Dying to Meet You is a gripping thriller told from multiple POVs that was hard for me to put down. Rowan, an architect juggling a high profile renovation for a powerful Maine family, finds her life unraveling after discovering her ex-boyfriend’s body at her workplace. As if that’s not enough, she struggles to deal with her resurfaced past and the revealed secrets that hit far too close to home. The twists and turns were unexpected, and I especially enjoyed the clever integration of the FriendFinder app. Sarina Bowen’s storytelling is fast paced and immersive and I was totally invested in all of the drama.

4.75 Stars

Rowan is almost 40. Her daughter is a typical 16 year old teenager.
And her boyfriend of ten weeks just broke up with her via text.
At least her professional life is great. Not. She's behind schedule and over budget as the architect of this centuries old billionaire family's mansion.
And then her ex is found dead in front of her workplace. By her. Accidentally. Kinda. Because she still follows his phone's location.
What happened to him? And how will she convince the cops that she didn't do it? And what kinds of secrets is her daughter keeping from her?
Read the book to find out!

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Another Sarina Thriller. Yay!
I loved reading this!
I loved the locations. Maine. The old, slightly creepy, house.
It was mysterious and a bit sad and heartbreaking.
You can't stop reading - you need to know what's what!
We also get a bit of a second chance love story. Loved that!
Plus - we have an amazing dog! So - what's not to love?!

► DYING TO MEET YOU was such a great story! Full of mystery. Secrets. Danger. Architecture. Family. The Past. The Present. Hopes for the future. I loved the dog + the dad!
I just loved reading this! Run to your nearest bookdealer to find out all the things!

Sarina Bowen does it again! This twisty thriller was a great pick for my first book of the new year. Mysterious births and deaths, family drama, ties between unlikely people, and a whodunnit murder make for an excellent, bingeable book.

I absolutely loved this book! It had me turning page after page. The suspense was incredible.
I gave it 4 stars because after all the guessing and twists, the ending felt very rushed.

Thanks Net Gally for the copy!

Sarina Bowen expertly blends mystery and romance in "Dying to Meet You," making it appealing even to those who aren't fans of romance. The story unfolds from two perspectives: Rowan Gallagher, an architect who becomes a suspect in her ex-boyfriend's murder, and her teenage daughter. The old mansion where the mystery takes place adds a chilling atmosphere, while the subplot about pregnant girls forced to give up their babies adds depth to the narrative. Bowen masterfully balances suspense and emotional themes, leading to a satisfying climax. Overall, it's a captivating read that lingers long after finishing.

Your heart is supposed to be pounding like mad when you finish a book, right? Because it was in this case, actually, the last third of the book I barely took time to blink or breath. The set-up, the crossed-lines, the intricate web that was weaved, and even after it all came to light, there was more. You finish and you think, and then you gasp in shock. Rowan was a great lead, had a realistic outlook, with strength to spare, and vulnerability in moderate amounts. She also had an analytical and curious mind, and is the catalyst for our story as well. This kept me on the edge of my seat and constantly twisting with theories before it all came to light!!!

Wow! Dying to Meet You drew me in from the first page; I had to tell myself to slow down as I was trying to read as quickly as I could to see what happened next!

Successful architect and single mom Rowan is working hard on restoring and renovating an historic mansion. She also has a great thing going with journalist Tim. Or so she thought. After he dumps her via text and won’t return her calls, she remembers he shared his location with her on his phone. And he’s right down the street in their spot by the mansion….where she discovers him dead. And becomes the prime suspect. It’s always the jilted girlfriend, right?

To complicate matters, Rowan’s real ex—her teenage daughter Natalie’s father who abandoned them so many years ago—is back in town and looking for a relationship with Natalie. And also appears to be a suspect. But what’s the real story and what’s the deal with the creepy family that owns the mansion?

This book kept me on edge as I absolutely binged it! It’s mostly first person from Rowan’s point of view but mixes in some third-person chapters. The effect is PERFECTION, especially Natalie’s chapters, where the tension and chill emanate. The way the author develops Rowan’s and Natalie’s relationship with Harrison (Natalie’s dad) really works—I really wanted to see where it went and there’s definite chemistry between Rowan and Harrison.

I love the way she built up the suspense and the mystery, dropping just the right amount of hints to make you feel like you’re getting some good nuggets, but also not giving too much away. Overall, a fun, well-written read with multiple storylines that all worked for me. Highly recommend!

Oh my... Bowen is a master at spinning stories with romance at their core. And now, she has just flabbered my gasters with this amazing thriller. There is a lot going on here, with a murder, the jilted lover being a person of interest in the case, a blast form the past, and the protagonist's 16-year-old daughter marching to her own drum.

