This was my first read of the year and I had a great time with it. I enjoyed the setting, the overall story of the villa that we peace together and the “black sheep” trope. However, I found the pacing a little bit strange. Certain moments just felt very repetitive and went on for a lot longer than they should, making the story a bit frustrating. I also thought the reasons for our main character to be treated so badly by her family just didn’t quite make sense. Lastly, I didn’t connect with the writing. There were so many “scary” scenes that were written quite plainly and didn’t make me feel unsettled or uncomfortable and that’s definitely what I was looking for.

BLOWN. AWAY.

It’s been a couple days since I finished this book, but I can’t stop thinking about it; that’s how much I loved this book. How can 2024 already have so many amazing releases?!

But, as usual, I’m getting ahead of myself…..

When Anna joins her family for a vacation in Tuscany, she immediately senses something is “off” about the farmhouse her parents rented. Not only do the locals stiffen and back off whenever they mention where they’re staying, but there’s a weird vibe whenever they enter the 500-year old building. It all seems to go back to a locked tower room, but Anna can’t quite figure out what to make of it. Being the black sheep of the family anyway, Anna must balance her growing panic with her family’s skepticism and distrust. Can she save them in time…or will they succumb to the power lurking within Villa Taccalo?

Like I said, this book blew me away. It’s a slow burn thriller that just builds at that perfect pace to make you feel the rising tension and panic grow to a boiling point. It’s so deliciously good, I was furiously turning pages by the end.

And what makes the story even better is that it’s not just a supernatural entity that’s doing some haunting in this one. Anna’s family are some first-class villains that provide enough real-world madness and chaos to keep things on their toes. They keep Anna and the reader questioning just about everything, which makes everything hazy, in that creepy way. And there’s some great creepiness that abounds with them, trust me (muwahaha!)

This book is a MUST READ for thriller fans, hands down. I cannot stress that enough. It will keep you up at night and wanting more from this author. I cannot wait for her next spooky creation!

This book quickly became a book just like a thousand others, characters I hate doing dumb this for too long and not keeping me even slightly invested in what is happening at all. Boring as hell and not worth the time to read.

So I’m already calling that this will be one of my fave reads of 2024. I. Could. Not. Get enough. I stayed up wayyy past my bedtime and finished it in one night. I literally couldn’t put it down. I freaking loved the FMC, Anna. She was always just herself and sassy AF. Her family was literally theee worst. But, the writing is the freaking star of this book. It was so atmospheric and I constantly felt impending doom through the whole book. I also felt like I was in Italy on my villa and walking through museums. It was just A++. If you like horror books pick this up. You will not be sorry

Jennifer Thorne returns to horror with her upcoming novel Diavola. This is one vacation you do not want to take. Well, probably. I’d be interested. A haunted villa in Tuscany? Sign me up! But Anna is not having a good time. And if I was with her family.. I wouldn’t be either. If you want to figure out which is scarier, The Pace Family or La Dama Bianca, pick this up when it releases from Tor Nightfire on March 26, 2024.

The family dynamics here would be almost unreadable if Anna wasn’t so much fun. Because wow, I would not have lasted a day. It is apparent immediately that Anna is the black sheep of her family. Even her twin brother can’t be relied on for support—not with a boyfriend in tow who is determined to see her ruin the vacation. Really, the only person on her side is her niece. Which only makes things worse for both of them.

So, things in Villa Taccola are tense. Which is just great if you’re a ghost. Who thinks of a haunting when you have plenty of reasons to be on edge? But some things can’t be explained by family trauma. And plenty of those things happen in these pages. This was a well done haunting. The tension ramps well, breaks at the right points, and lingers where it should. The reactions feel believable, too, which is always a delight to see.

And by believable I don’t mean rational. Would you be rational in a haunted house? One of my favorite things in horror is when the circumstances that make it horror intensify everything around it. Those family dynamics? Throw in genuine fear, lack of sleep, and the unexplainable. Diavola is a powder keg—and Anna is the powder, fuse, and match. And La Dama Bianca is going to push everyone toward that explosion.

