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The Surrogate
To a penniless twenty-year-old like Jamie Long, surrogate motherhood seemed both an act of altruism and a financial opportunity. But once pregnant and under contract to Amanda Hartmann, the head of a famous evangelical family, Jamie realizes that she's getting more than she bargained for. Whisked away to the vast, isolated family ranch, she's closely supervised and carefully cut off from the outside world. She learns the family's dark secrets -- and sees the enormity of their ruthlessness. When Jamie hears Amanda's plan to claim the baby as her natural-born child, she begins to suspect that her own life is in danger and resolves to flee.
Alone with a tiny newborn, she calls on the one man in the world she can trust -- her high school crush, Joe Brammer. Their love unites them in a struggle to escape, and soon enough their flight becomes a fight for their lives.
Brilliantly weaving some of today's most controversial social issues into a captivating page-turner, The Surrogate is Judith Henry Wall's greatest triumph to date.
Alone with a tiny newborn, she calls on the one man in the world she can trust -- her high school crush, Joe Brammer. Their love unites them in a struggle to escape, and soon enough their flight becomes a fight for their lives.
Brilliantly weaving some of today's most controversial social issues into a captivating page-turner, The Surrogate is Judith Henry Wall's greatest triumph to date.
339 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
24 people are currently reading
2753 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
December 30, 2009
This book was incredibly hard to put down. Jamie Long, after losing both parents and her grandmother and amassing huge credit card debts to care for her grandmother, decides that surrogate motherhood sounds like a good way to make some money to be able to get out of debt and go back to school. The first call she makes brings her into the world of Amanda and Gus Hartmann, a sister and brother who are legendary in religious and political circles. Amanda and her husband Toby enter into a contract with Jamie that requires her to disappear for a year onto the family ranch to give birth because of privacy concerns. While this seems strange to Jamie, the money offered is immense and would solve her money concerns for the rest of her life. She has the procedure and then is transported to the ranch where she finds herself under "house arrest." She can not go anywhere without a companion/guard. As the pregnancy progresses, she finds out some strange things about the Hartmann family, courtesy of Amanda's mother Mary Millicent. She begins to believe that the contract she has signed is not aboveboard in any way and begins to fear for her life. When she leaves the compound, she is on the run from a powerful force in Gus who operates above the law. She finds her childhood friend Joe Brammer to help her and the two of them are intent on protecting Jamie and her baby from the Hartmanns at any cost.
The suspense int his book made it one that was hard to put down. The characters were compelling and the story incredible.
The suspense int his book made it one that was hard to put down. The characters were compelling and the story incredible.
October 29, 2014
The story was interesting enough, though I did find myself bored at times. The religious/political portions are where I started to yawn and consider skipping ahead. There was a lot of political hidden messaging (though not very hidden) throughout the book. I thought, "My, this author really has an agenda!" Then I read the interview with the author at the end, and realized I was correct.
All of that aside, the rest of the story was very interesting, and I did really enjoy it. I found Jamie to be an adorable, like able heroine. She had a little kick-ass to her, but was rightfully terrified at the appropriate moments.
I didn't like Gus's character. Not just because he was the "bad guy," but because he was boring. When his narration came up, I found myself counting how many boring pages I would have to read until the voice was changed over again.
Definitely a nail-biter at times. I would say I enjoyed the book, just kind of a snore at times.
All of that aside, the rest of the story was very interesting, and I did really enjoy it. I found Jamie to be an adorable, like able heroine. She had a little kick-ass to her, but was rightfully terrified at the appropriate moments.
I didn't like Gus's character. Not just because he was the "bad guy," but because he was boring. When his narration came up, I found myself counting how many boring pages I would have to read until the voice was changed over again.
Definitely a nail-biter at times. I would say I enjoyed the book, just kind of a snore at times.
November 7, 2015
I'd never read this author before so I had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be a quick read and a book I had a hard time putting down. In the beginning, I thought the lead character was going to be weak and wishy-wash, but she surprised me and turned out to be strong and very resourceful. I really enjoyed this book.
July 20, 2008
i admit. i tired of it, so i actually skipped to the end and read what happened.
December 19, 2010
I read this book in one day because I couldn't put it down.
February 27, 2022
This was a straight up soap opera: poorly written.
