This was a great locked room mystery! The vibes were creepy and I loved that they were not only all in the same gothic feeling mansion but also snowed in - the claustrophobia of it all just amped up the drama. This is also one of those books with the book in a book concept, which I am also a big fan of! I did have to suspend disbelief for this one, the plot is a bit unrealistic, and the characters are unlikable. That being said, mix all of these elements together and not only did it work but it made for an entertaining read with twists you're not likely to predict! Definitely recommend this one and I think it would be a great reading slump buster!

Content warnings: Murder, confinement, sexual content, gun violence, drugs.

A huge thanks to Atria books, Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

I love a good hyped up debut novel! This book came out at the perfect time - right in the middle of a cold snowy winter. This is definitely a book you want to read when you're snowed in.

This book has great atmosphere, short chapters, interesting characters, and is definitely one you will have trouble putting down. It was unique in the sense that it followed a book within a book and while it could be a bit unrealistic at times, it was still really interesting.

I am a huge fan of the 'locked room' type thrillers, especially when it comes to winter storms. This one was great and I cannot wait to see what the author has in store next!!

I didn't expect ANYTHING that happened in this one location thriller. I LOOOVEEE closed door/one room/one location (whatever you want to call them) thrillers. Put everyone together and let me figure out wtf is going on, please! And in this book, I had absolutely NO idea. What a wild ride.

Surprisingly, I wasn't actually a fan of the book within the book. I found myself disconnected during the exerts from Alex's book that she was writing, but the writing retreat plot had me on the edge of my seat with all of the twists and turns. The demon sex was a little much in the moment, but it all made sense by the end lol.

I loved the diverse cast in this one! Although there weren't many characters, each was so different and distinct. Maybe not all likeable but they all felt real and their motives made sense.

Narration of this audio book was also *chefs kiss*. The accents and the emotion and different character voices were perfection.

This thriller/mystery novel is one of the most popular books of its genre this winter. This is your typical edge-of-the-seat locked door mystery, where an exclusively-invited group of women find themselves snowed in a remote estate for a writing retreat.

The concept of the story was interesting: while murders are involved, this isn't a who-dunnit mystery. There are con artists, ghosts, and rather unhinged characters involved.

The beginning is a bit slow and the chapters based on the manuscript are a little "all over the place" and difficult to follow. There are some rather odd sexual ghosts scenes that were rather unsettling and unnecessary.

Oddly, there was no big plot twist or unexpected ending which was disappointing. Overall, I found this book rather anticlimactic and my rating is a bit generous, to be honest.

If you skip out on this one, you won't be missing out on much!

The Writing Retreat released on February 21, 2023 and is now available in bookstores and online.

Read if you like:
👻 Ghost stories
🗝 Locked room mysteries
🤯 Mind games
🚪 Secret passageways

⚠️ Potential trigger warnings: strained friendships, sexual abuse, imprisonment, neglect, murder (may not be an exhaustive list)


🙏 Thank you @netgalley and @simonschusterca for the gifted electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @simonschusterca @atriabooks & @netgalley for the eARC 💚

The Writing Retreat is an impressive debut. It's a fever dream of a novel. At times, you may "wake-up" disoriented or confused, but you soon find yourself craving another escape into the dark and satirical dreamworld.

The Writing Retreat hit the mark for me on so many levels:
* Unabashedly feminist
* Gothic vibes
* Books about writers
* Dissection of the complex relationships between women
* Layered cultural references (whether real or part of the book's world)
* Mind games that keep you on your toes
* Dark satire

The Writing Room is not a cookie cutter locked room mystery tied up with a pretty bow at the end. It pushes you and moves between genres and tropes. If that sounds like your style, I highly encourage you to pick this up.

I can’t wait to see what Julia Bartz does next!

The writing Retreat - Julia Bartz

Thanks to net galley and atria books for my review copy in exchange for my completely honest review. And, being completely honest, this was a straight up fail for me.

I had super high hopes. I loved the premise of a group of writers following their dreams and being brought into this retreat as part of a contest to hone their skill, be in the presence of greatness and potentially win an open door to their future. So we have women following their dreams AND they’re writers. Books about books. Should be a win.

There was the added layer of the relational tension between Alex and her ex-best friend that had the potential to be an excellent side story.

The first couple of chapters grabbed my attention. I liked the writing style. I liked the way the characters were introduced. It felt like it was going to be a propulsive, engaging page turner.

And then the page turned.

It got weird fast.

Goodreads describes it as unhinged and, frankly, that doesn’t begin to describe it. The twists and eventual reveal were just too much. It was not just unbelievable, it was uncomfortable and awkward and extra.

