Don’t Let Him In
By Lisa Jewell

💝 First of all, thank you to Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, and Lisa Jewell for providing me with this early copy for free in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book so badly. But man, it was hard. First of all, this story has been told before. The Dear John events, podcast, and Netflix show all exist and Jewell didn’t even mention them. The similarities are too obvious to be ignored. Because the story is familiar, it was incredibly predictable. By the 50% mark, I was bored. The pacing slowed and I couldn’t help but just want it to wrap up already.

I also hated every single character in this book. There wasn’t a single one that I related to or wanted to be friends with. Six or seven women and every single one of them was dumb as rocks and weak minded enough to continue to fall for such obvious bullshit. It was offensive to women everywhere and cheapened the abused spouse experience. When they finally got their revenge it wasn’t even fun to witness!

It did have some redeeming characteristics. Lisa Jewell is a great story teller and she wove this web and then ripped it apart masterfully. I also really enjoyed having Nicks point of view throughout. I think Jewell did a nice job climbing into the head of a psychopath and showing the reader just how mental unhinged he was, as we watched him convince himself that he was a decent man throughout.

Overall, I was disappointed that the story had been told before. Have we reached the point in history where we’ve run out of unique ideas? And there was a missed opportunity to reference that this was based off a true story and to credit the original women and reporter who were involved in the dear John saga.

I would recommend this to people who enjoy predictable popcorn thrillers with weak female main characters.

#eARC # advanced copy #bookreview #bookstagram #booktok #booklover #domesticthriller #thriller

Not my favorite of Lisa Jewell’s. The constant POV switching and back and forth of the timeline made it to where you always knew what was happening. There wasn’t any “twists” or anything unexpected. I enjoyed the development of the plot and the resolution at the end. 3.5/5 for me!

Thanks Net Galley for the ARC for this read!

I received an ARC digital copy of this book from NetGalley and Atria Books. Thank you.

I should have known this would be a wild ride. I was sucked in at the very beginning, finishing this book within 2 days. I HAD to know what happened. Every moment that I had a chance to read, I picked up this book instead of any others I had started.

I have only read a couple of Lisa Jewell's books. Don't Let Him In will have me looking out for all the books she has written that I haven't got to yet.

Tara, in debt, two grown children, married to Jonathon Truscott.

Martha, in her 40's, two teenage sons, one toddler daughter, owns a flower business and married to Alistair Gray.

Nina and Ash, grieving after Ash's father and Nina's husband, Paddy Swann, dies at the hands of another.

Nick Radcliffe, tall, handsome, striking blue eyes, just wants to give everyone what they want.

A fascinating domestic thriller by Lisa Jewell. The book starts with a seemingly simple premise - someone needs to pay for what they've done. It seems like the story will be shifting be shifting between two timelines - one told by Ash through the lens of a recently grieving family, having lost their patriarch Paddy, and another told by an unknown man four years prior. Is it Paddy? Is it someone related to Ash's family? Is it the person who delivered flowers to the memorial at the beginning of the book?

As the reader arrives at Part Three, we have discovered that this is not a book shifting between two timelines, rather it is a book that is following the life of one man with multiple identities, yet no identity at all. As Ash's suspicions about the man, known to her as Nick Ratcliffe, grow, she investigates more about his past while the reader learns more about his motivations via flashbacks from his perspective.

This book will take you on a wild ride as the web of lies is revealed. Enjoy!

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advanced copy.

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this in advance of its anticipated release.

Lisa Jewell fans, you WILL not be disappointed with this one. This is was an absolute stress inducing, rage inducing (the kind where you yell at characters in the book while the other person in the room with you just kind of gives you the side eye with slight concern) slam dunk of a book.

It had my head spinning and I was locked in immediately, unable to put it down.

I don't want to give absolutely any spoilers away, so go into this blind. You won't be disappointed!

My favorite Lisa Jewell book! I have gotten through all of her thrillers and this is the best one yet!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I have devoured every Lisa Jewell book and this was the same. I love her writing and she always delivers when I need a solid, well written domestic suspense.

