A solid four star review for this thriller/mystery of four women who are on spa retreat, all with different reasons, and of course, all with secrets. Suddenly a murder happens and all the women there could have done it and all could be next. We are given clues, red herrings, flawed characters and a completely unexpected ending.

2.5 stars
Well I finally finished this book. It was very slow and not that great. I hated all the characters and was kinda hoping they would all die. I’m not sure what she could have done different. I liked the way it was written but that’s about it. Not a very good intro to the author.

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan-Tor/Forge for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

27 year old washed up former child star Katie goes to a health retreat with her brother’s fiancée, Ellie. Katie brings along a couple of friends from her short lived college days who are not without issues themselves. In the prologue we find out 8 people are dead at this retreat and spend the rest of the book finding out what happened.

I really enjoyed this author’s previous novel Follow You Down. This one just wasn’t as good. It started out pretty well. I was interested in the misfit characters, but then it just started dragging for me. I had a pretty good idea of who the murderer was, I just didn’t know why and when I did find out, it wasn’t that interesting to me. I will still look forward to this author’s next book because I liked her first one so much.

A masterful mystery, full of intrigue and red herrings which kept my mind buzzing with possible perpetrators throughout. All of the characters had major flaws which indicated they could have been the murderer depicted at the beginning of the book and I constantly swayed from one to the other as I endeavored to “soooolve the case” before it was revealed who-done-it! My only criticism is that the ending felt rushed but it didn’t affect my enjoyment.

The Retreat is desperate for a good round of editing. Stubborn determination and an eventual stirring of curiosity were the only reasons I continued turning pages.

The writing is stilted with a lot of nothing-words, for example 'it was like it was outfitted with camouflage'. I found the words 'had' and 'was' severely overused, yet interestingly in the first few chapters both words were omitted on several occasions when they really were necessary, leaving sentences incomplete. Almost as if someone had begun to screen the book for these words and chopped them out of places they were actually needed?
In fact in every chapter of The Retreat there are frequent instances of missing words. The writing made enough sense for my mind to subconsciously fill in the gaps but I couldn't read it as fluently as I'd expect.

There are so many metaphors and similes packed into every description I felt like I was reading my own attempts at storytelling back in secondary school!
I wouldn't have minded as much if they weren't so clumsy.. like a vampire kitty.. alarm as if a gun had gone off - quote first chapter.

I forced myself through this book to allow myself an honest review. It wasn't until 70% in that I realised I did want to finish it. By this point I was curious at what the characters were hiding. I can't tell you I cared about their thoughts, fate or feelings, but I did wonder if my persistence would be rewarded with any juicy revelations.

The ending did redeem a lot of my earlier issues with this book. I think with some very heavy editing it could be good but honestly? Right now it's a total mess.

The positives: It's a really interesting premise! An isolated retreat in the woods, run by a creepy couple who clearly seem to be hiding a few secrets of their own. I liked being introduced to the other participants at the retreat (apart from the four main characters), although it was difficult to keep everyone straight at first. I was excited to see how the weekend unfolded! I also liked the fact that the main character was a former child star. I don't think I've read any other books recently focused on a former child star, and I think the author did an excellent job of creating a fictional character and TV world that a lot of kids who grew up in the 80's and 90's could relate to. The characters were all unlikeable in their own ways, especially the main character, and I had trouble rooting for any of them. However, I still found myself invested in their individual journeys.

The only real negative for me was all of the unnecessary sexual stuff. Ultimately, I did not finish the book because of those scenes. They offer nothing to the story and only serve to alienate readers who just want a good "whodunit" mystery. After one particularly off-putting scene, I said to myself, "Okay. Hopefully that's it. But if there's one more graphic scene, I'm done." And, sure enough, there was another one in the next chapter. Some people don't mind all of the sex. I get that. But a lot of people do. So, if it's not absolutely essential to the plot, just leave it out of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good mystery story. What starts as a weekend at a retreat for four ladies turns into a weekend of murder and mayhem. Each of these ladies are hiding secrets from each other. And with these secrets each one does some crazy things. The story keeps your attention wanting to know what the secrets are and what they will do to rectify their actions. The ending is a wild ride that keeps you glued to the final page. Thank you to NetGalley and Forge Books for the ARC!

