Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was the first book I've read by this author and I had such a great time reading it! It was gory and and everything I wanted in a slasher book.

A slasher book with blood and gore! This was a new author and I was not disappointed. I can usually ferret out what's going to happen, I was so happy to be wrong. Reminds me of 80s horror, which I love.

The author calls this a slasher horror movie in book form, and I could not agree more. I loved this book, reading it in two days. There's humor, great characters, and of course, a mysterious killer. What more could I ask for.

3.75 🌟

I went into this book blind, I requested it purely because of the cover and I'm glad I got to read it.

This book is probably the first slasher book I've read and I loved all of the psychological twists. Reminded me a little bit of the 2011 movie The Cabin In The Woods and I loved that movie.

This book feels very timely with Kendra on TikTok taking about falling in love with her psychiatrist.

I did not like this read. I read to escape the bull crap that is going on in this world. There was a political divide within this book I did not like, I feel like our every day life has enough of that, I don't want it in my books.

The way my jaw dropped at the twist! Absolutely amazing, and I would throughly recommend to friends. Whilst it could be abit slow in places and Hannah’s character made you want to grab hold and shake her, the book really made you question, is she having a mental breakdown or not? Are these hallucinations or are they the real thing. It reminded me very much of a 90’s to 2000’s budget horror movie and what is not to love about that

"After all, there's no mask more deceptive than the human face."

I had mixed feelings throughout reading this one, but over-all I enjoyed it. I didn't really love the characters, but I was really impressed with McAuley's main character. Men writing women can be an awful experience, and that was not the case here. For the most part Hannah is free from all the ugly and annoying cliches authors tend to give to women.

I loved the setting- cut off from technology and completely isolated (nothing scarier- am I right?) while also taking place at a health retreat where things are not what they seem. (When are they?) . The death scenes were fun with a good amount of gore. The killer and back story was fun (and informative) and like Scream- I was left guessing until the reveal. Genuinely had no idea who was going to be under that mask it's been a long time since that's happened!

Honestly, though I think my favorite part of this book is the Authors note, Scream With Me. That was so much fun to read.

Like a well made slasher film, this book intrigues from the beginning and keeps you on your toes --or focusing on your exhale, as it might be in this case-- through out the book. I thought the setting brought a new, fun way to host a killer, and the twists, especially at the end, were welcome surprises. I now want to read all of his books.

A gritty and unflinching exploration of trauma, addiction, and the fight for redemption in the underbelly of modern urban life.

McAuley’s prose is sharp and raw, painting a vivid picture of characters caught in cycles of self-destruction and desperate hope. The story follows a fractured cast grappling with loss and the long, painful road toward healing.

The pacing moves steadily, balancing moments of intense emotion with quieter, reflective passages that give weight to the characters’ journeys. The dialogue feels real and sometimes brutal, grounding the novel in an honest, lived-in reality.

Some plot threads feel a bit scattered, and certain scenes linger longer than necessary, but the emotional core of the story holds strong and keeps the reader invested.

This book will resonate with readers who appreciate character-driven stories about human fragility, resilience, and the messy process of recovery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The title, cover, and description of this book were all intriguing, but by about 60 pages in I felt no draw to the story or urge to turn the page and decided that life's too short to read a book I'm not loving, especially when I'm making an exception from my normally diverse reading to give a white cis male author a chance. 3 stars to keep it neutral since I think I'm in the minority with not loving this book. Thanks for the ARC!

this book had me at Midsommar meets Scream. and it was scary easy to read (pun intended).

You jump head first into the action with the main character Hannah and the grief she’s dealing with after losing her fiancé..

one thing leads to another and she winds up on a spiritual retreat with her motley crew of a college friend group. that’s where the real horror of this novel starts to spiral and i was hooked.

pub date — September 2, 2025

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🏷️: #breatheinbleedout #readmorehorror #kindlereads #arcreader #bookstagram

All the stars. Pure perfection. This was my most anticipated read of the year, and wow… it did not disappoint. Brian never does. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. It’s exactly my kind of slasher: fast-paced, drenched in gore, and packed with wonderfully unlikeable characters. The kills? Creative, bloody, and unforgettable.

The setting sealed the deal for me. An isolated desert oasis? Yes, please. The atmosphere was flawless, with just the right amount of tension and even a dash of dark humor that made me chuckle in between all the carnage. And Pax’s storyline? The ending was *chef’s kiss* - well deserved and, dare I say… transcendent.

The cover alone is a showstopper. Bold, eye-catching, and absolutely perfect for the story inside. Without a doubt, this will be one of my top books of the year, and I suspect that’ll be the case for many readers. I’ve read everything Brian has written and will happily continue to follow him blindly. This is a must-read for horror fans!


Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for the #gifted e-arc! I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy once it releases.

