Three and three quarter stars
Jenna (who it has to be said is pretty annoying) has a heart transplant and that should be that, but she is determined to find out who the donor was despite advice to the contrary. There's some mystery about this donor, Callie and Jenna being Jenna refuses to give up until she knows what it is. Great story and writing and I loved it until it started veering on the incredulous plus not all the ends were tied up ie some of the other characters. Despite that I was still gripped and thought it was a good, exciting thriller which was different from normal.

Jenna has receive the gift of life as the recipient of a donated heart. As she is recovering from her surgery she finds that she is obsessed with learning more about the person whose heart now beats in her body. Jenna has been having strange dreams and memories and she believes that this is "cellular memory". She is feeling the fears and emotions of her donor, named Callie.
The story progresses as Jenna meets Callie's family and Jenna believes Callie's death was not an accident. She is determined to find out if Callie's death was a homicide.
I found Jenna's character to be a bit unrealistic at times and not always that likable. There is suspense and mystery in this novel as Jenna investigates Callie's death on her own. The conclusion holds the most suspense but I felt that there were some holes in the story as it came to an end. One character in the story also had a dramatic personality change that left me a bit baffled. The ending was not at all predictable so that had me give this novel a solid three stars. I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and this is my honest review.

The Gift

Louise Jensen





I've never read Louise Jensen before and I'm so glad I took a chance on a new author and read THE GIFT. Wow! What a fascinating story and one that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. Jenna is in desperate need of a heart transplant. She receives a new heart and six months after the surgery, against the advice of her counselor, her doctors, and even the transplant team, she tracks down the donor family. This is the part where I wanted to take Jenna and just give her a good shake! Seriously, why would she want to bring all that pain of losing a loved one back in the faces of Callie's parents? Once you start reading, you will understand what is driving her to get to he truth!


All she wants to do is thank them and give them some closure. She thinks it will help them to see Callie's heart living and beating in Jenna. Once Jenna goes and meets them, she finds out that Callie died in a car accident, but Jenna believes there is much more to the story. THE GIFT is going to have you flipping the pages like crazy, trying to figure out what really happened to Callie. I've never hear of cellular memory, where memories stay with the heart, and I was constantly thinking about that while reading and even after I put the book down. The tension and heart stopping situations Jenna finds herself in are going to grab you by the throat and never let you go.


THE GIFT is filled with chills, thrills, twists and turns, that you won't be able to get instantly caught up in all that Jenna is going through. Your heart will be pounding and you will be sitting there shaking your heard going "no way, no way" over and over again. I was completely emotionally invested in Jenna and what she was going through and my heart was breaking for what she was learning about Callie and all she went through. What was it that Callie was trying to tell her? She had to get to the truth! Jenna felt that Callie deserved at least that much for the gift she gave to her. I found myself holding my breath right up until the very end and after reading THE GIFT, I'm excited to read Louis Jensen's debut novel, The Sister.

This is an excellent thought provoking novel by author Louise Jensen.
This novel is a gripping psychological thriller that steadily builds up the tension throughout.
The lead character Jenna is hospitalised with an heart condition and is in urgent need of a transplant when she receives a donor heart from a girl called Callie. While recovering in hospital after the transplant she decides to end her relationship with her boyfriend Sam and is determined to start a new life. After being discharged from hospital Jenna suffers from strange dreams and panic attacks and focuses on trying to find out more about her donor Callie and how she died. She contacts Callie's family and tries to uncover the truth behind her death by getting close to them.
There are some twists and turns and also the subject of cellular memory which is a very interesting side issue. All in all I enjoyed this novel very much and will look out for more from this author in the future.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
1 like

“…My vision begins to mist and the room fades away until I’m shrouded in darkness. Where am I? There’s shouting. My heart is pounding. Sweet trickles down my face. A shadow looms towards me… I’m scared. So scared. Something very bad is happening and I am not safe…”
This is how Jenna feels now. From the moment she has her heart transplanted her fear and paranoia for some inconceivable danger has risen and it is so tangible she can’t shake the feeling off.
The Gift is a psychological thriller by Louise Jensen.

My thoughts: - Jenna has suffered from viral Myocarditis and had a heart transplant. And now after the transplant she is having dangerous visions of something, some people she doesn’t know. She talked to her therapist but to no avail. Are those really her donor Callie’s memory? Can a heart store memories? Is there really something called cellular memory? And if the heart really stored Callie’s memory how did she die?
I must say that the plot is amazing; very intriguing and full of suspense. This novel is truly a page turner. Each chapter has been woven deftly with utmost care.

