Rowan is an architect currently working on restoring a mansion for a very wealthy family. As a single mom to a teenager her main focus is work and Natalie. Her ex went to prison after a violent episode and has not been in their lives. Rowan meets a sweet and charming guy at her favorite coffee shop and decides to give him a chance. after multiple dates she is really feeling this guy until he completely ghosts her with no explanation. after dwelling for days she still has his location and decides to just see where he is. she notices he is near her neighborhood and decides to take her dog to go scope out the situation and see if there is another woman. when she approaches his car everything changes. he's dead. shot himself in the end. traumatized she has no choice but to get to the bottom of what happened. when the police start pointing the finger at her she has to protect herself and with her ex out of prison and back in town things are getting messy. this book had me on the edge of my seat and i absolutely enjoyed every moment of it.

What a ride this book was! I love a book that is unpredictable, I was not able to predict what would happen next 😱 Rowan is an architect who was recently broken up with by her boyfriend, still hung up over the breakup she remembers she has his location information on her phone and sees that he’s just down the road at the spot where they used to park for some alone time. Rowan wants to confront him but also wants their run it to appear accidental so she takes her dog on a walk but when she gets there she finds his dead body inside of his car. This was a five star for me up until the last 1/4 which I felt was rushed, the build up was intense and then it all wrapped up so fast, I loved the read and I will read more of Sarina’s books in the future.

I will say I adore Sarina Bowen as a romance author, AND I've also come to love the thrills and feels she write in this lane. Long ago, Rowan's ex gave him access to his phone location. And now that they've broken up, Rowan is still seeing where he's at - This habit really takes a turn when actually going to a spot he's at results in her finding him murdered. From there, Rowan has to figure out what got him to there, especially as there is suspicion on her as the murderer. She starts to realize he had some secrets of his own, and now she's got figure out just what the heck was going on! I really liked how this story was built around Rowan, her daughter, and another woman as narrators and with their individual (and collective) stories. The twists and clues were a good little ride, and it was a nice mystery to have in my life. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this May 2025 release.

YESSSS! The spooky mansion thriller I've been waiting for. I literally could not put it down. Twists and turns around every corner, reminded me of some of my favorite thrillers (think Riley Sager). I read back my annotations and I guessed no less than six separate scenarios, way to keep me on my toes!

This was another great thriller from Sarina Bowen. A fast paced and intriguing mystery with the story told from multiple viewpoints.

I really enjoyed this and flew through it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Sarina Bowen, one of my favorite romance authors, is now easily becoming one of my favorite mystery thriller authors.

Dying to Meet You introduces us to Rowan, an architect in charge of the high-profile restoration of a historic mansion in Maine. She's also a single mother who has recently found herself dumped via text. Still hung up on what could have been, she keeps virtual tabs on her ex and soon finds herself discovering his dead body in the parking lot of her work site.

What sets this thriller apart is the depth of character development that Bowen can achieve while also unraveling a satisfying murder mystery. I barely put this book down once I started it and found myself just as invested in what happened to Rowan as I did in figuring out who killed her mysterious ex-boyfriend. Highly recommend this one!

Sarina Bowen becoming one of my thriller authors was not on my bingo card but here we are! Her mysteries are like intricate puzzles that are so much fun to piece together while still carrying a lot of heart. I think a lot of mystery/thrillers these days skimp on likable characters and Bowen is really able to balance interesting plots with great characters.

I do wish the ending had been a little less rushed and that we'd had more time to digest all the reveals and motives.

This book was so good! I am absolutely a fan of Sarina Bowen writing suspense.

Rowan's easy life is suddenly in shambles. Her boyfriend breaks up with her through text and refused to talk to her about it. Her daughter is sneaking around behind her back and visiting with her father who has recently been released from prison. During some light stalking of her ex she finds his dead body and is now the prime suspect in his murder.

This book was so great! I was so invested in the mystery of "who done it". I could not put this book down the twist caught me so off guard. The use of multiple points of view made the mystery even more intriguing.

There were so many twists and turns, and the pieces start falling together one by one. Even though I was able to start connecting the dots it was not until THAT chapter that everything clicked!!! It was like someone turned a lightbulb on. I was so surprised!

Harrison, Rowan's daughters' father, might have been my favorite character. I wanted to wrap him up in a big hug. The way he was so selfless and accepted all blame and criticism was so good. His concern for his rescue cat was probably the thing that sent me over the edge for him. I have a soft spot for men who loves cats. I was rooting for him the entire book; I wanted so badly for him to get a second chance with everyone.

This is my second suspense written by Sabrina Bowen and the just keep getting better. I am hoping that this is not the last!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this title. This is my very honest review.

