Bed Rot Baby

by Wendy Dalrymple

Her life is falling apart… like, literally.

Being a sugar baby isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. After a failed art career and a failed relationship, Baby has lost her way. She’s adrift in the post-Y2K, pre-Facebook world and stuck in her Florida hometown, selling stolen goods online and working as a sugar baby. Even though she’s hustling hard, there’s still never enough money to pay the bills, and her long-suffering roommate is ready to put her out on the streets. One night after a bad date with her sugar daddy, Baby is assaulted by a mysterious woman in a parking lot. The attack leaves her disoriented and exhausted, so Baby takes to her bed to lie there and rot, like, for real. With every passing day, Baby’s looks and health decline in strange and horrific ways. Soon, it becomes apparent that the strange woman who assaulted her had something to do with her declining state. Baby needs to find her attacker, reclaim her life and her beauty, and get her shit together once and for all. But at what cost?

Bed Rot Baby is a pink horror meditation of self-discovery through self-destruction, and the real cost of self-image, self-esteem, and beauty.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Adult, Mystery, Horror Thriller, Mystery Thriller

198 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2026

About the author

Wendy 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

Reviews

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bed Rot Baby written by Wendy Dalrymple was interesting, humorous, horror filled, powerful, and aesthetic. Okay, let me be honest, I have never read bubble gum horror before, but this sub genre just became a new favorite for me. As a horror junkie, I loved this novella, but I had two issues- it wasn't long enough and I was left with unanswered questions. It's 2026, I'm pretty sure we have all heard of the term bed rot, well Miss Wendy over here took the term bed rot to a whole other level with her captivating story telling. I wanted to read this novella based on the cover alone, but my goodness gracious I was surprised by how much I loved this pink horror novella. I read this in one sitting, I could just not put it down whatsoever, it captivated me from the very beginning. If you are looking for a short book to read on a cloudy day, if you love pink horror, if you love unhinged women, and if you are a horror junkie, you better mark your calendars for February 10th, 2o26 for the publication of Bed Rot Baby written by Wendy Dalrymple. Honestly, this would be the perfect book to read during spooky season, but I couldn't wait that long because of course I just had to get my hands on this book quickly.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND QUILL & CROW PUBLISHING HOUSE FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

"♥💅🏼Just once, I want to wake up and not give a fuck about what I look like for a day♥💅🏼".

"🦋🎗Revenge isn't one and done; it's a butterfly effect of grief that can trickle down generations🦋🎗".

"💞🌹It's just me, my bed, and my self pity💞🌹".

"💖🌱Pain is part of being human. It can't be avoided. You have to feel it, then you have to grow and move past the things that cause you pain, or they can destroy you and everyone you love💖🌱".

Baby, our female main character was such a badass and she was so unhinged. Baby was having a date night with her sugar daddy George at Bosco's steakhouse, but soon after goes to the mall where she's attacked by some random woman that looks like a desiccated bug, who also likes to stalk baby at her apartment. George is married- he's wife is too busy with Zumba classes to know what George does on the side. George and Baby have had a week night date night for the past three months. George, well he's a bit interesting, he has a foot fetish, and he gets off by watching Baby eat dessert at the end of their date, but he wants her to have control, it's just a part of his kink. George loves to buy Baby expensive clothes and meals. One night after a date at Chili's- George decides to break up with Baby. Baby later starts having strange health issues- she needs vengeance, and she now has this energy sucking serial killer vibe. Our girl, Baby has a serious shop lifting addiction and she was fired from the grocery store where she worked at. Baby prefers jeans and t-shirts, but as a sugar baby she has to keep up with the aesthetic of fake nails, skin treatments, eyelashes, wigs, and designer clothes in order to be her sugar daddies arm candy because she's addicted to the attention.

