I cannot believe this was a debut novel. I enjoyed it so much that in addition to this ARC, I also chose this as my Book of the Month so I could have a physical copy of my own. I enjoyed the main plot and the novel held my attention. I definitely recommend reading it if you like psychological thrillers. There is no doubt that I will read her next book. If you're looking for a book that is difficult to put down, even when you desperately need to get things done, this is it. It's been quite some time since a story hit me where I was thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it, which is exactly what The Writing Retreat did. Five young women win coveted spots at a month long writing retreat at the home of a famous female author. What happens at the retreat, the plot twists and turns, make for a story that is hard to put down. With that said, be VERY careful about reading blurbs and reviews as they could easily spoil this experience and that would be such a shame!

This book was so WILD. The beginning was a little slow for me, but once the story gets going...it gets GOING! 🤯 It has the locked in trope at a mysterious mansion, during a snowstorm (of course!), with unreliable characters, and the story definitely delivers on thrills, kills, and twists. The characters were well developed, and I had no idea who to trust. The ending was fast-paced, and I enjoyed how things played out. Overall, this one would be a perfect thriller to enjoy in the cold winter months, but it also delivers if you're looking for a fast-paced chaotic thriller anytime of the year!

Rating: 4 stars!

Read this one if you like:
✏️ Locked in trope
✏️ Mysterious mansions
✏️ Whodunit
✏️ Unreliable characters

Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Immediate 5 stars. Julia Bartz did such a great job of creating an atmospheric story and flawed, relatable characters. I have a hard time with thrillers often because the same tropes are used over and over and usually in an attempt to make the story feel different, authors will get aggressively fantastical in what's happening. Bartz didn't do that for the most part. She instead spent a lot of time picking at very relatable flaws that each person had and paired them with tropes appropriately so it felt more like you're getting to know a struggling human being than an unreliable narrator or red herring. Loved the pacing of this novel and the interweaving of the novel Alex was writing. There waas just enough of the secondary novel for me to care about it, but not so much that it took away from the overall story.

I struggled with this novel greatly.

The first 30% I found to be really interesting, and I was hesitant to put it down because I wanted to see where the story went. It started slowing down pace wise, and I realized by 50% completion, the majority of the events outlined in the synopsis had not yet occurred. Once the first person died, the tone and pace of the book shifted so drastically and the plot twit was revealed (around 62%?) that I felt like i was reading a completely different book. The shift made me lose any interest in the narrative, and I truly only finished it so I could leave an honest review.

Let me start by saying that Julia Bartz ’ writing is mesmerizing. I found myself out of sync with reality and transported completely into the story.

I was thinking about this book when I wasn't reading it. I had dreams about it. It stayed with me even when I'd put it down for the night and haunted me once I turned the final page. The Writing Retreat, was twisted and brilliant, like nothing I've ever read before.

This book is a MUST for all !

Teaser :

The Plot meets Please Join Us in this psychological suspense debut about a young author at an exclusive writer’s retreat that descends into a nightmare.

Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.

But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she must discover the truth—or suffer the same fate.

A claustrophobic and propulsive thriller exploring the dark side of female relationships and fame, The Writing Retreat is the unputdownable debut novel from a compelling new talent.

There was something about Alex, the main character, to which I really connected. Perhaps it's being a non-published writer myself that I really felt where she was coming from and I enjoyed how the author described the writing process and how it can feel like channeling.

But something about this story fell flat. I felt like I wanted more when it came to Alex and Wren's relationship, and Alex's sexual awakening. Both seemed so surface level. I kept being told how close they were and that Alex was confused by their encounter, but I never really felt it. I wasn't connected enough to the other characters, so when things started happening, I wasn't invested enough to care as much as I would have liked.

While the twist was initially shocking, the more the story proceeded, the more I felt disconnected. I almost would have preferred if there was a real supernatural element taking shape in the house, and through Roza, which would have made more sense and felt more real, funny enough, than the actual reality. I also think the book and setting could have benefited more from more descriptive, creepy, gothic imagery and language usage to really immerse the reader in the house and the claustrophobia of being stuck during a snow storm.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced read copy.

Thank you Atria Books ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
NOT WHAT I EXPECTED: While this book has garnered many 5-star reviews, it unfortunately didn't resonate with me. As an avid reader of books about books and the writing process, I had high hopes for this story, but it took an unexpected turn. The protagonist, Alex, seizes the opportunity to attend a month-long writer's retreat at the home of her idol, Roza Vallo. The retreat promises a chance to write a novel from scratch, with the winner securing a lucrative publishing deal. However, the focus shifts away from the writing itself as Roza employs unconventional and sometimes hurtful methods to motivate the participants. As the story delves into hallucinations, sexual explorations, and the cutthroat tactics of the retreat, I found myself losing interest. It deviated significantly from my expectations, and I regret to say that it's one of my least favorite books this year.

Honestly this book was just plain crazy and creepy, this would make a great HUlu miniseries. Thanks again Netgalley. Look forward to more from Bartz.

