A review by teachermomrach
Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen

mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

Rowan is a single mother and architect, working on a mansion remodel that she hopes will help bring her name more recognition as she moves away from working for a big firm. But she is also going through a recent breakup that caught her off-guard and tracks her ex’s whereabouts from her phone, worrying about what he’s doing and who he’s with since their breakup. 

This story picks up quickly, as Rowan finds her ex’s body at her workplace and the police quickly look to her as a suspect. As the investigation heats up, Rowan can’t shake the feeling that someone is trying to set her or her family up. 

Rowan’s family is a realistic dynamic in a single parent household. Her teenage daughter pushes buttons and boundaries as any teen would do, but also sees things about her mother’s relationship that her mom doesn’t see at the moment. Her influence in several plot points added another level of threat as Rowan has to worry about not only herself, but Natalie’s safety as well.

I was surprised by the twists and turns this story took, and though I got pretty close to figuring out the mystery, I was pleasantly surprised by the final twist. Multiple points of view weave together to keep the story moving and to build all the layers of secrets. There are so many layers to this story, caught up in the mansion renovation, the family history, and Rowan’s own family. Each layer added more drama to the unfolding secrets and made it more fun to try to figure out what was happening while the police and Rowan searched for answers.