3.25✨ You all know I love a thriller and I wanted to love this one but it fell short. First, calling this a thriller feels inaccurate. It’s much more of a psychological drama. Yes, it hooked me early on, but ultimately, it just didn’t deliver. I saw the direction it was headed almost from the start, and while I kept hoping for a surprise twist, it never came. That’s the whole point of a thriller, right? To shock you, to leave you questioning everything. Instead, I closed the book feeling disappointed. Where were the 🌪️🌪️?

There were too many POVs for my preference and switching from 1st to 3rd POV made it hard to keep the stories straight.

I am purposely being vague with the story overview as most anything I share can be a spoiler. Sorry about that!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the Advanced Readers Copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Jewell’s books used to captivate me with their clever writing and intriguing storylines. However, I’m afraid I’ve lost interest in her work due to the rapid pace at which she releases novels.

This particular story was a bit sloppy. The protagonist, who went by so many names (IYKYK), was incredibly unlikable. The plot became increasingly far-fetched and absurd, making it hard to believe that any of the women would allow him to treat them so badly. Additionally, the female characters became difficult to keep track of, and by the end, I didn’t even care to figure out who was who.

I almost gave up on this book multiple times, but I eventually managed to finish it. However, I don’t recommend that you do the same. I know there are some Lisa Jewell stans out there who will probably eat this one up, but that unfortunately wasn’t my reading experience with this one.

No one is more disappointed to report my rating than myself.

Overall this isn’t a bad thriller, it just wasn’t for me.

This heavily reminded me of the Netflix show You (which I also stopped watching after one season) so if you enjoy that type of thriller (being inside Joe Goldbergs head) then there is a high chance you will enjoy this book as well.

Personally, I don’t enjoy reading about men being a menace to women and to society (we have enough of that in real life). I mean my goodness, if there is a red flag, our mmc nick, has it.

On a positive note, each chapter is very short, so it’s easy to say “just one more chapter”. There also isn’t a lull in the plot during the second act, but to be fair there’s like 4 different timelines we’re working with and quite a few characters. So there was always something happening.

There are some trigger warnings - not atypical for a thriller but they are as following:
Detailed description of murder
Psychological and physical domestic abuse

This book was slow and dragged on. There was little bits and pieces that kept me thinking it was going to pick up, that something crazy was going to happen, but it was very predictable. It had potential and could have been a great story, but there was a lot of unnecessary details. Then these dumb women, what married person leaves for work on a minute notice in the hospitality industry and shuts off their phone for a week because they were “too busy” to ever contact their spouse. Then he whines and begs for money, even though the women are in debt already and they find a way to get him more money and dig deeper holes for themselves. Multiple women just giving away money they don’t have and believe him when he doesn’t contact his “wife” for a week. I wanted to like this story as Lisa Jewell is usually a great author, but this one fell flat for me.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review! and whew i will be honest.

unfortunately, i was so disappointed by this one. i loved none of this is true, but this book was such a slog. it was so hard to care about any character who wasn't ash—perhaps that's part of the point? that normal, smart women can be snowed by losers like [insert name here]? but it was hard to read.

this was a really slow read for me overall, though. i kept waiting and waiting for action that just didn't happen. ugh. i'm sad. i was so pumped to get this as an arc! but it was a slog.

thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

I don’t even know what to say about this book. twists and turns of course and a wild ending that I am shocked and confused about. it didn’t take me too long to figure out that it was the same man, but I kept reading to know why and what he was doing. I look forward to reading whatever Lisa Jewell comes up with next.

(was the form size difference between his chapters and all of the women’s chapters just because it was an ARC/Kindle copy? I don’t know why but it was throwing me off once I realized it was happening.)

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell is psychological suspense at its most unsettling—and I mean that in the best possible way.

Right from the start, Jewell pulls you into a story that hums with quiet menace. There’s nothing splashy or over-the-top here—just a subtle, creeping dread that builds with every chapter until you’re flipping pages like your life depends on it. It’s that signature Lisa Jewell slow burn, where the tension coils tighter and tighter until you realize you’ve been holding your breath.

And the characters? Let’s just say they’re not exactly the kind you want to grab coffee with—but that’s part of what makes this story so compelling. Flawed, messy, and morally murky, they felt real in that slightly uncomfortable way that makes you want to look away but keeps you watching. I didn’t like them, but I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I needed to know how it would all unravel.

What Jewell does so brilliantly here is explore the psychology behind the characters’ choices—the manipulation, the denial, the twisted sense of self-preservation. It’s completely fascinating and just a little disturbing. Okay, a lot disturbing. But that’s the thrill of it!

If you love psychological thrillers that don’t scream but whisper their warnings—slowly and eerily getting under your skin—this one’s for you. Just… don’t read it with the lights off.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell starts with an intriguing premise and atmospheric writing, but it lost its grip on me early. I was able to predict the direction of the plot by the ~18% mark, which made the rest feel somewhat monotonous. Additionally, I found it difficult to stay engaged with the characters—particularly the main male character, whose frequent name changes made it hard to keep track of him and his storyline. While Jewell’s signature style is still present, the lack of suspense and character clarity left this one feeling underwhelming.

Don’t Let Him In
I finished! 😍😡🧐🤨🥸🥳 That was something else. I highly recommend this psychological thriller if you don’t mind getting pissed off over and over again. Nick Radcliffe is charming, suave, a silver fox and seems like just what Nina Swann needs to feel grounded again after her grown daughter returns home and shortly after her husband is run over by a train.

But Nick is not what he seems and Ash, Nina’s daughter, is going to get to the bottom of it.

