Lisa Jewell has done it AGAIN. At this point, I’m convinced she’s incapable of writing a book I won’t devour. Don’t Let Him In is a masterclass in slow-burning suspense, following a truly despicable man and the women whose lives he leaves in chaos. The tension? Immaculate. The mystery? Addictive. The female determination? SIMPLY CHEF’S KISS.

Jewell weaves anxiety, obsession, and an unwavering pursuit of the truth into every page, making this an unputdownable thriller that had me holding my breath until the very last twist. If you love dark, twisty mysteries with razor-sharp writing, you need this on your TBR.

Another solid lisa jewell book! This one felt unique in the sense that it did not have the super tense thriller feel. This was a little bit more of a slow burn, but it kept me interested in reading all the same. Originally all of the different POV‘s was a little confusing because they were jumping back-and-forth in time and there was no linear time line, but as I became adapted to the format and was able to recognize each POV, things got better for me. In the end I rated this four stars because I felt that I could see the ending coming from a mile away Which made things feel a little bit less like a thriller, I enjoyed this very much but I took a star because of the fact that I was expecting to pick up a more traditional thriller and did not feel that this fit. Fans of Lisa Jewell will love this!

I really wanted to love this book, I truly did. Unfortunately, Don't Let Him In didn't give me the same feelings as Lisa Jewell's earlier works. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat, dying to know what would happen next. Especially in the beginning, I found it too confusing with all the different POVs, and there was no real explanation for why this mysterious guy was the way he was. It just didn’t grip me enough to make me want to keep reading—but I did anyway. Sadly, even the ending left me disappointed. I also didn’t really connect with any of the characters. It almost felt like this book wasn’t even written by Lisa Jewell. I had been so excited for it, but in the end, it really let me down. Oh well, maybe her next book will be more my thing!

4 ⭐️

Love the different POV, this book got me hooked instantly and her books are always well executed with toe curling thriller vibes which I LOVE SO MUCH!

This was a suspenseful thriller that at times was difficult to read, but often I felt I couldn’t look away. Nick Ratcliffe comes into Ash and her mother’s life, and though her mom is enamored with him, Ash is skeptical. Meanwhile, we learn about Martha, whose life with her second husband, Al is challenging: money is often tight and Al is often traveling for work. The book starts off slow, but as the women’s lives begin to intertwine at the halfway point, it picks up speed and WOW.

Understanding more about Nick and Al is twisty and - although there were a few situations I found predictable - it was engrossing and propulsive. I found it (particularly at the beginning) deeply unsettling, likely because I could so clearly see this as a real life story.

Thank you to Net Halley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Don’t Let Him In is the newest fictional mystery by Lisa Jewell, and not one to skip!
This book follows different women, including Nina, Martha, and Ash. Nina and Martha are each in a relationship with the same man, even though they know him by different names and with a different story. But Nina’s daughter Ash starts getting suspicious, and tries her best to find out more about her mother’s boyfriend, while also getting her mother to trust her again.
This book kept my interest until the very end! I loved the different characters, the story line, and how they came together. I also really appreciated that many things seemed to be resolved by the ending, even if it wasn’t how I thought it would have been. I definitely recommend this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and to the author and publisher of this book for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First, thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review! Unfortunately, this one was just not for me. It’s not a thriller so much as a case study of a narcissistic psycho who is dependent on women he tricks to carry him through life as long as he can con them for. I honestly don’t know if there’s anything to spoil really, because that’s it. You read from his pov as well as some of the women, so you know his thoughts and plans upfront. You try to puzzle together timelines, but other than that it was too slow and not “thrilling” enough to keep me interested. I was so excited for this, but while the characters are well written that’s really all I can say for it!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for a digital ARC of Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell.

I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell! I love soooo many of her books. So, I feel like my bar for her books is set high because she's so amazing! So, I am rating this book a 4, because of my love for her and her writing is always on point.

But the story line for Don't Let Him In is more like a 3.5. It's not terrible. It just wasn't my favorite book by her. I did think the story picked up around the 52% mark. I'm not sure if this book is a thriller, but definitely a domestic drama. I will always give Lisa Jewell's books a try, so I'm looking forward to her next one.

Lisa jewell is one of my favorite authors so I was very excited to get an arc of her newest release. I read it and am glad I didn’t do an audiobook of thus one because even as it was, it was really hard to keep people straight for probably the first third of the book, if not more.
This is the story of a man and a family. Not his family. Our leads characters are Ash, a twenty something woman still living at home after the death of her father, and Nick, who reaches out to her mother upon her father’s death and works his way in. It’s hard to know how much to say without spoilers but suffice it to say that Ash thinks Nick is suspect and starts to try to find proof.
The overall storyline was interesting. The character development, especially of Nick, and the chapters from his perspective are vivid. His thought process was clearly laid out and he even had verbal phrases he used frequently so he felt very fleshed out. There were just so many other characters that it was hard to keep straight, especially at the beginning, and it was further complicated by time jumps to show us Nicks past. The end result was a solid 4 stars but the ride to get there was bumpy and led me to rate it a 3.

