I found myself constantly forming theories while reading—which I honestly love when a story can pull that off. It doesn’t happen often these days since I usually catch plot twists early, so it was refreshing to actually feel surprised. I also really enjoyed seeing things through Melissa’s eyes, with just enough from Thomas to keep me curious!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)
Creepy, smart, and totally absorbing!

Stay Away From Him by Andrew DeYoung is a tightly woven psychological thriller that had me hooked from page one. DeYoung delivers a slow-burn suspense story that builds intensity with each chapter, full of unease, doubt, and well-placed twists.

The main character’s paranoia and inner conflict felt incredibly real, and I loved how the book explored the blurry lines between trust, fear, and obsession. There’s an undercurrent of dread throughout the story that kept me turning the pages late into the night. The writing is sharp, the pacing spot-on, and the emotional stakes feel grounded and raw.

I knocked off just half a star only because I wanted a slightly more layered ending—but that’s a small quibble in what was otherwise a thoroughly engrossing read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

From the very first chapter, Stay Away From Him grips you with a sense of unease you can’t shake—and that’s exactly what makes it so addictive.

Andrew DeYoung expertly blends domestic suspense with psychological twists, delivering a haunting tale that will keep you questioning every character, every motive, and every whispered warning.

Check this out:

Melissa Burke just wants a fresh start. After a messy divorce, she’s trying to rebuild her life in a new city with her five-year-old son. When she meets Thomas Danver at a dinner party, he seems like a dream: a respected pediatrician, a gentle single dad, and—wait for it—an exonerated murderer.

Yes, you read that right.

Thomas’s wife vanished three years ago. Though he was cleared by the police, rumors haven’t died down. Melissa’s friends say he’s just misunderstood. But when she receives a chilling anonymous message—“Stay away from him”—the perfect façade begins to crack. As their relationship deepens, Melissa finds herself caught in a terrifying tug-of-war between trust and terror, desire and danger.

DeYoung builds suspense with precision. Every chapter raises the stakes, every clue twists your gut. Is Thomas a misunderstood victim… or a master manipulator? Is Melissa safe—or is she the next target?

If you love thrillers with high stakes, complex characters, and jaw-dropping revelations, Stay Away From Him should be at the very top of your TBR.

This book is creepy, clever, and lowkey unsettling in the best way. What starts as a suspiciously perfect boyfriend spirals fast into weirdness and so many red flags.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ARC Review

I received an advance copy of Stay Away from Him by Andrew DeYoung through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This slow-burn domestic thriller surprised me in all the best ways. The story follows Melissa Burke, who moves to a new city with her five-year-old son after a painful divorce. She’s not looking for love, just peace, healing, and a fresh start. But as she tries to rebuild her life, she’s drawn into something far more unsettling than she ever expected.

While the beginning is a bit slow, it’s deliberate, laying the emotional foundation and really letting us into Melissa’s world. Once the tension kicks in, though, it really kicks in. The pacing ramps up quickly, and I found myself flying through the second half.

What truly elevated this for me was the twist at the end, I did not see it coming, and it left me genuinely shocked. DeYoung masterfully keeps the reader guessing without overcomplicating the plot, and the emotional stakes remain grounded and real throughout.

A strong, character-driven thriller that builds to a memorable and chilling conclusion. Definitely recommend for fans of slow-burn suspense with an emotional edge

Quick summer read with a twist I did not see coming. Dating post-divorce with kids? Already hard. But this book made me extra grateful for my husband—whew, I couldn’t imagine.

Good father. Good husband. Good doctor...
But is he a good man?

Melissa wasn’t looking for love—just peace after a messy divorce with her 5 year old son.
Instead, she found Thomas. Charming. Respected.
Cleared of his wife’s murder.

Now she’s falling.
And someone wants her to stop.

Would you trust a man everyone swears is innocent… but your gut won’t let you rest?

ALL THE STARS! This is a total page turner that you won’t wanna miss! I devoured this one! Follows Melissa who moves to a new city with her son looking for a fresh start after an awful divorce. She meets Dr Thomas Danver, who may not be as wonderful as he seems!!

Stay Away From Him by Andrew DeYoung is a page turning thriller that grabs the reader's attention from the beginning! Melissa is a recently divorced woman and has a 5 year old son. She meets a very interesting man named Thomas at a dinner party hosted by her friends/landlords and they hit it off right away. Their romance takes off immediately however she is warned by her friends of Thomas’ past. He was the prime suspect of the disappearance of his wife, Rose.

