This book definitely had a vibe of something that could truly happen, however, for me it was a bit tough to get in to. It felt slow in the beginning and even though things picked up towards the middle, the end of the book was a bit anti-climactic for me. This left me wanting a bit more overall. I have liked other Lisa Jewell books more than this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion!

I’d give “Don’t Let Him In” by Lisa Jewell a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It’s definitely a fast-paced thriller with engaging writing that kept me turning the pages. However, I did feel like the character development was a bit on the lighter side. I would have loved more backstory, especially for the women in the book and the lead male character. It was hard to see exactly what was so charismatic about him that he managed to lure everyone in.

In terms of the plot, it was enjoyable but a little predictable. As someone who reads a lot of thrillers, I found that there weren’t many twists that took me by surprise. Everything unfolded pretty much the way I expected, which made it feel a bit one-dimensional by the end. But all that said, it was still a good read and I’d rank it a bit higher than some of her other books. If you like a well-written thriller that’s more about the ride than the shock factor, it’s definitely worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this book had the potential to be amazing. The cover alone is intriguing and makes you want to try to figure out what its about. I

3.5 stars
This is different than Lisa Jewell's usual books. It is much more a character study than a thriller. Yes he was unlikeable, but Nick Radcliffe's character was really well done. I think that Jewell is an incredible writer and though this wasn't my favorite of hers, I'd still recommend it to anyone who likes con artist plots or fans of hers in general. I read this one and I think that's the way to go because it has multiple storylines, characters, and time frames that would be very hard to keep track of on audio.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

I was initially drawn to Lisa Jewell’s Don’t Let Him In because of its cover — the layered doors folding into each other, the moody blue hue of the frame, the wispy letters of the title painted across the front. It piqued my interest, which was confirmed upon reading the premise. But while the story had its moments of entertainment, it ultimately felt overdone, drawn out, and not compelling enough to keep me invested.

Don’t Let Him In follows three women: Nina, her daughter Ash, and Martha, all in some way tangled with Nick Radcliffe, a charming yet unsettling man whose true nature is revealed chapter by chapter as we watch him cling his claws into the lives of each woman — and their wallets.

Even with the large cast of characters, there wasn’t a single person I truly liked, even between those I wanted to root for. Don’t even get me started on Nick. Jewell writes in his perspective for nearly half the novel, but it’s never enjoyable. It’s dreadful, not in the love-to-hate-him way, but the why-am-I-still-listening-to-this-pathetic-narcissist way. He’s depicted as pure evil, but it’s flat and uninteresting. Nick is a privileged creep with fake trauma and lacking depth. Woe is Nick, and Nick is a damn psychopath with a superiority complex the size of England.

The women in the novel also frustrated me. I’m willing to suspend my disbelief as far as the author will allow me, but the sheer number of people who fell for Nick’s obvious manipulations kept growing, and the arduous length of time it took for him to be exposed felt unrealistic. Given how sloppy he was, how many children he had with different women, how many ridiculous lies he spewed, it was just hard to believe nobody connected the dots any sooner.

I love thrillers — when they’re done a certain way. I love unique premises, the wondering and wondering of what will occur, having to second-guess myself a hundred times, satisfying twists I don’t always see coming. I like feeling rewarded when my suspicions are correct because they’re so well-done, it’s a marvel I’ve guessed it. Don’t Let Him In made its reveal obvious from the start with its alternating POVs, then stretched the journey through what felt like endless chapters as I tried to beat on — not necessarily because I was hooked and aching for some conclusion, but because I wanted to see Nick fall.

The ending certainly wasn’t rushed, and I appreciate who ultimately serves the novel’s justice, but the execution felt silly. I found it unrealistic that no one thought to involve the police in advance of the novel’s climax, and it made the conclusion feel cheaper than I would have liked.

Lisa Jewell clearly exhibits capability in her craft, and thus I’d be open to trying another one of her books. Perhaps one with a tighter plot and a more nuanced villain.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an advanced reading copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Domestic thriller about an extremely manipulative man. Not my favorite LJ book, but a slow burn with a decent ending.

What a creepy read! I would recommend this one to anyone who likes to read the POV of a disturbing MC. Sometimes I wanted to SCREAM at the characters while reading but it definitely kept me engaged and turning pages!

2.5 stars!!!

This really just felt like a run of the mill thriller, which is unfortunately how I feel about most of Lisa Jewell's books. I knew exactly who the title was about the second he was introduced so it felt like everything we learned was unimportant. Like "oh wow, the man with bad vibes has bad vibes..." and it made me lose a lot of interest in the plot. I also think the BPD representation was pretty poorly done, but not full of misconceptions, but like the character didn't really have any symptoms other than reckless behavior which isn't a sign that someone has BPD. Also everything the vegan character said and everything that was said to her made me roll my eyes, so that's 2 for 2 bad representations of my own identifying traits. I did have a fun enough time that I was interested in finishing this book, but that's about as far as my enjoyment went.

Once I got into the rhythm of the million POVs, this was a blast. Maybe I wasn’t in the right head space at the time but it was hard to get around the different POVs.

Don't Let Him In grips you from the first page, pulling you into a web of trust, deception, and creeping dread. It kept me guessing until the last moment- another excellent thriller from Jewell!

Just ok. Sort of forgettable. I am still looking for a twisty mystery that doesn't seem like it is being pumped out like a factory formula.

Why is Lisa Jewell so gooooood??? This book had me instantly hooked. Every time I thought I had a grasp on how deep the insanity went, another layer would be pulled away and the story would get even more wild. This book is really hard to review because I don't want to spoil anything and it's difficult to discuss the plot without revealing too much. I will say the suspense in this book is so well crafted. Jewell has a knack for building tension and giving the story room to sit with discomfort. The insight into Nick/Alistair's mindset is chilling and shocking, you never knew quite how far he would go. I loved how Jewell utilized time jumps, it helped us see how manipulative and systematic Nick/Alistair was with his cons. There are a lot of characters, but they all seem very individual and necessary. Don't Let Him In is top notch suspense, I highly recommend!

