I LOVED THIS BOOK. I blew right the hell through it and I miss it already. The plot and setting are both super-intriguing and all the characters are well-drawn — people you can really get. This includes our narrator, whose head is an excellent place to be in. The book never leaves you in one place for too long and there are sooo many questions to flip the pages toward. If you’re wondering if you should start it, you definitely should.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria, and Julia Bartz for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!**

retreat (noun): a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy

This is the definition of "retreat" referenced in the title of this book, and looking at the cover, this definition makes sense (despite the ominous Overlook hotel-esque overtones provided). However, this book had me wanting to personally jump to the OTHER definition of retreat a bit too often. That is, "MAKE a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity"

And in this case that activity was actually getting THROUGH this book.

Writers often need solitude to be at their best...but after months of writer's block, it's clear Alex needs a change. Stuck in a writing rut, she finds out about an exclusive retreat being hosted at Blackbrier Estate by none other than one of her FAVORITE authors, the FABulous Mistress of Feminist Horror herself, Roza Vallo. As one of 5 lucky writers, Alex is even willing to face her estranged former best friend Wren for a chance to work with a legend...even though there is plenty of unfinished business and bad blood still lingering in the air.

Once there, the women discover that they are each expected to finish a full-length novel during the month-long retreat...and the novel Roza likes best will go on to get a whopper of a publishing deal. The competition is fierce, but as fictitious stories are told, some secrets begin to emerge...and strange and sinister happenings take over Blackbrier, taking its inhabitants confused from confused...to alarmed...to terrified. Who will win the prize AND the day? Or is there far more at stake here than the glittering allure of fame?

This is an INCREDIBLY polarizing book, and I after completing it, I get it. It's one of those thrillers that either ticks all the boxes for you or just doesn't hit the mark whatsoever. I'll admit I grabbed this one based SOLELY on the cover (yet again...will I ever learn?!) and went in blind figuring a writing retreat that looked eerie, set in the winter, easy locked room popcorn thriller to chase away the winter blues.

But Julia Bartz seemingly had an agenda...I just have no idea what it actually WAS.

There are so many strange elements tossed together in this, everything from gratuitous sex to paranormal activity, elements of locked room mystery AND gothic mystery, and what I felt was a pretty blatant mix of two Stephen King novels and one OTHER novel as well (mentioned under spoiler tags here) that I honestly just didn't get what I was supposed to get out of this book. The premise was hard enough to believe initially, the characters obnoxious, the writing felt very flat and the excerpts of Rosa's "bestsellers", as well as Alex's book in progress were so painfully boring, I got to the point where I was skimming those passages entirely.

Some reviewers have described this read as "satirical" and "darkly humorous", so I tried to look back at this book in a different light after finishing it...but I couldn't really find anything funny about it either. The 'commentary' on the publishing industry either wasn't spelled out in a way that I found too intriguing or just didn't jive with me: I'm not sure. But needless to say, the plot itself was both a bit goofy and underwhelming to be memorable and since I'd pretty much lost interest it was pretty irrelevant what ended up taking place anyway.

Going to a retreat should leave you refreshed and rejuvenated...but in the case of this one, it was only getting far, FAR away from it that finally did the trick.

3 stars

A terrifically fun thriller and popcorn horror novel reminiscent of the best of Riley Sager.

I didn’t expect to like this book, as I struggle a lot with characterization and relationship dynamics in womens’s thrillers, but this was fun and exciting and a lot more self aware than other novels in this subgenre.

Bartz did a terrific job on the setting, the creepiest, crumbliest old mansion, complete with hostile servants, secret passages, a stunning library and of course, the requisite bad weather trapping all the guests there just as they start getting killed off.

None of this is, of course, especially original. But it’s exceptionally well executed and well paced, and the atmosphere is outstanding. I didn’t love the backstory between the two frenemies present at the retreat, but the dynamic between them does feed well into the greater plot, and Bartz showed remarkably good character development and nuance for a Thriller.

I seem to be in the minority here, but I actually quite liked this book.

First, the setting was incredible. I love a creepy mansion in the middle of nowhere, and to make it a writing retreat from hell is really the icing on the cake.

