a fast, fun, slightly weird thriller for wannabe writers.
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brief synopsis: Alex & Wren, both aspiring fiction authors, were best friends for almost a decade till they had a major falling out & no longer talk. book’s exposition develops their characters quite well. both find themselves at a writing retreat, hence the title, of a famous author who pins five female writers against each other competing for one big-time book contract. the retreat turns creepy, culty, & fatal. I liked the ending. WRITING RETREAT also offers the ‘book within a book’ trope.
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while parts felt a bit creepier than I usually prefer even in a thriller, I really enjoyed this one. grapples with questions of why don’t we all support each other; who’s pinning us against each other; who do we write, what do we want. LGBTQ+ rep, too.

Friends, if you’re looking for dark post-academia meets closed-door mystery meets characters who will be on your mind at 6 am the day after you finish, check out The Writing Retreat - out 2/21 by Julia Bartz.

Our first-person narrator is Alex, an aspiring novelist who’s been suffering from writer’s block after a breakup with her best friend Wren. Alex hasn’t written a word in a year when she receives an invitation to a writing retreat hosted by her idol, reclusive cult favorite Roza Vallo. (Did I picture a lovechild of Stevie Nicks and Chuck Pahlaniuk here? Maaaaaaybe.) The stakes are high: Attendees must write an entire novel during the retreat, and the best novel gets an immediate publishing deal from Roza. The retreat is held at Roza’s legendary manor, home of a brutal murder in the late 1890s, and it’s not the only thing haunted: Former best friend Wren is one of the fellow attendees vying for her big break.

This book packs a punch. In less than 350 pages, Bartz weaves a story that leaves you racing to the finish line with ample surprises along the way. FOUR STARS

I’ve always been a fan of quasi-locked room murder mysteries… especially ones that explore the dark side of fame and friendships. In her debut thriller, Julia Bartz does just that in her debut thriller. Alex is a thirty year old writer who’s had writers block for the better part of a year, ever since her epic fallout with best friend Wren. When they both somehow end up at an exclusive month-long writing retreat at their favorite author’s remote estate - famous reclusive feminist horor novelist Roza Vallo - Alex is both excited and nervous. Her anxiety turns to panic when they’re given their task - to complete a new novel from scratch during their stay, and the winner gets published. As each puts their heads down to get to work, they fail to notice some odd occurrences. But when one of them goes missing during a snowstorm that strands them in Roza’s house, they must put aside the competition and their differences to find their missing friend and make it out alive.

I loved this! Good twist. Perfect if you’re a fan of “Misery” by Stephen King or “One By One” by Ruth Ware.

4 writers are supposed to spend a month away with a reclusive, controversial author... and a sudden change includes two former best friends. You start out cringing at the awkward consequences of their friendship and soon after get wrapped in a twisted, f'ed up world as the retreat gets going...

Thank you to Netgalley and to Atria for the ARC.

Alex is one of five female writers selected to attend a month-long retreat at the secluded home of renowned author Roza Vallo. Once they arrive, they discover there is no cell phone or internet service, and the author has a rigorous schedule set up for the women to ensure they complete a novel by the end of the month, with the best receiving a publishing deal. Faced with not just the challenge of meeting the daily writing quota, but learning more about the eerie history of the estate itself and experiencing disturbing nightmares, Alex begins to commune with an occupant of the estate’s dark past.

At a certain point, you will have to suspend belief, as a sinister plan is revealed, and the plot spirals into outrageous, but if you can do that, you are guaranteed a tense and trippy ride. This book has a great premise, an equally great setting with a hint of gothic horror, and fast pacing filled with drama and sexual undercurrents. I loved the writing style and can’t believe this is a debut!

Atria Books kindly provided me an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This books was so much better than I expected! And I love mysteries like this. I was wary at first because I had just read The Villa by Rachel Hawkins, which is also about a writer’s retreat. This was so completely different though. There are real gothic vibes that make this so much more exciting than your run of the mill, women’s fiction thriller. There are tons of stories within stories so you get a lot of bang for your buck. This one will be hard to beat.

I finished this book in less than 48 hours it was so suspenseful and propulsive. This book highlights how the ghosts that lurk in our insecurities are sometimes worse than anything supernatural. I loved that this was an-female cast yet each was distinct and it didn't fall into gendered tropes. I only wish we had gotten more interaction between Alex and Wren before things go totally south. I wish the big twist had been a bit more subtle and it hadn't devolved into almost comedic danger but overall this would be a great vacation read and has a strong and fresh voice.

