The Writing Retreat follows the story of 6 individuals who are invited to a famous writer's cabin, Roza, to be mentored by her. While six people are involved, the POV is only told from Alex's perspective. Once there, the girls realize that they are trapped and things are quickly going downhill. They have to figure out how they are going to get out alive. As the story progresses, the reader gets to see how psychotic and manipulative Roza actually is.

When I first heard of this story, I thought that it might have Verity vibes. While it still does remind me a bit of Colleen Hoover's Verity, I think it pales in comparison. While I thought that The Writing Retreat was an interesting read, I did not find any of it to be shocking. The ending I think is what most people would expect.

While Alex is at the writing retreat, she of course works on writing a story of her own. Some of her story is mentioned in this book. While I enjoyed getting to see what she was writing, I didn't necessarily make the full connection of how that related to what was happening at Blackbriar.

I also didn't really enjoy the backstory between Alex and Wren. If the two of them were truly good friends, I don't think that them fooling around while drunk would have compromised their relationship. I also don't think that it fit too well with the story that perhaps Wren was gay and just didn't want to accept it. This backstory just created another complication at Blackbriar.

All in all, I thought that this was an enjoyable read. However, it certainly isn't a shocking thriller, if that's what you are looking for.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Alex is a writer in a funk, when she gets an opportunity to go on a month long writing retreat with Roza Vallo she is thrilled! When she arrives at the retreat there are other authors just as excited. Roza drops a bomb when she tells all the girls that this is a competition and they have a month to write a whole book with daily deadlines, but they get a published book and a lot of money. Alex tries to push through and get the job done but she is having a hard time focusing with all the weird things happening at the house. Between her ex best friend Wrens antics, Roza’s weird behavior and a girl gone missing Alex is trying to figure out what the real intention is.

I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t love the first half of this book, it was a little weird and too sensual for me, However the second half had me at the edge of my seat with twists and turns not expecting what was to come.

My favorite aspect of Writing Retreat was its dark, intriguing plot and all-female cast. Although most of them behaved like spoiled teenagers. As they faced this horrifying situation on the writing retreat with their favorite author, their friendships were strengthened. The book within the book was an excellent addition. Throughout the novel, I found the twists and turns to be edge of your seat and kept me turning the pages. An author who ran a writing retreat was insane and unhinged, which made the story more riveting. There is nothing I like more than a book about books. A definite favorite.

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This is an honest review.

This book has been highly hyped and I’ve seen many booktubers adding it to their “most anticipated” list, which was why I was super happy to receive an ARC. Even if I did enjoy it, it felt a bit like it was trying to accomplish too much with a rather flat storyline.

The Writing Retreat has weird relationships, weird LGBTQIA+ characters that feel written to check a box, and a “super villain” mentality that did had a take on the fun of the story for me. The plot itself, with the added layer of a story written during the retreat, was interesting, but there was too much drama going on that distracted from the main story. I could see the reveal coming, as it was heavily hinted, so there wasn’t an element of surprise.

As it was, I did have a good time, but I think I won’t remember this book as the year ends. Still a worthy read and I think it will be generally well-received by the book community.

The first half of this story was, to me, interesting, had a good pace and had some fun darkness and suspense.

The last half started to get unbelievable and kind of "meh." Yes, I'm quite the wordsmith.

After the 55% mark, the pace slowed, it became a bit more bad dreamish (not making as much sense or being as believable and seeming to be neverending).

This concept was fantastic, really. And if there wasn't such a sharp division in the writing and storyline between the first and second half, it could easily have been a 4.5 to 5star read. But, I struggled to finish it and am instead giving it 3⭐️.

I am extremely grateful to Netgalley, the book publisher and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. I would definitely give this author's work another try in the future.

Julia Bartz's The Writing Retreat was a twisty ride. I really favored this book for its LGBT layer which is not often found in front list, big publisher psychological thrillers. So that aspect was terrific. I also dug the dark satire about the publishing industry, writing culture, and how far some might go/have to go (therein lies the satire) to get published. At a certain point in the story (I won't say where due to potential spoilers), I felt that the story became less interesting and struggled to get through it until the last 10% of the book, which was very page-turn-y again. At the times that I struggled, when I reminded myself of the dark satire, I was able to go back in. I think the issue for me is that it isn't labeled as satire by the publisher so that was confusing for me and left me getting this weird vibe. I wondered whether I was supposed to feel like some of it was silly. This was to do with my personal disappointment in where I saw the story going. I also found the references made to diversity in the publishing industry and social justice mentioned early on a bit awkward and clunky, as if they had been inserted later as an obligatory nod instead of flowing well with the story. Overall the rating was a strong 3.5 out of 5, so I rounded up to 4 stars. Thank you to the author and publisher for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a bold debut from newcomer Julia Bartz! Sinister, dark, twisty; “The Writing Retreat” has all the parts of a perfect thriller!

