3.5 rounded to 4 stars

If you have trouble falling asleep at night, don’t plan on reading The Writing Retreat in the evening. Author Julia Bartz might have you either reading all night or not being able to fall asleep even after the book is closed.

In this debut novel, Alex is surprised when Roza Vallo, an author Alex has long admired, selects her to attend an elite writers’ retreat, The retreat is at the rural Adirondack estate of the well-known mystery novelist. If that isn’t exciting enough, at the end of the four-week retreat, one of the five female attendees will win a $1 million book deal.

But a few things at the retreat don’t sit well with Alex. The first noticeable problem is that her once best friend, now more of an adversary, is attending. That, however, becomes a minor concern when she begins to discover that her favorite author isn’t conducting a comfortable, cozy workshop. Unsettling events leave her wishing this estate wasn’t so isolated.

The characters are unique and fit perfectly into the story, though for a time, I became overloaded with meeting everyone at once.


My Concerns
-The explicit sexual element (lesbian sex scenes) felt forced and unnecessary.
-The story within a story verged on a concern.
-Some of the mystery is easy to guess.
-I felt like the story was going off track by including too much of this and that in an attempt to create twists.

Final Thoughts
My feelings were pulled in many directions regarding this story. While I had concerns, Bartz carried a beautiful element of dread and the unknown throughout.

As a debut novelist, she will definitely be a name I will be watching.

I suggest you read this book but make sure you take a flashlight to bed with you.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy. I was free to express my feelings about the book without any stipulations.

This thriller definitely was able to keep my attention and it was an interesting read, but not necessarily because of all the good that it did. It was so out there that I felt like I couldn't look away.

The first half kind of dragged on and on. The pacing of this book was so bizarre; the first part was kind of boring and I was wondering when things would pick up, and then all of a sudden it was like a switch had flipped and things started to escalate SO quickly. The ending of this book especially came so quickly and kind of out of nowhere, that it caught me completely off guard. I found Roza's motives to be somewhat poorly thought out and just very unbelievable in general.

I also found all the side characters to not be developed enough; there wasn't enough about them for me to really care about. Even with Wren; I feel like her and Alex kind of just decided that they didn't hate each other anymore, there wasn't really that much of an arc.

After all of these negatives, I feel like I need to list some positives, since I didn't necessarily dislike this book. I think the atmosphere created was really interesting and good, and I liked the added excepts of Alex's book and how it was also a bit of the plot.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars

This is the first book I’ve read by Julia. I went in blind and absolutely loved The Writing Retreat!!! Her writing keeps you enthralled and on the edge of your seat! Al was a good, strong lead character. This book definitely has some twists and turns! Right when you think you have it figured out, you don’t! I highly recommend reading this book!!

The Writing Retreat is about five aspiring female authors who are invited on an exclusive writing retreat at the estate of a feminist horror writer. It is an eerie, atmospheric suspenseful read with cult-like vibes. The majority of the book is definitely my vibe--guest members with secrets, ever-shifting social dynamics and allegiances, and character tension. The last 20% becomes a little over the top, but it is an engaging and addictive read. Fans of cult stories will definitely enjoy this one.

Read if you like
-Seven Perfect Strangers
-Please Join Us
-Sapphic stories
-Dark and twisty

I cannot believe this is a debut novel. Bravo to Julia Bartz for coming out with such a twisty thriller! The overall concept of this book had me sucked in from the beginning. The characters were so intriguing and had me guessing until the end. I also enjoyed reading a book about authors and their twisted, creative process prepared by Roza.

The first half of the book was a struggle to get through. 5 girls win a contest to attend a writing retreat at Roza Valo, a famed author’s, mansion. The girls are expected to write an entire novel during their month long stay. Things start to get weird as Roza expects them to play games and such in an effort to turn everyone against each other. I strongly considered DNFing this book. One character has imagined LSD tripped sex with a demon (definitely out there and cringey)? However, I persisted.

