Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC. It was such a wild entertaining ride from beginning to end. I was immediately hooked and there were so many twist and turns I didn’t see coming. I haven’t read anything from this author and certainly won’t be my last. I didn’t really know if I was going to enjoy a book about a retreat but wow it was a lot more than that. It’s a great psychological thriller that deals with four different women. Each women definitely brought an element of surprise to the story. Its original! And it’s a fantastic read! ❣️

This novel had the book equivalent of a jump scare on nearly every other page. By midway through I was literally laughing out loud. I realize that wasn't the atmosphere the author was going for, but I'm giving the book an extra star for sheer entertainment value.

Unfortunately this thriller was not for me. It had a nice fast speed pace making it a nice quick read and it did offer a bunch of very different characters with their own background stories.

The book is told from the perspective of 4 women that go for a weekend to this retreat called The Sanctuary hoping to find some enlightment.

Disclaimer for: abuse, child molesting, drugs and violence

The characters all had their own problems and sadly I think the oversized character had bad rep and the child molesting part was not handled so good in my opinion. I ended up hating all the characters and just kept reading for the sole purpose of finding out the end of their stories and see if that would redeem any of the characters but it didn't.

I enjoyed reading this book. It has so many twists and turns it will make your head spin! However I didn't like the characters at all. The story is told from four different prospectives and they all have secrects. I liked the authors writing style and I look forward to reading more from her. I definitely recommend this one it is a very satisfying read.

I neither loved nor hated this book. Though there are currently many books with a retreat theme, I haven't read any of them. In that regard, the story line was unique for me. The problem was that the characters were so unlikable. I did have some pity and compassion for them, but never felt connected to any of the characters. Additionally, each chapter kept changing the perspective between the characters. The arbitrary sex scenes had me scratching my head. They were just thrown in, making zero sense and adding nothing to the plot. A few twists were interesting enough, but overall the story just didn't hold a lot of appeal.

Since I had an early copy, there were lots of typos and missing words. I hope those are resolved by the finished copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


Katie used to be a child star but now she is just trying to keep her life together. Her future sister-in-law recommends they take a weekend at a retreat that's known for their special tea that changes lives. Her sister-in-law also hopes it's time for them to bond since their current bond is a little rough around the edges. Unknown to her, Katie has also invited to of her college friends to join them. Carmen is in financial trouble and hopes this weekend will take her mind off of it. Ariel is also looking for a new path in life since her job working at hotel turned out to not meet her expectations and her love life is falling apart.

The weekend at the retreat ends up being more than any of them bargained for. By the end of the weekend, only one will survive.

I thought this book was ok. The story kept me intrigued that I wanted to know more but the pacing was extremely slow. There are comparisons to Nine Perfect Strangers but I haven't read that book yet so I'm not sure how accurate the comparison is. This would be a good novel for readers that like their thrillers that give a slow burn and also not a lot of violence.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC I really enjoyed this murder mystery. The opening of the book really pulls you in and makes you want to know what really happened here and who did it. Great book, some typos, some spots were slow but overall a good read. I would look for more from this Author in the future.

I was kindly sent a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for a honest review.

I very rarely give a book one star however this one did nothing for me what so ever. I was quite intrigued by the retreat story line as I’ve read a few other books with that setting and quite enjoyed them. I just felt that this book exhausted the whole retreat storyline it became more about drugs and I didn’t find it very original in the slightest. I also detested every single character and after about 30 % of the way in it became a chore to read.

Overall I wouldn’t recommend it personally however many others would given it’s fairly high ratings. I think I just read that many books I now have highs expectations on writing style, story lines and characterisation.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This was my first book by this author, and i was NOT disappointed.
Each girl on this retreat is hiding a secret... and some just may end in murder.

The Retreat is a superb example of a great suspense novel. Sherri Smith has written quite a read! Worth your time

I had a flashback to my teenage years reading this book as it reminded me of a Point Horror (remember those!) This book is about a group of friends (sort of) that go away to a retreat and the events that unfold there and is told from the perspectives of each of the four friends. I did guess 'whodunnit' early on, and some of the twists that happened but overall it was still an enjoyable read.

I very much enjoyed this book! From start to finish, it’s the kind you don’t want to put down! Katie, her future sister in law Ellie, and her two best friends Carmen and Ariel are going on a retreat, each for different reasons. At the retreat, we find each girl is hiding secrets,some worse than others. And some that end in murder. I loved the backstory as to why. It was a tad predictable but well written enough that I would love to find more books by this author!! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! It's almost like a darker version of Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (but better). I have been a fan of the authors work for the past 2 years and was really excited that this one was recommended to me. I very much recommend it!

My favorite genre is murder mystery. This book totally delivered! This book had me from the start and had so many ups and downs it held my attention throughout. Loved it!

This book was enjoyable and reminded me of Big Little Lies wherein it followed the lives of 4 women through their up and downs. Nice story all about friendship and what it entails.

