3.5 ish stars

I’ve been looking forward to this book for quite some time now, and although it wasn’t necessarily a disappointment, it also wasn’t what I hoped or expected it would be. The premise was great, as was the isolated, gothic, wintery setting. Likewise, the sapphic and supernatural elements were welcome (although unexpected- the initial blurbs about the novel didn’t lead me to anticipate the direction this book would take). Some sections of this novel, especially towards the ending, were quite melodramatic and over the top. Additionally, there were definitely similarities to Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers, which was interesting; I think I hoped this book would be more along the lines of Kiersten Modglin’s A Quiet Retreat. Either way, this novel was certainly an experience. I do think some parts of it will stay with me, and I’ll be interested to see what the writer comes up with next.

When a group of writers go on a writing retreat at a famous author's house in an isolated area, something is bound to go wrong.

This book is so many things all at once, I don't even know what to say. I can't even pinpoint just one word to describe it because sometimes it was doing the absolute most and so wild, while at other times it was eye rolling. Sometimes it was a romance or it was a thriller.

Me: 🤔🤷🏽‍♀️🤯😲🙄
I will say that I couldn't put it down even when it got over the top ridiculous! The author does a really great job of keeping the reader engaged because I could not put this down. There are so many twists and turns along the way that really did kept me hooked.

Overall, I'm very impressed this was a debut! Interested to see what this author comes out with next, I'm sure we'll be in for another wild ride.

One month, 7-figure book deal, mentored by your idol in her secluded house in the woods..... what could go wrong??

The reader experienced this story through Alex's POV, the FMC, who long desired to have a book published but also experienced a nasty case of writer's block since she and her best friend stopped talking. Alex gets an amazing opportunity to not only meet her idol but to be mentored through the process of creating her masterpiece. Four other women join Alex for the writing retreat, and things start really rolling in the story around the 50% mark (first half was gaining background between all the women at the retreat as well as what happened for Alex and her bestie to fall out). Things aren't as they appear in the house in the woods, and Alex soon finds herself fighting for her life, in addition to her creative licence for the story that she needs to write.

Unhinged? Yes. Claustrophobic? Sure. Definitely a thriller, more so than a horror.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I was interested in the storyline fairly quickly but unfortunately, it just stalled out way too soon and I never was interested enough to pick up the thread and concentrate on the story after that.

Alex has always wanted to be a writer. She has watched her friends author and celebrate the publication of their own books and yet she sits at her dead-end job. Alex has a serious case of writer’s block. For over a year, she has struggled to develop any of her ideas into something of substance. When she was 13, Alex read a book that changed her, “The Devil’s Tongue.” The author, Rosa Vallo, now lives on a remote estate called Blackbriar. Each year, she holds a contest for writers who submit stories in exchange for an invitation to an exclusive writer’s retreat where they will be mentored by Vallo.

Unbeknownst to Alex, her friend Ursula submits one of her stories. When Ursula calls with the news she’s been accepted into the retreat, Alex takes leave from her job and travels to Blackbriar. The writers are tasked with producing 3000 words each day of the month long retreat. When one of the women turns up dead, things take a dark turn. With no way to access help, who will make it out alive?

I was really excited about the premise of this book. I love a good closer door thriller. It was a bit of a roller coaster ride. It started off great, it was really slow and hard to stick with, then it got better, went completely over the top, and ended kind of abruptly. I did like the very last part a lot and felt it tied up the loose ends really well. Overall, it was a slow burn with lots of promise that never really quite hit all the marks for me. I’d be willing to give this author another try in the future, but this book just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

My synopsis: Alex and Wren are writers. And they used to be best friends. Now, Alex has lost Wren’s friendship suddenly and without explanation, as well as her writing abilities and dreams of a completed novel to writer’s block. So when she is invited to a writer’s retreat competition with a book deal on the line at the snowy remote castle of an infamous author who Alex was worshipped since she was a little girl, it appears to be a life changing offer, regardless of whether she wins or loses. And life altering it surely is! Alex is one of five women brought to the castle for the competition. Wren is another — what could possibly go wrong?

My review: This book was THRILLING and totally bingeable. It caught and kept my attention until the very end. It was creative and unpredictable. I did not and could not have seen all of the plot twists! I like to read a lot of thrillers and mysteries, so to say this one packed a good punch shouldn’t be taken lightly. It also had a fair amount of spice and lgtbq themes, which I adored. This is an AMAZING debut for Julia and I am definitely excited to read more from her in the future!

4.5/5 stars

I enjoyed this book so much and wanted to support the author so I also bought a Book of the Month copy of this title. I was really happy it was selected by BOTM so the book could be marketed to a wide range of folks to enjoy like I had.

