Tear Me Apart has been high on my list of fall releases after reading and loving Lie to Me last year. I started this only knowing that it was about a competitive skier who crashes and finds out one shocking truth after another about her life. That's really all you need to know and I'd avoid reading lengthy reviews and any more of the blurb before diving in. The skier is Mindy Wright whose very attentive parents have devoted their entire lives to making sure she has every advantage in the ski world. Mindy is set to qualify for the Olympic Team when she crashes on the slopes, followed shortly by everything else in her world crashing down around her. 

I was pulled into this story quickly as all of the above happens in the first few pages. J.T. Ellison knows how to draw readers in with a fast pace. She doles out just enough initial secrets to make you wonder what's going on and what else is to come. The overriding questions are...who's lying and why? Mindy's mom Lauren is at the center of the family drama and what she's been hiding, as well as why, kept me quickly turning the pages. There's also quite a bit of tension between Lauren and her sister Juliet who's a DNA expert for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (and my favorite character in the book) which also created more questions for me. 

This psychological thriller is structured with alternating timelines and perspectives which I have to say did leave me feeling a little confused at times. It shifts between the family in present day Colorado and 2 teenage girls in the past at a psychiatric hospital in Nashville.  This is always a tricky structure for me and in this case I found the back and forth tedious at times. It felt like it dragged out in places and I found myself feeling impatient with the way the story was unfolding. Without giving anything away, I was also surprised that, for me, the story felt predictable in the end.

Perhaps my expectations were too high after Lie to Me . I would say, however, that if you like the idea of family secrets, many lies, and a couple surprising betrayals then I'd recommend giving this one a try. There is definitely much to like with J. T. Ellison's writing and I look forward to reading her next book!

Tear Me Apart by J.T. Ellison is a psychological thriller about identity and the lack there of. Mindy Wright who is a competitive skier crashes and needs surgery to repair the damage. While hospitalized, the drs find out that she will need a stem cell transplant if she wants to survive a severe form of leukemia. Her parents are tested and find out the worst news of all. They could not be Mindys parents. What has happened? Was she switched with another baby at birth? The problem is that someone is going to great lengths to hide those questions. The writer has done a great job of weaving the story line together at a great pace so that one can read this fast. The charachters are well formed and the reader is informed of the history of the POV. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to read a great thriller.

5 out of 5

This is my second book by J.T. Ellison and I loved it! We begin with Mindy Wright, a young competitive skier who is preparing for an important qualifying race. You cannot help but get sucked in as she goes through her pre-start ritual, and then takes off, only to end the race breaking her leg. As she is rushed to the hospital for surgery to repair it, Mindy learns she has an aggressive form of cancer, and needs a stem cell treatment to save her life. It should be easy enough to test her parents and Aunt Juliet for compatibility. However, Juliet, a DNA investigations specialist, quickly learns that her sister Lauren, Mindy's perfect, overbearing mother, has been keeping secrets from everyone. This book starts with the intense race mentioned above and does not stop the rest of the way through. You don't know whom to believe, Lauren is hiding so many things but yet is still trying to control the situation (which is quickly spiraling out of control), and everyone is trying to find the truth. Who are Mindy's real parents? What are her current ones hiding? What exactly does Lauren know and why is she acting different? Why do people keep dying? Oh, and just when you think you can relax and it has been solved, Ellison throws another twist and here we go again. The story also deals with difficult subjects such as mental illness and suicide in such a great way. I enjoyed that this kept me guessing, I did not figure everything out, and it did not have a clean resolution which was great for this book. Also, the use of the dog in here was excellent, and that's all I will say on that, you have to read it to understand!

Thanks to NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book to review. All above opinions are my own. Pub date is August 28, 2018, thank goodness you do not have to wait long, run out and get it as soon as you can!

Mindy is a competitive skier who crashes down the slopes and is rushed to the hospital. What should have been a recovery from a broken bone turns into more - blood work reveals she has cancer. The twists don't end there, she needs a stem cell transplant and her parents are tested for donor suitability but her parents aren't a match. In fact, there is no genetic similarities with the family that she thought was her family! I thought the concept for this book was genius, one discovery leads to another more confusing discovery that kept me wanting to read more to figure out what was going on!

Wow. I would like to thank Net Galley for allowing me to read an ARC of Tear Me Apart. It exceeded my expectations in such an amazing way.

