WOW! This was crazy and twisted in true Lisa Jewell fashion. I would have loved to give this one 5 stars, but it got super repetitive at times for me, and was very much a slow burn, so I had to knock it down a bit. The last half was definitely more exciting, and loved to see how everything came together even tho it was fairly predictable overall. I think this one will take me some time to fully process! 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

Advertised as a kaleidoscope thriller, Don’t Let Him In is a fast paced, multi storyline, read in one gulp adventure.

This twisty story has a made to hate villain who is nice enough to give us his POV so we can see the inner workings of his slippery evil. His victims are lonely, vulnerable women looking for love and quite frankly dumb as rocks. I had to suspend my disbelief quite a bit but this book was so much fun I didn’t mind.

Lisa Jewell knows how to entertain.

Lisa Jewell is one of my all time favorite authors so it pains me to say I was a little disappointed by this one. The premise was super intriguing and I couldn’t wait to read it. But the first 30-40% of this book was so wildly confusing with so many POVs, timeline jumping, and names of people that I could not keep track. I knew everything would be connected somehow but it was just SO much information at once that it hurt my brain.

About the midway point I had a much better handle on what was happening and had my theories which all proved to be true. Everything was relatively predictable. Only one thing surprised me and the ending was disappointing.

It was overall a somewhat enjoyable read and I think if you go into expecting a slow burn and not a true thriller you will enjoy!

A charismatic conman works his way into the lives (and bank accounts) of a three different women. While Don't Let Him In is an engaging page turner, I didn't feel that it lived up to Jewell's previous novel, None of This Is True. Perhaps in part because it just seemed to be a huge stretch that these women would all be so duped by this man when they all had so many reasons to doubt the veracity of anything he said or did.
I believe this novel is loosely based upon the case that inspired the podcast Dirty John.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.

I’ll start by saying that I absolutely love Lisa Jewell. I met her two summers ago and she was lovely and she’s an auto-buy (or auto-read, thanks NetGalley lol) for me so I requested this arc asap!

The first 50% of this book was confusing AF. I was really thrown off. There are so many characters and I was having a hard time keeping everything and everyone straight in my mind.

50%-70% was when I finally really understood lol and the pieces were connecting. 70% until the end was so so good! I almost got pissed at the very end but then the epilogue redeemed everything!

This is not a normal Lisa Jewell thriller, it’s definitely more domestic drama in a way? Con-man centered?
It was wild, don’t get me wrong. But for sure different for her! The feminine rage was raging and I was ready for some vindication!
Moral of the story: Don’t Let Him In.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell delivers another gripping, nail-biting psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Lisa has once again proven her ability to weave a captivating story, skillfully navigating through the perspectives of several unreliable characters. This intricate portrayal leaves you torn between feeling sympathy for them and being frustrated by their actions. The plot is unpredictable and full of twists, making it a thoroughly engaging read. It’s a fantastic experience from start to finish, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys intense psychological dramas.

This was a fast paced read for me and one that I could not put down.

We meet Nina, Ash, and Martha and watch as their lives unfold into something unbelievable.

This story was like a lot of mini stories meshed into one. I hung in there as I watched it all tie together in the most fascinating way, it worked so well.

I kept asking myself, what is going on with Nick? He is so perfect ;)

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Actual Rating 2.5

Usually what this author does best is writing compelling characters, but I just couldn't connect with the characters in this one. They weren't written poorly, but I couldn't become immersed in their stories or emotions the way I have in other of Jewell's books. That being said, they weren't written as strongly as they could have been.

The other thing the author usually does well is writing a narrative that jumps between timelines and perspectives in a way that keeps you guessing who is connected to who and what. This work started like that, but then it didn't take long for the plot to become somewhat standard in a way that made the work feel like it was moving too slowly to be really interesting.

This wasn’t my favorite Lisa Jewell, but it was still decent overall. My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I feel like I’m about to do you all dirty and I don’t mean to. Honest.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell is fantastic! I sped through it. This was my 2nd fastest read this year. And it won’t be published til June 24, 2025 (I’m so sorry!).

I got this through Netgalley to read and review prior to publication and it was so twisty and turny and “OMG” and “WTF” and “WTAF” that I am choosing not to wait until June to tell you to put this on your TBR now. Pre-order it now (from a local bookshop, please). It’s a mystery thriller set in the UK in present day. Ash just lost her dad, Paddy Swann, because some mentally ill person shoved him under the train in the tube station. Not long after Paddy’s death, Nick Radcliffe appears and starts wooing Ash’s mom.

We jump around in different time periods and different POVs as Ash tries to figure out why Nick seems so dodgy to her. I really loved the little bits of clues scattered around the story to help me figure out what was happening and I’m equally in love with how this all unfolded. I couldn’t not stop reading the last 2 days just so I could see what happened. Just loved this ride so much.

Here’s the publisher snippet. You should go pre-order this or get it on hold at your library. Really.
--------------------------
“Who are you? Who are you really?”

Nick Radcliffe is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. He’s just what Nina Swann needed in her life after her husband’s unexpected death. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…

“Because there are things that don’t make sense, and I’ve been so patient, so very patient…”

Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn't right.

“You know that’s mad, don’t you? I’m your husband. We know everything there is to know about each other.”

Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. But the past won’t stay buried forever.

