Twisty, graphic, layered is how I would describe this thriller. I never guessed a single reveal, but I hated the ending. You win some and you lose some, ha!

The Writing Retreat follows struggling writer, Alex, as she’s invited to a very exclusive writing retreat with her favorite author and four other women—including her ex-best friend, Wren. Things take a dark turn a couple of weeks into the month long retreat and you’ll never guess how.

The Writing Retreat gets 4/5 for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really wanted to love this one. I see it all over my Instagram feed on my book account. I started reading but I kept getting distracted. It probably gets better but it didn’t capture my attention enough. I’m a strong mood reader so I may come back to it when the time is right. Thank you so much for the ARC!

DNF'd at 40%. I really wanted to love this one and at first I thought this was going to be a quick and fun read. But frankly, by the 40% mark I was bored and it felt like a chore to keep going. the concept was so intriguing but Alex is too unlikable to force myself to read anymore.

This was such an unexpected read! The premise was really interesting - you have 5 writers competing to have their stories published by a well-renowned horror author at the end of a writing retreat, but the women come to find out that things are not as they seem. I love stories about writers and this even had some excerpts from our main protagonist, Alex's, novel, which I really enjoyed. I think it was the deeper elements to this book that threw me off a bit.

Without getting spoiler-y, this book included some sex scenes that were super unexpected, and were actually a pretty substantial part of the plot. It came a bit out of left field for me, but once I realized "oh okay this is what we're doing", it became an element that intrigued me more. I could see some people possibly seeing it as purely there for shock value, but I didn't mind it. Overall I enjoyed this strange yet interesting debut novel, and I would definitely read more from Julia Bartz in the future.

**3.5-stars**

Picture it: you're an aspiring writer, you're maybe down on your luck, you're stuck in a dead end job and then you get offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Your favorite author, we're talking a person whose words you have read since childhood, who has had a lasting impact on your life...

...oh, sorry. I got too much into my own head there for a moment. Anyway, this author, a ground-breaking author of feminist horror, is hosting a writing retreat for five up-and-coming female authors. Thousands have applied. Few are chosen. You are chosen. Sure, it's due to a technicality, but you'll take it!

This is amazing. You get to travel to her mansion in a remote location and do nothing but write for an entire month. It's the chance to finish a novel and be published. Rein in your expectations though, this is a competition and every other writer there wants it as much as you do. It's going to be a cut-throat endeavor.

Do you have what it takes to survive The Writing Retreat?

Y'all, The Writing Retreat was a journey for me and not necessarily a great one. Starting out I was intrigued by the set-up. I liked how quickly Bartz got us to the retreat, which is the focus of the story after all.

I liked meeting all of the women involved, including the infamous author, Roza Vallo. The setting is lovely. I definitely could picture it and felt the isolation and claustrophobic, creepy feel in my gut.

It's fairly clear from the start that not all is going to go as expected for these women. This isn't a casual, write when we feel like it, sort of place. Roza is intense as heck and has certain expectations of the women she has extended this opportunity to.

I liked how the author built the tension. I was suspicious of everyone. There were so many different occurrences that quite literally got under my skin, however, over time I began to fall out of love with all that was happening here.

I expected the interpersonal drama, which will always happen with a group of unrelated women living together under one roof, and frankly, I was living for that. The topics explored definitely went in directions I wasn't expecting. This got darker than I anticipated, but I do love dark fiction.

I guess where I started to disconnect from the novel was jarring plot twist after plot twist after plot twist. Each one crazier and more OTT than the last. Unfortunately, each consecutive twist brought it farther and farther away from the realm of likability for me.

Let it be known, and if you've followed my reviews for any amount of time you know, I am generally a fan of OTT. This toed the line of, dare I say, ridiculous though for me. I applaud the author for taking risks, that takes a lot of daring. I enjoyed the writing style very much, as well as the initial set-up, atmosphere and character work, but the plot just wasn't for me

With this being said, my personal opinion should not keep you from picking this up. There are a ton of rave reviews and you could be one of them. If the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, absolutely give it a go. Further, I really did enjoy the writing style and construction of this story. I will definitely be picking up Bartz's next novel. I am sure it will be equally as surprising and creative.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I definitely recommend this one to fans of claustrophobic feeling, OTT-Thrillers!

3.5 What One Does For Success Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
Well, as most would know, those who read a lot...love books about authors and all they go through to produce their books. With The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz, she has taken that insight and ran a marathon with it.

