I loved the narrator of this audiobook, especially to keep track of the dual timeline and multiple newspaper clippings, etc. Overall, this was a fun, quick thriller to read. I enjoy stories about best friends, especially when there seems to be a lot of underlining tension and toxicity (at least, I enjoy this trait in thrillers)! I kept thinking that something more sinister was going to happen and I would have loved more details around the ending in the present tense timeline to really bring it home, but overall this was an enjoyable read!

Thank you to @netgalley and @ladyhawkins for my gifted ALC. The audiobook made it such an amazing listening experience to me.

This is a wonderful book written by Rachel Hawkins. This was my first book read by this author and she left me speechless with the ingenuity and creativity. Such an amazing storyline

Amazing narration and production by Macmillan Audio production By St Martin’s Press. Book releases on Jan 5, 2023

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.

I enjoyed this story a good deal! The author created a layered mystery and I enjoyed the dual timeline aspect of it. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed trying to figure out how everyone was connected and who was capable of killing. The setting of the old villa is rather mysterious, but the fact that it was in Italy really didn’t affect the story; it could have been in any country and had the same effect. The narrator of the audiobook did a great job - not too fast or too slow, and easy to listen to! I’d recommend it!

A solid 3 star read for me.
I wanted to love this book. It was my first time reading anything by Rachel Hawkins, and the publisher blurb is so enticing, so I expected a twisty thriller- a roller coaster of a read. Instead I got a middle of the road suspense with a couple of somewhat predictable twists. It held my attention, but I was left wanting a lot more. Nevertheless, I appreciated the theme of female empowerment. I liked the alternating timelines, and I enjoyed the rock n’ roll, 1970s time period of Mary’s story.
The “murder villa” aspect could have been so much stronger and played a more prominent part in the story- in no way did I find this book “creepy”.
The ending of both stories left me wanting more, and it felt somewhat hurried.
Overall, it wasn’t bad, it just could have been much better.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Hawkins deftly knits events of the past and present together and creates an entertaining plot in her latest book, The Villa. Set in the Italian countryside, Villa Aestes is an idyllic sunny getaway that best friends Chess and Emily rent for the summer of 2022. While there, they research what happened almost 50 years ago, when another group of best friends stayed in the villa for the summer. That trip ended when one of the group was bludgeoned to death.

The narrative rotates between Emily’s first person account of her stay and the experiences of Mari, one of the group of friends who lived in the villa in 1974. Interspersed between the two main stories are excerpts of the true crime podcast that Emily listens to, chapters of the book Mari wrote, and passages of essays and articles Emily sources throughout the course of her research.

Overall the plot moves quickly, although sometimes when I was reading I thought “let’s hurry through this 1974 distraction and get back to the more interesting story about Chess and Emily.” Hawkins included some humor to balance out the tense sections, and I laughed out loud at several passages. She’s a good writer and my favorite sentence was “people who think Chess is the most enlightened being since Gwyneth Paltrow’s vagina.”

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for giving me a free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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!

A murder at a beautiful Italian villa. Two best friends who are writers staying there. What could go wrong? I enjoyed this book. It has some great twist and I loved the two narrator’s voices doing the two time lines. It made it easier to follow.

Finding inspiration at the villa in Italy. Chess invited Emily, her long time friend. to spend the summer at Villa Aestas. The Villa is well known for the murder that occurred in the house in 1974.
Both Emily and Chess are writers. Emily writes cozy mysteries and is working on Petal Bloom book 10. Chess writes self-help books. Back in college they talked about co-writing a book. Chess thinks they should use this summer together to make it happen.
Emily is torn between writing another cozy mystery and a real crime novel. Since she’s been at the Villa she’s come across a diary left behind by Mari.
Back in 1974 Mari visited the villa in the summer with her step sister Lara and boyfriend Pierce. Woven between the pages is a story about the past mingling with the present. Mari Godwick is the author of Lilith Rising, a famous horror fiction novel published in 1976. It’s about a girl named Victoria Stuart who kills her family in the middle of the day.
Meanwhile, Chess is listening to music. She came across an album produced by Lara Larchmont, the album Aestas (1977). The song lyrics from this album are clues about what happened at the Villa in 1974.

From the beginning, it’s a complex and complicated read. Setting the story to reflect both periods of time was challenging to navigate through the early chapters. Once I gained my footing on what Emily stumbled upon I transitioned easily into the story.

What I took from the premise didn’t quite measure up with what I envisioned. After delving into the pages I found myself immersed in history about a horror novel written by Mari and an album performed by Lara. As Emily discovers both of these historical pieces she blends the two as some sort of treasure hunt. There were times the connecting pieces weren’t locking into place as Rachel Hawkins had intended. Eventually, Rachel ties it all up with a nice bow at the end.

