I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

Imagine raising a child for ten years only to find out that he is not biologically your child-- or your spouse's. Imagine losing the ability to have any more children, and finding out you accidentally gave one away. That is the reality for the two voices in this story, Donovan and Maggie. Both are parents to the same child, though not in the same way.

This was one of those books that had a story that sucked me in, but made me think at the same time. What truly defines us as family? And what exactly is the right answer to a question like that? How would you react in this situation? I honestly can't say that I would know how to react. This was an intriguing read from Friedland, and the ending might have been the best part. I would definitely recommend this one.

He Gets That From Me comes out on September 14, 2021.

What constitutes a family? What is in the best interest of the child? This new novel asks these questions as it tells an involving tale of family and how we project what is needed for others sometimes without asking them. I enjoyed this book and appreciated that most of the characters were complex people who acted from a variety of motivations. Only Chip seemed a bit underdeveloped to me. The sign of a good book is when it draws you into the characters and has you second guessing your own assumptions as you learn more about how it looks for the other person. Reminiscent of Jodi Picoult novels this book was a pleasure to read.

This is both a heartbreaking and heartwarming story at times. It's a story about what it means to be a family. what exactly is a family, and how our biological family isn't always everything that we need. Sometimes we unknowingly make a choice that changes the way our life looks, but if we try to go back and undo that choice more than one life is changed yet again. The thought of 'what is parenthood' is age old, but we see ourselves asking it yet once again. This book takes you through the story of two dads and a surrogate, of birth, biology and what it really means to be a family.

The question of where family comes from / how attachments are created and how we navigate the complexities of modern families are the focus of this engaging book. It drew me in quickly and kept me interested throughout.

Wow, this books packs a punch! I'm not going to say anything about the plot, because it's a book that is better without spoilers, but It's an interesting book that asks questions about family, blood, relationships and what holds us together. It tackles complex issues, in a way that is interesting and accessible. It's also well written, which makes it a pleasure to read.
Even though couple of choices that often annoy me, like chapters set in different times, and having two narrators, she pulls it off by skillful writing.
This would be great a great book to do in a book club, because there is so much to unpack, as well as being an enjoyable - if at times tense read.

Thanks NetGalley and SparkPress for the free e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow

This book was absolutely masterful. It tells the story of two families whose lives become intertwined in the most unlikely of circumstances.

Maggie in order to finance her going back to school to earn a degree in pedagogy decides to become a gestational carrier to a gay couple, Donovan and Chip, who would desperately like to have biological children of their own from the same donor mother. However, ten years after the twins were born, a relativity test reveals something that none of them had ever expected and some follow-up DNA tests are needed.

This is a beautiful book on what it means to be a family, on what kind of bond is actually the strongest between a parent and their child.

We have alternating POVs from Maggie and Donovan throughout the whole book—sometimes we can even see the same scene from both of their point of views—and it allows us readers, to truly understand the two sides.

I did feel like it started of a tiny bit too slow and Maggie annoyed me but every person and relationship portrayed was so real with their ups and downs, their obstacles that needed to be overcome. But most importantly I felt the underlying love everywhere. Being a family will never be without problems some bigger, some smaller, and He Gets That From Me showed that in truth.

Also, that title is just simply perfect.

I'm forever grateful for NetGalley and SparkPress for the opportunity to read this book

Relativity means something that is relative. Relativity is the name of the company that Donovan and Chip use to order DNA tests for their twin sons, Teddy and Kai. The test results begin He Gets That From Me, a heartbreaking page turner that will make you question what makes a family. A novel that combines science, technology and emotion.

This is a difficult review to write without spoilers and I don’t want to do that. Please read this book. Ask your friends to read it. Select it for your book club. You will definitely want to discuss the issues in He Gets That From Me. Of course, this is a 5 star review. This is a book that will stay with you long after you finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley, SparkPress and Jacqueline Friedland for this ARC.

Very interesting, thought provoking book! Each chapter told by a different protagonist which definitely worked well for this book to see the different thought processes from surrogate and the dads.

Great ending that turned out to have a bit of a twist for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and SparkPress for the opportunity to read this book.

A good read that explores LGBTQ+ and surrogacy - and underlying debate of nature vs nurture and what makes someone a parent - DNA or time spent with them? The middle felt a little slow and i think i would have preferred some of that time spent on the ending

I loved Friedland's last book and adored this one! The dual POV between Maggie and Donovan allowed me to understand the characters in all their glory, and the time jumps furthered this understanding as I learnt about who they were and what they had been through. He Gets That from Me made me feel so many emotions that will stick with me for years to come I'm sure.

I have recently read a few takes on this subject from this perspective and I think this is one of the few that has gotten it right. It’s a hard topic, but done well for the first time in a long time, in my reading.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were well written - for the most part, I wasn't a huge fan of Nick. Perhaps he was written to the be antagonist, but he did detract from the story, especially given the change in his character throughout the book.

Dual points of view were well written and the ending was unexpected, at least to me. That earned another star. Definitely give it a go.

I requested to read “He Gets That From Me” by Jacqueline Friedland because I have heard so many positive things about it.

I teach Family Law so I loved the premise poised in the couple. Couple Donovan and Chip want kids and Maggie is agreeable to be the surrogate as she plans to use the money for school. Donovan and Chip become proud parents to fraternal twins, but jump ahead ten years, and one of the children is not biologically related to the dads. We know blood and genes do not necessarily determine who is a part of our family, but this novel is a great example of how family can be defined by many different things. The author did a fabulous job to let her well-developed characters tell the story versus have events determined by plot. Because of how the characters jump off the page, it’s so easy to get pulled into the plight these characters are wrestling with.

