If Louise Jensen bottled up her writing talent and sold it, she’d be a gazillionaire!
To celebrate paperback publication day of The Surrogate I’m re-sharing my review.
But first, here’s the blurb …
‘You know that feeling? When you want something so badly, you almost feel you’d kill for it?’
Be careful what you wish for…
Kat and her husband Nick have tried everything to become parents, and are on the point of giving up. Then a chance encounter with Kat’s childhood friend Lisa gives Kat and Nick one last chance to achieve their dream.
But Kat and Lisa’s history hides dark secrets.
And there is more to Lisa than meets the eye.
As dangerous cracks start to appear in Kat’s perfect picture of happily-ever-after, she realises that she must face her fear of the past to save her family…
From the no. 1 bestselling author of The Sister and The Gift, this is an unputdownable psychological thriller which asks how far we will go to create our perfect family.
My thoughts …
You can’t improve on perfection, can you?
Well, Louise Jensen has!
She must have some sort of magical power when it comes to writing because The Sister, her debut novel, was perfect, then along came The Gift and that too was perfect and now we have The Surrogate which is just so far beyond perfection it’s scary! How does she do it?!
The Surrogate sees Kat and her husband, Nick, settled in their marriage and careers. They look like the couple who have it all. But there’s one thing missing. Kat wants a baby, but she isn’t able to get pregnant. After a failed adoption and the stresses and costs that go with it, they are on the verge of giving up their dreams of being parents.
Enter Lisa.
Lisa is Kat’s childhood best friend, the best friend Kat thought she would never see again because, well … You’ll have to read the book to find that bit out!
Once again, Jensen has knocked it right outta the park with this one. Not shying away from topics that may not be touched upon too often, Jensen shows us the murky world of surrogacy. The depth of her research into the subject is clear as is her ability to create the most twisted of characters.
I was fully immersed in this one, I could not put it down, Jensen has a way of gently weaving her plot, the intricate details and the exquisite way she tangles the reader up in her web of lies, deceit, and deception is just fascinating. Her characters are needed, there isn’t one which you don’t understand the reason for, the whole cast are integral to the tale and all play an important part, whether big or small (like Mitch, the bar manager – Great name he has!!!)
Kat is one of my favourites – EVER.
She is a nice, normal girl. She had a bit of a shitty start to life but then she met Nick. Gorgeous, kind, and caring Nick. And they fell in love. Kat is so relatable. I can see her, just like me, sitting in my PJs all day, or perhaps upgrading to leggings and a baggy T-shirt if I have company, slightly worried about my weight and what my other half thinks about the extra pounds I’ve obtained but not really bothering to do anything about it.
She is most women out there; she has a job she loves, a husband she adores, and a life she has always craved. Although there is that one missing thing. A baby. Again, Jensen has developed a side to Kat that is so relatable. She has this empty space that she knows only a baby will fill, but she can’t do that. Although Nick is happy as they are, Kat is desperate to give him a child. So desperate she is prepared to revisit the past she left behind to get one.
What follows is the most thrilling ride … Kat and Lisa are back together but what happened to break them up in the first place?
I read this in one sitting, no, it’s not fast paced, but it works, as always with Jensen’s writing. It builds, and that’s part of the beauty of her writing. We don’t need millions of dead bodies (I can’t believe I said that either!!) car chases, and gun fights. We don’t need an alcoholic police officer whose team hates him more than he hates himself (not complaining about those books BTW – I do love a grumpy old copper!!) what we get instead is a chilling journey, a thrilling ride, and the most heartbreaking story I’ve read for a very long time.
Jensen does that. She has this way of writing a psychological thriller that will get under your skin, will get your heart pounding, and your adrenaline flowing while taking you on an emotional rollercoaster.
If Louise Jensen could bottle up and sell her writing talent, she’d be a gazillionaire!
You can get your copy now – if you ever buy a book that I recommend, please let it be this one!!! You WILL thank me for it!!!
About the author …
Louise is a USA Today Bestselling Author, and lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, children, madcap dog and a rather naughty cat.
Louise’s first two novels, The Sister and The Gift, were both International No.1 Bestsellers, and have been sold for translation to sixteen countries. The Sister was nominated for The Goodreads Awards Debut of 2016. Louise ‘s third psychological thriller, The Surrogate, can be pre-ordered now and will be published in September.
Louise loves to hear from readers and writers and can be found at http://www.louisejensen.co.uk, where she regularly blogs flash fiction.
Emma The Little Bookworm 