I also like a slow-burn on occasion, and that's what you got here -- there was an ever-present prickling weirdness that abounded, and that's what drove the story forward. Yes, the first half is a little quiet, but I enjoyed that reliance on atmosphere.

I also liked the story within a story.

Yes, the characters are odious -- but I thought that was the point. They have bad takes and masquerade as open-minded. I know that's not everyone's cup of tea, but I do like it. I didn't feel like their occasionally problematic views were endorsed by Bartz, but rather, that she wanted to showcase just how messy they all were. I could be wrong! But that's how I took it.

This was not what I expected when I started this book. I was intrigued and it kept me wanting to read but it took a couple turns I wish had gone a different direction. That’s not always a bad thing because it keeps me on my toes and not knowing what’s coming next. This was definitely the case with this book.

Omg what an amazing book!!! It’s so good you just don’t want to put it down! It’s one of my favorite books this year!

The Writing Retreat is a psychological thriller that keeps your turning page after page. Alex goes to the retreat and things definitely go astray. The characters all find out things about one another.

I really wanted to like this. The blurb sounded amazing, but this book was a train wreck.

50% in and literally nothing had happened but setting up the backstory and the characters. A Snoozefest. Then all hell broke loose. I feel like the rest of the book was just checking off a list.

THANK YOU, NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to review one of my most anticipated reads!! I buddy-read this one with a group of 5 and it was a GREAT book to read with friends. Lots of twists, turns, and theories to discuss!!

What I loved: I absolutely loved just how BONKERS this book was. Lots of crazy twists, sinister plotting, betrayal, lies, impersonation, murder... the whole nine yards. I loved the highly unsettling mood established throughout the whole novel. I could feel it from the moment Alex entered the mansion. The "locked room" setting really made me second guess every single character's actions and motivations. The moment it was revealed that the retreat would be a competition, I called it that at least one of the attendees wouldn't make it to the end of the month. Figuring out who was all involved in the scheme was definitely a surprising twist. I loved that we got to read snippets of the book that Alex was writing throughout the retreat (and I really want to read that book).

A couple things hit me when I finished reading... What happened to creepy-editor-Ian? Did Roza get him too? How on EARTH would Keira have survived getting shot in the shoulder long enough to have the strength to live in a frozen garage for several days, then get up, find everyone, and club Taylor over the head? I know Chitra was taking care of her but I highly doubt she could've managed a gunshot wound??

Overall I really enjoyed this one and I'd definitely recommend to anyone looking for a high-stakes, "real danger," spooky psychological thriller.

Dark, twisty and at times extremely strange. The imagery was fantastic. I felt like I had a clear picture of Blackbriar in my head throughout. Characters were interesting and well developed. The lengths people will go to for fame and fortune…

I gave this book a 4.5 stars!
The beginning was a bit slow for me and I feel I didn't need as much context but once it got going, about 20% in, I was hooked.
This book had the shinning vibes with the big mansion in the middle of nowhere and a writer trying to finish a book.
I loved how we were never sure what was real or not as the main character was also questioning her sanity throughout the retreat. I did not expect to see the story to end that way and I was shocked quite a few times.
I loved that there was a supernatural aspect to it which added to the story in ways I can't say because that would spoil part of the story.
Overall, this was a really fun read. Highly recommend if you're in a reading slump!
If you love:
-Thrillers
-Lost in the middle of nowhere vibes
-The shining vibes
-A little bit of drama
You will love this book!!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book.

Alex is stuck in her writing career. So when she gets invited to a writing retreat run by her favorite, elusive writer, she jumps at the chance. But weird things start happening.

This book should have been exciting but it just wasn't. The pace was sooooo slow and the suspense didn't feel very suspenseful. I skimmed the last 15% because I was just done with the book. The writing also felt like too much, which does fit with the pretentious nature of the characters.

Buckle your seatbelts, because you are in for a <I>CRAZY</I> ride.

Alex is a struggling writer who needs a little bit of luck, and when she gets inviting to a very hush hush writing retreat held by her favorite author, she knows this is her last chance to be taken seriously. Along with the retreat comes the promise of being published and most likely becoming a best-selling author. Why wouldn't Alex want to go.

