A couple, Eva and Jose, restore an inherited family home into a relaxing retreat. Eva and Jose host a trial run at the retreat to work out any issues that may arise before they actually open full time. The couple wasn’t planning to host anyone they knew, but as it turns out, each guest is somehow connected to one of them. When things start going wrong, they think someone is sabotaging the retreat…but WHO?

I was really looking forward to this read, but it surprisingly fell flat for me. I felt like this book took forever for me to get through, there was a lot of unnecessary fluff and not much “suspense.” In the end, there was an unexpected twist; however, it was seemingly out of no where and didn’t fit the plot as well as it could have.

I do appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC—thank you NetGalley and Bookouture!!

The Retreat by Karen King will keep you gripped till the very end, with an unexpected twist. Kings writing is impeccable.
Every book I have read by this author has been intriguing with suspense.
Her books are always an excellent read! Karen's latest book was no different The Retreat was an excellent story with superb twists and turns from the beginning that made it a great page turner. The storyline and characters were excellent. Kept me up and turning pages way past my bedtime.
The suspense and plot was very well thought out with lots of twists and turns that ensure you won’t put the book down.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Relaxation. Recovery. Revenge…

This is what I call a "popcorn book." Fun in the moment, but utterly forgettable at the end of the day.

I have read a few books from this author and never been disappointed, a great storyline that kept me on the edge of my seat with great characters The storyline was full of twists and turns and what a brilliant ending with so many culprits which I never guessed and my opinions kept changing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this exciting ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC.
A couple organizes a small retreat for a handful of guests as a trial run before the grand opening of their hotel villa. Chaos ensues.
I loved the rustic Spanish countryside setting. The goats and Jose's vegetable garden really set the mood.
The pacing was perfect. The author did a great job strategically releasing backstory and moving the narrative along. The incidents escalating built tension which was echoed in the inner monologue of both MCs, each harbouring their own secrets.
The two POVs worked well and I liked that additional POVs were introduced at the very end of the book. Since there was only a handful of characters, we really got to know each of them. Everyone had a motive and I think they were all resolved very nicely at the end.
Loved all the twists at the end. There was a lot happening in the final quarter of this book.
Five stars - I recommend!

2.5 stars I’ve read a few of this authors other books and loved them. Unfortunately I really struggled with this one. It was very slow and boring and nothing much seemed to happen. It wasn’t a very unique storyline and I really struggled with it

I loved the setting of this book which is set in the countryside of Spain. The two main characters came across as caring people whereas some of their guests at the wellness retreat not so. Is one of the guests out to destroy their retreat? I must admit I kept changing my mind who it could be. A good read and I recommend it.

Thanks NetGalley for my advanced copy of The Retreat. I really enjoyed this book. It kept me on my toes the entire time not knowing who the culprit was until the very end. Would recommend this book

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
The synopsis of this book sounded great! The idea was there, but somehow it was lost somewhat in the book. This took me much longer to read than it normally takes me, I was interested to find out who it was behind everything, but I’m not sure if it was the overall pace of the book that made it a struggle, I just had a hard time staying invested. I am glad I finished it, the reveal was a little drawn out, but was good and was surprising since fingers were pointed at so many along the way, I wasn’t sure who it could be. Not a bad book, the idea was great, the synopsis was great, just a slow paced story. I enjoyed it otherwise!

Here at ‘The Retreat’, we follow the happenings of a dry run week at an exclusive Spa. . The owners, Jose and Eva, have spent money, time, and heart, into creating and building an escape.

Of course, with the list of guests set to arrive we will have a story filled with more stress than rest. I like a story where the drama and action hit you hard and fast. The prologue itself was ‘Wow.’

Karen King, writes well developed characters whom are surrounded by a well described
and beautiful setting. Though the plot was a bit far fetched at times, it was a solid read. The ending was good, loose ends wrapped up, and the drama sorted out.

If you are looking for an entertaining and quick read, ‘The Retreat’ will not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I found this book to be quite slow, but I am an impatient reader. I wanted more to happen, and for me it didn't hit the spot, but other more patient readers may well be fine with the pace of the book. The story was fine, so it was a mixed bag for me.

Two things first:

1. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me an advanced reader copy of this book to review. It was the first I have so far been blessed to receive, and I enjoyed it even more than I expected to!

