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The Surrogate
Does a man really need a woman to have a child? Tristan Sheppard wants a child, but he doesn't want a mother. After approaching ex-girlfriends, lovers and even strangers, he decides to hire the services of Marie McDonald, a single mother from the wrong side of the tracks. But little does he realize what he has let himself in for...
247 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 17, 2012
I absolutely loved this book! Right from the very start you know you are going to adore Tristan. Told from his point of view, you follow Tristan’s decision to go from a confirmed and cynical bachelor to a man who wants a child of his own and will do anything he can to have one, including paying a single mom. This story had me from the very first page and kept me riveted to the heartwarming end.
Tristan was easy to like, very honest and had plenty of faults that were so realistic that you could easily relate to him. There were times when I laughed out loud, felt a tear form in my eye, and most of all felt the tug on my heart strings while Tristan fumbled his way through life and the momentous decisions he had made. Although sometimes I stumbled a bit with Marie’s dialect, I loved her character and continued reading eagerly. Spunky, wise and caring, she did a fabulous job in grounding Tristan, and she was the perfect contrast for him. Mr. Evans did a fantastic job in expressing how much Marie teaches him during the story, and you cannot help but admire her strength. I cannot recommend this story high enough. A five-star + for feel-good factor!
Tristan was easy to like, very honest and had plenty of faults that were so realistic that you could easily relate to him. There were times when I laughed out loud, felt a tear form in my eye, and most of all felt the tug on my heart strings while Tristan fumbled his way through life and the momentous decisions he had made. Although sometimes I stumbled a bit with Marie’s dialect, I loved her character and continued reading eagerly. Spunky, wise and caring, she did a fabulous job in grounding Tristan, and she was the perfect contrast for him. Mr. Evans did a fantastic job in expressing how much Marie teaches him during the story, and you cannot help but admire her strength. I cannot recommend this story high enough. A five-star + for feel-good factor!
December 15, 2017
Loved this book, and thought if women can raise kids without a man then a man can raise a kid without a woman after all it is the age of equality
January 27, 2012
I liked this a lot. It's far outside my usual genre, but it contains a fairly unusual idea. Tristan is a successful man in lots of ways, but after a string of unhappy relationships and after attending far too many weddings he gets the idea that a child would help him feel the bond with someone else he truly craves.
How he goes about this, and the relationships that pushed him towards this decision, are the bulk of the story and it never quite turns out how you'd expect. I warmed to Tristan as he negotiated this difficult decision, finding the titular 'surrogate' in an unlikely place. It's a fast paced read, and I really got a clear sense of the Edinburgh setting along with the Scottish accents that felt absolutely right as they were written.
The flashbacks were a little too numerous, but it worked in he overall structure of the story. It's a domestic drama but one shown entirely through Tristan's eyes, which I feel is an unusual viewpoint. I liked the initially fearsome surrogate and everyone's fairly realistic response to Tristan's decision.
I was drawn in by the style and eager to stay to the end. Liked this very much, and hope to read more books by CJ Evans in the future.
A FEW SPOILERS BELOW
Smallest thing, but Tristan's answer to raising the child did seem to be to get a nanny in to do almost all of the actual child care, which is practical but felt slightly at odds with his emphasis on creating a bond with the child. Not that I think you can't have a bond with a child with a nanny, it just felt to me as though he would have sacrificed more time, even taken a year or two off, to care for this baby he desperately wanted. This is just a personal feeling about the scene where he talks about childcare, although it does show how clueless Tristan is at first. On this note, I liked how Marie, the surrogate, soon made sure he understood what was involved in bringing up kids, and she was a wonderful character, prickly but warm-hearted and very sensible.
In fact, it's possible everyone ended up being a little bit TOO nice by the end, which leaves a warm feeling nonetheless. Hut that's another personal preference. No villains here, unusually. Perhaps in the next book? Otherwise, an excellent story.
How he goes about this, and the relationships that pushed him towards this decision, are the bulk of the story and it never quite turns out how you'd expect. I warmed to Tristan as he negotiated this difficult decision, finding the titular 'surrogate' in an unlikely place. It's a fast paced read, and I really got a clear sense of the Edinburgh setting along with the Scottish accents that felt absolutely right as they were written.
The flashbacks were a little too numerous, but it worked in he overall structure of the story. It's a domestic drama but one shown entirely through Tristan's eyes, which I feel is an unusual viewpoint. I liked the initially fearsome surrogate and everyone's fairly realistic response to Tristan's decision.
I was drawn in by the style and eager to stay to the end. Liked this very much, and hope to read more books by CJ Evans in the future.
A FEW SPOILERS BELOW
Smallest thing, but Tristan's answer to raising the child did seem to be to get a nanny in to do almost all of the actual child care, which is practical but felt slightly at odds with his emphasis on creating a bond with the child. Not that I think you can't have a bond with a child with a nanny, it just felt to me as though he would have sacrificed more time, even taken a year or two off, to care for this baby he desperately wanted. This is just a personal feeling about the scene where he talks about childcare, although it does show how clueless Tristan is at first. On this note, I liked how Marie, the surrogate, soon made sure he understood what was involved in bringing up kids, and she was a wonderful character, prickly but warm-hearted and very sensible.
