Sex, drugs, and rock and roll!
When Emily and Chess reconnect on the trip of a lifetime they stay at a villa where a murder took place. Emily, a writer, discovers an old novel and starts to see clues from the murder right before her. As she becomes more involved in this novel she starts to imagine other things are going on in her life.
Flashing back to the early 70's when the slow burn of this thriller took place. Two sisters and their lovers on a summer song writing adventure that goes south leads to big changes in their lives.
I personally would have liked a little more of the present story.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins press and libro.fm for my ARC

This one wasn’t my favorite. I felt pretty uninterested in most of it but was interested enough to read (sometimes skim) through to the end. I enjoy Hawkins’ writing style and enjoyed the dual timelines but didn’t feel connected or invested for past or present

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I have a tendency to get lost when a story contains two stores within it, but this author made it easy to navigate both narratives, though they are vastly different. I like how there is a small tie between present and past and it was captivating figuring out how they interconnect with one another. Having this story told with a past, though they are truly not related, does provide the reader with a bigger picture and a fuller picture of the present.

This author has a way of sucking you in because her writing is so captivating and she evokes a wide range of emotions. There are times in this book that I was genuinely frustrated, annoyed, and angered at the characters surrounding the story yet I could not get enough. You want Emily to succeed, but at the same time she doesn’t make it easy to be on her side.

This book definitely takes you on a wild ride, questions your morals, and leaves you with feelings of unease. There’s a lot of gray area to this story and a lot of questions you will end up with at the end. Readers will either enjoy this book for what it is or it will leave you feeling irritated, but either way you will be engaged until the very end. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press for this ARC and Libro.fm for the ALC

I loved the dual perspectives/timelines - one gave me Daisy Jones vibes, the other reminded me of Firefly Lane - and the story itself was intriguing. My only complaint is the very end of the book: I could have done without the last few pages. But I don’t know, I might be in the minority there. And regardless, I think this is my new favorite by Rachel Hawkins.

Emily and Chess have been childhood friends and use to spend all their time together. As they have grown older and apart their lives still are similar as both are authors. Chess has found mega success with self help books, Emily has found limited success writing cozy mysteries. Trying to reconnect Chess books a villa in Italy where they can both work on their new books and bond. This villa has a dark past thought that threatens to derail their lives.

In 1974 rock legend Noel Gordon, looking to reignite his fame arrives at Villa Rosato with upcoming rock star Pierce, his girlfriend Mari and her stepsister Lara. There is lots of sex, drugs and rock n roll and as things get out of hand a murder leads to Mari writing a famous horror novel and Lara writing a multiplatinum album. What really happened in this villa?

This book had me thinking I knew what was going on and then not, then again I thought I knew what was going to unfold and then again, I had no idea. A fabulous ending that left my mouth agape and me thinking about if for days after. I loved the 2 timelines told from years in the same villa and I looked forward to both perspectives. An added bonus was the excerpts from Mari’s famous horror novel, Lilith Rising. This is my 3rd book by Rachel Hawkins and I have loved every one of them, and their covers.

WOW! This was so good! I listened to this in a span of two days. I really loved the multiple timelines, the multiple perspectives, and the setting of the villa.

Grabbed me from page one and never let me go.

Emmy and Chess have been best friends since fourth grade. Over the years they have slowly drifted apart. Chess is a massively successful self-help guru and Emmy is a semi-successful author of a cozy mystery series who is going through a financially devastating divorce from her cheating husband. That’s when Chess suggests a summer in Italy at a villa where a struggling rock star, Pierce Sheldon, was murdered back in 1974. It was a murder that spawned a famous horror novel written by Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and sky-rocketed the career of Mari’s sister, Lara.

When they arrive, Emmy finds Mari’s journaled pages, written the summer the murder happened, and begins a book of her own. But as Emmy writes what she is sure is the manuscript that will relaunch her struggling career, the cracks in her friendship with Chess begin to show through and Emmy is forced to look at her life and her choices through a different lens, one that begins to parallel Mari’s from so many years ago.

I’ve enjoyed many of Rachel Hawkins previous books and this was no exception. The characters were well developed, the plot strong, and the tension palpable.

