Another brilliant book from Louise Jensen. This was one of my books that I had refrained from reading earlier as I wanted it as one of my holiday reads, and what a fantastic read! So pleased I was reading it on the sunbed as I could not put it down. The book opens with two bodies, but who they are is not revealed until the final chapter and you will still be guessing. This book is centred upon Kat, who is desperate for a baby, probably more so than Nick, her husband. Their only solution seems to be adoption, but this falls through. Then Kat, bumps into her old friend Lisa, who offers to be a surrogate. This is only the start of things as Lisa and Kat have a secret past and all this and more is revealed in so many twists and turns it will leave you breathless! Nick and his friend, Richard also share a secret from the past and both these secrets combine in the final explosive chapters. This book stays in your thoughts well after finishing and is certainly not one to be missed. I can't wait for the next offering from Louise. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed The Surrogate. It’s a tense, gritty thriller that will draw you in from the very first page and before you know it, an hour will have passed as you keep turning the pages.

Kat and her husband Nick have tried everything to become parents but will a chance encounter with Kat’s childhood friend Lisa help them achieve their dream? Kat and Lisa both have their secrets and is there more to Lisa than meets the eye?

There are so many layers to this book, each character seems to have their own deception and secrets and these slowly unfold throughout the book. Couple with some fabulous twists and turns this really is a book to fall into and not come up for air until you reach the end.

I would give this book 4.5 stars and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Louise Jensen is on a roll! Three hits in a row—quite the accomplishment. Her passion shines through. The author’s previous two books reached #1 in the UK and abroad (if you have not heard).

The thriller queen returns following The Gift on my Top Books of 2016 and The Sister (2016) with her latest THE SURROGATE — her best yet!

NOTE to readers: PS. I continue to say, "I am going to keep my reviews short." That way I can write many more reviews. Right? However, when I get started they seem to go on and on. If you do not feel like reading them; my feelings will not be hurt. Just take my advice, and buy the book. Judge for yourself. I think you will find, there is much to be discussed. The good ones always are. If you spend time reading a book, why not spend just as much time writing a review?

Talk about "unreliable" narrator (s) ! These guys are pros. The author keeps you guessing until the final explosive conclusion with one last jab . . . and turns the knife a little more. A killer twist.

If you think this is the same ordinary surrogate story? The surrogate tries to keep the baby. Wife disappointed. Husband runs off with the surrogate. . . . "No, think again." Much more complex and multi-layered.

The reader does not know which character they can trust. The characters do not trust one another.

Complex with a Capital “C”. Each character has a secret past and as the novel progresses, skeletons come out of the closet— one by one .... Unraveling. You gasp and say, "WTH?"

This book is high anxiety and happened to be reading it in the middle of a hurricane, which only accelerated the intensity. The author creates clever twists (her master signature style) and keeps you on your toes.

Guilt, loyalty, revenge, love, trust, betrayal, and hate.

An array of emotions. Who is the real guilty party, or is it a combination of people? One wrong action and turn— causes a domino effect. Do you really know your friends and your spouse?

“So many lives ruined. What was one more?”

“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh. If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” — William Shakespeare


As the book opens there is a reporter. There are two bodies. A double murder?

Meet Kat and Nick. From then to now.

Overall they seem like a nice ordinary couple. Charity work. They have been married for eight years. Stroke Support. A charity Nick set up with his best friend Richard after Richard's grandmother had a stroke.

Kate had been a temp and this is how they met. They are set financially. She still works for them, while Richard is busy with his law firm and Nick has a property development company.

Kate wants a baby. Let me correct myself. She is "obsessed" with having a baby. She wants to be a mother. She is getting desperate and running out of patience.

Nick, her husband says he wants one too, but you get a strong feeling, not with the same level of enthusiasm and burning desire, as his wife. Maybe just wants his wife to be happy. She, after all, cannot have children. He can.

Their many attempts have been unsuccessful. From doctors, tests, to adoption agencies. Each time they get close, something falls through at the last minute.

Enter Lisa.

Lisa comes back into Kate’s life after a long absence. A childhood friend. They were BFFs. What happened to separate the two? Is she a friend harboring a grudge, perhaps?

Can Kate trust her? Was this encounter planned or a by chance meeting? Fate? The two were great friends growing up but had a major falling out. We do not know in the earlier part of the book. A mystery. We know there was a car accident that rocked their small town and Kate ran away, leaving Lisa to deal with questions.

