Sarina Bowen’s Dying to Meet You is the kind of thriller that doesn’t just keep you turning pages—it makes you feel every twist, every betrayal, and every moment of raw vulnerability. What struck me most was how deeply personal the story felt. Rowan Gallagher isn’t just a character; she’s a woman you root for, cry with, and sometimes want to shake as she navigates the emotional wreckage of her past.

The premise is chilling: after a devastating breakup, Rowan stumbles upon her ex’s murder—and becomes the only witness. What follows is a tense, layered mystery that explores grief, guilt, and the secrets we bury to survive. Bowen’s writing is sharp and emotionally intelligent, and she doesn’t shy away from the messy, complicated parts of healing.

And I have to say, Kathleen Early, Caitlin Kelly, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen’s narration elevates the entire experience. She brings Rowan’s pain, strength, and determination to life with such authenticity that I found myself completely immersed. Her voice added a heartbeat to the story that made it feel even more real.

This book hit me in all the right places—equal parts suspenseful and soul-stirring. If you love thrillers with emotional depth and unforgettable characters, Dying to Meet You is a must-listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book was phenomenal and I loved the characters. it was an engrossing read that included multiple POVs and kept me guessing (which is hard to do at this point). With how good this book is I will have to seek out this authors first title.
only minor complaint- the title doesn't relate to the book.

thank you to NetGalley, the author Sarina Bowen, and HarperAudio for my ARC of this audiobook.

I love a fast thriller audiobook and this one hit the mark! twisty, but not super guessable.
thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

A decent read, but not quite for me. I got confused, and I don't enjoy being able to guess plot points so early. Still, it was a pleasant read.

The narrators were excellent! 3.5

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the opportunity to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.

It was so good. Very twist and suspenseful. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it got a little confusing at the end. Rowan and Natalie’s relationship was my favorite. Their dynamic was so good together and made me think of me and my mom.

Another stunning thriller by Sarina Bowen. Dying to Meet You was a well paced, fascinating thriller. I listened to the audiobook version and it was very well done. The three narrators did a great job. The book is told mostly from Rowan's POV. The blurb is a bit misleading and I'm not sure if it was intentional or just not a great blurb. Either way, the plot itself is good and after having read the book I'm actually glad I went into the book with only the knowledge from the blurb.

I really enjoyed this book, it was entertaining with a well-developed plot and good characters. I hope Sarina Bowen writes more thrillers as I really enjoy her writing.

Thank you to Harper Audio Adult and NetGalley for this audio arc.

This was an excellent summer thriller. I didn’t guess the twist and the narrator was great!

I enjoyed Dying to Meet You, and would recommend the audio book to anyone wanting a quick read with great narrators. It was engaging and “page-turning” - in quotes because audio but I kept listening whenever I had time.

I did figure out who did it earlier than I usually do, but it didn’t take away from the story because I wanted to hear how it all unfolded. Unfortunately, the explanations didn’t entirely make sense to me. And the last chapter… sigh. But it was a great listen and I do recommend it for an easy listen!

Thank you HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I just finished listening to Dying to Meet You, written by Sarina Bowen and narrated by Kathleen Early, Caitlin Kelly, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen. It was so so so good!!! This is Bowen's 2nd suspense novel (once I submit this I am definitely downloading her first, The Five Year Lie!) though I've read many of her huge backlist romances novels. It's hard to say much without giving anything away, but I absolutely loved the main characters- especially Rowan, a single mother and architect currently working on the restoration of a mansion (most recently used as a home for unwed mothers) built by one of Maine's most esteemed families. Let's just say there's plenty of skeletons hiding in their closets. The narrators were absolutely fantastic brining this story to vivid life. Highly recommend!!!

This was an extremely enjoyable thriller. It features a spooky old mansion, a wealthy family with generations of secrets, and a second-chance romance. The only downside for me was the very slow start. However, I never guessed the twist, and that is what I enjoy most about a good thriller.

Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen and is the funnest thriller that I’ve read in quite a while. Not only was there a psychological thriller to keep me guessing throughout the book, but also a bit of comedy, romance, and coming of age tropes to keep things interesting.

When Rowan, the architect single-parent protagonist, meets Tim, he seems to be a great guy to go out on dates with. One day, though, he ends it all via an abrupt text. Over the next few days…ok weeks, Rowan continues to use the friend locator app to confirm her suspicions that he’s already dating someone else. One night, he’s showing as being parked in one of Their special spots, so Rowan goes for a walk nearby. I mean, what could it hurt, right?

Next thing you know, Rowan is caught up in a crazy mystery that leaves her worried about the safety of her family. And also leaves her unsure of whom she can trust. Unfortunately, the cops think that she just might be the guilty party. Will Rowan be able to clear her name and keep her daughter and herself safe?

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperAudio for this amazing Audio ARC!!!

What is it they say, don't judge a book by its cover? From the moment I saw the cover of Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen, without even knowing what it was about, I was "dying" to read this book! Something about it grabbed my attention. I am happy to report that in this case, judging a book by its cover was an absolute win! This book was a captivating read. It held my attention from start to finish and I could not bring myself to put it down.

Rowan is an architect and single mom working on the renovation of a historic mansion owned by the well to do Wincott family. Pining over her ex, Tim who dumped her via text a few days prior and has been ghosting her since, Rowan tracks his phone on her friend finder app and sees he is in the spot outside of the mansion where the two used to park. She sets off with her dog in tow to do a casual walk by expecting to catch him making out with another woman. Instead, she finds him dead inside his car. After quickly becoming a prime suspect, Rowan sets out to find out what really happened to Tim and in the process uncovers a web of dark secrets and lies that could put the lives of herself and those she loves in danger.

