Cover Image: The Donor

The Donor

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This is a really great book for a debut novel. Twisty and creepy and kept me gripped from the beginning. It would make a great film. I will be looking out for more from this author. Highly recommended

Was this review helpful?

OMG I loved this creepy great book! It really was a roller coaster of emotions and thrills. I just could not put it down, read in one day! The characters were awesome and I loved the whole storyline! Wish I could give it more than 5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Was this review helpful?

A couple discover that they can't have their own child. The wife is controlling, successful and knows what she wants, so she decides to take the services of a Donor.
An estranged father, a few murders and the possible killer adds to the mystery of the plot.
Overall a pacy thriller.
Thank you Netgalley and Inkubator books for the ARC

Was this review helpful?

This had me hooked from the 1st page. The characters are really well written and have you really caring about the outcome for them. It definitely keeps you 9n the edge of your seat and has you wondering what will happen next. I liked that the overall story line was also one which could be related to quite easily and so you really can put yourself in the characters shoes, making it all the more impactful. This is one of those stories which you will keep you up long after your bedtime just desperate to find out where this is all going. For a 1st time author, this book was amazing! Jeez even for an author who had a massive back catalogue, this book would still have been a shining star in their collection. Lets hope JJ Burgess goes from strength to strength as I for would, can't wait to her more of her tales

Was this review helpful?

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The Donor by JJ Burgess from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I thought this was a great read as I found it to be very well written and pulled me in right from the first page. I thought I had it figured out and then I found myself second guessing until the very last page. I highly recommend this author and book! Thank you for the chance to read this ahead of time!

Was this review helpful?

“The Donor” by JJ Burgess is a creepy and thrilling read. As a reader I was drawn in straight away, from the cover to the blurb and the contents.
Tension is constantly building until the final showdown, my nerves were on edge reading this.
A superb book and I look forward to reading more from this author. Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you booksprout for an ARC of The donor by JJ Burgess release date 24th October 2021. In exchange for an honest review. Original copy was given to me through book sprout and original review can be found in their website and below

The donor is a psychological thriller centred around Anna, John and their sperm donor. As many in England do now a days John and Anna take to the Internet to find a private sperm donor to speed up their process. Anna feels like they’ve hit the jackpot when they find Doyle he’s perfect in everyday or so they believe. So when some shocking information is shared Anna and John are felt with a very real dilemma, which leads Anna on a dangerous path to find the truth....

This is an amazing debut novel by JJ Burgess and here’s hoping there’s more to follow! Plus the novel is set in my home town of Bristol which always makes me happy!
I really enjoyed this book, with little information about the plot I was more than pleasantly surprised Anna our protagonist is a likeable character when her past comes back around and the shocking revelation she still doesn’t break she just haunts for the truth. He marriage to John seems like a happy one but it’s clear John has insecurities around being infertile. It’s funny how John takes an instant disliking to their donor and Anna thinks he’s perfect. Question is whose right?

The book is split into 4 section each section is increasingly better than the prior. Burgess manages to pack the prose with description without it being over bearing. The chapters are told in third person but still feel very inviting. I was hooked from start to finish. The writing is very cleverly done.
From the first twist my mind was conjuring up some many what ifs and maybes but honestly I had no clue and I loved it when it was revealed. This is a hard one to review wiwithout giving anything away.

Would I recommen this book? Yes I would I loved it so much. It was a cover to cover read as I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know the truth and element my line of suspects and twists I imagined ha! This is a 5 star rating I truly loved this book.

Was this review helpful?

For a debut novel, this is truly a compelling book! I was so invested with the story that I wasn’t able to put it down. There was a fair amount of suspense, thrill and surprise in the story and it was well-balanced within the characters and the scene!

I loved the character developments. I fell in love with all the people involved because they were very well-written. Such an exciting book! Will definitely watch out for JJ Burgess.

Was this review helpful?

This book is about a couple who want to start a family but find out the husband can't get his wife pregnant so they use a private donor. I like the premise of this story but I think some of the situations are a tad unrealistic. However, the characters are relatable and it is interesting enough to keep you turning pages to find out what is going to happen after the donor is arrested for the murder of three women. Although the ending is somewhat predictable all in all it is a great story.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley and Author JJ Burgess for this ARC.

What would you do if you had wanted to start a family, have a baby all your life and find out you couldn't. Well, you'd find away around whatever kept you from doing so such as IVF, or in this case, a sperm donor. That is exactly what this couple does--they painstakingly search out the perfect donor and luckily conceive. Before they can really celebrate though, they find out that their donor has just been accused of murder! They can't help fearing what that might been for their unborn child . . .

