Anna suffers a lot before and during her pregnancy.
She had to undergo IVF and then was told she’d lost her baby. I wasn’t sure for the first half of the book what was reality and what was Anna’s paranoia.
Then as the answers started rolling in I felt revulsion for one of the characters, I,should’ve known.
It’s an intense novel about the angst women experience to become pregnant and then to deliver.
This book is intense so expect a roller coaster ride..

Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine. Pub Date: August 1, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. I did not know what to expect from this novel because this is not a genre I typically read, but I felt this was a good novel to tiptoe into the horror realm. A famous celebrity is undergoing IVF treatment and trying to get pregnant when she eventually does. But she has ups and downs throughout the pregnancy that the reader has to really clue into to determine what is fake and what is true. Themes of infertility, miscarriage, female hysteria, women's rights and mental health are all encompassing in this novel. I felt the author did a fabulous job with navigating tough but important subjects. I would definitely recommend this novel. Thanks to #netgalley and #sourcebookslandmark for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I will admit, I read this in anticipation of the new American Horror Story season, though I didn't end up watching it because allegedly it was terrible. The book, however, was NOT terrible, I'm happy to say. I didn't see the twists coming! It will probably be a little difficult to read for anyone who has suffered a pregnancy loss, so be aware of that, but overall, very creepy and a good read!

I originally selected this book to read since it was the premise for the new season of American Horror Story. I am a huge compare books to movies/shows type of person so I was excited for this to come out As with anything related to the television show, there are tons of trigger warnings for it, including miscarriage, pregnancy, stalking, etc. I can definitely say the book is never what you think, when you think you have it figured out there are twists every which way which i really enjoyed. I have yet to watch the show as I just finished the book, but I can definitely see AHS playing the story out and how it most certainly gives the vibes of it. Aside from it being related to the show however, when I read the Author's Note at the end, I grew a while new respect for her and the book itself. She talks about why she wrote the book and mainly how women are often ignored and brushed off by doctors and family with their medical issues, particularly pregnancy, but are often not believed and many can take years to diagnose trying to find medical providers that will believe their situations/pain levels. I myself am one of those women and I REALLY appreciated this author for her view on this stigma and addressing how women are just perceived to be strong and able to bear pain like no other.
I highly recommend this book and cant wait to check out more from this author as well as compare the show!

Anna Alcott is an actress whose career is just starting to bloom, just as she is going through a very difficult IVF process. She gets the feeling that someone is trying to stop her from getting pregnant. When she has a miscarriage, she is heartbroken, but then she realizes she is still carrying a child. Then the nightmares truly begin. Who is stalking her? Who is telling her the truth? Can she trust anyone around her?

I really liked this book, despite the body horror, despite the triggering pregnancy failures, gaslighting, fertility treatments and pregnancy frankly nightmares. But horror is a mirror and it highlights something true about our experience—there is something terrifying about pregnancy which anyone who has gone through it or tried to go through it or lived with someone going through it can attest to. Recommend!

Very left of center and different from what I thought it would be. Dark and mysterious but also thought provoking. It had me guessing til the end.

This book was absolutely incredible! Press has drawn a line between this novel and The Silent Patient which is very accurate. I was in a book hangover after reading Verity by Colleen Hoover and this novel really helped me dive back into reading. The story follows a woman through a difficult pregnancy that’s made more difficult by sabotage, other worldly forces, and crazy characters. Or is it?

If you need a book that you can’t put down, this is it!

There's been a glut of pregnancy/childbirth horror lately (fitting, given how gnarly birth and pregnancy can be) and Danielle Valentine's novel fits easily in this genre. Delicate Condition charts the experiences of a young actress named Anna as she undergoes IVF and struggles to conceive a child. Though the novel is chock full of nods to genre expectations (Rosemary's Baby, anyone?), Valentine takes things in an unexpected and powerful direction. This was a fun thriller and I recommend it to anyone who loves feminist body horror and is looking for a quick, scary read.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

Very quick read, but derivative and often silly. The great ending doesn't redeem the rest of the book.

What’s your opinion on authors having various pen names?

I never put much thought into it until I read Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine.

I had this book through @Netgalley and never prioritized it. Every time I’d go to read it my head would say “no you need to read a book you own first” and it kept getting pushed back on the TBR. Finally I had enough and I bought it physically so I would get to it sooner. I thought for sure it would be a book I’d love so it would be worth it…. Little did I know this author is actually Danielle Vega, the same author of The Merciless. A book I said, I’d never read the author again…. Whoops.