Drawbacks and ratings: - The ending though is a bit obscure. I mean Callie’s death. How did she die is not stated clearly. And when we see Amanda turning into a monster well…that was scary. But was it really so necessary to try to kill Jenna? I don’t know.
I wanted to give it a 5 but 4 only, for the ending.
But I am glad that at last Jenna was happy with Sam. He is perfect.

Thanksgiving: - Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review the book.

This book is extremely well written and delightfully creepy. I'll admit it took me most of the book to warm to Jenna, it didnt stop me enjoying every single page of it.

The Gift is the new novel by Louise Jensen, author of The Sister. Even though I have yet to read The Sister, I've heard very good things about it, so I'll definitely be picking it up soon. I felt drawn to The Gift, particularly due to its rather interesting premise.

Jenna's life is changed when, after an illness, she has to undergo a heart transplant. Now recovered and facing many more years of life, rather than feeling lucky about her situation, Jenna is unable to shake off the guilt she feels. Guilt that she is only still alive because someone else is dead.

Worse still, Jenna has been experiencing strange dreams and thoughts since her operation - thoughts that don't seem to belong to her. And since leaving long-term boyfriend Sam, it's proving difficult for Jenna to share her worries. The dreams won't stop, leading her to believe that this isn't simply a coincidence.

Despite the warnings of both her therapist and best friend, Jenna tracks down the family of her donor. Her heart, she soon discovers, had belonged to Callie, a young woman who died in a car crash. Even though the investigation was closed, with Callie's death ruled as accidental, there are still some unanswered questions about what happened. Why was Callie driving in that particular area? Was her boyfriend involved? When Callie's distraught father admits that the uncertainty keeps him awake at night, Jenna decides to investigate the case herself.

Feeling as though Callie's heart is attempting to give her answers, Jenna sets out to solve the mystery surrounding her donor's death and finally bring closure to her family. The strange dreams that Jenna experiences provide clues to Callie's life - people, places, glimpses into her final days. Jenna is even starting to like foods that she didn't like before; foods which Callie loved.

Jenna researches the odd goings-on, leading her to discover the theory of Cellular Memory - a hypothesis that memories can be stored in cells. By inheriting Callie's heart, has Jenna taken on a part of Callie herself?

Whilst her therapist and friends are concerned about her new 'obsession', Jenna is getting ever closer to working out what happened on the night of Callie's death. She even tracks down and befriends Callie's boyfriend Nathan after her suspicions grow, but can he really be responsible? Meanwhile, as Jenna focuses her efforts on Callie, other aspects of her life are starting to become difficult. There's her relationship with Sam, and the job as a veterinary nurse which she once loved. Her constant mistakes are driving her to believe that returning to work so soon was a bad choice. As Jenna learns more about her donor's life, her own is falling by the wayside.

But she has to find out what happened - and figure out what Callie is trying to tell her.

The Gift is an addictive, fast-paced read. It was impossible to put down. I enjoy thrillers and had expected to be taken with this one, but it was much more gripping than I had envisioned. I personally loved the concept of Cellular Memory in The Gift, which was such an original premise. It gave the novel a slightly supernatural feel, which I loved. There were various possibilities when it came to Callie's death, and plenty of ways to keep the reader guessing, but I thought the outcome was unpredictable. Obviously I don't want to give spoilers here, but I felt that the ending was perfectly written. Nothing was left out, nothing left me disappointed (something I've experienced with a few thrillers recently.)

Great pacing, well-developed characters and an original plot make The Gift a fantastic thriller. Louise Jensen is a very talented writer, and I'm looking forward to reading her future releases as well as The Sister.

Rating: 5/5

I had not heard of this author but the blurb of the book definitely captured my interest. Jenna is recovering from heart replacement surgery. She is seeing things and hearing voices in her head. The donor heart seems to be speaking to her, and against advice she wants to meet the parents of the young girl who's heart she has received. She learns about Callie and the tragic way she died, but something just doesn't add up and Jenna is determined to find out what really happened to Callie and whether her accident was just an accident or was it murder.

This book had me captivated from the beginning and had some real twists and turns in it that you didn't know what or who to believe. Thank you to Net-galley and Bookoutre for the ARC of this book and I have not hesitation in recommending it to people to enjoy psychological thrillers and domestic noir novels.

I loved this book. I thought the plot was fantastic and so unique. The story begins with Jenna, a young woman who recently had a heart transplant. Soon after the transplant she notices that she has memories of things that didn't happen to her and starts to wonder just who the heart came from.
The Gift felt like a game of cat and mouse, the pace slowed and sped up at all the right points and the ending felt like such a climax.
I've read loads of thrillers recently and my interest in them had drooped a little because they all seemed to go in the same direction but Louise's style of writing kept me hooked until the very end. I would love to read more from this author.