What I love about the characters of Ellison’s books is that they react to circumstances in ways that normal, every day people would- and it’s totally relatable. There’s no eye rolling when a character who should I’ve gone to the police or confessed something to someone - doesn’t. Because they do what we would have done in their shoes. And in that way the characters seem authentic and believable.

The story is wonderful. Mindy- a world class skier- faces one blow after another. One to her skiing career, one to her health, and one to her family. And we see how she handles all of those obstacles while also integrating all the wonder characteristics of a psychological thriller. Read it! You won’t regret it!

Yes! After reading Ellison's last book and liking it (though many others loved it), I know I still wanted to read this! And I am so glad I did. What starts as a young skier breaking her leg and being diagnosed with leukemia turns into a secrets, lies, and all the drama. And I was here for all of it. Ellison weaves the back story wonderfully while keeping the story pace moving. Highly recommend this book!

Mindy Wright is seventeen years old and a superstar in the world down hill skiing. This next race will stand her in good stead in the upcoming Olympics.
The race starts well she is flying this is her best time, unfortunately her ski just touches the last flag. Mindi is literally flying and when she does land it is badly, she is rushed to Vail Hospital and her distressed parents follow. Mind's leg is badly broken, during tests and stays Mind I is diagnosed with Leukaemia, she is started on a course of chemotherapy but it is not working. Mind I only has one chance she needs a stem cell transplant so her immediate family are tested to see who is the best match.
When the results come through they are SHOCKED as no one is a match. WHO ARE HER PARENTS????
This book was beautifully written and very emotional and at times heart wrenching. The chemistry between the main characters was believable and very emotional. The subject matter is very sympathetically described. This subject is no longer a taboo well done to this author.
This book àlso makes you think. How far would a mother go to protect her child?????
A really good psychological thriller an easy five stars.
I would like to thank the author J T ELLISON. Harlequin- MIRA and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

In the opening chapters of Tear Me Apart, we meet Mindy Wright, a young, talented skier, who is on the road to the Olympics. After following Mindy down the mountain in an exciting and crucial race with tragic results, she crashes into a flag and ends up hospitalized. But despite what you might think at this point, and after reading some publicity blurbs, this is really not sports fiction.

At that point things seemed to stall and I began to wonder what would motivate me to keep reading. Fortunately, the plot quickly took quite a few turns. Not sure exactly what captured my interest because author J.T. Ellison threw lots of twists and subplots into the mix. In addition to a setting which highlighted the lifestyle and skiing culture of Vail, Co., there’s the difficult struggle of those with psychological issues such as suicide, cutting, and PTSD, the role of DNA in matching donors for medical treatment as well as solving crimes, and even a beautiful Belgian Malinois as a protector and emotional support dog.

Bottom line? Tear Me Apart is a complex, twisty, exciting story. The back story of Mindy’s family is told through flashbacks with a growing (and slightly unbelievable and coincidental) body count. This is the second title I’ve read by Ellison and I’m sure it won’t be the last.


FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Talk about secrets and lies! And poor Mindy- don't forget about her. She's broken her leg, she's diagnosed with leukemia, and now it's not clear who her parents are. Told from multiple perspectives- Mindy, her mom Lauren, and her aunt Juliet initially, and then by others as well, it's a story that comes together from parts. Readers of the genre might figure out the answer to Mindy's parentage early but there's more to come in this tale. If I have a criticism it's that this is a bit long- some paring would have made a tauter more suspenseful tale. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this one for good writing and a topical plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

Another wonderful book by J.T. Ellison. The question is what will a mother do to protect the child that she loves. How far would you go? Probably even lie for your child, even if the threat of discovery may loom in the future, it is your child that you're talking about. When Mindy almost loses her life in a horrific crash, it comes to light that her parents, might not be her parents. Will the secrets that they keep threaten to undo their family?

There has not been an book by JT Ellison that I have not loved.....and Tear Me Apart did not disappoint at all. She is an author whose writing is emotional and honest and I can't get enough. This book made me cry, smile and think - it is a rollercoaster of emotions and I loved it!!

