After tragically losing her husband, Nina receives a condolence card from a man named Nick who claims to have been an old friend and acquaintance of his. When their correspondence soon moves off paper to in person, her daughter, Ash, becomes suspicious of this charming stranger's stories. She secretly starts to do some digging into his past after one too many red flags and quickly finds more causes for concern. Meanwhile, Martha, a florist not far away, grows increasingly skeptical at her husband Alistair's unexplained and lengthy absences. As the women in his orbit from past and present unravel all the strands of the tangled web this man has weaved, the danger they could be in rises.

🪷 Thoughts:
If Lisa's penning it, I'll be reading it! Listen, I've harbored a lot of dislike for some male characters in recent books, but Nick/ Al/ Damien whatever you wanna call him really takes the toxicity to a new level. Instantly narcissistic and teeming with misogyny and even slight incel vibes, he only becomes worse as the story goes with his tales of conning, gaslighting and manipulations. (Mega Dirty John vibes here for any other true crime junkies!) I was so enraged every time he weaseled his way out of detection and into another life. My slight hangups were that it did get a little repetitive after a while, and some things were easily predictable. That said, this was still Lisa Jewell so the quality of writing and storytelling was ultimately engaging and kept me turning the pages to the end! A bingeable summer read! 3.5 ✨

✌🏼Book Tuesday
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Forever behind on Bookstagram reviews so I’m coming at you live with a double review
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Don’t Let Him In- thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced gifted copy ! 4⭐️ this was a super solid follow up to Jewells last banger (possibly one of my favorites ever?!) so it was impossible to follow it up. I’m convinced Jewell can’t write a bad book, and man was the MMC absolutely devious. If this was wrapped up a little better at the end it would have been a 5 star for me. Ultimately I just felt like it was a few too many characters/cons at the end. Definitely a fantastic thriller and a fun summer read for sure!
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QOTD- how many books are you hoping to squeeze in before June ends ?! I’m hoping to read at least 4 more, summer break starts Thursday for me. 🤓

Don't Let Him In
By Lisa Jewell
Release Date: 6.24.25

Thank you, @Atriabooks, for the e-ARC of Lisa Jewell's latest, Don't Let Him In.

A dual perspective and timeline psychological thriller. We are following multiple women and their relationships. Nina recently lost her husband in a freak accident being left behind with two adult children and all of his business ventures. Martha is working tirelessly to raise her family while juggling her flower business. When men enter these women's lives, it seems new, exciting, and supporting until it's not.

This is a story of lying, manipulation, and deceit. With the dual perspective and timeline, I found myself a bit lost in the first part trying to keep everything and everyone straight. It began to come together more for me as the timelines appeared to close in on one another. I liked the short chapters because it made the book because it kept me reading.

I believe that Jewell's intent was to empower women in each of their situations, but at the same time she makes these women, (all highly successful in their own areas), become vulnerable, unaware, and reliant. I have issues with some of the believability of parts in the middle. The ending didn't work for me. I am left with unanswered questions on how and was hoping for more of a twist than what was presented.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @atriabooks for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

So I love me some Lisa Jewell but this one just wasn’t my favorite. Her writing is a sure way to get hooked but this one was just a smidge flat for me.

In this thriller, you meet a professional swindler and unravel the lies he’s created from woman to woman. One daughter of the swindler’s latest love interest feels like something is a bit fishy and it’s up to her to figure it out before her mother falls for his games.

I will admit the layered lies of the MMC is insanely infuriating and it will just make you hate him more and more as you turn each page. With that being said, it got to be a little repetitive. Like I get it, he sucks, let’s get to the point here. Once you got to climax, it just kind of happened, almost a little too easily. The add-on chapter of another perspective saved this one from being a dud for me, but there was just too much build up, with little to no meat at the end. I get that it’s a slow burn thriller, but I felt like I was riding the brake and you couldn’t get much slower.

If you’re a fan of jewell, definitely give this a read but I don’t think it will be a favorite.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you Net Galley & Atria Books for the ARC!

Lisa Jewell is an auto-buy author and she did it again. While I didn’t find this to be a full thriller, I was hooked from the start trying to uncover the tangles through this book. Because, unfortunately, you do see these incredible and tragic stories in real life, you could see a lot of the story unfold ahead of time. However, she still had some surprises that I didn’t see coming.

Would happily recommend!

I love Lisa Jewell’s book but this one didn’t grab me as much as previous works. It felt a bit redundant and drawn out at times, but she wrote a great villain and I was invested in him getting what he deserved!

This was such an incredible read and I wouldn't expect anything less from Lisa Jewell. This book is a whirlwind from start to finish and Nick Radcliffe reminded me so much of a hurricane because he came in and turned lives upside down. I loved how much she tied everything in as she does with all of her books, but the ending to this story really hit the nail on the head. She does such a good job making the reader hate this guy with a passion for all the scamming that he is doing. I could not even keep track of how many bad things this man did in the book. This is probably one of my top thriller reads this year, just because I was left in shock at the end. Incredible characters, all with their own stories, personalities. Those that really stuck out to me in this book were Martha and Ash of course. But what about Arlo? We never hear of him after the fact, what did he think of the mess? I can not wait to read the next banger I know she is going to write. THANK YOU to the author, Lisa Jewell, and the publisher, Atria Books, for granting me an electronic advanced reader copy (E-ARC) that blew my mind and brought me so much ending satisfaction. All opinions on this book are genuine and my own.