This was quite a thrilling read with high-suspense and a unique storyline. I enjoyed it and would like to see more from Burgess. There were, however, a few plot holes that bothered me, but nothing that took away from the tension or need to know how it all ended.

Was this review helpful?

The Donor was an extremely good read. The description had me intrigued and the story kept me hooked throughout. It was fast paced and full of twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for my ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Intriguing read that keeps you turning the pages. Gripping.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Anna and John have been married for a long time and have finally decided to start a family. After trying for many years and having no success to comes to light that John is unable to have kids of his own. Determined not to let this stop them from having a family of their own Anna and John are put on a waiting list for a sperm donor; however the wait is long so Anna decides to look for a private donor.

After doing plenty of research and background checks Anna is convinced she has found the perfect donor an Irish man named Doyle. John is less sure on Doyle than his wife is however they decide to go ahead and use Doyle and after a couple of attempts Anna is delighted to find she has successfully conceived.

Having recently conceived and one night enjoying a meal with friends Anna and John are shocked when they have the police knock on their door telling them that Doyle is a prime suspect in an ongoing murder case they have. Anna who happens to have a degree and teaches psychology at Bristol university is worried for what this could mean for her unborn child and launches her own investigation into Doyle determined to find out of Doyle is who he says he is or if indeed he is guilty and could have passed on these genes to Anna and Johns unborn baby.

I really enjoyed the suspense in this book and it was a thriller unlike anything I’ve ever read before there were however one thing that didn’t sit quite right with me and that was the fact Anna’s father was a senior detective leading the case against Doyle and the minuet Anna became involved in the case there was a massive conflict of interest however the detective wasn’t pulled from the case especially as him and Anna have a very deep and difficult history.

Other than that though I really did love this book it was really easy to read and when I picked it up I didn’t want to put it down. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I loved the concept but hated the execution.
A lot of things felt unrealistic. Like Anna jumping on a plane to go to some hospital in Spain or even her meeting with her father. I think that detectives would give the courtesy of her not having to face her father of she was uncomfortable but here she had to talk to him alone. Or how all the doors are just unlocked.
I would have loved it if the execution was a little more realistic.

Was this review helpful?

This book was suspenseful and a storyline that I’ve never read before. It was a super interesting concept for the book but I wasn’t crazy about the characters. Enjoyed it!

Was this review helpful?

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Inkubator Books and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Fast paced and thrills galore. Full of suspense and intrigue.

Was this review helpful?

Oh my gosh this was gripping, it was tense, twisty and unpredictable and I couldnt stop reading. it is a great premise for a story as it is something many women go through - using a donor to have a baby - and how much can really be known about that person. A treally enjoyable read

Was this review helpful?

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Anna and John are happily married for years and Anna wants to start a family. When the couple find out that John cannot get her pregnant, she finds a sperm donor after alot of searching. Doyle is really strange and masturbates in the bathroom at their house and gives her the sperm. When they find out that Doyle is arrested for the murder of several women, Anna and John consider an abortion. After evidence comes through, Doyle is cleared of the murders. I really enjoyed the first half but was disappointed with the rest of the book. Without giving away the final part of the book, I just felt like it was too far fetched.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked the premise of this book.

Having found out that John is infertile, Anna has found a private sperm donor in Irish man, Doyle. However, when Anna becomes pregnant, it comes to light that Doyle is far from the person he presented on paper.

The author does a really good job of weaving in the thread of 'nature versus nurture.' Anna is a pyschology lecturer, so we learn how she presents this debate to her students. Also, when the couple learn of Doyle's true self, they are forced to consider whether to abort the pregnancy.

The emotions of both John and Anna were portrayed well. John is dubious about the sperm donor process and doesn't know if he is ready to be a father. Anna's biological clock is ticking and she longs for a baby.

The climactic scene at the end was gripping and nicely foreshadowed with John venting his stress on his boxing bag.

This was a well plotted and engaging read. My onlu criticism would be that some of the dialogie didn't feel authentic and I wasn't convinced by a couple of events- Doyle masturbating at the couple's house prior to the insemination and Anna's father questioning her in his official capacity of detective. That said, I enjoyed the read and will look out for more by this author.

Thanks indeed to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed everything about this book, I flew through it. The characters were interesting, the plot was excellent and the style of writing was perfect. Lots of twists and turns throughout which keep you on the edge of your seat. The first book that I’ve read by this author but I’ll be keeping my eye out for more in the future. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading this genre.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

Was this review helpful?