Although they were inseparable growing up, Emily and Chess have begun to grow apart in their 30s.  Now Chess is a bestselling self-help author and influencer while Emily is going through a nasty divorce. They hope to reconnect on a girls' trip to a gorgeous Italian villa that was the setting of a celebrity murder and the inspiration for a bestselling horror novel and a platinum album. The further Emily tries to solve the long-ago murder, the more Chess becomes uncomfortable and their hidden secrets come spilling out.

Though the luxurious Italian setting was utterly perfect, The Villa didn't have the same unputdownable factor that made Reckless Girls a bestseller last year. The beginning is slow, going light on suspense and heavy on drama. Although I enjoyed the past timeline, the unlikeable characters made this an easy-to-read, yet forgettable mystery.

Rachel Hawkins does it again. Her novels are so clever, thought provoking, and engaging. I loved the jumping between time periods within the same Villa, with characters constantly guessing where they stand with one another!

This was absolutely my most favorite Rachel Hawkins book yet! Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Told in two timelines, this book was filled with twists and turns that kept me riveted from beginning to end.

Emily and Chess are best friends who have a slightly tenuous relationship with each other. Both are successful authors in their own right but their lives run on two different paths. Recently divorced and struggling to complete her next book, when Emily gets an opportunity from Chess to spend 6 weeks in a villa in Italy, she jumps at the chance to get away from her soon to be ex-husband and her writers block. The villa that they end up staying in also happens to be the site of a 1974 murder involving an international rock star and 4 other guests.

As Emily explores the house, we get the back story of the 1974 guests and what happened leading up to the murder. Emily's exploration inspires her to divert from the book she was writing and to focus on a non-fiction book. Unfortunately, what she doesn't see coming, is how much the story of the 1974 house guests is actually paralleling events in her own life.

Overall, I really enjoyed the simultaneous stories and the interwoven relationships among the characters in both timelines. The 1974 timeline, especially, gave me Daisy Jones feels. I felt Emily's unexplained sickness was unnecessary to the storyline but, on the whole, I thought this was a suspenseful thriller that kept me guessing until the end.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5118141154

"As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt 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. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder."

Told from Emily's point of view in current day and flashing back to Mari's from 1974, this book was a wild ride. Both Emily and Mari came to Villa Aestas to work on their writing, and both end up writing something other than they originally intended. Emily finds herself obsessed with Mari's story and what truly happened in 1974, and the more she digs into the mystery, the stranger that Chess behaves. What is Chess up to? What happened that summer in 1974? Does a house remember?
This book was twisty and full of mystery. I was pulled into the story from page one and couldn't stop listening. While I don't think that the twists and turns were big surprises, they were interesting and fun to follow along. The book is super fast paced and the audiobook is well done. If you're looking for a book that will grab your attention from page one and take you on a twisty ride, this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.
Schedule Release Date: January 3, 2023.

I had such high hopes for this book, having loved all of Rachel Hawkins's previous thriller books. The atmospheric setup of an old Italian villa was perfect, but something about the story line just fell flat. I liked the infusion of an old story into the book, so the timeline was dual POV, but maybe that was too much for the reader to stay invested in the suspense part. I feel like maybe the book was rushed to be published, and just didn't excite me like I wanted it to. Thank you for the review copy, regardless. I do appreciate the opportunity to read it early!

I'm usually a big fan of Rachel Hawkins, but this wasn't my favorite.. I knew exactly where the book was headed and the book was slow at the beginning. Chess was a completely toxic friend from the beginning and Em was very gullible to think that Chess was actually a good friend. It's obvious to the reader Chess's true character. I did like the back and forth between Mari's story and Em's. The story ended with everything tied up and I felt like the author did a good job of bringing everything to completion.

This was a really fun interpretation on the vacation/summer get-away trope. It's different and engaging and incredibly authentic. I really enjoyed the two different timelines, it put a-lot into perspective and of course, tied everything together. Just as well, i find it intriguing reading about writers, and so this storyline did peak my interest entirely. The murder mystery and haunted house aspect added with the crazy 1970s rock stars on drugs and so on was really interesting as well. One thing i will mention that i enjoyed less was that at times i felt like too much was going on. Too many narratives and too many great topics and subjects meshing when really, they shouldn't. Nonetheless i liked this!

I have read three of Rachel Hawkins’ novels, and all three of them I have read in a day. These three consist of The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls, and now, The Villa. This one didn’t let me down!

This story alternates between timelines, telling the perspectives of Mari in 1974 and Emily in present day. Both of these characters spend time in a villa in Orviento, Italy, and the two timelines describe the differences and similarities of their stays; Mari arrives with her stepsister, one of the most famous rock n roll musicians of the time, and two other men, while Emily spends the summer writing and relaxing in the villa with her best friend, Chess.

While I would’ve liked this novel to be a little more intense and thrilling, this slow burn was a satisfying read that left me compelled and eager to know the end. I wasn’t able to identify with any of the characters, but this didn’t affect my reading experience much because I enjoyed the overall setting of the novel enough to not really care about the characters. In some ways, this book reminded me a little of Daisy Jones and the Six but also of the second season of The White Lotus. I’m not able to fully explain this, but it’s just the experience I had while reading. I enjoyed that this was an easy read, and although it didn’t create the suspense and creepiness I would have hoped for, I liked that there was still anticipation building throughout the plot.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc!

