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.

When a single mom finds her ex shot to death just down the street, it opens up a complex mystery surrounding his death. Both her daughter and ex-husband might be involved plus some strange things begin to surface at her job that may also be at play as well.

This was a really fun read! There are a lot of players involved in the plot, but everything connects together pretty well and I was not entirely sure who committed the crimes until the very end.

<i>Dying to Meet You</i> was such a build up type of story. As you continue reading, what you thought you knew gets slowly dismantled and you're left wondering what else is going to come to light. This isn't just a psychological thriller with the main character trying to uncover the mysteries surrounding her. I might argue that the main character is the looming mansion with its dark history.
Rowan is trying to live her life while building her architecture business and raise her teenage daughter when her love life (or ending of it) mixes with her career in the darkest of ways. While trying to uncover the mystery of her ex's murder on the mansion grounds to clear her own name, she uncovers a lot of bad things surrounding the mansion's past. And the people involved may be a lot closer than she seems. She truly doesn't know who to trust and is worried her daughter may have even gotten herself involved as well.
There was a lot of information to keep track of with alternating storylines and different timeframes, but it definitely kept me on my toes and I enjoyed the ride that it took me on.

I devoured this book! It was a quick easy read with a good flowing plot. Plenty of twists throughout. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review!

An interesting read that went on a little too long and had a subpar payoff, this was a decent mystery/thriller. I really liked Rowan, and identified with her type of *slightly* obsessive because she's just an anxious lady.

The story itself was interesting, but there was still a lot that felt rushed and underdeveloped. We could have had more backstory on why her ex was so interested in her in particular (if he's a journalist, wouldn't he have known the perfect person to reach out to?), or why there needed to be such violence in general.

Not my favorite thriller, but still a fun time!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sarina Bowen is an auto-read author for me. Her thrillers and romances are always page turning and addictive. Her newest, Dying to Meet You, is no exception. The pace is quick and the twists and turns keep you hooked until the very end.

Recommended!

Okay, well this book totally surprised me. I’ve read Sarina Bowen’s romances before and loved them, but this one? A full-on psychological thriller? She nailed it.

The story follows Rowan, a single mom and architect, who’s still reeling from a breakup when she finds out her ex has been murdered… and she’s the one who found the body. From there, things spiral fast. There’s a creepy old mansion, secrets from the past, and a whole lot of “who can you really trust?” vibes.

What I loved most was how real Rowan felt. She’s not perfect—she makes some questionable choices along the way but she’s also smart, strong, and trying her best to protect her daughter. The suspense builds steadily, and there were a few twists I did and also some I didn’t see coming at all. I stayed up way too late finishing it because I wanted to know how it ended. I flew through the last few chapters.

If you’re into thrillers with heart, strong female leads, and a little bit of gothic atmosphere, definitely give this one a shot. It’s different from Bowen’s usual stuff, but in the best way.

This is Sarina's second thriller, I really enjoyed the first, and I think I liked this one even more! I absolutely loved the mystery and story that Rowan is trying to uncover. I was really hooked and kept trying to piece the information together, which was a lot of fun for me. I really loved Rowan and Natalie and seeing them try to figure things out, but also cope and manage it, too. So much is thrown at both of them, and they are really put to the test of what they can handle. So many of the other characters, I was trying to figure out what their motives were, and could I trust them. I definitely did not figure out a lot of what was true and not and really enjoyed the 'aha moment' a few times. This was a fantastic read!

Thrillers are often hit or miss for me. Dying to Meet You was interesting. I was intrigued by the characters and by the plot. The pacing was steady for the most part, but had moments that were a bit slower. The writing was good, but I still felt like there was something missing. Overall this was enjoyable!