Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this title!

So the synopsis of this book pitches it as "The Plot" meets "Please Join Us" and I've never read either of those books, so I would like to say that if you also haven't read them, don't look them up! After reading about them, I think using them kind of spoils the book a little bit and I think this is a title that will probably work best the less you know about the plot.

I'm not going to say a lot about this one because I think this is the most pleased I've been with a thriller in a long time and I don't even want to ALLUDE to anything that happens. There were a few things throughout the book that I was kind of iffy about, which is why it's not a full 5 stars, but I'm unsure if that's just me or if they were truly problems within the story, if that makes sense.

This was twisty and it shocked me more than once, so I'm really excited to see what else we get from this author!

Only the most promising are picked for a writing retreat with infamous author Roza Vallo and this includes Alex and her ex best friend Wren. They along with 3 other women are to finish writing their book in a months time, with the best one being published. Roza is a taskmaster, setting impossibly high standards for each days writing and her moods mercurial. Each day she becomes stranger while the love and awe the women have for her turns to fear. An unusual horror story with many twists and turns.

Imagine knocking your first novel right out of the park and becoming an overnight success. Then you have a bit of a setback, with your sophomore effort suffering...well, the sophomore effect: not great reviews, fewer sales, and people wondering if you can even come near, much less match, the success of your first book. The next time out, though, you're back in that rarefied air, and before you know it, you have a string of bestsellers under your belt. That's Roza Vallo, who runs a writing retreat every year for five promising female authors under the age of 30.

One of those writers heading to the retreat is Alex, who started a novel but didn't finish it, and has been blocked for over a year on what to write and how to write it. She doesn't think she has a chance to get one of those five coveted spots with one of her favorite authors, but as luck would have it, she gets her chance. The only thing that threatens to sour her mood is that her ex-BFF Wren will also be there. She's resolved to not let this hamper her in her quest to best the block and start making her own way in the literary world.

Off she goes to the retreat, meeting the other women and the mansion, which has its own story. I had already not been liking needy, whiny Alex all that much. When she reaches the mansion, she meets the other women, and all of them have some rather forced, awkward conversations. They head to their respective rooms to clean up for dinner, where they meet their odd host and mentor, Roza. Roza tells them they will all be writing an entire novel during their stay. Of those, she will select one, and the writer of that one will be given a seven figure deal for their book. They will all meet every day, and all of them will also meet one on one with Roza.

I don't mind novels about novels - Misery by Stephen King is one of my favorite books. Alex, who still has no idea what to write, prowls the library in the mansion, and finds a spark in an account of a crime that happened right in this very mansion. This starts to gel for her, and she begins to write, as do the others, all of whom are under the same deadline to produce as Alex. The book she writes, the excepts of which are given to us, the reader, just was not interesting to me at all - I'm not a regular reader of paranormal stuff. Still, she's writing, even if she is still fairly whiny.

The aspiring novelists could be rearranged, renamed, and reassigned with virtually no loss or confusion, as they're not that deep. Roza as a character is not just eccentric but seriously odd, and in fact, a criminal. Spiking peoples' drinks with LSD is not okay. She also seems to be weird just for the sake of being weird and also speaks like someone from the 18th century.

A giant storm has isolated the mansion from the rest of the world, making it a locked room mystery, effectively. Strange things begin happening throughout, Alex discovers Roza isn't exactly on the level, and the book devolved for me into cliches and tropes - including the one thing we always shout at characters in movies about to descend into a dark basement: don't go down those stairs. But, that's exactly what happens.

The last 20% or so of the book has some decent action as well as actual murder, so all was not lost, although the ending was not entirely pleasing and left things open-ended and a bit vague. The rationale behind what's going on was something I'd already guessed long before the writers even got to the mansion, thanks to a scene where the author might as well have drawn a giant red circle on the scene, in case it wasn't obvious enough.