4 stars

The Villa follows two alternating timelines: present-day, as Emily embarks on a summer vacation to Orvieto, Italy with her best friend Chess for a writing retreat of sorts, and the past, digging into the story of the fateful summer of 1974 in which an up-and-coming musician Pierce Sheldon, his girlfriend Mari, and her sister Lara were invited to stay the summer at a famous rock star's Italian villa. That summer in 1974 ended in the brutal murder of Pierce Sheldon and the story might be just the thing to get Emily out of her writing block. Throughout their time at the villa, Emily stumbles upon secrets from the past, yet revelations from the present also come to play. Will the villa claim another victim by the end of the summer? After all, houses remember.

I thought that the alternating storylines were so interesting as the book switched between the present and the past. I especially found the parallels between the two timeframes so intriguing and I thought it added the perfect amount of suspense to the story. I found myself theorizing what would happen so many times yet the book did not end how I expected which honestly skewed my feelings at the end.

HOWEVER, I think that this was purposeful by the author and meant to make the audience contemplate if the conclusion that was reached was actually true, given the context clues of the past and other small things that are described in the background throughout. I think that this more open-ended conclusion which may leave readers questioning what they have just read actually lead me to enjoy the story much more.

Overall I thought this was such a fun, suspenseful read, especially with the alternating storylines and the open-ended ending that leaves the reader questioning. Definitely recommend picking this book up!

If you've ever felt insecure in a friendship and you can't tell if it's your fault or not, this book is for you!!

If you like feminist murder this book is for you!!

If you like Tuscan villas this book is for you!!

On the surface this doesn't seem like anything suuuper special but I am so glad I got to read the ARC - thank you to the publisher for an e-arc and Libro FM for an audio copy, they worked great together.

I just felt as though both the present narrative and the past timeline were equally compelling, which is so rare, and I couldn't stop thinking about the story. Everything was so well executed and this is my second 5 star thriller by Rachel Hawkins!!

I really enjoyed this book. It actually got me out of my slump. It reads more like a Gothic novel than a thriller to me, but I love Gothic novels so it was great.

I think you do need to suspends belief some, but because it is so entertaining it didn't really bother me. All I know is that I couldn't be Emily.

If you are looking for an entertaining read that is quite different from other books I've read then this is a good one. But as I have pointed out I love everything Rachel Hawkins writes.

I had high expectations for this one but sadly I was pretty let down. I think this book is much more drama based than thriller and could’ve liked it more if I had those expectations going into it.

4 stars!

I really enjoyed The Villa. I like the past and present pint of views so that we can see how the story of the past unfolds and leads to certain “mishaps” in the present. There were times the women in this book were annoying and I wanted to scream at all of them lol. More so Mari, Lara & Chess more than Emily. But all in all they were good friends/sisters. But overall it wasn’t a put off for me, I still liked the story.

I look forward to reading more books by Rachel Hawkins, she never disappoints!!

2.5-3/5 Stars

The Villa is an intriguing slow-burn suspense/thriller novel loosely inspired by Fleetwood Mac and the Manson Murders, along with the time that Mary Shelley spent at Lake Geneva while writing Frankenstein.

I found this story to be intriguing but I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Hawkins last book, Reckless Girls. The book started off interesting but I wasn't a fan of the dual timelines, mainly because I found Mari's storyline to be a bit boring and all over the place. The middle of the book dragged on for me and while I was curious to see how Chess and Emily's timeline played out, I got to a point where I didn't overly care about any of the characters because they were so unlikeable. That said, the alternating timelines, dual POV and story within a story added great depth and came together strongly in the end, even though I was let down by the ending.

I had high hopes for The Villa but it didn't have the effect on me that I expect from Thriller novels, the lack of twists and overall slow pace is largely what contributed to that. I would say this is more mystery and suspense than thriller, the Gothic elements and the idea that the house holds memories is fascinating. While this is a story of questionable friendship, toxic relationships and how far resentment can push a person, the many plot holes and disappointing ending just didn't work for me. If you are a fan of Rachel Hawkins past work, you may or may not enjoy The Villa, I truly think it's up to personal preference, as I'm rather conflicted on this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for providing me with an Advanced Copy of The Villa. All thoughts are my own.

3 struggling ghost artists out of 5

"People are never just gone, after all. There are always marks, always signs."

This sizzling summer escape is more easily described as the possible lovechild of Daisy Jones & The Six and your middle-of-the-road domestic thriller. In the end, this could've-been-delightful mix came with its share of caveats.

Chess and Emily are childhood best friends who are now both well-known authors.. one maybe more than the other. And the other maybe a bit envious of the prior. Their dysfunctional, often toxic, friendship comes to a crucial milestone when they decide to leave for Orvieto, Italy in search of inspiration (and dare I say a little sensationalization).

Honestly, I was not a fan of Em, and I was definitely not on Team Chess. At all. 😂 Emily felt like the opposite of a strong, capable protagonist for the entirety of the book, without much character redemption. I really think she had the spark, her dénouement could've been way more badass. Alas, it felt a little vanilla.

Chess is.. y'all just message me if you want to know my opinion, 'cause I don't want to spoil anything!

The drama is juicy, the setting is beautiful. I guess I was just looking for more depth.

This book's redeeming quality is in the flashbacks. The second component of this novel happens in excerpts of 1970s Orvieto, Italy with a group of lavish musicians in for a very dark retreat. Feeling my Daisy Jones reference now? The vibes 👏🏻 are 👏🏻 on 👏🏻 POINT.

"Houses remember."

And thank God they do. The 70s characters are way more palpable and heartfelt. I thoroughly enjoyed Mari's parts of the story, to the point where I'd say I really just stuck around to find out the result of her storyline more than Chess and Em's.

Big thanks to St. Martins Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Villa starts by introducing us to Emily, a cozy mystery author going through a messy divorce. Chess is her lifelong best friend, and is a famous influencer/self-help guru and author. When she invites Emily to spend the summer with her at a villa in Italy, she jumps at the chance to get away from her crappy ex and hopefully find the inspiration for her next book.

The villa has its own interesting history - most notably, being the site of the murder of a famous musician and inspiring an equally famous novel. The dual storyline takes us through Emily and Chess' vacation, along with the events leading up to the murder.

Overall, I enjoyed this more than I expected to - this isn't the type of book I normally reach for, but I'll definitely be reading more by Rachel Hawkins going forward. I thought the characters were interesting, even though they weren't always likeable. I also thought it was interesting to see how the stories intertwined. That all said, I didn't love the ending - it felt a little easy, and I would have preferred to see another twist.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC. Available in January!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins started off with a strong premise but didn’t exactly follow through how I’d hoped. I liked this book, but didn’t love it.

The Villa begins with two friends spending the summer at a Villa in Italy. Throughout its alluded there’s a dark and twisty past explored via past and present POVs.

This is definitely kind of book you would want to read in a few sittings and not drag it out. It wasn’t overly exciting. That being said, this is my first Rachel Hawkins book and I won’t be dissuaded from trying another.

Book Summary
BFFs Emily and Chess decide to spend the summer in Italy at Villa Aestas, an upscale vacation retreat in modern day, but flashback to 1974 and it was where a murder among a group of friends happened.

In 1974, a Pierce, Mari and Lara – musician, author and aspiring musician, respectively – vacationed at Villa Rosato (present day Villa Aestas) with rebel rock star, Noel. The summer was meant to spark inspiration for the various artists, but a series of events and weird love triangles (or love squares?) snowballed into bigger issues that lead to Pierce being murdered.

In present day, Emily and Chess are both authors working on their latest books while at the villa. After going through hard times with her husband and health, Emily has had a bit of writers block. However, as she uncovers some of the history of what happened at the house, inspiration sparks and she thinks there may be more to what happened at the house in 1974 than was originally uncovered.

My Thoughts
I was given an e-book advanced reader copy of this book and was super excited about this one since I’ve enjoyed Rachel Hawkins’ The Wife Upstairs.

There was sex, drugs and rock and roll. Love it.

There was multiple timelines. Love it.

There were well-developed characters. Love it.

But, there was something about this story fell a bit flat for me. Without giving away spoilers it’s hard to describe exactly what made it fell flat, but at a high level it was an overall slow burn with an anti-climactic ending.

Most Memorable Moment
“Later she’ll look back on this moment and wonder why there was no warning, no sense of the horrors that would unfold in that house.”

TLDR
Book: The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Release date: January 2023
Genre: thriller, suspense
Stars: 3.5/5
Burn speed: medium
Steam level: 1.5/5
Suspense level: medium
Conclusion: it was ok

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins.

I liked the modern storyline a lot more than the 1974 storyline. The Villa itself felt like it's own character. I really like Emily & Chess's friendship. I wish the book hadn't been dual timeline. But it was a fun and quick book that in enjoyed reading!

Chess and Emily have been friends since childhood. Chess is a richly successful writer of self help books. Emily is the moderately successful author of cosy mysteries, but her life is a bit upside down as she is getting divorced from a vengeful husband and has suffered from a mysterious illness. When Chess invites her to spend the summer in a villa in Orvieto, Italy, she accepts despite some tension in their friendship. Emily discovers that in the 1970s, the villa was the scene of a gruesome murder involving drugs, sex, rock and roll and a writer. A parallel storyline tells of that fatal summer.

As noted, there are two time/storylines here plus a book within a book and snippets from other fictional nonfiction books, a podcast, and a blog. All of that could be confusing, but they are clearly demarcated. There is an acknowledgment by the publisher that the setting/theme pays tribute to the events surrounding Mary Shelley’s penning of Frankenstein.

Much of the story, except for one big twist, was very predictable and I enjoyed the contemporary story more than the past one. Yet, I thought it a creative, engrossing read. I would characterize this story more as women’s fiction than a mystery or thriller. I’m sure it will be another best seller.

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the ARC