Besides being a sugar baby, Baby loves to paint, right now she's working on a hands, feet, and eyes body parts painting in pastel colors. Baby has a roommate named Elaine and Baby is late on paying rent money, so I guess Baby has to make money somehow after being fired from her job. Baby is currently in a self pity shame spiral because she never has enough money to her name. Baby prefers to meet her sugar daddies at the mall for their first date, but if they don't buy her anything- there's absolutely no second date. Despite loving the attention from her sugar daddies, Baby loves to wear sweatpants, hoodies, and Uggs while she bed rots. Even though our girl Baby is a sugar baby, she has quite a few jobs to make ends meet, she has an eBay business where she sells her stolen Victoria Secret lingerie and she starts selling feet pictures which started out as a joke in high school but Baby needs to find some way to make rent money. Baby claims she looks like hot garbage when she cries- I just wanted to reach into my kindle and give this poor woman a hug, she was just doing her best to make ends meet even though I didn't necessarily agree with her chaotic choices.

[Brooke 𝜗𝜚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

╰┈➤ 𝟺.𝟸𝟻 ★ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ

❝𝙸𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎, 𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛. 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚛𝚞𝚗 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚠.❞

📚┆𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞
📱┆𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎
🏷️┆𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝙿𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝙷𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚛, 𝙷𝚞𝚖𝚘𝚛 & 𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚛𝚎
📆┆𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝟷𝟷/𝟷𝟽/𝟸𝟻 - 𝟷𝟷/𝟷𝟾/𝟸𝟻
📃┆𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
「 “Being a sugar baby isn't all it's cracked up to be. After a failed art career and a failed relationship, Baby has lost her way. Even though she's hustling hard, there's still never enough money to pay the bills. One night after a bad date with her sugar daddy, Baby is assaulted by a mysterious woman in a parking lot. The attack leaves her disoriented and exhausted, so Baby takes to her bed to lie there and rot, like, for real. With every passing day, Baby's looks and health decline in strange and horrific ways. Baby needs to find her attacker, reclaim her life and her beauty, and get her shit together once and for all. But at what cost?”」

────୨ৎ────

❝𝙸𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚠, 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚍, 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏, 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝. 𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚗𝚡𝚒𝚎𝚝𝚢, 𝙸 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎. 𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚍. 𝙸’𝚖 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚖𝚎, 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛.❞

ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★★.25
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟺.𝟷𝟼 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ᴘᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ: ʀᴏᴛɪꜱꜱᴇʀɪᴇ ᴄʜɪᴄᴋᴇɴ 🍗
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: 👍🏼
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: 🎶 ᴀᴘᴘʟᴇ — ᴄʜᴀʀʟɪ xᴄx
1:11 ———♡——— 2:32

⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

╭───
┆
╰⪼ ”I think the apple's rotten right to the core from all the things passed down, from all the apples coming before. I split the apple down symmetrical lines and what I find is kinda scary, makes me just wanna drive.”

⊱ ────── {⋆ ‧₊˚♪𝄞 ⋆} ────── ⊰

❝𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏, 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖 𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚔. 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝚝𝚘𝚘 —𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚎. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚞𝚟𝚊 𝚍𝚛𝚞𝚐.❞

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
💄 ʏ2ᴋ ᴠɪʙᴇꜱ
🦶🏼 ʙᴇᴅ ʀᴏᴛᴛɪɴɢ
📸 ᴊᴇɴɴɪꜰᴇʀ’ꜱ ʙᴏᴅʏ
💄 ɢʀᴏꜱꜱ ʙᴜᴛ ɢɪʀʟʏ
🦶🏼 ᴜɴʜɪɴɢᴇᴅ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ
📸 ʙᴜʙʙʟᴇɢᴜᴍ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ
💄 ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ
🦶🏼 ᴄʜɪʟɪ’ꜱ 2ꜰᴏʀ1 ᴍᴀʀɢᴀʀɪᴛᴀꜱ
⚠️TW: body horror, gore

────୨ৎ────

💬┆𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
⊹ You’ve heard people say “I want to go home & rot in bed/on my couch.” Well, this book brings the term rotting to a whole new level. & I am so here for it. Bubblegum horror has become my favorite sub genre of horror since it pretty much reflects my two personalities/aesthetic. It reminded me so much of Jennifer’s Body, (one of my favorite movies), especially with the hovering. Only difference is our girl had a major character development while Jennifer, unfortunately for her, did not. Lol.