One thing Kat knows for sure. It is approaching the 10th anniversary of Jake, her ex-boyfriend’s death. Has fate brought the once best friends back together? Good or bad?

Mistakes were made.

“We learn that Kate is a keeper of secrets. A guardian of the truth.” . . . You mustn’t tell Kate.”

Lisa seems to have been the third wheel in their teen relationship. Very jealous of the relationship Kate had with Jake. Is there more to this story? You better believe it.

Lisa never wanted to be a mother. Kate is dying to be a mother. Lisa said she has been a surrogate previously, and it went well, leaving a seed planted in Kate’s mind. Is she genuine, or not?

Later an adoption falls through once again and Kate wonders, what if? Could this really work? Is surrogacy the answer? In the past, she never thought about this option, but Lisa? The person she has known her entire life. This could be a miracle.

You know when you are desperate, you are not thinking clearly and weighing all the options. Desire clouds our thinking.

However, from here on out, nothing is simple. What a roller coaster wild crazy ride. The psychological elements are slow burning to sizzling!

Each reader will have theories about the murders. They will change throughout the book. Lisa is hiding her past. Kate is hiding her past. Now, Nick is definitely hiding his past. (Nick’s is a doozy).

You do not expect this haunting tragedy. This poor guy cannot catch a break. However, in the present, he seems to have it together (to Kate, anyway). Kind of removed. Something is going on with him and he says work issues.

Kate is heartbroken about a past love. There was a car accident. She came from a very strict family, especially her dad. She lost her shot at motherhood, and love in one fatal night. Does she want revenge? She has never told Nick about her secrets. He has not shared his.

You are dying to know, what happened!

As a reader, you are also unsure about Lisa. Kate suspects something is not quite right with Lisa. She agrees to be a surrogate, but at times she appears to be hiding something. Kate is suspicious. She could ruin her life.

Throw Richard in the mix. He is an attorney and best friend of Nick’s from childhood. Kate gets the feeling Richard does not like her. He always handles their adoption affairs. Can we trust him? Is he sabotaging their chances?

Kate soon realizes maybe her husband is not so keen on the idea of their upcoming baby. He seems withdrawn and she suspects he may be having an affair. Has she pushed him away with her overwhelming obsession?

Lisa is acting strangely. Is Kate paranoid because she cannot control her own life? She is at the mercy of Lisa. The picture-perfect life she had planned seems to be falling apart.

Who is lying?

“Our version of the truth is pliable, we mold our reality to mask our lies, and sometimes it sounds so plausible we even convince ourselves.”

As the intense suspense builds all three characters’ lives finally intersect. Except wait a minute. It is not over until the fat lady sings. Just when you think it will end a certain way, BAM . . . an evil twist.

The Butterfly Effect: The butterfly effect is a concept that states "small causes can have larger effects".

If you have seen the movie The Butterfly: (2004) American psychological thriller supernatural fiction film starring, Ashton Kutcher.

“The title refers to the butterfly effect, a popular hypothetical example of chaos theory which illustrates how small initial differences may lead to large unforeseen consequences over time.”

When you finish reading you will be speculating how different things could have been, if . . . These two are different in many ways but reminds me strongly of-Harlan Coben’s, mini-series, The Five (which I binge-watched this weekend on Netflix on my Kindle). Loved! Top-Notch. One mistake. Again, the butterfly effect. The Sinner is another example (loved this book and mini-series).

People carry guilt their entire lives over certain things. However, we learn down the road there may have been other things, and persons and circumstances at play, which changed the course.

Mind-boggling. However, this person may go through their entire life and never know how each small thing contributed to the tragedy, as well. This is where mysteries and missing persons go, unsolved and very intriguing.

You've got to love books like this. I know I do. Heart-pounding. Enthralling! There are so many what-ifs. This is a prime example, as in the movie referenced and this book. Things we do in our teens, or as children. Small things lead to large unforeseen consequences. We live with them our entire lives. They will haunt, consume, and change the course of more than one life.

You want to reach out to our children, (my grandchildren). Be mindful of the small things. They can turn into large things. One wrong move can lead to disaster.

A cautionary tale. This husband and wife both are troubled and damaged souls. However, they both keep their hidden secrets from one another. Could someone be a hero in the end? Redemption?

Louise, you sure do know how to write a twisty complex tale with juicy dark secrets. When looking at the three main characters, not sure which one I am more shocked about. There are a few close ties here for vote for "most damaged." I mean, seriously.

