𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

I haven’t had the best of luck with Netgalley lately, no matter how many times I try or how many people try to help me, I cannot for the life of me figure out how to link it up to my Kindle. So every book I get, I am forced to read through my phone, which is not fun, so I go into them dreading them. This one was pleasantly surprising and sucked me in immediately, so that reading it through my phone didn’t bother me at all.

And by “pleasantly surprising” I mean that it shocked the crap out of me (both in the actual story and by how much I enjoyed it)! 😂 I loved the voice of the main character, all of the people she met & interacted with, I even enjoyed the people I don’t think I was supposed to enjoy 😂 I also really loved that she was from New York, and as a New Yorker myself, I love reading about my city ❤️
“𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘴，𝘱𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘴， 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴“ - damn straight!!

It’s about a New York writer, who is suffering from writers block due to a traumatic experience. She gets invited to a very exclusive writing retreat, being hosted by her favorite writer. Once she arrives at the tea treat, hijinks ensue. Without any spoilers, I just wanna say that I didn’t see any of these twists coming!

~ This book comes out 2/21/23 ~

This was a "its me, not you" sort of read. The writing was so well done, effortless really, and the author is very clearly talented!
I just struggle with horror and gothic and really struggle if anything paranormal is introduced.

if you enjoy those kinds of reads this will be a slam dunk for you!

QUEER. FEMINIST. GOTHIC. HORROR. That’s honestly all you need to know about this brilliant work. Going in, I was expecting a locked room type thriller, but this book definitely veers more towards horror, and I truly can not believe this is a debut. All of the characters are so well-defined, and the last third of the book especially had some mind-blowing twists. I loved reading the book within a book, which is not something I usually enjoy, but given that Alex’s book was based on a true story, it added a lot to the narrative. Fast paced with a superb mix of mystery, horror, and the paranormal, this is the perfect book to curl up with during a snowstorm. Make sure to add this one to your TBR!

I wish I would have gotten this book a month or two earlier. It took me a while to get through it but not because I wasn’t enjoying it. I just had a change in my life that kept me busier than usual. I will admit that I wasn’t sure if it was going to keep my attention at first, but something about it kept me wanting to find out what happened between Wren and Alex. I’m glad I kept reading because what a whirlwind that was! Some of the pieces of the story, like the necklaces, I was able to predict. However, I was not expecting Taylor to be working with Roza! Alex’s theories all made sense so it tricked my brain into not seeing the clues right away, like Taylor always telling Kiera to chill, or Taylor being the only one still wearing her necklace. I was a bit sad that not all the girls made it out, (and Chitra, my heart😭) but I also understand the likelihood of them all surviving in a real life scenario like that is not high. I hate that Roza was able to escape, I wish she would have been punished for all her crimes and some justice would have been served. But overall,, I enjoyed the book. I also understand now why the background was so important to establish first. Well done!

When I saw this title on NetGalley, I was drawn in immediately by the cover and description. I also couldn't help but notice the author's last name and yes, Andrea Bartz is Julia's sister! I have read Andrea's books and I will not be comparing them in any way.

Alex wants to be a published author. She works in publishing but might have to give up on her dream. Especially since a brutal falling out with her best friend has led to a year long case of writer's block. Then out of nowhere, Alex is offered the opportunity of a lifetime.

Roza Vallo is a famous horror author. She chooses young women that are aspiring writers to come to her home for a month long writing retreat. Just being chosen is enough to get published somewhere. Alex is one of the chosen when someone drops out. Roza Vallo is her favorite author and she really needs this so she accepts. Despite knowing her former best friend Wren will also be there.

As soon as Alex arrives at Blackbriar Estate in the Adirondacks, you're made aware of just how isolated she is going to be. There's no one around for miles, no internet or cell service. When it inevitably snows, they will be basically trapped. Not to mention Blackbriar itself has a history that could be its own horror novel. Still worth it...right?

She meets the other women, Wren arrives a bit later. Then they all meet Roza Vallo and soon find out what she expects of them. She tells them they will have to write a full length novel to be finished before the month is over. They are required to write so many thousands of words per day and print out their work to be read by her every night. They will also have one-on-one meetings with Roza and gather as a group to read and discuss what they're writing and edit each other's work.

It's a daunting task to be sure, yet Alex is determined. The person chosen out of all the others will get a very nice publishing deal. So the competition begins. What follows is the wildest unpredictable turn of events. The tension was palpable as Roza's behavior becomes increasingly erratic. Her methods for unlocking their creativity were certainly unorthodox.

Things start to spiral out of control once one of the group goes missing. Alex tries to figure things out while not knowing if she can trust anyone let alone herself. Her character development was on point, when she realizes what's really going on, she rises to the occasion. Her story excerpts made for interesting interludes.

The Writing Retreat is dark, sensual, atmospheric. It was unlike anything I've read before and I can't wait to read whatever Julia Bartz writes next.

