I could not put this book down!!! I have loved other books but this author, but this takes the cake. I was on my toes the entire time, and when I realized the connection, I couldn't wait to find out what happened! Another gem from Jewell. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Lisa Jewell does a brilliant job of making you feel absolutely murderous. Could not put this down even though my stomach flipped and flopped the entire time. Ugh she’s a talented writer, I hated him and his insidious ways just as much as she wanted us to. 😬🗡️

Another one of Lisa Jewell's stories that keep you intrigued from the first introduction of the characters. There were many times I wanted to throw my kindle at the character "Nick" . I love how she spun the story to the very end.

I enjoyed this novel the most of all the Lisa Jewell books I've read! Don't Let Him In kept me enthralled the entire time. I couldn't wait to see how the women figured it out and I was not disappointed by the ending!

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I requested this because Lisa Jewell is always good for a popcorn thriller, and this seemed like a decent distraction for a sick day.

This is borrowing a great deal from…is it Dirty John? The guy who scammed a bunch of vulnerable women by pretending to be rich and successful? (it gets implicitly namechecked near the end, so it’s not like this is a world where that doesn’t exist) And that’s basically the plot here. We open with Ash, whose father has just died a pretty tragic death, being pushed under a subway train in an Underground station. And about a year later, her mother starts dating this guy named Nick who claims to own a wine bar and to have worked with Paddy many years ago in a different restaurant. Ash immediately clocks that something seems off about this guy - he’s just too good to be true. But she’s had her own issues recently (we eventually learn she had a thing for her boss and it kind of wrecked her life), so no one is inclined to believe her.

In addition to hearing from Ash, we also hear from a woman named Martha, whose “perfect” husband Alistair is…well far from it. He has some big fancy job where he works with the hospitality departments in boutique hotels, and he’s always running off for some emergency or another and being not just gone but utterly unreachable for days at a time. Martha is shockingly good at convincing herself he means well, and it’s pretty sad. Like, the signs are all RIGHT THERE, staring her in the face, and she’s still able to justify why he’s behaving this way because when things are good between them, they’re really good, and somehow that balances all of the negatives. Having dated someone a bit like this, I can somewhat relate, but eventually you can’t ignore the selfishness (to be fair, my ex was a raging narcissist, not an actual sociopath!).

And finally, we have flashback chapters beginning 4 years earlier from the perspective of a guy who has a rather high opinion of himself and his worth. He has a wife he hates and a mistress he’s obsessed with and I feel like it’s not even a spoiler because if you’ve read a book before you *know* where this is going. Lisa Jewell has done this before - giving narration duties to a toxic male character - and I just don’t know how I feel about it. On the one hand, in order for the story to make sense, we kind of do need to hear from this guy at least somewhat. I’m trying to imagine how this would all play out with just the perspectives we have and I feel like it wouldn’t quite make sense - but on the other hand, if you add additional perspectives from other victims (there are certainly enough of them floating around), I think it would flesh out the narrative enough that we wouldn’t need to hear from Nick-etc. at all. We just spend SO MUCH TIME in his head, and it’s nothing new - he’s better and smarter and more handsome than anyone else who has ever existed and he deserves to be recognized for it. It’s actually criminal that other people are successful and he is not. I would have much rather just heard from the women instead.

I'm a HUGE fan of Lisa Jewell but this one just wasn't for me. I really struggled to get into it. The writing was definitely different in this one than some of her other books that I have read.

If there’s one thing that New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell excels at, it’s her ability to grip a reader from the very first page. Jewell’s forthcoming novel, Don’t Let Him In, begins in the aftermath of a murder.

When well-known restaurateur Paddy Swann is pushed onto the subway tracks at Leicester Square, his wife and kids are left reeling. Soon after Paddy’s death, his widow Nina receives a condolence letter from Nick Radliff, an old colleague of her husband. Nina has never met Nick before, but she’s intrigued by his thoughtfulness and decides to meet him for a drink.

In another part of town, a florist named Martha lives with her devoted husband, Alistair, and their baby daughter. Alistair has been traveling a lot for work, and often turns off his phone and leaves for days on end. One night Martha’s daughter runs a fever and when she can’t get ahold of Alistair, she becomes convinced that he’s having an affair which leads her to start tracking his whereabouts.

In typical Jewell style, Don’t Let Him In is narrated from multiple perspectives and shifting timelines. This is a story that will lead you to question how well you think you know someone. It’s a brilliant tale of reinvention, obsession, and secrecy in the digital age. Bravo!