Plus, we could hold an entire psychological discussion dissecting Kate’s dad and mom.

No matter what surrogate stories you have read in the past, I can pretty much say, you will find NONE, like this one. It takes you by surprise. Grabs you.

Who is the real monster? Read, and discover.

Shocking. Spine-tingling. A top psychological thriller. There is so much good stuff here. Ideal for book clubs and further discussions.

Jensen is quickly becoming my top UK author. This book needs to be compared, rightly so to The Girl on the Train and then some. Top books of the year list. 5 Stars +++

Other things about the author (in addition to her fabulous storytelling), which provides her books an added edge. I love learning the inspiration behind the book. She is very good about doing this at the end of her books, as well as wonderful thought-provoking book club questions.

THE SURROGATE is definitely movie-worthy, or a mini-series. Congrats, another hit under your belt. Don’t stop now.

Readers, If you loved Coben’s The Five, you will certainly enjoy The Surrogate. Ideal for fans of B.A. Paris, Wendy Walker, and Mary Kubica.

A special thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an early reading copy. (great cover, as well). Also purchased audiobook narrated by Alex Tregear (currently listening) —an entertaining performance.

JDCMustReadBooks

Have you ever had the butterfly effect where your stomach flutters with anticipation well The Surrogate by Louise Jenson provides this in bucket loads.

The Surrogate is the third psychological thriller written by Louise Jensen and it certainly doesn’t disappoint, the opening chapter hints at a couple who have been murdered, but who are they and where will it takes us?

The only way is to turn the page and read on……..

The book revolves around Kat a young woman married to Nick who want nothing more than to complete their family, have a baby of their own, but they have been unsuccessful and the options they have left are adoption. Opportunities have arisen for Kat several times to adopt but each time her hearts desire is ripped away when the babies are placed with other families.

The rawness of the heartache shown in Kats insatiable desire to become a mother at any cost, literally drips from the pages.

A miracle seems to befall them when an old friend of Kats appears and offers to be a surrogate for Kat and Nick. at what cost. Kat and Lisa have not spoken in years there are secrets between them, unspoken words, but the lure of being a mother is too much for Kat. The secrets, the lies take their toll and the cracks appear in Kats marriage, Kat becomes paranoid about her husband, his best friend and is Lisa what she appears.

The past is catching up…. 

Louise has played the hand of past and present in the plot magically and it served to intrigue and enthral the more pages I turned, I couldn’t get enough. I had butterflies in my stomach which fluttered and leapt with each page turn, driving me further through the chapters delving deeper into the twists, sending chills through my mind, till the final explosive chapters.

I have no doubts that The Surrogate will be a success, its still fresh in my mind after a few days and I’m still mulling over the OMG moments, you wont see what’s coming fulfilling my thoughts on what is a great book.

Thank you to Bookouture, Louise Jensen and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Surrogate in exchange for an honest review.

I just popped my Louise Jensen cherry and am now eager to read her other books!

The Surrogate is a story packed with secrets and lies, it's a really addictive page turner with fabulously written, flawed characters and many twists and turns. I couldn't guess the ending, will you??

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this wonderful psychological read.
4.5 stars

A head spinner of a book. This was a fantastic read. Written in the then and now the story weaves together old friends, lovers, family, deceit and secrets. So many characters with a possible dark side. The ending was a stunner - didn't see any of that coming!

I loved The Sister, I loved The Gift but I was absolutely blown away by the sheet brilliance of The Surrogate! Louise Jensen has gone from strength to strength with plotting her twisted storylines so that here she gives us a psychological thriller of first class distinction that grabbed me from the very page and refused to let go of me! I must issue a warning though! Do not read on train journeys! If my train hasn’t actually ended in Crewe, goodness knows where I would have ended up!

My key requirement for a book to be a particularly great read for me is that it surprises me. Thankfully, The Surrogate did what many books try and fail to do…….It shocked the hell out of me! In fact, the surprises started very early on for me when the flashbacks didn’t take me down quite the path that I was expecting to follow. Told in the style of “Then” and “Now” this is the story of Kat and her husband Nick and the difficulties they face to start the family they are so desperate for. Enter an old school friend of Kat’s who offers to become a surrogate for them. Now this was where things got VERY interesting indeed! Because there was obviously a catastrophic event in the girls past that meant all may not be as straightforward with Lisa’s offer as we would like to think! As we flashback to the past, there were several surprises for me and I was never allowed to rest on my laurels for very long but had to keep working hard on my theories as to what was happening beneath the surface of these relationships.

