This was a fun summer book. It’s predictable and everyone was a little one note besides the main character but it was a good mindless book. Perfect for a beach or pool read.

If you’re a Lisa Jewell fan, you won’t be disappointed. A twisty tale with dual timeline and POV, a very “Dirty John” tale.

Title: Don't Let Him In
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: June 24, 2025

I received a complimentary eARC from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Kaleidoscopic • Vindictive • Unsettling

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Restauranteur Paddy Swann was the life of the party until the day a man pushed him in the path of an oncoming train, leaving his twenty-something daughter Ash and wife Nina devastated. Shortly after Paddy’s funeral, the two women receive a surprise in the mail: a note and package from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of Paddy’s, and a nondescript lighter that once belonged to him decades ago. This unexpected gift draws Nick and Nina closer together—much to Ash’s dismay.

Martha is a small-town florist with dreams of expansion. She lives with her second husband Al, her baby, and two sons from her prior marriage. But they never seem to have any money, and with his constant traveling for work, she feels like a single parent—especially when an emergency makes her realize something needs to change.

But Nick and Al may not be who they say they are, leading these three women on a shocking collision course, wishing they had heeded a warning: Don’t let him in.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Lisa Jewell's previous release, None of This is True was one of my top thriller reads in 2023, so I had been eagerly awaiting her next book. Don't Let Him In, one of my most anticipated releases of the year, ended up being one of those books that is hard to rate. I didn't absolutely love it, yet it kept me entirely engaged and turning the pages.

I was instantly drawn into this plot of betrayal, obsession, and lies. Lisa Jewell has the unique ability to create such vile and unlikeable characters while also creating a sense of mistrust. It is this not knowing that keeps me glued to my seat, devouring her books. While I thought this one starts and ends incredibly strong, there are parts through the middle where it lags and becomes repetitive.

It does take a bit of time to get settled into the stylistic formatting of the multiple perspectives and sorting out the whos who of the cast. Maybe everything will be a little clearer in the final version. Once I was able to settle into the flow, I would say she weaves all of the threads together like only she can.

A tale of psychological suspense, Don't Let Him In was an enjoyable reading experience that came together in a satisfying ending. I don't necessarily know that I would categorize it as a thriller per se, yet contains elements of the genre. While it wouldn't be my first recommendation from this author, I definitely do think it will be a hot book over the summer months and one with polarizing opinions.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• psychological suspense
• Lisa's writing
• Dirty John

⚠️ CW: gaslighting, toxic relationship, emotional abuse, infidelity, murder, death, grief, death of parent, dismemberment, suicide, stalking, violence, sexual harassment, mental illness, alcohol, drug use, cancer

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

There is something about Lisa Jewell books where you feel like you are living amongst the characters and experiencing the story like you're just on the sidelines as a front-seat observer in the world she's created. I find that oddly comforting even in her more suspenseful, thriller-y books. She makes you feel as though you're part of the story. And the same is true for her latest novel, "Don't Let Him In." The novel is Dirty John meets Tinder Swindler, seeing what it's like to encounter a sociopath and all the ways they catch you in their trap.

DLHI is a multi-perspective novel following Ash, Martha, and the man himself, a slimy bugger, Nick Radcliffe. Ash is a young woman down on her luck having moved in with her parents and then being dealt the sudden death of her beloved father. A year on, her mother, Nina, is getting cozy with an old friend of her late husband, Nick Radcliffe, but something is off with Nick...Then there's Martha. A florist in a nearby town, raising a young child along with two older children from a previous marriage. She has a seemingly perfect husband until he starts playing a disappearing act. "Don't Let Him In" is a collision course of deceit, deception, and desire.

This novel has an abundance of characters but each one plays an important part of the story. So it took me a quick minute to understand the cadence of the novel and get my bearings with the different characters, their names, and how they intersect but it didn't take long to center myself in the story. Each character feels true, lived in, raw. They're all dealing with something that leads them down the path their on. And the juiciest part is digging into the psyche of a sociopath. We get to see Nick's side of the story and understand how he came to be and how his formative years crafted this succubus of a human. We get to dive into his wants, needs, insecurities, self-esteem, motivations, and what makes him tick. It's a treasure trove of domestic drama ripe for the taking. And believe me, Nick will try to take it.

