2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for an advanced copy of Dying To Meet You.

Rowan is a single mother of a teenager daughter and she has just recently been dumped. She has still been stalking him through the find a friend app and when she sees that he is sitting outside of her workplace one night she takes her dog in a walk to see what he is doing there. But when she finds him dead her world is turned upside down.

This book had so much potential but fell way flat for me. The characters and plot were all over the place and the book could have been way shorter. It also bothers me when the title has nothing to do with the book. I was not a fan.

Talk about a super twisty thriller. Rowan gets dumped, her ex turns up dead and she has normal parental drama from her 15year old daughter Natalie. This story has so many twists and turns that I couldn't put it down. Finding out that her ex, Harrison is in town throws Rowan for a complete loop. So much happens that I you couldn't figure out who killed Rowans boyfriend until a lot later on in the story. I loved that there was a few points of view. Seriously amazing, awesome and spell binding must read.

Dying to Meet You

I loved this domestic thriller, Sarina Bowen delves into the complexities of relationships and the secrets they harbor. The story follows Rowan Gallagher, a single mother and architect, who becomes entangled in a murder investigation after discovering her ex-boyfriend’s body outside the historic mansion she’s restoring. As she navigates the ensuing chaos, Rowan uncovers unsettling truths about her ex’s past and her own family’s hidden connections to the mansion’s history.
I really loved Rowan & Natalie’s relationship &&& the addition of Harrison. I enjoyed the final twist…well done!
Dying to Meet You is a compelling read for fans of character-driven mysteries with emotional resonance. Bowen’s transition from a little bit of romance to suspense is both successful and promising.

Intense, deft, and suspenseful!

Dying to Meet You is a tortuous, simmering tale that introduces us to Rowan Gallagher, a successful architect who, after tracking her ex-boyfriend through his phone to the historical mansion she’s currently working on, suddenly becomes the number one suspect in his death when she happens to be the unfortunate one who stumbles across his bloodied body.

The writing is fluid and tight. The characters are vulnerable, consumed, and multilayered. And the plot is an intricate tale of deception, manipulation, secrets, suspicions, revelations, drama, entangled pasts, mayhem, and murder.

Overall, Dying to Meet You is another ominous, gripping, twisty whodunit by Bowen that does a wonderful job of reminding us that things are never as straightforward as they seem.

A single mother, a dead ex boyfriend, and an ex-con baby daddy. Rowan is walking her dog one night when she stumbles upon her ex boyfriend's dead body. There are multiple POVs. I liked that she was an architect and the old mansion setting. All the characters are really likable. They're not dumb like in most thrillers. The old money family drama was entertaining. I have to say I was confused by the ending until I read some other reviews.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the e-arc.

Thank you Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the DRC of Dying to Meet You! All opinions in this review are my own.

This is the thriller I have been waiting for! I have been trying to find a thriller that is twisty and shocking, and thankfully Dying to Meet You met those requirements! I even thought I was going to be able to guess the ending but I was way off! I can't wait to read more thrillers by Sarina Bowen!

This was my first time reading this author, and I really enjoyed the writing style. The story was engaging with just a touch of romance, though I’d categorize it more as a mystery than a thriller. Unfortunately, the ending felt anticlimactic and a bit confusing—I’m left with so many unanswered questions."

Ah, what just happened? I spent a good portion of the book trying to figure out how all of these characters were connected. Then the last few chapters brought it together, and it was so so good. Dying to Meet You is part thriller, a little spooky, with a romance sub-plot and I adored it. No spoilers, but buckle up, buttercup, there's so much coming.

