Whhhhewwwww😮‍💨 I loved this thriller! I’m not a huge thriller girlie but I do love domestic thrillers and this one was so good.

There was lots of technical jargon in it regarding video doorbells and networks and the cloud. But the female main character didn’t really understand it either so it really worked for me.

I loved the mention of W.B. Mason as I used to be an office manager and that brought back memories to those days. And the mention of Book of the Month, so fun!

I really enjoyed not knowing where this was going and trying to figure out what was going to happen next. Definitely did not see the end coming!

Highly recommend!

***UNPOPULAR OPINION TIME***

Usually this is my type of book with suspense and a bit of romance. I like the dual time lines even if the pacing was super slow, that was not the issue. My issue was with the overall plot and when it started to amp up ... surprise (not!)... the reveals and twists get predictable. Even the wrap up at the end was predictable.

Just a so-so read for me. Nice cover but cannot recommend.

Thanks to Sarina Bowen, NetGalley, and Harper Perennial Paperbacks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available

This is my first novel by Bowen and I have to say, she knocked it out of the park. The premise sounded decent, and I had hoped that I would enjoy the book enough to make my way through it. But what I wasn't expecting was for this book to be one of my favorites of 2024!

I kept thinking I had an idea of what was going on, and I sort of, kind of had it partially figured out, but the twists were so out of control that it didn't matter that I had a few untied knots, I was still totally shocked, which I loved.

I think the premise is what really did it. Imagine losing someone, them vanishing into this air, and then 5 years later, you get a text from them. But they hadn't just sent the text, they'd sent it 5 years ago and you just didn't receive it. It's hard to not fall back into what might have been and what could have happened, especially when you think that person is dead. And imagine this mystery unravelling into a situation that it so sinister, one that is twisted into so many lives.

This book had so much for me - great character development, a fast paced thrilled, and an ending that I never could have predicted.

I cannot wait to read more from Sarina Bown.

The Five Year Lie starts with a text message from 5 years ago. The dual timeline and different POVs kept you wondering how the pieces would come together for Ariel, working at her family's surveillance company.

Enough starts falling into place to make her start asking questions, then as one assumption unwinds, what comes ... isn't what she expected.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this eARC!

Ariel receives a text message from the only man she’s ever loved after he disappeared five years ago. But he’s supposed to be dead… so how does a dead man send a text message. Suddenly Ariel is thrown into solving the mystery of what happened to Drew Miller and why he left without a goodbye.

This book was fantastic! I was nervous about a romance thriller, but i think it was executed very well. Highly recommend for fans of Sally Hepworth.

This fast-paced romantic suspense novel did get a little bit out-there at the end, but it's a fun read that makes a perfect choice for a summer beach bag or travel tote.


Ariel dutifully works for her family doorbell camera business but her true joy in life is her young son. Then out of the blue, she receives a text from a man she thought was dead. Her son's father, and the only man she ever truly loved.


The mysterious text aspect was my favorite part of the story. Ariel was a great, sympathetic character, though the situation she found herself in was wildly improbable. Romance readers: you 'll love the spicy scenes. Domestic suspense readers: make sure you're find with some spicy scenes!

3 stars!

Sarina Bowen’s first mystery/suspense novel, this is an intriguing read with just a touch of romance, and I really enjoyed this one.

Ariel’s world is rocked when she receives a text message from the man she loves… who died five years ago. Though she and Drew were only together for a brief time, it was enough for Ariel to fall madly in love, but Drew left and broke her heart, only to die shortly afterwards. She hasn’t moved on from his loss and is now raising their now-four-year-old son on her own.

It turns out that there is an explanation for the text message, but it opens up a whole world of confusion for Ariel as she begins to doubt the events that took place all those years ago. With a trusty hacker colleague by her side, she begins to investigate Drew’s past, his motives for coming to town, and his reasons for leaving the way he did.

As expected, it’s a twisty read, and I was on board with Ariel as she uncovers the truth. The story kept me guessing, and some of those twists were quite unexpected. The tech-centric premise was smart and scarily plausible, though the actions and motives of the major players seemed a bit extreme. But I think Bowen did a good job pulling all of the different elements together.

I wasn’t as fully invested in the story as I would have liked - granted, this isn’t my usual reading genre, but it dragged a bit for me, and it probably didn’t need to be as long as it was. The final chapters bring some excitement though, and I was happy with how it ended.

There’s enough of the things I love about Bowen’s writing in the story to keep me engaged. There are great character dynamics, snappy dialogue, and some sweet and funny moments, and I enjoyed this one.

3 stars.

The Five Year Lie is Sarina Bowen's debut into the Suspense/Thriller genre. I have loved her romances (HIM/US/WAGs anyone?) so I couldn't wait to see how she handled a darker storyline. Boy did she hit it out of the park with this one! There were so many twists and turns I didn't have a shot of guessing that ending. Dual time lines kept the story fast paced and interesting with lots of reveals and cliffhangers in each chapter. The romance added a sweet cherry on the top of the suspense sundae, but make no mistake, this is a thriller the entire ride. The audiobook was the perfect way to enjoy the story. It was hard to put it down until I got to the conclusion. Definitely interested in more of this genre from Sarina Bowen.

