I am a HUGE fan of Lisa Jewell, and I was super excited to receive a copy of this ARC. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to my expectations. It’s not much of a psychological thriller, and it was lacking the twists and turns that I usually love from Jewell. This book was way too predictable, the main character was a psychopath who gaslit everyone, and the female characters were way too naive that they frustrated me. It was entertaining, but I felt it was lacking in many ways compared to her previous work. That said, I so much appreciate being selected by NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I will continue to read everything Lisa writes!

Jewell has such a great style and the dialogue and stories always wind so well. Twists and turns, and while I knew where we were headed, it still really kept me invested in how we'd get there!

Omg!!! Loved this thriller! Ate this up 🙌🏽🫰🏼 so good!! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc

Lisa Jewell has done it again-this time diving into the darkest corners of manipulation, obsession, and psychological warfare with Don't Let Him In, a twisted thriller that will leave you questioning every charming stranger you've ever met.

At the heart of this compulsively readable novel are three women-Nina, Martha, and Ash-each tangled in the same intricate web spun by one dangerously magnetic man. Jewell crafts a narrative that shifts perspectives like a kaleidoscope, disorienting the reader just as her villain expertly disorients his victims. This isn't just a story; it's a slow-burn descent into the mind of a con artist who gaslights, love-bombs, and destroys with frightening ease.

The story kicks off with a tragedy-Paddy Swann, a well-known restaurateur, is killed in a seemingly random act of violence. Left behind are his grieving wife Nina and their adult children. But the real trouble begins when Nina receives a letter and an old lighter from Nick Radcliffe, a supposed friend of Paddy's. What seems like a kind gesture soon morphs into something far more sinister, especially as Nick worms his way into Nina's life-and heart.

Meanwhile, Martha, a florist and mother of three, is struggling under the weight of an absentee husband, a newborn, and a failing marriage. Her storyline slowly converges with Nina's in ways neither woman sees coming, and the results are chilling.

And then there's Ash-Nina's daughter-who, fresh from her own mental health struggles, is the first to sense that Nick isn't who he claims to be. Her suspicion adds a layer of tension that ramps up with every chapter. I found myself rooting for her, frustrated for her, and desperate for someone to listen before it's too late.

Jewell's use of alternating timelines and perspectives can be a bit dizzying at first, but once you settle in, it becomes part of the thrill. Each shift reveals a new piece of the puzzle-new lies, new connections, and new reasons to doubt everything. Plus there’s And just when you think you have it all figured out, Jewell yanks the rug out from under you.

Reading this book felt like being on an emotional rollercoaster-one minute I was furious, the next I was devastated, then hopeful, only to be shattered all over again. The villain in this story is one of the most infuriatingly realistic l've come across in a while-so vile I wanted to throw my Kindle more than once. But that's what makes the book so powerful: the idea that people like him might exist in real life, hiding behind charm and a killer smile.

The conclusion ties things up in a way that's both satisfying and emotionally intense. Some might find it a bit too neat, but after the psychological chaos that precedes it, the clarity is welcome.

Final Verdict:
This is Lisa Jewell at her darkest and most daring. Don't Let Him In is a brilliant, unsettling, and addictively readable thriller that I couldn't put down. If you enjoy stories with morally complex characters, stomach-dropping twists, and villains you love to hate, this one's for you.

Overall a very mediocre and predictable thriller. I absolutely despised the POV chapters from our antagonist; I had no desire to read the inner thoughts of this disgusting man that was taking advantage of and abusing women. I really struggled in the first 1/3 of this book because there was so many characters introduced and they really didn’t seem distinctly different from one another. The pacing of this one was not great, I found that the flashbacks really made the momentum of the story slow down and took away from some of the mystery this one could have had. Overall I’m just not impressed and really did not enjoy reading this one cause I just hate garbage men and don’t care to read about their stories.
***spoiler ahead***


I think that if your going to write a character that is this vile then the ending needs a much bigger payoff than the ending had (I wanted to see him suffer in some other way instead of just going to jail -_-).

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “Don’t t Let Him In” will be published June 24, 2025.

Lisa Jewell has done it again. This page-turner has a host of characters with different points of view.

I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Lisa Jewell does it again with another twisty, dark, and suspenseful novel. Unlike her previous books however, there's no real twist or gotcha moments in her newest thriller. Instead, it's a deep dive into the mind of a psychopathic, narcissistic antagonist in the same vein as Joe Goldberg in "You." By the end of the novel you will be aching to see this man locked up or given sweet justice by the hands of his many victims...whatever comes first. The love-bombing, word salading, crumb-dropping, and gas-lighting stories of the titular "him" will have you examining every charming man who enters your orbit with a more critical eye. Is this really just a nice dude you've bumped into? Or is he a narcissistic sociopath who's caught you in his cross-hairs? Maybe just don't "let him in," just in case.

I tried to get into this but I don't think Lisa Jewell is for me the plot never picked up so I set it aside

So, I meant to read just a little bit before bed and now it’s 2 am and I am finished.

This book was so addictive and had me so tense at points wondering how everything was going to play out.

I absolutely loathed the villain in this one. I just actually wanted him to pay for what he did and the worry he’d just get away with everything was so strong. I won’t spoil how it turns out but the twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat. I think what really strikes me is he feels real. Villains like him absolutely exist in real life. This makes the emotions so much stronger.

