I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Was not expecting that ending! What starts as a seemingly-formulaic prince/pauper story takes an unexpected twist that is surpassed only by the unexpected ending.

I really had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book. Generally the term "surrogate" applies to a woman who carries and gives birth to a child for another woman. And that is NOT what this story is about. Well it is about a surrogate mother who tries to help a very troubled 16 year old boy. After she was thrust into the situation without her knowledge and against her will. Kind of. Hard to say more without giving away the story. You will just have to read it for yourself. And trust me - it will be worth it.

Jenn and Jennifer look like identical twins even though they have never met before. One is a teacher, one is a wealthy wife. After meeting on vacation and keeping to spend some time together, the two switch lives. Jennifer's life was not what Jenn was anticipating though. I enjoyed most of the book, however was not a fan of the big plot twist/reveal the end.

WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! The Surrogate by Lynn Katz is a 5 star, fast paced, addicting, mesmerizing, intense, dark, thrilling and mind blowing read! This was my first time reading Lynn’s work and I just fell in love with her writing style and her storyline! She definitely acquired a new fan! The Surrogate is a book that is a must read that you have to put on top of your TBR list!!

Kudos needs to be given to the graphic designer who created the cover for The Surrogate! Boy oh boy that is one cover that grabs your attention and does not let go! I loved it just as much as I adored this book!

Lynn dedicates this book to Bob, Joshua, Siwei, and Elisha. You are her favorite readers in the world. She also dedicates this book to her parents, who Made her believe that she could do anything-even write a book.

Ohh how I don’t know how I would feel seeing a double of me (one is enough lol) with the same name too! My head was spinning at the future events that were going to happen!

Lynn discusses and addresses many important topics in The Surrogate. Some scenes are graphic and others that have cuss words in them. Please consider this as they may trigger some readers.

Jennifer was a girl after my own heart on how much she loved books and would escape into her bedroom to read. She also loved to write and was a huge fan of Hemingway.

Martin’s storyline on how he was so troubled and how Jennifer wanted to help him was one of my faves! At times he would be completely and utterly speechless! !

Many of these characters had so much pain and anger built up within them.

One thing is for sure David was right, this would be a great movie script! I could see this on Netflix or The Lifetime Channel!

My jaw dropped open at the climactic scenes of the book! I was in utter shock at the turn of events! What an mind blowing ending!!

THE SURROGATE
BY LYNN KATZ

Okay all of you die hard fans of psychological thrillers and thrillers--this is the perfect unique read for you. Personally, I have been making a point to segue way out of this genre and read more heart warming novels with lovable characters where I learn something new. The characterization crafted in this novel is stunning and brilliant done by this talented new Author to me, Lynn Katz. I loved the beginning of this book and I did love the ending. It is the very central plot that disturbed me. It is most likely that what horrified me so much is that intuitively I made an educated guess that this is loosely based on someone that I knew and her two sons that moved away when the shocking event happened. There are parallels such as the same use of the State of Connecticut and the fictional sister's name made my stomach fall. I could be wrong but I don't think so. Zero spoilers here.

The novel draws you in from the very beginning. For the first fifty percent I was glued to the pages not wanting to put this down. The premise is interesting enough and in many ways compelling. You know that old cliche about every one of us having the perfect twin? Someone that looks completely like us. That is how this begins. A High school Freshman English teacher named Jenn Cooper is just finishing up her Summer vacation in Key West, Florida when she wanders into a bar and orders a Key Lime Martini and out of the ether appears Jennifer Moriarty who starts up a conversation on the next bar stool beside her.

The two look so much alike that they could be twins. Jenn Cooper is more plainly dressed and single from Hartford, Connecticut who naively gets tricked by the more glamorous Jennifer Moriarty. Well these two women could be identical twins. All innocent enough and intriguing right? Well what follows is anything but a nightmare for Jenn Cooper. This was a real page turner and the premise of swapping lives had me glued to the pages. I really loved most of the book until I intuitively picked up the real heart of the plot which I am not the best judge of this novel because it isn't explicit in the exact details. I was horrified that I was reading about someone that I heard about from a good friend who knew the family and so it became disturbing to me.

