This book was just not for me. Far too slow. Whinging characters . I guessed some of the twist about the culprit quite early on. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

I couldn’t get away with this book. I found everything really long winded and drawn out, the story felt really forced to keep things moving on., and weird assumptions were made that weren’t relatable to try to shape our opinions on certain characters,

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for a free eArc in return for an honest review.

This book was fine, it wasn't amazing, it wasn't bad it was fine. It managed to JUST keep my interest, I liked the setting (A LOT) and the plot. I liked how unique all the characters were and you could clearly see that. Bellas whole story is very interesting and she is a great character, and even though this isn't a comedy I really appreciated the intertwined humor within it!

I think it could have 100% been shorter and I really didn't care about her son, I don't care about kids in stories usually so the constant mentioning of her son was not for me, but that is very much a personal preference.

So overall a good page turner but nothing life changing!

All the elements of a good thriller are potentially there in this book, but alas it did not work for me. Bella is the single mother of a son who just begins university as the book starts. Her sister has booked a holiday for her in a remote luxury retreat in Sweden, there are a mixed group of guests as well as staff running the retreat , so plenty of oportunities to add some suspense to the story. In stead we get Bella's obsession with her son (repeatedly) , an ex one night stand of hers turning up with his wife and lots of strange occurences which at times seem unrelated to the plot. A shame that other characters were not really fleshed out and group dynamics explored and that no one, out of a group of a dozen people, realized that something was awry.
The book picked up in the last 25%, before that I found myself skim reading and not being interested in any of the characters or what was going on with them . Bella's episodes felt contrived . The descriptions and conversations were repetitive and at times quite dull. It felt like a chore to read this book, though the last couple of chapters were OK, it was all a little too far fetched for my liking.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARc, sorry that I cannot be more positive about this book

A great atmospheric read. There were times I questioned what was real and didn’t know who to trust. Great characters that keep you guessing.

Bella is a likeable protagonist and we see all the action from her point of view, so the gradual creepiness of the 'retreat' she is staying in begins to get to the reader as well. There have been quite a few books, tv and films based on this idea, of a group of random people cut off from normal life for a short time for some reason - therapy group, holiday, hen party, wedding, etc. Some of this is well worn ground, but the setting was interesting and the food, therapy ideas and interaction between the characters gripping at times. I had difficulty distinguishing between them all sometimes - who was the one who was in charge, the one who had a bereavement, the one who was the cook, etc, but maybe that is just me, and actually it didn't matter too much. There were 8 people on the retreat, plus the ones running it, so too many for me to really follow properly. Maybe a list at the start would have helped me. When two more joined the group I inwardly groaned.... I liked Bella though and the back story about her that gradually came out was a good one. An enjoyable read which kept me going to the end!

Bella is encouraged by her sister and son to go on a few days break to a retreat in Sweden for a relaxing time. The holiday turns out to be anything other than relaxing. Single Mum Bella drops her only son off at university and then heads to the airport for a relaxing break however she instantly misses him putting her on edge which doesn't dissipate when she realises the remoteness of the retreat and that it doesn't have any mobile reception. That however proves to be the least of her problems as the week progresses and her past comes back to haunt her and put her life at risk.

After a slow start the book builds to be an excellent psychological thriller which I didn't want to put down. Unexplained things start happening to Bella and with each chapter the tension increases. Who or what is behind the anonymous notes she receives and the noises she hears? It gets to the stage that she doesn't know who to trust and as a reader you begin to wonder who is behind all the things that are happening to her and why.

The author builds the story really well and keeps the suspense going right to the end.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Despite a slow start the book is worthy of 5 stars!

Bella has a terrible case of empty nest syndrome after dropping off her 18 year old son, Asher, for his first term at university. To help with the transition, her sister organises a place for her at a retreat in Sweden where she will be cut off from the outside world. But things start to go wrong when Bella receives an anonymous note and then discovers that the mystery celebrity guest is someone from her own university past who she hoped never to see again. It soon becomes clear that someone is attempting to drive her mad and, when one of the group goes missing, Bella finds herself struggling to survive. This is a very well-used plot device however, it is treated in an original way. Jennifer Moore successfully builds up the tension and keeps the reader guessing about who is behind the things that happen to Bella. This is a well-crafted suspense thriller and I would be very interested in reading anything else by this author.

Bella drops her son of at university and heads off for a weeks retreat in Sweden courtesy of her son and sister.
She soon finds out it is anything but relaxing and that someone is out to get her. But why? What has she done?
Soon she begins to doubt herself and whether she will actually be going home!

Bella is a somewhat neurotic and obsessive single mother to son Asher, who has just left home for university. As a surprise treat, Asher and Bella's sister have booked her into an isolated lodge in remote northern Sweden for a 'wellderness' week of relaxation, meditation and self-healing activities. She is there with 7 other people, one of whom turns out to be no stranger. A string of odd happenings make Bella increasingly convinced that someone is out to cause her harm.

