A brilliantly written novel full of intrigue and suspense. The plot was complex and the author did a fantastic job of bringing all the threads together at the end. Some really great twists that I didn't see coming! A very satisfying read.

I enjoyed this psychological thriller and could not put it down.
The story flits between past and present with twists and turns throughout. I thought I had it sussed but I was wrong.
I loved this book and can’t wait for her next one.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookoutre, and Louise Jensen for this ARC . Just when you think Louise Jensen's books couldn't get any better they do! This one was the best one yet, absolutely loved it! This psychological thriller had a very suspenseful ending, I couldn't put it down. Throughout the whole book I kept wondering who can you trust ? What are all the secrets? And do you really get what you deserve after all? From the beginning realize has to do with the baby. I alienated between liking Kate or liking Lisa, and then I like neither of them so my emotions were all over the place. Nick had me totally confused, I think I gave him more storylines in my head, involving all the characters. This is one I would definitely recommend, because I never saw this end coming !
I don't know how to link all my reviews that I put online so I will just tell you that I have put my reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook.

‘The Surrogate’ is the latest book from bestselling author Louise Jensen. I must admit that although I have several of Louise’s books, ‘The Surrogate’ is actually the first book of hers that I have read. Boy oh boy what a book it is.
I don’t want to type too much about the storyline as I have an unintentional habit of giving away far too many spoilers about books that I have enjoyed. Kat and Nick are a happily married couple, who are desperate to be parents. They have tried to adopt but at the last minute the adoptions have fallen through. They have suffered a lot of heartache and they are on the brink of giving up. However, Kat’s childhood friend Lisa pops back up and tells her that she was once a surrogate. This gives Kat the idea of hiring a surrogate and who better than Lisa, who she already knows. Kat and Lisa have a long history together but it’s obvious that something major happened in their past, which affected both of them and which led to their estrangement. There is certainly more to Lisa than meets the eye. Cracks start to emerge in Kat’s picture of what her family should be. It isn’t long before Kat comes to realise that to save her family in the present day, she has to confront the ghosts of her past. Just what did happen between Kat and Lisa? Is Lisa all she seems to be? Will Kat and Nick get the happy ever after that they so desire? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
I must admit that I found it pretty hard to warm to any of the characters but that isn’t such a bad thing as it meant that I could remain impartial and have an overview of the situation. Kat was a bit of a strange cookie. I get that she is desperate to be a mother and that she is at the stage of potentially doing something very drastic to achieve her aim, but there were certain of her behaviours that didn’t just set one alarm bell ringing, more like a whole shop of alarm bells. I also can’t really understand why, when there are thousands of children in this country ready for adoption, Kat and Nick go overseas to adopt. (That little thought probably has a lot to do with my past working life in Childrens Social Services). I think that Kat feels a tremendous amount of guilt over what happened in the past and she has never really forgiven herself. Kat wants to believe that Lisa is genuine but I think that there is a small part of her that remains suspicious of Lisa and her motives. Lisa is a funny old fish and not in the ha ha sense. At first she is all friendly and open but there are certain behaviours of hers that set warning alerts off (or at least to me they do). All the clues build up and provide a chilling insight into her true character. Lisa seems to be rather stalkerish and I think that she has been keeping an eye on Kat from afar because Lisa knows certain information that Kat knows that she hasn’t told her. I did keep asking myself ‘What’s your game Lisa?’ I was suspicious of her and her motives. Nick comes across as being a bit of a limp lettuce leaf. I couldn’t help thinking that he was going along with Kat’s wishes of becoming a parent because it was something that she wanted and it wasn’t what he wanted. Nick seems to be hiding something too as he can be less than truthful and also very evasive in details that he passes on to Kat. I did wonder just what it was that he had been up to. There was certainly more to him than met the eye.
‘The Surrogate’ is extremely well written. I was gripped from the first word on the first page and the book held my attention until the last word on the last page. It was almost as if I had been hypnotised by the book. The pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and before I knew it I had finished the book. I was glad to know how this particular story ended but I was enjoying the writing style and plot that much that I wanted the book to continue. Reading this book was a lot like being on a rollercoaster ride with all the twists, turns and stomach churning moments. There were literally times when I had to hold my breath and I almost had to read through my fingers as I genuinely feared what was going to happen next.
In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘The Surrogate’, which provides a chilling insight into how certain hopes and wishes can drive you to do drastic things. I would definitely recommend this book to others. I can’t wait to read what comes next from this hugely talented author but whilst I wait, I will content myself with reading her earlier books. I award this book 5* out of 5*.

