This book was so fun, it was such a cool concept for a slasher novel. I wouldn't be shocked if it ended up being made into a movie because I could visualise the entire thing in my head from start to finish. I loved the wacky ass setting and the wacky ass deaths, it was giving very much scream/fear street in a way, with its own like spiritual, psychedelic twist. The killer was kind of a let down, but really who else could it have been. Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Fun, quick slasher read. Loved the desert vibes and thought that the twists were well done. The killer was a fun mashup of several of the Greats, like Leatherface and the Miner. Some of the characters fell a bit flat but I still enjoyed the read. More to come on TikTok.

This book gave me everything I needed! A group of people who seem to all actually hate each other? check. An unhinged FMC that's perspective cannot be trusted? check. A villain that is as unhinged but more murdery? check.. Slight existential crisis? check This gave me all the slasher feels I wanted without missing a beat or getting too slow. I could visualize every (gruesome) death as it was happening like a movie. The story was great and the characters were borderline insufferable and I loved every minute of it! (And will not look at yoga the same way again.)

"Fun, campy, and delightfully bizarre — exactly what I needed."

I had a lot going on in my life while reading Breathe In Bleed Out, and honestly, this book was the perfect escape. It’s campy in the best possible way — think over-the-top, emotionally intense, and just the right amount of weird. Sometimes you need a book that lets you step outside reality, and this one delivered that in spades.

What really worked for me was how easy it was to get lost in the story. The plot moves fast, the characters are quirky, and just when I thought I had it figured out, the ending completely blindsided me — which is rare for me, and something I really appreciated.

If you’re looking for something fun, dramatic, and a little off-kilter to shake up your reading routine, this one’s worth checking out.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

What a fun and wild ride. Had such a blast reading McAuley’s latest slasher and I can’t wait for more!

Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley is a slasher novel that follows Hannah and her lingering grief, along with four of her friends, to a wellness retreat as they set their individual intentions to conquer some demons. Oh, and a pickax-wielding-killer stalking their every move. Or is this just one of Hannah’s grief-induced hallucinations? McAuley slays with this horror trope! The narrative was full of suspense and twists and kept me on edge until the last page.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc.

This was my first slasher and it did not disappoint. We follow our main character, Hannah, who is dealing with the traumatic loss of her fiancé. In an attempt to rediscover herself and clear her mind, with the blessing of her psychiatrist, she attends a healing retreat in the desert with her closest friend and college dorm-mates. At first everything goes well and she begins to feel like herself again, but the retreat may be too good to be true.

I really enjoyed the setting of the story out in the desert, and I loved the creepy, unsettling vibe that grew as the book progressed. I thought that the side characters were interesting and fleshed out with distinct stories and personalities. I also really enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the book. The pacing was a little slow at first, but by the last 1/3rd I was hooked in. I did feel the ending to be a little abrupt, and the twist didn't totally do it for me but it was still a fun read. I will definitely be reading more of McAuley's work in the future.

Review will be published on the sites linked below on the week of September 1, 2025

The retreat from Hell.

I was hooked from the first line. “Breathe In, Bleed Out” is the perfect slasher. With short chapters, the book was fast-paced and I was eagerly awaiting what was next. I loved the cast of characters, as they all brought something to the table. It kept me guessing until the very end (spoiler: I did not figure it out.)

This was my first Brian McAuley book and it certainly won’t be my last. Highly recommend grabbing this one when it’s released on September 2nd!

Breathe In, Bleed Out is a fun and easy to read slasher set in a secluded wellness retreat!

This was such a good slasher to binge read, I whizzed through it in a day. Set out in a secluded and creepy wellness retreat it had a great setting and I really enjoyed that aspect combined with the tension between all our characters.

As for the slasher side of things I did like it but I felt like it took a little too long to kick off and the reveal at the end felt a little bit far fetched and rushed.

But overall I really enjoyed this one, definitely recommend and will be trying some more of this authors books myself!

Whenever I read a Brian McAuley book, I know I am walking into a world of slasher goodness. The kills in this one were over-the-top disgusting, and I loved every second of it. The book read as a love letter to Scream, and I couldn't put it down.

Grab your popcorn, and prepare for a bloody ride of gnarly kills and laugh out loud one-liners.

My favorite of Brian's so far.

Perfect summer horror, absolutely loved this one. McAuley has smashed the slasher fiction formula! A great study on the aftermath of grief whilst not feeling preachy or trying to dance around the subject - grief is ugly and a wellness camp slasher is a perfect way to tackle this subject. Excited to read more of his work!

Breathe In, Bleed Out has everything that a slasher fiend needs… and more! McAuley has, once again, utilized the tropes and trappings of the slasher genre, while adapting them for contemporary life. Truly, my only real critique of the story is that it could have been longer, taking its time. However, for those who are looking for a quick and still very satisfying read, this story is killer!

"Breath In, Bleed Out" is a fun and quick read, perfect for slasher fans. I found the setting— a desert yoga retreat —to be unique and ideal for the story. I had fun guessing who the killer was until the final revelation, with an unexpected twist at the end! First Brian McAuley book, but certainly not my last!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | New Favorite Alert!

