The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen was the perfect creepy domestic suspense.
The book starts out with Ariel and her four year old son Buzz on the run - then we get flashbacks to both the three weeks leading up to this life on the run and five years ago when her relationship to Buzz's dad ended abruptly with his disappearance... and her finding his obituary a couple of months later.
Could you imagine receiving a text that was actually sent to you five years ago but was held up due to a technical glitch ? That happens here to more or less everyone but while some messages are more benign receiving a message from dead man or from a drug dealer after finally being clean for a while can wreak all sorts of havoc. For Ariel it sets of an investigation into her former coworker and boyfriend. Who was he really and what was he doing at her father's business. A successful business at the intersection of facial recognition, home and door cameras and law enforcement.
Once the hunt is on the biggest question is can she stop the bad guys before her son is endangered?
This kept me captivated and I read this book in more or less just one sitting. I definitely recommend this one to my fellow thriller readers !
Have you read any of Sarina Bowen's books? This book represents a genre shift for her since she over twenty romance novels, of which I have read some but not all.
I was super excited to read this book since I also listen to her #amwriting podcast and I was rooting for her through the planning and execution stages of this genre switch. Lucky for me the book did not disappoint either !
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperPerennial !

The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen begins with a text message to Ariel Cafferty, from her boyfriend and father of her child, from five years ago. The problem is, he’s dead. He left her without warning, never knowing she was carrying his child, and if she’s honest…he’s the only man she’s ever loved. Ariel plans on meeting whoever sent the text, but whoever sent it didn’t show. Ariel is determined to unravel the mystery of what happened to Drew, her son’s father, but secrets emerge and as she discovers unsettling truths of the lies she was told five years before, her entire world is turned upside down. Ariel is a fierce momma bear, no one really knows who the father of her son is, but she will protect him at all costs. What she does know, is that her family’s cybersecurity business and possibly her own father, is behind Drew’s disappearance. As Ariel goes off on her own to find out the truth, she knows she has to uncover it before she becomes the next victim.

This book had alternating chapters, both past and present which really engulfs the interest of the reader. The storyline has everything, mystery, family drama, romance, grief, and the suspense of who really was behind the disappearance of her true love five years prior. The story was suspenseful and chilling, and really kept you in the dark regarding who really was behind everything that was happening. The author really did a great job incorporating the issues that can happen when you have cybersecurity schemes that fall into the wrong hands, and the danger it can have on unsuspecting victims. This is a though provoking, fast paced mystery that will keep you engaged while adding a bit of romance into the mix.

This was my first book by Sarina Bowen, I really enjoyed it! I would like to thank Netgalley, Harper Paperbacks and Sarina Bowen for an advanced reader edition of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Who are the good and bad guys in the story? That’s a question you keep asking yourself as you read this book. Not everything and everyone is as they seem. You are sent on a journey going back and forth from the past to the present between multiple characters. I was very engaged in putting the pieces together, and then also thinking in the back of my head if the author was trying to trick me into different conclusions along the way. Recommend!

"The connection between them is like a living, breathing thing."

Holy cannoli! Now while I would not consider this book to be much of a thriller, it is most definitely a romantic mystery and I am SO here for it!

The book oscillates between Ariel's present-day POV and Drew's past-tense POV from 5 years earlier. It is a slow burn for the first 60% of the book, but for good reason. The author did a FABULOUS job constructing her plot and character development. You feel like you know the characters and you become so invested when the book stretches from the mystery into some suspense in that last 40%. Absolutely loved everything about this book! The romance.... the mystery.... the suspense... It has a little bit of everything and I'm so glad I read this book! I would absolutely read another book with these elements from this author. She did an excellent job!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for this ARC.

Wow! Wow! Wow!
I’m already such a fan of Sarina’s writing, starting with the Brooklyn Bruisers and True North series. So when I saw that she wrote a thriller I was so excited to dive in. There is nothing that Sarina can’t do!

The Five Year Lie is a fast-paced thriller with multiple timelines and POVs. It kept me guessing until the very end and I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what happened with Ariel and Drew all those years ago.

Ariel is a supreme bad@$$ and I liked the scenes that showcased her relationships with those she trusted.

The dual timelines worked well for the story and weren’t confusing. It was easy to keep up.

I thought the premise of the story was great and the ethics, privacy and security parts of the story were really well done. I’m definitely going to be thinking about this one—and my ring cam— for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Perennial and Sarina Bowen for an early review copy. These are my honest thoughts.

I absolutely loved this book. I didn’t know what to think of it when I first heard about it. I was a bit hesitant but oh boy was this a lovely surprise.
I didn’t want to put this book down and I didn’t want it to end. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed and I feel the real villain didn’t get what they deserved. I would’ve like to see them really punished.
I liked how Drew and Ariel started and how their relationship developed. I felt bad for Drew and everything he uncovered. I felt bad for Ariel and the stuff she discovered.
But I loved the type of mom she was. Buzzy was just too cute. Ariel was a strong woman in her youth and as a mother she was fierce. She did what was best for her boy.
This book is a must read.

