What starts with a quick and intriguing premise went completely off the damn rails. I like Bartz’s first book (which I know was mixed for many) but this one is trying to do so much it becomes a bit of a scrambled mess. The end of part 3 is especially obvious where we switch narration and that chapter made absolutely no sense. This book is way too long and superfluous and does not really stand out among the countless other cult/evil retreat books that have come out in the last 5 years or so. I could not understand the connection between Catherine and Thea and if Thea genuinely was that enthralled by Catherine as a kid I don’t think she would have forgotten so many key details that come up in the story. This book asks us to suspend a bit too much disbelief for me to get behind.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not sure what I read here or why. Definitely was transparent on the trigger warnings. Bizarre - at least to me - topics, concepts, and story. Perhaps is a better fit for the interests of others so please read other reviews.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thea is a social worker who meets a patient who comes in not speaking. As she works to figure out who she is, she realizes she knows her.
The patient ends up mysteriously leaving the clinic and causes Thea to launch her own investigation to find her. Thea is convinced she's in danger.

Thea travels to a retreat in the dessert to find her.

I enjoyed the first half of the book as Thea tries to get to the bottom of what was going on. But once at the retreat, I did not. It just seemed so far fetched and crazy. Not for me.

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you Atria Books for the advance copy and opportunity to review before publication.

I loved this!

Thea swears she knows a new patient from somewhere, and when it hits it hits hard. When the woman leaves with people claiming to be her mother (who really aren't), Thea's desperate to help her and uncover their connection. She signs up for a weekend retreat with couple who are experts in love, sex and relationships, and things go haywire. Is it a cult?

I felt the pacing of this was steady and didn't find myself wanting to get to the point. I enjoyed the moments were my jaw dropped and on multiple occasions I reacted out loud. This book kept me engaged and I was eager to find out what was going on and what kind of novel I was actually reading. Mystery, thriller, fantasy, sci-fi? Yes. I ended up devouring the entire last half of the book in one sitting.

Would very much recommend either of Julia's novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

When a beautiful and familiar woman shows up at Thea's psychiatric unit, Thea's life take a dramatic turn. With a traumatic past of her own, Thea is haunted and plagued. When the patient awakes and leaves clues that she needs help, Thea believes that she must chase after her to a wellness center in New Mexico to save her. As she follows a trail of clues to finding the mysterious woman, Thea learns more about her own past and the demons that have chased her.

Please make sure to read the trigger warnings as there are numerous.

I was interested in the first few pages and then this turned into a frightful slog. There are no redeeming characters in this books and although I can handle many trigger warnings, the way in which this was written made me want to toss it. I think there is too much in here that the author tries to incorporate and it's too much. When humor is used it's misplaced and the last third of it is a mind bender, defying belief.

2.75 stars

This book started off so good and really had me hooked. But halfway through the plot goes astray and I was left confused desperately trying to figure it out. It was a disappointment for sure.

What a creepy and intriguing premise! I really enjoyed The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz and so I was so excited to get to reading this book! Ive never read a thriller like this, which was a relief as it seems like so many authors are doing a lot of the same. Julia Bartz will be an autobiy from now on!

This is the second book by this author that I have attempted to read, and I can now honestly say that this author just isn’t for me. I find her writing sporadic, and the plot never makes sense. Unfortunately, I think this will be the last book I try to read by her.

4 stars for this novel. I was super excited to get into the story as it starts with a unknown psychatric patient. This book was hard to put down as I felt I was in a game of hide and seeking searching for clues with Thea.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I want to start this out by saying that I read the Writing Retreat by this author last year and I really hated it. I requested a copy of this one so that I could give her another chance, and I also thought that this one sounded really good.

My thoughts: I really don't think that this author is for me. I was enjoying it a bit at first, but then it started to feel weird. It seemed like things just kept happening that were coming out of nowhere and sometimes didn't make any sense.

The Last Session - Julia Bartz
Pub Date - 4/1/2025
Rating - 2/5
Summary - Thea, a social worker, is treating a woman who is in the middle of a psychotic break. She realizes after spending time with her that this woman looks familiar, but she can't figure out where she knows her from. As soon as Thea figures it out, her patient left, leaving Thea concerned about her safety. Thea doesn't feel right about her patient's departure, so she does some research and tracks her down to a retreat advertised to help her find a partner. Once Thea gets there, she not only finds her patient, but also taps into her past.

Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this author's last book The Writing Retreat so I requested this blindy without looking at the summary. The book had a very strong start and I couldn't put it down. As soon as Thea got to the retreat, things started getting strange, and then straight up went off the rails. I struggled to finish it and was not a fan of the book at all. Maybe more for someone who is fan of cults? It wasn't for me. I would not recommend if you're looking for a locked in thriller like advertised.

This thriller is packed with trauma, and suspense.

The plot was gripping and compelling, characters well developed, and mainly following Thea, a social worker working in a psychiatric ward.

