I enjoyed this thriller about Rowan. She is a single mother of a teenager and is an architect. After her boyfriend dumps her suddenly she finds him murdered . While trying to find his killer she uncovers secrets in the mansion she is renovating.

This book took me a minute to get into. The pacing felt a bit off for me, but once the ball started rolling it was rolling.
My favorite character of this book? The mansion with a sordid past that used to house unwed mothers.
Loved everything about the artwork descriptions, the details of the historic mansion, and the landscape of the northeast. The whole book was so picturesque.
I enjoyed the relationships between the main character and her daughter. The ever evolving romance between the main character and her ex husband was giving mini romcom vibes, and I didn’t even mind.
All in all I really enjoyed this one.
Thank you netgalley for this copy!

I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of “Dying to Meet You”. This was a unique story and had me engaged from the beginning.

This was a really good read and I think it had a decent writing style and story! Would recommend to anyone looking for next read !!!

This started with a steady pace that gradually accelerated the further it went. Told from multiple perspectives, this twisted web of a tale was abundant with lies, deceit, and tension. The protagonist was relatable and intriguing and fully dimensional. The plot was delivered perfectly, and the reveals were unpredictable. Overall, this was a compelling mystery that sinks its teeth into you. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, for this ARC.

Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen is a mystery book. Quite a slow buildup but when it picks up, the suspense and twists were well done. I especially liked the ending.
I received a complimentary copy from Harper Perennial and Paperbacks via Netgalley. Opinions expressed are mine

Book Review: Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen

Sarina Bowen, best known for her emotionally resonant romances, returns with her second foray into the world of suspense—and Dying to Meet You confirms she’s just as compelling when the stakes involve murder rather than love.

This twisty, atmospheric thriller follows Rowan Gallagher, a single mother and skilled architect trying to rebuild her life after a difficult breakup. Tasked with restoring a grand, crumbling mansion for Maine’s most powerful family, Rowan is barely holding it together when she impulsively tracks her ex’s whereabouts via an app. But what starts as an embarrassing emotional low point takes a deadly turn—she arrives at their old favorite spot just in time to witness his murder.

Worse, Rowan quickly becomes the prime suspect. As she scrambles to clear her name, she unearths disturbing truths about the man she thought she knew—and about the sinister interest he had in her life. With mounting tension, eerie secrets lurking in the mansion, and the growing realization that someone may still be watching her, Bowen delivers a thriller that’s hard to put down.

Rowan is a refreshingly flawed and relatable heroine—sharp, driven, and increasingly desperate as the layers of deception peel away. The supporting cast is just as intriguing, and the old house setting adds a gothic edge that fans of domestic thrillers will appreciate. The mystery is tightly plotted and offers plenty of surprises to keep even seasoned readers guessing.

Though only her second mystery, Bowen proves she has a real talent for suspense. Dying to Meet You blends emotional depth with chilling intrigue, making it a standout in the genre.

Verdict:
Smart, suspenseful, and emotionally resonant, Dying to Meet You is a page-turner that delivers both thrills and heart. Highly recommended for fans of Lisa Jewell, Alice Feeney, or Ruth Ware.

I loved this one! Rowan Gallagher is a likeable single mom who is also a talented architect. She has taken a high pressure job restoring a scary, historic mansion for a powerful and wealthy family. But when her ex turns up murdered and her other ex becomes a suspect, Rowan is racing to find answers because the police keep noticing the common denominator in all of these crimes is her.
Struggling to clear her name, protect her daughter, and get the answers she needs, Rowan finds herself stumbling across the dangerous information that killed him. You won’t be able to put this one down!

This is the book that just gradually adds elements of mystery, secrets, suspicion, threats, danger, and suspense. It kept me guessing on how all the pieces would eventually fit together. It’s told in several different points of view, and as the story went on, it made more sense why. There are so many layers involved in this story.

I liked Rowan even when I knew she was probably making some mistakes. I felt bad for her because she found herself in this unexpected and tenuous situation, and she managed to put suspicion on herself unknowingly. There is also an added depth with her relationship with her sixteen-year-old daughter, Natalie, and her daughter's father, Harrison. I actually really liked Harrison.

It's a murder mystery in the present mixed with secrets from the past. and a family legacy story running through the background. It's full of secrets, lies, manipulation, and a bit of stalking. Rowan finds herself right in the middle of it all.

It kept me interested and guessing and wondering how it was all going to end up. The tension and suspense build throughout with a few twists.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wouldn't call this one a thriller but it's definitely a slow burn mystery. One I definitely enjoyed. I loved taking this journey with Rowan from finding her ex's body and unraveling the mystery behind what happened to him. I wasn't expecting the multiple points of view but I enjoyed getting to see them. Especially because I spent the entire time wondering why we were getting one of the POVs.

I also enjoyed the little romance subplot towards the end. That was a complete surprise to me.

Read Completed 6/22/25 | 3.5 stars | Book #91 of 2025
Thank you to the publisher, Harper Perennial, for approval of the advanced copy via Netgalley. This did not affect my review.

