It's here! The Five Year Lie is live! And it's shaping up to be my best-reviewed book...well, ever. It's an Amazon Editor's Pick for May. And the audio narrators are getting raves!
More about the book here: https://sarinabowen.com/five-year-lie
And thank you for reading me! 2024 contemporary domestic-suspense ...more135 s7 comments Keila1,328 80

Unofficial Synopsis:
Ariel gets a text, but it’s five years late, and from Drew, who’s dead.

The text throws Ariel for a loop and ends up bringing back memories of that fated day. As she starts asking questions, things start to get sinister and it becomes clear everything she thought happened, didn’t.

But in order for Ariel to safely reveal the truth, the only way she can safeguard herself is by finding it before it finds her.

Review:
This book was amazing! I love a good romance thriller crossover and this book hit the mark for me. I also loved that this book dealt with technology and cybersecurity. Those are always fun for me because it’s a topic I care about and work with. It’s always creepy to me how much privacy people give up, and this book did a good job highlighting some important issues. I enjoyed that this book was written in dual POV with Ariel’s POV being the present and Drew’s POV being the past. I think that the writing style was great. I felt that the character development was nicely done and unfolded nicely as the story unfolded. The ultimate twists were a lot of fun and I think were well done. Everything in this book is wrapped up nicely with a nice bow, and it was nice to get that type of ending every once in a while. I do think that you need to suspend your beliefs a little for the ending, but it worked for me.

4.5 rounded to 5 stars

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. 2024 netgalley netgalley-202459 s Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme)440 284

On an ordinary Monday morning, Ariel Cafferty's phone buzzes with a disturbing text message. Something’s happened. I need to see you. Meet me under the candelabra tree ASAP. The words would be jarring from anyone, but the sender is the only man she ever loved. And it's been several years since she learned he died.

Seeing Drew’s name pop up is heart-stopping. Ariel’s gut says it can’t be real. But she goes to the tree anyway. She has to.

Nobody shows. But the text upends everything she thought she knew about the day he left her. The more questions she asks, the more sinister the answers get. Only two things are clear: everything she was told five years ago is wrong, and someone is still lying to her.

The truth has to be out there somewhere. To safeguard herself—and her son—she’ll have to find it before it finds her. And with it, the answer to what became of Drew. 

Holy amazing amazeballs of amazingness! The Five Year Lie just might be my favorite book of the year—and it’s not even half over. From the gripping mystery to the sweet romance, it just got better and better with each additional page. Best of all, though, was how the synopsis was just the beginning. A complex plot that revealed plenty of secrets, I didn’t have a shot of guessing even a one. Trust me when I say, this will win you over for sure. After all, there wasn’t a thing not to love.

The characters had me from hello. Told via dual main POVs plus a mysterious third, each identity was crystal clear. And let me tell you, there were plenty of shocking cliffhangers and explosive reveals. It was the last half of the book, however, that really got me going. A thrilling game of cat-and-mouse that offered up twice the thrills thanks to dual timelines, my adrenaline was pumping and my fingers were flying as I raced to learn all the whos, the whats, and the whys.

As for the characters, I was instantly pulled in by the narrators. From a revenge seeking techie to a snarky, intelligent mom who focused on learning the truth, both of their personalities won me over hook, line, and sinker. Add in the burgeoning love affair, and even this non-romance reader wanted them to ride off into the sunset. Paired with the mystery/thriller plot, it all brought a very real Laura Dave vibe. Somehow Bowen managed to perfect not one but two genres in this debut thriller.

All in all, what the heart-pounding prologue started, the rest of the book easily lived up to. Thanks to compelling characters, fast-paced storytelling, and ever ratcheting suspense and foreboding, Sarina Bowen knocked this original premise out of the ball park. On top of all of that, it was wholly realistic in an utterly chilling way as it had me thinking long and hard about the repercussions of having technology intricately entwined in our daily lives. Quite frankly, this book had it all—intrigue, revenge, love, mystery, and plenty of dirty dealings. In short, it was simply sublime. Rating of 5+ stars.

Thank you to Sarina Bowen and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: May 7, 2024

***If you’re on Instagram and interested in winning a copy of this book, head to my page (link in bio) to enter an upcoming giveaway in the near future!