Louise Jensen got into the mindset of the woman unable to conceive here with a breathtaking insight into the frailty of mind and overwhelming need to become a mother. That need often becomes an obsession, a totally blinkered view to that impending finishing line of motherhood. And when that end is in sight, all obstacles need to be cleared, no matter how high, as the alternative is almost impossible to imagine. Louise Jensen perfectly conveys that feeling of bereavement that a woman (and ofcourse her partner) can feel at the finality of their situation. They are actually grieving and not just because of never becoming parents but for the lifelong list of “the firsts”-no first steps, no first day of school, no little birds to fly the nest, no grandchildren……..The emotions run so high when it comes to fertility and often the urge to become a mother can make women overlook the niggles that something clearly isn’t quite right, the feeling of which slowly creeps up upon the characters here in The Surrogate.

When the end finally came, every hypothesis I had indulged in completely dissipated leaving me quite dumbfounded followed then by a dazed admiration for the sheer quality of that shocking denouement. Now THAT is how to leave your reader crying out for more! This is definitely my favourite of all Louise Jensen’s books so far and I will be highly recommending it-loudly and proudly! And any book that manages to get references to my favourite musical West Side Story popping up throughout the narrative deserves a place in my top reads of the year!

Ever wanted something so bad you would do anything to get it?

I wanted bookcases so I nagged and nagged until the apartment was finally filled with books houses.

But what Kat wants is a baby. You can’t buy them on Amazon (yet) or make your choice among IKEA baby shelves.

The heart of The Surrogate is motherhood. What it takes, what happens when you’re denied it, when you get cast to be the woman, not the mother. But it is also so much more than that.

Louise Jensen dives so deep into the psyche of a woman whose desire runs deeply into her veins. For personal reasons, this book stirred emotions I did not know I felt, did not know existed, did not know could hurt so bad.
When I read a story, I want them to be realistic, I like to relate, I enjoy to fear, I appreciate the familiarity of the emotions, I relish in living through the pages, I take pleasure in discovering feelings and having my thoughts and beliefs questioned. The Surrogate did all of this and gave me more than I thought I expected.

Oh, I knew I was in for a good read. I fell in love with Louise Jensen’s style with her debut The Sister and I am delighted to let you know the peculiar and atmospheric, absolutely claustrophobic writing is once again au rendez-vous. I dare you to take a look at the beginning and then tear yourself away easily! I know I was unable to. Not that I actually wanted to, haha!

This book is about a life, a regular couple life. Except that life is anything but regular if you scratch the surface, something neither party has ever done. And this tiny life sucks you in and traps you into the pages. I remember talking with friends about how reading was for escapism and they did not understand my fascination for stories about people, about things that could happen to any of us. Well, reading about it makes me feel alive. Alive and kicking, just like a baby. Alive, kicking, breathing, and discovering the world through the eyes of a writer who knows better than me how to express all those different experiences and feelings we get to encounter along the years.

Kat is a typical Jensen character. I was on her side from the start, it was us against the world. Unreliable at times, scared, loved, loving, hoping, Kat let me in on her journey through motherhood. But not only. Because how do you build a future when your past still hunts you?

Every character is built with their strength, their flaws, their suspicions, their inner sanctum and the author let doors appear, one after the other, until you get to know those people so well you could swear they are part of you. Because there’s something to learn from all of them, because the bad guys are not always the ones we think, because the good guys are capable of the worst, because nothing is black and white and all is gray. The perfect gray Louise Jensen paints in her books.

I discovered the power of a past/present narration thanks to Louise Jensen more than a year ago. Gosh, this woman knows where to put her pawns and make them move at the right time for you to feel that undercurrent of unease, to see the light reflect on a silver thread of web slowly forming to create a masterpiece in which every word, every movement, every comma comes together and wraps you up. The Surrogate smothers you until you feel each twitch in your bone, each of the characters’ feelings in your own heart, each of the plot lines unfold to finally set you free.

Except I’ll never be free from this story. I do not want to. I want to cherish the tension. I want to dwell on past mistakes. I want to sing the playlist. I want to ponder over how strong friendships can be. I want to know what it takes to be a mother, and not forget how difficult it can be to become one.