Although you figure out right away who the antagonist is in this novel, you don't understand how bad they are and where this originate from. Even though the story switched back and forth from different POVs and years, it was easy to follow. This book explored the complexities of relationships and allowed us to see into the mind of a narcissist.

there's a lot going on here and once it gets going, you don't want it to stop. in fact, weirdly enough, while it takes a bit to get there, the last 10% or so of the book felt almost rushed--it could have been longer / had more there and I would have been just as happy if not happier.
it's a solid thriller with multiple time points and points-of-view, and Jewell uses all of that very well in service of the story. if at moments it feels confusing, it seems by design, to mirror the confusing and overlapping things going on all around us.

good ole fun, and definitely recommended

After a lengthy introduction to the characters and plot of this new Jewell novel, it becomes a blockbuster hit! I love LJ's novels. This one is worth waiting for mystery readers. Women love the tall guy with white hair and blue eyes. They should follow the title's advice: Don't Let Him In!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book, which will be published on June 24, 2025.

A fun thriller. I am usually five stars for Lisa every time, but this one was just ok for me. Twists that were crazy, unhinged characters, and good pacing, I would still recommend!

I enjoy Lisa Jewell’s books a lot! She knows how to draw me in immediately and keep me hooked until the end. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t a favorite. While I was really interested in the premise and figuring out what was going to happen, I found the motivation of the main man lacking. His reasoning for his actions seemed flimsy, at best, which took me out of the world a little bit. I highly recommend reading Jewells books but this wouldn’t be the one I’d start with.

The pacing and multiple viewpoints were engaging and held my interest, and the descriptive writing style make it feel as if I was there. On the other hand, I found myself becoming annoyed with some of the characters rather than rooting for them, and the twists were somewhat predictable. But overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable read.

Ahhhhh! Lisa does it again! I could not put this book down. I enjoy her style of writing and this book did not disappoint. I was so thankful for the early arc to read! Thank you netgalley!

Lisa Jewell's latest domestic suspense seems to be somewhat of a departure from some of her other books, and it's hard for me to articulate exactly why, but I think it's because it feels like there is less centralized focus on a singular family unit. On the one hand, events are set into motion when Paddy Swann unexpectedly and tragically dies, leaving his wife and daughter reeling in the wake of his death. Some time later, they receive a package in the mail from someone named Nick, who claims to be an old friend and coworker of Paddy's. Taking this at face value, Paddy's widow Nina gradually exchanges texts with Nick, and they begin dating. Upon learning of this development, Paddy's daughter has misgivings about her mom's new relationship.

Things ripple out from there, but the mother and daughter at the center of this do not carry as much of the narrative POV as I had anticipated. Instead, the story branches out in other directions and feels kaleidoscopic, as a host of voices work in chorus to help the reader assemble the puzzle.

I didn't feel that there was as much suspense here as in some of her other works, but I did feel as we would barrel along with these characters toward an inexorable conclusion - I just didn't know what that conclusion would be, and once I reached it, I did feel wholly satisfied by the author's resolution. At times, I did feel like the frequent shifts in perspective did not give me as much of an opportunity to linger with the characters I liked (Martha, for example), but I think I'm okay with that. I might have given a fifth star if certain characters received more air time. As with many of her other works, this one is atmospheric, enabling the reader to feel like a journey to South England's seaside must be in order soon.

*sigh* I’m sad to say this is my least favorite Lisa Jewell book to date. Yes I still binged this one in two days, but I was left feeling very underwhelmed with the whole storyline which normally is not the case for me!

I wish the different timelines were not as confusing to try and keep up with at the beginning. Once I got a hang of all the characters and back and forth I became more invested in knowing what was going to happen next in the story.

Lisa sure knows how to write a character you will absolutely despise though 😈

All I will say is be careful who you let in… 👀

LISA!! I love her books so much! This one was great- lots of twists and mystery. Slowly making my way through her backlog and loved this one!

Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

Paddy Swann was pushed in front of a train and killed. Sometime later we see a person delivering flowers to his family and it's clear that something is not right, this family is the focus of "something, someone". What takes place in this book is/was so unbelievable to me since I don't watch TV and missed any shows that may have focused on what is going on here. I do follow True Crime on the internet but have never focused on what this book shows us. So, I was so skeptical of how this could happen but in the end, as things play out and we learn more, I can see this taking place to the "right" women, good women, smart women, women you'd least expect to have this happen to them.

The way the story is laid out it was hard for me to figure out what was going on and how each character fit into the story. With patience, all will be revealed and there are several reasons for all the confusion. Someone here is a big liar, the confusion and misdirection is intentional, a feature of a certain character. We meet a gorgeous fifty-something man whose good looks and confident demeanor will turn the heads of men and women. He's very good at what he does but we don't really know of the extent of what he does for much of the story.

I wanted to shout at so many of the women but it was too late for some of them. Paddy's daughter Ash has suspicions but because of her recent past and actions, her opinions hold no weight. Family is so important in this story and it's family that is at the greatest risk, the victims spread wide and far, the damage done is vast. This made for great discussion with Mary Beth, Jayme and DeAnn.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.