Hannah goes on a spiritual retreat with her friends, in an attempt of a fresh start. Despite her doubts about the leader and his belief in the supernatural world, she soon finds healing but it quickly turns bloody when a mysterious killer starts picking off retreat attendees in increasingly gruesome ways. As the body count rises and Hannah's sanity frays, she'll have to confront her dark past and uncover the true nature of a ruthless killer.

I read this book as part of the Camp NetGalley 2025 challenge and from the blurb, I thought it would be right up my alley. The plot was interesting. I was intrigued by how each person would be killed, who was behind it all and how it would all end but by that point I had already figured it out so wasn't as interested. I think the explanations for things were weak in places and could have been expanded upon. I do like how the writing brought up some heavier topics like colonisation, cultural approporiation and slavery but it felt kind of surface level and could have done more in calling these things out. I think that could have been expanded upon to make the book fleshed out as the backgrounds on certain things felt short and I didn't feel satisfied by them as I wanted to know more. I liked the writing for the most part because it did hold my attention, however I found myself wanting more from it. I loved the setting - a creepy isolated wellness retreat in the middle of nowhere, only desert around and cut off from civilisation with no technology. It was the perfect setting for everything to take place, although towards the end it did begin to feel rushed with how everything unraveled. I really wanted to like this more because I liked the horror aspects to this book and how gory it was but I think it could have been gorier. It was fast paced and I did stay up to finish the book. The author's note was interesting to see where he got his inspiration from.

My biggest issue was I didn't care for or like any of the characters - they didn't feel fleshed out or have really any personality so it was hard to root for them. I didn't really care what happened to them, which made me not feel as invested as what was going on in the plot. Some of their actions didn't really make sense to me and I felt myself questioning a lot of things. I kind of wanted more answers from the ending because it felt like it was in a hurry to tie things up, when there was still things I had questions about. I also was curious what happened to certain characters in the book after certain events. None felt distinctive or memorable as they all felt quite similar to one another, if fleshed out they could have had more potential which is a shame as it definitely isn't a book that will stay with me.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early, in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️ CWs: blood, death, harassment, cursing, derogatory language, drug & alcohol use, grief, mental health illness (anxiety & depression), cheating, animal death, panic attack, cultural appropriation, physical assault, murder, gore, body horror, homophobia, confinement, abandonment, child abuse, injury detail, medical content, torture, slavery, colonisation, racism, vomit, fire, fire injury; mentions ableism, suicidal ideation, disordered eating, car accident, person with substance use disorder, overdose, sexual content, gun use ⚠️

Content warnings: self-harm, addiction, suicide ideation, grief, emotional abuse, medical horror, hallucinations, gore, cult-like manipulation

Solid 4.5 / 5 stars - since we don't have half's I will round up

Breathe In, Bleed Out is a psychological horror-thriller that sinks its axe in early and doesn’t let go. Set against the sun-scorched, isolating backdrop of a desert retreat in Joshua Tree, the story creates an atmosphere that’s both beautiful and brutally unrelenting. McAuley doesn’t flinch from the psychological rot at the heart of human healing, he still leaves space for haunting beauty and small glimmers of hope.

Hannah felt real, spiraling, and hanging on by threads. The details and ambiance were so grounded and vivid, I could feel the grit of the desert air, hear the buzz of heat, and sense the quiet dread in every silence. I often wasn’t sure if I was in her dreams and hallucinations or the waking world, and that’s the magic of it. The transitions were so seamless and immersive that I stopped trying to separate the two and just let the story take over.

The retreat guru? A full-on yoga-branded nightmare! He was equal parts spiritual charlatan and manipulative creep. His calm-bro energy made my skin crawl in all the right horror-thriller ways.

The gore was handled perfectly. It was visceral enough to make you squirm but never tipping into gratuitous or over-the-top. It served the story, heightening the tension without distracting from the core.

And the ending? It hit me like a runaway minecart. Really? I had to sit with it, stunned, asking myself what just happened, and why it worked so damn well.

The characters? Messy, maddening, magnetic, and I absolutely loved them for it. Even when I wanted to scream at them, I never stopped caring. A chilling, smart, and deeply human horror-thriller.

Summerween is here and Brian McAuley is releasing a crazy fun little slasher for all my twisted girlies!