Anna as a main character was the best choice for this story. Her voice is hilarious, quick, and scathing. I can totally see her family doesn’t like her, and I am one hundred percent against their assessment. Anna rocks. I would be friends with Anna. Her family could seriously benefit from some perspective. Also, of note: Anna is important to have as the narrator because she is the only one who speaks Italian.

The Italian aspect was so much fun for me. I am Italian, I studied the language in college, and I’ve been working on the DuoLingo course off and on for a while. This book motivated me to pick it back up, and my first returning lesson was describing a scary hotel. Not concerning at all. But the language aspect is so important to the story. It effectively isolates Anna even further. Yes, they need her. She’s their translator. But it also means she bears the weight of responsibility. And she is–unfortunately–the only one who can understand what is going on.

If it wasn’t clear by now, I loved this book. The suspense genuinely got to me. The ending was one I didn’t see coming, but absolutely did. You know those endings when all the pieces slot into place as you’re reading? It was immensely satisfying. All the family drama was an emotional gut punch at times, and if you’ve been reading my reviews for any time at all you know that’s always worth extra points with me. Most importantly, though: I had so much fun. Diavola was an experience I’d like to revisit, preferably in Italy.

Anna reluctantly goes on a family holiday. As an outsider from the group who does not mince her words, she experiences that these types of meetings more often than not end in arguments. But the beautiful, secluded villa in Italy is too tempting to turn down, until it turns out that this house has a dark history and the locals avoid the property for good reason.

Great horror story in which the reader is terrified by both the entity in the holiday home and the terror of the family dynamics that Anna has to cope with. The story has a good pace, it is nice and exciting and there is enough variety between backstory and spooky moments. I was a bit bothered by the often recurring descriptions of sweat 'on the small of her back' and 'between her breasts' when it comes to Anna - there are also other ways to describe that a woman is hot .
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading it!

Jennifer Thorne is a master in atmospheric horror. Diavola is a slow-burn, unique horror set at the eery farmhouse Villa Taccola. What this book does so well is mirror the horrors of the story with the horrors of real life. Anyone who is interested in the synopsis will enjoy the vibes of the story and the cover alone is sure to draw a lot of eyes - which the book years! I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

I was beyond excited when I got an arc through NetGalley for Diavola. Such an amazing slow burn horror that'll consume you from the beginning. The main character, Ana, is the "typical" black sheep that on her family's yearly get togethers at different air b&b has to endure the toxicity of her family, while trying to stay sane and survive. On her arrival to Monteperso, Italy, Ana feels the ominous air in the Tuscan Village as soon as she steps her foot inside the villa. Absolutely stunning how the author immerses you into the Italian retreat, the art and beauty of the landscape. The setting of family interactions is relatable and scary. Im a new fan of Jennifer Thorne.

This book gave me nightmares! Actual nightmares! The shortest summation for tone and plot I can devise is “haunted Fleabag”. I loved it.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The way I screamed when I got this one in the mail! I am so thankful to Tor Nightfire, Jennifer Marie Thorne, and Netgalley for granting me both physical and digital access to this one before it hits shelves on March 26, 2024.

The Pace Family is heading to Italy for a family vacation. Anna is less than thrilled about the chaotic bunch getting together in a foreign country, especially when she's the only one fluent enough to do anything. Upon arriving at Villa Taccola, their entry is anything but welcome, with stray cats running everywhere, phantom doors slamming shut now and then, and even a mysterious, window-less tower that they've been forbidden from unlocking, but they hear scratches coming from within... Yeah, I'd pack up and go home... I'm not doing all that...

The Pace family turns a blind eye and powers through, but the spirits of the villa are powerful. One in particular, La Dama Bianca, has latched onto Anna and won't let go. Of course, her family mistakes these reactions for her normal mood swings and sour attitude, so she's on her own in defending the family and herself from this hundreds-of-year-old spirit who is out for vengeance.