A solid 3.5 star reading, edging into 3.75 stars, but rounding up for readability. There's something about Sarina Bowen's thrillers that are just so easy for me to read and enjoy. I don't always get into thrillers or like the writing style, and this story was easy to get into, the characters were enjoyable to follow, and I liked the mystery of what was happening.

The reason for my not-quite-4 star rating was just that I didn't love the story itself. I didn't feel satisfied with the investigations, just because I didn't love the concept in general, and the ending really didn't feel satisfying at all. I thought the finale really didn't explain much of who the killer was and why except for "they wanted to" and it didn't really do it for me. (There was more to it, of course, and I won't spoil the ending but it fell really short as motivation for me.)

I really liked the relationships and I think that's really what carried the book. Sarina Bowen is/was also a romance author, so she knows the importance of building characters and extending all of those arcs, feelings, and stories. I loved the mother-daughter relationship and seeing the ex-husband/father come back in the picture. Being an ex-con who gave up his rights to see his child, there's a lot of other things going on there, and I LOVED how it was handled. I liked this a lot more than the actual thriller side of things, though it does tie in.

I'll definitely still keep picking up her books, and this particular topic just wasn't one I enjoyed, but the writing will definitely keep me coming back.

What a great mother and daughter story! Not so great when her ex winds up dead! SA by a rich guy does not warrant consent. The plot wasn't my favorite and the title of the book had nothing to do with the book plot at all. I will read something by her again.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for an Arc.

Dying to Meet You is Sarina Bowen's newest thriller. I loved The Five Year Lie so I was excited to read another book in this genre from one of my favorite authors. There are twists and turns and secrets and at one point I had no idea who was the bad guy. Sarina was great at misdirection and I followed all the bread crumbs. It starts a little slow, but picks up and the second half of the book is very exciting! I love the strained relationship between Rowan and Harrison. And the one between Rowan and her teenage daughter. Rowan is the architect on a big project and she never thought she'd be a suspect in the murder of her ex-boyfriend who just broke up with her. So many secrets come out and she starts to question everything and everyone. This spoke to my own need to look things up, decipher them and figure things out. I'm not a big reader of this genre, but I'll read anything Sarina writes!

🍿 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: I started reading Sarina Bowen when she started writing thrillers and I will never turn back. I loved Dying to Meet You just as much as I loved The Five Year Lie, and Bowen is definitely an auto buy author for me now. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it lived up to every moment I spent waiting for it.

🤩 𝚃͏𝚑͏𝚎͏ 𝙱͏𝚎͏𝚜͏𝚝͏ 𝙱͏𝚒͏𝚝͏𝚜͏: Though I was a little confused by the viewpoints in the beginning, I was instantly pulled into the storyline. I did love having the different viewpoints and I liked the way they all added something different to the storyline. There is a dash of family drama in the book, and I loved the way Bowen blended mystery, thrills, and emotions together. I also really liked most of the characters and even though I’m not a mom, I totally felt for Rowan trying to raise her daughter by herself. The twists at the end blew me off my feet and I think my jaw actually dropped at a couple of them.

🎧 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃: We have a lovely audiobook thanks to the cast of Kathleen Early, Caitlin Kelly & Sarah Mollo-Christensen. I was extremely happy they didn’t skimp on multiple narrators for multiple viewpoints, and I loved every single one of them! Narration was on point all the way through and enhanced the book in the best possible way.

💭 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴: The secrets unearthed in Dying to Meet You just get juicer and juicer as the story goes on and I was awed by the way Bowen tied everything together. The confusion I had with the viewpoints in the beginning ultimately dissipated and ended up making perfect sense when I got to the end. And the best part is, I never saw it coming.

T͏h͏i͏s͏ B͏o͏o͏k͏ i͏n͏ 5͏ E͏m͏o͏j͏i͏’s͏ o͏r͏ L͏e͏s͏s͏: 🧱💰🐕🚨

𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rowan drove me nuts with her bad decision-making, but I enjoyed the hell out of this book despite it! I'm a huge Sarina fan - I love her romance novels and so far I'm enjoying her foray into cozy mysteries/thrillers.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In the crowded landscape of domestic thrillers, where every other title promises a dizzying spiral of suburban secrets and marital mayhem, Sarina Bowen’s "Dying to Meet You" arrives with a quiet confidence, and proceeds to deliver a narrative punch that leaves you breathless. While the title might evoke a certain playful irony, the story within is anything but, weaving a taut and genuinely unsettling tale of obsession, vulnerability, and the terrifying unknown lurking just beyond our carefully constructed lives.

Bowen, typically known for her romances, demonstrates an impressive versatility in this genre pivot. She doesn't just dip her toes into the thriller waters; she plunges in headfirst, creating a world where every friendly gesture can hide a sinister motive and every unexpected encounter feels laden with menace.

The premise, initially, seems almost deceptively simple: a woman, reeling from personal tragedy, seeks solace and a fresh start, only to find herself the object of an increasingly unnerving attention.

