I had very high hopes for "The Writing Retreat," by Julia Bartz but unfortunately I could not get past the first couple of chapters. It is not a book that I'll recommend to others although it may just not be my style of novel. I give it a couple of stars for the idea and the cover, but I just couldn't like it at all. I was provided an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whoa.

This is one hell of a debut novel.

The Writing Retread is a deliciously and disturbingly twisted story of a group of five female writers who win a spot at an exclusive writing retreat with famous author Roza. One of them will win a seven-figure publishing deal at the end of the month-long retreat but they soon find out there is so much else at stake.

The sole narrator, Alex, lucked into attending the repeat after someone dropped our last minute and her publishing connections got her in. She’s immediately uncomfortable upon arrival (and when she finds out), as her ex-best friend Wren is also a competitor of this month long writing retreat.

This book goes from eerie to straight up sinister quickly and it is both extremely engaging and demented in the most delightful way possible for those of us who love a heart-pounding & sweat inducing story.

The author also includes piece-by-piece excerpts of the novel Alex is writing in the book that reflect what is happening in real life at Ross’s estate.

This is a perfect read for when you’re craving something creepy, calculated and clever.


Once I started this book it was glued to my hands until I finished it in one day. I absolutely devoured this story. I HAD to know how this was going to end.

Hands down, this is a 5 star read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Definitely check TW’s before diving in.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

For fans of Nine Perfect Strangers, this is definitely one for you. Its dark, twisty and kept me entertained from the beginning to the end. Thanks Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Ooooh this was so good! It just got creepier and creepier, and I loved it! The characters were excellent, the setting was so atmospheric (a giant old mansion in the woods? Yes please), and the story was spooky. I really appreciated that the plot ramped up and up and up, to where I didn’t know what was coming next but I knew it would be something off putting! Looking forward to her next book.

7/10

Alex wants to be a novelist. Then one day she gets invited to an exclusive writing retreat out on by her favorite author, Roza Vallo.

After a few hit novels, Roza had become a recluse, living in an enormous and creepy mansion in upstate New York. She hadn’t don’t any interviews in years and nobody really knew the real Roza.

Just a handful of young girls are invited to the retreat. Turns out, the retreat has a series of surprises. And Roza is not the person people think she is.

This is a murder mystery, with a story that unravels like creaky steps into a dark, scary basement.

It’s a quick read, so that’s good. I wouldn’t put it up there with the great murder mystery novels. There’s a side story in the book that didn’t flow nearly as much as the author expected it to.

The characters are good but I didn’t really feel a ton of tension or connections. I didn’t feel empathy with any of the characters

Nice beach read, sure.
But I expect to forget it after a couple of weeks.

#netgalley #thewritingretreat

Imagine having a best friend so close, she’s like your sister, but one day, she snubbed you and the something unspeakable happens and what was your best friend is now your mortal enemy.

Then you get a once in a lifetime chance to attend a writing retreat with your long time hero. A whole month of writing and being critiqued and tutored by whom you hold as the best novelist around. Just you and four other writers … locked in an out of the way, reportedly haunted mansion, for a whole month … and of of those writers is that ex-best friend. A little tense … possibly …. But things are going to get so much worse.

This book was a fast and fun read, twisting and turning with characters that are both likable and very unlikable. I love authors that are so talented they can create a story (another whole novel idea) within the novel they are publishing and this one did not disappoint!

This is one twisted retreat you don’t want to miss. Okay … maybe take the pass on actually being there, but being a fly on the wall watching will be so much fun for you! Go ahead … enjoy The Writing Retreat!

This book has not been easy for me to get into. I struggle with the character of Alex and the story within the story. It just was hard for me to get into this one. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an absolutely solid debut. While I wasn't too caught up in the world our main character was writing about and felt that that portion could have been more compelling or left out, the ride the rest of the novel took me on was worth it. I genuinely was unable to tell what was coming next.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

What a debut! The Writing Retreat is twisted and twisty, clever and gripping. Julia Bartz begins with a contemporary atmosphere and gradually moves the story into an emotionally charged narrative, and into a psychological thriller, then into borderline horror, then into extreme survival. Beautifully done.

"As Roza prepares to welcome four unnamed young female writers into her estate for a monthlong writing retreat this winter, one could wonder whether her focus has shifted. Is she going to become a mentor, outwardly facing and fostering talent, instead of disappearing back into her reclusive writer's life?"

Each year, as we find ourselves headed into autumn, I tend to start craving books with a chilly, crisp, and tense tone. Dark, sensual, and a little bit bonkers, this was the perfect read as the weather cools off! Whether you pick it up after publication in early 2023 or you have an advanced copy to dive into this fall, you won't regret pairing The Writing Retreat with other seasonal mood reads. As someone who is always a sucker for locked room mysteries, the cover and synopsis both wooed me in with their Agatha Christie vibes, and I like to imagine this is the type of story she might write if she were alive in modern times.

