The isolated, remote location really set the tone, and it added an extra layer of uneasiness. I liked that it was told from only one POV (Alex) which is a nice change of pace, as many thrillers now are told from multiple POVs. The story within a story aspect did not work for me, although it wasn't a major drawback. This was very tension filled and it did a good job of building up the suspense and tension. The pacing was good until the end which felt very rushed to me.

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz was so captivating, so addicting, that once I started I had to force myself to take breaks. It is THE spooky season book of the year for me!

The novel follows Alex, an aspiring author who's had a bad case of writer's block since she and her best friend Wren had a gorey falling out. When both Alex and Wren are chosen along with 3 other young females to participate in a writing retreat hosted by feminist icon Roza Vallo, Alex decides to try to shove down the past to make way for her future. But as the month progresses, snow traps the group in place and women begin dying. Despite it all, the circumstances seem to be leading Alex to creating a masterpiece of a novel, if only she can survive long enough to finish it.

The twist and turns this novel took had my heart racing. I was continually alternating between a deep terror and utter fixation. Each woman is unique, playing an active role in the novel's slow yet steep demise. Best of all, the novel was full of several captivating stories sprinkled throughout. I was never bored, and at the end all I could think about was that I wanted even more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Creepy, spooky, atmospheric: need I say more!? This story takes place in a winter retreat for writers and once the story gets going it really goes! This was a great thriller and I genuinely loved reading this one. Once I started it was hard to put it down.

Great read. Overall enjoyed it but if I am honest I did not love how the ending. Still worth the read--fun thriller for this Fall!

Thank you to Atria Books for a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had so much potential but it was ultimately a hot mess. Did it want to be deep and metaphorical? Did it want to be a straightforward thriller? Did it want to be paranormal? Did it want to be a commentary on the publishing industry? I think it wanted to be entirely too many things and it feel short of all of them.

From the book description: "This unhinged, propulsive, claustrophobic closed-door thriller will pull you in and spit you out…" Unhinged is right! What starts off as a cozy writing retreat quickly escalates due to psychotic behavior by some in attendance. Oh my! Because Alex is writing a book while at the retreat, at times we are reading two different story lines and I wasn't a fan of that. The ending of this book was a lot. I'll just leave it at that. I'm giving the book 3 stars because I did appreciate Alex's emotional growth journey to find courage and strength and believe in herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was hooked from the very beginning with this mystery/thriller! By the midway point I was kind of curious when the mystery would start to unfold- but I wasn’t too worried because I was still captivated.

I had some mixed thoughts on this one.
- For a debut novel, I thought this was very solid and I will definitely keep an eye out for future books by this author
- I liked the premise and the setting
- The ending felt over the top

'The Writing Retreat' by Julia Bartz is an average read that provides a decent escape into the world of writing and mystery. It has its moments but doesn't quite hit the mark in some areas.

The story is set in an intriguing backdrop—a remote writing retreat where aspiring authors gather to hone their craft. The premise promises a blend of creativity and suspense, which initially piqued my interest.

Julia Bartz's writing style is straightforward and easy to follow, making it a comfortable read. She effectively captures the atmosphere of the retreat and the dynamics among the participants.

However, the characters in the novel, while relatable, often lack depth and complexity. This makes it challenging to fully engage with their journeys and the unfolding mystery. More fleshed-out characters would have added layers to the story.

The pacing of 'The Writing Retreat' is a bit uneven, with periods of slow development followed by bursts of action. This inconsistency in pacing affects the overall flow of the narrative.

Additionally, the mystery element, which should be a central focus of the story, doesn't quite deliver the expected intrigue and suspense. The resolution of the mystery felt somewhat rushed and could have been more thoroughly developed.

In conclusion, 'The Writing Retreat' is an average read that combines writing and mystery but falls short in terms of character depth and pacing. It's a book that may appeal to those looking for a light and straightforward escape but may leave readers wanting more complexity and depth in both the characters and the plot.

This debut novel delivers a compelling narrative that keeps you eagerly turning pages, yearning for answers throughout. “The Writing Retreat” proves to be an expertly crafted thrill ride.

The story follows Alex, the protagonist, who secures a golden opportunity to spend a month writing alongside her literary idol. Upon her arrival, she discovers a hauntingly picturesque estate steeped in dark history. As the days pass, she realizes she must coexist with her estranged ex-best friend and becomes snowbound. However, the idyllic scenario quickly unravels, revealing hidden secrets about her idol, Alex’s battle with writer’s block, and the emergence of a captivating tale within the main narrative.

