"Well." Rosa sighed, sitting back. "They've certainly tried. But it's as I suspected: most people only have one true masterpiece within them."

I heard about this book ages ago when one of my coworkers at Joseph-Beth told me to be on the lookout for it. He didn't have much to say, except that it was a book about writers; so, when I saw The Writing Retreat on NetGalley, I automatically requested it. Now that I have read it, I know that while The Writing Retreat may seem just like a book about overlooked, unpublished, aspiring writers, it's actually so much more.

Synopsis:
Alex is a writer. She's never been published, she's had writer's block for a year, and she spends her days editing other people's academic works, but in her core, Alex is a writer. In fact, Alex has been a writer since she first read Roza Vallo's feminist horror novel Devil's Tongue. Roza inspired Alex to write, and even brought her to her best friend, Wren, another writer and die-hard Roza fan. The two girls were thick as thieves, joining writer's groups and moving in together, acting as the other's lighthouse in the darkness of the poor pay and unfulfilled dreams that comes with living in New York City.
But, after one confusing night, Wren suddenly distanced herself from Alex, moving out of their apartment, and shunning her from the writing community they had built. Betrayed, broken-hearted, and abruptly facing writer's block, Alex spends the following year with her head down. That is until her friends sends a sample of Alex's writing to Roza Vallo and she gets chosen to join Roza's elite writer's retreat in Upstate New York. The retreat is famous for propelling young female authors into publishing stardom, so despite hearing that Wren will be attending the retreat too, Alex packs her bags and prepares for a month of writing.
Yet when Alec arrives, Roza surprises the five girls with an impossible request: over the course of February, each woman will write an entire novel––3,000 words per day––that Roza and the group will edit. Furthermore, at the end of the month, Roza will chose her favorite to publish with a seven-figure deal, and her ringing endorsement. With no time to waste, Alex throws herself into writing, deciding to write about Blackbriar (Roza's estate) and its original inhabitants, Horace, Daphne, and the spirit Daphne channeled, Lamia.
As Alex delves into the spooky history of Blackbriar, she and the other girls start noticing Roza's own spooky habits. Dark games, haunted basements, emotionless maids, and Roza's swift mood swings make Blackbriar seem like less of the welcoming, cozy retreat the girls were promised, and more like the pace they'll have to fight to escape. When one writer vanishes the night of a deadly snowstorm, Alex realizes that it might not be a matter of escaping; she has to write for her life.

My thoughts:
This novel was far creepier than I was anticipating. I love mysteries and thrillers, but this definitely dipped more into horror than I'm used to. Nevertheless, I did really enjoy the psychological aspect, and I always appreciate an unreliable narrator.
Although I was instantly hooked by Roza's malicious intent, a the storyline of Wren and Alex's failed friendship didn't intrigue me as much. I loved reading about the interactions between the five women and the dynamics that formed in the manor, but Alex and Wren's past wasn't really a mystery I was dying to solve. In the same vein, I appreciated the excerpts of Alex's novel interspersed throughout the story, but I found the subplot of Horace, Daphne, and Lamia to be hard to follow, especially as the real-time mystery ramped up.
I love a good twist, and this book certainly didn't disappoint. Bartz did a phenomenal job of leading into a twist the entire without giving too many details, so when it happened I was still shocked. However, I did find the ending to be a little bland considering the build up, and it definitely felt like she could have done something more creative with the time jump.

Overall:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it was nice to read a different genre after reviewing so many romance novels recently. I think the cover is spectacular, and for a debut, Julia Bartz did an amazing job making the genre her own. Although it was quite dark in places, and perhaps more experimental than I'm used to, The Writing Retreat is a book I won't be forgetting for a long time.

I had high hopes for this book, but it ended up just being average, unfortunately. All the characters were unlikable and the book really dragged through the middle. I feel the author just put too much into one book. I hope her following books will be better, as I see potential in her writing.

This book was FANTASTIC!! I love to read psychological thrillers and also some mystery and horror novels. This was a little bit of all of those. The character development grew along with the plot and I was sucked into the story more and more as I continued to read. There were so many things that I did not see coming in this novel! I love how twisted it all was.

