Thriller

Someone Else’s Life

Someone Else’s Life

  • Downloads：6423
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-01-02 21:21:32
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Lyn Liao Butler
  • ISBN：B09SFYNNX3
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

A new life in paradise should have healed her wounds。 But for a woman struggling to hold on to her family and her sanity， one stormy night could change everything。

Blow by blow， Annie Lin’s life crumbles。 Her dance studio goes bankrupt。 Her mother and beloved dog are gone the same year。 Then a terrible accident leaves her young son traumatized。

It’s time for a change。

Palm trees， mai tais， peace and quiet―Annie should be at ease， safe in her new Kauai home with her husband and son。 She hopes proximity to her family can provide them all with a sense of belonging and calm。 But soon items from her past start turning up―her dog’s collar， a bracelet that disappeared years ago―and she has the unnerving sensation she’s being watched。 Reality begins to fracture， and Annie’s panic attacks return。 When， during a brewing storm， a woman appears on her doorstep looking for shelter， Annie is relieved to have the company and feels an unexplainable bond with her visitor。

As the night progresses， Annie realizes the woman is no stranger。 Their lives are inextricably intertwined―and Annie might just lose everything。

Download

Reviews

Jelena Jelic ，

3。5 ⭐️ The build up was really slow… and almost got too boring at one point。 About a little more than halfway through， I think it became a little obvious what the plot line was possibly going to be。 I wasn’t 100% right but I was close。 I thought the ending tied things together well but wish there was a bit more action to it。

Samantha Bailey ，

As a violent storm rages on the picturesque island of Kauai， two strangers find refuge together， both from the battering rain and their separate past traumas。 But something sinister lurks between these two women。 Gripping， twisty， and clever， SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE unfolds in a tantalizing slow-burn， building to a heart-thumping， tense， breakneck crescendo。 With astonishing twists and a pulse-pounding plot， this is a thriller that will leave you gasping for breath。 As a violent storm rages on the picturesque island of Kauai， two strangers find refuge together， both from the battering rain and their separate past traumas。 But something sinister lurks between these two women。 Gripping， twisty， and clever， SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE unfolds in a tantalizing slow-burn， building to a heart-thumping， tense， breakneck crescendo。 With astonishing twists and a pulse-pounding plot， this is a thriller that will leave you gasping for breath。 。。。more

Nadia Jonesy ，

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC。 I like the book at the very beginning but when the part of the book started to reveal the synopsis of parallel。 identity， I was just beside myself。 It was set up way too perfectly and I just did not want to read anymore。 The main character just was way too naive and it just made the book too convenient。 I really did not lile how this went。

Courtney Whittington ，

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review。 This book immediately pulled me in， but failed to keep my attention。 A stranger shows up at Annie Lin's door， in the middle of a terrible storm， claiming to have a broken down car。 We soon begin to realize that these women are connected and the rest of their story is slowly （oh so very slowly） revealed throughout the book。 I wish there had been more action earlier on in the book to keep my interest。 Ther Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review。 This book immediately pulled me in， but failed to keep my attention。 A stranger shows up at Annie Lin's door， in the middle of a terrible storm， claiming to have a broken down car。 We soon begin to realize that these women are connected and the rest of their story is slowly （oh so very slowly） revealed throughout the book。 I wish there had been more action earlier on in the book to keep my interest。 There was a lot of repetition with the writing and it felt like the story stalled somewhere in the middle。 It would have been nice to have some more flashback scenes with detail， rather than the narrator just telling us what what happening。 。。。more