Pacing was a little slow at first but once it started getting into everything, it was fast paced and hard to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

absolutely blew me away. breathtaking and nonstop, jewell spins a narrative that kept me guessing as it carefully and quickly took me on a journey. unreal.

Entertaining, fast paced thriller
Multiple POVs
Not my favorite Lisa Jewell book. It dragged a bit in the end for me but also kept me wondering/asking questions. It was a fast read, I liked it.

A page turning book of twists and turns. I couldn't wait to get to the end and see how it all turned out!

Absolutely great thriller. Lisa Jewell never disappoints. When your mother finds the perfect man after the death of your father, you are a bit skeptical. This guy seems too good to be true! You do some digging and find out that this guy has some serious skeletons in his closet and is definitely not who he says he is. Can you save your mother before it is too late? Page turner for sure and this book has a few twists and turns that I definitely enjoyed and the one at the end was great! I received this book as an ARC from Simon and Schuster. Thanks @AtriaBooks for the copy as well! This book is released on June 24th! Mark your calendar!

Thank you to Atria Books and Lisa Jewell for an ARC copy!

This is my favourite Lisa Jewell so far! I've read, None of This is True and The Family Upstairs, but I listened to both of those on audiobook, and that possibly took away from the story - OR Jewell's writing is just getting better and better!

I was a huge fan of this novel. I was also hooked from very early on, which doesn't tend to happen to me when there are 1) as many characters as there were in this novel, and 2) the setting is quite domestic and typical (i.e. no dragons or fairies..).

The opening of this novel purposefully overwhelms you with multiple names, couples, and places. It reads like a novel that follows the stories of three to four different couples, but all is not as it seems. Typically, Jewell's books are seemingly benign at the start, showcasing regular families and people, but from the start of Don't Let Him In, readers will be intrigued and feel as though they have unanswered questions.

This story is hard to review without revealing spoilers in some capacity. Even stating the name of the protagonist is problematic, you'll see when you read it! Jewell effectively and compellingly sets up the stories of several families, all with a common denominator. There are themes of adultery, manipulation, gaslighting, and (my personal favourite) the power of a name.

The characters are convincing and relatable enough to anger and frustrate me in all the right ways. I do think some of the plot points were a little convenient and Jonathan Creek-esque (that's a technical term around here) but they're not too over the top and they're not impossible, just a little unbelievable.

One of my favourite elements of Jewell's writing is that the female characters often regain their power and have their moment of revenge or righting the wrongs of the male antagonist.

If you're a Freida McFadden fan, I implore you to also read Lisa Jewell. The twists are not AS twisty but they are believable to the point it feels like a crazy story you hear about on the news or a Netflix documentary.

Give it a read for a great entry into the Mystery/Thriller genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I really liked this one, and enjoyed the ending which doesn’t happen a lot. I do wish there was a twist thrown in there, but i can appreciate it without one. Great Read!!

Lisa Jewell delivers a chaotic, binge-worthy tale that feels perfectly in tune with the world right now. Three women, all entangled in secrets and deception, are connected by a man who seems to shift shapes with every chapter. Add in dual timelines full of lies and manipulation, and you've got a story that kept me up way past bedtime.

Jewell masterfully unravels each thread, revealing just enough at every turn to keep you chasing the truth. The suspense builds like a storm—messy, unpredictable, and impossible to look away from.

If you're in the mood for something layered, thrilling, and a little wild, this one's for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the early read!

Lisa Jewell is one of my all-time favorite thriller authors, and while Don’t Let Him In wasn’t my favorite of hers, it still delivered a gripping, fast-paced ride that kept me turning the pages. She’s a master at crafting tangled narratives full of suspense, and this one is no exception. The story builds a web of secrets, deception, and suspicion that slowly tightens around the characters in chilling and unexpected ways.

I loved the shifting perspectives and how the two main storylines—Nina and Ash’s grief after Paddy’s death, and Martha’s unraveling domestic life—eventually converge. Ash was a standout for me, taking on an amateur detective role that added tension and urgency. There were definitely moments where I questioned everyone’s motives and thought I had it figured out, only for the rug to be pulled out again.

The pacing was sharp, the stakes kept escalating, and I found myself constantly trying to connect the dots. That said, the ending didn’t hit as hard for me as some of her other books. It wrapped up a little too neatly after such a wild buildup. Still, it was smart, sinister, and totally readable.

If you’re a fan of domestic thrillers with twisty plots and a dose of psychological suspense, this one’s worth picking up. Just maybe don’t read it right before bed.

This novel reminded me of a May Cobb book. The main character was so vile and repulsive, but I could not look away! With its multiple points-of-view and short chapters, it was totally my jam. While not overly twisty, my interest was held throughout. My thoughts summed up in three words: predictable but satisfying. It was hard to put down!

Lisa Jewell has always been a favorite author of mine. This book was a quick read and had short chapters. Each chapter kept me reading more in order to learn more about what would happen next. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and the story went back and forth between past and present. All in all a good read

I should have known Lisa Jewell would rescue me from my May reading slump with her newest thriller, DON'T LET HIM IN, publishing in the US in June 2025. Alternating timelines follow the story of a man with many names and identities who targets women with money and cons them into relationships, mostly recently widow Nina. But "Nick" underestimates Nina's daughter Ash, who senses something is off about him and starts to investigate, finding other women like her mother who this mystery man has been involved with. This is a fast-paced thriller, and although you may see the ending coming, things get darker as the novel progresses and all of the threads are tied up in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.