DLHI is the sort of novel that you can spot what's coming from a mile away but you don't care because that's not the point here. This is not a twisty turny thriller but it is action-packed. It's about the characters and how the storyline's are related. And even though you're clued in ahead of time, each development is a satisfying adventure luring the reader further into the story. And the ending is absolutely satisfying with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

So go home, slam the door, and don't let anyone in because you're going to want to sit back, relax, and let Queen Lisa tell you a story.

Thank you to Lisa Jewell, Atria Books, & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my authentic review.

Jewell starts us off with several different stories that are immediately hard to pin down - Ash's father has passed away and her family is contending with his absense, Martha and her husband are running their flower shop, and a Very Handsome Man is begging his wife for money. There's a throughline that takes a few chapters to suss out, as well as a back-and-forth flip between the present and 4+ years ago. I like to keep my reviews as spoiler-free as possible, so we'll leave it at that.

I had so much fun reading this one, even if it did take me a bit to understand the flow. Keeping track of time and place isn't too important - as things come together, I remembered the important information from previous chapters. I loved the ending and the way things came together - we get another wonderful thriller from Jewell.

This story stressed me out! 😂 How could one person keep up so many different lives and keep everything straight, have an answer for everything and get away with it?! The story felt long and drawn out, more details and stories than needed to get the point across. I was getting annoyed / frustrated that no one was catching on and he kept getting away with his behavior. The ending felt anticlimactic but then the epilogue came and it made up for it! A totally enjoyable read, easy to follow, intriguing storyline, even if I think (wish) it could have been shorter.
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Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a gripping tale of manipulation, obsession, and betrayal that had me hooked from the first page. I absolutely enjoyed the way this story was told—Lisa Jewell has a unique, compelling writing style that feels both intimate and mysterious. The structure of the narrative added a refreshing twist, keeping me intrigued and constantly guessing. There’s something about stories told in unconventional ways that I love, and this one delivered on all fronts.
I’ll definitely be reading more from Lisa Jewell—this was such a satisfying read!

This is the story of a man who has spent his adult life conning women. I was expecting this to be a thriller, but instead, it was a fairly slow-paced book with a lot of women to keep track of. It would have been a better book if I hadn't expected it to be a psychological thriller.

This was less of a usual LJ thriller and more of a “catch me if you can” con-man story. It’s told through multiple POVs and timelines. I kept waiting for a big reveal or a shocking twist and… there was none. I will always read Lisa Jewell but this one just didn’t do it for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this arc!

Don’t Let Him In is the latest thriller by Lisa Jewell. I love her books and was so excited to read the new one, but it didn’t work for me.

I enjoyed the beginning and the end of this book, but the middle was long stretches of the antagonist gaslighting, telling crazy lies, and love bombing whatever woman he was with in the moment. It wasn’t until about 60% before things finally started to pick up. The final twists were not surprises for me either.

Overall, I was disappointed with this book. I loved Lisa Jewell’s last book (None of This is True) and definitely plan to read her next one whenever it comes out. Hopefully this one was just a fluke for me.

Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Jewell always has a way of crafting damaged and interesting characters that just draw you into the story. This was no different in Don’t Let Him In. Nick is a charismatic sociopath and I was intrigued with his point of view. When he begins to date Ash’s newly widowed mother, Ash is not fooled by his horse and pony show and delves into his sordid past.

There were parts of this story I really enjoyed but it felt a little repetitive and seemed to require quite a bit of suspended reality. It was entertaining, but not my favorite from Jewell.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

This book follows Ash, who has lost her father in an accident, and becomes increasingly suspicious of her mother’s new boyfriend, Nick. As Ash begins to dig into his past, she uncovers unsettling secrets that make her question who he really is, and how much danger her family might be in. Following the clues, she must convince her mother that Nick is not who he seems.

I was really drawn in by the beginning of Don’t Let Him In and found myself especially interested in Nick’s perspective — he’s a well-written and intriguing character.

Unfortunately, the story lost me as it went on. I found myself pulled out of the narrative due to plot points that felt overly convenient or underdeveloped. There were moments that didn’t fully add up for me, and I had a hard time staying connected to the characters and their motivations.

While the premise is compelling and there are elements that worked, it wasn’t quite the twisty thriller I had expected, and in the end, it just didn’t land the way I hoped. The conclusion was fine, but it couldn’t fully make up for what didn’t work earlier on.

