Anna is desperate to start a family. She’s an actress and struggles with life as she’s dealing with IVF. As time goes on, she begins to suspect that someone is going to great lengths to ensure she never gets pregnant. Appointments are deleted from her calendar, and times are changed. When she does get pregnant, she ends up in the ER with a late first trimester miscarriage. She is desolate and inconsolable. Shortly after, she starts to feel kicking. As her symptoms progress, she begins to wonder if she’s still pregnant. As threats are made against her and things take a turn for the worse, she begins to wonder if she will survive this pregnancy in one piece.

This was a hard book to read. I didn’t quite read the description enough to understand that the entire book was about a traumatic pregnancy. This book also hit close to home for me as I have also undergone IVF and had multiple miscarriages. Do not read this book if anything related to pregnancy, including getting pregnant, are sensitive for you.

When I got into the book I was utterly and eerily creeped out. The pacing was wonderful and made it a completely bingeable read. I read it over one afternoon because I didn’t want to put it down. I really enjoyed Anna as a character and empathized with her. My understanding is that season 12 of American Horror Story is going to be based on this book – and that completely tracks – it’s creepy.

If you are looking for a horror book set around a pregnancy, then check this one out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Netgalley, @Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

loved the buildup and pacing of this book. It was such a great and easy read. Loved the flash back to different time periods of different people dealing with pregnancy. Love the commentary on the american health system as well as the systemic racism women of color experience.

3.5 ⭐️

I haven't watched a lot of the American Horror Story TV show but apparently season 12 of AHS is based on this book?!?! If you are a fan of AHS then read this book! There is TW associated with this book such as miscarriage, infertility, etc. The book was kind of a slow start for me but it has a strong creepy eerie feeling that made me hooked to this plot. The author writes in a way that makes you question everything and every single character in the book and at some part, I feel gaslighted HAHAHAHAHA 😭. This book reminded me a lot of Rosemary's Baby and I was scared by that movie 😭.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebook Landmark, for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it fell unfortunately flat for me. I found the pacing slow and rambling, with very little content to qualify it as a psychological thriller. I can see where the author wanted to take it, and what moments were meant to make the reader squeamish, but the result was altogether lackluster. There were so many characters, and so many personalities throughout this story, but it felt like every character aside from Anna was an afterthought.

DELICATE CONDITION
Danielle Valentine


Season 12 of American Horror Story will be based on a book for the first time ever. DELICATE CONDITION by Danielle Valentine has been adapted and will be coming to the small screen later this fall, 2023.

DELICATE CONDITION is subtle but effective. I didn’t realize I was creeped out until it was too late. While reading the book it’s like you’re given secret notes for you to unopen when you’re alone later.

Let’s talk about it!

Anna is an actor and just wrapped up what might be her biggest role yet. But all that is on her mind is a more personal project. One of becoming a mother. It hasn’t been easy. It’s been difficult. She has been struggling with infertility to such an extent that she starts to fear someone, or something is trying to keep her from becoming pregnant, something nefarious.

Sadly, after becoming pregnant Anna suffers a devastating miscarriage. At least that’s what all her doctors are saying. Only Anna believes she is still pregnant.

We’ll leave it there.

DELICATE CONDITION is the perfect book for an upcoming adaptation. I read most of the book with season 1 of AMERICAN HORROR STORY: MURDER HOUSE on in the background. And it was the perfect accompaniment to the book. I believe out of all the seasons it is most similar in themes to the first installment. It will fit in quite well with the franchise.

The horror in DELICATE CONDITION is subtle and creeps up on you. Infests itself in your psyche. It reminds me a lot of Sara Gran’s COME CLOSER and I would be remiss to not mention its similarities to ROSEMARY’S BABY.

I heard a rumor that Kim Kardashian will be starring in the adaptation although her character has not been revealed yet. I can only speculate as to who I think she will play. It’ll be great no matter what and now that I’ve read the book, I can’t wait to see how it all comes to fruition.

If you decide to pick this up, keep in mind the themes are sensitive in nature and take care of yourself.

Thanks to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy and the opportunity to provide feedback!

DELICATE CONDITION…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For actress Anna Alcott becoming pregnant had become her sole mission in life. When the many rounds of IVF finally seem to work and an embryo is implanted, she should feel on top of the world, right? But suddenly Anna is noticing little things happening that are making her question her sanity, and her safety. Appointments on her digital calendar are changed right before her eyes; medicine is left out when it should be refrigerated; a stalker breaking in and stealing a photo of her embryo makes her think somebody is trying to take her baby; and her husband will not stop telling her to calm down! Anna is obsessed with her pregnancy, so when she starts to miscarry and feels the baby leave her body, she spirals into a deep depression. Until one night she feels the movement…the small flip of a tiny body within her abdomen. There’s something inside of her, but her doctor has confirmed her miscarriage, right? Has Anna’s obsession with becoming pregnant clouded her judgment? When it's confirmed there is in fact a baby in her womb, she can't escape the paranoia that she's being followed. Is somebody stalking her to try to take her baby from her?

