I’m going to be honest, I struggled with this one at first. I didn’t care for most of the characters, especially the FMC. Melissa moves to get her and her young son away from her toxic ex-husband. But then one of the first things she does is jump into a relationship with a man when one of the only things she knows about him is that he was previously charged with his wives murder. AND allows him to immediately be a fixture in her 5 year old’s life. What could go wrong? 🤦🏻‍♀️ I swear I am not a judgey person, but the mama bear in me just wanted to reach in and shake her for her terrible decision making.

BUT if you can get past all of that, it is a great fast paced thriller! There were so many twists I did not see coming and towards the end it had my heart legitimately pounding out of my chest! Once it picks up it does not let up at all and you will want to put this one down!

Well, this was a wild ride! We went from person to person to figure out who it actually was. Andrew DeYoung did a great job twisting the reader to think one thing and then another in Stay Away from Him.

NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, thank you for this story. It’s a good one!

"Stay Away From Him" is a romantic suspense/domestic thriller. The story is told from the present day POV of the main character, Melissa, and also from diary entries and therapist transcripts. I really liked this format because it built a lot of tension and suspense. The book started off strong, but toward the middle I started to lose interest. The main character made so many frustratingly bad choices, and all the love bombing was such a huge red flag. The ending was a lot more enjoyable with several unexpected twists. It was entertaining enough that I finished it fairly quickly. It reminded me a bit of a Freida McFadden book, so I think her fans will enjoy it.

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

This is more of a romantic suspense than a thriller. I feel like the romance was more at the forefront of it than anything else. It also takes a while for the action to start so you have to truly get into the story before. Also, it is fairly easy to guess who the killer is early on if you are very attentive.

4.5 stars!!

From the very first page, this book had me hooked! The writing is sharp, and the suspense builds with every chapter. You’ll find yourself playing detective, but good luck trying to figure out whodunit—trust me, you won’t! So, grab a cozy spot and prepare for a wild ride, because I dare you to make a guess! Ha!

Melissa Burke relocates with her young son after a painful divorce, seeking distance and healing. At a dinner party, she meets Thomas Danver, a charming widower and respected pediatrician, who is also an exonerated murderer. Thomas's first wife went missing three years ago, and although he was cleared of her murder, some believe he is guilty. Despite warnings from friends about his past, Melissa is drawn to Thomas, and they begin an intense romance. However, when she receives an anonymous threat, she starts to question his innocence and how well she knows him.

Our protagonist, Melissa, is attempting to start anew, but complications abound. In many thrillers, readers are encouraged to step into the characters' shoes, and this one is no exception. You might think you have a handle on the clues and potential suspects, but let me tell you, you really don’t! When your instincts fail you, who can you trust? What adds an extra layer of intrigue is the perspective of Rose, the missing wife. Her point of view makes the mystery of her disappearance all the more dramatic and believable—after all, we all have our suspicions about the spouse, don’t we?

The writing flows smoothly and at a brisk pace, keeping me on the edge of my seat as I tried to piece together the puzzle at every twist and turn. If you’re a fan of thrillers that keep you guessing with a cast of intriguing characters and believable scenarios that only come together at the end, then this is your perfect summer read. It’s the kind of book you can binge-read in one sitting, thanks to its captivating twists and turns. Happy reading!

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was soooooo good! I couldn’t put it down. The plot was something I loved. It was very captivating and just had me hooked. The characters were very well put together and just made the story that much better

I thought I had the twist figured out, but I was not prepared for the killer to be who it was. An interesting story about manipulation and how difficult it can be to trust someone after they have been embroiled in a scandal. Especially when he seems like such a good person and is a doctor, this is a delightful read that makes you question what you would do if faced with a similar situation.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the e-arc!

