Alex is thrilled when she is invited to an exclusive writer’s retreat, despite her writer’s block. Even the fact that her rival, and ex-best friend, Wren, is a guest won’t damper her excitement. When the retreat turns into a contest, odd happenings occur.

This was a good, suspenseful read with a decent backstory that I found interesting. The writing aspect was fun, but I wasn’t into to the story within the story. They were very small portions of the book, so I still enjoyed it overall. I found the plot a little far fetched but it was still very entertaining!

“… after two weeks of being each other’s nemeses, we were now a team, following clues like the Hardy Boys. I never could’ve imagined it. Not in a million years.

The Writing Retreat comes out 2/21.

I was really looking forward to this read but sadly I didn't like it. All of the characters were unlikable and it made for a tough read.
Honestly the plot was so intriguing, a horror author invited 5 aspiring authors to a writing retreat in her secluded mansion? Yes please, but it took forever for the plot to get moving. The last 20% gave me whiplash because it threw so much at you. Honestly, a let down for me.

I loved closed-door thrillers in isolated resorts (especially in a snow storm), and I love book-within-a-book stories. There was a lot of promise here!

The Writing Retreat felt to me like The Plot and The Villa meet Nine Perfect Strangers. I’m on the fence–there were parts I loved (Roza holding nothing back while encouraging these young writers to produce an award-winning novel) and parts I didn’t (the sex dream with the demon, which just felt a little out of place, but desired shock value was achieved!).

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I liked the reveal of who was playing which role in the strange happenings in the mansion. The ending, however, didn’t feel realistic. There was a lot of back and forth, and it was hard to keep straight.

I’m intrigued by Julia Bartz’s writing (if you didn’t know, she’s the sister of Andrea Bartz). I think with time she’ll refine her craft and just get better from here.

“Just know: that wildness still exists inside you. Please protect it, foster it, keep it safe. And who knows, maybe you will prove the impossible: what you hold more than one masterpiece inside you.”

Personal review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

For fans of publishing, writing, locked room mysteries, and very slow burns. This novel follows a group of female writers chosen to attend and exclusive writing retreat in a remote winter retreat of a famous author mentor. This book started well and developed the characters and their complex and dark relationships with the plot. It was a very slow burn, then all at once! At the 55 percent mark, we finally had someone murdered, which, let’s be honest, that’s the only reason we choose the thriller @bookofthemonth category! This book kept me guessing- was I dealing with an unreliable narrator, a manic main character?! I enjoyed the main character, Alex’s interwoven novel and how it connected to the retreat organizer, Roza; a famous and acclaimed author, herself. The actual retreat location was dark, gave me the chills, and made me never want to see snow! I received an ARC from @netgalley, and enjoyed this novel and giving my honest opinion on this upcoming debut author!

Synopsis : 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.

4.5 stars. This was one hell of a psychological thriller! Every time I thought I knew what was going on, another twist popped up out of nowhere. This was a fascinating read that I certainly wasn’t expecting from the description.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to rate and review an ARC of this book.

I really wanted to love this one. I even chose it as my BOTM pick. But… I didn’t. The main character was absolutely annoying. And are we not going to talk about how her best friend raped her and then ruined her life? Just going to brush that off?? Cool.

The atmosphere was awesome, and as far as secluded settings it was really well done. And the book Al was writing was awesome. But… predictable, cringy snd anticlimactic.

I love the cover, and want to try another book by this author. But this was a hard no for me.

I have been itching for a thriller novel set in the writing space since reading “Bunny” by Mona Awad, and boy does Julia Bartz deliver that in her debut thriller “The Writing Retreat.”

After giving up all hopes of being published, Alex is invited to an exclusive writing retreat run by the groundbreaking feminist author Roza Vallo. Despite her ex-best friend Wren attending the retreat, Alex refuses to let Wren bring her down.

When everyone arrives, the attendees find out they must all complete a novel from scratch during the month-long retreat, with the author of the best one receiving a million-dollar publishing contract. But things take a turn for the weird the more time Alex spends at the house until one of the writers goes missing during a blizzard. There’s more to the story than Roza, or the other attendees are letting on, and Alex must discover the truth or die trying.