In fact, it's possible everyone ended up being a little bit TOO nice by the end, which leaves a warm feeling nonetheless. Hut that's another personal preference. No villains here, unusually. Perhaps in the next book? Otherwise, an excellent story.
May 11, 2012
Should the joy of a family to raise be as easy to obtain as a common unwanted pet? Why are there not more single parents who are fathers instead of mothers? After a collection of failed romantic relationships, Tristan in The Surrogate begins to fear that he will never find a woman to settle down with. As a man who finds himself comfortable in his bachelor life, this is no problem! At least it isn’t one until he finds himself becoming attracted to the idea of becoming a father.
Tristan’s friends all find the notion of their carefree single friend suddenly wanting a family to be something of a joke. Either some form of cynical self amusement or nothing more than fabrications designed to lure in unsuspecting women for a one or two night stand. When he actually goes so far as to hire a woman to get pregnant and have a child for him, nobody will believe it. Well almost no one. Marie McDonald, the hired surrogate mother insists that he respect her and treat their relations as nothing more than standard business.
This unusual relationship between expectant father Tristan and surrogate mother Marie develops on more levels than seems likely or possible while remaining just about platonic. So close the two of them are pushed together, it’s almost painful how far they hold themselves apart. As Tristan struggles to remain respected in his professional world, he can’t escape the need he finds to do what he sees as the right thing for Marie and her other young child.
Tristan’s friends all find the notion of their carefree single friend suddenly wanting a family to be something of a joke. Either some form of cynical self amusement or nothing more than fabrications designed to lure in unsuspecting women for a one or two night stand. When he actually goes so far as to hire a woman to get pregnant and have a child for him, nobody will believe it. Well almost no one. Marie McDonald, the hired surrogate mother insists that he respect her and treat their relations as nothing more than standard business.
This unusual relationship between expectant father Tristan and surrogate mother Marie develops on more levels than seems likely or possible while remaining just about platonic. So close the two of them are pushed together, it’s almost painful how far they hold themselves apart. As Tristan struggles to remain respected in his professional world, he can’t escape the need he finds to do what he sees as the right thing for Marie and her other young child.
February 29, 2012
This heartwarming story is told through the eyes of Tristan the main character and I just wanted to hug him by the end. He was so nice and well-meaning, if a little 'gung-ho' in his approach to fatherhood.
I was sad in parts the way some things worked out, but the rest soon cheered me up. I loved the, what was it called? The seven stages of manhood or something like that, since I haven't figured how to go backwards on my Kindle yet and it would take far too long to do it a page at a time (oh for the good old days when you could just flick through a paperback at random to discover the exact place which you wanted to easily find). I would very much like the author's 'take' on the seven stages of womanhood and what kind of men she'd need in her life?
As for the Scottish dialect, which is prevalent throughout some of the other characters lines. Well, I think it fitted perfectly and made it feel more authentic to read. But then again, I could be a bit bias here because I have family on my husband's side who speak with a heavy accent and it reminds me of Christmas/Easter when I hear it. Overall, it was a well written book and I can only hope and encourage that CJ Evans is busy working on his next novel, since I for one will be waiting to read it.
I was sad in parts the way some things worked out, but the rest soon cheered me up. I loved the, what was it called? The seven stages of manhood or something like that, since I haven't figured how to go backwards on my Kindle yet and it would take far too long to do it a page at a time (oh for the good old days when you could just flick through a paperback at random to discover the exact place which you wanted to easily find). I would very much like the author's 'take' on the seven stages of womanhood and what kind of men she'd need in her life?
As for the Scottish dialect, which is prevalent throughout some of the other characters lines. Well, I think it fitted perfectly and made it feel more authentic to read. But then again, I could be a bit bias here because I have family on my husband's side who speak with a heavy accent and it reminds me of Christmas/Easter when I hear it. Overall, it was a well written book and I can only hope and encourage that CJ Evans is busy working on his next novel, since I for one will be waiting to read it.
July 1, 2012
This is an unusual book as although I might think of it as chick-lit, in that is hasn't got a murder or a ghost, the main character is a man and so is the author. That probably makes me a massive inverse sexist but on the other hand, I liked that this novel was enough about relationships to get me interested but not saccharine enough for me to scorn my gender.
Tristan is a middle class man who wants to have a baby. The only thing is, he'd rather not have a woman around to complicate things, which is a bit tricky when as rule, men don't generally give birth. This leads him to find a surrogate mother from the less salubrious area of Edinburgh and we follow what happens when two people who wouldn't normally meet, make the ultimate a consumer transaction.
