I was intrigued to read this going by the synopsis. It was worth the read. I didn't know how this was going to go but I enjoyed it. I've had a year off reading due to personal circumstances. This is the first book I've read since getting my life back on track. Thank you for helping me get back into my beloved reading. I loved how this novel gets you thinking about the main character. Is it all in her mind? Did something happen, or not? Was that an hallucination? Is she having a monster? What will it do to her? Makes you go down a path you didn't think you'd go down with a pregnancy topic. I bet all those women out there that have had babies,including myself, reminisced about their own pregnancies, successful or not.

I cannot make up my mind whether I loved or hated this book which I received as an ARC from Netgalley. Variously described as thriller / mystery and Horror for me it definitely veers more to the Horror side.

Set in contemporary America it follows the attempts of Anna and Dex to get pregnant. Having undergone the gamut of fertility treatments Anna's latest attempt at IVF is beset with problems including missed appointments badly stored or wrongly administered medications and what appears to be a "stalker" with criminal intent. There are also flashbacks to several earlier historical moments.

The author uses terms like "cis Men" which have no context from which to draw meaning and the wikipaedia meaning just scrambled my brain. She uses this term "Cis" several times I would love to know what it means.

I did feel very uncomfortable in parts of this book so I suppose the author has achieved the scene setting and horror inducing tone. However other parts felt too far fetched to even be believed. we have doctors who ignore medical ethics combined with witches who are willing to exploit this. The ending just creates a sense of "all that" for this - really??

I am not sure I will be pulled into trying other works by this author

With nods to Rosemary's Baby. Many trigger warnings in this book. Anna and Dex are desperate to have a baby. So desperate that they are trying through IVF. But the day of the egg retrieval Anna arrives late for the appointment with their new doctor, Dr. Carla Hill. Anna assured Dex that she was positive of the appointment time. On the way out of the clinic Anna has a really weird meeting and is put even more on edge. With all the strange events and unexplained happenings Anna is in a state of panic and stress throughout the book. Is it a coincidence or is there a bigger force behind it? Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

3.5 rounded up

I read this when I was pregnant, which was certainly a choice. We follow Anna, an actress going through IVF with her partner Dex. She falls pregnant (success!) but things quietly (and then not so quietly) start to go wrong. Appointments are missed or cancelled, medication is lost, is she being stalked? These symptoms can't be right? And why would you believe her anyway - she's just a hysterical pregnant woman after all.

This was tense and horrible and definitely horror (both in explicit content and the medical gaslighting undercurrent throughout) and with a lil more editing this could have been perfect.

CW: miscarriage/IVF/pregnancy

Thanks v many to NetGalley and Viper for the arc!

Really enjoyed this one. It gave me strong Rosemary's Baby vibes, but with an interesting cultish background and commentary on the mother-baby wellness industry. Plenty of twists and turns, and delightfully screwy family secrets.

To begin with, this book has a LOAD of triggers, pregnancy, pregnancy loss, infertility etc, please look them up before reading if any of these things are a trigger for you.

With that being said, I was really impressed with this book. It was challenging to read, but also had me hooked from the very beginning. Plus, we had some right good body horror, which I LOVE.

I won’t lie, I knew about the book being used as the premise for the new American Horror Story series, so I did go through the whole book picturing Anna as Emma Roberts. This actually made the story more entertaining and I didn’t mind that at all!

If you like your horror creepy, with a lot of uncertainty, some body horror, and a lot to make you flinch and clench your bits, then this is for you.

Thank you to @memydogandbooks and @booksbethanyreads for reading this one with me!

✩✩✩✩

Unfortunately I have not been able to connect with this book and found it to be a lot darker than I was expecting. I'm sure many readers will absolutely love it, but really not my genre.

Loved this book

I read this as i knew it was going to be in American Horror Story so quickly read before i watched the series

The book is of twists, turns and paranoia as I imagine some pregnant feel during there time.

If I hadn’t of chosen already not to me a mum then this book would have probably put me right off.

