I was so excited to open Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen.
The writing was sharp and at a perfect pace that kept me interested.
This author does an excellent job of creating an atmospheric setting that adds to the tension of the story.
The writing itself is well done, and the pace keeps you turning pages.
The author's ability to create suspenseful settings and well-written characters makes this book worth reading. The setting & descriptions really put the reader in the action.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Dying to Meet You was an engaging read with suspense, mystery and with some second chance romance added in. Rowan is an architect working on an old mansion. Her boyfriend recently broke up with her and she didn't know why. She happens upon him murdered and the book chronicles her interactions with police as she tries to clear her name and put the pieces of the puzzle together to find the actual murderer.

I found the story line to be intersting and unique (I am mostly a romance reader). I thought the story was well written. I do think it was a little slow in the middle part of the book and was at times hard to stay invested. Overall it was a good read, and I would recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was an atmospheric, twisty and suspenseful book. A single mother and an architect becomes a suspect of the murder of her ex, Tim. Because she was first to witness him unalive in his car. While he broke up over the text and it was unsettling for her so she stalks him and finds him in their spot, she go there to check who he is with but a twist of fate and he turns out to be dead. The haunting mansion which she was restoring certainly added a layer of mystery and then another mystery unfolded. The book has some twists, i didn’t see coming and truth was twisted. The ending was jaw dropping. Expect the in unexpected, secrets, mystery, twists, shocking revelations at the end, investigation and so much more. You will devour this book

Thanks to the Publisher.

Thank you, Harper Perennial and NetGalley, for my eARC of Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I enjoyed this thriller and had a good time following along as we figure out who murdered Rowan's ex. I liked how Bowen intertwined all of the elements in the story together so that several characters and the mansion were connected. While I enjoyed the twists and turns, I wasn't super surprised about the ending. Some of the things Rowan did while she was investigating felt a little far-fetched. I think the most memorable character for me was Rowan's ex-husband, which was a bit disappointing. Despite not really connecting with the characters, I couldn't put this one down because I needed to know what happened next.

Thanks, Harper!

Definitely a 5-star read!
This one hooked me right from the start. Rowan is juggling a tough new job while dealing with a fresh breakup, and following her ex probably isn’t her best move, but she just can’t let it go. When she finds him dead, things spiral fast. She gets pulled into the investigation and starts uncovering layers of secrets that connect not only to him but to her own life in ways she never expected.

This was such a fast paced thriller with twist after twist. Just when I thought I had it figured out, something new would pop up. I flew through it and would absolutely recommend if you love thrillers that keep you guessing.

This slow-burn thriller blends suspense with a touch of second-chance romance, and it does so with a thoughtful hand. While it moves at a gentler pace than many thrillers, the writing is sharp and engaging, striking a solid balance between tension and emotional depth.

The Portland, Maine setting gave the story a vivid sense of place, and the addition of a creepy old mansion brought just the right amount of eerie atmosphere to the plot. It helped ground the mystery while also enhancing the overall mood of the book.

If you enjoy thrillers that lean more into character development and emotional stakes than constant action, this one is worth picking up.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A fun thriller about a single mom, her snarky teen, the murder of mom’s boyfriend-with-secrets, and a cast of others who all might have done it. And there’s a twist!

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller! It has murder, mystery, and twists that kept me guessing until the end. I am so glad I didn't have the ending. Great read!

I am definitely looking forward to reading more by Sarina Bowen!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Netgalley.

I enjoyed this mystery set in a smaller town. Rowan is a single mom trying to raise her daughter and make her name be known as an architect. She’s working on an old mansion trying to restore it accurately and on a budget. She breaks up with her boyfriend and a few days later he is found dead. Also, her ex is out of prison and comes back to her town. I enjoyed the ex and actually felt for him trying to get dad to a daughter he didn’t raise. I predicted the suspect but enjoyed the book nonetheless. I loved Lickie, the family dog!

I've read and enjoyed several Sarina Bowen books so I grabbed this book when I saw it. The cover wasn't only attractive, I knew the exact location of that lighthouse, having lived several years in the Portland, Maine area. I got a special kick out of knowing many of the locations in the book.

Rowan is an architect and she's got a fascinating project. She's working on renovating an historic house that has an interesting history, beautiful lines and hidden paintings on the walls. It had been transformed from the home of a wealthy family to a home for unwed mothers, and now it's being refreshed and brought back to life.

