Member Reviews

Phew! I might be a terrible person but I can readily admit I would not let a stranger into my home during a hurricane. F all that noise. This whole book rides on the premise that Annie indeed does feel bad for this woman and lets her into her home at the start of a terrible storm. Also-- she's home alone so now these two strangers are alone together.
There were several twists, some of them predictable; the author leaves good breadcrumbs along the way. I found this a bit repetitive at times. It is okay to interject a scene from a character's past within a current scene and they don't have to be startled back into the present moment. It was like every chapter Annie would "zone out" thinking about her past and have to specifically be brought back into the moment.... just let the readers know the past and move on with the current conversation, I don't need it pointed out that she was in a conversation. And all the times Annie said she had an uneasy feeling about Serena but then wasn't honest with her husband about it... weird. But the weirdest? She refers to this stranger as her best friend after such a short amount of time. Whaaaa? This woman just showed up at your doorstep, made you feel uneasy, knows some things about your life (that she claims you had said but you don't remember saying) and you're all the sudden besties? Nahhh, I ain't buying that.

Anyway, there were a few annoying aspects but this was entertaining and kept me invested in the ending. Short chapters and it is a quick read. Overall "just okay" for me.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for the early copy to read and review.

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Annie is a complex character with a hidden past that is slowly unveiled over the course of the book. I found her to be interesting, and engaging. A stranger shows up on her doorstep in the middle of the storm seeking refuge, and without much thought Annie has no issue letting her in the house. This is where I started to struggle with the narrative because I couldn't believe she would do such a dangerous thing given her current isolation due to the storm.

Her conversations with this mysterious stranger are pretty juvenile and akin to what you would expect at a high school sleepover. I get that she was lonely, but I don't entirely buy her willingness to overlook so many red flags. While I say that, I know we all know someone like that in real life. This isn't entirely unrealistic, but the dialogue lacked enough content to keep me interested. It felt surprisingly repetitive for two people who don't know each other. Despite the repetition, there was enough of a twist to keep me hooked into the story. I also really appreciate the horror style cliffhanger.

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I really enjoyed this one. Although slow in some spots, it was such an interesting storyline. Definitely a great read, but I did feel like Annie had SO many bad things happen to her. It was almost over the top….like an episode of Grey’s anatomy lol
But I was hooked. Solid 4 stars from me.

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Annie is home alone when a storm is brewing outside. The wind is howling and the nearby river is swelling when a stranger - Serena - asks for shelter, as her car broke down and it is too dangerous to stay outside. Reluctantly, Annie accepts and quickly the two bond over a few bottles of wine, tea and (too) personal stories. As this is a thriller, it is obvious that one of them is up to no good and that the night will of course end in mayhem.

I'm always in for a slow burning locked room mystery and the setting was perfect and drew me in. Alas, the conversation that takes place between the two women is awkward and very repetitive, big red flags are not only being ignored, but they also make very little sense and that made the whole story unbelievable. The premise is very good, the setting also and the story in itself is original, but I felt that it lacked in execution. I think this story would have worked better as a short story or novella.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Sadly, I have to say that this one was not for me. The writing style was really, and I mean, really difficult for me to get through. It felt very...childish? And like maybe it was still in the really early works of being written? I think it ended up falling into the old mistake of telling and not showing. There was soooo much dialogue, so many things being described that didn't need to be, like every move needed to be written down, but yet it felt like nothing was happening; it felt exhausting to read even after a few chapters. As for the mystery/thriller aspect of it, it felt very dull for me, and ended up falling completely flat.

I'm sad this one didn't work for me, but happy that some other readers enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this ARC!

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Lyn had me gripped from page one. I couldn’t stop reading!! The cover is also so stunning. I can’t wait to read more thrillers from lyn!

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Someone Else's Life follows Annie, as she moves to Hawaii to start anew. Even though she has a fresh start in a new place, her paranoia is something she can't escape. When a storm begins to ravage the island and a mysterious woman shows up, Annie warily welcomes her into her home. As they get to talking and begin to share more, Annie realizes this woman may be more familiar and less mysterious than she thought - she may not be the stranger Annie assumed she was...

Lyn Liao Butler takes readers on a wild ride through the ups and downs of a storm and the conversations between Annie and Serena. This thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat and ready for the next read from this new author!

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Lyn Liao Butler does an excellent job in this fun, fast read. Her use of setting -- a terrible storm, a small home, so close yet so far from loved ones -- is unparalleled as she shows just how the mysterious woman that shows up on Annie's doorstep has infiltrated her life. The weaving together of past and present is also really impressive. My only complaint is that none of the twists felt surprising, but I still enjoyed the read.

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Loved loved this one!! Gripping and exciting and as always a fab read and can't wait to see what this author does next :)

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This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

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This book definitely didn't lack suspense or twists. Annie Lin has suffered several tragic incidents, including the death of her mother and beloved dog, as well as the close of her dance studio due to bankruptcy. Her and her family decide to start over in Kaui, hoping to move past all that has happened. Very quickly their new start turns bad when Annie feels she's being watched. This book was definitely full of twists with a great ending as well. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

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I honestly don’t have very many feelings towards this but I will say that I did like the writing and enjoyed the setting.

