I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz Published by Atria/Emily Bestler Books on February 21 2023
Genres: Adult, Thriller
Pages: 313
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Five young writers get the chance of a lifetime in this high octane thriller debut with surprises around every corner.
The Writing Retreat is one of those thrillers that starts out strong and keeps you guessing, and then later in the story sort of goes off the rails with lots of over-the-top action and drama. But I really did have fun reading it, despite some of the ridiculous things that happen.
Alex works for a publishing agency, but her dream is to be a published author. It’s a dream that seems unattainable, until one day her friend Ursula—whose first novel has just been released—calls her with some amazing news. The reclusive Roza Vallo, Alex’s favorite author, is holding an exclusive writing retreat for four promising women writers, hand selected by Roza herself. Alex applied for the retreat and wasn’t one of the final four, but now someone has dropped out and there’s a spot available. And according to Ursula, Alex is in. Alex can’t believe her luck. Not only will she get to spend a month at Blackbriar, Roza’s remote Victorian mansion, but she’ll be mentored by her literary hero.
Alex arrives at Blackbriar, eager to meet her fellow writers and of course, Roza. She bonds right away with a girl named Poppy, and later meets Taylor and Kiera. But Alex is shocked when her ex-best friend Wren—who she hasn’t spoken to in over a year—shows up as a fifth member of the group. And when Roza finally makes an appearance, she lays out her rules for the retreat. Each woman must write three thousand words a day and complete an entire novel by the end of the month. Failure to turn in the requisite pages by midnight each day will result in banishment from the retreat. But the potential reward is worth it, since Roza will pick her favorite book at the end of the four weeks, which will get a publishing deal with a one million dollar advance.
But when Poppy goes missing after one of Roza’s “games,” Alex begins to suspect something isn’t quite right at Blackbriar.
The story gets off to a great start. Right away, we’re told that Alex is still hurting ever since Wren dumped her, although for a while the reader doesn’t know the reason behind it. When Wren shows up at Roza’s retreat, the emotions are running pretty high, as Alex and Wren have to figure out how to get along. Later, after events at Blackbriar start to spiral out of control, the two have no choice but to set their differences aside in order to survive.
And it doesn’t take long for the reader to realize that something is “off” with Roza, whose shocking mood swings seem merely eccentric at first, but later turn out to be menacing and dangerous. The scenes before the mystery is revealed were my favorite parts of the story, and I thought the author did a great job of creating tension and suspense. Roza pushes the women in some unconventional ways, but she’s making them better writers, isn’t she? There’s also a subplot revolving around the history of Blackbriar which I found fascinating. Alex discovers a book in Roza’s library that tells the true story of Daphne, a spiritualist who lived in the house more than a century before and supposedly contacted a demon named Lamia. Alex finds inspiration in Daphne’s story and decides to write about it, and excerpts from Alex’s book, called The Great Commission, are scattered throughout the story. I liked the way the themes in her story echo the events going on in the present day, and although the “book within a book” device doesn’t always work, I thought it did here.
And I did like the twist—the reveal about Roza and the reason she’s holding the retreat. While the idea was pretty far-fetched, I understand this is fiction and it’s meant to be a bit over the top. But this is also the point where the story started to lose me. What starts as a creepy mystery, complete with an old house, an encroaching snow storm and unreliable characters who are hiding secrets, turns quickly into a bloody mess. Alex starts having sexual dreams about the demon Lamia, which didn’t really fit the vibe of the story. Other elements just seemed silly to me, which I can’t talk about because of spoilers.
Despite these complaints, though, The Writing Retreat was a fast-paced, fun read. I also liked that the author added layers to her story with some thoughtful messages. Alex and the others are faced with the question “How far would you go for fame?” after they learn the truth about the retreat, and later Alex comes to the realization that in fact Roza has made her a better writer. Not only that, but she’s learned that she can still be a writer without a big publishing contract, and no one can take that away from her.
I really enjoyed the last chapter, which takes place six months after the climactic events at Blackbriar. There’s a hint of a mystery still unsolved, but most everything is wrapped up nicely. If you’re looking for a thriller with a literary element to it, and you don’t mind a story that’s overly dramatic at times, you should definitely give this book a chance.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
Given the over-the-top elements in the story, I guess that my reaction would depend on the mood of the moment, but the core concept of the novel is certainly an intriguing one. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…THE SEVENTH BRIDE, by T. Kingfisher
It’s a great idea for sure!