She brought together authors/writers who needed/desired to be in a workshop with an esteemed author with a list of best sellers miles long. She also specializes in a dark, more horror vein. To be invited to be at this retreat is huge.

The authors come together, hear what the terms are, and then the switch/surprise is sprung; they must write a completely new book and only one of them will get published with a huge million-dollar contract.

This is like the hunger games/last man standing with all the ugly coming out wanting to be the One.

Well damn, that was great! This was one of the most messed up books I’ve ever read and I mean that in the most flattering way! Unique and original! I legit couldn’t put it down. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

This book is Dark, Demented and Deadly. And oh yeah coming from a debut author, it was every thing a dark thriller reader loves.
Don’t let the mixed reviews scare you away from this book, especially if you enjoy dark atmospheric locked room thriller/ mysteries, which includes sapphic relationships.

Thank you for the ARC Netgalley! This locked room thriller was a Book of the Month pick last month so you’re probably seeing it everywhere. This book was WILD, I could not put it down. I can’t believe this was a debut!

Alex has given up on her dreams of becoming a published writer. At the last minute, she is invited to take part in a secluded month long female writing retreat hosted by her favorite author Roza. Alex knows she can’t pass this chance up, even though her ex-best friend Wren will also be attending. Upon arrival, the guests are told that Roza has a strict schedule of writing in place for them and that they all are expected to write an entire book during their stay- and that Roza will publish the best one. Alex has to navigate Wren’s cruelty, Roza’s expectations, and the creepy haunted mansion they are all residing in. She starts to realize things aren’t what the seem when another guest vanishes.

I love a locked room thriller! Everyone is trapped together and the tension is so high. The setting of this one was incredible and I loved the dynamics between all of the female characters at play. The only reason this isn’t 5⭐️s is because I didn’t really need or love the excerpts of Alex’s novel included, it slowed the pace down for me. And like most thrillers, things became a bit unhinged at the end but I was here for it. Highly recommend this for locked room thriller lovers.

✨Trigger Warnings: Murder, Death, Explicit Sexual Content, Suicide, Homophobia

This book was definitely engaging, and I finished it within a couple of days. The ending part got a little crazy, though I liked how unpredictable it was. Roza was a bit contradictory, but I guess that was part of her personality?

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC for an honest review.

This was an intriguing read for sure. I felt it moved a bit slow at first, but then once the suspense picked up, it moved much more quickly. There were definitely some points that I had trouble putting the book down. Though some of this was a bit far-fetched for me, it was still written well and I enjoyed the characters. I also was not able to predict most of what was going to happen, which is a positive with any suspense/thriller. A little more paranormal than I typically read, but I would still recommend to friends.

Uh WOW! I didn't have any expectations going into this novel but I was totally unprepared for where it went. Well written and it had be turning the pages till the very end.

I did not think I was going to enjoy The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz at first. The whole, I’m not over my ex, was going to get old really fast. But once the writing retreat actually started, the book got crazy good… with lots of crazy.

The reader is treated to a gothic house that appears to be haunted, in the middle of nowhere, with the closest residence being a convent. The backstory to the house and its murders include demons and the occult, and the story being written within The Writing Retreat, goes right along with that theme.

The retreat’s host lives the life of a hermit and she has some very strange requests for the retreat that just keep getting weirder. As cliche as it is in a book for the main character not to get over their ex, it’s just as cliched to say a book has a lot of twists and turns, but I’m going to say it; This book is filled with twists and turns, and a lot of thematic elements (female relationships and fame, women in regards to economics, feminism, and more). The reader can either enjoy this thriller at face value or dig a lot deeper if they desire, and I could see this book being a great choice for a book club to dissect.

A great read and I’m excited to see what Julia Bartz comes up with next.

What a wild ride! That is the first thing I need to say.

Alex has not written a word in more than a year. She has given up on her dream of being a published author. After attending A once-in-a-life-time opportunity comes knocking on her door, more like <her friend gave her a call>, with the news that she will get to go on a month long retreat with the author that inspired where from a young age, the very controversial and feminist horror novelist Roza Vallo. There's also something else, her former best friend and current nemesis will also be attending this retreat. Surprisingly, signing a NDA does not even bother her. Alex is determined to make the most of it and not let Wren take this from her.