This is another excellent indie novel. I'm not normally a reader of this genre but it kept me turning the pages on my kindle until I had to find out what happened in the end. The characters are well formed and Tristan's life is revealed in small chunks and we find out why he wishes to have a child without the relationship that would go with it. It is well written and engaging and it would make a great film. Definitely worth a downloading.
Tristan is a middle class man who wants to have a baby. The only thing is, he'd rather not have a woman around to complicate things, which is a bit tricky when as rule, men don't generally give birth. This leads him to find a surrogate mother from the less salubrious area of Edinburgh and we follow what happens when two people who wouldn't normally meet, make the ultimate a consumer transaction.
This is another excellent indie novel. I'm not normally a reader of this genre but it kept me turning the pages on my kindle until I had to find out what happened in the end. The characters are well formed and Tristan's life is revealed in small chunks and we find out why he wishes to have a child without the relationship that would go with it. It is well written and engaging and it would make a great film. Definitely worth a downloading.
April 14, 2012
This is a new spin on contemporary fiction, mainly because it is from the Man perspective. Well written, I did struggle a little with the Scottish accent which slowed the flow of my reading, however, that is more about my ability to read dialects not a reflection on the writing!
It was a great twist on the subject of parenting, Tristan was desperate to have a child of his own and going to huge risks/cost to be able to do this. I loved the surrogate character Marie, I loved how she told how parenting really was!!
Many parts of this book are very funny and will really make you laugh out loud but also very emotional passages as you near the end. I wonder if there will be another book to follow this as not all the ending were totally explained, however that doesn’t stop you enjoying the story and you long for the happy endings for everyone.
All in all, I really enjoyed the book and would certainly read more books by this Author.
It was a great twist on the subject of parenting, Tristan was desperate to have a child of his own and going to huge risks/cost to be able to do this. I loved the surrogate character Marie, I loved how she told how parenting really was!!
Many parts of this book are very funny and will really make you laugh out loud but also very emotional passages as you near the end. I wonder if there will be another book to follow this as not all the ending were totally explained, however that doesn’t stop you enjoying the story and you long for the happy endings for everyone.
All in all, I really enjoyed the book and would certainly read more books by this Author.
March 20, 2012
The Surrogate is told from the viewpoint of the main character, Tristan who, after a number of doomed relationships, decides he wants to become a single father. Without a current partner on the scene, he delves into his little black book and, one by one, ticks off any likely candidates. The answer hits him; he must find a surrogate and ends up with the improbable Marie.
There are parts of this story that are quite hilarious and the author draws the various personalities very well. But be prepared for some poignant moments towards the end.
There are parts of this story that are quite hilarious and the author draws the various personalities very well. But be prepared for some poignant moments towards the end.
July 11, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, the pace, the characters and the story.
It held my attention right to the last page and in fact could have kept me gripped for another couple of chapters as I felt it came to an abrupt ending. The pace was a little too fast at the end.
That said, it wasn't predicable and held a couple of surprises along the way.
It held my attention right to the last page and in fact could have kept me gripped for another couple of chapters as I felt it came to an abrupt ending. The pace was a little too fast at the end.
That said, it wasn't predicable and held a couple of surprises along the way.
June 22, 2012
I am really surprised how much I enjoyed this book!! Despite my constant struggle to "say" the accents correctly in my head, and the book's need for a good, thorough proofreading, it was a really good read. Very different from anything I've read, with interesting, well-drawn characters, an occasional surprise (curse you for doing that to my heart!!), and a nice moral at the end of the day.
July 23, 2012
What a page turner!!! I absolutley loved this book... the thing is, I had no idea that there was also so much more to it than I thought!! Not just Tristan wanting to have a baby but everything else that comes out towards the end..
I haven't read something that has kept me so glued to the book in a long time. Thank you for the gift Mr Evans!
I haven't read something that has kept me so glued to the book in a long time. Thank you for the gift Mr Evans!
November 22, 2015
Thought it was going to go a lot different direction than I was expecting. But actually turned out to go a whole other way and it was pretty good. Not your typical HEA journey but I guess from a man's perspective things worked out the way they should. Some bumps and bruises along the way. But definitely was an intriguing journey along the way.
June 1, 2013
A contemporary, enjoyable and an easy read that touches on many issues of making the decisions to start a family. I felt the touch of having the book told by a male was refreshing, but wish I was able to warm to him from the beginning, I did start to feel for him about half way through.
August 1, 2014
Bought it b/c it was $2.99. Almost put it down when I realized it took place in Scotland (cb), but stuck it out & actually ended up enjoying it. . .even staying up later than I intended tonight to finish it.
December 28, 2015
I found this book on my kindle and typical had no idea about it. Found it to be a local to me book which was quite good as there was a lot of local dialect. It was definitely worth continuing with and would recommend local people read it.
June 16, 2012
Cleverly written to give a few unexpected twists
July 5, 2012
Review to come
September 25, 2012
A good story of a guy who owns up to his mistakes and finally becomes a man.
June 11, 2015
maybe 3.5*
September 25, 2012
Good reading. Just when you believe you have figured out the ending you have not!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews