"Delicate Condition" by Danielle Valentine is a gripping and chilling thriller that delves into the harrowing journey of Anna Alcott, an indie actress desperate to have a family. As she faces the challenges of IVF and a series of unsettling events, Anna becomes convinced that someone is determined to prevent her from becoming a mother. The suspense builds as crucial medications go missing, appointments are tampered with, and Anna feels like she's being stalked. When she finally becomes pregnant, the nightmare intensifies as someone breaks into her home and steals her ultrasound photograph. Despite her anguish, no one, not even her husband, believes her claims. Isolated in a remote town, Anna's fear escalates as she realizes that her life and the life of her unborn child are in grave danger. Valentine masterfully weaves a tale of psychological suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the shocking truth is revealed.

'The feminist update to Rosemary's Baby we all needed' - ANDREA BARTZ
'A darkly visceral and magically evocative novel' - SARAH LAWTON
'A timely, terrifying, heartfelt thriller' - CHRIS WHITAKER

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

Before I start my review, I wanted to mention first of all that this is a very unsettling book and could be very triggering in a number of different ways for anyone who is going through a pregnancy or trying to have a baby. Now that's out of the way...

All I knew about Delicate Condition when I was offered the chance to read it via NetGalley was the quote and testimonials at the start of this review and although my first thought was that they are pretty big claims to live up to, it did make me pretty much want to dive in immediately and see if it did.

The main character, Anna Alcot is a bit of a celebrity. She's an ex-child star actress who has watched her star wane somewhat after years playing minor parts in various productions. However she's recently found herself on the up after the new film she's starring in turns out to be a surprise underground hit and she's nominated for an Oscar. As is often the case with these things, the timing isn't great; for some time, she and her husband Dex have wanted to start a family and are about to undergo another, probably final round of IVF. This is the last chance they'll have, and Anna is not optimistic that their marriage will succeed if they don't make a baby this time.

Things start to go wrong early on when Anna is late for a very time-sensitive appointment with her eminent fertility doctor, Dr Carla Hill. She has to have an injection at a specific time and arrives confused and upset after Dex has called to check where she is. Luckily she still makes the timeframe, however Dex is understandably unimpressed, his mood not improved by Anna's insistence that the appointment time was originally correct in her calendar. Upon leaving the fertility clinic, a random 'fan' quickly snaps a picture of Anna and posts it on a 'celebrity' forum and Anna's hopes for secrecy are dashed.

A few weeks later and Anna and Dex get the best news; they have a baby on the way. Time passes without much incident – a few odd situations with things that can be explained to 'baby brain' and soon Anna can feel the baby kicking. Then a shocking incident occurs and the whole story takes a sharp, unexpected and frightening turn. Anna is stuck in an horrific situation with the worst possible scenarios racing through her mind, while all the people in her life who should be helping and supporting her – especially those within the medical community - seem to be either patronising her or gaslighting her, and she's not quite sure which. Come to that, as the reader neither was I. What follows is a terrifying journey through a pregnancy that seems to be all wrong, both in feeling and presentation. Everyone around her is behaving strangely and as a result she's suspicious of everyone and everything. Is Anna going mad, or is there something incredibly wrong with her baby? And why is everyone being so weird?

There are many themes in this book, including Anna's turmoil at trying to find a balance between finally becoming a successful Oscar nominated actress; something she couldn't even have dreamed of, at the same time as becoming a Mother – something she's always dreamed of. There's the stresses of trying for a baby and holding together a marriage that's falling apart at the seams, and the hurt and confusion of being left to drown in uncertain waters when those who you rely on let you down and leave you to flail, alone. At some points it definitely strays into horror, reminiscent of Rosemary's Baby, and as I understand, is due to be made into the next part of the American Horror Story series. When that happens, I'm sure I'll be watching some of it from behind a cushion!

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

Thank you Danielle Valentine, Net Galley and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books, Viper for giving me this arc dread in exchange for a honest review.

I wanna start of by mentioning this book contains heavy triggers of horror and miscarriage, fertility issues and supernatural elements.

I do love a thriller, this did take me a little while to get into but once I did I was fully intrigued with how the story would follow. It had you guessing and guessing what was going to happen.

This book wasn't what I was expecting but did enjoy this book and couldn't put it down. I do think this book was more of the horror/supernatural genre compared to a thriller. This book had me experiencing so many emotions and I'm so glad I read it a solid 4 star read for me.

Well that was a weird and wonderful read. 3.5 Stars!!

