Sarah Carpenter seeks a fresh start at an isolated artists' colony called Tranquil Falls, set on the grounds of a former hotel. Hoping to leave behind her troubled past, she soon uncovers a body and begins to experience disturbing behavior from the other artists. As she digs deeper, Sarah realizes that the colony's dark, twisted past may be more than she can escape.

I think this is going to be a 3-star rating for me, maybe 3.5. I did enjoy the story, but the ending kind of ruined it.

The premise was really interesting, especially the artist's retreat in an abandoned hotel. The creepy vibes were there from the start, and I liked how the author wove together the stories of past guests with those of the current retreat members. It was fascinating to see how their stories were so similar, even across the years.

Since this is a mystery/thriller, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what was going on. For most of the book, I had no idea who was doing what. The author did a great job of making everyone look suspicious enough that I couldn’t figure out who the real villain was. Unfortunately, once we find out what’s really happening and who the villain is, the story just ends very abruptly. There’s no conclusion, no resolution. We basically find out who did it, and that’s it.

It would’ve been nice to see a full conclusion, like the villain being brought to justice or the secrets of the abandoned hotel coming to light. But we don’t get any of that. We learn about what happened at the hotel, but there’s no closure. It just felt incomplete.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review

Sarah is a young woman who is trying to find some peace and a quiet place to discover herself. Living with an abusive boyfriend has made Sarah only knowing that she needs a safe place where her boyfriend can’t find her. She is going to a secluded isolated artists’ colony on the grounds where there is no internet or cell phone signals, she won’t be distracted in rediscovering herself. The place is called Tanquil Falls. Just when Sarah is getting her life back to herself, strange things happen. She goes to a hotel on the grounds that is slowly disintegrating only to discover its dark past.

I found this book difficult to read as it didn’t keep my interest. The authors writing is fine. The plot is decent. I felt that this story has been told so many times in different ways but yet was not “new” to me. The novel can be classified an abusive horror novel that is gothic.

Delilah Dawson writes feminine rage like the best of them, and <i>It Will Only Hurt for a Moment</i> is her latest addition to a bevy of similar thematic ideas. Whereas her other books might tackle similar themes, <i>It Will Only Hurt for a Moment</i> reads like her attempt at a Gothic thriller, The familiar tropes are all present: a protagonist running away from her past, a kooky mansion maybe full of ghosts, repressed secrets hiding behind crumbling facades, and a timely analysis of current-day politics through the lens of our past.

What Dawson does really well in this book is build up a resonance with the past even as she addresses current social and political issues through her protagonist's adventures. Although there's a pretty big cast for this novel, the secondary characters aren't really much to focus on, as they only seem to act as additional layering to the book's central thematic concern about gendered violence against women. Dawson's pretty clear in how she structure's the book's conflict that she's exploring the way men have traditionally and continue to restrict women's agency in their own self-service, and how some men (and women) have historically upheld systems of power and obscured truths in order to maintain a familiar status quo.

One of the things I really wanted more out of the book is the way that art fits into this dialogue, as I think Dawson brings in various artists into this conversation to explore the way traumas and power is also communicated through art. There's a whole lot of interesting metaphor in here, and art does become somewhat central as a clue to the book's plot and an indication of the way story can present truths and make statements holding power accountable. It's a message that resonates a lot with me, even if I don't think the book always puts that idea at the very forefront of what it is doing.

<i>It Will Only Hurt for a Moment</i> is a worthy read, full of interesting ideas in familiar packaging. It doesn't ever go so far as to break any molds, but it fits snugly into the ongoing conversation writers are having in horror and Gothic literature. Its ideas resonate as reflection on our past and as a statement on our present, and I can think of nothing more worthy of a story to do in this present moment.

Thank you to Del Rey Books / PRH Audio for the copies to review.

I’ve read two books by Dawson and I am a fan. Her stories are dark but have a purpose, and I loved that this had a paranormal element to it and I thought it was done well. The audio was great and added to the story, which focuses on Sarah, who is on the run from her unsupportive, narcissistic ex and alcoholic, abusive mother, taking refuge in a secluded artists’ colony within the grounds of a closed hotel. There is no cell signal or internet to distract her, and she’s hoping to get back to pottery while there. Until she finds the body of a young woman. Then the fellow artists start acting weird, and she begins having haunted dreams nightly.

