This started out very slowly and was very hard to get into in the first third. However, it picked up after that and kept me entertained. It was told in multiple perspectives from multiple time periods, which added to the slow start, but ultimately added a level of depth to the novel. The twist was partially evident early on, but the details were not clear. I really liked the character development, in that it was not clear at the beginning who was the villain and who was the good guy. Overall, an entertaining thriller that will keep you wanting to find out what happened!

Thank you to J.T. Ellison, the publisher, Harlequin - MIRA, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished Tear Me Apart by J.T. Ellison. I loved it. 🖤 It’s a long one, almost 500 pages, but I found that it was easy to read and definitely easy to binge! It’s a slow build, but definitely not a slow burn...if that makes sense 😂 Not your typical thriller - I loved reading about all the relationships.
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Loooove that it was set in Colorado, even though I’m not a skier! It was fun to read a book set in my home state! I did predict some of the plot, but it didn’t change my opinion of the book at all. I went in only knowing that I love J.T. Ellison and I think that helped with how much I enjoyed the book! Read the author’s note when you’re done. 🖤
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5 (3.5 / 5)

I really wanted to love Tear Me Apart by J.T. Ellison, I really did. Unfortunately, this one ended up being more of a "like" for me, and I didn't love it near as much as Lie to Me.

What it's about: 17 year old Mindy Wright is quickly rising in the ranks of competitive skiing, and seems like a shoo-in to qualify for the US Olympic Team. That is, until a horrible crash jeopardizes both her skiing career and her life. While at the hospital doctors discover that Mindy is suffering from a very aggressive form of leukemia, and the only thing that can save her life is a stem cell transplant. But when her parents and aunt are tested no one is a match, and even more curious, Mindy is not actually their daughter. Now with the race to save Mindy's life huge question begin to emerge, who are her real parents and how did she end up with the people she's lived with for 17 years?

The book skips around between current day Colorado, and past which takes place in a mental health hospital in Nashville. I loved the switches between past and present, but I actually wish more of the past had been included. All the "why" would stem from the past, and I don't feel like I got enough of the 'why' in this book.

I loved the pacing of the novel, although it was a bit slower in some parts than others. Even in the slower parts I still managed to fly through it, and I stayed up until 2:30 AM just to finish. I think Ellison is a master at her craft, especially considering how different this book was from Lie to Me (and her other books from what I've heard). I like that she tried something different here, but I also think this book was a little long. It clocks in at almost 500 pages and I really didn't think it needed to be that long.

My other semi-large issue with Tear Me Apart was that it was just way too predictable for me. None of the twists actually shocked me, and I saw most of it coming. That being said, I still loved how the story built and seeing how layer after layer was unraveled.

Final Thought: I believe it is best going into this one blind, so I don't want to say too much more. I recommend to fans of J.T. Ellison (just know you are getting a different type of book from Lie to Me) and to people that love seeing a web of lies and betrayal unfold in their books. This novel was a doozy and if you can't predict what is going to happen you are probably going to love it. I can't wait to see what Ellison will come up with next!

OMG, this book. What a ride Ms. Ellison takes us on with it!

Like with the other book I've read from this author ( Lie to Me ) I don't want to give away too much, so this review is going to be light on details. Trust me, you're going to want to discover them for yourself with this one. I purposely didn't re-read the blurb before I picked it up this week, and didn't look at a single review until after I'd finished it--I just jumped right in. I swear I barely even breathed once I got about halfway through--I didn't want anything to interrupt my reading time. I needed to see it through to the end...

Tear Me Apart, like Ms. Ellison's last book, is full of plot twists and turns. (Honestly, so much had already happened when I was only at the 25% point it was hard to believe. And yeah, things were only getting started!) You know someone is lying--at least one someone!--and it's pretty clear early on that there's an awful lot of convenient? suspicious? deaths going around, though the why isn't immediately obvious. The who becomes horribly clear as the book progresses, though--and then watch out, because things start to happen really, really quickly and most of them are fairly scary...

And that's all I'm going to say, because really, you need to read this one for yourself.

Phew! And now I need to decompress...maybe with a nice cup of decaf tea.

Though you'd better believe I'm going to take it straight, without any sweeteners at all.

(Because that's how I always drink my tea. No. Other. Reason.) ;)

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

A powerful story of a mother's love and what she would do to protect her child. Lauren's daughter is a super-star skier and on her way to the Olympics. She takes a big fall and comes crashing down. In the hospital, they find she has leukemia which can only be treated with a stem cell transplant.

