Thank you Harper and NetGalley for an early copy of The Surrogate. This was a good read, a bit far fetched in many places But still good. I felt for all the characters, such a tough decision in life, surrogacy is. It brought out many different emotions and was a very good ending.

I would like to thank NetGalley for an Advance copy of This book.
This was a gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The story was well written and kept me guessing with an amazing ending.

I read this book in one day as I could hardly put it down. It was a bit predictable but had some good twists and turns in the storyline. I found it an enjoyable read.

This is a story where it’s hard to decide who is the bad guy, who’s in the wrong and who is right? Every time you start to lean to one side, the book shares the other sides viewpoint and has you questioning things again. This is also a fast paced, person on the run book, so it’s a bit nail biting. If you’re looking something to engross you completely, this is an unputdownable book you’ll love.

This is an interesting book and thought provoking.
Ruth desperately wants a child but is unable to carry a baby. Her and her husband agree to a surrogate. Cally seems to be the perfect option. Things quickly go south after the baby is born and Cally and the baby disappear.
This book brings up many questions about fertility and motherhood.
However, I feel the way the author leaves you feeling about the idea of surrogacy is very negative. It seems that she wants to portray it as a bad thing and overall it made me walk away feeling frustrated with the book and the characters.

There were many times I thought this book was going to be more likeable than it was,. I do like the idea of a couple desperately wanting a baby of their own and wife not being able to carry it, hence the need for a surrogate. GOSH, all these characters were so unlikeable, especially with Ruth's whining! Cally and her boyfriend Digger are also horrible people and I am glad the book kept them as the villains with no redemption. After their actions, neither of them deserved it.

Predictable ending but some good suspense, just missed the mark with me. Cannot recommend unless you want to read a book about an innocent, annoying couple being too niave and trusting to pair of strangers who seem too eager to help them be parents. YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED!!

I would read another book by this author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley, Toni Halleen and Harper for an ARC in exchange for honest review.

Available: 11/2/21

The Surrogate by Toni Halleen

#seventythirdbookof2021 #arc

CW: infertility, surrogacy, kidnapping

I was interested in the premise of this book, but boy are none of the characters relatable or likable. They’re all pretty terrible people based on what I read, but not one of them is a fully formed character. No one is fleshed out, and no one has motivations that are ever clearly shown. We’re thrown into the plot as Cally, a surrogate for a wealthy couple, kidnaps the baby in the middle of the night before the handoff (not a spoiler, literally in the plot description), and the chapters go back and forth between the kidnapping and earlier during the negotiations and pregnancy, alternating between characters. It takes place in 2001-2002, and I feel like the time setting was an easy way to avoid cell phone existence, although even I, a kid just out of college at my first real job, had a cell phone at that time. Also, I’m pretty sure most hospitals don’t have fully openable windows in the maternity area. Plus, a love interest at the very last minute?! So messy. Nope, nope, too many plot holes.

Thank you to @netgalley and #harperbooks @harpercollins for the advance copy. (Pub date 11/2/21)

In the beginning the flow of writing is kind of choppy. Initially Ruth is NOT likable — but I sympathize with her because I can’t imagine so badly wanting a baby and to feel complete in that aspect but not be able to attain it. Digger and Deena were a real piece of work. I’m glad the author didn’t try and give them a redemption arc. They didn’t deserve it.
As a mom I wholeheartedly understand why Cally kidnapped the baby and ran off, the connection is inexplicable, however I don’t agree with what she did at all. Ruth needed therapy. Were people judging her decision to use a surrogate as much as she thought they were? It definitely seems that way but sometimes it also feels like she’s projecting.
The budding relationship between Sam and Cally didn’t feel organic. It felt kind of forced just so that she would have someone else in her corner. I’m happy that she found real love because Digger was NOT it but it didn’t seem necessary. Overall, the book was very enjoyable and the storyline was intriguing and kept me coming back. I’m looking forward to what the author puts out next.

So. Hard. To. Finish.

This novel was truly one of those books that I skimmed most parts and had to force myself to finish. The description sounded really interesting but the characters are all pretty one dimensional and there was zero guess work as to the ending.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

To start, I thought the premise of the book was so interesting. As I write this I am 7 months pregnant so it was an intriguing story line for me. The plot fell a bit flat. It just felt like we were following the characters around and hoping they all meet up. I didn’t find it particularly “thrilling”.

However, I really did enjoy the ending! I thought everything tied together nicely. I’d def read more by this author.

I really liked the premise but the story itself fell flat for me. To start I got the impression the author has issues with adoption and surrogacy. Also, the multiple perspectives didn't quite flow as well as it could have. Just when there was suspense building it switched to another perspective. The last few chapters picked up a bit with the action which I liked but it was sorta "too little too late". Not a bad book at all...just not my cup of tea.

