Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

As a thriller, this one was fine. I found myself having to push through parts. It wasn't the page turner I had hoped for.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title.

I stopped reading after 6 chapters. I could not get into this one. I had a hard time believing someone with criminal intent would go to the trouble of climbing a mountain while hunting a victim.

I don’t like talking bad about authors because writing is truly a craft, but this was just not good. I found this to be extremely overwritten. I find it very annoying when authors include irrelevant or inconsistent details that add nothing to the story, or include information that was already obvious or could be inferred. It’s cold up the mountain? No shit. The main character was so inept for 80% of the book then all of a sudden at the end she’s able to think under pressure? Not buying it. This book also feels like it was written for the purpose of securing a movie deal.

Overall, there are too many good books to read. Sorry to this author.

This book gave me Shiver and One By One vibes. I did enjoy the mystery and storyline. There were a lot of aspects to the story that were different from anything I've read before. But there were a lot of characters and a lot of things to keep straight, so I was overwhelmed at times. It was a slow burn that almost lost my attention at some points, but I'm glad I pushed through. In the end it was a pretty good conclusion.

Their are 14 mountain peaks that sit above 8,000 meters. Charles is attempting to climb them all in a year “alpine style”, Cecily an amateur climber is accompanying him on his final climb. A few people have died on the expedition, is it just the risk of climbing the tallest mountains or is there a murderer on the loose?
Mountaineering is a dangerous sport, I love the setting and learning more about mountaineering. The middle of the book was a little sluggish but overall it was an enjoyable book with a few great twists and suspense.

BOOK REVIEW: Breathless by Amy McCulloch
2022 Publication Date: May 3

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

T.I.M.E. Best Books By Genre | Thriller

CONNECT WITH A BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
Never fear... What goes around, comes around...

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW:
Absolutely thrilling!...

Amy McCulloch has been previously known as a successful YA Author. Breathless is her first book in crossing the great divide into Adult genres... And Amy? You have made the leap like a champ!

The subject matter of this book is also a personal favorite of mine for storytelling. Great stories can take you on an adventure... And often that adventure may represent an experience you would never see yourself actually doing in your own life. But thru the story, you can "experience" it.

An adventure that includes the phrase "death zone" falls into that category for me!

So, I love reading books (or movies!) that take me on a mountaineering adventure. It is super interesting to me to gain insight into those who do make the choice to push their body beyond extreme physical boundaries. How they do it? And why do they do it?

Plus one of my favorite nonfiction topics is the life of George Mallory... So, you can see how the puzzle pieces really came together for me to love Breathless... And Amy McCulloch delivered a great thrilling story with twisty turns within the story and the actual ins & outs of summiting a mountain over 8000 meters.

Perfect for readers who want to take a thrilling adventure all from the safety of their cozy reading chair!...✨😎✨

Pages: 352
Genre: Thriller
Sub-Genre: Action Adventure
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Manaslu (Nepal)

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mount Everest by Conrad Anker & David Roberts
Movie: Vertical Limit

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When mountaineer Charles McVeigh agrees to be interviewed by journalist Cecily Wong on Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world, she has no idea what she's getting herself into. Soon after they begin their ascent, one of their team dies in what everyone else assumes is a freak accident. But Cecily suspects that there is more to it than meets the eye.

As the body count starts to mount, Cecily realizes that they are being picked off one by one. Stranded in a remote region of the world -- at the "death zone" altitude of over 8000 meters -- and with no way to get help, she must use all of her skills and instincts to survive against an unseen killer who is determined to make sure no one leaves the mountain alive.

Breathless is a tense and thrilling novel about one woman's fight for survival against all odds. It will leave you gasping for breath until the very last page.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION:
• Explore the importance of being aware of your surroundings and trusting your gut instinct in potentially dangerous situations.
• Would you risk the potential dangers of mountaineering (or another adventure)? Even when you are experienced and have all the necessary equipment and precautions in place.
• Explore examples where the strength and determination of the human spirit survive against all odds.

RELATED QUOTE:
"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space." - Unknown
• After reading Breathless…
• How do you think this quote relates to the story?
• Which characters present the pros and cons of a “living on the edge” mindset?
• How would you define “living on the edge”?

--------------------

All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I felt that this was a really interesting book with lots of twists and turns. A woman is determined to make the climb up a mountain, (in very extreme weather conditions) but several things happen along the way to put her and her group in danger. I couldn’t figure out who was the person causing all of it, and I was surprised by the twist at the end. I don’t like to give spoilers in my reviews, but I will say that I enjoyed trying to guess how it would end.

Cecily Wong, a journalist, is working for a travel magazine when she is asked to write an article about famous mountaineer Charles McVeigh. He is preparing to summit Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world.

This book was extremely well written but left me underwhelmed. I thought there was too much information about mountain climbing that I truly did not care about. I did like the gutsy protagonist and there were a few twists and turns. It was a solid 3.5/5 for me

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I found the mountain climbing aspect of this book to be really interesting, It drew me in and I was interesting in learning more about it. The thriller part of the book was a bit slow, It didn't really pick up until the end which made it a bit hard to remain interested in that part of the book.

