Thank you #partner @bibliolifystyle @harperperennial and @sarina.bowen for sending me this book!

Can you imagine receiving a text from your boyfriend who has been dead for five years in the middle of an important meeting? That is what happened to Ariel. When she finds out it was a glitch, she starts investigating to finds out there is more to Drew and his death than she thought.

I would call this book romantic thriller. It goes from past and present timelines, Drew’s POV to Ariel’s, to a mystery person, I loved trying to figure out who it was! It was a slow burn that was able to keep my attention. I got attached to Ariel’s character and her pain and vulnerability.

This book is being compared to The Last Thing He Told Me, so if you are a fan of that one, pick THIS one up!

I loved the premise of this book. The beginning pulled me in right away, and I was excited about where the story would take me.

The character development was great, with us really getting to know the main characters. The story is told in two POVs and a dual timeline, which I liked. Dual timelines and dual POVs are the best of both worlds for me.

I enjoy a good romantic suspense, so the romance components didn’t bother me. What did bother me was the slow pacing of the story. I would call this a slow burn. It didn’t really pick up until the 60% mark, and there was a lot of unnecessary fluff in my opinion. I feel this book could have been shorter, and it would’ve been more interesting if a lot of the fluff was left out.

Overall, the book held my attention, and I was entertained enough to want to know what would happen at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This one was a lot of fun and a super interesting concept for a thriller. The love story intertwined in the mystery is great and the author definitely establishes emotional investment in the characters. The split POV between past and present was appreciated and I thought the broader look at privacy and surveillance was very compelling. I would definitely recommend this one and will look for more of Bowen's work.

Thank you Harper Perennial and Netgalley for the eARC.

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.