The premise of The Five Year Lie had me intrigued. I loved the thought of what would you do if you got a text from someone you that died five years ago, urgently asking to meet you. We follow our main character, Ariel, POV in the present day and then our second main character, Drew’s POV from five years prior. The mystery is intriguing and I loved all the breadcrumbs the author Sarina Bowen leaves as you read through the book. The book also makes an interesting statement on all the security cameras we all now have for our “security” but at what cost does this come to our own personal privacy. I really did enjoy being challenged with this theme and it kept me invested in the mystery. There were some slower parts to this book and the ending felt a touch rushed, but overall I enjoyed The Five Year Lie.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 stars!

I really enjoyed this book. A very captivating suspense/thriller with a dash of romance that has you very attached to the characters. Just when you think you’ve got the plot figured out another twist comes your way! I will definitely be alerting my friends to check this out around public date.

Thank you to Sarina Bowen Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC.

Just when I think I know what I can expect from a Sarina Bowen book she throws me a curve ball...a mysterious, suspenseful, glued-me-to-my-seat, page-turning curve ball! And, when you add just a bit of romance to that, this was a book I couldn't put down.

Written both in the present and with glimpses to what happened five years ago, we follow Ariel as she uncovers several mysteries...her own past and what happened with the father of her son, Buzz, and what actually happened to her family and the company they own. There's a lot going on in this book and, of course, I can't ruin it for you, but I can tell you that Ms. Bowen will lure you into the story, give you a tiny hint of what might have happened and how, and then make you question your assumptions...you never quite feel like you've got it figured out - at least until she wants you to feel that way!

I loved this story and am so glad that Sarina Bowen is branching out into other genres...I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve for us next!

Oh My God this book had me on the edge of my seat I couldnt put it down. Like i finished it in one sitting. I dont tend to read books in one sitting because well thats not that easy but i needed to know who was this mystery texter. I also didnt guess the end right until i finished reading.

Oh my goodness, what a great book. And so different than what Sarina usually writes. Right at the beginning you get hooked. And you have to continue to read the book to find out what happens. Love the different points of view. And one of them, you have no idea who it is. At least I didn’t. This book also makes you think you have it all figured out too. But it also shows you that you are not always right. lol! This is a suspense. With a dab of mystery. A dab of thriller. And a dab of romance. Let’s not forget about Buzz either. This book also takes place in the present but also takes us back into the past. With it all coming to an a-ha moment at the end. So, get comfy and dive right in.

This was my first read from Sarina and her debut thriller! It was thrilling to follow Ariel and uncover the truth as to what happened to Drew. I found myself liking her character quite a lot. You bounce from past to present which just adds to the story; along with the multiple POV’s. Overall, a great domestic thriller and one I’d recommend if you enjoy those types of thrillers.

A mysterious text from someone who's dead - what will happen next? I wasn't entirely sure how this premise would play out for an entire book, but Bowen had me locked in. This was a book that I kept thinking about each time that I put it down. In fact, I couldn't stop reading the last 100 pages due to the twists and turns that the author cleverly wove throughout her book. I enjoyed the character development, especially of Ariel - in the flashbacks, she's a single, independent 20-something woman who loves her art and standing her ground. Then fast-forward to present day, a single Mom of a four-year-old, who's balancing figuring out a mystery and making sure she has ten watermelons for the preschool end-of-year picnic. As a Mom of a 4.5 year old and 20 month old, Bowen's descriptions of Ariel's feelings and motives really resonated with me. This was a quick read and one that I enjoyed from the first chapter. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for the advanced reader copy of a truly one-of-a-kind book!

ARC review - publication date: May 7, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

First, I loved this story. It has everything. Romance, murder, guns, drugs, motherhood, corporate espionage, Toy Story references. It is truly a brilliant story filled with suspense and mystery. Also, many mysteries do not offer satisfying endings. I often am left wondering what happened next? This book solves that problem too. I recommend going in blind, and to support that end, this review is thoughts and feelings instead of plot. But trust me, this story has a great plot.

Ariel receives one startling text message that upends her entire life and changes everything. This story is about what happens next.

This thrilling story contains a love story, several deaths and many deeper topics. It’s thought provoking in that it brings up questions of ethics in our society and the pervasiveness of technology in our lives. The questions brought up by technological advancements offering us security like ring doorbells, and of course, our phones. Is big brother protecting us or is our privacy constantly being violated in ways we cannot even begin to comprehend? Both?

This book was about 150 pages too long. It had fantastic potential, with a very gripping concept and complex characters, but was too long and slow for my liking. I was interested for the first 40% of the book, and couldn't wait for the reveals and the pace to pick up during the last 60%!

I loved the fact that I couldn't figure out how the book was going to end and who the antagonist actually was. I also loved how the author tied all the characters and storylines together.

If you love slow burn mysteries full of espionage, this is definitely the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for allowing me to read in exchange for my honest review.

