Although I’m usually a fan of Lisa Jewell’s books, this one is the exception. The plot was good, but there were so many characters that it got confusing and the story went on and on. It was a book that is easily forgotten.

This was my first Lisa Jewell book. Don't Let Him In is a twisty, puzzle that lays out the lives of various women and the one man they have in common. You may feel compelled to take notes, but it gets easier to follow as you read. It truly is a messy web.
Don't Let Him In makes you question yourself and everyone in your life. Can we truly trust the people we think we know the best?
This book took a bit longer to get into than I am used to but I stuck it out because I just HAD to know the outcome. Though, its not the outcome I would have liked, it was very fitting and true to character for the MMC, "Nick Radcliffe."

I was cheering for Ash the whole book -- I really liked the way that we didn't get her full story until much later in the book. Main character is definitely a love to hate kind of guy and I was screaming at some of the women internally as I read their stories. Not my favorite Lisa Jewell book, but still read it in one sitting. Will always be a fan of hers and we'll continue to read everything she puts out.

I think I was spoiled last year with Lisa Jewells novel, None of this is true, which I gave 5 stars, which is rare for me to do. I did, as always, enjoy her writing style and the characters she created and I liked reading about Alistair, Nick, Andre, Simon etc.but all in all I just thought it was a typical thriller.

I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and always look forward to her book. Don't Let Him In is very slow for the first 2/3 of the book and then the last third comes at you quick. Nina Swann and her adult children are grieving the loss of their husband/father. Paddy was waiting for the train when he was pushed from behind onto the tracks. He died immediately as the train hit him. The man arrested and on camera suffered from a mental illness and was locked in a psychiatric hospital for life. Paddy owned 3 restaurants and was the lead chef behind all the food that was served. Nina is now the owner of those restaurants and is overwhelmed with the work it takes to keep them going. Nina's son lives elsewhere and went home after the funeral. Ash lives with Nina and has lived at home for the past year or so. She was traumatized at work and needed to be around people that loved her.

A year after the funeral, a package arrives for Nina. She and Ash are curious about who sent it and what's inside. When they open the package it's wrapped beautifully and there's a lighter inside with a note. It's from Nick Radcliffe and he says that the lighter belonged to Paddy. He says that he worked with Paddy years ago and just came across the lighter. Nick thought Nina would want to have it. The note is quite touching so Nina emails him to thank him. It turns out he's going to be near Nina the following week so they make plans to grab a drink. Nick had also sent a sympathy card after the funeral, but Nina was receiving so many at that time it didn't stand out. Nina meets Nick and he's gorgeous, nice, and has good taste. Nick talks a lot about his ventures co-owning a wine bar and other things he's interested in doing.

Martha has a new baby and 2 young sons and wonders why her husband keeps disappearing for days at a time. Where does Alistair go without being able to text her back or return her calls? It's very annoying and Martha is getting tired of it. Martha owns a florist shop in a neighborhood close to Nina's. Whenever she asks Al about his trips he has perfect reasoning behind not contacting her and being gone so long. Martha loves Al and wants to believe him, but could he be having an affair? The thought has crossed her mind more than once. Ash thinks that Nick is too good to be true and thinks her mother is vulnerable to his affections. She doesn't want to see her mother hurt, so she reaches out to Paddy's first girlfriend who may have known Nick from the time they worked together.

Nina, Martha, and Ash are about to find their lives thrown together as they search for the truth about Nick and Alistair. What will they find out? Is Nick the good guy he claims to be? Is Al the hard working, selfless man that he claims to be? I caught on early what was going on and was sorry it took so long to discover it in the book. Don't Let Him In is a good book that I rate 3.5 stars and a recommendation for those that like a slow burn thriller. It takes a long time to get where you want to go, but the last third of the book is fantastic! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of Don't Let Him In in exchange for a fair review. #DontLetHimIn

**4.5-stars rounded up**

When Nina Swann starts dating Nick Radcliffe, Nina's daughter, Ash, is almost instantly suspicious. Nick seems a little too slick. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is; at least in Ash's estimation. Her Mom has fallen head over heels though, so Ash has to tread cautiously. She begins digging into Nick's past. She needs to make sure her Mom is safe.

Martha, a florist living in a neighboring town, begins questioning her husband Alistair's frequent absences. He always has a story, but after hearing so many, Martha is starting to question everything. These women are about to become connected, and when they do, it'll end up being for much darker reasons than any of them could have suspected.

Jewell has done it again. This is exactly the type of twisted Domestic Thriller that I love to sink my teeth into. I was so invested in this story, I felt like I was a part of the action. I was gnoshing my popcorn, raising my eyebrows, oohing and aahing as new secrets were revealed; it was a hell of a good time. The short chapters and multiple perspectives kept this moving along at a furious clip.