The Retreat is an atmospheric, well plotted thriller that really kept me on my toes. I read a lot of books in this genre and the sometimes get a little too predictable, but this one had plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Recommended!

This story focuses on four women- Katie, Carmen, Ellie, and Ariel. It goes through describing each of their lives while describing what is currently happening at a "getaway" weekend retreat. From reading this, you see that all four women have starkly different ways of life and the things that they've been through. The best part was the secrets that each woman was trying to keep under wraps.

The characters in this book was my favorite part. They were all severely flawed and all had things they wanted kept hidden. They were so easy to hate, but I really enjoyed learning about their stories and why they were at this retreat. I read the end of the book in one straight shot because I needed to know what was going to happen based on the BOMB that is dropped on you in the first chapter.

The unpredictability was out-of-this-world. I loved the twists and turns when they were warranted. The only reason why I didn't give this book five stars is because it was a lot. It was pretty tiring having something happen every other page.

However, I will say, the ending...PHEW! Totally unexpected and well worth the wait! I actually gasped out loud when I read over the final piece of dialogue. This was one of the endings that I think will stay with me. One word to describe this book: riveting.

This book was so good!

I’ve churned through a lot of thrillers lately and was beginning to feel a bit burnt out on them, but The Retreat was a breath of fresh air.

It was fast paced and didn’t waste time with red herrings or misdirection, jumping straight into the minds of a series of flawed characters who each had their own reasons to be at this retreat.

A sharp satire of the wellness industry, a breathless thriller, and a (very timely) indictment of predatory men in the entertainment industry. Who could want anymore?

There's something about a book set on a girls getaway that really draws me in. I think it's because I've had so many 'girls breaks' which have all been absolutely perfect, it's great to read a situation where it can all go wrong. We follow four girlfriends; Carmen, Katie, Ellie and Ariel who all attend a wellness retreat. Each live completely different lives and each have secrets they do not want to come out. Then, of course, there's a murder!
The last half of the book is fast paced, thrilling and energetic and I loved it. Would highly recommend.

The Retreat is a fast-paced psychological thriller set at a wellness retreat. Think Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. Four women attend the retreat and each have their own secrets and by the end of the weekend, there is murder. The novel is filled with twists. Highly recommend to readers who enjoy mysteries.

What a surprise this book was to me. I have read several "wellness retreat mystery" books lately and was worried that this book was going to fall into the same vein but boy did it surprise me. It was chocked full of twisty, dark elements and an ending that I didn't quite see coming. It may have been a tad bit far-fetched but still good.

Wow this book is a ride! I couldn’t put it down,
The prologue immediately tells you that something is going to go very wrong on this weekend trip so I just had to know.
The book is told in 4 alternating points of view with 4 very distinct and fleshed out voices which was great.
Each character was flawed and complex in the best way. It made the story very gritty and real.
I did not predict the ending, I had a couple guesses but didn’t get it totally right which is always great.
This book is gritty, dark and twisty and such a fantastic thriller. This is a psychological thriller done right

I was given an early readers copy of The Retreat to read in return for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley as well as the author & publisher - here’s my review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars

Pros: The story starts strong here with a good (although common) premise. I love these kinds of stories with multiple people trapped in the same place all with secrets. Entertaining - mostly. Characters not very likable but I like that usually. Writing was well done. Bad person makes good in the end. Child star deals with sexual issues and eventually uses it to help others.

Cons: The story kind of lags in the middle and end and falls a bit flat as it goes over the top unbelievable (I even giggled at times as it was just so silly). The underlying storyline of child molestation is not handled perfectly and kind of seems like an afterthought. Although it’s a good topic and relevant it doesn’t feel real in this book.

Overall:
Overall I enjoyed this book and think others would too for the most part. Not great but not horrible, this book falls somewhere in between for me.

Hope all that do read this, enjoy it!

The premise of the book sounded like a modern twist on the Agatha Christie classic And Then There Were None. However, as I tried to get deeper in the story I found the characters to be one-dimensional and I lost interest early on in the book.