Would highly recommend

Thank you publishers and Netgalley.
This was dark, very dark, but great. Highly recommend you read this you will be hooked.

3.5 stars

There were some good twists and turns here. I spent a lot of time unsure whether Anna was in the right or totally delusional. At the same time, I didn't really care either way. I didn't find many of these characters to be appealing and it was a struggle to come back and keep reading at times. Some good moments but nothing mind-blowing.

I really enjoyed this book! I was drawn in by the cover and comparisons to Rosemary's Baby. Truly captures how horrifying being pregnant can be but also the support network. Highly recommend!

Oooof. Not one to read on your own if you’re easily scared. I was mesmerised by this. It’s very creepy but authentic. Love the feeling of is it paranoia and if not what is going on? I like, GENUINELY liked, the main character so much.
Totally gripping.
Edit: just re-reading as this was so good first time!

This wasn't anything like I was expecting! I had fully expected a psychological thriller, but this was definitely more in the horror genre and very creepy!

Actress Anna and her husband, Dex, have been trying to get pregnant for a long time, so when it finally happens, Anna is over the moon, until she is told she has miscarried. There is still something in there though and its scary as hell!

Appointments start being moved in Anna's calendar, items are moved around in her apartment and she is sure she is being followed. Combine this with hallucinations, pain, weird cravings, conspiracy and strange visions, I lost track of what was real and what was in Anna's head.

Strangely compelling, but not really my thing.

2.5 / 3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I am such a big fan of Delicate Condition. This is the first book I've read since having my own children that really looks at that the genuine fears that can come with a pregnancy. Obviously this idea is taken to the extreme and it's dealt with in a very surreal manner, but it has taken something very real and explored it in a way that fits in with pure horror. It was so successful in blurring the lines between what was real, what was going on in Anna's mind from a psychological point of view, and what could even be supernatural which I loved. I honestly had no idea which way the story was going to go and that was so exciting to read.

There were many points in this story that could be difficult for some people to read. The stress, fear and grief that comes with infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy and motherhood, all mixed in with the frustrating conundrum of how much was really happening to Anna or if there was any gaslighting involved. It was such a disturbing idea and executed brilliantly with a sinister and uncomfortable feeling that stays with you from the very first page.

A masterfully crafted thriller with an unpredictable plot and complex characters. I couldn't put it down

Anna Alcott's overwhelming desire to have a baby is taking over everything but despite her best efforts and putting everything in place, she feels that something is conspiring against her, hiding her medicine, changing appointments, making everything even harder than it already is .
The story morphs into a darker horror, as suspicious elements come into play and Anna is fighting a far greater foe.
Mesmerising story-telling that will keep you up all night.

3.5 stars

This book was crazy! Full of plot twists and turns.

I enjoyed this book but I’m not a massive fan of supernatural and so I think part or the plot was lost on me , oops.

However I loved how everything came together at the end, it was very satisfying.

This book was so good! It was intriguing and really drawed me in. I'll be reading more of this authors work.

Oh wow - this book blew me away! I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down.
Creepy, scary, visceral! What a wild ride.

It took some turns that I was not expecting - I love a book that takes you by suprise.

Its perfectly paced - it leaves you thinking just one more page because you need to know what is going to happen next. And just when you think you know - the ending - well I did not see that coming!! Brilliant!

I would definitely recommend this book!

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 5*
Plot: 4*
Pace: 4*
Characters: 4*
Graphic Pregnancy: 10*

Do not take into account the fact this took me 4 weeks to read, I was dabbling here and there and prioritising other things when I should have concentrated on this.
This was on my radar before knowing it was the basis for the new season of American Horror Story:Delicate, one of my favourite shows. And reading the book you can see why it is, its got their traditionally creepy themes throughout, and I could picture it all on screen excellently. Brilliantly written, spooky and thrillery. This has put me off pregnancy TBH!! A word of warning, there is a graphic scene involving a cat!!