Loved this! The plot was original and exciting. I enjoyed the alternating perspectives among the characters and really loved the setting descriptions. The author did really well with pacing and keeping the reader interested. I hope this book is a hit upon publication!

I’ve been on a real murder mystery kick lately. And this book delivered oh so well. Katie is a former child star whose money is quickly drying up and has been going through a rough patch due to a tasteless tweet she’s made. She decides it’s time to get away to her energy re-aligned and to get her energy re-aligned. Joining her are her two best friends from college, Carmen and Ariel, and her stuffy soon to be sister in law Ellie.

This getaway happens to be at a new age wellness retreat where the uh treatments are waaay out there. The couple running it are in my eyes very peculiar and the guests run from the normal to the what in the hell is going on. Right away we can sense discord amongst the group and when a member ends up missing...the fun begins.

This book had me from the start and was a wild roller coaster until the VERY end. At times it felt a bit campy sort of like an 80s horror movie but you know what it worked and I really enjoyed it. There are some heavy topics at play here but the author conveys the emotion very very well and handles it as sensibly as one can. I was not expecting the ending but I did predict some of the plot but I am a mystery junkie and nothing really shocks me anymore. like I I thoroughly enjoyed this and my only true complaint was that I wish it were longer and we had a bit more of a resolution for some of the other campers at the retreat! When you read it you’ll find out what I mean 😉

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Wow! The opening pulls you in directly into the story and gives you such a sense of foreboding that I was so anxious to see what was to come. I quickly became enthralled with the four main characters. Each with their own twisted back story, I still can't decide who ended up shocking me the most. With each character though, I found myself fully invested and could not wait to see how their stories would play out and whose hands their fates would lie in. I loved the writing style and the wildly original plot. This one gave me some serious goosebumps. A truly gripping suspense novel with so many twists and turns your head will spin. I thought I had this one all figured out but this book totally surprised me... Defiantly one of the best of the year in my opinion!

I want to thank netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this story thinking that it would be one of the good thrillers that draws you in and I wasn't disappointed. It's told from the point of you of 4 different woman who go away to a meditative retreat, each with their own agenda. Katie is the main character, a former child star, now a pariah for an offensive tweet who goes at the suggestion of Ellie, her future sister-in-law. She's a new age vegan British beauty who she does not get along with. Ellie invites Katie to forge a bond between them and help her get herself together. Katie invites her college friends Ariel and Carmen. Ariel is obsessed with the owner of the retreat, Dr. Dan, a stereotypical self-guru verging on cult leader. His wife, Naomi, also runs the retreat, but Ariel doesn't concern herself with that. Carmen doesn't have any interest in being there as she cares for four younger sisters and a sick father who she feels bad for leaving in someone else's care. But time with Katie might lead to some much needed financial assistance, so she agrees to go.

The retreat is as described and it's not long before they are participating in wellness activities of all sorts, including turning in their cell phones 'to disengage' and focus on their inner bliss. Of course, it all goes downhill from there as Katie soon finds herself in a bad way with one of the other quirky guests on the retreat, who happens to be obsessed with Katie's Shelby Spade childhood character. Not all is at it seems at this tranquil retreat and the women begin to question what exactly they are capable of and just how transformed they want to find themselves after this weekend.

This type of story may have been told before, but it tells it well. I think there could have been less foreshadowing of the eventual perpetrator because you won't be surprised. Where the author tried to make the character's motivations vague and ambiguous, she really just gave it away too early. It's still fun to hang in there and see how it all comes about, in a deliciously gory way. The epilogue should expand on not just the last one standing, but also on the aftereffects on the retreat - does it continue on somehow? And the characters that don't make it - how do the events and their deaths effect those around them? Is the truth of their actions revealed to anyone that wasn't part of the retreat? Had these questions been answered I would have been more satisfied with the conclusion. It doesn't change the fact that this was a fun thriller that I found hard to put down until it was over!

Many thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

From start to finish, THE RETREAT is a riveting tale of friendship, family, "wellness"...and deception.

The locale, a remote wellness retreat, sets the scene for suspense, as the increasingly bizarre methods of Dr. Dan and his wife Naomi keep participants (and therefore readers) unsettled. In a digital age, surrendering one's electronic devices is disconcerting to say the least; even more so when surrounded by, and urged to be vulnerable around, complete strangers. In addition, the lodging accommodations, meals, and staff are a little "off," while the proprietors' credentials and reputation teeter on shaky ground.

Each of the main characters has her own fully fleshed back story. Although I initially got Carmen and Ariel confused, their goals, motivations, and conflicts soon become very distinct from one another's. Ultimately, each woman has her own revelation(s) during the weekend stay, which only adds to the group's already-tense dynamic.

I read a lot of psychological thrillers, so for one to be good, it has to surprise me. This one surprised me. The beginning, the hook, gives readers a glimpse of what will happen, yet I was still caught off guard by the "who, "the "why," and the path it took to get there.

I highly recommend this book to fans of the genre!

***Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a review copy.***