⊹ Speaking of our FMC, Baby; I loved her her. Even from the start when she was superficial & materialistic. Look, our girl likes nice things & she was out there trying her best, I admired her hustle & I admired how unhinged she was. Who hasn’t thought of selling feet pics or being a sugar baby to get a little extra cash. 😂 And the ending? You know what, hell yeah. Good for you, girl. You deserved it. 👏🏼 I’m going to be so for real, I probably would’ve done the same.

⊹ Bed Rot Baby was such a good time. Between the premise, aesthetic, humor, & horror, I could not put it down. I could’ve easily finished it in one sitting. & the Florida references had me chuckling. Poor George & his unfinished Pub Sub.

⊹ My only complaint: I wish it was longer, Per usual, I am left with unanswered questions: in the epilogue, how is Celementine still alive? What were these women? Vampires, witches, all of the above?

────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ────

❝𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎’𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚊 𝚙𝚒𝚎𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝚆𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝
𝚠𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚒𝚗 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚟𝚎.❞

♡ Thank you NetGalley & Quill & Crow Publishing House for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Be on the lookout for Bed Rot Baby, hitting shelves on February 10th 2026!

[Court Zierk · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

If Drag Me To Hell and The Substance had a baby, but then ate that baby to consume its life force, that would be this book.

It was a fun ride, and I enjoyed my time with it. Nothing ground breaking here, but who said every book needs shatter the earth and set trends? Sometimes fun is just what I need. I love the 00s nostalgic vibe, and I loved the pinkness of the horror. I didn’t even know that was a thing until I read this book, but I must sort of like it. The author is a good writer, and I’d definitely check out more from her.

This lost some of its form towards the end for me, and some of my interest along with it, but overall it was a solid, enjoyable, impactful novella…

[TheConnieFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to start off by saying that this author is an amazing writer! I will read anything that this author writes. This novella is not just horror, it’s pink horror! It has feminine rage, body horror and psychological horror. It is fast paced, eerie, dark, mysterious, tense and comical. It is very atmospheric, engaging, thought provoking and easy to read. This is about a woman and her self image.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that is wanting to read a pink horror novella that is about self worth, that includes some good humor! This book gave me the movie “Jennifer’s Body” vibes! Be sure to check out the content warnings prior to reading this book. Overall, I give this a solid 5 out of 5 stars rating!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Wendy Dalrymple and Quill & Crow Publishing House for this great eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I also highly recommend reading her book “Credenza” that is out now!

This book is set to be published on February 10, 2026!

[Sidney · Rating 4 out of 5]

well this certainly was a ride I was not expecting to go on. Y2K vibes, bubblegum horror, body horror & feral/unhinged women...this book really was made just for me.

a short, sweet, weird little book that's packed with great humor. I'm not sure how Wendy Dalrymple was able to mix comedy with bodies decaying so well but this was a blast & it hits the ground running from the first page.

I really enjoyed the growth we see from the mc. at first I found her a little annoying for some reason but then as the story progressed I really came around to liking her. seeing her go from a failed artist, to hustling some wrinkly old men for a check, to finding herself again & getting her life on track was empowering.

considering the fact that I'm seriously stuff in the early 2000's, the y2k vibes were vibing. when she took out her pink razr I squealed because girl same. (Someone tell me I was not the only one that had the razr x Miami ink collab)

while I did enjoy it for the most part, I wouldn't say it's perfect. some of the dialogue was a little...lacking? & some parts felt like a liiiiittle bit of a drag but not by much.

also, what were Lydia & her minions???. Were they witches? Vampires? Somebody figure that out & get back to me because I simply must know.