January 20, 2014
A friend had recommended this book to me. She had read it and said she loved it. I was definitely hooked after reading the synopsis. I can only imagine deciding to become a surrogate mother. I'm not sure if that would be something I could personally do. But for the character Jamie, it was something she thought she could go through with and really being a young woman in college, she could definitely use the money. I really wanted to drive right into this book. The beginning of the story was very intriguing and it pulls you into the story. A few times I just had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. As I'm reading through the book there are parts in the story where I just thought "What is wrong with these people?” The characters were pretty well written. After about halfway through the book, I noticed it did drag on some and left me feeling somewhat bored and thinking okay come on with the story already! But I have to say it was an okay book. The ending wasn't all that great for me either. I wish the author had a better way of ending it especially since the middle dragged on. But overall it was an okay book. It wouldn't be one to be read again.
January 15, 2010
I have mixed feelings about this book. The characters were interesting (I could easily see this being adapted into a movie), and the storyline was definitely thrilling. However, some parts seemed to drag on too long, and I was distracted by the constant explicit foreshadowing...I felt like the author repeatedly thought I wasn't bright enough to figure things out for myself and needed to know what was coming up right before it happened. You know that when Jamie packs her bag with extra clothes and food before she heads out to walk on the beach that the villains are going to be breaking into her cottage. (Similarly, Joe's ex-lover thinks "What if he wasn't in trouble at all but some woman was? His lover, or his wife?") In a thriller, I want to either figure things out for myself or be surprised...I felt like I was watching a movie where a friend kept saying "watch...here's where the bad guys are about to try to grab her!"
Overall, the book was an enjoyable read, but a little more subtlety would have gone a long way!
Overall, the book was an enjoyable read, but a little more subtlety would have gone a long way!
September 5, 2010
Jamie Long had a difficult life. Her parents died when she was young and her sister didn't want to take care of her so she lived with her grandma. She was in college and doing well when she found out her grandma was ill so she dropped out to take care of her. She goes into debt helping her grandma through her last months. Because of her debt, she decides to be a surrogate for a coupe that can't have children. The woman is a televangelist who is a very public figure so Jamie is kept "locked up" and constantly supervised at the couples ranch. All is fine until Jamie finds out some information that is unsettling. She finds a way to escape and contacts a childhood friend. Can she get away from the couple who have ties everywhere and seem to be above the law?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2009
This was a sad read for me in the sense that it had such potential but fell short in so many ways. The characters never really seemed to come to life, especially Jamie. I never got a sense of who she was. The love story between her and Joe was downright cheesy in parts. And some of the lines they pulled were so cliche I was rolling my eyes over and over. Ack, it was difficult to read in parts. Too bad because the topic was really intriguing but the author didn't pull it off.
March 28, 2011
I thought that was a very good read. I really wanted to know what happened next and kept reading with my pulse racing and my heart in my throat. The reason I gave it 4 stars instead 5 is because there were parts that were just a little out there and parts of the book were very slow in reading. All in all a great book that kept me up into the wee hours of the morning hoping for a good resolution.
March 27, 2008
Woman becomes a surrogate for a wealthy, prestigious family. Ends up a prisoner in fear for her life. Ending fell a little flat, but overall really good.
August 21, 2010
It has been so long since I read a page turner like this. This was the kind of book that kept me thinking about it all day, reading on my lunch break and rushing home to curl up in bed with it.
February 22, 2010
Fairly easy to predict but it was a nice break from vampires. Jamie is a fairly strong woman but some of the circumstances are a bit unbelievable. Again, easy reading but good.
June 29, 2011
Very good book! Very raw and full of suspense. I could not put it down!
November 14, 2016
Totally cheesy, but I couldn't put it down. Should be a movie on Lifetime. (Probably already is.)
July 10, 2011
This was a good read. I found it at the local library and it was a pleasant surprise.
February 27, 2020
Review :< b>The Surrogate by Judith Henry Wall.
This was a captivating story and educating. I didn’t want to put the book down because it was well written, well developed characters and plenty of suspense throughout the story. I always wonder how a woman can be a surrogate mother and hand her baby to strangers without emotions bring her down. This story gave me all my answers and I should have predicted what a mother would do.
The story starts with a struggling collage girl Jamie Long that has know means of finding money to go on with her collage studies. She was brought up by her grandmother who recently died and she had no money to leave for Jamie. She couldn’t think of anyone to offer any suggestions on financial opportunities. There was one person she could think of and that was a neighbor who befriended her who lived behind her grandmother’s place.