⭐⭐⭐5 stars
Story has four POVs:
Cally~ the young college age surrogate
Ruth ~ the 40 something overbearing intended mother
Hal~ the other half of the intended parent
Digger ~ Cally’s boyfriend

This started out similar to other surrogate stories I have read ~ true more f-bombs than I like but the other stories didn’t have a character similar to Digger.


Turned out far more interesting than I thought and I ended up liking it!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Harper for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for my honest professional opinion.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 2, 2021

I thought from the description that the book would be full of suspense. The plot was what had initially drawn me in, however, I feel like the plot had given away all the suspense. A bit disappointed. You’re basically following these people through their lives but you know most of the large parts that happen.

Ruth desperately wants a baby. Her husband Hal has 2 teenage boys from a previous marriage but is ready to welcome another to their family. After extensive searching, they find Cally who is a young girl ready to continue life in college after she has given birth. She seems the perfect surrogate for Ruth. They agree on what she should be paid and Ruth accompanies Cally to her doctor appointments. The baby is born, but where is the baby and Cally?
A great read thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3 for neutral. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this one, likely because I’m a moody reader, but did try on a few occasions. Will update if able to get into it and finish at a later date.

The Surrogate by Toni Halleen

Sometimes despite all your efforts, you can't make someone love you like you'd like to. We see that narrative play out multiple times throughout this novel. Cally and Ruth have a complicated yet 'legal agreement between the two. Cally is to be Ruth and Hal's Surrogate, and when it's all said and done - Cally is to be given a total of fifty grand. That money can give her a new start, a new beginning to the hard life she has overcome so far. However as you can imagine, life doesn't go the way you plan always.

The book always had my interest peeked. Just when a chapter was getting heated and juicy, it would switch perspectives. I always wanted to read just ONE more chapter. I did think as the book was ending it got a little unbelievably dramatic (Hospital scene) but other than that I liked the dynamic the book had. Thr characters all had good character development, and the writing of the book seemed very personal and relatable. For that reason I rated this book 4 stars.

Thank you Toni Halleen, Harper and NetGalley for the advance copy to read in return for my honest review!

Thank you to the publishers at Harper and NetGalley for an e-ARC of The Surrogate.

The Surrogate is a book written from four different characters perspectives, and for me personally it worked with this book...I don't always feel like that style works even with the best of intentions, but this one was addicting, hard to put down and I loved reading from the four different characters perspectives.

Hal - the attorney desperate to make his new wife a mother
Ruth - Hal's wife, desperate to have a child and is in her early 40's
Cally - the surrogate wanting to cover the cost of college
Digger - the ex-boyfriend of Cally who finds himself in too deep

Each character tells his/her own truth and I personally love this because the story feels more complete. I had a difficult time putting this one down because I wanted to know what was going to happen, what the characters were thinking and was curious in what direction Halleen was going to take the reader.

A book like this is hard to summarize without giving details away and I'm just not a fan of spoilers. It was a quick read because Halleen's writing kept up the momentum of the story. In other words, there were no parts in this book that were boring or had me losing interest.

It's a solid 4.5 stars for me.

I was intrigued by the concept here, and eager to dive in. As a late-in-life mother myself, I wasn't sure where my sympathies would lie since I can see where both women would feel the baby was "their" child... Unfortunately, I was wincing right from the start at Cally's actions (I found the newborn-baby-in-a-duffle-bag bits very tough to read, remembering my own brand new baby's fragility) and frankly didn't find any of the other three characters who comprise the four-person POV swapping tale to be much more sympathetic... I just couldn't find myself feeling for anyone but the child here, who seemed in for trouble regardless. The writing never grabbed me and clearly the characters did not either. I was ultimately unable to finish, so don't even know where the poor baby wound up. This one wasn't for me...

Ruth and Hal Olson are ready to have a child together. Hal has two sons from a previous marriage but Ruth wants to carry a child of her own. Unfortunately, Ruth is unable to conceive so in order to make her dream of motherhood come true, Hal and Ruth agree to hire a surrogate to carry their child. Here enters Cally. Cally dreams of getting an education, but is unable to afford it. She sees the opportunity of being a surrogate as a ticket to a higher education. Once she has the baby, however, Cally starts to change her mind about handing the baby over.

The Surrogate is told from multiple points of view, which I always enjoy during a novel. I did not enjoy the character of Ruth. I know that I should feel some empathy for her, which I did to some extent, but overall, I did not like her. I also didn't like Digger, Cally's former boyfriend. He was a jerk and very selfish. I enjoyed the ride this novel took me on. I was always anxious to return to it anytime I had to put it down. I enjoyed the fact that it wasn't so black and white who you should be rooting for. That there were definitely shades of gray.

This book caught my interest fast and held it. It was fast paced which kept me turning the pages to see what was next. Loved how it was told in different POVs.