I’d heard really great things about this book so I was anxious to read it. It did not disappoint! This book was well written and was full of suspense. I found it difficult to put down. Quick read for me!

2.5 stars. I thought this book would leave me breathless or at least at the seat of my chair but it was a rather calm and slightly predictable thriller. I actually enjoyed the descriptions of the mountaineering the most but even that felt very safe - usually the excerpts I read made me clutch my chest and fear for the climber. This one felt very placid as if I was on a hike instead of on the cliff of a mountain. I really wanted to like this one more but it was just an ok read for me.

A heart pounding thriller with elements that make you feel the isolation.
Many thanks to Knopf Doubleday and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this advance title.

The author is very good in telling a story in the world of mountain climbing combined with a thriller full of suspense and twists no one would suspect (at the end). It is a page turner and couldn't be better titled as "Breathless". Because in between reading the book you*re holding your breath what might happen next. Highly recommended

Have you read Breathless? I enjoyed this deadly trek into the Himalayas. Did it take my breath away? No. But it was entertaining! 😉
•
•
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I feel like this book is perfect for anyone who has an interest in mountaineering and thrillers. But without that interest in mountaineering, the book is too slow. About 80% of it focuses on the main character prepping to summit Manaslu and what that entails. And while we get some insight that bad things are happening on the mountain, only the last 20% of the book is really suspenseful. If the entire book was as suspenseful as the end, or I had an interest in mountaineering, I would’ve loved this book but the majority of it was just too slow for me.

Thank you so much to Amy McCulloch, NetGalley, and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for an ARC of Breathless.

I've come to love books that take place in the mountains. I think in large part due to my fear of falling. This book was capable of keeping me on my toes. Although, it didn't scare me in any way, it did keep me turning pages. That is by no means an insult to Amy McCulloch. I am hard to scare. After countless years of reading horror and watching horror or thrillers, it's hard to get under my skin these days. I would suggest reading this book. For those like me, it's just plain fun. For those who are not yet jaded, you might just get a bit scared!

legit gave me a fear of hiking or going to the mountain☠️☠️
im legit scared and im like bruhhhh
this had a thriller that makes you scared of everything especially nature

Cecily Wong is an adventure travel journalist and is on her biggest assignment if she can just survive the most mental and emotional strain she has experienced. She must remember to breathe! She has the most exciting, gripping and stressful story to write. She is going mountain climbing with Charles who is about to climb the 8th highest peak in the world without cheating by using ropes or oxygen. Cecily will be blogging and has the opportunity to interview and write the story once they reach the peak. However, the path to the peak is full of avalanches, vertigo, secrets, doubt, extreme weather, and suspicion of a murderer?

Also on the hike are a filmmaker, sponsor, Doug the leader, and lots of Sherpas that take care of the setting up the campsite and preparing the meals. Charles discovered Cecily after her blog post from her last climb that was a failure. Has Cecily prepared and trained enough for the adventure of Manaslu Mountain in Nepal. Is she ready for the conditions? Can she overcome the mistrust, anxiety and stress during the climb?

Throughout the book are several blog entries by Cecily and I thought that was fun to read. The picturesque descriptions of the climb are fabulous. The pace is very slow but I do think it is fitting since it takes time to climb the mountain so you don't get attitude sickness. I enjoyed the writing and since I enjoy hiking I enjoyed all the details. There are several twists and turns that will give you the heebie-jeebies and I couldn't wait to see how it ended. I thought the secrets, suspicion, wonder, doubt, anticipation mixed with the suspense of why people seem to die every time Charles climbs was intriguing and engaging. I would have trouble sleeping and eating too if if the night before the climb starts someone died. Everyone has secrets. Does she have the courage and determination to finish? Remember to always breathe or you will be breathless!

Thank you Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

4 stars for this atmospheric, pulse-pounding thriller!

This was a solid thriller filled with suspense, thrills, lies and deceit! It was very atmospheric and perfect for adrenaline junkies or fans of the sort. I was intrigued till the very end in attempts to figure out whom was the source of all the mystery and deception.

I really enjoyed that this thriller didn't really die down - it truly entertained till the very last page.

This one was a DNF for me. I got through over half of the book but I wasn't interested in knowing what came next.

Cecily had all the pieces of a protagonist I'd usually care for but I couldn't connect with her plight or get excited for her adventure. If anything, I found it strange that someone who hadn't successfully mountain climbed before was even on the trip or was a journalist covering such things. Despite the plot points all being there, I just didn't care and once I hit the midpoint I knew it wasn't for me. A thriller is never easy to put down but unfortunately this one was. I did flip to the end to find everything unwrapped as I guessed it was.

I am sorry to leave such a negative review because others seem to have liked it but it just really wasn't for me. Maybe if you're new to the genre or enjoy mountaineering, this could be a good one for you but honestly I'm not recommending this one.

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.