His name was Joe Brammer who stayed her friend but he was a few years older than she was, plus now he had moved away. Unknown to him Jamie had fallen in love with him but he never showed anything to her but friendship.
Soon after Jamie thought of a way to make the kind of money she needed was to become a surrogate mother. Jamie made a few calls and finally someone returned her call and told her about a couple who would do anything to have a child. It didn’t take long for the contract to be worked out but she was still a little hesitant with all the rules and putting her schooling away for a year. The couple was a well known in the religious and political circles. One main rule was that she was not to tell one person of what she was agreeing to and she had to live on their ranch completely alone, no privacy, no phone, no computer, no direct mail, and no connection with the staff.
Well it wasn’t long before Jamie was on her journey of nine months of pregnancy. The story was captivating and some times predictable but full of suspense.
This was a captivating story and educating. I didn’t want to put the book down because it was well written, well developed characters and plenty of suspense throughout the story. I always wonder how a woman can be a surrogate mother and hand her baby to strangers without emotions bring her down. This story gave me all my answers and I should have predicted what a mother would do.
The story starts with a struggling collage girl Jamie Long that has know means of finding money to go on with her collage studies. She was brought up by her grandmother who recently died and she had no money to leave for Jamie. She couldn’t think of anyone to offer any suggestions on financial opportunities. There was one person she could think of and that was a neighbor who befriended her who lived behind her grandmother’s place.
His name was Joe Brammer who stayed her friend but he was a few years older than she was, plus now he had moved away. Unknown to him Jamie had fallen in love with him but he never showed anything to her but friendship.
Soon after Jamie thought of a way to make the kind of money she needed was to become a surrogate mother. Jamie made a few calls and finally someone returned her call and told her about a couple who would do anything to have a child. It didn’t take long for the contract to be worked out but she was still a little hesitant with all the rules and putting her schooling away for a year. The couple was a well known in the religious and political circles. One main rule was that she was not to tell one person of what she was agreeing to and she had to live on their ranch completely alone, no privacy, no phone, no computer, no direct mail, and no connection with the staff.
Well it wasn’t long before Jamie was on her journey of nine months of pregnancy. The story was captivating and some times predictable but full of suspense.
July 3, 2018
The Surrogate
Judith Henry Wall
4⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was my first book written by Judith Henry Wall. This book starts off good,then gets quite boreing but picks back up very fast. It was hard to put it down at times. I always wanted to find out what was going to happen next. I read it in just 2 days. A young girl in desperate need of money decides to become a surrogate. She enters into a top secret, strict contract with the country's most well-known and influential evangelist, and ends up being held hostage, her identity practically erased. When she learns the truth about the child she carries and the danger she is in, she has to escape and find a way to show the world the truth, before it's buried .It Made me think of a lifetime movie in a way. While the story was a little far-fetched at times, it was extremely well told. I found myself rooting for Jamie, the main character as she was faced with all kinds of problems and challenges. Definitely a great read! Very easy and quick read. I gave it 4 stars due to the huge boring part in the middle of the book. It would been much better if that part was left out.
Judith Henry Wall
4⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was my first book written by Judith Henry Wall. This book starts off good,then gets quite boreing but picks back up very fast. It was hard to put it down at times. I always wanted to find out what was going to happen next. I read it in just 2 days. A young girl in desperate need of money decides to become a surrogate. She enters into a top secret, strict contract with the country's most well-known and influential evangelist, and ends up being held hostage, her identity practically erased. When she learns the truth about the child she carries and the danger she is in, she has to escape and find a way to show the world the truth, before it's buried .It Made me think of a lifetime movie in a way. While the story was a little far-fetched at times, it was extremely well told. I found myself rooting for Jamie, the main character as she was faced with all kinds of problems and challenges. Definitely a great read! Very easy and quick read. I gave it 4 stars due to the huge boring part in the middle of the book. It would been much better if that part was left out.
June 19, 2022
So I thought this book started with a lot of potential, a young girl (Jamie) agrees to be a surrogate in exchange for a large sum of money. Obviously, I knew something wasn't right, but I stayed interested. Obviously a time comes that you know Jamie will have the baby and this is around the time that I went from being able to suspend reality to just being annoyed with how unrealistic the book was. No childbirth would go like what was described and anyone who has had a child knows this. This portion of the book annoyed me so much I considered not finishing the book. Once I was in that mindset, I found it extremely difficult to avoid throwing darts at every other concept in the book that was even a slight stretch of the imagination. I very nearly did not finish this and could not in good faith recommend it to anyone.