This book had me hooked - quickly entranced by the plot and the women. These women are all badass- well maybe with the exception of one.
Emily needs a vacation- her pending divorce draining all of her - confidence, her bank account. Her bestie Chess - a self help bestseller books a trip for them both. Villa Aestas.
My favorite narrator- Mari, daughter of a talented woman who died in childbirth. Her stepsister. Her partner. His friend - plus his dealer. Complex. Women in superficial roles, yet about to hit their creative peak.
Mari to pen a book about "women, power, betrayal. Survival."
Based on Mary Shelley's own excursion to Lord Byron's estate - towing a despicable partner; befriending Byron's friend, a dr rather than dealer. And her stepsister. Always her stepsister. On the brink of Frankenstein.
Massive swoon.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins tells the story of two women from two different eras whose time at a renowned Villa in Orvieto forever alters the course of their creative lives. Multiple genres combined make up this book, but you’ll especially recognize the gothic and suspense elements. The story is told in dual timelines from Emily (present) and Mari (past) and, as promised, taps into pop culture with inspiration coming from the Manson murders and Fleetwood Mac. There is also a clear nod to Percy and Mary Shelley’s time at Lake Geneva and the birth of Shelley’s gothic classic Frankenstein. There is a dark, unsettling tone to this story of murder and betrayal, with morally ambiguous characters you’re never quite sure you can trust. Secrets of the past repeat and reveal themselves in this haunting setting, leading up to a shocking climax where the two timelines collide. The Villa is an addicting and thrilling read about the arts, friendship, legacy, and women stepping into their power.

This one was a pleasant surprise! I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve seen some very differing reviews! This one worked for me, though!!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝

• an Italian villa
• frenemies
• alternating timelines
• dual POVs
• murder mystery
• a book within a book
• a bestie you will love to hate!
• main characters are authors
• kept me very engaged
• house full of rockstars gave me major Daisy Jones vibes

The plot was promising, but the execution felt flat. I appreciated the present day storyline more than the past.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC of The Villa. Rachel Hawkins is a must-read author for me and I was so excited to be approved for this book!!!

Dual timelines in 1974 and present day that have two completely engrossing stories. I was racing to the end to finish this book and find out the ending. This book did not disappoint.

1974 timeline with Mari, Lara, Noel, Pierce and Johnnie is a juicy story about beautiful people doing lots of bad things. Jealousy fueled by drugs and alcohol lead to a tragic night that changes the course of their lives forever.

Present day finds Chess and Emily stay in the same villa. When Emily finds Mari’s notes/journals it begins a very intriguing look into what really happened on that 1974 night and fuels what happens to Emily and Chess during their stay.

Amazing author and amazing read!

“Sometimes we don’t really know we’ve won until we see the reflection of that win in the loser’s eyes.” I LOVE this quote.

I liked the story of Chess and Emily, and the stuff with Matthew…ok I didn’t “like” it but that was an interesting storyline. The dynamic between the friends can be good, annoying, frayed and solid…all of these things, all at once. It’s a complex relationship that’s for sure.

I loved the individual storylines that were mixed into this story but I kept getting frustrated because I’d get interested in one part of the story and then there would be a time jump to another storyline. That’s just a personal preference thing, time jumps are tricky and I like when they flow a bit more. It’s almost like the author was just doing too much. It was a little convoluted for me.

A lot of write ups about this book compare the writing to that of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware, I’m not a big fan of either of their writing, not that it’s bad it just doesn’t flow for my brain…it’s just not for me. I’m guessing all of her books don’t have a similar writing style because I liked Reckless Girls (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️).

I’ll definitely read more books but this author since I enjoyed Reckless Girls and I have The Wife Upstairs on my shelf. I can’t fully endorse The Villa, but it did keep my attention. I was left wanting more of a seamless flow.

The Villa will appeal to readers who like a complicated two-timeline story, with elements tying together the two timelines. I found it a bit confusing for a while, as the narrative bounced back and forth while also including excerpts from a book written in the earlier timeline and articles about the book and the people involved.

The two timelines are the 1970s and the present day. Most of the action takes place in a villa outside the Italian town of Orvieto, the scene of a famous murder in 1974. The modern day timeline focuses on Emily, a fairly successful writer of cozy mysteries who is in the middle of an ugly divorce and has writer’s block. She reunites with an old friend, Chess, who has become very successful in a self-help guru fashion. Chess invites her to spend the summer at the same villa, where Emily winds up fascinated by the story of the murder 50 years before.

