An excellent read, I loved the characters and the storyline which had an underlying sense of dread running through it. And the location setting was beautifully written and descriptive, so much so that you could picture yourself there.

The launch of their Spanish retreat is finally underway, and Eva and José are determined to make it an absolute success. They’ve put so much time and money into renovating the crumbling villa into a wellness getaway, but will it be enough to impress their guests? They hope so, and it seems their guests do as well. So then why does it seem like one of them wants to sabotage Eva’s and José’s hard work?

Because soon after their guests’ arrival, strange “accidents” start happening. Little things that could be brushed off as mistakes, but as they begin piling up, neither Eva or José can shake the feeling that their strokes of misfortune are anything but coincidental. One of their guests has come for some sort of revenge, but neither Eva or José are willing to point fingers. Not when they both have secrets that would not only destroy their business, but their entire lives…
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This one was a bit of a bummer. It wasn’t very suspenseful—it was more like an intense drama. The person behind it became too obvious early on, and the motives behind all the secrets and revenge were really underwhelming. Also wasn’t a fan of how the ending was so picture-perfect. I don’t know, I guess I just prefer messier, darker thrillers with more complex plots. If that’s what you’d prefer too then i’d recommend skipping this.

I was looking forward to this after reading a really good book by Karen before, unfortunately for me nothing really stood out about it. I feel like I’ve read so many versions of the whole retreat/holiday story recently they all feel so similar.
It was really slow to get going and just felt like it was lining up the suspects for most of it rather than anything really happening.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this arc.

Told from alternating characters perspectives the premise of this book is good. I enjoyed the setting of the book and overall thought it was a good mystery.

DNF - Pushed through 3/4 of the book but just would not pick it up to finish. Found it slow and didn't keep me interested.

Eva and Jose are opening a retreat and want just a few guests to get a feel for what it's going to be like and get their feedback on it to see what needs changing or tweaking!
Once they learn that Jose's cousin Carlos is coming ( who they haven't spoken to in years due to family feud) and Saskia -an old friend of Eva's they are nervous as to what might happen! Little do they know the things which are about to come and who it will be that causes the problems and nearly kills them!
So many twists and turns in this novel you really didn't know who to suspect! Loved it a real page turner and kept me up till the early hours reading it.. .Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this novel, will certainly be looking for more from Karen in the future.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First I want to thank NetGalley & Bookouture for the ARC of The Retreat.

This psychological thriller was a great page turner. It started out a little slower, but picked up and once it did I couldn’t put the book down. I wanted to know who was wrecking havoc.

Knowing that Eva knew Saskia & José’s cousin Carlos were both coming had me wondering if they were going to be the ones causing turmoil at the retreat. But just when you think it may be one of them, you learn Adrienne is an ex of José & Bianca could be the daughter of the man Eva accidentally killed. There are so many possible suspects which kept you guessing throughout the book!

I was completely shocked to get to the end to find out Mario, who was such a good friend of José & Eva’s, had been one of the people sabotaging the retreat all for money. Adrienne always gave off a weird vibe and acted like a stalker coming back to see José after 10 years and mad when he didn’t recognize her. I wasn’t surprised to find out that she was the one who set the fire and even less surprised that she set fire to a new ex’s home and was arrested.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I found this book to have alot of twists and turns.

Evan and Jose open a retreat in Spain at a reduced rate. And they are surprisede to have bookings.
Saskia is an old high school friend
Carlos is Jose's cousin
Adeline & her husband

But then things start to go wrong. Their is a deadly sabaoge. But who is behind it.

At times I felt this was drawn out but I wanted to find out who was behind the sabatoge so it kept me going.

With every turn of the page, I was immersed in a world of secrets, dark twists, and a relentless pursuit of the truth. King's storytelling prowess creates an atmosphere that's so intense, it's like riding an adrenaline-fueled rollercoaster from start to finish. So, if you're on the hunt for a thriller that'll send shivers down your spine and keep you wide awake long into the night, look no further. "The Retreat" is not just a must-read—it's a heart-pounding journey into the darkest corners of the human mind that will leave you breathless and uneasy well after you've turned the final page. Don't miss this gripping rollercoaster of a novel! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!

