Thank you to Atria Books for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell is an unconventional thriller, focusing more on dread and sinking-feelings in the pit of the stomach than twists and turns. Centered mainly on three women who are connected by a shadowy man, their lives become more complicated as the tangled knot of lies he’s woven becomes untied.

Something that I really appreciated about this book is the theme of trust and believing people; particularly believing women. The book covers who we are inclined to trust and why, and whether that sometimes does us a disservice. Certain characters, like Ash in particular, are disbelieved, despite telling the truth, due to external factors. The overarching theme of not believing women is woven throughout the story.

While this book is written with the same quality that we’ve seen in Lisa Jewell books in the past. This book, however, took me longer to read due to some of the mental exhaustion. The antagonist is so difficult to tolerate, so slimy and disgusting that reading his chapters is so difficult at times. At times he can be a little cartoon-y in his misogyny and psychopathy, but his character is written with a lot of detail. His chapters were a chore to read, not because the author did a bad job, but rather because he’s one of the most horrible characters I’ve read.

I think that this is going to be a really great summer read. It’s interesting and complicated enough to hold the reader’s attention. If you’ve enjoyed Lisa Jewell titles in the past, you’ll certainly enjoy this one as well.

4/5 stars!

Wow! Lisa Jewell never disappoints! She has always been an autobuy author and this was just another success! The twists and turns kept me on my toes for the entire ride. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I have read several Lisa Jewell novels and have loved them all. At this point, she is one of my automatic purchases (I’ll buy it without even looking to see what it’s about).

To say I am disappointed in Don’t Let Him In is an understatement. I don’t know what I expected, but this definitely wasn’t it.

The entire book is about the same thing… over and over again… in different time frames. Just a bunch of gullible and trusting women getting conned by an extremely creepy, but good-looking man. In fact, there were so many women it was confusing for a large part of the book. After a while, I just stopped caring because my god, how do you just let him get away with all of this?!?

There is no mystery, no suspense, no whodunit. It’s all laid out for the reader to see.

Even what I assume was supposed to be a twist at the end wasn’t shocking at all. Everything seemed very transparent the entire time. I think maybe it’s because we get his POV? I’m not sure.

So, yeah… I didn’t think it was great, especially from one of my favorite authors, BUT I did read it all, and I did want to know how it ended. It was interesting enough, but just not up to par IMO.

Lisa Jewell once again proves she’s a master of domestic suspense with Don't Let Him In, a gripping, unsettling thriller that sinks its claws in from the first chapter and never lets go. Jewell delivers a pitch-perfect blend of mystery, emotional depth, and psychological tension, weaving a story that is as compulsively readable as it is deeply human.

At its heart, Don't Let Him In is a chilling exploration of trust, trauma, and the lengths people go to protect those they love. The novel revolves around complex characters with murky pasts, and as secrets unravel, Jewell expertly teases out questions that linger long after the final page: How well do we really know the people we let into our lives? And what if the danger is already inside?

The pacing is tight and the structure cleverly layered, unfolding with twists that feel both surprising and satisfyingly earned. Jewell’s prose is sharp and observant, her character work emotionally astute, and the mood she conjures—one of creeping dread and mounting unease—is executed with finesse.

This is psychological suspense at its finest. Fans of The Family Upstairs and Then She Was Gone will find themselves right at home, though Don't Let Him In stands confidently on its own. Highly recommended for readers who like their thrillers dark, intelligent, and impossible to put down.

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.

Thoughts

Ok this is actually a pretty good plot, it keeps you reading just so you can watch everything come together - or rather, unravel. The issue I had, and why I couldn’t rate it higher, is that there was so much content building up all the betrayal and lies when we could have gotten the story at a fraction of the details. I was actually disgusted by the ways the MMC manipulated and treated all these women. I almost stopped reading it at 30% because it was just too much. I pushed through and the second half of the book was faster and was good, but it wasn’t enough to redeem itself for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an Advanced Reader Copy of Don't Let Him In.
This book kept me wanting to read it since the story was interesting, but it was not really a thriller, more a suspense. It was a little bit of a slow build story to me, but overall, it was a good story. I loved the epilogue. It was the perfect ending to the book. It is my least favorite Lisa Jewell book so far, although I haven't read them all yet.

