I think there’s a direct correlation between my reading of this book and my increased stress levels.

From the beginning, this book established a dark intensity that had me genuinely scared for what was to come.
If I had to choose one word to describe the majority of this book it would be: Gaslighting. From the beginning Anna is ignored and talked down to, and then the people around her try ti convince her that her experience is not right, not the way it is. The book spends a very long time (maybe too long?) on medical gaslighting, never believing her even when physical signs are obvious.
One strong element of this story is its ability to make you question everything. Who can be trusted? Who is on Anna’s side and who is working against her? What is really happening to her? Are her own memories real or are they hallucinations? It’s a mind game that she won’t fully understand until the very end. But that ending is dramatic and eye opening.

Danielle Valentine warned readers that this could be difficult for people who ever plan on having children in the future, but I am happy to say that it has not totally scarred me. Although a warning is wise as this book covers a multitude of bodily horrors involving pregnancy and childbirth.

Anna Viktoria Alcott has been striving for success as an actress for over twenty years and now that she has been going through IVF treatments stardom is finally in her reach, but so is motherhood and at thirty-nine she knows her body cannot afford to wait any longer if she wishes to conceive and Anna has already had two unsuccessful attempts with IVF so the time must be now and they are very difficult and painful procedures plus being nerve wracking waiting to see if they work.

Soon, Anna finds someone hacked her phone and calendar disrupting her schedules and dr. appointments, then someone breaks into her apartment moving things around and she also spots someone following her whenever she goes out! Her husband (Dex) downplays her fears and says it's paranoia probably a side effect of the strong hormones she's taking. When Anna finally becomes pregnant she begins to experience bizarre cravings and hallucinations that seem so real she's unsure that they are really visions and not truly happening to her. Also, she has such tremendous pain at times and the doctor (one of the US top leading infertility specialists) informs her a little discomfort is normal in pregnancy but she feels like something is tearing her insides apart at times and the doctor just seems to blow her off and tell her to be a good little pregnant woman and eat well, exercise and get plenty of rest (every time she reports her horrid experiences).

Anna feels lost and alone but she will do everything in her power to protect this baby within her and as time goes on she knows right from the beginning that someone doesn't want this baby born. (but who and why?) Anna's symptoms continue to worsen, the visions are getting violent and the cravings are savage and gruesome and she just might be indulging in these cravings so she can't even trust herself anymore! Will she ever make it to the end of her pregnancy? Will she find out who has been stalking her from the beginning? Is her doctor involved in a conspiracy to take her baby? Can she even trust her best friend or publicist anymore? What about her husband? What role does he play in all of this? Regardless, Anna will die before anyone tries to stop her from having her baby even if there is something very, very wrong with this child inside of her because sometimes she thinks it might not be altogether human but it doesn't matter because it is Anna's baby and it will be born!


First, I have to say "I loved This Book"! In many ways some might think this is reminiscent of " Rosemary's Baby" and it does have those vibes at time in a much current, updated version although there are many twists to this wonderfully blunt and gruesome (at times) story that are completely unique to the writer "Danielle Valentine". I enjoyed everything about this novel. The storytelling and writing just flowed from one situation to another and the tension of not knowing what was really happening with Anna drove me crazy where I couldn't put the book down. This was a truly frightening story with brutal savagery and eerie, creepiness taking place from beginning to end. The feminist touch was wonderful and I believe many women will be able to relate to many of her experiences as doctors who have downplayed any of our own troubling symptoms when we felt there was something not right with our pregnancies and symptoms and would just brush us off without giving us anything for our pain or concise answers to our questions. I, for one know well that happened to me with one of my pregnancies and also the birth of my beautiful daughter but I felt I was truly butchered at the time and His response: "These things sometimes happen so just do as I say and don't worry about it". The ending also had an exciting and unexpected twist. There was not one dull or boring part to this fantastic book. I can't wait to read more from this author!

While watching AHS " Delicate" I am enthralled so far how the show is following the book although I'm sure it will probably take it's own horrific spin in a few more episodes! I highly recommend not missing out on this crazy, good book!