The atmosphere is spooky and sinister due to the setting - deep dark woods, a deep dark lake, physical isolation and no communication with the outside world. Relationships, histories and secrets are slowly revealed amongst the guests and staff.

The characters are distinctive and memorable, and Bella is both irritating and somewhat unbalanced, with her frequent dreams described in quite realistic detail - a claustrophobic mixture of fears intertwined with memories. Budding writer Oscar has some excellent dialogue and made me laugh out loud on occasion.

As for the ending, I guessed the 'why' but not the 'who', having suspected someone else for the latter half of the book. The only slight criticism is that the author had a tendency to overexplain on occasion, using the medium of Bella's inner thoughts to repeat points we already knew. This did not detract from my overall enjoyment.

It's a very entertaining and atmospheric read, great characters and more than a touch of humour. Recommended.

Once I started reading, I finished this book in 24 hours. It really grips you, a definite page turner. While I did guess some of what was going to happen, the ending had me completely shocked. It's a really enjoyable thriller that I definitely recommend, although might make you think twice about staying in any remote lodgings!

Liked this thriller with interesting characters and a twisted storyline that kept you guessing. Setting was atmospheric, characters intriguing enough to keep readers hooked and conclusion satisfying. Would read another book by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. Set in the Swedish woods, a group of strangers are cut off from everything .
I liked the main character Bella and all the characters are well written, engaging, mysterious and entertaining. The twists and plot line keep you guessing. I couldn’t put it down.
I definitely recommend this great read.
Thanks to #NetGallery for an arc of #TheWildernessRetreat in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to HQ Digital for this Arc copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the setting and the plot. I found it quite easy to follow along and didn’t get too confused by any of it. I felt for the main character. I did think that it could have been a bit tenser and scarier in parts, but overall it was a very enjoyable book.

I absolutely loved the front cover with the modern lodge on it it really helped to get an idea of the setting and made it easier to imagine it.

I gave this book a 4 ⭐️ rating.

I enjoyed the book, few bits at the beginning which made me laugh, it was a good story and I liked all the characters, it did feel a bit drawn out towards the end which is why I have given this 4 stars, nice tidy ending, I would recommend this book. It was a nice read and well written.

This was a good read in the way it built up tension throughout. There were some larger than life characters who were obviously irritating to be marooned with in a spooky forest that was anything but the relaxing retreat Bella's sister thought she'd chosen for her. I did find some of the scenes a bit repetitive for example when Bella kept accepting drinks that were obviously influencing her behaviour.

The Wilderness Retreat tells the story of Bella, who has just left her son at university and heads off to Sweden to a retreat booked by her sister as a gift. 8 strangers are thrown together in a remote setting known as 'Dead Man's Forest' where it is intended that they will all get a chance to relax and reset. However, a couple of the guests receive cryptic notes and someone from Bella's past makes an appearance. Can Bella work out which of the guests is trying to hurt her?

This is not a new story idea, I have read multiple books where guests are stranded somewhere, without their phones, in a storm and not everyone is as they seem. But there was something that hooked me into this one. I really felt for Bella and could really feel the nervousness and anxiety as someone was out to get her, but none of the other guests believed her.

This was the kind of book where I just needed to read 'one more chapter' before bed! I very much enjoyed this and will look for more by this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Mysterious notes? Feeling drugged? Hearing scratching? Those alone are enough to send someone over the edge
This psychological thriller, starts out as what should be a relaxing break for the guests, but it is anything but.

This really sets a good pace at the start and the setting of the retreat sounds creepy. A good mix of characters too.

There were a few too many - that would not of happened moments for me, along with well they could of easily sorted that with x,y,z. The characters didn't feel realistic with some of their actions. Too many plot holes and a weak ending unfortunately.

Thanks to Net Galley and HQ for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Bella has just left her son Asher to settle into university, she knows he is going to miss him, she is however setting off to the airport, she is jetting off to a remote Swedish Retreat for a week, a gift from her sister. Her career as a composer has taken off and she is hoping to write some more whilst away.
Odd things start to happen from the first evening and Bella is doubting her own sanity, also a special guest is due to arrive, someone who has a huge connection to Bella’s past and whom she has spent the last 18 years avoiding.
There is a lot going on in the background with the other guests and staff. I did not like any of the characters including Bella, I found her naive and irritating. Each evening she swore off alcohol but each evening she drank more. Yes there were a few surprises towards the end of the book, but I found it a chore getting to the end, although the pace and story picked up a lite towards the end.

An interesting and page-turning psychological thriller which follows the story of single parent Bella, who has been gifted a stay at a Wilderness lodge in Sweden by her sister after dropping her son off at University. What starts off as a domestic “coming to terms with an empty nest and rediscovering myself” story soon turns into a gripping cat and mouse story about revenge and sabotage. Bella finds herself at the receiving end of some mysterious actions, including anonymous notes and suspected drugging, leading the other clients to think that she is an addict who is psychologically disturbed.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advance copy to read and review.