For a first novel this author is dead on. I would recommend this book to all my friends. It's fast moving, characters you like and always has you guessing.

Initially I found this a little hard to get into, however if, like me you find it slow to start, persevere! It slowly pulls you into the story and all of a sudden you cannot stop reading - the need to find out what is happening is so strong!

Found this book a fascinating read and a real page turner . The main character Jenna is 6months after having heart transplant and ready to return to work but she keeps getting dreams and flashbacks from another life .. love Louise's easy style of writing. My thanks to netgalley and bookouture for my arc which I have chosen to review

Jenna is given a second chance at life when she is given a new heart thanks to Callie who tragically died too young. But Jenna suddenly starts seeing things in her dreams that seem to be have happened to Callie. Happy dreams then dreams full of fear. Feelings of panic and fear when she meets Callie's friends and family. What happened to Sophie her sister? Can Jenna find her and help her parents to heal. A book that takes you on a roller coaster of a ride with quite a few heart stopping moments. One of the things I enjoyed was the exploration of the belief of some people that having a heart transplant can change memories and tastes of the recipient. It also explores the reasons behind not contacting the doners family without proper support and counselling. A really well-written story with a few red-herrings. Great read.

Jenna was happily living her life, she was a vet nurse and in a happy relationship with Sam. But all that changed in a flash when Jenna got sick, so sick that her heart was giving up and she needed to have a heart transplant. Having been happy and healthy, life is suddenly very different for Jenna, she’s reliant on medication that has difficult side effects, the strain of her illness caused her parents to separate and for Jenna to break up with Sam, believing that he was better off without her.

Jenna also wants to know more about her donor, whose heart now beats in her chest? Frustrated with the boundaries that rule any official contact between the recipient and the donors family Jenna hires a private investigator and contacts the donors family herself. At first she feels positive about this, she just wants to know more about Callie, the donor, and there can’t be too much wrong with that?

But gradually Jenna starts to loose her grip on reality, she is having dreams and flashbacks that she is sure are Callie’s memories. Is Callie trying to tell her something? Jenna researches this and comes across cellular memory a theory that supports Jenna’s belief that she is experiencing Callie’s memories. Everyone Jenna tries to tell about this thinks that she is simply experiencing the side effects of her medicine but she remains convinced that Callie is trying to tell her something, especially when she learns that there are some questions around how Callie died.

I found the premise of The Gift really interesting, I firmly support organ donation and both myself and my children are on the register for this, and the idea that the recipient changes because of the donor’s organ is fascinating.

I have to admit that when I was reading The Gift I couldn’t help but think that it would not be a good book for someone who is waiting for an organ to read, and I did wonder whether it would put people off donating. However, I have read that the author has been contacted by people who say that after reading The Gift they have joined the register which is blooming fantastic.

As the book progresses Jenna really loses her grip on reality, she thinks that she is being followed, she is obsessed with Callie and her fiance Nathan and she can think of little else. An attempt at returning to work doesn’t go well and Jenna is gradually pushing everyone around her away.

Things come to a head in a gripping finale and I have little doubt that by the end of the book Jenna wishes that she had respected the boundaries when contacting Callie’s family. It is definitely a case of all not being as it seems.

The Gift is a great read, it is gripping and keeps the reader guessing. Definitely a good choice for any fan of the psychological thriller genre. Louise Jensen skillfully weaves a tale that keeps the reader engaged and wondering.

I received a copy of The Gift from the publishers, Bookouture, via Netgalley but was under no obligation to review the book. All thoughts are my own.

The Gift by Louise Jensen is the follow up novel to her phenomenal success, The Sister. I had high hopes for The Gift, but I felt, on a few levels it fell short. Jenna the main character is in dire need of a heart transplant, and a donor finally becomes available. The donor heart is from a young woman named Callie. After Jenna has her transplant and begins the healing journey, she begins to experience something called cellular memory, i.e., she can feel some of the same emotions the donor felt, wants to eat the same foods, very strong strange dreams, etc. This was something I wasn't completely aware of, and for that reason, it was sort of interesting. Beyond that, Jenna becomes determined to meet the donor's family, even though she is strongly advised against doing so, even by her therapist. It just doesn't seem like a good idea, and I do concur with that. However, that finding of, and getting to know the donor's family is an integral, if flawed part of this story. A false premise so to speak. Jenna became obsessed with Callie, obsessed with finding out how she died, and ultimately solving a great mystery. While a strong story on the surface, I could not overcome that storyline bias, and also found the writing needed some more editing for the book to read more smoothly. Netgalley kindly provided me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Sister and so was really looking forward to reading Louise Jensen’s next book, but slightly worried it wouldn’t live up to her first. I was wrong – The Gift was – a gift!! A gift that I couldn’t put down, and didn’t want to finish!

