I want to start out by saying that I have no interest in ever having kids, so that might be swaying my thoughts on this book a little. I have also never seen or read Rosemary's Baby, so I can't speak to any similarities there. All of that being said I was utterly captivated by this book. It was compulsively readable, while being uncomfortable and thought provoking, so basically everything you want a horror novel to be. I also will straight up say that I didn't see the ending coming AT ALL. I can already tell that this book is going to make some people mad, just because of it's subject matter, and I have no doubt that there are going to be people who read it (mostly men, but some women I'm sure) that will disregard the central message here, which is a shame. Because at it's core this book is about how women aren't believed enough, especially by the medical community, but also just by society as a whole; their pain, their experiences and opinions on things are ignored because they are seen as lesser or weaker. And honestly to me that's one of the things a great horror story should do well, is touch on something real and find the horror in that. Valentine has done a great job of that here, and it really makes me want to read her other works, because I really did find myself enjoying the story here. No doubt I will be recommending this book to anyone at the store who even shows a slight interest in it, and I will almost certainly be writing a shelf-talker for it too. Valentine's adult debut was a home run for me, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next for adults, because this one was spectacular.

What a great book. The true pain of pregnancy articulated so us guys have a better understanding. An amazing thriller with a supernatural twist. This is the first book I have read by Danielle Valentine and won’t be the last. Looking forward to seeing how this story plays out on AHS. Highly recommend 😎💀

4.25*

Anna Victoria Alcott is an actress, married to her wonderful husband Dex Harding, living the life she’s always dreamed of in New York City. She’s only missing one thing: a baby.

I’m a huge fan of Rosemary’s Baby, so I requested this book on a whim. I’m glad I did. Body horror gets me pretty badly, and what’s more horrific than pregnancy? The descriptions of something seemed so normal made me really question why people do this all the time. Hormones are truly a feat in evolution.

This book also features one thing I really enjoy: little historical tidbits of people who have also gone through certain events. I enjoyed this with Sylvain Neuvel’s Take Them to the Stars trilogy, and I’d love to see more of it in other books.

I was also surprised to learn that Danielle Valentine is a pseudonym for Danielle Vega, who wrote The Merciless series. I am curious to see if she’s going to write more adult books, because I enjoyed this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the chance to read this advanced review copy.

CW: pregnancy, medical content, bullying, cancer, stalking, miscarriage, racism, blood, dead animal, infidelity, medical trauma

I flew through this book! So creepy, so timely, so relatable. I was eager to find out what came next. I loved the twist plot, especially the ending which I genuinely did not see coming. I was nervous to read with the content warnings (especially the animal harm) but ultimately felt like all of the more disturbing moments were necessary to the plot and handled with care.

When I say I COULDN"T PUT THIS ONE DOWN. I literally read this EVERY FREE SECOND OF THE DAY I HAD... I NEEDED to find out what happened!

I was hooked on this book within the first few pages. I especially appreciate the descriptive language used by the author, I truly felt like I was viewing this as a movie in my head. Not only did we get a view from a women's perspective on the struggles of IVF and conceiving, but it was extremely well-crafted.

This was my first book from this author, and I am sure it will not be the last! Extremely excited to see what more this author has in store for the readers! A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this masterpiece.

Not the most fast paced thriller but still good.

All Anna Alcott wants is a baby. Her husband Dex and her having been trying for years and IVF is there last resort. When she finally gets pregnant, it’s a miracle until she miscarries, but Anna believes the baby is still there…

This is a journey about a mother who is desperate to have a baby. It starts out slow but once you hit the 60-65% of the book everything starts going and it doesn’t stop until the end.

You can’t tell if Anna is really experiencing these things or if the pregnancy hormones are making her see these things.

There are scary / horror factors of this book that I’m going to be thinking about even after I’m finished with this book. So glad I’m done having babies

This is the book AHS Season 12 is based off and I hope Emma can do the character Anna Alcott justice.

Content Warnings: Infertility, Miscarriage, talk of late term abortion

No spoilers from me for this page turner! Ana and Dee have been struggling with infertility and finally, finally, she's pregnant thanks to IVF. Oh, and her movie is doing unexpectedly well. And then,,,,,a miscarriage shakes her. But she feels something, something like a living child inside her, which no one else believes in. She's being stalked, there are weird things happening and....I'm not going any further, This does indeed have Rosemary's Baby vibes but Valentine has created an entirely new horror. She's got great storytelling skills. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, Great read.

Wow! This kept twisting the angles and I didn’t know where this story was going to go, even at the end.
Delicate Condition follows a woman who believes others - possibly evil forces — are trying to make sure her pregnancy doesn’t happen. Anna Alcott has been through the hurdles of IVF and when she finally learns she’s pregnant, it seems they’re in the clear. But after a devastating miscarriage, she can still sense a baby growing inside, and it becomes apparent other forces are at work, especially as the hallucinations make it hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t.
This was a wonderful, intense thriller that constantly left me wondering what twist was around the corner. While giving some Rosemary’s Baby vibes, this story holds its own. And for American Horror Story fans, the new season is rumored to be based around this novel!
Thank you to Sourcebooks for the ARC. This releases 8/1!

This is a hard one for me to review. I'm a huge fan of The Push and The Silent Patient, and those comps sold me on this story even though I don't often lean into body horror.

Anna Alcott is a relatively successful actress who has been struggling to have kids with her husband Dex. They begin an IVF journey and strange things start happening to Anna. Medication she knows she put in the fridge are left out on the counter and spoil, and she starts missing appointments that she swears she put the right time in her calendar. Then, after she miscarries, she starts to feel like she is actually still pregnant. Things start to escalate into scarier and scarier events, until she must face what is growing inside her.