An imaginative & unique plot is at the core of this tale, as world-renowned writer Roza Vallo welcomes an eager group of young female writers to her sprawling mansion in upstate New York. As the ladies gather for their monthlong retreat, it soon becomes clear this isn’t your average workshop. And not everyone is going to get out alive.

Set aside a Saturday to curl up & drink in this masterful tale. You’ll want to devour it in one setting!

First off I want to thank @netgalley & @atriabooks for my free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely a wild ride. A great premise, a great plot Idea, locked room type of book, unfortunately for me it fell flat.

The story felt dragged out in my opinion, it did get lengthy at times and felt dragged out. For me the book within the book did not work, as it was diverting from the main plot. It did take too long for me for something to actually happen, it only started about 50% in.

The main character was unlikeable, the supporting characters I felt no attachment to. The ending was very out there, crazy, but unrealistic. It tied up too nicely too easily. I did enjoy the ending and craziness of it though.

If you want a locked room type of book give this one a try it might be for you.

This debut novel by Julia Bartz is all dark and twisty in the very best way.

Bartz starts out slow and lulls the reader into expecting a quiet and conventional story. But as the secrets and lies accumulate, we find ourselves suspicious of everyone and mistrusting everything. With each turn of the page the tension ramps up and the storyline accelerates to finally arrive at its strange but oddly satisfying conclusion.

Although there is some physical violence, it is the mind games that take the reader on a wild ride. Unreliable narrator, step aside. Here we have an entire cast of inscrutable characters.

The main character, Alex, aspires to be a writer. But she hasn’t been able to write at all, ever since her relationship with her best friend and roommate fell apart. Alex is so traumatized by this sudden estrangement that she is terrified of running into her former friend.

Then Alex receives a coveted invitation to attend a writing retreat. Even better, the retreat is being led by Alex’s favorite author, someone she has followed for years. Alex has dreamed of meeting this author, and now finds herself with the chance to visit the author’s home and to be mentored in writing by her idol.

Unfortunately, Alex learns that her former best friend has also been invited to take part in the retreat. Although wary of interacting with this frenemy, Alex knows that she cannot pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

And so Alex packs a bag and travels to the author’s grand and isolated home. She meets the other participants in the retreat, and we’re off and running.

By the way, the author’s genre is horror.

“The Writing Retreat” is a compelling and unpredictable psychological thriller. Recommended, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Available on February 21, 2023.

My thanks to the author, Julia Bartz, to the publisher, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book.

#TheWritingRetreat #netgalley #AtriaBooks #EmilyBestlerBooks

SYNOPSIS:

Julia Bartz’ debut suspense novel is about a monthlong writing retreat for a group of up-and-coming writers who identify as women. Rosa Vallo, a famous writer, is holding the retreat at her gothic mansion, Blackbriar Estate, in the Adirondacks in New York. Two of women on the retreat, Alex and Wren, know each other & share a history. Over the course of a month, the participants must complete a novel. Only one person can win.

MY THOUGHTS
- I liked the setting & the premise.
- Book starts out strong, but unfortunately, it doesn’t stay that way.
- I felt like the author wasn’t sure what direction to go in, and it ended up being way too much. A lot of side stories/plots, genre mixing, etc.
- There was way too much that was unbelievable. I’m okay with suspending belief to some degree, but this one asks for more than I personally can handle.
- I got bored with the book.
- The characters weren’t likable, so I also lost interest in finding out what was going to happen.
- Ending falls flat.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️Good setting & premise, but not a fan of the execution.


Thanks to Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's due to be published on February 23, 2023.

I stopped at 7% but if it continues as it has, an easy 3-4 stars for our usual visitors. Great cover!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC.

The Writing Retreat is the definition of an atmospheric thriller! Set during the winter in the Adirondacks at the estate of famed horror novelist, Rosa Vallo, five young female writers are invited to a writer's retreat. Alex, who has all but given up on getting published and now at 30 is just slightly out of the age range to qualify for the retreat, gets quite a shock when she finds out she has been invited! Even given the fact that her former best friend, turned current enemy, Wren, is also invited, doesn't stop Alex from attending what could be life changing few weeks. Once the women arrive, Rosa lets them know that in order to stay at the estate, they will all have to write and finish an entire novel over the course of the month long retreat. As the stress begins to get to everyone and strange things start to happen, Alex will do whatever it takes to figure out what's going on. I loved the first half this debut novel, and though the second half went slightly off the rails, it was still a satisfying read. Would definitely recommend and think it would be perfect for a snowy weekend read!

When famous feminist horror writer Roza Vallo announces that she’ll be hosting a month-long writing retreat at her historic estate, a select group of women are chosen to be her special guests. What starts as a long, intense month of writing, soon takes a sinister turn when Roza starts playing mind games and strange happenings begin to occur.

THE WRITING RETREAT By Julia Bartz was an intensely atmospheric book that had me flipping pages. The story slowly builds to some amazing wtf moments, and I had such a fun time reading it!

