In Julia Bartz's roaring debut, a young author gets the chance of a lifetime to join a writing retreat at a bestselling author's cabin, but when bizarre things begin happening and one of the other women at the retreat ends up dead, what seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime might be more a nightmare than a dream.

Bartz does a wonderful job blending the strange with reality and writing in a way that builds tension and suspense throughout this book. I enjoyed the way that Alex's narration let the horror fester and build without giving too much away.

The Writing Retreat is a bizarre novel, and while I'm normally on board for the bizarre and wonderful, I struggled from page one of this book. I had high hopes for it and the way the description was written, but I didn't connect with the characters or the writing style and tone at all. As I got further into the story, I began to dislike the dialogue and the twists even more, questioning if the plot was really a plot at all - or just throwing everything at the book but the kitchen sink and hoping it turned out at the end. The ending felt very much like the end of a B-movie you find on Netflix at 3am, where you're left sitting wondering if a drink or two before watching would have made the experience mildly entertaining instead of just viscerally strange.

This book just wasn't for me. It seems like reviews are split 50/50 in that regard, and that's okay with me! I might check out this author's sophomore novel, if the plot interests me. I do hope Bartz continues to write thrillers as I did genuinely enjoy that aspect of the writing, but this one just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.

I started reading The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz last month, but made it only 7% in when I realized I wasn't comprehending what I had just read. I debated starting over again, but ended up just setting it aside. When I picked it back up this month I launched right in, finding it to all make sense, and I quickly became addicted to the plot! This was absolutely a case of right book, wrong time initially - because I ended up loving it!

Roza, a well-established author, invites five struggling writers to her secluded estate that has a dark history. The retreat quickly turns to a write or die scenario as Alex, her estranged friend Wren, and the other three hopefuls navigate Roza's rules to get a publishing deal at the end of their month-long stay.

I've read a lot of thrillers this year, and this is one of the few that actually felt thrilling, had my heart pumping and had me afraid of the dark (more than I already am)! I found The Writing Retreat to be a combination of three books: The Grace Year, Dark Room Etiquette and The Villa... but this book blew those three out of the water!

I have so much I want to say about this ending – but I really can’t because it will give so much away! I loved it: it was brilliant, enlightening, and it showed that Alex’s personality had been affected by her time spent at the retreat! Did I say it was brilliant?

I've got two small, trivial critiques. I found Alex's narrative voice to be slightly young, although not immature. I was not annoyed or off put by her, I just had to remind myself of her actual age of thirty (also, maybe this is just me getting old!?). Looking back, I wish there would have been more of a concrete explanation to the whereabouts of Roza’s editor, Ian (although it was touched upon – I just wanted more information).

A riveting thriller that got my blood pumping - check. Strong female characters - check. The writing/publishing world, but make it the dark underbelly side - check. An ending that keeps going past the last page - check. This book checks my thriller boxes, and it's a debut! Can't wait to read more from Bartz - because I know it's only getting better from here!

Also, hats off to Bartz, for thanking her mental health support team in her acknowledgements. Yes, I absolutely read these notes after I finish reading a book - I'm not really done a book until I read them!

PS I love how the pages are flipped up on this cover!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Short synopsis: Alex is excited to join a group of women to an Exclusive writing retreat. Only problem is she needs to lie about her age and hide the fact she’s struggling with writers block. She’s excited for the opportunity until people start dying.

My thoughts: I had such high hopes for this. I’m a huge lover of books about books, or the writing process in general. Through in a thriller/mystery setting and I’d call it a winner!

Unfortunately, it just didn’t quite work for me. The first started out strong and promising but the middle and end just fell short for me.

I know a lot of people have enjoyed this, so I’m hoping it was just a rig hit book wrong time situation for me.

Read if you love:
- Locked room mystery
- Books about the writing process
- Exclusive opportunities
- Retreats

In honor of this book being about writers, I have broken this review down into a series of chapters.

Chapter 1
This was horrifyingly strange… and so exciting to read.