That said, fans of character-driven psychological suspense may still find this one worth checking out.

Maybe this author just isn't for me as I haven't loved the other book I read by her either.

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

Such a good story and concept! This is one of those books that really makes you spend the first half of the book wondering what is even happening with all the different characters and storylines. Slowly, along with the book, you start to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Would definitely recommend this fun read!

Sadly, this was a DNF at 50%. I normally love Lisa Jewell and the stories that are told, but the pacing and the constant repeat of what the male character does in this book just became uninteresting. I was hopeful that it would take a turn because I enjoyed reading about the women and was curious about the main storyline, but I could not continue after the 50% mark knowing I was most likely only going to give it a 1 or 2 star rating.

I, however, do not think this was a bad book, but it was not for me.

I appreciate the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley and Atria Books. I will be waiting for Jewell's next book in hopes it hits my heart again.

Shared also to Storygraph and Goodreads.

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

As a longtime fan of Lisa Jewell, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her latest novel. Her ability to weave multiple timelines and points of view into suspenseful, character-driven stories has always been a hallmark of her writing—and initially, I was excited to see those techniques at play again here.

The story follows Ash, who is still grieving the murder of her father when her mother strikes up a pen-pal relationship with a man claiming to have known him. But there’s something sinister beneath his charm. Told across shifting timelines and perspectives, the novel explores themes of greed, jealousy, and betrayal, ultimately warning: don’t let him in.

While the premise had all the makings of a gripping psychological thriller, this one, unfortunately, fell flat for me. I found the opening engaging enough, but by the 20% mark, I realized I was struggling to retain what I’d read. The frequent timeline jumps, normally one of Jewell’s strengths, felt more disorienting than dynamic this time. It wasn't until the last 40% that things began to come into focus—but even then, the payoff felt underwhelming. I kept waiting for a signature twist or gut-punch moment that never quite landed. This book may simply not have been the right fit for me, and I’m hopeful her next release will return to the thrillers I’ve come to expect from her.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the Advanced Reader Copy of Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell.

I was beyond excited to get my hands on this book. Lisa Jewell is one of my absolute favorite authors and each book she outdoes herself. I wasn’t sure how she could pull off another master piece like None Of This Is True but she did!

Don’t Let Him In is the story of a man of many names and personas who scams women into giving him money, even going so far as to marry them, have children with them only to leave them after he’s taken what he can.

Nina, his latest victim is a widower after her husband was murdered. But The Man didn’t realize he met his match with Nina’s daughter Ash who feels something is off about this good looking guy who has stolen her mother’s heart.

The whole entire book as more and more revelations one out, I was left wondering who the heck is this guy? How does he do this? It brought to mind thinking of all the people on dating apps and how you really never know who you are meeting or what their intentions are. People can be a chameleon changing to fit the story they want to portray.

I really enjoyed this book, the storyline, characters and mystery. The ending was perfect! Easy 5 stars and once again I’ll be waiting for Lisa Jewells’s next book.

I couldn’t put this down, but my god was this uncomfortable. Having to read the first hand thoughts of an absolute sociopath/psychopath is so extremely disturbing.

I was completely thrown into a state of unease reading this book, which I suppose, is the point. There is nothing this conman won’t do for some money or a leg up. It was shocking and revolting.

Lisa Jewell does it again with another page turner.

Lisa Jewell once again got me out of a reading lull! She made me thoroughly hate Nick and I loved how all the pieces came together.

Unfortunately this one was not for me. It fell flat for me and was unnecessary long. There were alot of characters which made it confusing trying to remember who was who and what was going on. Not sure if I’d recommend this one,

Thank you to netgalley and the author for this read.

Another hit from Lisa Jewell. This starts slow, but very quickly snowballs into chaos surrounding a narcissistic con man and the women who fell for him.

Once I was able to sit down and let myself get absorbed into the story, I could hardly put it down. Just when you think you've heard enough...more gets unravelled. The climax did feel a little rushed, but overall, the fast pace of the chapters kept you hooked.

Rhe book features multiple POVs and jumps around between 4 years previous up to present day, but the voice of each character felt distinct enough to not have them be confusing.

This was a fun read and any fans of Jewell will definitely want to pick this one up!