Really gripping read….Ariel receives a text message….but the person who sent it went missing 5 years before…..her interest in his disappearance is pipped and she goes on a journey of discovery. Fast paced and fab!

I liked the premise for this read and initially I was taken with it and gripped by the events. However as the book progressed, it became apparent it was too long for the events that take place. As a result, the plot loses its impact and I started to feel bored. Had this been shorter then this could have been an electrifying read.
I enjoyed how the events of five years ago are key to the present day and Bowen's method of making that clear was clever. This does get a bit bogged down by the technical explanations which was a shame.
I really liked the characters of Ariel and Buzz. They are well established and likeable as well as human. These two characters made this read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dialogue Books for an advance copy.

.Intrigue and suspense
.Dual POV
.Dual timeline
.They fall head over heels for each other
.Found family

I don't usually read thrillers, but when I saw the author of this book, I knew I had to pick it up. Although she typically writes MM romances, this book proves she can deliver compelling stories in other genres too.

And while it took me a bit of time to start reading it because I wanted to be in the right mood for it, I'm happy I waited. The dual timelines, switching between past and present, kept me hooked from the beginning and had my brain working trying to piece together the whole story. We uncover all the twists and turns alongside Ariel, and go through her same emotions along the way.

The ending, while not entirely surprising, was very satisfying. The near-future technology in the book makes the story even more terrifying. It highlights how much we undervalue our privacy and how much of our lives are already shared out there.

One particular scene on a bus made me lose faith in humanity for a moment, only to regain it soon after. Even though this is a work of fiction, I like to think there are people out there willing to help a mother in trouble.

The romance was a nice touch, adding to the overall story without overshadowing the main plot. Though the relationship between Ariel and her son is the true highlight of the story.

I highly recommend this book to romance readers who want to dip their toes into a thriller while still enjoying the satisfying emotions of a romance.

Where do I start with this masterpiece of a thriller, I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t read it fast enough. I loved the fact it was written in dual timeline, and we were slowly given pieces of the puzzle to help through the eyes of Airel as she investigates the disappearance of Drew as she tries to work out what happened. It was brilliant that we got the clues from Drews POV too I desperate for a positive outcome. The connection between Ariel and Drew was a wonderful, realistic part of the story and I loved it. Some brilliantly executed twists topped this off for me, highly recommended.

I have read a lot of Sarina Bowen's books in the past and this was very different from her usual style of storytelling, however I must say I enjoyed it a lot. It is still about love and relationships, but much grittier and filled with suspense.
I hope she doesn't give up on her lighter books, but I would also enjoy reading more like this.

When you get a text from your ex boyfriend who you think is dead asking to meet up which was sent five years ago is definitely a strange experience. Ariel and drew work for a doorbell camera company but they are together in secret. This book is full of suspense and full of twists. I really enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley from allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this book. The beginning pulled me in right away, and I was excited about where the story would take me.

The character development was great, with us really getting to know the main characters. The story is told in two POVs and a dual timeline, which I liked. Dual timelines and dual POVs are the best of both worlds for me.

I enjoy a good romantic suspense, so the romance components didn’t bother me. What did bother me was the slow pacing of the story. I would call this a slow burn. It didn’t really pick up until the 60% mark, and there was a lot of unnecessary fluff in my opinion. I feel this book could have been shorter, and it would’ve been more interesting if a lot of the fluff was left out.

Overall, the book held my attention, and I was entertained enough to want to know what would happen at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dialogue books for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

The Five Year Lie is a fast-paced domestic thriller that grips you from the start. It was highly enjoyable with lots of twists and an interesting storyline. I'd recommend it for anyone who love a good thriller.

I had never read a romantic suspense novel before, but having enjoyed other books by Sarina Bowen I was keen to give this one a try. After what felt to me like a bit of a slow start, the story picked up and the momentum carried through all the way to the end. I kept wanting to pick the book up again to find out what happened - so definitely a successful read for me, plot wise. In terms of characterization, the protagonists were fairly one dimensional and this made it hard for me to really care about them or their relationship; I was never clear on why they fell for one another. (I found myself more intrigued by Zain, a side character.) The heroine’s trust fund lifestyle didn’t make her, in particular, very relatable and I couldn’t figure out how the main characters were supporting themselves at the end of the book… but maybe this is just my very practical self nitpicking. Overall - the story was gripping but the characters were ciphers. I look forward to Sarina Bowen easing into her suspense groove and will certainly read more of her work in this genre in future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy.

What would you do if the story you had been planning to tell your 4 year old son about his dad turns out to possibly be false five years later?
This story follows Ariel and Zain, her co-worker, desperately trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her beloved Drew and figure out what he had been looking for on the doorbell camera company's servers.
This is a must read! I loved Drew’s POV from 5 years ago and the blossoming romance between Ariel and Drew which flowed nicely into the current events.

Thank you to Net Galley & Renegade Books for this ARC.

A good read but not massively gripping. This is in part due to the slow pace of the book but also the story itself is a little tame. I did like the premise of the book but felt it could be executed with more grit for it to be classed as a thriller.

