After reading the initial description of The Surrogate I was looking forward to reading it but as much as I enjoyed the story it did not grip me as much as I expected it to. None of the characters were very likeable which I think hindered my reading in some ways but it was a quick read and I kept reading as I wanted to know how it would all turn out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for my ARC.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Told from 4 people, this story started out as a typical surrogacy situation. The storyline did pick up about halfway through and did keep my interest. I really did not care for Ruth, the main character wanting a baby. She just seemed rude to so many people and it actually had me rooting for the surrogate to keep the baby. There was way too much foul language from the storyline of Digger.

The Surrogate tells the story of Ruth and Hal, prospective parents, but needing the services of a surrogate to conceive, since they are both on the older side. They hire Cally through Craig's List to be a traditional surrogate, using Cally's own egg and Hal's sperm to create a baby. Hal is a lawyer, and he creates the contract that they will use for the surrogacy arrangement. When the baby is born, things end up going more wrong than any of the parties involved could have imagined.

First, I am fascinated about this subject (surrogacy, etc.) and all the things that could go very, very right, or very, very wrong with agreements and handing the baby over, in the end. Especially in the case laid out in the book, where Cally is very young (just turned 20) and basically having her first baby. Ruth and Hal wanted to do the surrogacy outside of an agency, to save money, but I think this book highlighted all the things that could possibly go wrong when you are trying to cut corners in this industry.

The book was entertaining, and (mostly) unpredictable. I didn't love many of the characters, though, which made my connection to the story a little less. I really liked Cally, and sympathized with her the most. Ruth was too type A and (understandably) jealous of Cally. Hal was just a jerk most of the time, and I'm not sure why Ruth even put up with him. He seemed much more into his older sons (with his first wife) than anything having to do with the new baby, it would have really made me angry, if I was put in Ruth's position. Digger, Cally's ex-boyfriend was also mostly a jerk (but I understood why he was that way, for the story purposes). Generally, only Cally was a character I could get on board with and sympathize with.

Overall, this story was entertaining, and I would definitely urge people to read, especially if they have an interest in alternative births and surrogacy.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of a couple who want a child and a young woman they hire as a surrogate. The wife really wants a baby. The husband has 2 sons from his first marriage, but goes along with the wife. The husband is a lawyer who draws up the contract for this private agreement.

I’ve always enjoyed books about surrogacy and adoption so I was excited when I read the synopsis. I absolutely loved this book, the author has a great story telling technique that kept me invested and wanting to read more. There were a few surprises thrown in and lots of different emotions. I would definitely read another book by this author in the future!

The Surrogate
By Toni Halleen

Although this is advertised as a thriller it’s definitely more of a family drama with some suspenseful moments. Well written with short chapters and 4 different POV’s it explores topics such as surrogacy, adoption, motherhood.

Thank you @netgalley @harperbooks for this #gifted e-book

Excellent read and incredibly moving. Gave me so much to think about from surrogacy to the bond between mother and child. Highly recommended.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy! I swear Harper Collins publishes the best books!!!

Somewhat newly married Hal and Ruth decide to hire a surrogate after Ruth’s doctor’s tell her pregnancy isn’t possible. In walks Cally who agrees to carry their child using Hal’s sperm and Cally’s egg. Cally will be well compensated to be able to go to college and make something of herself. She is excited to do it. What could possibly go wrong?

I devoured this book. It wasn’t a true psychological thriller to me…..the twists weren’t shocking but this was very well written! I enjoyed the different POV in different time frames and the author wrote each character very well.

Great job for a debut novel!

Twists, turns, and a roller coaster ride. A young surrogate panics and sneaks out of the hospital with the baby she delivered, enlisting her ex-boyfriend to come help her make a getaway. The would-be mother cannot stand for this and launches a manhunt, despite having no legal authority to do so. The ending was somewhat surprising.

Toni Halleen tells the story of The Surrogate from the four main characters' points of view. Although this made it easy to follow the plot, I found that I didn't connect with any of the characters. In this book Cally agrees to become a surrogate for Hal and Ruth. Hal already has two sons from a previous marriage and it seems as though Ruth has waited too long to decide she wanted a family besides her career. I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for an early copy to review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

This book starts off well enough. It’s got a very intriguing plot line and the writing is very good. I think I was just waiting for a twist or turn that never came. I thought the ending left a lot to be desired but it was an interesting book, overall.

Ruth and Hal a childless couple hire Cally to be a a surrogate for them. Cally gives birth to a girl and sneaks out of the hospital before she can be discharged and before the transfer of the baby can occur...

With the help of her ex boyfriend Digger Cally and Digger go to his uncle's cabin.

Ruth and Hal track Cally's whereabouts through the credit card purchases on the card they gave her..

When Cally is taking a nap Digger takes the baby to his sister's , figuring he''' get a reward if he returns the baby to Ruth and Cal.

Due to after birth complications Cally winds up at the hospital for treatment it turns out she had become pregnant before the artificial insemination and the embryo miscarried but not completely.
Ruth & Hal are at the hospital as Hal's son is in a car accident and is in a coma . He comes out of the coma but is paralyzed.
Digger and his sister are also at the hospital with the baby whom appears to be sick, she is jaundiced and dehydrated.

Ruth and Hal decide to give Cally full custody of the baby and Ruth becomes pregnant and gives birth to a boy.