Told from Maggie and Donovan’s point of views, the story looks at the ethical and emotional issues surrounding surrogacy.. This was not necessarily an easy read because of the issues this novel dealt with, but it was definitely and enjoyable one.

Thank you the Jacqueline Friedland, NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel.

What makes a family? As soon as I read the premise of this book, I knew I wanted to read it. With a close male family member in a single-sex relationship, this story of two men who want to be dads resonated with me. I was very interested in their “adventure” with surrogacy. And this novel did not disappoint!

Without rehashing the entire plot, the essence is that the surrogacy happens and the men have two sons. Ten years later, they do one of those DNA testing services and find out something puzzling about one of their boys. What happens after that? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

Chapters are told from the point of view of either one of the dads, Donovan, or the surrogate, Maggie. I particular loved that some events were told from both points of view. I really connected with Donovan. It was a bit harder for me to connect with Maggie but she grew on me near the very end of the book. It was also great to see some Jewish representation without stereotyping.

This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Spark Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Jacqueline Friedland is an author who takes you deep into the subject matter of her novels, reeling you in emotionally from the very first page, and not letting up until the very last sentence. He Gets That From Me is a heart-tugging book about all of the things that constitute a family, all of the different ways that a family can look like. There are so many complicated feelings in this story, that I was constantly on edge as my own emotions were pulled in so many directions. The story is told from two points of view: Maggie, a young woman who is eager to be a gestational mother for Donovan and Chip; and Donovan one of two dads to his sons Kai and Teddy. Hearing from both of them not only added layers to an already-complex story, but it was also important to be able to hear from both Maggie and Donovan, two people who only wanted was best for their families. Clear your calendar when you start reading this compelling novel, because once you start reading, you will not be able to put it down.

Awesome, emotionally charged book, Great characters and storyline. You keep turning the pages, to see what will happen.
I definitely recommend this book!
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

He Gets That From Me by Jacqueline Friesland encompasses so much of what women feel strongly about - sexuality, motherhood, relationships with a husband and/or a mother. All these are woven into a beautiful story with unexpected twists.

Five stars for this well-researched novel about how the decision to use and the decision to be a surrogate impacts the families involved.

The story begins in 2007 when the main character Maggie is living with Nick, a novice chef, and their infant son in Phoenix. Barely making ends meet, Maggie is working in a dead-end job as a checkout cashier, although she dreams of going back to school to become a teacher. Maggie, who is estranged from her wealthy New York parents, is determined to make it on her own. To pay for her schooling, she answers an ad to become a gestational surrogate for Donovan and Chip, a successful gay couple living in New York. She successfully delivers twins, which she hands over in what she considers a completed transaction.

The plot advances through chapters alternately narrated by Maggie and Donovan. Maggie becomes a teacher and marries Nick who becomes a successful chef. Struggles in their marriage are largely caused by Maggie’s selfishness and feelings of inadequacy. Donovan and Chip create a loving family with the boys, each man believing he is the father of one twin.

Ten years after the twins’ birth, both families are caught off-guard when they discover that Kai is actually the biological child of Maggie and Nick, rather than Donovan and an anonymous egg donor. As the story moves forward, we see how this news impacts the characters—in their relationships, careers, and growth as human beings.

The book was very well-written. The author’s knowledge of surrogacy gave an authenticity to the novel. I liked the plot device used to move the story forward through alternating points of view. The characters came across as well-rounded individuals I cared about, although I didn’t necessarily like all of them.

It was hard to put the book down until I learned how Maggie, as well as all members of both families, resolved the situation with Kai. I was very satisfied with how the book ended; I loved the epilogue, which caught me by surprise. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Wow... He Gets That from Me is a gut-wrenching, captivating story. The author pulls the reader in from the start. This is a story that will have you falling in love with the characters and feeling the love and pain that they feel.

Told in dual POV (and a third towards the end), the story takes us ten years into the past, when Maggie decides to undergo the selfless act of surrogacy and then into the future to the fathers that adopted the babies. A shocking reveal sends those involved into a downward spiral of emotion that grabs the reader's attention and tugs at the heartstrings.

The book is an easy read, in that it is interesting and a bit of a page turner.

Life is busy for Maggie Fisher as she rushes to her job at Bed Bath & Beyond, leaving her toddler with Nick after his shift at the restaurant. This young couple may struggle with time and money constraints but little Wyatt is the sparkling center of their lives. After Maggie dropped out of school and virtually out of site, she couch floated directionless for quite a few years. Falling in love with Nick and the life they have created in Arizona is finally putting her back on track. But Maggie will not be content with the check out line forever. She dreams of a college degree in education so she can earn a decent salary and a promising career. Refusing to beg her estranged parents for help she finds the cash earning opportunity to change her life. Tucked in the back of a home magazine is an ad to be a gestational surrogate. After much research and battling with Nick, Maggie is chosen by a NYC couple named Chip and Donovan who against the odds, dream of having a family of their own. A decade later the phone rings and the impossible becomes reality. Maggie is faced with decisions no mother should have to make. As her past comes barreling forward she wonders if her marriage can survive. Highly recommend this captivating story of family, trust and advanced technology all rolled into one. Didn’t love love the main characters but there is no doubt this one would be a fascinating book club discussion.