Dying to Meet You was a fun thriller about a woman named Rowan who finds her ex dead and then becomes involved in the case. There was some slow spots and some twists. Overall the writing was amazing and the ending was great.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks Publishing for the ARC of Dying to Meer You, by Sarina Bowen. I really enjoyed this story about Rowan and architect who is contracted to work on an historic mansion. The mansion’s history is very concerning, workers at the site claim to see ghosts, and then one night Tim, Rowan’s ex is killed in the parking lot. Who killed Tim, what significance is it that he was killed by the mansion? A fast paced thriller you are sure to enjoy!

While I love the Portland setting and the gorgeous historic mansion, the story didn't read like the suspenseful thriller I expected. The mystery took too long to get moving, and the plot lines around Rowan's job and daughter just didn't hold my attention. I'm so bummed that this was a DNF for me, but it looks like it's a strong fit for many other reviewers.

read if you like:
🏰 haunted mansions
👥 family dramas
🗣️ whodunnits

summary:
This book quickly became one of my favorite reads of 2024! It tells the story of Rowen Gallagher, a single mother and architect overseeing the restoration of a historic mansion for a wealthy, influential family in Maine. Fresh out of a relationship with a man named Tim, Rowen struggles to move on, obsessively checking his location on the FindFriend app and wondering if he’s already replaced her. One fateful evening, in a moment of impulsivity, she decides to “accidentally” run into him. She takes her dog for a walk toward the mansion, where she believes Tim is, only to stumble upon a chilling discovery—Tim, murdered in his car. His death triggers an intense police investigation, and Rowen becomes entangled in the case. Determined to clear her name and seek justice for Tim, she dives headfirst into the mystery, uncovering far more than she expected.

The description can’t even adequately describe how good this story is. It alternates POV’s between Rowen, Natalie, her daughter and one of the homeowner’s assistants. There are multiple storylines running throughout the book — Tim’s murder, the return of Natalie’s ex-con father from prison, and the assistant’s dynamic with her boss, all of which I loved. I also loved the relationship between Rowen and Natalie, and the mother-daughter dynamics. For someone with a lot of empathy, this book hits hard — and really forces you to think about, on what terms would you have or not have empathy for someone’s journey? There are so many red herrings throughout the book but you will NOT see the end coming. It’s brilliantly told, explained and backed up, and as someone who loves a well thought out ending, this book did it for me!

Thanks so much to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and NetGalley for the advanced copy, and you absolutely need to read this when it releases on May 12!

I really liked the Five Year Lie so I was excited to read this new one! It was really good. Definitely a good mystery read. I will continue to read Sarina Bowen’s books!

DYING TO MEET YOU is a carefully plotted and thoroughly engaging thriller. The pacing feels slightly off (could have been tighter/shorter), and at times I questioned what Rowan was doing, but overall these issues did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. Bowen's writing is consistently entertaining and the ending is satisfying. I recommend this novel for fans of suspense novels and thrillers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Paperbacks for allowing me access to this ebook! I loved this year previous book so this one was on my TBR for next year and I was not disappointed!
Rowan Gallagher, a single mom and architect, is struggling to move on from her ex, resorting to stalking his whereabouts online. One night, curiosity gets the better of her, and she becomes the first witness to his murder—and the prime suspect. As Rowan fights to clear her name, she uncovers unsettling truths about her ex, including his obsession with her life. Now, she must unravel a dangerous conspiracy before she becomes the next victim.
This thriller had me hooked from the very first chapter! The plot was gripping, and the way the author brought Portland to life was incredible. Just like in her debut, the setting feels so vivid and real—even though I’ve never been to Maine!

thank you net galley for the arc copy of this book. things i liked about the book, the pacing, the tension.loved the eerie mystery vibes. never read any thing by this author but i enjoyed this story.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had me on the edge of my seat from the first page and was hooked with what was going on. I thought it was a great domestic thriller novel and had that character development perfectly. Sarina Bowen has a strong writing style and was invested in what was going on. I enjoyed getting to read this and am excited for more.

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 stalking 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 murder and the primary suspect! Great read! This book had great suspense, murder, mystery, fascinating characters, intriguing, a great who done it and some wild twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

’m used to Bowen’s romances, so this was a new genre for me. The book started off strong and had me hooked from the start. I paid attention to everyone, trying to figure out who killed the ex boyfriend, Tim. Was it somehow Rowan? Natalie? The Wincotts? Somewhere halfway through, the pacing fell off for me. It was a really long build up, for everything to be wrapped up fairly quickly. I wasn’t totally invested in the reason or story behind why Tim was killed. This wasn’t a bad novel at all, I just prefer a little more action and twists. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.