It was fine. Not great but not terrible. I wish it were better, there was definitely potential but I was bored. Also where was the plot twist? Not even a little unpredictable. I wasn’t very interested in the 70s timeline, wish the characters were a little more interesting.

A house remembers.

The opening lines of a book that spills dark secrets and spurs on changes decades later. Em and Chess, two besties, rent a villa in Italy, which was the site of a famous rock and roll drug fueled murder decades earlier. Mari and Lara are two sisters, in constant competition, fighting for the love of one man. The four women are connected by location, decisions and fate.

This was a great book. The twists were great and the writing was excellent. I loved the story and the narrarator. Highly recommended.

I thought this was interesting and enjoyed reading it. There were a few twists that I saw coming, but then there were additional twists at the end that mixed things up. If you are halfway through or even 80% and you think you know what's going on, just keep going. There might still be something surprising for you.

I have read a few books by Rachel Hawkins now and her writing is pretty consistent. I really like the way her stories play out in different directions. She seems to write a lot of unlikable characters that have just a hint of a reason to care.

I enjoyed the little additions in this book, such as blog transcripts and book passages. However, these did not translate well in audio form. I found that I had to pull up the ebook a couple of times to understand what was going on. In physical format they made sense and it was much more clear.

The audio was narrated by Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell, and Shiromi Arserio. They did a wonderful job, but the format of the book didn't lend itself well to audio at times. I would recommend getting the physical copy of this one over the audio.

This is book is a great match with fans of Hawkins' prior works, Daisy Jones and the Six, and Verity. The book interweaves the narration of Em, a modern mystery writer and her love/hate relationship with her best friend, the self-help guru Chess Chandler. Em has been having a tough time, with her health, with her marriage, and with her professional work. For some female bonding and empowerment, Chess offers Em a summer at a villa in Italy, a villa which has a history.
The villa turns out the have been a murder house, and Hawkins weaves the who-done-it of that mystery with the events unfolding between Em and Chess. About a half-century earlier, a group of 70s artists spent a summer at the villa, and one of them ended up dead. This group of musicians, writers, and druggies is heavily based on 19th century group of Percy Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Lord Byron, and Clare Claremont. I found it fascinating how well their biographies and the summer that this group spent in Switzerland (when Mary Shelley produced Frankenstein) translated to the 1970s. I think this part of the novel could have stood on its own,frankly.
I suspect Hawkins similarly enjoyed writing the 70s parts more because she had a tendency to rush through some sections of Em and Chess, particularly after Em's husband is invited to join them at the villa.

The narrators of the audiobook do a great job of conveying the differences between 1970s Mary and 2020s Em 's personalities and narrative abilities. Mary sounds somewhat other-wordly, and Em's voice sounds like stainless steel, which gives you insight into the character before you really get to know her. The audiobook also helps with the suspense because it's more difficult to peek ahead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for my copy! Narrated by Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell, Shiromi Arserio.
⁣⁣⁣
The story begins in present day, when two 30 something writers/ childhood best friends (sometimes frenemies?) take a vacation to Villa Aestas in Orvieto, Umbria, Italy to reconnect and write. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Chess, a viral blogging sensation, now writes self-help books. Emily is in a little bit of a career/life slump as she is getting divorced and is on her uninspired 10th cozy mystery in a series. Em is apprehensive, but she agrees to go on the all-expenses paid writing trip with Chess. She hopes that the poolside limoncello and gorgeous views can make up for the fact that she and Chess aren’t that close anymore and that they are staying in a MURDER HOUSE. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Villa Aestas was made famous by a grisly murder. This is where the second timeline comes in. In 1974, a group of musicians and their partners vacation at the Villa. Mari and Lara, stepsisters, are “with the band”. The relationships between the sisters and the band are blurred and it gets messy. Mari goes on to write a best-selling horror novel, and Lara goes on to compose a platinum selling album inspired by the events that took place at the Villa. We go into the book knowing that this vacation ends in murder, I was drawn in by the mystery of who was murdered and why. ⁣
⁣
As someone who loves thrillers and historical fiction, I enjoyed both stories. The past and present timelines weaved together seamlessly. I would recommend listening to the audiobook! The music really helped set the tone when switching timelines. There were readings of news articles and podcast recordings that told the story of the murder. I enjoyed the parallels between the four female artists past and present creating at the villa with a backdrop of drama and hidden jealousies. The setting was gorgeous, coming off season 2 of “White Lotus”, I was thrilled to be back in Italy. As a thriller, this one was more of a slow-burn. There were plenty of twists and turns, it did feel a little more like a drama to me, but that did not take away from how much I enjoyed the book!

Thriller writers are so good at coming up with deeply deceptive characters. Rachel Hawkins is no exception. I like how she draws on past writing to inspire her prose now. "Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle––the birthplace of Frankenstein––The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy." I was really drawn into the ending, which I thought was quite smart. I liked the narrator. She did a great job.

