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! 😮‍💨😅🤣 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!

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. Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 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.” 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.

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. Rachel Simon is a writer with work in The New York Times , Glamour , NBC News , Marie Claire , and many other outlets. Follow her @rachel_simon .

When Anna finally gets pregnant, these interferences escalate but no one, including her husband, believes her. Still, they retreat to the Hamptons, only for things to take a more sinister turn. 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 want to thank the author " Danielle Valentine", the publisher "Sourcebooks Landmark" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this First off, thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.Delicate Condition is pitched as Feminist Rosemary's Baby. I haven't watched or read Rosemary's Baby( stay tuned) but given its classic stature I obviously know the basic plot and I think this is a good update. I won't say much about the plot but if you know Rosemary's Baby than you can guess most of the plot. 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.

I had a lot of impostor syndrome where I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I’m not good enough; maybe I’m only a YA writer,’” she recalls. “I felt intimidated.” It didn’t help that she’d put more than a year and a half of her life into writing a different adult book, only to “hit a wall” and realize she needed to shelve the manuscript. The experience left her “in a dark place,” she says (which certainly wasn’t aided by the fact that she was six months pregnant at the time and experiencing a whirlwind of hormonal changes). An indictment of how women are treated during pregnancy, dismissed and ignored, their pain overlooked From the very first chapter, this book ensnared me, captivating me with its brilliance. The plot is nothing short of mindblowing, taking unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the journey. It is a masterful portrayal of ambition and adversity intertwining in a roller-coaster of emotions. The plot really worked with twists that made my head spin. 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.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. I wanted to write a story where the reader was at times being like, ‘This can’t be what’s happening to her,’ and really have you faced with the choice of ‘Do I trust her? The other people in her life don’t trust her. So, what do I believe?

During this time we also find out that Anna has an online stalker (I mean she is quite famous). Then someone breaks into their NY apartment. This is all too much for Anna and Dex, so they go and stay at a friend’s private beach house. Anna needs to take care of herself and the growing baby inside of her. While at this beach house, Anna starts to crave bizarre foods/meats, she develops a horrible rash on her body, her hair starts to fall out in clumps, she hears noises in the attic and outside her window, the baby moves and gives her sharp pains throughout her body. Nobody believes Anna, and isn’t there anyone out there who can help her?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!