I'm sure decades later we are still going to talk about abusive boyfriends, gaslighting husbands, and other men supporting their causes. In their eyes, women are never going to be anything more than a servant for men to meet their needs without a question. One woman was locked up in a "spa lodge" because she said no to rape and another ran away from an abusive boyfriend to find her voice again - both happened on the same grounds

Sarah walked into this artist's retreat or colony or program (whatever you want to call it) only to find dead bodies and disturbing stories. All she wanted was to run away from the boyfriend and go back to being an artist before she fell into his web. She kept finding people behaving weirdly (almost possessed) and the owner gaslighting her concerns. Sarah was not a quitter though. She stepped into the "hotel" which was a no no to be able to find her own answers. However, I had the feeling that she wished she did not.

"It will only hurt for a moment" is such an eerie thing to hear especially in the moment of distress. It's a sign that whatever is happening to you will continue to happen but you will be used to it after a while. There is so much hopelessness buried in that sentence that both Sarah and many women felt.

Characters felt very 2D, and I feel like I should have gone into this without knowing anything about the book. The synopsis gave too much away. It eventually felt repetitive, and I particularly didn’t like the “goth girl is bitchy” stereotype.

I love everything about Dawson. This was visceral, real and I loved the authors note at the end. Total auto buy author for me. Thank you @netgalley!

A highly atmospheric thriller that will leave you thinking about it long after you have finished reading. Sarah’s stay at Tranquil Falls is intertwined with the dark secrets of the colony, creating a gripping and emotionally resonant read. A new author for me, and I like her style.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Please check trigger warnings before reading this.

This is the first full length novel by Delilah S. Dawson that I have read. I have previously read Guillotine, and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was hopeful for this story. This was a very dark story about a group of artists staying in an old hotel. I did enjoy the variety of the cast of characters, but I did confuse them a bit until about 50% through. The atmosphere of the story is very ominous and dark. The past and present story was masterfully weaved together with that paranormal aspect that was intriguing. The despair and treatment of women in this story does illicit anger, fear, and sadness. There was a twist in the story that I was not expecting, which was pleasantly surprising. The ending of the story felt unfinished and unsatisfying to me. Overall, this was a solid horror story with a gothic atmosphere.

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a review.

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment by Delilah S. Dawson
#onehundredandthirteenthbookof2024 #arc #itwillonlyhurtforamoment

CW: death, dead bodies, snakes, dead animals, rape, arson, abuse, roofies, gaslighting

Sarah is on the run from an abusive boyfriend and joins a secluded artists retreat on the grounds of a former hotel. As she gets to know her fellow residents, strange things start happening and she begins to dream of a life that’s not her own. Dead bodies start appearing and then things really go off the rails.

I love this author, and she has become an auto-buy for me. Dawson can do no wrong and this novel was no exception. I’m actually late to review this book because I wanted to savor the story and not rush to make the publication date. (I received my finished preordered copy and read it instead of the arc that was sent to me.) Dawson writes about strong complicated women overcoming difficult circumstances. This novel is no exception, and I wanted to know more at the end. More about the other artists’ experiences at the retreat, more about the aftermath of the reveals, more about the hotel and the life of Emily. The story in the author’s afterword is terrifying, and I appreciate her sharing it, and how it connected to the novel.

Thank you to @delreybooks and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Available now, pub date was 10/22/24)

Add this to your TBR and go in blind!
I saw mixed reviews for this one, so I wanted to decide for myself. I found this book to be quick, unpredictable, and chilling. I definitely recommend it!

So this story is about a girl who is trying to reset her life after family issues and an abusive relationship, goes on an art retreat (or is it a competition of some kind I didn't get it) to this place in the Mountains of North Carolina.
There she is staying in an old resort/run-down hotel from the 19th century.
Some ghostly things happen to her and the people she is with are not always what they seem. Well, this can be said about the hosts as well.

I was going to 1-star, but it was written well, and it had some good things, so I'll just call it ok. Once you get to the halfway point it picks up, I just wish it weren't a chore to get there. The MC was not bad. I did like her; Sarah is her name. A couple of other characters were interesting, but I don't think they were utilized enough.

But you may not agree, so check it out yourself

thanks,, NetGalley for the book to review

I have loved previous work from this author. Unfortunately this one didn't work for me. While I appreciated the setting and the general premise of the book, the execution fell flat. Sarah was not a particularly interesting character. The story itself just felt repetitive and sluggish.

IT WILL ONLY HURT FOR A MOMENT was a fascinating horror-thriller combo that went in a lot of directions I completely expected it to ... and yet still really impressed me. Delilah S. Dawson is quickly becoming a favorite auto-buy author of mine.

I was enjoying this book initially and was leaning towards 4/5 stars. I found it to be fast-paced, well-written, intriguing, it had me wanting to know more and keep reading. But then the ending happened and killed the whole book for me. No answers, no closure, so many loose ends and just kind of baffling. It had a lot of potential but the final chapters just made the entire experience feel like a waste of time.

That being said, I WOULD still read other books by the author - I have quite a few on my TBR. I'm hoping this was just a one-off meh ending, because the writing really was strong.

Book Review

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment
By Delilah S. Dawson
Published: 10/22/24
Genre: thriller

This novel exceeded my expectations! I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the setting description of the ‘old hotel’ and artists’ retreat. I thought the plot was thrilling and the atmosphere was chilling. I felt that all the characters were needed, but I’m glad the chapters didn’t alternate perspectives between them all. The villains were terrifying, and I really felt for the ladies that were stuck in horrifying situations and relationships. There was definitely a theme of men behaving badly, and the women who have to fight for themselves. It was heartbreaking and scary at times, but also empowering. I loved it! This was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book for me! I’m looking forward to exploring other novels by @delilahsdawson

Thank you to @netgalley and @delreybooks for the opportunity to read a digital arc of this novel!