Trigger warning: none of substanceadvanced-reader-copy domestic-thriller favorites58 s Nilufer Ozmekik2,542 51.9k

Can you fathom receiving a text from the presumed-dead love of your life, the father of your child, right in the middle of a crucial meeting? Is it a hoax, or has your lost love decided to make a mysterious return? This is the perplexing situation single mother Ariel Cafferty, employed at the tech company founded by her father and uncle, is thrown into. It turns out that this is the same company her beloved Drew joined five years ago to unravel fraudulent activities swirling around the workplace!

I must confess, the opening was captivating, and having enjoyed Sarina Bowen's romance books, my curiosity was piqued about how she would tackle a tech thriller—a challenging leap into the realm of successful romance authors who have delved into gripping thrillers, such as Alessandra Torre, Colho, and Tarryn Fisher.

As anticipated, the romantic elements of the story overshadow the mystery, which could use more development. Some of the explanations toward the end feel somewhat unreliable and far-fetched. Regrettably, I found it challenging to connect with the characters, who seemed a bit one-dimensional and in need of more depth.

At certain points, I found my interest in the mystery waning as well. Despite its shortcomings, the central concept compelled me to push through to the end, culminating in a semi-satisfying conclusion. While I couldn't fully embrace the explanations presented by the author in this thriller, I still had quite a bit of fun reaching the end. For me, this falls into the realm of solid reading, and I'm hopeful that Sarina Bowen, with her undeniable storytelling prowess, can venture further into the romance-thriller genre. It may be a modest beginning, but I've assigned it a solid three-star rating—it's not outstanding, but it's undeniably good and enjoyable.

I extend my sincere thanks to NetGalley, Harper Perennial, and Paperbacks for graciously providing me with a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

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"Dead men don't send texts..." Ariel receives one from her boyfriend that ghosted her 5 years ago. She never told him they have a son because she saw an obituary of his death releasing any hope of finding out why he left.
The text "Something's happened. I need to see you. Meet me under the candelabra tree ASAP." A glitch on the internet 5 years ago left many texts unsent until now. She begins to investigate the company her family owns ...a camera security system... where she met Drew working. With the help from her friends, she begins to investigate and finds some sinister and dangerous events Drew had uncovered. She realizes boundaries have been crossed. As she dives deeper into a spiral of danger, she endangers her life, her friends and her son's.
This is so fast paced and keeps you on the edge of the investigation. While some clues led to dead ends, it is the mountain of clues that will keep you racing to the end with Ariel. I loved it and loved the fight Ariel had in her becoming a tough character to contend with.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Paperbacks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.adult-fiction can-t-put-it-down mystery-thriller ...more47 s10 comments Mallory1,488 208

I enjoyed this thriller and read it mostly in one sitting. While I had figured out large portions of it there were a couple of bits where the twists caught me. It’s just a normal day at work but Ariel gets a disturbing text asking her to meet, but the text came from the love of her life who ghosted her and then turned up in an obituary robbing her of the chance to let him know he was a father. When she realizes it was a glitch where a bunch of text messages hadn’t gone through 5 years ago she starts to investigate and realizes that there was much more to the man she loved that she could have guessed. The mor she finds the more she realizes she didn’t know anything. There were some bits I d more than others and some that confused me (I will never understand Ariel’s mother), but I really d it. Of course Buzz definitely stole this show with his awesomeness. I d that while there was romance in it, this book was a thriller all the way. The story is told in two timelines present tense and past tense which was mostly from Drew’s perspective. 32 s Matt695 145

fans of The Last Thing He Told Me should enjoy this one - it follows quite a similar premise and pattern although it hits a little more on a romantic suspense note. it starts out strong as we follow Ariel, as she receives a mysterious text from an ex-boyfriend, father of her young child, who she presumed to be dead 5 years ago.

the initial mystery is interesting to follow but we pretty much get all the answers before the halfway mark, so I was left wondering where this story would go from there as this is a 400+ page book. it definitely starts to drag in the middle until the pace picks back up in the last quarter as the pieces fall into place. overall enjoyable but definitely could’ve used some editing down, and a bit too many mushy romantic scenes for my taste19 s Sandra Hoover1,303 217

When I first heard Author Sarina Bowen was releasing a domestic thriller, I knew I had to read it as I've enjoyed several of her contemporary romance titles, especially the True North series. THE FIVE YEAR LIE kicks off with a captivating, heart stopping prologue designed to grab readers' attention while enticing them into shutting off their phones, setting aside all snacks and drinks and settling in for the duration so plan accordingly. You don't want any distractions once starting this mysterious story.