This was an intense and excellent read, going back and forth from the past of the young woman who died as well as the current day with Sarah and the artists and it all comes to a head at the end. I love Dawson’s writing and how her stories come together and how she perfectly captures female rage and how horrific women were treated back then when they tried to fight back from abuse. This is another one where you don’t want to miss the author’s note just FYI.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! This paranormal thriller feels like a blend of House on Haunted Hill and One by One. The story follows a group of artists attending a secluded colony, where things take a dark turn after a dead body is discovered. When one of their own meets an untimely end, the group begins to suspect a supernatural force is at play. I connected with the characters on many levels and appreciated how their pasts intertwined with their experiences at the colony. Spooky, thrilling, and utterly engrossing, this book kept me hooked until the very last page.

*Thank you to Delilah S. Dawson, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

I have historically liked Delilah Dawson's work a lot! I liked The Violence, and many years ago, I enjoyed her YA book Hit.

For that reason, I almost couldn't believe she had written It Will Only Hurt for a Moment.

The premise is great: a feminist horror thriller set at a spooky artists' colony that used to be an abandoned hotel.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed almost from the first page. Sorry! I read an e-ARC, so maybe the book just hadn't been edited yet? But the writing was super clunky, the protagonist's character super flat, the shitty dudes more comic than rage-inducing. Every chapter broke at an arbitrary faux-cliffhanger (I must have read the phrase "and then she saw a human skull" like four times). There was loads of plot stuff that didn't add up.

This read to me like a paint-by-numbers book. Or maybe a Frankenstein book without the electricity. It's like someone wanted to write a novel with the ~vibes~ that the Internet would love, and they plugged in all the right elements, but the end result has no oxygen.

I was very excited to receive this EARC. I enjoyed the gothic setting and the atmosphere was good. Though I feel this book did drag out, which in turn I lost interest throughout. I also feel that the ending did not feel complete and was rather abrupt. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is still an author I would be sure to try again
3 Star

Will anything ever top Dawson's The Violence for me? Not likely. It Will Only Hurt for a Moment was an admirable effort, though, and a solid 5-star read.

Sarah Carpenter is trying to escape her traumatic past by seeking solace at Tranquil Falls, a secluded artists’ colony where she hopes to rediscover herself and her passion for pottery. But as soon as she starts digging into the clay, she unearths something far darker than she bargained for—a body buried deep beneath the surface.What follows is a chilling descent into a truly engaging historical mystery. As Sarah begins to unravel the strange behavior of the other artists, from the calligrapher with ink-stained teeth to the musician who can’t stop playing a haunting melody, she starts to question her own sanity. Are the bizarre happenings a sign of something supernatural, or is there a darker force at play in the colony’s past?

If you’re a fan of dark thrillers with rich, atmospheric settings and expertly placed supernatural elements, It Will Only Hurt for a Moment is definitely worth a read. It’s a haunting exploration of trauma and the things that refuse to stay buried with some shocking twists and truly scary moments. I absolutely loved every minute of it.

I'm sure decades later we are still going to talk about abusive boyfriends, gaslighting husbands, and other men supporting their causes. In their eyes, women are never going to be anything more than a servant for men to meet their needs without a question. One woman was locked up in a "spa lodge" because she said no to rape and another ran away from an abusive boyfriend to find her voice again - both happened on the same grounds

Sarah walked into this artist's retreat or colony or program (whatever you want to call it) only to find dead bodies and disturbing stories. All she wanted was to run away from the boyfriend and go back to being an artist before she fell into his web. She kept finding people behaving weirdly (almost possessed) and the owner gaslighting her concerns. Sarah was not a quitter though. She stepped into the "hotel" which was a no no to be able to find her own answers. However, I had the feeling that she wished she did not.

"It will only hurt for a moment" is such an eerie thing to hear especially in the moment of distress. It's a sign that whatever is happening to you will continue to happen but you will be used to it after a while. There is so much hopelessness buried in that sentence that both Sarah and many women felt.

Characters felt very 2D, and I feel like I should have gone into this without knowing anything about the book. The synopsis gave too much away. It eventually felt repetitive, and I particularly didn’t like the “goth girl is bitchy” stereotype.

I love everything about Dawson. This was visceral, real and I loved the authors note at the end. Total auto buy author for me. Thank you @netgalley!

A highly atmospheric thriller that will leave you thinking about it long after you have finished reading. Sarah’s stay at Tranquil Falls is intertwined with the dark secrets of the colony, creating a gripping and emotionally resonant read. A new author for me, and I like her style.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Please check trigger warnings before reading this.

