past from the place where it happened. And the ups and downs of the relationships, both past and present, provided a lot of intrigue and drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.