The 1970s sections are focused on a small group of young people who are renting the villa for the summer: two male musicians (one famous), a female aspiring writer, a female aspiring musician, and a male hanger-on, who apparently is there mainly to serve as a source of drugs. It’s mostly a “sex, drugs and rock & roll” situation. I didn’t find any of those characters to be particularly likable or engaging. The 1970s section also has a book-within-the-book and that added to the convoluted nature of the story.

This was my first book by Rachel Hawkins. I don’t know if this is typical Hawkins but if it is, I probably won’t search out her other books.

I bounced between the print version and the audiobook, which was narrated by three different narrators, mainly the wonderful Julia Whelan.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martini’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Children best friends reconnect on a trip to an Italian villa that’s best known for a famous murder.

Emily and Chess have know each other since 4th grade. Both went to UNC and ended up on a writing path. Where Chess’s life went viral, Emily’s is having trouble getting back on track. She’s drowning in missed deadlines and being held down by a brutal divorce. The two decide a spontaneous trip to Italy is just what they need to rekindle their friendship and spark their creative energies. But they they’re in store for much more than that at Villa Aestas.

Plot: 4.5/5

The story follows two timelines, one in the “present” with Emily and Chess and one in 1974 with Mari, Pierce, Lara and Noel. The way the two stories are layered is so engaging because you’re constantly searching for some answers about what really happened.

Minus half a star cause the ending absolutely threw me and I’m not sure how I feel now.

Characters: 5/5

There two character archetypes in this book apart from the side characters. There’s the grumpy writer who has complicated feelings towards her best friend (jealousy mixed with admiration). The other is the sunshine life of the party writer who is flighty and wants something the other one has. This is Emily and Mari for the former and Chess and Lara as the latter.

Each character is so gloriously flawed but the central themes are proven so well, nothing is stronger than the bond between chosen sisters and men aint shit.

Writing: 5/5
Rachel Hawkins is such a versatile writer but I have to say I think she does thriller/mystery best. Anytime someone asks for a rec in those genres, she’s the first author that comes to mind. From the first chapter, she lays the seeds of resentment between Emily and Chess. And the parallels she creates between the current plot and what happened in the 70’s are chilling.

I think the whole concept of this book is absolutely brilliant and was executed perfectly. (Apart from the ending as I have established my unsure feelings about that)

Overall: 4.5/5

This is a story of two best friends vacationing together in Italy, and two stepsisters vacationing in the same location decades earlier. Each chapter navigates between the two different time periods.

In present day Emily and Chess have had a lifelong friendship that hasn't been as close recently. Chess surprises Emily with the trip to Italy as an attempt to get their creative juices flowing and back into writing - Emily with cozy mysteries and Chess with self-help books. But Emily wonders if there is an ulterior motive.

In the past Mari and Lara are invited to join a popular rock star, Noel, at a summer villa in Italy, and Pierce, Mari's boyfriend joins then, to help Noel and write music together. Mari uses this as an opportunity to write a novel, and Lara, her own music. But tragedy happens, and that tragedy is the focal point for Mari's novel.

Back in present day, Emily thinks there might be story about the tragedy that happened at the villa decades earlier and she believes secrets may have been left behind by Mari and Lara. In her search for information, she discovers her voice and a new novel is formed.

I enjoyed the two timelines, though much preferred the present day story. And as with all good thrillers, little pieces of the puzzle are released along the way, including a twist at the end that surprised me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.

Wow I was not expecting that ending! I thought I had it figured out early on, boy was I wrong .
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is told in 2 POVs Emily (present day) and Mari (1974). Both ladies have a stay at a Villa in Italy that ends up changing the courses of their lives . There’s a few things I’m still left questioning at the end and I think that makes it even better .
I really enjoyed this book overall and how the timelines seemed to mimic each other as well.
It was a bit of a slow burn and some of the chapters seemed awfully long but it was worth it in the end.
Thanks to NetGalley and of course Rachel Hawkins

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC. The Villa is a thriller that takes place at a Villa in Italy that describes a crime from the past that intertwines with the future. I thought it was a little slow going and the friendships between the female characters were infuriating at times. Overall, it was a decent book.

Really enjoyed it. It had me at the edge of my seat! Creepy atmosphere, just something totally different than what I usually read. Totally outta my comfort zone, gave it a try and totally worth it.

I wanted to like this one so much but it just didn’t do it for me. Unlikeable characters are hard for me to read about.

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review