The Surrogate by Penelope WardMy rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
The Surrogate was such a great read that warmed my heart. After Sig had lost his wife, he had thrown himself into his work. When his in-laws came to visit, all the emotions that he had buried resurfaced, and he was left with the dilemma of fathering a child for them to raise. Who would’ve thought that the surrogate would turn his world upside down, drawing out long lost feelings and leaving him craving to live and have Abby in his life.
Abby was the perfect surrogate for Sig and I loved how honest and sweet she was. She managed to get past his brooding persona and found the caring man beneath. She had lost someone close to her so was determined to bring this dream to life. There were a few hurdles thrown in to put distance between them, but I could see their bond getting stronger.
This was one of those reads that sat with me for a long time after I was finished. Both Abby and Sig deserved to find the right kind of happiness, and under different circumstances, they may have never met. This was a beautiful read that I was sad to see the end of!
Title: The Surrogate
Author: Penelope Ward
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: February 26, 2024
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE novel…
ABBY
I’m falling for the father of the baby I’m carrying. The problem it’s not my baby. And the broody widower is not looking for a long-term partner. As a surrogate, the deal was that I’d only be in England long enough to give birth. At first, the man seemed as pretentious as his name: Sigmund Benedictus. He and I butted heads. Sig challenged my intentions, accused me of just wanting to do this for the money. Gradually, he learned to trust me. He even became protective. Over time, our heated animosity turned into fiery chemistry. I was falling in love with him. But my time here had a limit. I needed to protect my heart from the devastatingly gorgeous older man who’d end up breaking it
SIG
When my in-laws told me they wanted to use my dead wife’s eggs to conceive a grandchild, I wasn’t immediately on board. They swore that on her deathbed Britney told them it was what she wanted—but only if I fathered the baby. Her parents insisted they would be the ones to raise it. Against my better judgment, I agreed. I vowed to keep my heart out of it, though. I’d continue to pretend it wasn’t happening and live the empty, single life I’d become accustomed to the past five years since Britney died. And despite the fact that a certain younger American named Abby Knickerbocker had awakened things inside me that I thought were long dead… I most certainly wouldn’t fall in love with the surrogate.
ABBY
I’m falling for the father of the baby I’m carrying. The problem it’s not my baby. And the broody widower is not looking for a long-term partner. As a surrogate, the deal was that I’d only be in England long enough to give birth. At first, the man seemed as pretentious as his name: Sigmund Benedictus. He and I butted heads. Sig challenged my intentions, accused me of just wanting to do this for the money. Gradually, he learned to trust me. He even became protective. Over time, our heated animosity turned into fiery chemistry. I was falling in love with him. But my time here had a limit. I needed to protect my heart from the devastatingly gorgeous older man who’d end up breaking it
SIG
When my in-laws told me they wanted to use my dead wife’s eggs to conceive a grandchild, I wasn’t immediately on board. They swore that on her deathbed Britney told them it was what she wanted—but only if I fathered the baby. Her parents insisted they would be the ones to raise it. Against my better judgment, I agreed. I vowed to keep my heart out of it, though. I’d continue to pretend it wasn’t happening and live the empty, single life I’d become accustomed to the past five years since Britney died. And despite the fact that a certain younger American named Abby Knickerbocker had awakened things inside me that I thought were long dead… I most certainly wouldn’t fall in love with the surrogate.