What the heck did I just read?!
I was tense, on the edge of my seat (okay, I’m lying—I was already on the floor, scrambling to pick up my dropped jaw), breathless, nail-less, and utterly captivated until the final page of this book, simmering with mounting pressure! Lisa Jewell has done it again! She’s written another brilliant thriller that instantly gets my vote for the Goodreads Choice Awards as the best thriller of the year!

This time, she’s given us one of the most detestable villains I’ve ever read. This new antagonist made my fists itch—I wanted to spit at the character and regularly punch him! I lost count of how many times I cursed him with every horrible thing he did, only for him to outdo himself a few chapters later with something even worse! I kept waiting for justice, and as the latest twists hit me like a slap in the face, I couldn’t stop wondering: What if he gets away with it again?!

I won’t spoil the experience for you, but I can honestly say that while the story starts off a little slow, it quickly becomes one of Lisa Jewell’s best books—a guaranteed mind-blower! And the scariest part of it all? Villains like this one could easily exist in real life. With their perfect faces, flawless bodies, charming manners, and their ability to hide behind a façade, they’re like wolves in sheep’s clothing. Everything in this book could actually happen, making this villain even more terrifying.

A Quick Recap
This whirlwind, smartly executed, twisty mystery begins with the tragic death of Paddy Swann, a highly successful restaurateur, who is pushed into the path of an oncoming train by a schizophrenic man in his early thirties. Paddy leaves behind his 53-year-old wife, Nina; his problematic daughter, Aisling (Ash), in her mid-twenties, who has returned home after a psychological breakdown; and his son, Arlo, in his early twenties.

After Paddy’s funeral, Nina receives a note and a package from a man named Nick Radcliffe, who claims to be Paddy’s former colleague. Along with the note, he sends her a lighter that once belonged to Paddy. Nick’s words are so sincere and kind that even Ash is impressed and encourages her mom to write back. What Nina doesn’t expect is that this man—described as a “silver fox” reminiscent of Patrick Dempsey’s McDreamy—will eventually turn their correspondence into a romantic relationship, beginning a year after Paddy’s death.

Meanwhile, the second storyline follows Martha, in her early fifties, is a florist raising two teenage sons from her previous marriage and a baby girl she gave birth to at 47. She’s also struggling in her marriage to Al, whose demanding job keeps him constantly traveling, unreachable, and emotionally distant. Despite working hard, they’re always short on money, and their relationship seems to be falling apart under the weight of secrets and unspoken issues.

As the storylines intertwine, the revelations are heart-stopping, jaw-dropping, and utterly unpredictable. Just when you think the plot couldn’t possibly go any further, it does—and you’ll find yourself nodding in reluctant agreement, thinking, Okay, yes, it could actually happen.

Overall Thoughts
Gripping, flawlessly executed, and packed with heart-throbbing intensity, this domestic thriller is one I highly recommend! I’ve already declared it the best thriller/mystery of the year. Don’t even think about missing it—order your copy ASAP!

Special Thanks:
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this fantastic thriller’s digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

"Don't Let Him In" was another stellar thriller by Lisa Jewell. The novel follows multiple women during different time periods who are all conned by the same man (and goodness, he is absolutely awful!). I couldn't put this novel down. Not only was the plot fast paced, but Jewell sprinkled in plenty of twists along the way. Overall, another hit for Jewell!

Another winner for Lisa Jewell!

I absolutely devoured this book, and found myself sneaking in chapters every second I could. This story follows a male main character that you will love to hate, as he weaves a tangled web of lies, and the chaos that unfolds after Paddy’s death. I usually struggle with books that switch back and forth from first person to second person perspective, but the writing in this book flowed so well that the transitions were rather seamless. Highly recommend this novel from Lisa, she never disappoints!

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors, a definite auto read for me!! Her books always have the most disturbed fascinating characters.

This book started out so cryptic for me (classic Jewell). Three storylines and it takes a while to know what is going on. Once things start to become clear you are in for the ride of your life. I would love to tell you more but it’s best that you go in blind.