On top of all those emotions, you can find the very issue of surrogacy and the controversy around it. Each country has rules about it and this book definitely raises the question of adoption, the use of surrogates, the needs of childless parents, and the hope of orphans to find a home. A sensible writing and real research only make Kat and her husband Nick’s journey more realistic and painful, Louise Jensen having captured the essence of human beings and their desire for a life to love more than their own. She beautifully describes how those difficult times take a toll on the body and mind of any couple. The Surrogate feels like a testimony of millions of story, familiar and relatable, plunged in a twisted and taut ocean that ends up washing everything away, only leaving the reader soaked in emotions and drenched in feelings.

The tension gradually showed its face and I held my breath for so long I thought I’d forgotten how to breathe and… When I thought I’d reached the ending after so many threads that had left me transfixed, speechless, and hurt, for all that had happened, had not, would not, I was again blown away by another layer of this impossibly intricate and absolutely nailed emotional plot.

The Surrogate is this publishing season’s must-read – a riveting tale of love, given; awaited; hoped for; and poison, dark; impossible to escape. Louise Jensen doesn’t disappoint with her addictive and soul-whispering writing!

Louise Jensen has become one of my favorite authors. Her previous titles, The Sister and The Gift were both brilliant. In my opinion, The Surrogate is her best book… I have a feeling that I will say the same thing about her next book. Honestly though, her books just keep getting better.

In this story, Kat desperately wants to be a mom. After failed adoption attempts, she decided to try out surrogacy especially when an old friend offered to be the surrogate. It sounds straight forward right? That is what I thought. I read the first chapters with a feeling of foreboding. I kept waiting for something to go wrong. I knew that something would but just didn’t know what and when. However, all my assumptions were dead wrong. There was absolutely nothing that was straightforward in this book. I couldn’t have predicted the twists and turns that came as the story progressed.

The story is narrated through dual timelines and narratives. The then is not only narrated by one person but by two. I kept wondering why the author used two narrators until the connection became apparent. Have you ever shouted at a book? I remember the exact moment when the realization dawned on me and the connection became clear. I was shouting, heart racing, furiously turning pages in disbelief mixed with anticipation. It was a brilliant twist.

Louise Jensen kept the twists coming up to the last page and the ending was so chilling that I had to check and confirm that all my doors and windows were locked before I could sleep. This book has everything that makes a perfect thriller. It has a set of unlikable yet addictive characters. The twists are unpredictable and I just loved how everything came together in an explosive conclusion. The prologue had already set the tone for the book but I couldn’t have guessed the ending. I had to get to the final chapter to understand what the prologue was all about.

The Surrogate by Louise Jensen is a must read for all fans of this genre. If you enjoy a good, thrilling, memorable book with lots of twists, you definitely have to read this one. If you haven’t read of the author’s previous titles, you are missing out on a great reading experience and you should definitely rectify that. Highly recommended!

Louise Jensen has already shown her talent to write intriguing books with her debut – The Sister so when this came out I knew I had to dive back into that creative mind of hers to see what she’d come up with next.
Using the familiar backdrop of infertility and wanting a baby, she shows the heart wrenching journey,

emotional turmoil and deep decision making that goes into this process. When someone offers you the chance of a lifetime, a lifeline to the very dream you felt crumbling before you how could you not take it? Jensen uses this to offer a up a thriller that will have you feeling sorrow, anger, and that tingling of suspense at wondering what could possibly go wrong now?

Jensen winds so many questions and confusion into her story you start to wonder who can you trust, who is lying or is anything what it seems? You’re going to feel on edge through a great portion of it. I felt like I had to push myself a bit in the middle as I had trouble caring about Lisa and Kat for a while which sucked because they are the story. Eventually the story ramps right back up again and provides one heck of an ending!

The ending alone made reading this worth it and proved yet again why Jensen is so great. Even if you think you know what will happen there are so many twists and turns that smug sureness is going to turn into awe.

