I’m so disappointed because I really enjoyed this author’s last book and was looking forward to this one. It even started at a solid 5-star level, but then it all went downhill.

The premise sounded fantastic: Melissa, a newcomer to town, is on the run from her abusive ex-husband with her five-year-old son. She quickly falls for Thomas, a charming doctor—except he was once accused of murdering his wife (who is still missing). The charges were dropped, but is Melissa putting herself in danger? Did he do it, or is someone else responsible? Determined to clear his name, she starts her own investigation. It sounded like a thrilling setup, and I was eager to dive in.

The story hooked me right away with a strong start, but things unraveled quickly. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with any of the characters—especially Melissa. She was written with such broad strokes that it left a really bad taste. It’s completely unbelievable that a woman who just escaped an abusive relationship—especially a mother of a young child—would get swept away in an intense romance like this. Her motivations and decisions felt frustratingly naive, making it impossible for me to root for her.

I also struggle with instant love in books, and this one took it to another level. Melissa and Thomas were making serious, life-altering commitments within 24 hours of meeting—it was cringeworthy and hard to take seriously.

Then there were the plot holes. I found myself questioning whether I had misread parts of the story because some characters and subplots seemed to just... disappear. And while I love a thriller with a solid twist, this one fell flat—I guessed the outcome at the halfway mark, which was disappointing.

That said, I did enjoy the mixed media chapters. The transcripts between Thomas and his therapist best friend, as well as journal entries from Rose (his presumed dead wife), were the highlights for me. Those sections added depth and intrigue that I wish the rest of the book had matched.

Overall, the unbelievable romance overshadowed the thriller aspects, making this one a miss for me. If the love story had been toned down, I might have enjoyed it more.

📅 *This book is set to publish on July 8, 2025.*

**Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!!!

I requested this novel, because the title and synopsis really drew me in. I was NOT ready for the wild ride that it was. This is a book that you will want to finish in one sitting. I absolutely did not see the twist at all!!! The writing was really good, and the additions of transcripts and journal entries were amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC!!
This book was fantastic! It had me guessing from start to finish, and I certainly didn’t see that ending coming! It's a brilliantly crafted thriller that I’m definitely going to recommend to everyone!

This book was very good. It kept my attention and curiosity. It took me a little longer to read than usual, but that was due to work and life. I finished most of the book in under two days. I was very surprised at the ending. I'd highly recommend this to any suspense/thriller reader.

This was SO intense! One twist after another kept me in complete suspense! I thought I had it all figured out but was so, so wrong.

Overall, this was a good read. I liked the different POVs used and how they intertwined the current and past times. I also liked how they were in different formats including a recording and diary entries. While I'm typically not one to try to guess "who did it," I felt like this was well done and I was surprised by the ending. A lot of the characters weren't my favorite, but the plot made up for that and it was a solid 4 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this novel.

Stay Away from Him is the first book I’ve read by Andrew DeYoung. Newly divorced Melissa falls for Thomas who was accused of killing his wife and she has to decide if he did it or not. This domestic thriller was good, but sometimes unbelievable. My main problem was how fast the relationship between Thomas and Melissa seemed to progress. Everything about their relationship was a red flag from the jump. Despite this, I still found the plot very intriguing. It kept me guessing up to about halfway through when the pieces started to come together for me. I really enjoyed the inclusion of Rose’s journal entries and Amelia’s recordings, it helped reveal the plot at a good pace. I thought the writing was very strong and would read more by this author. 4/5

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were well developed, the story never drags, its very good. I was slightly let down by the ending there were almost too many plot twists at the end that made the book a little bit unbelievable. The writing is good and i will def look for this author and their future works. Thank you so much to Net Galley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy!