While I was confident that I had figured out “who done it,” I was still pleasantly surprised to find little secrets and tidbits lurking around every corner. It is hard to say too much without giving things away, but what I will say is that this book has a lot of different layers to it, including a cast of characters each harboring their own secrets and agendas. The attention to relationships and rich character development gave the characters another dimension which made me connect a bit more with some of them.

For those who require trigger warnings it is important to note that the book does touch on some sensitive topics including sexual harassment and sexual assault as well as mention of suicide. With that said, this book was very well written with lots of plot twists and surprises and is very much worth reading.

The author’s writing style, attention to detail, realistic characters and gripping story line were a win for me! I very much look forward to seeing what she has in store for her readers next.

I would like to give a huge thank you to Harper Perennial for the ARC of this book. This was a very enjoyable book, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to read and review it.

**EDIT** I listened to the audio version of this book, and it is equally as wonderful (if not even a little more wonderful because the characters are brought to life giving a more physical depth). The narrator team of Kathleen Early, Caitlin Kelly and Sarah Mollo-Christensen along with the production team did a wonderful job bringing this story to life!

Thank you to Harper Audio for the copy of this audio book to listen and review.

Despite the title having almost nothing to do with the actual story (seriously, I kept waiting for a bigger connection), *Dying to Meet You* still delivered an engaging and twisty mystery. Some of the clues felt a bit confusing or unnecessary, like they were there just to throw readers off rather than drive the plot—but overall, it was a solid and entertaining read. The pacing was great, the characters were interesting, and even with a few detours, the mystery kept me turning pages. Sarina Bowen proves she’s just as capable with suspense as she is with romance!

Dying to Meet You - Sarina Bowen

I was a big fan of Bowen's last thriller novel so I was very excited to get a ALC of Dying to Meet You! I again am a big fan! This book pulled me in from the start following Rowan, architect and single mom as she restores a mansion in her town. When she finds her recently and only ex boyfriend dead in front of said mansion, she becomes a suspect. But what really happened in front of the mansion? This book was full of interesting and unexpected twists and turns. The narrator did a great job bringing the story to life. I will definitely recommend Dying to Meet You to others.

I’m a huge fan of Sarina Bowen’s romances—she’s an auto-read author for me. I also enjoyed her first thriller, so I was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, the book started off slow for me, and I did not like Rowan at all. She feels sorry for herself and blames men for all her so-called problems, which seem to be tied more to her negative self-talk than any external reality. Maybe this is typical of thrillers—I don’t usually read them, so I don’t know. I may come back to this book later, but for now, it’s a DNF for me.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

A perfect summer thriller– the plot pulled me in at the beginning and I stayed for all the twist and turns. The atmospheric and picturesque setting in a small town in Maine really added to the elements of the story. Ronan is a talented architect that has been hired to restore a historic mansion in Maine. She has a teenage daughter and an estranged ex husband in prison. She was seeing a new guy for a good amount of time and he just abruptly ended things. Things seem to spiral for her once something happens to him. Go in blind to this book and you won’t regret it. Lots of secrets, unexpected twists and an interesting cast of characters.

The audiobook is narrated by Kathleen Early, Caitlin Kelly, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen. These three did such a great job voicing the various points of view of this story. It was engaging and compelling with this voices and emotions they put into the story.

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!

Rowan is a single mother of a teen daughter, Natalie, and a prominent architect restoring the historic Wincott mansion in Maine. Natalie's father is not in the picture due to an explosive mistake resulting in jailtime and surrendering his parental rights Rowan's dating life has been spotty, but she thought the most recent guy had potential until he unceremoniously dumped her. She can't understand why and when she realizes he has forgotten to stop sharing his location with her, she can't stop checking up on him. One evening when she is wallowing, she sees that he is in her neighborhood and she sets out to "walk her dog" and casually run into him. Unfortunately, she stumbles onto him, murdered.

What follows is the unraveling of many secrets, the first being, who was this man? Told in multiple points of view, including Rowan and Natalie in the present as well as an unknown voice, we are slowly introduced to the Wincott family and ALL of their secrets. Nothing is at it seems in this slow burn domestic thriller. Sarina Bowen manages to tell a story, tie everyone together and reveal a plausible motive for the villain. It does take a while to get going and I struggled with the many characters as well as the unknown narrator. The ending was also a little bit too tidy, but all in all, a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Dying to Meet You
Sarina Bowen
Pub Date: May 13 2025
Audio 🎧

NO SPOILERS
This is my very first audiobook. It took a little bit to figure out the right speed for me. In all honesty, I personally will stick to printed versions.

This book is a mystery and features characters you’re drawn to like. There’s an old, spooky mansion that’s under renovation so this was appealing to me.

In the beginning, the book was unnecessarily “wordy” with details that weren’t needed for the story.

This psychological thriller will give you the twists and turns and is well written and has characters that you really want to support!

There were multiple timelines going which were hard to balance on audio but I was able to manage. I think you’ll enjoy this book and it will definitely keep you guessing the whodunnit it part.

Synopsis
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 stalking 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 murder—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.
Struggling to clear her name, Rowan finds herself spiraling into the shadowy plot that killed him.
Will she be the next to die?

Thank you to HarperAudio & @NetGalley for approving my request for this book.

This book was sooooo good. It’s another beautiful Sarina Bowen book (with a bit more of her magic touch than her thriller published last year). I didn’t want to put it down.

I loved that I could pick up on the vibes of certain characters but not totally piece it together.

Will definitely be add this to my reread shelf.


Note: I read this book 2 weeks before I got approved for an ALC on Netgalley... idk what happened, but this seems a little backwards.