“The Five Year Lie”, a clever, entertaining and addictive psychological suspense novel. I am not familiar with Bowen and haven’t read her previous novels, which is my bad of course.
The story itself is told from the perspective of Ariel, now, and Drew, five years ago. As both stories converge, the reader is taken on a wicked-fast thrill ride with twists and turns around every bend. Ariel’s family owns a technology company (responsible for creating the technology similar to that in the “Ring” doorbell cameras) but, of course, there’s shady deals being done behind the scenes, which pull more and more people into the plot. Some parts are predictable while others took me by complete surprise, but every page was heart-pounding!
Obviously, the novel is tech-focused, but Bowen does not inundate us with confusing technobabble. “Lie” provides just the right of information to stay on track, and I actually found the tech components to be unique and creative. Add on the mysterious “five years late” text and I immediately got goosebumps.

I think this is the first novel of this genre by Bowen, but she definitely did not make a mistake dipping her feet into this pool! Bowen should try this genre on for size more often and I guarantee, if she does, I’ll be one of the first in line!

Absolutely brilliant! I loved everything about this book; the meticulously detailed and gripping plot, the characters, especially Zain, the pace and the wonderful story that pulled me in and held me, captivated, right until the end.

I’m not a huge romance reader, but the connection between Ariel and Drew was key to this story and I loved it. Some brilliantly executed twists topped this off for me, highly recommended.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Sarina Bowen and Dialogue for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The Five Year Lie was a domestic thriller which was definitely interesting, it was a little off pacing wise and predictable for me unfortunately. It was entertaining but not my favorite.

Five years ago, Ariels life changed. Her boyfriend died and she was left with a son he never even knew about. But thats not all. A strange text arrives five years too late and turns everything she thought she know on its head. Who was Drew really? What has her families door bell company really been up to? As her and fellow employee Zane dig in to tje mystery, truths are revealed that will put them all in danger. It's mysterious, thrilling and action pact, full of emotion and heartache and most important of all, a satisfying conclusion!

This book was definitely more of a romance than a standard thriller but I still thoroughly enjoyed it! It was gripping and exciting. The characters were well written. Definitely a book to recommend.

I don’t usually read thrillers but I love Sarina Bowen so this was a no-brainer.

The story starts in the present day with Ariel getting a text from Drew but Drew as been dead for 5 years. Understandably Ariel is freaked, so she starts digging and what she finds destroys everything she thought she knew.

I really enjoyed this story. I like how it was written with snippets of things that happened in the past which tied in with what was going on in the present day. It gave me as the reader lots of insight about what was going on but without giving away the twists of the story. I also liked how we got the past POV from Drew so we got a full view of what was going on for him and not just speculation from Ariel. Wanting to find out what had happened to Drew kept me on the edge of my seat, I flew through most of the story pretty quickly.

I enjoyed Ariel for the most part, I could understand somewhere she was coming from and why she behaved as she did. There were some very black and white views she had which was a little hard to get on board with but I felt she was a fully formed character.

Overall this was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers and to any fans of Sarina's other books, you really should give this one ago.

This is a new author for me so I wasn't aware that she normally writes romance fiction. This book did have some 'twee' phrases that would look at home in a romantic novel and as such didn't sit right with me. I like thrillers to be thrillers without any flowery notions.
The book didn't have enough pace for me and as such I give it 3 out of 5.

I loved this cover, and was surprised to see a thriller/suspense from Sabrina Bowen. I've really enjoyed her books in the past and this one did not disappoint!

Despite the extraordinary situation, Ariel was a relatable character, and it was interesting to see her navigate first her early relationship with Drew, motherhood, and sleuthing with Zain. The focus on AI and doorbell camera's made for an eerie premise, and not too out there given the current pace of development in tech! I was pleasantly surprised to find the book leant heavily into the suspense, with the romance being a secondary subplot (though equally enjoyable). The concept of text messages being sent 5 years later was really neat, and I liked the way it was woven into the broader mystery.

I could have easily read this in one sitting, it was such a page turner and an easy read. Thank you Dialogue Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Prepare to be swept away on a journey of love, betrayal, and redemption that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

"The Five Year Lie" by Sarina Bowen is a gripping tale of love, loss, and deception that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page. With its seamless blend of romance and thriller elements, you won't be able to put this book down.

What sets "The Five Year Lie" apart is its expertly crafted dual timelines, which heightened the tension and deepen the mystery surrounding Drew's disappearance, whilst slowly bringing more facts into the light. Despite my initial reservations about this technique, I found myself fully immersed in both the present-day drama and the events leading up to Drew's disappearance. Sarina's skillful storytelling ensures that each timeline is equally compelling, making it easy to connect with the characters and follow their journeys.

Some twists are foreshadowed early on, but the novel still manages to deliver several unexpected surprises that will leave readers gasping for breath.

I loved the tale's accessibility as a technology thriller. The incorporation of the camera doorbells added an extra layer of realism and relevance to the story. It made the story more relatable and unnerving.