Alex wants to be an author. When a well-known author, Roza Vallo, opens up a once-in-a-lifetime chance for four want-to-be authors to join her in her mansion for a one-month writers’ retreat to work alongside her to create something worth publishing, Alex has to throw her hat in the ring. She sends a sample of what she has written and feels there is little hope of being selected among the thousands that have applied.

And – a miracle happens. The good news is that Alex has been selected as one of the lucky ones to be welcomed to the retreat. The bad news is that Wren, her once best friend/fellow wannabe writer, now archenemy, has also been selected.

Still… Alex can not pass on this opportunity.

When the ladies arrive at the retreat, a bomb is dropped. They will not only be sharpening their writing skills… they will also be required to write an entire novel while they are there – starting from scratch and turning in 3000 words a day or they will be sent home. The prize? The person who turns in the best novel will receive a $10,000 award as well as a guaranteed publishing deal.

The pressure is on… but the writing isn’t the only pressure. Roza has some twisted mind games she throws in the mix. Between this, the history of the house, strange happenings, and dealing with Wren, Alex feels like she is going to have a nervous breakdown.

When one of the writers disappears after a snowstorm, the game changes again, and the stakes are much higher than any of them signed up for.

Do you have words in book titles that draw you in? I do. The words Book Club, Book Store, and yeah… Retreats are among the ones that capture my attention. Julia Bartz is a new author, and this debut book is definitely engaging. I enjoyed most of the story line; however, a few bizarre sexual occurrences felt unnecessary (I have never been a hot romance reader), and some of the story line was a little hard to follow, mostly in the latter half of the book.
Still, I am glad I read it – the setup of a writer’s retreat in an author’s mansion is a great idea, and as a debut book, I am interested to see where this author goes next.

Rated: 3 out of 5
Read Author Before: Nope, she is a new author
Read Author Again: maybe
Where I read: on the way home from Florida. I started in Georgia and finished at home in Minnesota (I was only one chapter out when we arrived back home, so I had to finish before I went to bed) 😀