Overall, it isn't a terrible book. The writing is fine, although I wish there had been something to differentiate the women in the group, as they all sounded a lot alike, and their personalities alone really were not enough. It isn't a great book - too many cliches/tropes, and a lot of "female empowerment" gong on, which is fine, but something that slowed down the story. It is something you can read in an afternoon and not feel like you wasted any time, which is a major point in my scoring system.

Three stars out of five.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the reading copy.

"The Writing Retreat" by Julia Bartz was a fun puzzle-box of a read. The plot follows a struggling author who gets chosen to visit the home of one of her biggest writing role models, a reclusive and enigmatic woman, for a writers retreat. The characters were well drawn and the twists abound. Bartz does a great job leaving readers guessing what will happen next, although the last act could've been tied up a little more swiftly.

The Writing Retreat was an interesting novel. It had a very interesting premise, but ultimately fell flat because of its characters.

Alex was needy and whiney, Wren wasn't developed enough, Roza wasn't believable, and...the list goes on. There are some novels that are designed to have unlikable characters, but I don't think this was meant to be one of them. There was also an undercurrent of homosexuality that felt wildly unnecessary to the overall plot line, but had far too much time dedicated to it. (I have no problem with homosexuality, but two detailed sex dreams back-to-back was way too much.)

The Writing Retreat was a book with a lot of promise that didn't quite deliver.

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Pub. Date: February 21st, 2023

I would like to thank @netgalley , @atriabooks and @juliabartz for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am so grateful for this opportunity!

📝

I want to say WOW! Just, wow! But I've got to say more than that, right? This is a fantastic debut novel! This was an incredible page turner with a very interesting style. It checked all the boxes for an eerie ghost story coupled with a murder mystery. It was packed with intrigue and it made you guess until the very last page.

The story takes place in a month long writing retreat and we get a glimpse of the main character's novel. Each participant to the retreat has its own flaw and is wicked in a way. They make you doubt about their true intentions until the very end.

Reading this novel was a real pleasure! I kept saying "One more chapter!" over and over again. I strongly suggest you to add to TBR!

📝

Alex is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity : a month-long writing retreat with her favorite author. There's only one issue, Wren, her ex-BFF will also be there.

As soon as they arrive, Roza Vallo, the host, sets ground rules. They must all complete a full manuscript within the next month and they have to submit a minimal daily word count or they're out. In the end, the winner will be offered a book deal with her agent.

The retreat takes place in an old manor full of ghosts stories, there is a strange vibe that will fuel everyone's novel. Something is off and Alex wants to investigate but she also needs to finish her novel to stay in the game.

What is everyone hiding?

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Writer’s Retreat, this is my honest review in exchange for that ARC. This book took some time to pick up and my interest waned at one point but the action really starts about halfway in. Roza, the author hosting this retreat plays a number of mind games with the writers and they start to realize that something is amiss with this whole retreat gradually. I enjoyed this book to a point but ultimately it didn’t thrill me, I’d rate it about 3.5 stars- a decent read but it felt too similar to other books I’ve read.

This book is insane in the best of the ways. It is an exhilarating thrill ride — and that is frankly an understatement.

The tension in The Writing Retreat is palpable from Page 1. Julia Bartz does a fantastic job of keeping it building throughout, leaving readers riveted with each new twist, decoy and reveal.

I had so many theories reading this and while one key one panned out, most fell apart to a very satisfying — if not slightly ridiculous — conclusion. Being intentionally vague here to avoid any spoilers, but let’s just say I was really hooked by several refreshingly new plot devices (demon historical fiction, anyone?). Bartz also managed to keep me stressed — in the ways that you want while reading something like this — on the edge of my seat while furiously reading every last bit.

If you’re in the market for a thriller that keeps you guessing and bypasses traditional genre tropes, look no further — this is absolutely it.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Woah! Finally a thriller that kept me guessing - and even scared me a little bit. I had no idea what was coming next throughout the entire novel, and kept me interested until the very end. Awesome!

(Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review - what a great find!)

A small group of young women writers are invited to a retreat with well known author Roza Vallo. Upon arrival bombshell after bombshell is dropped on this group. Rumors and tension among the writers leave all the ladies on edge as the house lends a mysterious backdrop to an old ghost tale. Which writer will rise to the challenge and walk away with all her dreams coming true? The bigger question is, will they all survive the month?
The Writers Retreat is a captivating tale that immediately draws the reader in. The characters were fun to follow and the writing was faced paced. I enjoyed this book. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Strange book, weird dialogue, characters that act like annoying, immature teenagers.

Obviously, I'm an outlier here.

I liked the description of the isolated setting for the writing retreat with the head guru, Roza as the beloved mentor. She reminded me a bit of Masha from Nine Perfect Strangers by Moriarty. They were both crazy loons! I was most intrigued by her, but she failed to save this one. She claimed to be a feminine heroine, but was more of a predator! We are supposed to believe that these talented writers would "fall for her setup".

The pace is off balance, the characters are all full of angst, and the author tries to blend other genres into the story. It is a salad with ingredients that don't belong. The excerpts of a book within a book that truly bored me. The descriptions of breasts, nipples and other graphic sex scenes/dreams were awkward and cringeworthy.

If you enjoy this trope or like a blend of genres, check out the higher reviews!

This was one of the best thrillers I’ve read, period. I got so much enjoyment out of the suspense and red herrings, I was truly surprised at the twists and turns.

The characters were unique and fun to get to know.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sending me an ARC of The Writing Retreat in exchange for an honest review.

Alex works in academic publishing in a job she hates, and her personal life is a mess. She’s an aspiring writer, but she’s had writer’s block for a year, ever since the night she fell out with her former best friend, Wren. And then Alex gets the chance of a lifetime—an invitation to a writing retreat with four other young women writers at Blackbriar, the estate of Roza Vallo, the iconic feminist horror writer. They will each write an 81,000 word novel in one month, and the writer of best book will get a million-dollar publishing contract and be part of Roza’s next book tour. But Blackbriar has a haunted past, one that seems to be bleeding into Alex’s life. And Roza is playing games with all of them, and making Alex question what this retreat is really all about ….

There are some elements of The Writing Retreat that I quite enjoyed. The entire premise of the retreat—trying to combat the difficulty women and women of color have in getting published—is, sadly, still an evergreen topic. The story was effectively paranoid and creepy. The book has some interesting thoughts about women and sexuality. I liked the slow revelation of why Alex and Wren’s friendship fell apart, and how much it revealed about each of their characters (with some shades of A Separate Peace). Their relationship was the best part of the book.

That said, I had quite a few problems with the back half of The Writing Retreat. I was disappointed at how the storyline of Alex and Wren’s relationship was minimized in the back half of the book. And I thought the way things stood between at the end was inconsistent with how their story evolved through the novel. There was not enough of the occasional ‘novel within the novel’ being written by Alex, so that it felt more like a weak parallel of what was happening to her. The biggest problem, though, was Roza’s character. Even if one accepted her beliefs about translating stress and pain into writing, her treatment of the others was way too much. But when the full scope of her plan is revealed, it’s completely over-the-top, the earlier subtlety and paranoid creepiness replaced with something closer to farce.

The Writing Retreat was a bit of a miss for me, which is too bad because I think it has a lot of pieces for a really good story. But it’s not bad for a debut novel, and there’s enough here that I’d be willing to read Ms. Bartz’s next book.

3.5 stars!
What a bloody ride! This debut book had a slow progression and then took off at about 75% with a bang, and it didn’t slow down - just like a tornado, it destroyed everything in its path.

I did find that some of the twists and turns in the story were a little unrealistic (I know, it’s fiction!), but overall the premise of the story was good, with a slow progression to the climax, and some odd and uncomfortable happenings, but I think that is what made this story unique.