This was such a fun reading experience! Author Andrea Bartz calls Delicate Condition “the feminist update to Rosemary’s Baby we all needed,” and she is 100% accurate. This dark, psychological horror will take you on a roller coaster ride through uncertainty, rushing you to guess the next turn, but then suddenly you're jerked in another direction. Valentine brought it all with this one: atmosphere, psychological distress, eerie stories from the past…all makings for the perfect recipe for an ultra-thrilling and scary reading experience. To top it all off, the ending was something I did not see coming, a slight twist into something that was eluded to throughout the whole novel, where only hindsight will make you say, ah, yes, that makes complete sense.

I absolutely devoured this book and highly recommend it to readers of gothic fiction, horror fiction, psychological-thriller fiction, and feminist fiction. Trigger warnings include miscarriage, pregnancy, childbirth, and dismissive doctors.

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for an ARC copy of Delicate Condition.

This story was such a wild, excellent ride! I felt like I was reading a mashup of The Push and a horror movie (in the best way). I think most women who have been pregnant have felt the unease of wondering if everything is "normal", as well as the frustration of feeling doubted or unheard and this story nailed both of those. I literally could not put this down until I found out how it ended!

Fans of horror who don't flinch at grisly events involving babies may find this story thrilling. It just wasn't for me. Thanks for the chance to read it.

I was drawn to the premise of the book, in particular the medical gaslighting of women. Sadly, I just never connected with this one. I felt it was drawn out and just not for me in the end.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is about Anna and her husband Dex who have been desperately trying to get pregnant. Anna is a famous actress so she goes through extra lengths of trying to keep things private as she goes through her IVF procedures. Soon she realizes that people know and feels maybe someone is following her…possibly even sabotaging the process.

She does end up pregnant however unfortunately loses the baby and is distraught. A couple weeks later however, she is convinced she’s still pregnant because she feels the baby move despite having lost it. So what really is inside of her? No one believes her and her condition seems very fragile. What unravels is certainly unique and not anything I would have guessed! I can’t wait to discuss this books with someone!

I had to sit with my feelings on this book for a hot second and I’m still not fully sure where I sit. It is described as a mix between Silent Patient and The Push which I loved both of those so was super excited to read them. I 💯 can see the relation there however there is a portion of this book that gets weird (think Nightbitch…which I did not care for) and so that’s why I had to sit with my thoughts. I would say the first 70% or so I enjoyed, the next 20% I kept thinking was very strange (down Anna’s non traditional pregnancy cravings) then the last 10% brought it back together. Overall I enjoyed it but wish the 20% was just different. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I have found I am very particular with horror aspect of books and for some reason without spoiling anything I just didn’t care for one sliver of this book. I would definitely read more from this author to see if I had different thoughts next time!

Everyone has different tastes when it comes to horror books. Some prefer slashers while others prefer more suspenseful reads. However, Delicate Condition hits that sweet spot that few horrors do as it’s a book based on what some women’s realities truly are which is the scariest of all.

The story follows Anna Alcott who is an on-the-rise actress struggling to get pregnant. She’s done multiple rounds of IVF with no success until she becomes pregnant. It’s going fine until she tragically suffers a miscarriage. She is understandably distraught and begs anyone who will listen that she just wants to be able to have her baby back.

Oddly enough within the next few weeks, Anna starts to feel as though she might be pregnant, and coupled with the unexpected symptoms she’s having, It’s frightening to see just how much control Anna doesn’t have. It gets even worse as no one is believing her or pretending she’s imagining everything amidst her grief.

As this story is inspired by Rosemary’s Baby, you might think you have the entire thing pegged yet Danielle Valentine takes you on a ride. The author makes you question every single character, every interaction, and everyone Anna interacts with throughout the story. In a way, you can relate to her because as the audience, we have no idea what’s going on.

Eventually, the pieces start to fall into place but I won’t give away any spoilers. Ultimately, this book proves exactly why pregnancy is still such a taboo topic. There are so many things we still don’t know especially when it comes to miscarriages. It’s scary to think about how your body can do something without you even realizing yet Delicate Condition takes it a step further.

