Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What is Mine is an engaging family thriller with many twists and turns.

Hope and Shan Chen are thrust into parenthood when Hope's trouble sister, Cassidy, dies of a drug overdose. Hope has led a nomadic life and hasn't seen her nephew, Luca, since he was a baby. But Hope spent her much of her youth looking after Cassidy, who never got along with their conservative Taiwanese parents. Luca disappears from the Chen's backyard, and Hope will do anything to find him. As repentance for leaving her sister.

This was a gripping and easy read. I enjoyed the premise family drama that comes with immigrant parents. This was my first book from this author, and I will definitely be picking up more.

This book was an intense read for me. A child goes missing, the police are investigating and the aunt (child’s guardian) is racking her brain to figure out who might have taken him. Auntie got custody when her sister died of a drug overdose. Auntie tries to figure out if the kidnapping has something to do with the life that her sister had led. The next section of the book is the crazy scary viewpoint of the person who took him. The third section wraps the book up quite well. The whole book moves along quite briskly and ends with a satisfying conclusion. 4 stars for this book. I took one off because at times the story became borderline far-fetched. I highly recommend this book. I feel honored that I received a digital ARC from NETGALLEY and the publisher. This opinion is entirely my own.

WHAT IS MINE had me on the edge of my seat. I didn't know who or what to believe. The end was perfection! Lyn Liao Bulter is really a gifted writer. I will highly recommend this title to customers..

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my gifted ARC.

Wow this book has it all, secrets, suspense, mystery. I gave this one 3 stars for my rating. What Is mine by Lyn Liao Butler release date February 6,2024

What would you do if your child disappeared suddenly? What would you do if your husband cheated on you and a child was born?

This mystery/thriller starts off with a frantic search. A boy is missing and no one can find him. Told in three parts, we hear the story first from the boy’s aunt and then the boy’s neighbor and then finally alternating points of view as everything comes together.

There are twists and turns - some obvious and some not obvious. You’ll be on the edge of your seat throughout this read.

Thanks to @netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing the ARC.

The story started off a bit slow and then I was hooked and could not put the book down. Hope’s sister Cassidy is dead and her son, Luca, has come to live with Hope and her husband, Shaun. They know Luca’s life hasn’t been easy as Cassidy deals with her addiction, they are at times homeless and without basic needs. Luca seems to be adjusting and adores his puppy, Mochi. Then, he vanishes. Hope is devastated and trying to understand if Luca’s disappearance was linked to Cassidy’s death. As the story unfolds, it gets darker and Hope doesn’t know who to trust. It’s shaking their community and the longer Luca is missing, Hope becomes more frantic.

I really enjoyed the story especially after about 30% into it. At times, the story doesn’t seem probable, but that’s what suspension of disbelief is about. Good nighttime, page turner.

Where is 9 year old Luca and his dog Mochi? Hope brought her nephew home after her sister died and they've been adjusting but now he's gone missing from yard. This is told by Hope and by the kidnapper, an entirely unreliable narrator. It's a slick one with a twist.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
What Is Mine releases February 6, 2024

This is the story of a nine year old boy who goes missing from his aunt’s house two months after the death of his mother. It’s told in dual pov from Luca’s aunt and his kidnapper.

The unreliable narrator was done really well and the strength of this book really lies in the ending and how everything seamlessly comes together.

Tessa was truly so unhinged and I enjoyed how this was a step more elevated than a typical suburban neighbourhood thriller.

Definitely a one-sitting read!

cw: mentions of drug overdose, past physical abuse, cancer

Thank you to Getredr, Lyn Liao Butler and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC!

When Hope’s troubled sister Lucy passes away, Hope is the only family Luca has. It isn’t easy, but Hope and her husband are doing their best to provide Luca a safe and stable home. He is finally starting to get settled with friends to play with and his beloved dog Mochi. One afternoon, Luca and Mochi disappear from the yard and Hope’s world is thrown into turmoil. She will do anything to get her nephew back, no matter who tries to stand in her way.

This is the second book I have read by this author and I loved it just as much as the first! Lyn Liao Butler once again crafted beautiful, complex characters that you can’t help but be drawn to. I can’t imagine any terror greater than a child going missing, and the desperation and fear Hope had radiated off the pages. It’s easy to understand why she would chase any lead no matter the cost. Hope also had a complicated relationship with her sister; I like that Butler wasn’t afraid to write about messy relationships, difficult relationships and addiction. She painted a very respectful portrait of what so many addicts (and their loved ones) suffer through.