I recommend this book if you enjoy:
- Psychological thrillers with a hint of horror, gore, and mystery
- Dark and twisted storylines
- A storyline that is a little over the top
- A book within a book
- A group of people trapped/snowed in at a remote location in the dead of winter with no communication to the outside world
- Friendship and fame

I liked this novel for many reasons. To start with, I tend to gravitate towards cold, wintery, suspenseful books when the weather is colder, and this fit that bill perfectly. As an aspiring writer, I loved the little glimpses into process and community during this retreat as well. One strength of this that sets it apart from other thrillers, is how there's much more to analyze throughout this story besides the usual "who did it". I found myself constantly trying to untangle messy relationships, find connections between the writer's realities and their stories, and overall found myself frequently surprised while reading this. I will say that at times I felt there was a little too much happening at once in this book, but I have a feeling that has more to do with my own reading preferences than the novel itself. Overall I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

I'm probably in the minority on this one and I really did not like it. In fact I forced myself to finish it.

The premise starts out well and it intrigued me enough to request the ARC (thank you Netgalley and Astria Books). The basic premise is 5 aspiring young females writers are selected for a one month getaway by the famous author Roza Vallo for an exclusive writer's retreat. Little do the 5 women know they will have to compete to not only finish their books in a months time, but only one will be selected for publication.

The setting is perfect with an old mansion out in the middle of nowhere with its own historical background. It is winter time. This is a perfect backdrop for something that should be a great story moving forward. Unfortunately everything else just falls apart for the rest of the novel.

First off, I don't like to give a negative review to a first time published author, but there were too many issues for me. Throughout the novel the plot often digresses to a story of each of the novels the aspiring novelist are writing about, dream sequences, story on the mansion and its inhabitants, along with backstory of the characters. Yeah, I know it is a writing retreat but there are just too many non-relavant stories with very few relevant stories. It took away the focus and the momentum of the plot.

The character issue: They all seemed like the same characters and they speak the same way as one another. The only thing used to differentiate each one is their names and a little quirk added. One thing I can't stand is movie, novel or show that pits women character's up against one another. In the Writer's Retreat it does exactly that for about 3/4 of the novel. Instead of Alex and Wren (don't get me started on how their friendship ended) it is each person out for themselves because they all want to win no matter the cost.

That is just some of the issues never mind the implausibilties The implausibilties did and didn't bother me, I just felt they were used for convenience sake.

My hope is that Novelist Julia Bartz continues to write and to improve. Many of the reviews are positive on here and I'm a minority on my negative review. Maybe I'm a picky reader.

This is an amazing book, the writing retreat is definitely not for the faint of heart in all the best ways for us to read. The setting is perfect for a murder mystery. I also really enjoy the aspects of female relationships, both the good & bad sides. The characters are thrust into such a strange situation but their idolization of Roza & the hunger to become famous authors, keeps them there. You also get to read a story within the story, the book Alex is working on, which adds another creepy vibe. It has slight gothic overtones that I really found enjoyable. As things begin to go south, the book really picks up speed & gets darker with each chapter. This is a great book, especially if you enjoy books about authors & writing.

This psychological suspense takes place at a writing retreat. Alex is invited and is thrilled. Except her ex-best friend is also invited and they can't seem to get over their past. This was a quick read for me as I wanted to see how the book would tie up in the end.

This was a @netgalley ARC. It took a bit of time for me to get into the story, but once the characters were at the retreat and writing, I was engaged. Each time I thought I saw a twist and knew where the story was going, something put a new wrench in it. Was it unbelievable? Entirely. Did I enjoy it? Immensely

This book turned out to be so different than what I thought when I gotapproved for an advance copy from NetGalley.
I was expecting a thriller and it became almost a cult like cat and mouse with the tight lip plot. I love the psychological and suspense that make this a cancel all plans this weekend kinda of book.