Except Alex's ex-best friend is along for the ride, and very quickly Alex starts to wonder if this retreat is all that meets the eye.

This book was absolutely bananas. Although I found Alex a little whiny, I also found this entire concept to be absolutely delicious. A small retreat in the middle of nowhere, an eccentric author who makes demands that, if not met, will result in the attendees being cut, and an ex-best friend who very obviously doesn't want to be anywhere near Alex. The mansion itself adds to the very creepy atmosphere, and then Alex gets inspired by her surroundings.

This novel is told entirely from Alex's point of view, and you get to read her novel as she writes it as well. Although the ending was ever so slightly ridiculous, it completely fit with the rest of the premise and I found myself very satisfied with the way everything shook out.

If you're looking for something creepy and totally atmospheric, this is the book for you!

A non-stop page turner with a shocking ending? Sign me up! Will definitely be recommending to a friend. Thank you netgalley!

I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, it was just not the book for me.

The book took so many weird and dark turns. Normally, I enjoy being surprised in a thriller. But I found that I was being surprised in a bad way.

I didn't really like any of the characters. Even the main character was hard to love. And her conflict/grudge against her best friend just made me annoyed.

One thing I did like about the book was the setting. I really like mysteries that take place in secluded cabins in the woods, cut off from civilization. I could have done without the prison in the basement though 😅

Overall, I was able to finish the book but I would not gravitate towards reading it again.

OMG! This book! I could not put it down. I did begrudgingly but once things started heating up, forget about it!

Alex gets an invitation to a writing retreat with her favorite author Roza Vallos, a writer of sapphic horror novels, on her secluded estate. There are five women invited, one being Alex's ex-best friend Wren. They have some issues to work out. Roza surprises them by telling them they are going to write a novel while they are there. She expects them to write 3,000 words a day and hand them to her every night where she will then discuss it with them. Roza likes to play games, as the ladies find out. When one of the girls go missing, things start to take on a devious twist. Is the mansion haunted as folklore says?

The atmosphere of the snowed in mansion with it's many rooms, creepy basement, no way in and no way out, just gives you the feeling of chills throughout the whole story. I am a nail-biter and I definitely was while reading.

You have to read this one, you will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for an advance copy for review.

The overall plot of this book was intriguing and creative, but the characters and gratuitous sex scenes made it fall flat for me.

The characters are all just meh. I didn’t really care about any of them enough to get too invested in their experience on an emotional level. Roza in particular bothered me because she was written as this sexy, mysterious woman but then had dialogue like an old grandmother. I never felt like she was the character I was supposed to be getting.

As for the sex scenes, I understand there’s a time and a place for it. But there was a graphic sex dream and sex hallucination that didn’t feel necessary. The main character also hovers outside of someone’s door and gives readers a graphic play by play of the sounds, which also felt completely unnecessary to building the story. I’m not a fan of sex for the sake of sex, and that’s what the majority of it felt like to me.

This book was fine I overall, but not one I would recommend or read again.

I don’t even quite know how to put into words how I feel about this book…. It started out as a slow burn for me and had some really odd commentary that didn’t seem relevant to the story, and the characters didn’t seem all that relatable. Once I got past a certain point this book took me on a wiiiiild wild ride. I had to know how the retreat was going to end up! I’m still a little speechless and will have to come back to add more thoughts eventually. Overall I’d say this was a 3.5 rounded up to 4? Worth reading simply for the “wtf” factor. If you like a locked room thriller with some crazy twists, this will definitely suck you in!

Thank you NetGalley and atria books for my arc in exchange for my honest review

This was such an odd book, and I really am struggling to even gather my thoughts enough to write a review on it. Like… what did I just read?

I actually started off really enjoying this one, but something happened along the way and it lost me. There was just so much thrown in, and it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. It all felt very over the top and just way too much. The characters also all felt very immature and not relatable at all. I honestly don’t know how to even feel about this book, lol.

This book is bad. It’s been a long time since I have DNF’d a book, but I had to at 45% through. And that was way to long to have invested in this book. This book was painful to read. I tried reading it first and then listening to the audiobook, hoping that would help to improve the story. But it didn’t. It just got worse. Sadly, this story, which had incredible potential, was a huge miss.