With its intricate plot and relentless momentum, “The Writing Retreat” proves to be an immensely enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book started off soooo good and I absolutely loved the premise. Five elite short story writers were gathered together for a month-long retreat with the famous and slightly reclusive Rosa Vello. Once at the retreat, they were completely isolated from the outside world and tasked with a fierce competition to draft a book that Rosa would get published with a $1M advance. I was totally enthralled and hooked!

While Al started grating on me shortly into the novel, I didn't let it deter me from enjoying this novel. I loved the creepy vibes, Rosa's totally wild sense of "humor," and the cutthroat aspect of the competition. Some of story ideas really piqued my interest, although admittedly, I was pretty bored by the plotline Al decided to pursue. Typically, I love a story within a story but "The Great Commission" didn't quite do it for me.

Around halfway in, this novel takes a drastic turn that I can't say was unexpected, but I can say was totally over the top. I probably would have enjoyed it more if it felt more realistic and hadn't been so out there. I think the X-rated LSD trip with Al in the basement really sent this book off the rails for me and I was a little disappointed things got so...out there!

All in all, this was entertaining but not one that will stick with me.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the copy.

Oh how I love a locked room mystery, especially one as fast paced as this one! This was a fantastic debut and I found it to be unputdownable! This book was captivating and the ending was very satisfying!

I really wanted to like this one but I honestly couldn’t even finish it. I just couldn’t find any character to connect with and the writing style felt gratuitous. I had seen really mixed reviews but loved the overall premise it just didn’t work for me.

Alex, the protagonist, has been having a writing block for over a year after an “episode” with a girlfriend, Wren. Then, Alex and Wren are selected with three other women to participate in a Writing Retreat with famous author, Roza Vallo. This provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a successful writer. There would be one winner! However, not everyone is who they seem to be. This is a mystery book where the reader attempts to determine sanity amid chaos. If you enjoy a good whodunit, this may be the book for you. I downgraded the book because the plot seemed to drag at times. It felt to me like it was repeating itself at times.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, and the author for the privilege to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A very atmospheric debut that kept me guessing! Some of the twists were a little much but if you're a fan of psychological thrillers, I think you'll enjoy it.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the copy to review.

This book was fine, it just wasn't really what I expected it to be. This was not the writing competition I thought it was going to be. I was invested in the beginning, but by the end, I didn't really care about the story anymore.

This book was such a wild ride! Extremely atmospheric and very moody, The Writing Retreat has the feel of Agatha Christie and Ruth Ware, while also somehow reminding me of the intense drama of the show Pretty Little Liars. I loved twisty, chaotic story about a writing retreat gone wrong. Highly recommend to those who like the types of stories mentioned in this review!

Book was very slow to get into. Couldn’t connect with the characters. Was confusing at times. Plot twists weren’t great.

Holeeee shite, talk about a slow burner. I kept putting this down and getting distracted, but one the action starts it doesn’t let up. I mean, I knew going in that a bunch of writers trapped together in a retreat was going to end up going sideways. But this went in directions I wasn’t prepared for, and I love that in a thriller.

Alex is writer who has had writer’s block for over a year. Her friend submitted her work to her favorite author and earned her a spot in a retreat to work with her on a novel. The only problem (other than being unable to write, of course)? Her ex best friend is going too.

It's strange when a book about writing doesn't have good writing in it, but here we are. On the sentence level this book runs along a sliding scale of dullness, with occasional dips into cringe inducing. For sure I've read worse, but again when so much of the book is about writing and you decide to include a line of dialogue to the effect of "For the final stage we can finally see who can write the best final chapters," it makes it all too clear that there really wasn't that much care and attention put here to the writing and it takes the air out of anything the author is trying to do on the plot level.

Not that the plot is so much better. Oh, to be sure there's a nice little twist here and there (and I am an admitted sucker for a writer character to have a desperation to write a good story but also an inability to write a good story, and that's very present here) but so much of it is scuppered by a) the writing and b) the characters being, more or less, wet noodles.

I would say that more attention is paid to giving descriptions of what the characters are wearing than to giving them defined personalities. It's not so bad that you can't tell them apart, but it's bad enough that you forget one out of five exist unless direct attention is being put on them. It's fine - or tolerable - during the sections when they're just workshopping, but less so when the action kicks in and you have to believe that they're capable of all these outsized actions. And Bartz makes sure to handwave in a rationale behind someone being able to pick a lock or fire a gun (a one sentence line about spending time with a friend in Wyoming? really?) but that's not convincing.

I wish more effort had been put in here, because the concept IS good, and I did enjoy those flashes of writerly tension but in almost every respect this book falls short. Maybe thriller fans who haven't been in writing workshops themselves would find something to enjoy here, but I don't know that I could recommend it to anyone else.