I received the ebook ARC through for this book, but I also bought the audio thru Audible.
I'm so glad that I did. I've been in a slump (possibly ME & my attention span, who knows?) + I love highlighting in the ebook !
I loved switching up genres from my usual Romance to this Thriller (with some romance as a trope in this story).
The major portion of the 1st person POV is the heroine's- Ariel.
The hero Jay/Buzz, etc (!!!) also has his POV told.
There's a mysterious 3rd POV that is told in 3rd person. ?????
I love that Ariel, the heroine is fairly average, somewhat intelligent. She's not at all prepared for what unfolds.
I was kept guessing throughout this story. I was constantly thinking, OMG, now what. I was pulling for Ariel to get a break . I was hoping that a certain someone was a good guy. I had my eyes on a a couple/few that seemed pretty shady.
I love how the ending tied up a lot of loose ends. I would love to have another Thriller from Sarina Bowen. I highly recommend this book. The audio is so well done. This book works great reading with my eyes & listening to the audio.

I wanted to be really immersed in this mystery more, but I felt like I kind of knew the main culprit pretty early on. This might have taken away some of my enjoyment of the overall mystery, but there were still plenty of pieces I didn't have (the why, the full how, and how many others were involved), so that was still fun to piece together.

I loved the flashback chapters the most and found myself waiting for those to come and develop Drew more because he was easily my favorite character. I do love a good mystery man though and once who is MIA and presumed dead is a good one to unravel.

Ariel took me a lot longer to warm up to. She was a stellar parent, but I found her lack of common sense sometimes aggravating. I wanted more action and felt the middle got a bit sluggish pace-wise, but it picked up speed again for the conclusion.

I hope Sarina does another domestic thriller/romantic suspense as she does such great character driven stories, and her depth of character development and rich world building are satisfying to read.

The Five Year Lie
Sarina Bowen

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I loved this one! Give me a thriller romance combo and I’m all for it.

Out of the blue, Ariel Cafferty gets a mysterious text…Something’s happened. I need to see you. Meet me under the candelabra tree ASAP.”The text is from the only man she ever loved and the father of her son. The catch? He’s supposedly been dead for 5 years. She heard that he had died in a motorcycle accident, but things just aren't adding up. What really happened to Drew? Is everything as it seems? Is there anyone she can really trust?

The dual POV timelines worked flawlessly in this book with Ariel present day and Drew 5 years in the past. I loved Ariel as a FMC. She really grew in the 5 year time frame to be a fierce momma bear. And buzz. 🐝 he added such a calming demeanor during the suspense! The ending… ugh! Perfect. 🤩 thank you Sarina for an amazing ride! I look forward to reading more of your novels. Thank you @netgalley @harperperennial and @sarinabowen for this advance reader copy! 📕 #booklover #bookaddict #mayreads #mayarcs #arcreader #netgalley #thefiveyearlie #romance #thrillers

This was my first book by author Sarina Bowen, and I would definitely read more of her writing. Thanks to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Five years ago there was a cell network outage which resulted in text messages not being sent… and suddenly, today, the situation is fixed and those messages are all sent. How much can these previously missing messages throw people for a loop in the present day? Considering the messages are from the day Ariel’s father died which is also when her secret boyfriend disappeared, they definitely have an impact.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but the plot started to drag a bit as I got near the middle. It picked back up for the ending, but I think if it had been a little bit shorter (it’s 432 pages), I would not have wanted to put it down. Also, in writing my review, I went back to the book and reread the Prologue - even though I read this book over only a few days, I had forgotten how it began and it made SO much sense after finishing it. I bet if it had been a bit shorter I would have remembered how it began, too! I still recommend this read, though - it was the kind of suspense-filled book that I HAD to keep reading to know what happened.

This is a gripping suspense novel. I was really looking forward to seeing how Sarina Bowen would write a thriller and let me tell you it did not disappoint! I was on the edge of my seat this whole book trying to figure out what the heck was happening. I loved it and I cannot wait for more thrillers by Sarina Bowen.

This book is one wild ride. Hooked immediately.
I do think it could have moved at a quicker pace at times, but I really enjoyed the way this drama played out.
Ariel receives a text from the father of her baby, seems normal enough, except she hasn’t heard from him in 5 years and he’s dead. This story just becomes more and more curious as it progresses. Such an entertaining read. Loved it!
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

Sarina Bowen has switched lanes to a thriller (with romance subplot; don't you fret) and I could not be more proud. The tagline of receiving a text five years after the mysterious love of your life has died, immediately pulls you in and I knew I would love the premise. I had to have this book by that alone and I was not disappointed in the slightest.

Bowen opens right into the action when our heroine, Ariel, is already on the run so we spend most of the book wondering how she gets to that point. As with any good thriller, we are kept pretty much in the dark about the truth of the text from her ex, Drew, who mysteriously disappeared and then passed away. And as Ariel makes new discoveries, new possibilities open up. Reader, be prepared; because every time it looks like the secret is revealed, another new key piece of information comes to light. I was changing suspects and theories every few chapters! Its perfectly written suspense that keeps the reader wanting more, to get that satisfaction of the truth.

