Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

36 reviews

itsheyfay's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Suicide, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Miscarriage and Vomit

minimicropup's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Inquisitive, ghoulish, contemplative

We follow characters from two timepoints - the '70s and present day. Both timePOVs are set in a Villa on the outskirts of Orvieto, Italy. The present day characters (a cozy mystery author and wellness influencer) are working on their slightly estranged friendship and are enticed by the history of the villa. In the 1970s a platinum album was composed and a classic horror novel written at the villa.

Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐺🐕: 

• I liked the depth of character development and how the hint of campiness slowly escalated through a realistic slow burn mystery
• Bit of grown-up Goosebumps energy with discovering the history of the Villa and what went down by decoding hints in the author's horror novel
• The setting was immersive and kind of evolved into its own entity in the story
• If you're in this just for the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll you may be disappointed. It's in the plot, but isn't the main focus. I liked how it was worked into the plot naturally and seemed realistic.

Cred Rating 👌: Realistic with just a touch of campy

Mood Reading Match Up: 

• Friendship and sibling dramas with bits of 'cattiness', jealousy, scheming, and competition + heartwarming and empathetic moments
• Slowly unraveling murder mysteries and blackmail 
• Elements of "good for her" revenge
• Summer vacation vibes, nostalgic 1970s vibes

Content Heads-Up: Good childfree-by-choice rep (female). Gaslighting and emotional abuse. Drug and alcohol use. Death of a baby.

Format: Scribd Digital and Audio

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Sexual harassment

Sexual content is with consent. Adult/minor relationship is early 20s with 15-16 year olds running away from family together.

meghanm404's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

theonlybaillie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

The pacing was so off on this one for me. I was bored the entire book and then drawn in the last 50 or so pages.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Suicide

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Self harm, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy

queenb13's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Child death

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Blood

ohennui's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicide, Grief, and Pregnancy

tamara_joy's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Chronic illness, Vomit, and Classism

nrogers_1030's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore and Classism

Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

The Villa read like a modern gothic, with the atmosphere oppressive, foreboding, with a stunningly described setting that makes you feel like you’re right there with the characters. Rachel Hawkins deftly explores complex friendships, toxic relationships, and creative tension in a way that was so engaging I just didn’t want to put it down. The twists had me absolutely gasping and the dual pov with shifting timelines just added to the dread and drama of each storyline. 

Honestly, this book made me want to go back to Italy so badly! The setting is so well-depicted, it filled me with so much nostalgia for the Italian countryside. I actually studied abroad in a neighbouring province (Arezzo) to Orvieto and I can attest to the landscape and architecture is as described in this novel. And the photo I used is actually one I took a decade ago while on that trip, but on the island of Capri. 

Thank you so much @stmartinspress and @netgalley for a gifted copy of this gem. I loved Reckless Girls by the same author, so I was delighted when my arc application was accepted for this one—and it did not disappoint! 

*A note on the reading format: I did read this book half as an ebook and half on audio, and while both formats were good, I think I preferred it in ebook form, as I wasn’t a huge fan of Mari’s narrator. That being said, Julia Whelan is one of the narrators in this cast, so for those of you who are a fan of hers, you might want to pick up the audio version based on that alone. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Terminal illness

noladawnreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• 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? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Adult/minor relationship