3.75 starts. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the E-Book. Can we just say Psychopath. I enjoyed this book so much it kept me guessing all the way till the end. It made me doubt who I thought was the bad person and I like that because for the most part everyone at the Retreat had reason to hurt the Main Characters and can we talk about that ending chefs kiss.

The description sounded good but I found this book to be a very slow starter. An OK read but not as good as previous books by Karen King, in my opinion.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Retreat
Written By Karen King
Published By Bookouture
Release Date October 13, 2023

Characters: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Pace: 2/t
Suspense: 3/5
Overall Enjoyment: 3/5


“ The sunlight dances on the turquoise pool as I wait for our first guests. But my blood turns to ice when I recognise one of them as an old friend and a flood of guilt and fear comes rushing back. Is she here to ruin my life for a second time?”

This book has some of what it takes to have a great mystery, it is just full of things that make no sense to a mystery. The blurb sounded great which made me want to read it but once I started it was a disaster. I do want to thank the author and the publisher for giving me a copy to read but I feel like the author added too much fluff to the story to make it longer. I have never read anything from this author but am willing to give her one more try. I just was not able to finish due to the catastrophic additives that the author threw in. With writing that kept me engaged for some time, I felt as though this book has lots of potential. Overall I give this book 3 stars.

Thank you to the author as well as the publisher for giving me a copy of this book to read in exchange for my unbiased and honest attention.

I've loved other books by this author, but this one missed the mark for me. Way too many descriptions combined with little action for a huge portion of the book made it impossible for me to stay engaged. Descriptions were well done, but I wanted a psychological thriller, not to read about goats raiding a vegetable garden. The pace was too slow for the genre, and there was so much repetition. Most of the dialogue felt stilted. I'd be willing to read future books, as I've loved prior ones, but this one was a hard "No" for me. It almost felt as if a different author wrote this than her prior books.

This was my first Karen King novel but, unfortunately a DNF for me. It was very slow moving and, by the time I gave up, nothing had really happened.

DNF. 30% complete and there was still no suspense or plot development. I felt there was too much description and not enough action.

I read this one while I was on vacation, and even though I was exhausted from my busy days, I managed to read into the night because I wanted to see how this was going to end. The Retreat by Karen King centers around a group of friends staying at a newly renovated home in the mountains. The beautiful house and land, has been turned into a wellness retreat by Eva and Jose. However, soon the retreat turns into a nightmare and they wonder, which of their friends is trying to sabotage them?



The sunlight dances on the turquoise pool as I wait for our first guests. But my blood turns to ice when I recognise one of them as an old friend and a flood of guilt and fear comes rushing back. Is she here to ruin my life for a second time?

‘It’s been so long’, Saskia says as she hugs me. I plaster the smile back on my face, my hands shaking as I usher our guests into the traditional Spanish farmhouse we’ve spent years renovating to perfection. Saskia and I had been so close, until she betrayed me.

Now I’ve started a new life here in Spain. I met José and fell in love with his deep brown eyes, and together we opened our own retreat nestled high in the mountains. But José has no idea about the real me – I know he wouldn’t be able to look me in the eye if he ever found out that I have blood on my hands.

Then I discover our beautiful water fountain stained a deep red. My heart pounds with fear because it feels like a warning. And all my worst nightmares are confirmed when I find a note in my bedroom, revealing my terrible secret.

I was with Saskia all day, so I know it can’t be her. Which means that someone else at the retreat knows the truth about me – and they’re here for revenge.

But this perfect new life means everything to me. And I’ll do anything to protect it…

Out now!

I have never really warmed to psychological thrillers but thought I would give this one a go, having read and enjoyed many of Karen's previous books. So pleased I did and it was a real page turner.

I am really grateful to have been provided with an ARC of this book.
The premise of the story is really good, and it's what drew me to the book in the first place, but the writing became quite repetitive at some point and the twists and reveals were predictable (at least to someone used to reading thrillers and mysteries).

Jose and Eva have converted an inherited family villa into a wellness retreat. To test their venture they invite guests to a trial week to iron out any issues.
When their guests arrive they realise things may not be plane sailing. One guest is an old friend. Another a warring relative. As the week goes on things start to go wrong. Simple things at first. Is it just a series of accidents or is someone planning to derail there plans.

A great read with lots of twists. You will be constantly changing your mind as to what is happening.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

When a couple converts an old family villa into a wellness retreat, they had no idea what was to come during their first trial week. Both Jose and Eva ended up knowing a guest or two from their past. They instantly began to think why would they come? Are they supportive or jealous of this new venture? The week starts out well with the guests getting to know each other and exploring the property. But then day by day something kept going wrong that Eva and Jose could not figure out. But when Jose experiences an "attack" they finally realize that someone there is out to get them. A classic who done it situation up until the last chapter...

Fun and juicy beach read about murder and intrigue in a luxury home turned retreat. A solid but limited cast of characters, each with secrets and perhaps a reason to murder, in a beautiful locale, will keep you guessing through the many twists and turns. A page turner for sure!

The Retreat by Karen King Narrated by Daphne Kouma was a totally unputdownable and jaw-dropping psychological suspense thriller with lots of twists and turns throughout especially as it had you guessing right till the end on who it was.