3.5/5 rounded up for gr

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

[kiki’s delivery witch ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Pink Horror with a capital P, and it’s gloriously, disgustingly sharp.

Our protagonist, Baby (a name that screams "future therapy patient"), is living the post-Y2K, pre-Facebook dream... which involved an art career that went sideways, a roommate who should be sainted, and a side hustle involving sugar daddies and mildly illegal resale of items thrifted by the five finger discount. Tbh, the hustling montage was almost more horrifying than the eventual body decay.

The real story kicks off when Baby gets jumped in a parking lot, and the resulting "bed rot" is not metaphorical. We’re talking full-on, literal, physical decline. Dalrymple does not pull punches here. It’s genuinely fascinating watching Baby—who built her entire flimsy world on superficial beauty and the male gaze—have that foundation literally peeled off her face. The irony is thicker than Baby's crusty bedsheets in Act Two. As a mortician, I was anticipating scenes describing skin slip (don't google that if you like grapes, trust me).

The whole thing is a clever, sneering meditation on the cost of self-image. It asks, "What if your crippling self-esteem issues manifested as literal decay?" and then answers it with a resounding, "A lot of vomiting."

My only minor gripe, and the reason it only gets four stars instead of the full five, is that sometimes Baby’s internal monologue leans so hard into the apathy that you want to physically shake her. Like, girl, you have an actual decaying curse on you, maybe try putting on some shoes! But then I realized, that’s the point. She is the self-destructive hot mess, and watching her crawl her way out of both her stained duvet and her self-loathing is the real, grimy payoff.

Avoid if you have a weak stomach or strong feelings about skin conditions. Otherwise, this is a wickedly witty little number. It's not a "page-turner," it's more of a "wait, what did she just describe happening to her fingernails" stopper. A genuinely smart, gross, and surprisingly insightful journey of self-discovery through, well, aggressively bad hygiene. The ending leaves you feeling both satisfied and vaguely queasy. Baby is definitely a better person than me. I would've moved to California immediately and started thieving vitality from awful people like a energy vampire.

[STEPH · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Contracted and Drag Me to Hell had a baby, you’d get this book. I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy it this much. But I did.

The main character is someone you can root for. No matter how bad things got, she never lost her humanity. Reading this made me realize how obsessed we are with how we look on the outside that we forget to really look within—our actions, how we treat others, and our self-respect.

Witches, a coven, the chance to be immortal at the cost of others, and the power of friendship. This book reminds us that even when we start rotting on the outside, our hearts are still capable of kindness.

Really good read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

[Maven_Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bed Rot Baby by Wendy Dalrymple is a uniquely bizarre and thought‑provoking horror novel that falls under pink horror, a subgenre that mixes body horror, feminist themes, and sharp social commentary. The story centers on a struggling young woman nicknamed Baby, who works as a sugar baby while trying to support herself after a failed art career and relationship, only to be mysteriously assaulted one night, after which her physical health and appearance begin to deteriorate in strange, grotesque ways that feel both supernatural and symbolic of inner turmoil.

As she literally rots in bed, she must unravel what happened to her, confront the strange forces behind her decline, and fight to reclaim her life, beauty, and agency, even if it comes at a terrifying cost. It’s described both as body horror and a meditation on self‑image, self‑esteem, and the price of beauty culture.

This book sounds like an unforgettable ride because it doesn’t just scare you, it makes you think. Readers who’ve previewed the novel praise its mix of horror and humor, the visceral descriptions of body decomposition, and how it entwines unsettling supernatural events with very real human anxieties about aging, worth, and societal pressure around looks.

Rating: 3 out of 5. I’m giving this score because Bed Rot Baby feels like horror with teeth and soul: it makes you squirm, laugh, and reflect all at once, and its bold theme of confronting beauty expectations through literal and metaphorical rot is the kind of original, unsettling idea that sticks with you.

It isn’t for the faint‑hearted, nor is it a traditional genre read, but for those craving something provocative that blends visceral horror with cultural critique, this one is a wild, unforgettable experience.