Mindy Walker is a competitive skier, well on her way to representing the USA in the winter Olympics...until she crashes and breaks her leg. Whilst in surgery for her leg, doctors discover that she is seriously ill with an aggressive form of leukemia. After trying chemotherapy the doctors decide that a stem cell transfer is her only hope. Her family are all tested - and her life is turned upside down when the results show that she is not related to them. Her whole life has been a lie and she has no idea who she is anymore or who her real family are. Years of lies and secrets start to come out in an attempt to save Mindy's life. But how far will a mother go to protect her child and her past?

This is a story of love, trust and betrayal. Of how mental illness affects people and the ones that they love. 2 families torn apart. I absolutely loved it and its characters. Thank you to Harlequin MIRA and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my Kindle.
I read about half of the book until I realized that it really was a psychological thriller. But then I started wondering what would a mother really do for her child or how far would she go to keep her child? In all, a good book!

interesting book. takes you on a journey different from most book. sad in parts and very interesting. you cant wait to see what is going to happen to the main character,

Competitive skier Mindy Wright is on top of her game, with her big Olympic dreams about to come true, then in the blink of an eye it's all taken away with an horrific accident. Now she is laying in a hospital bed about to have surgery to repair her injury, and the doctor has some very unexpected news, she has a rare form of Leukemia and needs a stem cell transplant. When they test her parents to see if they are a match, they find even more shocking news... Mindy is not their daughter! It's a secret that has been kept for many years, and one, or both, of her parents would like for it to stay hidden, and will just about anything to keep it that way!

Tear Me Apart is a pulse-pounding, mind-twisting, tale that will rock you to your core... hold on tight, this one will take you on heck of a roller coaster ride!! As soon as I read the synopsis for this one I was in; especially when I learned Ms. Ellison was at the helm, nobody does domestic suspense quite like she does; and I am happy to report she left me dazzled once again. This fast paced tale lured me in from the first page, and kept me completely enthralled until the last. I highly recommend you get your hands on this one, it will mesmerize you, thrill you, and have you guessing until the very end!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

Mindy Wright--an up and coming competitive teenage skier-- breaks her leg in competition. During surgery, doctors discover that Mindy is sick: she has an aggressive form of leukemia and needs a stem cell transplant. But when her family is tested, it is discovered that Mindy's parents are not her biological parents. What does this mean? Was she switched at birth, or did something more dark and dramatic happen? At the core, Mindy needs to live. But beyond that, what are the ramifications for the Wright family? What secrets will be revealed and uncovered while trying to save their precious daughter?

This was a dramatic and interesting story that grabbed me from the beginning. The first portion is told from the perspective of three women: Mindy, age 17; her mother, Lauren; and Lauren's sister, Juliet, who actually works as a scientist in a DNA crime lab. This gives Juliet early and easy access to DNA samples relating to Mindy and the "case" as it progresses on. We also get excerpts of letters that appear to be from or relating to a psychiatric hospital in the early 1990s. All of this makes for an interesting and compelling format to our story, with a slow and steady reveal of strange information that you know does not add up: a twisted web of secrets and lies. We are immediately left wondering what happened with Mindy--how is she not Lauren's daughter? What is going on?

I do not want to go into too much detail and ruin much of the plot, but I found this one very intriguing, as I was wondering where the story would go. I might have been a little slow on the uptake as to who was Mindy's real mother, but I did find it exciting to put all the pieces together. I really liked the characters of Mindy and Juliet and a few others who were introduced later on (the story is told in various parts, so you get some different narrators, too).

In true Ellison fashion, there's some great drama and a few good "whoa" moments, as well. When I first started the book, I hadn't refreshed myself on the description, and I was a little worried that this would be more of a family drama than a mystery, but have no fear--while this family has more than their share of drama, there's a great mystery/thriller aspect as well. In fact, the novel can get downright creepy at times, with a villain who can give you the chills.

Overall, I thought this was another winner from Ms. Ellison. It's a quick, engaging read with interesting characters and a plot that encourages you to put the pieces together. She's quickly becoming a go-to author of mine. I'm actually chasing down her Taylor Jackson series on Paperbackswap, because I want to read more of her books! If you enjoy a dramatic, quick-moving thriller, I highly recommend this one! 4+ stars.

J.T. Ellison has been a favourite of mine for a long time going back to the incredibly exciting Taylor Jackson series. Tear Me Apart was another awesome read. It was quite hard to put down and I read it over two sittings. Great job J.T.!