Melissa now has to decide if she wants to take a chance on him or stay away. All signs point to staying away as she gets threats, she feels like she is being watched and things don’t seem right.

The story is very fast paced and holds the reader's attention. I kept wanting to read more to find out the truth behind Rose’s disappearance. The ending is definitely not something that I was expecting! This book is great for anyone who loves a great fast paced thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press. All opinions are my own.

I was 50/50 on this story. I found myself questioning DNFing but was still had my attention so I kept with it. While most of the story is predictable I did find the ending a nice little twist.

There's so many possible perpetrators in this story. While you think you know who did the crime the ending was surprising. I enjoyed that this was told through Melissa's pov, audio recordings, and Rose's journal. So you get a feel for some of the characters personalities.

I found the characters interesting. Parts were frustrating. I was wishing Melissa would stop second guessing herself and just trust her instinct. Overall a good thriller.

Thank you @poisonpenpress for the gifted ebook.

I gave this ARC a 4 out of 5. I really liked this one! It had a mystery, it was suspenseful, it had some steaminess to it, and it all works together quite well.
This was my first read from Andrew DeYoung, and I was very happy with what I found. I’ll definitely need to check out his other books now.
It is kinda hilarious, because I wrote out a theory while I was reading the book, probably about halfway through, and it was pretty outlandish! But then, I was RIGHT! My outlandish theory was spot on, and even though that means I guessed the twist well before it was revealed, it didn’t take away from my reading experience at all.
Thank you, Andrew DeYoung, for this great read, and Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for getting me the ARC to read and review before pub date.

Ilove a very messy, suspenseful domestic thriller, and Stay Away From Him totally fit the bill. What's even better are the different perspectives and media used to tell the story.
First we get the main character, Melissa's, point of view. Melissa is new to town after a divorce from her toxic ex-husband. Her and her son Bradley move in with friends. These friends introduce her to Thomas, a local pediatrician and widower.
It's only after they meet that she finds out Thomas was charged with murder of his wife, Rose. We get to learn more about Rose through her journal entries. And, we also get the transcripts of Thomas and his therapist.
All the different players and perspectives kept me guessing and completely hooked. I was definitely yelling at characters while reading this book! This was a great, quick-paced thriller, and is perfect to read in one setting!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the gifted ARC.

Man did I go back and forth with how to rate and review this one!

My biggest and most glaring issue is that it is *abundantly* clear this book was not written by a woman. The way the female MC acts, particularly in the beginning of the book, is so irritating and irrational she could only have been written by a man. I swear in the same paragraph she goes from "this man was accused of murdering his wife" to "but damn there's really something special between us." (Dear reader, they've known each other for 2 hours). Did I mention she has a young son? What mother would even entertain starting a relationship off like this!?

This is more on the petty side, and it mostly made me laugh (don't worry this isn't a spoiler): at one point there are two teenage girls that have gone missing at some point either overnight or in the early morning hours, and one of the first locations someone mentions to look for them is THE MALL! In the year of our lord 2025? Absolutely not.

Anyway, all that aside, the ending had a good but not great twist. I would say this was closer to a 2.5 than a 3 full star rating. Read at your own risk, fellow avid thriller lovers! Pub date July 8th.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I think this book was really good. It definitely had me hooked and I had to finish it. I definitely had some guesses and wow was I wrong. It definitely shows how some people just jump into relationships so quickly without really knowing the other person and how it can just spiral out of control. I think it also shows how emotional abuse from previous relationships really change a person and lower their guard when it comes to knew relationships and they become too trusting with someone that is almost too good to be true. Overall this was a great book and I definitely recommend it.

4.5 Stars rounded up!

After a painful divorce, single mom Melissa Burke relocates with her young son, hoping for a fresh start—only to meet Thomas Danver, a charming widower and respected pediatrician at a dinner party. But Thomas carries a dark past: his first wife vanished three years ago, and although he was cleared of wrongdoing, rumors linger. Drawn into a whirlwind romance, Melissa soon receives an anonymous threat hinting that Thomas’s innocence may not be as clear as it seems. As her feelings deepen and danger creeps in, Melissa must decide how much she’s willing to risk—and who she can truly trust.
I had a really great time with this one! It was slow to start, but it picked up very quickly and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire book. I had to know if Thomas was innocent, who else might have been involved, who was warning Melissa to stay away from him, and what really happened to Thomas's wife, Rose. I also loved the different points of view throughout the story with the use of the third-person narrative to describe the present time, the entries from Rose's journal, and the transcripts from Thomas and Amelia's therapy sessions.
I gave this book a 4.5 because similar plot twists has been done in other books I've read so it didn't have the "shock" factor I would have liked, but Andrew DeYoung did such a fabulous job making it even darker and more disturbing than it usually is (Chapter 22 was so descriptive, it made my skin crawl!).
If you are looking for a domestic thriller that will keep you guessing at every turn, read Stay Away from Him!