On reading the description I was really intrigued especially as I love a good thriller however I would say this book was more of a supernatural horror and it turned out to be not at all what I expected.
This isn't a bad thing as such as I was really gripped by the story, starting it yesterday and finishing it today.

This book had very much a "who done it" theme and lots of interesting characters to keep you guessing, just when I thought I had figured it out there would be another twist to the point I was suspicious of everyone, this was very well done on the authors part. However some characters just vanished, like Kamal who played quite a major role in the story just to be let go never to be seen again.

The story is very much a slow burn however I was never bored and remained intrigued throughout. The story does take a weird turn towards the end in a way I wasn't expecting but that's on the description and how this book was marketed and doesn't make for a bad book, it was a good read but just be prepared that this book may not be what you expected on reading it's descriptions.
I really enjoyed Valentines writing style throughout.

As much as there are trigger warnings for this book I would like to emphasise that these things are VERY graphic just bare that in mind when reading this.

As a woman and a mother I appreciate this book focusing on the subject of how women are treated by the medical system when it comes to our pain and concerns and how these things are often not taken seriously. This was done incredibly well by Valentine and I appreciated her notes at the end of the book.

I’m struggling a bit with this book. I enjoyed most of it and just couldn’t work out where it was going but I’m afraid the witchcraft element was just too far-fetched for me and spoiled the ending - and there were one or two things that happened that weren’t really explained. 3 stars.

I loved this complex dark thriller / horror. Major trigger warnings for miscarriage and for those who have struggled with difficult pregnancies or infertility it might be a challenging read. For me, it felt like an honest portrayal of some of the issues that woman face physically and mentally when it comes to reproduction.

I had seen this described as a feminist retelling of Rosemary’s Baby and whilst I did think there were strong feminist themes it felt first and foremost a thriller to me. The plot is told from the perspective of a single female protagonist and as the story progresses we begin to suspect that her view of the situation is becoming more and more warped. I love an unreliable narrator and thought this was done particularly well here.

If found the pace dropped off a little in the mid third. If I’m being hyper critical I think it could have been a little shorter. But the final climax kept me on the edge of my seat and I loved the ending.

I definitely recommend this one to thriller / horror lovers.

Amazing book kept me intrigued and guessing all the way through!!!think this could lead to a book number 2 in this!!!! Woild love it:) twists galore :) very happy Reader here°°°°

Unnerving and keeps you enthralled on the very edge of your seat. I could not put it down. I have no problem recommending this book and I can’t wait to read more from Danielle Valentine 4/5

Deliciously dark and genuinely horrifying, DELICATE CONDITION is one hell of a pregnancy journey. Highly recommend for fans of twisty thrillers, like a cross between Ira Levin and Stephen King.

Anna is an actress approaching forty, best known for a series she appeared in many years earlier, now achieving unexpected success - and a potential Oscar nomination - with her latest film. More importantly to her, she's desperate to get pregnant, undergoing IVF with husband Dex. When she finally does get that big fat positive, though, things get weird, fast. She's being viciously trolled online, someone is messing with her medication and her appointments, weird artefacts keep turning up and there's a terrifying incident with an intruder. Anna becomes increasingly unsure who she can trust.

Most alarming of all, there's something very strange - almost diabolically strange - about the baby Anna is carrying... not least, that all the doctors tell her she's already miscarried...

A few years ago I probably wouldn't have chosen to read this book - the description would have put me off - but I guess I've toughened up with advancing age. Which is not to say it's not disturbing. It's often very disturbing - the "pregnancy cravings" are particularly stomach-churning - and Danielle Valentine does a great job of ramping up the terror.

The hateful trolling Anna experiences online is horrible but horribly believable, too.

Anyway I very much enjoyed it, although ended up not quite sure how completely I'd understood it (need to read again, perhaps). I liked the vignettes of women at various points in the past, but again wasn't entirely clear what these signified.

Ultimately the author has some powerful things to say about the treatment of women by the medical profession and male control of women's bodies, particularly during the pregnancy and birthing process.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

Delicate Conidition is an immersive and completely unnerving thriller. This had me completely hooked from the start and I was gasping at all the twists, turns and reveals, I truly did not see anything coming. I loved reading from different characters perspectives, everyone was completely compelling. If you love dark mystery thrillers I highly recommend this.

A very well-written book with a lot of characters all playing their own part in the story.

A tale of pending motherhood and all it entails and more. The question of loyalty of friends and husbands/partners.