The end was a bit predictable, but goodness me, I love a good haunted house story, and that's precisely what I got.

Refreshing twist on a haunted house story with not only a ghost but twisted family dynamics plus the setting was so visceral I want to stay in the house in Italy even if it’s haunted

This book has serious problems in its pacing.
The first half is painfully slow - filled to the brim with useless description of every corner of italy visited by the protagonist and her family, every dish they eat at this or that restaurant, and drama that doesn't really serve the purpose of a horror book. It laks focus.

The second half is a little bit better, but here we are again: useless informations about NY city life, and even one entire chapter about a work meeting that serves no purpose.

The finale is anticlimactic, Anne's monologue is a cheap expedient to explain everything that was left behind in pages and pages of pointless family drama (that half the time the story doesn't need to go forward) and looong description of nonsense

This was SO FUN! Scary, perfectly paced, and just plain fun to read. Anna's family is INFURIATING though. Be warned: nearly every interaction with any member of her family will raise your blood pressure, and not in a fun, scary way. I had to take several anger breaks.
As annoying as the side characters were, it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story in the slightest! If anything it made me empathize with Anna even more. So glad I managed to fit this into my year. It's definitely in my top 5 of books I read in 2023.

Thank you @tornightfire for the #gifted copy of this book!!

Who doesn’t want to go on a large family vacation filled with drama, dysfunction, haunted houses and everyone’s individual neurotic behaviors. Sounds like a great escape, am I right? This book was SO well written! This atmosphere in this book was the absolute best as its descriptions were so rich! Between the house, the haunts, the setting in Italy…I could literally feel the fear that seemed to shroud the entire family, especially Anna. Anna was so easy to love as she was always trying to prove herself to her family. I’m glad she never really gives up and keeps her sassiness! Her family was the absolute worst…they could all fall off a cliff and I wouldn’t lose any sleep! Ha! Ok but really, if you’re looking for an epic horror book you MUST check this one out. It’s one of my favorites!

I was excited when i picked up this one, i was looking for some creepy scary vibes.
and I loved the cover, it got my attention right away.
Unfortunately, I am sorry to say that this book gave me nothing creepy nor scary vibes.
I guess i am just too tolerance to this kind of books? I expected more.
I was annoyed that it was just a dramatic family trip to Europe.
The writing itself was alright.
It has potential but I am sad this one didn’t work for me.

Thanks a again for the ARC!

Anna has never quite fit in with her family, so when they all vacation together in Italy, she knows she needs to tread lightly and just survive.

Her twin is so much better at everything than her, and her older sister, Nicole, is as well. Her mom seizes the vacation as an opportunity to ask Anna a million questions about her life choices and Dad doesn’t miss a chance to remind everyone that they paid for it.

The remote and serene location of the tiny villa of Monterperso seems ideal, however things start to go off the rails, and Anna seems to be the only one noticing.

This was a definite slow burn, haunted house, gothic tale. I really enjoyed the vibes of this one once I got into it, but it took about half the book for that to happen. Because of the long engagement period, I found it easy to put this one down, and struggled, but then things came together and picked up. I really enjoyed reading about Anna’s family, they felt so real. I would think that if my parent’s had paid for my entire family to fly to Italy for a family vacation, they too would constantly remind us that they paid for it! It made me chuckle when the parents said relatable lines like this and I really enjoyed it. This book was pretty spooky all throughout without being gory or in your face scary, just enough creepiness to make you feel a little uneasy. I loved that this was a twist on a haunted house with the ghost story, it made it a lot of fun. The writing was well done and did keep me interested in the story, despite the slow start.

If you are looking for a creepy and unnerving gothic horror book that will keep you wanting for more, then check this one out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, @Tornightfire for both a physical and e-arc of this one and netgalley for the e-arc.

