A very solid domestic thriller from an author who has upped his game since his last book (which I also liked!). It gets right into the action when Melissa meets Thomas in chapter 1, and doesn't slow down from there. Thomas, a possible suspect in his former wife's disappearance, comes on strong and readers will understand why the recently-divorced Melissa is interested. Some readers will also see that maybe she should slow her roll!

There's an interesting cast of secondary characters, each of whom deserves suspicion at various points. The timeline is tight and well-managed, there are plenty of opportunities to play detective, and some nice twists and turns. I thought I had this figured out at a couple of points but then something would be revealed to make me realize I didn't.

Very solid read for those of us who crack open crime books on the beach, not romances.

Clearly Melissa hasn't read many thrillers or watched Dateline or she would have recognized that there was something not quite right about Thomas. Sure, she knew his wife Rose disappeared but she doesn't seem to question it, just goes all in because he's nice to her at a time when she's vulnerable. Well. This has a dual time line that tells Rose's story as well as Melissa's. You might guess what happened or not but DeYoung does a nice job with twisting the trope. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Interesting psychological thriller that reminded me of an episode of Criminal Minds!!

I found Melissa quite frustrating as she seems to rush into a situation with little consideration for Bradley. She seemed too impulsive although you can also see that she's love-bombed and has waltzed into a bit of a nightmare!!

I did have reservations about Amelia but decided it'd all be too obvious if she was the bad guy. There is a lot to unpick though and she clearly knows there's something wrong somewhere.

I'm glad this wasn't as predictable as I first assumed. And, the twists send you in different directions where you can see potential for others to be the culprit before it all gets revealed.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This was a fun read, and my first book by this author but definitely will not be my last!
We have two characters, Melissa & Thomas, each having gone through a traumatic experience in their last relationship only to be brought together and have an instant attraction towards one another. The question is: Can Melissa trust Thomas? Or are there underlying secrets waiting to be brought to the surface?
It starts off a bit slow but builds up to a fast-paced roller coaster of a ride and an explosively twisted ending. I loved the different POVs throughout the book, the twists, the suspense, and the characters! If you are looking for your next popcorn thriller then look no further and pick this one up ASAP!


𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
✦Different POVs
✦Questionable characters
✦A bit of a slow burn at first that then turns into a fast-paced rollercoaster and ends with an explosively twisted ending🤯🙌🏻
✦Plenty of suspense and twists
✦A fun popcorn thriller

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

This had to be one of those books while browsing through NetGalley you stumble upon, hoping you'd get approved to read it. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC on this wonderful book. It really kept me on my toes and just what I needed to help me through my reading slump!

Our main character Melissa is new to town and trying to move on from her divorce. She meets Thomas and immediately becomes infatuated by his charm, charisma and friendly demeanor. Unbeknownst to her, Thomas was the main suspect in his wife's disappearance a few years ago. He has made quite a name for himself, especially since his wife Rose, was never found. 

Andrew De Young takes us through the events building up to Rose's disappearance, which really complimented the novel and the genre well. It exuberated with tones of mystery, psychological thriller and suspense. Readers are also given an insight into Thomas' character before meeting Melissa. Thomas' best friend since high school and ex-girlfriend happens to live right next door to him. He confides in her and De Young presents this to us in the form of a transcript between patient and therapist. There is a lot that goes on that De Young presents to us to deviate from suspicion and finding out the truth. Definitely a book that keeps you on your toes. 

Although the characters did fall a bit short for me they each served their purpose. Even Melissa and Thomas' children. A lot of characters are used as filler nowadays but De Young manages to establish this close knit town who knows everyone's business whilst keeping it within the main characters. 

Then we get the actual plot twist and climax as everything starts to fall into place. I did think it was a tiny bit rushed as not a lot happened in the first half of the book or things could've escalated quicker, but it was worth the plot twist brewing. This is a genre I will always love and for that, it deserves a whopping four stars!