This is my first read by Louise Jensen, but will definitely not be my last. I was hooked right from the start. As Kat’s personality is developing thru the paragraphs, you start to see small cracks in her oh-so-innocent demeanor. She seems to suffer from agoraphobia and drops casual hints that certain mental issues should be expected after what she’s endured. When Lisa reenters Kat’s life it all seems just a little too perfect. As they reminisce, you realize the two were so very close, inseparable even, during school. Kat was madly in love with Lisa’s twin brother, Jake. So what happened to him? And if they were so close, why have they been estranged for years? And what’s the deal with Nick, Kat’s husband? Is he truly a dedicated husband or will we learn he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing? His childhood is shown in bits and pieces before the curtain is dropped back again, just enough for you to feel a bit nervous about his potential and intents. His friend Richard is an attorney working to gain an adoption for Kat and Nick, but he seems to have his own agenda. One would almost think he’s sabotaging their efforts instead of looking out for their best interests.
I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the plot of this book as I turned each page. I was wrong on each twist and turn. I absolutely love reading books like this that challenge me and my thinking.
I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting an escape from your currently cluttered brain. As you read this, all your other pesky thoughts will take a back seat while you try to stay ahead of what’s unfolding. Good luck with that!
My thanks go to the Publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

Oh my days what a read. Great plot that twists and turns with a huge twist I'd never have guessed
Proper physiological thriller. So well written you can "feel" the desperation of the main character as she thinks everyone is against her. Will it come right in the end- depends on your opinion of right
Cracking good read

A brilliant epilogue is the perfect ending to another enjoyable read from Louise Jensen. 4/5 stars.

This will be a short review to avoid spoilers!

Regular readers of my reviews will know I have an up-and-down relationships with book branded “psychological thrillers” or “dark thrillers”. However, having enjoyed Louise Jensen’s previous two books – The Sister and The Gift – I went into The Surrogate with high hopes, which thankfully weren’t disappointed.

From the blurb and the first couple of chapters, I came to expect something along the lines of The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, but I was pleased to discover that the author gives us something else entirely!

As you’ll expect if you’ve read Jensen’s previous books, the various threads of the story are handled expertly to keep us in the dark and continue delivering surprise after surprise. The characters’ back stories are scattered between the present day chapters, but this is never confusing and does very little to slow the current action down.

I didn’t find the central heroine – Kat – quite as sympathetic as the main female characters in The Sister and The Gift, but she was still well drawn and believable. That said, it was nice to get an occasional break from being inside her increasingly paranoid head space as we dipped into Nick’s point of view.

I must confess, as we got to the end I felt slightly disappointed that things were wrapped up a little to neatly. BUT THEN… the Epilogue happened. This final chapter is a proper punch in the guts. I won’t give anything away, but it contains two fantastic shocks and a revelation about a streak of genuinely disturbing darkness in one of the characters which had only been hinted at previously. It was brilliant, and I wouldn’t have minded more of that darkness earlier on in the story (and I say that as a bit of “thriller wimp”!).

Overall: Yet another page-turner from Louise Jensen. Fans of The Sister and The Gift will be delighted. I predict another huge success!

Wow, that was a page-turner, from the first page to the last. I wish I could give this review 6 stars.

An extraordinary mysterious story. Did not expect that kind of ending. After I finished the book - I kept thinking, how different characters' lives would be if at least one person started to tell the truth from the beginning. But of course, we would not have this story and a book.

Don't want to give any spoilers, just an advice - DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ. I jumped to so many conclusions, at some point I thought that Kat had simply imagined everything. The ending is mind-blowing.

...And I just purchased two more of Louise Jansen's books.

