Abby, oh Abby! This book is a story about 'True Love'. Period. Such characters only exist in novels, because when this one came to an end, I was totally in awe of the protagonist and what they endured valiantly, not without their demons of skepticism that kept me on tenterhooks and suspicion throughout the book. While the prime villain, or the central antagonist character is concerned, as a seasoned murder mystery reader, I had my suspicions in the first half, but oh my! Such a devious villain only exists in the most twisted, abject, evil human tendency novels that only Frieda McFadden can write.

All the most important human themes — love, family, children, fidelity, security, and parenthood—are so vividly shattered in this book from all known evidence that one is led to question one's own security circle and whether they're as trustworthy as they seem.

I hugely thank Mandy Chahal and everyone at Sourcebooks, and of course, NetGalley, who approved my request to review this re-published work of art. I also want to thank all the 4+ star ratings on GoodReads, which screamed out for more readers to join this tribe of scintillating, blood-curdling, spine-chilling horror written in simple, plausible prose.

My heart-stopping moment (without giving away any spoilers) is that scene when three gunshots rang out in the presence of five humans in the same bedroom. This one has stayed with me, and I've replayed it over and over again in my head after the novel ended, just to dissect and relive what exactly happened in those 15 minutes. It was a totally tense climax!

And oh yes, I'm getting rid of all yellow blankets in my house!

Review for NetGalley. Very classic Frieda, page turner until the very end. This wasn’t my favorite from the author, it felt a little predictable at times but still an enjoyable, quick read.

Done in one sitting!
Tension PACKED read… it felt like a horror movie when you find yourself yelling at the screen NOOOOO!!!
The premise: couple struggle with infertility and adoption, wife’s assistant offers to be their surrogate….. in what universe can this ever be a good idea??!! I mean she’s only been working for her for 6 months, obvious HR issues, and hellllllooooo…. you are offering to have your husband artificially inseminate this person??
Start there and add the FREIDA MAGIC and you can’t help but power through in one sitting!!
I LOVE this author!

Another classic Freida McFadden popcorn thriller that doesn’t disappoint. While the antagonist was fairly clear from the beginning, the fast pace and addictive writing made this an entertaining read—perfect for a Saturday afternoon by the lake.

The story has all the hallmarks of McFadden’s style: quick chapters, sharp dialogue, and just enough twists to keep the pages turning. I also appreciated that the ending leaves the door open for a potential sequel, which added an extra layer of fun.

**Verdict:** A light, engaging psychological thriller that delivers exactly what McFadden fans expect.

Thank you to **NetGalley** and **Poisoned Pen Press** for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Predictable plot, straightforward story—still entertaining, but not as mind-blowing as I hoped. I was expecting more twists, given all the hype… still a good read, though!

The story wasn't... great. It wasn't horrible. It was just kind of meh, with an unlikeable main character who is EXTREMELY gullible, and full of esily predictable melodrama.

A couple desperate to start a family, and the woman who appeared to be their saviours. The premise of this was pretty straightforward and I saw a lot of the twists coming. It was highly suspenseful and kept me reading so I get why people really love her books. I found some of the writing a bit clunky and Sam’s cluelessness a bit unbelievable at times but overall I had a good time with this.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Love this author and such a treat to be able to read this

Absolutely loved it
A great summer read

The book was amazing! I knew where it was going but it still made a really quick and enjoyable read! It's a really good thriller and the characters are really well written even though the husband welp let's say he's lackluster as a person. But it doesn't change the fact that I couldn't put this book down for a second and finished it in one go!
The pacing is picking up as the book unravels and I loved it!
Would 100% recommend this book to my patrons!

Another classic McFadden book. Got me hooked pretty quickly and really enjoyed the story. It's the perfect book to turn your mind off for a good few hours!

As all of McFadden’s books, this is a quick and easy read. Nothing too surprising about the story, but both Sam and Abby are completely clueless and annoying. I had to force myself to finish this one because of how annoying they were.

The Surrogate Mother, by Freida McFadden, is a psychological thriller centered around Abby and Sam, a couple dealing with infertility who turn to surrogacy in hopes of starting a family. Their chosen surrogate, Monica, who also happens to work for Abby, quickly proves to be far more threatening than she first appears. The story quickly turns to manipulation, betrayal, and obsession.

While the plot delivers plenty of suspense and Monica’s character is convincingly evil, I found myself increasingly frustrated with Abby’s portrayal. She’s written painfully naive and passive, rarely speaking up even when red flags are glaring. Monica thoroughly dismantles Abby’s life - jeopardizing her career, framing her for murder, and attempting to steal her husband and unborn child, yet Abby barely pushes back until the very end. Her demeanor made it difficult to root for her once Monica showed her true colors and made the climax of the story less powerful.

I gave the book a 2.5-star rating. Thankfully, it is fast-paced, and Monica’s villainy adds a chilling edge, but the weak characterization of the protagonist made it hard to fully enjoy. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend this one to most readers, especially those who prefer strong, proactive leads in their thrillers. However, I do want to thank Net Galley for allowing me the opportunity to read this story.

Such a great read by the queen of suspense Freida McFadden. I love reading her books and they're always a great beach read.

Nothing really happens until 50% of the way in but once it gets real, IT GETS REAL. honestly a little disappointed in the ending but it was good

This was a solid thriller! All of Frida McFadden's books are always good to introduce people to the genre, this one is no different. She is formulaic for sure but it works for her and her readers! Also had a great plot twist that I wasn't expecting that had me yelling at my ereader!

WOW!

This book was fantastic! There were a lot of twists and turns that I didn't expect, especially the ending. You will be on the edge of your seat when you read this. Freida's books never disappoint me. This book is now one of my favorites!

Frieda’s books are always a fun, quick read for me. I always turn to her books when I’m feeling slumpy, they will almost always get me out of it. This book follows a couple who cannot conceive on their own. The wife’s assistant offers to be their surrogate (red flag!!!) and the story goes from there. Most of this book had me rolling my eyes at the stupidity of these characters, none of them were particularly likable and they kept making stupid decisions. There was one twist that I didn’t fully expect, but the rest was pretty predictable to me and that was a bit surprising for a Frieda book. During a lot of this book I was just waiting for something to happen. That being said, I did get hooked into the story and finished it in like 2-3 days. Not my favorite by Frieda, but not my least favorite either. Thanks for my advance reader copy NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press!

A usual McFadden delivers a twisty plot with lots of surprises. This wasn’t one of her stronger books, with the characters behaving in ways that weren’t always believable, which I have noticed happens sometimes in her books.

Another fantastic Freida twisty thriller. I liked this book and the twists throughout, similar to her other books. While some of the surprises were hinted at, some popped up out of the blue, so it wasn’t too predictable of a plot.

My only issue here is that Abby is in no way this successful yet this willing to overlook so many red flags. No matter how desperate she was to have a child, she would not have brushed off the many, many concerns she had throughout the story. She was neither that stupid nor that much of a doormat, based on her life before this book began.

it was nothing out of the ordinary, very predictable plot, straight forward story. i was still entertained but it just wasn't as crazy gripping and exciting. i dont know, i expected more of a plottwist considering how everyone always praises her twists and turns. it was still a good book.