WOW! 4.5⭐️/5⭐️

First I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for the complementary advanced digital copy of this fast-paced thriller! Thanks to Jewell, my Kindle and I got reacquainted for my first read of 2025.

It took me a few chapters to get my bearings and my characters straight, but once I had my footing it was off to the races. Jewell barely gives the reader a chance to breathe with the whiplash-like perspective shifts, twists and turns, and “oh shit” realizations. I burned through this thriller and it’s the first book in a while that I’ve thought about between reads and was genuinely excited to dive back into.

I will be honest though, the ending wound up being pretty predictable and all signs led to it. I almost felt like I was on the edge of my seat for all the clues to be revealed as red herrings, but they were not. However, the book stood out regardless of the anticlimactic ending and I would definitely recommend it!

coffee run & arc review✨

I have to preface this by saying-I LOVE Lisa Jewell, but this one didn’t do it for me. I felt the plot was great, and I even enjoyed the book; it just didn’t leave me with that five star feeling. I liked the characters and the writing style, but something about it just fell flat for me. Overall, I would have to rate this three stars (and I still love queen Lisa). I would still recommend trying this one out-just because I didn’t love it, doesn’t mean that you won’t!

Thank you @netgalley for the chance to read and review this ahead of time!

Pub date June 24, 2025 📖

This book was so disturbing (in a good way, if you are into psychological thrillers). The "men" in the narrative really got under my skin and I wanted to scream at the main protagonist to get out (or rather "don't let him in!"). It was fascinating to follow all of the twists and turns and this was a unique book. Highly recommend!

Lisa knows how to write a story that keeps your interest throughout the story. I was glued to my kindle while reading this one.

Lisa Jewell has done it again, with yet another captivating, addictive psychological thriller. I have read so many of her books and this one is quite unlike the rest but equally as thrilling.

I think most thriller readers can guess where this story is going after reading the synopsis. What they cannot guess, however, is just how deep the evil runs in this story. I truly was unable to put this book down and read most of it in one sitting. I loved the alternating POVs and the fast-paced nature of the plot. I do wish it had more of a twist and more of the mystery Lisa Jewell’s books often have, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Lisa Jewell for this providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Stay tuned for the release of Don’t Let Him In on June 23, 2025!

I spent my afternoon and evening of New Year’s Day absolutely engrossed in this soon-to-be-published thriller by Lisa Jewell. I am going to try to be vague in the review, because I don’t want to give anything away. I like to go into books, especially suspense novels, knowing as little as possible, and I assume everyone else does, too.

Paddy Swann, a beloved chef and restaurant owner, dies when he is pushed in front of a Soho train. He leaves behind a grieving widow, Nina, and two adult children, Ash (Aisling) and Arlo. When Nick Radcliffe , an old friend of Paddy’s, reaches out to offer condolences and stories of Paddy’s early career, Nina and Ash are initially charmed. But as Nick and Nina get closer, Ash wonders if he is too good to be true, or if it’s her own sad history with men that makes her suspicious.

Small town florist Martha is married to Alastair, the father of her two-year-old daughter and the man of her dreams. The only thing that would make it better would be if he could just stop traveling so much for work and if all the money they made didn’t disappear so fast.

The story is told in shifting timelines and several POVs, but is easy to follow. When Ash and Martha narrate, the timeline is the present. The third POV starts four years before Paddy’s death and moves toward the present.

The villain of the story is a narcissistic, manipulative piece of work. Parts of the story were hard to read because the villain is such a smooth liar and it reminded me of various people I’ve known. If you are triggered by gaslighting and manipulation, beware. Jewell writes believable, realistic characters and it’s easy to see a lot of this happening in real life.

It’s fairly clear early on who the villain is, but this is a thriller, not a mystery. As all the pieces of the backstory began to fall in place, I couldn’t put down the book because I had to see how…if…justice would be served. Other reviewers have said the beginning was a little slow. I didn’t that, but I do agree that the pace really amps up around the 60-65% mark.

In honor of the late Paddy, I give it 5 chef’s kisses.

What a wild, twisty book! It started off kind of slow, but once you piece together what’s happening, you’re hooked. Every time I figured something out, Lisa Jewell still found a way to shock me and make this book so addictive! Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book!

Thank you for the ARC !

This book was so good ! Could not put it down and it had my attention from the beginning . At first I was a little confused on who was who but then it all started coming together . Lots of twists I didn’t see coming. Definitely recommend!

“Don’t Let Him In” is perfect for readers who love domestic thrillers. It’s a quick, engaging read that delivers on suspense and entertainment. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Lisa Jewell's Don't Let Him In is a gripping and intricately woven tale of suspense, deception, and complex relationships. The accessible writing style draws readers in effortlessly, making this a book you can devour in a single sitting.

The plot is brilliantly crafted, intertwining the lives of Ash, Nina, and Martha with precision and intrigue. Jewell masterfully builds tension as secrets unravel, leaving you questioning every character's motives. The shifting dynamics between Nina and Nick, and the layered revelations about Al, keep the narrative unpredictable and deeply engaging.

While the characters are compelling, a deeper emotional exploration of their internal struggles could have elevated the story even further. Nevertheless, the book’s fast pace and clever twists make it a thoroughly enjoyable read. Fans of domestic thrillers will find this an absolute treat.

