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Liquid Gold
Not yet published
Expected 12 Jan 27After a traumatic birth experience, a new mother finds herself struggling with little support. With nowhere else to turn, she seeks the help of an independent lactation specialist, who introduces her to a community of women in similar situations. At first, the Sisters-in-Loving-Arms seem peaceful and supportive, if not a little over-regulated. But soon, her hesitation grows into something much more concerning, and she realizes she must submit to her new reality or become something more-something more terrifying-to save her and her baby.
256 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 12, 2027
About the author
Wendy Dalrymple
87 books348 followersWendy Dalrymple loves to explore the beauty in horrific things.. When she’s not writing #pinkhorror or Florida Gothic horror, you can find her hiking with her family, painting (bad) wall art, and trying to grow as many pineapples as possible. Follow her on IG or TikTok @wendydalrymplewrites.
Www.wendydalrymple.com
Www.wendydalrymple.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 28, 2026
“Of course,” Dana says. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” You can drop dead."
‘American Horror Story’, eat your heart out!
What really sold me on this book was cover, obviously. With a cover like that... how could you say no!? I didn't read the synopis until after I spotted the cover and I was in the second I was done reading it. I thought it was going to be something different from what we are used to but sadly, it wasn't. Typical commune weirdos.
I'm not a mom to a human child, so things in this book didn't connect with me like it will with others. I do understand the bond that moms have with nursing their children and always having them close by. This has a lot of that and doesn't start getting into the weirdness until the middle of the book. That was when things started moving quickly...
Now, this was interesting but it was a very typical horror outcome. It was very predicable in every single way and that was what held this back from being something fantastic. The story itself was okay but what I did enjoy was gore that leads us to the end. That was wild but other than that nothing else sticks with you.
‘American Horror Story’, eat your heart out!
What really sold me on this book was cover, obviously. With a cover like that... how could you say no!? I didn't read the synopis until after I spotted the cover and I was in the second I was done reading it. I thought it was going to be something different from what we are used to but sadly, it wasn't. Typical commune weirdos.
I'm not a mom to a human child, so things in this book didn't connect with me like it will with others. I do understand the bond that moms have with nursing their children and always having them close by. This has a lot of that and doesn't start getting into the weirdness until the middle of the book. That was when things started moving quickly...
Now, this was interesting but it was a very typical horror outcome. It was very predicable in every single way and that was what held this back from being something fantastic. The story itself was okay but what I did enjoy was gore that leads us to the end. That was wild but other than that nothing else sticks with you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
My thoughts on the book are mixed as there are some elements I really enjoyed but others that were lack luster.
The first half of the book, 20 or so chapters, are like driving in a snowstorm. It’s slow, I really needed to push, but it is mostly necessary to get where the book wants to go. Newborns and handling that troublesome time is a horror all on its own. The hormonal fluctuations and the uniqueness to each situation can have any new mother feeling this sense of isolation and the book expertly captures that. Our unnamed mother is lacking in support not because the people she surrounded herself with are poor in character but because she is surrounded by nearly no one. On top of that, circumstances send her reeling so that the only comfort she finds is with SILA, which is completely understandable based on how the book sets things up.
Her time at SILA is also a bit of a drag. It felt like she changed her mind about the place a little too quickly for the push to the plot that really doesn’t start to unfurl until another 12 or so chapters. One plot point that I kept asking, though I know why it was written that the mother never acts on this thought, was instead of trying to leave the old fashioned way, why not go through the other method in which other women may have potentially left? It is answered in the book indirectly why Dalrymple could not have that happen but I was almost frustrated that the mother never even considered that method.
The last half of the book picks up in pace but becomes a little repetitive. All the questions are answered to satisfaction and there is a nice twist to a plot element often used in books like this one that actually made me very happy; the actions of one character were not at all what they seemed. However, I did ponder “how can an ending feel fast and slow at the same time?” I determined it is because that while indeed all questions are answered, tying up some lose ends in certain areas was so lightly touched that it felt almost thrown away.
The gore towards the end is a fabulous bonus and the mystery throughout is a compelling one. The writing was great, our mother is a complex character, and the intensity of her emotions towards her child are so realistic that it makes every decisions she makes, perhaps not agreeable, but understandable.
It is not everyone’s cup of tea and I would recommend it to people I know like what I consider to be “motherhood horror.” Overall, a good read with a solid question throughout.
