In Dying to Meet You, Sarina Bowen serves up a little something for everyone. Stunning coastal setting? Check. Eclectic group of characters? Check. Plot twists to keep your brain engaged? Check check check. With so much going on, it was a risk to read this in audiobook format. Chapters alternated between several character POVs which included dialog, texts, news articles, historical documents, and the occasional racing inner dialog. Luckily, the group of narrators chosen for this title knocked it out of the park! It was easy to identify who was speaking when, connect with each character's emotions, and commit to their individual and connected journeys throughout this thriller.

Main character Rowan is an architect, single mother to teenager Natalie, and a dedicated supporter of her local coffee shop. Her love life has been stagnant, at best, since Natalie's father was put in jail for a bar fight over a decade ago. When her boyfriend, Tim, breaks up their brief relationship with no explanation, Rowan can't help but take a tiny peek or twelve at the location tracker app they used to find each other on a running trail. Desperate? Sure. But Tim won't answer her calls, and he's been idylling in his car by her current office- a historic mansion on the waterfront. Rowan decides there is no better time to take the dog for a walk; after all- it's an honest mistake if they happen to run into her ex and see what hes up to. Is he on a date?

Halfway through their walk Rowan has a change of heart. She is a confident, successful, woman who does not need to keep tabs on some guy. In a pivotal moment, Rowan deletes the app. Good riddance! Unfortunately, Tim is in his car- dead. Rowan just became the number one suspect.

Readers have no idea the depths of twisty history they are in for with this addictive thriller. Every question is answered with a new question, and after that first moment outside the mansion, perceptions will be irrevocably changed. One star docked because I guessed the ending halfway through the book. If you also did- let's connect on the strange path that got us there!

Thank you Netgalley for providing this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is a medium-paced thriller, heavier on character than on action, and a lot of red herrings to keep you guessing. The story was one that kept me in my driveway, unable to walk away to go inside to continue reading. The characters were mostly believable, except one. I find it hard to accept their calm, friendly, chill dog that was always home alone was a Belgian Malinois. Love the breed, but I know how much attention and activity they require, and how smart they are. But really, if that's my worst complaint about the book, that's not bad at all. I was interested in the aspects of renovation, the realistic dynamic between mother and teen daughter, and I think we all expect the entitled, rich, white guys to be mostly awful. I was also fascinated by the whole part about the "wayward girls" in history, and the despicable way that was run. Misogyny in this book is painful and it depicts the generational damage that's done because of this life experience for these young, pregnant women.

As a small point of contention, the title of this book is really bad. Totally irrelevant and dumb. I picture a bunch of dude bros sitting in a room just shouting out macho book titles and randomly assigning them to books.

It was crazy to read this book right after Black Cake to see the similar references to illegal adoptions for babies! All together it started really slow but I thought the ending was really well played out. I also did not really love the characters.

Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen is a twisty psychological thriller that explores how well we truly know those around us. The novel follows Rowan Gallagher, a single mother and architect, who becomes entangled in a murder investigation after discovering her ex-boyfriend dead. As she strives to clear her name, Rowan uncovers unsettling secrets that blur the lines between friend and foe. Bowen masterfully crafts a suspenseful narrative with intricate plotting and complex characters, keeping readers riveted until the stunning conclusion.

Domestic thrillers have to have something special for me to enjoy and this one did. Being dumped by her boyfriend was just the beginning of Rowan’s nightmare, as she is soon a suspect in his murder. From process of elimination, I was fairly sure who the killer was, but I didn’t know why, and the killer’s background was also a total surprise because I took the author’s bait and made assumptions. I loved the description of the historic house in Portland, Maine and of the process of the restoration. I really liked Harrison, and while Rowan bugged me at first but by the end of the book I understood why she seemed so aloof and cold.

This was my first by this author and I really enjoyed! One of my favorite sub genres of thrillers are domestic thrillers and the author did a great job here.

What made this one stand out is that the main character, Rowan, and her family had well developed character arcs that kept me invested in them throughout. I loved the second chance romance that was deeply apart of the plot. It added a nice layer that you don’t typically get with thrillers.

The murder mystery kept me guessing, and even though I the real wasn’t one I can’t say I didn’t see coming, I still enjoyed the way it played out! The setting being the restoration of a mansion was also really fun and unique!

Overall I would definitely pick up this author’s future thrillers, and knowing she mainly writes romance, I would be interested in trying those out too! I also have to give mention to this as an audiobook which I thought was unputdownable with multi-cast narrations!

Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for this free early copy!

This book has a really slow build up. Because of this I wasn't a fan. It had a very intriguing premise. But it was just ok and forgettable for me.