A lot of people love this book, and I can see why, I just think I wasn't the right reader for it. Some reviews have said Nightbitch would a better comparison than The Push and The Silent Patient, so if you loved that, you might love this one!

This is not my typical read and I definitely went out of my comfort zone by choosing this one. I am new to horror and this book was the creepiest and most suspenseful book I have ever read. It had the right amount of horror/thriller with so many twist I got whiplash. Definitely a must read.
The Netgalley fairies sprinkled their fairy dust and I was given the audio and the ebook so I switched between reading and listening. The narrator did an amazing job she gave this book a chilling listening experience I won't soon forget. Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media, and SourceBooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I could not stop reading this! Engaging, engrossing, and intriguing - I finished this the same day I started reading it. And, wow, wow, wow, was it fantastic!

Gave me strong Rosemary's Baby vibes throughout.

I had my own ideas of who was causing Anna trouble and was completely wrong - the twists definitely caught me off guard (and I love when that happens 🙂)

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this!

An absolute recommendation!



Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the DRC!

Thank you, NetGalley.

I liked the overall story, it was very similar to Rosemary’s baby. It seemed at times a retelling not a new story. And including all the other women that the “cult” has helped seemed pointless to me. It didn't give us any insight to the group or their motivation. It was also hard to keep track of the characters.

The book felt like it was in between genres, not scary enough for a horror book, not enough mystery for a thriller. I wish the author would have leaned into one of the genres more.

This was such a different type of read than what I normally pick up but sometimes stepping out of my comfort zone works well for me and it paid off here. It had such a creepy and unsettling vibe from the moment it starts and I was here for it. It was super tense, totally dark and depraved and at times it was hard to read but I couldn’t put it down. It also had so many powerful things to say about women, motherhood and pregnancy that were so valid and written in such a bold and in your face way. If you like thrillers with a side of horror this was good.

Anna Alcott had a loving husband and a fast developing career as an actress but she only wants one thing: a baby. After years of IVF, she’s finally pregnant but then suffers a devastating miscarriage. The only thing is, she feels the baby moving still and has strange symptoms.

I am a huge fan of fiction that speaks to pregnancy and women’s issues. I loved that this was also a suspense and even a bit of a horror story (yes, do not read if you have a weak stomach). This was quite the genre mash up. It also has contemporary notes, as it really speaks to the lack of consideration women can experience in the medical field when it comes to infertility, pain management, and childbirth. I could not put this one down and I highly suggest making it your summer read!

“The things that made you lucky could also be the things that made you suffer.”

Delicate Condition comes out 8/1.

Even though the themes of this book aren't generally my favorite to read about, this was a very solid book. The writing was good and I was invested in the story right from the start. I'd recommend this to others for sure.

💀🌸 BOOK REVIEW💀🌸

Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine follows an actress, Anna Alcott, who has struggled to conceive for the past two years. She’s tried IVF several times to no avail. Then the unexpected happens. The IVF works. But there’s a sinister force stalking Anna, leaving creepy dolls and weird messages. As if that wasn’t enough, a trip to the ER ends in a miscarriage according to the doctor. So why does Anna still feel her baby moving?

This is mother horror at its finest! I was genuinely spooked at times. Especially when figures appeared in hallways and would just stand in the shadows.

This book is not for everyone and does get a bit gory at times so beware.

I flew through this book and loved every second.

Catch this book on shelves on August 1st. This book is also rumored to be the basis of AHS season 12.

Special thanks to @netgalley for a copy of the ARC

It starts out relatable and creepy and then it gets more and more terrifying. I believe this will be one of those books that becomes part of our culture, like Rosemary's baby.
My last pregnancy felt like this for sure. So I definately felt it entirely.
I will be thinking about this for weeks. Maybe months,

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, Netgalley, and Dreamscape Media for the gifted ARC and ALC!

I loved this author’s YA book How to Survive Your Murder so I jumped at the chance to read her first adult novel. Take me seriously when I say this one is dark. Absolutely do not read this if you’re pregnant or are planning on being pregnant in the near future because this story will haunt you. If you’ve had any pregnancy losses, I’d avoid this too. My worst loss was 7 years ago, but this book still stirred up a lot of tough emotions for me.

Overall, it was well-written and creative. I bounced back and forth between the physical book and the audio. I liked Anna’s character and found the story to be disturbing in an unsettling way. If you like the idea of a feminist Rosemary’s Baby, check this one out!

My rating: 3.5/5

This book is described as a “feminist update to Rosemary’s Baby,” and I can definitely feel those vibes. Delicate Condition submerges the reader into the dark corners of motherhood, where the dangers lurk…Where your body is not your own, and your mind is not trusted by those around you and you begin to question all you know.

This book plays on the fears of pregnancy and motherhood like no other. 🫣

Any fear you could possibly have while being pregnant or trying to get pregnant…it’s there. So, I do not think this a read for everyone. That being said, it’s good. I would recommend it to those who are ok with the subject matter.

I liked the ending even though it kinda came out of nowhere. I think some readers will feel bamboozled while others will find it cool. I’m in the cool camp.

🚨 Trigger Warning: IVF complications, miscarriage, pregnancy trauma

If a book gets compared to The Push, I will read it. This one lives up to the hype.

I enjoy the “The Trauma of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Childrearing” genre, mostly because it validates my choice not to have children. And a body horror book based on pregnancy? Yes please.

Woman is going through IVF and lots of complications are happening… and perhaps they are sinister/supernatural complications. Is it in her mind? Is it real? It’s body horror, I know that. It was super fun.