The second half of the book, people start getting murdered. This is where it gets much better. Still, not great, but better. Roza is bat shit crazy and makes her little minion Taylor do manipulative things. Ugh, idk what to even say. I’d pass on this one if I were you.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
Roza Vallo is a feminist horror writer who has offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to four female authors to join her for a month-long retreat at her estate. Alex never dreamed she could get an opportunity like this, and even the fact that her former best friend, now the enemy, had also been invited, could not dampen her excitement. Once there, the now five authors learn that they must author an entire novel in the 30-day stay, and the one chosen as the best will receive a seven-figure publishing deal. But there is more going on in this creepy mansion than book writing ~ hauntings, mind games, and strange goings on. Shivers up your spine when you read this one!! Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this claustrophobic read!

The book centers on Alex, a writer who can't quit her day job quite yet to pursue her writing dream. That changes when she learns she has obtained a spot at an exclusive writing retreat hosted by a super-famous author named Roza Vallo. Alex's complicated history with one of the other participants is a slight complication...which ends up paling in comparison with the unsettling events that begin to unfold at Roza's mansion once the writers are all assembled.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book because books that are about the publishing industry or that have a book within a book are like literary catnip to me! I have mixed feelings about this one, though, and I can't recommend it to everyone. First, the good: The setting is creepy. The premise is definitely unique. And the last third of the book for me flew by. I think if a reader goes into this one expecting more of a horror/campy style thriller they won't be as taken aback by the crazy plot developments. At a certain point in the book I realized that this was going completely off the rails and once I accepted that, I enjoyed it more. The aspects of the book that make it hard for me to recommend are that it's dark and has some truly disturbing characters and events. None of the characters end up being all that likable, and at least two of the characters come across as psychopaths.

Who would I recommend this book to? Readers who like dark, twisty books or who appreciate the book-within-a-book plot device. This book is getting a lot of buzz before its release date, and I predict it will be a polarizing book. Either you're going to love it or you're going to hate it...and my advice will always be to read the book to decide for yourself which camp you fall in.

Thank you Netgalley and Emily Bestler Books for the ARC!

Wow what a wild ride! A once in a lifetime opportunity turns into something sinister. Our main character Alex, along with 4 other women, are given the chance to stay at renowned writer Roza Vallos mansion for a month long writing retreat. Even after Alex learns that her former best friend is one of the other writers going to the retreat, she is still excited. What seems like a relaxing getaway soon turns into a very serious game. Roza tells them that they must write an entire novel from start to finish and the winner will win a 7 figure publishing deal! Things start to take a turn when Roza starts playing games and the mansion itself seems to be playing tricks on Alex. What is real and what is not? Is Roza just eccentric or is something else going on? This story is cold, gothic, frightening and claustrophobic. The vibes are immaculate! Even though I somewhat figured out what was going on there were still surprises at every turn and it was a great psychological, atmospheric thriller! Thank you so much NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a perfectly fine thriller and I would have probably thought it was a very good one if not for the jump forward ending that took all of the momentum out of the ending. It definitely gets bizarro, more so than a typical thriller would, but I sort of liked the commitment to going there.

Alex is thrilled to be invited to her favorite authors writing workshop. It is limited to four young female authors, and since Alex hasn’t written a single thing in a year, she is surprised to be accepted. Only problem? Her no longer best friendWren is also invited. When they arrive to the off-the-grid home, the writers are told they will be started a new novel, that they will finish by the time the month is up. The best book will receive 1 million dollars, and a publishing contract. When one of the girls vanishes however, the other begin to get concerned about what is happening in this house.

Did ya’ll know that amazing author @andibartz had a just as talented sister @juliabartz? I didn’t know either until this gem showed up at my door from Atria! Though, with all the death their books include, I kind of feel like we might need to have a chat with their parents? In all seriousness though, this book was freaking insane. Like, I knew something was going to go off the rails, but I had no idea how off the rails we were talking! This book was insanely freaking wild. that said, I don’t want to say too much, because you should just read it!

tl:dr Review: Dark thriller that combines queer identity, the writing process, and some supernatural phenomena.

Full Review:
This book is honestly hard to sum up easily in a review. It was a thriller for sure, touching on topics ranging from the supernatural to queer identities, to what it means to be a writer.

And though each of these elements were critical to the story, they also stood on their own.

I definitely don’t want to give too much away, but you can viscerally feel the tension from the moment you begin reading. The atmosphere inherent in the story also fits perfectly with this time of year.

I really enjoyed the way the author kept the story’s pace and while I felt like I could predict some of the “surprises,” I still enjoyed the full plot.