Warning! If you are pregnant right now or planning to become pregnant this might not be the time to read this horror story because it just might influence your thinking or possibly give you non-stop nightmares!


I want to thank the author " Danielle Valentine", the publisher "Sourcebooks Landmark" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this
fabulous horror story and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given rating of 5 HORRIFYING AND SAVAGE 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

This was trippy. I loved the multiple view points woven throughout of the other women and their experiences. Anna was a well fleshed character, and while I’ve never been pregnant I felt like the descriptions given of her different symptoms and behaviors were spot on- to a certain point. We have to suspend some disbelief, but I was both appalled and intrigued as I read. Women’s bodies are a marvel. Reading this was like watching someone slide into madness while also knowing they’re not mad to begin with. Definitely needs a re read as there were so many layers. Also so excited to see this was adapted for American Horror Story! While reading it felt like so many scenes were so cinematic.

This book was absolutely a fantastic and creepy book and was such an easy read! I loved how it blended the real world with paranormal forces and all of this mixed with horror. My favorite part of this book was the overall creepiness. I didn’t know who to pin as a good person and who wasn’t. The more the narrator was affected by delusions and paranoia, the harder it became to trust her either. I felt as if that was an interesting twist to the plot.

If you are a fan of American Horror Story, then you will love this book! After all, the new season is based on it!

This was a quick and twisty read, and I never knew which characters I could trust. I definitely got some Rosemary's Baby vibes while reading this one! It was a dark and pretty weird story, and I really enjoyed it!

TW: Infertility and miscarriage

Thank you @netgalley, @bookmarked and the author for the gifted earc of this book!

TW: Language, infertility, cancer, death of parent, miscarriages, mention of abortion, cheating, gaslighting, toxic relationships, gory scenes, animal deaths, death of spouse

***SPOILERS***
About the book:
Anna Alcott is desperate to be pregnant. But as she tries to balance her increasingly public life with a grueling IVF journey, she starts to suspect that someone is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens. Crucial medicines are lost. Appointments get swapped without her knowledge. And even when she finally manages to get pregnant, not even her husband is willing to believe that someone's playing a twisted game with her.When the increasingly cryptic threats drive her out of her Brooklyn brownstone and into hiding in the cold, gray ghost town that is the Hamptons in the depths of winter, Anna is almost at the end of her rope.Then her doctor tells her she's had a miscarriage—except Anna's convinced she's still pregnant, despite everything the grave-faced men around her claim. Could it be that her mind is playing tricks on her? Or is something more sinister at play? As her symptoms become ever more horrifying and the sense of danger ever more present, Anna can't help but wonder what exactly she's carrying inside of her...and why no one will listen when she says something is horribly, painfully wrong.
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 432
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Love the cover
2. Writing style is good
3. The idea of the book

What I Didn't Like:
1. The tone
2. I've already read this
3. Did not get the vibes of The Push from this book
4. Ending was unimaginative

Overall Thoughts:
I was pretty nervous starting this book because it's being compared to The Push - I HATED that book. In the end I choose to just give it a try and maybe it would be more like Rosemary's Baby.

I never trust husbands when it comes to these books.

I think it's so interesting the things people are willing to go through to have a child of their own. No judgement but some of the stuff seems so extreme. I think its so odd that when Anna is asked why she goes through everything for a child it's not even an option to maybe adopt a child. I know there are issues surrounding adoption but like she makes out like there is only a) have a biological child or b) live with her husband and dogs - no in between. Is this what people really think when they can't have kids?

So one of my pet peeve in books is women that don't eat. They go days and days and keep forgetting to eat. This book also does that. It's been days since she ate and when she ate it was just some cookies. So skip to her going outside and smelling food and she says "I was actually hungry." Like it's so insane to think you'd be hungry after not eating for so long. It makes me feel like authors are encouraging women to have eating disorders and starving yourself is so normal.

Sigh. It's following Rosemary's Baby with the drinks and someone in her apartment.

Didn't understand the point of the different storylines from different time periods. What was the reason of them other than telling us that women have struggled to have children and even not have kids.

What what what Dax was cheating.... Seriously well yeah he was. Anna being the last person to know this.

