I really enjoyed this one. There’s the secluded remote setting, the interesting cast of characters with their unknown motives, and the unique plot about the writing competition.. Add in some twists and shocking reveals, and you have a great rollercoaster of a thriller. This was a fun and engrossing read and I recommend it.

The Writing Retreat is a twisty and fast-paced thriller with lots of surprises that keep you turning the pages, especially from about the halfway point. The plot is intricate, too, with many threads woven together (the present, the history of the mansion where the retreat is held, and the novel (within the novel) that main character/narrator Alex is writing.

I like the premise a lot: A select group of women is invited to the writing retreat of their dreams, hosted by their long-time writer idol, Roza Vallo. Very quickly, Roza metamorphoses from idolized mentor to unpredictable taskmaster and mistress of the mysterious and macabre. The setting and unfolding events are deliciously creepy, claustrophobic, and edgy, with plenty of sensual/sexual encounters. Secrets and hidden agendas abound. We are held captive by suspense and tension at every turn.

The five young women participants are multidimensional, well-developed, both strong and shady. Like Alex (main character and narrator), we’re never quite sure who can be trusted. Motives are continually called into question. I felt constantly suspicious and on the alert, both tantalized and afraid to find out what would happen next.

What I most liked was the development of the main character Alex, who grows in self-knowledge, confidence, and determination throughout the story. However, I wondered whether to trust Alex or whether she would prove to be an unreliable narrator, locus of yet another layer of deception. For me, the story overall was a bit too gothic and bizarre — nightmares and/or hallucinations? over-the-top turns of events — but I think most readers will really like it. And I did like it most of the way. But for me, the end of the retreat strained credibility. And the last section of the book (post-retreat) fell flat. I expected a more surprising and dynamic ending — one last big twist or reveal that didn’t happen. Nevertheless, Julia Bartz is a talented writer and I’ll be there for her next novel, for sure.

Many thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy.

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz is a highly suspenseful story of five young female authors who are desperate and eager to publish their first book. They all respond positively to an invitation by the well-known author Rosa Vallo to attend a month-long writing retreat at her secluded mansion. But from the moment they arrive at her estate, surprises and challenges await them. Some of the surprises are quite sinister. The challenges Rosa Vallo presents to them at times undermines their collegiality and confidence as writers. This psychological thriller is fast-paced and will keep you reading well into the night. The Writing Retreat is an amazing debut novel and I highly recommend it.

I loved this one. The setting is one of my favorites. I enjoyed the look back at the main characters friendship with Wren. I’m not sure what I thought of the ending. I was surprised Roza let them live.

2.5 stars, rounded up. Not a fan of this one, unfortunately. The story was fine, the pacing was good, but I guess I've seen these sorts of isolated, single-location thrillers done too many times, and done better. Writers writing about writers is also done too often, and has been done better. The writing here was very bland, no flavor in the voice, and the descriptions ("know pulsed in his neck), setting and characters were all so stereotypical, the dialogue very trite and sometimes cringey. ("Can I say 'peeps?' "Come on peeps.") Just no nuance. I knew this wasn't for me when I saw an LGBTQ discussion obviously forced in early on. Yes, it plays a part in the meat of the book, but here it seemed almost token, like the author was struggling with (again trite) ways to address it, never going deeper.

With that said, I rounded up because I think certain types of genre readers will enjoy it. It just wasn't for me.

Unhinged. Completely unhinged. This is one of those stories where I didn’t particularly like any of the characters but was so invested that I literally couldn’t put it down. This story pulled me in with its unreliable characters, jealousy, lust, and creativity. Alex, the MC, was intolerable most of the story but somehow managed to make me hope for her writing success. The story felt repetitive as the characters were doing the same thing every day but the games/assignments Roza planned really set all the eerie vibes and gave us a way to learn about all the characters. The atmosphere was dark, twisted, and cold the entire story and there were multiple twists and turns that left me questioning my sanity.

I did struggle with the rating because of a few things. The discussions about pronounces and race felt forced for the sake of inclusion, and I wish there would have been a TW about women being drugged and supposed demon/sex with a demon. But the main reason I hesitated with the rating was because of the part about a Jewish woman falling in love with a Nazi during the war. It felt romanizing and insensitive, and honestly held no value to the story.

But overall I thought this was the perfect cozy thriller! It kept me on my toes and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the story. It gave me “No Exit” vibes so if you enjoyed that one as much as I did, you’ll probably enjoy this one too!