When ghosts from her past threaten to destroy her, Hannah agrees (begrudgingly) to take a trip with her friends to a wellness retreat out in the wilds of Joshua Tree. She hopes this trip will help her cope with the loss of her fiancé even despite the culty vibes Guru Pax gives off. When Hannah finally begins seeing a little hope for the future her friends start disappearing.

This definitely felt like an ode to slashers of the past with some meta notes taken from Scream and serious twists & turns ala Friday the 13th. The FMC is absolutely as frustrating as many of the famous scream queens while still having the strength to keep herself alive. The cast of side characters are all given vivid depictions and so much personality they practically jump off the page. Many of them are meant to be caricatures of LA stereotypes, and as someone who lived in SoCal for a few years, the depictions were spot on and hilarious.

The setting was perfect for the story. Joshua Tree where many wellness retreats are popping up to cater to the overworked and overwhelmed SoCal elites, yet so vast a retreat can be completely isolated from the rest of the world.

While there were a few little pacing issues at the beginning and at some points the FMC was a little too frustrating for my taste, I had so much fun reading this! It’s great for a fun read while on vacation, which is exactly where I read it! If you like slashers and don’t mind some depictions of gore, this might be for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a hell of a ride! Each of the characters were created with realistic nuance, which is not something you can say for all in the slasher genre. I was easily picturing this as a movie, and hope we get the chance to see it the big screen one day.

After the mysterious death of her fiancé, Hannah goes on a healing retreat with her friends. The retreat is located in a remote spot, so there's no cell service, but this is a feature since less time with phones helps mental health. All five friends are suffering from trauma of their own, although this isn't apparent at first. Even the former frat boy Jared ends up having hidden depths.

It's a cabin-in-the-woods style slasher with victims getting picked off one-by-one, but it's a cut above the usual. For one thing, it's a mystery who's doing the killing until we get the surprise reveal at the end. The fact the narrator has hallucinations makes us question what's really happening and what isn't. I like that the characters are young adults who've started their careers rather than the teenagers we usually get in this type of story. It makes for a nice change of pace. The harbinger character gives us a creepy rhyme that foreshadows what's to come later. Nicely done.

Based on the title, I expected gruesome deaths from the start, but there's a nice long setup introducing us to multiple suspects. The characters all seem like real people and we send enough time getting to know them that it's actually sad when they die. The author has a keen grasp on Los Angeles healing culture including knowing yoga poses, etc. He knows what he's writing about, which is always a plus. I think the cultural appropriation versus religious syncretism argument is interesting. I like that the author didn't play it safe by avoiding politics, but rather points out the failings of both conservatives and liberals.

There's some laugh-out-loud moments. Hannah and friends are suitably snarky. When one of her friends says he isn't saving lives in his job, Hannah, who works in a hospital, says she doesn't either, she's just delaying the inevitable. I also liked the line that it's possible to be so progressive you become oppressive. Real friends don't cheer you on all the time, but call you out when you need it because they care.

It was a bit jarring to me when the narration switched from first person to third person, but there ended up being a good reason for that.

The death scenes are suitably gruesome. I like that a couple of the characters gain a sort of enlightenment before dying. They finish their journey by the end, making their deaths a bit less tragic.

A healing retreat gone horribly wrong.
A woman haunted by the past... and hunted in the present.

This book is brutal, delusional, bloody—and brilliant. 😱

Breathe In, Bleed Out
By @brianmcwriter
🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4/5)
🗓️ Releases Sept 2, 2025
Poisoned Pen Press
General Fiction (Adult) | Horror | Mystery & Thrillers

Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress

🔪 My Thoughts :
🧘‍♀️ She came for healing.
💀 She got horror instead.

Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley is a blood-soaked, mind-bending retreat nightmare with cruel killings, masked terror, and one haunted woman trying to survive both her past and a killer.

The suspense is razor-sharp. Hannah’s delusions, the eerie atmosphere, and the brutal killings are truly chilling. The setting—a tech-free desert sanctuary—adds to the isolation, and Brian McAuley’s storytelling
kept me flipping pages in a panic.

💔 What happened to Miles? Still not over it.
👭 Kimi and Hannah = my favs.
😨 Waylon Barlow = nightmare fuel.