Mindy Wright, 17-year-old darling of the ski slopes, is an Olympic contender until a breathtaking downhill crash leaving her in the hospital with a broken leg. But maybe this is a blessing in disguise. While undergoing surgery, doctors find that she is suffering from a severe form of leukemia and only a stem cell transplant is her only hope.

Bad things go even worse. When her parents are tested to be donors, they discover that her father is not he father. But the family knows this already .. he adopted Mindy when she was just a baby. What really changes everything is that Mindy is also not related to her mother.

What follows will tear this family apart. Decades of secrets will have to taken out of the shadows. The desperate fight to keep those secrets and the darkness within will cost them everything.

How far will a mother go to protect her child, her life?

I have followed this author for quite a while and each of her books seem to get better and better. TEAR ME APART is an amazing story that kept me riveted from the very first page, and the second half of the story left me chewing a few fingernails.

This is probably one of the best I've read this year!

Many thanks to the author / Harlequin-Mira / Netgalley for the advanced digit copy of this suspenseful crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Tear Me Apart by J.T. Ellison is a thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Harlequin-Mira, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Synopsis:
1993.  Two teenage girls meet in a Mental Institution, one there for suicide attempts, the other for killing a man. They become friends, and that friendship lasts many years, mainly through letters.

2000.  The wife of a young Army Intelligence Officer is killed while he is away burying his mother. Their newborn is stolen. Zack Armstrong has never given up hope that someday he will meet his child.

Current Day.   A 17-year old, with the potential to make the US Olympic Ski Team, crashes and breaks her leg, but more than her leg gets torn open. During surgery, they discover Mindy Wright has Leukemia, and her only chance of survival is a stem cell transplant. Neither Lauren nor Jasper (her parents), nor her Aunt Juliet is a match. Upon further investigation, they don’t even show as a familial match. How can that be?

There are many secrets. Lauren has had a life-time to perfect her lies. But always, Lauren insists she does things only to protect Mindy. Lauren’s sister Juliet, starts to doubt her, and will risk her career to save her niece's life.   Even Jasper starts to question his wife's lies.  Lauren is going to have to come clean if she wants to save her daughter’s life. But even as the secrets unfold, there is always one more still kept back.

My Opinions:
A tale of secrets, depression, suicide and murder, it is also a tale of family and love.

The overall premise of the story was good, and not all the twists had obvious conclusions. It kept you thinking. The characters themselves seemed real, except for Jasper, who seemed lifeless most of the time. I loved Juliet, although she probably should have been fired.

With twists galore, JT Ellison created a very suspenseful, captivating read, that you didn’t want to put down.

As well, she handled the topics of depression and suicide really tactfully, and in the Authors Note at the end of the book, she talked more about "Project Semicolon". Google it!

Wow... Tear Me Apart is quite the ride my friends. This is a fast paced mystery/thriller that will leave your neck sore from turning back and forth!

I think it's best to go in blind with this one and avoid reading other people's reviews. The underlying story line is quite intriguing and has multiple layers to peel with this onion.
Talk about years worth of lies and lies. Characterization is a definitely a strong point in this story. Each character is well developed and adds more depth to the overall plot. Can I just say I loved Zach and his fury companion Kat!!! Oooooo so darn cute! <3 <3.

And.. surprise surprise... I found out the overall storyline not even half way through. I think I need to chill out on my detective skills... they never fail me. I of course knew each character that was lying etc and was spot on. This was a bit of a bummer for me considering I guess tad bit predictable?

Also, I felt the ending was dragging on a lot. The book was almost 500 pages... too much added fluff that wasn't necessary to the main story.

Overall, decent entertaining read. 3.5/5 stars

Thank you so much to Harlequin/Mira and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Published to GR: 8/20/18
Publication date: 8/28/18

I read Ellison’s first novel, Lie to Me and I have to say I enjoyed that one a little more than this one. They’re both very well written, but also very different.
This one served more of a drama to me rather than a mystery. Although it did have its twists, the drama aspect shone a lot more than the mystery aspect. This is not a bad thing, however I did expect a little more thrilling moments.


The book was very enjoyable to read. Juliet was my favourite character. She’s a woman who doesn’t give up and to me, I think she was the protagonist of the story. Once again a female protagonist. I love it.
It’s no secret that Ellison is a talented writer. I think that in this novel, Ellison wanted to showcase family drama and secrets rather than plot twists. I did enjoy the story line though. The plot was very well thought out and it played out very well.


Many thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.