❤️Review❤️

The only thing I knew about this book was that it was dark and had to do with having a baby so it was easily triggering to some readers. Most of the book I was finding to be just fine. I never found myself super invested but no real red flags. Then I got to the parts that are why I didn’t like The Merciless. It got so gruesome that I was twisting in my stomach. It was churning and I’m shocked I didn’t throw up. I felt like I was looking away from the page praying it would be done soon. If you liked the gruesome level in Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison, you’ll probably fine, but I just couldn’t stomach it. I was going to at least give the book 3 stars because I get what the author was trying to do, but like I said in a previous post I rate on enjoyment. I didn’t not enjoy being so sickened so I’m going 2 stars. I was not the right audience for this book.

2 stars! ⭐️⭐️

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What makes this a horror is that it's so real. I've talked to a number of people who have felt "ghosted" by the medical system here in the US and that's what makes this novel poignant. And so, so scary, especially if you've been pregnant. Loved it.

when you want a slow burn horror novel about modern fertility

I do not read much horror, but I absolutely had to make an exception for a book billed as an IVF horror novel and blurbed as a “feminist update to Rosemary’s Baby.”

“Delicate Condition” is really about the sad state of women’s health care and how we are constantly ignored and gaslit by far too many medical practitioners. It’s written in the same vein as “Human Blues” by Elisa Albert.

Our protagonist Anna is a moderately successful actress who’s desperate to have a baby. Against all odds, her IVF cycle works, and she’s pregnant — until a doctor tells her she’s had a miscarriage.

But Anna is convinced she’s still pregnant, and her symptoms become increasingly horrifying. Who — or what — is she really carrying?

The ending payoff is IMMENSE. There was a moment I thought I knew what was going on. I was wrong, and I was completely blown away. If you’re a horror reader, you have to pick this one up!

The book is described as "The Push" meets "The Silent Patient," and it is quite the gripping thriller. The comparison isn't what it seems, thank goodness. I LOVED "The Silent Patient" and disliked "The Push." The closest similarity I found to "The Push" was the pregnancy. I am huge horror fan, and I would defend that this novel is horror.

Anna and Dex want to have a baby more than anything. After multiple IVF treatments- they find that they are pregnant! And then queue the odd things happening. I read this in preparation for American Horror Story and I was not disappointed. It was hard to put down, creepy and fantastic!
Highly recommend to horror/thriller lovers.
4 stars

This book was just not for me. I can see why many people will love it but it wasn't for me. The characters were well developed and I felt all that Anna was going through. Unfortunately the end is where it lost me. It went in a direction that I just didn't care for. It also kind of leans more toward horror than thriller.



Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the digital arc.

Not the hugest fan of this story. It felt a little tried, and the ending was a little lackluster and unsatisfactory.

I gave this a three out of five stars, some of this was boring and I wasnt interested it. Other times I was interested and enjoyed it. The ending was different than I thought it would be. I might try other books by this author.

QUICK TAKE: I loved this. The Rosemary's Baby comp is spot-on, and I just thought it delivered on every level with a really great final act twist that left me extremely satisfied.

I loved this one! It was a super creepy read, and the twists and turns just kept coming. It was very engrossing and enjoyable, and I want to see more from this author!

This book started out strong with a unique plot and the creepiest of vibes. Pitched as Rosemary’s Baby with a feminist twist, it surely lived up to that description. ⁣
⁣
It got a bit repetitive around the 70% mark and I found myself starting to skim. I also felt like one fewer twist would have helped the story keep its focus. Overall, a decent book for spooky season, but definitely avoid this book if you are pregnant or may be soon!

✨ ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎 ✨

Genre: Thriller/Horror
Format: eGalley/Kindle
Pages: 432
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“ 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯.”

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @bookmarked for this #eArc.

Swipe for my synopsis ➡️

My thoughts: When I heard that the latest season of AHS was based on this book, I knew I had to read it immediately. I couldn’t put this down after the first 50 pages. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was proven wrong. I have whiplash from all the twists in this one but it was not merely a “popcorn” thriller. This nod to Rosemary’s Baby also highlights important female and systemic issues. It’s important to note that Valentine stated in the author’s note that this was intended to be a hyperbole of female struggles experienced in healthcare and pregnancy; don’t take this too literally. As a healthcare professional and a woman, I can attest to patients’ frustrations when they don’t receive answers and I agree that the healthcare industry has failed many people. Sometimes when it’s impossible to obtain answers, it is even more crucial to make patients feel heard and provide support and education which, in my opinion, is extremely lacking. Just know that there are providers out there that do genuinely care. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and would recommend.

Themes explored: motherhood, sexism, infertility, loss, gaslighting, bias in healthcare, and denigration of female concerns.