Regardless of what type of horror you enjoy, I think Delicate Condition is a must-read for this summer. It’ll leave a lasting impact on you and make you questions things you’ve never even considered. If this one isn’t on your radar, it needs to be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me with this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Wow, this is a doozy of a book. It will keep you on the edge of your seat to the very end. I literally couldn't put it down. The publisher says this book is The Push meets The Silent Patient (which were both favorites for me as well). I will definitely keep my eye out for future books from this author.

Anna and Dex desperately want a baby and are jumping through all the hoops to make that a reality. Anna is an actress and is juggling that life of being famous as well as wanting to start a family. Strange things keep happening that makes Anna question her sanity and everyone she comes in contact with. The author keeps the reader guessing till the last few pages of the book. Seriously, read this when it comes out.

What a fast ride into madness. Delicate Condition will leave your head and heart spinning and pounding. I really enjoyed this book and the meaning behind it, not only was it a thriller/horror but also a testimony of what women do go thru with the medical community on some level.

There are trigger warnings for some that will be hard such as miscarriage and infertility.

With that if you are ok I highly recommend this book it was amazing!

I’ve been a fan of Danielle Valentine for years. As a teenager I read “The Merciless” series written under her pen name Danielle Vega, and fell in love with her writing style and characters.

I’m so happy to report that all of those feelings remain with her first adult novel “Delicate Condition”.

The novel follows Anna Alcott, a famous child star who hadn’t had much luck in the entertainment business until her directorial debut puts her back on the map over twenty years later. Anna has it all. The career, the money, and her charming husband, Dex. What she doesn’t have, is a child. After failed attempts at IVF and her forties around the corner, Anna’s perfect life seems to ride on one final piece missing- a baby. Just when Anna thinks it wont happen, she becomes pregnant. But not long after the happy news, She begins to experience things she can’t explain, and her pregnancy journey is quickly turned into a terrifying nightmare.

I can’t say much more without spoiling the story. What I can tell you is that Danielle Valentine has taken every aspect of her YA writing and has weaved together a phenomenal adult novel. The characters are incredibly believable and the suspense and horror are bone chilling. The pace is done perfectly and flows seamlessly with a complex cast of characters and timelines. It is as much horrific as it is heartfelt,

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Danielle Valentine, and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for allowing me access to the digital arc for my honest review!

I've read too many books like this as of late and have decided to DNF and come back to it. Made it about 20% through before deciding to stop. Writing is pretty good and it is intriguing thus far.

Delicate Conditon by Danielle Valentine was rare find to read. This is her first Adult Fiction book that has been released. This book had you wondering wheather Anna and Dex's baby was human or not. This book reminded me of Rosemary's Baby with the chapters alterating between women who where part of the coven and Anna's story. This book was an emotional roller coaster with Anna's struggles with IVF and wanting so depserately to be a mother. Anna also struggles with being in the limelite after her new movie has gotten a lot of Ocasr buzz. She is being stalked by a crazed fan and her appointments on her Google calendar keeps changing. Anna feels like she is losing her mind and wants to go away into order to concentrate on her pregnancy. The ending was unbelievable that I will not give it away. This is a must read for anyone who loves thiller that doesn't end like you think it will. If you like this one you may want to try her YA books.

I had heard that the new season of American Horror Story was going to be based on this book, so I was super excited to get an early copy! I really enjoyed the writing style, as well as the sense of slowing creeping dread that pervaded every scene. I liked Anna a lot, and while I can't relate to her desire to have a baby no matter what she has to go through, I can certainly sympathize with her. The idea of pregnancy is very scary to me, so what's happening with Anna and her baby is the height of terror for me. I do wish there had been a little more at the end though, I was really curious to see more about what Anna did after everything had happened.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wild read. It sucked me in right away. The comparison to The Push is accurate in the sense of an unreliable main character. You will find yourself questioning if things are really happening or if it’s all in her head.

Small complaint: There was a huge build up throughout the story, yet the ending felt a bit abrupt. You will never expect the explanation though. Bizarre. Creepy.

Loved the author’s note at the end regarding what inspired her to write this book. 3.5 stars! Looking forward to seeing the AHS season based on this book.

Delicate Condition
by Danielle Valentine
This book was a bit, ok very creepy and dark. I LOVED it. It was actually sad and I felt chills as well. This book was a great read. I see it as a movie, count me in.

This was an interesting read and accurately portrayed the feelings of a woman who is desperately trying to become pregnant. The horror factor took it to another level and I was worried that it would be disturbing, but it was well done and I thoroughly enjoyed it.