I really enjoyed this book! This is my first Julia Bartz book and you can bet I’ll be reading more of her work!
A story about a mental health worker, a trip to a “relationship healing” center, a crazy cult, reincarnation.. what a great combination! A bit of a slow burn yet still full of twists and turns that had be going back and saying, “wait, what?” Highly recommend everyone reading this book!

The Last Session by Julia Bartz ⭐️⭐️💫

I was excited for this one because I enjoyed The Writing Retreat, but this one didn’t give me the same thrill.

I really enjoyed the cult aspect of this read. It was well done and kept me feeling cringey, which was perfect for the reading experience.

However, I really really struggled with how unrealistic it was and the character motivations. I did not understand why the main character would go searching for her short-term patient, and on top of that, how that search didn’t lead to professional ramifications. It continued to be pretty far-fetched and it just never rounded out for me.

Fans of twisty, cult-focused reads may enjoy this one!

A immersive and propulsive read, but something about it just didn't click with me. Could be the cult aspect? I like the atomsphere and writing, just not a new all time favorite.

If you love books about cults, this one is up your alley. I really enjoyed the first half but it became more unbelievable in the second half which made me lose some of my interest. I’m a mental health professional myself and really cringed at some of the scenes. Overall it was a good book and I did enjoy it, but some aspects just weren’t for me.

Yes! I love books about cults. This was a fun and super intense read. I felt like I was right there with the characters the whole time. This book is very exciting. For a moment, I was worried that the visions and dreams was going to take this book in a whole other direction, but thankfully the story was realistic. Thank you, NetGalley.

In The Last Session, social worker Thea is drawn into a strange mystery when a catatonic woman she recognizes, appears at the psychiatric unit she works at. When the patient suddenly vanishes, Thea follows a trail that leads her to a retreat in New Mexico, where a charming couple conducts therapy sessions focused on romantic and sexual issues. As she herself engages in these intimate exercises, Thea uncovers secrets about both the missing patient and her own past.

While the tone is reminiscent of Bartz’s 2023 novel, The Writing Retreat, this one leans much more toward adult themes. I found it unique and enjoyable, and I highly recommend it to fans of psychological suspense and cult thrillers!

Thea is working as a social worker. Her new patient is catatonic and looks oddly familiar. When the patient goes missing, Thea follows a trail of clues to a remote retreat center.

I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second but only because it went in a direction that it not my favorite. It has a lot of metaphysics to it. While this is not for me, I know many enjoy that so if you do, definitely give it a try. I did really like Thea’s backstory and loved how it affected her and wrapped up.

“Whatever I do or don’t do, it doesn’t matter. Very few of us are going to make it out of here alive.”

The Last Session comes out 4/1.

I really tried to like it I really did. It was just too weird for me. I usually like books about cults but this one just didnt do it for me.

I was really excited to read this book with my friend Marie. From the very first pages, I realized this wasn’t a story where I could overanalyze things—I just had to let go and go with the flow. The book had that eerie, locked-room thriller vibe, with a heavy, atmospheric setting and cult elements that added to the tension.

There was a lot going on—characters appearing and disappearing, secrets unraveling, and twists that kept me questioning everything. At times, it felt overwhelming, like too many moving pieces at once. But by the end, everything fell into place, and I could see how all the chaos had been leading up to that moment.

While it wasn’t the most flawless read, it definitely kept me hooked. The suspense, the unsettling mood, and the mystery made it an experience I won’t forget anytime soon.

The Last Session by Julia Bartz is a book that will have you questioning what's real and what's not.

"A catatonic patient shows up at the psychiatric unit where Thea is a social worker. She thinks she recognizes the patient from somewhere. She's shocked to discover a connection to her own traumatic past. The patient disappears before Thea can talk to her, but she tracks her to a a Wellness Center in the desert. Thea heads there for a weekend retreat hoping to find answers. What she finds has her questioning her own reality."

Do you like cults? Do you like charismatic leaders? Isolated location in the desert? Portals to another dimension? Trippy dreams? Break from reality? You'll love this book. Bartz gets you out in the desert and keeps you guessing. There's a lot of woo-woo from one character - what more do you expect from someone named Moon?

You will question all of Thea's decisions - but will hope she can work through her past trauma.

Fans of psychological thrillers should like this one.

The Last Session by Julia Bartz is the new novel by the author of The Writing Retreat, which I enjoyed for its Gothic vibes and psychological suspense.
In this new work, Bartz moves from the subject of writers to the realm of mental health care and psychological trauma. Most of this story is set at The Center for Relational Healing in New Mexico, a remote compound in the desert.
The protagonist, Thea, is an altruistic social worker, with her own “issues” of past trauma, who gallantly travels from NYC to the New Mexico Center to rescue a damaged former actress (who coincidentally looks just like Thea!) from the hands of the manipulative leaders of the Center.
There is a fairly stereotypical representation of a cult, this one espousing reincarnation. The leaders, Svengali-like Sol and Moon, are also sexual predators, grooming young women. They are also trying to bilk wealthy clients out of their savings, as well. There are many ins and outs and much subterfuge occurring at the Center, as well as a lot of unbelievable scenes involving caves and towers. The final 10% of the story does include exciting action scenes and provides a good wrap up of the characters’ fates.
As much as I liked The Writing Retreat and its prose, I just could not get as invested in this book, with neither the characters nor the story —for me it was just too busy and has a lot of little plot threads tangled in a superficial way.
That said, I will still look for Julia Bartz’s next novel, as I like her writing style.

Thank you to Emily Bestler Books/Atria and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This is a totally weird and trippy read, but I enjoyed the ride. I loved the atmospheric and cultish vibes, as well as the remote retreat setting throughout. It is a bizarre book and completely different from anything I have ever read before. The second half of the book is a little out there, but I think that was the point and what made the book. You definitely have to think outside of the box and suspend your beliefs while reading this book, but nonetheless it was a crazy and enjoyable ride. Bartz’s writing, characters, and vivid atmospheric details kept my attention throughout. I am always a fan of cult-ish dynamics, and this one had just that. Overall, this was a fun book that I think thriller lovers will either love or hate-but I highly recommend giving it a chance and going into it with an open mind.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
✦Cult-ish vibes
✦A weird and trippy read
✦Atmospheric writing
✦A book that makes you think outside of the box ad suspend your beliefs

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

5/10 kind of a letdown. it was kind of a played out conceptF in all of my mystery reading. some of the more “exciting” parts were so so overdone. it was hard to take it seriously. i think it had potential but it was underwhelming.

Our main character, Thea, feels unmoored in her personal life and at work when a mysterious woman appears in front of her, and while she finds the woman so familiar she can’t quite put her finger on it. When the woman vanishes as quickly as she appears, Thea finds herself being pulled into the world of a mysterious group operating in the a secluded desert mansion. So begins the race to uncover the connections Thea has to this place before it’s too late.

I had loved The Writing Retreat, and so when I saw that Julia Bartz had another novel coming out, I knew I had to read it. It features a main character who feels like she reflects anxieties that many woman experience, as well as a determination to move forward even when the odds are against her. Add in a cult and a secluded compound, and it was a book that I couldn’t put down. Quick paced and mysterious, Bartz has done it again, and I hope there are many more to come.

While the concept is intriguing, the execution falls short in places. Some parts feel a bit too slow and introspective, which may leave readers wanting more engagement with the characters. The pacing could have been better, and the emotional depth, while present, doesn’t quite hit the mark. Overall, The Last Session is a decent read, but it doesn't fully captivate or leave a lasting impact. I gave it 2 stars for its potential and thoughtful premise, though it didn't fully deliver.

I really loved the writing in this one but the content really let me down. Loved the cult-y aspect and really liked the main character but I found the whole second life part really hard to engage with. If you can suspend your belief a little more than me then I think you'd really like this!

This book had a lot to love: a cult, suspense, and a psychiatric hospital.

Overall, I loved the premise of this book! It was super easy to want to keep reading. There were times that I found myself questioning if I understood what was happening in the story. When I was questioning that, it took a couple of chapters to figure out where I was again. I did enjoy the story, though!

2.5 - I didn’t hate it, but I don’t think I really enjoyed it either. I will say that Bartz is NOT afraid to go all the way with her thrillers and I commend her for that. This just took way too long to get interesting. Things felt fragmented and pieced together, but I did really like the veeeeery end full circle moment.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review .

2.5 stars

I was really drawn in by part one. It progressed in a series of bad choices for the main character that left me largely disinterested. I didn’t find the cult super intriguing, and it lacked a bit of believability. There are some claustrophobic elements later that were really well done, but I’m not sure the end has a lot of payoff.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.

Thea is a therapist working in a psychiatric unit in NYC. One day a new patient comes in; she was found walking down the highway. Thea recognizes this woman as Catherine, the star of her favorite childhood movie. Thea trys to get Catherine to talk about what happened and why she was found on the highway. Catherine just starts talking and working with the therapists, when her parents come to take her home. However, Thea discovers that it wasn’t Catherine’s parents; and that she might have been taken to a wellness center in New Mexico. Thea books a weekend at this wellness retreat to find out if Catherine is there and if she’s okay. The retreat is more than just about wellness, instead it’s a relationship retreat. Thea has been working on her own issues, but this might force her to share more than she wants. In the meantime, she needs to find Catherine. I thought this book was very interesting up until Part 3. Part 3 is over the top and even goes off the rails. However, I feel like Part 4 gets back on track to finish up the book. Overall, a story that held my interest, but could have been better. Also, I liked her previous book, The Writing Retreat, more than this one. However, I’ll still pick up the next book by this author to see how it goes.

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC to review.