From the opening paragraphs, "Diavola" is a slow-burn horror with an endearing protagonist and a mean little sense of humor. Anna, our heroine, goes on an Italian vacation with her family only for it to shudder beneath the weight of the strange, haunted villa they have rented. Thorne introduces the players with care, taking time to build up the dreadful atmosphere within the vacation home - and Anna's hazardous place within the family - so that when things begin to disintegrate you care very much about the people being affected. I'm not easy to scare - most horror entertains me, but does not frighten me - and Diavola had me gasping as I read ahead, nervous of the sounds around me as I read late into the night. It's as much of a feminist character study as it is a terrifying tale of the supernatural. Highly recommended!

Starting the year off with a 5 star horror book that really resonated with me has to be a good omen…. Right?! I absolutely devoured this book and couldn’t believe how much I could relate with Anna on her “adventure.”

When the Pace family travels to Italy for their obligatory, ritzy yearly trip - Anna knows what to anticipate as far as navigating her family. What she doesn’t plan for is an ancient horror living in the villa they’ve booked and having a certain affinity for Anna herself.

I think Anna is so believable for me because as sh*t starts to hit the fan, she just accepts it. She doesn’t try to rationalize the strange goings on, she just sits with them. And most importantly, even though she knows how futile telling her family anything is, she tries to warn them.

I know damn well if I was being haunted on a family vacation my family would say “I’m sure you are….” And leave me to struggle with it myself. I know this book won’t hit the same for everyone but it was a great creeping horror book even without the terrifying family dynamics.

My favorite overall quote: “You were looking for the weak one in the flock, right? The one you could draw aside and push over the edge. Isolate from everyone and feed upon, but see, that was the first flaw in your logic: I’m not a lost lamb. I’m a black sheep.”

Please check this one out if you like horror, haunted houses, Italy, travel, family dynamics, and most importantly - dread.

**Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the physical and electronic ARCs of this terrifying title!!**

"Welcome to Villa Taccola. She's been waiting for you."

This is a paranormal, suspenseful, creepy story of a family from Ohio vacationing in Italy and all that entails. From the lush atmosphere of gorgeous Italy to the dysfunctional, interwoven family dynamics, Thorne gives us a ride that will keep you turning the pages from start to finish in anticipation of what is to come. It's also been a while since I've read a book with chapter titles. I almost forgot they ever existed. Really liked them in this novel.

While this is mostly the story of a haunting and the lore of La Dama Bianca, what Thorne gives us is a multi-layered look into just how crazy a family vacation can go - especially when there's always that one "trouble maker". Meet Anna Pace. By far, one of my favorite characters ever. She's snarky, misunderstood and goodness was it fun to watch her unravel as the book progressed. Her family is always expecting the worst of her and all she wants to do is get them out of this creepy house they've rented and protect her nieces. But will they listen to her? Of course not. They live in their own special place of denial.

I absolutely love the atmosphere of this read and our fiery protagonist. I definitely laughed out loud in certain parts when she started spiraling. There's a scene when she's at work that just about had me spitting. *applause* The levity she brings to this otherwise suspenseful read truly made it all the more entertaining.

The scary parts included La Dama Biana, with the yellow hair. I never did like the color yellow and I surely do not even more so now. Also, I will never drink red wine again after reading this. Ok, ok, maybe let's not go that far, eh? *wink* While Anna's family might not want her, this entity surely does.

My first Thorne, though definitely not my last. Will need to dust off LUTE, which is sitting on my shelf, so I can continue my new author obsession. If you're looking for a spine tingling read while mentally taking a vacation in Italy, absolutely pick up this read. You won't regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley and for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"She had absolutely no idea where she was, where she was going. It was perfetto."

I requested this book mainly for the cover itself, yet, the synopsis was the one that had me hooked.
However, despite the story being an easy read it unfolded at a very slow pace.

I loved the connection we gained with the not-so-likable protagonist, Anna, and her family. But I felt as if the story revolved a bit much around them and not so much on the haunted aspect of it all—and other important themes mentioned throughout the novel. So, because of this reason, the ending felt a bit rushed, influencing my review.

Despite my general opinion, don't let my review discourage you from picking it up!