I didn’t like that a lot of the plot was driven by dialogue between the two characters and they were practically just holed up in the house together going back and forth. I didn’t realise this was a pet peeve of mine.

The twist was also a little predictable.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this arc.

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I didn’t mind this story, especially with the twist. I found the timeline seemed off with the age of the child and when the event happened and how much the child remembered. I thought the lead was too gullible and needy. All in all the story kept me interested just to find out what happened and the ending left questions.

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Hot Tamales! 😳😯🤯

Well fluff me! This was one insanely intense and majorly disturbing and crazy psychological thriller! I couldn't believe the plot of this one it was so shocking and dark. Believe me when I say this will leave you with knots in your thoughts after you finish this novel. Even though at times it had some predictability to it, the parts that you didn't foresee sure as fluff made up for it. I totally enjoyed this novel that played out like a thriller movie in my head. While it was easy, it was also crazy and at times heart-stopping. Butler sure didn't hold back with the crazy & unexpected in this debut novel. Also tying in a minority background was so interesting & the location in Hawaii was so unique. While some of it may have fallen a little short, it was still a quick, fun & crazy read that I gobbled up so easily. Love knows no boundaries.

Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: After an especially hard past few years, Annie has recently moved to Hawaii to be with her Vietnamese family & make a fresh start with her husband, Brody, & son, Finn. But lately Annie has been feeling paranoid, in such a depression and noticing things she thought were lost or gone, suddenly appear randomly. When a brutal storm hankers the island, a woman named Serena shows up on her doorstep seeking refuge until it passes. Begrudgingly Annie let's her in and as they talk they find they have quite a bit in common, & Annie feels more herself than she has in a long time as they forge a friendship.

Thank you to NetGalley & Amazon Publishing for this ARC.
Release Date: February 1, 2023

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4 / 5 Autumn Leaves! 🍂

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Really enjoyed this very suspenseful all the way through kept me guessing till the end thank you NetGalley for the ARC

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I loved the first half of the book. The entire set up was brilliant and enjoyed it for the most part. I liked how it points out the way Asian families tend to believe mental health as a disgrace and ignore the need for therapy. I wish there was more on how a change could be sought. With regard to the mystery, I guessed the stranger’s connection halfway but there were a lot of unanswered questions too by the end. Thank you Netgalley for lending the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

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I have heard so many raving reviews on Lyn Liao Butler's books and so I was excited when I got the ARC of this book. I did enjoy reading this book.

Annie seemingly had a perfect life, but then her life crumbles, when her dance studio goes bankrupt, her mother and her dog suddenly passed away and a terrible incident left her son Finn traumatized. Annie with Brody and Finn moved to a paradise to start a new life and be closer to her family. When a storm suddenly hits the island, a strange woman seeks shelter inside Annie's house. The woman's name was Serena and at first the two women doesn't seem to know each other but as the conversation develops, Annie realizes that she might have met Serena before...

What I really like about this book is the multi-cultural setting--Taiwanese, Caucasian, mingled in the setting. This was a slow burn thriller and it started getting more interesting and intriguing when you reach to the middle of the story. To me, this was more like a family drama than a thriller to me however, the story did make feel like I am at the edge of my seat and it became really unputdownable towards the end. The ending was really dramatic and then eventually I couldn't put the book down!

Overall, this was a slow burn thriller but will keep you up all night--worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

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I loved the setup and atmosphere in this book. A terrible storm in Hawaii with rising waters. One woman inviting another in to give her shelter even though they are strangers, but are they?

What didn't work for me is our main character Annie ignoring every single warning sign and gut feeling. Sure, there was a dangerous storm outside, but they were a backyard away from Annie's family the entire time and going to shelter with them would have easily been the logical solution. The reveals weren't shocking because they were very clear hints leading us there.

I did enjoy the bits of Hawaiian and Taiwanese culture and food descriptions in the story! But overall, this book just didn't work as a thriller for me.

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This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope she writes more! I am totally hooked!

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Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Someone Else's Life is a psychological thriller that will have you second-guessing yourself at every turn. I had many alternatives for the ending in my head but nothing was correct. I was mind blown.

It was one of the most suspenseful books I've read in a while. I'm not usually a fan of thrillers, but I was impressed by how well it was written, especially for readers whose English is not their first language. It was an easy read and very immersive. I felt like I was in the story because of the writing style. The cover also lured me to choose this book. It's stunning.

I had a lot of fun learning about different cultures through a book and this one picked Hawaii as its setting and Taiwanese as its character's background. I think Hawaii it's the right choice for someone who needs a fresh start like the MC. But, this is a thriller, right? So, the author made something completely ironic with a storm and a creepy stranger knocking on your door.

The plot about these two women's parallel lives made me scared all night but curious at the same time. I couldn't put it down. By the way, I started this book late at night and as a result, I slept very little because I kept flipping the page to see what happened. The slow build creeped me out so much that I stopped for a moment and updated an IG story about it to calm me down.

One thing that I don't like is I found some of the descriptions repetitive, but I still enjoyed the plot's twists and turns. It's a wild ride.

Recommended for those who like:
• Psychological suspense
• Mind games: Gaslighting

Content Warnings: mental illness, mention of suicide, murder and trauma.

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