ARC Received: Net Galley - Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 8, 2025
Melissa, Melissa, Melissa, I get you were in a vulnerable state but anyone can see from a mile away that he was love bombing you. You fell for it even after hearing about his past, that alone should have made you run for the hills. Foolish. And Tom was very delusional to move the way he moved. You knew what SHE was capable of and you allowed her to babysit for the other children in the neighborhood?!?!? What a fool you are as well! Great read with a twist I def didn’t see coming!!!

Thank you NetGalley! This was a first for me by this author. I throughly enjoyed it. I was shocked again and again as I plowed right through this story.

A fast paced and surprising domestic thriller that is so easy to binge read. Certainly caught me off guard a few times which is a good thing.

Melissa has just gone through a messy divorce and is looking for a new start with her young son. Thomas is a charming doctor whose wife went missing 3 years ago. Instant attraction and they begin a heated relationship. But rumours about what happened to Rose, Thomas's wife are still going strong and all fingers point to him.

I loved that we heard Rose’s voice through diary entries, as well as recordings of Thomas and his friend and therapist Amelia. Grab the popcorn and get comfortable with this one.

Published on July 8th, thanks to Poisoned Pen Publishing for my review copy to read.

When Melissa meets Thomas she thinks he’s the perfect boyfriend; a doctor, friendly, and great with kids. He’s also available because his wife is missing, believed to be dead ; many believe by him.

This was a good popcorn thriller perfect for a summer beach read. It took me some time to get into it. The latter half is much more fast paced than the first half as we get to know the characters and history. The end is exciting because there are several fake me outs, so you’ll likely never guess the truth.

“I wonder, am I the problem? Or is it my life that is making me this way? Am I mad ? Or am I being driven mad.”

Stay Away From Him comes out 7/8.

✨️Book Review✨️

Stay Away From Him
By Andrew DeYoung

Publish Date: July 8th, 2025

Themes:
👩‍❤️‍👨 New Relationship
🤫 Secret Past
🔪 Murder

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

After really enjoying The Day He Never Came Home, I was excited to pick up Andrew DeYoung’s latest thriller—and it did not disappoint.

The story starts out deceptively light, with a budding new relationship that quickly spirals into something far darker. From the beginning, I was hooked. I loved how layered the plot was, full of misdirection and suspicion. There were so many potential culprits and hidden motives that I found myself constantly second-guessing everyone.

While I had a hunch about where things were headed, I still thoroughly enjoyed watching it all unravel. The darker elements were intense—at times even graphic—which only added to the unsettling atmosphere. DeYoung knows how to push the tension without overdoing it, keeping the reader fully immersed until the final page.

If you like thrillers that explore toxic relationships, trust, and manipulation with a heavy dose of suspense, this is a must-read.

Thank you to @poisonedpenpress for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first read by Andrew DeYoung. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It grabbed my attention and kept it. I would definitely read more by this author.

WOW. What a fantastic domestic suspense book. I loved the multiple POV aspect and how it was written from Melissa in real time to Amelia's transcripts and Rose's diary. Thomas was so charming and I could see why Melissa was smitten with him. I loved the pacing to this one, the eerie moments, the mini-cliffhangers in each chapter, and the cast. I can't wait to read more from this author!

This book had me on the edge of my seat! You could feel the tension growing. I liked the different formats of the audio recordings, the diary, and the story itself. The backstories of the characters all coming together and seeing how they interact seamlessly was great work. I went into this book blind and tried to guess the whodunit, and I was caught by surprise at the end. I recommend others to do the same. It didn't quite make five stars due to some of the small plot holes and how the ending felt a little rushed. This was an overall good read, and I will recommend it to others in the thriller community.

💔 T R A U M A T I C T U E S D A Y review 💔 featuring “Stay Away from Him” by Andrew DeYoung!

MY RATING: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

After a nasty divorce and custody battle, Melissa Burke moves to a new city to start over with her son Bradley. She sure as hell isn’t looking for love any time soon … until she meets Thomas, and all bets are off. This mysterious man has her infatuated at first sight and the feelings are mutual. But Thomas has a dangerous reputation and Melissa has no idea what she is getting herself (and her son) into.