I must admit I imagined a house of secrets with ghosts haunting each room, but that isn’t the case. When Chess and Emily stay in the villa it’s to fortify there friendship. Both of them are writers. Chess writes self help books while Emily writes cozy mysteries. Together they discover the album and book left behind by Mari and Lara. All in all Rachel created a unique and original story of betrayal and friendship within the villa.

The Villa is a book within a book. The focus is on the murder that occurred in 1974 and the Villa holds its secrets. Emily searches to uncover the truth about what transpired all those years ago.

Infographics:
Lara Larchmont, the album Aestas (1977)
Lilith Rising, Mari Godwick, 1976 Lilith Rising is about this teenage girl,
Victoria Stuart
The Villa Rosato Horror (story about Mari)
Diary written by Victoria
Podcast Two Girls, One Murder:
Writers: cozy mysteries and self help books
Women, power, and betrayal

Audiobook:
I had hoped listening to the audiobook would enhance my experience. Listening did expand my understanding of the content, but I still wasn’t compelled by the writing of the Villa. I audiobook helped sort out the complicated first few chapters although given that the audiobook was my second time reading the Villa I’m certain that helped gain my footing better. With knowledge came the ability to focus on key aspects of the story.
Julia Whelan was a superstar performer. More and more these days I find myself investing in both the ebook and audiobook. This way I get to experience the story the way the writer intended for readers to hear the characters. That’s exactly what Julia accomplished. It was the full experience having a great voice acting skills and good writing.
Kimberly M. Wetherwell and Shiromi Arserio were two other female performers that provided great voice acting skills. Unfortunately, I’m unfamiliar to all three of these narrators so I’m not sure which one of them performed the voices of Emily, Chess, and Mari.
I listened using the Netgalley app listening at 2x speed.

I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrating was excellent and the storyline was enticing. The setting at the Villa seemed so real and the the flashbacks just kept you guessing. One of the best audiobooks I have listening to in a long time.Definitely a 10 out of 10.

I was so looking forward to this book. I even pre-ordered it before knowing I would get an ARC from @stmartinspress. This was my first ARC and I can’t begin to explain my excitement to have been chosen. Thanks @NetGalley and @stmartinspress again for the ARC.

Title: The Villa
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Suspense, Mystery
Rating: 3 Stars 
Vibe: Slow Burn Suspense
Review:  

The Villa is a story about 2 lifelong friends, Emily and Chess. They have drifted apart over the years and decided to get back together when Chess rents an Italian Villa. Emily has been through some domestic issues and this would be the perfect opportunity for her to work on her novel.

They discover that the Villa was the place of a previous murder in the 1970’s. The plot goes back and forth in the people that rented the villa in the 70’s and Emily and Chess in present day.

I really enjoyed Emily and Chess’ story line and couldn’t wait for the timeline to get back to them. I was less thrilled with the 1970’s characters. I gave this book 3 stars because it was well-written and is a great fiction story. However, it was NOT a thriller or that suspenseful in my opinion. It lacked twists and build up. I was expecting it to be like #RecklessGirls, one of my favorite books.

This book would be great for anyone that enjoys a slow-burn, slightly mysterious fiction friendship storyline.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins releases January 3, 2023!
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#booksofinstagram #book #booklover #booknerd #readersofinstagram #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #read #readmorebooks #bookish #bookaddict #bookclub#bookworm #bookaholic #RachelHawkins #TheVilla

While I have read and really enjoyed books by Hawkins in the past, this one dragged and I found both of the main characters super irritating. It’s hard to get invested in characters like that. I’ll try Hawkins again for sure but this one was disappointing.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this title by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Absolutely loved the flow and execution of this book, had just enough mystery, human interest and splendor to make for a most engaging read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins & MacMillan audio for this ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first time that I read a Rachel Hawkins book & have heard amazing things! Unfortunately this was a miss with me. I think that maybe while listening to the audio, it got kind of confusing for me. The narrator was very very good though!

The twist was slightly underwhelming even though the story line was entertaining. The idea of the sex, drugs & rock and roll was a great thought. I thought there would be more to the ending. Also, it was a slow burner with lack of unique thriller content. If you enjoy this type of entertainment, this book is for you!

None the less, I will for sure still read another Rachel Hawkins book! I enjoy the way she writes & easiness of listening/reading her books.