Sarina Bowen has covered almost every square inch of the romance genre, and now she has branched out into the world of mysteries with The Five Year Lie. As a first effort, it’s pretty good.

The premise is so original. Ariel receives an ominous text message from her boyfriend. Not so unusual except he died five years ago. What follows is Ariel’s search for answers amid corporate espionage, dirty cops, and cyber crimes.

My favorite parts of the book are the times Ariel spends with her son. The author does a great job conveying Ariel’s determination to be a good mom as well as her desperation to keep him safe when things finally come to a head. However, I like a little thrill with my mysteries, and at no point was I truly worried that Ariel was in danger. Perhaps if I hadn't read so many suspense novels the plot would have seemed a little less predictable, and I would have felt more on the edge of my seat.

The character development is strong, and as always I love Sarina Bowen’s writing. I would definitely be willing to read another of her mysteries.

While technology gives us so many amazing things, what happens when it gets into the wrong hands?
Ariel received a text from Drew, a dead man, only to find out the text is five years old. The book jumps from current time through Ariel's eyes to five years ago through Drew's eyes as they are both trying to figure out who is to blame.

This was a good read. It might have been a little long for me, but it kept me reading until the end. I had to see if it was going where I thought it was.

The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen

Ariel receives a text from her boyfriend who died five years ago which leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew - about her life and her family. With the help of her friends, she starts an investigation of her own, looking into the happenings of her family business - a security company which is deeply seated in questionable activities.

I found the book a little slow to begin with, but once I started getting into it, it became one that I could not put down. Ariel was fiercely determined to find answers while still protecting herself and more importantly, her son, Buzz. There was a bit of past and present which was easy enough to follow. Overall, this was a great book - definitely different from Bowen’s usual style of writing but one I’m hoping she’ll continue to pen.

*arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

This one is slow paced to start, but then it’s like a switch is flicked and accelerator is pressed and holy crap. Once I hit that point I could not for the life of me put it down. I stayed up until the early hours even though I had a kids birthday party the next day haha. I regret nothing. It was incredible!

I loved the way it switched from now and then slowly giving information I was desperate for. I loved the romance and mystery of it mashed together. Trying to figure out the logistics of timelines and what has happened, finding out some heart breaking stuff, kept me on my toes. Every time I picked this book up I was captivated.

If you love thrillers, mystery, and romance, definitely pick up this domestic thriller!

Ariel is minding her own business living her life with her 4yo son Buzz when a text blast from the past turns everything upside down. When everyone gets spammed with texts that didn't send 5 years ago, Ariel is left wondering why her dead ex wanted to meet her before he disappeared without a trace.

This is a suspenseful ride to say the least. A little thriller, a little whirlwind romance, and plenty of room for theories on what the heck happened 5 years ago.

Sarina does an amazing job building characters you can visualize and relate to (here's to you, 4yo on a road trip). I was very invested in the story immediately. It grabbed my attention and held it until the very end.

Thank you for the advanced copy Sarina Bowen, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I have always read a lot of thrillers. This one I don't feel was super unique but I still enjoyed the writing. I thought it was rather intriguing. This book really kept me on the edge of my seat for most of it. I will be picking more up from this author.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I absolutely loved every bit of it, and found it hard to out down. I didn't think I was into romance novels, not that I would classify this a romance. Maybe a suspense, thriller with touches of romance, just enough to wet your toes and leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.
This was a great novel with thoughtfully built characters. I stayed on my toes through all the turns and tribulations shown for each character.
Well done. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

The Five Year Lie is the newest domestic thriller from Sarina Bowen.

Five years ago, Ariel fell in love with Drew, an Army veteran who worked as a programmer in her family's doorbell camera company. They had a wonderful summer, then one day he was just gone, with no word or warning. When she finds his obituary online, she knows that he'll never be coming back. She receives a text from him five years later, she can't help but go and see if he shows up. Of course he doesn't, because dead men don't text or walk around, but it opens a wound for her and she starts digging into him and his life, along with Zain, who had worked with Drew. They find out he's not who he said he was, and he had found something not quite right in the Chime Co. network. After they get too close to what's going on, things get very heated and dangerous.

Told from Ariel's point of view in the present, and unknown narrator(s) in the past, this was a page-turning mystery of lies, secrets, and revenge. Ariel is trying her best to build a good life, and she just wants the truth about who the love of her life was. Zain was a little suspicious, but in general a good guy willing to get his hands dirty. There were likeable characters and characters who were just the worst, but it wouldn't be a great mystery is everyone was a great person.

