2.5 rounded up. It just wasn't interesting enough for me to call this a thriller in any capacity. I think the premise was creative, but I didn't care about anyone in this book at all. I finished it because I got an advanced reader's copy and I owed it to the publishers. After many years of trying to start a family with her husband Park, Olivia learns that she is unable to conceive just as things seem like they might work out. As Olivia is trying to process yet another setback, the police arrive at Park's door. Park fathered a child many years ago, and now DNA evidence suggests that child may be a killer. Olivia is struggling to make sense of her life as it is, what with Park being a father and a police investigation thrown into the mix, but wait, there's more...much more.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an honest review.

Review of It’s One of Us by JT Ellison

I no longer do star ratings in my review but spoiler alert this one is five stars on goodreads for me. I’ve enjoyed all of her books but this one is my favorite. The characters, the mystery, and the science all fascinated me. It was fast paced and I absolutely couldn’t put it down. I loved the different point of views especially the one of the murderer. So fun and good. Note: read the author’s note as well 💜

Quick synopsis: Olivia is married to her high school sweetheart and a much in demand designer but unfortunately she can’t have what she wants most of all: a baby. They have been undergoing many failed fertility treatments and she is suffering a miscarriage yet again when the police show up at their door. It seems her husband, Park, is the biological father of a known killer who recently murdered a local woman. Olivia is horrified to learn that Park donated his sperm many years ago and he is the father of many, many children; one of whom is a brutal killer

Between 3 and 3.5 for this one. While it was thoroughly entertaining and suspenseful, I predicted the "twist" from miles away.. and it was a pretty underwhelming one, at that. I did still enjoy/have fun while reading this one though, and appreciated how quickly and consistently the plot moved. Full review to come on my bookstagram soon.

A thrilling multiple POV story about how the deepest darkest secrets we keep never truly stay hidden.

This was my first J.T. Ellison novel and I really enjoyed the story. I was routing for certain characters and thought the story would focus on one character in particular. However, you quickly learn that we will be seeing all sides of all the characters, the good and the evil. The only critique I have is that the book was too long. It started to feel like it was dragging at some points, which lead to me beginning to not care as much about the story. If it had been shorter, I feel that the pacing would have increased the sense of urgency within the story, the plot twists would have felt more surprising and my general intrigue would have been increased.

Overall, I recommend this book for anyone who is in the mood for a darker thriller.

Wow! This story, the writing, the ENDING!!! My first J.T. Ellison, but definitely not my last.

This type of story is something I've been seeing a lot of (DNA, genetic testing, etc.) and I think that's due to the fact that there's something so massive about that right now: AncestryDNA, 23andMe, etc. I loved how this story was written! It seemed very realistic!

I think there was also a lot of character development which is super important to me as well! The characters really were interesting and I enjoyed learning about each one of them!

I gave this book 4.5 stars because am all for a slow burn in a mystery, but this one took too long and I didn't get enough at the end. But THAT ending definitely made up for it somewhat!

This newest title by J. T. Ellison is an emotional thriller full of twists and turns. Olivia and her husband Park are struggling with the physical and emotional toll of years of infertility. The acrimonious nature of their relationship becomes even more strained when evidence in a local murder points to Park as the biological father of the perpetrator. The pacing and tension is well served by the use of multiple points of view including Olivia, Park, the investigating detectives and the murderer themselves. The ride is thrilling, but the ending feels comparatively disappointing and stilted.

The concept was interesting but I did not love the style of writing. I felt everything was a bit too convenient at times. I wouldn't consider this a thriller, but there were definitely some suspenseful moments!

Some parts were just not necessary. While I understand why the discord server was relevant, it did not really play a big enough role to be useful. For example, we know all these siblings are out there but we only really hear from the two who are already introduced in a meaningful way. It was not so much a "one of us" in the Discord server committed the crime (trying not to spoil lol), but it was just the premise to get the book rolling. I feel like there was a bit of a missed opportunity with this storyline.