The narrator Daphne was excellent with the voices and made it entertaining,

I highly recommend this audiobook or book and great for a holiday.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture the publisher for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “The Retreat”. Karen King is a new author to me and I look forward to her next book.
Eva and her husband Jose turn Jose’s grandparents’ home in Spain into a wellness retreat. Eva has some secrets from her husband but the other guests are also hiding things too.
This book will have you flipping the pages so fast to see what happens. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheRetreat #KarenKing #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #BooksSetInSpain #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

Isn't the cover of this book The Retreat fabulous. The gorgeous cool colours make me want to dive in the pool immediately.
I read a previous book from this author and loved it so I was delighted to be invited to take part on this tour. She's a great author. The blurb to her books are so inviting.
We meet José and Eva in this story. They have created the most wonderful holiday retreat in the Andalucian mountains in Southern Spain.
A home that used to belong his grandparents.
This has been a labour of love for both of them and finally it is ready to accept guests and they couldn't be happier.
Deciding to have a trial run, they both decide to accept just six guests to their retreat offering them a discount. They'd like feedback on what they have created.
When they notice that Carlos, a cousin of José who has been estranged through a family feud going back over the years, has signed up for the retreat, they can't help wondering what his motives are for wanting to take part.
Another person to sign up for the retreat is an old friend of Eva's, Saskia. Eva feels their friendship ended with one leaving down the other quite badly so she is baffled as to why her former friend would want sign up to their retreat and reconnect.
But they want to think positively and so they welcome all their guests to their retreat and delight in showing them what they have to offer.
When a series of mishaps happen with no explanation, José and Eva begin to wonder is someone trying to sabotage their beautiful dreams.
I loved the location to this story. I could almost feel the heat on my skin as I read along..
Many secrets were being kept, lies were told and you couldn't help wondering was anyone being honest.
Plenty of twists and turns to keep your interest in this story. I found I couldn't quite leave it down at times..
The characters were enjoyable, José and Eva I took a shine to immediately...
I think this one is so well worth your time...

Karen King's The Retreat will keep you on your toes as the story unfolds and the twists pile up. There's certainly no shortage of secrets, and it seems that everyone is guilty of something. It's just a matter of sussing out who is using this little getaway as a means of getting revenge. I did end up guessing correctly, but I think I was more lucky than good this time. The story is entertaining, and between the beautiful setting and storyline, it would make a good vacation read, in my opinion. I feel like the dialogue could've been a bit more nuanced, and some things were a little over the top, but neither of those things kept me from enjoying the read. Besides, when there are this many secrets, learning them is kind of like hearing some guilt-free gossip.

The story starts with Eva and Jose running a retreat together in a scenic place in Spain. Their guests include Saskia, Eva's friend, Brenda and Nathan, Adrienne and Sean and Carlos, Jose's cousin. The mansion where the retreat is used to belong to Jose's grandparents. What was supposed to be a peaceful vacation soon turns into a nightmare when one of the guests has an agenda to ruin the retreat and seek revenge on either Eva or Jose.

The story is told from the POVs of Eva and Jose and we know as a reader that the two characters have something dark to hide. Eva believed that one of the guests is the daughter of a man who she accidentally killed years ago and that the daughter knows who Eva was and was about to seek revenge. Jose's ex-girlfriend is Adrienne who is not very happy about the breakup. There is a hint of mystery involved and it was actually a fast paced and twisty thriller. Despite being a thriller book, the writer was taken to the sceneic and beautiful landscapes of Spain so the reader was made to feel like they are in Spain. The who dunnit sense vibe is felt in the book and it was actually quiet unputdownable. The ending was quiet unexpected although the greatest twist was revealed towards the very end. Overall, this was a great thriller book packed with twists and unexpected turns and overall woth four and a half stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Many thanks to Bookouture for making me a part of this blog tour.

Another great read by Karen King!

Jose and Eva are excited to open their Spanish Wellness Retreat after spending a lot of time and money and effort into bringing the villa, El Sueno, back to its former glory. The villa holds a very special place in Jose’s heart after his beloved grandmother left to him in her will. Jose and Eva decide to run a trial week in spring before opening the retreat to the general public in the summer, however once the six places are booked Jose and Eva realise, they know at least two of the guests themselves; two couples arrive, Adrienne and Sean and Bianca and Nathan, and then lone guests Carlos and Saskia. Carlos is Jose’s cousin who due to a family rift Jose hasn’t seen for a very long time and Saskia was Eva’s best friend at college until Saskia betrayed Eva and their friendship was lost. Jose and Eva are a little wary but determined to make the retreat a success and that means believing both Carlos and Saskia are coming with good intentions. Soon after the guests arrive strange things start happening at the villa, at first little inconsequential things but soon things get more dangerous, and Jose and Eva realise they have an enemy at the retreat trying to ruin things for them. Who is this person who is trying to destroy the retreat, and how far will they go to make sure Jose and Eva’s dream fails and they get revenge?!

This was a really enjoyable read. I loved how secrets were revealed to the reader pretty early on in the story and the descriptions of the villa and surrounding land were so good I almost felt I was there in Spain. I really liked the characters of Eva and Jose and was definitely rooting for them to make the retreat a success. I loved the “mystery voice” and enjoyed trying to figure out who it was. I initially had three suspects, which were completely wrong but then I did guess near the end who it was however, this did not ruin the story for me at all as there were twists at the end that came as a big surprise. I also really enjoyed learning about the Acupressure points for anxiety and I definitely will be looking them up and seeing if I can get them to work for me.

All in all, another great read from Karen King. I would recommend this for any fans of Psychological Thrillers, and I look forward to seeing what she writes next. Very deserved 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Karen King and Bookouture my advanced reading copy. Out now.

i didn’t like this book personally. the start felt very slow and muddled and the end felt super rushed. i’m glad i read this but i don’t think i’ll be reading anymore of this authors work personally but i really enjoyed the concept of the book :)

This book was not my jam, felt really slow & predictable.
I feel like this could’ve been a much better book if we didn’t keep repeating things we already knew.