Bowen masterfully ratchets up the tension with a slow-burn intensity. We're not hit with sudden, jarring twists, but rather a creeping unease that settles deep in your bones. The psychological aspect is particularly well-handled; we witness the protagonist's descent into paranoia not as an overreaction, but as a chillingly logical response to events that are just ambiguous enough to be dismissed by outsiders, yet profoundly threatening to her.

What elevates "Dying to Meet You" above many of its peers is Bowen’s meticulous character development. Our protagonist isn't a stock damsel in distress; she's flawed, resilient, and deeply relatable, making her vulnerability all the more poignant. And the antagonist, without giving too much away, is not a caricature of evil but a disturbingly plausible figure, their motives chillingly human in their warped logic. This nuanced portrayal adds layers of complexity, transforming what could be a simple cat-and-mouse game into a disquieting exploration of human nature.

The pacing is superb, a slow, methodical build-up that culminates in a genuinely heart-pounding climax. Bowen’s prose is clean, direct, and utterly propulsive, making it impossible to put the book down. You'll find yourself devouring chapters, desperate to uncover the truth, even as you dread what it might reveal. The domestic setting, usually a source of comfort, becomes a crucible of fear, turning familiar spaces into arenas of psychological warfare.

While "Dying to Meet You" might not reinvent the domestic thriller, it perfects it. Sarina Bowen proves herself to be a formidable new voice in the genre, demonstrating a keen understanding of suspense, character, and the dark undercurrents that can disrupt even the most idyllic lives.

If you're looking for a thriller that will keep you guessing, your heart pounding, and your perception of everyday interactions altered, then prepare to die to meet this book. Highly recommended.

Everyone knows that Sarina Bowen is great at writing a romance, but apparently she is as good at writing a mystery. I really enjoyed her debut mystery/thriller, The Five Year Lie, and I enjoyed this one even more. Rowen is a single mom to Natalie, a teenager. Natalie’s dad is out of the picture after going to prison years ago. When new beau, Tim, dumps her out of the blue and is murdered at her place of work, she has to figure out who did it before she is accused herself. As the story unfolds, there are twists and turns around every corner. Bowen’s writing is engaging, her characters are likable and her plot is relevant and poignant. “Dying” was only Bowen’s second suspense novel and I hope to see more like this from her as she continues her transition to the genre.

I found Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen to be a captivating and well-crafted domestic thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story centers on Rowan Gallagher, an architect and single mom who becomes entangled in a murder mystery after discovering her ex-boyfriend’s dead body near the historic mansion she’s renovating. Bowen’s shift from romance to thriller impressed me with her ability to build suspense and weave a complex web of secrets.

The characters, especially Rowan, felt real and relatable, and I appreciated the multiple points of view that added depth to the narrative. The atmospheric setting of the mansion, with its dark history, added a chilling layer to the story. The pacing was steady, allowing the tension to build gradually, though I found the middle section a bit slow at times. The twists kept me guessing, even if the ending felt somewhat tidy.

While some plot elements were familiar, Bowen’s sharp prose and strong character development made the story stand out. The blend of mystery, family drama, and subtle romance created a compelling mix. Overall, I’m giving *Dying to Meet You* four stars. It’s a satisfying thriller that I’d recommend to readers who enjoy suspenseful, character-driven stories with a touch of darkness.

This is the second of Bowen's Thrillers that I've read and I do really enjoy her style. The pace and plot of this is just right, as Rowan gets more in the weeds of the murder, the reader gets more and more pieces of the puzzle.

I honestly didn't know who the killer was until it was revealed, which is rare for me, and I did like the twists and turns of the story.

I'm a sucker for a romance (sub) plot so I did enjoy Rowan's romantic relationship. I thought some of the explanations for their past issues were maybe a little rushed/convenient but I was happy to see them together.

Very interesting things to say about people/families with power snd money, especially in small towns, and what that means for the people around them who get taken advantage of without recourse!

DYING TO MEET YOU is a brilliantly crafted thriller with twists, turns, and fabulously complex characters. Bowen delivered a story with heart, mystery, a little action, and chills.

Getting to experience this book through the eyes of a mother, Rowan, and daughter, Natalie, gives the reader a more well-rounded view. Sometimes, with multiple narrators, it doesn’t work in favor of the story. However, this is not the case here. Much of what is happening is centered around Rowan, but the interjection of her daughter’s thoughts and perspectives is refreshing. And then there is the voice of Coralie. Her story is different and will bring everything together through the lens of experiences and choices.

This book was addictive. The plotting, the reveals, and the overall tension within these pages were spot on. I couldn’t put it down. And the ending…brilliant. I honestly cannot wait to read more from the author and am picking up THE FIVE YEAR LIE next.

Audiobook Note: Kathleen Early, Caitlin Kelly, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen narrate this book perfectly. As we go back and forth from the various perspectives, the pace is right on point. This audiobook was a really great listen.