Most people who don't make the same parallels that I am basing my assumption and it is only my intuition that it is loosely based on somebody I had heard of that moved to Connecticut where Jenn Cooper is from. Jennifer Moriarty whose idea to swap lives fictional sister's name in this novel is the name of the woman who was the friend of mine good friend that also seemed to be too much of a coincidence. I was horrified and it has taken a lot to read about because of the similar plot to mirror real life events.

I think that all in all that this was a well written novel of suspense and without making a personal connection that I have you will enjoy this. The subject matter is heavy but realistic and if you don't mind that then you will love this book. I really loved how the big reveal had me questioning what I had just read, which is a good thing. I would read this Author's future work and think that this was unforgettable. Recommended and deserving of Five stars!

Publication Date: May 6, 2021. Already Available!

Thank you to Net Galley, Lynn Katz and Black Rose Writing for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheSurrogate #LynnKatz #BlackRoseWriting #NetGalley

OH MY GOSH this book, i cannot stop thinking about it, i don't know what I expected but it wasnt this. It was written really well and the charcaters were so well deb=veloped, so real and raw. We have all seen the news footage of mass shootings in the USA and can never imagine the terror but this book made the whole situation feel so real and even more intense.
It was nail biting stuff, I couldnt put it down and I was turning pages long after i should have stopped, I read it in one sitting. It was so suspenseful and unpredictable, I loved it

I really struggled with this book - it was just not for me, but loads of other people have found it really good.

I tried a few times to read it and I finally finished.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

When I started this book, I kept thinking that it seemed like a mix of “Parent Trap” and that awful romantic comedy, “The Holiday”, where Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz switch lives for awhile. I chuckled at the cheese, but it was still really entertaining, so I kept on reading.

Well, I was completely wrong about my initial impression of this book. It is not like those movies at all … yes, two women meet and swap lives, but it’s about so much more than that.

After randomly meeting in a bar, the two women (Jennifer and Jenn) spend a drunken night playing Truth or Dare. When the dare of swapping places for a month is broached, Jenn isn’t sure. She’s a single English teacher, and Jennifer is a wealthy homemaker used to a life of luxury with her husband and two sons. However, in the intoxicated moment, she must have agreed, as she wakes up in Jennifer’s bed the next morning with instructions on how to handle the next month.

Jenn could have used a lot more instruction, that’s for sure. As the chapters roll along, the book becomes more and more complex and intriguing. I can’t say much more about the plot than the synopsis does without spoiling things, but when these women switched places, they started a chain of events that couldn’t be stopped. By the end, lives are at stake and it’s clear that this was the worst decision they could have made.

This book starts good, keeps getting better as it goes along, then finishes with several shocks before the fantastic epilogue ends it all. I thought it was just about perfect, from the characters, to the plot and where the author takes you. I also love all the Hemingway references! If you’re questioning whether or not you want to read this, do yourself a favor and get a copy (you can thank me later). This gripping, thoughtful and timely thriller gets a rare five stars from me.

(Thank you to Black Rose Writing, Lynn Katz and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my review.)

Connecticut high school teacher, Jenn Cooper, falls under the spell of her more stylish double, a woman she encounters in a Key West bar. After a weekend of martinis and makeovers, Jenn is tricked into swapping lives for one month. She uncovers clues about her doppelganger's obsession with guns and the family's twisted dynamics. Jenn discovers dark secrets about Martin, her double's reclusive teenage son. But when she learns what Martin is plotting and that her own life is at risk, it's too late to turn back.

With every plot twist, Jenn faces more obstacles and fewer options. She's on her own as she tries to save herself and prevent another American tragedy.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

The book is written in two perspectives of two women who look alike and meet in Key West. One drunken night they play truth or dare and agree (one unknowingly) to switch lives for a month. It is your classic cluster of events. I have never read anything by this author but she is now on my continuing list. This book kept me guessing and is phenomenal! Kuddos great job!!!