I had the pleasure of getting an ARC of Don’t Let Him In. I read it in two sittings and I am pretty sure I had heart palpitations the whole time. It is amazing how much I can loathe a character and be impressed by their cleverness at the same time. It was full of twists that I didn’t see coming and it pulled together greatly at the end. I highly recommend this book!

Thanks to Atria books for this advanced copy.

In Don’t Let Him In, we enter the mind of Nick Radcliffe. Handsome, charming, and instantly likable. He’s exactly what you need him to be, exactly when you need it. But soon Ash Swann starts to notice cracks in his shiny veneer.

Spiral into the discrete life of Nick and discover the truth behind his mask with Ash as she tries to protect her mother from this shady man. Throughout the book, Ash’s childhood naïveté is stripped away and in its place the raw facets of her family’s past are revealed.

Jewell weaves this story with eloquence and a master touch that reflects her more than two decades of published works. I know when I pick up one of Jewell’s books I’m entering a rich and varied world bound together by well rounded characters with, sometimes wild, stories to tell. Absolutely another must buy from Jewell.

Absolutely loved it and could not put it down! So fun, the most hate-able, sociopathic villain! 100% recommend!

This was much more reminiscent of older Lisa circa The House We Grew Up In or Girls In The Garden. A domestic, psychological thriller that gets into the gritty mind of a scam artist conning women across the UK.
I saw some reviews saying they thought it would be more thriller style but I really enjoyed it and thought the thrill came in the “will he/wont he get caught” and the twisty workings of Nick/Damian/Justin/Al’s mind.
I found Ash to be an enjoyable character, and wish I knew more about certain little left threads (the letters) in her storyline. I also really enjoyed the female empowerment, all together united, side of the story.

Overall, a really solid 4-4.3⭐️ read in my books

“Don’t Let Him In” by Lisa Jewell reads like a dateline episode. I expected a few more surprise twists from the author of “None of This Is True,” but it was an enjoyable read. Nina and her daughter Ash’s lives are upturned by a death in the family only for more chaos to brought by mysterious stranger Nick. The novel told with various POVs brings Martha into the narrative and the reader is left to put together the pieces.

This book definitely left me 🤯! While the ending was epic, the beginning felt slow and took some time to draw me in. With so many POVs, it was a bit tricky to keep track of everything at first. However, around the 65% mark, the story really starts to come together, and the plot gains momentum. If you’re a fan of thrillers, this one is worth the read—stick with it, and you’ll be rewarded!

WHAT THE ACTUAL EFF DID I JUST READ??? OMG I could not put this down. I read this is one sitting people!!!

This book infuriated me to my core but I lovedddddd it! I literally couldn't stop reading until this wrapped up. and the ending? Satisfying. Chef's kiss. This is my new favorite from Lisa Jewell and will definitely buy the hard copy to read again and again. A perfect enticing thriller that weaves the lives of several women together to find out the truth about the man in their lives. Five very enthusiastic stars. Thank you NetGalley for the arc! This was a wild ride!!!

Thanks netgalley and publisher for a chance to read this book for free in return for my honest opinion.

I met Lisa Jewell in 2023, so I was excited to read this book. I’ll read anything she writes either way.

This book was decent overall but also kind of chaotic as well. I rated it 4 stars because it was easy to read and it kept my interest.

Paddy Swann was the life of the party until someone pushed him on the tracks and killed him. His daughter was pressed on finding out why someone murdered him and trying to figure out the secret life of her mother’s new boyfriend.

Martha lives with her second husband and her kids. Her husband never has any money and Martha never knows where he takes off when he leaves.

Both of these women have something in common, their significant others have something to hide.

If you like Lisa Jewell books, this one was worth the read.

~3.5~

I have five starred the previous six book I've read by this author and was ready to implode when I received the ARC for Don't Let Him In.

While there are a couple twists (not at all difficult to guess if you're paying attention), the essence of the plot is fairly obvious from the get-go.

Fifty something year old Nick is a psychopath who's used various aliases to scam women for decades. He feels no empathy (not for his wives and certainly not for his children) and is excellent at molding himself into the man of your dreams, only to become your worst nightmare.

Being in Nick's head was an absolute mindfuck: his narcissism, his belief that the world owes him, his delusions of grandeur. He tried on personalities the way one switches up hats: the sexy lover, the doting dad, the caring husband, the savvy businessman, the monster breathing down your neck.

I couldn't dig up much sympathy for most of his victims because they all seemed like sad, insecure, desperate women, ready to believe anything for a bit of sex and romance.

"What is it with some women? Why can't they see through men like him? What is it that he does? It's like ... black magic ... And everyone else can see what's happening. But the woman in the middle of it, the woman being love-bombed and bamboozled and lied to and manipulated ...."

It's only Ash, the daughter of the late, larger-than-life restaurateur Paddy, who gets a clue when Nick waltzes into her family's grand house and begins to woo her mother.

Ash doesn't trust Nick and rings Paddy's ex-girlfriend, Jane, a woman she's never met, to help. (Cheers to Jane! She's my favorite!)

The story is slower-paced and skirts the edge of tedious, although it picks up in part 4.

There's an odd scene toward the end where (view spoiler) It's all rather dramatic and largely pointless.

Rounding up because it's Lisa Jewell, and she's brilliant.

This was good! At first I kept getting confused until about 30% in the book, but after I finally caught on it went by so fast! Twists about love and a handsome con artist! I love all book by Lisa Jewel!