Definitely don't let him in. This book was a crazy ride and reminded me of the TV show/podcast Dirty John. The MMC is conniving and sleazy and so much more. I felt bad for all of the women in this book because they have been conned so much but I also think that I wouldn't have put up with half of what they put up with, especially Martha. If my husband kept going MIA and not answering his phone for days I would not stick it out. Or at least I'd like to think that I would not stay with that man no matter how plausible his excuses may be. Ash was my favorite character because she instantly saw through his the MMC's facade even though I'll admit I was annoyed with her at first because she said it's "only been a year" since her dad died. I feel like a year is a pretty good timeframe to mourn a husband but I'm not a moody/hormonal teenager and I also have never been in that situation so I can't rightly say.

The reason for the three star review is a couple of reasons. I didn't really care for the many POV's and think this one would have been told better if there were fewer POV's. Secondly, I hated the ending of this one. I also felt like this one slogged a bit in the middle and I found myself getting bored around the mid mark but it definitely picks back up so I'm glad I stuck with it.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a Lisa Jewell fan and enjoy all of the books she has written. While this book was enjoyable to read, and kept my interest, it was not my favorite of hers. I did not think that this book was as much of a "thriller" as her other books. There was not a major twist that shocked me. It was suspenseful, and kept you interested in the drama of the story, but was not a true thriller. I enjoyed the story, and would still recommend this book to others, especially if they already enjoy Lisa Jewell novels.

Lisa Jewell fans get ready :) This one is coming out in June. About a man who keeps changing identities and marrying different women. Always looking for the next big win. Some of the women notice something is off, but before they can push further he disappears. Initially it took me a bit to get all the names straight, but enjoyed it at the end.

Lisa Jewell is an auto-buy author for me and for good reason.

Like her other books, “Don’t Let Him In” is a thriller filled with twists and turns. This was a fast-paced read that I did not want to put down.

Thank you so much to Atria Books for selecting me for this ARC. I was beyond excited to read this and will definitely tell all my friends to buy this book!

Lisa Jewell can do no wrong, and this one is certainly no exception. 4.5 stars rounded up - loved it!

Thanks to Atria Books for the ARC of this. I'm a lover of Lisa Jewell, and I'm definitely used to reading her more in the mystery/thriller genre. This one being general fiction, it was very well written and the characters backgrounds throughout the book kept building.

Did not love this book. It was difficult watching this man ruin multiple women's lives. There was some suspense, but I just didn't love it.

Nick thinks he has found another perfect woman! He has made himself a life with Nina and Ash. He adores the mother, Nina. Nick has pretended to be a friend of her deceased husband. Ash quickly grows suspicious of him and starts digging around. She soon finds that Nick is not who he says he is at all. She begins to unravel quite a tale of who this man really is and who he has tricked into believing that he is a wonderful catch. Jewell's newest novel is definitely a ride for thriller lovers!

I suggest keeping a list of characters while reading this book. Nick goes by many names and you will need to keep up with all the characters.

I feel like this was an ok thriller, but didn't feel completely satisfied by the ending. Think there was too much time spent in "his" POV.

Don’t let him in by @lisajewell follows the pov of a conman through a series of reveals as he upends one woman’s life after another. This thriller was absolutely addicting and I binged it in one weekend.

I love a book with multiple POV’s. I especially loved see inside the mind of a con man and understand his motivations. I never thought about why sociopaths have to scam others, but after reading Never Let Him In, I realized that love bombing gives them access to the next woman so they can steal money to fake a lifestyle to then attract and scam the NEXT woman. The cycle just continues.

In the story one character describes a psychopath has a person who engages in gaslighting, love-bombing, and word-salading. Word-salading was a new word for me. As an English teacher, I’m familiar with students doing this in their writing. But not a man telling outlandish stories to cover up all his lies!

It had to be tenuous keeping up with the act and the lies. Imagine putting all that energy into an ethical job, charity, or community. Nick/Simone could have changed his world for the better. But that was Nick/Damian/Al/Jonathan/Simone’s downfall. He thought he could control his world.

I will never trust another man ever again. I will be forever side eyeing each one. 👀

Read if you are interested in:
Scammers
Multiple POV’s
Psychological Thrillers
Addicting reads

Restauranteur Paddy Swann was the life of the party until the day a man pushed him in the path of an oncoming train, leaving his twenty-something daughter Ash and wife Nina devastated. Shortly after Paddy’s funeral, the two women receive a surprise in the mail: a note and package from Nick Ratcliffe, an old friend of Paddy’s, and a nondescript lighter that once belonged to him decades ago. This unexpected gift draws Nick and Nina closer together—much to Ash’s dismay.

Martha is a small-town florist with dreams of expansion. She lives with her second husband Al, her baby, and two sons from her prior marriage. But they never seem to have any money, and with his constant traveling for work, she feels like a single parent—especially when an emergency makes her realize something needs to change.

This book left me in the edge of my seat the whole time while reading it! I immediately got a strange vibe from the antagonist and it was fascinating to see how he manipulated situations and people to best fit his needs. It left me quite unsettled if we are being completely honest just because this form of 'bad guy' isn't a myth, it can happen in real life. The twists kept me guessing and I really enjoyed that I couldn't predict the ending.

Thanks to Artia Books, Netgalley, and to Lisa Jewell for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!