Kat wants a baby more than anything, but she is unable to have one of her own. She & Nick have tried overseas adoption, but twice now they got their hopes up, only to have the baby go to someone else. Out of the blue, Kat's oldest friend shows up and offers to be a surrogate. What starts out so perfectly ends in deceit and tragedy.

This book is a non-stop thrill ride, with so many plot twists you won't have any idea what is coming next.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM.
SOME FRIENDSHIPS ARE BETTER LEFT IN THE PAST.

Ok! Where do I even begin? This book was such a wild ride. The who's, what's and why's never stop and after awhile you begin to question your own sanity. Just when you think you have the slightest inkling of what is happening, Louise Jensen throws you into another direction. Spinning what you "thought" you know completely upside down!

This is my first book by Louise Jensen but it will NOT be my last! I have already ordered my copy of The Sister and cannot wait to dive into it. I was completely entranced by The Surrogate. It held me tightly in its grasp from the very beginning and still has yet to let me go even though I have turned the last page. Louise Jensen has proven to me, with just this book, that she is a mastermind at psychological thrillers. She penned such a suspenseful thrill ride that had me flying through the pages at a fervent pace.

The Surrogate is delivered in Kat's perspective but also has 'Now and Then' segments that hop back and forth between Kat and Nick. Louise Jensen crafted this aspect beautifully. Not once do you ever get confused or need to backtrack. Each character also stands so strongly. The Main cast appears to be Kat and Nick yet all of the secondary characters play a major role in this novel. Each one has a vital part in the strength of this story and the entire package of the novel.

The Surrogate will have you questioning every relationship and motive and the sincerity of people. Should you rekindle that friendship or leave the past behind you?

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of The Surrogate and cannot wait to dive into Jensen's previous and future work. She is a real gem in the literary world and will have you on the edge of your seat in nail-biting suspense!

Though this book wasnt my cup of tea, i gave it 4 stars because it was well written. It definitely kept me guessing all the way through. The pacing increased to a frantic finish even I could not/would not have imagined. Ms Jensen managed to make the story itself strong enough to make up for the fact that she never made me care about the characters. They seemed rather two dimensional. If you like your psychological thrillers with a touch of the psychopath - The Surrogate just might be for you.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Louise Jensen for the opportunity to read and review this book. Also to my Goodreads friend, Sandy, for the recommendation!

This is a great psychological thrill ride that will keep you guessing until the very end. The book opens with the murder of two people - trust me, you won't figure out who those two people are until you close the book!

Kat and her husband, Nick, are desperate to become parents. They have tried international adoptions which only led to heartbreak. An opportunity to have a surrogate presents itself but also opens up ties to the past that were best hidden.

Saying any more about the plot of this book may lead to spoilers and you definitely want to read this book to discover all its secrets yourself!

Great book - first I've read of this author and I'm anxious to go back and read her other works.

The difficulties faced by parents unable to have their own children are numerous, and sometimes end in disappointment and heart break. Some become desperate and will do whatever it takes to find a baby—adoption or otherwise. Authored by bestselling U.K. novelist Louise Jensen, “The Surrogate” is an enthralling psychological drama about a couple and the surrogate mother that seemingly wanted to help them have a baby of their own, and heal the traumatic events linked to their past.