Ariel Cafferty is a single mother living in her mother's guesthouse while pursuing her passion of glassmaking and putting in required appearances at the family business, the Chime Co. Five years prior, the man Ariel loved ghosted her - disappearing without a trace unaware she was carrying his child. Years later, she reads his obituary in a newspaper, effectively closing that chapter of her life. Drew was a programmer with her family's cybersecurity company, secretly exploring suspicions of fraudulent activity when he left. In the present, Ariel is sitting in a business meeting when a disturbing text pings her phone - a text that rocks her to the core. A text from a dead man asking her to meet him immediately. Is this a cruel hoax or is Drew alive? Needing answers, Ariel goes to the meeting spot, but no one shows. Confused and unsettled, Ariel begins digging into the past, looking for answers about what really happened to Drew. What she uncovers alarms her, leaving her wondering if she ever really knew the man she loved at all and quite certain that someone has been lying to her all along. Pushing ahead, it's soon obvious someone doesn't want the truth to surface. Can Ariel solve the mystery of what happened to Drew before the same danger claims her and her son?

Through concise, alternating chapters of past and present, a chilling story of deceit, secrets, and family drama emerges in THE FIVE YEAR LIE. The past becomes known via Drew's point of view, and readers are apprised of present events through Ariel's point of view. The transition is seamless and highly engaging. A sinister tone drives the plot forward at a steadily increasing pace with mini shockers keeping characters and readers on their toes as they work to unravel a mystery. Bowen does an excellent job of incorporating the dangers posed to careless, unsuspecting victims of technology and cyber security schemes into a riveting plot line that's relevant today. Long time readers of her work will appreciate the well-developed, relatable characters those everyone loves from her contemporary romance stories.

THE FIVE YEAR LIE is a riveting, thought provoking suspense thriller that blends an engaging mystery with a light side of romance. Readers and characters are challenged with solving a mystery while considering the many ramifications and ethical questions involving technology in today's world. Author Sarina Bowen successfully makes the transition to suspense with an immersive, chilling thriller that will keep readers on alert from start to finish. Highly recommended to fans of good mysteries and engaging romance suspense.
Special thanks to Harper Perennial for an arc of this title. All opinions expressed are my own. This review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine and is also available on my blog Cross My Heart Reviews.
arc-publisher contemporary-fiction domestic-thriller ...more17 s2 comments ? Bianca ? BJ's Book Blog ? 2,221 1,295




Ariel is a 30 year old single mom living in Maine and working for her family's Door-Bell-Camera company.
The father of her four year old son Buzz - Drew - left her without a word when she was only a few months pregnant. He never knew he was going to be a dad because he died a short while later.
But now she suddenly gets a text from him! To come meet him by their favorite tree in the park.
He's not there ... but what is happening? Is someone pranking her? Or is something dangerous going on?

READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!

????????????????




Something completely different from Sarina Bowen.
And I kinda loved it.

At first I wasn't so sure about things. I have no idea why, but when I started reading I had the feeling that I was somewhere in the past. 1989 or something that. It felt a bit oldish. No idea why though.

You immediately Ariel and Buzz and you want them to get that happy end with Drew. He might be alive, right? But it doesn't look good at all. And with every new thing Ariel finds out ... a happily ever after seems more and more impossible.
But still we need to find out what happened. Who was Drew? Why did he come to town back then?
It's all so very interesting and mysterious!
And all through the book we never lose that tiny bit of hope for that happy end...

I really enjoyed reading this!
I will definitely want to watch this on TV one day!
There were a few .. not really plot holes .. but a few things that I would've changed or just written a bit differently or more mysteriously or .. no idea.
I still loved it reading it!

Great mystery with a great cast of people and I wouldn't mind if Sarina retired her hockey romance writing for more mysteries or romantic suspensies and a few Vermont romances!! LOL!

THE FIVE YEAR LIE was a really great (romantic) mystery! I loved reading it! Run to your nearest bookdealer to find out all the things!



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