When I picked The Surrogate on NetGalley I actually thought I was getting THIS novel that I’d seen doing the social media rounds, when in actuality I was getting THIS one. Either way, it seems clear that I had zero idea what I was delving into but at least in this case I also hadn’t seen any commentary either negative or positive before opening it up. I do love the excitement of starting a book I’ve been looking forward to but there’s also something freeing about having literally no preconceptions and just being able to start totally fresh.

A thriller is usually what I turn to when I’m in a reading rut. A good plot tends to snap me out of it so it was with that in mind that I turned to The Surrogate dear fellow readers. I have to say though it didn’t really immediately do its job in that regard. Though the initial concept is pretty intriguing - a woman on vacation meets her doppleganger, who asks her to switch lives for a month - the problem for me was that there was just so much preamble. We meet our protagonist - teacher Jenn Cooper - on a holiday in Key West where she’s touring Hemingway’s house and dreaming about the novel she’s planning to write. When she meets Jennifer Moriarty, they’re both shocked by their shared resemblance and they quickly embark on a couple of nights of drinking, eating and game-playing as Jennifer strives to get Jenn to agree to this one month life swap. The next morning Jenn wakes up, Jennifer is gone and her nightmare begins. We were almost 20% into the novel by this point and I wasn’t exactly rushing to pick it back up. I was really hoping for something to happen that would make me feel invested in Jenn’s journey. Even with all of this backstory, I really couldn’t work out why she went along with the whole shebang at all! It didn’t seem either exciting nor totally necessary and, though fatigued, Jenn cared so much about her job and her students I couldn’t quite believe she’d let this random woman take it all over with next to no preparation.

However, once she gets to the Moriarty residence the story picks up. Katz creates a compelling atmosphere in this strange, almost empty upper-middle class home. I felt totally ill at ease as she wandered through the rooms and slowly set up home herself. Clearly, all is not well with the Moriarty family but between not wanting to blow her cover and the strange absence of Jennifer’s husband and older son, answers are hard to come by. I love how Katz drops little hints that foreshadow what might come to pass without laying it on too thick and this was the section of the novel that did begin to grip me. The only other resident living at the house with Jenn is Jennifer’s younger son Martin, a miserable, smelly, unhealthy looking boy who spends the majority of his time locked in his bedroom playing violent video games. From conversations with her new family members, Jenn quickly learns that Martin’s behaviour is of extreme concern to those around him and that he has been pretty much neglected, most obviously by his mother. Putting her teacher hat on, Jenn decides to get Martin the help he needs and leaps into action, working alongside the school to improve his behaviour and his studies. I actually found this aspect of the novel really compelling as it finally gave me a chance to get to know the characters in the novel and engage properly with the story. Though aware that she’s simply a stand-in in this life, Jenn naturally starts to put down roots and the effect is disarming.

Now, this is where the twists start coming and the ‘thriller proper’ begins. As always, out of an abundance of caution for not imparting spoilers I’ll be super careful about what I share from this point on. I don’t think it’ll come as a surprise to anyone that Martin doesn’t simply become a delightful teenager or that the life swap pans out as promised. There is a fantastic little pocket of time in which I found myself holding my breath, absolutely floored as to how Jenn could ever extricate herself from the ever-worsening situation. I’m always impressed when an author can do that, can create genuine feelings of shock and fear solely from words on a page, so credit where it’s due! I also really liked that Katz kept us guessing about the other members of the Moriarty family. I had no idea who to trust and whether people were purposely withholding information or Jenn simply didn’t have enough background knowledge to eke it out. For a book that took a long time to properly get started, it felt like the twists kept coming right up to the end.