My thoughts on the book are mixed as there are some elements I really enjoyed but others that were lack luster.
The first half of the book, 20 or so chapters, are like driving in a snowstorm. It’s slow, I really needed to push, but it is mostly necessary to get where the book wants to go. Newborns and handling that troublesome time is a horror all on its own. The hormonal fluctuations and the uniqueness to each situation can have any new mother feeling this sense of isolation and the book expertly captures that. Our unnamed mother is lacking in support not because the people she surrounded herself with are poor in character but because she is surrounded by nearly no one. On top of that, circumstances send her reeling so that the only comfort she finds is with SILA, which is completely understandable based on how the book sets things up.
Her time at SILA is also a bit of a drag. It felt like she changed her mind about the place a little too quickly for the push to the plot that really doesn’t start to unfurl until another 12 or so chapters. One plot point that I kept asking, though I know why it was written that the mother never acts on this thought, was instead of trying to leave the old fashioned way, why not go through the other method in which other women may have potentially left? It is answered in the book indirectly why Dalrymple could not have that happen but I was almost frustrated that the mother never even considered that method.
The last half of the book picks up in pace but becomes a little repetitive. All the questions are answered to satisfaction and there is a nice twist to a plot element often used in books like this one that actually made me very happy; the actions of one character were not at all what they seemed. However, I did ponder “how can an ending feel fast and slow at the same time?” I determined it is because that while indeed all questions are answered, tying up some lose ends in certain areas was so lightly touched that it felt almost thrown away.
The gore towards the end is a fabulous bonus and the mystery throughout is a compelling one. The writing was great, our mother is a complex character, and the intensity of her emotions towards her child are so realistic that it makes every decisions she makes, perhaps not agreeable, but understandable.
It is not everyone’s cup of tea and I would recommend it to people I know like what I consider to be “motherhood horror.” Overall, a good read with a solid question throughout.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As a breastfeeding mother myself, I knew I had to read this as soon as I saw the title.
Liquid Gold follows a new mom with very little support following the traumatic birth of sweet baby Gabe. Absolutely smitten with her baby but nearing her breaking point, a lactation specialist takes her under her wing and introduces her to SILA: Sisters In Loving Arms. At first the community seems great, if a bit woo-woo, but then the cracks in SILA’s peaceful facade start to show themselves.
At first I was underwhelmed by the writing style, which felt unpolished to the point that was sure this was the author’s debut novel. Turns out the author is actually quite prolific, so I wonder if it’s a quantity-over-quality thing that rushes the editing process.
That being said - the bones of the story are good. The mother was often super relatable (when she wasn’t being irritating, at least) and whenever she worried over something happening to her baby, I felt my heart lurch in solidarity. Waking up in a panic, hand flying to your newborn’s chest to make sure they’re still breathing - how many times have I done that?
The ending felt a bit chaotic, but it was an interesting turn of events and I was frantically turning the pages. I’m so glad I soldiered through the slower paced beginning until I started enjoying the story more.
I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Liquid Gold follows a new mom with very little support following the traumatic birth of sweet baby Gabe. Absolutely smitten with her baby but nearing her breaking point, a lactation specialist takes her under her wing and introduces her to SILA: Sisters In Loving Arms. At first the community seems great, if a bit woo-woo, but then the cracks in SILA’s peaceful facade start to show themselves.
At first I was underwhelmed by the writing style, which felt unpolished to the point that was sure this was the author’s debut novel. Turns out the author is actually quite prolific, so I wonder if it’s a quantity-over-quality thing that rushes the editing process.
That being said - the bones of the story are good. The mother was often super relatable (when she wasn’t being irritating, at least) and whenever she worried over something happening to her baby, I felt my heart lurch in solidarity. Waking up in a panic, hand flying to your newborn’s chest to make sure they’re still breathing - how many times have I done that?
The ending felt a bit chaotic, but it was an interesting turn of events and I was frantically turning the pages. I’m so glad I soldiered through the slower paced beginning until I started enjoying the story more.
I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: 4/5 stars
Liquid Gold by Wendy Dalrymple
This was an interesting motherhood horror story. A new mom with very little support gets involved with a community that seems helpful at first, but things slowly start getting weird.
The beginning is pretty slow, and some parts felt repetitive. The story takes a while to get going, but things pick up in the second half. I liked the creepy community, the mystery, and the gore toward the end. The main character could be irritating at times, but I could understand why she made some of her decisions.