On the surface, Rowan Gallagher has it all. She’s a successful architect specializing in historic renovation and she’s been hired by a wealthy, powerful Maine family to restore their family mansion. But that’s only on the surface. Underneath, Rowan is a single mother to Natalie. She never married the girl’s father and he has been in prison since Natalie was a toddler. Rowan had been seeing journalist Tim Kovak and thought the relationship was becoming serious until he broke up with her by text. Now she’s reduced to stalking him by phone app. And that’s what leads her to discover his body almost immediately after he is murdered. Of course, she’s now the number one suspect. What else could go wrong? Well, her husband is out of prison, on parole and working nearby and he wants to see his daughter. Someone is following her. Her boss is an exacting, angry, lecherous man. Oh, and the mansion may be haunted.

Dying to Meet You is an exciting, twisty thriller! I loved it! Sarina Bowen has created very real characters, especially Rowan, Harrison and the feisty Natalie. The creepy, possibly haunted mansion gives you chills. The plot is convoluted and tricks you at every turn. And how could you not love a dog called Lick Jagger? 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGallley, Harper Perennial and Sarina Bowen for this ARC.

Diabolically twisty ... but in such a down-to-earth way! Sarina Bowen is turning on the angst and is sure to delight her mystery fans with Rowan Gallagher's story. We get a very natural connection with the storyline and characters before things begin to take a turn and we are thrust into a mystery we don't see coming. I really enjoyed Rowan and her story. She's easy to like, her peril is well-developed and we get a story of family in addition to the mystery going on in the forefront. Loved every minute!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a whodunnit with lots of twists with likable characters and bits of family along the way.

I knew Sarina Bowen can write some of my favourite romance books over the years but her writing thrillers that had me on the edge of my seat wasn’t in my bingo cards and am here for it all. I loved this book so much. It flows from the get go with the first chapter’s opening and never lets go until the last page. I had so many theories made up with each new chapter that my head was spinning and I couldn’t put it down. The mystery surrounding Tim’s death just kept getting deeper and more compelling because that backstory kept getting better and better. And I can’t leave out the second chance romance that I was rooting for right from the moment it made its appearance. It feels like reading an older Nora Roberts book , a story full of secrets , suspense and love, things that I always love so much in my books and everyone should read it.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

Just finished reading an advanced copy of a book that is being released on May 13th called, Dying To Meet You. This was about Rowan, she's an architect who is currently restoring an old mansion for a wealthy family. When her boyfriend abruptly dumps her, she copes by eating all the ice cream in her house and watching his location on an app. When he goes to "their spot" late one night, which also just happens to be her job site, she feels betrayed he would take another girl there. So she goes to check it out, and instead of finding him with someone else, she finds him dead in his car. And now she's just become the prime suspect in his murder. This was a really enjoyable thriller! I enjoyed how it had multiple POVs of characters throughout this story, I liked the way things weaved together, and I loved the twists this story had! I really enjoyed this one! 🩵📚

Thank you to the author and to the publisher for this ARC of Dying To Meet You, in exchange for an honest review.

Phew, this was a wild ride! Rowan Gallagher is an architect working to renovate a historic mansion in Maine. A single mom to a teenage daughter, Rowan is upset and confused by her recent ex, Tim, who suddenly broke up with her without warning a few days ago. A little too hooked to the “find my phone” function of her phone (only occasionally, okay?), Rowan is following Tim one night when she stumbles upon him murdered… now she is enmeshed in a murder investigation in which she is a prime suspect. But who killed Tim, and is Rowan next?

This book kept me guessing the whole way through, and I was wrong 100% of the time. It’s beyond engaging, addictive, and obsessively readable. Rowan is a mother that I so relate to, and her relationship with her daughter, Natalie, really drew me in. I do wish the backstory of Natalie’s father’s imprisonment was explained further (yeah, that’s a twisty side story), but maybe I’m just too nosy. Either way, I was glued to every page.

Dying to Meet You was my first read of Sarina Bowen’s, and it’s safe to say I will be reading her backlist. Looking for your next domestic thriller, or need to get out of a reading slump? Pick this book up!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the gifted eARC!

