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.

Spending time writing gets all dark and twisted!

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Alex gets accepted to join a writing retreat led by Roza, one of her favorite authors. She has really been down on her luck since a bunch of drama went down with her friend Wren. Of course Wren ends up at the retreat too.

This book seems to go humming along with trying to write a crazy amount and deal with old drama, then a major left turn happens. After the big shift in the story is when I finally was able to latch onto the story and not want to put it down.

The beginning was not too interesting, but if you can get past that part, it is a really well written suspense novel. The excerpts from what Alex was writing was a nice touch as well.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the originality of this story! It’s about a bunch of aspiring female authors that are invited to a writing retreat with their favorite author. From that point, pure chaos ensues and there were so many different twists and turns, I feel like I have whiplash! It was very creative and at times, felt a little disjointed by so much going on with so many different characters. Overall I really liked it and most psychological thriller readers will probably enjoy this book!

BEST THRILLER THIS YEAR!!!
And I am picky about my thrillers! The Writing Retreat was a nice breath of fresh air. This book offers a good, solid NEW story. The author did very well on this story! The twists were genuinely shocking for me which is hard for a book to do these days! I look forward to reading this authors next piece of work!

Famed reclusive horror writer Roza Vallo invites four under 30 women writers to her gothic (haunted?!) upstate NY home for a month long writing retreat. With help from an author friend Alex sneaks her way in at the last minute only to realize her ex best friend Wren has also been chosen. Determined not to let her unresolved issues with Wren ruin this opportunity, Alex heads to the Adirondacks to meet her favorite author and embark on a journey to write a full length novel, guided by Roza, over the month long retreat. Don't read the blurb, go in blind. This is a twisty, gothic, fast paced, locked room, psychological thriller. I loved the book within a book and the supernatural elements. There was one inconstancy that I couldn't ignore and the end felt like a little implausible but I really enjoyed the book anyway. I read it in less than 24 hours and have high hopes for what debut author Julia Bartz does next! Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my eARC.

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz proves the old adage true about some things being too good to be true. Alex, a struggling writer who is ready to give up on her dream of becoming a successful author, is ecstatic to learn that she has won an exclusive writer's retreat with her favorite author, Roza. She won't even let the news that her former best friend, Wren, will also be in attendance dampen her enthusiasm. However, soon after arrival, Alex learns that she may not fully understand what she's signed u for. This is a locked-room mystery with a delightful winter setting in a large and rambling house on an estate. A very atmospheric book with plenty of suspense. Read and enjoy!

Release February 21, 2023

From the first pages, I realized how absolutely special this novel would be and not once was I disappointed! Basically I read it in one day/evening; sleep wasn't happening until I concluded this engrossing story. Even more special is that THE WRITING RETREAT is author Julia Bartz ' debut novel! I'm fascinated to read what she will next publish.

There are so many solid well-tuned themes in this novel that I could spend pages raving delightedly. As a practicing therapist, the author clearly understands the delineation of character and how to skillfully unravel characters for readers. She provides us with a first-person Point of View from a protagonist who is both Unreliable Narrator and Feckless Hero-ine, and she comprehends the elusive but compelling nature of Human Evil, the lengths to which unrestrained Narcissism will extend, the chameleonic capacity of Sociopaths to fool, confuse, manipulate, and appear in disparate personas. Also strummed are themes of Friendship, uncertainty, influence, Sapphic relationships (and speedy intimacy in general in the twenties' "dating scene's" insecure "hook-ups").

Altogether THE WRITING RETREAT is not to be missed (and reread).

A page turner! The premise of this book drew me in, and the execution was flawless. Dark, suspenseful, psychological thriller that delivers on tension and atmosphere. Even pacing, well written. This book was a good time.

I was extremely excited to read this novel, because it sounded immensely interesting. It had these exceptional writers on a writing retreat where they expressed their wonderful ideas. It started out a little slow, and I went back to the description of the novel to see what was about to happen. Once the retreat started, things started getting weirder, and more intense. The suspense, and the thriller aspect was insane. I was excessively turning the pages trying to figure out what was going to happen next. When I thought I figured out where it was heading, it twisted in ways that I wasn't expecting. By the end, I had to take a step back, and process everything I just read. It was definitely worth the read, and has been added to my top thrillers.
Thank you so much for giving me a chance to read this.

My ARC was provided by the published via Netgallery in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me at “F*ck her.” 👀
I love me a good thriller and Julia did not disappoint. Creep factor alone was enough to keep my attention and my need to know more. Each character is developed in a way where you get to know just enough about them but not enough to know who you want to trust until the end. I enjoyed getting bits of Alex’s novel throughout… it was like an eerie book within an eerie book, but not straying from the main plot.

All in all, this was such a good read! I am excited to see what Julia has planned in the future. Hard to believe this is a debut novel! Congratulations, Julia and Happy Pub Day 🤗

𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗶𝘁: interesting concept. Love the secluded plot theme. Poor execution at the end there.