Unfortunately the final twist simply wasn’t to my taste. I think it’s worth saying that for many people it will probably be a satisfactory ending and it definitely does not shy away from getting pretty dark and depressing. So, I’m not by any means saying I don’t think it’s well written or convincing. However, without risking any spoilers (and so making it difficult to discuss properly), I will just say that it draws upon a big and important concept that I really, really hate seeing consistently used as a catch-all for human behaviour in thrillers as though it perfectly explains everything that has just happened. I appreciate that this is fiction and that while this is something that I don’t personally enjoy, I totally respect that for many people this will be a fun, twisty and impactful ending. For me though, it was a bit of a letdown. After following Jenn throughout her whole experience, I’d really hoped to see Katz guide her protagonist out of the convoluted web she’d drawn her into in a similarly intriguing manner.

Jenn Copper is living her normal, quiet life as a literature teacher in Connecticut. During the summer break, she took a little vacation to Florida to visit the house of Ernest Hemingway. The main purpose of her trip was to finally start writing the novel she always wanted to write. Nonetheless, she always was finding excuses why she’s not ready to start writing. She spent her last evenings in the bar drinking, disappointed that her vacation didn’t go as planned. Exactly there, she noticed a woman staring straight at her. When she decided to confront her, she saw a woman who looked just like her. Her name was Jennifer, which is another big coincidence. She’s a rich married woman, mother of two kids, living in Florida. She’s the complete opposite of Jenn.

From one drink to another, two women got to know each other better, and both were not satisfied with their lives. Jenn’s doppelganger came up with the idea to swap their lives for a month. Even if Jenn wasn’t convinced, and didn’t want to agree to it. However, when she woke up in the morning she woke up in Jennifer’s bed. By the time she woke up, Jennifer and all Jenn’s belongings were gone. The only thing left behind was a letter addressed to Jenn.

Book Review:
I finished reading this book two days ago, and I still don’t know what to think about it. On one hand, I loved it, especially the moment when I reached the twist in the story. I would lie if I’d say that I wasn’t surprised. It was a great ending for the book. A little bit drastic but amazing at the same time. However, I have a lot of questions about the ending. It was amazing but a lot of things were not explained and didn't make sense.

I really liked Jenn’s character. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy seeing the story from her point of view but my opinion about her changed very quickly. Even if she wanted to get out of Jennifer’s life as soon as possible. She stayed because she saw that Jennifer’s son needed urgent help. As a teacher, she felt obligated to do everything to help him get out of his darkroom, and start living again. Well, she wasn’t suspecting that there is much more behind it than a teenage depression. Well, this kid terrified even me. I couldn’t stand how he’s behaving and treating Jenn. It was very clear that there is something very wrong with him. However, on the other side, I could also see that half of the things he has done were mostly a cry for help.

Jennifer’s family was a disaster, and I was really surprised already in the beginning that Jenn didn’t decide to run. She had money, and Jennifer’s documents so she could easily just go back home and confront her about it all. Partly, I think she didn’t want to go back to her life. She wanted to experience something new, and be able to finally start her book. Nonetheless, taking care of Martin took all her time and thoughts at the moment.

The ending of this book was epic, and not expected. I wasn’t very surprised because by the end of the book I could partly see it’s coming. However, it was still very well written and managed to make it shocking for the reader. This ending made me like this book even more.

I would like to thank Lynn Katz, Black Rose Writing, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. This story was a rollercoaster with an unexpected ending, which makes it a perfect quick read.

If you could swap lives with your doppelganger would you? Jenn Cooper bumps into her doppelganger, Jennifer Moriarty, and after a drunk game of truth or dare seemingly agrees to swap with lives with her for one month.
Is the grass greener on the other side? That was the theme of this book and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to say how the main character adapted to the life of her double and tried her best to help Jennifer's son, Martin. The writing was fast paced and kept me flying through this book with just enough drip feed hints at the twist to keep me interested. My only criticism would be because the hints at the twist had been drip fed when it was eventually revealed I felt it was a little rushed and there could have been a more in depth explanation. Overall though a really good thrilling read!

Holy plot twist!! This is one of the most unexpected ending books I’ve read in a long time!! Finished it in 12 hours and can’t wait to read another psychological thriller by the author!!