-thank you to NetGalley & the publisher: poisoned pen press, for giving me a chance to read & review this book.-

This one hooked me in right away and didn't stop. Each chapter that ended, I needed to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. This book will make you think you have everything figured out by the middle of it but like other books, there's always something else waiting at the end to shock you. I kept going back and forth with who I thought was the murderer. & I was wrong both times. The main character was like-able, and relatable. That's something I look for when picking up a book. If the main character has no depth, it's a no from me. This was the opposite. It truly did wow me.

4/5 maybe 4.5/5. & thanks to the author as well! For writing a great thriller/mystery.

I wanted to like this book so badly. The cover colors and title hooked me and I was excited to try a thriller from an author I haven’t read before. However, this book was not for me.

If you enjoy love-at-first-sight stories, you may enjoy this, as much of the book was centered around the “romance” plot and it took until about halfway through to really take off into the “thriller” portion.

Overall, there were too many plot holes, uncomfortable scenarios, and unanswered questions for me to really enjoy this. I also did not care about or like any of the characters, and I didn’t feel like there were enough breadcrumbs for the ‘everything clicks into place’ moment that I personally love so much when reading thriller books. The twist was interesting at least.

This was a fun read. It was engaging and kept me guessing to the end. I did have some unanswered questions by the end but otherwise, it was a twisty domestic thriller.

First of all, I want to thank NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author for the advanced copy of this book.

Stay Away from Him by Andrew DeYoung is a gripping mystery/thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The story follows Melissa Burke, who, after a tumultuous divorce, relocates to a new town and begins a promising romance with Thomas Danver. However, Melissa soon discovers that Thomas was accused of murdering his first wife, who disappeared three years prior. Torn between the warnings she's received and her growing feelings for Thomas, Melissa faces a difficult choice: ignore the unsettling rumors or uncover the truth—whether Thomas is guilty or the victim of a dangerous frame-up. The shocking revelation at the novel’s conclusion will leave readers astounded. DeYoung masterfully weaves suspense and intrigue, making this a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.

When Melissa meets Thomas, a handsome pediatrician, at a dinner party she is intrigued. She soon finds out his wife went missing 3 years ago and is presumed dead, with Thomas having been the prime suspect but, ultimately cleared. Melissa finds herself in a whirlwind romance and then receives a threat from an unknown person that has her questioning Thomas' innocence.

This book was so good. I didn't want to put it down and I did not see that twist coming! Highly recommend this book and I will definitely be checking out more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the free ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Thomas has it all... good looks, charm, a successful career as a doctor, two beautiful daughters and a dead wife he may or may not have been accused of killing. So when he charms Melissa and asks her out she has a lot to weigh. Naturally, she is going to make all of the all wrong choices every single chance she gets for both herself and her son, Bradley.

This is juicy and gritty and produced more surprises than expected. I was very pleasantly surprised!

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
After a difficult divorce, Melissa Burke moves to a new city with her young son, seeking solace and a fresh start away from her ex-husband. She’s not in the market for a new romance; her focus is on healing and finding peace. However, her plans take an unexpected turn at a dinner party hosted by a friend, where she meets Thomas Danver, a charismatic widower who expresses interest in her by asking for her phone number. As she gets to know him through her neighbors, she discovers that Thomas is not only a devoted father to two daughters but also a well-respected pediatrician with a controversial past—he was once accused of murdering his first wife, who vanished three years ago.
The case surrounding Thomas's ex-wife captivated the local media, leading to a mix of opinions about his innocence. While some still suspect him of foul play, Melissa's friends defend him, claiming he was wrongfully accused and is incapable of violence. Drawn to Thomas and intrigued by his story, Melissa agrees to go on a date, which quickly evolves into an intense romance. However, when she receives a disturbing anonymous message that raises doubts about Thomas's past, she finds herself grappling with the unsettling question of whether she truly knows the man she is falling for.

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The story and plot were captivating. It seemed like everyone was a suspect! The use of multiple perspectives, such as diary entries and therapy sessions, really enhanced the experience. The main character's behavior made him appear guilty from the outset, as he had this overconfident and condescending attitude. I was completely in the dark about the killer's identity throughout the book, and the reveal was a shock! I would certainly recommend this book when it hits the shelves.