This was such a great read! I devoured this book and it kept me interested from the very beginning. This was another one that had twists and turns that I just was not expecting. I for sure did not expect who ultimately was the killer and what was going on with everything. I appreciated the different perspectives and the recording transcripts as well as the journal entries from Rose. It was a great way to piece everything together and make the reader think about what was really going on. I will say Melissa drove me a little nuts with how quickly she fell for and believed Thomas. Like come on girl, if you have a bad feeling, it's probably bad and you should think of your son. Overall though I really liked this book and would definitely recommend it to thriller lovers!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the gifted copy of Stay Away from Him by Andrew DeYoung. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! I did not see the twist coming until the very end. It kept me on my toes which is all I can ask for in a thriller. I read a lot of domestic thrillers and it is one of my favorite tropes. This one separated its self and really felt like something I have not read before which is not always easy to do in the thriller genre. A domestic thriller with a dash of romantic suspense had me hooked from the first chapter. If you love twists , turns, and questioning every single character in a book then I definitely recommend this one! I can't wait to check out more of Andrew DeYoung's books!

Single mom and recently divorced Melissa is looking for a fresh start for her and her son after a grueling divorce. While getting her life back on track she meets Thomas Danver who checks all of her boxes for a potential partner. The only thing about Thomas is he may have killed his first wife, Rose. Rose went missing and was never found and because of this no one was ever charged with her murder and disappearance but that did not stop the world from saying that it's always the husband. As Melissa and Thomas venture into their new relationship she begins to question Thomas and his intentions with her as well as questioning if he is truly the man the media views him as - a wife killer or the sweet man who has swept her off of her feet.

Some of the characters choices had me shaking my head I really wanted to be like "REALLY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" At times I was frustrated with them but in the end that ended up adding to the suspense and had me questioning literally everyone.

This twisted domestic suspense is out now and I highly recommend adding it your tbr!

Thank you Netgalley & Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for for my honest opinion.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5

Andrew Deyoung took me for a wild ride with Stay Away From Him. It's super fast paced, grips you early on and keeps you reading until the very last page. I always joke that my adhd blessing and curse is that I nail the twists early on but the characters are so complex and down right untrustworthy that he got me here. I loved the transcripts, diary entries and present day times line combo. I was literally yelling "Mellissa girl.. what are you doing!" The whole book. By the end I was yelling at everyone.

🚨 CW
Child Injury/danger
DV
Animal death & Abuse
Mental Health/self harm
Death
Graphic Violence

This was a compelling read and I most definitely recommend it for thriller readers and I think horror readers would also enjoy this story. I know this book is going to live rent free in my head for a while..

Thank you to NetGalley, Andrew DeYoung, and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC. A gripping and fast-paced psychological thriller that kept me guessing from start to finish. Packed with clever twists and constant suspense—this one’s a must-read!

Wow, what a wild ride! This book had some twists that I definitely didn’t see coming! I enjoyed the mix of third person narration and transcript recordings as a way to get to better know the characters. It’s a fast-paced book and very difficult to put down! Love bombing is the catalyst for the unravelling of the mystery in this book, and DeYoung does a fantastic job of tactfully showcasing how and why someone can fall for this type of behaviour and the potential consequences.

Stay Away from Him by Andrew DeYoung
#sixtyninthbookof2025 #arc #stayawayfromhim

CW: death, murder, stalker, child injury, violence

From NetGalley: Relocating with her 5-year-old son to a new city after an ugly divorce, Melissa Burke isn’t looking for a new relationship right away—only distance from her ex, and space to rest and heal from the emotional scars of a broken marriage. But an unexpected relationship is exactly what she finds at a friend’s dinner party when she meets Thomas Danver, a charming widower who asks for her number at the end of the night. Intrigued, Melissa learns from her neighbors that Thomas is a dedicated father of two girls, one of the most respected pediatricians in the city—and an exonerated murderer. Thomas’s first wife went missing three years ago, presumed dead, and Thomas was eventually cleared of her murder in an investigation that became a local media sensation. But while some still believe he killed his wife, Melissa’s friends insist that he was unfairly targeted by the police and couldn’t hurt a fly. Attracted to Thomas and also fascinated by the case, Melissa agrees to one date—and finds herself quickly swept into an obsessive, whirlwind romance. But when Melissa receives a chilling, anonymous threat—or perhaps it’s a warning—she begins to question how much she truly knows about the man she’s falling in love with. Is he really innocent?