4.5 ⭐️ - I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and was thrilled to receive this ARC!!

Paddy Swann dies tragically in a train accident and his grieving family receives a gift from Nick Radcliffe, an unknown old friend of his, who quickly works his way into their lives and a relationship with Nina, Paddy’s widow. Ash, Paddy’s daughter, feels something is off about him from the beginning and worries things are too good to be true for this new man in her mother’s life. Martha, mom of 3 and floral shop owner is trying to work through her issues with her husband Alistair’s mysterious work trips, going off the grid for days at a time with poor excuses and things are not adding up.

Nick is a loathsome psychopath and con artist who just keeps getting worse by the minute and leaves countless women in his path of destruction. This story had so many twists and turns, didn’t feel like there were any huge surprises but has a steady build throughout. The ending felt a little too neatly tied up but felt things were brought to justice and liked that this had a solid resolution given the nature of his history of disappearing.

Overall would recommend for an exciting new thriller out in a few weeks!!

Don’t Let Him In is a slow-burning, suspenseful domestic thriller that expertly weaves together the lives of three women—each on the edge of uncovering a chilling truth. Nina, newly widowed, finds herself drawn to the charming Nick Radcliffe, whose sudden reappearance after her husband’s death feels both comforting and oddly timed. Her daughter, Ash, trusts her instincts more than Nick’s perfectly polished persona and sets off a chain reaction with her investigation. Meanwhile, Martha, a new mother in a nearby town, battles growing unease about her husband’s absences and the cracks forming in their seemingly solid marriage.

The narrative unfolds through alternating perspectives, building tension as secrets come to light and the characters’ stories begin to intersect in unexpected—and deeply unsettling—ways. The atmosphere is thick with unease, and the book excels at maintaining suspense without relying on cheap thrills.

The only reason this isn’t a five-star read is that the pacing drags slightly in the middle, and some twists feel a bit telegraphed. Still, the strength of the female characters and the creeping sense of dread make this an engrossing read. Fans of Lisa Jewell or Shari Lapena will find much to love here.

Final verdict: A gripping tale of trust, deception, and how well we ever really know the ones closest to us. Just remember—don’t let him in.

Honestly I have conflicting feelings about this book, for sure my favorite part of it was that it was impossible to put it down, like actually. I read it all in a day, in two seatings, couldn't even stop reading while brushing my teeth. All of this to say, this is so entertaining and quick to read, the short chapters really work here.
Now my issues, i'm not sure Lisa Jewell's writing is for me, I've only read "None of this is true" by her and my thoughts are kind of the same. She writes beautifully but I don't feel like her stories are thrilling whatsoever, I feel like there's not enough mystery, if anything at points it feels like a character study of middle aged women, but it also fails to be deep enough in that aspect. So for me, they always land in the middle, not fulfilling my expectations for any of the aspects of the story.
Still, If you like her previous work I would highly recommend this one because it has that distinct vibe of hers. If you wanna get out of a reading slump or simply read something fast paced and entertaining I also would recommend.
Oh I'm watching "you" right now and the main character of this gave MAJOR Joe vibes, so if you like the show try reading this book!!

*Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the ARC*

2.5 stars - I have read five Lisa Jewell books and have liked the majority, but this one was not for me. There are a lot of characters and storylines that were confusing. The main character was so repulsive that it was hard to read. The book was repetitive and slightly boring until the final 15% or so. That being said, I did appreciate how everything tied together in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Don't Let Him In would have been better named "Don't Piss Me Off" because that's how I felt for more than two thirds of this book :S

The main POV was SOOOOOO FRUSTRATING and I get that we're supposed to hate him but that he was supposed to be so charming and good looking but I wasn't convinced and omg it was so annoying to read him getting away with everything and all the women just falling at his feet!! Nothing he did or said was likeable from a reader's perspective so it made me mad that the women fell for him. And boy, could he yap! I had to skip paragraphs of him going on and on, excuse after excuse because I knew it wouldn't matter and I didn't care what he had to say. I liked how the different characters ended up coming together but the final scene was so annoying and unbelievable? The epilogue did have some form of satisfaction.

I think I liked this better than None of This is True but also not sure if I was reading fast because it was an easy read or so I could finally get to the part where some justice could be served. There was a teeny tiny twist I saw coming (but I still liked it), but otherwise there was no real thrill or shocking moments. Just an annoying incel being an annoying incel. Decent read and still love Lisa Jewell tho!