Well I’m sad to report, I just couldn’t wait for this to be over. You really needed to focus because the POVs can get confusing or easy to mix up. I think there was too much going on and I struggled to finish it. I love Lisa Jewell though and would encourage you to try it for yourself!

I struggle with this book. It was slow in parts and way too many moving pieces for me. I feel the premise or idea was good but maybe too much added details for me.

Don’t Let Him In is an incredibly twisty, and engrossing read. I love a great suspense story that also has a strong emotional thread, and this one feels real and relatable. I found myself swept up in the lives of the characters and both horrified and drawn by the sinister trap they couldn’t help falling into. This page turner is filled with a cast of interesting female characters who were at once sympathetic and easy to root for. Their strength will surprise readers, as will the satisfying ending.

As a devoted fan of Lisa Jewell, receiving this book as an advance reader copy was an absolute delight. From the first page, it captivated me with a compelling narrative that only she could deliver. The plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, and the ending left me reeling with a shocking revelation that I never saw coming.

The characters Nick, Martha, and Ash are exceptionally well-crafted; each one is a force to be reckoned with. Nick’s multiple identities, Martha’s fierce determination, and Ash’s investigative nature create suspense, intrigue, and jaw-dropping scenes. Their strengths and complexities weave together to form a tapestry of relationships filled with tension and depth. I constantly wondered about their motivations and the ultimate goal as their stories unfolded. Jewell masterfully builds suspense, leaving readers eager to unravel the mystery behind these powerful characters. This book is a true testament to her storytelling prowess!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the Advanced copy!

I have some mixed feelings about this one. I love Lisa Jewell’s writing, but hated the main character, which I’m sure is what she was going for. Overall, I did not see the ending coming and loved the short chapters that kept me turning the pages.

I wanted so badly to love this. Lisa Jewell is so talented and she’s incredibly kind too. This book just didn’t do it for me. I’m not even sure you could consider it a thriller. It wasn’t twisty, nothing was really a secret or surprise, and honestly you were just sitting there reading crazy people’s inner thoughts. The end had me like 😒

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors and she doesn't disappoint with this book. Three women connected by one man.
This book is a page turner that will engage you from the beginning. Secrets, twists and turns that you won't see coming all keep you captivated. Short chapters which I like will keep you unable to put this book down. If you haven't read Lisa Jewell books before, you will want to read them all, after reading this book"

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for allowing me to read this book, in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Jewell knows how to write a mystery. The interconnected lives of all of these women was done beautifully and there was no confusion at all. Loved the twists!

Thank you Atria for my copy! Lisa Jewell has done it again with this can't put down, creepy, twisty book about a man who is NOT who he seems. I loved all the POVs and the way this story came together.

This was Lisa Jewell at her finest. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I couldn’t put this down. I loved the multiple POV and the story of a crazy con artist.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Lisa Jewell for an ARC of Don’t Let Him In. 2025 is definitely going to be a year of good books. There is a reason why Lisa is a queen of thrillers and let me tell you this right here is it. At the beginning I was a bit confused and knew I would’ve been all over if listening to it on audio because I was going back and forth trying to figure out what I was missing. Stay in there - it will all make sense and 100% worth it. The suspense to figure out what was going on was overwhelming and keeps you hooked to the book. Nina and Ash have lost their husband/father to unnecessary death - Paddy was pushed into an oncoming train. After Paddy’s funeral, Nina receives a package in the mail from a man named Nick. It is a lighter that Paddy used to use a long time ago when they were work colleagues. This opens a relationship with Nina and Nick and Ash is not to thrilled about it. Martha is a florist and would love to expand her business. She lives with her two sons from a previous marriage and her daughter with her new husband Al. They are struggling due to never seeming to make ends meet. Al is constantly traveling for work and never home which leaves Martha like a single parent. Nick and Al may not be who they say they are - they might be keeping some secrets or leading the women astray - but some advice the woman should’ve listened to at first: don’t let him in.

The first 40% of this book had me doubting if I wanted to finish it; it felt slow moving and like nothing of note was happening. The last 60% was a much wilder ride and flew by. After finishing the book, I see why the start was a slower roll - the author was laying the groundwork for the second half of our story. It was so interesting seeing all the individual characters and storylines start piecing together into a full picture of our MMC. Although, is there ever such a thing as a COMPLETE picture of our protagonist from “Don’t Let Him In”?

If you find the beginning a bit slow, hang in there because it’s worth it in the end!

Many thanks to Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: June 24, 2025

This book had me hooked from page one! I truly could not put it down. The characterization was excellent and there were just enough plot twists to keep you guessing the whole time. Really great writing!