
Member Reviews

I was so excited to read Dying To Meet You because it was a different genre for a romance author that I always enjoy and this story was a fun, engaging read. When Rowan’s boyfriend ends their relationship, she finds herself tracking him on a phone app and decides to follow him one night. She finds him dead and what follows is a twisty, whodunit with multiple suspects and surprise connections galore.
In addition to the thrilling suspense in this story, I loved watching the development of Rowan’s relationship with her daughter, Natalie and her daughter’s father, Harrison. The character growth for all three added to the dimension and helped me really connect to the story. There are so many secrets to unravel throughout this captivating mystery and I enjoyed trying to figure out the clues. Dying To Meet You was a satisfying, suspenseful read and once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down.

this is such a good book! It is scary and eerie, makes you wonder if the men in your own life are who they claim to be.... It was chilling and kept me tense while reading. The twists and turns were good, I liked it and it kept me entertained!!
Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

I love when one of my favorite romance authors switches up genres and writes a thriller - AND does it successfully not one but TWO times! Dying to Meet You was a fun and thrilling read. It had my attention from the first page and kept me intrigued the entire I was reading it. I loved how the plot was set up. The mystery unraveled in an entertaining and suspenseful way. The multiple points of view were great and added to the suspense of the story. One even managed to surprise me a bit when it probably shouldn't have. If you enjoy mysteries and thrillers, I recommend Dying to Meet You. It's a lot of fun. I hope Bowen continues the thriller streak after this book.

I will read anything Sarina Bowen writes. While she’s typically a romance author, I’m loving this thriller/mystery era she’s been in! I read her previous book Five Year Lie and loved it and I think she outdid herself with this new book! I loved it even more than the first.
Dying To Meet You kept me on my toes the entire time. I kept trying to figure out the murder and the ending really surprised me. I thought it was so creative and well done! Honestly this would make for such an amazing book club pick.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the free eARC!
Rowan is single mother, and an architect who is working on restoring a mansion in Portland, Maine. She had been dating Tim, an investigative journalist, for a few months when he suddenly broke up with Rowan. A few days after that, Tim winds up murdered outside of the mansion that Rowan is currently working on restoring.
Rowan finds herself becoming a suspect in this murder, and she has to start investigating on her own, because the police insist that she, or her former boyfriend, and ex-con, Harrison may be involved.
This was a very good read! Very likable and relatable characters, and nothing that’s too wild or unbelievable. It’s very grounded, and had a very satisfying ending. Definitely recommended!

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.