The suspense had me at the edge of my seat, and so did the way the daughter just didn't want to listen to her mother. Of course, most 16-year-olds are so sure they know better than their parents, right? I loved how Rowan tried to navigate being a murder suspect with also setting firm boundaries when it came to her daughter and what she was allowed to do.

The main plot was so exciting, as was the home for wayward girls that hid more than one secret inside...

I loved The Five Year Lie (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️), so I couldn't wait to read this one. This was a really good suspense, too! Highly recommend her suspense books which are all I've read of hers. It makes me want to read her other books as well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think I was expecting more excitement or plot twists. It felt like it was pretty obvious who was behind everything, as there weren't a lot of people to choose from. I thought we'd get more information at the end about the women who lived in the mansion too.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good! The beginning felt a little bogged down with a lot of details about the mansion renovation that weren't really relevant to the storyline. But this ended up being such a great book with lots of twists and turns along the way. I was guessing right up until the end.

Twisty thrillers are my favorites because I stay up late reading and hoping to figure out what the author is going to deliver. Bowen knocks it all out with this latest story. It's paced well and entertaining. I was hooked from the start. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Great writing and a clever story. The only thing I think could’ve made it better is a larger pool of characters because I guessed the culprit pretty early on simply because there was not a lot to choose from. All in all, a solid read, and I would definitely choose something from this author in the future. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Dying to Meet You by S. Bowen, published by HarperCollins, is a full length, stand alone thriller/ mystery.
Rowan is a single mom soon to be 40 and suffers froma bad breakup when in the blink of an eye her whole world is put upside down.
Told in multiple povs, this book gripped me and the story didn't let me go. So yes, I wanted to take just a peek and now, hours later I read the last page, am happy for the hea, hard earned and well deserved hea.
I recommend the book, 5 stars.
Blurb: Rowan Gallagher is a devoted single mother and a talented architect with a high-profile commission restoring an historic mansion for the most powerful family in Maine. But inside, she’s a mess. She knows that online following her ex’s avatar all over Portland on her phone isn't the healthiest way to heal from their breakup. But she’s out of ice cream and she's sick of romcoms.
Watching his every move is both fascinating and infuriating. He's dining out while she's wallowing on the couch. The last straw comes when he parks in their favorite spot on the waterfront. In a weak moment, she leashes the dog and sets off to see who else is in his car.
Instead of catching her ex in a kiss, Rowan becomes the first witness to his dead—and the primary suspect.
But Rowan isn’t the only one keeping secrets. As she digs for the truth, she discovers the dead man was stalking her too, gathering intimate details about her job and her past.

4.5 ⭐️ read !

An ex-boyfriend, a murder, a rich family with secrets. What more could you ask for? Bowen had me hooked into this story from the beginning.
Rowan & Natalie were such a relatable mother/daughter duo and their story will keep you on the edge of your seat.
When I say my jaw DROPPED while reading the twists, I mean dropped.

One of my favorite reads this year & highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for the advanced ebook for my review.

4.25 Stars 🌟

I have to first mention that I am a fan of Ms. Bowen - specifically her romances, which is what she is known for. She did come out with a thriller type book last year (The Five Year Lie) which I did enjoy. I was looking forward to this book - her first official foray into more of a suspense/thriller - and I was not disappointed.

We are introduced to Rowan Gallagher. She is an architect and single mother of a 15-year-old daughter. She has a 2-year contract to renovate a historic mansion for one of the founding families of the state of Maine. A job that she loves, and she also works alongside and for one of those founding families who just happen to be the owner of the mansion.

Things begin to get crazy when her new boyfriend (Tim) breaks it off with her out of the blue and then a few days later, she happens to be the one to find his dead body. Dead body, you say? Yep, and he was parked in the driveway of her place of employment (yes, the Mansion). He had been shot to death.

Then, things begin to fall apart for Rowan when her ex-boyfriend and father of her child moves back into town. The last time she saw him was when her daughter was a toddler and her then boyfriend tried to kill someone in a bar. He was sentenced to prison, and while in prison, he signed away all of his parental rights. To say this throws her for a loop would be an understatement.

Unfortunately, she becomes a person of interest and when there aren't OBVIOUS other suspects for Tim's murder, the police decide to focus on Rowan's con ex-husband. He just happened to return to their small town VERY recently and does not have an alibi.

Anyway, enough of the summary. I enjoyed Rowan as an FMC. She was strong and funny but shows the cluelessness that every parent feels when their child enters the teenage years, and you feel like an alien came and replaced your child. That part came through extremely realistically to me.

