Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - The Villa

This is a very good story about the good and bad sides of relationships and the lengths for which people will go to protect themselves and others… and what price they may pay to guard their secrets. There are two women staying at an Italian vacation property for a working holiday and chance to reinvigorate their friendship. But this villa has a colorful history because of a murder that took place there decades earlier. The friends become fascinated with learning more about this murder that occurred in the midst of tensions among friends, created by passion and rivalry.

I loved the way the story unraveled over two timelines and multiple points of view to reveal what really happened at the Villa in the past, as well as how the modern-day friendship is being affected. All characters end up being more complex as the story progresses, and they’re thoughtfully written.

I enjoyed this book as a mixed genre of mystery and romance. The relationships were dynamic and fluid. Though not especially lovable, the characters were very interesting and quite unpredictable. The author, Rachel Hawkins, has written a twisty tale that had this reader guessing right up to the satisfying conclusion.

I listened to the audiobook and felt the narrators, Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell, and Shiromi Arserio, did a superb job creating distinctive voices for their respective characters. This is particularly helpful when the story jumps between differing timelines that both involve multiple personalities.

Content Warnings

nickoliver's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This wasn't very original, most things were very easily predictable - though admittedly, the very last chapter did take me a bit by surprise, and it did add a bit of a dark, tragic twist. Also, it was very fast-paced, and once I really sat down to read, the pages flew quickly. I just wished the loose ends hadn't stayed so loose; I felt like there were certain plot points that alluded to things that never actually ended up happening.

Content Warnings