I waffles back and forth with this book. I was instantly into it, but then it started to fall flat. I enjoyed the multiple timelines and povs, but I found it difficult to follow using audio. I loves the twist though

The Villa was a great listen! I loved the multi story line and the way it comes together and intertwines throughout the book. Surprisingly both story lines were awesome and captivated my attention. I really enjoyed this!

Two twisting stories interwoven.. A story about women and the men in their lives. An Italian villa is what pulls both stories together. What is truth and what is fiction? It is hard to know when you have writers involved.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It may be my favorite by Rachel Hawkins. It was dark and twisty, and unexpected.
There is actually two stories running at different eras, in the mansion. I did enjoy the little bit of a scavenger hunt to find the insights into the past.
As an audiobook, this was top notch. You can’t go wrong with multiple narrators. It’s really takes you into the book and deeper into the characters

In 1974, a murder takes place at Villa Rosato and sisters, Mari and Lara, are the only two to come out of it somewhat unscathed. Fast forward to the present and the renamed mansion, Villa Aestas, and long time friends, Emily and Chess, uncover secrets about the 1974 murder that no one has ever found.

I found The Villa to be an intriguing read and really enjoyed how the two stories at the same mansion wove together and influenced each other. I have enjoyed everything I’ve read by Rachel Hawkins and this book was no different. This story wasn’t exactly what I expected when I picked up this book, but I loved it just the same. I really loved the creativity in the way the two stories wound together and influenced each other. In my opinion, if you are a mystery fan and what to discover the secrets behind two different stories, this book is definitely worth checking out!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I wanted to love this book more than I did. I have previously read from Rachel Hawkins and had a great time but this was a little slow for me. I will say that I really enjoyed how things wrapped up, it was interesting to see all of the pieces fit together and there was a fun twist for but some reason even though this was fairly short, there were times where I still wasn't super invested. This was an interesting concept but I sadly wanted more from this book. I will still pick up from this author again in the future! I think the audiobook was done well as well!

The Villa (Audiobook)
4/5 Stars

Okay, first of all let me just say, I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins, and Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to it early!

“Houses Remember”-Lilith Rising

The Villa follows two narratives, Emily and Mari. Emily is set in present day at Villa Aestas (formally Villa Rosato) and Mari is set in 1974 at Villa Rosato. The stories follow along with each other and help tell a complete story.

Emily is a writer of cozy fiction. She is struggling to write her 10th “Petal Bloom” book all while going through an ugly divorce and dealing with health issues. Her best friend Chess, who has had huge success in making a name for herself as a “self help” writer, suggests they go to Italy for the summer. Not only will they be staying in a beautiful Villa in Italy, they will be staying in a Villa where a MURDER happened in the 1970s. Emily was interested in the murder as soon as she heard where they were going. Once they reach Villa Aestas Emily finds the novel Lilith Rising (an extreme horror novel) and connects and uncovers even more then she bargained for about Villa Aestas. Now she isn’t sure who she can trust.

Mari is a young adult, at just 19 years old, in the 1970s. She has a handsome and very talented boyfriend, Pierce, and a step sister Lara. Lara meets a very famous rockstar, Noel, who invites them to Villa Rosato for the summer with his “friend” Johnnie. A bunch of rockstars at a Villa in Italy. What could go wrong? The summer is full of sex, toxic relationships, art and creativity, lies and drugs. Mari writes her hit novel “Lilith Rising” and Lara writes her hit album “Aestas”while at Villa Rosato. But, the cost of success was someone’s life.

Once again, I really enjoyed this book! The Villa gave me Daisy Jones and The Six’s vibes in the best way. Not that they were super similar it was just the rock and roll aspect of it that reminded me of Daisy Jones. The Villa kept me guessing until the very end where the twist left me wanting more (also in the best way). 10/10 recommend adding this book to your TBR! It will be out early January 2023!

Thanks so much for the Arc!

Rachel Hawkins writes another twisty and dark novel. The Wife Upstairs had me on the edge of my seat, Reckless Girls had me shocked and The Villa had me wondering.

Author, Emily, takes up her old best friend, Chess, on a spontaneous trip to Italy. She’s having major writes block, health issues and her marriage just crumbled. Although she seems to have a challenging relationship with Chess an escape might be exactly what she needs. Chess (also an author but very successful) books “The Villa.”

In 1974, The Villa was occupied by a famous rockstar and some companions. The book jumps back and forth in time to the story of Noel, Pierce, Mari and Lara and to the best friends Emily and Chess. We start to put the pieces together that whatever Mari experienced was major. She too, being an author, wrote about her wild summer living with musicians. She also left clues as to what went wrong when one wound up dead.

We uncover a lot about Emily and Chess’ relationship throughout the book- never quite knowing who to trust. Emily begins to write about Mari’s experience in The Villa and he world totally changes because of it.

This book had a slow build. I didn’t see all the twists coming but they weren’t quite twisty enough for me. I also felt like the ending was sort of rushed. There was alot of build up behind both stories and the mysteries wrapped in them- then their truths were quickly glossed over. I still really love Hawkins writing and how each of her books are so different.