All in all, a gripping thriller with romance, revenge, family, and secrets. If you enjoy a female main character who isn't afraid to stir the pot, then definitely give this one a shot. For lovers of mystery and suspense who enjoy Riley Sager or Christina Dodd novels.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @HarperPerennial for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

HOLY CRAP!!! Learn from my mistake! This book sat and sat on my NetGalley shelf for MONTHS! Why didn’t I read it sooner!! This is by far my favorite book of the year! This book is amazing!!! I love love love love Ariel, she was such a well written character with such good characteristics! The fact that it’s a love story within a thriller!! Literally sign me up! This story was written so freaking well!! The past and the present went together seamlessly espically considering you never knew whose POV it would be! I just finished it and I already wish I could reread it again! I really hope this author continues to write these types of books!!

I was so into this story that I could have read it for hours. Ariel & Drew's story was captivating. I felt like Nancy Drew navigating this fast paced suspenseful, mysterious thriller, who done it story. With each chapter a layer of the mystery and intrigue peels away and you're one step closer to solving the mystery. Ariel is your normal every day girl working at her family's business. She meets Drew at work and the rest is sort of history, bus sort of not. There are a ton of bumps in the road, a few deaths, and lots and lots of scheming.
#buzz #woody #jay

Thank you for my free advanced copy @netgalley and @harper.perennial, my opinion is my own and voluntary.

I LOVED this mysterious and thrilling read! UNPUTDOWNABLE page-turner that kept me rapt in anticipation!
Not only was this a mystery thriller but 'The Five Year Lie' had a romantic storyline, also. I was personally invested in Ariel and Drew's love affair and wanted answers just as much as she did!

The ending was absolutely perfect, although one character didn't really meet their justice.

Fans of Darby Kane and Kiersten Modglin will LOVE this one! Excited to read more by this author.

When I first heard Author Sarina Bowen was releasing a domestic thriller, I knew I had to read it as I've enjoyed several of her contemporary romance titles, especially the True North series. THE FIVE YEAR LIE kicks off with a captivating, heart stopping prologue designed to grab readers' attention while enticing them into shutting off their phones, setting aside all snacks and drinks and settling in for the duration so plan accordingly. You don't want any distractions once starting this mysterious story.

Ariel Cafferty is a single mother living in her mother's guesthouse while pursuing her passion of glassmaking and putting in required appearances at the family business, the Chime Co. Five years prior, the man Ariel loved ghosted her - disappearing without a trace unaware she was carrying his child. Years later, she reads his obituary in a newspaper, effectively closing that chapter of her life. Drew was a programmer with her family's cybersecurity company, secretly exploring suspicions of fraudulent activity when he left. In the present, Ariel is sitting in a business meeting when a disturbing text pings her phone - a text that rocks her to the core. A text from a dead man asking her to meet him immediately. Is this a cruel hoax or is Drew alive? Needing answers, Ariel goes to the meeting spot, but no one shows. Confused and unsettled, Ariel begins digging into the past, looking for answers about what really happened to Drew. What she uncovers alarms her, leaving her wondering if she ever really knew the man she loved at all and quite certain that someone has been lying to her all along. Pushing ahead, it's soon obvious someone doesn't want the truth to surface. Can Ariel solve the mystery of what happened to Drew before the same danger claims her and her son?

Through concise, alternating chapters of past and present, a chilling story of deceit, secrets, and family drama emerges in THE FIVE YEAR LIE. The past becomes known via Drew's point of view, and readers are apprised of present events through Ariel's point of view. The transition is seamless and highly engaging. A sinister tone drives the plot forward at a steadily increasing pace with mini shockers keeping characters and readers on their toes as they work to unravel a mystery. Bowen does an excellent job of incorporating the dangers posed to careless, unsuspecting victims of technology and cyber security schemes into a riveting plot line that's relevant today. Long time readers of her work will appreciate the well-developed, relatable characters like those everyone loves from her contemporary romance stories.

THE FIVE YEAR LIE is a riveting, thought provoking suspense thriller that blends an engaging mystery with a light side of romance. Readers and characters are challenged with solving a mystery while considering the many ramifications and ethical questions involving technology in today's world. Author Sarina Bowen successfully makes the transition to suspense with an immersive, chilling thriller that will keep readers on alert from start to finish. Highly recommended to fans of good mysteries and engaging romance suspense.