The story is told in the present day, but flashbacks from Kat and Nick are thrown into the mix.
We learn about Kat’s past with her first love Jake. And her old schoolfriend/best friend Lisa.
In the present day we follow Kat and Nick’s relationship, and their quest to become parents.
Kat was sure she saw a shadow. Was someone watching her? Was it her imagination? She is feeling a bit paranoid at the moment.
Through a series of flashbacks we learn that someone has been trapped. Who was it, who was the one locking the door? You will have to find out for yourselves.
It was a suspenseful read, very twisty-turny. Lots of really shocking scenes too. There were a lot of secrets and lies. I was suspicious of everyone, wondering if they would be the missing link. As the conclusion was reached I was gobsmacked, I never guessed at all.
Again I loved the cover, complementing The Sister and The Gift perfectly.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved both The Sister and The Gift, also by this author when I read them so I was quite excited to get my hands on this, her newest book. As always, when I am excited by a new book, I am also quite nervous as my expectations are invariably higher than usual and, with it, the potential to disappoint. Very early on in this book, those fears evaporated as I got completely sucked in to this brilliantly plotted, quite emotional story.
Kat and Nick are desperate for a child. But they want a baby and the chances of adopting on in the UK legitimately are not good so, along with Nick's friend, lawyer Richard, they try to adopt from abroad. When the second such endeavour fails, Kat is devastated and thinks the game is over. Then she bumps into old school friend Lisa in a cafe. Once best friends, they fell out spectacularly over something from their shared past. Wary of rekindling the relationship, the two meet up and, surprisingly, things go well, especially for Kat when Lisa tells her that she has been a surrogate. Lisa agrees to meet Nick with a view to maybe repeating this for Kat. Agreements are made, the wheels are set in motion. But then, those wheels slowly start to come off Kat's wagon as her life starts to unravel. Spinning around, suspecting everyone and everything, can Kat regain her balance in time, and will she ever get the baby she really craves?
Boy this book took me round the block and back again. Along with Kat, I had no idea who to trust, who had the secrets, who was lying. Although there were a lot of suspicions in this book, if you really think about it, if you ever hyper-analysed your own life to the degree that Kat started to, you'd probably see cracks where there aren't any, so the volume of these things didn't put me off at all. As I got towards the end of the book, when things really started coming together, my jaw literally dropped and I think I forgot to breathe at some points, so gobsmacked I was at what I was reading. As I turned the last page I literally applauded the author for a job well done.
I have to mention the characters. Obviously, due to some of their duplicitous natures, I won't go into too much detail as I don't want to include spoilers but I do have to say that the majority did take me a while to connect with. Again, that's probably due to their nature and part in the story but I did get there with the right ones eventually. Although I do prefer to connect with characters early, in this case, the storyline was enough to keep me going until that connection was eventually formed.
Pacing was excellent. There was quite a slower buildup compared to the frenetic ending but there was so much bubbling under the surface that this just added to the atmosphere and intrigue level, also keeping me going throughout. The absolute ending will probably split people and, to be honest, I'm still on the fence about it. But then, I can't really think of a more favourable (to me) outcome so I'll just let it be.
All in all, another winner to add to the author's already impressive back catalogue. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Oh, baby, what a wild ride! Not that it wasn't expected; after all, I've read and thoroughly enjoyed both of the author's previous books - "The Gift" and "The Sister" - so I figured it was a given that this would be a winner as well. As it turns out, this may well be the best of the lot.

My "baby" reference wasn't an accident, either; at the center of the story is a couple - Kat and Nick - who are beyond eager to have a child. Unable to conceive, they've tried, with help from Nick's friend Richard, to adopt infants from other countries. But those fell through at the last minute, leaving Kat despondent and ready to try anything. Enter Lisa, Kat's best friend back in their school days. The two had a major falling out just before their graduation, so Kat is surprised and not altogether happy to see her. But when Lisa drops the bombshell that she served as a surrogate mother for another woman, Kat sees the possibility that she could become a mother after all.

Lisa agrees to help her friend, and Nick puts up little resistance (not nearly as much as I'd have expected coming from your average husband, but then he seems to want a baby almost as much as Kat does). Successfully impregnating Lisa isn't the real problem, though - as readers learn from the chapters that switch between "then" and "now." Clearly, both Lisa and Kat have serious issues - secrets from their past that led to going their separate ways and staying apart for the past decade. And before too long, it becomes clear that Nick may have a few things in his background that he's been reluctant to share as well.

The action is almost nonstop, although it got a little bit bogged down when Kat's paranoia kicks into high gear (but then, you know the old saying - "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you"). The last few chapters bring one twist after another - none of which I guessed ahead of time, BTW - eliciting an out-loud "Whew!" from me at the bottom of the final page.

As I proclaimed early on, this one's a winner, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological thrills. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third book I've read by Louise Jensen, and now I do believe third time is a charm! I really liked her other novels, but this one packed a ton more punch! Kat and Nick have had heartbreak when two adoptions fail to follow thru. Kat's desire to be a mother is so intense that when her old best friend returns to the scene and offers to be a surrogate for the couple, they don't bat an eye. This seems like a pretty cut and dry plot synopsis and it's easy for readers to think Lisa has come back for ulterior motives. But things aren't always that simple.

Why does Nick's best friend seem to hate Kat? Why don't Kat's parents talk to her anymore? Why does Nick seem to be hiding something? Why did Lisa and Kat fall out in the first place? And of course....how willing is Kat to be a mother?

As someone who is going through fertility issues, this book did make me sad a little at times, but was also an awesome page turner! We alternate between past and present in the couple's lives and this made very a great build up...because seriously...I suspected everyone! Read it!!!!!!! NOW!