Looking for a suspenseful summer read that will have you on the edge of your seat and guessing right until the very end? Look new further than @lisajewelluk and newest, psychological thriller! This one follows a woman who thought she’d finally found peace-living a quiet life, working a steady job, trying to stay under the radar. That is until a mysterious man from her past shows up and everything starts to unravel. Fast. The story flips between past and present as dangerous secrets start to surface. Who is telling the truth? Who can you actually trust? Jewell is one of my favorite authors and always an automatic read. She never disappoints! Thank you to @atriathrillers @atriabooks and @netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review

I will start by saying I was over the moon to receive an advanced copy of Don’t Let Him In. Lisa Jewell is one of my absolute favorite authors and I have read all of her novels. Following None of This is True, my expectations were high and this delivered! 5 stars all around. I absolutely love Lisa’s writing style and the feeling of never feeling “settled” as I read it. Constantly questioning everything and everyone. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy! Publication date June 24, 2025.

Don’t Let Him In is a fast-paced thriller that pulls you in quickly with its mysterious tone and layered plot. While the story really picks up around the halfway mark, the large number of characters can feel overwhelming at times. It takes a bit of effort to sort through who’s who, but once the connections are clear, the story becomes an engaging and easy read. Lisa Jewell delivers her signature suspense and intrigue, though the crowded cast might not be for everyone. A solid read for fans of twisty domestic thrillers. Also, this book definitely paints women in a less than glorifying way and makes the female population as a whole seen very dense and solely focused on appearances.

Thank you NetGalley, Lisa Jewell, and Simon and Schuster for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Jewell comes through again with a twisted story of a sociopath in “Don’t Let Him In”. As with Lisa’s previous books, she masterfully weaves a narrative that is both a slow burn yet entrancing!

Nick Radcliffe is just one name this despicable man goes by. He’s leaving fires in his wake as he cons women into falling in love with him, then bleeding them dry of not only their finances, but of their humanity. But his newest victims daughter is not falling for it.

Ash is griefing her beloved father’s tragic and unexpected death, when her mother stared to date this man who is too good to be true and Ash knows it right away. Ash is determined to dig up the past this “Nick” seems so sly to keep hidden.

What I loved about this book was the multiple POVs. The voice is very well crafted, adding to the addictive suspense and ultimate climax of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley! I’ll always pick up a Lisa Jewell book. She definitely knows how to weave a story that can suck the reader into the story

I will always pick up Lisa Jewell’s books. This one was highly anticipated for me, but unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. We follow this man who lies to women consistently and lives various lives. I was hoping for more twists and unexpected surprises but instead got predictably. This book felt long but it was easy to read and get into.

Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of Don’t Let Him In in exchange for an honest review.

I thought that a thriller from Jewell would surely pull me out of this reading rut I’ve been in, but unfortunately this just added to it. I seem to be on a streak of unlikable MC’s. So, could be my state of mind at the moment, but I did not enjoy this one bit. Just left me feeling pissed off. I ended up skimming the last quarter because I’m just not in the mood for anything this has to offer.

I think another reason why I struggled with this was the changing timelines, shifting point of view from first person to third, plus our MC goes by multiple names in each chapter change. Took me about half way before I could get any of that straight.

As a positive I suppose it gives signs to watch for when it comes to lying and deceitful men.

Let me first start by sharing that Lisa Jewell has to be my favorite thriller/suspense writer. I started reading a couple of books in 2023 that I had on my shelf when I was trying to get back into reading and I quickly devoured her entire catalog of thrillers. Since I've read all of her other suspenseful books I was thrilled to see the announcement about her upcoming book Don't Let Him In and so excited when I was accepted for an early read by NetGalley and Atria Books.

As the book begins we meet the Swann family; specifically mother Nina, daughter Ash and recently deceased father Paddy. Following Paddy's senseless murder on his way home from work, we start seeing what the grieving process looks like for Nina and Ash. In the aftermath of his death we meet Nick, an old friend of Paddy's, who had heard about his passing and wanted to share some momento's he still had from his years working with Paddy. While the introduction seemed strange at first, Nina begins finding comfort in Nick and spending more time with him. While Nina is growing attached, Ash can't help but get more suspicious, feeling like it's all too rehearsed and convenient. As readers, we can't help but wonder if Ash's feelings about Nick have foundation or if perhaps her grief is making her see problems that aren't really there.

If you're familiar with Jewells writing style, then you know there's always going to be a question of whether or not the main character is a reliable narrator; this book is no exception. Overall, I really enjoyed this read, and knowing Jewell's writing style it always felt like I was waiting for the next shoe to drop or for the little piece of information that would twist the story. While reading, I found myself absolutely loathing Nick while fully understanding why some of the characters were so infatuated with him. The psychological components of Nick's character are so well written that I anticipate readers will either love him or hate him which aligns directly with all the characters in Don't Let Him In. Overall, while I enjoyed this book I find myself preferring physical suspense and paranoia over psychological manipulation which lowered my rating slightly but I anticipate others will love it. Another struggle I had with the story was that it unfortunately feels too relatable to what women are experiencing regularly which makes reading story about it a little bit harder. All this being said, I will definitely be recommending this to readers who enjoy mystery and suspense - specifically psychological thrillers and people who loved Jewell's last book None of This is True since they both incorporate social platforms into the storyline.

P.S. The sweet justice of that epilogue made me love the book just a little bit more - con the conman, iconic!

My review has been updated on Goodreads and Instagram.