Leighton ，

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler is a gripping domestic thriller that you won't be able to put down。 The story revolves around Annie， who lives in Hawaii with her husband and son。 Her life is perfect。 But one day， during a thunderstorm， a strange woman named Serena appears and asked for help。 The pair become fast friends。 But why does Annie feel like Serena is hiding something？Here is a humorous excerp Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler is a gripping domestic thriller that you won't be able to put down。 The story revolves around Annie， who lives in Hawaii with her husband and son。 Her life is perfect。 But one day， during a thunderstorm， a strange woman named Serena appears and asked for help。 The pair become fast friends。 But why does Annie feel like Serena is hiding something？Here is a humorous excerpt from Chapter 2:"The moment Annie Lin opened the door of the ohana， she wanted to slam it shut again。 Their neighbor Kalani Pang waved at her from across the street with as much enthusiasm as a teenage cheerleader。“Annie！ Aloha！” Kalani’s booming voice wafted across the warm air toward Annie， along with the fragrance of the plumeria flowers that dotted Annie’s father’s property。 He’d been letting Annie and her family stay in the guest cottage behind the main house since they’d moved to Kauai from New York after the new year。Annie closed her eyes briefly， taking a breath to brace herself。 It wasn’t even ten in the morning yet， and she was still groggy from a restless night。 She opened her eyes and turned to run back inside （manners be damned）， only to slam into her son and husband on their way out。"Overall， Someone Else's Life is a domestic thriller that would make the perfect vacation read。 One highlight of this book is how it is set in Hawaii。 I wish more domestic thrillers were set in tropical locations。 Another highlight of this book is the Asian representation。 One final highlight of this book is how this book kept me reading and wanting to know what would happen next。 I couldn't wait to find out who Serena was and how she was connected to Annie。 If you're intrigued by the excerpt above， or if you're a fan of domestic thrillers in general， I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in February！ 。。。more

Morgan ，

2。5 stars。 This thriller was extremely predictable and the foreshadowing was too heavy handed。 I think the author was trying to make the reader question whether something else was a possibility but it was too obvious。 This was fast paced and easy to get through quickly， I was interested enough to finish it， but I wouldn’t say I recommend it。Pub date: Feb 1 Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC。

Olivia Blacke ，

Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler is an absolute page turner！Annie Lin is trying to rebuild her fractured life， surrounded by family in Hawaii。 She's got the perfect husband， an adorable son， and a sweet rescue puppy but paradise is never what it seems。 When she opens her door to a stranger in need during a raging storm， bit by bit the already fraying threads of her fragile state begin to unravel。 To survive， Annie has to figure out what - and who - to cling to。 Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler is an absolute page turner！Annie Lin is trying to rebuild her fractured life， surrounded by family in Hawaii。 She's got the perfect husband， an adorable son， and a sweet rescue puppy but paradise is never what it seems。 When she opens her door to a stranger in need during a raging storm， bit by bit the already fraying threads of her fragile state begin to unravel。 To survive， Annie has to figure out what - and who - to cling to。 。。。more

Cindy Price ，

I received an ARC for an honest review。 This book is definitely filled with suspense。 It gave me anxiety at certain times and I wanted to speed-read to find out what was going on。 A lot of it dragged out but overall， this story was very thrilling and the ending left me scared and wondering what would happen。 I enjoyed the writing and would read others by this author。

gabz | books ，

I flew through this and was so intrigued to put all the pieces together。 However， once I hit the 70% mark， my interest quickly deteriorated。 I liked the twist and felt the “thrill” during the action packed pages， but felt like they dragged on and could have been wrapped up a bit quicker。 The closer I got to the end， the faster I wanted it to be over。 All that said， I did enjoy it！ An easy read that keeps you needing to turn the pages and figure out what happens next

Emily Waller ，

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for the copy of this book！Someone Else’s Life is a twisty thriller with an unknown visitor who seems familiar， a tropical storm， and family drama。 While this was fast-paced at the end， the conversation was a little dragged out in the beginning in the middle - it was pretty repetitive。 I liked the journal entry element and how that was used toward the plot of the whole story， and I thought the ending was good in general。 While this was twisty and I wasn’t sure what was g Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for the copy of this book！Someone Else’s Life is a twisty thriller with an unknown visitor who seems familiar， a tropical storm， and family drama。 While this was fast-paced at the end， the conversation was a little dragged out in the beginning in the middle - it was pretty repetitive。 I liked the journal entry element and how that was used toward the plot of the whole story， and I thought the ending was good in general。 While this was twisty and I wasn’t sure what was going on at first， there were lots of red flags， and eventually what I felt like were some pretty major clues to figure out the plot twists。 Overall， this was a quick read and the idea was really great， but the execution maybe needed a little more editing。 。。。more

Laura （laurapedenjones） ，

Someone Else's Life takes place in the atmospheric locale of Hawaii， and during a tropical storm。 The story expertly features slow-building tension which perfectly mimics the brewing storm outside， as the main character pieces together what the stranger is doing in her house。 Infused between chapters are disturbing journal entries being written by someone， and readers find out near the end who that someone is。 Main character， Annie， and her small family - husband and 4 year old son - have moved Someone Else's Life takes place in the atmospheric locale of Hawaii， and during a tropical storm。 The story expertly features slow-building tension which perfectly mimics the brewing storm outside， as the main character pieces together what the stranger is doing in her house。 Infused between chapters are disturbing journal entries being written by someone， and readers find out near the end who that someone is。 Main character， Annie， and her small family - husband and 4 year old son - have moved from New York back to her family's home to live in the guest house on her father's property。 Annie's relationship with her father is strained， but she is close with her sister Sam。 The relationship between Annie and her husband Brody is also very rocky， and there are mentions of an accident that occurred in New York involving their young son Finn。 Readers are not given details early on， but its clear that this "accident" was the main reason for the move to Hawaii and for the marital strain。 What starts out as Annie's kindness to a "stranger" with no where else to go during a storm quickly turns into a tense， dangerous situation for Annie。 Her husband is stuck at the airport where he works， and she is stuck in her home with a woman who she willingly let inside。 The story unfolds with suspense， as secrets are revealed， both shocking and entertaining readers。 Someone Else's Life features great pacing， a most intriguing plot， and is a must-read for slow burn thrillers。 。。。more

Lauren Nicole ，

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC。 This was a bit confusing but still a good read。 Author did a good job and I enjoyed the book。

MaguiWorld ，

Ok， I started reading this book thinking that I was going to find one of the best stories of my year and unfortunately it wasn't。 The synopsis， the premise， what they present us with is fabulous， a tremendous thriller and I said I NEED IT。 And while it was exciting， not as exciting as I thought。I think the book is divided into two parts， one part where we delve little by little into the life of our protagonist， a mother who cannot connect with her son， that *something happened* that has left her Ok， I started reading this book thinking that I was going to find one of the best stories of my year and unfortunately it wasn't。 The synopsis， the premise， what they present us with is fabulous， a tremendous thriller and I said I NEED IT。 And while it was exciting， not as exciting as I thought。I think the book is divided into two parts， one part where we delve little by little into the life of our protagonist， a mother who cannot connect with her son， that *something happened* that has left her very marked and that manages to overcome， so they go to Kauaʻi to start from scratch。And here for one thing or another， Annie （the protagonist） meets a woman who seems to know more than she says and is very suspicious。 What happened to me here was that。。。 the woman said something and Annie said "how do you know that？" and she told him "I guessed" or "you told me" （when mmm it wasn't like that） and so on repeatedly， so much so that it was already very repetitive。 The connection they say they feel seems a bit strange and forced to me。 But I think Annie wasn't in a good place either， in her right mind so I can't judge her too much。The second part is the most exciting， the one I loved the most。 Where everything is uncovered， everything goes flying through the air and one says GIVE ME MORE BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING。 And slowly Lyn Lao Butler tells us what really happened with Annie and this mysterious woman。This part was my favorite， the one that made me not lose all hope with the book and that I couldn't stop reading。Super twisted， perverse and even began to formulate one and thousands of theories around what he was reading。This book will be published in January 2023， I hope people can read it and it will be successful。 I would like to read more about Lyn Liao Butler。 。。。more

Tracey ，

Butler's debut thriller builds on the same foundation as her women's fic - excellent family drama。 I loved how most of this story took place in one location， in one night （and during a storm）。 It really amped up the tension as clue by clue was woven into the dialogue！ I couldn't stop turning the pages to see how this was going to end！ Butler's debut thriller builds on the same foundation as her women's fic - excellent family drama。 I loved how most of this story took place in one location， in one night （and during a storm）。 It really amped up the tension as clue by clue was woven into the dialogue！ I couldn't stop turning the pages to see how this was going to end！ 。。。more

Dani Boise ，

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 i 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。 。。。more

Courtney ，

Netgalley provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。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 is Netgalley provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。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。 。。。more

Karine ，

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 a 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。 。。。more

Mirna V ，

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 t 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！ 。。。more

Ann Dudzinski ，

Annie’s life has fallen apart over the past four years。 Her dance studio went bankrupt， her mom and dog died within months of each other， and her son witnessed a terrible accident that left him traumatized。 In an effort to bring their family back together， Annie and her husband moved from New York to Kauai to be close to her family。 But even in paradise， Annie can’t shake her depression。 She’s drinking too much， still having panic attacks， and the change in location hasn’t brought her closer to Annie’s life has fallen apart over the past four years。 Her dance studio went bankrupt， her mom and dog died within months of each other， and her son witnessed a terrible accident that left him traumatized。 In an effort to bring their family back together， Annie and her husband moved from New York to Kauai to be close to her family。 But even in paradise， Annie can’t shake her depression。 She’s drinking too much， still having panic attacks， and the change in location hasn’t brought her closer to her son。 Then items she thought she’d lost start to appear and she’s constantly being reminded of things she doesn’t remember doing。 Is she losing her mind？During the worst storm in decades， Annie’s afternoon is interrupted by a woman seeking shelter from the storm。 Reluctantly Annie lets her in， and soon they start talking， bonding over seeming similar lives。 But as the stranger tells Annie more about herself， things don’t make sense。 This woman knows too much about Annie and her family。 Who is she？ And was opening the door to her the worst mistake Annie’s ever made？The premise of this book was awesome （as is the cover）。 A woman whose life has crumbled is on the verge of losing her family。 She doesn’t remember seemingly trivial things she’s done during blackouts。 An author can get a ton of mileage out of that setup。 And at first， it seemed like this would be a real brain twister。 Until about 25% into the novel， then everything stalled。When Annie opens the door to Serena， she thinks （several times） that since she’s a fan of true crime shows she ought to know better， and several times her hair prickles at something Serena says， but she blows it off。 Over and over again。 Okay， it could still be a good setup for action to come。 Until that scene repeats itself over and over again。 They talk。 And talk。 And talk。 Annie gets concerned then talks herself out of it。 They chat some more。 For about 50% of the book， it’s nothing but the storm growing worse， occasional texts and phone calls， and the two women talking。 Honestly， I was bored。 And dumbfounded at how Annie continued to justify remaining in that house chatting and drinking wine。 Just…no。 Personally， I never would have let the woman in in the first place， but I sure as heck wouldn’t have stuck around for long。 It was fairly obvious early on that something wasn’t right with Serena and I guessed at least half of the reveal before the halfway point。The final storm scene came close to rescuing this book， but then Annie’s thought process killed it again。 I couldn’t decide if she was really slow on the uptake or just unrealistically naive。 I have seen some reviewers that really liked this book， but it wasn’t for me。 Unrealistic reactions and nothing to move the plot forward。 Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing the ARC。 I’ve left my review honestly and voluntarily。 。。。more

Caitlin Highland ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 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。 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。 。。。more

Jamie Adams ，

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 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。 。。。more

Melanie Donohoo ，

Annie， having experienced some major life changes decides to move with her young son and her husband to Hawaii to be closer to her father and sister。 While there， Annie starts to experience brief lapses in time。 She second guessesher memories， unsure if she is really ok after all the things that have happened。 When the mysterious Serena shows up at Annie’s door during a severe storm， immediately we’re suspicious。 Yes it’s totally feasible that someone would seek shelter during a storm but someth Annie， having experienced some major life changes decides to move with her young son and her husband to Hawaii to be closer to her father and sister。 While there， Annie starts to experience brief lapses in time。 She second guessesher memories， unsure if she is really ok after all the things that have happened。 When the mysterious Serena shows up at Annie’s door during a severe storm， immediately we’re suspicious。 Yes it’s totally feasible that someone would seek shelter during a storm but something sets off our internal alert system just as much as Annie’s。 As the two engage in conversation we start to question how Serena seems to know so much about Annie when they just met。 As the plot unfolds we see that Serena is not who she appears to be and maybe Annie isn’t really going crazy no matter how much she may feel she is。 I was very surprised by this book。 I mean it had me from the beginning as I felt like I related so much to the main character。 Having been through maternal loss and the loss of a beloved pet basically back to back myself， I connected immediately with Annie the main character。 The book itself is chock full of details making you feel like not only a native of Hawaii but gives us a small window into the struggles that most individuals of mixed cultures can experience （Annie is of Taiwanese and Hawaiian decent）。 It also made me hungry with the authors descriptors of the food dishes in the book。 :） The pacing， although slower than some thrillers， kept me engaged and I would definitely recommend this book。 。。。more

nas ，

3 ⭐️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。

Courtney （caffeinereadrepeat） ，

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 eas 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。𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4 / 5 Autumn Leaves！ 🍂 。。。more

Samadhee Ismail ，

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 se 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。 。。。more

RAUY READS ，

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5Someone 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 Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5Someone 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: GaslightingContent Warnings: mental illness， mention of suicide， murder and trauma。 e-ARC kindly provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 This book will be published on February 1st， 2023。 。。。more

Andrea ，

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 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！ 。。。more

Dena ，

Lyn Liao Butler hits another home run！ The author consistently builds stories that keep you turning pages by writing complex characters that are human and relatable。 Moving into the thriller genre， she crafted a story with interesting plot twists， suspended reality， and insights into the human condition。 I couldn't put this book down and you won't be able to either！ Put this one on your reading list for it's upcoming January release date！ Lyn Liao Butler hits another home run！ The author consistently builds stories that keep you turning pages by writing complex characters that are human and relatable。 Moving into the thriller genre， she crafted a story with interesting plot twists， suspended reality， and insights into the human condition。 I couldn't put this book down and you won't be able to either！ Put this one on your reading list for it's upcoming January release date！ 。。。more

Lofty Ideas Bookshop ，

Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler follows main character Annie after she and her family （her husband Brody and son Finn） move from New York to Hawaii after a traumatic incident。 During the course of a major storm， Annie decides to let in a woman named Serena whose car broke down。 I was initially drawn to this book by the beautiful cover （which I love！） and the fact that it is a mystery/thriller that takes place in Hawaii。Overall， I was underwhelmed by this book。 The story thrives mainly on Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler follows main character Annie after she and her family （her husband Brody and son Finn） move from New York to Hawaii after a traumatic incident。 During the course of a major storm， Annie decides to let in a woman named Serena whose car broke down。 I was initially drawn to this book by the beautiful cover （which I love！） and the fact that it is a mystery/thriller that takes place in Hawaii。Overall， I was underwhelmed by this book。 The story thrives mainly on the conversation between these two women， but the dialogue sometimes felt unnatural， and I didn't believe some of Annie's actions。 I felt the plot was relatively predictable， but I did find myself wanting to know what happened。 As someone who lives in Hawaii， I felt many of the mentions and descriptions of places in Hawaii were like reading a tourism brochure。 The author name-drops several places like restaurants and then goes on to explain what the place is or what the type of food is that they serve。 I honestly wish the author had chosen for Annie to simply be a tourist -- all of these things would've felt more genuine and acceptable and you could've had snippets of her exploring the island， trying new foods and experiencing the culture。 But， since Annie was acting as if she was a local and knew everything about Kauai， it felt a little cringey and some of the particular details of Hawaii simply didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the story。 That's not to say that the places that she mentions aren't wonderful places to visit or enjoy， but just that the way it was all written felt like a superficial and top-level view of Hawaii。 I think most of the these details that bothered me would not bother a reader who does not live in Hawaii。 Judging from other reviews， many people seemed to view that aspect of the story positively。In the end， I think I would still recommend this book to those who are looking for a read that's quick and easy to understand。 I felt like it was something I could pick up whenever I had a few minutes and be entertained。Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more

Christine ，

I don't normally read thrillers。 I'm a romcom， HEA and WF reader and don't like to be creeped out by books that run away with my already wild imagination。 But I love this author's books and was excited to receive an ARC from the publisher for an early review。First of all， the book did exactly what I feared: creeped me out！ I could relate to the main character's needing a fresh start， trying to put a terrible past behind her。 I loved the Hawaiian setting and appreciated all that Annie had been de I don't normally read thrillers。 I'm a romcom， HEA and WF reader and don't like to be creeped out by books that run away with my already wild imagination。 But I love this author's books and was excited to receive an ARC from the publisher for an early review。First of all， the book did exactly what I feared: creeped me out！ I could relate to the main character's needing a fresh start， trying to put a terrible past behind her。 I loved the Hawaiian setting and appreciated all that Annie had been dealing with and the trauma it caused her。 This also showed why she had trouble trusting herself， her mind and her instincts。 But， like me， Annie is a kind soul and opens her home when a stranger shows up during a hurricane after her car breaks down。Secondly， I am now seeking out more thrillers to read because this was riveting。 I lost a lot of sleep because I had to keep turning the page to find out what happened， and I loved the twists and turns as the truth became more and more evident to Annie。 Creepy， well-written page-turner！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Someone Else’s Life

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Someone Else’s Life&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Someone Else’s Life&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0