A book I could not put down just had to finish it. Gripping, dark but nice at the same time.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Well this was quite some read it’s very addictive and has this underlying sense of menace right from the off. The story is about Anna and Dex who are trying hard for a baby and going through IVF treatment but when Anna gets pregnant things start to become quite scary as there are lots of strange things happening in her life. With unexplained appointments being changed, an a strange woman seeming to follow her Anna is becoming more and more scared at a time when she really should be enjoying being pregnant. ..then things really turn very very spooky!
This was a read that I really enjoyed, I liked the way it was written with differing perspectives, the characters were good and the plot was well crafted it’s difficult to say more as I think it’s a read that is best read with no preconceived ideas.
So for me a new author and a great read what more could you want !
My thanks to NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail / Viper / Profile Books for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

‘All mothers have one thing in common: pain.’

Anna Alcott is fast approaching forty. She’s an actress whose most recent film appearance might receive an Oscar nomination. All that publicity would be fantastic except that Anna and her husband Dex, desperate to have a child, have embarked on the challenging (and for them private) journey of IVF.

Strange things keep happening. Important medicines are destroyed, and appointment times are changed. Is Anna forgetful, or is someone trying to sabotage her attempts to become pregnant? When Anna learns that she is pregnant, she is delighted. But then Anna starts receiving cryptic messages and frightened, she and Dex relocates from Brooklyn to a friend’s home in the Hamptons.

Tragedy follows when Anna is told she’s had a miscarriage. However, a few weeks later Anna is convinced that she has felt the baby move. Her doctors do not believe her: ultrasounds have confirmed that she is no longer pregnant. So, what is Anna feeling, and what is causing the horrific symptoms she is now experiencing? Is she, as some now think, losing her mind?

‘Time behaved strangely.’

Read on. All will be revealed. This is a suspenseful horror story which, to be honest, did not work for me. Yes, I can relate to the fears that many of us experience as expectant parents. Some of us experience so peculiar cravings as well. But there are so many dramatic twists in this story that it became utterly unbelievable to me.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I am speechless after reading this book. Very dark with vibes of Rosemary's baby and so much more. So well written and the fear that the mother endures is palpable. This read was not what I was expecting it literally blew me away. Paranoia, terrifying and the impending birth. A horror story about pregnancy is the only the beginning. Loved It!!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Arc in return for an honest review.

Dark and delicious!! I raced through this one. It had echoes of Rosemary’s Baby, but it still holds it own as a novel. Really creepy!

This book is so original and so dark and yet compelling. I was immediately drawn in. An excellent story.

A creepy, feminist and updated take on the Rosemary’s Baby. This follows our protagonist, a working actress who has that vaguely recognisable face. She’s in her late 30s and while she’s not an a-list movie star, she’s doing well enough and her manager has snagged her an indie script that could get her the acclaims and mean big things. But her priority is her husband and wanting to have a baby before her ticking clock is up. So starts the IVF process which is a success. Until she tragically miscarries…but then she feels her baby inside her, kicking. Despite being told she’s not pregnant, she feels strongly that she is. Why are the doctors lying? And who is stalking her? Who is that strange woman and why are inexplicable things happening?

There’s a fair share of body horror and stomach curling moments in this one. I was completely riveted by this book, just intrigued by the story and eager to learn what the resolution would be. I liked that the protagonist was an actress. Stories set around the glamorous world of entertainment is just fascinating to me and pure escapism even though there were relevant themes of being a woman and aging out, and just the pressures put on them. Also was topical the bias attitude of the medical community towards women and the gaslighting of their own symptoms. My only gripe was that there was a plot twist that just wasn’t explained properly at the halfway point, which had me perplexed and took me out of the story. It’s tricky to explain without giving away major spoilers. Regardless overall this was a compelling read with a unique/supernatural twist on the subject of mothering and the toll pregnancy takes on a woman’s body.

Anna has been trying to have a baby with husband, Dex, but has had trouble falling pregnant. They start having IVF and then she finally becomes pregnant, however events soon take a sad turn when she miscarries. She later starts having signs that she is still pregnant but no one else believes her. It doesn’t help that things keep going wrong, such as appointments being changed without her knowledge. Is someone trying to sabotage her chance of having a baby?

The subject matter of this book has been done so many times now, however, Delicate Condition manages to provide a unique spin on this idea and makes for a crazy, interesting plot. It was quite slow to get going but does pick up the pace as you carry on reading. I was surprised how it all turned out and am still unsure what to make of it. It is definitely different! Overall a fun, creepy thriller with some horror elements and apart from the slow start I enjoyed it. 3.5 stars. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in return for an honest review.

A supernatural thriller that is disturbing and graphic. I struggled with the story and failed to finish.