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: buckle up. You’re in for a ride. And it’s not that good of one. Loved the start. Even loved the middle. And then it went bat shit crazy. Weird as eff.

I could not put this incredible book down! Grabbing me right from the start, I was floored by the wonderful characters and superbly crafted twists!

🕷️THE WRITING RETREAT 🕷️

happy #pubday to @juliabartz & her wild ride of a debut novel!

Alex is an aspiring writer who grew up admiring the works of renowned horror writer, Rosa Vallo. so when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take part in one of Vallo’s notorious writing retreats at her haunting estate, she simply can’t pass it up; even if her ex-best friend & professional rival will be joining, too.

as the 5 young writers arrive & get acquainted, a bombshell is dropped on them pretty quickly: they must use this month to write an entirely new novel from scratch, of which only one will be chosen to be published with the help of Rosa’s fame.

from here, things start to get weird pretty quickly. the girls have wildly dark, vivid dreams, sacrilegious games & events take place, and the overall atmosphere seems to be a bit sinister. then things REALLY go from 0-100 after one of the girls goes missing, thus creating the makings of a real-life horror story for those inhabiting the estate.

if you’re looking for a super dark, twisty book, this one will not disappoint! this story kept me endlessly entertained, the imagery was disturbing in all the right ways, & the plot was relentless in its never-ending suspense. there is a paranormal aspect of this book (which i think can be hard to execute well at times) but I enjoyed the sprinkling of it throughout the book very much.

the characters are all a bit unhinged, so you really never know who you can trust throughout the book. while I was able to predict a few minor details that took place in the story, they were all so well-developed that I didn’t feel like I lost any enjoyment in having these notions beforehand. this was such a unique premise for a book, & the way it was brilliantly executed really made this a fun read.

overall, I thought this was an amazing thriller & such an impressive debut!! I highly recommend for those who like a darker read. I sincerely look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

thank you to @netgalley & @atriabooks for my #arc! you can pick up a copy of this book today!!

A thriller about writers? Sign me up! Alex, a thirty-year-old aspiring writer has been in a rut ever since she had a friend break up with her bestie, Wren, also a writer. They are both huge fans of the feminist horror writer, Roza Vallo, who has recently announced that she’s going to hold a month-long writing retreat in her home for up-and-coming female writers under thirty. Thousands of writers have applied, but only four are accepted. When a writer drops out at the last minute, a well-connected colleague sends in a writing sample on Alex’s behalf and, to her delight, she’s accepted. Wren has also been accepted and they are forced to face one another and their shared past at Blackbriar Estate, Roza’s haunting home. Once there, the four women learn that they’ve each been tasked with completing a novel in thirty days. The winner will receive publication and a million dollars. But when one of the contestants disappears, they realize much more than their writing careers are at stake. This is an atmospheric, fast-paced thriller, filled with gothic psychological mind games and creative young writers.

I really enjoyed reading this. Alex is a writer suffering from a year of writer's block when she wins a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend a month long retreat at her favorite author, Roza Vallo's house. The only problem is her ex best friend will also be in attendance. When the guests arrive, the retreat, and Roza, quickly reveal themselves to be much more intense than advertised. Things don't all seem to be right, one of the guests vanishes during a snowstorm, and things only get worse from there.

What I liked: great spooky atmosphere building, not entirely reliable narrator, nuanced and flawed female characters, supernatural underpinnings.

What I didn't: One of/the villain/s felt a little two dimensional; I didn't totally understand their origin story/ies.

Would absolutely recommend.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. I was super excited to read this book based on the synopsis. It proved to be a quick read as I was eager to uncover the mystery, but I definitely enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second. As some other reviewers have noted, it gets to be pretty over the top, and for me, I felt like the plot went too far off the rails and took me out of the story. The ending also felt abrupt to me—I would have preferred to follow the retreat all the way to the end—and I could have done without the time jump. Still, this was an entertaining read overall. Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

Wow that was wild ! With interesting premise of budding writer’s gathering at remote location in the mansion of the famous author creates the perfect atmosphere to keep the readers engaged . And the plot twists had me reeling , never even remotely guessed that could be the reason ! This is so good for debut novel and I am looking forward to read future work from Julia Bartz.
Thanks Atria books and the author for providing an advance copy of the book .

I received an ARC copy of The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz.

I love a book that takes place in a creepy old house! This book certainly had that element!

Several aspiring authors get chosen to take part in a month-long writing retreat at a famous author's creepy old house! What could be more thrilling than that for these girls than to stay and be mentored by an author you love?

However, boundaries are pushed, friendship is tested, and the ultimate will to publish a novel throws them into a realm they could have never imagined. I admit some of the things that happened were a bit over the top, but I really did enjoy reading it. I learned a bit about the publishing industry and the drive that writers have to get their first book published.