June 23, 2023
I enjoyed this book. I specifically liked the overall story of Jamie Long. I found her character to be very resourceful and represent a strong woman who was down on her luck with her finances. I found her character very believable and enjoyed reading of her survival skills and instincts.
I think the Joe Brammer part of the story was the hardest part for me to accept. I felt the romance was extremely rushed which made it feel forced to me.
I also felt that the book had such momentum that the ending left me a little disappointed because I felt it stopped very suddenly when I felt it could’ve been explored more.
Overall, it was a quick read that I enjoyed while on vacation.
I think the Joe Brammer part of the story was the hardest part for me to accept. I felt the romance was extremely rushed which made it feel forced to me.
I also felt that the book had such momentum that the ending left me a little disappointed because I felt it stopped very suddenly when I felt it could’ve been explored more.
Overall, it was a quick read that I enjoyed while on vacation.
April 10, 2024
This was a fast read with a strong leading character. Jamie Long becomes
a surrogate for the Hartmann’s after the death of her parents and
grandmother. She takes this on looking for money to pay her bills and debts.
When all goes wrong, Jamie seeks the help of her high school crush who is
Now a lawyer. Together they run and try to find the correct thing to do.
The book is well written,told and is a captivating read that will keep you
Turning the pages. There is suspense, devotion, and love between a mother
And her baby. This is the first book I’ve read by this author . Recommended.
a surrogate for the Hartmann’s after the death of her parents and
grandmother. She takes this on looking for money to pay her bills and debts.
When all goes wrong, Jamie seeks the help of her high school crush who is
Now a lawyer. Together they run and try to find the correct thing to do.
The book is well written,told and is a captivating read that will keep you
Turning the pages. There is suspense, devotion, and love between a mother
And her baby. This is the first book I’ve read by this author . Recommended.
April 15, 2018
I think this is the only book I have ever rated one star. Hated it! Characters were so over the top it was ridiculous. A young woman agrees to bear a child for a televangelist and her husband for a large sum of money because she is penniless after caring for her grandmother. Of course nothing is as it seems. Just found myself annoyed with everyone in the book and had to force myself to finish it just to see the lengths the author would go to in the conclusion.
March 2, 2019
Was bitterly disappointed with this book. It is very repetitive. "She gave the dog food and filled its water bowl" is written on every second page along with "she nursed the baby" and "slipped a nipple into his mouth". Furthermore the story do border on boring... No suspicion, no wondering what ifs... Sorry, 2 stars.
November 3, 2025
Un couple aisé fait appel à une mère porteuse. Mais lorsqu’elle découvre une troublante vérité, Jamie disparaît soudainement et se retrouve plongée au cœur d’un jeu dangereux, rempli de secrets et de mensonges.
Pour la retrouver et protéger le bébé, il faudra lever le voile sur une réalité bien plus sombre que prévu.
Lecture m’a paru longue… et pas dans mes préférées !
Pour la retrouver et protéger le bébé, il faudra lever le voile sur une réalité bien plus sombre que prévu.
Lecture m’a paru longue… et pas dans mes préférées !
May 22, 2017
I honestly don't know what to say about this book. It was an interesting premise, but I wasn't a fan of the style of writing. A lot of it seemed unrealistic, but a lot of parts had me on the edge of my seat. I guess I would have to say I enjoyed it, but I was relieved when it ended.
January 14, 2023
The characters are likeable, the story engaging but as I don't do suspense, I did skip quite a bit. However, I would recommend (have done) as the whole thing is horribly plausible and she is an author I enjoy reading. Would I go back and read at a slower pace? Maybe, one day!
July 18, 2017
4.5 stars.
i love the book from the beginning till the end. I just didn't feel like Gus' motivation in the end was completely realistic...
i love the book from the beginning till the end. I just didn't feel like Gus' motivation in the end was completely realistic...
August 15, 2017
The premise of the book was interesting, but it fell short for me, it was just too far fetched to be believable.
October 13, 2017
first half went very slow and later went very fast. An average plot. Amanda Hartman was a Psysco
and Gus acutally an affection deprived guy.
and Gus acutally an affection deprived guy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews