My synopsis: Alex and Wren are writers. And they used to be best friends. Now, Alex has lost Wren’s friendship suddenly and without explanation, as well as her writing abilities and dreams of a completed novel to writer’s block. So when she is invited to a writer’s retreat competition with a book deal on the line at the snowy remote castle of an infamous author who Alex was worshipped since she was a little girl, it appears to be a life changing offer, regardless of whether she wins or loses. And life altering it surely is! Alex is one of five women brought to the castle for the competition. Wren is another — what could possibly go wrong?

My review: This book was THRILLING and totally bingeable. It caught and kept my attention until the very end. It was creative and unpredictable. I did not and could not have seen all of the plot twists! I like to read a lot of thrillers and mysteries, so to say this one packed a good punch shouldn’t be taken lightly. It also had a fair amount of spice and lgtbq themes, which I adored. This is an AMAZING debut for Julia and I am definitely excited to read more from her in the future!

4.5/5 stars

I enjoyed this book so much and wanted to support the author so I also bought a Book of the Month copy of this title. I was really happy it was selected by BOTM so the book could be marketed to a wide range of folks to enjoy like I had.

Thank you to Atria, Julia, and NetGalley for the advance reader’s galley in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars

This was an intense, suspenseful read in which five attendees are selected for a month long writing retreat with author Roza Vallo. Alex, a struggling writer, is the thrilled when she receives word that she’s been selected to attend, but the invitation doesn’t come without risks. For one, a former friend of hers that she had a falling out with (Wren) is also attending the retreat, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. While a seven-figure publishing deal is on the line, women begin to die, and suddenly this race against the clock and the other remaining attendees has turned into a living nightmare to see who will win and who will meet their demise.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it intrigued me from the very first page. It was well paced, has a diverse range of characters, and the suspense factor was so wildly unpredictable that I couldn’t put it down. The book had all the best characteristics of a must-read thriller, and I highly recommend it!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing a copy of this book to review.*

5 writers with a dream of being published. An opportunity of a lifetime - a writing retreat with their favorite author Roza Vallo. One month, one NDA and a dream come true. However when Alex finds out her ex-best friend will also be there? The trip starts to fall apart around her.
I did not love this. It felt silly, and expected and repetitive.

Hard to put down….a roller coaster of a story.
Many thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bartz' The Writing Retreat was just the atmospheric "locked room" winter read I wanted. The existing tension between characters made it easy to point fingers when things went wrong, but not every guess made by readers will be correct. Seasoned thriller readers might find the ending a bit predictable, yet enjoyable.

This book was a ride. The characters were so different from each other the best friends who stopped talking, the one with the hidden agenda, the one that was angry and then the last that was slightly off but you didn’t know why. In the center of it all is the famous author that they all worship and want to befriend. Finding out the truth about their hero was a hard pill for some to swallow. I bill recommend the book as it will keep you guessing throughout

I was really hoping for more out of this book; a lot of the reviews I saw on it said “crazy” and “unhinged”… I loved the description of the book, I love mysteries and thrillers and know that, for the most part, they are highly unlikely to happen but this book went off the rails. I didn’t like the main character (narrator) and I couldn’t stand her favorite author… i also wasn’t expecting it to have a couple detailed sex scenes which I I didn’t feel were necessary to the story. If the craziness were toned down a bit more, I think I would liked this.

Wow this book had me in it grips till the wee hours of night. I finished it in 2 days! When are main character budding author Alex wins a trip to Roza Vallo’s cabin for some much needed TLC it’s anything but. One by one the other contestants are getting picked off. In a classic who done it style. This atmospheric novel will have you sat down until the very last page. Agatha would be proud. This was the perfect read for the end of winter definitely gave me a submersible feeling. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Despite having rougher characters to relate to - this debut was developed well and I really enjoyed the writing style.

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.

A book deal to DIE for!

Well, this was unexpected. I knew this was a thriller, but this was edgy, dark, and a little wild! Alex is struggling - in more ways than one - and is invited to a month long retreat hosted by a famous author. The minute she arrives, something feels off. And then she finds out she’s supposed to room with her ex-best friend, Wren. Rosa is INTENSE and has high expectations for the women attending the retreat. Does she have other motives??

Faced paced psychological thriller that keeps you turning pages! Everything feels like a mind game. No matter what, she HAS to keep writing!

The premise was so promising but it was a huge letdown. Did not keep my attention and I wanted to punch all the characters in the face. The plot was thin and the twists were all over the place and not in a good way. Did not feel any tension or thrill in this thriller.
Thanks to Atria Books for providing this ARC through NetGalley.

A fairly nice read, I was expecting a more supernatural element to the plot but that is limited to the story within this story. Lots of nods towards other works of fiction such as hill house and even Narnia. The last third of this book was really gripping with a plot twist I did not see coming.

