5 stars out of 5
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.
The Surrogate by Louise Jensen (Bookouture, September 2017); 345 pp.
5 stars out of 5
It's safe to say I'm not as wildly enthusiastic about this book as others appear to be, but at the same time, there's no way I can in good conscience give it fewer than 5 stars. The official description claims - and I totally agree - that it's a compelling read. Once I started it, I didn't want to put it down till I'd reached the end. Really.
Jenna, a 30-year-old woman recovering from a heart transplant, feels compelled to meet the donor family despite warnings from her therapist, family and friends that it's not in anyone's best interests. But as she begins to grow strong enough to return to work part-time, she experiences strange dreams and sensations. Soon, she begins to believe that her new heart - which came from an accident victim named Callie - may have been installed with Callie's memories intact. Those memories are disturbing to Jenna, to say the least, suggesting that the auto accident in which Callie was killed may in fact have been murder.
After Jenna meets Callie's still-distraught mother and father and learns that another daughter - Callie's sister Sophie - apparently has gone missing, she vows to get to the truth in the belief that it will bring closure to the grieving parents. She visits Callie's former workplace and even gets to know Nathan, the fiance Callie left behind. On the surface, he seems caring and very much still missing his almost-bride - but here, too, Jenna has a nagging feeling that what she sees isn't what Callie got.
When Jenna tries to tell others about the messages her heart is sending, though, she hits brick wall after brick wall. Not her therapist, not her transplant doctor, not her former boyfriend and not even her own parents believe her. She's delusional, they insist - the result of the trauma she's been through and the potent drugs she's been taking to prevent her body from rejecting the new organ.
But the more she tries to fight off her feelings, the stronger they become; and the more she pokes around, the more she becomes convinced that something sinister happened. The problem with that, though, is that the closer she gets to the truth, the more she puts herself in danger - not only from over-taxing her new heart too soon after the surgery but also from whoever is responsible for Callie's death.
Needless to say, the story zips along quickly amid plenty of action, suspense and twists that kept my eyes glued to my Kindle screen as well as a ton of second guessing and hand wringing on Jenna's part (a titch over the top, IMHO). And by the time I'd reached the midpoint, Jenna had bitten her tongue so often that I figured if that rate continued she wouldn't have more than a nub left by the last page.
Everything comes together in an ending that surprises in many ways, but of course I can't reveal more than that without spoiling things for other readers. What I will say is if you like head games and being kept on the edge of your seat, hie thee hither and get a copy of this book. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read it in exchange for an honest review.
The Gift by Louise Jensen (Bookouture, December 2016); 320 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Stop me if you've heard this before: Angst-ridden female trying to put together pieces of a tortured past. Alienating those close to her (i.e., live-in-love, close relatives) because she can't come to grips with the death of a close childhood friend. Characters purporting to be friends who may have (gasp!) sinister intentions. Flashback chapters that reveal details intended to bring readers to the "brilliant twist" (the book's subtitle, not my words) at the end.
Yawn. The only thing missing is the word "girl" in the title (but hey, in my world, "sister" is close enough for horseshoes). Yes, it's a concept with which I've grown more than weary. So why 4 stars? Because I can't deny that the author has done it really well - at least after the first quarter of the book, during which I wrestled with the little demon in the back of my head that was screaming, "You've been there, done that, woman - pull the plug!" But the real me isn't a quitter (unless it really, really stinks), so I forced myself to carry on. And in the end, I must acknowledge that it's a more than worthy entry in the current formula craze.
Here's the deal: Grace's friend Charlie died unexpectedly a few months back, shortly after returning from a six-year disappearing act. Because Charlie's last words included "forgive me," Grace is flummoxed; what did she mean by that? Could she have saved her friend? When she opens an old memory box, some surprising details about Charlie's life pop out, turning Grace into even more of an emotional wreck. You see, much of her life she's haunted by a bevvy of other childhood traumas - and, as the formula demands - she blames herself for much of those as well.
Fairly early on, Grace sets out to find Charlie's father; Charlie's mother, Lexie, has long refused to provide any details, including the guy's name. In that process, Grace meets Anna, who claims to be Charlie's sister - the daughter of that same man. Anna courts favor with an already overwrought Grace, even wrangling an invitation to move in with Grace and her boyfriend Dan (Lord have mercy - what could possibly go wrong with that)?
The rest of the book taunts readers with glimpses of characters who may or may not be out to get Grace (both mentally and physically). Admittedly, I never ran across that "brilliant twist," but there is an acceptable ending. It's not a Dickinson "God's in his heaven, all's right with the world," but rather closer to an "All's Well That Ends Well." Sort of.
All things considered, it's a well-written debut novel that deserves attention (and yes, that's a positive recommendation). But don't expect much of anything new and different - just same strokes, different folks.
The Sister by Louise Jensen (Bookouture, July 2016); 307 pp.
5 stars out of 5