[Ashley Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Body horror; self-destruction; feminine rage, all wrapped up in a cute pink bow. Set in Y2K, this definetly had me obsessing over the nostalgic feeling. I stayed up to finish this in one sitting, and I had an absolute blast doing so.
The plot delved so much deeper than I originally thought, too! That, and the underlying message of the book is pretty deep too. So, safe to say I really appreciated this book.

[Rachel Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. So creepy and pink! Definitely seems inspired by The Portrait of Dorian Gray (Grey? no...it's totally Gray, right?). Similar to Mona Awad's Rouge with the whole beauty cult.

Bed Rot Baby has plenty of nasty body horror bits all on its own. BUT it's also a really great story with great character growth...made better with a little bit of blood >:)

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

unlike anything i've read before and actually kind of fun!

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I too, love to bed rot and this made me rethink my life choices lol
I found this pretty entertaining and fun, as well as a quick read. I would’ve liked for this to be longer book instead of a novella. There is a lot of backstory that could’ve benefitted the story. I don’t want to give much of the plot away since I mostly went in blind but I would definitely recommend to give this a read.
3.5 rounding up. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

[Karli · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a devastating breakup, Baby is floundering. She's withdrawn from her art, something her ex also did, and has kind of been wasting her life away.m. Her looks have become everything now, her sole income from being a Sugar Baby. So when a strange encounter in a parking lot one night causes Baby to literally rot away, everything is on the line to try and reverse this mysterious curse.

This was a great bubblegum horror book. It was really easy to get through. The descriptions of Baby rotting away was delightfully disgusting. The body horror was really well done. I enjoyed Baby's journey into a more self accepting person and her friendship with Elaine was definitely a highlight.



Thank you ti Netgalley and Quill &Crow Publishing for the free arc

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book so immersive forgetting that I was reading a horror. I was drawn into the sugar baby life. It was also very relatable emotionally. The stakes felt high in this one, keeping me turning the pages. I wanted to know what was happening and if the main character would get her life back.

On a nostalgic note I heard the mention of Lever 2000 and I’m back thinking about the pre 2000s world.

I know I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. It’s a perfect blend of horror and emotional storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quill & Crow Publishing House and Wendy Dalrymple for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lizzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the cover and synopsis, I thought this book was going to be amazing. It gave me heavy Mia Ballard vibes, and after reading I can confirm I was correct 😛

I LOOOVE horror and books about modern SW really intrigue me for some reason, the concept was great but the execution didn't really do it for me. I felt the pacing was off - alright for the first half, then quite rushed in the second - and the storytelling wasn't anything profound

The descriptions of bodily rot and decay were very well done tho, I felt as if I was smelling and tasting the disgusting odours. I don't know whether to be pleased or very upset by that lol

[Jamie Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

The next time I say I want to "rot away in bed" or think how nice it'd be to "rot away" on the couch - I may think twice!

Baby is having a BAD TIME. Struggling through a traumatic break up, not sure what her next move is and being broke as hell, she is making ends meet being a "sugar baby". While it can help pay the bills, it isn't always reliable and honestly, Baby realizes more and more she doesn't even like to do it! She fakes who she is and the clothes she likes to wear and even what she likes to eat. Baby is losing hope. Even more now as she had a bad date with one of her sugar daddy's and then was assaulted by a crazy mysterious woman in the mall parking lot...

Since this chance encounter, Baby starts deteriorating. Not just mentally but literally - she is actually physically deteriorating. She thinks it is a stomach bug until she starts losing hair, leaving gross stains on the bed and is that... her rotted off pinky toe? Yikes! The woman who assaulted her seemed to start all of this madness and she has a new determination to figure out what the heck is happening with her and reclaiming her life. What a ride she has!