Thank you sooo much to NetGalley and Atria Books for this arc. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to read one of my favourite authors' latest books and provide my feedback!

I have mixed feelings about this new work by Lisa Jewell. I thought the overall plot was clever, and I had a hard time putting it down. The constantly changing timeline and characters were confusing at first, but I ultimately got used to that, since it was a cornerstone of the plot. Things I didn't like: the character of Jane (she seemed out of place), the relationship between Ash and Nina (it felt inconsistent), the first-person narrative of the MMC (who's he talking to?) and the way the story wrapped up in the epilogue.

Overall, if you're a fan of Jewell and similar authors, you won't be disappointed by this story! It takes a little getting used to the timelines/characters, but it's a good read overall and I'll definitely continue reading more by this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 ⭐️rounded up. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. I went in expecting a thriller, but it felt more like a slow-burning drama. I had a hard time staying engaged and found myself losing interest pretty early on. The characters were also a bit hard to keep straight. I’ve really enjoyed some of Lisa Jewell’s books in the past, but this one just didn’t land for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the egalley ARC. I’m always here for a Lisa Jewell book. Don’t Let Him In kept me reading, very quickly in fact, since it is such a propulsive read. I love a book with short chapters, alternating character perspectives, and shifting timelines which Jewell navigates flawlessly. Note that as is the case with many thrillers I’ve read lately, you have to suspend your disbelief that so many gullible people exist in the world.

I can't decide between 3-3.5 stars. This would have been a lot higher if it wasn't for 85% through til the end of the book.
85% through was a little unbelievable, because Nina seemed to not believe her daughter the entire time because of her past but yet switches her mind up so quickly? Ash didn't tell her anything different but then her mind flips like a switch. This didn't fit the narrative for me. The plot twist of Nick writing the letters to make Ash seem crazy seemed to be thrown in too hastily.

This was suspenseful thriller that I did not want to put down, and the author did a good job of making solid characters- it had me guessing if Ash was making all of this up in her head. The only let down would be the ending, still think it is worth the read. Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

The last 25%? Incredible. Everything before that? A slog. Too many characters, too little action, and pacing that dragged. I wanted to love it—Lisa Jewell usually nails it—but this one took way too long to get going. Worth it in the end, but it tested my patience.

Absolutely gripping from start to finish, Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell is a masterclass in psychological suspense. Jewell weaves a chilling, twist-filled narrative that keeps you questioning every character’s motive. The tension builds with every chapter, creating a sense of unease that’s impossible to shake. Her signature mix of complex characters, dark secrets, and emotional depth makes this a page-turner you won’t forget. Just when you think you have it figured out—boom, another twist! Perfect for fans of domestic thrillers, this book is an absolute must-read. Trust me—you won’t want to put it down

If you enjoy feeling mildly paranoid about every text, every knock on the door, and every vaguely charming stranger you accidentally make eye contact with, this book will hit just right. Lisa Jewell’s writing is like a warm, suspenseful hug with a little side of “maybe don’t trust anyone ever.”

The twists come at you like a polite but persistent cat demanding attention: not exactly a heart attack, but enough to make you pause and rethink your life choices. I appreciated the mix of first and third-person narration. it’s like getting multiple angles on the chaos, which only adds to the literary paranoia. I’m here for it.

I liked it a lot (I mean, HELLO, it’s Lisa Jewell we are talking about here) and definitely spent a suspicious amount of time side-eyeing all the characters. I would definitely recommend this book. I would also maybe consider a restraining order against any “Nick” in my life (including my own brother).

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

Wow! What a read. I love Lisa Jewell, but I really loved this book because it was quite different than others she has written. It’s a story about a conman, and his relationships with many different women. While there are quite a few characters, I had no trouble following along once I got the flow. It was fast paced and a book I could not wait to dive into! Loved this read.

This story is so crazy! Paddy Swann, owner of Paddy’s, was pushed towards an oncoming train and died. His grieving widower, Nina, receives a momento of Paddy’s from an old friend, Nick Radcliffe. A year later Nina and Nick are dating. Her daughter Ash doesn’t approve and begins investigating Nick. The POV jumps from the past to the present. Thank you to the publisher for a copy.