A twisted tale that has all the ingredients of a good mystery all set in the Italian countryside. Friends, family, deceit and concealment make this an entertaining read.

I thought this book had a great storyline. Endless possibility and a beautiful backdrop. I wish I would have connected a little more with the characters but there were moments that were close for me. I found the relationship between the FMC and her boyfriend needed something to really solidify their relationship, again it seemed like it was missing just a little something. I did enjoy this audiobook and thought it was well done for the most parts. Since this took place in Spain, and many of the characters are Spanish (and speak Spanish in parts of the audiobook), I would have enjoyed the audiobook version more had there been a Latinx narrator, so the accent flowed with the story.

I would recommend this to other friends who enjoy thrillers. This one isn’t overly done which would make it an easy read for most. I am thankful that i was given the opportunity to experience this audiobook, and extend my appreciation to the author Karen King, the publisher and NetGalley.

My first Karen King and what a treat it was.

Very good story, something different. Well written and narrated, fairly complex, quite a few characters to get to know and follow. Builds nicely to an good ending. I'd definitely listen to more books by this author.

I want to thank the author, NetGalley and Dreamscape Select, Bookouture
for the opportunity to listen to this terrific new book.

Fun and juicy beach read about murder and intrigue in a luxury home turned retreat. A solid but limited cast of characters, each with secrets and perhaps a reason to murder, in a beautiful locale, will keep you guessing through the many twists and turns. A page turner for sure!

The Retreat by Karen King Narrated by Daphne Kouma was a totally unputdownable and jaw-dropping psychological suspense thriller with lots of twists and turns throughout especially as it had you guessing right till the end on who it was.

The narrator Daphne was excellent with the voices and made it entertaining,

I highly recommend this audiobook or book and great for a holiday.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this audiobook. It is complex and keeps you guessing who did it until the very end. Was entertaining

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced audio copy of this book. This book will fall into the mystery category, but no one dies. A bunch of accidents plague Jose and Ava’s new Retreat. This book is fairly predictable. Things happen: goats get in the garden, the cat gets into some paint, the generator is tampered with. Nothing too shocking. It was a quick listen and you won’t be in for any surprises. The narrator did a good job. If you have something else to listen do, do that. If you just want some fairly pedestrian listen, do this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select Audiobooks, and Karen King for the early release copy of The Retreat in exchange for my review.
I really enjoyed this book. There are many twins and turns and I definitely could never have guessed the ending in a million years. This story of forgiveness and revenge and family conflict will keep you on the edge of your seats!
People come to the retreat to relax and unwind comfortably nestled in southern Spain. They have spent so much time renovating and beautifying the farm house that had been in the family for years. However, things had continued to go wrong and secrets continued to get revealed. A jaw dropping psychological thriller with twists that will keep you shocked!

“The Retreat” by Karen King deserves four stars for its engaging narrative. The story primarily revolves around the two main characters, Ava and Jose, whose journeys provide a unique blend of suspense and emotion.

The slow buildup in the plot might test your patience initially, but it’s worth the wait. What sets this novel apart is its unexpected and intriguing ending. Just when you think you have it all figured out, Karen King throws in a surprising twist that keeps you hooked till the very end.

A notable aspect of the book is the complexity of the characters, especially Ava’s best friend, whose suspicious nature adds an extra layer of intrigue to the storyline. The relationships and interactions between the characters are expertly crafted, making them feel real and relatable.

i mean, i figured it out pretty early, but i did still enjoy it. I liked the writing style. each character had their own voice which ive found to be rare in this genre. I will read more from King. 3.5

The Retreat started off with a sweet couple who took the husband's childhood hang out at his grandparent's house and turned it into an escape for people to learn more about wellness and healthy living. During a trial run of the retreat, they welcome one of Ava's college friends, Jose's cousin, and two couples looking to relax. The exact opposite happens as things start to go wrong. The question comes to light - who is doing this and why?

The Retreat is sort of a locked room mystery, but with some twists. There are those at the retreat, but there are also a few others who can come in and out. They have to figure out who is sabotaging the retreat and why they would do something like that.

I really enjoyed The Retreat. It was different than many books I've read recently and I was always guessing. I did not get the answer right, even up to the end.

This book was really good. Definitely everyone was a suspect that you wanted to keep reading to figure out who you wanted to share your hate for! No one was to be trusted!!! The cover immediately drew me in as well!!! Well done!

In this psychological thriller, a couple redo his grandmother's home and open a retreat. They invite six people for a test run.

As we learn more, it seems most of these folks have a connection to the owners in some way. A lot of strange things happen and it appears someone is trying to sabotage the retreat. As the owners start to realize their connections to the guests, almost everyone is a suspect in some one.