The ending felt a little rushed, and I wish some things had been explained better. Still, there's a good story here, and I enjoyed the horror elements. A solid read with a very interesting premise.
Liquid Gold by Wendy Dalrymple
This was an interesting motherhood horror story. A new mom with very little support gets involved with a community that seems helpful at first, but things slowly start getting weird.
The beginning is pretty slow, and some parts felt repetitive. The story takes a while to get going, but things pick up in the second half. I liked the creepy community, the mystery, and the gore toward the end. The main character could be irritating at times, but I could understand why she made some of her decisions.
The ending felt a little rushed, and I wish some things had been explained better. Still, there's a good story here, and I enjoyed the horror elements. A solid read with a very interesting premise.
Did Not Finish
October 10, 2026Despite having phenomenal book covers, this has cemented the fact that this author and their writing style just isn’t for me
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The characters and relationships were so underdeveloped it made so little sense. I don't understand why the main character had a baby with her fiancée that she can barely seem to stand, I don't understand why she trusts these strangers so much if she is also so suspicious of them from the start, and her relationship with her best friend is seemingly surface level until it narratively needs to be more. The main character also has no storyline or personality outside of being a new mom, so there is little to know about her. You intrinsically have to root for her, but while I rooted for her I wouldn't go as far as to say I cared about her as a character. It also builds up the main horror throughout the story and then everything happens in the last two chapters, but there are quite a few questions left unanswered.
A new mother finds herself struggling to adjust after a traumatic birth experience, which isn't helped by the fact that her fiancée has to go back to work sooner than planned. She has no family to lean on, and her best friend is a plane ride away. As she tries to figure out how to be a mother, she reaches out to a lactation specialist a nurse ta the hospital recommended to her, one who introduces her to SILA, or Sisters-in-Loving-Arms. Despite clocking this cult for what it is right away, our main character returns when a storm is imminent, and she receives a picture of her fiancée, whom she hasn't heard from in weeks, with another woman. SILA welcomes her with open arms, she just must follow all of their rules, including milk donations left outside her door every night. As the situation becomes weirder and weirder and the main character keeps putting up with it instead of trying to leave, the cult actions ramp up and she must decide whether she and her child can escape this safely.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
A new mother finds herself struggling to adjust after a traumatic birth experience, which isn't helped by the fact that her fiancée has to go back to work sooner than planned. She has no family to lean on, and her best friend is a plane ride away. As she tries to figure out how to be a mother, she reaches out to a lactation specialist a nurse ta the hospital recommended to her, one who introduces her to SILA, or Sisters-in-Loving-Arms. Despite clocking this cult for what it is right away, our main character returns when a storm is imminent, and she receives a picture of her fiancée, whom she hasn't heard from in weeks, with another woman. SILA welcomes her with open arms, she just must follow all of their rules, including milk donations left outside her door every night. As the situation becomes weirder and weirder and the main character keeps putting up with it instead of trying to leave, the cult actions ramp up and she must decide whether she and her child can escape this safely.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! ♡
(Gotta start off with Q&C are having a generational run with awesome covers.)
There’s a lot to work with in a story about new motherhood. Liquid Gold understands how frightening that period can be, particularly when the people offering help begin to make you question what you’re agreeing to.
The Sisters-in-Loving-Arms make for an interesting setting and the protagonist’s reasons for seeking refuge there are understandable. Unfortunately, the story spends so long circling her suspicions and her desire to leave that the middle starts to feel styuuuuccckk. She recognises quite early that something is wrong, so watching her repeatedly put off acting on that knowledge becomes frustrating. It's past the point of human energy. There just seems to be not even a lack of agency, more so like...wit? Brain power? When the horror finally escalates, it feels rather abrupt, and I wanted more time spent developing the community’s hold over its members.
The later gore has some great moments. Loved. But the book’s strongest material for me is the more recognisable fear of being a vulnerable person whose choices are increasingly subject to other people’s opinions. The pressure placed on mothers to raise their children certain ways often while being left to cope alone gives the horror something substantial to draw from. I only wish the pacing had been tighter and the shift into the final act better developed!
Still, it was fun enough!
(Gotta start off with Q&C are having a generational run with awesome covers.)
There’s a lot to work with in a story about new motherhood. Liquid Gold understands how frightening that period can be, particularly when the people offering help begin to make you question what you’re agreeing to.