Is this a thriller, a coming of age something, erotica, a horror? Please decide. What’s with the demons? What’s with the story Alex writes? Is the house haunted? Just too much.

Some of the sexual content was unexpected and just not my jam. In my opinion, it did not add to the story at all but added to the awkwardness of the novel. Just cringeworthy.

The characters felt juvenile and their dialogue felt forced.

I finished it and I feel a little sad about that.

3.5 ish stars

I’ve been looking forward to this book for quite some time now, and although it wasn’t necessarily a disappointment, it also wasn’t what I hoped or expected it would be. The premise was great, as was the isolated, gothic, wintery setting. Likewise, the sapphic and supernatural elements were welcome (although unexpected- the initial blurbs about the novel didn’t lead me to anticipate the direction this book would take). Some sections of this novel, especially towards the ending, were quite melodramatic and over the top. Additionally, there were definitely similarities to Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers, which was interesting; I think I hoped this book would be more along the lines of Kiersten Modglin’s A Quiet Retreat. Either way, this novel was certainly an experience. I do think some parts of it will stay with me, and I’ll be interested to see what the writer comes up with next.

The Writing Retreat is a thriller about a group of up-and-coming writers invited to take part in a retreat hosted by a famous horror novelist. The catch is they have one month to each produce a new book and a winner will be chosen, who will have her novel published with the support and endorsement of the famous writer.

I thought I knew how this story would go, but, boy, was I wrong. It was twisted and dark and moved along rapidly. It was pretty far-fetched at time, but completely held my interest. I didn’t know who to trust or believe, and with good reason. The characters are well-drawn and intriguing. The story is fast-paced, surprising, and a touch ridiculous, but I really enjoyed it.

If you like books about writers and writing, are willing to suspend your disbelief, and just go for a wild ride, I highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Shuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE WRITING RETREAT by Julia Bartz
An intriguing premise, but the execution fell short. A solid start, but it quickly got “WTF weird”. It was the demon sex chapter that put me off and it never recovered from there. The book within the book was trash (fight me) and should have been omitted. Tell me how it added to the plot. I didn’t predict the twist, but I wasn’t shocked by it either. The sex scenes felt contrived, weird and awkward. And what was that ending? This was Julia’s debut. I’d still give her another chance.

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.

Loved this psychological thriller about a struggling author, Alex, who attends a gruesome writing retreat hosted by her favourite horror author, Roza. The book was fast paced and thrilling, and I couldn't put it down. The author, Julia Bartz, is also a therapist, and I appreciated that she took the time to flesh out the key underlying issues and motivations of the main characters.

The one thing that didn't quite work for me were the excerpts from the book that Alex wrote during the retreat. They weren't nearly as suspenseful and gripping compared to what was happening at the retreat.

Looking forward to reading more from this author!

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable dark and twisted read! The author took the time to develop the characters ready for the rollercoaster of events to come. I found myself rooting for for Alex in the rivalry with Wren. I enjoyed the book within a book premise and backstory included in the past timeline. As the mystery and tension unfolds the body count rises and it was difficult to put this book down.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to review.

A dark, delicious locked-door thriller, I absolutely loved THE WRITING RETREAT ✍️

☑️ book within a book plot
☑️ feminist overtones
☑️ doesn’t read like a debut
☑️ super bingeable

Thank you to @netgalley, the author and publisher for my #arc 💚

A writing retreat, a challenge to complete a novel in a month, and a psychological thriller. Oooh sign me up. I couldn’t wait to get started and I wasn’t disappointed.

This debut novel is tightly crafted and a wild ride. Think Ruth Ware or Clare Mackintosh with a dash of hot fantasy sex to keep you warm. I couldn’t figure out the next turn and had no idea where it might end. The stakes just got more and more twisted. It was dark and delicious! Bravo Julia Bartz on your debut novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is sure to keep you flipping the pages! The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz is the story of a group of talented up-and-coming writers who get selected for a month-long writing retreat. But nothing is as it appears on the surface and there is more going on than meets the eye. This is a unique take on the locked room mystery with many sub-stories to keep the reader hooked and invested in the characters and plot.

Alex has almost given up on her dream of being a published author when she receives word that she has been selected for the opportunity of a lifetime - the chance to participate in a writing retreat hosted by her idol, feminist horror writer, Roza Vallo. But tensions are high and a snow storm is the perfect backdrop for the disappearance of one of the participants. Not everyone will make it out of this locked room mystery alive.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada, Net Galley, and Julia Bartz for my eGalley of this delightfully suspenseful and claustrophobic read!

