First off, thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. 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.” 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? WOW! ALL RIGHT!! Delicate Condition was not at all what I was expecting! The synopsis compared this book to Silent Patient and The Push and that is extremely misleading. The Silent Patient is one of my all time favorite psychological thrillers and this book was more on the pregnancy HORROR genre. The only thing I found similar with The Push is the pregnancy aspect. If you are a fan of the horror genre then you might enjoy this one. Unfortunately, I do not consider horror in my wheelhouse of genres.😳😬

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!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. 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?’” Valentine says. I didn't know this then, but the truth is, there is no such thing as an uncomplicated pregnancy. We all give something up in exchange for our babies. Nearly everyone on this planet was welcomed by the sounds of a woman screaming.

If you are squeamish, prepare yourself because things become downright grisly. However, if you can stomach it, this is well worth a read. I want to thank the author " Danielle Valentine", the publisher "Sourcebooks Landmark" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this

What a wild ride this was! I will say that some parts were a bit redundant and repetitive, and I was ready for this book to move along- or maybe because I was just so curious as to how this story would end. Either way, I really enjoyed the Author’s Note at the end of the book, which I would even recommend reading before you start reading Delicate Condition. You get an idea as to why the author wrote this book, and where her ideas came from. 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. 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. 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! 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!