{"id":29984,"date":"2023-03-09T09:16:50","date_gmt":"2023-03-09T13:16:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=29984"},"modified":"2023-03-09T09:16:51","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T13:16:51","slug":"review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \ud83d\udd0d It&#8217;s One of Us by J.T. Ellison"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-29984\" data-postid=\"29984\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-29984 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_r3sr571 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner col_align_top gutter-narrow tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_o8c5571 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_rz4r571 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"330\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?resize=330%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-29985\" title=\"its-one-of-us-jt-ellison\" alt=\"its-one-of-us-jt-ellison\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?w=330&amp;ssl=1 330w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?resize=198%2C300&amp;ssl=1 198w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?resize=400%2C606&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/>\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_20f9571 customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><strong><span class=\"a-text-bold\">Everybody lies. Even the ones you think you know best of all . . .<\/span><\/strong><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Olivia Bender designs exquisite home interiors that satisfy the most demanding clients. But her own deepest desire can\u2019t be fulfilled by marble counters or the perfect rug. She desperately \u00a0wants to be a mother. Fertility treatments and IVF keep failing. And just when she feels she\u2019s at her lowest point, the police deliver shocking news to Olivia and her husband, Park.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">DNA results show that the prime suspect in a murder investigation is Park\u2019s son. Olivia is relieved, knowing this is a mistake. Despite their desire, the Benders don\u2019t have any children. Then comes the confession. Many years ago, Park donated sperm to a clinic. He has no idea how many times it was sold\u2014or how many children he has sired.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">As the murder investigation goes deeper, more terrible truths come to light. With every revelation, Olivia must face the unthinkable. The man she married has fathered a killer. But can she hold that against him when she keeps such dark secrets of her own?<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_ar3w571 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_9o8u571  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16467 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3_5-hearts-1.jpg?resize=146%2C44&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong>\u00a0Feb 21, 2023<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Harlequin<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0MIRA\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $13.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>Olivia Bender<\/strong> loves her career as an upscale interior home designer, but more than anything, she wants to become a mother. Sadly, she has had nothing but heartbreak on that journey &#8211; experiencing miscarriages and unsuccessful fertility treatments. She\u2019s sure it\u2019s a mistake when two police detectives show up on their doorstep claiming that DNA on a murder victim\u2019s body indicates the killer is her husband Park\u2019s son. Eventually, Park admits he was a sperm donor when he was in grad school and doesn\u2019t know how many children he has fathered. This bombshell is just the beginning of the nightmares the couple will experience as things escalate with the killer and old secrets come out.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">I have enjoyed several thrillers written by this author and had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it starts out very slowly written in a stilted, passive style. It is told from several different points of view and a couple different timelines with mixed results. Things get better after a couple of chapters, but the pacing remains uneven. The thriller aspects of the book are well-done, with several red herrings that keep the reader guessing, at least for a little while, about who the killer really is. However, the author makes a choice to reveal the identity of the murderer well before the end of the book, which lowers the tension level.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">The legal and ethical questions raised by the way the donor clinic operates are intriguing and are a great basis for a mystery and I wish there would have been more of a focus on that. Instead, a love triangle between Olivia, Park, and Park\u2019s brother Perry is revealed early on and continues throughout the book taking away from the parts of the story that I found more interesting. The ending of the book requires some suspension of disbelief, but most of the subplots successfully come together. The author\u2019s note at the end about her own experiences with infertility is very touching and it\u2019s clear how personal this story is for her. Overall, there are several parts of the book I enjoyed, but the potential was there to be so much better.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Christine<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_xpna571 customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3FcoO29\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3l5PryT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/its-one-of-us-j-t-ellison\/1141431047?ean=9780369706560\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/it-s-one-of-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/J_T_Ellison_It_s_One_of_Us?id=iU9uEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everybody lies. Even the ones you think you know best of all . . .\u00a0Olivia Bender designs exquisite home interiors that satisfy the most demanding [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,105,124,48],"tags":[148,241,367,481,482],"class_list":["post-29984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christine","category-harlequin","category-mira","category-reviews","tag-3-5-stars","tag-domestic-thriller","tag-mystery","tag-thriller","tag-thrillersuspense"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Review \ud83d\udd0d It&#039;s One of Us by J.T. Ellison - Smitten by Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review \ud83d\udd0d It&#039;s One of Us by J.T. Ellison - Smitten by Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Everybody lies. Even the ones you think you know best of all . . .\u00a0Olivia Bender designs exquisite home interiors that satisfy the most demanding [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Smitten by Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-03-09T13:16:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-09T13:16:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"330\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"beverley\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"beverley\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"beverley\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d\"},\"headline\":\"Review \ud83d\udd0d It&#8217;s One of Us by J.T. Ellison\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-09T13:16:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-09T13:16:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":10,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?fit=330%2C500&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"3.5 Stars\",\"Domestic Thriller\",\"Mystery\",\"Thriller\",\"thriller\\\/suspense\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Christine\",\"Harlequin\",\"MIRA\",\"Reviews\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/\",\"name\":\"Review \ud83d\udd0d It's One of Us by J.T. Ellison - Smitten by Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?fit=330%2C500&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-09T13:16:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-09T13:16:51+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?fit=330%2C500&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?fit=330%2C500&ssl=1\",\"width\":330,\"height\":500},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Review \ud83d\udd0d It&#8217;s One of Us by J.T. Ellison\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Smitten by Books\",\"description\":\"Where HEAs are guaranteed\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Smitten by Books\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1\",\"width\":281,\"height\":265,\"caption\":\"Smitten by Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d\",\"name\":\"beverley\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"beverley\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/beverley\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Review \ud83d\udd0d It's One of Us by J.T. Ellison - Smitten by Books","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Review \ud83d\udd0d It's One of Us by J.T. Ellison - Smitten by Books","og_description":"Everybody lies. Even the ones you think you know best of all . . .