I am not a normal reader of thillers here, so I can only base this title against the small list that I have indulged in the past, but this title gets a solid 4 stars out of 5 - which is especially amazing since this is a debut novel.

I will not go too deep into the plot here, as there are mini-revelations along the way, as well as a possible unreliable narrator (whether it be by commission or omission), but the synopsis is as follows: a group of aspiriting writers are invited to a remote mansion where they will be participating in a writing retreat with Roza Salazar, famed feminist horror writer; then things happen.

I kept on getting Night Film vibes from here - especailly from the creepy-famed-artist angle.

As a book about female writers competing to get published, one does wonder how much of Julia Bartz own personal experiences found their way into these pages (and seeing that she is also a practicing therapist also informs a lot of the choices made in this book).

Many thanks and NetGalley for the digital review copy, provided for an unbiased review.

A fast paced psychological thriller that kept my attention to the very end. I really liked this book, but felt the author tried to tick too many boxes to prove herself socially progressive...which often only detracted from the story.

I really enjoyed it even though it was a bit over the top, but that's what made it different (and better) than many mystery/thriller books out these days. Don't read too many reviews with summaries....this is best if you go in without too much knowledge about the plot.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this is a hard one to review for me because i feel like i loved it & hated it at the same time. i really struggled with the writing, it very much felt like a debut & like when my 7th grade teacher told me to “use as many different descriptive words as possible.” it also took FOREVER to get interesting, but the last 1/3 really did have me hooked - i felt like i had to know what was happening, even though it was quite predictable?
i definitely enjoyed my reading experience much more towards the end of the book compared to the beginning, but it wasn’t anything special!

THE WRITING RETREAT

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5)

Summary: Alex is muddling through a career in academic publishing when she and four other young women are invited to a month-long writing retreat hosted by her favorite feminist horror author: Roza Vallo. At Vallo’s remote estate, the authors have to start new novels from scratch to compete for a million-dollar book deal. Alex thinks her biggest challenge will be living in the same house with her ex-best friend and fellow writer, Wren, but as the competition becomes more intense and strange things start happening to the writers, Alex wonders if something more sinister at play in the reportedly haunted house.

Review: I was a little hesitant going into this book since I heard mixed reviews from other ARC readers, but I really enjoyed this one. As a thriller, it starts off a bit slow, but about halfway through, it really picks up, and I could not put it down. The locked-room setting of it allows for some interesting character studies (particularly evaluating their psychological state and moral compasses). I particularly enjoyed the moments where Alex was forced to confront what really happened between her and Wren, and she goes through some major growth in terms of her platonic connections with people and her understanding of her own sexuality. Also, we get some necessary criticism of feminine power and those who claim to be feminist, but actually weaponize their privilege for their own gain. The ending of this book is going to haunt me for a long time! It’ll be interesting to pick up The Plot and Yellowface (when it comes out) and compare to this read because they have some similar themes. If you’re looking for a new thriller, or if you’re like me and you don’t read a ton from this genre, pick this one up ASAP because it’s a wild ride, but will also make you think.

The Writing Retreat came out on 2/21 and is available basically everywhere! Many thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for letting me read and review an e-galley! All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I’m not being paid for this review.

Alex is struggling from writer's block, ever since an issue with her friend Wren she cannot seem to put words on paper. When she suddenly gets an opportunity for a writing retreat with her favorite author, she'd be a fool not to take it! It seems like the perfect escape and way to get back into writing, until she realizes Wren will be there. Secrets from the past as well as some mysterious happenings in the present have Alex worried that the retreat may not be the perfect escape that it seems.

This was a wild ride from debut author Julia Bartz! I was curious from the moment it started, mostly about the intensity between Alex and Wren and how they got to this place. When the retreat starts, something feels "off" right away and instincts prove to be right as the retreat goes on. One twist after the other, this really keeps your attention from beginning to end!

It was a bit farfetched, I'm not going to lie. Once the pace picks up and the twists start coming, they really are a bit outlandish. However, I was interested in the book for the escape and the thrill and it certainly provided that! Overall an enjoyable thriller that I would recommend, and a great debut novel!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and Julia Bartz for an advance copy of The Writing Retreat in exchange for an honest review. WOW! What a debut!! I didnt realize this was a debut until I did a little reading about the author and I can say with certainty, that it absolutely didnt read like one. The locked room premise in this one was perfect for the setting. I found myself constantly questioning what the hell was happening on this retreat and the ending was a little different BUT it didnt take anything away from the book. I wont say much more as I dont want to ruin any twists but this is a must read for thriller lovers!! This book is available now and I cannot wait to see what the author does in the future!

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for GR.

I tried to start this novel several times, but struggled to get past the first few chapters. In my opinion, this book was poorly written and the storyline didn’t seem as interesting as the synopsis made it out to be. The reviews on this novel are quite mixed, so although it wasn’t for me, hopefully others are able to enjoy it.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this novel.