The Surrogate

A Novel

By: Toni Halleen

Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski, Laurie Catherine Winkel, Andrew Eiden, George Newbern, Lisa Flanagan

Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

“The Surrogate is a thrilling, high-stakes debut centering on a vulnerable newborn and two women who will do almost anything to claim her as their daughter. With a collection of vividly rendered characters, this twisty tale will leave you thinking about the true meaning of motherhood long after you turn the last page. I loved it!” (Patry Francis, best-selling author of All the Children Are Home)

Ruth is a no-nonsense 40-something journalist from the Midwest desperate for a child with her new husband, Hal. Their hope rests with Cally, a 19-year-old who wants to go to college - but doesn’t have the cash. The arrangement seems perfect for everyone.

But within a day of the baby’s birth, Cally has a change of heart - and engineers a harrowing escape from the hospital with the newborn. When Ruth and Hal discover that Cally and their daughter are gone, a whole series of doubts and secrets is revealed, and the difference between right and wrong is no longer clear.

Set in the vast, sparsely populated upper reaches of Northern Minnesota in the middle of winter, The Surrogate follows Ruth, Hal, and Cally through a maze of thought-provoking questions about the nature of family, love, and relationships: What would you do for your partner, when the going gets tough? How much is a pregnancy “worth”? And who, if anyone, “deserves” to be a mother?

©2021 Toni Halleen (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

If you plan to be a surrogate

This might be a nice read., but otherwise this was just plain boring and luckily not too long. Well I fast forwarded through the last hours

Meh

The story in and of itself was fine. The characters I felt were VERY immature and highly annoying for most of the book. Digger was especially the worst. I also don’t feel like there was much character development and the ending was underwhelming.

Must read!

One of the best audiobooks! I recommend 100%! I loved the story and how it all tied together in the end! Wow!

Melodramatic and Boring

The characters in this book drove me crazy! They continually made choices that no one would make in real life! They talk to each other and say things that no one says. Very unrealistic.
The story was like a soap opera, so melodramatic. I stuck with it to the end because sadly it wasn't the worst book I've listened to.
One thing is for sure this story isn't memorable, I'm sure I'll forget about it by the end of the week.
if you can get it for free, it might be your thing so give it a try but don't waste money or a credit!

Very different and great listen.

The story is written in a somewhat different style from other books. The reader is treated to the characters' individual flaws quite openly throughout and is led to second-guessing the author's direction. However, as the story unfolds, there is a greater undercurrent of uncertainty and missteps revealed that make this a very compelling read. I don't review all books I listen to, but this is one that I would highly recommend to any audible listener. Overall a very nice find.

Excellent story in an area I was unfamiliar with

This was labeled as a 'thriller' and 'suspense thriller', it was far from it and I was glad for that. It was, however, an intriguing story of a young girl being paid to be a surrogate and the obstacles and neurotic odd balls she ran into. I loved the fact there were different narrators for each of the main characters. It provided a wonderful depth and reality to the story. Each character's personality was clearly defined by their narrator. Some characters I disliked, others I liked.

I didn't predict the ending but the story was wrapped up well. A good listen. Well done.

Too Pat

The book offers a balanced view of surrogacy from both sides but was complicated by the unlikely convergence of circumstances and an unlikely ending.

Good story

except the one narrators voice was a bit annoying. The story brought out all the feels for me as I was highly uoset by the treatment of the intended parents. I really hope that didn't happen.

Good Quick Read

It wasn't what I had expected... It felt more like an educational young adult book.
But it was well narrated - Up until the last 20 minutes and it started having problems skipping between words.... I am not sure what the issue is.

Must read!

I don’t normally like audiobooks but this book has made me a fan. The book was captivating & I finished the audiobook within a few days!