Thank you to Atria, Julia, and NetGalley for the advance reader’s galley in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars

This was an intense, suspenseful read in which five attendees are selected for a month long writing retreat with author Roza Vallo. Alex, a struggling writer, is the thrilled when she receives word that she’s been selected to attend, but the invitation doesn’t come without risks. For one, a former friend of hers that she had a falling out with (Wren) is also attending the retreat, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. While a seven-figure publishing deal is on the line, women begin to die, and suddenly this race against the clock and the other remaining attendees has turned into a living nightmare to see who will win and who will meet their demise.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it intrigued me from the very first page. It was well paced, has a diverse range of characters, and the suspense factor was so wildly unpredictable that I couldn’t put it down. The book had all the best characteristics of a must-read thriller, and I highly recommend it!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Hard to put down….a roller coaster of a story.
Many thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bartz' The Writing Retreat was just the atmospheric "locked room" winter read I wanted. The existing tension between characters made it easy to point fingers when things went wrong, but not every guess made by readers will be correct. Seasoned thriller readers might find the ending a bit predictable, yet enjoyable.

This book was a ride. The characters were so different from each other the best friends who stopped talking, the one with the hidden agenda, the one that was angry and then the last that was slightly off but you didn’t know why. In the center of it all is the famous author that they all worship and want to befriend. Finding out the truth about their hero was a hard pill for some to swallow. I bill recommend the book as it will keep you guessing throughout

I was really hoping for more out of this book; a lot of the reviews I saw on it said “crazy” and “unhinged”… I loved the description of the book, I love mysteries and thrillers and know that, for the most part, they are highly unlikely to happen but this book went off the rails. I didn’t like the main character (narrator) and I couldn’t stand her favorite author… i also wasn’t expecting it to have a couple detailed sex scenes which I I didn’t feel were necessary to the story. If the craziness were toned down a bit more, I think I would liked this.

Wow this book had me in it grips till the wee hours of night. I finished it in 2 days! When are main character budding author Alex wins a trip to Roza Vallo’s cabin for some much needed TLC it’s anything but. One by one the other contestants are getting picked off. In a classic who done it style. This atmospheric novel will have you sat down until the very last page. Agatha would be proud. This was the perfect read for the end of winter definitely gave me a submersible feeling. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Despite having rougher characters to relate to - this debut was developed well and I really enjoyed the writing style.

Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.

But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she must discover the truth—or suffer the same fate.

A claustrophobic and propulsive thriller exploring the dark side of female relationships and fame, The Writing Retreat is the unputdownable debut novel from a compelling new talent.

A book deal to DIE for!

Well, this was unexpected. I knew this was a thriller, but this was edgy, dark, and a little wild! Alex is struggling - in more ways than one - and is invited to a month long retreat hosted by a famous author. The minute she arrives, something feels off. And then she finds out she’s supposed to room with her ex-best friend, Wren. Rosa is INTENSE and has high expectations for the women attending the retreat. Does she have other motives??

Faced paced psychological thriller that keeps you turning pages! Everything feels like a mind game. No matter what, she HAS to keep writing!

The premise was so promising but it was a huge letdown. Did not keep my attention and I wanted to punch all the characters in the face. The plot was thin and the twists were all over the place and not in a good way. Did not feel any tension or thrill in this thriller.
Thanks to Atria Books for providing this ARC through NetGalley.

A fairly nice read, I was expecting a more supernatural element to the plot but that is limited to the story within this story. Lots of nods towards other works of fiction such as hill house and even Narnia. The last third of this book was really gripping with a plot twist I did not see coming.

I am not a normal reader of thillers here, so I can only base this title against the small list that I have indulged in the past, but this title gets a solid 4 stars out of 5 - which is especially amazing since this is a debut novel.

I will not go too deep into the plot here, as there are mini-revelations along the way, as well as a possible unreliable narrator (whether it be by commission or omission), but the synopsis is as follows: a group of aspiriting writers are invited to a remote mansion where they will be participating in a writing retreat with Roza Salazar, famed feminist horror writer; then things happen.

I kept on getting Night Film vibes from here - especailly from the creepy-famed-artist angle.

As a book about female writers competing to get published, one does wonder how much of Julia Bartz own personal experiences found their way into these pages (and seeing that she is also a practicing therapist also informs a lot of the choices made in this book).

Many thanks and NetGalley for the digital review copy, provided for an unbiased review.

A fast paced psychological thriller that kept my attention to the very end. I really liked this book, but felt the author tried to tick too many boxes to prove herself socially progressive...which often only detracted from the story.

I really enjoyed it even though it was a bit over the top, but that's what made it different (and better) than many mystery/thriller books out these days. Don't read too many reviews with summaries....this is best if you go in without too much knowledge about the plot.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this is a hard one to review for me because i feel like i loved it & hated it at the same time. i really struggled with the writing, it very much felt like a debut & like when my 7th grade teacher told me to “use as many different descriptive words as possible.” it also took FOREVER to get interesting, but the last 1/3 really did have me hooked - i felt like i had to know what was happening, even though it was quite predictable?
i definitely enjoyed my reading experience much more towards the end of the book compared to the beginning, but it wasn’t anything special!