I don't care who you might want me to be: IT'S ONE OF US.

It's One of Us by J.T. Ellison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I know that I can always count on J.T. Ellison for a suspenseful tale! IT'S ONE OF US did not disappoint. Olivia Bender's life is ruled by fertility treatments. She and her husband, Park, have gone through multiple rounds of IUI/IVF, but even when Olivia gets pregnant, she cannot seem to keep the babies. She feels like a complete failure and is convinced she's letting Park down by depriving him of what he wants most. Then the police show up at their door with some shocking news: DNA in a murder investigation has been traced back to Park... well, Park's son. Ummm, what? Reluctantly, Park reveals he donated sperm years ago. We soon learn that the clinic was lax in its policies, and no one is exactly sure how many children Park has. Olivia feels betrayed and devastated--and as the secrets continue to be revealed, they must face that fact that one of Park's "children" is out there doing unspeakable things.

Oh boy, this is a juicy one! First, you have to go in and read IT'S ONE OF US with a little bit of a suspension of disbelief, or at least, willingness to go on a wild ride. Not to say the things that happen, couldn't, it's just that, wow, things get a bit crazy!

That's not to say that this book doesn't have some real moments. It does. Because J.T. Ellison writes about infertility and miscarriage (and here's pointing out a big trigger warning for both of those elements) with amazing honesty. She shows the toll it takes on Olivia and how hard it can be on a marriage. You need to read her author's note to understand how she write about this so realistically (and then want to send her about a million hugs like I did). As someone who spent nearly five years trying to have children, this book hit me hard in the feels. Olivia made some crazy choices, but wow, her thoughts about trying to be a mom, how hard it was to see others as parents, and oh my goodness, her insight into losing her babies--that was all so well-done and real. Amazing writing, truly, and it all really added to and fit into the story.

US also delves into sperm donors and how everything can go awry, which is sometimes a touchy subject for me. I am never a huge fan when authors take this route, as it really makes the general public seem to think this is the case for all kids who come into the world this way. However, the scenario in this book is so insane and over-the-top that hopefully people will read it like that.

As for the characters other than Olivia... oh boy! Park is a piece of work, folks. The murder case being investigated is a local woman, who drowned. Park just happens to have a history of being around missing or drowned women. He seems to be a compulsive liar! (But is he a murderer??!!) He has a twin (fraternal) brother whose presence adds a whole bunch of a drama. (There's so much drama here--but in a good way!)

Luckily we hear from other characters too, but I won't go into much detail as I don't want to give away any spoilers. But all the POVs are interesting and give a broad range of insight into what is going down. Because oh yeah, it's going down! There is a tangled web being woven here, folks. Get ready.

Overall, this is a dark and twisty thriller that offers all sorts of insight into family and biological ties, as well as marriage, motherhood, and infertility. It gets a little wild at the end, but it's a fun ride. 4 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Harlequin Publishing/MIRA in return for an unbiased review. Look for US on 2/21/2023!

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