2. Thank you Karen King for writing a whodunit book with all the suspense all the way through - but also, all the answers. I won’t give away any spoilers because that’s not my style, but it means a lot to me to reach the end of a book and realise that nothing was left unclear or confusing.

‘The Retreat’ follows the happenings of the trial week of a health retreat hosted by a couple named José and Eva, who have poured their heart, soul, and life savings into creating an epic escape for people from around the world to sink into in Southern Spain.

It goes without saying that thanks to this first lot of guests, the health and wellness retreat is more eventful than it is restful - but like any good thriller, the drama draws you in immediately.

With a powerful prologue, a stunning setting, and a collection of very well-developed characters, ‘The Retreat’ brings plenty of plot - and hand on heart, had me hooked until the very last page.

While there were moments for me where the story felt far fetched, it was never not believable or interesting. In fact, I was so keen to find out the source and reason for the revenge written about in the description, that I devoured the entire thing in just two sittings.

If you’re after a book you won’t be able to put down, I highly recommend giving this a go.

‘The Retreat’ will not let you down!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for providing this book to me, for free, for review.

I went into this not having high hopes, admittedly. I suppose I judged a book by it's cover. But holy moly, am I glad I read through this book.

I will say it starts a little slow, but I was captured early on. This book is action packed, full of twists and turns. I asked myself the whole time "whodoneit?" Certainly, one of my suspects ended up being the culprit, but it was still really fun and I enjoyed the ride.

I read this book in a few hours. I was engrossed. I am so excited to read Karen's other work, which I will be purchasing on my own.

A lot of what makes a good book, to me, is readability. I can definitely see myself reading this book again, and also recommending it to friends.

This is a really good thriller. I felt like I was transported to Spain when I was reading the book.
The characters kept me engaged and the plot was intriguing.
A great read and one that I’d recommend.

This is quite an intriguing thriller but it is a bit drawn out. The setting of a wellness retreat is interesting and I liked the two main characters. It does keep you guessing and there are plenty of surprises.

The Retreat by Karen King is a great thriller and a fresh plot for the genre too. Does R&R stand for rest and relaxation or rage and revenge? When a couple opens their wellness lodge in the mountainside of Spain things do not go as planned. Is someone out to ruin their dream of opening a health retreat or something worse? I loved the setting of the Spanish Countryside - I could visualize the lovely villa and its surroundings. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the mystery until the end. I’ll definitely look for more books by Karen King.

This book made me want to pack my bags and move to Spain. I loved the main couple, but the other characters came off too cartoon-y to me. Besides the setting, it took too long for something to happen and then when it did it was not salacious enough for me. Almost DNF.

For all the whodunit fans this book was made for you. I enjoyed the retreat setting as I feel like that enclosed space just adds to the suspense of the book. I was hooked from the first page to the last. I tried my hardest to solve the mystery while I was reading and boy the ending didn’t see that coming.

I will never understand why a woman who isn't married to a man would pour herself into building his dream. This gal spends her time and money helping her hot Spanish boyfriend build his retreat. He inherited the building from his grandparents. He grows veggies and cooks and she teaches wellness classes and yoga.
They are finally ready to open and do a special for six people; two couples, his estranged cousin, and her former best friend.
She's got trauma in her past and asks the friend not to tell anyone.
I knew this was gonna be a disaster when homeboy asked the guests to make sure the gate is closed because the goats would ruin the garden. Of course your guests are going to be careless! They don't care about your garden the way your do.
Anyway, so weird stuff keeps happening. The cat is making messes, statues are falling off the roof, and it turns out one of the married ladies is in love with Mr. Perfect retreat owner.
I know a lot of hot blond wellness influences. You can't throw a book of Mormon without hitting one in my city and to be honest they annoy me to no end. I am just trying to survive on an educators income. I can't be worrying about all of that.
I saw Eva in all of them. Or them in Eva. She drove me nuts and I felt like I was being lectured while reading this book. Yes swimming has benefits. Get to the drama!
I loved this despite finding the MCs annoying. Please write more.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of The Retreat. This was a FANTASTIC book!!!! I loved the characters and the plot. This was a whodunnit that I kept changing my mind to figure out who the culprit was. Very short chapters so made for fast reading. It ALL comes together at the end but you really won’t know who did what. LOVED THIS BOOK!!!