This is the first full length novel by Delilah S. Dawson that I have read. I have previously read Guillotine, and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was hopeful for this story. This was a very dark story about a group of artists staying in an old hotel. I did enjoy the variety of the cast of characters, but I did confuse them a bit until about 50% through. The atmosphere of the story is very ominous and dark. The past and present story was masterfully weaved together with that paranormal aspect that was intriguing. The despair and treatment of women in this story does illicit anger, fear, and sadness. There was a twist in the story that I was not expecting, which was pleasantly surprising. The ending of the story felt unfinished and unsatisfying to me. Overall, this was a solid horror story with a gothic atmosphere.

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a review.

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment by Delilah S. Dawson
#onehundredandthirteenthbookof2024 #arc #itwillonlyhurtforamoment

CW: death, dead bodies, snakes, dead animals, rape, arson, abuse, roofies, gaslighting

Sarah is on the run from an abusive boyfriend and joins a secluded artists retreat on the grounds of a former hotel. As she gets to know her fellow residents, strange things start happening and she begins to dream of a life that’s not her own. Dead bodies start appearing and then things really go off the rails.

I love this author, and she has become an auto-buy for me. Dawson can do no wrong and this novel was no exception. I’m actually late to review this book because I wanted to savor the story and not rush to make the publication date. (I received my finished preordered copy and read it instead of the arc that was sent to me.) Dawson writes about strong complicated women overcoming difficult circumstances. This novel is no exception, and I wanted to know more at the end. More about the other artists’ experiences at the retreat, more about the aftermath of the reveals, more about the hotel and the life of Emily. The story in the author’s afterword is terrifying, and I appreciate her sharing it, and how it connected to the novel.

Thank you to @delreybooks and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Available now, pub date was 10/22/24)

Add this to your TBR and go in blind!
I saw mixed reviews for this one, so I wanted to decide for myself. I found this book to be quick, unpredictable, and chilling. I definitely recommend it!

So this story is about a girl who is trying to reset her life after family issues and an abusive relationship, goes on an art retreat (or is it a competition of some kind I didn't get it) to this place in the Mountains of North Carolina.
There she is staying in an old resort/run-down hotel from the 19th century.
Some ghostly things happen to her and the people she is with are not always what they seem. Well, this can be said about the hosts as well.

I was going to 1-star, but it was written well, and it had some good things, so I'll just call it ok. Once you get to the halfway point it picks up, I just wish it weren't a chore to get there. The MC was not bad. I did like her; Sarah is her name. A couple of other characters were interesting, but I don't think they were utilized enough.

But you may not agree, so check it out yourself

thanks,, NetGalley for the book to review

I have loved previous work from this author. Unfortunately this one didn't work for me. While I appreciated the setting and the general premise of the book, the execution fell flat. Sarah was not a particularly interesting character. The story itself just felt repetitive and sluggish.

IT WILL ONLY HURT FOR A MOMENT was a fascinating horror-thriller combo that went in a lot of directions I completely expected it to ... and yet still really impressed me. Delilah S. Dawson is quickly becoming a favorite auto-buy author of mine.

I was enjoying this book initially and was leaning towards 4/5 stars. I found it to be fast-paced, well-written, intriguing, it had me wanting to know more and keep reading. But then the ending happened and killed the whole book for me. No answers, no closure, so many loose ends and just kind of baffling. It had a lot of potential but the final chapters just made the entire experience feel like a waste of time.

That being said, I WOULD still read other books by the author - I have quite a few on my TBR. I'm hoping this was just a one-off meh ending, because the writing really was strong.

Book Review

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment
By Delilah S. Dawson
Published: 10/22/24
Genre: thriller

This novel exceeded my expectations! I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the setting description of the ‘old hotel’ and artists’ retreat. I thought the plot was thrilling and the atmosphere was chilling. I felt that all the characters were needed, but I’m glad the chapters didn’t alternate perspectives between them all. The villains were terrifying, and I really felt for the ladies that were stuck in horrifying situations and relationships. There was definitely a theme of men behaving badly, and the women who have to fight for themselves. It was heartbreaking and scary at times, but also empowering. I loved it! This was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book for me! I’m looking forward to exploring other novels by @delilahsdawson

Thank you to @netgalley and @delreybooks for the opportunity to read a digital arc of this novel!

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