Chapter 2
This is not what you think it is. The best way I can describe it is similar to ordering room service. You order yourself a huge burger and fries, knowing it’s the best thing on the menu. You hear a man utter “room service” behind the door. You open the door and see the tray with the silver dome covering your food to keep it warm. You carry it back to your comfy bed, plop yourself down, salivating over the smell alone. You uncover the tray and to your horror you find an entire plate of…. ketchup. No fries, no burger, just ketchup. Are you confused and alarmed? Perfect! I think I have made my point.

Chapter 3
Spiders spin webs, and this book is the equivalent to an intricately weaved web of words.

Chapter 4
Writers block suddenly seems like a much safer concept than getting an idea going…

Chapter 5
I don’t know who I can recommend this book to, but I know I will most certainly be reading more of her work!

Epilogue
Never go on a writers retreat.

Five attendees are selected for a month-long writing retreat at the remote estate of Roza Vallo, the controversial high priestess of feminist horror. Alex, a struggling writer, is thrilled. Upon arrival, they discover they must complete an entire novel from scratch, and the best one will receive a seven-figure publishing deal. Alex’s long-extinguished dream now seems within reach. But then the women begin to die. Trapped, terrified yet still desperately writing, it is clear there is more than a publishing deal at stake at Blackbriar Estate. Alex must confront her own demons – and finish her novel – to save herself.
This book was a great thrill ride of secrets, betrayal, and unresolved problems between friends. I liked how the plot took place from the first person perspective of Alex. Overall it was a great thrilling read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz starts with a promising premise and keeps the reader engaged until the story goes off the rails with over-the-top action and drama. While the story is enjoyable despite its ridiculousness, it loses its grip on the reader's attention. Alex, an aspiring author, is invited to a writing retreat hosted by her favorite author, Roza. However, things take a sinister turn when Poppy disappears, and Alex begins to suspect something isn't right at the remote Victorian mansion. The tension and suspense leading up to the reveal of Roza's secrets are well-crafted, and the subplot about the history of Blackbriar is intriguing. However, the story becomes increasingly far-fetched, with sexual dreams about demons and other elements that seem silly. Despite these flaws, the book is a fast-paced and entertaining read with some thought-provoking themes about fame and the value of writing. The final chapter nicely wraps up most of the loose ends and leaves a hint of a mystery. If you're looking for a literary thriller and don't mind some over-the-top moments, The Writing Retreat is worth a try.

For a year Alex has been struggling with her writing. Just when she thinks she’ll never overcome her writer’s block she is offered the opportunity of a lifetime. She’s invited, along with four other writers, to a month-long writing retreat at author Roza Vallo’s secluded estate. Each writer is expected to produce a new novel by the end of the month and the best one will receive a lucrative contract for promotion and publication. It’s a dream come true…until it isn’t and people start dying.

The Writing Retreat is Julia Bartz’s debut novel and I found the premise as well as the characters and setting quite appealing. The relationship between the characters is interesting and as friendships and allies form it becomes more suspenseful and unpredictable. But, then it veers into the weird. There are scenes in the book that seem out of place to me, including what I would describe as gratuitous sex scenes and strange supernatural-like references. I’m not adverse to this in a book, if it is meaningful and adds to the narration and overall enjoyment of the story. In this case I don’t think it did and I found my interest floundering. I didn’t dislike it but I was a bit disappointed.

Nevertheless, Ms Bartz is a talented writer and I’m looking forward to her future books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I was very excited for the chance to read Julia Bartzs debut novel!
This one was ok for me. I will say it started off strong and the idea sounded promising, but I feel like I was wanting more. Mainly more depth in the characters and their stories. It was hard for me to really empathize with the characters when I wasn’t super invested in their stories. I feel like Roza was a psychopath one second and then she seemed to care about the girls.. it was hard to follow her. I enjoyed the book within the book premise and thought she took a lot of risks with this book. Some worked out, but unfortunately for me some did not. I will definitely read what Julia comes out with next, even though this one wasn’t perfect for me.

I’ve had this book finished for a while waiting for inspiration to hit to write this review. All I can really conclude is I feel “meh” about it. I didn’t hate it but I wasn’t blown away.

The story follows Alex, an aspiring writer with 4 other girls as they visit the best selling novelist Rosa Vallo for a writing retreat. The girls will have a month to complete an original piece of work and the winner, deemed by Rosa, will have a full ride with Rosa in their corner.

In the beginning the girls were surprised that Rosa wanted them to write a novel in a month. A whole novel. In one month. But thousands of people do it every year during Nanowrimo so the plot point didn’t really grab me. It felt like they had a perfect set up not having to worry about living expenses or making food. They were pretty much just expected to write everyday and so they did.

The tension that Alex and her ex best friend Wren has is non existent. We’re told again and again by Alex how much she hates Wren but we don’t really find out why until much later. By this point I didn’t really care. I’m sure we were meant to feel something when Alex makes the decision to go back for Wren. But Wrens character was so poorly developed if I was Alex I would’ve just left Wren there.

Taylor’s character also threw me for a loop. Her willingness to go along with everything Rosa said was absurd. She murders without blinking an eye just because Rosa says so. Her book is published under a different name and she doesn’t care she doesn’t get credit. Her character is not relatable and is just psychotic and not enjoyable to read about.

I did enjoy the story that Alex was writing about the old occupants of the house. I like the way it mirrored what was happening present day. And as odd as the plot twist was I did enjoy it too. I didn’t see it coming but wasn’t too thrown off by it.

Overall I just wish the characters were more developed and important details, like why Alex hates Wrens, we’re introduced earlier in the book. It might make the reader more sympathetic to the girls when Rosa shows her true colours.

"And I wasn't a liar, anyway. Maybe I wasn't even a coward, even though I'd always been convinced, deep down, that I was."

The Writing Retreat was a great, quick read. There were tons of twists and turns throughout and most I didn't expect! Being an avid thriller reader it is tough to surprise me and each twist and turn left me shocked. I really enjoyed the character and setting development. The novel had an element of Gothic fiction to it, with the description of Blackbriar, its many rooms, and the way Roza utilized them for her gain. The development of the relationships between the characters was also executed really well. I found myself getting upset or even embarrassed for the characters. There was no lack of drama in this book. It starts at the beginning and continues until the last moment.

If you're looking for a quick, twisty, turny thriller - this is the book for you! Perfect to read when you're stuck inside on snowy day.

'The Writing Retreat' is a sapphic thriller full of twists and turns. Oddly enough, I preferred the first half of this book, when things were tense and mysterious. I enjoyed the atmosphere of confusion and intrigue with the backdrop of Blackbriar lending a gothic air. Once the mystery itself started to unfold, things moved quickly and felt a bit more disconnected and jarring, though perhaps that was what Bartz was going for considering the state the narrator was in. I think fans of thrillers will see most of the plot twists coming, which is why I think the build up was more effective than the resolution. I do think I'd reread this again to look more closely at the commentary the novel offers on the pitfalls of female relationships of all types.

This was a dark book and I was not expecting all the twists and turns throughout. Alex and Wren's struggling relationship coupled with the dynamics of the other girls in the book....this story made it so you didn't know who to trust and what was real or not. It was such a page turned once I got into it. Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the early look at the book!

This book was a wild ride and not at all what I was expecting. The book follows a group of female writers who are chosen to attend a writing treat with the famous, yet elusive, writer, Roza Vallo. But once they get there, things are not what they seem. This psychological thriller had so many twists and turns and at some points I didn't know what was real and what wasn't. Really good book, but know it's dark and twisty.

I thought this one started out super strong and fun to read. Our main character, Alex, has given up on her dream of publishing a novel when she’s invited to a writing retreat at famed horror author Roza Vallo’s estate in Upstate New York. Even the fact that her former BFF Wren is attending the summit isn’t enough to deter Alex from chasing her dreams.

When the writers arrive, Roza tells them they have to complete a novel over the course of a month. Strange things start happening— and then one of the writers disappears during a snowstorm.

There were some extremely strange plot twists in this one — so strange they interfered with my enjoyment of the book. I also thought the sex scenes were incredibly random. I’m not a prude, but a sex scene in a thriller had to be well done and essential to the plot for me to get on board.

