This one had me hooked from the beginning. I was definitely kept on the edge of my seat guessing the whole time. It kept me engaged and made me want to continue reading just to see how the story pans out. I liked that it wasn't predictable and we had more view points than just our MMC Melissa. I also like the "innocent or not" vibe. If you like wonderfully placed twists, did he or didn't he vibes, engaging and perfectly paced storylines, this book is for you. I'd read work by Andrew DeYoung again for sure.

I give this book a solid 3.5 stars.
After getting out of a bad relationship, Melissa moves to a new city and tries to start a new life for her and her son. Soon after moving, she meets a new man who is handsome, charming, a father of two girls and a pediatrician. On paper he seems like the perfect guy but what she doesn’t know is that three years prior he had been accused of murdering his first wife who was missing and assumed to be dead. In spite of this she decides to move forward with the relationship and is soon falling for him. But then she gets a scary threat and has to decide whether she believes what he’s telling her or if there’s more to the story.
I knew I was going to like this book from the very first chapter. It had me captivated and I was flipping the pages wanting to know what was going to happen. I also enjoyed the writing style. There was a lot of details given that was helpful in understanding some of the characters. One of the things I didn’t like was some of the actions by Melissa. She made some decisions that just made no sense to me and she seemed to have no self preservation skills whatsoever. Of course with that being said if all characters made great choices we probably wouldn’t have very many books.
I enjoyed this book , would recommend it and would definitely read more from this author.
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Love a good thriller so requested this one to go into the summer, as it was by a new-to-me author. I found myself unable to put this one down! Thanks so much for the gifted copy.

First off I want to say thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an e-arc of this book!

I sadly had to dnf this book at 12%. The FMC was making such dumb and stupid decisions that did not make any sense since she was freshly divorced and a single mom. She’s already starting to like romantically the MMC who she only met 24 hours ago and just was told by her close friends that he was accused of murdering his wife… and she’s suddenly decided she’s not afraid of him and wants to disregard what previously happened in his past. And he’s also texting her the next night saying “I wish you were here with me” after only briefly meeting her? That’s just down right weird and creepy behavior to me. I wish he would’ve written the FMC to be more thoughtful of the repercussions of her actions, even in those first initial chapters of the book.

Especially for her to be a single mom, for her to not really be thinking about the safety of her son, after she already said that her ex husband was emotionally abusive to her son, it didn’t seem like she had his protection and safety in mind.

Both of these things just rubbed me the wrong way to where I just could not continue it.

Oh my goodness, I honestly ate this book up! The plot was amazing, the writing was fantastic and the suspense had me on the edge of my seat! I thoroughly enjoyed the recordings as well as Rosie’s journal enteries. I honestly think I got whiplash from all the plot twists, just when I thought I knew what was going on I was wrong. This is a must read.

Stay Away From Him had a lot of promise, I enjoyed the book, but unfortunately it was such a slow burn that I found myself losing interest often during the first 60%. However, once it picked up, I flew through the last 40%.

I loved the author’s use of mixed media throughout the book - journey entries and conversation transcripts. The twists were well executed and throughout the book you really didn’t know who to trust. The ending was quite shocking, which I appreciated.

As for characters, they were well-written. Melissa felt so real, her emotions were raw and honest. Now Thomas, on the other hand, total creep. Could not stand him, which I hope is what was intended because the ick factor was real.

New divorcee Melissa wants a new start for her son and herself. Local pediatrician Thomas would like a fresh romantic start, too, but finds it hard to move out of the spotlight from his wife’s disappearance. Not everything thinks he’s as innocent as he claims to be and that makes his newfound relationship with Melissa hard to navigate.

I enjoyed this book. It started a little slowly and more like a romance than a thriller. When it amped up though, it really started moving and I didn’t see the ending coming but I did find it satisfying.

Read if you like:
🤯Psychological thrillers
🤯Slow starting mysteries
🤯Many twists and turns
🤯 or are at least okay with triggers such as mental health, murder, domestic abuse


Thank you Poisoned Pen Press, Andrew DeYoung and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

After meeting a sexy man, Melissa discovers he may possibly be a wife killer. Struggling with her own feelings, what does a single mom do in this case?
Every character was so well developed. You either loved them or hated them right off the bat. I loved the story line, enjoyed how easy the book was to read. You didn’t want to put it down. It was just a tad bit predictable for me as in “who” and “why” but some parts were surprising and well thought out.

This is a great thriller!! It hooks you in from the beginning and keeps you entertained throughout. It’s fast paced and suspenseful. This is a first for me from this author, highly recommend.

This book jumps right into it and keeps you hooked until the very end. The author did a great job with the plot and the end really ties it all together very well. The writing was superb and addicting. Once you start this one, it’s really hard to put down. The only thing I found hard to connect with was how quickly the relationship progressed, it was almost unbelievable. Otherwise a great read!

Melissa is fresh out of a divorce and trying to start fresh with her son Bradley. She meets a handsome and charismatic pediatrician whom she falls for quickly. He works with kids so he must be a great guy right? Melissa learns that his ex wife was murdered and he was the prime suspect but they couldn’t prove it for sure. With all signs leading to him being the perpetrator Melissa starts an investigation. But what will she find out? More evidence against him or someone she never even suspected? This book was so good. It wasn’t just your typical did the husband kill the wife. It was such a complex web to unravel and I loved every second of it. I was sure about 10 different times who the killer was only to question it again after reading more and more. I absolutely loved all the twists in the book and the different point off views really added to how amazing the plot was. My favorite character was Rose and reading all of her juicy journal entries. This was an amazing who dun it mystery thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end. I highly recommend to lovers of suspenseful and mysterious thrillers.

