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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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! 🍂

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

I was drawn, like many other readers, to the enchanting cover of this book, and the atmospherically written blurb. My overall impression is that it is a very easy one-time read, with closed-room action and suspense that ramp up a great deal in the second half, while leaving the reader somewhat wanting for subtext and a greater sense of place. I have a very personal preference for a more ornate style of writing, but the to-the-point, lucid narration made this a quick read, which is ideal in a summery thriller. The slow revelation of details that one character was privy to about the other became a repeated motif to drive the reader's sense of unease, but I did not feel it gelled well with the author's attempt to make the two female leads seem extremely close over the course of a single stormy evening. The narrative pinballed between the women noting how connected they were and then sudden paranoia. I wanted a bit more show than tell, emotionally speaking, and also when it came to Hawai'i itself.

The climactic sequence was action packed, with well-written dialogue and a perfectly dangerous setting. Without spoiling anything, the parts of the plot concerning identity - and to some extent, destiny - made for the most compelling segments of the book to me. Despite my (personal) reservations about the light style, I did finish it in two sittings simply to find out what happened next.

I judged a book by its cover and it left me wanting more. It was just eh, for me. Not awful but i definitely wouldn't read it again. thank you netgalley & the publisher for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an early-release copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay first I just have to say kudos to the editor! Out of all the ARCs (and honestly final copy ebooks) I’ve read - and it’s a lot - this was one of the best for the lack of errors!

Someone else’s life is a gripping story of Annie and her path to healing and self-discovery after many tragic events have sent her world crumbling around her.

While I was pulled in and wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen there were a few things that I wish had been done better. I wish the intro to the book was longer before breaking into the 80% of the book that was just dialogue between our two main characters. There was definitely missed opportunity to make this more suspenseful and creepy with Annie being watched. I also had a hard time reconciling that the main characters were supposed to be 40 and 30. The dialogue was extremely YA.

I don’t mind super unrealistical plots and this is definitely one. Despite that this was a quick, fun read! The cover is also stunning!