Big thanks to Atria Books Publicity Department for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

Alex wants to be a writer but since her friendship breakup with best friend Wren, she has not been able to write a thing. She is stuck in a job she hates with a life she isn’t too thrilled with until Ursula lets her know that she was able to get her the chance of a lifetime - to go on a month long writing retreat, sponsored by her favorite author, Roza Vallo. Even the twist, that her ex-best friend would be there too, cannot dampen her excitement. The other girls seem really nice at first, the historic home that Roza lives in is opulent, comfortable, and okay… also a little bit spooky. Things with Wren remain tense and slowly, it seems, she is poisoning the other girls against her. However, she is too busy with the challenge placed before them - whomever writes an entire novel that Roza picks as the winner, will get a 1 million dollar book deal. Can this offer be too good to be true? Alex is writing her heart out, but is also starting to notice some concerning things, including the very bizarre mood shifts of their host. Then one of the other writes disappear and Alex realizes she has to get to the bottom of what is going on, before the time for the retreat runs out.

This book is a masterpiece about writing a masterpiece! The Writing Retreat has everything you need for a novel that a reader will not be able to put down. A handful of interesting, distinct, and creatively written characters, along with multiple stories within a story - a historical story from Vallo’s mansion, the stories that evolve between some of the characters, the book being written by one of the characters and the main plot of the book. Then along with lots twists and turns within the books pages, had me finishing this book in two days. I applaud the authors creativity and her distinct voice. This is a book that I will remember for a long time. You might have to suspend your disbelief for this one, but the ride is worth every minute you spend reading it!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley and Julia Bartz for the opportunity to read this e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher of an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a little disappointing for me. The concept was interesting and the characters were all flawed which I love in a book, but at some point it felt like it was dragging and it lost all the tension and intrigue.

Very good book. Loved the unpredictability and the plot premise I haven’t read yet. Loved it was a thriller that doesn’t deal with a couple. I feel a lot deal with husband and wife or significant others currently that I read. Overall a very good book will recommend.

In Bartz's debut "The Writing Retreat", a small group of female-identifying writers go on a retreat to a legendary author's remote country estate, Blackbriar, which is host to a dark past all its own, Our narrator, Alex, is lost at sea both as a person and author when we start the story. She has recently had a "best friend" break up with the cold yet glamorous Wren. Both women bonded over parents who didn't choose their needs growing up, and the harsh reality which unfolded as a result, as well as their initial reason for connection- their obsession with author Roza Vallo. The action of both women being selected as 2 of 5 (originally 4) lucky winners to come to the retreat hosted by Vallo launches the narrative, which for me highlights the biggest unresolved question I have. Alex and Wren both being selected out of seemingly thousands of applicants and an extremely lengthy reading period, and due no less to the intervention of their friend Ursula in the process, felt like a huge hole in the plot's overall motivation for me. I kept coming back to thinking Ursula would somehow be connected to Roza's scheme overall, which did not turn out to be true. This was further drawn attention to by the fact that Wren wasn't a particularly good writer, and in my mind would not have gotten through the rigorous process of merit alone. As a result, the selection process for the retreat for both this reason and others was a bit too much of a deus ex machina for me. This was my main critique overall, though. I loved the "story within a story" of Daphne and her spiritualism and Lamia, and how it was an extended metaphor for Alex's journey through the retreat overall. I loved the different characters specificity and their arcs, but would have enjoyed a bit more of a full come to Jesus moment from Wren about what she did to Alex. The atmosphere and tension of the novel was excellent and unputdownable for certain. If this is the debut for Bartz, I can't wait to see what else is to come. "The Writing Retreat" brought something to the table which I have not seen in any thrillers of the past few years. The intertwining of intersectionality was much appreciated as I feel many authors of thrillers can leave their characters too 2 dimensional as far as their personal lives beyond the historical events which shape the action. Brava!

An atmospheric mystery that was really edgy but just couldn't keep my attention. It just felt like a complicated writing style to me and there are so many with this trope out right now.

Well crafted for a debut! I knew I'd like the setting of a writers retreat since I'm a writer, but the characters fell into common tropes at times. The mysteries unraveled in an intriguing way but I didn't find myself completely engrossed in this thriller.

This book has just about everything I look for in a thriller, a well developed cast of characters, a spooky atmosphere and the ability to keep me up late at night reading it. The plot moves super fast in this one and it's jam packed with action. Please add it to your TBR if you haven't already. This one is going to be huge.