This does sound like fun! Not something I’m normally pick up, but I’ll make note of it for when I need a change!
It’s great when you just want to have fun reading:-)
This one is on my list. The premise is intriguing, so I may give it a try to see if the “over the top” is at a level I can handle. Some is okay, but if it goes TOO far beyond the pale, I’m out. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Lisa @ The Plain-Spoken Pen recently posted…Word of the Week: March 6, 2023
Thanks Lisa! I’ll be curious to hear what you think if you decide to read it:-)
Oh I hate it when thrillers go off the rails toewards the end or get ridiculous. Still, it’s a common thing I suppose with these. And otherwise this sounds good! I’m looking forward to this!
Greg recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #300
It is very common! But I’ve read some excellent thrillers that DON’T go off the rails, so I always end up using them as a benchmark for a really good thriller.
Excellent review Tammy! I thought it was a bit wild at the last. I found the books within a book had some good parts but mostly I skimmed it because I found it boring.
I’m glad we both had fun with it:-)
At first I was thinking this was the literary equivalent to the culinary-themed movie, The Menu, or at least what I’ve taken from the previews. An expert pulls guests to their secluded little get together, and then guests begin to die off because the host isn’t quite what they’d thought. Cool premise, even if unevenly realized in this one.
Actually, you could be right. I haven’t seen the Menu either but I know what it’s about, and this is similar. I just think the execution could have been better.
Sounds good, thanks!
Emma @ Words And Peace recently posted…Sunday Post #81- 03/05/2023
Thanks for stopping by!
I started this multiple times but wasn’t feeling it, but it could be my mood. I want to try again at a later date.
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum recently posted…Book Review: Nocturne by Alyssa Wees
I totally understand why. The beginning is pretty slow setting up the retreat.
I recently also read a book that started out strong but later in the story it was a little too over-the-top and dramatic. It’s really too bad! But at least The Writing Retreat ended up being a fun read for you in the end and that’s what counts the most, right? 🙂
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Review: Battle Elephants and Flaming Foxes by Caroline Freeman-Cuerden
Exactly, it was a good escapist read!
At the beginning of your review I thought I’d probably enjoy this, but by the end I was less sure! It sounds really interesting and I think it’s 50/50 on whether the more ridiculous elements would work for me! Great review
It’s great if you’re in the mood for something fun and crazy, but it’s hard not to laugh at some of the things that happen, lol.
I’m always a little bummed when thrillers like this start out so strong and then lose the plot a bit, but this sounds fun otherwise! I think I’ll still have to check this one out, but maybe I won’t make it a high priority, haha. Great review!
Thanks Jordan! It was fun and I’m glad I read it.
I’ve seen a few mixed reviews for this one, with over the top being the biggest complaint. I still want to read it but I think I’ll lower my expectations a bit so that I’ll hopefully be pleasantly surprised if I end up loving it, lol.
I think if you go into it knowing there’s going to be some over the top elements, you’ll have fun reading it.
I am working on this one right now. Hope I like it as I have seen a lot of mixed reviews! I haven’t had the best track record this year with my thrillers…lol.
Stormi recently posted…Review of Rules For Vanishing
I’m so curious to see what you think!
I was ready to read this one but after reading your review I am torn. I don’t like overdramatics in books. They usually make me roll my eyes LOL
This book was great up until a certain point. Oh well!
Thank you for an excellent review, Tammy:)). And it nicely sums up why this isn’t a genre that I read all that often. I HATE it when the story goes off-track and turns into a second-rate Hollywood script, because the author doesn’t trust herself to write a thriller convincingly. Or maybe it’s an editor who tells her that she needs to ‘up the tension’. That’s the point when the book goes flying across the room – metaphorically these days, as my precious Kindle won’t put up with the kind of treatment. But I’m glad you were able to keep at it and that the ending is satisfying.
It’s hard to find a thriller that doesn’t go off the rails these days, lol.
Hmm… I can never predict how this kind of book will go for me, but I’m excited to see. 🙂
Jennifer | Book Den recently posted…Recent Updates and Currently Reading | March 5
Hmm, I liked the idea of the writer’s retreat aspect of the story, but sounds like it might not be one I will mess with based on the problems you had with it. Thanks for the review!
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted…L-L-L-Little Reviews #48: March 2023