Just when I thought it could get more devious and outrageous, it did. Every twist, every turn, I was living for it. I couldn't put it down. I've said this before in reviews, but I believe it fits perfectly here as well. I don't watch any Reality shows, but I know a lot of people who do, and hearing them talk about them, I feel like I got the same dopamine rush out of this, as they do their favorite shows.

I was glued to it. It was so dramatic, I was so invested, and yeahhhh, it's super OTT, but I love that if it's done well, and IMO, Jewell does OTT-Domestic Thrillers soooo well. I definitely recommend this for your Summer TBR if you love a juicy Domestic Thriller, full of drama, secrets and jaw-dropping lies. But you better buckle up, baby, because Jewell is about to take you for a wild ride!!

Thank you, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always get excited for Jewell's latest work, and this didn't disappoint!

This book makes it hard to trust people. Nick seems like the perfect man for Ash’s widowed mother Nina, until she starts to see the cracks in his carefully polished veneer. Stories that don’t add up, lies discovered all start to make Ash start digging into Nick’s life and the answers are shocking.
I liked the different points of view between the women and Nick, though the story was slow up until the last few chapters. So many women and children were left to pick up the pieces after Nick disposed of them when he had wrung them dry. At least the ending was satisfying.

Another great thriller from Lisa Jewell! The beginning was a bit complex with the multiple POV's and jumping time line, but the slow burn and tension was next level. The MMC was superbly creepy. Fans of psychological thrillers will love the ride. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC!

3.75 I didn’t enjoy reading the first 70% of this book. It’s basically about a con artist who infiltrates women’s lives and families, steals their money, and moves on. So, for 3/4 of this book it’s bouncing between his different operations and I just found his gaslighting infuriatingly annoying and the pacing was slow. I seriously did not like reading about this guy!! Haha

But then, the last 30%, it really picked up! I was anxiously waiting for everything to come together and I really liked how it was wrapped up. I think I would have enjoyed this more on audio as might have made the beginning feel less slow? I would still recommend despite feeling like it was going to be a dud for more than half the book - the ending really made up for it!! Not exactly twisty or shocking, but satisfying.

Lisa Jewell is my reliable suburban suspense queen. I will read everything she writes. I'm working my way through her backlist, but I do think her newer, darker thrillers in the last 5+ years are where she shines.

📖: Go into her books blind. It's for the best. I guess you can know it's about a "charming" man who has an answer for everything.

🤝: This may be a good fit if you enjoy:
- domestic suspense
- con artist stories
- POV of the villain

💭: I was surprised to see this one was 450+ pages because I flew through it on my Kindle. It's busy season for work, so I don't get as much reading time. But I shouldn't be surprised that a Lisa Jewell book sucked me in! I thought the households and timelines were woven together well, and I was so curious to see how it would end. I thought it was satisfying. My only critique is I think it could have been a little shorter through the middle. Otherwise, another solid read by one of my favorites!

Thank you to Atria Books, NetGalley, and Thrillers by the Book Club - MKE for advanced copies of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 - Thank you so much to Atria Books for the complimentary copy!

I am fairly a new reader of Lisa Jewell but I feel like I will be chasing the high that I got from reading None of This Is True (to me it was perfection). Sadly I thought this was just okay. The premise of the book was so interesting! I did have to start it over because I was getting some of the female characters mixed up and I also wanted to make sure that I was following correctly. I think this was more me and my spacing out on reading due to time but there also was a lot of going on.

As I was reading this, I had no clue how these storylines were going to intersect and it took me a moment to realize that the MMC was the same MMC in the different point of views. I don't want to give too much away about the journey that these women go through but man are they put through so much. I can't imagine being able to construct so many lies! *zips mouths*

I had done the first half of the book in tandem with the physical copy I received but then switched to full audio for the 2nd half. This book had a full cast: Richard Armitage (who gave us a very creepy and titillating narration), Joanne Froggatt, Tamaryn Payne, Gemma Whelan, Louise Brealey, and Patience Tomlinson. Between the narration and the story, it definitely kept you on edge.

Though this was not my favorite of Jewell's that I have read, it did keep me invested and I wanted to see how it all would end. Also I am not sure what genre I would classify this as, I wouldn't call it a thriller so maybe domestic suspense? What makes this scary is that this could really happen and probably has happened to all people a like.

At the end of the day the lesson I learned in this is NEVER TRUST A MAN WITH YOUR MONEY!

Yikes! I always enjoy Lisa Jewell's ability to start out slow and build tension in her books, which start to pick up steam and become "unputdownable" by the middle, and Don't Let Him In is no exception. The scariest part of this story is how easily the man in question can insinuate himself into a woman's life, how he can simultaneously feel he loves her and feel he needs to scam her because he deserves more from life. It's enough to make you paranoid.