This was a serious page turner. You start the book knowing that someone has done something seriously bad. Seriously. Then you spend the novel, through alternating viewpoints, figuring out who that person is. I really enjoyed this cast of mostly unlikable characters. The best part, though, was how—like Showtime’s The Affair—you get to see the same experience from different characters’ points of view.

The weakest part of the novel was the very end. There’s a quick, unconvincing wrap up that left me feeling unsatisfied after the roller coaster of a ride the rest of the book was. But otherwise, a fun (albeit intentionally ugly!) ride.

It is difficult to write this review without giving spoilers away, but I shall try :) I give this one 4* out of 5*. Actually 4.5* :)

First of all we have got Katie. She is an ex-child actress, whose career ended when she was young, due to a tragic incident causing facial disfigurement. She riding on the somewhat waning fame of that early success, but finds herself a bit lost in the world. She's currently living with her brother, or should I say, he is living with her. He looks out for her and keeps her safe, deals with all her problems etc. Unfortunately for Katie, her bro has a fiance called Ellie - who Katie is not so fond of. She's the typical English rose - all sweet, and annoying, and floaty and happy. Katie instantly dislikes her.

Well, what better way to bond than to go away to a holistic retreat together - that's what I'd do! Off Katie and Ellie go, with a couple of Katie's college friends along for the ride too. What happens next is where it gets interesting......

There's a bloody knife. There's a body. There's a hallucinogenic tea. There's a weird group of Retreat members. And there's, of course, Katie's number fan/stalker thrown into the mix.

I enjoyed reading this so much. The characters are ALL flawed - I don't think I liked any one of them, especially. But I was intrigued by most of them and needed to know what was going to happen to them. There are a lot of twists and turns and the story kept me hooked from start to finish. Although I read this is chunks, rather than in one go, I didn't want to put it down. Very well done on that front.

I hear you asking, why would you not have given this book a full 5* - are you mad??? Well let me tell you. I love this book, it was tense, angsty, it made me anxious and wanting to read further. BUT, I have read Sherri's previous book and I (unfairly?) compared it to that the whole way through. I LOVED 'Follow me down', I read it twice in a year I think. And I love Sherri, she's great - funny, endearing. So, 4.5* is a fair reflection of my views on this one.

I love a book where a cast of characters gathers in one place like An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena or an Agatha Christie novel. In The Retreat by Sherri Smith, a group of women get together for a weekend at a wellness retreat. Sounds fun, right? Maybe not…

Four women.
Four secrets.
A weekend that will change them forever…if they survive.

Katie Manning was a beloved child star until her mid-teens when her manager attacked and permanently scarred her face, effectively ending her career and sending her on a path of all-too-familiar post-Hollywood self-destruction.

Now twenty-seven, Katie wants a better answer to those clickbait “Where Are They Now?” articles that float around online. An answer she hopes to find when her brother’s too-good-to-be-true fiance invites her to a wellness retreat upstate. Together with Katie’s two best friends–one struggling with crippling debt and family obligations, one running away from a failed job and relationship–Katie will try to find the inner peace promised at the tranquil retreat. But finding oneself just might drudge up more memories than Katie is prepared to deal with.

Each woman has come to the retreat for different reasons. Each has her secrets to hide. And at the end of this weekend, only one will be left standing.

This is an entertaining read, the plot and smooth writing keep the pages turning quickly.

Pre-order here.

The premise of this book is of Katie, a former childhood star, who is running out of money, is probably drinking too much, sleepwalking and tending to give her money away. This, especially to her brother and his fiancé, Ellie, who live in the same 2-flat as Katie.

Ellie talks Katie into going to a weekend wellness retreat at The Sanctuary. Katie also brings along (and pays for) two of her college pals from a decade ago.

From the start, the retreat is weird. All vegan and no cell phones is expected - but not some of the challenges they encounter. There are about a dozen people at the retreat including Dr. Dave and his wife, Naomi, as their hosts. They are an interesting pair...

Things get even stranger when someone wakes up with a bloody knife and one of the participants has "left abruptly".

As the four friends become more entrenched in the mysteries that continue to pile up at this place, the reader has more and more questions...

A good read.

Many Thanks to Macmillian - Tor/Forge and NetGalley for a good read!