The ending was one of the most satisfying endings I’ve read in a long time.

As a huge fan of Lisa Jewell, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into this book. However, it fell short of my expectations.

I read the book in a day, but had figured out pretty early on what all of the connections were in the story. Therefore, I spent the rest of the book waiting for the shoe to drop and…nothing.

The book was well written and Lisa Jewell is a mastermind at intertwining characters lives.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the early read.

“Lisa Jewell has done it again! Don’t Let Him In is an absolute page-turner that kept me hooked from start to finish. The plot is masterfully crafted, full of twists and turns I never saw coming. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the story took an unpredictable turn that left me speechless. Jewell’s writing is sharp, her characters feel real, and the tension builds perfectly throughout. If you love thrillers that keep you guessing, this one is a must-read!”

I mean it's Lisa Jewell. She just can't miss!! I wasn't in LOVE with her last book but this one, whoa! I read through it so quickly and enjoyed it. It was really well done and so fast paced. I cruised through this book and couldn't get enough. I loved the multiple POV's! Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Jewell, and Atria Books for this ARC.

•Lisa Jewell has done it again! 👏🏽 I was sucked into this book immediately and actually finished in less than two days.

•Paddy Swann unexpectedly passed away after being shoved in front of an oncoming train, leaving behind his wife and two children. In the days following the funeral, a former friend of Paddy’s, Nick Ratcliffe, shows up at the family’s home to reminisce about his friendship with Paddy.

•Ash, Paddy’s daughter, has a bad feeling about Nick from the first encounter. Her skepticism only grows when her mother begins spending a lot of time with Nick, their friendship growing quickly into something more. Ash goes to great lengths to uncover what Nick is hiding.

•My head is still spinning from this book. I highly recommend! It will become available on June 24, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Jewell, and Atria Books for this ARC.

This is possibly my favorite Lisa Jewell book. I couldn’t put it down! Fantastic from first page to last. As you can see, I couldn't wait to read this one! I expect you to be in the same predicament too!

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell is a gripping page-turner about a manipulative con artist who destroys lives and families. The story felt chillingly believable, with a truly delusional antagonist. However, I knocked my rating down slightly because of the final twist—did Nick or Ash write the last note? Adding that confusion felt unnecessary, especially when so many other women had already shared stories of his manipulation and abuse.

I was extremely excited to read the follow up to Lisa Jewell’s excellent thriller None of This is True. Don’t Let Him In is compulsively readable and hard to put down.

We are introduced to Ash, a twenty-six year old that is searching for her life’s purpose, but is currently living with her recently widowed mother Nina. Her father, a successful restauranteur was killed in a terrible accident and she is left picking up the pieces. Now her mother has started to date a man that Ash doesn’t completely trust and she struggles to come to terms with the new addition in their lives. We alsoMartha, a florist with three children who is starting to suspect her husband is cheating on her. This story of two women whose lives will intersect in a way that none of them could ever see coming captivated me from the first chapter.

Told from multiple perspectives, the action is nearly immediate and pivots in dramatic twists that will leave you wanting more. The characters are well thought out and instantly believable. Although I did guess a few things, there was enough explosive turns that I remained on interested and completely engaged. I give this book five well earned stars and my heartiest recommendation.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

I received this ARC last night and pretty much didn’t put it down until I finished it. This is a classic Lisa Jewel novel. If you like her books (as I do) you will enjoy this book as well. There were lots of characters to keep track of but I liked how there were multiple narrators telling the story from their perspectives.

I started reading this book immediately after I was approved for it. Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher and Lisa Jewell for the early review opportunity!

WHAT A WILD RIDE!!!! I loved this one and kept telling my husband about it the whole time. In true Jewell fashion there are lots of amazing plot twists and juicy suspense. There are multiple timelines that tie this story together beautifully. If you loved “None of This Is True” then you might like this one even more! It was a fantastic thriller that I was not able to put down from start to finish.