For lack of a better term, Alex is ‘going through it’ and can’t seem to get a handle on her life or emotions throughout the novel. Understandably, her breakup with Wren is an emotionally-charged theme throughout the book, especially with the circumstances of the breakup. Still, Alex’s fixation on it felt obsessive. The entire time I read “The Writing Retreat,” I was hoping Alex would move on or, at the very least, set aside the petty gossiping and mind games. Still, her hot mess behavior stuck around till the end. Also, Alex’s point of view and chronic insecurities fell flat for me and ultimately made me not want to root for her survival in the last third of the novel.

The only character I truly enjoyed reading (and wished there was more of her) was Keira, the token, angry Black woman. Which could be interpreted as a subtle nod to the publishing industry’s minimal diversity and often harmful depictions of Black women, or was a blatant stereotype on behalf of the author––who knows.

But, the themes surrounding the writers, friendship, and fame were a delight to dissect. I sincerely enjoyed the barbed remarks about the publishing industry.

Additionally, Bartz wrote a book within a book––Alex’s novel about Roza’s haunted manor becomes the mirror for Alex’s experiences and emotions throughout the writing retreat and, more or less, spoils the ending for readers. The book with a book narrative isn’t new, and Bartz managed to incorporate it well. Still, Alex’s book was honestly my least favorite part.

Ultimately, the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying, letting Roza get away with her antics and no actual resolution for the events at the retreat.

Full of foggy twists and turns, “The Writing Retreat” is a dark, psychological thriller that loses sight of its own ending.

This ARC was provided by Atria and Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Alex has always dreamed of being a published author like her idol, Roza Vallo. She’s even applied for Roza’s exclusive writing retreat that will give a few young female writers the opportunity of a lifetime. When she finds out that a last minute cancellation has given her the opportunity to attend the retreat, even her former best friend’s presence can’t stop her from this experience. But when the attendees are challenged with writing an entire novel during their time there, and then strange things start happening around them, Alex and the other attendees have to decide what’s more important…writing the novel of a lifetime, or surviving?

I often develop a lot of different ideas about whodunnit while reading a thriller. About halfway through this book, I was still a little stumped by it. The idea was interesting, but between the possibly haunted house and the weird things happening, I was still a little perplexed. But I kept going, and I’m glad I did. The twists started coming from every angle as the story unfolded, and I didn’t want to put it down. Although I was a little disappointed by the resolution, I’m ok with the explanation and final result.

Julia Bartz’s debut will be a tough act to follow. But I’m sure she has more than one great masterpiece in her!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"That's what writers do, don't they? Of course I fucking made it up." -From The Writing Retreat

4 stars

Imagining how stunning this book could have been if it didn't include Alex's mediocre writing excerpts is going to drive me bananas, so I'm going to try and pretend that didn't exist. Let's just pretend Alex was writing something brilliant, edgy, and deep. As a thriller (without that part) it really works, especially if you just let the unhinged plot take you away without trying to determine how believable it is. Honestly, the most unhinged thing that happened was all of these women starting to eat before their host arrived. Who are these people that know the (not to mention famous) host, who just invited them to stay for a month at their huge home, is just on the phone and will be there in a moment--but all just decide to start eating without them?? Have they ever been invited anywhere before? Were they raised by wolves? I have so many questions. All in all, a fun fast paced time.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do to get your book published? When you first start reading The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz, you may think that you must adhere to the daily deadlines, participate in reading and commenting on your fellow writers' works, and absorbing all the wisdom that the bestselling writer who leads the retreat provides. You'd be dead wrong.

Alex gets into the writing retreat, led by renown horror and thriller writer Rosa Vallo, because some writers dropped out. She couldn't be more thrilled, knowing that she will receive mentoring from her absolute favorite writer since her tween years. She's excited by the prospect of spending a month writing after a terrible case of writer's block and cannot wait to escape her job and the loss of her best friend and the crowd of friends that came with her.

