This book was definitely just not for me. It sounded so promising and I was honestly so excited about the concept of a writing competition, but the writing was just not there. The story was not really thoughout and did not feel like it had gone through enough editing to get the kinks out- this really took the enjoyment of the book away from me and i really struggled to finish it.

The Writing Retreat" by Julia Bartz is a literary gem that seamlessly blends mystery and intrigue with a touch of psychological suspense. Bartz's storytelling prowess shines through as she crafts a compelling narrative set against the backdrop of a writing retreat. The characters are intricately developed, each harboring secrets that keep the reader guessing until the final page. With a skillful balance of tension and revelation, Bartz delivers a captivating tale that keeps you engaged from start to finish. "The Writing Retreat" is a must-read for those who appreciate a well-crafted mystery with a literary twist.

This book was not for me. There was no character development or depth at all. The plot was too twisted and made no sense. It felt like the author was trying to do too much and trying too hard to go viral on tiktok without any thought as to whether they were actually writing a good and well-thought out story. I will not be reading anything else by this author.

Have you ever read a book and then...thought maybe you are having a heart attack?? LOL that is this book. EXCELLENT Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

Book review: The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz.

This debut thriller released earlier this year centers around a secluded and exclusive writing retreat for women, one whose book will be published at the end of the month long stay. As the days pass, strange happenings begin to occur and the characters realize this trip may have more in store than they imagined.

My feelings about this book were interesting: I felt the story and characters were compelling, but some of the events and ideas went a little off the rails at times. The mystery aspect of the story was good, but it became more thriller-esque towards the end. The writing was good, the pace was quick and really never lagged, and the setting was appropriately creepy.

If you like thrillers and don’t mind a little bit of unbelievability, try this one out. I’m definitely interested to see what Bartz writes next.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is WILD from go to whoa. So much action I had a hard time putting it down! Looking forward to what Bartz does next.

While I enjoyed this book overall, it was filled with some things that I don't like in my thrillers. It was heavily woke and included waaaay too many female/female erotic sexual relationships/encounters. It also has mentions of demons and the occult so I wasn't sure if it was going to be supernatural in nature (spoiler alert: it's not). The thriller aspect though was top notch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC.

I’ve been excited to read this one, and I recently got snowed in myself, so I thought it would be a fun time to read!

I had a lot of trouble getting into it. It seemed like something I would like, butI just didn’t. I was so unbelievably bored.

I looked at spoilers to see if maybe I would like where the story went, and I didn’t like that either, so I decided to put it down.

I had high hopes for this read, but unfortunately, it was lackluster for me overall. I should start by saying It was very well written, the plot had great potential, and it was a quick read. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it just didn’t do it for me. Personally, I felt it was much too slowwwww for my liking when it comes to a thriller read. The beginning of the book dragged on and on for far too long, and then as soon as you got into the "thrill," it was over. I will say there were a few unexpected twists I didn’t see coming, which added a fun little spark of excitement while reading. The thrilling parts kept me engaged and wanting to keep reading to know what was coming next, which was great! But once the big *WOW* moment happened, it felt rushed and choppy. The ending just annoyed me, I felt there were many things that were never resolved and so many things I wanted still wanted to know.

Oh dang this book is unhinged. I'm not sure if it is a good unhinged or a bit too far unhinged. I do think either way, it is a compelling read. Good atmosphere and fun overall even if a bit over the top.

This book has left me speechless and without thoughts… I don’t know how to feel. It was twisty, turny, wild, and…. So weird. It was a great book to read while in a snowstorm though!

I enjoyed this book! Is it a bit unhinged and wild? Sure. But I'm a huge fan of an isolated murder situation in a snowy environment, where both the elements and the people conspire to keep you trapped somewhere, forced to deal with a horror that's stalking you. This book brings us a story of two writers who were best friends but had a falling out. They are then both selected for an exclusive retreat with an author they admire, who will have everyone write a book in a month. At the end of this retreat, one of them will have their book published and publicized and they will launch into greatness. But things aren't as they seem! You do have to suspend disbelief for some of the action, but I enjoyed the sharp left turn this book took toward the end. If you're snowed in, sitting by the fire with a cup of cocoa, this book would be an awesomely tense read to keep you company!

This book is so full of twists and turns. It’s quite entertaining and full of suspense! A great thriller!

Thank you, Julia Bartz, Atria Books & Netgalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

This book wasn't for me. It was too much going on to the point that at the end I didn't care much and it got too crazy. We picked this for my book club retreat (because of the name!) and about half of us loved it and half of us hated it. I unfortunately was in the latter part.

Famous writer holds a contest - she will help 5 unknown women authors write novels. The winning novel will get published. The catch - they will be at her isolated home with no outside contact for a month. What could possibly go wrong?

This was not necessarily what I was expecting, especially with a predictable twist. I tend to like locked room mysteries as you try to figure out which of the cast of characters you are introduced to is the culprit. This delivered that aspect but tended to be more of a horror-type mystery than I am used to. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters so it made for a long read at times.

I read this book in 2023 for book club. I found the concept exciting and I liked the interaction between Rosa and the "Students" writing their ideas. The book kind of lost me at the end thought with its bizarre twist. All in all, it was a good book and felt like a spooky season type of read.

I’m recommending this book for fans of horror or weird thrillers. The writing was good, but the story wasn’t what I was expecting. Definitely a wild ride! But just not my normal cup of tea. That said, horror and thriller fans, and readers of gothic novels will love this book.

I have been really curious about this book because it has gotten such mixed reactions. I'm very glad to report that I had a great time reading this book. The beginning is a bit slow, but still very captivating. There's just quite a lot of flashbacks, and character's backstory at the start that kind of feel pointless. However, there's this undertone that makes you keep reading because it can't be that all this info was for nothing. I think this book does a great job at that, keeping you curious about what's going on. Therefore this was an incredibly quick read as well.
I quite liked our cast of characters. They were incredibly interesting. All of them were a bit fucked, and not really the best people but such compelling characters to follow, and I think the author did a great job at still making you root for all of them, even the "bad guys". I can't help but say I totally understand all of these characters and their actions, and not to say that the bad guys weren't actually doing bad things (they 100% were, and this book doesn't shy away from how horrific the things they do are) but there's just something about these characters you can't help but be absolutely captivated, and enamoured by.
Plot wise, this book does go a bit over the rails. I honestly thought, the many sudden twists and turns were extremely entertaining, and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire book. I couldn't put it down because I just couldn't wait to figure out what else was going to happen. Although, I do completely understand why other people could be put of by that, as it is truly unhinged at times, and that isn't for everyone. I honestly thought this was a great read, and I'm really glad I decided to pick it up. I'm definitely reading more by this author in the future.

I really could've done without the graphic demon sex, but overall, I enjoyed "The Writing Retreat." It held my interest throughout and shakes the thriller genre up a bit. It's a real page-turner.

It does have it's problems, though. Believability for one, is a major stumbling block. And the author, Julia Bartz, tries a bit too hard to give the book an edgy feel to it, with the above-mentioned demon sex being a perfect example of this. Bartz also overstuffs the narrative with too many backstories, a detailed history of the house, and a book within the main book, and it seems as if it takes too long for the final denouement to be reached.

But I still liked "The Writing Retreat," and Bartz is now on my radar. I will keep an eye out for her next book.


My sincerest appreciation to Julia Bartz, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

I often find myself predicting the ends of thrillers, but this one threw me for a loop and had me on the edge of my seat. The setting (a big haunted house in the middle of nowhere) is perfect for a thriller, and there were so many twists and turns I had no idea where we were heading by the end of the book.