Man was this unhinged. I was really looking forward to this thriller based on the premise and it did not disappoint. Between the toxic friendships, wild characters, and twists galore you never really knew what would be thrown at you next in the best possible way. Going into this book with no expectations was so helpful and really let the book take you to some wild places. I do wish the house would have played a little bit of a bigger role in the story since it was described so well/creepy. I really look forward to what the author comes out with next.

Really enjoyed this novel. Story was very interesting and engaging. Looking forward to reading more by this author. Highly recommend!

When a once in a lifetime opportunity is given to Alex she cannot believe her luck, she’s offered a chance to attend a writing retreat that is being hosted by her favorite author Roza Vallo, the retreat will be at Roza’s home at Blackbriar Estate in the Adirondacks the estate has a bit of a sordid history . Besides Alex there will be five other aspirating writers, to her dismay Wren who happens to be her former best friend is also going to be there. Alex and Wren have some unresolved issues and haven’t talked.
Right away when she arrives she sees there isn’t any wifi or phone service, Roza has the writers Alex, Wren, Taylor, Kiera, and Poppy on a strict writing scheduled and she informs the woman that there will only be one story that will be published , and it will a story that she chooses from one of them, the book has to be a full - length novel and it must be completed by the end of the month. Alex has suffered from writers block since the incident with Wren and she begins to worry will she be able to create a story , we watch as tensions begin rise at the isolated estate, soon it becomes apparent that there is something more sinister going on in the background. When one of the woman disappears the woman begins to panic , what happens next makes you wonder how far will someone go to win and get their story published? I enjoyed this locked room mystery! You could the worry and fear coming off the pages.

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the advanced read of The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz.

"A book deal to die for." The Writing Retreat follows five attendees of a month-long writing retreat with a highly acclaimed feminist horror writer. Our MC Alex has been struggling as a writer and is thrilled for this opportunity. However, the terms and methods of this retreat are unconventional and take a terrifying turn.

I found this book very entertaining! A crazy ride with many twists and turns.

If you liked Nine Perfect Strangers, this book has similar vibes to that one. Unhinged with shocking moments that truly keep you wanted to read to the very end. It was a solid 4 stars for me and definitely worth the read if suspenseful mystery thrillers are your thing!

My first ever Julia Bartz novel but certainly not my last. From page one to the end, I was hooked. The Writing Retreat is quickly becoming my most talked about book of the year! Seriously, read it!

Batshit crazy and a heck of a ride!

I love a fast paced story about books, eerie houses and atmospheres, and toxic friendships. If you do too, I think you should pickup this book! And the end of Part 2?! That had me convinced! This does go off the rails in the best way possible and I’m glad Bartz took the risk b/c in my mind it paid off!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fantastic debut! I knew the gist of this story going in, but didn’t want to go in with any expectations and I’m glad because I finished this in one day! It’s a thriller with horror elements, and the story within the story features some supernatural settings which worked well together.

I found the setup to be incredible with the atmosphere and details, from getting to the house and learning about all the characters to the tension building as the story progressed. It’s obvious early on that things are not what they seem. The character personalities were distinct and there was some solid development for the protagonist by the end.

It doesn’t take long for this story to go off the rails and it is clear from the beginning that the host, Roza, is deranged and not to be trusted—and she certainly does not hide it. The story was predictable in some aspects and I did figure out one of the plot lines within a few chapters, but this delivered with the villainous monologues, gothic atmosphere, complicated (and suspicious) characters, and consistent pacing.

I can see how it isn’t for everyone and it isn’t perfect, but with the twists and turns, it was entertaining and dark, which is a lot of what I want in this type of thriller.

This ultimately ended up not being for me. Typically, I devour these types of books, but there was something that didn't quite work and I'm not sure it had anything to do with the book, but simply my enjoyment of it. I will be on the lookout for more work from Julia!

This was a crraaaaazzyyyy thriller that I literally could NOT put down!! Maybe even one of my fave thrillers of the year?? I am still in shock that this was a debut!! It had all the tropes I love and executed them perfectly. I never knew who to trust when reading this and I couldn't figure out what was going to happen until it did. Before starting this, I saw some reviews saying the plot and twists were a little out there so I was expecting something that was a little too crazy, but I didn't think it was "out there" at all. I thought Roza was such a complex and interesting character and her arc totally threw me for a loop, as well as reminded me of the leader in Nine Perfect Strangers.

Alex and Wren's relationship was so interesting to read about and I thought their complex friendship/relationship fit into the storyline perfectly. It fit well with the #TrustNoOne theme and I thought their resolution was realistic.

The writing itself was so detailed yet succinct enough to keep my attention. I could picture Blackbriar Estate during the snowstorm so well and it really added to the creepiness of the story. I can't wait to read what Julia Bartz puts out next!!

4.75 stars

Really enjoyed it! The plot twist was so unexpected! Highly recommend this one. Super fast paced and a quick read

Loved this one! Such a fun and fresh take on the thriller. It felt so different than other thrillers I've read (especially recently), and, as someone who works in the literary world, I loved the inside baseball of it all. The setting was also perfect. We need more thrillers set in isolated mansions during snow storms!

They were drugged and you were drugged right along with them. There were some scenes that left with like what am I reading.