I wanted to read Delicate Condition because I'd heard that it was the inspiration behind the latest series of American Horror Story (Delicate). As a fan of the show, I knew I'd like it.

Anna Alcott is an actress who is struggling to conceive. Whilst going through IVF with husband Dex, strange things are happening. Someone is going into her online calendar and changing appointment times, medications that need to be refrigerated are found on the kitchen counter even though Anna knows she put them away. Her husband Dex doesn't quite believe Anna but she knows someone must be trying to stop her from becoming pregnant.

As the story goes on it gets increasingly creepy and sinister. Anna trusts no one and her pregnancy symptoms are exacerbated to the extreme and you can feel her going slightly insane. She believes it isn't a baby inside her, it's a monster.

There are real cult/witchy vibes to this book and the ending was just perfect. I am excited to see how the adaptation compares!

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗜’𝗺 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀….

This book has been everything I hoped, so much more and completely addictive.

This is a book I have devoured in less than 24 hours. I was hooked by this one.

𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲.
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞...

Anna is our main protagonist in this one. We meet her during her IVF Journey which is a rollercoaster in itself. However, that is just the start of the weird and wonderful that is about to unravel.

As a reader, it is impossible to predict this one. Especially, as I have not read Rosemary’s baby which I’ve seen this compared with.

Valentine has created a pure gem with this one. This is dark, gripping and incredibly twisty. I have devoured page after page, pulled in as if I was there with Anna.

It becomes tense, I have wondered who is really trustworthy whilst reading this one. However, my jaw has almost hit the floor as I’ve continued this one.

There is just so much to unpick in this book. I’ve loved every moment of reading this. I definitely have a book hangover following this one. I’m even a little annoyed I’ve not picked it up sooner.

This is a gem and a must read. I can’t wait to see what @daniellevalentinebooks has coming next for us.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the book that the latest season of American Horror Story was based off, so immediately I knew I had to read it. I really enjoyed the creepy vibes in this book and going along with Anna on her journey, trying to work out what was happening. So many twists and turns, as well as creepy moments. This book follows actress Anna Alcott as she is going through IVF, however there are moments where she feels she is being watched and has a stalker. I did not like many of the characters in this book because I felt myself not knowing who I could trust. I feel this book was the perfect October spooky season read.

More of a horror book than I had expected. Wasn’t really my cup of tea but kept me reading to the end to find out what happened. Definitely not one to read if you’re pregnant !

I was excited to read Delicate Condition after I saw it was described as the feminist update to Rosemary's Baby as that is one of my favourite books!

Delicate Condition follows Anna who is having IVF treatment after being unable to conceive with her husband Dex. But Anna feels like someone is watching her, and her appointment times keep getting messed up, she's forgetting to take her medication and storing it incorrectly. It feels like someone doesn't want her to have this baby.

Ok so I did enjoy this book, it was really interesting, mysterious, a bit creepy and gross in places. But it was too long and drawn out, there just wasn't enough happening, it felt like the longest pregnancy ever, I just wanted to know what on earth was going on!

I trusted no one in this book, including Anna! It was hard to know what was real and what wasn't! I liked the fact it highlights how women, pregnant women, are treated by medical professionals. Not taken seriously, dismissed and ignored. The bit about painkillers and medication not being researched enough to know what people can and can't take when pregnant in particular struck a chord with me but reading this was the first time I have ever wondered why more effort hasn't been put into discovering it. And why don't doctors know more about miscarriage and other fertility issues? Questions I don't have the answers to, and neither does this book, but it certainly was interesting reading!

Brilliant thriller that will keep you guessing till the end !!! A proper page turner with an end I didn’t see coming ! For all dark thriller lovers you will love this great characters believable and well written which always makes a book more appealing ! Great read overall

Delicate Condition - Danielle Valentine

Plenty of twists and turns throughout and kept me guessing right until the end, which was pleasantly surprising. A smooth read, which flowed really well, and I could easily see this made into a TV series. I found the writing really atmospheric and I could easily picture what was happening and the surrounding scenes. Many thanks Netgalley, Serpent's Tail, Viper and Profile Books for this e-arc in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.

Oooh I'm glad I never wanted children! Part thriller, part mystery, with a big splash of Rosemary's Baby. This had me trying to guess the guilty party and changing my mind every few pages. I look forward to recommending it to customers.

