Was an okay story…I finished it because I wanted to know what happened. The story was a little chaotic.

This read was a delightful and inspiring escape. It's a charming tale that celebrates creativity, friendship, and the courage to pursue your dreams.

The setting is idyllic, the characters are wonderfully relatable, and the journey of self-discovery is both heartwarming and genuinely funny. A perfect read for anyone who loves stories about passion and new beginnings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When Liv, an aspiring writer, gets invited to an exclusive writer's resort, she's instantly on board, hoping to get the chance to network with other writers, get some experience and invaluable mentoring, and maybe snag a book deal? But things go wrong quickly when she learns of the death of her ex-boyfriend and that the site in the Catskills is the former home of an infamous cult.

This one was a real mixed bag for me. I LOVED the concept, like I love books about books and stories about writers and writing so I was interested straight away. However, the book quickly became more about Liv's past, the mean girls from her school, and the tangle of stories between them. I wanted more of the writing retreat, more of the story about stories, and I found it difficult to gel with the characters who were all unlikable. I do enjoy a cast that's unlikable in different ways, but I just didn't find this as compelling as I have in other books. As such, I struggled to stay invested with the characters and their motivations.

I did enjoy the writing style on the whole and the beginning of the book was good and definitely held more promise, I just didn't personally enjoy the latter half of the book as much. The twists and secrets and lies again, started off well, but became a bit more outlandish as the book progressed and it ended up taking me out of the story a bit.

I do think this is a case of this book just not being for me personally and I enjoyed it enough that I would give the author another try with a different book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I wanted to like this book - I was intrigued by the premise and the writing, at first, grabbed me and drew me in. But then as the book went on... all the characters are very two-dimensional and flat. They act in bizarre ways with no rationality. It feels like when I was 8 and would play Barbies with my friends, the high drama plot with no real substance underneath, and a child's view of what adult situations are like. I almost DNF'd it several times, starting at around the 35% mark, but then I just sort of forced myself to keep reading. By the end I was skimming just wanting to get it over with.

Be careful when you receive an invitation to a retreat that comes out of the blue for it can mean trouble for you and murder.

For Liv Montgomery, this is a dream being with other writers in a beautiful secluded Catskill estate surrounded by gorgeous scenery and then the worst happens. Slightly before Liv leaves for the retreat her ex boyfriend is killed and then her current boyfriend shows up at the retreat as well as a plethora of nasty ex friends and the "party's on".

Unfortunately the story goes downhill from there and makes a whole lot of silly sense. There is some really toxic conditions happening and then of course there is murder, a lot of murder.

Sadly, I didn't find a character worth of my interest as this seemed like an episode of Mean Girls who write.

A very generous 2.5 stars for this one.

Thank you Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

Sirens, Mean Girls & Gossip Girl dynamics, but make it a modern thriller about young women through various stages of their life navigating messy relationships and a murder mystery, a stalker, and the aftermath of getting entangled in a cult when they were in high school, while getting stranded in a secluded, luxury writers’ retreat. And neither of the narrators was reliable enough to trust what is happening. I was entangled from start to finish. My only criticism is that some chapters contain way too many unnecessary details.

The audiobook was brilliantly narrated by Laurel Lefkow.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Samantha Vérant for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Writers' Retreat coming out July 22, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I read by this author. I really enjoy books throughout writing. I’ve read a few books in this genre. I enjoy psychological thrillers. The atmosphere felt very tense. I think the first half of the book was a lot more mysterious and interesting than the second half. I would check out other books by author.

Liv Montgomery is an aspiring writer who has been sending queries out to every agency under the sun. She is desperate to get published, so when she receives an invitation to a writer's retreat in the CatSkills, obviously she jumps at the opportunity. Having the chance to attend workshops, be mentored, and to network this is Liv's dream come true. Except when she arrives, Liv realizes that nothing is as it seems, and as the bodies start to turn up, Liv is caught in the crosshairs.

This novel thrives on tension. The isolation and dread along with the shifting perspectives and dual timelines make this a great read. The pace is steady and with short chapters you can easily get through this in a couple of sittings. The retreat feels enchanting,serene and claustrophobic at the same time. The sense that everyone is hiding something adds depth and while the ending might not shock a veteran thriller reader, still it lands with enough emotional weight to feel satisfying. This is not just a typical murder mystery, it's a story about ego, envy, manipulation and has just the right amount of cult-y goodness!

Thank you to NetGalley, Samantha Verant, and Storm Publishing for this ARC! Publication date is July 22nd 2025.

Fantastic read!!!! Highly recommend!!! Not what I expected , but a smart thought out page turner!! Well done! I will look for other. books from this author!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book. The Writers' Retreat was a great romp through a story that was filled with mystery and suspense, a more traditional thriller and also one that had original twists and new devices.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.
This book took me a few chapters to get into but I couldn’t put down the final two thirds. It has a really different narrative that is pacy with lots of twists that I didn’t see coming!