A big thank you to #Netgalley #LynnKatz and #BlackRoseWriting for allowing me to read an ARC of #TheSurrogate!

I read a lot of a books, mostly thrillers and I loved this one because it was totally unexpected and I didn’t see that twist coming! My advice if you are planning on reading: go on blind and don’t read many of the blurbs/summaries/spoilers; it is a great book, let the story unfold for you and I assure you that you’ll be surprised! I know I was!

The Surrogate is a tale of switching lives, mistaken identity and dark family secrets hidden underneath the guise of a money and happiness.
A woman on vacation in Key West meets her doppelgänger who tricks her into switching lives and what follows is a slippery ride into family dysfunction and secrets.

A great read despite the troublesome end of the story which may be a trigger for some. A great thriller with a good twist and awesome ending!

Thanks NetGalley for this read. I love reading thrillers so this was very enjoyable for me and the synopsis was a little too much information for me as it spoiled some parts for me. If you read a lot of thrillers, go into the book blind and do not read the synopsis or you will know more than you need to know. Great read though and it was very fast paced. Well done to the author, Laura Katz.

This unique thriller was a read for the ages. It touches on mental health issue be warned if that's a trigger. I Lynn Katz knows how to keep readers engaged.

A big thank you to #NetGalley, #BlackRoseWriting, and author #LynnKatz for the ARC of #TheSurrogate.

As always the opinions below are mine and mine alone. I do want to mention this book could be considered to have triggers so before you check it out you might wanna look into that.

As for the book.....I freaking loved it!!

We have two main characters, Jennifer and Jenn. Strange? Or it's just me? Anyway, the two meet down in Key West. Jenn, who teaches high school literature, is vacationing from New England. Jennifer has a small cottage in Key West that has been in her husband's family for a long time, but she actually lives in Coral Gables, FL. She is a wife and mother of 2 teenage sons.

Jenn is unmarried and while on summer vacation is enjoying a quiet life reading and maybe even starting her own novel. One evening as she's out around town she ends up meeting Jennifer. Its strange not only because they have the same name, but they could pass as twins. Wow!

Jenn isn't as concerned with appearance as Jennifer has always been. So, Jennifer talks Jenn into letting her do a makeover while spending the rest of her vacation at the cottage. When Jenn sees herself she's amazes at how much more she looks like Jennifer now.

That was the last night Jenn remembers talking to Jennifer. She has a very hazy memory of them playing truth or dare and her letting Jennifer convince her to swap lives for a month.

No biggie, right? Except it is....she doesn't have any children of her own and now she has two teenage sons, (and one of them seems a little strange). Plus she has a husband who wants nothing to do with her or the youngest child. Did Jennifer think Jenn could fix this mess? She was so wrong if she did.

She starts having issues with Martin, the youngest son and tries desperately to get in touch with Jennifer, who is supposed to be living Jenn's life, but she can't find her.........

I wrote a little longer review than I normally do, but I feel like this book is important. This has so many issues that relate to things going on now, today, right under our noses.

I read for entertainment and this book definitely held my attention. I couldn't wait to see what happened. If you want to be entertained too, then this is a good one. Grab it at your favorite book store on May 6, 2021.,,

Connecticut high school teacher, Jenn Cooper, falls under the spell of her more stylish double, a woman she encounters in a Key West bar. After a weekend of martinis and makeovers, Jenn is tricked into swapping lives for one month. She uncovers clues about her doppelganger’s obsession with guns and the family’s twisted dynamics. Jenn discovers dark secrets about Martin, her double’s reclusive teenage son. But when she learns what Martin is plotting and that her own life is at risk, it’s too late to turn back. With every plot twist, Jenn faces more obstacles and fewer options. She’s on her own as she tries to save herself and prevent another American tragedy.
This is a fabulous thriller, just when I thought I had read every angle this kind of story could be taken from I was thrown a curve ball and given something different. Full of suspence right from the beginning, this is just the type of book that keeps me engaged and wanting more. Well developed characters just reinforced the quality of this book. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this excellent book in exchange for an honest review.