It's still in the hands of the original family and there is so much history within those walls - not all of it wholesome. Rowan had been seeing a new man and although they had been lovers, she wasn't in love with him. But when he dumped her by text, she was hurt. Within a few days, she finds him murdered on the mansion property. She comes under suspicion.

Additionally. the father of her daughter has been released from prison and she wants him to stay away from both of them. Of course, he shows up in Portland.

There are so many interesting turns and hidden secrets exposed in this story. It turns out that I did figure out who dunnit. The book was so much fun to read. I recommend it.

I have always read Sarina Bowen is a romance author and I'm usually more a romance girl but thrillers have peaked my interests lately. I've loved tons of her romance style stories so I thought I'd give this one a go.

The story started off great and built up to mystery and suspense. I was on edge the entirety of the book trying to decide in which direction it was going to go.

The characters were great. I enjoyed how it all unfolded and kept you dying for more.

It's always great to see an author you've known for so long for one thing try at something else and do well at it. I can definitely see myself reading anything she releases. I was impressed as always.

Oooh this is a fun domestic thriller! From the outside Rowan Gallagher is a successful, strong single mother. Her little secret is she spies on & stalks her ex. She bored & he seems to be moving on with no issues. One night when he parks at what used to be “their” spot, she lets her dog off the leash. Instead of finding him with another woman, she finds his body & ends entangled in the investigation. There’s slight gothic overtones due mainly to the mansion she’s helping to restore. It’s history, the family that own it & the fact that it was once a boarding house for unwed mothers all lend to that. As the investigation goes on Rowan learns things she didn’t know about her ex & her own past starts popping up at the same time. Needless to say, she’s goes through a lot. You get to see a couple other viewpoints besides hers, I wasn’t sure where they were going exactly but they eventually are tied together adeptly. Overall this is a good murder mystery, that will keep readers entertained.

📱

Read if you like:
* For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing
* The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

I was so enthralled by this book that I didn't want to put it down. As it rotated between 3 POV, I couldn't wait to get to the next chapter to see what was going to happen next. This had some twists that I guessed, which I thought was a big one, ok? And it turned out to be a big one BUT there was one that turned out to be bigger and I was left dumbstruck. I can't give too much away but I will say, this is one of the best thrillers I have read in a while. I love all of Sarina's books and I am so glad she is jumping into another genre and really excelling at it because it just adds to her range as and author.
Thanks to Harper, Netgalley and Sarina for an early copy.

A gripping domestic suspense that had me hooked from the very first chapter.
It begins with a smart, complex heroine whose world unravels when she becomes the prime suspect in her ex’s murder.
Full of emotional depth, unexpected twists, buried secrets, and simmering tension, Sarina Bowen delivers a compelling, addictive read that’s impossible to put down.

Architect Rowan Gallagher is working on the restoration of a family estate and uncovers a sketchy past after her ex boyfriend is found shot in the parking lot. She becomes a murder suspect for a number of reasons, forcing her to dig deeper into family history and the past occupants of the Magdalene School for Wayward Girls.

I'm old enough to remember when places like this existed, and the school becomes a major part of this thriller. There are also some nice romantic elements with daughter's father Harrison who is a felon and also under suspicion. I have to say that Harrison was one of my favorite characters. As for Rowan, she's a likable character, but I didn't really get "architect" from her as she seems to abandon her career to solve the mystery of who killed her ex. I found the daughter to be more interesting as she is not exactly forthcoming with her mother.

There are multiple points of view in the telling of this story, one in particular that had me scratching my head at the end of the story. I was looking for a bigger payoff there, but okay, I may have to go back and re-read that part of the ending to figure it out

Overall, I liked the story. It's an easy read, but it didn't have the level of gut wrenching suspense that there could have been. I guessed the killer somewhere along the way, but that's the best part of reading a mystery/thriller. Entertaining.

Sarina Bowen est une autrice que je lis énormément en romance et j'étais donc intriguée de la lire en thriller. J'ai beaucoup aimé creuser le passé des personnages et tenter de découvrir ce qu'ils cachaient. L'ambiance sera pesante, les doutes bien présents et on retient son souffle jusque la fin.