The adoption of their baby girl Mia from a Chinese orphanage looked promising for happily married Nick and Kat, unable to have a child of their own. Kat had prepared the nursery, awaiting Mia’s arrival, when she got the news from their solicitor Richard, the adoption had fallen through. Kat was devastated. While having lunch in a busy diner, Kat spotted and re-connected with her former best friend Lisa, after a period of estrangement that had lasted nearly a decade.

Lisa, a nurse at Saint Thomas, was happy to see Kat and seemed overly eager to resume their friendship, immediately forgiving past hurts. The issues that broke up their friendship were complex with sinister implications. Lisa claimed to have had previous experience as a surrogate mother, and showed Kat a photo of a baby girl. Was her story genuine? Kat and Nick were willing to overlook obvious red flags. Richard would handle all the legal aspects; events that weren’t exactly right could be fixed. Lisa was their last chance at parenthood; the couple was willing to take chances, pay Lisa’s non-stop requests for more money, and do whatever possible to have an infant of their own. The past surrounding Kat, Nick and Lisa would surface, despite their tremendous efforts to conceal several dark murky truths.

There were numerous unpredictable twists in the storyline that kept readers a constant state of suspense. The psychological intrigue increased as Kat found her mental stability compromised and she had no choice but to put her remaining shreds of faith and trust in Lisa. The revelations surrounding some of the secondary characters were unrealistic, yet this doesn’t stop readers from being wowed by the thrilling storyline of this exciting new novel.
**With thanks to bookouture via NetGalley for the direct e-copy for the purpose of review.

EXCERPT: 'Is it really a coincidence she is here or has she purposely tracked me down? And if so, why?

'Revenge' whispers the voice inside my head.'

THE BLURB: ‘You know that feeling? When you want something so badly, you almost feel you’d kill for it?’

Be careful what you wish for…

Kat and her husband Nick have tried everything to become parents, and are on the point of giving up. Then a chance encounter with Kat’s childhood friend Lisa gives Kat and Nick one last chance to achieve their dream.

But Kat and Lisa’s history hides dark secrets.

And there is more to Lisa than meets the eye.

As dangerous cracks start to appear in Kat’s perfect picture of happily-ever-after, she realises that she must face her fear of the past to save her family…

MY THOUGHTS: Twisted, twisty and oh so nerve wracking! I almost tore my fingernails out of their beds reading The Surrogate by Louise Jensen, and I do not bite my nails!

Full marks to Louise Jensen. She has demonstrated that she is mistress of her art. I thought I knew where she was going with this. She reinforced my beliefs. But she took me for a ride - up the wrong road. More than that, I am not going to say. I don't want to give anything away. I don't want to spoil any surprises. And they come thick and fast.

I am going to liken reading this book to riding a roller coaster in one of those spinning teacups with no seat belts. Thrilling, scary. Yes, you may have to suspend belief occasionally, but believe me, by then, you won't care.

Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Surrogate for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

Holy guacamole! This book is completely mental and I mean that in the best way possible!

All Kat wants is to be a mum but it just doesn't seem to be happening for her. After two attempts to adopt a child fall through, a chance encounter with her old childhood friend Lisa may just make her dream come true. But there are a lot of dark secrets in their history.

Prepare yourself for a ridiculous rollercoaster ride full of tension and suspense. There are so many twists and turns, I thought I'd end up with whiplash! This is one of those stories where I ended up not trusting anyone. With a cast of flawed and troubled characters, my sympathies shifted back and forth. I couldn't decide where my loyalties were and almost ended up despising just about every single one of them.

The story starts out at the scene of what looks like a double murder and throughout, you just can't help yourself trying to guess who the victims are. Every time I thought I had it figured out, Louise Jensen deftly put a stop to my ideas and led me in a completely, and usually wrong, direction. I absolutely love it when an author is able to keep me guessing until the very end. Speaking of endings, what? Let me say that again : WHAT?!

The Surrogate is the absolute perfect book to read in one sitting, which I would have done but contrary to popular belief I do actually sleep sometimes. But it was hard to put this one down as it really is an utterly unputdownable and mind-blowing page-turner! Absolutely brilliant psychological thriller and I can't wait to read more by Louise Jensen!