This book was beautifully crafted and the perfect mix of natural and supernatural that left me on the edge of my seat wanting more. Through the first few parts of this book I really found myself relating to Taylor, especially with her intrigue in the supernatural. The ending gave just enough of a conclusion to have me craving more of these characters and this beautiful writing.

This thriller takes place during a writing retreat, which is a setting I've not seen before, but was totally here for! The invited writers were women-only, and it was quite engaging to see how the group dynamic changed as the days went by. I also appreciated getting a book-within-a-book, as excerpts of Alex's book was interspersed throughout. I wished I could have liked Alex (the main character) more, but I believe the point was for her to be kind of unlikable?

The book also dealt with a friendship which ended badly, and that provided yet another layer of tension to the story. This is a good thriller to pick up when you're looking for a twisty bit of escapism, especially if you're a writer yourself.

A dark, chilling, horror novel in an isolated setting. Five women are chosen to attend a month long writing retreat with the famous author, Roza Vallo. Each of the girls is excited to have been chosen. All goes well at first, even though the schedule is busy and the amount of writing that must be produced each day is very high. And there are consequences for not producing the quota. They are each expected to fully complete a novel during the retreat, and the winner will receive a seven figure publishing deal. It is apparent soon enough that this writing retreat is not what was expected.

This book is full of action and the plot moves quickly. It was hard to put the book down even though some of it is quite violent. I was surprised this is a debut novel. It is well written. There are quite a few twists and some were shocking.

Thanks to Atria Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on February 21, 2023.

This is going to be the most talked about thriller of the new year. It has dark academic writer vibes with LGBT representation. I was so impressed and captivated by the cast of characters!

3.75 stars

Echoing others, I can't believe this is a debut!

However going in I highly recommend avoiding the blurbs.

Alex is in the middle of a long time of writer's block when she is invited to a writing retreat hosted by her favorite other, the one catch is that her ex-best friend Wren will be there.

Set at an isolated Adirondacks mansion, Alex embarks on writing a new novel under the watchful eye of Roza. As the weeks go by, odd things start happening and go off the rails.

Full of twists, I think this one might be one for lovers of isolated settings, over the top twists, and those that can suspend disbelief.

What I liked: the pacing, the character development of Alex, the book within a book, the isolated setting, and the tension.

What I didn't like: over the top sexual scenes that muddled the plot, angst/friendship drama, repetitive/mirrored plot between the book within a book and the actual plot

What I really didn't like: was a relationship between a Jewish woman and a Nazi really necessary? No.

It's difficult to review this book. There's plenty to enjoy and plenty that makes you say, "oh, come on!" The characters are all kind of terrible, ruled by ambition. The setting is fantastic--isolated by location and weather conditions. The backstory of the mansion is incredibly fun. Spoilers ahead. Main character Alex is a closeted, sex-starved doormat. Roza, idol and puppet master, is completely bonkers--knows she is bonkers and doesn't care. I don't understand why this book doesn't have an LGBT descriptor because this is certainly LGBT. The characters write, have wine, go down on each other; rinse, repeat. The novel within a novel was interesting but not necessary to the plot. The pace of this book is fast, the mystery (mysteries) intriguing, and so much of this is bat-shit crazy.

MY FIRST READ OF 2023 🥳 and it was a B A N G E R!!!! “The Writing Retreat” by Julia Bartz is a COMPELLING debut novel that will make you paranoid, keep you guessing and test your instincts 🤯

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

A once in a lifetime opportunity gets offered to Alex who has dreamed of becoming a published author. She has the opportunity to join an exclusive writer’s retreat hosted by horror author icon Roza Vallo at her gothic mansion in the woods!

Five writers have been chosen to partake in the month long retreat. What they don’t know is that they are expected to write an entire novel from start to finish before the month ends! Whoever writes the best novel will receive a huge publishing deal that will change their life forever!

The challenge is on as the writers begin to work on their novels … until a sinister snow storm arrives and weird things begin happening all around them. WHO will make it to the end of the retreat?? And just HOW FAR will each writer go to make their dreams come true??

W O W, This book was incredible! I loved how atmospheric and chilling it was! The gothic vibes and psychological twist and turns kept me on edge throughout! What a FANTASTIC first book for a new year 👏

Thank you kindly to @juliabartz @atriabooks @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! RUN, don’t walk to get this book on its release date of February 21, 2023!