Rowan Gallagher est une femme de 40 ans qui élève seule sa fille de 16, Natalie. Elle vivait une vie assez paisible malgré les épreuves mais tout cela va changer une nuit, après une découverte macabre. En effet, Tim Kovak, son ex petit ami a été retrouvé mort dans sa voiture, non loin du manoir où elle a été engagé pour le rénover. De découvertes en découvertes, on va se poser des questions sur ses mensonges, ses secrets. De plus, quand son ex mari, Harrison, va être accusé, les tensions seront encore plus intenses. Le passé familial des divers personnages aura un impact évident sur le présent et cette enquête qui va réserver de grandes surprises.

J'ai aimé chercher les indices et découvrir ce que nos héros cachent. Certains vont nous énerver car leur comportement est vraiment problématique. Je ne dirai pas leurs noms car ils font partie du dénouement et donc je ne veux rien dévoiler. Pour un autre personnage, j'ai compris un autre aspect, un peu plus tard et cela m'a donné les clés pour résoudre cette énigme car ce n'est qu'à ce moment là que j'ai compris les tenants et les aboutissants.

Natalie est aussi un personnage car elle nous montre qu'il faut parfois croire aux secondes chances et savoir rebondir suite à nos erreurs. Elle est mature pour son âge et même si elle va commettre quelques impairs et je dirais que c'est logique vu son âge. Elle a une belle relation avec sa mère et cela leur permettra d'avancer et de se soutenir.

Bref, j'ai vraiment apprécié ce thriller, ce qui nous change des romances hockeys de l'autrice. Elle a réussi le pari de nous emmener au coeur des tensions et des secrets pour en venir à un dénouement final palpitant.

Sarina did it again! An exciting thriller that keeps you guessing all through the book. Different stories intertwined along with the main story that all conclude in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Dying To Meet You by Sarina Bowen is a multilayered and gripping domestic thriller that is well written and will have you staying up way too late! This book does deal with some sensitive topics including: violence, teen pregnancy, mention of sexual harassment, and death.

Rowan Gallagher is an architect and devoted single mom trying to balance her personal life with her high profile commission restoring a historic mansion. At work she knows the difference between balusters and spindles, but relationship wise she has no clue what she is doing wrong. Her daughters father is a felon, and she just recently was broken up with by an investigative journalist named Tim. All out of ice cream and sick of watching trashy t.v. Rowan finds a new hobby. Following her ex on an app called FriendFinder. So when one night she sees on the app that Tim is outside of the mansion where she works, she is upset. That was their spot together, did he really take a new girl to their place? Off to confront Tim, Rowan walks the short distance to the mansion, but what she sees is worse than Tim with another woman. Because Tim is dead in his car. Now Rowan finds herself in the middle of a homicide investigation, and with the police looking her way, Rowan needs to figure out what really happened. But the more she digs for answers, the bigger the target is on her back.

From the very beginning of this book I was intrigued. The plot is full of tension and packed with hidden secrets. The way Bowen writes her characters is brilliant, adding in genuine emotions and vulnerabilities to make them realistic. I loved the mother/daughter dynamic with Rowan and Natalie. And of course, a little second chance romance thrown in never hurts!! This was the first book by Bowen that I have read and it is safe to say it's not my last!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarina Bowen, and Harper Perennial for this ARC!! Publication date is May 13th 2025.

I have been reading Sarina Bowen for a long time and love her books. Now she is giving us thrillers and I am all here for them. In Dying to Meet You, we get a story with secrets, twists and turns and I devoured it. We meet Rowan, a single mother, with a recent breakup who may be stalking her ex. But when she finds said ex murdered, her entire life is turned upside down. Now she is discovering things and trying to prove her innocence.

We also learn about a mansion she is restoring, who was almost a character in itself. We learn of the secrets of the house and its inhabitants. What is the truth and will she discover it before it’s too late? I was captivated from start to finish.

Happy reading!

I literally felt like Nancy Drew trying to figure out who done it.
I loved the story, the plot, the characters, I loved it all. I do love me a good o'l fashion mystery every now and again.
Rowan was just trying to make a new life for herself and her daughter when she suddenly finds herself smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation. She finds herself unraveling a web of lies that a very old wealthy family has carefully woven throughout the years. She also finds herself face to face with the father of her child who had long extracted himself from their lives, but now he is willing to fight to have his family back. I highly recommend this book to EVERYONE!