Thomas Danver is a respected pediatrican, father of two teenaged girls and a widower. Three years prior his wife went missing and is now presumed dead … and Thomas was exonerated from her murder.

Thomas has a lot of haters out there who still believe he did it and deals with accusations against him daily. His friends encourage Melissa to still go out on a date with Thomas and promise her that he is innocent. Melissa decides to take a chance and give in to temptation, and this stirs up a crazy shitstorm of obsession, revenge and emotional turmoil!

💥 What a SLAM DUNK of a thriller that had my emotions in a complete tailspin the entire time! You want to shake and scream at Melissa to stay far away from Thomas, but his charm, forwardness and love bombing keeps luring her back to him! This book had me questioning EVERYTHING, including the character’s motives and intentions and each twist and turn was a stab to the gut!

Thank you kindly to @andrewdeyoungauthor @poisonedpenpress @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on July 8, 2025!

The plot twist…or shall I say twist and turns will get you! The book is written with style and the plot was executed perfectly.

i mean just look at that cover. are we not all drawn in and excited already!? i know i was and it only served me well because it got better and better going in. its gripped me, its questioned me and had me questioning everything. was the author playing with me, were the characters or was i over Nancy Drewing it, haha.
this book is deliciousness in its genre. and i needed a book just like this. the moment i saw perfect doctor and the community loves him i was on red alert. and then we have Melissa who is already in that vulnerable in between where anyone worth anything will say please please be aware of red flag, allow yourself to heal. because Melissa has come to this area to heal from a divorce that was all to sweet. but of course she falls for Thomas who is a widower in a real whirlwind fashion. but Thomas has secrets whispering around him. because not only is he a widower but he was also taken in for his wife murder. but the charges were dropped, so am i being a judgemental meany? and this is where books like this can be great. because you think are you being set up with the obvious? does Andrew want me to be suspicious of the guy apparently innocent? or was he being set up. or was it something else all together? and round this merry go round of excellent mind bending brilliance do we go.
and whats great about this is another edge comes in the form of the way its told. we get multiple points of view. aha, but these are from three people who gives us more twist and turning points to the plot. some you might expect and some you definitely dont.
because could you then even trust the point of view you were given. hahaha i loved how dowsed in my own guessing game this book got me.
so what you gonna do Melissa? who you gonna believe? and what story will that tell us?
brilliant book. loved it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)

“Good father, good husband, good doctor, good man.”

From the first few chapters, I was hooked. Stay Away From Him is a suspenseful, twisty thriller that kept me on edge with its shifting POVs. Melissa falling so quickly for a man she just met, Sarah’s diary entries, and the recordings from Amelia and Thomas that added layers of depth and doubt.

What I loved most? The subtle clues planted throughout the story. Some I picked up on, others I completely missed which made the final reveal all the more satisfying. I didn’t guess the killer until the end, which I absolutely enjoyed.

This would absolutely make a perfect Netflix thriller tense, emotional, and realistic. If you enjoy domestic thrillers with a dark edge and psychological twists, add this to your TBR.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Really liked it - the twists were actually surprising, and the writing had a really fresh feel to it. I was kind of surprised it was written by a man, since so many of the main characters are women, but it never felt off or cringey. Super easy to read!

I’m on the fence with this one. While the book kept me interested it didn’t really feel suspenseful. I also worked out the twist before the halfway mark.

The premise is interesting but not well executed. The FMC is frustratingly stupid and the MMC is a walking red flag. Everyone thinks he murdered his ex wife but apparently that isn’t enough for our dimwitted FMC to run the other way. No, instead she launches her own investigation into the whole ordeal while…falling in love with him? Overlooking all of that this was just ok.

If you enjoy murder mystery this may be for you! Huge thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Excellent thriller read! I really enjoyed how this novel was written to be fast paced, yet believable. The whirlwind romance between Thomas and Melissa helps aid in making this book a true page turner. A must read for those that enjoy a dark romance inspired thriller.