#thrillerbook #delilahsdawsonauthor #itwillonlyhurtforamoment #newrelease #netgalley #arcreview #bookreview #bookrecommendation #fivestarbook #atmosphericread #chillingnovel #delraybooks #bookstagram

It took me a while to get into this book
I wasn't sure if i was going to like it. But i actually enjoy the ending of it. If your trigged by abuse dont read this book. I liked the whole ghost thing and actually having the character step in her shoes. Some of the characters of this book got hella annoying. But over all its not that scary

The atmospheric writing in this book is *chef's kiss* but the story itself was just not my favorite. It didn't do anything wrong necessarily, there just wasn't anything about the story or the MC that really grabbed me.

Enjoyed this one very much, another great psychological horror suspense from author Delilah S. Dawson. Never disappoints, highly recommend

I really enjoyed this right up until the ending. The atmosphere was great, I enjoyed all of the characters and their interactions with one another. I really liked the ghostly happenings and the parallels to present time. The only piece (spoilers ahead!) that I didn’t like was Kyle showing up at the end of the story with a key to Sarah’s cell. That lost me completely. It just didn’t seem plausible that he’d show up just then, immediately drug and try to rape her in front of another witness — albeit one locked in another cell. I worked in the DV field and that is just not normal abuser behavior. Also the ghost being corporeal enough to smash heads and unlock doors took the paranormal to a level that felt too far, disrupting the “rules” of Sarah’s haunting that we had seen up to that point. Maybe I missed something? I also didn’t buy Gail’s character. If you’re worried enough about an evil family legacy coming to the surface that you will kill two people, why allow it access to the hotel, why not burn the evidence? Good intentions in this book but not the payoff I wanted.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.***

This was an interesting addition to Dawson's repertoire: little bit thriller, little bit horror, little bit paranormal.

The book centers on Sarah Carpenter, fresh from an abusive relationship and looking to start over, she applies for an artist retreat deep in the south. She's rediscovering her love of pottery while escaping her troubled past. But once she arrives at Tranquil Falls, her escape becomes more than she bargained for.

WARNING. SPOILERS AHEAD.









I don't know how to feel about this latest installment. I really enjoy Dawson's writing and stories, as both keep you engaged and caring about the characters. Sarah is likeable, relatable, and solid protagonist. Her past, however, is another story. Dawson is suffering from what I like to refer to as, "Joyce Carol Oates Syndrome," aka the female protagonist gets raped. Repeatedly. Look. I read Dawson's last book where she expounds upon this, gives a trigger warning, and says she wrote that particular book as an act of revenge. GOOD. DO IT. But it seems that now this is becoming a pattern used to drive the plot forward. Are all women affected by rape and assault by men? Yes. If it hasn't happened to us do we know of someone it has happened to? Unfortunately also yes. But I don't like that this has become, (or seems to be anyway) a defining characteristic in all of her books. The fact that the book is named thusly is also disturbing, and I'm tempted to knock off a star because this seems to be the main theme for most of it.

I read fiction to escape the brutal realities of the world, not to constantly revisit them. That's why I enjoy reading fiction.

I did enjoy Sarah and Ingrid's tenacity in seeking out the truth of Emily's death, and the bizarre dreams and the idea of creeping around these old grounds.

I was ultimately frustrated that we never learn who killed Barry, or put glass shards in Sarah's clay, and that Gail essentially got away with attempted murder.

But I digress.

If you're looking for a fun, albeit dark fiction book with some historical fiction and paranormal thrown in as well, this is a good one to go with. Not my favorite, but enough to keep me engaged.

Three stars.


(Also posted to Goodreads)

I love Dawson's brand of horror and this was no different. I really enjoyed the setting. I honestly need more books about these kind of medical spas they use to have. I loved how the past and future were weaved and connected together. I wish we got more of the spooky horror and less real life man horror.

This one hooked me from the moment our main character Sarah arrives at her artist retreat. You definitely get the weird vibes from the beginning, and they get more and more intense as the story moves forward.
Especially once Sarah uncovers the body and the dreams begin.
I loved the moments Sarah and Ingrid spent in the abandoned hotel, each time they visited they uncovered more and more strange and disturbing things. And the vibes got creepier and more unhinged.
I loved the vibes this book gave along with Sarah and Ingrid. And when it was over I found myself wishing there was more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah leaves her abusive ex and mother behind to start a new life. She attends an artist's retreat in the middle of nowhere, so she can find herself again and reconnect with her pottery. The moment she arrives, strange things start happening to her. Sarah thinks that something sinister is going on, especially once she finds a corpse when digging a pit for her pottery. Things escalate when the other artists start acting strangely, and more bodies are found.

This was my first book by Delilah S. Dawson, and it definitely won't be my last. The eerie, dark atmosphere is exactly what I look for when reading gothic horror. It felt ominous the entire time, and with some supernatural occurrences, it just created this perfect, creepy setting for the plot. It almost felt like the artist's retreat was its own character. There were also moments of shocking violence, which I felt helped the story flow well, along with a few twists I didn't see coming. I also thought all the characters were well-developed and interesting, so it was very easy to keep track of everyone, and I did end up having connections with several of the characters and their relationships with each other.

I feel like this book is underrated and not talked about enough in the bookish community. The feminine rage was so satisfying, and the growth that Sarah experiences is very empowering. I felt every emotion possible while reading this. Overall, it was a fantastic story, and I can't think of anything that I would change. If you enjoyed movies like A Cure For Wellness and What Lies Beneath, and books like The Garden by Clare Beams, this would be an excellent read for you.