Rowan is an architect working on restoring a historic mansion in Maine. She's a single mother to a teenager, Natalie. Shortly after Rowan's boyfriend Tim dumps her, she finds him dead from a gunshot in front of the mansion. Now she's under suspicion for his murder, but soon finds that there are a lot of people with secrets, including those hidden in the mansion's nefarious history.

This was definitely a character driven mystery with a lot of suspense. I really liked Rowan as a character. There were some shocking twists that I didn't expect, so it really kept me guessing. The pacing picked up at the end as things were slowly revealed and the twists and turns came at you. A fun psychological thriller!

Loved this! It doesn’t matter what genre she writes in, Sarina Bowen continues to write the most engaging, entertaining, compulsively readable novels.

This one is a domestic thriller, about an architect involved in a police investigation after her ex boyfriend ends up dead at her work site. She had recently been tracking him (lightly) after he previously shared his location with her, which makes her the prime suspect.

It kept me flipping through the pages to figure out what the heck was going on and what the heck the history of the house she’s restoring had to do with it all. It also has a tiny bit of romance in it which of course I loved!

This was a nice change of pace for me (reading a domestic thriller) and I really enjoyed my time reading it.

Wow! What a great read!! I am enjoying Sarina Bowen’s journey into the domestic thriller genre. The story was well written, intriguing, interesting, and addictive, with a little side of second chances. It really had me stumped which I love. Did not see that one coming!
The characters are wonderful. I was able to feel their emotions and feel different emotions towards each one of them. Not always good as you will understand as you read.
For as strong as Rowan seems to be, we get to see and feel her vulnerability, frustration, and fear. She is a great FMC. Her life is just a bit messy at the moment.
Her daughter Natalie is awesome and very important to the story and how it progresses at certain points. I love her character! And I do believe I have a bit of a crush on another certain character. You’ll know when you get there.
I loved every moment of this very entertaining story!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed “The Five Year Lie” and was excited to be approved for an ARC of Sarina Bowen’s newest domestic thriller!

Rowan is a single mother working as an architect for an old mansion full of history and secrets. Her world is turned upside down after she finds her ex boyfriend murdered. From there, she’s determined to find pieces of the puzzle, especially if it means proving her innocence.

This was full of mystery, suspense, and twists. I’m looking forward to more books by this author in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date May 13 2025

I loved previous books I have read by Sarina Bowen, this book did not disappoint. Great characters and keeps you guessing.

Dying to Meet You is an exciting thriller. The story plays fair with the facts, while keeping readers guessing with each plot twist and turn. In the end, though, it’s Sarina Bowen’s characters that make this book impossible to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Architect Rowan is upset when her recent boyfriend Tim blows her off and breaks up with her via text. Dating isn’t easy for a single mom pushing 40, and she can’t help herself when she starts stalking Tim’s location on her phone. Only, when she takes her dog Lick Jagger for a walk and intends to confront Tim near the historic home she’s renovating, she finds his body instead. Now the police are counting her as a suspect, and she begins to think she never knew much about Tim at all. Can she figure out what happened to him before the killer decides she’s getting too close?

From the beginning, this story has all the tension of a thriller. Rowan is a relatable character who’s just trying to deal with a breakup and manage her teenage daughter when her life is upended by her ex’s death. Bowen makes it seem natural that Rowan can’t help but be drawn into the mystery, even when looking for clues is clearly outside of her scope as an architect and mom.

The characters make this story engaging. Between Rowan, her daughter Natalie, Natalie’s dad Harrison, plus the house’s conservators and others, readers have a long list of characters worth rooting for. And, if that’s not enough, there is an amazing dog and cat too.

Dying to Meet You has everything I look for when I’m in the mood for a thriller. While the plot kept me guessing, the pieces all fit together into a satisfying conclusion. Add in Sarina Bowen’s fantastic characters, and you have a great mystery to read by the pool this summer.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was quickly drawn into this one right away,. It gripped me like a good thriller does. I loved the journey to find out the killer and was very invested in the plot in general.