Jose and Eva convert his old family villa into a wellness retreat and decide to have a trial run before opening fully for business. Unfortunately, none of the guest are quite what they seem – and Jose and Eva are also hiding their own secrets. Although the week starts well, it soon becomes clear that this retreat is going to be anything but restful. With plenty of twists and turns, as well as red herrings aplenty, the book held my interest right up to the final page!

"The Retreat" by Karen King takes readers to a picturesque Spanish farmhouse where the past collides with the present, and old friendships are put to the test. The author does an excellent job of establishing the atmospheric and evocative setting, immersing the reader in the sun-drenched landscapes of Spain. The tension and mistrust between the protagonist and Saskia are very palpable, adding more and more suspense. However, the promise of suspense is often overshadowed by the slow burn narrative, which made it difficult for me to stay fully engaged in the story. I also felt like it was difficult to connect with some characters due to Inconsistencies in their motivations/reactions.

This has to be one of the best books that I have read this summer. The story is so gripping and really makes you not want to put it down. Characters are marvelous and I found it hard to pick a favorite. Definitely rate this 10/10

✨ Book Review ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This had me gripped!! Definitely a book to read in a day so clear a day in your calendar!
Set in a renovated villa in the Andalusian mountains, the retreat that Jose and Eva are welcoming guests to for a trial run doesn’t go according to plan.
Jose and Eva are adorable but someone is trying to make sure the retreat is not a success and with the guests all having motive, this book is full of suspense all the way through. No spoilers here but I highly recommend this book, I couldn’t put it down .. and I strangely want to visit a retreat myself now.

Amazing. Tense, pacy, absolutely brilliant. This one gripped me from the first line and I just could not put it down - read it in one breathless sitting, What an absolutely stunning book! Do read this one.

This story took a while to get going. Lots of repetitive scene setting and details about wellness and healthy eating before anything really started to happen. A bit Agatha Christie in that every guest at the retreat seemed to have a reason to want to cause harm. I did work out who the culprit was quite quickly, and guessed why. Sadly not a book for me.

3.75 starts. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the E-Book. Can we just say Psychopath. I enjoyed this book so much it kept me guessing all the way till the end. It made me doubt who I thought was the bad person and I like that because for the most part everyone at the Retreat had reason to hurt the Main Characters and can we talk about that ending chefs kiss.

The description sounded good but I found this book to be a very slow starter. An OK read but not as good as previous books by Karen King, in my opinion.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Retreat
Written By Karen King
Published By Bookouture
Release Date October 13, 2023

Characters: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Pace: 2/t
Suspense: 3/5
Overall Enjoyment: 3/5


“ The sunlight dances on the turquoise pool as I wait for our first guests. But my blood turns to ice when I recognise one of them as an old friend and a flood of guilt and fear comes rushing back. Is she here to ruin my life for a second time?”

This book has some of what it takes to have a great mystery, it is just full of things that make no sense to a mystery. The blurb sounded great which made me want to read it but once I started it was a disaster. I do want to thank the author and the publisher for giving me a copy to read but I feel like the author added too much fluff to the story to make it longer. I have never read anything from this author but am willing to give her one more try. I just was not able to finish due to the catastrophic additives that the author threw in. With writing that kept me engaged for some time, I felt as though this book has lots of potential. Overall I give this book 3 stars.

Thank you to the author as well as the publisher for giving me a copy of this book to read in exchange for my unbiased and honest attention.

I've loved other books by this author, but this one missed the mark for me. Way too many descriptions combined with little action for a huge portion of the book made it impossible for me to stay engaged. Descriptions were well done, but I wanted a psychological thriller, not to read about goats raiding a vegetable garden. The pace was too slow for the genre, and there was so much repetition. Most of the dialogue felt stilted. I'd be willing to read future books, as I've loved prior ones, but this one was a hard "No" for me. It almost felt as if a different author wrote this than her prior books.

This was my first Karen King novel but, unfortunately a DNF for me. It was very slow moving and, by the time I gave up, nothing had really happened.