And that last line?
“Like a phoenix rising from the ashes.” 🔥
A final girl moment I’ll never forget.

This one’s not for the faint of heart, but if you love horror with cults, gore, grief, and one woman’s explosive transformation—add this to your list.

📚 #HorrorReads #PsychologicalThriller #BreatheInBleedOut #BookReview #BookstagramIndia #NetGalleyARC

This fast-paced slasher had me hooked from page one—I absolutely devoured it. It’s everything you want in a summer horror: gory murders, cultish undertones, an isolated setting, unreliable narrators, and just enough secrets to keep you guessing who the killer is right up to the end.

The pacing was perfect—I flew through it without ever feeling like something was missing. It’s a tightly written, well-developed thriller that kept me on edge the entire time. If you’re in the mood for a dark, twisty read that delivers all the slasher vibes, this one’s a must!

In the latest book by Brian McAuley, Breathe in Bleed Out, Hannah has let her friends talk her into attending a New Age retreat. She's grieving the loss of her boyfriend, Ben, after a mysterious trip in the mountains. Hannah has never revealed what happened on the mountain to the detriment of her sanity.  Her mental health and her career are suffering because she's drowning in grief. She's ready for a fresh start, but the relaxing retreat doesn't go as expected when attendees start dying. 

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't understand some of the references.  When I understood one, I immediately thought of the Captain America meme. That's not on the author, of course. Maybe I'm old. I thought it was a great read, and the book had a thrilling plot. I've always liked Christopher Pike-style slasher/horror books, and Brian McAuley wrote a book that reminded me of them.  

I'm not a fan of most movie adaptations, as the film versions are often a pale comparison. However, I could see this in film form. The author presented Hannah's friends as typical horror movie character tropes. But the character chapters interspersed throughout the book added depth to the story and revealed more about the characters. That's the benefit of a book. The author can tell us so much more than a film.

Hannah's grief and guilt were very much at the center of the story despite the slasher storyline. She had pushed away her friends and busied herself with work and abuse of prescription drugs, and had to learn to move on and live her life. She desperately wants to be okay again, but it's hard to heal with a killer on your tail! Is Ben punishing her? Or is she punishing herself? 
 
The ending felt rushed, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. I had so many theories, but I was wrong on every one; the author certainly kept me guessing throughout the book! 
 
Even if the character decisions are stupid, that's what happens in slasher flicks. I'd recommend this book to horror fans or even fans of the old Christopher Pike books. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own

This book grabbed me by the throat, whispered something traumatic, and then left me to bleed out—emotionally, of course. 🖤🩸

It’s not here to coddle you. It’s raw, messy, and beautiful in the way a cracked mirror is: sharp and dangerous, but you can’t stop looking. The grief, the body horror, the unraveling—it all hits like a breakdown in real time. And honestly? I respected the hell out of it. 👁️🫁

If you like your fiction soft and soothing, run. But if you’re into poetic suffering and emotional blunt force trauma, come on in—the blood’s warm. 🛁💀

Breathe In, Bleed Out was a bit of a slow read. There were a few moments of excitement but ultimately it just wasn't exciting. I really liked the idea of a retreat gone wrong and the murders were quick but gory. My favorite part of the book was the creepy gold miner that the main character kept seeing. And the twist at the end of who the killer was definitely was unexpected!

I thought this book started off good, it was a little goofy but kept me intrigued with different theories. But the plot twist at the end of the book really lost me, I didn't enjoy it at all and I was quite mad. Really lowered my overall feelings on the book.

Overall, there will be plenty of people who this book is perfect for and they will really enjoy it. It just wasn't a book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Brian McAuley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What starts off as a weekend healing retreat out in the desert with a group of friends quickly turns into a deadly nightmare. Friends start going missing. Everyone is a suspect. With no cell service and no way to escape, who will make it out alive?

Breathe in, Bleed Out was a fast-paced, page turner. Great summer slasher!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Netgalley!

I really loved this!!
There's nothing I love more than slasher movies and this book was the true embodiment of them. I had so much fun reading it.. It was campy and gory and with an absolutely killer setting..