I thought this was a horror? It's feeling more like a thriller.

Has this author never gave birth? You don't get to turn off the pain. She's able to do so much in the middle of her contractions. It's not just pain every so often.

The ending was very lackluster. Very underwhelming. The witches weren't trying to harm her they wanted her to get pregnant and join their coven. They just went about everything in the most questionable ways.

Final Thoughts:
The book wasn't bad. It just honestly made me want to reread Rosemary's Baby. That's a masterpiece.

This book is just meh. Rosemary's Baby makes you feel frantic and so exhausted for her. There's a tone that makes you feel so hopeless and helpless. This book does not give you that. This book is just existing. I never felt on the edge of my seat scared for Anna and frustrated about what was happening to her.

Recommend For:
• Fans of witches

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Full disclosure, I’ve read many of Danielle Valentine’s YA novels (under the name Danielle Vega), her Merciless series being one of the most popular ones. So, I was curious what this author would do in an adult horror novel. I also was curious to read this because the new season of American Horror Story, a series that I really love and watch every year, is going to be based off of this book – and I wanted to read the book prior to viewing the series.

This book explores many things that deal with womanhood and motherhood, and the craziest thing is that what one would think are the horror elements, aren’t really as terrifying as the true elements of the novel. I think I was more horrified by the amount of physical pain and stress the protagonist submitted to during the IVF treatments than when she began having strange cravings (and when I say strange – the cravings are pretty brutal). The men in this novel are mostly trash – so it’s no surprise that they didn’t take any of Anna’s concerns about her body seriously.

This novel is full of twists and turns, and I liked the direction it went rather than going for the tired trope of “evil baby.” I am very curious to see how this book will be adapted in AHS: Delicate and hope that they keep Valentine’s powerful message.

I recommend this book to those who love feminist horror novels that subvert genre expectations.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

If you go into this book knowing it is not scary and not a horror in any way, you may not be as disappointed as I was. Knowing this was being developed for American Horror Story, I thought it would be pretty creepy. Boy, was I wrong. The book was well written but I would describe it as a domestic thriller at best. Married couple Anna and Dex are desperate for a baby and are currently undergoing IVF treatments. Weird things start happening to Anna. Is she being stalked? Is she having a breakdown? All questions are answered by the end. Overall, I was pretty disappointed in this one.

I love Danielle Valentine writing as Danielle Vega. The Merciless series is one of my top YA horror recommendations. This, however, didn't quite hit the mark for me. Perhaps because it was so hyped up as the new AHS season's basis. That truly took away from the experience for me, which is no fault of the author's. Overall I found it a little unbelievable and long-winded. When people start touting it as a feminist updating of Rosemary's Baby, I guess I just expected more.

I loved everything about this book! It had such a bizarre quality about it, really interesting and at the same time it was really twisted. The basis of the story is a traumatic subject for many people and everything that surrounds the story comes right back to this trauma, it's a really unique exploration of the grief surrounding infertility and miscarriage, a spiralling nightmare and some of the more gruesome scenes are going to be staying with me for a long time!

Pregnancy has long been romanticized in popular culture, with decades of images of expectant mothers gliding happily through their days with little change outside of their wardrobe required of them. Recent media has gone some way towards showing the harsher reality of just how difficult the experience can be, but it still generally glosses over the worst parts. Not so in Delicate Condition, the adult debut by YA author Danielle Valentine. Here, she uses the trappings of a paranoid horror story to bring to light the myriad traumas women can experience at every step of the process of creating life, and the ways in which those charged with guiding them along the path can so thoughtlessly cast their concerns aside.

Struggling actress Anna Alcott hadn’t thought herself the type to want children until one day she found that she was. Of course, it takes more than a desire to be a mother to become one, and she has been struggling to conceive with her husband, Dex. Now suffering through rounds of IVF while also experiencing a late career breakthrough due to critical acclaim for her role in a small indie film, she begins to notice odd occurrences and suspicious people around her and can’t help but wonder if perhaps someone is trying to prevent her from giving birth. Of course, no one believes her, not even Dex, but she becomes more and more convinced that she’s right.