Without giving any spoilers, this book is told from dual perspectives - Hope and Luca’s kidnapper’s. When the kidnapper was revealed, I was honestly shocked. But that wasn’ the only twist. The final portion of this book. seemed to be one twist after another and the pacing kept me glued to the pages. I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next!

“What is Mine” releases February 6, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

While I enjoyed the missing child trope in this book the ending fell flat. It seemed almost too straight forward. I’m used to my thrillers having lots of twists and this one had a few but they were very predictable. Overall not my favorite.

Full of suspense and intrigue, I loved this taunt page-turner! I've read and loved this author's previous thriller and couldn't wait to read their latest. It did not disappoint!

This was okay.... I didnt find it thrilling, the writing was solid but the plot didnt grab me. I was hoping for more, but it underdelivered for me. More character study.

3.5 stars

WHAT IS MINE is an engaging family drama with some surprising twists/reveals.

If you're sensitive to mental health representation in thrillers, I might encourage you to proceed with caution as that topic may not have been handled as delicately/intentionally as I would've liked.

In general, I was engaged with the story and I really liked the writing style. The pacing is a bit slower which is why it read more as a drama vs thriller to me, but I still enjoyed my time with the story and I felt that it had a cinematic quality to it. Reminds me of Lucinda Berry's writing style. I would definitely pick up another book from this author.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What Is Mine
By: Lyn Liao Butler
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hope Chen and her husband are raising her nephew after his mother died. Luca is nine years old and adjusting to loosing his mother. He turns up missing along with his dog and Hope gets the officials involved right away.

He disappeared without a trace from their yard. Luca’s mom had a troubled life of drugs and when she comes up dead, along with strange clues Hope wonders if her sister’s past has something to do with Luca missing.

Every neighbor is under suspicion! Will they get to Luca in time? Luca does not know who is father is and that opens another door to a possible abduction but when no ransom is requested and days go by everyone is on edge.

Hope and Shaun are providing a nurturing environment for her nine-year-old nephew, Luca, after the death of his mother, Cassidy, Hope's sister. In a neighborhood characterized by carefree children playing on the streets and open doors, Luca finally enjoys a secure home. However, everything takes a dark turn when Luca and his faithful dog vanish without a trace. Filled with guilt and grappling with fear, Hope's imagination runs wild as she anxiously searches for her missing nephew. Simultaneously, a woman harboring perilous secrets is determined to safeguard her marriage at any cost. In a fleeting moment, an opportunity arises for her to attain the one thing that could rekindle her husband's love. Hope is determined to find Luca and the other woman is determined to stop Hope. The lives of these two women collide and the journey along this treacherous path of love and revenge unfolds with unexpected twists.
The book proved to be a captivating masterpiece, skillfully crafted by Lynn Liao Butler, keeping me in suspense until the final moments. Butler adeptly spins an intricate web of a plot, captivating and bewildering the reader in equal measure. The narrative unfolds with a series of unexpected twists and turns, maintaining its suspense right up to the last pages. I found myself thoroughly entranced by this masterpiece, a testament to Butler's storytelling prowess. Without a doubt, I would recommend this work to those who appreciate the artistry of a well-crafted thriller and seek the exhilaration of a swift yet compelling read.

The first part of this book was very long and hard to get into. I struggled a lot to get past it and unfortunately in the end I had to DNF this one.

Wow, what a must-read book! I was instantly hooked and only became more invested as the story progressed. I kind of suspected how the story was going to play out but I was only partially right. Yet, this does not mean that I was not still satisfied by how it played out.

This book is broken out into three parts. The third part is the strongest. It is where the story all comes together, and everything is revealed. I was not expecting how the story would play out. It was sad but also, I was with Hope in that I felt anger.

I honestly believe that Tessa did not truly mean any harm, but this is a fine line. How much do you excuse someone for their actions? If this book is not already on your wish list, add it now as you will not want to miss it. Already predicating that it would be a talked about book for 2024!

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.

I'm the type of person who if I'm far enough into a book, I can't stop reading it, even if I don't like it. Unfortunately, with "What Is Mine," that's what happened. At its core, there were interesting concepts and the plot line could have been great, but it was bogged down by so much unnecessary text. This book was way longer than it needed to be. As an avid reader of all kinds of books, I accept and welcome a wide breadth of writing styles, but I didn't find this book engaging at all.

This book had me hooked from the first page with multiple unexpected twists that will leave you on edge until the very end.

I did not see the twist in this one coming. My mind went a totally different direction so as each nuance is exposed, it kept me turning pages to find out what was going on. It's not your typical "missing child" story which was great as it wasn't what I was expecting. Love the foster and adopted dogs in the story too!