Book Review: The Break-Up Retreat by Camilla Sten

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Break-Up Retreat by Camilla Sten

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 9, 2026)

Length: 320 pages

Author Information: Website

When I need a good pick-me-up thriller, I know I can always count on Camilla Sten for a Nordic mystery treat. They’re pretty predictable, but comfortingly so, and at this point, I know exactly what I’m getting into. In fact, coming on the heels of The Bachelorette Party, The Break-Up Retreat marks back-to-back books from the author featuring groups of women heading off to isolated settings where they probably shouldn’t be, which is starting to feel like its own little offshoot genre.

The setup this time follows Isobel, a freelance journalist arriving in the Swedish wilderness to check in to the remote Himlafall Clinic, a wellness retreat that promises to help women recover from heartbreak. But our protagonist is actually here under false pretenses, hoping to find out more about the controversial approach used by Dr. Martina Hastings, the clinic’s founder. While the famed psychiatrist’s work has been lauded by many, there are just as many critics—including former patients—who claim that her intensive therapy methods are damaging and manipulative. There are even rumors that at least one woman she’s treated has gone missing after leaving Himlafall. Embroiled in a personal scandal herself, Isobel has her own reasons for wanting to expose Martina as a quack and a fraud, determining this to be the perfect opportunity to land the story she needs.

But her plans fall apart almost immediately. First, the contact she has on the inside is unable to meet her, leaving her especially vulnerable to discovery by the watchful staff. All her electronic devices are also confiscated, though she is able to smuggle in a secret phone to record her findings. Finally, there are the other clients staying at the clinic, many of whom are devoted followers of Martina Hastings and completely committed to the doctor’s teachings, making it difficult for Isobel to know whom she can trust. As she tries to maintain her cover, gather information, and figure out what happened to the women who came before her, she realizes that getting the story she came for may be considerably more difficult and dangerous than she anticipated.

In a nutshell, The Break-Up Retreat is a quick, entertaining mystery that doesn’t ask too much of its audience, and sometimes a palate cleanser between darker, heavier reads is exactly what I need. It’s shallow, ridiculous in places, not particularly complex, but I had fun. There’s a certain formula with contemporary thrillers, and Sten knows how to work with it. I also liked how this book didn’t try to be more profound than it needed to be. There are some ideas here about emotional manipulation and power dynamics in relationships, but the story is primarily concerned in keeping you turning the pages.

That said, I did say it wasn’t particularly deep. There were plenty of moments where these women made decisions that had me sitting there thinking, Are you serious?! How anyone can find themselves in that situation and still think, Yep, this seems like a perfectly reasonable therapeutic experience, is beyond me. Then there’s the breach of confidentiality. You’d think even the dimmest person could recognize that being stranded in the middle of nowhere while subjected to increasingly disturbing, abusive, and humiliating treatment, which starts looking an awful lot like a struggle session, is probably not the healthiest way to get over a breakup. Or, you know, anything.

Another issue was that some of the supporting characters were pure stereotypes. There was the emotionally fragile one, the confrontational one, the true believer, and so on and so forth. Isobel herself was also a bit of a disappointing pushover for someone who initially came with such strong convictions and a very specific agenda. I expected her to be a little more willing to push back before things started going completely sideways, but she spends a surprising amount of time being taken in by Martina’s charms when they should have been setting off every one of her investigative journalist alarm bells. Granted, that’s part of the entertainment. What begins as an unconventional therapy program gradually takes a much darker turn as the women are subjected to increasingly extreme exercises. As the boundaries of what they’re willing to endure are pushed further and further, I’m just here with the popcorn watching as tensions boil over and personalities clash.

So, if you’re already a fan of Camillla Sten, The Break-Up Retreat is another dependable thriller from a steady and conventional author who nonetheless has become a must-read for me. This is my fourth book by her, and I keep coming back because I appreciate her books about messy, questionable people who do messy, questionable things while waiting to see who finally snaps. The stories might not stick with you for very long, but I do have a good time reading them, and this would be a solid choice if you want something quick and entertaining.