I was about ready to DNF in the first 50 pages, but I am glad I kept reading. It was engaging and I definitely wanted to find out what happened.

This was an eARC that I put off a bit and it worked in my favor. I read and listened to this and was so excited to find out that the narration was done by the amazing Julia Whelan. She is my favorite audiobook narrator, hands down. I was able to enjoy the story, which is a terrific thriller, with multiple POVs and past and present events that keep the reader guessing. Whelan has a wonderful way with telling the author’s story and bringing a great feel to the written word. I’m never disappointed by JT Ellison’s writing or Julia Whelan’s narration. Super fun read that kept me engaged.
Highly recommend this if you want a compelling thriller.

#ItsOneofUs #NetGalley #HarlequinTradePublishing #MIRA

In J. T. Ellison's "It's One of Us," Olivia, an architectural designer, and Park Bender, a writer, have been hoping to start a family for years. They have tried IUI and IVF; Olivia has conceived and miscarried again and again. The Benders' marriage is fraying, and the situation worsens when Olivia discovers that her husband has been hiding significant information from her about his past.

Ellison also introduces us to sixteen-year-old Scarlett Flynn. She is the daughter of a single mother who used donor sperm to conceive a son and daughter. Scarlett took a DNA test to investigate her ancestry and has been corresponding with other "halves"— boys and girls whose mothers conceived via sperm donation—on social media. Scarlett informs her mother, Darby, that she longs to meet her biological father someday. Shockingly, one of the "halves" turns out to be a ruthless killer who is targeting additional victims.

This tale of betrayal, secrets, and unfulfilled desires veers off in too many directions. The author uses alternating viewpoints to little purpose, since the characters' angst-ridden lives are more disturbing than engrossing. The novel concludes with a gratuitous twist that is thrown in for shock value. On the other hand, in the afterword, Ellison movingly discusses her own struggles with infertility. Among the most compelling passages in "It's One of Us" are those that describe Olivia's longing to carry a baby to term and her frustration at being unable to do so. These scenes ring true and are genuinely heartbreaking.

Okay so I find this incredibly interesting because we just learned that my husband is a donor baby. Luckily, the donor has been nothing but kind and respectful just as all the donor children have been but wow, this was a little too on the nose in my life!

Unfortunately I’m not going to finish this book. The synopsis sounds great but the overuse of the big, hard to pronounce, words is driving me nuts.
A man is supposed to have a son who committed murder. Of course this kid is a product of sperm donation. The father had no idea he existed. Nor did he know about any of the many other kids. He and his wife have suffered many losses of embryos and she’s upset over him doing this. The kids are all part of a big group getting to know each other. Meanwhile the cops are checking out a murder that happened twenty some years prior of this man’s ex.
This book could have been so good if the author had not used all the big unnecessary words that totally ruined it. I love learning new words and there meanings but this is ridiculous. I was spending more time highlighting and reading meanings than in the actual story.
Sorry but it’s just not for me.

I have read most of Ellison’s books and loved them all. This was no exception, it was a bit different than her others in that there was a focus on infertility in addition to murders and I very much enjoyed it. She crafted a story that hooked me from the start, endeared me to the protagonist, Olivia Bender, and incorporated the subject of sperm donors in such a way that was absolutely fascinating. There are so many twists in here, not to mention the ending, which I did not see coming, making this one my favorite of hers yet.

I would be not doing this experience justice if I didn’t point out the audiobook is excellent, it is read by Julia Whelan, I mean really, need I say more.

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA Books for the digital copy to review.

“It’s one of Us” is easily one of the best suspense/thrillers I’ve read this year. Ellison writes really well, and the story moved quickly. I felt the storyline was pretty unique and although difficult at times (**TW: infertility, miscarriage) had many suspenseful and thrilling components to keep me engrossed until the very end.
I truly look forward to this author’s next book!
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this novel.
Solid 4 stars/5

“Everybody lies. Even the ones you think you know best of all . . .”

🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
“It’s One of Us” is a suspenseful psychological thriller layered with secrets and lies that have remained buried too long. The truth doesn’t stay hidden forever and it likes to show itself at unpleasant times. JT Ellison has written a remarkable tale of domestic suspense littered with other sensitive and gripping real-life issues. Clear your schedule because you won’t want to put this one down once you start! Wow…I’ve been missing out on another great author.

Olivia and Park are having fertility issues and it’s difficult on their marriage and mental health. On the day Olivia has her last miscarriage, the police inform them that DNA shows that Park’s son is the main suspect in a murder.

This opens up a portal of secrets Park has been keeping. But Olivia has her own. How many lies can one marriage hold before it breaks?

The story continues to become more twisted and emotional until the explosive and unpredictable conclusion. Prepare yourself for the shocks and heartache. Amazing read told from many perspectives!

Sincere thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing for my gifted copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#htpbooks #htpinfluencer #ItsOneOfUs #JTEllison #netgalley #secretsandlies #domesticsuspense #DNAtest #murder #SpermClinic #fertilityissues #thehalves #socialmedia #nursing #honestreview #thrillerfriendsunite #mysteryandthrills #readwithme #bookaddict #thrilleraddict #thrillersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #lovebooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #lovetoreadbooks #cantstopreading #fortheloveofbooks

This is a solid novel with well developed characters and plot line. I thought the pacing worked well, and there were certainly lots of twists and turns.

This is my first Ellison novel, and I am pleased that I picked this one up. It was well-written, if not heartrending. I saw in the author's afterword that she struggled with infertility, and that is why Olivia's pain seems so real.... because it is. I will be looking for more from this author.

Do you like a fun DNA story?⁣ Because holy smokes this one was wild! I love a twisty DNA plot and this was like the DNA fatherload! (pun intended 😆) ⁣
⁣
Olivia and Park have been struggling for years to conceive. So it’s a shot right to Olivia’s heart when the police show up at the door to let them know that there was a murder. And the prime suspect is Park’s son. But - what son? The Benders don’t have children.⁣
⁣
When Park finally confesses of his donations to a fertility clinic years ago, it turns out there may be a son. And possibly more than one.⁣
⁣
Soooo many secrets, fast-paced, clever, and terrifically twisted - this one is chock full of emotions, a fast-paced plot, characters you will love to loathe, and you’ll be propelled in every direction trying to figure out who the killer is.⁣

**If you’re a sensitive reader, just know this one is heavy on infertility and miscarriage topics, but done with such thoughtful care. Ellison has said this was based on her own experiences – with hopes that it might help normalize the conversation.

"It's One of Us" by J.T. Ellison is a psychological thriller that revolves around a group of wealthy and influential people who gather together for a weekend in a luxurious mansion. The plot is full of secrets, betrayals, and unexpected twists, but unfortunately, it fails to reach its full potential.

On the positive side, the characters are well-developed and their interactions are interesting to follow. Each of them has their own motives, and as the story progresses, the reader gets a glimpse into their past and present lives. Additionally, the setting of the mansion is described in detail and adds to the eerie atmosphere of the book.

However, the pacing of the story is slow, and it takes a while for the action to pick up. The plot also becomes convoluted at times, and some of the twists feel forced or contrived. The ending, while satisfying, is also somewhat predictable and lacks the shock factor that one would expect from a thriller.

Overall, "It's One of Us" is a decent read, but it falls short of being a standout in the genre. If you're a fan of character-driven mysteries and don't mind a slower pace, this book might be worth checking out.

As Olivia and Park’s lives are being upended by another miscarriage, the police stop by and drop a bomb. They are now involved in a murder investigation through no fault of their own. But as more and more things are revealed that have been hidden for years , will they be able to sort through the lies and blame soon enough to save lives?

WOW! This was one of the best thriller's I have read so far this year! I give it 4 stars because I figured out a few parts, otherwise I would give it a 5. It dealt with very touchy subjects of sperm donation, infertility and mental illness. But more poignantly, the epilogue by the author was very moving!
Very entertaining read, and would make a great movie!