And surprise there are MULTIPLE POVs! As Ariel uncovers Drews' history, Bowen treats us to chapters in the past from his point of view. This felt like a secondary mystery subplot as we know where Drew ends up...but how did it get to that point? The converging plot lines made the "thrill" aspect of TFYL really come to life. I was desperate for Ariel to find out the truth. And as another bonus, a mysterious villain enters the story and has their own few chapters and even THEN we don't know who they are (A third mystery!!). When would they all meet? When would it all come to light?

No spoilers in this house so I won't reveal the twists and turns but baby THERE ARE TWISTS AND TURNS. This was a exceptional genre debut (has she written other thrillers that I somehow don't know about, because SKILL) for Sarina Bowen and I truly hope she delivers more in this style. Couldn't put it down; 5/5 stars!

"The Five Year Lie" puts a modern twist on the 'lost letter' trope. A message that comes too late, a message that could have changed the course of someone's life...

I've never read this author before, probably because she writes mostly romance fiction, which is not my genre of choice. This time however, she has strayed from her usual pattern and written what I would term a cross between a domestic thriller and a techno thriller. And it was excellent!

Ariel Cafferty was born into a wealthy family from Portland, Maine. Her father and her uncle run a tech company who build doorbell cameras and other surveillance equipment. Her father has always viewed Ariel as a disappointment because he wants her to be more interested in his company, but she is an artisan who is passionate about her work. She is a glassblower.

When she meets Drew, a co-worker at her father's firm, she falls in love - hard. Then, mere months later he disappears and she then discovers she is pregnant. After much heartbreak, she then learns he has died.... Now, five years later, she receives a text from him to meet her at one of their favourite spots in the park. Unnerved, Ariel goes there even though she knows it is impossible for him to be alive. Heartbroken all over again, she learns that thousands of people got text messages that were somehow trapped on a server. They were all sent five years previously on the same day.

Now knowing that the love of her live and the father of her beloved son tried to contact her before he disappeared, she once again tries to discover what exactly happened to him... This time, she is aided by Zain, one of the nerdy IT specialists at her father's firm.

The police and other people in power are using technology to infringe upon the rites of privacy of the individual. Of course, given that this is all too possible/probable today, it made the novel all the more authentic and believable. Big Brother is always watching...

Technology is wonderful, but when in unscrupulous hands, it can prove terrifying.

With themes of police corruption, cyberstalking, cybercrime, and murder, this thriller will appeal to many readers - especially as it has a love story at its core. Highly recommended!

In the running for my 'book of the year'!

This was my first read from Sarina Bowen and I’m looking forward to reading more of her books. OMG goodness. This book was a page turner from start to finish. Just when Ariel has came to terms with a disappearing act from her summer love, 5 years later her world is turned upside down. She receives a text from a man who is supposed to be dead and from there the mystery begins. There are so many things being uncovered and discovered along the way while trying to get to the bottom of having received that text message. This story is filled with a great mix of mystery, suspense, tragedy, betrayal and a good ounce of romance that pulls at your heart strings throughout that balances out the story. I don’t even want to share more all I can say is just add it to your collection and deep dive into this story. Everything was laid out on each page for us to feel like we are in the moment with each character in each scene. READ THIS ONE.

OMG this book was fantastic! I’ve enjoyed Sarina Bowen’s books for years, but THE FIVE YEAR LIE grabbed my attention and left me holding my breath from beginning to end. Ariel meets a co-worker named Drew, falls in love, and then Drew first disappears and then dies. Unbeknownst to either of them before Drew left, Ariel was pregnant, so five years on, she’s a lonely single mom to Buzz. (And the author does a fantastic job of bringing an inquisitive, rambunctious, story-loving five-year-old to life.) Then she gets a text from Drew asking her to meet him in a spot they loved, and it’s at about this point that the reader should forget about doing anything else. But be forewarned! This is one of those books that you are going to RACE through, desperate to learn what the heck is going on and holding your breath when things get scary. But once you reach the end, you’ll be so very, very sorry that you rushed because now it’s over! As I type these words, the book has been live for only days, but I am already desperately hoping that Ms. Bowen is well into or near finished with another suspense novel. And I hope that the next one, like THE FIVE YEAR LIE, will so skillfully combine romance and suspense that I’ll buy copies for everyone I love (already done for this one!) and immediately go back and start a reread.

This is a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat while you read it. The story itself grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go until the end. I love that it was difficult to see which characters were actually on the heroine side and who was not until the end. I love that. I was guessing until the end of the book about what was going to happen. This is the story that if you want a superb thriller is the book for you

Great 4.5 ⭐️ read!

Seamless blend of romance and suspense. Set in dual timelines of the present and 5 years in the past, the mystery unfolds as the clues keep piling up. The pace was a bit slow through the first half, but it picks up in the second half and I couldn't put it down. Buzz stole my heart. Good read!