Creepy, Addictive, and Totally Messed With My Head in the Best Way!

This book had me side-eyeing every charming guy with a mysterious past. The Day He Never Came Home is a slow-burn thriller that sneaks up on you and keeps you second-guessing everything, and I loved it.

Melissa is super relatable: a recently divorced mom just trying to rebuild her life and keep things simple. So when Thomas Danver enters the picture. Handsome, smart, a pediatrician, you want things to work out for her. Except... his last wife disappeared, and even though he was cleared of the murder, you can't shake the feeling that something's just off.

Their romance is fast and intense, which adds to the tension. You find yourself both rooting for Melissa and wanting to scream at her to slow down and Google him again. The unease builds so well, especially when the anonymous messages start, and I definitely stayed up too late flipping pages.

The only reason I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is that I wish the ending had dug a little deeper into the fallout. Things wrapped up a bit fast for my taste. But still, it’s a gripping, eerie read that totally delivers on suspense. If you're into domestic thrillers with a side of “wait, can I trust this guy?”, this one’s for you.

Stay Away From Him👀
By Andrew DeYoung🖤

Review‼️

This was a novel that piqued my interest right away, and I couldn't put it down. I mean, the main character begins dating someone who may or may not have murdered their wife? The entire plot was gold to me. I think the suspense was the best part since I was itching to find out how the story would end. There is a lot of drama, and because it is quick paced, it flew by for me. It also included a terrific twist that tied everything together. I really liked this one.

Thriller🔪
Suspense🫣
Mystery⁉️
Plot twist🌀

4.5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

From the first page, there's a simmering tension that never lets up echoes ominously throughout the story in more ways than one. DeYoung doesn’t just build a mystery; he builds a moral puzzle that forces readers to confront their assumptions, biases, and the lies we tell ourselves to feel safe.
What I loved most was how the author uses the thriller format not just to entertain, but to probe deep emotional and societal questions. This isn’t just a book about a dangerous man it’s about belief, manipulation, and the stories we cling to when the truth feels too dangerous.

What a surprising, twisty book! I could not figure out who I could trust and loved every minute of it.

"On the evening she met exonerated murderer Thomas Danver, Melissa Burke let him help put her five-year-old son to bed before coming back upstairs to enjoy the dinner party. Thomas was so nice, and a pediatrician. She didn't know anything then about his wife's suspicious death...

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?"

I think Melissa Burke has terrible taste in men.

I was really hoping to enjoy this one, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I figured out who the main twist pretty early on, which took a lot of the tension out of the story. The pacing also felt off. Some parts dragged with overly wordy or cheesy writing that made it hard to stay immersed.

One thing I did appreciate was the way the book played with different formats. That kind of storytelling always adds an interesting layer for me. But even with that, I struggled to connect with the characters. None of them felt particularly likeable or real, which made it tough to care about what happened to them. Melissa was honestly a complete idiot.

Overall, this was a bit of a slog to get through. I pushed myself to finish it, but it wasn’t a satisfying read for me.

Thanks to the Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Melissa Burke is a single mom who moves with her five-year-old son to a new city after an ugly divorce, seeking peace and a fresh start. At a friend’s dinner party, she meets Thomas Danver, a charming widowed pediatrician who even tucks her son into bed before joining the gathering. It isn’t until later that Melissa learns Thomas was once accused and exonerated of his wife’s suspicious death three years ago. As mysterious warnings begin to arrive telling her to stay away from him, Melissa must decide whether to trust her instincts or risk her heart on a man with a dangerous past.

I gave this book four stars because it really pulled me in right away. The premise kept me asking myself, could you date someone accused of murdering their spouse? Ever since Melissa met Thomas Danver, I was hooked by his kindness, his mystery, and the question of his guilt or innocence. However, I did feel the middle slowed down and stalled the tension a bit, but overall the twists and reveals kept me turning pages. I loved how Melissa’s fear and hope felt so real, and how Andrew DeYoung made me question every new piece of information without tipping into cliché. This one will have you debating his innocence long after you finish.

The Vibes It Brings:
🔍 Domestic suspense
❤️ Second chance romance
🤔 Unreliable narration
🏘️ Small town intrigue
👩‍👦 Single parent perspective

Stay Away From Him is a fast-paced domestic suspense that will have you questioning every text message and glance. If you love thrillers that blur the line between danger and desire, you’ll find this story irresistible. Just be ready to sit on the edge of your seat and wonder until the very end. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy of Stay Away From Him. These opinions are my own.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I don't want to put it down, and was completely invested while reading. I didn't find myself making excuses to play on my phone or do other things, which says a lot about how interested it kept me.
Yes, there were some moments where I felt like certain aspects of the romance between Melissa and Thomas felt rushed, however, as someone who has been where Melissa has been - I could also understand it.
I enjoyed the plot twists - most of which I didn't see coming. Thomas was a lot to take in, but it makes sense with the story. I also liked the different POVs. It kept the story interesting. It had a little Freida McFadden vibe to it, so if you like her books, you'll definitely enjoy this one.

Brilliant read! I really enjoyed this one and the story was gripping and a page turner! Some of the styles used in the book reminded me of other thrillers I read but I actually loved this and felt nostalgic almost. Really good plot and brilliant twist at the end. Highly recommend you read it when it comes out in July! Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!