Remember Dirty John? It's like this but blown up, and maybe 75 pages too long. But was still able to take it down on a lazy Sunday. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

wow! this is my first Lisa Jewell and i was absolutely gripping the edge of my seat through the finale of this book. i found myself screaming at the women in this story, but truly this man is such a sociopath i don't believe i wouldn't have been fooled as well. if im honest, this gets a star deduction because it did take some time to get my legs under me with the structure of the book. the multiple perspectives and time shifts was a little jarring. but ultimately, i found myself speeding through this to find out how each of our characters would line up. because this is my first Lisa Jewell, im not sure if this is her typical writing style, and though it took some getting used to, i really grew to enjoy it. i will highly recommend this book to my fellow mystery lovers!! thank you so much to Atria Books for this ARC. all opinions are entirely my own.

Another hit from Lisa Jewell! This book is told from multiple voices and timelines that ultimately come together beautifully! There is some darkness, but ultimately, it’s an easy, quick read. There were some parts that I was able to predict, but ultimately, I enjoyed the fresh take. For Jewell fans, I think this will feel like a fresh read and for newbies, I think this is a solid place to start in the lineup.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this read. I have read most of Lisa Jewell books even going back to her romance like books and she has been a good author since then. This book was good. I do not read what the book is about because I know she is going to write a hit and she did. The book had great pacing and good chapter length. I can't and will not say anything that happens in this book because I think it need to be read. Just go read it..it is good!

As a fan of Lisa Jewell’s dark and addictive thrillers, I was excited to dive into Don’t Let Him In. Sadly, this one didn’t quite land for me and ended up being one of my least favorite reads from her.

The premise had promise—a tangled web of secrets between one man and three women—but the mystery and thrill felt diluted from the start. We’re told upfront what the core dynamic is, so much of the tension is lost early on. Instead of uncovering what happened, the story focuses on why—which could still be engaging for some, but I personally never felt truly invested.

I also struggled with the character introductions early in the book. Unless you’re binge reading or have a better memory than I do, it can be hard to keep track of the characters. It wasn’t until about halfway through that I felt like I had a clear grasp on the relationships and dynamics, and by that point, I felt somewhat disconnected from the story.

The ending, while clearly meant to deliver a twist, came off as predictable and lacked emotional impact. I can appreciate what Lisa Jewell was trying to do, but it didn’t resonate with me the way her other books have.

That said, I’m still a big fan of Lisa Jewell’s writing and look forward to whatever she releases next. This just wasn’t the right book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5 stars
‼️‼️Warning there might be some spoilers this review‼️‼️
When I tell you I had no clue what was going on in the first 30% of this book 😩 I felt so dumb when I finally realized this was about a man who was collecting families, robbing them and then moving onto the next victim.
Watching all the families and women hed taken advantage of throughout his life put the puzzle together and confront him was so nerve wrecking. There were times when I was screaming at the characters!
I honestly loved this book but it also stressed me out 😅 I think if you love John Marrs book Keep it in the Family you’re definitely going to love this book because it gives off a similar vibe!

I really wanted to love this book. It had a cool premise that I haven’t read a lot. However, I found all the female characters to be dimwitted and annoying. The male MC was degrading, needed help for the mental issues he had, and all around a horrible person. His parts were repetitive and not totally necessary.


This was not a thriller in any way. It was more of a baby mystery of finding out who the male MC really is. With that said, it was not for me. Too many people involved, too many names, and not enough happened to make it interesting.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell (Simon & Schuster 2025)

I would like to start by thanking NetGally and Atria Books/Simon & Schuster for allowing me to preview (and review) Lisa Jewell’s new psychological suspense novel - which will be released on June 24, 2025.

I have read and/or listen to many of Ms. Jewell’s novels and consider myself a fan of her work. However, I still hope that what follows is a fair review/synopsis of Don’t Let Him In.

It’s difficult to describe this psychological suspense novel without spoilers. Lisa Jewell is highly skilled at the slow reveal - so sharing anything could be a bit of a spoiler. You’ve been warned. POSSIBLE SPOILERS.

The book starts fairly innocuously with a floral delivery to an impressive house. At the house there is a post funeral gathering for a beloved husband, father and successful businessman taking place. The deceased died suddenly in a tragic manner. I was immediately wondering if this would be a “mystery” to be solved. (I quite like a good murder mystery.) But, that event quickly shifts to the back burner.

Almost immediately the book starts moving back and forth in time, and in-between narrators. Fortunately, Ms. Jewell makes it clear when something is taking place and who is narrating, so it isn’t too confusing. There are two primary narrative threads: the widow’s adult daughter’s (Ash) and the villain’s (who has many names) perspectives. You get not only their conversations with other characters, but also some of their thoughts. This provides some background and helps you to understand their motivation.