Unfortunately, Alex learns that her former best friend and roommate Wren also earned a place at the retreat. They had a falling out of the worst kind, and Alex thinks that this will be the worst of her problems. Again, she's dead wrong. And you'll find out why and what happens during this retreat.

This book whisks you away immediately. Rosa Vallo seems at once glamorous and mysterious and scary. She's an intimidating figure, but if you play your cards right (or write a spectacular novel), you'll be in her good graces and on your way to becoming a published author. In the beginning, you know that something weird is going on but cannot put your finger on it.

On top of that, the amazing mansion, deep in rural Upstate New York, may be haunted. Plus, it's February in the Snow Belt, so there's the possibility that they could be trapped there under several feet of snow. This adds to the claustrophobic nature of the book.

Also, you're wondering why Alex and her longtime best friend Wren despise each other and won't talk. That adds to the tension. Can they get along in such close quarters after the events that destroyed their friendship?

Every character comes with their own idiosyncrasies and reasons for being there. You wonder how they will all get along and how they will be able to compete for the coveted book deal without stepping on anyone else's toes.

A lot of steamy sex accompanies this book. I was surprised by it. Depending on your preferences, you may be surprised as well. It's not a prominent part of the book, but it works well with the plot.

And this book is not for the faint of heart. At times, it's harrowing, disturbing, and on the edge of your seat scary. Although a few plotlines seemed predictable, others felt pretty shocking. There were times that I could not put the book down because I had to know what was next. Some even feel far-fetched (as you read you will understand what I mean), but you're so entrenched with the story that you can dismiss them.

Incidentally, author Julia Bartz shares something in common with another thriller/suspense writer. Family ties! Andrea Bartz, author of the bestselling We Were Never Here, is Julia's sister. They are both so talented and each writes in such a distinctive voice. I would love to see them collaborate on a novel because it would be phenomenal.

Anyway, this book held my interest, and I ate up all the scary parts. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins would make an excellent companion book. But this book makes me think twice about ever going on a writers' retreat.

I was gifted a copy of this book from Net Galley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. This book is available on February 21, 2023. ⭐⭐⭐ I didn't hate The Writing Retreat but I didn't love it like others did. Some parts just seemed over the top and I had no interest in the story Alex was writing. I've read a book similar to this where a bunch of authors stay in a house to write and I liked it much better. That being said, it held my interest enough to keep reading and find out exactly what was really going on, so I could see why others would enjoy it.

this book was un-put-down-able to me. i started it late friday night (bad idea) and stayed up too late reading it. allllll day the following day, i was grabbing my kindle to sneak in a couple of pages wherever i could. i ended up finishing it at 430 this morning when i woke up far before my alarm. think it was my brain desperate to know how it ends 😂

i have never read a book with a plot line and underlying themes quite like this. the suspense was constructed beautifully and even though she was questionable at times, and definitely flawed, i loved the MC so much.

i gave this 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5, only because there were certain things that were *slightly* predictable, but how they unfolded definitely weren’t!

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for my gifted digital advance review copy.

Alex is offered the chance of a lifetime when she wins a spot at a month-long writing retreat at the estate of her favorite author, Rosa Vallo. Eager to spend time in the presence of her idol, Alex packs up and heads to upstate New York to (hopefully) cure her case of writers block. When she arrives, she’s surprised to discover that the retreat is more of a competition, and she and the other four women must write an entire novel during the retreat. Rosa proves to be quite an eccentric host, and the women aren’t quite sure what to do when things start to go off the rails.

I was very intrigued by the cover and premise of this book- I expected a locked room mystery, but I think this one is a lot more complex. It felt a bit like an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ scenario, as there were so many elements of different genres blended into this suspense/thriller. Themes seemed to be both high and low concepted, and I found many of the elements to be discordant. An example of this is the gratuitous violence and crass language peppered throughout alongside the attempt to discuss women’s experience in society and the experience of Black women.