Read if:
-you love espionage
-you don't mind slow-burn mysteries
-you have fallen in love hard, fast
-you have a problem with the Patriot Act

I love domestic thrillers mixed with interesting characters. I compared this book to works by two other authors I love, so I knew I had to give it a chance. It was easy to do so. Right away, this unique story captured my interest. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was riveted from the very first chapter. 100% invested in Ariel Cafferty’s life.
I loved that she didn’t trust easily (neither do I), and that she suspected everyone at some point during the story (so did I). I rarely relate to main characters in stories, I’m normally more like the side kicks, but everything about Ariel resonated with me. I loved her. When she starts looking into her relationship 5 years previously she opened up a complex and dangerous can of worms, and she won’t stop until she finds the answers. Is that a good thing? Most definitely. But the more she delves into the life of her ex ‘boyfriend’ the more questions she has, and the more danger she puts herself and her loved ones in. I loved all the characters, good and bad, they all had their place in this story which had my mind working overtime trying to figure out what part they all played in the plot. I wish I could go back and read it for the first time again. I’m hoping we get more thrillers from Sarina Bowen, I’ll be first in line to read them. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This book has the most intriguing premise: woman receives text from her dead ex that he needs to talk to her and she should meet him under this one tree. When I read that, I knew I would be interested in reading the story and understanding how the author navigated this plot.

And it didn't disappoint.

The story is twisty and turny and I really couldn't stop reading it once I started. I really enjoyed that it wasn't trying to be too clever and that it didn't have a conniving unreliable narrator. It was just a great mystery!

with gratitude to netgalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Ariel Cafferty has dedicated the last 5 years of her life to raising her son Buzz after his father passed away before ever knowing she was pregnant. Until one day she recieves a text from him, asking her to meet. When he doesn't show for the meeting, Ariel upends her life looking for answers.

I really enjoyed this book. The prolouge pulled me in immediately and had me counting down to my kids bedtime so I could read more! This was a love story and a thriller. I was very invested in Ariel and her search for answers.

I will definitely recommend this book to others and look forward to checking out the authors other work.

I enjoyed this hook as a whole but it had a bit of a slow start. I thought it was a great story and unique from other thrillers I’ve read recently. However, the first 200 pages seemed slow and repetitive with the last half of the book almost moving too quick with an abrupt ending. All in all it was a fun read it just would’ve been improved with better pacing.

pril may inherit the fortune of the world's leading doorbell camera corporate empire, yet she leads a modest life, primarily devoted to her son Buzz, who is the heart of her world. She had come to terms with the loss of Buzz's father, who vanished before learning of her pregnancy, and whose death she accepted after discovering his obituary years later. However, an unexpected technology mishap — old text messages delivered after a five-year delay due to a cell tower error — reignites her desire for closure about his mysterious disappearance. With reservations about whom to trust, April is determined to uncover the truth.

The book opens with a gripping prologue and then unfolds through April's first-person perspective, also offering insights into various characters from half a decade ago. The narrative, infused with April’s humorous and relatable thoughts, kept me entertained from start to finish. It's a compelling mix that will likely captivate fans of both thrillers and romantic tales, offering a story that can be swiftly devoured.

Gratitude is extended to NetGalley, Sarina Bowen, and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the Advanced Reader's Copy. I'm sharing my thoughts on both NetGalley and Goodreads.

Publication Date: May 7, 2024

I am a long-time fan of Sarina Bowen's romance novels, so I was excited (and nervous) to read her first thriller. Thankfully, and probably unsurprisingly, I LOVED this, and it's definitely one of the best mystery suspense novels I've read in a long time.

The story revolves around single mom Ariel. It's been five years since the father of her son ghosted her, so she's unsettled when she gets a mysterious text from him one day at work. This kickstarts her investigation into a man she loved, but it's clear that she barely knew.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot because I really enjoyed how this story unfolded. Much of the mystery revolves around surveillance and AI technology, which already creeps me out (and this did nothing to alleviate those fears). Unlike most thrillers, this one had excellent character development, and I grew so attached to Ariel, her son, and the other main characters, that I dreaded the book's ending, even though I also HAD TO KNOW how it would all turn out in the end.

Overall, I highly recommend this and can't wait to read whatever else Sarina writes in the future (though I do hope that includes more books in a certain recent hockey series...). Many thanks to Harper and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to receive a copy of "The Five Year Lie" by Sabrina Bowen. Fans and new readers alike will love this book!

holy cannoli- i LOVED this book! i have found myself reading less thrillers over the past year, but this one really renewed my interest in the genre. so many amazing twists i could have never guessed, plus we love a little sprinkle of some romance. i will definitely be recommending to my friends to read!

One of the best thrillers I’ve read. I couldn’t put it down and it kept me engaged the entire time! I highly recommend reading this book and I can’t wait to read others by the author!

Five years after the love of her life dies, Ariel gets a text from him asking to meet her in an hour. When he doesn’t show, Ariel starts to dive into what happened to him and what secrets he may have been running away from.

This is a fast-paced thriller that jumps between past and present as we find out what really happened all those years ago. I found the characters to be likable, especially Ariel.

There is a romance element to this book which I typically hate, but it fit organically with the storyline and didn’t feel contrived or over the top.

I was able to guess some of the ending early on but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment reading the story and seeing how everything would ultimately unfold.

I would definitely pick up another domestic thriller from this author in the future.