\u00a0Olivia Bender designs exquisite home interiors that satisfy the most demanding [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/","og_site_name":"Smitten by Books","article_published_time":"2023-03-09T13:16:50+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-03-09T13:16:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":330,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"beverley","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"beverley"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/"},"author":{"name":"beverley","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d"},"headline":"Review \ud83d\udd0d It&#8217;s One of Us by J.T. Ellison","datePublished":"2023-03-09T13:16:50+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-09T13:16:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/"},"wordCount":10,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?fit=330%2C500&ssl=1","keywords":["3.5 Stars","Domestic Thriller","Mystery","Thriller","thriller\/suspense"],"articleSection":["Christine","Harlequin","MIRA","Reviews"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/","url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/","name":"Review \ud83d\udd0d It's One of Us by J.T. Ellison - Smitten by Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?fit=330%2C500&ssl=1","datePublished":"2023-03-09T13:16:50+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-09T13:16:51+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?fit=330%2C500&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?fit=330%2C500&ssl=1","width":330,"height":500},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/review-its-one-of-us-by-j-t-ellison\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Review \ud83d\udd0d It&#8217;s One of Us by J.T. Ellison"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/","name":"Smitten by Books","description":"Where HEAs are guaranteed","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Smitten by Books","url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1","width":281,"height":265,"caption":"Smitten by Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d","name":"beverley","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"beverley"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog"],"url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/author\/beverley\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?fit=330%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"builder_content":"<img src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg\" title=\"its-one-of-us-jt-ellison\" alt=\"its-one-of-us-jt-ellison\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?w=330&amp;ssl=1 330w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?resize=198%2C300&amp;ssl=1 198w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/its-one-of-us-jt-ellison.jpg?resize=400%2C606&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Everybody lies. Even the ones you think you know best of all . . .<\/strong><br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Olivia Bender designs exquisite home interiors that satisfy the most demanding clients. But her own deepest desire can\u2019t be fulfilled by marble counters or the perfect rug. She desperately \u00a0wants to be a mother. Fertility treatments and IVF keep failing. And just when she feels she\u2019s at her lowest point, the police deliver shocking news to Olivia and her husband, Park.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>DNA results show that the prime suspect in a murder investigation is Park\u2019s son. Olivia is relieved, knowing this is a mistake. Despite their desire, the Benders don\u2019t have any children. Then comes the confession. Many years ago, Park donated sperm to a clinic. He has no idea how many times it was sold\u2014or how many children he has sired.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>As the murder investigation goes deeper, more terrible truths come to light. With every revelation, Olivia must face the unthinkable. The man she married has fathered a killer. But can she hold that against him when she keeps such dark secrets of her own?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3_5-hearts-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong>\u00a0Feb 21, 2023<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Harlequin<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0MIRA\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $13.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>Olivia Bender<\/strong> loves her career as an upscale interior home designer, but more than anything, she wants to become a mother. Sadly, she has had nothing but heartbreak on that journey - experiencing miscarriages and unsuccessful fertility treatments. She\u2019s sure it\u2019s a mistake when two police detectives show up on their doorstep claiming that DNA on a murder victim\u2019s body indicates the killer is her husband Park\u2019s son. Eventually, Park admits he was a sperm donor when he was in grad school and doesn\u2019t know how many children he has fathered. This bombshell is just the beginning of the nightmares the couple will experience as things escalate with the killer and old secrets come out.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">I have enjoyed several thrillers written by this author and had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it starts out very slowly written in a stilted, passive style. It is told from several different points of view and a couple different timelines with mixed results. Things get better after a couple of chapters, but the pacing remains uneven. The thriller aspects of the book are well-done, with several red herrings that keep the reader guessing, at least for a little while, about who the killer really is. However, the author makes a choice to reveal the identity of the murderer well before the end of the book, which lowers the tension level.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">The legal and ethical questions raised by the way the donor clinic operates are intriguing and are a great basis for a mystery and I wish there would have been more of a focus on that. Instead, a love triangle between Olivia, Park, and Park\u2019s brother Perry is revealed early on and continues throughout the book taking away from the parts of the story that I found more interesting. The ending of the book requires some suspension of disbelief, but most of the subplots successfully come together. The author\u2019s note at the end about her own experiences with infertility is very touching and it\u2019s clear how personal this story is for her. Overall, there are several parts of the book I enjoyed, but the potential was there to be so much better.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Christine<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3FcoO29\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3l5PryT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/its-one-of-us-j-t-ellison\/1141431047?ean=9780369706560\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/it-s-one-of-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/J_T_Ellison_It_s_One_of_Us?id=iU9uEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29984"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29992,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29984\/revisions\/29992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}