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz is a psychological thriller about a group of young women who attend a writing retreat held by a prominent author.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Simon & Schuster (Atria/Emily Bestler Books), and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Alex has wanted to write since she was a young girl.  But it's been a year since she's been able to write anything.  That is when she and her best-friend Wren parted ways.   But when she is given the opportunity of a life-time, she swears she is going to write again.  She has been accepted to attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at her favorite author's estate.  Roza Vallo is a feminist horror writer, and lives in an isolated mansion that is said to be haunted.

Other than her writing block, another problem arises with this trip.  She finds out that Wren will also be attending.  Alex decides to go anyway.

When they arrive, the attendees discover that they will be required to write an entire book within the month, which is a little insane.  But the best book will be published, and the winner will receive $1million.  All five agree to the terms Roza sets out.

But there are strange things happening at this retreat, and not everyone or everything is as it seems.  Roza is a bully, and a bit erratic.  Wren is making Alex's life miserable, and then one of the writer's disappears in a snowstorm.

The only good thing, is that Alex is writing again.  She almost feels like she is channeling the ghost of Daphne, who died in the mansion, and who Alex chose as the topic for her book.


My Opinions:
I have difficulty believing that this is a debut novel.  The writing is quite good.  I admit to struggling a little at the beginning, and a little at the end, but the ride was worth the journey.  I think it was a pacing problem.

The book is about friendship, but it is also about fame and ambition.

Heads-up that the language and sex scenes may bother some, but not me.

The story is told through Alex's perspective, mixed with excerpts from her book, and I rather liked the first person narrative.  I probably could have done without her book (mind you that could have been the small print).  I think some of her thoughts were rather childish, as was behavior all around (sometimes it read like a YA novel).  On the other hand, all seemed to gain a little maturity when the proverbial stuff hit the fan.  Actually, the characters are all fairly well-developed, and their anxiety was evident (and merited).

It is a rather dark, and very atmospheric novel, with plenty of surprises.  So, overall, I enjoyed this novel, and will be watching this author.

For a debut book it had a lot going good it.
Wasn't unputdownable but z enjoyable enough read to be curious on what else the author will come out with. A lot of swearing but he a trigger for some...not my cup of tea but didn't defer from me finishing.

Thank to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

This was a twisty locked room thriller where a bunch of aspiring writers get falsely lured by a psychopath who traps them and forces them to write for their lives. Full of interesting back stories, jealousies, queer love and some turns I didn't see coming. It's been getting mixed reviews but I really enjoyed this one. Recommended for fans of books like The plot or Who is Maud Dixon! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 The Writing Retreat is Julia Bartz's debut novel.

Alex works in the publishing industry, but what she really wants is to be an author. She jumps at the chance to attend a month long retreat at the secluded estate of writer Roza Vallo. There will be five attendees, including Alex's former best friend, but she'll deal with that.

From the first night, things feel a little off. Roza's behaviour is mercurial, challenging the five with somewhat uncomfortable discussions - and as things progress - actions. The five acolytes continue to rationalize what's going, until it can no longer can be ignored. There's something very wrong at this retreat...

The book is told through Alex's eyes. And if it was me, I'd be on the next bus home. But there's a snow storm that cuts off their communication, so we're now in a locked room situation. Add in some odd staff and a mansion with a history in addition to the peculiar host. The other attendees are a mixed bunch - almost like you would expect to find in a horror film. There's always one who chooses to go in the basement.

What's happening in reality is somewhat mirrored in the novel Alex is writing. I do enjoy the plot device of having a book within a book.

Bartz is a practicing therapist and I can see how her background has added to the plot. Roza plays a lot of mind games with the five. She's cruel and then kind, keeping the would be authors on edge. Bartz has added a sexual component to her plot line as well as horror elements. (Gentle readers, there are many triggers in this book)

I'm on the fence with this one. I liked the idea, but I didn't overly enjoy the delivery. Things got into the over the top territory for me. The epilogue tied up many loose ends, but went a bit too long for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon&Schuster Canada for a copy of this ARC.

The Writing Retreat was a wild ride. I had no idea where it was going at any point and it always took me to strange and unexpected places. A setting like this one creates a crazy, mysterious thriller: an exclusive, month-long writing retreat that features a collection of random strangers converging on this house in the middle of nowhere with no cell service or internet. It's the perfect setup for a thriller, with excuses for isolation that actually make sense in modern times.

This is a great, unpredictable read that will have you questing everyone. As always with thrillers, check out the content warnings before heading in.