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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Sometimes, in between twisty true crime podcasts and dense literary thrillers, you just need something that lets you breathe while still keeping you guessing. Dying to Meet You hit that sweet spot for me—a murder mystery with bite, family dynamics, and a little romantic tension to keep things interesting.
Rowan Gallagher is a single mom, an architect, and absolutely spiraling over her ex (we've all been there). She's the kind of character who makes some questionable choices—like tracking her ex's avatar around Portland—but you're still cheering for her. Even better, the story isn't just about unraveling a whodunit—it's also about the messy, layered bond between Rowan and her daughter. That mother-daughter dynamic was the standout for me, and I found myself surprisingly invested in their relationship.
The audiobook narration is spot on. Kathleen Early and Caitlin Kelly gave distinct voices to each character, and not in a "wow, they tried" way—it actually worked. You could feel the age difference, the emotional nuance, the tension. It made the alternating perspectives believable. I never once had to double back to figure out who was speaking.
This was my first Sarina Bowen read, mostly because I've avoided her more traditional romance catalog (it's just not my typical genre), but now I'm a bit curious. If she keeps writing mysteries with snappy storytelling, I'm in.
Dying to Meet You is a fast, fun listen. Highly recommend it if you're looking for an audiobook with decent pacing, great narrators, and just the right amount of edge to keep you hooked.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Rowan Gallagher is a single mom, an architect, and absolutely spiraling over her ex (we've all been there). She's the kind of character who makes some questionable choices—like tracking her ex's avatar around Portland—but you're still cheering for her. Even better, the story isn't just about unraveling a whodunit—it's also about the messy, layered bond between Rowan and her daughter. That mother-daughter dynamic was the standout for me, and I found myself surprisingly invested in their relationship.
The audiobook narration is spot on. Kathleen Early and Caitlin Kelly gave distinct voices to each character, and not in a "wow, they tried" way—it actually worked. You could feel the age difference, the emotional nuance, the tension. It made the alternating perspectives believable. I never once had to double back to figure out who was speaking.
This was my first Sarina Bowen read, mostly because I've avoided her more traditional romance catalog (it's just not my typical genre), but now I'm a bit curious. If she keeps writing mysteries with snappy storytelling, I'm in.
Dying to Meet You is a fast, fun listen. Highly recommend it if you're looking for an audiobook with decent pacing, great narrators, and just the right amount of edge to keep you hooked.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
This was okay. Based on the description, I was hoping there was going to be more of the stalking the ex-boyfriend storyline. That was only like 2 minutes of the story. There weren't any crazy twists, either. I guess I just wanted more drama in this. I really didn't care what was going on at the mansion, which was basically the whole mystery.
I did really love the cover. The audiobook was also well done. I liked that it was easy to tell whose POV each chapter was, since the different narrators had distinct voices.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
I did really love the cover. The audiobook was also well done. I liked that it was easy to tell whose POV each chapter was, since the different narrators had distinct voices.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
dark
funny
slow-paced
Rowan Gallagher is a busy architect and single mother to a teenage daughter. She is in the process of restoring an allegedly haunted historic mansion for the Wincott family. The mansion itself has a rough history; it seems like it was a home from unwed mothers and the Wincott’s were not always doing what was best for the mothers or the babies.
Being a single mother is tough, especially when you are also in the dating pool. The novel opens with Rowan getting a little too curious about what her ex-boyfriend is up to, and checking his location on her phone. I loved how the author created the character who was very much like you or me…you best bet I would also be checking out the location of my ex!
Rowan does find her ex, but he is not with another woman. He is alone, and has been murdered. She, of course, becomes a suspect. And, unbeknownst to Rowan, the father of her daughter (an ex-con!) is also in town. He becomes a suspect as well.
There are multiple timelines narrated in this novel. Three narrators in the story; Rowan, her teenage daughter, Natalie, and a mysterious pregnant secretary from the past. All the voice actors are wonderful; I really felt like they were believable characters and was rooting for them.
Halfway through the novel, I was convinced I had figured out the murdered…but I hadn’t! I was pleasantly surprised about the final twist.
And as to whether or not the mansion is haunted…you’ll have to decide that for yourself. Things are not always what they seem, and the same goes for the people in this novel.
Four stars from me! I highly recommend Dying to Meet You!
Thank you to Harper Perennial for this ARC version.
Being a single mother is tough, especially when you are also in the dating pool. The novel opens with Rowan getting a little too curious about what her ex-boyfriend is up to, and checking his location on her phone. I loved how the author created the character who was very much like you or me…you best bet I would also be checking out the location of my ex!
Rowan does find her ex, but he is not with another woman. He is alone, and has been murdered. She, of course, becomes a suspect. And, unbeknownst to Rowan, the father of her daughter (an ex-con!) is also in town. He becomes a suspect as well.
There are multiple timelines narrated in this novel. Three narrators in the story; Rowan, her teenage daughter, Natalie, and a mysterious pregnant secretary from the past. All the voice actors are wonderful; I really felt like they were believable characters and was rooting for them.
Halfway through the novel, I was convinced I had figured out the murdered…but I hadn’t! I was pleasantly surprised about the final twist.
And as to whether or not the mansion is haunted…you’ll have to decide that for yourself. Things are not always what they seem, and the same goes for the people in this novel.
Four stars from me! I highly recommend Dying to Meet You!
Thank you to Harper Perennial for this ARC version.
This was engrossing and fun to read - I enjoyed it but not as much as her last thriller!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
Bowen, normally a romance writer, comes back with a romantic mystery/thriller. Rowen, a single mom of a teenager, finds herself the main murder suspect after the man she was recently dating is found dead.
There was some romance weaved into the plot but it was with her ex who is just out of jail. I finished this book two days ago and already forgot who killed the man. The book wasn’t awful, but it clearly wasn’t anything to write home about. Her teenager provides some entertainment to this book as teenagers often do. There’s a sweet ending, but some of it is just a bit far fetched at times.
There was some romance weaved into the plot but it was with her ex who is just out of jail. I finished this book two days ago and already forgot who killed the man. The book wasn’t awful, but it clearly wasn’t anything to write home about. Her teenager provides some entertainment to this book as teenagers often do. There’s a sweet ending, but some of it is just a bit far fetched at times.