The author did a phenomenal job of incorporating the stories that the writers were creating into the main storyline. It added to my overall enjoyment of the novel to have stories within the story. The book was descriptive enough so that it was easy to visulize everything that was happening, yet not so descriptive that it took away from the story itself.

There are many things that I would love to say about this book but I don't want to include any spoilers. If you enjoy this genre, I highly recommend adding this book to the top of your TBR pile. This is the best psychological thriller I've read in a long time!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #AtriaPublishing for an eARC of #TheWritingRetreat by #JuliaBartz - 5 stars and I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future!!

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I was excited to read this book and I really enjoyed the first half of it. However, the second half of the book really took a turn which made it feel like a completely different book. The conclusion of the story was satisfying, but I still have so many questions about the characters' motivations in this book and there were details which seemed like clues in the beginning which went absolutely nowhere. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Writing Retreat has gotten a lot of advance buzz in my circles so I was thrilled to get to read it. It's about an invitation only retreat for a month long writing session at a famous author's home. Our main point of view, Alex, has been suffering writer's block since the fight with her best friend of many years, Wren. They both want to be authors and work at other jobs, who also love Roza, the famous author. The retreat is supposed to be for female writers in their twenties and they are both 30.

When a mutual writing friend, connects them with Roza's agent, they both end up being invited at the last minute. Alex is nervous for many reasons. She's worried about seeing Wren, her writer's block and yet delighted to see and know Roza more. I won't spoil the story, but I got feelings that were a cross between Mean Girls and Lord of the Flies, with a shadow of And Then There Were None. The situation and the writing demands and the personalities were all intense.

The retreat started out exciting and a bit competitive, with the women getting to know each other and working on interesting stories. There were excerpts of Alex's story which related to an old tale around the previous owner's of Roza's home. I have to say I skimmed the snippets as I found them kind of boring. The actual events though were a bit terrifying and devolved into survival mode.

I enjoyed reading and it reminds me of a personality test which has everyone with modes for regular circumstances and under stress. The four modes were Controlling / Taking, Supporting /Giving, Adapting/Dealing and Conserving / Holding. For example, someone might ordinarily be Controlling / Taking but under stress they become Adapting / Dealing. Anyway, it was fascinating to see the women shift to different styles with their stress levels, and also become focused on what truly mattered rather than petty squabbles.

The things the women learn about each other and their situation are shocking. What twists! I found the conclusion to be a little sad but satisfying.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for gifting me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review of the debut novel, The Writing Retreat, by Julia Bartz - 4 stars!

Famous novelist Roza Vallo has invited five women to join her at Blackbriar Estate in the remote Adirondack Mountains. They are to be there a month, finish a complete novel, and the winner gets a million dollar publishing deal. Alex had just about given up on her writing, after a major blowout with her best friend, Wren. When she finds out that Wren is also coming to the retreat, she is completely nervous but determined. From the beginning, there are strange events happening at the estate, and Roza has pitted the women against each other. But when one goes missing during a snowstorm, everything changes.

I was very excited to read this book by the sister of Andrea Bartz, a favorite. Obviously writing must be genetic! There is a book in a book here and I have to say that I wasn't enthralled with those portions. I'm always one for a locked room mystery, and the creepy estate and snowstorm only added to the tension. Some of it was a bit over the top, but still a worthy debut. Anxious to read more from this author!

This novel was BONKERS. Narrator Alex is given the opportunity to attend a writers' retreat hosted by her favorite author Roza Vallo at a remote cabin in the isolated snowy woods...along with her estranged former best friend Wren. The first half of the book or so was odd, but it held my attention. Then the book became extremely bizarre, twisted, and way too out there in the second half. I didn't care at all for the supernatural elements in the novel, nor did I think the excerpts from Alex's work in progress really added anything to the book. The premise was intriguing, but the book ended up being too weird for me and also extremely sexual in a way that didn't seem at all necessary. Overall, this was not my jam.