The pace was really great and kept me invested and entertained.

This atmospheric mystery thriller will keep you on edge, trying to guess what’s going on.

I really recommend.

Thank you so much Atria Books, Julia Bartz and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book had all the elements of what could have been a 5 star but ultimately fell flat at times. It would start to pick up but then lose traction.

We have our MFC Thea, who is a social worker for a psychiatric unit. One day, a catatonic patient is brought in. Thea swears she recognizes her. Eventually, the patient starts talking but has no recollection of the events that brought her in. One day, the patient is just gone. It really bothers Thea, and she can't stop thinking about her. It's then she realizes where she knows her from. She knows she needs to help her patient, so she starts digging, which leads her to a retreat in New Mexico. This retreat utilizes some unconventional treatment methods. As Thea starts to come closer to finding her patient, she learns some things about herself in the process.

This book was suspenseful and intriguing but just couldn't keep up the pace. It was just okay for me.

A big thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the arc in exchange for my honest review

Social worker, Thea begins working with a patient in the pyschiatric ward who appears silent and lost within herself. A feeling of deja vu washes over Thea, this woman is a connection somehow. When she wakes from her stupor and leaves, Thea will track her down across the country to New Mexico. Upon arrival, Thea is inducted into a cult like following focused on relationship healing. The situation grows dire as Thea wrestles for answers. What transpires will cost at least one person their life.

This is Julia Bartz sophomore novel. She writes intriguing characters who have dark pasts. That being said, this one got a little weird for my taste. I would say borderline paranormal/afterlife vibes within the plot. Enter with caution, very dark subject matter is explored. Thank you Netgalley and Atria for the advanced copy.

Wow ! This one is a hard one to review. This book is a wild, thrilling, addictive ride. It kept me hooked the entire book. Anything involving cults always sparks my interest. It was a really original story. Some parts of the book, however felt a little over the top dramatic and certain parts could get confusing like the dreams. The ending was so suspenseful and I had to stay up late reading it but then the ending was a little too abrupt for my tastes personally. I do recommend giving it a try if you like something that will hook you in and lots of twists and turns.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

“This is a womb.”
Here are reasons to read the Thriller book:

Social Worker - Thea is a social worker at a hospital for mental issues
Actress - when an actress named Catherine from her favorite childhood movie is admitted and not exactly coherent.
Connection - She doesn’t remember who she is or what happened, but Thea cannot help but feel connected to her, especially because of how similar they look
Retreat - When Catherine seems to be kidnapped, Thea follows her to a relational retreat that seems to be very questionable

So even just typing out this premise, it sounds strange right? I really enjoyed this author’s last book The Writer’s Retreat and expected a similar vibe. And while I could not put this book down because I had no idea what was happening, the ending really went off the rails. I think if you are a fan of books that are a little weird and a little surreal, this book might be for you

I was a fan of Bartz's last book The Writing Retreat. It was zany, wild, and a little fantastical. This book is similarly zany and fantastical, but, unfortunately, it lacked the quick pace and fun of The Writing Retreat.

While working at a psych ward, our main character Thea comes across a patient who she realizes is an actress from a film she watched as a child. When the patient disappears, Thea becomes obsessed with finding her, which leads her to a wellness retreat.

It's a bit of The Silent Patient mixed with Nine Perfect Strangers and Yellowjackets Season 2. It had an interesting start but I found myself less and less interested as the book progressed. When we finally did get to some more zany moments it was too late.

I would recommend this to readers who are fans of the wellness retreat / cult-ish leader trope. I'm personally a bit burnt out by it as I've seen and read so many things similar to this in the past few years. If you enjoyed the wilder aspects of her last book, though, you may enjoy parts of this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This went in a slightly different direction than I thought it would. I was on board with the initial concept and loved how obsessed our main character was with getting to the bottom of the mystery. I loved the elements of the possible cult with ties to a child actress and the setting was very immersive and interesting. However, I think the story took a bit of a fantastical turn that was never quite resolved, and there were a few elements with the romantic/sexual entanglements that didn't propel the story forward. Overall, a very interesting and entertaining read.

This book started off strong for me, but when Thea headed to the retreat, it just went off the rails. I had a hard time finishing it. The orgy was completely unnecessary and was such a bad character move for someone that was trying to save another person and escape.

Ok first of all, this book was epic. I loved The Writing Retreat by this author so I was SUPER excited when I found out she was coming out with another book. This one felt like it was a completely different vibe but I still enjoyed it so much.

The pacing was interesting because there were parts that were slower and then it would pick up for a bit, then go back to being slower. I found that really worked with the overall plot of this one and I felt like I was in the story with our main character.

I LOVE culty thrillers so this one DEFINITELY delivered! It was weird and out there but so bingeable and just such a fascinating read. Highly recommend!!

Thank you Atria Books for my copy of this!