Wowza!!! This is my third book by this author and loving her! I devoured this book within a day!

Very well-written and suspenseful, I was hooked! I flew through the pages to find out what the hell was going on! Talk about a roller coaster of a ride! Is Lisa out for revenge against Kat and why?! What could Kat have possibly done that was so bad? The ending was a bit far fetched BUT what a ride to get there! Louise Jensen, I will eagerly be anticipating your next book! Very fast and enjoyable read!

Thank you so much to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy of this book! 4.5 stars!

This book reads like you know exactly what is going on, Kat and her husband can't have a baby so they are going to adopt one, except the adoptions keep falling through at the last moment. Enter Kat's best friend from the past whom Kat is sure hates her because of something that happened when they were young. Surprisingly, Lisa wants to be her surrogate, but is Lisa doing this out of the goodness of her heart or is there something sinister going on? Good psychological thriller with a shocking ending!

This book had a lot of potential, but fell flat in some parts. It stretched credulity to the point of being unbelievable in multiple points. I liked the premise and setup of the book, but it failed to completely live up to its potential. On the positive side, it was a page turner and kept me in suspense and reading and unable to put it down. This is a good book to curl up with on a dark, rainy afternoon and while the day away with, but it's not deep or earth shattering. The writing was a bit breathless and elementary and could've used some editing - however, the plot was very interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book to review.

A gripping riveting read around Kat whose old friend offers to be a surrogate for her and things all start to unravel. Very hard to put down !!!

Phew! I had to sit back and digest this book once I had read it. It was very well written and got me hooked from the start. Kat is desperate for a baby but is unable to conceive. She is desperate and is willing to adopt but sadly two adoptions fall through. Her husband Nick will do whatever Kat wants but he doesn't seem as desperate. Suddenly Kat's friend Lisa who she hasn't seen for years turns up in her life and offers Kat just what she needs. BUT can Kat trust her? There is history that is explored through the book and you start to doubt if this will work. An excellent book that explores desperation and hope. Psychology between friends and how friendships can turn into a nightmare! Loved it!

This book was interesting, my sympathy changed from character to character with each passing chapter. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout this story

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS BOOK!! It had crazy twist and turns and the ending was incredible and terrifying at the same time. I didn't think I was going to like it but it was one of the best books I've read this year!

The Surrogate by Louise Jensen

Title: The Surrogate
Author: Louise Jensen
Published: Sept 17
Publisher: Sphere
Pages: 336
Price on Amazon: Paperback: £13.44 Kindle: £0.99
ISBN: 0751570605

Maternal instinct outrides everything but what lengths would you go to to get a baby of your own.

Ten years ago something terrible happened in both Nick and Kat's lives but neither of them speak about it. Happily married and desperate for a baby to complete there family, they decide to adopt from another country. When two seperate adoptions fall though it seems all hope is lost that is until a blast from Kat's past comes back into her life.

Lisa and Kat were best friends in high school and Kat even dated Lisa's twin brother Jake, but something terrible happened. Has Lisa come back to cause trouble or is she genuinly trying to help Kat and Nicks dreams of having a baby come true. Can everyones past secrets stay hidden?

I got this book from NetGallley in exchange for an honest review. When I first read the synopsis for this book I was excited as I thought it sounded really interesting and really good.

This book is a slow starter but it is worth sticking with it as once it gets started it is a great read, with a good plot, easy to follow, fantastic characters and amazing twists you don't see coming. I really enjoyed this book I have never read any of Louise Jensen's books before, I shall be looking into her other books as I enjoyed this one so much.

I have chosen to give this book four out of five stars as I will definatly be recomending it especially to my book club. This book has also made its way into my favorites category on my kindle.

My Review can be found on:
Amazon (Once the book has been published)
Goodreads,
Net Galley,
My Blog.

Links to my review can be found on:
Twitter: @lusreviews
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Yet again another stonker of a novel by this author! She writes supremely well with tight,fast paced plots guaranteed to keep the pages turning and have you thinking about it long after the end.