Captivating, tense, and full of secrets and intrigue, this book was packed with it all. The main character, Jenna, has received a donor heart and is on the road to recovery thanks to Callie and her parents’ generosity. But Jenna is curious to know more about the original owner of the heart now beating inside her, and so tracks down and makes contact with Callie’s family.

That is the start of a baffling plot that made me wonder who and what to believe. I became an amateur detective trying to work out if Jenna’s discoveries were real, hallucinations, and what the hell to believe! The author has crafted this book so well through characters that jumped off the page for me. I loved the suspense of knowing what is real and what isn’t. The author has used great descriptions to help readers picture the surroundings, and has developed characters that could be either good / bad / or even imaginary.

I also liked that the storyline was unique. I haven’t read any books where the main character has been the recipient of an organ, and it got me thinking. What must it be like to have a living part that belonged to someone else inside of you, and the fact that someone else’s death is the reason you are alive. All quite deep and thought provoking, and the book did leave with those thoughts to mull over. The story also made me think about how it must be to lose a daughter in the prime of their life, and just how unimaginable that grief must be. I thought this was handled very well by the author, and again left me mulling it over even after the last page had ended.

Early on I found myself stuck in the ‘just one more chapter’ loop of promising myself that I would put the book down and get on with stuff…. but just one more chapter first. Before I knew it lunch time had become later afternoon and the sun was setting. Just as well it was the new year period or I would have a very unhappy boss!!

If you are looking for an edge of your seat thriller that will have you wondering what is real and what is make believe this could be the one for you. I loved it and can’t wait to see what Louise Jensen has in store for readers next.

I absolutely loved The Sister,it was one of my favourite books of last year so I was really looking forward to reading this and was thrilled when I was approved by netgalley for a advanced copy.It started off really well but by the time I finished it I felt really disappointed.I wasn't hooked in by the story like I was with The Sister and although I did enjoy the book I wasn't disappointed when I got to the end.

The story is narrated by Jenna who has had a heart transplant and has suddenly started having dreams about the donor of her heart Callie.Ignoring the advice of her therapist and people who care about her Jenna becomes obsessed with finding out the truth about Callie`s death.As a reader you want to like and feel a connection with the main character/heroine but to me Jenna came across as unlikable,selfish and irritating.

I don't know anything about cellular memory,it's not something that I have heard or read about and I am not one of those people that says that something is unbelievable and unrealistic just because I know nothing about the subject.It is certainly a intreguing subject that was well researched and a interesting premise for a book.

The story has short chapters many of which ended on a cliff hanger and there is a number of unexpected twists but there is also a part of the book where Jenna does something to a character that was completely forgotten and never mentioned again.I did enjoy the story enough to finish the book and although I was disappointed with this one it hasn't put me off reading more books by Louise Jensen in the future.

Throughout the story I felt varying degrees of tension and there was an underlying feeling of unease that I couldn't shake as Jenna digs into Callie's life. Louise Jensen did a fantastic job of keeping me on the edge of my seat as the story unravels and things are revealed. My interest was kept completely and I loved the way the story was revealed bit by bit.

I became totally immersed in Jenna's life and I really didn't want to put the book down. To the point of missing my stop on the bus! Yes, I know it's a little embarassing (maybe I shouldn't have admitted that) but the story had grabbed me that much I pretty much forgot where I was, oops!

Jenna is a complex and well developed character. Louise Jensen really brought her to life and it felt as if I was experiencing everything with her.

From every snatched moment of reading I thoroughly enjoyed this thrilling story. I wish I could have read The Gift in one go but then real life gets in the way. I couldn't wait to find out the truth and the premise was so interesting. Jenna is such an intriguing character everything about The Gift made it a such a gripping story!

This book kept me on my toes all the way through especially as the tension builds and builds. There were plenty of moments when I didn't trust anyone. I would think I had things sussed and then I was like okay maybe not. I am so glad I picked up this book I can't recommend it enough!

The one word I can use to describe The Gift is simply - Captivating!

Five stars from me!

Thank you to Bookouture & Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Having had a heart transplant, Jenna finds herself experiencing the memories of her donor, Callie. Against the advice of her friends and her therapist, Jenna finds herself becoming more and more involved with Callie's family and fiancé becoming convinced that her death wasn't an accident.

I really enjoyed this novel; the writing wasn't particularly challenging but it rattled along at a good pace and held my interest throughout. The only minor criticism I have is that some of the connections between characters seemed a little too coincidental and tidy, but it didn't detract too much from the book as a whole.

It was an interesting concept which was dealt with sensitively and I'd be very happy to read another book by this author.