The Writers' Retreat is a twisty rollercoaster of meaness and secrets! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Liv is invited to a retreat. She is excited. However, things aren't what they seem, and the others there with her are worse. The book has an eerie, isolated vibe and a cult-ish past. A must read for lovers of intense suspense and brilliant thrillers!!

Thank you, Netgalley and Storm Publishing, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

This was a fun read! I enjoyed the writing style and the twists (some predictable) were still shocking and well written! I would definitely recommend this fast paced thriller

2.5 ⭐️ | An ok read overall, the story just didn’t connect with me. I did enjoy the authors writing style, and still interested in more of her work.

This story dives into toxic relationships, and manipulations amongst female friendship groups. Liv & Kat’s pettiness was truly unmatched, and their refusal to let the past stay buried had deadly consequences. The cult aspect was a nice touch and addition to the story. Although this story didn’t resonate with me, it could possibly be a good read for others, especially since the authors writing style overall was enjoyable. Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

The Writers’ Retreat by Samantha Strand is a captivating and suspenseful read that draws you in from the very first page! The isolated cabin nestled in the eerie forest sets the perfect stage for a group of writers whose retreat quickly spirals into a web of secrets and tension. The atmospheric writing and well-developed characters kept me on edge, wondering who could be trusted. Each twist felt earned and left me eager to uncover the next layer of the mystery. Fans of isolated thriller settings like The Hunting Party will love this! Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC—definitely a 4.5-star gem!

I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. These are my personal thoughts on the book.
I was intrigued by the synopsis—isolated characters and a murder mystery? That’s one of my favorite tropes. The story had a promising start, and I was genuinely hooked around the 30–35% mark. However, things quickly began to unravel after that.
The book is told through multiple POVs, but instead of adding depth, it only created confusion. What began as a murder mystery slowly shifted into something that felt more like a college drama—mean girls fighting over boys, cliques, and petty rivalries.
The characters felt one-dimensional; I didn’t feel connected to any of them. I didn’t like them, but I also didn’t dislike them—I just didn’t care. That emotional disconnect made it hard to stay invested.
The ending had potential, but it didn’t really go anywhere. The final reveal and the motive behind the murder felt weak and unconvincing. Overall, a disappointing read that started strong but lost its way.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this eCopy to review

I didn’t expect to be so thoroughly pulled into The Writers’ Retreat, but from the very first chapter, I was hooked. This book is a deliciously twisty thriller that blends creative ambition with psychological suspense.

The story follows Liv Montgomery, a struggling writer who lands a coveted spot at an exclusive week-long retreat in a luxurious estate in the Catskills. It sounds like a dream: stunning views, solitude, and the chance to focus on her craft with a small group of fellow writers. But things quickly take a dark turn. Not only is Liv’s invitation suspiciously convenient, but some of the other guests seem to be hiding secrets and then someone ends up dead. Worse still, Liv is found holding the knife.

What I loved most was how the book played with the idea of storytelling itself. Everyone at the retreat is a writer, and that means everyone’s good at spinning a tale. including lies. The tension builds steadily, and just when I thought I had it figured out, another twist would throw me off balance.

Vérant’s writing is sharp and atmospheric, with just the right amount of wit and menace. The pacing is tight, and the setting isolated, eerie, and almost too perfect adds to the sense of unease. Liv is a relatable protagonist, caught between self-doubt and survival, and I found myself rooting for her even as I questioned everyone around her.

The Writers' Retreat is a thoroughly entertaining read that kept me guessing until the final page. If you enjoy thrillers with a literary twist, this one’s worth checking out.

Following an aspiring writer as she goes on an exclusive writing retreat in the Catskills, BUT... plot twist. it's run by her manipulative, narcissistic ex-best friend. We toggle between past and present to give context to the demise of their friendship and some background on the main character and her past. All mixed in the toxic friendship, we have multiple murders happening that we are trying to figure out who is behind it all. I like that there's more to the story than just the murders and the toxicity of the girls was a perfect addition to make me fly through this book and wonder how it will end.

Thank you so much for this ARC. When I read the synopsis I was so excited. It sounded great but right away I was overwhelmed by all the characters the different timelines and I was really struggling to follow the story. The characters felt flat, mean girl types with a bunch of money. I didn’t really care what happed to either of them or who killed Steven. I couldn’t even finish it, just skimmed through the last 3rd of the book because i I had lost hope.

Too many characters introduced too fast and no solid background for any of them so it was hard to connect emotionally with them.

Samantha Verant delivers a thrilling and twisty page-turner in The Writer’s Retreat, a locked-room mystery soaked in literary ambition, dark secrets, and sharp wit. If you've ever dreamed of sneaking off to a quiet, luxurious estate to finish your novel—this book might make you think twice. Equal parts smart, suspenseful, and delightfully self-aware, The Writer’s Retreat is a must-read for fans of thrillers, writers with a sense of humor about their craft, and anyone who loves a good story about stories. Highly recommended for your next weekend escape—just maybe not to the woods.