After losing her fiancé, Hannah’s friends take her to a yoga retreat that’s not all that it seems… I really thought I had this thriller solved, but I did not see the ending coming! Very well written- solid plot, believable characters and well paced!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!

Breathe in, Bleed out follows Hannah’s journey after losing her fiancé in a tragic accident. Dealing with grief and more her friends book a weekend retreat in the middle of nowhere to help her. Sadly, the retreat turns out to be more than Hannah and her friends bargained for.
This was such a quick fun read. It’s giving slasher film vibes and imo you can’t go wrong with it. You couldn’t pay me to attend one of these retreats fyi. Something always happens! lol. While it was predictable towards the end it still had me guessing quite a bit!

Thank you to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

From the very first page, Breathe In Breathe Out is a relentless page-turner. I completely devoured the story, drawn in by its clever plotting, clever pacing, and unapologetically gory kills. It’s clear that McAuley put significant thought into structuring the narrative, each event feels intentional, each reveal perfectly timed.

The character work is a standout. Every individual, whether likable or deeply flawed, is given moments of introspection that add layers of emotional depth and weight to the chaos unfolding. Even when I found myself disliking certain characters, I couldn’t help rooting for their survival. We also witness the protagonist, Hannah, grappling with her grief in a way that adds a deep emotional layer to the carnage. Her journey isn’t just about surviving the external horrors around her, it’s also about confronting the internal ones she’s carried with her, which I believe many readers will resonate with.

The setting — a wellness retreat in the middle of the desert, was chef’s kiss. The creeping isolation distorts the characters’ thoughts and decisions, heightening the tension as events spiral out of control. This backdrop works hand-in-hand with the escalating violence, making every moment more nerve-wrecking. McAuley uses the environment not just as a backdrop, but as a psychological tool to amplify the terror unfolding.

The story builds towards an unpredictable final twist that caught me off-guard in the best possible way, cementing this as one of the most satisfying horror reads I’ve encountered in a long time. I can fully imagine this story being adapted into a blockbuster film. Breathe In Breathe Out earns its place as a modern slasher masterpiece. Thank you Brian McAuley for this fantastic read.

McAuley expertly uses the structure, themes and kills of the slasher film genre to great effect, here. He’s clearly a fan of the genre, as his author’s note goes to explain.

I suggest that anyone who picks up this great slasher book to give yourself over to the author, you’ll find yourself surprised by some of the twists, just as I was!

4 stars. A fun slasher book 🔪. This book is exactly what the title says (love the cover and the title btw). Hannah has been grieving the loss of her fiancé, who died while they were on a wilderness trip together, and sometimes sees his ghost so what? She starts to spiral from the loss, taking Xanax a little too regularly while being a nurse 😀 not a recipe for disaster or anything. When she receives an offer from her friends to go for the weekend on a spiritual retreat she honestly thinks why not. Think major cult vibes. Everything that could go wrong goes wrong. This was predictable but just an overall joy to read as a fan of the slasher genre. As always, thank you Poisoned Pen Press for a wonderful earc.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC to review.

I am a horror fan, I’d call myself a slasher fan but clearly not as hardcore a fan as Brian McAuley. This is likened to SCREAM a lot and I get why (the author’s note at the end is a love letter essay to the franchise and the impact it had on him and the slasher sub genre) but I would say McAuley has crafted his own slasher tale and villain in Breathe In, Bleed Out and should be congratulated on it. (The villain did give me My Bloody Valentine vibes.)

We start the book with our main character recovering from a traumatic accident, which leaves the reader with one mystery - that, of what happened. Then reuniting with her college friends in an attempt to heal further on her journey. But when things go pear shaped at the retreat, as it was bound to happen, Hannah and the reader then have to figure out the mystery of who is behind her friend’s disappearances and deaths.

I enjoyed the entwining dual mysteries as the book progressed, the tongue in cheek shots at the Hollywood mindful and wellness scenes, and the character interactions. Hannah’s journey of grief felt real and relatable. I did think the pacing was a little off in parts (I have no idea about Yoga so the very in depth paragraphs of yoga moves at parts lost me and I didn’t want to have to google them to know what the characters were doing) I also felt the multiple twists before the story ends were bit much for me, it could have ended twice before the actual killer/villain is revealed and the story does actually end. However overall it’s a fast read and I’m grateful to have read Brian McAuley’s work for the first time.

I really have been enjoying the slasher genre lately. If you like the Scream franchise or any type of movies like that you will enjoy this book. It’s a little bit of a slow build but you see Hannah slowly unraveling in the story and towards the end you don’t know who to believe. I really enjoyed this book and the ending made me have whiplash LOL. Thank you netgalley and poisoned pen press for an e arc!

I like reading dark novels and this one definitely delivered. Even though I enjoyed this book, I still felt something was missing. I think the story felt rushed and underdeveloped in certain aspects. I think the author could have pushed the envelope even more than he did. Overall, the story was fun and demented and it kept engaged and entertained.