A famous horror author, Roza Vallo, invites five female novelists with bestseller potential to her home in the Adirondacks for a month-long writing retreat. As an associate editor for a publishing company and aspiring writer, Alex jumps at the chance to attend the writing retreat. Also among the aspiring writers is Wren, Alex’s former best friend. Sure, it might be a little awkward, but Alex is determined not to let Wren’s presence ruin the retreat experience for her.

Soon after her arrival, Alex is already in for a rude awakening. The relaxing retreat that she thought was going to help her get through her writer’s block, is anything but relaxing. Roza has a rigorous writing schedule for the group, expecting them to write an entire full-length novel by the end of the month. There are daily page counts and reviews. However, it will all be worth it when the person with the best new novel gets a publishing deal, right? How far will each woman go to fulfill her dreams? It’s a thrilling ride filled with secrets, lies, and manipulation. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves thrillers! 4/5 stars.

It’s been a minute since I’ve read a truly bingeable thriller, but that drought has ended thanks to The Writing Retreat.

A debut novel (and February BOTM pick!), The Writing Retreat is a gothic suspense thriller that follows an aspiring author as she embarks on a writing retreat at her reclusive idol’s isolated mansion. From the very first chapter there’s a sense of dread and paranoia that propels the story forward and pulls you deeper into the immersive setting, causing you to lose all sense of time as you read.

This is a true page-turner and I read it over the course of a day. As I read, the story reminded me of a lot of films and books I’ve enjoyed over the years, including Lock Every Door, Misery, The Shining, The Perfection, and We Were Never Here, which should give you a sense of what you’re in for.

I thought the ending was great and gave enough resolution while still remaining a little open-ended, providing the perfect scenario for book club and buddy read discussions. 10/10 would recommend this book!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Writing Retreat is out today!

This was a twisty locked room thriller where a bunch of aspiring writers get falsely lured by a psychopath who traps them and forces them to write for their lives. Full of interesting back stories, jealousies, queer love and some turns I didn't see coming. It's been getting mixed reviews but I really enjoyed this one. Recommended for fans of books like The plot or Who is Maud Dixon! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was not what I was expecting.. it started off so strong and then took a turn. For some this may be great and enjoyable, but I feel like the author really strayed from what was originally happening and the ending was so odd and honestly absurd.

I found the story to be a slow burn, however once the story picks up it's a hell of a ride! I loved the suspense and I loved the book within the book concept. I loved Daphne's story and I thought that Alex was a like-able character. Her real life emotions, really made her stand out to me. I sympathized with her when she found herself angry at Wren, and also confused on her sexuality when she had her "nightmare" while being stuck down in the basement.

The ending was bittersweet. Although, as Alex stated Roza was a murderer but her crazy tricks during that retreat is what pushed Alex to write. I loved that in the end Roza seeks out Alex to give her acknowledgement. This was a fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author, Julia Bartz for advanced copy.

No spoilers

We all have a well known author we'd like to get to know more about. For Alex that author is Roza Vallo. She has read her dark books since she was a child. It was Roza who got Alex into writing. Well, the chance of a lifetime opens up for Alex to not only meet Roza but stay for a month long retreat at her house! Mind that The Blackbriar Estate is legendary in itself. The mansion has been renovated and Roza has invited a group of writers come to enjoy her beautiful home and to creative write; put out their best work with a chance to be published. There is one problem, Alex's former BFF and revival Wren will also be attending. They can't stand each other. But actually that's not the only problem, one of the other writers goes missing. There is a snowstorm and they are snowed in. They have to find their friend and must go deep down to do so.

Wanted to get my review out there as this 5 star read is a Book of The Month pick! Highly recommend if you like gothic, remote, cozy mysteries.

Wow what a bold, intense and creepy debut this turned out to be! I love books about writing and writers, remote settings, and this cover spoke to me, I was really excited to dive into The Writing Retreat! I finished it in one sitting because suspense made me do it.