Delicate Condition offers up a thrilling blend of thriller, psychological suspense and horror. It’s tense, difficult to read in parts and a bit bizarre at points.

The themes explored in this book might be difficult to handle at times. IVF and miscarriage can be sore subjects for lots of people, however I think that’s what adds an extra dimension to this read, as it goes to places that are hard to go and it’s unrelenting in how it builds.

Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of horror/psychological horror. It’s a really captivating read and a perfect pick for spooky season if you can stomach it.

Anna is finally enjoying success as an actress after many years, but what she really wants is a family. Dex ,her husband , and Anna are now having IVF treatment, but all is not as it seems – appointments are changed without her knowledge and medicines are misplaced and things just escalate from here. I’m not generally a horror reader, but this had me on the edge of my seat. What is real, who can Anna trust and what is actually happening with her pregnancy? I’ve seen lots of trigger warnings for this novel and I would agree think carefully before you read this if you are pregnant as it deals with miscarriage and infertility very graphically. Having said that, I just couldn’t put it down and it will not disappoint. I will be looking for the next book from this author. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

I have to be honest, I'm not really sure where to start with this one. It's a lot of things, all at once: Original. Cultish. Odd at times. Gripping.

Okay so let's try and start at the beginning...

Anna Alcott is desperate to have a baby. But her career as an actor has just taken off massively, and her gruelling IVF treatment regime is suffering as a result.

Then finally, the moment that she and her husband have waited for for years. She's pregnant! Both are ecstatic, and Anna knows that she should maybe try to take a bit of a break from her career, but that is now almost impossible as the rising star that she is.

Then the unthinkable happens and Anna knows that she must take a break despite what her agency tells her. She has lost the baby to miscarriage. Devastated, Anna wonders exactly what she needs to go through to finally become a Mother.

Until she feels the baby move.

Hopeful Anna begins to take better care of herself, and tries to convince her husband and doctor that the baby is still inside her. In turn they begin to show concern for her mental health. Anna is terrified that they will try to take the baby away, so moves to a remote location where no one can hurt her.

At least it should be safe...

This is where I can't really say too much more, as I'll start giving things away. This novel may not to be everyone's taste, but it is an emotional rollercoaster of a ride and tackles some difficult subjects really well.

I'm intrigued by this author's work and look forward to seeing what might be next.

This book isn't what it seems.

A woman is desperate to have a baby and goes through the ordeal of IVF to get pregnant. But strange things keeps happening, such as missed appointments and spoiled medication, as if the forces were out to prevent there being a baby at all.

I don't know much about the IVF process, but I know that it isn't easy. In this story the details are rather harrowing even before the paranoia sets in, so I pity anyone involved with this. Plus there are lots of unsettling myths and superstitions about pregnancy and childbirth just to add salt to the wounds.

​In this book the woman is an actor, so someone famous who may be recognised by people who are strangers to herself. The paranoia sets in early with folk watching her or being outside her window or even inside her home. Are these people watching because of her celebrity or because they want to do her harm? There are elements of horror, terror and the occult in this intense psychological thriller. Written from the perspective of the potential mother, she unsure about everything, including her own body and mind. There are some very odd things going on.

This is a mostly fast paced tale, albeit a little inconsistent and repetitive at times, and a bit strange. However, this unusual aspect prevents a predictable assumption of where the story is heading. Recommended for those who enjoy a Rosemary's Baby style of book, but not if you are in the family way.

This book was totally not what I was expecting. A woman Anna Alcott is an actress just about to make in big with an Oscar nomination. However, the one thing she really wants is a baby and to have a family with her husband Dex.
She begins a journey of IVF with a highly recommended doctor. From the start she feels people are watching her and she has a stalker. Someone is trying to conspire against her. Anna feels she's loosing her mind. The IVF cycle is successful but its still not plain sailing. Then in a bathroom she feels herself loosing her baby. The doctor tell her she's lost the child. Even an ultrasound shows the baby is gone.

However, Anna can still feel her child. Is she really going mad as her husband starts to believe?
Read this with an open mind and you will love it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to see an ARC

Delicate Condition is a standalone horror/thriller from author, Danielle Valentine. This author was new to me but what initially drew me in was the hype surrounding this book as the inspiration for the new season of American Horror Story. I’ve been a huge fan of this series and while early trailers seem like it may not be tightly based on this book, overall, the book was great fun to read and didn’t disappoint.