This book is definitely for fans of satire and horror comedy, body horror and pink/bubblegum horror. It is light-hearted and funny but also at times gross and creepy. What a great combination to have in the horror genre! I read this story in one sitting, so I definitely enjoyed it. I did however have a hard time connecting with Baby. She annoyed me and was quite whiny and insufferable at some points. But can you blame her - she's literally rotting away. Again, the story was easy to stay in and have fun with but sometimes it takes me out of the story a bit when I don't like the MC. The ending of this book was super satisfying, which was a bonus!

I am rating this book 3.5 stars and rounding up to 4 stars. I would love to read more books by this author to see what other fun pink horrors she is up to.

Thank you to Quill & Crow Publishing House and the author for this NetGalley digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Happy reading!

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great mix of body and supernatural weirdness! I definitely had a love hate relationship with the main character but ultimately was rooting for her to get away from the gross sugar daddies and paranormal people. Great “good for her” moments. This author writes a brand of “pink” horror and I am here for it.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Quill & Crow Publishing House for a copy!

[Rebecca White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wendy is one of my favorite woman horror writers. She writes pink horror with so much heart and this novella is right on track with her other work.

Yes, our FMC was a hard one to love at times but she was so well written that you couldn’t help but root for her. The early aughts nostalgia was so much fun and this one just kept getting crazier.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great fun for all the bubblegum pink horror girlies, especially if they have a Y2K background! And there’s definitely a shout out to anyone looking forward to being a crazy old hag in the forest. It’s a mix of The Substance (2024), The Picture of Dorian Gray by Wilde, and Witches (2020)— don’t take it too seriously. The “magical” parts of the story really have zero explanation and we definitely got into King Midas territory; I would have liked the process to have a little more substance, no pun intended, but punny nonetheless. I really enjoyed this and flew through it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Quill & Crow for the eARC!!

[michelle ࣪ ִֶָ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wendy Dalrymple has never disappointed! Her brand of horror is always exactly what I'm looking for, and the pink horror is just mwuah, chef's kiss. I had no idea where this was going to go at first, or how it was going to play out, and it was such a fun, wild ride.

Well paced and gory and a little feral. Lovely character development, too. I really grew fond of our main character and was audibly gasping in relief / fear for her at some parts. I do wish we had gotten more insight on Lydia and her powers and... coven? Not quite sure what their whole deal was but I'd have liked to have learned more.

Also - I love Y2K nostalgia and Wendy did it so perfectly. It was very prominent without ever prompting me to think 'oh my god, okay, we get it, it's the early 2000s.' It was just effortlessly embedded into the story and I ate it up. The vibes here were so well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for the ARC!

[Steph's_Creepy _Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

* Slight spoilers*
This was fantastic! It had everything. juicy story, a bit of guts and gore, humour, flawed characters and a little bit of dark magic!
I loved the development of the main character over the course of the story. She transformed from a pretty vapid person to a decent and caring one.
The clap back at her ex was fantastic.
The only thing I didn't vibe with was the flying element. It just didn't feel right for me as a reader. The women were powerful enough as it was and this part seemed like a weird trip.

[Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I DEVOURED this book. We’re following “Brittney” a struggling artist, who has found her self relying on sugar daddies and selling underwear online to make money. When she meets an odd woman in a parking lot her life takes a drastic turn. I went into this book completely blind and I was blown away, I was enthralled in the story and I needed to know what happened chapter after chapter.

Thank you Quill and Crow, and Netgally for this ARC, Bed Rot Baby publishes Feb. 10, 2026 and I will be recommending it to everyone I know