I didn't guess who it was, and that's always a plus.

I enjoyed this - had it on audio - and would definitely read more by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select - Bookouture for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

José and Ava have been working really hard to turn José's late grandparents' house into an upscale retreat. Six people, their very first guests, will be spending five days at their villa nestled in the mountains in the South of Spain.
But things won't go as planned, because someone's gone to the retreat with only one thing in mind : Revenge.

This was a nice summer read. The premise is rather common, but the underlying theme, "past actions and their consequences", adds depth to the story. The ending is more or less predictable and I felt that the "plot twist" was kind of unnecessary, because it didn’t really surprise me that much.

🎧 Audiobook narration : 4/5

Thank you NetGalley and DreamScape Select for giving me access to this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeSelect for the ARC #TheRetreat by #KarenKing. This book is about revenge packed with drama, betrayal and lies. I enjoyed the non stop shenanigans and would recommend this book.

This book is about a couple opening a b&b in their home in Spain. The home is inherited after a grandmother passed away. They do a test run and allow 6 people to stay. Apparently a few of these guests have connections to the owners. As statues fall, goats eat the garden and flames alight who has ill intent and why? An estranged cousin, a former best friend or maybe a jilted lover it seems everyone has a reason. Overall this is a good read but it’s more of a cozy story than a thriller.

3.5ish stars

This was a fun, summery thriller. It wasn’t necessarily anything unexpected or particularly shocking at the end, but it was an enjoyable little adventure. Also, I did appreciate the goats and the cat.😆

Ava and Jose are trying to make their dream of running a retreat come true. Jose inherited this house from his grandma and they've been working on it tirelessly for several years. This is the Grand Opening, and since they know some minor things could go wrong since it's the first go, these retreaters got a hefty discount.

Right from the start, things are messy. The guests keep having mysterious ties to their pasts, accidents keep happening, and eventually it becomes a safety hazard. It seems someone in this camp wants them to fail.. maybe even worse. Someone is dressing for revenge so they don't want this to go off without a hitch. They very much want hitches.

To me, this retreat already seems like a nightmare. Mindfulness and yoga? Harvesting your own veggies? Cleaning your ROOM? The audacity! So when you add in a vigilante, that definitely makes for a perfect nightmare. I guess these folks are into this kind of thing.

This was a relaxing weekend read! It was easy to follow and although it had a full cast of characters(but not too many), they were built so well that it was easy to tell who's who. That's not always easy for an author to do and I appreciate it!

Also, the narration is primarily Ava and Jose. Things got repetitive a time or two flipping between them so I'm glad everyone didn't get a turn to narrate. We hear from the secret baddie a few times between chapters but it's short and just to build suspense and it worked because I was working overtime to guess who it was!

All in all, it was a great little mystery and I'd definitely recommend it. I got the audiobook and the narration was fantastic.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen and review.

It has been a lifetime dream for Jose to open a resort so when he inherited his grandmothers house he and his wife Ava restored it to make that dream come true. They decide to have a soft opening with only a few guest.Since Jose is a chef and Ava is into fitness they will have healthy living massages and great food. It seems everyone who has booked a room has some type of history with one of the couple for Ava it is her ex best friend Soski who comes with her husband Sean and a girl named Bianka whose ties to Ava are not known at first but she arrives with her husband Nathan a policeman for Jose it is his cousin Carlos who he doesn’t know because he and Carlos‘s dad had a falling out before they were born and so really doesn’t know why he wants to come to the retreat but hopes he has good intentions there’s also a woman named Adrian and her husband Who neither one things they know but soon after she arrives it is a parent she knows one of them. It doesn’t help when threatening letters start appearing and things start going wrong the neighbor Mario has been a big help they try to keep positive attitudes despite the strange attitudes there guess seem to have and they try to keep the threats and mishaps to their self before it’s over someone’s life will be threatened and every guest will a one time be a suspect. Let me say upfront I thought the narrator did a stellar awesome phenomenal job she was awesome! Now on to the story the beginning had me captivated but as a story went on I thought it was too long the guest acted like a bunch of children especially when the lights went out and when the couple wanted to call the police they were just many things I found at fault with the story I did think the ending was pretty good especially with the twist because I love when you think a story is over and then it’s like wait there’s more that was a case with this book and so for the most part it was pretty good I think during the middle it straight a bit and almost lost my attention but I would still recommend this book it is a definite solid three star read with a five star narration. I want to think dreamscape select and net galley for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Did not see all the character storylines coming! Love a decent surprise in a thriller. Will be recommending this title to many friends!