Thank you Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

After receiving a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a writing retreat, Alex is seething with excitement. The retreat is held by famed feminist horror Roza Vallo. Roza lets the attendees know that they all need to complete an entire novel during the next month with the possibility of winning a seven-figure publishing deal. Not even Alex’s rival, Wren, being there gets her down. After getting into the grove of writing, strange things happen and then one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm. Something wrong is afoot and Alex is desperate to discover the truth.

I loved the premise of this book - reading about writers writing a book in an isolated area with strange things occurring. What could go wrong?! I enjoyed how the author pulled everything together effortlessly.

I'm still not sure if I'm going to fully finish this book. I found it very intruding at first - especially since I"m a writer and the idea of a retreat far out and with a famous author would be amazing. But as I read on there was a lot of things in that I thought were unnecessary and distracted from the actual plot.

I like the hint at paranormal and may finish it just to see what happens but for now I'm leaving it at a 3* rating as a "we'll see later" type of thing.

If you enjoy or can stand more sexual aspects of your reading in addition to the darker paranormal ghost-ish type stories you may enjoy this. It just hasn't been for me up until about 50% (which I feel like is enough for me to write this reivew).

I will say that the writing is good and really pulls you into the story! I enjoy the setting, the reasons of why the plot moves forward, and the character development to an extent as well. The other things are what have distracted me from wanting to finish it.

My rating: 3*
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Thanks to NetGalley for gifting me an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I had to sit with my feelings on this one for a bit before reviewing, but I think I'm going to go with 3.5 stars.

The Writing Retreat is the latest in a string of "novels about novels" that seem popular lately, and I love the premise. Young female writers are invited to attend an exclusive retreat at a prestigious and reclusive author's estate. Our protagonist, Alex has had writer's block for a year — ever since a massive falling out with her best friend, who also got into the retreat session. A recipe for disaster, no? Turns out, the women are expected to write an entire novel during the month-long retreat, but the pressure starts to get to them, and things take a decidedly dangerous twist.

I flew through this book, finding it pretty fast-paced, and I did love the main "twist." I was a bit let down by the ending though, which to me felt a bit rushed and sort of flat. Overall, though, I enjoyed the read and would recommend it!

Thank you to Julia Bartz, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

The Writing Retreat was such an over-the-top treat. The book opens with Alex, a young writer struggling with both the helplessness and impotence of not having written a word in over a year, and the fact that she's lost her best friend, Wren, in a falling out and is feeling hurt and confused by the break. These separate miseries collide in an event early on, where Alex must attend a book launch party for a successful friend--and where she is sure to run into Wren. The night is not entirely a bust though, because it sets into motion Alex receiving an invite to an exclusive writing retreat held by infamous horror author Roza Vallo, at her massive, remote home in the Adirondacks. This could be the impetus Alex needs to unlock her creativity--but there's a complication. Wren's going to be there, too. This is the theme for one of my very favorite horror subgenres: artist goes off to create in relative isolation; weird shit happens. And weird shit, it does happen! Between Roza’a unorthodox methods and demands, the almost punitive deadlines the authors are required meet, the eerie house and its unsettling atmosphere, and even the various attendees of the retreat who may be harboring secrets, tensions are ramped up, everyone's pushing themselves to their limits, and the slightest accidental remark or mistake may send someone over the edge...but is anything in this house accidental? Or has everything been carefully orchestrated from the very beginning?

As a writer myself, I flock t0 any books that talk about writers, and this is a great read for Halloween weekend. Alex is a 30 year old woman who works for an educational publisher and wants to be a published author. She has had writer's block for over a year, starting when she had a falling out with her best friend Wren. When Alex finds out she has been selected for a writing retreat with her favorite author, Roza Vallo ,she is over the moon with happiness. It turns out another writer friend submitted one of Alex's old stories to the contest and she and four other women have been selected to attend the month long retreat at Roza's mansion Briarcliff.

Like most things in life, if something seems too good to be true it usually is. When Alex arrives at the mansion she is surprised to find her former friend and now enemy, Wren is one of the attendees. Roza , who is a famous horror novelist , tells the women they will be required to write a complete novel in 30 days and are required to submit twelve pages a day in order to stay. The person who has the best novel will get a publishing contract and a million dollars and the others will get a leg up on publishing their work as well. Alex doesn't feel motivated until she finds out about the previous owner of Briarcliff, a women named Daphne who dabbled in the occult. Things quickly begin going wrong and everything is not what it seems. I thought this was a fun, fast paced story and I liked the themes of personal strength and female empowerment. I liked seeing Alex find both her voice as a writer and her abilities to foster change in her own life. I also appreciated the rare book now days that has one narrator and one time period. As the 30 days come closer to the end, the women writers must not only strive to finish their novels but fight for their lives as well. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

What a SPECTACULAR book! One of the strongest debut novels I have ever read. The characters in this book are so well written and I adored every single one of them and loved following Alex as she discovers both herself & how strong of a human she truly is. This book is so incredibly immersive, I felt like I was at the retreat with them. It’s so atmospheric and cozy and gives off dark academia vibes without it being set at a school. Every twist and turn in this book truly had me on the edge of my seat. PLEASE do yourself a favor and pick this up in February when it releases to the public! Thank you again to Simon & Schuster, Atria Books, and, most importantly, Julia for trusting me with an advanced copy of your debut novel!