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHH I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS, HOW DO I FORM COHERENT, BRIEF SENTENCES AND NOT JUST YAP AWAY AND SCREAM AT YOU LIKE BILLY EICHNER ABOUT THIS????
Obviously, I loooved this. Not to be dramatic but- Immediate favorite. This book is crazy through and through. At less than 200 pgs, it's one of the most fast-paced, absurd, unputdownable books I've ever read. I literally loved every page and flew through it in a few hours. YOU BETTER BELIEVE I'LL BE BUYING A PHYSICAL COPY. I only wish it could come out sooner!
I don't want to give ANY major plot points/subgenres away bc I truly think this short book is worth your time and you should just experience it for yourself. If you know that we have a similar taste in books, let me assure you girlie, you're gonna love it. If you like/love pink horror, you're gonna love it. If you like unhinged women, you're gonna love it. Trust me on this one.
Brief synopsis/All you need to know going in:
It's Y2K era. Baby grl MC is making some choices. She has some trauma, is indeed bed rotting away as the title suggests, and lets the impulsive thoughts win... and it's SOOOO entertaining. Deranged body horror and twists that had me picking my jaw up off the ground over and over.
And it's weirdly empowering?? And sorta very loosely, like, a more fucked-up and fun girlie pop kinda death note vibes??? Am I even making sense? JUST READ IT ASAP AND GET BACK TO ME.
Thank you so, so much to the publisher, Quill & Crow, and NetGalley for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book, to be published 02.10.26! Definitely check them out for release updates <3

[Lychee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much vibed with the beginning of the book. It does such a good job of encapsulating the feelings of being a ~college age broke swer, just trying to keep ur head above water but feeling so alone about it. The part about wanting to reach out to ur mother but having to hide the details of your job bc u know she will worry and be disappointed is so isolating and relatable and hit super hard.

The slow descent into the bed rotting made me worried this was going to be like My Year of Rest and Relaxation, which I personally really disliked. However, I enjoyed this story much more and the body horror was very yucky and tummy churning and fun. This bed rotting felt like there was a point to it.

I had some issues once we got to about 70%. The “magic” system just really doesn’t make sense to me, and I can’t work it out here in the reviews without a ton of spoilers, so I’m just doomed to be confused forever. Her having morals is admirable for her as a character but I kind of wish she didn’t. The end got a bit too sappy for my tastes. The pacing at the end of the book also got kind of weird, where things just happened so quickly and everything weird just got accepted and believed. Overall still a fun, quick, gross read, but it lost steam at the end

Thank you to Quill & Crow and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

[Emily Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description of this book on NetGalley really intrigued me so I requested it on a whim. I’m very glad I did.

At first, the writing style felt a bit juvenile and I wasn’t sure if it was my kind of thing. But then it took a turn and I was totally sucked into it. The whole plot was bizarre and hilarious and disgusting in equal measure.

Some turns of phrase were cliche and overdone and some moments were a little too ambiguous, even for the unsettling horror tone. But, I genuinely enjoyed myself and devoured the novella in two sittings.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quill & Crow for the chance to read this early!

[Kelli Krystne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more I read from this author, the more I love her writing. This book was amazing and easily one of my favorite reads from this year. The queen of pink horror really hit the mark with this book. I loved the early 2000s feel, the friendship between Baby and Elaine, and the unique storyline. It was so easy to get into this book and I was immediately hooked. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a horror book for the girlies that will leave you wanting more.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

grotesque. gorgeous. thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I feel so grateful to have gotten to read such a baller book about a down on her luck young woman who gets even more down on her luck only to soar again. this book was a delight to read, and I loved every second of it.
I loved how unlikeable and unreliable Baby was, how unhinged she was, and ultimately her determination to get revenge while also protecting the people she loves.

[The Blog Without a Face · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rot girl summer

BWAF Score: 6/10

Wendy Dalrymple writes Bed Rot Baby like she’s live-tweeting a nervous breakdown from inside a Juicy Couture tracksuit. The voice is first-person, shamelessly gross, and weirdly tender toward its own ugliness. Brittany narrates with the jittery confidence of someone who can shoplift lingerie like it’s cardio, then sob into a voicemail because her mom’s answering machine picked up. It’s funny, it’s anxious, it’s filthy, and it’s detailed in the exact way that makes rot feel personal. Absolutely above-average and more on-mission than most “internet girl goes bad” horror. A broke Tampa sugar baby who’s been rotting in bed, hustling foot pics, and spiraling over an ex gets stalked by a woman who doesn’t just want to humiliate her, she wants to harvest her, and Brittany’s body starts literally falling apart as the rules of the curse come into focus.