The Sisters-in-Loving-Arms make for an interesting setting and the protagonist’s reasons for seeking refuge there are understandable. Unfortunately, the story spends so long circling her suspicions and her desire to leave that the middle starts to feel styuuuuccckk. She recognises quite early that something is wrong, so watching her repeatedly put off acting on that knowledge becomes frustrating. It's past the point of human energy. There just seems to be not even a lack of agency, more so like...wit? Brain power? When the horror finally escalates, it feels rather abrupt, and I wanted more time spent developing the community’s hold over its members.
The later gore has some great moments. Loved. But the book’s strongest material for me is the more recognisable fear of being a vulnerable person whose choices are increasingly subject to other people’s opinions. The pressure placed on mothers to raise their children certain ways often while being left to cope alone gives the horror something substantial to draw from. I only wish the pacing had been tighter and the shift into the final act better developed!
Still, it was fun enough!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Where "Liquid Gold" begins is no where near where "Liquid Gold" ends.
I often have a hard time with stories because I can find them to be predictable or too similar to other stories, but that has never happened to me with a Wendy Dalrymple novel. I love the Florida Gothic style she has created, it's so true and unique to the experience of living in Florida, but it's those niche ways the landscape is explained or a character's behavior, they all ring so true.
Wendy Dalrymple is the queen of pink horror, feminist/feminine horror, and it only makes sense that a novel about motherhood would need to happen at some point. The isolation and fear aspects of horror connect so well with the feelings of early motherhood in "Liquid Gold." The myriad of advice that is given, some conflicting, some that come with judgements, and the lack of body autonomy that mothers can face all while trying to just care for their child is so well represented in this story. I loved the commentary on 'who gets a say' in how someone chooses to raise their child. I also adored how hard this mother loved!
This might be my favorite Wendy Dalrymple - which makes this an excellent month for me because I really enjoyed "Buzzkill" also!
Thank you so much Wendy Dalrymple - my Florida Queen! Thank you to Netgalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for an eGalley of "Liquid Gold" before it's publication: January 12, 2027
I often have a hard time with stories because I can find them to be predictable or too similar to other stories, but that has never happened to me with a Wendy Dalrymple novel. I love the Florida Gothic style she has created, it's so true and unique to the experience of living in Florida, but it's those niche ways the landscape is explained or a character's behavior, they all ring so true.
Wendy Dalrymple is the queen of pink horror, feminist/feminine horror, and it only makes sense that a novel about motherhood would need to happen at some point. The isolation and fear aspects of horror connect so well with the feelings of early motherhood in "Liquid Gold." The myriad of advice that is given, some conflicting, some that come with judgements, and the lack of body autonomy that mothers can face all while trying to just care for their child is so well represented in this story. I loved the commentary on 'who gets a say' in how someone chooses to raise their child. I also adored how hard this mother loved!
This might be my favorite Wendy Dalrymple - which makes this an excellent month for me because I really enjoyed "Buzzkill" also!
Thank you so much Wendy Dalrymple - my Florida Queen! Thank you to Netgalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for an eGalley of "Liquid Gold" before it's publication: January 12, 2027
October 12, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow for approving me for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
My review and thoughts about this book are going to be very all very the place.
The first part of this books DRAGS and I do mean DRAGS. Like, I completely get it the story needed to be set up as well as putting things into place but good lord, did I feel like DNF, however I’m on a spooky mood and wanted to read it. The characters time in SILA also felt draggy too. Especially since she realized something ducked up was wrong pretty early on (which I highly appreciated) but at the same time, I wanted her OUT. And the other times, she was also irritating to me 😭 like girl a baby would heal you??? Not idk… THERAPY???? But I guess we needed the story, so yeah the baby healed her 🥴🥴🥴 and while I really did feel for the main character, as I said earlier, she irritated me at times.
Now the novel finally did pick up towards the end, but at the same time I just kept getting The Omen from it, which im not complaining about. Like the horror and gore elements were great, even though they started to feel a little repetitive in the end. I also wanted too sold on thought process, but I won’t post spoilers about it, I did enjoy the inverse of it happening.
If you’re looking for something spooky or you’re fan of the author I highly recommended despite my earlier complains, I’m glad a stuck with this despite the slow beginning!
My review and thoughts about this book are going to be very all very the place.