My thoughts: I am not sure how to feel about this book. Barely purely on plot, I can’t recommend it. Melissa can’t help but be attracted to Thomas, who was accused of MURDER. Of his wife, who’s still missing. That’s reason enough to stay away. He wasn’t nearly charming enough for her to fall for him the way she did. He loves bombs her and moves way too fast, proposing after just a few months, and I really judged her for falling for it. She was an idiot. Everything that results in this book could have been avoided if Melissa wasn’t a horny moron. (The book was written well, it sure made me feel things. Anger and frustration.)

Thank you to @poisonedpenpress and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Available now, pub date was 7/8/25)

I love when a book is written with letters or diary entries. It feels like we get a slow burn and I love unveiling the truth slowly through letters. That is what really sold me on this book. We also get present day chapters and that helped connect everything together. This thriller kept me on the edge of my seat and I really enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

When Melissa meets charming pediatrician Thomas at a friend’s dinner party, sparks fly. After the party, she finds out he was accused of murdering his missing wife 3 years ago but he wasn’t found guilty. As Melissa and Thomas grow closer and weird things start happening, there is still an ever present worry in the back of Melissa’s mind that Thomas might not be all that he seems.

This domestic psychological thriller certainly packs a punch. Full of suspicion, unease, and a sense of being watched, Stay Away From Him creeps along steadily until things quickly unravel and dangerous secrets are revealed. While I initially almost DNFed 30% in due to the slow pacing, ultimately the slow burn tension of this thriller made a lot of sense by the end. I had multiple theories about what was going on, and while I was correct about some, the big ones shook me.

I loved the multiple mediums of telling this story, varying between Melissa’s POV, transcripts of sessions between Thomas and his friend / therapist, and journal entries from Thomas’ missing wife. This method kept me hooked and eager to figure out what next juicy secret would be revealed.

Melissa moved to Minnesota to get away from her abusive ex husband and start over. When Thomas, a handsome pediatrician, starts to show obvious interest Melissa can’t help but fall as well. Except there’s one thing about Thomas, he was previously accused of murdering his first wife despite her body never being found.

This is a pretty quickly paced domestic thriller. I really liked the method of storytelling. The story was told through multiple perspectives through different formats. It helped move the pace of the book along and kept things interesting. I wasn’t a huge fan of Melissa’s and Thomas’s relationship in this one. It all felt very forced and rushed and a bit awkward to me. I understand why the author did it, there was a point to it, but it still could have been stretched out a bit more. I think it would have made Melissa a more sympathetic character than she was.

All in all, a solid story that I would recommend if you enjoy domestic thrillers!

This was so good. The tension, the doubt, the twist...I loved it all. This was unpredictable and gripping. Highly recommend
Also posted on Goodreads

3.75⭐️ rounded up. This captured my attention from the start and kept me interested right up until the end. For the most part, I liked the pacing and there were a couple of twists I didn’t guess early on. I wasn’t a fan of the fmc, Melissa, as I found some of her actions to be too unrealistic. I pretty much always dislike the “insta-love” trope, so I was rolling my eyes a lot. There were some loose ends, but overall, I feel that this was a strong thriller that kept me super entertained! Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! What a CAN’T put down twisty thriller filled with so much suspense and takes you on a wild ride! I love it when you don’t know what is going to come next. I love when you think you know who it is, but turns out you don’t! Legit, I was playing detective thru this whole book! Everything about this book was so perfectly written and tied together. It will hook you from the first page till the last! I was here for it! If you are looking for your next page turner thriller filled with so many twists, dark romantic suspense, have you guessing till the last page.. and have your mind blown.. this is it! A must read & highly recommend this summer!

Did she fall for the killer? I guess you’ll have to find out for yourself!

Easy 5 ⭐️ from me!

When I first read Andrew DeYoung’s novel, The Day He Never Came Home, I knew he would become an auto-read author for me. I’m so happy to report that his recently released book, Stay Away from Him did not disappoint! In fact, it’s even better than his previous one IMHO!

Read this if you enjoy:
✔️psychological thrillers
✔️intriguing (a.k.a. disturbing) characters
✔️unexpected plot twists
✔️satisfying ending

I enjoyed this book so much that I didn’t notice I read it in one sitting! I liked the short diary entries and interview transcripts — they provided the right amount of suspense while slowly letting the reader unravel the mystery. Love how bingeable the story is, and of course, the reveal! What a great summer read!!!