It is then they find her parents are not a match - Mindy is not their daughter. The story has you hanging onto every word and surprises keep popping up as we find out the real story behind the lives of this family. Lies, betrayals and murder find their way into the families surrounding Mindy.

Never disappointed in a J.T.Ellison book; thank you NetGalley for this amazing book.

If, like me you were a big fan of Ellison’s last book, Lie to Me then you’ve been just as excited as I was about checking out Tear Me Apart. While I throughly enjoyed both books this is very different from LTM, but in a good way. While it definitely is a domestic suspense it focuses more on the dynamics of an entire family instead of a marriage and examines the relationships between mothers and daughters as well as sisters with a little marital strife thrown in. Just wanted to throw that out there so you have the right expectation before diving in.

I know next to nothing about the world of competitive skiing so I was a little unsure how that aspect would interest me but it was oddly fascinating for me. Maybe it’s because Mindy was hands down my favorite character of the bunch, but highly competitive sports of any nature are so physically and mentally grueling and I was totally invested in Mindy’s career and overall well being. Lauren is Mindy’s mom and she is a typical suburban housewife, albeit with an Olympic hopeful for a child, and Juliet is Lauren’s sister. They dynamics between these three never failed to engage me, you have a teenager who finds out her parents aren’t her biological parents, a mom who either doesn’t have or doesn’t want to share any answers and a sister/aunt trying to keep the peace. There is so much more going on than what I referenced but that alone was more than enough to hook me.

Ellison is tricky, as much as I was into this one I kept thinking I knew pretty much what would happen. Nope, she got me and in the last quarter of the book there were several shocking reveals that left me in awe of her meticulous plotting and attention to detail. There’s something both sharp and fluid about her writing style that just works for me, she’s an incredibly strong writer and she really knows how to weave an intriguing tale full of betrayals, lies, secrets and pain. She’s an auto buy author for me at this point, I’m always entertained by her books and have a hard time putting them down.

Tear Me Apart in three words: Engrossing, Sharp and Compelling.

This is a great, quickly paced thriller that kept me reading long after I should have gone to bed! It’s favinating to see how many secrets and lies are uncovered as the result of one fateful accident.

Without a doubt, J. T. Ellison knows how to create some character depth! Her description of the sisterly relationship between Lauren and Juliet was unexpected, and I felt like Mindy could have been one of my students. On the other hand, it seemed like there were excessive characters sprinkled throughout the more dramatic scenes. Unnecessary and bland, those characters didn’t really distract from the suspense as much as they just annoyed me.

Lauren’s persona was perfectly executed as the mother who would do anything for her child. Bordering on the brink of insanity, she’s almost like fine crystal that has a hairline crack in a fragile spot. You’ll almost want to push her over the edge just to watch it all unfurl! This book is perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn or Peter Swanson.

Despite the intense situations presented in Tear Me Apart, it was pretty easy to figure out what was happening. By the midpoint of the story, I kept thinking that it couldn’t be that easy to solve. Hoping for an unexpected major twist, I was a bit disappointed with the ending.

This book was so good - I actually read it in just 2 days. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc to read and review. This story just kept me turning pages and I couldn’t quit reading until I was done. Don’t hesitate to pick this book up.

Mindy, a successful downhill skier, has Olympic potential. However, after being injured during a run, a deadly form of leukemia is discovered within her! In order to survive, they must find Mindy a match to perform a stem cell transplant. However, when the tests are ran to find a donor, no one in her family is a match. In fact, something even bigger is discovered... her parents are not a DNA biological match to her. How could that be? Was there an accidental switch at birth or are there even bigger secrets that have been hidden from her?

I really enjoyed this one! I wasn’t sure where the plot was headed at first, as I went into reading it blind. However, even though it began as a slow burn, once the plot really took off, it kept moving quickly! I love the pacing of J.T. Ellison’s novels and would highly recommend this one! If you enjoyed Lie to Me, this one did not disappoint! Thank you to @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for providing me with a copy of this novel for an honest review!
@thrillerchick #augustreleases #suspense #bookstagram #books #unreliablenarrator #tearmeapart #readandreview #authorsilove #jtellison

What a heck of a thrilling ride!! This book threw out for a loop, lassoed me back, and then kept me stuck to it till I reached The End and the Acknowledgements.

My first book by Author J. T. Ellison, and the author has surpassed my wildest dreams. Reading the blurb, I thought it might be a good book, but reading the prose I realized it was a great thriller which had just pummeled me to submission to sit with it and finish in one go!! What more did one need from a thriller!!