Audiobook/Women's fiction/Mystery: This book is very much a "Verity-ish" book, which is a good thing. There was a lot of guessing on how it was going to end. You have to guess who's lying up to the very end. Without giving out any spoilers, I will say that I enjoyed the book so much that when I got to work, a big reveal was just about to happen and I knew I had to get out of my car. I enjoyed this book a lot more than Hawkings last thriller.
Two disclaimers: I got this book from Netgalley in lieu of an honest review. Also, I have met the author at a local book signing.
As an audiobook, the narrators did a great job. As a writers, the author did a suburb job getting the setting. Part of the book is back in the 70s. However, there wasn't enough smoking, legal or illegal. Every teen wanted to smoke back then. . The other is current day with modern technology and podcasts.
I definitely recommend this book.

“Houses remember.”

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.

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 rock star Noel Gordon. Attempting to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites fellow musician Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. This 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.

As Emily digs into the villa’s history, she begins to think there might be more to the story. That perhaps Pierce’s murder was more sinister than anyone thought originally, and that there might be clues that Mari and Lara left behind.
As secrets from the past come to light, it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.

You know a twist is mind blowing when you first 😳 then 😱 and then you proceed to reread (or rewind, as it were) the end of the chapter.

The Villa, told in dual timelines, really focuses on the Italian villa as the main character of the story. I love when buildings or locations have what seems like a life of their own. It adds so much dimension to a story for me. They hold secrets and reveal them in the most unique of ways.

I really didn’t read much of this at all because I enjoyed the audio, read by three narrators, so much. Julia Whelan is one of them and she has quickly become one of my favorites! I could listen to her read me a phone book 😂. She really adds something special to her narration with a lot of heart and always the perfect emotion for the characters. She uses distinct cadences and tones to differentiate and I will listen to any book she narrates!

Thank you SO much to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts really slow as it alternates between timelines, The back and forth makes it difficult to keep up. When you reach the last few chapters it really gets interesting and I didn’t foresee the ending. I won’t spoil it but you’ll love it. I really loved Emily and honestly though Chess just doesn’t get her proper reward for bad behavior. The way the story ends makes me excited to think maybe a part 2 is coming if so I can’t wait to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audio arc of this great read! I thoroughly enjoyed this latest novel by Rachel Hawkins! Murder, sex, drugs, and screwed up friendships... make for very interesting reading!!

Firstly, I would highly recommend the audio version of this novel. Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell, Shiromi Arserio were amazing narrators. This story spans decades and the narrators did an amazing job of making the timeline swaps of this story easy to follow. The differing accents were a great addition that really allowed me to separate the two story lines.

I had never read a Rachel Hawkins book before this one and The Villa has left me wanting more! I read this book immediately after reading Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. I would say these two books are definitely in the same vein and readers of Knoll would love The Villa. That being said, I feel that The Villa is a unique book within the mystery/thriller genre. I have never read a book quite like it. I really enjoyed the alternating time lines and the weaving together of multiple women’s life stories all taking place in the same setting.
There are definite themes of feminism, feminine rage, and the negative and positive intricacies of female friendship.

This book kept me interested from the very beginning but I will say the true “thriller” aspects of the books did not pick up steam until around the 40% mark. After that point, I couldn’t stop listening!! The only reason I did not give this book five stars is the ending. The events of the last chapter were a bit hard to take for me. I’m sure that the last chapter will be met with mixed opinions. Either way, it came with a literally jaw-dropping shock factor, and I suppose that it was thrillers are all about.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think the plot and storyline were very unique. It was also nice to read a thriller with a beautiful, sunny setting. It added to the mysterious theme of dark and light, good and evil, etc. that was so present throughout the book. I will definitely be reaching for more books by Rachel Hawkins.

Thank you to MacMillan audio for the gifted audiobook of The Villa! This book has been my radar since announced and is set to be one of the best hits of 2023.

This story follows two story lines from different time periods that unfold simultaneously for the reader in a beautiful villa in Italy. There are two perspectives: Mary, a young aspiring author and her group of musicians and artists on a summer trip to the villa in the 1970s, and childhood best friends, now authors, Chess and Emily. Chess and Emily take a girl's trip to the villa and tensions build between them as they unravel that story of the famous murder that took place in the 70s.

I adored this book. First, it is a book about books, so as a bibliophile I loved reading from an author's perspective. I love reading about the thought process that goes into writing both books and songs. This was a truly fascinating and unique style of book that I devoured in two days. It was like Daisy Jones and Verity had a beautiful baby in Italy. I highly recommend this book to top your 2023 TBR!

* sidenote for MacMillan audio regarding the narrations - the narrators were fabulous! My only grip was Chess's inconsistent southern accent. I felt like it went in and out which maybe was a little more noticeable for someone from the American south. Overall, it was lovely!