The first part of this books DRAGS and I do mean DRAGS. Like, I completely get it the story needed to be set up as well as putting things into place but good lord, did I feel like DNF, however I’m on a spooky mood and wanted to read it. The characters time in SILA also felt draggy too. Especially since she realized something ducked up was wrong pretty early on (which I highly appreciated) but at the same time, I wanted her OUT. And the other times, she was also irritating to me 😭 like girl a baby would heal you??? Not idk… THERAPY???? But I guess we needed the story, so yeah the baby healed her 🥴🥴🥴 and while I really did feel for the main character, as I said earlier, she irritated me at times.
Now the novel finally did pick up towards the end, but at the same time I just kept getting The Omen from it, which im not complaining about. Like the horror and gore elements were great, even though they started to feel a little repetitive in the end. I also wanted too sold on thought process, but I won’t post spoilers about it, I did enjoy the inverse of it happening.
If you’re looking for something spooky or you’re fan of the author I highly recommended despite my earlier complains, I’m glad a stuck with this despite the slow beginning!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Going into this book, I had so many theories and not a single one of them was right. I love a good surprise, and this book was definitely that!
What was disappointing in the first half of the book - normal first-time motherhood things - was made up for in the second half of the book. I was so unimpressed with the beginning, but it was all just to set the scene for the real horrors.
I absolutely love the crazy, horrific ideas Dalrymple comes up with and the way she writes them. The pacing was a little slow the first third of the book, picking up a little in the second third and then we just railroaded through the last third of the book. So, it was just one big ramp up which I don't normally like, but it just worked for this.
The climax was fantastic and the body horror and gore set my horror-loving heart alight. This was such a fun read, and I would recommend to all horror lovers with the caveat to be patient, I promise it's all worth it in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an eARC.
What was disappointing in the first half of the book - normal first-time motherhood things - was made up for in the second half of the book. I was so unimpressed with the beginning, but it was all just to set the scene for the real horrors.
I absolutely love the crazy, horrific ideas Dalrymple comes up with and the way she writes them. The pacing was a little slow the first third of the book, picking up a little in the second third and then we just railroaded through the last third of the book. So, it was just one big ramp up which I don't normally like, but it just worked for this.
The climax was fantastic and the body horror and gore set my horror-loving heart alight. This was such a fun read, and I would recommend to all horror lovers with the caveat to be patient, I promise it's all worth it in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an eARC.
October 16, 2026
Florida gothic and southern chic meets pink horror is what you'll realize Wendy does best once you've read a few of her works. While that is still somewhat at display here, I'd suffice to say our author extends herself outward with this one and shocked me with how well she may have made sure she never gets typecast again. Liquid Gold takes the "breast is best" adage and gives it a 2026 bend. Women who are outspoken, low on family, friends, and resources, are often the most susceptible to cult behavior. When our unnamed protagonist suffers a breakup fueled by her baby's father cheating, she finds herself in SILA's clutches, despite only wanting what is best for her baby, Gabe. When her devotion to her baby and ultimately breastfeeding gets tested by the laws the sisters put in place, the chaos really starts to ensue. I know this one might not be perfect or groundbreaking when it comes to analyzing cults and the why of them (will we ever?) but the premise and the culmination of specifically mother related fury that ensues is surely a beauty to behold. Thank you for the eARC, NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House. All opinions are entirely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have mixed feelings about this book, so I settled on a rating of a 4. The elements I loved: it features a cult that preys on vulnerable people, it explores early motherhood, and it does a good job of showing the stress put on mothers to care their child the “right” way, often without a village, while also recovering from a major surgery. However, the transition about 3/4 of the way through the book felt unearned and unexplained. There are also significant pacing issues with several sections feeling repetitive.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The first half of Liquid Gold dealing with real life issues with pregnancy, motherhood, security and relationships was truly unsettling and I could not put it down feeling so anxious for the unnamed mother. Once she relocates with the Sisters-in-Loving-Arms, I felt like the story became quite repetitive of the mother wanting to leave, then waffling and waiting for tomorrow again and again. Wish there was more gore towards the end of this book. I just didn't feel as squeamish over reading about a heart being eaten in two bites compared to cracked and bleeding nipples during breastfeeding.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved it. I wasn’t sure where it was going at first but it did hit on some good points about nursing mothers and how hard it can be doing things solo. The storyline intensity built up and the twist I did not see and loved. Honestly, I went into it blindly and was not disappointed at all! I would read this again and recommend it to anyone who loves dark themed stories
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all" yeah..
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