Starting with Mindy, a professional skier wanting to make it to US Olympic team, who crashed while skiing and broke her leg and incidentally discovered to suffer from aggravating form of leukemia. The next step had to be a stem cell transplant!! And there-in lay the plot - no DNA match, she is not their daughter!!

Can opened, worms squirming all over, each worm ickier than the previous, carrying a big fat secret. The book had the CBI aunt Juliet discovering truths, the mother Lauren showing her version of truths, and the father Jasper believing his truths!! Add to this rigmarole, an 18 year old murder, a mental health facility, a 20+ year old death, a weird mother, a soldier whose file has been redacted.. Wow, what was not to love about this book?!!

The fast pace, the plot fit, the reasoning, the secrets all made this book an exciting read, in spite of my niggles, I had guessed the plot because the clues were that obvious. But what an adrenaline rush!!

Such a good thriller! The pages flew by even though it was a long book. I couldn’t put it down most of the night I just had to know what happened. She has a way of gripping you and making you think about her stories over and over again. I loved the characters and the way each of their stories twined together. I loved the way the mystery slowly built up then came together it was great from start to finish and rally explored some important topics such as depression and chronic illness I am now a huge fan and can’t wait till her next work comes out!

Wow! This book had me reading well into the night to try to put the pieces of this plot together.
Was Mindy going to survive this awful illness and injury and resume her amazing career as a young skier?
The pain in each of the characters in this novel was heartbreaking and yet they were strong.
The instinct to care, protect and fight for Mindy was shining through each word written.
Not all done right or legal, but nevertheless done in the name of love.
The threads all were tied up neatly by the last few pages of this incredibly written psychological thriller, but the slopes were slick at times. I was definitely holding on to the edge of my seat while turning the pages.
Excellent!

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lauren Wright has devoted her life to providing her daughter Mindy with everything she needs, physically, emotionally, and otherwise. Now that her daughter has suffered a traumatic leg injury that has revealed a catastrophic disease process, she wants to do anything possible to prolong her daughter's life...or does she? One little lie cascades into another and another and before anyone knows it, Lauren becomes someone no one really knows anymore. Mindy knows her mother is hiding secrets from her past and now that she knows she's adopted, she's wondering just what those secrets truly are. Juliet Ryder, Lauren's sister, knows that Lauren's story doesn't quite add up, but she's truly willing to do anything, even skirting the law, to find the truth and Mindy's birth parents if it means prolonging her life. Jasper, Lauren's husband doesn't really know what to believe. He's astonished to learn that Lauren isn't Mindy's birth mother and begins to wonder what other secrets she might be keeping from him. The more Mindy, Juliet, and Jasper uncover, the more they realize they may have never really known Lauren at all. Just how far is Lauren willing to go to protect her secrets and ostensibly Mindy's life?

<b>Tear Me Apart</b> is one of those reads that you think you've figured out, but the twists just keep coming. This story is filled with psychological chills and thrills, along with tons of family drama, angst, and a few murders (yes, that's a few murders...read the book to find out who dies!). Of course, there's a lot more going on in the story than just one person trying to protect their secrets, a mother protecting her child, a child trying to recuperate from a potentially life-threatening disease, or a family recovering from a series of mind-blowing revelations. Ms. Ellison has also thrown mental illness, severe depression, and suicide into the mix for a story that left this reader on tenterhooks from beginning to end. In many ways, this year has been a banner year for me as a reader as I've had the fortune to read a number of wonderful books and <b>Tear Me Apart</b> is definitely being added to this list. I enjoyed the characters, the action, the settings, the drama, and the suspense. So, for all of you suspense-thriller readers, go out and grab a copy of <b>Tear Me Apart</b> to read. For fans of family drama, yes you guessed, I'm recommending you grab a copy of <b>Tear Me Apart</b> to read as well. Seriously, this is one story that I think every reader can enjoy reading.

This review originally published on 09/06/2018 at https://www.thebookdivasreads.com/2018/09/2018-book-330-tear-me-apart-by-jt.html.

J. T. Ellison really kept me guessing with this one. I came up with three different and plausible theories regarding the birth and parentage of Mindy. None of my theories was correct, although one was close. Unfortunately, the ultimate story behind what happened and whodunnit was unsatisfying and seem to fly in the face of much of what the reader knew about the character at fault (sorry to be obscure, but i hate spoilers). In the end, i just didn't buy it - it didn't ring true. Nonetheless, I stayed up very, very late reading this book and the story really pulled me along.