Omg what a great book! Kept me flipping pages the whole time waiting to see what happened. I loved the main character Alex. I went to look up everything else by this author and saw this is a debut novel. Looking forward to seeing more from this author! Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

2.5 kitchen sink stars

This one has such a promising premise – an exclusive writing retreat, successful but reclusive writers, a story within the story, and trauma with friends.

Our main character is Alex, and she works in the publishing world and is an aspiring writer. Her all-time favorite writer is Roza Vallo. Roza holds an exclusive retreat for promising writers under the age of 30. Alex is shocked to receive an invitation to the retreat, held at Roza’s palatial home in upstate New York. She’s even more shocked when her former best friend Wren is also invited. Sparks are sure to fly! Or maybe a reconciliation?

Alex and Wren arrive and meet the other retreat attendees. They are all given the daunting assignment of writing a complete novel during the retreat. Will Roza make a bestselling writer out of one of them? As strange events start happening, Alex realizes how isolated the group really is at Roza’s estate.

I thought this was a great premise and set-up for a novel. Then I felt like the entire kitchen sink had been thrown into this novel. There were too many over-the-top elements, spicy dreams, twists and turns, and a ridiculous ending.

Others have loved this one so don’t just take my word for it if it sounds up your alley.

3 stars. Thank you NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the premise of this book, it took a lot of turns that I was not expecting and I found the main character hard to get on board with. A great book to read near Halloween.

This book was a rollicking good ride. Fast-paced thriller primarily taking place at an isolated writing retreat that should be a dream come true... But for various reasons, may not be. Highly recommend!

I liked this book- it was fast-paced and unique. The story centers on Alex, who gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a writing retreat hosted by her favorite author. The only downside is that her former best friend, Wren, will also be in attendance and there is plenty of bad blood between them. Once they arrive, it turns out that not everything is how it seems and that there are ulterior motives in play by multiple members of the group. This all culminates in an action-packed ending that borders on ridiculous but somehow still works. You also get excerpts from the novel that Alex is writing, which I found to be a really interesting story; I actually wish there had been more.

As others have mentioned, there is sex and foul language in this book- this does not bother me in any way but if it bothers you, now you know what to expect. The dynamics between the characters felt real and even though the falling out (and subsequent confrontations) between Wren and Alex was a bit petty, I thought it felt believable. As mentioned above, some of the stuff at the end is ALMOST silly, but it worked, and the overall ending was very satisfying- I like loose ends to be tied up and they were in this case.

Overall, this was a fun read that ended up not being what I expected, but I enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't wait to read this one based on the description--unfortunately, I started it in the middle of a busy week, so I couldn't read it nearly as quickly as I would have done otherwise! I did stay up too late a few nights while reading it--what a nice, creepy book to read right before bed!

Alex, a thriller writer who has been suffering from writer's block and dreading her day job in educational publishing, is presented with an incredible opportunity to visit her favorite author's writing retreat. Despite her excitement about the retreat, Alex is reluctant to attend, since her former best friend, Wren, with whom she had a massive fight, will also be attending. As events begin to transpire at Blackbriar Estate, Roza's gothic mansion where the retreat takes place, it becomes clear that Wren is the least of Alex's concerns.

I really enjoyed "The Writing Retreat" and will definitely be reading any future books by Julia Bartz! I am glad I did not let any of the negative reviews convince me not to pick this one up. It is really fast-paced and virtually impossible to put down! The parts about Daphne and the house's history were just as interesting to read as the main storyline, if not more so (they had a bit of a horror element to them, which was fun). 5 stars!

Many thanks to Atria Books, Julia Bartz, and NetGalley for this eARC!

The Writing Retreat sounded so full of promise and interest but the graphic sapphic nature and unnecessary and frequent foul language was so distracting it was impossible for me to become engaged and invested. Therefore it was a DNF for me.

Sadly, I cannot recommend this novel.

This book was seriously a wild ride, but not necessarily in a good way for me.

The story starts out interesting enough. Alex is invited to an exclusive writing retreat hosted by one of her writing idols, a retreat that offers the chance to have her work published, which is something she has always longed for. She can’t wait to go, even after finding out that her ex-best friend, Wren, will be attending also. She and Wren had a falling out years before and haven’t spoken since. But, Alex knows this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance that she can't pass up.

Once she arrives at the retreat, she meets three other ladies, Wren, and celebrated author Rosa. They quickly become immersed in this month-long retreat, but find that Rosa’s methods for developing their writing styles are a little unorthodox.

This is where the book goes off the rails a bit and begins to descend into madness, so much so that it began to become silly and not at all believable for me.

In all honesty, it felt more about the story of Alex’s sexual awakening than about anything else and I struggled to get through it.

Just not quite what I expected and unfortunately not for me.

Wow! I absolutely devoured this intense closed door thriller. I thought I had things figured out but I was very wrong. The twists kept coming and I could not figure out how Alex was going to get out of this mess. Highly recommend!