Hannah is struggling after the tragic death of her boyfriend. Unable to move on, still haunted by his memory, she has isolated herself from her friends and is close to losing her job. But then her best friend offers her to come on a trip with her and rest of their friend group. A trip to the middle of nowhere, to a healing retreat. She reluctantly agrees. The retreat is slowly starting to work, but then her friends start disappearing and a killer lurks in the shadows. Or is it just another hallucination?

Slasher movies will forever be my guilty pleasure, I loved watching them and I've clearly been missing out by not reading them too, because this is everything I didn't know I needed. Scream movies are my absolute favourite and this book gave me all the feels they did, which is honestly the highest compliment I can give to this book. It absolutely deliver!!

I'm not going to give any details, don't want to spoil anything by mistake, but I didn't see the killer coming. I just love when I get something wrong, makes the reveal so much more impactful.

It was a dark and fast paced read, full of tension with imperfect characters I either loved or hated. The killings were the perfect amount of terrifying, I do wish they were a little longer though, and I loved all the subtle messages that were delivered throughout the book.
The setting was the best part, so ominous, and if I'm being honest, this spiritual stuff is really not my thing, so for me this was a horror book before the killings even started..

The author's note at the end was perfect, I loved how he told us all the inspiration behind the book. This is the first book I read by this author, but it will not be my last. I loved his writing style.

This was a fun little book!

Lots of good slasher characters, isolated setting, some quick and violent deaths.

I'm not sure if the main character was supposed to be unlikeable but she was for me, so the further through the book I got the less I enjoyed the parts with her as the focus. Did like the killer when it was time for the reveal, it was all wrapped up nicely in the end (well maybe not for the dead guys I guess).

A Hilariously Horrific Retreat You’ll Never Forget

“It’s our job to put characters through hell because conflict is the crucible of human existence. Stories show us how to live through it all, but horror teaches us how to dance with death.”
— Brian McAuley

“But I don’t like slasher horror stories.”
Well—stop that! Because Brian McAuley’s upcoming horror novel will have you laughing, cringing, crying, and questioning everything about yourself… all in under 310 pages.

What starts off as a quirky, self-care birthday weekend in the Southern California desert quickly spirals into a sun-bleached, blood-soaked fever dream. Five friends (and the memory of a sixth) head off to the mysterious and secluded Avidya Healing Retreat, not far from Joshua Tree, where energy vortexes, raw food, sound baths, and unresolved trauma await.

Each character brings their own emotional baggage and a personal mantra for the weekend:
   •   Hannah, our MC, is an anxiety-riddled medical intern haunted—literally and figuratively—by the death of her fiancé Ben.
   •   Tess, a lonely artist with abandonment issues, just wants connection.
   •   Miles, a charming DJ/skater, seeks inspiration.
   •   Luna, a social media wellness guru, wants more flexibility (in body and life).
   •   Jared, Luna’s tech-bro boyfriend, is here for some fun… famous last words.

Guided by the enigmatic Guru Pax and his eerie assistant Kimi, the retreaters are encouraged to lean into nature and transformation. But the desert has teeth, and as the weekend unravels—so do the guests. There are stories of cursed mine shafts. Strange locals. Gongs and New Balance shoes. Rattlesnakes. Flesh masks. Hallucinatory hikes. Oh—and cannibalism. Did I mention that?

If you’re thinking “this sounds like Scooby Doo meets Midsommar with a splash of Scream,” you’re not wrong.

McAuley balances brutal gore with razor-sharp wit and clever pop culture nods. It’s meta in the best way—like if Randy from Scream wrote a self-help guide while dodging death by keyboard. Through all the chaos, there’s a beating heart (sometimes removed from a chest, sometimes metaphorically). This is horror that doesn’t just entertain—it reflects. As Pax tells them, “Our connection to the animal world is part of the human experience. We are beasts at the heart.”

The real question isn’t just who survives… it’s how they’re changed. Who finds their truth? Who lets go? Who gets out alive—and with their face still on?

If you’re not into horror, this might be the one that changes your mind. At the very least, grab it for the unforgettable cover art for yourself …. I mean, your shelf. (Dad joke for Dr. Grady)

As Hannah puts it best:
“Scooby F—ing Doo.”

Namasté horror fans!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for ARC (my first one!) and Brian McAuley

I breathe horror, especially - I grew up watching it at a young age. Thanks, Dad, for letting me see my first Friday the 13th at the tender age of 5 or 6.