Alex and Wren. Wren and Alex. Two peas in a pod who bonded instantly at a shared workplace and continued their friendship for nearly a decade after. However, a year ago, something happened between Alex and Wren that ended their relationship for good. Now Alex is an anxious loner and Wren has poisoned all of their mutual friends against her, so when Alex finds out that both her and Wren have been accepted into a private, prestige-laden writing retreat with the duo's favorite author Roza Vallo, even the prospect of facing Wren in close quarters for a month isn't enough to derail her excitement. Once the group of aspiring authors arrive and settle in, strange things begin happening. Is Wren trying to sabotage Alex's chance at publishing her debut novel? What is Roza Vallo hiding? And how does the fable involving a seance gone wrong in Roza's estate over a century ago tie into everything? You'll have to read the book to find out!

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If you're looking for a book that is difficult to put down, even when you desperately need to get things done, this is it. It's been quite some time since a story hit me where I was thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it, which is exactly what The Writing Retreat did. The snow covered atmosphere, the sense of dread that slowly builds into sheer panic, and the drama that unfolds between the characters are all things that I admire in a book. The author does a fantastic job of tying in so many different plot points, although maybe there is a bit TOO much thrown in there near the end, but regardless, the outlandish nature of the plot only gives the story quirky character in my opinion.

The last chapter following the conclusion of the retreat did feel a bit rushed, and I would have liked to see how the aftermath played out a little more than we receive, but I see why the author might have chosen to keep things brief. Some readers who like their crime fiction isolated to this genre might take issue with the great amount of sexual content included in the story, but it really is crucial to the overarching plot. If you enjoy a quick read full of dark, sinister plans and books within books, give The Writing Retreat a try for yourself!

The Writing Retreat was an interesting read. It’s fast paced and absolutely keeps you guessing. A ghost story/thriller/mystery with a side of sexual discovery. Overall, I would recommend, somehow all of those elements work!

The Writing Retreat, by Julia Bartz, is a feminist centered psychological thriller that follows a group of up and coming female writers, invited to attend an elite writing retreat at the remote estate of reclusive author Rosa Vallo.

With gothic undertones, Bartz’s debut novel delves into the complexities of female friendship, ambition, and sacrifice.

For fans of Sarah Waters, Emma Cline, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

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.

OMGGGGG thriller debut of the year??? This book gives The Plot, Misery, basically all the iconic writing centered horror/thriller novels.

Alex is given a chance to go to a month long writing retreat by the iconic, secretive author Rosa Vallo at her haunted Blackbriar estate. Alex is PUMPED until she finds out her ex-best friend Wren (bad friend breakup) is going too. This writing retreat is... not all that Alex is expecting.

The Writing Retreat has sinister twists and turns, crazy plot twists, and characters you love to hate. This is going to be a HUGE success, pick it up as soon as you get the chance!!!

The blurbs are spot on - this is bonkers, fast-paced, and a lot of fun. A recommended purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.

Admittedly, a far fetched premise, but I stayed engaged to see how this would all play out. I didn't love the supernatural novel that is also told (authored by the heroine)...unlikely that would be a bestseller! Nice character development (5 individuals plus the host and her crew). Probably would not but this one but I think it's her debut so maybe she has 'more than one book in her'!

The first half was a compulsive read, well developed characters and a really fascinating plot and I was really enjoying it. The second half was a different book, one I didn’t like nearly as much with characters doing and saying things which I considered to be out of character with the ones I liked in the beginning. I loved most of the women, especially a couple of them, and couldn’t accept the moral and ethical changes. Some of the women stayed true to themselves and the ending was stunning so 3.5 rounded up to 4..

*ARC was provided by Atria Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

The Writing Retreat reads like two different books. The first half is well-paced, engaging, and realistic with just the right amount of spookiness. The second half, however, takes a sharp turn down a road of campy implausibility. While thrillers can be far-fetched, the second half of this book is so far from reality that the overall impact on the reader is lost.

While I enjoyed the first half of the book (the premise reminded me of a personal favourite, Nine Perfect Strangers) and was leaning toward a 4 star review, the latter half left me feeling somewhere between 2 and 3. However, if taken at face value, many readers are likely to enjoy the story for what it is.

Lean into the dramatics and you'll have a good time. 3 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. This is my honest review:

When Alex wins a contest to stay at a writing retreat hosted by her favorite author, she couldn't be more thrilled. Until her ex best friend, Wren, who also won the contest, shows up. Having to deal with Wren's coldness is one thing. But there are also strange things happening at this retreat. The author's house is haunted by the past and soon things become far more precarious for Alex than she ever could have imagined.

This was a fun one. Part Stephen King, part The Plot. I had a great time reading this twisty tale of suspense. It's fast paced and entertaining. I'm not saying it's award worthy, but it did get me excited to read again after a long hiatus. I will say the story within a story trope is interesting. You have to have some talent to be able to write a character writing a story in their own voice. Much like "The Plot," however, the story Alex writes isn't very interesting. And yes, it is a bit campy and predictable. Nevertheless, I couldn't put it down. Bartz has written a strong debut that will delight fans of thrillers and maybe some horror fans as well.