Lisa Jewell employs multiple POVs and third person narratives to paint the picture of the various characters and settings in this book. I think the execution works well.

The synopsis for this book makes you think, we have a guy has two separate lives. Oh but I have heard this story before. What will make this book better? Nick is a serial scammer that targets widows. Yes, widows not just Nina and Martha. It’s genius how the other widows get introduced.

Lisa had me guessing till the end what sort of book this will be… will Nick get away with it again, will he get captured, will he commit su!c!de, will he meet his match, … what will happen to Nick? Lisa has been on my TBR pile for a long time and this is my first so I really did not know what to expect. As to not spoil it for anyone. HA.

Lastly, thank you to Lisa Jewell, Atria Books, Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the digital ARC which allowed me to read and voluntarily provide an unbiased review.

Solid 4 star read. None of this is True set the bar so high, and really is in a league of its own. I really enjoyed the latter half of the book, where a few of the big reveals came out. Had some pacing issues for me, but overall, a very fun read and will continue to be an auto-buy author. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book!

I loved this book i am honored to even get an early copy let me say that thank you !!! This book was great a page turner i really hated the main character he was a narcissist to the fullest but the story line came together and it was so good thank you again and I finished so fast it was a good one

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Across time and place, several women begin a relationship with the titular “him” …
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In the UK, various female characters are falling in and out of love with what appears to be the same man…. This is a very fast, compulsive read that never stopped entertaining me. The plot is not particularly high stakes, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing; gratuitous violence a great story does not make. Instead it uses clever twists and sophisticated ploys. But just don’t expect to be on the edge of your seat. The ending also left a little to be desired.
[Content warnings at the end]

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow. What amazing characterization, especially with such a large ensemble. Each scene, each conversation, Jewell takes her time to describe each emotion, each characters’ perception of the other. The complexity to each person makes for a great read. Ash, Tara, and Jane stand out the most in terms of their trajectory and depth. And, of course, the titular “him” is so devilishly well-written.

Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jewell wrote a novel so clever, intricate, and consumable that I think everyone will enjoy. Though I found myself wanting a little bit more by the end, this doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the read page after page. I particularly value Jewell’s writing style: she never fails to write stories deeply, detail characters throughly, or describe settings perfectly.

Recommended to fans of complex and exciting mysteries.
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[Content warnings: gas lighting, misogyny, BPD, violence, stalking]

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors, but unfortunately this book is not one of my favorites. The alternating points of view were a little confusing at first. The red flags waving all over the place for the con-artists victims were frustrating and had me rolling my eyes. Maybe the story felt a little far-fetched for me. Either way, while this book kept me somewhat engaged, it's not a book I'm going to be recommending to my book lover friends.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors, and Don’t Let Him is exactly why. I was completely hooked from the start and could not stop reading. The way the story moves back and forth in time had me gripping the pages, dying to see how everything would come together. Every chapter peeled back another layer, and just when I thought I knew where it was going—nope.

Jewell does such a brilliant job building suspense and creating characters that keep you guessing. The pacing is sharp, the atmosphere is intense, and I was fully invested until the very last page. Easily one of her best, and definitely one of my favorite reads this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this opportunity to read and review this book.

I found this book intriguing, but confusing. The points of view by the different characters really had me confused throughout a good half of the book. Once I figured out all the characters, I enjoyed the book. It made me want to keep reading to figure out who this man is and the connection to the other characters.

This was my favorite Lisa Jewell and favorite thriller I've read in a while. This was interesting because there weren't a ton of twists or mysteries that were huge surprises - you can tell pretty early on what is going on. and YET, I still couldn't put it down! We meet a man who goes by a few names, and we go back and forth between present day and four years ago, as we quickly realize he is a bit of a handsome con-man who gets women to fall in love with them and fleece them. The book was really enhanced by getting his POV (reliable narrator?). There were small twists at the end and an enjoyable ending. Great book!

Lisa Jewell does it again! Don't Let Him In is a twisted story that is so reminiscent of real life, that it is disturbing. Having been exposed to Narcissism and personality disordered people, reading through the storyline of Al, Nick, Jonathan - what is his name? - was eerily like various people I know in life today. The story captures the essence of deception, manipulation, gaslighting, lying, and grandiosity, among other things, and gives the reader insight into the pathology of dealing with persons with disordered, covertly abusive personalities. The story sheds light on the fact that there are many people in the world who hide behind facades, fake personas, and exude a life of wickedness and evil. There are many wolves in sheep's clothing in the world today and they are not just in fictional stories.

The storyline was gripping, intriguing, twisted, and packed with so many unexpected happenings that I would highly recommend it to all. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book really was a twisted web of lies galore! There were a lot of different timelines that got confusing, but honestly felt like it was worth it at the end. I honestly didn’t know where we were going at the beginning but enjoyed how it all turned out. Though a bit repetitive at times, it truly was a good mystery that ended up all tying together with women banding together.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for a copy of this ARC.

Lisa Jewell has done it again! Don't Let Him In is a dark, twisted domestic thriller - a perfect beach read for the summer months. A page-turner that will both aggravate and keep the reader guessing, even when you think you have it all figured out.

While this is not my favorite book in Jewell's oeuvre, the short chapters and building suspense had me hooked from page one. Her plotting and weaving across multiple timelines and POV's are familiar to her fans, and it's one of the many reasons why she is one of my favorite current mainstream authors. She designs the most awful and depraved characters whose machinations seem both outlandish and plausible - and this entry is no exception.

Don't Let Him In is yet another satisfyfingly addictive addition from Lisa Jewell and comes highly recommended.

At first this book was super interesting but it started to get super repetitive and redundant. The ending was a bit underwhelming for me too.