With that said, this book is absolutely a love letter to the slasher genre. Hannah, a medical intern, is still reeling from the death of her fiance. She's struggling with a Xanax addiction, and retreating from her friends in her grief. After an incident with a patient, Hannah is put on leave from her job. Her psychiatrist recommends doing inpatient treatment, and taking care of herself. Cue Tessa - Hannah's best friend from college - presenting Hannah with an opportunity to go to a spiritual, healing retreat in the desert outside Joshua Tree.

And here is where things start to go south, in typical slasher fashion. Everyone is a suspect, and who knows who will actually survive. The kills are vivid and gory, and the story is reminiscent of its inspiration - Scream. Who can you trust, when you can't even trust yourself?

Breathe in, Bleed Out was a very fun read, and I highly recommend it for fans of the slasher genre!

Fast paced, twisty, gory and a treat for slasher lovers! The main character is trying to heal from a past trauma and sets off to a wellness retreat with friends. What could go wrong? This was fun in the best way possible.

This book was so good!! But also felt like a scary movie!
The kills, the crazy and trying to figure out who did was so good!! Love it will be getting a physical too!

Imgur link goes to graphic scheduled for around August 26th
Blog post goes live August 26th
Youtube review on Friday 25th

**TL;DR**: Very fun with some unique deaths.
**Source**: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!!

**Plot**: Hannah is trying to recover after the death of her fiancé and agrees to go on a ‘wellness retreat’. All is not well.
**Characters**: A cast of somewhat tropey characters but not the worst. I enjoyed hating some of these guys.
**Setting:** This felt unique as they were out in the desert all alone, a first for me.
**Thriller/Horror:** There wasn’t much as far as thrills here but the horror and kills were fun!


**Thoughts:**

Okay, so listen. This isn’t my usual genre. Slashers like this aren’t my go too but occasionally I like to mix it up! This was available and I thought, why not? And it was fun! It really was! Hannah is deep in the throes of grief over the deeply traumatic loss of her fiancé when she agrees to go on a wellness retreat with her friends. Things start great! But no one gets any… wellness there.

The characters are your usual cast. We have a real annoying blonde, her fratboy style boyfriend, the boy who always loved Hannah, her best friend, and Hannah herself. In addition to that we have the suspicious Guru Pax and his assistant Kimi. The small cast works great and each death we saw was fun and honestly pretty fitting. I liked seeing them coming and I enjoyed the consistency of the kills.

I do think there were a few plot threads that were left hanging and some things we could have had explained out more but if you’re looking for a short fun time, this is it. There are red herrings, fun chase scenes, the whole thing! I had fun, and if you go in looking just for that, you will too.

This novel takes place in the desert of Joshua Tree, Southern California, where a spiritual cleansing retreat is held for a small group of friends looking to take a break from Los Angeles life and disconnect from the modern world. Hannah, a nurse suffering from grief after losing her fiancee, hesitantly decides to go after her best friend takes her along because of how deep her depression has become. Just when Hannah thinks the retreat may actually heal her and help her find her zest for life, her friends slowly start going missing one by one, and something seems very off and cultish about the guru leading the retreat. What evolves is a scary, classic slasher filled with brutal, gory kill scenes. I was shook at how disgusting and terrifying the murderer was taking people out and each time a character wandered away alone, I was on edge anticipating what awful event was about to happen. I love thrillers that involve retreats and a suspicious leader who may be deceiving everyone. It was really fast paced and got straight to the point so I flew through it. I will say, the build up of finding out what happened with Ben, Hannah's fiancee, was a bit underwhelming because there really wasn't any sinister mystery behind it, but what I really disliked was how Hannah acted like what really happened was such an awful secret that she could never fully disclose because she did something awful. It makes us believe Hannah may have killed or accidently killed him, because she clearly held a lot of blame, but when we find out really why she feels so guilty, it made me kind of mad. Like it is 2025 and we are not feeling guilty for establishing what we want or hurting a man's feelings. This book does have a huge theme of grief and mental health and I'm glad Hannah was able to find some peace by the end. The twist ending was definitely unexpected and so creepy. Overall, a very fun and fast-paced slasher that I would recommend. 4/5.