Delicate Condition walks the line between horror and psychological suspense with a narrative that is captivatingly dark and tackles some compelling themes. The story deals with some heavy concepts including infertility, miscarriage and medical misogyny which may not be for everyone. I’ve seen this book’s themes compared to Rosemary’s Baby, the 1967 novel by Ira Levin which was also adapted into a movie in 1968.

I found myself fully engaged by the twists and turns which kept me guessing and left me not wanting to put this one down. It's a book that effortlessly draws you in and doesn't let go until the final page. The thrilling suspense that is weaved throughout combined with complex characters makes this book one that will linger in your mind long after you put the book down. An unsettling tale that leaves a lasting impact on the reader.

Delicate Condition is a must-read and I’m eager to explore more of this author’s works. An unsettling tale that will leave a lasting impact on the reader.

This one took a bit to get into for me, and although it had been compared to The Silent Patient, I couldn’t really see the comparison. I could, of course, see the comparison to Rosemary’s Baby.
This gets more and more horror-filled as it goes on, and was a bit too gruesome for me in parts.
After reading I discovered it’s the inspiration for the next American Horror Story season, so I’m interested in how it’s adapted.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for this ARC.
What a fantastic read, not what I was expecting at all (in a good way!). There is a modern day story and flashbacks to the 1800s onwards, firmly set within the horror/thriller genre. I have read 2 books by this author now and would be really looking forward to another one!

Wow! Delicate Condition is a gripping rollercoaster of a read! This horror-thriller explores how women’s concerns about their health can be ignored or dismissed by medical staff and the people around them. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. A 5 star book!

I had never read or watched Rosemary’s Baby so I went into this with no expectations. I heard it was basis for the latest AHS season and thought let’s get it reading! It was a good read and can’t wait to see see the adaption!

Anna Victoria Alcott has final made it as a film star, around the same time as she is on another round of IVF, desperate to get pregnant. But someone keeps messing with her, and then a strange woman crawls into bed with her, followed by her finding dolls of herself strewn in unlikely places... Someone wants to stop her pregnancy, and her own husband and her doctors won't believe her.

Told through Anna's perspective, strange things begin to happen over the course of the book--things that cannot be explained by mere science. Between her dark cravings and her vivid hallucinates, Anna can't trust anyone, not even herself.

What an absolute trip of a book. I did not expect this to go off the rails quite as much as it did, but I was 100% here for it. It sort of reminded me of The Writing Retreat because of that--it takes its premise and then drives hard into it, genre convention be damned. I went in expecting a straight-up thriller, and found a hefty dose of horror! It makes sense, given the other Valentine book I've read was a slasher time-loop novel that also had a lot of fun with its premise.

The writing wasn't great at times (though, I read an ARC and there might have been changes made to the final copy, I'm not sure), but it was a pretty smooth, quick read. I also enjoyed the mysterious flashbacks to women from the 1800s onwards, who also experience horrifying things. Valentine clearly cares a lot about how messed up gynaecology is, and I appreciate it.

Unfortunately, this was kept from being a full four stars because the ending was incredible anti-climactic and not very effective. Not that I expected the ending (how could anyone?!), but that was sort of the problem. It didn't feel like a culmination of the horrors, more a detour in what was otherwise an incredible engrossing and buck wild story. I did like the solution to one part of the story, <spoiler>namely that the stalker portion was actually separate from the horror incidents, that was very satisfying</spoiler>, but the very ending was just a bit meh.

Still, safe to say that between this & How to Survive Your murder, Valentine is becoming an instabuy author for me!

Anna Alcott is an esteemed actress. She is tipped to be up for an Oscar but what she really wants is a baby. Going through IVF is hard going & even before a pregnancy begins she seems to be suffering from 'Baby Brain' - medicines being left out, appointments missed because she got the wrong time. When she does finally conceive she is overjoyed but from the start she struggles. She is convinced she is being stalked & so along with her husband Dex they go to stay in a deserted home of a friend in the Hamptons. But the struggles go on. This pregnancy is unlike anything she ever expected.

I think this book proved to me that I am no longer a fan of the horror genre. I found this quite a slog to finish (but still needed to know what happened!) Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.