A review by booksbroadwaybubbly
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

dark mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

3.25

Emily is working on her novel, but is having no luck.  When she meets up with her childhood best friend, Chess, for lunch, she is jealous of Chess’ fame.  However, when Chess invites Emily to spend the summer at a villa in Italy, Emily wants the chance to reconnect with Chess and hopefully spark her some new ideas for her book.  The Villa they are staying in may be beautiful now, but it is the place of a murder that took place in 1974, when a group full of artists spent the summer at the villa trying to inspire themselves.  Emily & Chess spend the summer digging into old secrets, both of the villa and of their own lives.   
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I enjoyed this thriller, but I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters — all of them were unlikable, in both the past and the present.  I also felt like it took a long time to build up to all the tension.  There were so many twists and turns throughout this book that kept me on my toes. I also loved all the descriptions of the Italian Countryside! It brought me back to my time in Italy! I definitely can’t wait to see what Rachel Hawkins writes next! 
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Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my eARC in exchange for my honest opinion! 
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