Started off pretty high 5* for me, then the story started to deteriorate because I was so invested in a character who was inevitably killed off lol. Then the story starts bringing in more side characters who I could care less about it, but it got messy!! Ooooh soooo messy. 🫠 but the story wrapped up neatly with a bow. 😂 I will give it 3.5 *

I really enjoyed this book and it kept me on the edge of my seat for most of it. I was kept guessing all the way through too

"The Surrogate" is about a couple, Sophie and Matt, with Sophie having problems conceiving. Sophie's childhood friend, Lucy, comes back to town and instantly offers to be their surrogate.. Things take a turn when they all decide that Matt and Lucy should sleep together as it's the cheaper option, and Lucy has an ulterior motive....
This book is a gripping page turner that I couldn't put down. It has twists and dark sides that made me hold my breath. When I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it and that's how you know it's a great book!

I am a sucker for quick draw in's and this book definitely did just that with a couple that's desperate for a child and seek a surrogate to fulfill that want... You could never predict the twists and turns that come. The build up was great, unfortunately the ending came as anticlimactic and had hoped for more. Overall, it was an absolutely great book that I would read again.

The Surrogate by Iain Maitland is a dark, twisty, unpredictable and disturbing psychological thriller that will leave you with your jaw on the floor! Oh my, Oh my, Oh my! This was something else!

It started so nicely and innocently and technically based on the name of the book we are expecting things to go wrong but the turn it took was unbelievable! And everything from there was going down like a spiral! This is a complete madhouse!

Sophie and Matt are happily married. They have all they wish minus the baby. They tried everything and nothing worked this is why when Lucy, her childhood best friend, returned to town and offered to be a surrogate, Sophie grabbed this chance with both hands. But things went terribly wrong from the beginning and Sophie soon realised she made the biggest mistake in her life.


The end clearly signals that there is a high possibility that a sequel is coming otherwise I don't see the reason to end the book with this kind of cliffhanger.

Thank you, NetGalley for this copy.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. A twisty story about a family who just wanted a baby and things went terribly wrong. What would you do to have children?

Lucy and Sophie were once best friends, until Lucy and her family moved away.
Sophie and her husband Matt want nothing more than to have a child, but their attempts have failed.
Lucy comes back and reconnects with Sophie, and immediately offers to be the surrogate. What does she have in mind?

Dark and disturbing. Twisty, but unlikeable characters. They are all selfish and self serving. The book made me feel uncomfortable in most places, not sure of what the main characters would do next.
Sophie isn't the brightest of people, but thinks that she is, and that she has everything under control.

I didn't see that ending coming, and wonder if there will be a sequel? If not, it is not a great ending at all. Totally unexpected.

This is the first book I have read from this author. It was a basic mystery with some suspense in the storyline. I found the book to be an enjoyable read. . However, I did find the ending rather brief and flat.

Lucy will carry Sophie’s child. But she does want something in return… Sophie should be the happiest woman in the world. A good job. A nice home. Best of all, married to Matt, the love of her life. But there’s one thing she doesn’t have a baby. She knows that without a child of her own to love, she will never feel complete. This emptiness at the center of her life is driving her to the edge of madness! Ooooooh great book!! I had archived problems but finally got this book! And what a read!! Definitely a chilling thriller!! It had great suspense, murder, mystery, fantastic characters and some really crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Wow what a rollercoaster of emotions! It all starts with a couple who are devastated not being able to have a baby, when an old friend appears and seems like she is the answer to their problem... But then things go crazy from there and you won't be able to put it down until you see how it ends! Brilliant!

Thank you Inkubator Books and NetGalley for an early copy of The Surrogate. To say this was a weird book is an understatement. I’m not quite sure what I just read. Eerie, weird, anxiousness, mind blowing!!! This story took the plot to another level, one I did NOT expect at all. I have to say I could NOT put this book down, I had to see what was happening. The ending was WHAT JUST HAPPENED? This will stay with me for a loooooong time. The choices the two main characters made were insane. Great read.

I loved this book. I will declare now that I am a big fan... a really gripping, fast-paced read. I found this difficult to put down and I didn't want it to end!

Wow! This book does not go the way I expected it to. This author is one of my favourites so I knew I would be in for a good story, but this is perhaps his best yet. The stupidest people in the world turn out to also be the most awful people in the world, but what an ending! Always concise and controlled in his dialogue and descriptions, Maitland lets nothing get in the way of this fast paced plot and it makes for a compelling reading experience.

Enjoyed every moment, just love this author.
The characters are either mad or bad......or sometimes both.
The storyline is fast and furious. One of those where i am shouting in my head at the characters. "Don't trust her, why would you do that" etc.
The whole thing was crazy, the ending bonkers and i was sad to have finished it.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.
Huge five stars from me.

This is a very suspenseful book that you will want to read quickly to find out what happens. Sophie and Matt have been trying for a baby for years exhausting themselves and their finances. Lucy an old friend of Sophie moves back home and their friendship resumes with Lucy even willing to be a surrogate for the couple.

Strange occurrence begin happening and Lucy's stories about her life don't add up. Because Matt and Sophie don't have any money to pay Lucy , she moves into their house and decides to get pregnant from Matt the regular way.

This is where I think the book veers off and becomes very strange and all the characters become horrible. Also I didn't care for the ending.
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Thank you to Inkubator Books, Iain Maitland, and NetGalley for this ARC!

It was a very quick read. The entire book was a little over 200 pages. The pacing was quick and there were no wasted time or pages. But the narrative style was more like someone's journal instead of an atmospheric thriller/mystery/suspense story. I didn't find the characters likable (but that is probably by design) and the ending felt a bit abrupt. I don't read very many thriller books, so I may not be too versed in this genre. Give this book a try if you're a suspense genre fan!