The protagonist’s questioning of both her queer identity and her abilities as a writer weren’t overdone and felt honest and nuanced.

If you need a dark, atmospheric thriller with a strong plot and a well-written story, then I highly recommend The Writing Retreat.

I give it 4 out of 5 thumbs up.

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

My mother raised me with the mantra "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all."

Today will be the day where I go against my mother's words.

This book was an atrocious mess. The storyline began strong, a great premise with so much promise as we are introduced to a downtrodden writer, Alex, as she struggles to deal with a friendship breakup and a killer case of writer's block. Being accepted into a writing retreat lead by her favorite author, Alex journeys to upstate New York, is confronted by her past, and finds herself thrown into an intense experience that she never imagined.

That's where the book should have stopped. The story becomes so ludicrous, ladened with unnecessary sex scenes (seriously the basement scene was unnecessary), that I was laughing out loud at how ridiculous the story was. I am not asking for constant realism, especially in thrillers, but the second half of this book was so unrealistic that you have to laugh at the creativity the author channeled into her story. I will give the author credit for creativity and that is it.

If you like locked in, horror-esque game stories, I recommend reading Catherine Steadman's "The Family Game". Save yourself while you can.

The writing retreat follows five women who have been picked to participate in a writing retreat with Roza Vallo, who is a famous writer. Once there the ladies find out that they will have to start a book from the very beginning and finish the book in a month. The winner will get a publication deal. I really loved this book. It was interesting and the plot was definitely really good. I am excited to read more books by this author.

4.5 stars rounded up. This was a dark but exciting read! I loved the vibe of having all of these women gathered in a secluded mansion with an author they all admired. In general I tend to enjoy books about the process of writing books and this one delivered, but with a chilling twist! Definitely a good twisty read!

Thank you to #netgalley for this ARC of #thewritingretreat

This is a pretty creepy thriller with plenty of atmosphere — and horror elements. Set it an isolated old mansion, it revolves around a writers’ retreat hosted for a very small group of up-and-coming female writers by once famous author Roza Vallo. In that group is Alex, who idolizes Rosa but who has had writers block for a year, and her former best friend Wren, who is having much more success than Alex is.

There are plenty of twists and turns, especially as the story gets further along, but I had a really had time relating to any of the characters, especially the young writers invited to the retreat. They seemed pretty flat and one dimensional to me and really sort of a group of immature crybabies. That said, the storyline was an interesting one, and I look forward to Julia Bartz’s next novel.

I definitely didn't know exactly what I was getting myself into when I started this one, and it went in a wildly different direction then I was expecting. Some of the characters were developed better then others, and I definitely felt more invest in some of the characters then others. Roza is an unbelievably scary and foreboding character and I had a bad feeling about her from the beginning. This story ended up being way darker and violent then I was expecting, but somehow, I couldn't stop reading. Fairly well-written and I'll definitely read future books Julia Bartz writes. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

I LOVED this story, this was the PERFECT book to start my 2023 reading year with. Give me a closed door mystery but with several unique takes right off the get go (invited to a writing retreat hosted by the MC's fave author, along with her current ex-best friend; a possibly haunted and definitely creepy house setting; paranormal history to the houses original owners), and I am a happy reader.

The plot point of putting writers into one house with a mysterious and compelling author who they all love and admire was perfection from the get go. I loved how the tension built in this story - Alex being stressed about being in close quarters with Wren; Roza's eccentric personality and questionable working terms; the other characters who from the get go, do not seem to be exactly who you think they are. I was GLUED to the page with this one, once I started I could not set this book down without mentally obsessing over what would happen next.

No spoilers - but I adore how this story played out, Entirely unexpected twists, terrifically executed and satisfyingly ended, I could not ask for more from a psychological thriller this year.

A MUST HAVE for your 2023 to read list. Don't sleep on this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read The Writing Retreat in advance. All opinions are my own.

I was super intrigued by the blurb for this book, but it’s a no for me. The writing wasn’t bad, but it was all over the place. Secrets, drugs, sex, demons, murder, Nazis(?)…combinations of all the above. It was a lot.

I loved The Plot, which was mentioned in the blurb for this book, but the only real connection to that book I see here is there is a writing retreat featured in both novels.

I loved this book. I was instantly hooked and didn’t expect anything that was coming! The characters were interesting and the environment was perfect.