This book was very interesting, even thought it was told through two different perspectives which I normally do not like. I did find that the author did this one with grace and smoothness so as a reader I was easily able to follow who was talking and what story line was coming up with out a lot of confusion. This in turned led me to a much more enjoyable read and made the story that much more exciting. Each chapter was nice and short so that it really packed a punch with the reader. This book was everything I was hoping for and more. It is all about a young woman named Ruth who wants nothing more than to be a mother but unfortunately that just doesn't seem to be in the card for her and her husband. Desperate for what they want they stumble upon young Cally, who agrees to let the couple have her child. Things look bright for the new couple who are about to get everything that they wanted when something happens and Cally changes her mind on the whole adoption and runs away with the newborn child. That is when the book really takes off as you see each person's reaction to the disappearance of the newborn, and it becomes murky who is right and who is wrong. This book will really have you looking at adoption more carefully. One of the reasons I really liked the chance in perspective was that it shows how even though Cally was doing a terrible thing, she wasn't a bad person and was just desperate
to keep her child and was fighting the only way she knew how, which I'm sure all mothers would do under normal circumstances. This is a great read that I was unable to put down I loved the characters and the story was something that I had to read to the end.

This book has an intriguing, though frequently explored premise: what happens when the birth mother in a surrogacy situation decides to keep the baby. The characters are varied and well drawn and the settings and situations interesting, so the book kept me reading and changing my mind about whom I was rooting for. I did think it fell apart a bit when all the characters converge at one location in a somewhat contrived way, and at times those scenes seemed almost farcical. The ending is satisfying but perhaps a bit too unrealistically neat. All in all, though, I thought it was compelling and well written and would recommend it. Many thanks to Harper and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I thought "The Surrogate" by Toni Halleen was an addictive story which had a very interesting look at surrogacy.
I thought Ms. Halleen did a good job of portraying each character's feelings & viewpoints.
The story was told from multiple perspectives, jumping back & forth in time.
The author used short chapters, which allowed the book to read very quickly & easily.
I would definitely read another book by this author.

You definitely get what you sign up for when reading this book - a story about a surrogate mother who decides she wants to keep the baby. It delivers on the promises made in the synopsis and successfully does what it sets out to do. It was a fun way to pass the time and reads quickly.

I like the multi POV and varying timelines used, I think this made the story much more interesting than it would have been if told linearly. You root for different sides throughout the story and feel sympathy for both parties involved, although one side is portrayed in a much more negative light.

My major complaint upon finishing is that surrogacy felt to be portrayed rather negatively, when it can be such a beautiful thing in reality. The events right at the very end really hammered this point home and kind of irritated me.

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really engrossing book and a very interesting look at surrogacy. In her early 40s and unable to have children, Ruth and her new husband Hal hire Cally as their surrogate. After the birth, Cally has a change of heart, enlists the help of her ex-boyfriend Digger, and runs away with the baby. The chapters are alternatively narrated by these four characters, which works really well for this story. The author does a great job of portraying each character's feelings and viewpoints. My heartstrings were tugged for both of the women, as they are both in very difficult positions. With short chapters, the book reads very quickly and easily. I found it hard to put down. Things get pretty intense toward the end, but it all wraps itself up nicely with an ending that made me smile.

I have really mixed feelings about The Surrogate. It is listed as Mystery/Thriller, but it definitely isn't. I'd consider it more like a family drama. Sure, there's the mystery element of what's going to happen with baby Nell, but overall, it follows the main characters of Hal, Ruth, and Cally and the surrogacy journey.

While I felt empathy for Ruth, who desperately wanted to become a mother, I didn't really connect with her. There were definitely times I found her annoying. Hal's character just seemed like he didn't really care about having another child and was only doing it for Ruth. I liked Cally, and respected that she was doing this to help continue her education. But can also understand why she didn't want to give the baby up.

The ending felt a little blah to me. I was happy for everyone but it was a bit predictable.

An okay read. 3/5 stars for me.

This is told from multiple perspectives, jumping back and forth in time, primarily the first few days after the 20-year-old surrogate Cally decides she wants more time with the baby and instead of signing the final documents, makes her escape from the hospital with her screw-up ex-boyfriend.

I had empathy for Ruth, the 42-year-old who didn’t find her love in Hal until her body decided it was too old to procreate. I would also feel powerless in that situation because even if you have your surrogate sign paperwork that says she won’t drink caffeine or otherwise live up to the very high standards society seems to expect pregnant women to fulfill, you can’t actually control the behavior of another human being, no matter how much time you spend with them. However, that said, she comes across as super bitchy. I’m one hundred percent sure I’d act the exact same way in that situation, but it still didn’t endear me to her.

Cally enjoyed being pregnant and needs the money for college. She liked having all the attention focused on her. Feeling a living creature inside her body for the final months of pregnancy once Baby began kicking and the pain of childbirth could certainly get your thinking a little scrambled, but she makes one bad decision after the other, so it was also hard to like her.

I immensely disliked the ridiculous, predictable ending.

I was given an advance copy from NetGalley. This novel RELEASES NOVEMBER 2, 2021.

A good read but parts dragged a bit for me. I was never really sure where the story was headed and when we finally arrived to the big finale, I felt underwhelmed.