Jewell once again creates nuanced and relatable characters whose reliability often wavers. We follow various timelines until the crescendo, and there are plenty of suspenseful twists and turns. Make sure you know who you are letting into your life!

4.5/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy.

Don’t Let Him In is a book I have been anxiously awaiting ever since reading None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. Fortunately for me, this book was worth the wait and did not disappoint!

Don’t Let Him In follows the stories of multiple women who have fallen victim to a man who goes by multiple different identities, and is using them for financial gain. I don’t want to say too much more, as this is one of those books that is truly so much better to go into blind!

Even though this book follows the stories of multiple different women, Lisa uses short chapters to transition smoothly between these women and make sure the reader does not get confused and mix up the different women’s stories. She also did a great job of ensuring that we knew the backstory and personalities of each of the women in the story, helping to ensure that we understand why they make the decisions that they do throughout the book.

This book is definitely more of a slower burn compared to some of her other novels. This is not a book with a ton of plot twists and shocking moments. However, this book will have you guessing what the main characters are going to do next, and the suspense in this novel is unmatched!

If you are looking for a psychological thriller full of suspense, this book is the one for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this novel!

Rating: 4.5/5

Today I’m reviewing Lisa Jewells latest thriller Don’t Let Him In. Unsettling, yet unputdownable, Jewell is a master at creating characters that are born from nightmares. From the opening chapters readers will quickly feel creeped out by the male MC. You’ll 100% know there is something VERY off about his character and that’s what compels you to keep reading. Because you just have to know what’s going to happen next.

I couldn’t put it down.

I had this urgent need to know how the book was going to end.

The title is spot on.

I was inwardly screaming don’t let him in whenever he was interacting with literally anyone. Although, I did feel the book could’ve been edited down a bit. There were moments I was like, okay I’m ready for this guy to get caught.

Regardless, if you’re a thrillers book addict, you should definitely grab a copy of Don’t Let Him In.

Nina is charmed by Nick, the perfect man, after losing her husband. Martha's husband and father of her daughter, Alister, started as the perfect partner but has been disappearing for days at a time lately and is always needing money.

This story centers around a psychopath con man. For the first half (or more) of this book, my mind was swimming from the time jumps and all the different girlfriends and wives. I hated the main character so much. I wanted to throw my phone across the room. It was just an average thriller for me.

I have usually loved reading Lisa Jewell’s books (any fans of The Family Upstairs?!) and while I enjoyed certain points of the story this one did not grab my attention.

The idea of a kalidoscopic thriller was new for me. It’s meant to throw us off by using a non-linear structure and tell the story in fragments from multiple perspectives. It did accomplish that but there were very little surprises from this thriller and I felt like it dragged on a bit. It felt a bit more like a mystery/suspense novel so maybe if you know that going into the book it will help!

Every book is not for everyone so just because it wasn’t a top read for me doesn’t mean you wouldn’t love it! If you like piecing clues together with various characters, domestic thrillers or the TV show “YOU”, then this would be a great read for you!

Thank you to @Atria & @Netgalley for sharing this book! All thoughts are my own.

I DNF'd this book. I really tried to finish and just could not do it. It was very repetitive and I just did not care after a while. Made it 43%.

What woman doesn’t want a man who’s handsome, attentive, and seemingly perfect? But there’s no such thing as perfect, which Nina and Martha are about to find out when Nina’s daughter Ash begins to dig into her mom’s new boyfriend.

I always enjoy Lisa Jewel’s thrillers, but I finished this book wanting more. Her writing style was still strong, however, there were parts that seemed a little off such as when Jane, an older woman used the slang ‘sus’. To me, it didn’t feel natural to the character.

There was a lot of potential with the story but i felt like the plot was all over the place and was hard to follow. I also was waiting for a bigger twist but everything really had unfolded throughout the book, and the little twists at the end felt a little forced or like an afterthought.

A short while after Ash's father dies in a tragic accident, her mother starts seeing Nick, but Ash feels in her gut that something is off. Unfortunately, Ash has had some issues in her past and isn't seen as reliable. What lengths will she go to to save her mother from a man she knows in her bones is bad news? I enjoyed this book and felt the nonlinear timeline really helped move the book at a good pace. At times it was hard to keep up with who was who, but overall this was an entertaining read.

Lisa Jewell plays with perspective so well that you’re constantly questioning who’s telling the truth and who’s manipulating who. The tension builds in that slow-burn Jewell style, and by the time you realize what’s really going on, you’re already in too deep to stop and it’s 2AM.

The characters are flawed and messy (sometimes to the point of being maddening), but that’s part of the fun — if you like your thrillers squeaky clean, this isn’t it.

If you’re already a Lisa Jewell fan, you’ll love it. And if you’re on the fence, this book probably won’t convert you — but it’ll definitely keep you up at night.