I liked this book a lot. It was set in Colorado which always for me ups the interest level. I thought it was a suspense novel and in the end it is more of that, but to start it is about a girl who is on the cusp of making the USA Olympic team in skiing. She crashes and while operating on her badly broken leg it is discovered that she has cancer. In an effort to save her life, her family must be tested to see if they can donate for her. There is a lot going on but the author's note that talks about suicide and mental illness is very profound and important! I would definitely suggest this one!

Mindy Wright is an accomplished teen skier. Her doting parents have devoted their whole lives to making sure that Mindy is successful in her every endeavor. However, all of that changes suddenly when Mindy is diagnosed with leukemia. As her frantic parents commit to saving Mindy's life, a terrifying truth emerges......Mindy is not their biological daughter.

As the family races toward finding a cure for their daughter, dark secrets from the past begin to haunt the family. An unsolved murder from years ago is unearthed, and a possible connection is made to Mindy. What secrets are being hidden underneath a perfect facade? And more importantly, can they be solved in time to save Mindy?

Jt Ellison's latest novel had a much different feel than her others. It tackled the theme of a mother's loyalty, and made us question what we would keep hidden in order to protect our children, In addition, it brought up the idea of mental illness vs. true evil. I don't know that this was my favorite of Ellison's books. It lacked the pace and suspense of many of her other books. However, that could just be because Ellison is typically a strong and consistent writer. Overall, I found this book to be enjoyable, while a little predictable.

ACB3B414-7193-498D-8F04-F6F191710061Thank you to Mira books for providing me with a free e-copy of Tear Me Apart, all opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Competitive skier Mindy Wright is a superstar in the making until a spectacular downhill crash threatens not just her racing career but her life. During surgery, doctors discover she’s suffering from a severe form of leukemia, and a stem cell transplant is her only hope. But when her parents are tested, a frightening truth emerges. Mindy is not their daughter.

Who knows the answers?

The race to save Mindy’s life means unraveling years of lies. Was she accidentally switched at birth or is there something more sinister at play? The search for the truth will tear a family apart…and someone is going to deadly extremes to protect the family’s deepest secrets.

With vivid movement through time, Tear Me Apart examines the impact layer after layer of lies and betrayal has on two families, the secrets they guard, and the desperate fight to hide the darkness within.

My review:

I really enjoyed this thriller and feel like Tear Me Apart could stand in several other subgenres. First: dramatic fiction. The relationship between Mindy and her parents was so well done, which made her health scare so heart wrenching. If the story had only been about her struggle through illness, I would have still liked the book. The second subgenre could be mystery: Ellison mixed so many clues and backstory into the plot that it gave the reader the chance to try and piece it together. The thrilling components didn't really start to come out until the later portion of the book.

Mindy is a competitive athlete and her family's focus revolves around what she will need for her health and training and career path. I found this to be very unique, I can't think of any other thrillers out there with this type of character set-up so that also made this such an enjoyable read. It's nice to have fresh new perspectives and not the same broken damsel in distress that the genre is saturated with.

I found the pacing in this book to be near perfection. I talk about pacing in many of my reviews because it is something that is very important to me. Sometimes thrillers can take off fast with something shocking to pull you in, but then drag through all the details and clues in the middle. Tear Me Apart is one of the easiest page turners I have read in a long time, something was happening on every page: never too fast, never too slow.

I have two little issues that did not take away from my overall enjoyment, the first being that this book is on the long side. The other issue is that I was able to guess the ending, and rather early on at that. It's a great ending, albeit slightly predictable. But overall, I really liked this one and would recommend it to thriller lovers and non-thriller lovers alike. A very well done novel, I rate this one 4 out of 5 stars.

|#partner| Thanks to @harlequinbooks #MIRAbooks for the free review copy via @netgalley
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Mindy is a world class skier and Olympic hopeful. When a ski accident lands her in the hospital, they discover that she has leukemia. When her parents aren’t a match for her, she finds out they aren’t her biological parents. Someone is hiding some very big secrets, and will do anything to keep those secrets hidden.
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This was a slow building suspense that had me totally engaged to the end. I really enjoyed the writing and @thrillerchick did an excellent job of bringing her characters to life. This was such a nice break from the twisty thrillers that are out there right now. This was my first read of hers, but it definitely won’t be my last.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Slow suspense, great characters, and a page turner!

I enjoyed Tear Me Apart by JT Ellison, it had a great speed although it did feel a little long at times. The story was interesting, especially the mental health aspect. It felt like a cross between a Jodi Picault and Sue Grafton, and neither author is really on my bookshelves so I don't think I appreciated this novel as much as someone else would. It took me 5 hours to read, and I give it 3.5 stars. This title was released on August 28th, 2018.