Sarina Bowen doing a thriller? Must read. Ariel receives a text from someone she thought was dead. This is the man she was in love with, but ghosted her. Leaving her alone and pregnant with his child. Five years later she receives a text from him. She thought he just sent it, but it turns out there was a glitch and texts from 5 years ago were just coming in, stirring up tons of new drama from the past.
Ariel knows Drew has died, but what if he didn't ghost her? What if he had been trying to get in touch with her all those years ago before he left? She is willing to do anything to uncover the mystery around him leaving and what is going on in the company she works for.
There have been multiple shady deaths and disappearances and things just don't add up anymore.
Ariel is determined to find out the truth, for herself and her son.
This one was twisty and I really loved all of the ways that Sarina brought new technology into this. It is scary to think about all of the ways that people can monitor and spy on one another and how they will use it for their own gains. This is told in duel POV from the present and the past and it was highly addictive.
Thanks to Harper, Netgalley and Sarina for an early copy.

What is The Five Year Lie about?

Imagine that the person you love breaks up with you suddenly over text. You try to reach him, but he never responds again. A few months later you learn he died in a motorcycle accident. A few months after that, you have his child. Four years after you were left raising a child single and heartbroken, you are at work and you receive a text:

“There’s trouble. I need to see you. Meet me in one hour under the candelabra tree. Don’t tell anyone where you’re going.”

The text is from him, Drew. The love of your life. How is it possible to receive a text from a dead man? This is the scenario Ariel Cafferty finds herself in. She leaves to go to the tree. She knows the exact one her deceased ex is referring to—the one by his former little rundown apartment. She waits there for hours, but he never shows.

What did I like?

I love when writers explore a story about someone who disappeared or died and then resurfaces. The troubling thing about this scenario is that it isn’t clear if Drew actually did resurface. A text can be faked, right? Especially in this case. Ariel is the daughter of a man named Edward Cafferty who co-owns a tech company with his brother Ray. The company specializes in cameras, particularly those to help law enforcement but also personal home security cameras.

Ariel worked as an office manager for her father when she met Drew, who worked as a programmer. Drew would know how to fake a text, but so would a lot of people in Ariel’s circle. Is someone trying to trick her? Ariel has gone to great lengths to never reveal her relationship with Drew nor the fact that he is her son Buzz’s father. But when the security manager at the office, Zain, approaches her and says he knew about their relationship and offers to help her, Ariel can’t say no.

The twists start early in this book, starting with more information about the source of the text message and then following Ariel and Zain as they track down more information about Drew and the months leading up to his death. In fact, from the moment he started at the company, Drew had a lot more going on than anyone realized.

Ariel’s story is told in the present time as she and Zain are following a trail of evidence through the system logs retained at the company. In the past, Drew narrates the months leading up to his disappearance. Though Ariel is convinced that Drew was using her, the reader gets a very different version of events from Drew. He fell for Ariel quickly, and mentions multiple times that he knows he shouldn’t get involved with her or it may mess up his agenda, but he can’t help it.

What didn’t work for me?

Only a romance writer like Sarina Bowen could weave such a deep and tortured love story into a thriller plot like this. I enjoyed Drew and Ariel’s relationship and wanted to know what happened to cause Drew to leave her, but I felt that too much time was devoted to hearing Drew pining for Ariel in the past and Ariel pining for Drew in the present. It disrupted the tension from the central mystery and slowed the book down substantially from about 15% to 60%. After that, the book speeds up and the rest flies by as the reader (and Ariel) gets a lot more information.

Personally I think those parts solely about how in love each person was could have been cut in half or even by two thirds. Bowen is talented at writing a love story, so the impact would have been the same and allowed more breathing room for the mystery. I also felt that too much time was devoted to Ariel mothering Buzz and to Ariel working in the glass blowing studio. Those are great character moments, but combined with the love story they detracted from the central story.

In general this is a good book with a fantastic premise, but it could have been tightened up. I think readers who love romantic thrillers will feel differently, though! I would guess many readers will love the balance of love story to mystery.

Final Thoughts

This is an engaging book with a clever premise that I greatly enjoyed. I wanted to understand what exactly happened and how it would all come together. Some parts are far-fetched but that didn’t bother me (though it may bother some readers who need more believability in their thrillers). Ariel is a great character, and Drew I liked as well though he was a bit slippery for my taste. Zain (the cybersecurity colleague and friend helping Ariel) is the breakout character of the book. I adored him!

The interesting premise is slowed substantially through the first half by too much time devoted to the love story between Ariel and Drew, particularly in the past. Those chapters I started skimming because they didn’t reveal anything related to the mystery. And the mystery was what kept me turning the pages! Romance readers will surely love that part of the story, though. The end of the book flies by as the timelines meet and a lot more is revealed.

I felt that this book had the opposite problem of many thrillers where it emphasized the character moments too much. The mystery was so compelling, but it felt like it kept pausing to follow parts of the plot that weren’t as essential, such as Drew’s feelings about Ariel, the glassblowing studio, and Ariel and Buzz’s mundane activities. I wanted the mystery to pick up because I was so invested, and when it finally did the ending was fantastic.

A perfect book for thriller fans who like a heaping side of romance!

Thank you Harper Books for my copy. Opinions are my own.