This starts with an intense scene on Yama Parvat, a Himalayan mountain, and then goes back and forth in time to tell how sisters Evelyn and Sophie got to this point. The sisters are both expert climbers, having jointly and separately scaled the highest of peaks but in the present they are estranged and facing the biggest challenge of their climbing careers. Miles, Sophie's husband is the reason why they've not been speaking (and he is btw a dreadful user of a person). Know that this is heavy on the technicalities of climbing and that a lot of time is spent on the mountain-and it's not an easy place. This is intense and will have you turning the pages, worrying about not only Sophie and Evelyn but also their teams. You'll feel the cold and the sting of the blizzard. And you must pay close attention as it nears the end because there are surprises. All of that said this is very much about the sisters. If I have a quibble it's with the epilogue, which felt a bit tacked on (as epilogues are) but no spoilers from me. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Excellent read- a page turner.

A reeling story about two estranged sisters, once a dynamic climbing duo, now on separate teams trying to be the first to summit Yama Parvat, the "Mountain of Death". Told in a series of events of the present climb and the previous years leading up to and during their estrangement, Running Out of Air pulls you in with the tension between Sophie and Evelyn's relationship as well as the tension that is the danger of climbing mountain of such magnitude.

I was gripped right away by the literal cliff-hanger of an introduction and was left crying at the end. Lilli Sutton beautifully captured the complexities of familial bonds. Though sometimes frustrating, the character's motivations were always clear and I ended up feeling very connected to Sophie and Evelyn the more I read.

I did find between the timeline jumping and the very detailed climbing scenes, I did personally have to adjust at first to the pacing of this book. Once I found that pacing though, I was hooked.

4.5 stars rounded down

Running Out of Air is a gripping alpine thriller about two estranged sisters who end up on a climb together to the previously off-limits Yama Parvat. Their once extremely close relationship was damaged when Evelyn had an affair with Sophie’s husband. Now the sisters are forced into close proximity on a deadly climb that pushes them to their physical and mental limits.

I love books about extreme climbing, despite being so far from the sport myself. I found this novel to be very realistic as compared to other books I’ve read which I appreciated. It very much gave the same vibes as Into Thin Air and the 1996 Everest climb, particularly with the character of Lowell. Overall I had a great time following Sophie and Evelyn’s stories. I do wish the epilogue was either expanded or cut out, but ultimately I was satisfied by where we left the characters.

I would recommend this broadly to thriller readers, particularly for fans of mountain climbing!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

This story follows two sisters, Sophie and Evelyn, who were once incredibly close and climbed mountains together, but have not spoken in two years after Evelyn had an affair with Sophie's husband. Now, they accidentally end up climbing the same never-before-climbed mountain, and through a series of unfortunate events, they end up having to try to save each other's lives in the middle of a bad storm.

I really loved this book and found it pretty profound. Most of the book takes place on the mountain as Sophie and Evelyn try to summit, and the action is fast-moving and accessible despite the technicalities of extreme climbing. The flashbacks are necessary context for all the relationships, and I always felt like they added something to the plot. I appreciated that this was really a story about family and about reconciling who you thought you would be with who you are, and I was rooting for Sophie and Evelyn to mend their rift. Sophie and Evelyn are both complicated, interesting characters, and the author does a good job of letting them get it wrong and try to fix it and not know themselves.

A note of caution: this is not a light or easy-breezy book. It engages heavily with the dangers of climbing a mountain, and the characters experience trauma and grief throughout. It is a really satisfying read, but definitely intense.

Evelyn and Sophie are mountain climbing sisters that are estranged. Evelyn had a affair with Sophie's husband and Sophie has been unable to forgive her. They both have joined separate teams to climb a mountain that has never been climbed. They both want this very much but don't know how it will go being on the same mountain at the same time.

This is the story of sisters. After having spent so much time with your sister can you just turn that off? Will the sisters be able to reconcile on the mountain? What disasters await on the climb! This is a story of sisters pushed to the edge. Will they team up to help each other or will they stay enemies until the end of the climb? You will have to read the book to find out.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #LilliSutton, and #MIRA for a copy of this book.
#RunningOutofAir

I’m not sure why, but I love reading about mountain climbing, and this was an incredibly intense and immersive inside look. It was thrilling, adventurous, occasionally gruesome, and unflinchingly real in portraying the dangers.

At the center of this story is a complex sisterly relationship. Once inseparable climbing partners, their bond was shattered when Evelyn had an affair with Sophie’s husband. Alternating between past and present, it reveals the events that led to their estrangement and their eventual reunion as they face the greatest climbing challenge of their lives in Nepal.

At times, the pacing was a bit slow, but that's understandable given the depth and details about mountain climbing. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot. The final 10-15%—holy moly! I sobbed. It was pure adrenaline and unexpectedly destroyed me. I'm still recovering. What a great debut!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Evelyn and Sophie were sisters first, friends and climbing partners second and third. But then, Evelyn did the unthinkable - she betrayed Sophie by having an affair with Sophie's husband. Now, they don't speak, much less see each other. But then both are offered spots on climbing teams aiming to be the first to summit the eight-thousand-meter peak of Yama Parvat. In addition to training for this once-in-a-lifetime climb, the sisters must also prepare to meet each other on the mountain and decide how and if they will interact. When a series of events whittle down the teams attempting to be the first to summit Yama Parvat, Sophie and Evelyn are forced to climb together, which will require trust - something broken between them unless they can work it out in time.

Wow. What a debut! As ambitious as scaling a formidable mountain. To tackle a novel is hard enough, but to tackle one covering a topic as detailed and complex as mountaineering and to do it with such thoroughness as Sutton did is impressive. This did not feel or read like a debut novel, and from what I can tell, while Sutton does hike, she is not a climber like the characters she features in this story. Could have fooled me! She did her research, that's for sure. Sutton writes her story using Evelyn and Sophie in alternating POVs, also going back in the past and in their present while attempting to summit Yama Parvat. I didn't care for Miles at all. And I didn't care for Evelyn much; talk about lack of self-control, major betrayal, and selfishness. Yes, nobody likes a betrayer, but Evelyn and Miles deserved each other, in my opinion. The fact that I feel so strongly about them is a nod to how well-developed their characters were by Sutton. Well done, Lilli Sutton. I look forward to reading your future works.

This book was so tense--like watching a train wreck in slow motion! I really enjoyed the tidbits about mountaineering and the climbing world, and Sophie and Evelyn's different personalities unfolding on the page as they spiraled towards disaster across two different timelines. Read this book if you're thinking about climbing mountains, because it will certainly make you think twice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

I was emotionally invested by this touching tale of two sisters and their personal challenges. A well-written novel that incorporates love, guilt, anger and family/friendship into one beautiful story.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.