I also really enjoyed that the author added in glimpses of the book our lead character, Alex, was writing while at the retreat - it added more history behind the estate, and also helped with drawing some eerie parallels!

Definitely recommend picking this one up this winter, and I look forward to Julia Bartz’s future books because, HELLO, I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS IS A DEBUT!?!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Emily Bestler Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: February 21, 2023

This book was a crazy wild ride. The Writing Retreat is a fast-paced mystery/thriller that I had fun reading.

I don't typically re-hash the plot in my reviews, because you can just read that in the blurb. I will say that about 50% in this book starts to get crazy, and I found myself questioning some things (in a good way).

Alex is our narrator, and I liked Alex's character. She was a hot mess for sure, but her character development was great and I enjoyed reading from her perspective. I liked her interactions with the other characters as well, and also reading excerpts from her book.

The tension and the stress of trying to write a novel within a month's time starts to add up, and the rest of the time is full of secrets, lies, manipulation, and downright craziness. I loved the atmospheric, gothic vybes of this book--the dark, sensual tones of Briarcliff and it's history, and the bleakness of the snow-covered surroundings. I will say that the last 20% of the book felt a little OTT and rushed, but I still enjoyed the crazy ride.

Whoa!! What a twisted, psychotic story!! But, that is what made it so entertaining. Once I got into this one I struggled putting it down! It was such a unique concept too, I’ve personally never read anything similar to it!!

Short summary - this follows a group of writers, the MC, Alex, being one of them, trying to grow and get their names/work out there. They all get selected to go to a writing retreat hosted by a super famous author and it’s a very big deal! Once they all get there things start getting a bit crazy.

I highly recommend this one if you enjoy eccentric/crazy characters, a story within a story, isolated setting, snowed in, competition, betrayal, writing, books, creepy moments and more! This was a lot of fun!

Immediately put this one on your tbr. In a book club? Make The Writing Retreat your choice, and maybe discuss during your own retreat. The premise will grab you straight away - a writing retreat and contest judged by a famous author - in her own home! Don't sleep on this one (or at THE WRITING RETREAT).
-BOOK CLUB On the Go

this was a nice slowburn, set in a creepy mansion during a winter storm.

the characters came together well and each one seemed to be suspicious at some point throughout the book.

the creepiness and suspense of the book picked up, and kept me reading until the very end.

3.5 stars rounded down to a 3…

The book follows a struggling writer Alex, who is recovering from a friendship breakup with her best friend of 8 years Wren, as she receives a month-long invite to a writing retreat at the estate of Blackbriar owned by the famous Roza Vallo, a legendary feminist horror author. She meets four other writers who are also invited, including her ex best friend Wren who she has a long-standing intimate yet tense relationship with. The rule of the game is simple - everyone needs to submit a completed novel created from scratch and only the one with the most impressive work will be awarded with a six-figure publishing deal backed by Roza.

This is a slow burn claustrophobic, locked-room mystery teemed with tension, drama and secrets. It explores the dynamics of friendship rivalry and jealousy and the dark side of the publishing industry, with a not so subtle feminist and homoerotic undertone. I enjoyed the overall story, which started out slow (nothing eventful for the first 40%) but was packed with action and nonstop revelation and twists after the halfway mark. However, there were a few things that I did not quite like about the book:

- character development is lacking, the ex-best friendship arc was not explored thoroughly and felt like a mere trope and the Roza character didn’t quite meet my expectation (I somehow almost felt like she could’ve been more psychopathic/manic?)

- the amount of erotic scenes felt unnecessary and frankly a bit distracting from the overall mystery; I wish that the buildup of suspense wasn’t so reliant on sexual tension

- the whole secondary storyline with Daphne/original owner of Blackbriar felt unfinished and unexplored

Despite the above points, I still overall enjoyed the book and found it to be an atmospheric read with a thrilling journey and enough twists that will make you gasp. If you are a big fan of haunted mansions with a dark past or stories that explore the dark side of ambitions gone wild, this one is for you!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I decided to DNF this book at about 15%

Wow. I had some high hopes for this one. The story sounds amazing in theory and I even knew it ventures into weird territory and I am ALL for that. Unfortunatley I couldn't even make it that far. I had SO many issues with this. For one, the main character is kind of gross with how obsessive she is. Not only to her ex best friend but also her writing idol. It is one thing to idolize someone and another thing to be completely obsessed. Yikes. She had this woman as her lock screen...ew.

Not only that but some of the writing was just horrible in this. The dialogue was SO bad...i don't understand how that even happens. People don't talk like that. Ever. And some things felt like they were just unorganic and thrown in just to be diverse. It didn't feel natural, it felt very forced and therefore came off super cringe.

"The Writing Retreat" is a dark and twisted thriller with an atmospheric setting that slowly draws you into the story. You definitely won't be able to put it down.