I’ve read A LOT of thrillers in my lifetime, and a few of those have been about surrogacy. I’d say most of them were good, and although the plot lines were slightly similar, they all had different endings. I was ready for a new take on an old trope when I started this one, which began the same as the others.

We have two main characters: Elise and Maya. Elise’s sister Julia is being her surrogate. She had a relationship that went sour, wanted to have a baby on her own but physically couldn’t, so her cold, distant sister reluctantly agreed to the arrangement. Soon though, Julia is leaving Elise out of appointments and avoiding her calls. Surely she doesn’t want to keep the baby…(they always want to keep the baby!)

Maya is a surrogate for a couple named Nina and Will. She and Elise met in a surrogacy group and soon became friends. Maya also had a relationship that ended poorly; that combined with the surrogacies gave them a lot to talk about. Elise soon suspects that Maya wants to keep the baby she is carrying as well. As Julia and Maya get further into their pregnancies, things are starting to get tense for everyone.

Then EVERYTHING CHANGED with a twist that completely caught me off guard. This definitely didn’t follow the formula of other surrogacy thrillers I’ve read - this was a shocking page turner that made me want to read the beginning again to see if there were any clues I missed! There were a couple of implausible things, but for the most part, this was a very twisty and twisted ride. 4.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Bookouture for inviting me on this book tour. “The Perfect Baby” is slated to be released on September 27, 2024.)

Elise and maya meet at a surrogate support group. Maya is pregnant and Elise will be a mother thanks to her sister. As the two become closer, secrets about their pasts come to light. Maya gets more and more afraid of Nina and Will trying to control her. Elise doesn’t understand why her sister won’t include her in the prenatal appointments. Once the babies are born, connections are made that one would not guess. And secrets are revealed that are not what the reader would think. What is the hidden agenda behind these babies?! Great book! So many jaw dropping moments.

She wanted to become a mother. She made sure that she did.

A very emotional and twisty psychological thriller. Wow, a totally unexpected twist that floored me.
Loved it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the digital copy of this book.

Often when I watch a movie, I am sitting screaming at the main character not to go in there or not to believe that person or not to open the door, ... but when I read a book I am doing the exact same thing I warn those characters for. I follow the author's lead and walk in the trap with my eyes wide open. :)

I believe what they want me to believe and then afterwards they can shout out loud 'gotcha' :) :)

Being able to pull this off shows the author's craftmanship and I am happy to have had the priviledge to read the book. 

So yes, I fell for it and I loved how everything came together perfectly. 

If you want to find out what disasters can do to a person, you just have to read this book. 5 stars

Thank you