Thank you @Netgalley and @Poisonedpenpress for allowing me to review this ARC.

2⭐️ I slept on this rating since I tend to feel bad when I rate a book so poorly but when I woke up, I realized there are just way too many things I didn’t love about this book and it accurately sums up my feelings.

This book has a great premise, it’s about Melissa, she’s new in town with her 5 year old son, running away from an abusive ex-husband and meets a dreamy doctor and it’s pretty much insta-love. Except this perfect doctor, Thomas, was accused to killing his wife (presumed dead, still missing) and charges were dropped. Is she in danger? Did he do it or was it someone else and she’s determined to clear his name with her own investigation. Sounded so fun to me and I was very excited to dig it.

It immediately hooked me in and starts off strong but unfortunately the wheels come off pretty fast. I did not like any of these characters, especially the fmc Melissa. Her motivations, thoughts and decisions came off so desperate, weak and idiotic for someone who has a child. I am already on the fence when I read romance books with tropes including instalove and this takes instalove to a whole new level. They are talking insane levels of relationship seriousness after meeting 24 hours prior. It was cringy and eye rolling. It just got worse and worse with the instalove as it went along.

Holy plot holes, I am left wondering if I miss read something about a couple of the characters, as I’d really like to know what happened with them and their storylines. Hopefully I am misremembering, which also isn’t good if it didn’t stay with me.

I also like my thrillers to have a good twist and this one is not my favorite, I guessed exactly what was happening about 50% through and that always makes me super sad. I just didn’t like this one and how it kinda went off the rails at the end.

For some positives, I really liked the mixed media chapters. You get some past transcripts between Thomas and his therapist best friend and you get past journal entries from Rose, Thomas’ presumed dead ex-wife. That was cool, I liked those chapters best and really upped the ante in terms of story.

Overall, I did not enjoy this read mainly because of the weird love story. If it was toned down a lot, I don’t think I would have had such big issues with it. It just wasn’t believe at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was great! Kept me guessing the whole time. Definitely did NOT see that final twist!! A very well written thriller that I will absolutely be recommending and maybe even read again!

For fans of Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena & Freida McFadden, i would definitely recommend Stay Away from Him.

I was hooked from the very first page and just *had* to figure out who the murderer was. I honestly was not set on my suspicion until it was confirmed which is a testament to DeYoung's writing. This book kept me on the edge of my toes and wanting even more. All loose ends were tied up (one of my pet peeves!!) and the twist was perfectly executed.

I. Ate. This. Book. Up. 👏
This book is told from Melissa’s POV, a single mom who recently moved to a new area due to a scary/rough marriage. At a dinner party she instantly connects with a local hunky doctor who sweeps her off her feet and earns her son’s trust from the get. Buttttttt….. the next day she finds out his wife was murdered 3 years ago and he was at one point charged with her murder and the body has yet to be found.

Can Melissa trust Thomas or did he kill his wife and she’s in danger? While you follow along Melissa’s days you’ll be introduced to his dead wife’s journal entries and his therapy session notes throughout the book.
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Although I didn’t connect with the main character because I thought she was a naive mom, this book was filled with some many twists and turns I didn’t see coming. The journal entries and therapy session notes kept me wanting more while I was trying to solve it myself.

Loved it and this was my first 5 star of the year! Recommend and would definitely read more from the author in the future!

Thank you #NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I could not put this book down. I was captivated immediately. Imagine Scott Peterson never being charged for his crimes, what would everyone think of him? What would happen when he started dating again? This book wastes no time getting right into it. We meet Melissa, newly divorced and single mom who gets wooed by Thomas, local pediatrician. Thomas’ wife disappeared 3 years ago and he was originally charged with her murder but the charges were eventually dropped. This book was expertly plotted, everything tied together perfectly. There were so many twists and turns I did not see coming! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.