Upon arriving at the secluded estate, Roza lets the attendees know that as part of the retreat they will be writing a book from scratch with methods that will guarantee success. This is the best part, whoever writes the best book, will become a published authors with the generous sum of 1M dollars.

Ignoring the odd happenings in the house, Wren's cruelty, Roza's crazy behavior and possible haunting, Alex is writing a masterpiece. She finally got rid of the writer's block that clouded her for more than a year. But after one of the attendees mysteriously disappeared during a snowstorm, Alex is now worried that everything that has been happening is connected and there's definitely something wrong about the whole thing. Now she must find out the truth because her life might depend on it.


This book is the wildest book I've read in a long time. This is not your traditional thriller. It has so much going on. Bad weather, secluded location, possible haunting, a group of strangers, a erratic and potentially insane hostess, a female demon... It's absolutely crazy. The twists and turns will keep you at the edge of your seat wanting to read as fast as possible to find out what is actually going on. I can guarantee that your suspicions will be wrong. Borderline incredible how everything concludes but it is so worth it. The final product will satisfy you.

This is a case of Nanowrimo gone wrong, or right?

Alex has been suffering from writer’s block for about a year. She is going about her business, at a boring job with a boss she hates, when she is invited to a “once in a lifetime” writing retreat with her favorite author, Roza Vallo.

Things start off well enough, even with her frenemy, Wren in attendance. It shifts rapidly away from fangirling to stressing when the host decides they will all write a brand-new book from scratch by the end of the month. If that weren’t bad enough, said host has some very unconventional methods of fostering their talent.

You had me at book within a book.
The gothic atmosphere was very well done. The pacing was consistent and built up the sinister vibes wonderfully. The added layer of the house allegedly being haunted was a nice touch. The cast of characters, past and present, were fully developed and interesting. Alex’s character development was great. This had some really wild twists to boot!

My only complaint is that there were a few cliché bits, but overall this was a wild ride!

Check it out, when it hits shelves, 2/21/23!
A big thanks to the Publisher & NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Stayed up reading this in one sitting. The writing was excellent and I was very engaged in the story from the beginning. I really wanted to find out what had happened between Alex and Wren. However that overshadowed the retreat plot a little, especially with the possible haunted house. That part felt a little bit overdone and I was less invested in it, especially the story she was writing herself. But it was a great cast and there were a lot of moments where I couldn't put it down.

When 5 aspiring writers are invited to a month long writing retreat at the famous Roza Vallo's mansion, it seems like a dream come true to Alex. Roza has been Alex's author icon for years. But when Alex arrives, she also discovers her ex best friend is one of the 5 writers who was invited. Determined not to let her ex BFF, Wren, interrupt this retreat for her, Alex dives into the retreat headfirst. The trouble is, Alex has had writers block for a year. When Roza makes the women take part in some odd tests, Alex begins to wonder if this retreat was really to help them write their novels or to help Roza publish a new one.

I really enjoyed this! It was a fast paced, if somewhat far fetched story idea, but it was thrilling nonetheless!

Loved this one! I'm a big fan of thrillers and mysteries and antiheroes and potential supernatural influences, but there has been a massive influx of this genre lately, and it takes a lot for a story to stand out for me. The Writing Retreat is a diamond in the rough!

5 young women are chosen to stay at a famous, reclusive, mysterious writer's estate for a month and learn from her about writing a novel of their own. Nothing is quite as it seems from the very beginning, not to mention the intense history between our narrator and another writer on the trip, and as promised, it quickly devolves into a nightmare that no one saw coming.

This book is surprising without being obvious, twisty without being too predictable OR too over the top, and just plain FUN. Written in the structure of an updated Agatha Christie type novel, that is where its success lies. Simple, yet it draws the reader in immediately and takes you on a ride that is both interesting AND weird.

I loved this book! It was such wild ride. Five up and coming young writers are selected to attend a month long writing retreat at the estate of their literary idol Roza Vallo the controversial horror writer. Over the course of the retreat they have to write an entirely new novel and the best one will receive a big publishing deal. Sounds like the perfect opportunity and a dream come true, until the girls start to die.

I won't say much more, don't want to give anything away. But this was amazing. Very thrilling. Much intrigue. I loved it and look forward to more from this author. Quite the debut indeed.

The book was published last Tuesday, February 21, check it out!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy.

This book was amazing! I read it in one day because I just couldn’t put it down! A thriller with lots of action and an unexpected twist!