That Winter she heads into hiding at a friend’s home in the Hamptons, with her husband and new bodyguard in tow. While there, she suffers a traumatic miscarriage, the cause of which can’t be explained though a suspicious woman was inside the hospital before it occurred. Now despondent, Anna heads back into hiding, only to then feel symptoms that she might still be pregnant after all. Her situation becomes increasingly strange as she continues to be disbelieved, and she fights to determine what is happening to her and to her possibly still-present baby.

This is a harrowing read, that continually layers on the tension to almost unbearable levels. Those who’ve experienced pregnancy for themselves will likely find the book especially relatable, but many of us can understand the feeling of being dismissed despite knowing that something is wrong. This is easily one of the scarier novels I’ve read in some time while also a searing indictment of our current healthcare system, in particular in the ways it ignores women’s suffering. The author doesn’t pull any punches, so those with traumas around pregnancy should probably steer clear, but for everyone else this will easily rank as one of the best horror novels of the year.

Well done creepy factor. This story tugged on my heartstrings as a person who has experience with infertility and the desperation that one feels. It also has a creepy factor and does a great job of maintaining suspense right up to the end! Can't wait to see the screen version on AHS!

Wow.! This book went in a direction I never would have guessed. Completely engrossing, I had to know what was going to happen, couldn't put it down! I mean, it was weird, but I like weird. 😊

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

It took me quite a while to complete this book. I will say it is triggering for women with children. Graphic descriptions of pregnancy and others made even the toughest stomachs drop. I did enjoy the supernatural aspect of the novel as it progressed. I found myself questioning what was happening and never could predict the next event.

This face-paced novel had me on the edge of my seat! It's giving American Horror Story meets Twilight (Breaking Dawn) meets The Handmaids Tale. This is horror and suspense and great for fall!

I originally wanted to read this book because I heard the new season of “American Horror Story” was based off it. I was pleasantly surprised by seeing how much I enjoyed this one, considering the topic isn’t something I would usually be interested in. I thought it had just the right amount of realism and other elements (no spoilers).

I loved reading from Anna’s perspective. Seeing things through her eyes was very intriguing. Not knowing exactly what was happening as it was happening made the story so much more thrilling.

Overall I recommend reading this book as long as you read the trigger warning, because it does contain a lot of things that could potentially trigger people.

This played out like an eerie and twisted movie in my head, and I loved every second of it.

In this novel we are following the perspective of an expectant mother, Anna, and all the wildly effed up things that happen to her while she is pregnant? … Or is she pregnant?… Is her baby human or is it something much more sinister? WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING?!

I ate this book up (pun fully intended) ! Yes we toy with the whole “hysterical pregnant woman” stereotype but it is done so well. I did see one of the twists coming BUT expect the unexpected my friends.

I know this was inspired by Rosemary’s Baby and i’ve never read that book or seen the movie but now I feel like I HAVE TO. This is also being adapted into a series in the AHS franchise so I am super stoked to watch it when it comes out later this month.

Oh my, I’m so late on reviewing this here. I read this one a while back and it really captivated my attention! Such a good read!

Anna is desperate for a baby. Between managing her IVF treatments, her marriage, and her acting career, she finds herself juggling more than she can handle. Because despite her careful planning and meticulous calendar-keeping, things keep happening to her. Her appointments are missed, her medicine is left out of the refrigerator, and it seems she may have some creepy stalker spying on her from behind every corner. So is someone trying to interfere with her life and ensure a baby won't be in her future or is she just being mindless? Her and her husband escape to The Hamptons, hoping to retreat and focus on the baby and her pregnancy, where even more sinister things start happening. This was so much creepier than I was expecting! What I thought was an intriguing thriller with a mystery antagonist, quickly turned into a heartbreaking psychological horror story in which I had no idea what was real or who to believe. There's lots of controversial themes and topics revolving around women's healthcare, specifically gaslighting women and labelling them "crazy" rather than exploring their symptoms, among other women's issues. Anyways, this was a crazy wild ride and I'm grateful for the opportunity to read it! Thanks, NetGalley!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine!