First off, a huge thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for an advanced e-copy of one of my most anticipated for 2025!
Ok. To the review. Holy guacamole. Lisa Jewell will always be an auto read author for me, but she really has you flipping the pages on this one. Set with alternating timelines, as well as multiple points of view Don't Let Him In, will have you questioning if you truly know the people in your life. This was a fast-paced novel about 3 women finding the truth of the man in their life. This was compulsive. Especially since there are little hints that drop almost each chapter that will have you continually reading. I really couldn't stop and read the majority in one sitting. Definitely recommend for the fans of psychological thrillers. You will not be disappointed. Add it to the TBR for the year STAT!

I must admit that this book initially started with a bit of a challenge. With multiple POV and simultaneous storylines, I found myself struggling to follow the story. Initially, I believed I was comprehending the story, but I kept questioning my understanding throughout the book. I must also mention that the story begins extremely slowly, and I found myself checking how many minutes or chapters I had left to finish it. However, I was also intrigued by what was unfolding. Despite the confusion, I found this story genuinely captivating and intriguing.

Thank you, Netgalley and Atria Books, for providing me with an ARC.

I was immersed in this book. The plot. The characters. It all flowed so well. It kept me on toes. Some of the plot was predictable but I don’t mind that in thrillers. All in all I enjoyed it very much.

I dated a man in college. He was tall, charming, smart, athletic, goal-oriented and he won over my parents almost immediately. He seemed like the perfect man. However, as I would find out over the next 2 years, it was all a lie. The entire time we were dating I knew him as (let’s call him) Landon, but that turned out to be his middle name. His real name was (lets say) Alex which is what his family would call him. And when I would meet his friends, he’d go by yet another name, Aaron. He explained all this away talking about nicknames and different names at different ages. After dating for a while, I received messages from other women alleging that they were also involved with him. But he would talk his way out of it, the “crazy ex” excuse. He would disappear some weekends, claiming he was visiting his parents. He didn’t allow me to even get close to his phone, let alone ever see what he was doing when on it. I’ll admit there were increasingly more and more red flags that I let slide because I was young and he was otherwise, seemingly, perfect. He could cook, he bought me gifts, he was thoughtful and loving.

Little did I know.

After a particularly distressing event and subsequent breakup, I started to find out more of the truth. His mother reached out to me to let me know that he was a diagnosed sociopath and that he had probably been lying to me about everything. As it turns out, I was not his only girlfriend at the time, he had me at college, and had another girlfriend back home. After I broke up with him and I found out more and more, the stalking began. He would blow up my phone. I’d block him, and he’d do it again from another number. He made countless Snapchat accounts attempting to communicate with me. Swearing that he loved me and only me. That he’d never hurt me again. He emailed email addresses I forgot even existed. He would show up to my house late at night and park out front and just call me nonstop. I moved soon after that. He even went to my workplace, and I quit soon after that. For months this man did everything he could to convince me to take him back. Thankfully, after a very long and anxious period, the calls subsided. I soon found my husband and the rest is history.

But then I read this book.

And it is almost as if Lisa Jewell crawled into my memories and extracted this particularly horrific one and crafted a thriller out of it. This book was pure adrenaline and anxiety for me. It’s a fantastic thriller, but also a deeply unsettling one—especially if you’ve ever known a man like this. It makes me wonder if Lisa Jewell had some experience herself because they way she was able to write him, write about the manipulation, the excuses, how you let things go because you don’t want to destroy what you’ve built together. You don’t want to forget about all the good things just because there’s some bad, so you excuse it and excuse it until one day you realize there is no good left. It’s hard to understand the roller coaster of emotions unless you’ve been through it, but Jewell does. Looking back now, I feel incredibly stupid that I fell for any of it but when you’re being manipulated, you’re trapped in this whirlwind and you can’t see the forest for the trees. And Lisa Jewell captured those feelings perfectly.

Not only does she get the emotions right, but also the characters. She perfectly writes that manipulative, chameleon personality that can slip into your life, love bomb the fuck out of you, and then slowly convince you that you’re the crazy one. The accuracy of the barely contained rage, the simmering-beneath-the-surface violence.

The pacing is claustrophobic- I felt like everything was slowly caving in on me as a reader and I was desperate to get to the end.

If you love psychological books with a slow-burning sense of dread, this one is for you. But if you’ve ever experienced your own Landon, just know, it’s going to hit hard.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of “Don’t Let Him In” by Lisa Jewell.

I loved it, it kept me reading during my time on vacation. I was so excited to see how the mystery unfolded and played out.

Lisa Jewell has delivered another page turner in her newest domestic thriller. Following the tragic death of her larger than life husband Paddy Swann, Nina finds herself swooped off her feet by the charming and smooth Nick Radcliffe. Right away her daughter Ash, who is struggling with grief and feeling lost, gets a bad feeling about him. After one strange discovery and dodgy explanation after another, Ash goes down a dizzying path to find out more about Nick. Told in short chapters, alternating timelines and POV’s, we get to know Nick and how he conned handfuls of women over decades. This was a truly maddening character to follow and it felt so wild being in the mind of this psychopath. The story builds and builds with every chapter, every lie, every slip up, every connection made and readers are left wondering until the end if Nick will get away with crimes or not. There were a few reveals that I saw coming or guessed right away so it wasn’t too unpredictable in that sense. I loved how each woman became stronger and stronger against the man they thought they knew. It just goes to show how often women will always be targets of abuse and vulnerable to dangerous men. Even more sad to think about, how many women never get justice. Lisa Jewell had me seated from the very first page. 4.5 stars!

"Don't Let Him In" by Lisa Jewell is an engaging thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story is about trust and betrayal, with well-written characters that feel real. Although some parts of the book can be slow, the plot twists make it exciting.

While it may not be the most original story, it’s a solid read for anyone who enjoys suspenseful novels. Overall, it's a good book that provides an entertaining escape into a complex interwoven plot. It was a little predictable for me but overall it was enjoyable.

If you’re a thriller reader, you know and love Lisa Jewell. If you’re like me, you can’t wait for her new releases. I was truly jumping for joy when this sweet baby showed up in my mailbox (THANK YOU @atriabooks )

I have seen lots of mediocre reviews of this. I went in with low expectations. There are LOTS of names and characters and the timelines are confusing to say the least. This wasn’t a book I couldn’t put down but it also was one that that I needed to see how it ended.

The synopsis of this book could pretty much be: John Tucker Must Die for old people.

I didn’t love the first 80% of this book. I really thought I’d be writing a rude review. BUT my hot take is that I actually loved the last 20%. I loved seeing the scorned women put together the pieces and ban together. The libra in me LOVES justice. So I was so glad that this book ended the way it did.

HOWEVER, I finished that last 20% at 2 am when I couldn’t fall back asleep after nursing a baby. So the rest of the night I dreamt that my husband has 15 secret mistresses and 4 secret children and LET ME TELL YOU, the dream felt SO real.

All this to say, this is not close to being a 5 star read or my favorite Lisa Jewell. BUT you may like it more than a lot of the early reviews are portraying. I definitely think it’s worth giving it a chance (also I am thinking this could be better on audio?)

OUT APRIL 28th

I went in knowing I loved every Lisa Jewell book I've read so my expectations were high for this, and I was not disappointed. I love her writting style. It was one of those books I kept thinking about getting back to when my life responsibilties were calling. All Nick's deceptions were so well plotted and I just love reading from the POV of a psychopath. Awesome fast paced thriller. I cant wait to get a phyical copy for my collection. Another 5 star read from Lisa Jewell.

I love Lisa Jewell’s writing. This might be my second favorite of hers (Then She Was Gone is my forever favorite of hers). With this book I was hooked from the very beginning and I couldn’t put this down. With any of her books, she strategically puts the hints throughout the story without taking the reader out of it. The ending was a little tidy, but I didn’t mind it. Thank you NetGalley, Lisa Jewell and Atria Books for this great digital arc.

Lisa Jewell did it again with this book. It kept me hooked from start to finish. There were a lot of characters and shifting POVs, but it was the perfect balance (any more and it might have been overwhelming). The tension built beautifully and just when I thought I’d be left frustrated, the Epilogue delivered the closure I needed. A fabulous, binge-worthy read!

Again, i really love lisa jewell and i thought this was one of her best books yet. The best books make you question your own reality, in my opinion, and i really started to do that. I couldn’t put it down and almost read it all in one sitting. I loved this so much, i wish i could re-read it.

this book is a DNF for me. I found it really hard to get into and I just was not interested in the story or the characters.

Not my favorite Lisa Jewell novel, but a mediocre Jewell book is still a good character-driven mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

I hated this man so much, but that’s exactly how you’re supposed to feel. Well written, I enjoyed the fact that the suspense was centered around a con artist, not a killer (although there’s a little bit of that too)
Overall enjoyable, I was very satisfied with the ending!

One of her best, if not her best! This was disturbing at many points, but I devoured the book. It reminded me of Liz Nugent (one of my other favorites). Well-written as always -- Jewell is at the top of her game.

My husband said I must rate this 5 stars because I literally couldn’t shut up about it and he said he knew the best books are ones that I don’t shut up about. What he doesn’t know, is this book made me second guess our whole relationship and wonder if he could have a multitude of other wives. The best books make you question your reality and feel what’s going on in them. I loved this book! I couldn’t put it down and almost read it all in one sitting. I always highly recommend Lisa Jewell’s books! Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

Let me start by saying I love Lisa Jewell.

That being said, two things can be true at the same time- I did not love this. Don’t Let Him In was such an incredibly slow burn that I struggled to engage with it. The characters and story did nothing for me. If I’m being honest, I was just incredibly bored.

Was this for me? No.

Will other people love it? Of course.

Will I still be first in line for her next release?
Absolutely.

Don't let him in by Lisa Jewell
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Outlier alert ⚠️

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Lisa Jewell, but this books multiple POV and multiple timelines gave me serious whiplash. I barely understood who I was reading and what timeline I was in.. I believe that possibly the font was changing per character? Maybe. But I couldn't remember which font was whose and all that jazz. This book just didn't wow me like a few of her previous novels have.
Maybe this one deserves a reread or a listen in the near future.

#qotd. Name a book you enjoyed one way more than another?
[ For instance, you couldn't get into audio, but reading it was great!]

#dontlethimin #lisajewell #lisajewellauthor
#thriller #BookReview #BooksofInstagram
#review

I enjoyed this multiple-perspective read that took us on a wild ride. I really liked the look back and forth through the different times in his life, and I actually liked knowing from the start that this was all going to somehow connect and be about the same person. It was kind of fun putting the pieces of the puzzle together.