Alex and her former best friend Wren are both aspiring writers. That dream and their love of provocative and enigmatic writer Roza Vallo brought them together. And then something happened to tear them apart. Alex lost not only her best friend but her ability to write as well it seems. Then unexpectedly both Alex and Wren (along with 3 other female writers) find themselves at a month long writing retreat at Roza's secluded estate. Determined to win the contest component of the retreat and get her novel published, Alex will have to face her own past and the past of the previous inhabitants of the estate in order to become the writer she wants to be.

I loved the creepy suspenseful vibe of this novel. I particularly enjoy novels that entertain but also have multiple layers and deeper themes that force you to think about them. Julia Bartz's exploration of feminism, identity and sex took my mind on a wild and unexpected ride. I know that some readers will be uncomfortable with (some of) these aspects of the book but I feel that discomfort is an intended and unavoidable aspect of these explorations in writing.

My 5 cents is that this book is more of a suspense novel with elements of horror that dips into psychological thriller waters only in the last 20% of it. I think the fact that I could not put this book down proves that this combo worked for me - I just wanted to clarify because for many readers genre expectations end up affecting their experience of the book. And this is one of 2023 debuts you don't want to miss out on!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Whoa, I did not expect that 😝 bravo, Julia!!!

Julia’s thriller, The Writing Retreat, was a total page turner! I devoured this unique story that combined a desolate winter, no one goes in - no one comes out story line with a gothic feel. Aspiring writers are invited to attend a famous author, Roza’s, home for a writing retreat. The days are long, the tasks are aplenty, and things are not what they seem.

Things I loved:
💖Alex’s coming into herself journey - from processing her relationship with her bestie coming to an end, running into her at this retreat, and reconciling all of their history. I really enjoyed Alex’s final notes in this book
💖The setting - who doesn’t love a mystery set in the remote wilderness where awful things happen?! Books with this setting immediately draw me in
💖The incorporation of writing and authors - I love when there are books within books. This novel has plenty of those!

After hearing such good things about this one, I couldn't wait to pick up the arc that I got from Atria Books. However, by the time I got to it, my physical copy from BOTM arrived so I dug right in.

This was another really solid thriller that I sped through with no clue as to where the story was going. I loved all the female relationships and loved how it was based on a bunch of writers, trapped together in an isolated setting when shit really starts to hit the fan. Though I picked it up during a busy week, I fully enjoyed every moment I sat down to read from this one and thought it was solid from start to the finish. I would highly recommend to any thriller readers and look forward to checking out any other books Julia Bartz releases in the future.

Borrowing from gothicana and leaning heavily on sapphic sensibilities, The Writing Retreat actually limps along instead of sprinting.

A cast of mostly repellent feminine tropes attempts to out-write each other to earn favor from an aging author who could propel their writing career into being. Of course, everyone has brought their secrets along, though these pale in comparison to the secrets they’re supposed to find when they arrive.

The concept is honestly pretty cool, but it just seems to fall all over itself, like tripping over all the ideas that were thrown in. The worst part was the book within a book which was boring to the point of irrelevance.

I will say I was interested in how it all turned out, but I probably could have skipped to the epilogue and been satisfied.

4,5 rounded up for me! I thought this book was very fun and I really didn't know what was going to come next. What a crazy story!

My first 5 star read of the year!! Ever since I read Palahniuk‘s novel “Ghost”, I’ve been drawn to books featuring writing retreats, and this one did not disappoint!
Set in a wintery, foreboding mansion miles from anyone, a group of women are in for an experience of a lifetime. Helped by a famous author they’ve always adored, they’re given strict rules in order to churn out their novels in a timely manner.
As time goes on, the group realizes everything isn’t what it seems at Roza’s retreat.
Suspenseful, action-packed, with a flow that makes the book a quick read, you’re sure to enjoy this if you love creepy, wintery reads!

Imagine that you are given a lifetime opportunity to attend a writing retreat that is hosted by an acclaimed horror novelist. Your mission from this retreat is to finish a novel within a month and your prize is a publishing contract worth a lot of money. But first you must contend with the surrounding elements, rivals and the host acting strangely. Will Alex come out of this retreat with a contract? Or is Alex's life in jeopardy? A stunningly written mystery thriller story with a suspenseful plot and entertaining characters.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Book for this copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.