This story does a fantastic job of building the tension and dropping hints that may or may not lead you in the right - or wrong- direction. I did realize who the killer was, but that was AFTER thinking that it might have been several other people as the book unfolded.

So, I feel pretty comfortable saying that Ms. Bowen has done a great job with the transition to this new genre. I will be gladly looking forward to see what she comes out with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Paperbacks for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on May 13, 2025.



4.25 Stars 🌟

I have to first mention that I am a fan of Ms. Bowen - specifically her romances, which is what she is known for. She did come out with a thriller type book last year (The Five Year Lie) which I did enjoy. I was looking forward to this book - her first official foray into more of a suspense/thriller - and I was not disappointed.

We are introduced to Rowan Gallagher. She is an architect and single mother of a 15-year-old daughter. She has a 2-year contract to renovate a historic mansion for one of the founding families of the state of Maine. A job that she loves, and she also works alongside and for one of those founding families who just happen to be the owner of the mansion.

Things begin to get crazy when her new boyfriend (Tim) breaks it off with her out of the blue and then a few days later, she happens to be the one to find his dead body. Dead body, you say? Yep, and he was parked in the driveway of her place of employment (yes, the Mansion). He had been shot to death.

Then, things begin to fall apart for Rowan when her ex-boyfriend and father of her child moves back into town. The last time she saw him was when her daughter was a toddler and her then boyfriend tried to kill someone in a bar. He was sentenced to prison, and while in prison, he signed away all of his parental rights. To say this throws her for a loop would be an understatement.

Unfortunately, she becomes a person of interest and when there aren't OBVIOUS other suspects for Tim's murder, the police decide to focus on Rowan's con ex-husband. He just happened to return to their small town VERY recently and does not have an alibi.

Anyway, enough of the summary. I enjoyed Rowan as an FMC. She was strong and funny but shows the cluelessness that every parent feels when their child enters the teenage years, and you feel like an alien came and replaced your child. That part came through extremely realistically to me.

This story does a fantastic job of building the tension and dropping hints that may or may not lead you in the right - or wrong- direction. I did realize who the killer was, but that was AFTER thinking that it might have been several other people as the book unfolded.

So, I feel pretty comfortable saying that Ms. Bowen has done a great job with the transition to this new genre. I will be gladly looking forward to see what she comes out with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Paperbacks for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on May 13, 2025.

A few months ago I read this author's last book, The Five Year Lie, and I liked it so much that I was very excited to read a new thriller by Bowen.
Unfortunately, this new book didn't work so well for me.
At first I was enjoying it. The setting, the ambience, the mystery of who murdered Tim, and how the 3 POVs would end up being connected in the end of the story. I liked the whole idea of it. I was in for it.
But, sadly, I didn't particularly like the main character, Rowan, or anyone else in this story, really. And if I can't connect or care about any characters in a book, I simply cannot enjoy my reading experience. What's more, the fact that this is a very slow-paced mystery didn't help my enjoyment of it.
The writing also bothered me. Some sentences are repeated several times, which only made me even more bored with this book.
In the end, I just didn't care for what was going on, whether Rowan would find out who was Tim's killer or not.
There is also a ghost presence within the mansion - which we could say it is a character in this book, that initially caught my attention, but then it got forgotten and only in the penultimate chapter it got mentioned again.
I'm really sad to not have enjoyed this book, but I'm sure other readers will like it.
I'd recommend it to anyone who has read a book by this author before and enjoyed it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I had to keep turning the pages because I was dying to find out what happened next!

This thriller kept me invested in both the mystery and the characters.

I loved that the mansion was a character of its own, and brought so much to the plot and the atmosphere of the novel.

I dove right into this book because I am becoming a huge fan of Sarina's thrillers and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed that we got multiple POV's. I was one with Rowan while she and Natalie did their detective work. It will have you going down a rabbit hole to get the answers. You try to connect the missing pieces. I was tricked somewhat throughout the book with a certain pov. There is some twisted stuff going on at the mansion, it took me till the end to correlate these key players but when it clicked, it left me flabbergasted. It was so well done! I was completely wrong in my assumptions. I loved that Harrison and Rowan made their way back to each other and the relationship he has with Natalie. I was shocked as to who the killer was and the why along with the clever way of setting up plans in motion for Rowan. Overall, a great read!

I really wanted to like this book since it was set in Maine, the author did a wonderful job of capturing how Portland, Maine is.
I felt like the beginning was really good and then it just dragged on, it started out fast paced and then just kind of fizzled out.
I really liked the 5 year lie so I went into that thinking it would be the same as that book.
There was a few different POVs in this book which kept it interesting

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks Publishing for the ARC of this book!