Roza Vallo has always been Alex's favorite author, consuming every word she has written since she was young inspiring her to be an author herself. Alex always dreamed of getting a spot in Roza's mysterious writer's retreat held at her home, Blackbriar Estate, so when a friend arranges for her to attend Alex jumps at the chance, taking leave from work and packing up for her month- long stay. As the select few start to arrive at Blackbriar the agenda for the retreat is laid out for the women. They will have a month to complete a book from scratch and at the end of the retreat one author's work will be chosen to be published. Determined to win, Alex starts to feel the pressure of her years-long writer's block weighing on her. She starts to notice weird behavior from their host, gossiping between the other author's not to mention the well known history of the estate's previous owners and their horrible deaths but when one of the women goes missing during a significant storm everything starts to unravel. "The Writing Retreat'' started out so strong for me and had me hooked right from the start. It wasn't until the last 25ish % that it all started to get a little too far fetched for me. You definitely have to step back and give this one allowances but it certainly was entertaining. Fans of the thriller/mystery/paranormal genre should give this one a try. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a copy of The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if your favourite author chose you to join her and other aspiring writers at her famed Blackbriar Estate for a writing retreat? Roza Vallo only offers the most promising writers a spot and the main character Alex is ready for this extraordinary opportunity. Joined by four other writers: Poppy, Taylor, Kiera, and Alex’s former best friend Wren, stay at the estate without any connection to the outside world to settle down and write a novel. At the end of the retreat, one novel will be chosen for publication. Every day is a gruelling challenge to turn in Roza’s required number of words for review. Alex chooses to write her book about the mysterious legend of Blackbriar’s women. Somehow while everyone is busy churning out their masterpiece, they all form connections.

As the story unfolds, we slowly learn more about Alex and Wren’s falling out. Alex’s questions about her sexuality is ever present in her dreams, her writing, and during one of Roza’s unusual methods of bringing out the writer’s creativity. Within these revelations, Alex uncovers Roza’s true intentions. No one is who they seem, and some things are too good to be true. There is never a dull moment in this book. Just when you think you know where things are going, it pivots somewhere completely unexpected. The gothic setting, closed-room psychological thriller, frenemies, mentors, competition, feminism, spiritualism, sexuality all play a part in making this book a quick page turner. This book is wild, crazy, and an interesting glimpse at the power women can wield over other women and how women who band together can be a force to be reckoned with. Who will reign victorious?

Alex can’t pass up an opportunity to attend a writing retreat hosted by her favourite author, Roza Vallo- even if her best friend-turned-nemesis will also be attending. Once she arrives, she learns that the writers are responsible for writing a full novel during the short retreat with a publishing deal for the winner. This may seem like a dream come true, but the retreat quickly turns into a nightmare.

Wow, this story was a wild ride! I did find Alex to be quite immature and not a likeable character. Although there were parts of this book that defied belief, overall I did enjoy this read and couldn’t put it down!

What I liked:
-fast paced suspense
-book within a book
-creepy setting
-lots of twists and turns

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reading copy!

*A popular and mysterious author hosts a writing retreat for 5 up and coming female authors. What they thought was their big break turns into anything but.*

This book started out very strong for me. I couldn't wait to keep reading on. The last 3rd just didn’t do it for me. It seemed too far fetched and overall messy. I didn’t understand how the excerpts from a book tied into the story either. The ending wasn’t bad once we actually got there. Overall, just an OK book for me.

