A family drama/mother-daughter story set in a luxurious holiday villa in France. The characters were well drawn but not very likeable, and the mother was a very mixed-up character! However, we can excuse her because if the dire news she had to tell her family... Some important issues were raised around terminal illness, the right to choose how to live and end one's own life, and how to take into consideration the people one loves when making certain choices. Overall, I found the plot unbelievable, but nevertheless, an entertaining light (in spite of some of the subject matter) read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance digital galley.

A good family drama
Taking us through family relationships
A rollercoaster of emotions in this book
Thanks NetGalley

Such a good story. It was wild and twisted and great for a quick read! I finished it in one sitting. Wonderful twist.

This was a heartbreaking and thrilling read which showed motherhood best and worst. It shows the length the that we would go to to protect the ones that we love.

A great book with an ending i didn't see coming.

Okay so this book was not what I expected. I though it was going to be a thriller and this book is being marketed as one. And it is just not a thriller book. This book mostly focuses on family drama. It is a good story and talks about how our experiences shape us. But also shows how the secrets we keep will destroy us. If you were like me and thought you were going to be reading a thriller book you are not.

I don’t know where to start with this book because it’s not a genre I usually read. I found this in the suspense/mystery tag and this book didn’t really deliver on that. This is more of a family drama than anything else. And if you like that sort of genre then you will enjoy this book! For me it was hard to get through because I was expecting something else. The writer did manage to keep my attention to finish the book but I didn’t rush to read through it like I usually do with a good mystery/thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not a bad read, although I did find it a little depressing in places. Still, a recommended read.

Yikes!

Talk about family drama.

The Villa is an all consuming novel that will pull you right in from page one. The only issue I had with this book was that I could not find even one character "likable" , they were all just so cruel and mean. I get it, trauma can definitely change a person but it does not give them an excuse to be terrible to another, especially family!

With that being said, I still really enjoyed this book and I mean, it was part of the story. If it were all rainbows and cherub faced children, we wouldn't have an expertly crafted thriller now would we?

Long buried secrets are exposed at every turn and the twists sure are juicy!

If you are looking for an easy read that flows nicely with a deceitful story line, look no further, this is the book for you!

A nice read. Some great characters and stories woven together. You feel sorry for Nora, she sounds like an amazing woman how had a tough life and made the best of everything.

The Villa ~ Clare Boyd

Ad - Pr ARC - Honest review!

The Villa in France might be where this story is set but it’s years of history within this dysfunctional family that come pouring out and leave you wondering how anyone will overcome the revelations.

This was another slow starting book that before you knew it, completely swept you in and kept you hooked! And slightly disturbed!! There are some very sensitive subjects discussed but I felt they were cleverly delivered by showing the feelings from different POV of each character.

This is definitely a story of family love, loathing, heartache and damn right wrong doings! (Without giving any spoilers away).

Thanks to @netgalley, @clareboyd and @bookouture for the ARC of this book!

Lots of hidden secrets and drama unfolds in this book, pulled together broken apart how much can 1 family take! There will be heartbreak and maybe tears. It wasn’t really the thriller I was sold but more if a family drama, but still a good solid read

Who wouldn’t want 2 weeks in a villa in the south of France with their family! However, Nora has some news to give her daughters which she isn’t finding easy to say… Instead of bringing them together, the secrets will tear them apart at the seams.

This is a good exploration of motherhood and family dynamics and just how strained families can be. I enjoyed that the book came from both the daughters perspective and the mother. As the book gets going, it does start to fit you in the feelers but the whole book was a little slow for me.
I needed a livelier pace and this one had me struggling to get through the last third.

It was a solid 3.5 stars for me. I didn’t feel there was a lot going on in the book for how long of a read it was and the dynamics felt a little weird in areas. It was definitely well thought out but it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me unfortunately.

With thanks to NetGalley Bookouture for my arc in return for an honest review

‘Holiday mysteries’ set in luxurious but deceptive locations seem to have merged into a psychological thriller subgenre in recent years, with Louise Candlish, Phoebe Morgan, Sabine Durrant and other authors all producing highly addictive page-turners that I devoured. I was therefore highly delighted to be granted an ARC of Clare Boyd’s offering, set in a luxurious villa in France to which Nora has invited her daughters Libby and Emma. Behind this loving gesture lies a desperate ambition, however: Nora has important news to share with her family. But what will happen when one of her daughters uncovers further secrets that her mother was not willing to share? A compelling, occasionally difficult read, this book is highly recommended. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the free ARC that allowed me to produce this unbiased review.

This book is emotional and deals with some sensitive subjects. Exploring family relationships amidst terminal illness, marital relationships, consideration of suicide but still manages to be a readable and compelling drama

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Family secrets and drama abound in this story. Well developed characters and a good writing style caught my attention from the beginning. A good read covering some difficult issues.

This is my first book by Clare Boyd and it won’t be the last. The Villa was an enjoyable read. I thought this was going to be suspenseful, but it was more like a family drama. This book was full of surprises, and the characters were developed enough for me to want to read on.

The Villa revolves around a family filled with drama, secrets and difficult relationships with heartbreak mixed in.

Clare Boyd is a talent.

WoW!!! The Villa by Clare Boyd was a superb book I was hooked from the beginning till the end. Then, I wanted to go on holiday and feel the sun on my body, drink red wine whilst reading this book. (well, I can dream!)

This will not be a normal holiday for Nora, as she is hiding a big secret but secrets has a way of coming out. This will tear her family apart.

One perfect Holiday in a perfect Villa in southern France. Lazy days by the pool drinking cocktails etc with her lovely family, their partners and her grandchildren. Nora is so proud of her beautiful girls Emma and Libby and they have grown up to be very confident, independent young women, with their own way of seeing things, just what Nora wanted for them

It's time for her to say something. She needs to tell them all. Nora gathers everyone around the table on the first night, she realises it’s time to tell them all. She tops up her wine and shakes when she takes a sip. She knows deep down this secret is going to hurt them all and she can't keep it buried any longer. It's destroying her.....But it's going to destroy her family!

But what she doesn’t know, is that hers is not the only secret….........

WoW! What a brilliant book this was! It had lots of great twists and turns throughout You really felt for Nora and her family!

This is a great holiday read with a glass of red wine! I would say a bottle of red wine!

I highly recommend this book 5 Stars!!! Brilliant!!

Big thank you to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion

Sad. This book felt sad from beginning to end. The conflict and chaos between mother and daughters and their families was very heavy . The book was well written, and I definately wanted to continue to see how it ended.

This was my first book by Clare Boyd, and though not what I was expecting, The Villa was a very enjoyable read. I definitely thought that this book was going to be more suspenseful based on the description, but felt to me more like a family drama. The book was full of surprises, and the characters were developed enough for me to trust and believe their actions and motivations that propelled the story forward. While the story did feel a little drawn out at times, and the ending was slightly anticlimactic, it was overall an enjoyable read.