I love how concrete the body horror is. This isn’t “I feel gross” metaphor fog. It’s missing nails, hair shedding, skin doing disgusting shit, and a genuinely nasty set piece involving gelatin and a missing toe that made me yelp and laugh in the same breath. The horror is also smartly modern and mean: image-control as literal predation. Brittany’s whole life is about selling fantasy, controlling angles, controlling what men get access to, and then the book flips it and says: cool, now your image is a cage and somebody else owns the key. Dalrymple keeps the pacing snappy with short chapters and escalating humiliations, and she’s good at making mundane places feel like trap rooms, malls, Chili’s patios, fluorescent law offices, grocery store aisles. The satire lands hardest when it stays close to Brittany’s contradictions. She’s shallow and self-aware, furious and needy, capable of being a total shithead and still readable as a person. The comedy works because it’s coping humor.

The middle stretch leans hard on “Brittany does something reckless, gets punished, then doubles down” loops, and some of the explanation beats arrive with a little too much “here are the rules of this curse, please take notes,” which drains a bit of the nightmare mystery. Also, a few character interactions tilt into on-the-nose therapeutic confrontation, especially when the stalker starts diagnosing Brittany’s life choices like she’s an evil life coach with a shotgun. It’s entertaining, but it makes certain scenes feel more like a wicked pitch meeting than a fully unhinged spiral. Still, the book commits. It gets mean. It gets bodily. It doesn’t chicken out into tasteful restraint.

This is for those who dig voice-first pink horror that’s funny as hell, sweaty with shame, and willing to get disgusting in specific, memorable ways.

Read if you want “self-care” to mean “delete your ex, steal some lingerie, and try not to lose another toe.”

Skip if you’re looking for elegant restraint instead of a book that says “gross” and then says “good.”

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars  

**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Basics
Author: she/her (US?)
Genre: horror
Setting: Florida, USA
Themes: disintegration, taking control
Vibes: gross, visceral

Characters
🫠 sugar baby - she is very unwell
😬 weirdo lady - also not right

Pros
+ sugar baby
+ strong, visceral writing style
+ girlypop is the definition of an unreliable & chaotic narrator and I love that
+ viscerally gross (e.g. - "I smile at her with popcorn vomit-crusted teeth.")
+ ooooh "the woman from the condo" reminds me so much of that freaky woman from the Weapons movie 😬
+ she is starting to slough off (pinky nail fell off, hair came out in clumps, she has forehead/face slime)
+ no blood + dried out sinew + no tears = (my guess) is she now a living mummy or something?
+ maybe I'm right?!?! It says: "I feel decrepit and dried out like the Crypt Keeper"
+ "decompose alive"
+ Her sickness is like a miasma

Cons
- meandering plot (not sure where we're going, but I'm down for the ride)
- surface-level plot
- plainly states the point/messages (no subtlety)
- got a bit repetitive in the middle
- I wanted to like this (for the body horror aspect) more than I actually did

Content Warnings
sugar baby lifestyle, depression, stealing, body horror, violence, gore

[Dr CG · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I absolutely LOVED the show “Are You Afraid of the Dark.” I actually consider myself a super fan. :)

Reading this story felt like the episode from AYAOTD called “The Tale of the Vacant Lot” where a woman in a mysterious disappearing tent offers a young girl anything she wants in the tent for seemingly small exchanges, instead of money. When the girl starts getting weird spots and rashes, it becomes clear that the lady in the tent is actually stealing her youth, and her essence. The moral is that everything comes with a price. We decide if we’re willing to pay it.

“Baby,” in this story, is literally rotting from the inside out and it’s gross. But is it also cool, yep! 👍

This was such a fun and different vibe than anything I’ve been reading lately. Highly recommend to lovers of body horror.