Still, I found this one fun and engaging — especially for a debut novel — and am really excited to see what the author writes next. A lot of folks on Bookstagram and @goodreads absolutely loved this one, so if the premise piques your interest at all, pick it up!

This book was so good!
I loved when the plot/story happens where the characters are isolated.

I loved how it was about writers that were competing to win for a book publishing. Stuck inside a spooky mansion in the middle of nowhere, in a middle of a storm.

I was first nervous that the plot twist was going to the direction of being a ghost/paranormal book. But I loved that it wasn’t.

Loved the ending! Just all-in-all, a fun, fast paced, “popcorn” read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of The Writing Retreat. While this book was a thriller and suspensful, it was also fairly unbelievable. I enjoyed it because it was "different" and would definitely recomend to others.

Julia Bartz’s debut novel is a page turning thriller with gothic horror vibes, a sapphic romance element, and an eery setting.

When feminist horror author Roza Vallo hosts a retreat for unpublished female writers at her Briarwood estate Alex and Wren, diehard fans and rivals to each other, both are set on attending. Their troubles quickly become much bigger than the divide in their friendship once they arrive at the retreat, and what was supposed to be a chance to publish their debut novels becomes something much more sinister.

On paper this book should’ve been a five star for me, it contains so many elements I adore. A book with a book, unsettling and untrustworthy characters, a feminist narrative, a locked room thriller… The first half of the book had succinct and polished writing with creepy, sapphic, and gothic elements. It had me gripped. Then the second half lost me. It felt choppier, hasty, and I had to suspend my disbelief a bit more than I like to with a thriller. The ramp up in pace aligned with how quickly the plot unravels and becomes more sinister, but I was so enamored by the style and pace of the first half that it felt disappointing.

I still really enjoyed this book, I just got so wrapped up in the atmosphere and vibes that I felt blindsided by the sharp left turn the plot took.

Blackbriar, a writing retreat with a cellar full of secrets, a famous power-hungry author who likes to play games, and five acolytes hoping to write a best seller.

Thirty-year-old Alex has had writer’s block for a year. Surprisingly, she is chosen to join four other women writers at Blackbriar for a month-long writing retreat hosted by the famous feminist horror author Rosa Vallo, Alex’s favorite author. Alex arrives just before a major snowstorm and is horrified to learn that Wren, her former bestie, now arch enemy, is among the others invited to attend. The five expect to work at their leisure while receiving feedback from Rosa.

Rosa has a different plan. The five must write a new novel in a month. Her rules and strict daily schedule push the limits, but she insists that the work will be the best they’ve ever done. If they don’t agree to this or break the rules, they must leave. The month’s schedule includes playing nerve-wracking games after dinner and enduring Rosa’s nasty pranks. At the end of the month, Rosa will choose one of their manuscripts to have published. The writer will be given one million dollars and go on to fame and fortune. The stakes are high, but little do they know how high. Alex doesn’t know how to break her writer’s block or how to contend with Wren’s hatred. She’s terrified of failing. She will discover those are the least of her worries.

The Writing Retreat brilliantly uses all the tropes of a gothic thriller—a nearby nunnery, a winter storm that cuts off the mansion from the outside, secret chambers, and a painting of Lamia a demoness who is fabled to haunt Blackbriar. Bartz sprinkles the novel with supernatural elements in keeping with a gothic thriller and examines female friendship in a fresh, modern way even though this dark and twisted gothic thriller includes murder. Bartz even adds chapters of Alex’s new novel to the mix which have an edge of horror. Alex hits her stride, but will she live through this nightmare?

Special thanks to Julia Bartz and Emily Bestler Books/Atria for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First reviewed in "Mystery & Suspense Magazine"

Loved this one. It was an entirely unique premise that I had never come upon before and was at once ingenious, unexpected, and terrifying.

This was a 3.5 star read for me (I rounded up to 4). I was really intrigued by the set up at first, and I like that the story didn't lag in getting to the main setting and action. I even liked the characters and the tension build up. The plot twists just started to get to be a lot for me. I felt like it took away from how realistic this felt for me.