Bartz definitely kept me reading, but things just got more and more over the top as I got father into the book, and I lost interest. I also just could not get over the sex scenes and language used to describe them. There was also a section about 14% in where Alex and the other characters introduce themselves along with their pronouns, and then Alex meanders off on a tangent about existing primarily in white spaces. It felt out of place in the story. Not sure why these things stood out to me in particular, but they did.

I’d give Bartz another shot, but this one wasn’t quite what I was looking for.

This title did not disappoint! I enjoyed it and look forward to more work from this author!

5 stars out of 5!

“The few times I'd timidly given her one of my stories to read, she'd found pleasure in pointing out any improbabilities. This would never happen."

---------------------------------

Yeah, that quote says it all for me.

It's a bit like Nanowrimo if a maniacal Willy Wonka type ran it.

The Plot meets The Finalists meets The Hunting Wives.

This one took me a bit to get into. I am challenged by books with mostly unlikable characters so the beginning of this read was slow going for me. Once the pace picked up it was a little better but it was very unbelievable and that took me out of it.

The story within the story was a meh for me. And I didn’t really care who lived or died by the end.

Just because this one wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it won’t be for you. If you can suspend reality and just enjoy the quirky ego-driven violence of a story then give it a try.

Thanks to Atria Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

Sadly this was not the book for me! I struggled to stay engaged through the story, really making it difficult for me to want to pick up the book. Something about the writing style was not working for me - I did not like how there would be dialogue and then pages of internal thoughts before the next piece of the conversation… it felt so disjointed and difficult to follow. The storyline didn’t work for me, and I wasn’t interested at all by the end :(

The premise of this story sounds awesome. A writing retreat with a famous horror novelist with a chance at publication. I liked the main character but the story had a few holes in it where I was like "what just happened?" and "why?". It also was seemingly geared towards a young adult audience with the characters and their various forays into experimentation. A lack of maturity was present through out although some of the writers had strong character development. An author I would Consider reading again.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

Eek! This suspense novel was one of my most anticipated of the year!

The first sentence of the synopsis: psychological suspense debut about a young author at an exclusive and isolated writer’s retreat that descends into a nightmare. 😱

Are you sold yet?

But there were a couple things that killed it for me. I DNF at 48%.
1 - the relationship w the friends and the girls at the retreat was annoying. I was hoping for caddy and bitchy drama but it was just so childish and totally missed the mark.
2 - too much hints of 👻
3 - I felt like there was nothing of substance happening.

Tysm for this gifted copy. It’s out 2/21!

Star rating: ⭐️

Amazing wild ride! I couldn’t stop thinking about this book & wondering who was telling the truth? That the heck was really going on? Is anyone there sane?

- 2.5 Stars -
This book was NOTHING like what I expected it to be. I have to say that I am honestly really disappointed because I was so so SO excited about this book, just for it to flop. I was all in for the thriller/mystery aspect of this book, but have to say that I was underwhelmed by all that went on. It kind of felt like a bunch of different movie plots ripped apart and mushed into this book to create its own weird plot.

Now, I liked following alongside our FMC Alex as she gets invited to this super exclusive writing retreat hosted by her favorite author Roza. Super cool, I was into this because you just know that crap is going to hit the fan. But then on the retreat it just got WEIRD. There were moments that actually made me furious for the characters and women on this retreat because there was little to no consent involved. And yes, I am aware that they signed NDA contracts but STILL! You just don’t do this.

Also, the premise of Alex’s book that she was working on at the retreat gave me the heebie-jeebies. Not a fan thank you very much. The spiritual side of this book creeped me out and I honestly didn’t find that it added to the plot at all.

The last quarter of this book was WILD! I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen until I was knee-deep in it and let me tell you, it was sure something. Overall, if you’re looking for a thriller book that’s kind of a slow burn with some weird weird things, this might be the book for you, it just wasn’t for me.

⚠️TW: murder, death, emotional abuse, gun violence, gaslighting, child abuse, fire/fire injury, racism

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review! All of the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.