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syellico's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Drug use, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Murder, Death, Infidelity, Child death, Alcohol, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Violence
boundbywords's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Told in alternating timelines between 1974 and present day, we hear from the perspectives of two women reclaiming their power, going for (literary) gold, and exploring the parameters of some seriously unstable relationships. Add in Rachel's incredible ability to create a perfect tension-filled scene, and you've got yourself your first read for January 2023.
Fun tidbit: The Villa is "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"!!
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♡Huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for approving the egalley for review!
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death, and Infidelity
daisyb3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Moderate: Murder and Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage, Child death, and Drug use
savvyrosereads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Rating: 4/5 stars
Emily and Chess have been best friends since childhood, but their relationship has become a bit strained. When Chess suggests a summer in an Italian villa—a villa that was the site of an infamous murder in the 1970s, moreover—secrets begin to unravel across two timelines.
I am absolutely obsessed with the story of the creation of Frankenstein—for anyone who doesn’t know, Lord Byron, Percy and Mary Shelley, Mary’s stepsister Claire, and John Polidori all stayed together in Switzerland for a summer, where Mary would ultimately write Frankenstein as the result of the party determining to each write a ghost story—so when I heard that Rachel Hawkins was writing a novel featuring a 1970s retelling of that very real summer (albeit with some added murder), it instantly became one of my most-anticipated reads of 2023.
Fortunately, I really enjoyed most of the book. I’ve seen some mixed reviews, and I understand any criticism that calls this book slow-moving, but I found it to be genuinely brilliant in terms of form, writing style, and the use of perspective and tone. The plot was interesting and I enjoyed the dual timeline, and the use of multiple forms of media (news clippings, etc) combined with the 1970s musician sections gave me vibes reminiscent of Daisy Jones & The Six.
All of that said, I ultimately took a star off the end because I just wasn’t sold on the ending. I thought I’d figured out where it was headed, but then things took a turn I didn’t expect, and the book ended in what was, to me, a pretty unsatisfying place. Still, if you’re a fan of historical/literary inspired novels and up for a somewhat slower burn, I would absolutely recommend The Villa.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: retellings-but-make-them-history; meditations on friendship; slow-burn Gothic suspense
CW: Child death; drug/alcohol abuse; murder/blood; suicide (off-page).
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Blood, Child death, Drug use, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship
snoozayreads25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Toxic friendship, Child death, and Blood
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage and Sexual content
amandas_bookshelf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Blood, Addiction, Gore, Drug use, Violence, Alcohol, Infidelity, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
sleeson's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Both of the main characters, Mari and Emily, are equally brilliant. There is moderate sexual content. Moderate mention of recreational drugs. Side note: The transcript of the true crime podcast is hilariously accurate. Hawkins was spot on with the tone for podcast listeners. Millennials behind the microphone all day.
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Child death, Grief, Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, and Infidelity
reading_beyond_the_book_cover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
5/5, I recommend this book.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press , Rachel Hawkins, and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review. My review/reaction is voluntary, all thoughts are mine and unbiased, and receiving the ARC does not influence my rating and/or recommendation.
Full Review: https://readingbeyondthebookcover.com/book-reaction-the-villa-by-rachel-hawkins/
Graphic: Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent and Miscarriage
mflynn8908's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is the second book by this author that I have read. While not overly impressed by the story and it was just an okay story it was an easy one to listen to and read in a day.
This story follows two timelines one in present day and one in set in the 70s. Both timelines follow women who are being manipulated by men and other people in their lives. The story contained so much gaslighting and the main characters were so weak I was eye rolling for most of the story. The plot was definitely predictable and I guessed the twist/ending about 30% in.
However, I did find how the two stories intertwined to be entertaining. Overall I think I would recommend this story if you are looking for an easy book to read.
Minor: Gaslighting, Infidelity, Child death, and Toxic friendship
kari_f's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While I saw the twists and turns coming a mile (kilometer?) away, I enjoyed the journey and thought the different timelines were written in an engaging and entertaining way. It wasn’t as thrilling as many high-stakes-murder-mysteries often are, but I actually liked that we got more story in place of the intense “someone is going to die soon” suspense. While I didn’t necessarily agree with many (most) of the characters’ choices, they made sense in the scope of this world.
This is my favorite book from Hawkins so far, and I’d recommend it if you’re a fan of dramatic mystery/thrillers with historical fiction (especially when it comes to writers and musical artists) elements!
*Note: the edition I had was the audio, and I quite enjoyed that each timeline had its own narrator. Julia Whelan, Kimberly M. Wetherell, and Shiromi Arserio did a fabulous job on the narration!
Thanks again to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced listeners edition
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Drug use
Moderate: Murder