You can’t go wrong with Julia Whelan. I love the way she tells a story and the audio captivated me.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. The three narrators for this audiobook were AMAZING! I breezed through the audiobook. I think this is my favorite of Hawkins. I fell in love with The Wife Upstairs, and unfortunately The Reckless Girls just left me in a neutral zone. The Villa was so well done and refreshing. I loved learning about the past occupants and their secrets hidden inside the walls of Villa Aestas fo the present characters, Emily and Chess—and their own boatload of drama and secrets.
Couldn’t stop listening to this book! A MUST READ THRILLER FOR 2023!!

Thanks to NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins and the publisher for an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed the audio - Julia Whelan is great, as always.

The Villa is an atmospheric suspense novel told by dual perspectives taking place forty plus years apart in the same Italian villa. The two main characters Mari and Emily are of two different generations but share the same challenge of overcoming scars left from toxic relationships. While their male partners are pretty villainous, the BFF/sister are less clearly so- leaving you constantly wondering about their motives and the veracity of their words.

I enjoyed that the book contains clips of newspaper articles and episodes of podcasts that give you a third party perspective on the storylines. I found the mysteries compelling, the tension palpable, the setting perfect and both storylines engaging. And I really appreciated the ending.

The Villa is another intriguing story with a gorgeous cover from Rachel Hawkins. The Villa sucked me in quickly - I couldn’t wait to be absorbed by the atmosphere: a gothic suspense set in an Italian villa with a dark, sordid history. Emily and Chess have their own dark, sordid history but they still set out on a girls trip to Italy together. They’re staying at the infamous Villa Aestas, the place where famous rock legend Noel Gordon stayed during the summer of 1974 with up and coming musician Piece, Pierce’s girlfriend Mari, and her stepsister Lara. What comes out of their stay is Pierce’s brutal murder and some of the best art of all time. In present day Emily works hard to uncover the truth of what happened here in 1974 - but while she is pursuing that she has issues of her own to manage with Chess. Will they fall victim to the deadly legacy of Villa Aestas, or will they get out alive?

Overall, I loved the concept and the atmosphere of this novel - no one creates an environment quite like Rachel Hawkins. That being said, the revelations and ending missed for me - I felt like it was a bit obvious and I wanted more. I really enjoyed the characters and so I would recommend this read - I think many readers will enjoy it and be pleased with the choices the author made at the end.

The audio narration was wonderful though - extremely engaging and added a layer to the story that was extremely additive.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy - the Villa is out 1/3/23.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the friendship dynamic between Chess and Emily. Chess was really hard to like. The author did a great job of making her a key part of this story all the while she was not a likeable character. I honestly didn’t really like Emily either. She made a lot of terrible decisions but that also worked for this story. I did guess the ending about halfway through but I still enjoyed how this story played out. Overall I would definitely recommend this book!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is an entertaining read, a story within a story narrative that balances a contemporary and historical timeline, both taking place at the same Italian Villa. While the premise attracted me, I was a bit disappointed as I had expected the Villa itself to play a larger, more sinisterly role in the story, more of a character, but it truly just ended up being the setting and even at that, it didn’t convey the dark creepiness I expected. The story had potential to be a great atmospheric mystery thriller, but the story line was predictable, the twist was underwhelming and the ending felt rushed and fell a bit flat for me.

I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Julia Whelan, Kimberly Wetherell, Shiromi Arserio who did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life. I highly recommend this version. This was a fast read perfect for a rainy day.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins will be available on January 2, 2023. Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle — the birthplace of Frankenstein …”

“Stories change depending on who’s telling them.”

“The Villa” is a novel about creating — the joy it brings and the toll it takes. It’s about friends, family, and fellow artists, and what happens when those bonds that can sustain you start to go sour.

Childhood best friends, Emily and Chess, vacation together at a villa in Orvieto, Italy, which happens to be the site of an infamous murder.

The novel has a dual timeline. The present timeline follows Emily and Chess’ working holiday at the Villa Aestas. Emily writes cosy mysteries but she’s struggling with writer’s block, health problems and a recent divorce. Chess is a self-help guru and has become extremely famous due to her books.

The second timeline is 1974 and takes place at the same villa, then called the Villa Rosoto. Five people holiday at the villa: Mari; her half-sister Laura; Mari’s boyfriend Pierce, world famous rockstar Noel, and Noel’s drug dealer. As this timeline unfolds we learn it ends in murder.

Emily begins to research the events which occurred at Villa Rosoto. With the help of hidden pages discovered within the house, she starts to unravel the murder mystery.

One of the men in the party is killed. After that summer Mari goes on to become a bestselling author with her feminist horror story, “Lilith Rising”, and Laura records a platinum album, “Aestas”, becoming a household name.

The novel’s eye-catching cover design and Umbrian setting initially drew me to “The Villa”. I particularly enjoyed the second timeline of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, which reminded me a little of Jane Green’s “Sister Stardust”. “The Villa” is well-paced, well-plotted and filled with dark intrigue. The narrators are perfectly suited for their roles.

Many thanks to @Netgalley, @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the advanced listener’s copy.