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. I do appreciate the trigger warnings given at the beginning of the book. PLEASE take note of them before launching into reading it. If you are trying to have a baby or currently pregnant I do not advise reading this book right now. You may think you know where this is heading, but you'd be wrong. Whip smart and enjoyably gruesome No matter which way she chose to end the book, though (and no spoilers here!), it wasn’t going to be pretty. “At the end of the day, I am a horror novelist,” Valentine says. “I always knew I was going to take it to a really dark place.”

I also resonated with how our main character Anna felt at the end, so I will leave you with this quote(s)- “I was tired of pretending I wasn’t in pain. I was tired of being strong just because it made things easier for everyone else. I was tired of calming down.” You know those children's books and programs where the kids think something evil is happening and from their perspective all the evidence seems legit? That's exactly what this book is for all the women characters involved. But then the end comes and everyone is happy and they have a good laugh because nothing was macabre or evil, it was all for the better if everyone. Ha ha ha silly woman shouldn't have felt afraid.

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 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!

I don’t want to say what aspect of horror this is for spoiler purposes, but it’s not a horror sub-genre that I usually go for. With this book, I absolutely loved it. This book starts as a thriller, then crescendos into horror as the book goes on. It has really cool little stories from centuries ago interspersed, of women who have also been affected by Anna’s maladies, and that just added to the suspense. No matter what the responses to the book were, though, the author likely would never have stopped pursuing her love for writing about all things dark, strange, and unsettling. Her next work, a young adult novel out next summer, is a summer camp-set slasher that she describes as “ The Parent Trap meets Friday the 13th.” After that, she’ll be finishing up her next adult novel, a horror story that she’ll only tease revolves around cooking. Wherever Valentine goes, it seems, goosebumps follow — and she wouldn’t have it any other way. This book is the basis for the newest season of American Horror Story and its clear how this book would fit perfectly into the lore of the series. I haven't watched AHS I'm years...I think Hotel was the last season I watched and I probably won't watch this season either.Danielle Valentine's 2022 YA mystery/thriller, How to Survive Your Murder, was a very popular release and many thriller aficionados loved it, so I was really excited for her adult novel release, DELICATE CONDITION. When I first saw the cover, I thought "omg I need to read this", but when I heard it's the basis for Season 12 of American Horror Story, I definitely knew this needed to be prioritized. I usually steer away from stories involving the importance of pregnancy, but I trusted that if this book was good enough to be subject matter for one of my favorite shows, that it would be a fun time. When I first read the synopsis, I wanted to read this, but I also wondered if it was going to be cheesy. Saying a book is like “The Push” and “The Silent Patient” is a very bold statement to make. In this case, it’s also a very true statement! Add a little bit of “Nightbitch” and “Motherthing”, and we get this crazy, yet somehow beautiful, story… First of all, this book is nothing like The Silent Patient or The Push. The best, and most obvious, comparison would be Rosemary's Baby. Delicate Condition is the story of Anna, who finds that her wildest dreams are coming true all at once. Not only has she had a breakout film role that has the media buzzing about an Oscar, but she is also, finally, pregnant, after years of fertility treatments. But Anna still can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Appointments are disappearing from her calendar, her medications are being tampered with, and she's certain she's being followed. When her doctors tell her she's had a miscarriage, Anna is devastated -- until she feels her baby move later that night. And then she starts to have disconcerting visions and strange cravings... This books starts as a psychological thriller but eventually morphs into horror. It’s a heart-pounding read where you’re not sure what’s real and what’s not.

Overall, it was a slow paced, creepy horror read that will keep you reading until the very end. While I was invested and had to know how it would end I am thankful its over. Phew! 😮‍💨😅🤣Even the author herself wasn’t always sure what the answer was going to be. “There was a really big period of time where I didn’t know how it was going to end,” she admits. “Was I going to end it with: This is all in her head; this was all her imagining these symptoms being bigger? Or was it actually the supernatural or a monster or something like that? That was a question I really played with a lot.” DELICATE CONDITION was literally a one-session read as I stayed up late absolutely determined to reach the end, because I knew I could not sleep without knowing! I want to thank the author " Danielle Valentine", the publisher "Sourcebooks Landmark" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this Before I start my review, I would like to begin by saying that there was nothing ‘delicate’ about this book. 😬 This was definitely different, and a little strange. But I couldn’t stop reading, because I had to know what happened next and of course how things would end.

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 unique 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 many 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 (also gave stitches without any novocaine or anesthesia), Why? 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! Anna and her husband, Dex, have been trying to have a baby, but so far, it hasn’t happened for them. Anna is an actress best known for a role from a couple decades ago, but her most recent film appearance has her looking at being an Oscar nominee. With her recently-regained fame, she wants to remain private about her struggles with conceiving. After months and months of trying, Anna finally conceives. However, during this IVF process, strange things started to occur. Appointments were missed/rescheduled, medications were not being properly stored, and was someone following Anna? Was Anna really becoming forgetful and careless about the most important things in her life? Originally, Valentine worried that Delicate Condition would be “too weird for publishing,” she admits. But she’s been pleased to see it resonate with readers, including both those who’ve been pregnant and can relate to (some of) Anna’s struggles and those who’ve never shared that experience. “From people who don’t want or aren’t able to have children, it’s this feeling of ‘Yeah, I’m glad I don’t have to go through that,’” Valentine says. “And for people who have been through it, the thing I hear is that they feel seen. They’re like, ‘That’s what it’s like.’”s ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪs ᴀʟsᴏ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟʏ ᴅᴏɴᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ʜᴇʀ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ɪ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴠᴇʀsɪᴏɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ʙᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴘᴀʀᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍs ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʙᴇᴅ. Anna and Dex desperately want to have a baby. After multiple IVF treatments, they learn that it was successful and Anna is pregnant. Simultaneously, strange things start to happen! For instance, her appointment times are changed, medications misplaced, stolen items and someone is following her. Is she going crazy and getting forgetful or is it someone else doing all this and why?? Following their move to a temporary location of safety, Anna is told she has had a miscarriage. Or is she still pregnant? 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! s ɪᴠғ ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ ɪs ғᴇᴀʀ ɪɴᴅᴜᴄɪɴɢ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴡʜʏ ɪ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪғ ɪᴛ ᴀғғᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ - ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴏɴʟʏ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇ ʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴏᴍs ᴏʀ sᴏᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴍᴏᴍs ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ғᴇᴇʟ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs. ᴅᴀɴɪᴇʟʟᴇ’s ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ɪs ʙʀɪʟʟɪᴀɴᴛ! sʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ʏᴏᴜ ғᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ’s ᴇɴᴅᴜʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀs ᴀ ʀᴇsᴜʟᴛ - ɪ sᴛᴀʏᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴍᴀɴʏ ɴɪɢʜᴛs ᴀs ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴇᴀɢᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ғɪɢᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴏᴜᴛ!!!