I loved that I could really connect with the main character in this book. I am a divorced mother with a young son. I could really relate to the emotions that come with divorce and parenting. The writing was great and I will definitely be reading more from this author.

My overall rating of this title was 4.5*

Wow. This is honestly one of the best thrillers I have read in awhile - from the very first chapter I was HOOKED. I absolutely ate this one UP. The writing was SO good, and the story just builds in a way that you're like "oh 100% I know who did this" and then you start to question yourself. I am going to be honest, the ending had me absolutely floored! I was so shocked, I literally just paused and had to collect myself for a minute - but then when you look back and think about things and how it all lined up, it made SO MUCH SENSE.

I loved that we got the main character, Melissa's POV but also added transcripts from Thomas & Amelia's therapy sessions, and roses journal entries. It really helped piece this story together and get a really clear picture - almost like we were detectives, diving into all different parts of this story.

Overall, I really loved this and would recommend adding to your TBR. It had solid pacing, I didn't feel like there were any missing pieces, and the story itself was just really good and SO twisty, but also 100% believable.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for sending me this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

After Melissa moves to a different city with her young son after a messy divorce, she meets Thomas with whom she has an instant sizzling attraction. The two are seen together and people start warning Melissa to stay away from him. He told her he was a widower but others said he was a suspect in an ongoing disappearance investigation of his wife, Rose. Melissa has skeletons in her own closet, too. Thomas's two daughters and Melissa's son meet in short order and Thomas's closest friend Amelia is never far away. Melissa senses something is off and her instinct is clinched when she receives a threat. Thomas and Melissa enjoy an intense whirlwind romance but their pasts pursue them. Can anyone be trusted?

I really enjoyed the tension and thrillery aspects of the novel. However, I couldn't help but question naive choices characters made without question as red flags slapped them in the face. In spite of this, the novel was an enjoyable read on a hot summer day.

This book was so cleverly written and intrigued me from the start. It was able to switch easily from past to present throughout the book. The only thing I’d say is, it maybe needed a trigger warning due to a certain scene. However I understand that the author probably doesn’t want to give too much away if he listed all the potential triggers in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I ended up suspecting everyone but was still shocked with the ending. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Stay Away from Him dangled a truly irresistible premise: a recently divorced single mom falls for a charming pediatrician who just happens to be an exonerated murderer. The title itself practically screamed "red flag" of a tense psychological thriller where you'd be on the edge of your seat, screaming at the heroine through the pages.

And it did start strong, setting up that immediate intrigue. The idea of a man cleared of a suspicious death yet still shadowed by whispers was compelling and Melissa's rapid descent into an "obsessive, whirlwind romance" had all the makings of a thrilling disaster. You wanted to know if he really did it and how she'd figure it out.

However, despite the juicy setup, the book ultimately felt less like a heart-pounding mystery and more like a gentle jog through a familiar park. The "chilling, anonymous threat" didn't quite escalate into the nail-biting suspense I was hoping for and the big questions about Thomas's innocence often felt less like genuine puzzles and more like foregone conclusions. It was as if the book told you to "stay away" but then didn't quite give you enough compelling reasons why beyond the obvious.

Overall, this book offered an intriguing concept that didn't quite live up to its full potential. It was a decent read but I was definitely hoping for more thrills and fewer predictable turns.

Thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sourcebooks for this free copy of "Stay Away from Him."

Another fantastic thriller from author DeYoung that keeps you guessing until the end.

Recently divorced Melissa is swept into a whirlwind romance with Thomas who was accused but found innocent of murdering his wife Rose 3 years ago. He's charming, protective, and attractive.

But there are some red flags that Melissa insists are nothing:
- his attachment to his ex-girlfriend Amelia who is also his therapist and neighbor,
- the Facebook group run by his dead wife's friend Kelli where the followers are convinced Thomas is a murderer
- the freaky note she gets telling her to "stay away from him"

Plus we get to hear from Rose herself through her journal entries. AND we get to overhear the therapy sessions between Thomas and Amelia through transcripts!