Motivation is key in this novel - why the villain serially repeats a pattern with numerous victims; why and how they are targeted; and why he is so surprisingly successful. What motivates him to behave in such a manner, and what motivates his victims to ignore any signs something might be awry? Others around the victims and villain sense it, feel it, see it - but they can’t prove it or convince their loved ones to open their eyes. What is there to see? This villain is a master manipulator.

Bit by bit you are fed crumbs that somehow help you to put the pie back together. But, is it complete? Is it as it should be? At 15% in - I thought I was beginning to see why the villain behaved as he does. But, having read several of Ms. Jewell’s books - I doubted I was getting a complete or clear picture.

Examining the diabolical long game that the villain is playing (and has played), and also why his victims are targeted for their vulnerabilities is a main focus of the story - however, at 30% though the book, I started asking myself why does the villain keep pushing things by behaving in such a way that he should be caught or called out. He seems to need the thrill of almost having things blow up - and then somehow claw his way back into good graces. This book is like a master class in malignant narcissism and grief responses.

At about this same point in the novel, clued in by some of the villain’s words and actions, Ash (the daughter narrator) takes on the role of investigator. She starts digging into the past in the hope of exposing a fraud.

Then, PLOT TWIST . . .
you’ll need to read it to finish piecing the puzzle together - and don’t expect it go smoothly. Buckle up!

Have I ever hated a character as much as I hate Nick Radcliffe?

Don't Let Him In was such a good read! Lisa Jewell is a great writer and is one of my most reliable mystery/thriller authors. This book shows once again why that is. She masterfully weaves together stories of multiple women and their experiences with sociopathic men. At times it was difficult to read, mostly because it was so realistic. Talk about how someone can convince a person to ignore their gut instincts and red flags. It does what a good mystery/thriller should: makes you scream at the characters: "Don't do that! Don't trust that person! Don't go in there!" It wasn't as twisty and turny as a lot of thrillers these days, which was kind of refreshing. I liked that it built a good story without relying on shock and surprise.

Thank you to Atria books and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Paddy Swann is the owner of a restaurant and beloved by his family and customers. That makes it even more shocking when he is murdered. Shortly after his funeral his wife receives a package from an old friend of Paddy's, Nick Ratcliffe, that contains a lighter and a note. Patty's wife Nina agrees to meet with Nick. The pair is drawn together but Patty and Nina's daughter Ash is very concerned because something doesn't seem right about Nick or his story.

This book was fun but wild. It honestly is difficult to talk about from a spoiler point of view. I went in not knowing a lot about the plot. I have read and enjoyed other Lisa Jewell books and that was enough for me. We follow multiple women that have been involved with Nick in different ways. The pace is pretty fast and I was very drawn in. I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book just hoping for things to work out for the women in the story. It is also relatively frustrating but I think that is intentional. I always look forward to reading books from Lisa Jewell and I know this will not be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell grabs the reader's attention from the beginning. This story follows Nina, who is recently widowed, and her daughter Ash who is struggling to cope with the loss of her father, Paddy. Suddenly a mysterious and handsome man named Nick, surfaces claiming to be an old friend of Nina’s late husband. In her moment of grief, Nina begins a friendship with this man.
The story also follows a florist named Martha who thinks she has a good life with her husband Al, but recently he has begun to disappear for days at a time and always with excuse after excuse.

As the story progresses, the lives of Nina, Martha, Nick and Al start to intertwine and it’s thanks to Ash’s determination to uncover if Nick is truly who he says he is or if there is more to his story.
I really enjoyed this book because it kept me wanting to read more and more just to find out what happens.
What I disliked is how much I truly did not like Nick and Al…talk about gaslighting at its finest but the ending was absolutely perfect!!!
Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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Nina Swann is intrigued when she received a condolence card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her late husband, who is looking to connect after her husband’s unexpected death. Nick is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…

Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband, Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn’t right.

Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. But the past won’t stay buried forever.
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This was amazing. I have no notes.

Okay, I will offer some notes because this is a book review. Lisa Jewell is a treasure. I just started seriously reading her books in the last year, and the continually keep me on the edge of my seat. This one was interesting because it was obvious who the bad guy was the entire time...and wow, was he ever bad! But I still spent the majority of my day today racing through this book (start to finish...this is one of those thrillers that you will want to read in one sitting) so that I could see what happened in the end.

The ending left me completely satisfied. Just when I think I can't enjoy one of Jewell's books as much as the last one, she writes another masterpiece and proves me wrong. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Don’t Let Him In is a fast-paced domestic thriller told through multiple POVs and timelines. With short chapters and a gripping plot, it’s a quick weekend read perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell-style suspense. The story unravels the mystery of the charming but suspicious Nick Radcliffe, as Ash digs into his unsettling past. While the twists are somewhat predictable for seasoned thriller readers, it still delivers an entertaining and bingeable ride—though the ending could’ve packed more punch.