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

The title alone captured my attention. In think most unpublished novelists would jump at the chance to attend a writing retreat hosted by a mysterious best-selling author. That is the premise of The Writing Retreat. Alex has "worshipped" novelist Roza Vallo since she was a young teen and now the author will host a retreat for undiscovered but promising writers in her remote mansion. A winner will receive a seven-figure book deal, but even the other attendees will be published by reason of Roza's clout. When Alex is selected she can't wait to attend, even when she learns her ex-BFF also will be there. The problem I had with the book is that I didn't like Alex; I thought she was a whiny, immature 30-year-old woman and I kept wanting to yell, "What are you? 12?". I also, to some extent, deduced one of the twists pretty early. The last quarter was a bit OTT disaster movie gothic mishmash. Also, be warned of explicit sex scenes. So personally, a good but not great thriller.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books, for digital reviewer copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Oh boy, did I so desperately want to love this book. The premise is great - I love haunted house stories and snowed-in thrillers, but the execution in The Writing Retreat was abysmal. First of all, the beloved author, Roza Vallo, is most famous and beloved for a sexually explict horror centering two 12-year olds. Yes, a sexually explicit book about children. Honestly, I should have closed the book right there, but I don't DNF advanced copies. Next, we have our main character, Alex, who is extremely whiny, immature, and largely unlikable at first. I did grow to tolerate her in the end, so brownie points for having decent character growth. As I kept reading, I would think that the story and the writing were improving, just to be smacked in the face with awkward, needless, or inappropriate detail. This happens right when the women attending the retreat all meet each other. The author attempts to be inclusive in regards to gender identity, sexual orientation, and race, but lord is it clunky and heavy-handed. It seemed like she just wanted the points for being inclusive without actually making a real effort to include it seamlessly in the story. But then a few chapters later, she does a complete one-eighty by telling us a Jewish/Nazi love story!!!! Yet another moment where I should have just shut the book. There are also several times where Alex has dreams (or an LSD trip thanks to Roza drugging them) that are sexual explicit and completely needless to the story. Normally, that doesn't bother me, but the moments were so bizarre and out-of-place that they actually detracted from the story. Outside of all these elements, I did actually enjoy the plot (which is where the extra half star comes from), despite it feeling over the top, at times, but the elements I detail above are why I would not recommend this book.

Overall rating: 1.5/5 stars

I love a good thriller, and was so excited when I saw this one - the premise intrigued me, but I also went to high school and was in band with the author, Julia Bartz. And what a debut it is!

There is a lot going on in this book, but in the best way. We quickly meet Alex, who once had dreams of being a published writer, but whose life has gotten a bit messy as of late. Her close friendship with Wren imploded, she doesn't love her job, and she feels a bit lost. She goes to a book event for a friend with a coworker, sees Wren, and spirals a bit more.

And then there is an opportunity she has long dreamed about - attending the coveted writing retreat that the famous author Roza Vallo offers to four female writers every year. Alex even ignores her anxiety about Wren attending as well. She this as an opportunity to get back on track.

But once she gets to Roza's home, in the middle of nowhere, it is clear this retreat was not what she expected. The twists and turns kept coming, and I truly didn't see most of them a mile away. You may think you know how the retreat is going to play out, and then Roza, Alex and the rest of the ladies shock you.

WHAT A RIDE. So thrilled for Julia Bartz and cannot wait to read what she writes next!!

Will post this review on Goodreads, my instagram @SCottonReads and on retailer sites.

A group of women in a haunted house type setting, with relatable characters and a surprise ending made this book a breeze to fly through. Solid writing, some great twists I didn't see coming, and a an overall great plot.

I had such high hopes for this book and it was just ehh. From the start I could not get myself into this book. I never connected with the characters, I struggled to follow along, there were just way too many things going on in the book. The description of the book was great, but the story itself just never sparked my interest.

Alex, who dreams of becoming a published author, is invited to attend a writing retreat at the estate of a horror writer, Roza. Even her rival can't stop her from going. Once she arrives, Roza tells the attendees that they must write an entire novel from scratch and the winner will receive a publishing deal. Will Alex survive despite the strange things in the estate, her rival's mind games and the haunted mansion?

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Really like this book. Very good pace and no plot holes! Loved the story and the characters were well developed!

I really enjoyed The Writing Retreat it took a lot of twist and turns that I did not expect coming. I also liked that it kept me guessing and that it was eerily.

Alex is invited to a month-long writing retreat with the infamous Roza Vallo and a handful of other hopeful writers. They have one month to write a novel from scratch and the one with the best novel will get a publishing deal. Weird things start happening and when one of the writers goes missing in a snowstorm everyone is on edge.

This book was a wild ride. It was dark and at times disturbing. I'm a sucker for these types of stories. Trapped in a possibly haunted mansion because of a snowstorm... cut off from everyone and people start getting picked off one by one. I had so many theories and guesses on where the story was going.

Overall it was pretty solid and I was engaged the entire time. It was a fast read. There was one thing in particular that I didn't like but I can't tell you want it is without spoiling the story a bit. I will say that I buddy read this with a few folks and we all had the same issue with this book.