Breathe In, Bleed Out grabbed me by the throat from page one and never let go. This book is sharp, smart, and absolutely unrelenting—in the best way possible. If you’re a fan of dark Hollywood thrillers with a surreal, satirical edge and a gut-punch of emotional depth, you’re going to devour this.

Brian McAuley masterfully blends horror, noir, and psychological suspense in a way that feels both totally original and eerily familiar. The story pulses with anxiety, dread, and biting social commentary. I couldn’t look away—and I didn’t want to.

The narrative is slick, the pacing flawless, and the imagery unforgettable. There are moments that made me physically tense, and others that broke my heart. And the ending? Pitch-perfect.

New favorite. Easily. This is the kind of book you finish and immediately want to talk about. Highly recommended.

If you’re a fan of classic slashers with a modern twist, Breath in Bleed Out is an absolute treat. Brian McAuley masterfully respects the genre’s rules while adding fresh layers of suspense, misdirection, and gruesome kills that kept me hooked from start to finish. The setting—a creepy wellness retreat tucked away on a snowy mountainside—adds an eerie atmosphere that perfectly complements the story’s dark tone. And the Final Girl, Hannah, brings a raw, traumatic past that deepens the emotional stakes beyond the usual slasher fare.

What really sets this book apart is its blend of old-school horror vibes with sharp, playful writing. McAuley’s storytelling balances moments of dark humor with shocking, brutal scenes that hit hard without unnecessary fluff. The villain—a terrifying miner wielding a pickaxe and donning a haunting human face—is genuinely chilling and a fresh addition to the slasher villain lineup. Plus, the plot’s Scooby-Doo-style who-dun-it mystery element kept me guessing right up until the final reveal, making the read a thrilling page-turner.

Ultimately, Breath in Bleed Out is a fun, fast-paced horror ride that doesn’t take itself too seriously but delivers plenty of scares, gore, and nostalgia for fans of the genre. The creepy wellness retreat cult angle added an extra layer of real-world unease that stuck with me long after I finished. If you want a “don’t think too hard, just enjoy the bloody chaos” kind of slasher, this one’s a perfect pick—and I can’t wait to see what Brian McAuley comes up with next.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

If you’ve ever wanted to go to an off grid wellness retreat, you might want to read this book first.😂🔪

I’ve loved the books from Brian McAuley I’ve read so far, so of course I had to read this asap. In this story, we follow a group of estranged friends who come together to head to a mindfulness retreat in Joshua Tree. MC Hannah is riddled with guilt and grief after losing her “fiancé” to a tragic accident on a hiking trip, and is at a breaking point with her sanity and career. Realizing her despair, her best friend Tess invites the group to go, thinking that this is what they all need. But just as they they settle in and start to relax, friends start to disappear. Hannah senses something isn’t right and starts seeing things, but it isn’t clear if the visions are real or if her mind playing tricks on her. And as the signs of danger intensify, Hannah must figure out who to trust, especially when she is challenged with trusting herself.

This is a perfectly-paced story that blends horror and whodunnit with some major Scream influences and Agatha Christie vibes. I loved all the twists and turns and also not seeing that ending coming at all!

This is another great one from McAuley, who really transports you to that calm, relaxing space before pulling the blood-drenched yoga mat from under you. He really nailed this one and I loved every heart pumping moment.

Make sure you add this one to your #tbr and grab a copy when it’s released in September!

I heard 'spiritual retreat' paired with 'slasher', and I had a mighty need to read Breathe In, Bleed Out.

Hannah loses her fiancé, Ben, on some sort of outing on a mountain. His death has weighed heavy on her. It has been negatively impacting her work along with her non-existent social life. When her bff, whom she had been ducking, ambushed her with plans of a spiritual retreat along with three of their other friends, she is initially hesitant but decides it will be good for her.

I thought that this one was going to start out rough. You see, McAuley uses one of my most disliked plot devices in chapter one. Surprisingly, he handled it really well and delivered it in a way that I actually liked. I was hooked on this story from the very beginning. I cared about the characters, especially Hannah. Her backstory and struggles had me rooting for her throughout.

The kills in this were gruesome and didn't hold back. I enjoyed the ghost story that was tied to the setting and woven throughout the story. In true slasher form, this story has some excellent twists. It felt like I was watching a slasher while I read.

This one kept me guessing until the very end, and I'll gladly read whatever McAuley comes out with next.

I've historically been hesitant to do the ARC thing. I don't like when a book lets me down, but when that book is an ARC, I feel bad. Luckily, this one delivered on every level for me.

Really enjoyable, fast paced slasher novel, I loved how it kinda felt like you were watching a slasher movie. 4 stars

I have a soft spot for slashers and after loving "Candy Cain Kills" Brian is back with another killer (pun intended). Gory, twisty and blurring the lines between reality and madness. Not only did we get a fun slasher character that would be perfect on screen, we got a FMC with depth and a history of trauma that adds in to the current delusion.

As someone who has been in the yoga world as an instructor and then left that world because it was so gross, I felt SO seen by this book. It humorously and darkly points out the appropriation and weirdness in white American yoga culture. I really loved every slasher-y second of this yoga retreat gone wrong.